J. Carver Distillery Announces First Release of J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon

J. Carver Distillery Announces First Release of J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon

J. Carver Distillery, the grain-to-glass Minnesota microdistillery located in Waconia, Minnesota is pleased to announce the first release of J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon. This fine whiskey offers the unique flavors of Minnesota grains with the complexity of a carefully crafted, well-aged whiskey.

“Planning for J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon began several years ago, by carefully selecting our favorite barrels and holding them on-site in reserve for long term aging”, stated Bill Miller, Founding Partner. “Great whiskey is not exclusive to Kentucky or Tennessee. This first release of J. Carver Bourbon represents a milestone of sorts, and our extensive inventory of similarly aged barrels of other products makes us excited to plan similar releases of our other barreled spirits in the future.”

“We are excited by the interest generated by our partners throughout the spirits industry about this product,” added Gina Holman, Founding Partner. “J. Carver Distillery has been barreling whiskey for more than eight years, and we are gratified that our larger barrels are producing the flavors we had hoped for.” Holman continues, “our first release J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon offers intriguing and complex flavors of baked pear, caramel, brown sugar, dried orange peel, cocoa, oak, vanilla, and baking spice notes with a long, soft and smooth finish.”

J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon

Distilled from local Minnesota corn, Minnesota rye, malted barley, and aged for more than 7 years in charred new oak barrels

Non-chill filtered and bottled at 94.2 proof

First release produced 1,298 bottles

Handcrafted entirely on-site in Waconia, Minnesota

J. Carver 7 Year Tasting Notes

Color: Deep amber

Aroma: Sweet nose, caramel, toffee, citrus, and toasted oak

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, elegant

Flavor: An amazing balance of sweetness and spice. Rich with intriguing flavors of baked pear, caramel, brown sugar, dried orange peel, cocoa, oak, vanilla, and baking spice notes with a long, soft and smooth finish.

Finish: Long, smooth, elegant finish

Aged: 84-90+ months

Proof: 94.2 proof

Mash Bill: MN 71% corn, MN 20% rye, and 9% malted barley

The first release of J. Carver 7 Year Bourbon is available for wholesale purchase exclusively through St. Paul-based distributor The Wine Company Minnesota. Consumers can search the store finder at www.jcarverdistillery.com for retailers by city or zip code including South Lyndale, The Vintage Chanhassen, Dolce Vita, MGM Waconia, Colony Plaza Liquor, Hi-5 Liquors, Inn Town Liquors, Good Time Liquor in Norwood Young America, North Loop Wine & Spirits, Zipps Liquors, Thomas Liquors, Lake Wine and Cheese, St. Boni Liquor, Lunds & Byerlys Wines & Spirits, Kowalski’s Uptown Minneapolis, Kowalski’s St. Paul, Kowalski’s Woodbury, Hennepin Lake Liquors, 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits, Stinson Wine Beer & Spirits, France 44 Wines & Spirits, The Little Wine Shoppe, Harbor Wine & Spirits, Wayzata Wine & Spirits, Lakeside Wine and Spirits, Southside Liquors, Rite Liquor, International Wines & Liquors, Sunfish Cellars, Viking Liquor Barrel, Dabbler Depot, Haskell’s Excelsior, Haskell’s Plymouth, Haskell’s White Bear Lake, Liquor Barn, Northbound and Westbound Liquor Stores in Elk River, Eden Prairie Liquor Stores, Savage Municipal Liquor Stores, Liquor Hutch, Spiritz of Melrose, Plaza Liquor in Alexandria, MGM Spring Park, MGM Tonka Bay, MGM Chanhassen, MGM Eagan, Wine Thief Ale Jale, Jerry’s Wine & Spirits, Marshall Liquor, Dennis Brother’s Liquor, Ace Spirits, Violet Wine, Vinifera Wines and Ales as well as these fine restaurants including Gianni’s, Bacio, Cov Wayzata, Cov Edina, Winchester and Rye Whiskey Lounge, WA Frost, Proper Stillwater, Lolo American Kitchen and Craft Bar, Farmer’s Kitchen & Rail, PLate on Main, TPC Twin Cities, Arts + Rec Uptown, Roxy Caberet, and Fhima’s in Minneapolis. Due to the limited availability of this product, please call ahead to make sure product is in stock.

