This weekend, whiskey drinkers are in luck.
Local distillery Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye is releasing their first Bottled-in-Bond rye whiskey this Saturday, November 5 at 8 am at their distillery in Bristol, PA. What’s so special about Bottled-in-Bond whiskey, you ask?
First, the liquor must be the product of one distillation season (January-June, or July-December) and one distiller at one distillery. It must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse under US government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof (50% alcohol by volume). Only spirits produced in the United States may be designated as bonded.
At Dad’s Hat, owners Herman Mihalich and John Cooper are thrilled to be offering the distillery’s first Bottled-in-Bond. The whiskey has been aged for four years and comes from only one barrel. That makes it really special. “It’s intense and contains multiple layers of flavors,” said Mihalich, who is also the Master Distiller at Dad’s Hat.
“We are so excited about this release,” said Cooper. “We worked with 15 gallon barrels during our first six months in business, but waited more than nine months to begin the process of aging in 53 gallon barrels because we wanted to make sure we were ready to invest the time and product to do this well.”
One barrel equals 200 bottles, which is all that Dad’s Hat can sell of this special release. The party begins this Saturday, November 5 at the distillery at 8 am. The whiskey is available for $100 per bottle, and will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Coffee and donuts will be served too (according to Mihalich, Entenmann’s chocolate covered donuts make an excellent palate cleanser!).
The other exciting news is that Dad’s Hat will be rolling out its Straight Rye nationally. Straight rye is federally designated to be at least two years old and aged in new oak barrels. We’ve been able to get it here in Pennsylvania for a few months in the state stores. Mihalich says the straight rye is meant for sipping, containing hints of rye grass, burnt sugar with hints of vanilla.
Dad’s Hat Rye earned Whisky Advocate‘s revered Craft Whiskey of the Year Award in 2015. The company’s Rye Whiskey Finished in Vermouth Barrels was recognized by Wine Enthusiast as one of “The Top 100 Spirits of 2015”. In addition, Dad’s Hat Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels received a Gold Medal and a 91 rating from the Beverage Tasting Institute this year.
Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye distillery is located at 925 Canal Street in Bristol, PA. For more information on the distillery, see their website. For more information about the event, click here.
Bucks County Taste was one of the first to write about Dad’s Hat. Read our post, Rye whiskey comes back home
