La Crosse
Distilling Company was born in 2017 and opened its doors
to the public in September 2018. Located in downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, the
distillery operates out of a 10,000-square-foot facility that also boasts a
James Beard-worthy restaurant. It was founded by partners Chad Staehly,
Nick Weber, and Mitch
Parr to be completely sustainable in its
practices and sourcing ingredients. Parr serves as the Head Distiller.
“Driftless Pure is our promise to use organic ingredients, employ sustainable practices and focus on authentic quality. We partner with family farmers who share our values. Using this Farmer Forward approach, we source heirloom ingredients and rely on vital pollinators like hummingbirds, bees and butterflies; helping us produce the deep and rich flavor profiles in every bottle.” – La Crosse Distilling Co.
La
Crosse Distilling began with a High-Rye Light
Whiskey and was also my introduction to the
distillery in March 2019. I wasn’t completely sold, but I could
imagine where things were headed and stated how excited I was about what was
down the road for La Crosse Distilling Co.
In
2021, the distillery expanded its portfolio to include some straight American
Ryes called High Hawk and Robber’s,
both distilled by the now-defunct Death’s
Door Spirits. Again, I was not completely sold on
High Hawk, but I enjoyed Robber’s and awarded it my Bottle rating.
La
Crosse currently produces several spirits; its newest is Buck Dancer Straight Bourbon. Unlike the previous whiskeys, Buck Dancer is all
from La Crosse Distilling. True to its goal, Buck Dancer’s label proclaims it
is Certified Organic By Midwest Organic Services Association.
La
Crosse Distilling worked with local farmers to obtain red heirloom corn as its
base ingredient, as well as organic rye and malted barley. The exact mashbill
is undisclosed.
The
whiskey then slept four years in new, charred wine-grade white oak barrels
sourced from Staggemeyer
Stave Company of Caledonia, Minnesota. Those barrels
were made from staves that were air-dried for between 24 and 36 months. La
Crosse Distilling suggests that the process allowed microflora to grow, which
then interacted with the distillate, giving it more depth and complexity.
Buck
Dancer has two versions: one is barrel-proof and sold out at its April 2024
release. The other is packaged at 47.5% ABV (95°). I’ll explore the latter,
which has a suggested price of $49.99 (the barrel proof added a $10.00
premium).
For
what it is worth, I’ve tasted Buck Dancer twice before, once at the Wee Whiskey Festival in Geneva Lakes and the second time at Distill America in Madison. I enjoyed it both times but couldn’t
jot down tasting notes. However, La Crosse Distilling was kind enough to give
me a sample to sit down, take my time, #DrinkCurious, and pen a
no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to that, shall we?
Appearance: I
poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It possessed a reddish
tint to an otherwise dark amber liquid. A fragile rim produced thick, crazed
tears.
Nose: The
fruity nose smelled of cherries and plums, caramel, brown sugar, nutmeg, and
oak. When the aroma filled my mouth, I tasted molasses.
Palate: The
texture was velvety and of medium weight. The front of my palate encountered
brown sugar, cherries, and nutmeg. The middle featured tobacco, young leather,
and green olives (not pickled, just green). Cinnamon, oak, and cumin caressed
the back of my palate.
Finish: The 2:20
finish included flavors of young leather, cherries, dry oak, cinnamon, and
brown sugar. I’d consider the duration very long.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Buck
Dancer started off almost shy, then immediately sought the limelight. It was
full of flavor; the spices competed for attention. Yet, it was well-balanced
from front to back. I found the 95° very fitting; nothing seemed washed out,
and (again) the spiciness shined through just fine.
While trying this at barrel
proof would be interesting, it isn’t necessary. Buck Dancer is an enjoyable Bourbon
that you’ll take your time savoring. Kudos to La Crosse Distilling for an
impressive introduction to its own distillate. And, at $49.00, there’s a ton of
value here. It earns every bit of my Bottle rating. 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.
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