Sturgeon Spirits Mushroom Gin, Garlic Vodka, and Squadron Spirits Flying Fortress Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

 

It takes a lot to impress me. Oh, you may think because I don’t knock everything that crosses my palate, that I’m a pushover. I’m not; I pan whiskeys from brands that I usually enjoy (and those that are new to me) because they deserve it. I've just happened to find a lot that is well worth buying, especially as craft distillers gain experience.

 

That’s with whiskey. Now, come to gin and vodka, and it takes a hell of a lot even to catch my eye. Let’s say that while my mantra is #DrinkCurious, there are things that I avoid. Vodka and, especially, gin are two of those things. Gin was my Dad’s drink, and I hated everything about it. Chewing on pine tree branches doesn’t make me happy.

 

When I visited Distill America this past May, I encountered Sturgeon Spirits Craft Distillery, located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. What caught my eye was it featured spirits that were just damned unusual. Mrs. Whiskeyfellow coaxed me into trying some of them.

 

Oh, yeah, there’s a Bourbon, too. Today, I’ll explore that, and Mushroom Gin and Garlic Vodka, and those are just a drop in the bucket of the range of spirits that this distillery has to offer.

 

Karl Lowenstein is the founder and president of Sturgeon Spirits. He was a former History professor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh who retired in 2024 after a 21-year career. Karl has championed community, sustainability, and spirited living, and carries those over into his distillery and tasting room.

 

“We believe that life is amazing and should be celebrated in as many ways as possible. We cherish the opportunity to share the fruits of our labor by producing high quality spirits for our community to enjoy.” – Sturgeon Spirits

 

Graciously, Sturgeon Spirits has provided me with samples of the Mushroom Gin, the Garlic Vodka, and Squadron Spirits Flying Fortress Bourbon Whiskey in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

Mushroom Gin

 

• Spirit Type: Gin
• Distiller: Sturgeon Spirits
• Age: 3 weeks  
• Mashbill: White mushrooms and gin
• Cooperage: N/A
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750mL: $30.00

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this neat (mostly because I’m not sure what else, aside from a shot glass, is proper). The brass-colored spirit formed a medium rim with a wavy curtain of tears.

 

Nose: I love mushrooms, and I eat them all the time. The Mushroom Gin had the earthy, dank smell you’d expect. Then it smelled like ramen soup. Drawing the air through my lips brought more ramen qualities.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was soft and buttery. I tasted fresh, white mushrooms and earth. There wasn’t a front, middle, or back.

 

Finish: The mushrooms carried through; the earthiness disappeared, and it was joined by something floral, which I assume are the botanicals. Black pepper came from nowhere to close out the show. The duration ran 1:15, making it medium to long.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: To be completely blunt, there was nothing junipery or piney with this gin. That was an unexpected pleasure. Holy fungas, Batman, did I find a gin that’s worthwhile? Yes!

 

Look, I can’t picture myself drinking a full glass of this for the sake of drinking a glass, but this could make a fascinating cocktail. I commend Sturgeon Spirits for creating something so unique and tasty. The Mushroom Gin earns a slam-dunk Bottle rating!

 

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Garlic Vodka

 

• Spirit Type: Vodka
• Distiller: Sturgeon Spirits
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: Vodka with natural flavors (I assume that’s garlic)
• Cooperage: N/A
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750mL: $30.00

 

Appearance: Just like the Mushroom Gin, I used a Glencairn glass because I prefer not to use shot glasses to experience the smells and flavors. The crystal clear liquid formed a massive rim with thick, medium-spaced, slow tears.

 

Nose: Do you recall how, when you go to an Italian restaurant (or know someone’s Nonna) and an order of garlic bread comes to the table, you get that glorious aroma with bread, melted butter, and garlic? That’s precisely what this vodka smells like! And, I recall when I tasted this at Distill America, I didn’t want to drink it; I just wanted to sniff what was in the glass. Taking the vapor into my mouth, there was pure, fresh garlic.

 

Palate: Like the gin, the vodka’s texture was soft and buttery. Roasted garlic danced across my tastebuds. I didn’t pick out anything else, which told me the vodka was exceptionally clean.

 

Finish: The duration seemed shorter than the gin’s and a stopwatch proved it; it lasted only 32 seconds. There was nothing more than the roasted garlic flavor. There was a smidge of alcohol burn that was not unexpected.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Garlic Vodka is meant for mixing, probably for Bloody Marys (I don’t drink those, either). However, on its own, I still found it fascinating. The garlic bread aroma was one of the most enchanting of any spirit, whiskey or otherwise, in recent memory. The fun factor alone is worth my Bottle rating.

