St. Augustine Distillery Releases First Bourbon Made in Florida
- by Charles Wagoner
- August 24, 2016
- 1700 views
St. Augustine Distillery is proud to announce the official release date of its eagerly awaited Florida Double Cask Bourbon, the first bourbon to be put into barrel in the State of Florida since Prohibition. Florida Double Cask Bourbon will be available at the distillery’s gift shop on Friday, September 9th from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and select retailers, bars and restaurants shortly after.
“Developed by the best craft distillers in the world, Florida Double Cask Bourbon is a celebration of the Sunshine State, its agriculture and unique maritime climate,” said Philip McDaniel, co-founder and CEO of St. Augustine Distillery. “Florida’s year-round heat and humidity ages our bourbon faster and with greater intensity than anywhere in the country. Our distillers have a running joke that our barrels ‘age in dog years.’”
St. Augustine Distillery’s production team utilized several industry legends to assist in this release. Jake Norris, Founding Distiller of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, developed the mash bill. Dave Pickerell, former Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark, designed the production facility and guided the final blending.
Florida Double Cask Bourbon is a dark amber, malted bourbon distilled and bottled on-site using local ingredients to capture the distinctive flavors of the region. The spirits in this first bourbon release range from 16 to 28 months.
“New federal regulations require the ‘stated age’ be that of the youngest spirit in the blend,” McDaniel explained. “We aged our whiskey in a sequence of new, wine quality 25-gallon and seasoned 53-gallon barrels. To achieve our flavor profile, we hand-selected dozens and dozens of barrels to blend a unique and robust bourbon.”
ABOUT FLORIDA DOUBLE CASK BOURBON
· Tasting notes: full-bodied, deep, and complex with notes of caramel, dark fruit, oak and dark chocolate.
· Triple Gold Medal winner in the 2016 MicroLiquor Awards and Triple Gold Medal winner for package design.
· Bottled at 93.8 proof with 46.9% ABV.
· Price in the gift shop will be $50/750 ml.
The St. Augustine Distillery gift shop will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 9th with free, guided tours and tastings every half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 904-825-4962 or visit staugustinedistillery.com.