Van Brunt Small Batch American Whiskey (375mL)

The rapid growth of new distilleries around the world is little short of phenomenal.   Van Brunt in the heart of Brooklyn is to an outsider like me not the natural home of a specialist distiller.  When I think of Brooklyn, I think the bridge and brownstone houses.  But, that shows how little I know as there are now a number of distilleries in Brooklyn producing everything from grappa to gin to fruit liqueurs to Bourbon and in the case of Van Brunt Single Malt Whiskey.

There is no doubt that Daric Schlesselman of Van Brunt is one of the new breed of entrepreneurs who seized the opportunity to turn a hobby as a home brewer into a trailblazing business.  When I asked Daric, who was a successful television editor, what his light-bulb moment was to change careers he said, ‘my life-long interest has been in growing things and making things and drinking beer and scotch.  I realised that distilling could be a combination of all things I love rolled into one business’.   Who can say fairer than that?  

Daric  and his wife Sarah bought a still from Portugal and started distilling brandies and ‘discovered the fun of rum, but my passion for malt, both in brewing beer as well as my enjoyment of single malt Scotches, drove our decision to build a whiskey distillery.  They use a German Eau de Vie still with a five plate column and by changing the fittings they can create a pot still or a column still, so by varying each distillation they can create different tastes and aromas.

Daric’s whole approach to the business seems to revolve around the premise that everything should be fun.   We talked about making small batches, which he considers to be refreshing and fun and because everything can be different each time there is the fun of discovering a new taste, aroma, colour every time.  Daric also believes that the way he makes everything from scratch and forges relationships with good farmers, maltsters, designers, mixologists and restauranteur is the secret of his whiskey’s success.  He says, ‘there are a lot of other truly craft producers out there and we are different from them in the same way that no two snowflakes are alike.’

Wherever possible Van Brunt uses organic and chemical free grains for their distillations, but being part of a new industry there isn’t a wide variety of options when it comes to malt for single malt whiskey.   Hopefully the farmers will start to grow more varieties so that Daric can fulfil his aim of creating more single malt whiskeys.  

Van Brunt Stillhouse American Whiskey does not fit neatly into typical whiskey categories.  It is a four grain whiskey made primarily from malted barley and wheat, with a little bit of corn and a touch of rye.  This unique whiskey has floral notes of a malt whiskey with the new barrel sweetness of a bourbon.