 

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Squadron Spirits Flying Fortress Bourbon Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Sturgeon Spirits
• Age: 2 years
• Mashbill: 70% corn, 15% rye, 15% malted barley
• Cooperage: 10-gallon, #3 new charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 40% ABV (80°)
• Price per 750mL: $60.00 with a portion to be donated to Old Glory Honor Flights
• Unfiltered
• Available late July

 

Karl let me know that he has four barrels of the initial release that’s not yet blended, but hopes to have it ready for the EAA Airshow in Oshkosh this July. He also has 30-gallon barrels that will age for an extended period.

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore the Bourbon. The liquid was orange and cloudy. It formed a massive rim with medium-spaced, slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: Considering the cooperage and time, I allowed the whiskey a longer-than-average time to breathe – about 15 minutes. When I started sniffing, the smell of oak dominated. That wasn’t unexpected and, honestly, I would have been stunned otherwise. I let the whiskey alone another five minutes and tried again. The aroma included dried cherries, barrel char, dark chocolate, and coffee. Drawing the air into my mouth brought dark chocolate and oak.

 

Palate: A thin, slick texture greeted my tongue. The front of my palate discovered caramel and field corn, whereas the middle offered toffee, orange zest, and rye bread. I tasted oak tannins, bitter coffee, and barrel char on the back.

 

Finish: The finish was short, lasting only 31 seconds. Barrel char, rye bread, and field corn remained, and albeit briefly, it was level.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Something to keep in mind is that two years is an eternity for aging whiskey in a 10-gallon barrel. I don’t know what the angels stole, but it must have been significant. The yield of four blended barrels, even proofed to the lowest legal level, can’t be much.

 

I love the fundraising aspect and how the distilling community is always looking for ways to give back. It is an awesome industry because many micro and craft distillers aren’t rolling in profits.

 

Landing the first bottles of a distillery’s whiskey is an adventure. They’re a snapshot in time of how the distillery started versus how it later evolved. Quality-wise, they’re a crapshoot. I’ve had decent ones and others that need a lot of tweaking.

 

As I stated earlier, Karl has this distillate aging in larger barrels for a later release. The mash is fine; however, the extended use of smaller cooperage hampered the process. Simply put, it is over-oaked. Sometimes that can be fixed by lowering the proof, but 80° is the legal minimum. 

 

In its current form, Squadron Spirits Flying Fortress Bourbon Whiskey is an excellent vehicle for raising money for a fantastic cause. It could be an interesting component in a mixology project, or I’d happily display it on my shelf as a conversation piece. But I can’t recommend drinking the 10-gallon version neat. It would be fun to taste this Bourbon aged in 30-gallon barrels once they’ve matured.

 

We’ll leave my rating at that. Not a Bottle, not a Bar, and not a Bust, because there are different reasons someone may want to experience it.

 

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Final Thoughts: There’s plenty more to share with you. Firstly, curiosity got the best of me, and I blended the Mushroom Gin and Garlic Vodka in a 1:1 ratio to see what would happen. The result was that the smell of garlic dominated the mushrooms, yet not to the point of drowning them out. On the other hand, the mushroom component took the spotlight once I sipped it. The finish was relatively short.

 

After writing up the Bourbon portion of the review, Mrs. Whiskeyfellow and I drove to Oshkosh to visit Sturgeon Spirits in person and met with Karl and his partner, Todd. If you hit up Sturgeon Spirits’ website, you can see what they have to offer.

Except, that’s a minuscule part of what’s at the distillery and available to taste. You see, Karl and Todd are constantly experimenting. How about Chicken Vodka? Yes, you read that right – Chicken Vodka! And Beef Vodka. I tried and liked them both. The beef was definitely not Mrs. Whiskeyfellow’s cup of tea.

This is where the more creative things were hiding... Chicken Vodka? 

If there’s a flavor, spice, fruit, herb, or whatever that crosses your mind, chances are that Sturgeon Spirits has it on the back of the bar. 

Look carefully, you might spot Cinder Ellie in this photo!

The back of the bar

The menu, along with Mrs. Whiskeyfellow checking out the creative stuff

We spent a handful of hours (and money) on a few flights, as well as bottles of Amaretto Vodka (which, in my opinion, was the best thing I tasted that day) and Apple Pie Liqueur. With a fatter wallet, we would have come home with more.

Where the magic happens

Most of the gift shop

A display of the wares

Anyway, if you find yourself in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and looking for a terrific way to kill a few hours, the distillery’s address is 2663 Oregon Street. Definitely check them out. 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.