Ironroot Republic Distillery Visit

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NTSS visited Ironroot Republic Distillery in Denison, TX for a tour and tasting.  We were hosted by one of the Likarish brothers, Robert, and his mother, Marcia.  Robert walked us through the whisky distilling process with their beautiful custom-built Vendome pot still, then showed us their smaller pot still and Kothe batch column still.  While touring the barrel room, we tasted an experimental light-whiskey aged in a barrel that previously held a batch of their own Promethian Bourbon and learned about the several varieties of heirloom corn employed in their whiskey mash.

Once the tour was done, it was time to sample each of their whiskies.  We started with their 103º Promethian Bourbon, then moved on to their latest batch of their cask-strength bourbon, Harbinger, which was released at the distillery on Saturday, June 3rd and will hit store shelves this coming week. Finally, we were treated to an experimental offering that they call Icarus, which is their corn whiskey, Huburis, finished in port and peated casks.  Icarus was a big hit with everyone and Robert indicated that a release was being planned for next year due to the success of the experiment.  We can’t wait to get some!

Finally, we topped off the evening visiting at the distillery bar, which hosts a Bloody Mary Bar every first Saturday of the month.  Robert and Marcia served samples of their vodka, gin, moonshine and filled orders for Bloody Mary’s and Iced Toddy’s while we visited further and pummeled them with all of our questions (we are a curious bunch!).

NTSS Members with Robert and Marcia Likarish at the Ironroot Republic Distillery Bar.

NTSS would like to formally thank the Likarish family for extending an invitation to us and for their amazing hospitality!  We’re big fans of theirs now and look forward to visiting them in the future and enjoying their current and future release!

Rye Whiskey Tasting

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This was presumably the last tasting for our departing member, Eric, so he chose the category of whiskey for the evening.  We opened the evening with a couple of rye ales, which seemed appropriate, as well as another brown ale:

  • Boulevard Rye-on-Rye (2014, 12.0%)
  • Boulevard Rye-on-Rye-on-Rye (2017, 14.0%)
  • Fossil Cove Evolution Series 2.0: ODB (Oatmeal Double Brown) Ale (9.1%)

Official Tasting Bottles:

  • A. D. Laws Secale Straight Rye
  • High West Rendezvous (Barrel 349-2 for K&L Wine Merchants finished in Used Bourbon Barrel for 19 months)
  • High West 21 Year Old Rocky Mountain Rye (Batch 10, 53% Rye, 46%)
  • Jefferson’s Presidential Select 25 Year Old Rye (Batch 1, 43%)
  • Old Potrero Hoatling’s Whiskey 18 Year Old Rye Single Malt (50%)
  • Willett Family Estate 6 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye (#144, 58.2%)
  • Willett Family Estate 8 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye (#42, 58.1%)
  • Smooth Ambler Old Scout 8 Year Old Single Barrel Straight Rye (#969, 60.9%)
  • Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye (2012, 66.2%)
  • Corsair Ryemaggedon Single Barrel (N15-14-0426, 61.8%)

Other Sightings:

  • Canadian Club 100% Rye
  • Whistle Pig The Boss Hog: Spice Dancer (Barrel 6, 12 3/4 Years, 67.3%)
  • Whistle Pig The Boss Hog: Spice Dancer (Barrel 7, 12 3/4 Years, 67.3%)
  • Five Fathers Pure Rye Malt Whiskey (55%)
  • Canadian Club 150th Anniversary 36 Year Old Blended Whisky
  • Niinety 20 Year Old Canadian Rye (45%)
  • High West Double Rye (Barrel 2570 for Nasa Liquors finished in Barreled Boulevardier Barrel for 2 years)

Scotch Islay Whisky Tasting

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Official Tasting Bottles:

  • Dewars Signature (40%)
  • Bruichladdich Links Series: “Torrey Pines, USA” (15 Year Old, 46%)
  • Bruichladdich Legacy Series: Six (34 Year Old 1972, 41%)
  • Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old (AD Rattray Cask Colection, 49.1%)
  • Caol Ila 19 Year Old 1996 (SMWS 53.231 “Eat Until I Die”, 59.3%)
  • Caol Ila 25 Year Old
  • Laphroaig 14 Year Old 2001 (Old Particular Cask 10877, 48.4%)
  • Ardbeg Ardbog (Ardbeg Day 2013, 52.1%)
  • Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 2007 CC: 01 (Travel Retail Exclusive, 57.8%)
  • Bruichladdich Octomore 7.2

