Copper Fox Distillery

Copper Fox Distillery is a distillery that produces American whiskey in Sperryville, Virginia. The owner and operator of Copper Fox Distillery is Rick Wasmund.

History

Before starting Copper Fox Distillery, Wasmund apprenticed for six months with Scotch distiller Bowmore on the Isle of Islay. ^[1] Copper Fox Distillery was licensed to begin distilling by the Virginia ABC board in 2005 as a limited distiller (<5,000 gallons).^[2]

Process

Copper Fox uses barley bred specifically for the distillery and grown in Virginia, and Copper Fox is the only distiller in the United States to do 100% of its own grain malting. ^[3] Following the malting process, apple and cherry wood provide smoke during the malt drying process in a special room at the distillery. The apple wood used is from a local farm, where after the trees finish being productive (about 19 years), the wood is recovered to the distillery.^[4]

Copper Fox whiskey is distilled in a Portuguese small copper pot still and aged in used bourbon barrels (from the other Virginia distillery, A. Smith Bowman, maker of Virginia Gentleman bourbon). Copper Fox whiskey aging is accelerated by 'chipping', adding a sachet of small chunks or 'chips' of charred wood (oak, apple, and cherry are used) to the aging barrel. ^[5] Using this accelerated technique, Copper Fox whiskeys are aged at a minimum of just four months, which is far lower than the 3 year Scotch Whisky minimum and 2 year Straight Bourbon minimum. Wasmund once sent a whiskey chip-aged for six weeks to the Scotch Whisky Research Institute, who guessed it had been aged for seven to eight years.^[6] All bottles of alcohol produced at Copper Fox Distillery are filled and wax dipped by hand.^[4]

Products

• Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky
• Copper Fox Rye Whisky
• Wasmund's Single Malt Spirit
• Wasmund's Rye Spirit
• Barrels, for aging spirits
• Wasmund's Bourbon Spirit (coming soon)

Awards

• Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky
  • 92 points (Exceptional), Beverage Testing Institute^[7]
  • Gold Medal, International Review of Spirits, Beverage Testing Institute^[7]
  • Best in Class (Class: Malt Whiskey - Un-aged), American Distilling Institute 2011 Judging^[8]
• Copper Fox Rye Whisky
  • 94 points (Exceptional), Beverage Testing Institute^[9]
  • Gold Medal, International Review of Spirits, Beverage Testing Institute^[9]
  • Bronze (Class: Rye - Un-aged), American Distilling Institute 2011 Judging^[8]

References

1. ^ "Copper Fox Distillery Official Website". http://www.copperfox.biz/. Retrieved 9/9/11. 
2. ^ "Copper Fox Distillery Licence". Virginia ABC Board. http://www.abc.virginia.gov/licenseeSearch/jsp/controller.jsp?task=licenseedata&license=41026. Retrieved 9/9/11. 
3. ^ McAteer, M.J.. "Creating a Buzz in Virginia". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/13/AR2007021300277.html. Retrieved 9/9/11. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Pioneering Whisky at Copper Fox Distillery". Proof66.com. http://www.proof66.com/article_display.php?id=93. Retrieved 9/9/11. 
5. ^ Erison, Jay; Lew Bryson (January 2009). "Small Stills, Big Whiskeys". Malt Advocate. 
6. ^ Regnery, Alfred (9/18/07). "Single Malt in the Blue Ridge". The American Spectator. http://spectator.org/archives/2007/09/18/single-malt-in-the-blue-ridge. Retrieved 9/12/11. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "Wasmund's Single Malt Whisky". Beverage Testing Institute. http://www.tastings.com/scout_spirits.lasso?id=194350. Retrieved 9/12/2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "American Distilling Institute 2011 Winners". American Distilling Institute. http://www.distilling.com/cover5.html. Retrieved 16 September 2011. 
9. ^ ^{a b} "Wasmund's Copper Fox Rye Whisky". Beverage Testing Institute. http://www.tastings.com/scout_spirits.lasso?id=194349. Retrieved 9/12/2011. 

External links

• Official Copperfox Website