Reviews of Pathfinder Farm Bloody Butcher Bourbon & Moonshine

 

The Krafts had interesting lives. Nate served in the US Navy for ten years, while his wife, Natalie, spent six years in the Pennsylvania National Guard. They have lived in Japan, Washington, and California. Then they spent a year and a half (and about 3000 miles) on a 41-foot sailboat exploring the waters around Mexico with their first child, Sully. The Krafts had a dream; they wanted to be distillers. And they didn’t want to source and repackage; they planned for a seed-to-glass (or flask) operation. Nate and Natalie had another child, Emory.

 

Nate and Natalie also wanted to live near family, so they scouted out and, in 2019, purchased farmland in Pleasant Valley, Maryland, along the Appalachian Trail. They call themselves beginner farmers, which I assume means first-generation. The Krafts called their new adventure Pathfinder Farm.

 

The name came from a character named Natty Bumppo from Leatherstocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper. Natty Bumpoo was significant because he was the inspiration for his name. Natty was a scout, huntsman, and explorer whose nickname was “Pathfinder.” It seemed fitting.

 

The Krafts grow non-GMO Bloody Butcher corn on their farm, which is the core ingredient for their moonshines and whiskeys, and use 100% Appalachian Mountain spring water. Everything is made in 150-gallon batches. Simplicity is key.

 

Today, I’ll explore two items from Pathfinder Farm’s portfolio: Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey and Moonshine Corn Whiskey with Corn. Both were provided to me in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. So, without further ado, let’s #DrinkCurious and get down to business.

 

Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Pathfinder Farm Distillery
• Age: 18 months
• Mashbill: 100% Bloody Butcher Red Corn
• Cooperage: 10-gallon, new charred oak single barrel
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 375mL: $34.86

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass with a neat pour. The Bourbon had a gorgeous reddish-brown color to it. It formed a thinner rim with massive, tightly spaced tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass close to my face, the smell of corn was unmistakable. It bordered on sweet corn. I also found fruity notes of strawberries and apricots. Notably absent was anything oaky; that was until I drew the aroma into my mouth. It was pretty mild.  

 

Palate: Bloody Butcher Bourbon’s texture was soft, and there was an explosion of oak. That’s the palate shock; I took a second sip, and I tasted sweet corn and caramel on the front. The middle offered toffee and pecans, while flavors of oak and clove made up the back.

 

Finish: Oak, clove, corn, and pecans remained on my tongue and throat. It was a bit on the dry side. The duration lasted 1:14, placing it in the middle venue.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Using smaller barrels to age Bourbon or Rye is always a gamble. Unlike 53-gallon barrels, which you can essentially leave alone, a smaller barrel of whiskey will age rapidly and really absorb the oak. It is super-easy to spoil (I’ve done it myself). There are ways to do things correctly. It requires frequent monitoring and paying close attention to the weather. If it gets too hot, that’ll put things into hyperdrive, and 18 months might as well be 18 years.

 

Fortunately, Nate and Natalie did not shrug their shoulders and proclaim, “See you in 18 months!” Yeah, there was a bold blast of oak when I first tasted the Bourbon, but by the second, that was a distant memory. I found Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey to be well-balanced and tasty. It wasn’t complex and didn’t need to be. There’s an art here that the Krafts seem to have mastered.

 

Sure, if you do the math, $69.00 for 750mL of 18-month-old whiskey is pricey; you have to get past that. It is a 375mL and just shy of $35.00, making it both approachable and affordable. If I were to buy a small barrel Bourbon, Pathfinder Farm would be at the top of my list; hence its Bottle rating.    

 

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Moonshine Corn Whiskey With Corn 

 

So, you may be wondering what “corn whiskey with corn” means. It was a head-scratcher until I took a closer look. There’s a kernel of corn floating around in there!

  

• Whiskey Type: Moonshine
• Distiller: Pathfinder Farm Distillery
• Age: unaged
• Mashbill: 100% Bloody Butcher Red Corn
• Cooperage: N/A
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $32.11

 

Appearance: Pathfinder suggests drinking this neat or over ice in a whiskey glass. Who am I to argue? Thankfully, I have a ton of Glencairn whiskey glasses on hand, so I used one. Being unaged, it is clear, like water. While it didn’t produce a rim, there were thick, widely spaced, slippery tears.

 

Nose: As I poured this corn likker into my glass, the room seemed to fill with the smell of popcorn. That’s expected. When I brought the glass beneath my nostrils, the aroma became intensely sweet. It was a cross between vanilla ice cream and buttered popcorn. I tried to find something when I drew that air through my lips; nothing really popped up.

 

Palate: With my first sip, the Moonshine had a slick mouthfeel, and it warmed my tongue and throat. The subsequent one lacked any heat. I tasted sweet corn, and that was pretty much it.

 

Finish: The only thing that remained was corn. There was a quick rush of alcohol burn that faded after a few seconds; the real variable was its duration. I pulled out a stopwatch, and it ran a full 1:07, placing it in medium territory.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Do I drink Moonshine? Sure. Do I drink a lot of it? Not at all. As such, exploring them is always an adventure. Based upon my tasting, I honestly couldn’t tell you if it was Bloody Butcher or any other type of corn. You’d think 100° would be a frightfully potent example. It drank super-easily; it was simple and good. I dare say it tasted unadulterated, whereas others sometimes seem overly sugary.

 

Would this make a good cocktail base? I imagine so. I might use it as a substitute for a vodka-based drink, especially if you wanted to kick it up a notch. I appreciated how clean Pathfinder Farm Moonshine was. When you take into account that most store-bought Shine is lower-proofed, its price is reasonable. I believe my Bottle rating is justified. 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.