Brother Justus is a single malt distillery in Minneapolis that uses local peat from the bogs of Minnesota but there’s a twist. Instead of using peat smoke during malt preparation, Brother Justus pours their finished whisky over the peat before bottling. They compare it to the “Lincoln County” process but since it is infusing the whisky with flavor it’s probably a bit more like a pourover coffee process. Tasting the before and after side-by-side, it’s clear the process does provide quite a bit of flavor. The original is dominated by notes of marshmallows, circus peanuts, and fresh oak while the “cold-peated” whiskey takes on notes of baker’s chocolate, nori, and, well, peat (yes, I have put plenty of peat in my mouth over the years). The “peated” version is certainly more complex and it’s always interesting to see distilleries try new things.
Comments