About J. Carver Distillery  

J. Carver Distillery crafts distinctive award-winning spirits inspired by a tradition of craft and curiosity, harkening back to the days of unchartered exploration and wonder. J. Carver Distillery is open to the public for educational tours and tastings by reservation on Saturdays. Please book your reservation online. Stop in and experience a tour and tasting and their grain-to-glass approach to distilling. Join their many enthusiastic customers in sampling locally made vodka, gin, barrel gin, apple brandy, brandy, bourbon, rye whiskey, liqueurs, absinthe, American Single Malt and now 7 Year small batch whiskey, and hand-crafted cocktails in their cocktail room. Founded in 2013 in Waconia, Minnesota, partners include Bill Miller (Waconia), Gina Holman (Victoria), Gregg Groechel (Medina), John Zupan (Waconia), Tom Kullman (Waconia).

J. Carver Distillery Launches Etiquette Whiskey Distilled From A Single Malt

J. Carver Distillery Launches Etiquette Whiskey Distilled From A Single Malt

After aging more than four years in new and used charred oak barrels, J. Carver Distillery of Waconia is proud to announce the limited release of its first whiskey distilled from a single strain of malted barley - Etiquette Whiskey.

“The overwhelming majority of whiskey produced and consumed in America is based on non-malted grains such as corn, rye and wheat. Bourbon dominates the market, although the rye whiskey category is growing very rapidly and wheat whiskies are just starting to catch fire. The emerging market for craft distilleries in America is single malt whiskey, which is based exclusively on malted barley and produced on-site by a single distillery”, stated Bill Miller, a Founder of J. Carver Distillery. “This single malt whiskey was developed in collaboration with our friends at BSG, a subsidiary of Rahr Malting based in Shakopee, Minnesota”, continued Miller, “is based on a single strain of malted barley, was aged in new and used J. Carver Bourbon barrels, has not been chill-filtered, and has been bottled at cask strength. The combination of these factors assures that this single malt whiskey maximizes the richness and complexity of the malted barley and J. Carver Bourbon barrels, and the uniqueness of our distillation techniques.”

 “We are very excited to be entering the single malt whiskey category”, followed Gina Holman, Founder and Managing Partner of J. Carver Distillery. “Many of our customers have been asking us when we will introduce this product, and although production is limited to fewer than 500 bottles, they will be available to scotch-lovers and whiskey aficionados for the holidays. Etiquette is a distinctive whiskey with flavors of dried fruit, red currant, bright citrus, spices, malted cereal, butterscotch, and nougat. The unique character of this whiskey is heavily influenced by hand-selected oak barrels from our barrel room in Waconia, MN. When drinking with friends, make sure to pour their drink first. It’s proper etiquette understood by connoisseurs throughout the world.”

Etiquette Whiskey - Distilled From A Single Malt Tasting Notes:

Color: Mahogany

Aroma: Sweet nose, butterscotch, toffee, citrus, and dried fruits.

Mouth-Feel: Smooth and balanced, elegant for a Cask Strength Whiskey.

Flavor: An amazing balance of sweetness and spice. Rich with intriguing flavors of dried fruit, red currant, bright citrus, spices, malted cereal, butterscotch, caramel, and nougat. 

Finish: Long, elegant finish.  

Newly released J. Carver Distillery Etiquette Whiskey - Distilled From A Single Malt is available for wholesale purchase exclusively through St. Paul-based distributor The Wine Company Minnesota. Consumers can search the store finder at www.jcarverdistillery.com for retailers by city or zip code available mid-November including South Lyndale Liquors, Zipps Liquors, Hennepin Lake, Solo Vino Bottle Shop, The Vintage Chanhassen, Shorewood Liquor, Dolce Vita, MGM Waconia, North Loop Wine & Spirits, Wayzata Wine & Spirits, Marshall Liquors, Harbor Wine & Spirits, Lowry Hill Liquors, Lakeside Wine + Spirits, Liquor Hutch, Delano Wine & Spirits, Lake Wine & Spirits, Good Time Liquors, Lunds & Byerlys Wines & Spirits – Woodbury, Northbound and Westbound Liquor Stores in Elk River, Brooklyn Center Liquor Store #1 and other fine spirit shops across the state as well as these fine restaurants including Sockdollager, Volstead House, Whiskey Inferno, Bourbon Butcher, Match Stix Restaurant & Spirits, Nicollet Diner, and Winchester & Rye Whiskey Lounge.

Wishing You a Happy New Year With A Festive Cocoktail

As we bring a memorable year at J. Carver Distillery to a close, we want to thank you for supporting us in 2014. Here is to you, our distillery friends and fans and all of the liquor stores and restaurants across the state who have partnered with us to carry J. Carver craft spirits. In honor of all of you, we are raising a glass to celebrate this past year and this New Year’s Eve with this classic French 75 cocktail. Enjoy this libation this evening while the Champagne is flowing or during your New Year’s Day brunch tomorrow. Cheers to another successful year in 2015 as we create and launch new and unique Minnesota craft spirits and continue this exciting journey together. 

