Review: Mad River Burnt Rock Bourbon, Revolution Rye, and Double Tapped Maple Bourbon

At the southern end of Vermont’s Mad River Valley, in the town of Warren, Mad River Distillers has been making spirits since 2011. The distillery was founded with brandy in mind, not whiskey, but whiskey eventually became an important part of the operation. Today, Head Distiller Al Hilton oversees a whiskey program built around 100% non-GMO grains grown in New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts.

That makes Mad River worth a closer look. Vermont whiskey can be an easy subject to oversimplify. Put a distillery in Vermont, source some local ingredients, put a maple reference on the label, and it can be tempting to call the result a Vermont whiskey story. Mad River offers something more substantive to examine. The location matters, but so do the decisions being made inside the distillery.

Fermentation runs for six days at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Every whiskey is distilled on a pot still, beginning with a 500-gallon still for the stripping run before the spirit goes through a 66-gallon Müller pot still from Germany for the finishing run. The whiskey comes off the Müller at 150 to 158 proof, then enters 53-gallon barrels at 118 to 122 proof. Those barrels come from Kelvin Cooperage and receive a #3 char.

The barrels spend their time in a Vermont warehouse, some stored rick-style and others palletized. For most of the year, the building is essentially subject to the conditions outside, with only minimal heating during the Vermont winter.

There is a lot there to consider before a bottle ever reaches the glass. How much does Vermont’s climate matter? What does the choice of grains bring to the whiskey? And what happens when a relatively small distillery takes a process that could be described in fairly straightforward terms and applies it to three very different whiskeys?

Mad River sent samples of Burnt Rock Bourbon, Revolution Rye, and Double Tapped Maple Bourbon to Drinkhacker for review. Let’s find out what this small Vermont distillery has to offer.

Mad River Burnt Rock Bourbon Review

Burnt Rock Bourbon is a blend of two to three barrels, named after a popular hiking trail in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. It is distilled from a mashbill of 70% corn, 15% rye, and 15% smoked malted barley, with the barley smoked over maple wood. The youngest barrel in the blend is at least two years old, while the oldest barrels typically reach three to four years, putting the average age of the blend at 30 months.

The nose gets underway with maple-smoked bacon, bringing smoke and grease before moving toward holiday fruit cake, with dried orange peel taking the lead. From there, the aroma makes a clear turn toward black jelly beans and beet juice. It is an unusual combination, but an enjoyable one.

The palate opens with butterscotch pudding skin, offering sweetness alongside a slightly earthy quality. That sweetness fades quickly as grapefruit pith and leather take over the mid-palate. The finish brings bacon bits and heavily burnt orange peel, followed by a strong final push of over-baked corn tortillas. The slightly burnt youthful corn is potent.

At the moment, this comes across as something of a “vacation bottle,” one of those craft bourbon purchases made by a tourist during a trip that somehow never finds its way into the regular rotation once the bottle makes it home. The bourbon is still relatively young, and additional barrel time may help address some of the rough, grain-forward qualities that stand out at present. 92 proof. C+ / $58

Mad River Revolution Rye Review

Revolution is a blend of four to five barrels distilled from 100% organic rye. That 100% rye mashbill includes malted rye, malted and roasted rye, and unmalted rye. The youngest barrel in the blend is 18 months old, while the oldest is 24 months, giving the blend an average age of 22 months.

The nose starts with earthy roasted hazelnut before moving toward bright sliced green apples and pickled ginger. Given some time in the glass, aromas of caramelized onions and freshly pooled rainwater begin to appear. It is a pleasant nose, though the whiskey clearly presents as a young rye that could benefit from additional barrel time. There is plenty of promise here.

The palate opens with a hefty dose of chocolate-covered almonds, although it is difficult to pin down whether the note is closer to dark chocolate-covered almonds or almonds dusted with cocoa powder. The mid-palate brings potent minerality in the form of limestone gravel dust, with cream soda eventually joining the profile.

The mouthfeel is noticeably thick, creating an interesting sensation alongside the hefty limestone note. On the finish, that limestone gravel dust takes a more earthy turn, bringing to mind a freshly opened bag of potting soil. Freshly cut wet grass follows, along with mild chai spice and a strong final push of grapefruit pith.

Overall, there is plenty to like in this young, bright rye whiskey, but additional time in the barrel should allow the whiskey to develop further. I would like to revisit this distillate after it has spent four to five years in the barrel. 96 proof. B / $50

Mad River Double Tapped Maple Bourbon

Double Tapped Maple Bourbon is a cordial made from a blend of four to five barrels. The bourbon is distilled from a mashbill consisting of wheat, oats, corn, and malted barley. The youngest barrel in the blend is two years old, while the oldest is three to four years old. The bourbon is then blended with an undisclosed amount of “dark robust” maple syrup from central Vermont.

Historically, Vermont’s “Dark/Robust” category roughly corresponds to what consumers would have encountered as Grade A Dark Amber, a style typically harvested later in the season.

The nose opens with warm French toast and maple syrup, although the maple does not completely dominate. The spiced egg wash is equally apparent. After the initial rush of sweetness, sage and pine needles begin to show, accompanied by smoky brisket burnt ends. The maple syrup is certainly present, but it does not overwhelm the bourbon.

The maple becomes much more prominent on the palate. Candied yams arrive immediately, accompanied by plenty of maple syrup. The mouthfeel is noticeably thick and dense from the outset, leaving little doubt that some amount of maple syrup has been blended with the bourbon. The sweetness continues with pecan pralines and vanilla taffy, while tangerine zest provides some contrast through the mid-palate.

The finish adds oak to the sweet profile through pecan pie notes. Caramelized bananas bring another layer of sweetness before giving way to smoky bacon, with the smoky quality becoming stronger the longer the whiskey remains on the palate.

As a neat sipper, the thick mouthfeel and generally sweet profile are a bit too cloying for my preference. As a cocktail ingredient, however, there is more to work with. I would strongly consider it for a split-base Old Fashioned, with a high-proof rye whiskey serving as the larger spirit component. It could also work well in a lemon-forward whiskey sour. 76 proof.  B- / $48

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