A Visit to the Smuggler's Notch Distillery Tasting Room

On a recent couples trip to the Smuggler's Notch Resort, Dan and I took advantage of a morning grocery run to visit the Smuggler's Notch Distillery and sample some of their craft distilled spirits, liquor-infused pickles and barrel-aged maple syrups.  

The distillery tasting room is located just off Vermont Route 15 in Jeffersonville, VT, not far from the roundabout at the junction of Rte. 15 and Rte. 108.  Although the distillery building itself is a corrugated steel structure, the tasting room is a cedar-clapped structure with a farmhouse character on the outside.  Inside, its exactly the sort of barnboard-paneled structure you expect in northern Vermont.

The History of Smuggler's Notch

Smugglers Notch is a narrow mountain pass that allows travel through the northern third of the Green Mountains and was a vital link for early Vermonters who often traded with their nearest big city: Montreal. It received its name after Thomas Jefferson enacted a trade embargo against England and Canada shortly before the war of 1812. Vermonters continued to “smuggle” goods through the pass to maintain their livelihood and, as with some medical goods, indeed their lives.  However, this was not the only time the notch was used as a smuggling route. It was used once more to smuggle escaped slaves to safety in Canada, and again after the auto road was put in to smuggle alcohol from Canada during prohibition.  It’s this rebellious spirit seems to be at the heart of Smugglers Notch Distillery. 

The distillery itself was founded by a father-son duo in 2006 to make fine spirits using pure Vermont spring water and organic grains.  In addition to their Straight Bourbon, they make a Rye, a couple of single barrel bourbon selections, and multiple vodka, gin and rum selections, including flavored offerings.

The Smuggler's Notch Tasting Room 

Vermont law only allows tasting rooms to pour a single ounce for samples, so our tasting was limited to four quarter-ounce samples for the day.  My flight included the Smuggler's Notch 10 Year Distiller's Select, their Batch 82 single barrel bourbon, their signature Rye, and their bourbon barrel aged rum.  Dan had a similar flight, but substituted the maple flavored bourbon for the rum.  Our hostess, Katie, was gracious and amusingly a little intimidated by a couple of guys who like to write about whiskey, although we assured her we just do this for fun.

Smuggler's Notch Whiskey Tasting Flights

10-Year Distiller's Select: Undisclosed mash bill. 110 Proof blend. No age statement. The 10 years represents the distillery's anniversary edition, rather than the age of the spirit. Barrels from different years from as young as 2-3 years all the way up to 10 years were blended together to make the uniquely mellow bottle with great flavor and is owe so easy to sip. 

Trevor:

• Nose: Caramel, baking spice, vanilla and oak
• Palate: Vanilla, cherry, oak and spice, with a hint of citrus when you give the spirit a good Kentucky Chew
• Finish: Caramel and pepper with a lingering sweetness

Dan:

• Nose: Vanilla, light citrus, oak, with light ethanol notes 
• Palate: Nice full palette experience, sweet fruit, citrus, corn malt
• Finish: Long and dry, lingering oak and tannins 

Batch 82 Single Barrel:  Undisclosed mash bill. 90 Proof.

Trevor:

• Nose: Vanilla, brown sugar, wheat
• Palate: Grain, oak
• Finish: Pepper, mild warming in the throat and chest

Dan:

• Nose: Grain forward, vanilla, orange zest
• Palate: Initial pops of sweet caramel, changing into spicier oak, pepper
• Finish: Pepper and char with a long hug

Rye Whiskey:  Mash Bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley. 90 proof.

Trevor:

• Nose: Mint, rye grain, sweet
• Palate: Spearmint, bread and black pepper
• Finish: Pepper, lingering dry sweetness

Dan:

• Nose: Heavy rye bread, mint, grain forward
• Palate: Spicy, green peppercorns, mint
• Finish: Hot with a definite bite

Bourbon Barrel Aged Rum:  90 Proof.  Aged 3 years in white oak barrels and finished in a four year old bourbon barrel.

Trevor:

• Nose: Oaky with bourbon notes  
• Palate: Vanilla, toffee, honey
• Finish: Sweet and spicy

Maple Infused Straight Bourbon:  90 Proof.  No age statement.

Dan:

• Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, maple, barrel char
• Palate:  Not as sweet as expected, cinnamon, maple, lite smoke
• Finish:  Short but nice, pepper, maple, oak

Oak Aged Syrup and Tipsy Pickles

In addition to their broad selection of craft distilled spirits, the distillery also offers spirit infused pickles and maple syrup aged in bourbon, rum and rye barrels. The bourbon infused pickles start sweet and have a spicy kick at the end, while the vodka pickles are hot from beginning to end. The gin pickles have a sour dill pickle flavor, and the rum pickles are a souped-up version of grandma's bread and butter pickles. We brought the bourbon and gin pickles home for a charcuterie lunch.

As for the syrups, we each make cocktails that feature maple syrups, and I was running low on my bourbon barrel aged syrup. I went home with a 375 ml bottle. It's sweet and oaky and goes great in my Maple Spice Old Fashioned recipe.  Dan chose the rye barrel aged syrup. The spicy, dry character of the rye tempers the sweetness of the maple syrup nicely.  I'm looking forward to seeing what he makes with it.