Press release… Mic check, mic check….listen up y’all! On November 29, Dogfish Head Distilling Co. added its first, full-proof experimental whiskey to its catalog of scratch-made spirits. Available in DE, MD, VA, Washington D.C., and all Dogfish Head properties, Alternate Takes: Volume 1, Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks is brewed, distilled and aged at the Milton Brewery using barrels that previously aged Dogfish Head Distilling Co.’s Barrel Honey Rum. Packaged in 750ml bottles (45% ABV), this whiskey is best enjoyed neat, over ice or in an Old Fashioned and other classic cocktails. Alternate Takes: Volume 1 is a medium-bodied malt whiskey, tawny amber in color with slight smoke, and has a green apple and sweet candied nut finish.
In the analog age of music, artists recorded take after take, experimenting with alternate sounds until a great record emerged. Playing on the artistically creative concept of an “alternate take,” Dogfish experimented with its own new take on whiskey by exploring alternate barrel finishing’s, in this case, by using barrels which previously aged Dogfish rum. “We approach each creative moment at Dogfish with a thirst to push new and out-of-the-ordinary ideas to the furthest limit, as no liquid concoction is out of bounds, and each take on it is part of our artistic journey,” said Sam Calagione, founder and CEO of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery & Dogfish Head Distilling Co. “Our Alternate Takes whiskey series is an ode of sorts to the science of R&D distilling, and we’re super excited to share this creatively fresh take on Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks with our Delmarva friends.”
The whiskey starts as a complex ale using specialty malts, including Applewood smoked, coffee kiln and crystal. It’s then fermented with flavorful Doggie Ale yeast (Dogfish Head’s proprietary yeast) right alongside beers like 60 Minute IPA and SeaQuench Ale. This whiskey accesses the very best ingredients, equipment and expertise at Dogfish Head, including the removal of grain solids from the liquid prior to fermentation. This process, along with the batch-distillation, creates a base whiskey that’s more delicate and nuanced than a typical American style whiskey.Alternate Takes: Volume 1 is then aged onsite in new, charred American Oak barrels, then finished in rum casks which previously aged Dogfish Head Distilling Co.’s Barrel Honey Rum -a rum made with sugar cane molasses, honey and aged in American Oak. The result is a malt whiskey with layers of complexity and exceptional smoothness. Alternate Takes: Volume 1, Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks will be bottled in limited quantities and available holiday 2018 or until supplies last. For more information about Dogfish Head Distilling Co., Alternate Takes: Volume 1, Whiskey Finished in Rum Casks, and the full portfolio of scratch-made vodkas, gins, rums and bottled cocktails visit dogfish.com.
