Aly and I went to North Carolina for our friends' wedding, rode our bikes a little and visited a couple distilleries. The weather was perfect for travelling and we got to spend time with friends.
The planning department, Aly, plotted a course that took us through Charleston, SC, with a stop at Striped Pig
Distillery. We then continued on to Chapel Hill, NC, and visited with two of my friends from college. TOPO Distillery happens to be right in Chapel Hill, as luck would have it.
Striped Pig Distillery 4/23/2014
The planning department, Aly, plotted a course that took us through Charleston, SC, with a stop at Striped Pig
Distillery. We then continued on to Chapel Hill, NC, and visited with two of my friends from college. TOPO Distillery happens to be right in Chapel Hill, as luck would have it.
Striped Pig Distillery 4/23/2014
The quality of the whisky at this place is evident! Actually the whisky, vodka and rum we tasted were nice. They use corn at this place and, of course, molasses for the rum. Todd Weiss (Distiller/Partner) was kind enough to give us a quick tour with tasting straight from still as well as at the bar, which was one of the coolest looking bars I have ever seen.
Apparently one of the owners, the one who owns the pig, actually stripes him, like the logo, for events. So there really is a striped pig involved.
Here are my tasting notes:
*Striped Vodka 40% ABV (corn-same mash bill as whisky) Not Filtered
-smelled corn
-tasted corn, chalky, little burn
-with water - sweet corn
-trailed something like wood
This is the first corn vodka I have ever had. I have a history with vodka from college and have just begun to be able to taste it again.
*Striped Shine 60% ABV Unaged whisky
-smelled strong corn
-tasted corn with almost plastic - overpowering
-with water - lightened the corn smell
-tasted corn - not as sweet, not chalky
This is a light, sweet whisky that's easy to drink.
* Striped Rum 40% ABV
-smelled slightly butterscotch, tinge of rubber
-tasted sweet dessert, trailed caramel
-with water - more rubber
-tasted slightly sweet
Apparently one of the owners, the one who owns the pig, actually stripes him, like the logo, for events. So there really is a striped pig involved.
Here are my tasting notes:
*Striped Vodka 40% ABV (corn-same mash bill as whisky) Not Filtered
-smelled corn
-tasted corn, chalky, little burn
-with water - sweet corn
-trailed something like wood
This is the first corn vodka I have ever had. I have a history with vodka from college and have just begun to be able to taste it again.
*Striped Shine 60% ABV Unaged whisky
-smelled strong corn
-tasted corn with almost plastic - overpowering
-with water - lightened the corn smell
-tasted corn - not as sweet, not chalky
This is a light, sweet whisky that's easy to drink.
* Striped Rum 40% ABV
-smelled slightly butterscotch, tinge of rubber
-tasted sweet dessert, trailed caramel
-with water - more rubber
-tasted slightly sweet
The TOPO Distillery in Chapel Hill, NC , was literally right downtown. They use city water for production and have an interesting system for reclaiming and reusing it throughout the process. Wheat is the grain of choice for their expressions with a vodka, gin and unaged whiskey. Corn, I believe, makes up the rest of the mash bill. I did get to taste an aged whiskey which has not been released yet.
Here is what I tasted:
*TOPO Vodka 40% ABV Wheat
-smelled sweet caramel with cereal
-tasted a grain cereal
-with water smelled licorice
-tasted sweet cereal
-trailed slightly metallic
*TOPO Piedmont Gin 46% ABV Wheat
-smelled juniper berries with a little grass
-tasted juniper with almost pine flavor
-there was a tinge of cooked meat?
-with water smelled more pine
-tasted sweet juniper/spices
This is a dangerous gin as it is waaaaay too easy to sip like mojitos. It does not have the sharp flavor of other gins.
* TOPO Carolina Whiskey (Moonshine) 42% ABV
-smelled sweet caramel wheat
-tasted wheat
-with water - sweeter grain
There was not a lot to this as it is unaged spirit. Bottling at 42% ABV makes it more than drinkable. There is less alcohol burn and more flavor than the mason jar variety. Also the wheat gives it more than just a touch of sweetness (corn-which seems to be the common "moonshine" grain). There is an actual flavor.
* TOPO Aged Whiskey Not Released Yet No Age Statement
-smelled oak with a light caramel - new char barrel
-tasted oak with cereal grain- tanins
-with water - not as sweet wheat
There was definitely more going on with this whiskey after it sat in a barrel. Being a newly charred oak cask, the bitterness came through. I am guessing this whiskey is still less than a year old, by far.
Here is what I tasted:
*TOPO Vodka 40% ABV Wheat
-smelled sweet caramel with cereal
-tasted a grain cereal
-with water smelled licorice
-tasted sweet cereal
-trailed slightly metallic
*TOPO Piedmont Gin 46% ABV Wheat
-smelled juniper berries with a little grass
-tasted juniper with almost pine flavor
-there was a tinge of cooked meat?
-with water smelled more pine
-tasted sweet juniper/spices
This is a dangerous gin as it is waaaaay too easy to sip like mojitos. It does not have the sharp flavor of other gins.
* TOPO Carolina Whiskey (Moonshine) 42% ABV
-smelled sweet caramel wheat
-tasted wheat
-with water - sweeter grain
There was not a lot to this as it is unaged spirit. Bottling at 42% ABV makes it more than drinkable. There is less alcohol burn and more flavor than the mason jar variety. Also the wheat gives it more than just a touch of sweetness (corn-which seems to be the common "moonshine" grain). There is an actual flavor.
* TOPO Aged Whiskey Not Released Yet No Age Statement
-smelled oak with a light caramel - new char barrel
-tasted oak with cereal grain- tanins
-with water - not as sweet wheat
There was definitely more going on with this whiskey after it sat in a barrel. Being a newly charred oak cask, the bitterness came through. I am guessing this whiskey is still less than a year old, by far.
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