The Last Call

     Some bottles just sit on the shelf and stare at you. This one did that to me for nearly a year. Old Blue Single Barrel Cask Strength from Wood Hat Spirits was part of a group store pick here in Indiana, originally hovering near the $90–$100 mark before eventually dropping to half price. Once the price fell, curiosity finally won.      Information on this bottling is surprisingly limited. The label states that it is grown, aged, distilled, and bottled by Wood Hat, which is a huge plus in the craft world. As a straight corn whiskey, we know the mash bill is at least 80% corn, but the remaining 20% is undisclosed. There is no age statement, and barrel size is not specified. I reached out for clarification but never received a response. So we go in with what’s in the glass.      Being craft and potentially made with smaller barrels, there are a lot of variables at play. Smaller cooperage can accelerate oak influence, and with a high-corn mas...

     Wood Hat Spirits out of Missouri has built its reputation on experimenting with unique corn varieties, creative barreling, and full in-house production. Their Bloody Butcher Red Corn Whiskey caught my attention the moment I saw it, partly because I’ve loved Bloody Butcher corn in other producers’ bourbons, and partly because I missed my shot at grabbing one when a small drop landed in Indiana a couple of years back. After my mixed experience with their Ol' Blue Corn Whiskey, I hesitated. But curiosity got the better of me, and I finally tracked down a bottle of this single barrel pick from Belmont Beverage. With its heirloom grain heritage, I went in with an open mind, hoping for the magic I’ve found in other Bloody Butcher expressions.      While Wood Hat doesn’t share much detail about specific barrels, they are known for using varying barrel sizes, sometimes full 53-gallon, sometimes much smaller, and for working closely with local grain sources. Th...

          Hunt Club Distillery is based out of Sheridan, Indiana where they are distilling, aging, and bottling everything in-house, using locally sourced grains and a distinctly hands-on approach. Among their lineup of vodka, gin, and even high proof versions of these spirits. For distillation Hunt Club is using a hand-hammered Portuguese pot still and local Indiana grains.       When it comes to the Hunt Club 88 whiskey, it aged for a minimum of four years, primarily in ex-Jack Daniel's barrels, though Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey barrels have also been in the mix. Since this is a corn based whiskey and aging in used barrels,  it is a different beast from the typical bourbon experience. With knowing the process the whiskey should be leaning into softness and sweetness rather than complexity from a multi-grain mash bill. Due to this you are relying on the corn profile and the used barrels to do all the talking and to bring the flavo...