This month in The Makers, we skip across to the US of A, to take a look at that great American spirit, bourbon.
We’ve already looked at the iconic Wild Turkey distillery, Buffalo Trace’s distillery and spoken with Maker’s Mark chief operating officer, Rob Samuels — today, we’re talking with Hudson’s Ralph Erenzo. Read on…
Hudson Whiskey is the first whiskey to be distilled in the state of New York since Prohibition— that’s right, bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, including New York.
We asked distiller and founder Ralph Erenzo to tell us a little about their distillery setup, and the production process that goes into making a bourbon that has impressed the world.
Can you tell us a bit about the stills you use to make your bourbon?
We have four Christian Carl stills from Germany. They are hybrid pot stills with various length columns attached. The sizes are 100 gallon, 250 gallon, 450 gallon and 850 gallon.
What is it about your production process that makes the bourbon unique?
We do not chill or charcoal filter our spirits. The consumer gets the full taste of the spirit out of oak. We also ferment and strip (first distillation) on the full mash; we do not separate the liquid from solids after the cook stage. This gives the spirit a firm grain character.
Do you accept visitors to the distillery, and if so, when’s the best time to visit?
We offer tours on weekends or by appointment. Tours are roughly an hour long and end with a tasting in our shop. It is a real “back stage” tour.