The Last Call

 Journeyman Distillery Fine Girl Brandy Review.      Journeyman Distillery has become a familiar name on this channel, and for good reason. Originally rooted in Michigan and now operating a second distillery in Indiana, Journeyman continues to push craft spirits forward while keeping production fully in-house. More recently, some of the releases that once felt exclusive to Michigan have started showing up in Indiana as well, which is always a welcome sight.      Fine Girl Brandy immediately stands out as something a little different from the usual whiskey fare. Brandy doesn’t show up often on the channel, but it’s a category I genuinely enjoy when done well. After having a pour of this at the bar months ago and remembering it fondly, I was excited to revisit it with a focused tasting and see how it holds up on its own.      Fine Girl Brandy is made using Vidal Blanc grapes sourced from St. Julian Vineyards, a longtime Michigan producer k...

 West Fork Whsky Co. High Corn Bourbon Cherry Brandy finished.      Over the past couple of years I've been a fan of the West Fork Whsky Co. Based in Westfield, Indiana they are doing some great examples of craft whiskey in my eyes. Their "in house" brand is being distilled, aged, and bottled by them along with all the transparency on mash bills, age statements and all those deep details. This release is a bit unique. Essentially West Fork is taking a 100% corn mash bill ant then finishing it in a cherry brandy barrel.             Starting with a new American oak barrel aging for 4 years, this high-corn bourbon receives an extra 18 months in cherry brandy barrels. We don't see many distilleries use 100% corn let alone going with a bourbon vs a whiskey. The catch on this release is you are really using the barrel itself to do a lot of "heavy lifting" to bring flavors to the bourbon vs the barrel and a blend of grains. This was q...