Rye whiskey + Norton barrels

It doesn’t get more Missouri than this.

Distiller Derek LeRoy got his hands on some used Norton barrels recently and brilliantly decided that the best thing to do was to fill them with some of our three-year rye. If you’re not familiar, Norton is Missouri’s state grape, and has been cultivated in and around Hermann for almost 200 years. It’s a native American grape hybrid — rather than vitis vinifera varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, which are native to Europe — that makes deep, full bodied red wine. The barrels Derek sourced are charred Missouri white oak, made at a cooperage not far from here.

Look for the Norton-finished rye to debut this fall or early winter … we’ll announce the release as soon as we set a date.