What
would your thoughts be if you met someone who owned a distillery and they told
you their favorite pet was a raccoon?
Ted
Dumbauld was formerly the CEO of Curaleaf,
one of the four legal medical marijuana growers in Connecticut. He knew the
plant's versatility and began tinkering with making hemp-based whiskeys. In
2019, Ted founded SoNo 1420
American Craft Distillers. He indicates his South
Norwalk distillery is the first to incorporate hemp seed in a commercially-produced
mashbill.
Oh,
yeah. As a kid, he had a pet raccoon – for real! Its name was Kirby.
While I'm not big into raccoons, the
idea of having one as a pet is intriguing. It tells me that Ted’s nature is to
think outside the box, and he probably has many fun ideas in his brain.
His
distillery specializes in “ultra-premium, alternative grain distilled spirits.”
It is a grain-to-glass operation that produces gin, vodka, cocktails, liqueurs,
and whiskeys.
“On February 4, 1919, the Connecticut State Senate, by a vote of 14 to 20, failed to ratify the 18th Amendment, making Connecticut the first – of only two - states to defeat Prohibition. The distillery chose the number ‘1420’ as a nod to the revolutionary spirit embodied by this vote and to symbolize the rights of personal freedom for which the brand stands. The ‘SoNo’ pays homage to the distillery’s home, South Norwalk CT, and its storied, prohibition past.” – SoNo 1420 American Craft Distillers
Today,
I’m exploring SoNo 1420/BBN Special
Reserve, which legally is considered a Spirit
Distilled from Grains and Hemp Seed and Finished in Oak Barrels. This is a
distillery-exclusive whiskey made from a mash of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10%
milled hemp seed. That final component prevents this whiskey from being legally
labeled a Bourbon. A 375ml bottle is priced around $44.99 while a 750ml is $84.99.
It
begins with the classic way of aging whiskeys – spending three years in a land-based
warehouse. However, that’s not the end of the aging process. From there, it travels
for an additional one to two years on a merchant hybrid sea vessel named
“Captain Ben Moore” that traverses the Long Island Sound.
Ted
doesn’t claim to have started the ocean-aging process. He acknowledges Jefferson’s Ocean as being the idea’s major player. The notion of
aging (or finishing) whiskeys on a boat creates an opportunity for the
distillate to interact more with the wood due to the churnings of the seas.
The
use of the hybrid-powered vessel is important, too. Aside from making
(hopefully) good whiskey, Ted’s goal is to have as small of a carbon footprint
as possible. His distillery recaptures all the water it uses during production.
It sends the leftover silage to local farmers, which is used for animal feed. The
Captain Ben Moore delivers fresh produce along the Sound. The used barrels go
to the boat’s owner, Robert Kunkel, who uses them to smoke meats.
The
story is cool, but how this Finished at Sea whiskey tastes is what matters. I
freely admit I’m excited about the hemp seed component. It is supposed to
provide a nutty flavor.
Before
I #DrinkCurious, I thank SoNo 1420 for providing me with a sample
in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Mine is slated as Release DE06.
Let’s get this party started!
Appearance: I
sipped this whiskey neat from my Glencairn glass. Inside, it was a dark, almost
ruby-colored liquid. A wide rim dropped thick, wavy tears.
Nose: The
first thing that hit my olfactory sense was weathered wood. Smells of orange
zest, vanilla, cherries, flowers, and nuts followed. I found nuts and brine
when I drew the air through my lips.
Palate: The medium-weighted
texture was silky, and it filled my mouth. The front of my palate encountered almonds,
pistachio, and vanilla, while the middle had cinnamon, honeysuckle, and cocoa.
On the back, I tasted dill, brine, and oak.
Finish: Medium-to-long
in duration, the finish refused to relinquish the oak, almonds, and pistachios.
The dill and brine vanished, yet the cinnamon and honeysuckle remained.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One
thing that struck my mind as I was evaluating this whiskey was the taste of
what could easily be mistaken as half-sour pickles on the back. If that sounds
gross, it is anything but. I assume the maritime environment and the rye
component are responsible for it. The nutty oak of the finish is also
attention-getting, and that’s due to the mash’s hemp seed.
SoNo 1420/BBN Special
Reserve Finished at Sea is a whiskey in its own category. It is bourbonesque,
as it should be. There are layers upon layers that are unexpected. I don’t
believe you’ll find any other whiskey that comes close to SoNo 1420/BBN Special
Reserve.
You'll be impressed if
you’re adventurous like me, and it is worth picking up a Bottle. I’m
happy to have this in my whiskey library. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
Can you tell me how accessible this bottle is? It sounds interesting but I don't want to hunt for it.
ReplyDeleteThis one is a distillery-only item.
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