One of my all time favorite places to unwind is High Hops in Windsor. They have a great nursery and a great brewery! My go to beer from High Hops is always their Habanero Hunny... Spicy beer for the win. This review is not about beer or plants, instead spirits. A new distillery has opened up at the location where High Hops and the Windsor Gardener call home. The Heart Distillery had their grand opening on Labor Day weekend and this past weekend I made it a priority to stop by and try out their tasty concoctions.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
loading...

The Heart Distillery offers both a rye whiskey and bourbon. This visit, I went with the rye old fashioned. I will say that when I walked in, I saw the big tub of cubed ice and was a little leery about getting one as I believe the old fashioned needs to have one big chunk of ice. I was relieved when our drinks were brought out and a nice round globe of ice sat in my glass like an iceberg in a sea of whiskey. The old fashioned was really well done as it was not overpowering and had a subtle sweetness to it. The only thing missing was the Maraschino cherry.

Next up on the list was a Mint Julep. As you can see from the above photo, this drink was made with their bourbon. Like the Old Fashioned, this was an excellent drink. The Mint Julep hit the spot on a hot September Saturday afternoon. Mildly sweet with a mint kick and the mouth feel that only a bourbon can give you.

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
loading...

My buddy and I decided to split a whiskey flight and this is where things got interesting...

Matt Sparx
Matt Sparx
loading...

I did not ask how long the bourbon and whiskey has been aged for, but you can clearly see the difference in the colors where the rye and bourbon have been proofed down from cask strength. Between the four tasters, the cask strength bourbon was my favorite. The other three were good, but bourbon has a special place in my heart! They did have bottles available for purchase of the bourbon for $50. I did really want to pick up a bottle of it and I would have without hesitation if the flavor hit the fine line between the 90 proof and the cask bourbon. This could all be in the aging process and that takes time. I am willing to wait it out for a great tasting whiskey and bourbon. I believe that The Heart Distillery in Windsor will have that for many years to come!

Overall, if you are looking for a new place to try, I would highly suggest The Heart Distillery in Windsor! Not only do they have rye whiskey and bourbon, they also have vodka, and get this... Absinthe! Real deal Absinthe made with wormwood. Just go easy on the Absinthe... You don't want to end up making out with your sister like the scene in EuroTrip! Cheers!

More From 94.3 The X