Lyons, Colo., May 9th, 2019 - Spirit Hound Distillers is creating a Colorado-born buzz with local Bee Squared Apiaries (Berthoud, CO) to bring you a Colorado exclusive, one-of-a-kind take on honey whisk(e)y. This Colorado Honey Whisky isn't a saccharine-sweet flavored whisky, but a true straight whisky finished in aged honey barrels.
Spirit Hound and Bee Squared Apiaries have developed a unique process during which raw honey is aged in spent whisky barrels for 100 days. Each honey-filled barrel is rotated daily, by hand, to maximize absorption of whisky and oak essence, producing a very limited release Whisky Barrel Aged Honey. The emptied honey barrel then returns to Spirit Hound, where it is filled with a finished (2 year old) whisky and aged for three additional months. Each unique barrel is individually bottled with a delightfully balanced, rich, not-too-sweet whisky that showcases the true depth of this Colorado collaboration.
“Finishing our straight malt whisky in used honey barrels is a natural way for us to accentuate the honey notes that we get in our whisky normally,” said Craig Engelhorn, head distiller and mad scientist at Spirit Hound. “We get amplified flavors and enjoyable honey characters without being overly sweet.”
The Straight Malt Whisky (Spirit Hound prefers the “e”-free spelling on its whisky, noting a respectful nod to Scotch whisky and the 100-percent malted barley recipe) in the collaboration has been aged for over two years in new, fully charred American oak barrels before being bottled in an unblended “single-barrel” fashion.
“The barrel-aged honey process that we’ve developed allows the honey to remain raw—unheated—for maximum flavor,” said Beth Conrey, owner of Bee Squared Apiaries. “Our partnership with Spirit Hound is a wonderful ‘full-circle’ collaboration that our clients truly appreciate and makes for a great honey and a great whisky!”
9oz. Jars of the Bee Squared Whisk(e)y Barrel Aged Honey will be available at the tasting room event and for order via the Bee Squared Apiaries website.
Spirit Hound’s Colorado Honey Whisky is available in limited quantities throughout Colorado at craft-centric bars and restaurants (on-premise), and liquor stores (off-premise). 750 ML Bottles sell for a suggested retail price of $65.00.
To celebrate the release of the Honey Whisky, Spirit Hound Distillers will be hosting a slew of events throughout Colorado during the month of May. Guests are invited to meet the Spirit Hound team, sample Neat or On-Ice pours along with specialty cocktails featuring the Colorado Honey Straight Malt Whisky, and learn more about the origin of the distillery and its award-winning distinct flavors.
May 16th - William Oliver's Publick House Honey Whisky Release
When: May 16th, 2019 - 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: William Oliver's Publick House (2608 S Timberline Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80525)
What: Meet the Spirit Hound Distillers Crew
Spirit Hound Flights
Neat & On-Ice Samples
Specialty Cocktails
May 16th - Freshcraft Honey Whisky Release and Pairing Dinner - Click HERE for tickets.
When: May 16th, 2019 - 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Freshcraft (1530 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202)
What: Spirit Hound Distillers is launching limited distribution of Straight Malt Whisky Aged in Colorado Honey Barrels and to celebrate Freshcraft is putting on a small plate dinner pairing with four Spirit Hound spirits. Guests will have the opportunity to sample the spirits both in cocktails and neat paired with barbecue themed dishes developed by Chef Peter Wertz. Spirit Hound Distillers representatives will be in attendance to talk about their amazing products as well.
May 18th - World Whisky Day Honey Whisky Release Party - Click HERE for more details.
When: May 18th, 2019. 12 Noon to Close
Where: Spirit Hound Distillers (4196 Ute Highway/US Route 36 Lyons, CO 80540)
What: Exclusive Meet the Distiller w/ Craig Engelhorn (12 Noon to 1 p.m.) - Click HERE for more.
Charcuterie w/ discussion and samples of 5 whisky barrels - $40
Exclusive Meet Beth Conrey from Bee Squared Apiarie (2 p.m. to 3p.m.) - Click HERE for more.
Leading a small group discussion about various honey topics
Food Truck - La Rue Bayou
Wendy Woo Band (5p.m. to 8 p.m.)
Specialty Cocktails
May 23rd - Tap Fourteen Honey Whisky Release
When: May 23rd, 2019 - 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Tap Fourteen (1920 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202)
What: Meet the Spirit Hound Distillers Crew
Spirit Hound Flights
Neat & On-Ice Samples
Specialty Cocktails
May 23rd - William Oliver's Publick House Honey Whisky Release
When: May 23rd, 2019 - 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: William Oliver's Publick House (201 N Public Rd #1C, Lafayette, CO 80026)
What: Meet the Spirit Hound Distillers Crew
Spirit Hound Flights
Neat & On-Ice Samples
Specialty Cocktails
For additional details please visit http://www.spirithounds.com/
Images & Media Assets: Assets are available for Download HERE.
Awards:
Straight Malt Whisky
– 93 Rating, Brilliant. 2017 Whiskey Bible
– Double Gold, 2018 "The Fifty Best" American Malt Whiskies
– Grand Champion, 2016 Boulder County Spirits Competition
– Silver, 2016 Breckenridge Craft Spirits Competition
– Bronze, 2016 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
– Gold, 2015 Breckenridge Craft Spirits Competition
– Silver, 2019 American Distilling Institute
Spirit Hound Distillers
– 2016 Boulder County Grand Champion
– 2015 through 2019 Boulder Weekly - Best of Boulder County
About:
Resonating from the gritty small town of Lyons, situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, comes Spirit Hound Distillers, and unique crafted spirits years in the making. Founded in 2012 by friends and business partners—Craig Engelhorn, Wayne Anderson, Matt Rooney and Neil Sullivan—Spirit Hound’s reputation originates in a hands-on approach to the craft of distilling. The Spirit Hound team takes traditional and classic recipes that comes to life with local, hand-selected ingredients distilled through hand-built-from-scratch stills and distillation equipment in search of one-of-a-kind processes and flavors. Spirit Hound offerings include: an acclaimed Straight Malt Whisky, Honey Whisky, Spirit Hound Gin, Mountain Bum Rum, Sambuca and an un-aged version of its whisky called White Dog Moonshine. Currently, Spirit Hound products are available in Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Texas.
The Spirit Hound tasting room is located on the St. Vrain River at 4196 Ute Highway/US Route 36 Lyons, CO 80540 and hosts live music and events throughout the week, and is a popular destination for lovers of distilled spirits and handcrafted cocktails.
For additional details please visit http://www.spirithounds.com/ or call (303) 823-5696
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