The EU tariffs on American whiskey are finally gone!  After three long years, we can now compete on a fair basis of free trade.  Bruce Schreiner writes for the Associated Press:

With the trade barrier coming down, Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia is looking to start reshipping its rye whiskey to EU markets, said Scott Harris, the distillery’s co-founder and general manager.

“We have a chance to go over to Europe now and compete fairly and bring our products back in at competitive prices,” he said. “This is what we’ve been waiting for the whole time.”

But it could take a few years to regain the lost European business, Harris said.

Read the full story, here.

I think they enjoyed it.  Have fun with this!  Thanks for the review, guys!

Check out Scott Harris talking on episode 4 of the Distill and Disrupt podcast.  Here he is talking about the GWAR collaboration and how we came to bottle whisky for the heavy metal band. 

Listen on Spotify, here.

Catoctin Creek continues to amass the awards, with two new gold medals and a silver medal from the American Whiskey Masters from the Spirits Business in London, UK.  Three spirits were reviewed and received awards:

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

GOLD - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Cask Proof

SILVER - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye 80 Proof

"The American Whiskey Masters 2021 entries were up by over 85% on last year and was therefore very well represented and very competitive with 78 x entries from 16 x different companies and therefore to receive any sort of medal is something that every company should be extremely pleased with. However, for Catoctin Creek Distilling Co, as a first time entrant to this specific masters competition, to receive 2 x GOLD medals and 1 x SILVER from their combined total of 3 x entries and from within a very competitive Masters competition is a truly fantastic achievement! Massive Congratulations!"

 

The Daily Beast has the round-up on the history of our collaboration with the heavy metal band, GWAR.  Max Watman, who has been writing about craft spirits for well nigh twenty years now, has the whole backstory on the band, and even about Catoctin Creek in the early days.  He also manages to make the history damn fun to read:

At first, the marriage of Catoctin Creek and GWAR would seem unlikely, even ill advised. GWAR isn’t exactly the sort of music you put on to enhance your contemplation of the complexities of aroma rising up from your tasting glass. Scott Harris, who founded Catoctin Creek Distillery with his wife Becky in 2009, told me “I’m kind of a Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand kind of guy.”

The reason the union makes sense, however, is because Catoctin Creek comes from a very similar place. Different medium, different aesthetic, but Scott and Becky Harris got into the distilling with the original handful of small scale distillers. Back then, it wasn’t clear that distilling was a viable business. It wasn’t even clear that you could get a fire marshal to give you approval for a distillery. In fact, the odds of it working were perhaps longer than the probability that a horror movie-inspired heavy metal band would take off in a college town.

You can read the full article, here.

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.