Review: Up North Honey Spirits
Bourbon and rye will always be my first loves, but I take a special interest in distilled spirits that are particularly noteworthy due to being unique. American whiskey comes with established standards and guidelines, but distilled specialty spirits do not necessarily come with the same level of regulation. Lack of regulation creates room for shenanigans, but also creates a space for innovative spirits, such as liquors distilled from honey. Located in Post Falls, Idaho, Up North Distillery distills whiskey and brandy, but also honey spirit. While many honey spirits add sugar or honey at certain points of production to create a sweeter product, Up North’s Randy and Hillary Mann believe in the distillation of 100% honey without the addition of sweeteners at any point in the production process. The northern Idaho distillery produces three offerings of honey spirit: unaged Honey Spirit, Barrel Finished Honey Spirit, and Barrel Reserve Honey Spirit. Let’s take a look at the three offerings.
All of these start when Up North ferments their own mead in-house from 100% honey sourced from the Idaho Falls area of eastern Idaho. In comparison to distiller’s beer, the mead has a relatively long fermentation period of 2.5 weeks. (Other meads can ferment for months.) The Idaho mead comes off a Carl pot still at 170 proof before being bottled without age or entered into a barrel. If the intention is for the distillate to be barrel-aged, the spirit is proofed down to 110 for barrel entry. All of Up North’s barrels are coopered by Kelvin Cooperage with a #3 char. Whether the honey spirit is bottled unaged or with barrel maturation, all offerings are bottled at 8o proof.
Up North Honey Spirit – Up North’s unaged Honey Spirit is bottled without ever seeing the inside of a barrel. Sticky honey is immediately present on the nose, giving clear evidence of the source of sugar for distillation. Fresh orange juice and wildflowers add to the bouquet of the spirit. The palate debuts with bright orange zest met with honey and vanilla. Honey Spirit brings a rather thin mouthfeel. On the finish, peach skin leads the way followed by eucalyptus and more honey. The finish is quite long, but is heavier on ethanol than any particular flavor note and lingers for a substantial amount of time. Honey Spirit isn’t something that I care to sip neat, but Up North clearly states that it’s intended to be used as a replacement for white rum or vodka in a cocktail. B- / $40
Up North Barrel Reserve Honey Spirit – This spirit is bottled as a single barrel offering after at least 3 years of aging in a new white American oak barrel with a #3 char. Whereas the unaged spirit distinctly featured honey on the nose, Barrel Reserve distinctly features honeysuckle. Floral honeysuckle is joined by traces of burnt brown sugar and vanilla pudding. To my surprise, over 3 years of maturation in a new charred oak barrel somehow produces a much lighter nose than the unaged Honey Spirit. I expected a bold nose, but found a very light one instead. Honey is again the predominant note to start the palate. Sparse amounts of cinnamon and toffee combine with light brown sugar to complete the palate. After maturing for at least 3 years, the mouthfeel is still rather thin. Kicking off the finish is a more bold cinnamon quality, joined by honey and vanilla. The finish is rather long, but more clearly features a lingering cinnamon note as compared to the ethanol-dominated finish accompanying the unaged spirit. B / $60
Up North Barrel Finished Honey Spirit – This offering is matured in Barrel Reserve casks being used for the second or third time. Rich honey leads the way on the nosing experience. Caramel and vanilla cream add to the overall aroma. Whereas unaged Honey Spirit offers the scent of fresh orange juice, Barrel Finished presents as powdered Tang orange drink. Just as the other two offerings, honey is featured prominently on the palate. Caramel sauce soon appears, but quickly transitions to orange zest and vanilla. The midpalate combination of orange zest and vanilla creates memories of orange Creamsicle bars with a thicker mouthfeel than the other two honey spirits. Honey debuts on the finish, quickly followed by buttercream frosting and nutmeg for a short finish. B / $50
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