Up North Distillery: Review of Three Honey Spirits and an American Single Malt Whiskey

 

Every state distills whiskey. However, not every state is well-known for it. Let’s be honest: some states force you to scratch your head and wonder aloud, Really?

 

As I’m penning this, I’ve published 1024 reviews (and have another 40-some-odd that haven’t yet been). I searched my archives; I’ve never written about a distillery from Idaho.

 

Idaho is known for potatoes, beautiful scenery, national parks and monuments, and friendly people. I’m willing to bet that even most Idahoans wouldn’t list distilling if you asked them to list what their state offers. Guess what? Today, we change that!

 

Randy and Hilary Mann founded Up North Distillery in 2015 in Post Falls. It is branded as a farm-to-flask brand and is one of only six in the United States creating spirits from 100% honey mash. The Manns start by making Meade, then distilling it in copper pot stills.

 

I’m exploring four spirits from Up North Distillery today. Three are honey-based, and one is an American Single Malt. Today will be a unique #DrinkCurious opportunity, and I must thank Up North Distillery for providing me with samples in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

For brevity’s sake, I used fresh Glencairn glasses for each spirit.

 

Classic Honey Spirits

• Spirit Type: Honey spirit
• Mashbill: 100% Idaho honey
• Age: Unaged
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750ml: $24.99
• Note: We’ll begin with the base of the three honey spirits.

 

Appearance: Clear. A thin rim created slow, widely-spaced tears.

 

Nose: This was similar to a typical moonshine. I smelled buttered popcorn and honey. There was also bold vanilla. Drawing the air into my mouth, it was all vanilla cream.

 

Palate: I found the texture slick. What I tasted was unabashedly honey. There was no differentiation of the front, middle, or back.

 

Finish: I timed the duration at 0:58, making it medium-short. Honey was the only note I could discern.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Up North Distillery suggests its Classic Honey Spirits can substitute vodka, gin, or unaged rum. I think this is superior to any of those three options. There is warmth but no burn. It isn’t a tasteless spirit like vodka; there’s no offensive juniper with gin and no super-sugariness that unaged rum possesses. Instead, Classic Honey Spirits is delightful and easily sipped on its own, something I couldn’t say for vodka, gin, or unaged rum.

 

Is it worth $24.99? I enjoyed it and have no idea what other 100% honey-distilled spirits should go for, so I’ll toss my Bottle rating at it.

 

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Barrel Finished Honey Spirits

 

 

• Spirit Type: Honey spirit
• Mashbill: 100% Idaho honey
• Age: Aged in American Oak, NAS
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750ml: $29.95

 

Appearance: This honey spirit was bright yellow, similar to Chardonnay. A thin rim shed thick, widely-spaced tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included honey, oak, vanilla cream, and apples. Inhaling the vapor exposed my mouth to honey.

 

Palate: The Barrel Finished Honey Spirits took on a light, creamy texture. It was also a vanilla bomb; not just vanilla, think of vanilla exploding inside your mouth! There was some honey and a touch of oak, but mostly vanilla. Like the Classic Honey Spirits, there was no front, middle, or back.

 

Finish: Black pepper, oak spice, cinnamon, and clove took the reins once I swallowed. The cinnamon stuck around the longest. It began gently, then slowly ramped up with spice and warmth. I timed the finish at 1:42.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Up North Distillery suggests this spirit substitutes whiskey or aged rum. I’d agree; it seemed very whiskey-like to me. I was fascinated by how sweet it was in my mouth and how it transformed into pure spice in my throat. It would make a good cocktail base; the flavors are aggressive enough to power through other components. I wouldn’t make this my daily sipper, but I believe it earns a Bottle rating.

 

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Barrel Reserve Honey Spirits

 

 

• Spirit Type: Honey spirit
• Mashbill: 100% Idaho honey
• Age: Single Barrel Aged in New American Oak, three years
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750ml: $39.99

 

Appearance: Barrel Reserve Honey Spirits had an orange-amber appearance that would fool any whiskey connoisseur. A medium rim discharged tightly-spaced, fast tears.

 

Nose: I smelled honey, orange zest, caramel, light oak, and a kiss of cinnamon. Dragging the air into my mouth, I discovered what tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios.

 

Palate: A thick, creamy texture greeted my palate. The front of my palate found oak, vanilla, and honey. In the middle, I tasted cinnamon powder and orange pith. The back included leather, white pepper, and clove.

 

Finish: White pepper, oak, cinnamon, and clove danced across my tongue but never entered my throat. It was a steady journey with a drying quality like old leather, which removed the moisture from my mouth and ran like the Energizer Bunny. The duration clocked in at 4:23!

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Barrel Reserve Honey Spirits was the most whiskey-ish and could easily be mistaken for an American Rye. That finish was crazy long and left my mouth arid. It was enjoyable. At $40.00, it is a no-brainer if you’re a curious drinker like me. My Bottle rating is well-deserved.

 

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North Idaho Single Malt Whiskey

 

 

• Spirit Type: American Single Malt
• Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
• Age: Single barrel, two years
• Alcohol Content: 43% ABV (86°)
• Price per 750ml: $44.95

 

Appearance: This whiskey had a golden amber color. It created a thin rim with a mixture of slow and fast tears that were tightly spaced.

 

Nose: I got a snootful of malt when I took my first sniff. Subsequently, I encountered honey, vanilla, and carnations. I took the air into my mouth and found lemon oil.

 

Palate: There was a thin, slick texture. Flavors of malt, honey, and walnuts were on the front, while my mid-palate discovered oak and milk chocolate. I tasted toffee, figs, and orange zest on the back.

 

Finish: The 0:37 finish was short and mild, requiring me to take several sips to nail it down. I experienced oak, malt, honey, and figs.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The magical thing about American Single Malts is the category is still not legally defined, which leads to plenty of innovation from distillers. If I had to guess, I’d say the oak used once held honey (or Meade or honey spirits). I know they were originally from Kentucky. It is so unusual, and I can’t put my finger on it, so I came to that conclusion.

 

The finish also threw me for a loop. Something was missing (aside from a longer duration). Would this need an additional year in oak? Does the proof need to be upped? Either could have a significant impact. The North Idaho Single Malt in its present form takes my Bar rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: Weirdly, I enjoyed the three Honey Spirits more than the actual whiskey. The Barrel Finished and Barrel Reserve versions were so much different than the Classic, giving me tremendous insight into what can be done with honey-based spirits. It is a shame that only six distilleries tinker with 100% honey; I believe there’s a lost opportunity here. I’m excited to see what comes down the road from Up North Distillery. 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.