Pioneering the revival of artisanal distillation in Purcellville, Virginia, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co., The Virginia Rye Whisky, is set to mark its impressive 15-year journey on Feb. 14. Founded in 2009 by the husband and wife team, Scott and Becky Harris, who continue to lead as owner/operators of the independently-owned and most awarded distillery in Virginia.
To commemorate this milestone, Catoctin Creek proudly unveils its most mature release to date – the six-year-old Rabble Rouser Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whisky.
Distilled exclusively from 100% rye during the fall season of 2017 and bottled in bond, this expression of Rabble is blended from the first set of 53-gallon charred, new oak barrels used by the company for maturing their signature rye whisky.
Becky was previously limited to 30-gallon barrels since her 1993 Ford Ranger was the main Barrel Transport Vehicle (BTV). Her team was unloading and moving all these barrels by hand at the horse barn which was the warehouse until 2017.
The first plan Becky made upon getting a warehouse with a concrete floor and a forklift was to start transitioning the Bottled-in-Bond product to larger format barrels, which also improved losses from the “angel’s share.” (Sorry, angels.)
“I am incredibly excited to share this year’s product with everyone and to celebrate this milestone in the business,” said Becky Harris, co-founder, chief distiller and president of the distillery.
Reflecting on the journey, Scott Harris, Becky’s husband and co-founder and general manager, remarked, “It has been an incredible 15 years. In some ways, it feels like we just started yesterday. Just like our kids, this baby of ours is now all grown up! When we started, we just wanted to sell some whisky to Virginia ABC, and today, we can be found all over the world. It’s just amazing!”
The Rabble Rouser release is scheduled to hit the market on Feb. 14 at 8 a.m., available both through online channels and Catoctin Creek’s extensive network of national distributors. With only a limited quantity of a few thousand bottles released this year, the Bottled-In-Bond expression boasts a robust 100 proof and is offered in 750 mL bottles at $99.99 each.