Beyond Distilling Company's Bourbon Whiskey Review

 

Many of you may know that my wife is disabled and battles a neurological disease called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). So, when a company – any company – caters to the disabled community, it grabs my attention.

 

Tyler LaCorata was a talented chef. Aside from working his way up in various Charleston, South Carolina restaurants, he relocated to his childhood home of New York and became a private chef in the Governor’s Mansion! He took a tour at Tuthilltown Spirits, the state’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, and was fascinated by what he saw. He reached out to several breweries and distilleries in the state. It took him a few years, but he was promoted to the head distiller of a Long Island distillery.

 

That’s when Tyler met and became friends with Ryan Sadis, a former electrician who Tyler trained to distill. The duo worked at several distilleries while saving money and planning to open their own craft distillery. That’s when Tyler’s former high school classmate, Karianne Krause, contacted him.

 

Karianne founded Building Independence Together, which works with children with autism and developmental disabilities. She recognized that once these children “aged out” of the system, they found it challenging to find employment, and when they did, the pay was horrible (there is a sub-minimum wage law that applies to hiring disabled workers). Karianne was curious if Tyler and Ryan could hire her former students, provide them with valuable skills, and pay them a living wage.

 

That’s when the trio founded Beyond Distilling Company in North Charleston. All of their employees self-identify as disabled. 

 

“It wasn’t until Kerianne approached Tyler and Ryan in early 2018 to explore the possibility of an inclusive work force that would employ adults with developmental disabilities to work in the alcohol industry. It was something close to all three of them. As they discussed the topic of serving alcohol to people with disabilities, the misconceptions around it came up. They decided they wanted to create a space where not only anyone could work but also relax and enjoy a drink. It was a match made in heaven from that point on. They lent on each other to learn more about the different industries they came from with Kerianne learning about alcohol and teaching the two distillers about working with adults with disabilities. She even employed Ryan at her company BIT when he first made the move down to Charleston where he worked and studied to become a Registered Behavior Technician.” – Beyond Distilling Company

 

They started in 2020 with 300 barrels of whiskey that Tyler and Ryan had distilled in New York. Beyond Distilling Company produces whiskey, gin, and rum. Its Bourbon, simply called Bourbon Whiskey, is a four-grain mashbill of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley. It aged four years in new, alligator-charred oak barrels, then bottled at 45% ABV (90°).

 

I procured a 750ml package for $36.99 at the brand-new Watertown Wine & Liquor Store at 1668 South Church Street in Watertown, Wisconsin. I purchased this bottle because it had a pretty label; I had never heard of the distillery; I saw the mission statement: the Bourbon was four years old, not MGP, and reasonably priced.

 

Just because I adore the mission statement does not mean this whiskey gets a free pass. It will be judged the same way I do any other. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what it is all about.

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It had an almost peach-like color to it. A big, bold rim formed, releasing thick, tightly-spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass under my nostrils and inhaled, I encountered corn, vanilla, toasted oak, maple syrup, and sweet tobacco. Drawing the air into my mouth revealed more tobacco.

 

Palate: The texture was creamy and weighty. The front of my palate found corn, honey-roasted almonds, and toffee. At mid-palate, I tasted leather, tobacco leaf, and nutmeg. The back included flavors of charred oak, clove, and cinnamon.

 

Finish: The long, dry, relatively level finish lasted 2:42. Charred oak and clove were the most prominent notes, yet orange zest, cinnamon, and old leather were easily identified.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One nice thing is that, despite Beyond Distilling being a newish brand, the whiskey is something that Tyler and Ryan actually distilled. Another is that it showcases talented distillers who allowed this Bourbon to age sufficiently rather than getting it to market as soon as possible to recoup the investment. The third is that, unlike many new distilleries, Beyond Distilling skipped packaging this whiskey at 80°. And the fourth is the price. Mix all of these ingredients together; the result is 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.