American Whiskey magazine featured our founder and general manager, Scott Harris, in their recurring "Castaway" article, where they ask industry people what five whiskeys and one luxury item would they take if they were stranded on a desert island.  Scott's opinions tend toward Scottish malts, with a few exceptions.  When asked for a luxury item to bring to the island, he responds:

"I suppose it would be too much to ask for a yacht. Obviously, with a yacht, I could leave the island, but maybe I wouldn’t want to. It sounds quiet. Honestly, after spending the last year-plus quarantining at home and working like a dog, being stranded on an island sounds perfect. So, yes, a yacht would be excellent. I would live in it, and have parties, and drink my whisky collection. I promise not to leave. But I may send it out for more whisky."

You can read the entire article, here.

A fun show from Fred Minnick.  Check us out coming in at #2 around the 2:55 mark.

Decanter does a roundup of American whiskey, with a particular focus on rye - America's first whiskey.  Nice to be the lead-off batter in the lineup.  Richard Woodard writes:

Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Distiller's Edition 92 Proof

This whisky (yes, they omit the ‘e’) from Virginia is a great example of Catoctin Creek’s rye expertise. The higher proof helps to carry its classically rich, spicy notes of bread, pepper and punchy spice, making this a great bet for cocktails and sipping alike. Vanilla fudge and lighter citric notes add complexity and texture. Alc 46%

You can read the full store, here.

Photo credit: Christian Bringolf, and used with permission.

Visit Loudoun did a wonderful video and article on our hometown, Purcellville!  Come and visit sometime and have a little whisky from our town distillery!

Settled in 1764 and named Purcellville in 1853 after prominent businessman Valentine Purcell, this bustling Blue Ridge piedmont settlement still has something of a frontier feel to it. The low-slung buildings of downtown, including a renovated grain mill turned restaurant and a former Buick dealership turned whiskey distillery, are reminiscent of a Western film set, while the handsome Victorian homes in the neighborhoods give it a Norman Rockwell charm. The W&OD Trail, built on the bed of the former Washington & Old Dominion railway line, ends in downtown, adjacent to the now restored Purcellville Train Station, bringing in cyclists from across the region.

You can read the entire article and plan your trip, here.

Catoctin Creek continues to amass the awards, with two new gold medals and a silver medal from the John Barleycorn Awards.  Three spirits were reviewed and received awards:

GOLD - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 92 Proof "Distiller's Edition"

"Fudgy and full flavored with buttery notes of caramel corn and shortbread. Tons of caramel and toffee and a really nice Red Hots cinnamon note on the finish."

GOLD - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Cask Proof

"This is a sensational sipper. Aromas of caramel chews, dark raisin and sugared figs lead to a palate of bananas foster, vanilla, and dark cocoa with a drying finish that’s powdery with dried flowers and more cocoa."

SILVER - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 80 Proof

"This whiskey is beautifully proofed to showcase juicy and light flavors of cereal grains and honey. Delicate and elegant, this is nice work."

You can read about all the winners, here.

GWAR visits Catoctin Creek to help with the bottling... oh, dear!

Song credit to Lavern & Shirley, original video by GWAR.

Very cool to get coverage in Forbes this week on our collaboration with GWAR.  Claudia Alarcón writes:

In the latest, and perhaps the coolest partnership between a distillery and a celebrity, Virginia’s Catoctin Creek and outrageous metal band GWAR will finally release their infamous Ragnarök Rye on May 28. The award-winning distillery known for its rye whisky, was set to launch the collaboration this past February, but according to a press release, “the monster metal rock band drank it... all of it.”

You can read the full article, here.

It's not every day that we commit high crimes and felonies.  But on April 28th, we did just that, to one of the most influential whiskey personalities in the industry today.  Probably not good policy, but in practice, I think it worked out pretty well this time, all things considered.  Here's our interview with Fred Minnick, with the members of GWAR, reviewing Ragnarök Rye:

Read more about Ragnarök Rye, here and here.

Catoctin Creek's flagship line of rye whisky - Roundstone Rye - has received numerous medals at the London-based The Drinks Business & The Spirits Business Spring 2021 Blind Tasting.

"Roundstone Rye Distiller’s Edition 92 Proof received a Gold in this flight, enjoyed for its “luxurious texture” and “slight resinous quality on the palate”. Roundstone Rye Cask Proof also secured a Gold medal with its “great balance”. Roundstone Rye 80 Proof was awarded a Silver medal.

“You can see why it’s such a popular category at the moment,” said Dixon. “It offers something unique. There’s lots of buzz around rye, and lots of producers are experimenting with it.”

You can read the full article, here.

"Women are taking the stage of spirits by storm, and Rebecca Harris of Catoctin Creek Distilling is one of many bold women leading the way."  So says, the folks at Chilled.

Is there any one person or event that you feel made an impact in your path to becoming a master distiller?

I would say that the people in the distilling industry have been incredibly welcoming. Early in our distilling business I met Dave Pickerell at Mount Vernon, and he had a lovely way of sharing knowledge in a collegial fashion. Although we never consulted with him, I was incredibly influenced by his joy in what he did, as well as his passion for talking about the craft of distilling and engaging everyone in that creation process.

You can read the full interview, here.

Bevvy reviewed our Maple Cask Finished Rye.  I think they liked it!  Eric Twardzik writes:

Catoctin Creek Maple Cask Finished Rye is an extraordinary whiskey. Maple can sometimes feel like a gimmick in the whiskey world, but that is not the case here. The sweet, round flavors of maple syrup seem to twist around every inch of this woody, spicy, and delightfully aggressive whiskey, resulting in a dram that’s at once incredibly dry and oaky yet round and sweet.

★★★★

You can read the full review, including tasting notes, here.

We were elated to see the Washington Post write a story on our Art of the Cocktail classes! More than just being an instructional drink-making class, Scott's purpose is more to build a sense of community and social gathering.  Fritz Hahn writes:

The collegial spirit is key: While Harris goes over the ins-and-outs of four cocktails each week, the classes, which include a lot of couples, have taken on a higher purpose. “I’ve been getting a lot of feedback like, ‘It’s so nice to have some little thing we can do on Friday night. It’s become like a date night for us,’” Harris says. “That was my hope. It’s almost like the classes are just sort of a framework for what ultimately turns into just drinking together and having a little bit of a social hour.”

You can read the full story, here.  Register for the class and read more, here.

Photo credit: Emma Evans for the Washington Post, and used with permission.

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