“J. Carver French 75”

1 ounce J. Carver Premium Vodka OR Premium Gin (Amazingly – you can use either/or!)
½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
3 ounces Champagne

Add all ingredients except the Champagne in a shaker and fill with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a Champagne flute. Top with Champagne and ENJOY!

The J. Carver Distillery Team wishes you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sunrise And Sunset - Along With The SW Minne Tour

The sun rose over the distillery this morning as we were busy making vodka and gin, and only one thing came to mind (other than the vodka and gin of course), these are some of the most glorious days in Minnesota. 

Sunrise Over J. Carver Distillery

Cool nights and crisp morning air, along with views of breathtaking morning mist dancing across many of our 10,000 lakes, including Lake Waconia, as the sun rises giving us afternoon warmth...this can mean only one thing, autumn in Minnesota is here. 

This is the time so many travel around the state soaking in the sights and smells of the season.  At J. Carver Distillery, we are very grateful to be surrounded by so many wineries and breweries who are buzzing with activity as many customers visit their tap rooms and sampling rooms taking in everything these businesses have to offer from new vintages of wine to the latest seasonal ales on tap. These are exciting times for Waconia and its surrounding communities.

Picturesque Lake Waconia

Our distillery, and our local breweries and wineries worked with Stephanie and Lori from the SW Metro Chamber of Commerce to set up the SW Minne Beer, Wine & Spirits Tour. Many of you, our distillery friends, have shared with us how much you have enjoyed your visits to these businesses and have asked when we will be open for distillery tours and tastings. We are looking forward to that day, but for now, we are focusing our efforts on getting our products to all of the local liquor stores and area restaurants. We are working on vodka and gin and many other distinctive spirits for you to try. From vodka and gin, to bourbon, brandy and whiskey, we are committed to producing distinct spirits inspired by a tradition of craft and curiosity made with local ingredients just down the road. There will be much more information published on our website in the coming weeks informing you of when and where you can find our products. We look forward to seeing you at your liquor stores in the coming months as we pour samples and have you taste our products. Stay tuned to our website for more information.

Sunset Over Lake Waconia

As this gorgeous day comes to an end and the sun is setting, another thing comes to mind…we are still here making vodka and gin…and couldn't be happier! J. Carver – Spirits of Discovery.

The Ambassador Visit – First Dollar of Clear Profit

Waconia Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors

We had visitors yesterday. Kellie Sites, President of the Waconia Chamber of Commerce, stopped by with the Chamber Ambassadors to deliver our First Dollar of Clear Profit. We did not really know what that meant until we were presented with a framed one dollar bill which read, “Congratulations and Best Wishes to J. Carver Distillery. May the confidence you have shown in this community be rewarded with many years of success. By way of a start toward this goal, the Waconia Chamber of Commerce presents you with your First Dollar of Clear Profit.” What a great idea and incredible gesture! 

To Kellie, Carmen, and the Ambassadors of the Chamber, thank you for all you do to support this community. You definitely have put the DESTINATION into “Destination Waconia” which was so evident during last Saturday’s successful Nickel Dickel Days! Congratulations! The Chamber and its volunteers do amazing things. We appreciate you sharing your time, gifts and talents with J. Carver Distillery and our community.

Many of the Ambassadors in attendance yesterday read the blog from last week, so it was a perfect opportunity to explain to them the next steps of distillation and now to all of you.  
To recap from last week, in the fermentation process the objective is to convert the starch in the grain to fermentable sugar creating a liquid that is fermentable.  In last week’s blog, it was described as an ale-like liquid. That liquid mash is run through the still in what is called a stripping run and what comes out is a liquid we call a low wine(not wine at all and not beer either). The liquid that comes out of that first stripping run will then go through the rectifying columns in our Vodka Still and will become our J. Carver Premium Vodka. 

The grain for our Premium Vodka is local winter wheat. A question was asked, “can vodka be made from potatoes?” The simple answer is yes. In short, vodka is distilled from the mash of a variety of grains including wheat, corn, rye, potatoes and grapes.

From mashing to fermenting with the next step being distilling, the team at J. Carver Distillery is on track to crafting unique and quality spirits for you to enjoy - In the words of our Lead Distiller, Matt, “Just around the corner, baby! We are that much closer.”