Making your whiskey is our creative journey. In the steamy, vast warehouse at Union Horse Distilling Co, the true heroes work day-in and day-out to create their own legacy (both distillers and whiskey barrels alike). From milling the finest quality, Midwest grains to the barreling and bottling, everything is done in house and by hand. For our team it’s a sign of respect – for the traditions of our industry, for the family and ultimately for you. Making distinctive and delicious whiskey is our main priority, that’s why we take pride in our small batch process and why we believe “Big Things Come in Small Batches”.
It all starts with combining the best locally sourced ingredients. All spirits then are distilled in our 500-gallon, Vendome column, pot still (lovingly known as “Chester Copperpot”) During all distillations, testing is done to ensure the highest standards are being met for continual purity every step of the way.
Before entering the barrel, the distilled spirit will be proofed down to an ABV of 55% to pull out more complex flavors (caramel, butterscotch, vanilla) as our whiskey ages. Our oak barrels not only impart great flavor to our whiskies but are also the embodiment of our attention to detail, craftsmanship, and commitment. Each barrel is hand-crafted and toasted by ISC Barrels with a medium char level for a more distinctive flavor profile. Once they're filled, they go to our sprawling rickhouse in the heart of the Midwest.
Our barrel house is non-climate controlled which helps in the aging of our whiskeys. The more Midwest's seasonal temperature changes that the barrels are exposed to crucial to giving our whiskey the ideal balance of flavor as it matures. Each barrel will get tested at around the 2.5-year mark but won’t be emptied until it hits a maturity level of around 5+ years for the 53-gallon casks.
Once the barrels are ready, the whiskey blending can begin. Whiskey blending is an art. To attain complexity with each new batch, around 10-15 barrels are sampled individually at barrel proof by our distilling team and managers. Throughout this sampling process our team is taking notes on the barrels that display the most diverse and distinctive flavor profiles, they will then choose which ones will make the cut to blend for a new batch, around 5-6 barrels.
Our team will then take small samples of these 5-6 barrels and blend them together, proof them down to the desired brand’s ABV and test again to make sure the end result will meet the highest of standards before the new batch is created.
Once a new batch is ready, we will begin bottling, labeling, and prepping for your hands. Since their first release in 2013, every bottle of our handcrafted, aged whiskies is signed and numbered by our Master Distiller & Co-Founder Patrick Garcia.
From start to finish, it’s all in the details. We're living, breathing proof that tenacity outplays experience. To anyone who enjoys a full-flavored, quality-tasting experience in the spirits they choose, we invite you to taste the Union Horse difference.
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