Other Appearances:

  • Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 Islay Barley (64%)
  • Laphroaig Cairdeas Port Wood Edition 2013 (51.3%)
  • Ardbeg 8 Year Old 2007 (SMWS 33.133 “Whipped With Happiness”, 60.5%)

Beer Share

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Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout 2015

We proofed things down a bit for a beer share and it was a great one.  Here’s what we had (take note of the vintages):

  • North Coast Grand Cru
  • De Proefbrouwerij Saison Imperiale
  • Jester King Aurelian Lure (Blend 2)
  • Jester King Boxer’s Revenge (Blend 5)
  • Hangar 24 Chocolate Porter
  • Deschutes/Hair of the Dog Collage #2
  • Firestone Walker Double DBA (Batch 002, 2013)
  • Allagash Curieux (2015)
  • Jester King Commercial Suicide (Batch 9)
  • Toppling Goliath Pompeii
  • Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai
  • Martin House Big Hoppa
  • Bell’s Uranus: The Magician (Planet Series)
  • Licking Hole Creek Three Chopt
  • Deschutes Mirror, Mirror (2014)
  • Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad (2014)
  • Firestone Walker XVIII Anniversary Ale (2014)
  • 3 Floyds Wigsplitter
  • Terrapin Cinnamon Roll’d Wake-N-Bake (2015)
  • Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
  • Jester King/Mikkeller Weasel Rodeo
  • Hamburg Grounded
  • Oskar Blues Barrel-Aged Ten FIDY (2016)
  • Sierra Nevada Trip In The Woods: Barrel-Aged Narwhal w/ Currants
  • The Bruery Melange No. 14
  • The Bruery Mocha Wednesday (2016)
  • Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee (2015)
  • Goose Island Rare Bourbon County Brand Stout (2015)

There were several others that we didn’t get to, including Firestone Walker Stickee Monkee (2015), but 28 vintage craft beers were an excellent first outing.

Bourbon Tasting

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Here’s the list of bottles that were part of the official tasting:

Other sightings:

The clear favorite of the evening from the official list was Maker’s Mark Private Select, with honorable mentions going to Old Forester Birthday Bourbon and Barrel Bourbon Batch 007.  There were some real winners in the “after-tasting” as well.

Mezcal Tasting

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Bottle List:

  • Mezcal “Fénix” de Oaxaca Con su Gusano (1970’s)
  • Forever OAX Reposado
  • Tres Papalote
  • Del Maguey Vida
  • Del Maguey Chichicapa
  • Del Maguey San Luis del Rio Special Cask – 20 Year Old Van Winkle Stitzel Weller Barrel
  • Del Maguey Ibérico
  • Mezcal Vago Espadín
  • Mezcal Vago Eloté
  • Pierde Almas Joven Tequilana Weber (Lote 02TW-SJR, 51.6%)
  • Pierde Almas Pechuga (Lote 02-P, 50.1%)
  • Wahaka Joven Tobalá
  • Marca Negra Espadín
  • Marca Negra Arroqueño

Single Malt Scotch Whisky Tasting

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Whisky List:

  • MacAllan 14 Year 1990 (Provenance, 46%)
  • Bladnoch 25 Year 1990 (Exclusive Casks, 51.5%)
  • Coleburn 21 Year 1979 (Rare Malts, 59.4%)
  • Linkwood-Glinlevet 23 Year (Cadenhead, 55.3%)
  • Mortlach 21 Year (Cadenhead, 53.5%)
  • SHamamoto Custom Blend (58.8%)
  • Glenfarclas 24 Year 1990 (K&L Wine Merchants, 50%)
  • Glendronach 21 Year Single Cask Oloroso Sherry Butt 1990 (#2209, Spec’s Exclusive Selection, 53.8%)
  • Bowmore 25 Year (AD Rattray, 47.9%)
  • Two Brewers Peated Single Malt (43%)
  • Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength (L7, 55.7%)
  • Lagavulin 12 Year 2014 (54.4%)
  • Ardbeg Supernova 2010
    • Bonus Pours:
    • Springbank 15 Year (bottled pre-2006)
    • Longmorn 15 (bottled in 1980’s)
    • Laphroaig Cairdeas 2015
    • Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016
    • Buchanan Deluxe 12 Year (bottled in 1960’s)