A high-rye Bourbon finished in Long Island Brandy casks for an air of sophistication.

Back during the dark days of Prohibition, the North Fork of Long Island was a sparsely-populated region of farms dotted along a jagged coastline of hidden bays — perfect for bootlegging. Today, the farms are still there — as they have been for nearly two hundred years. But since 2007 it has also been the location of Long Island Spirits. And those local farms provide all the grains, potatoes, and produce they need to make a full line of field-to-glass Spirits.

Since nearly day one, Long Island Spirits has been distilling and aging Brandy made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot Wines of the local Wineries. They decided it was time to repurpose some of those barrels and here’s what they came up with.

Rough Rider Double Casked Straight Bourbon begins with a mash of local Long Island grains, including 60% corn, 33% winter rye, and 7% malted barley. It is slow-fermented and distilled before aging in new American oak… so far so good. But then they finish it in those Brandy casks of theirs made of French oak. It’s bottled at 45% ABV without chill-filtration.

Smartass Corner:
The famous US President Teddy Roosevelt was from Long Island. He founded the first United States Voluntary Calvary — nicknamed the "Rough Riders"— and led the group in a charge up San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War.