Van Brunt Stillhouse Range Review

let’s begin

A traditional Whisky distillery, Van Brunt Stillhouse is based in New York that wants to bring distilling back to Brooklyn.

New York Born

Out of the Whiskey boom that the industry is experiencing right now have sprung several new distilleries, with many concentrated in new York.

Van Brunt Stillhouse has an edge in that it honours the past and understands where it comes from.

There is a lot about the brand that recognises the history of New York and the history of distilling in the city. The name refers to Cornelius Van Brunt, a Dutch man who helped found “Breukelen”, and the aim was to bring distilling back to this area of New York.

It is the brainchild of husband and wife Daric Schlesselman and Sarah Ludington, who, together with friends and family put together the distillery themselves.

The Van Brunt Stillhouse Range

The Van Brunt Stillhouse Distillery has been up and running since 2012 and in that time they have created a developed a brilliant range of Whiskies.

American Whiskey

Bottle cost: £57.95

Their American Whiskey is made up of four grains, which includes primarily wheat and barley and then corn and rye.

It begins with a nose of rich earthy tones, full of cherry blossom and dew covered grass. The fresh notes tie in well with a caramel and vanilla sweetness and a hint of malted barley.

The palate is bold and big, with more sweetness and floral flavours. Gentle notes of oak wood, tobacco and mahogany appear, adding a subtle depth.

Vanilla leads, with a really mellow mouth feel. It is smooth and soft, allowing the flavours to just melt together. There is a warmth and spice as well, with a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg.

The finish is long and lingers on oak wood and vanilla.

rye

Bottle cost: £59.75

The Van Brunt Rye Whiskey captures the perfect Rye; it is full of sweetness and spice.

The nose begins with big hints of coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco and oak wood. The flavours are complemented with caramel and burnt brown sugar offering a lovely backdrop for the darker notes.

The palate is warming, with cinnamon and cloves coming through. These go hand in hand with notes of citrus fruit and orchard flavours.

Oranges and cherries give a lovely zest to the darker flavours and go exceptionally well with the coffee and chocolate. Sweet nuts, with marzipan and christmas cake also appear, adding a little bit of complexity.

The finish is full of oak wood and vanilla, wrapping everything up with sweetness.

bourbon

Bottle cost: £65.75

This Bourbon is brilliantly sweet, with lots of different flavours coming through.

The nose is full of chocolate, dried fruits, vanilla and oak wood. It is thick with sugary goodness.

Hints of hazelnuts, peanuts and butterscotch add a little bit of complexity to everything.

The palate is rich with darker notes of coffee that bounce off the sweet vanilla and oak wood. The overall mouth feel is smooth and mellow, adding to the taste and allowing the sweet caramel and treacle notes to come alive.

This is a very typical Bourbon but it is really well done. The darker notes don’t detract from the sweetness but help bring it out a little more.

The finish is strong, with more oak and vanilla.

white rye

White Rye is not very common but has been around since the 1700s. This is unaged Rye spirit that is packed with spice.

The nose begins with hints of cinnamon and the sharp tang of green grapes and citrus fruits.

The wamrth and the fruits are excellent together and go well with the slightly herbal notes that also appear.

The palate is rich and dense with spices. Ginger, cloves, hints of star of anise and nutmeg, all mix perfectly to bring lots of warmth. Thyme and mint also come through and give a nice edge to the heat, bringing in a little bit of freshness.

The finish is gentle, with more herbal notes and warmth.

Van Brunt Stillhouse may be a modern distillery but they certainly do things the old fashioned way, and it’s really paid off. Their Whiskies are well developed and full of flavour. They are well on their way to bringing the best Whiskies back to Brooklyn.

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Tags: FeaturedNew YorkStillhouse RangeVan BruntWhisky distillery

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.