Nestled in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Catoctin Creek is a revered local favorite and one of the first players in Virginia’s growing craft whiskey scene. Although the distillery produces Gin, Brandy, and other popular spirits, when it comes to whiskey, what put Catoctin Creek on the map is their rye. While the distillery has done some limited release non-rye bottling over the years, back in 2009, founders Becky and Scott Harris set out to create “Virginia’s Rye Whiskey,” and have since solidified their place as a leading American craft distiller collecting scores of national and international awards.
Most people don’t think of Virginia as a whiskey state today, but go back 250 years and there was a storied tradition, to include George Washington himself who distilled whiskey at his Mount Vernon Estate. Fast forward, Catoctin Creek is the first legal distillery in Loudon County, Va since before Prohibition. The name Catoctin (pronounced Ka-TOCK-tin) is Native American: a tribal name that means “place of many deer,” and also the name of an actual creek the runs near the distillery.
The distillery sits at the heart of old town Purceville, Va., a quaint town about an hour outside of DC, in a renovated 1921 historic building that was at one time a Buick dealership and a furniture store, among other things. Half the property is dedicated to a spacious tasting room and bar area, with the other half dedicated to distilling and bottling (aging takes place in another facility). The space works well and the interplay between the sheik stainless steel stills and the historic exposed brick creates a nice aesthetic.
Still a family-owned enterprise, the distillery is committed to sustainability and using locally sourced ingredients from farmers in the region, to include almost 80% of their rye. Invested in relationships with the community, Catoctin Creek allows farmers to collect spent mash for feed free of charge. Moreover, Becky and Scott are leveraging their notoriety to play an important role in shaping the future of craft whiskey in America through their roles with the American Craft Spirits Association and DISCUS, respectively.
During my visit in May, I was able to sample the distillery’s core line of Roundstone Rye whisky expressions: the Flagship Rye, Distiller’s Edition, and Cask Proof. Spoiler alert: all of the expressions were good. The Flagship had a somewhat creamy mouthfeel, good rye spice, brown sugar and hints of mint. A straight forward and enjoyable pour. The Distiller’s Edition was my favorite by a good bit: rye spice, butterscotch, and cinnamon, with a nice long finish. The Distiller’s edition had more complexity and there was a lot going on that deserved taking note. Rounding out the tasting was the Cask Proof. This had more of a caramel and brown sugar profile and, for me, was just not as good the other two expressions. Though technically well-built, and nothing was out of balance, it just didn’t blow me away.
However, after finishing the tasting, I immediately wanted to delve deeper into the line-up with whatever limited editions they might have on hand for tasting to see the full bandwidth of the distillery. To my disappointment, they were sold out of all limited and seasonal release ryes — even for tastings and neat pours. Fortunately, the knowledgeable and friendly staff, after thoroughly searching in the back, directed me to a handful of local restaurants they were confident might carry some of their harder to find products. Their recommendation took me to MONK’s Barbecue, a short walk from the distillery.
While I had not intended to get lunch in Purceville, I’m glad I did. MONK’s was solid Barbecue. I’m a fan of Barbecue for sure, and am always on the hunt for perfectly cooked meat when I’m in Kansas City, Texas, North Carolina, etc. Northern Virginia is not known typically know for their Barbecue, which is why I was pleasantly surprised to be eating delicious, well-crafted barbecue in Loudon County. And, if this wasn’t enough, they also had an impressive whiskey bar stocked with local whiskies, classic bourbons, and a few unique, hard to find bottles. Eating Barbecue at a well-stocked whiskey bar — can this day get any better?!
Fortunately, the staff at Catoctin Creek had not led me astray with MONK’s local whiskey selection. They had a bottle of the Catoctin Creek Rabble Rouser Rye Bottled-in-Bond 2022 release on hand. Wow. Light on the nose, but full of rye spice, black licorice, dark chocolate on the palate, with a lingering but subtle finish. This was complex and delicious! It paired perfectly with the brisket. Sadly, I was unable to find a bottle of the Rabble Rouser rye in the local ABC liquor stores, but will definitely be on the look out next time I’m in the area as this is definitely a bottle I would like to add to my collection.
Catoctin Creek is doing some exciting things with rye and it is understandable how they have successfully created a solid reputation for themselves in the industry over the past 14 years. I’m definitely looking forward to another trip to the distillery at some point in the future.
