at Nashoba Valley Winery, Bolton, MA
My friends know that I have a long history with Nashoba Valley Winery (https://nashobawinery.com/) that predates the present ownership. That said, over the last several decades I have become close friends with, and am an ardent supporter of, Rich Pelletier, the present owner of the winery. Over the better part of almost 30 years, Rich has taken a near-defunct winery and transformed it into one of New England’s premier Agrotourism Destinations… and he and his son make damn fine spirits…
Recently I attended the first in what I hope becomes a series of spirits-focused tastings. On the table today were three of their American Single Malt Whiskeys, served along with a simple, yet flavorful lunch. Quite possibly the perfect way to spend a sun splashed Saturday afternoon. Lunch was served in the Distillery, overlooking the tools of the trade.
First in the flight was their Stimulus Five, a 100% Barley Malt Whiskey, consisting of 91% pure malted barley and 9% peated barley. The spirit is aged for 3 years in ex-Bourbon casks and then finished for 2 years in ex-Wine casks (in this case Cabernet Franc). The resulting Whiskey is quite charming.
My tasting note:
Fruity nose with light vanilla and hints of iodine. Burnt orange rind, peach, and anise – lightly peaty. Smooth and bright. Well-balanced. Citrus notes with lemon grass. Iodine and pepper. Sweet in the mouth. Very light vanilla notes. Long finish, clean with clotted cream on the aftertaste. Very nice.
Second in the flight was their Stimulus Eleven, another American Single Malt with the same malt recipe. The spirit was aged for 10 years in ex-Wine (in this case Merlot) and 1 year in ex-Bourbon casks. The resulting Whiskey was incredibly smooth and seductive.
My tasting note:
Bright, fruity nose with vanilla and anise hints. Citrus and lychee hints. Well-balanced and smooth. Seductive with a creamy character. Peppery with toffee and flan notes. Spicy. Long finish with a soft, floral aftertaste. Exceptional!
Third in the flight was their Rowtier Reserve, a 20-year-old, single-cask Whiskey of incomparable rarity. With fewer than 30 bottles produced, tasting this spirit was truly a blessing.
My tasting note:
Lovely nose. Wildflowers, bright red fruits, vanilla and creme caramel. Spicy. Ultra smooth – well-balanced. Rich caramel on the palate. Pear and peach notes. Peppery. Clean. Long finish with more toffee on the finish. Oaky. Stunning!
Along with the Whiskey was served a hearty, flavorful lunch including a refreshing mixed green salad and stick-to-your-ribs shepherd’s pie, prepared by the winery’s own gourmet restaurant, J’s.
Overall, the tasting was very well done, with Rich’s son, Justin providing great depth and insight into the distilling operation and process, actually conducting a live demonstration of distilling spirits, which resulted in a charmingly fresh beaker of alcohol that smelled good enough to make you want to taste it!
As I said, I sincerely hope the Pelletier family continues these tasting lunches – given the breadth of their product line, we could be entertained for quite some time.