Cathedral Ledge Distillery Review

On a recent visit to North Conway, NH I stopped by the Cathedral Ledge Distilling Company to learn a little about their distilled spirits and try one or two for myself.  Cathedral Ledge is owned by Tracy and Christopher Burk of Denmark, Maine, and opened just this past winter.  Master distiller James McCoy has also been intimately involved at every stage of the process.

While still too young to have aged whiskey products available for release, they do have a nice selection of certified organic distilled spirits available for tasting now, including Vodka (available plain or with fig, blueberry, or horseradish infusions), Aquavit, Genever, and the two spirits I tried: a New Make Whiskey and a Gin.

Aged Spirits are Upcoming

In the coming months they will begin to release their aged spirits, the first of which is an Organic Rye slated for a December 2021 release.  This will be followed by a Wheated Bourbon release and a Straight Bourbon release with a Rye Mash bill.  

For those, like me, who are too impatient to wait to try these new New England craft spirits, the distillery is offering a limited membership to a Bourbon Club, where you're invited to exclusive tastings at various points in the aging process. There is a $100 fee to join, as well as a fee for each tasting that you attend, but in addition to the invitation-only tastings, you get a t-shirt and a $100 gift card when the straight bourbon is released in 2023.  Clearly, the bourbon club is a smart way for a new business to get the money now for a product that will sit unsold for two years!

Organic New Make Whiskey

Their "New Make" white whiskey is a proofed down version of the distillate used in making what will soon become their Wheated Bourbon release.  

Mash Bill:  69% Corn, 19% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley.  Bottled at 90 proof.

Nose: That buttery aroma you so often get with white dog, with soft notes of wheat bread and corn.

Palate: Very smooth for a new make product.  Light sweetness with the distinct flavors of wheat and corn.  Mild burn on the finish.

Really looking forward to seeing what this one does with some time in oak, and because of my bourbon club membership I'll get my first preview in just a couple of months!

Organic Gin

This blog is about whiskey of course.  Moreover, I'm a hard core bourbon guy with a growing taste for rye, and not really much of a gin drinker, but who can have just one taste when visiting a new distillery?  

For my second sample I chose Cathedral Ledge's Organic Gin, and was very impressed by its unique balance of flavors. Cardemom, orange peel and lemon peel offset the Juniper berries beautifully, giving this gin a wonderful balance that is lovely neat and would be delicious in a very dry gibson or martini. 

Mash Bill: 44% Corn, 44% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley

If you get a chance, it's definitely worth stopping by this beautiful distillery and tasting room just north of North Conway village on Route 16.  Tastings are $2.50 per pour, or $12.50 for a complete flight.  Tours are also offered alongside the complete line of spirits and merchandise.

Cheers!

Trevor