Sons of Liberty: Single Malt of the North

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Craft Whiskey. I’ve never heard of it until a box containing two bottles of Sons of Liberty whiskey arrived at my door. I’ve enjoyed the occasional bourbon, a scotch here or there, but I’ve never tried this kind of whiskey. Most people think of whiskey as the stuff they mix with Coke while clubbing. Others consider it the burning liquid that they would live with during the college years “as long as it gets the job done.” Well time to wake up, people!  Read on, while I enjoy a glass myself.

Sons of Liberty was founded by Mike Repucci after years of making wine as a family tradition and learning more about the spirit of whiskey abroad. Repucci started in finance and along the way, said “fuck it — I’m doing what I want to do.” The name came about during conversation with his friend about the American Dream. Sick of worrying about taxes, the man keeping you down, and the game we all play from 9-5, Repucci realized that Sons of Liberty encompassed a lot of that feeling. Wanting to “revolutionize whiskey,” he decided that Sons of Liberty not only captured his journey for the American Dream, but also the American tradition of whiskey. The whiskey is American—in a bold way that us northerners have grown to know and love.

Sons of Liberty crafts their whiskey using the malts yeasts used to craft your favorite beers. After all, as their website explains—“whiskey starts with beer.” For instance, their Uprising was created using the grains used to brew stout beers. Using chocolate malt, roasted malt and much more, the distillery created a recipe that brings out caramel, chocolate, roasted flavor in the whiskey.

Their Battle Cry was created with rye malts and honey malts, to name a few. Repucci decided to use trappist yeasts (think Chimay) to ferment the whiskey. The Battle Cry highlights the spiciness of the rye malt and the citrus flavors coming from a trappist brew. Mike Repucci explains that the yeast and malts used layer in various flavors from the beers that would be brewed (if they were brewed with hops and at a controlled temperature…among other things.)

When asked what makes Sons of Liberty so different, Repucci explains that this whiskey is more complex than others. It isn’t your basic bourbon or whiskey brewed with only one style of malt. Sons of Liberty takes the time to “take great beer recipes, tweak them and turn them into whiskey.”  BONUS: Sons of Liberty currently has two seasonal whiskeys—pumpkin spice and hop flavored. Stay Tuned!

 

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