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You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
In order for a whiskey to be called a bourbon, it must be produced in the United States. What isn’t talked about when it comes to aging bourbon is that the territory of the United States extends outwards and upwards. That changes this week thanks to one of the most innovative experiments that the world of whiskey has seen in a long time.
Mile High Spirits is known as an “elevated distillery” thanks to the fact that it is located 5,280 feet above sea level in Denver, Colorado. The company was founded by Wyn Ferrell, Joe Von Felt, and Chase Campbell in 2011, and it currently produces a number of rye and bourbons. The trio puts out several limited release whiskeys throughout the year, and this week, they push the limits of whiskey innovation with their latest limited release called Strato Whiskey.
What makes Strato Whiskey special is that part of its aging process took place in space, well almost, the earth’s stratosphere to be more specific. And yes, you read that last part correctly: the company was able to age whiskey 20 miles above the U.S.
I spoke in depth with Ferrell to discuss the project and also had a chance to taste the whiskey. Ferrell discussed how his wife played an integral role in helping this project get off the ground (no pun intended) and how he personally has an interest in all things space. Growing up, Ferrell said he always had a telescope, but ever since he started dating his wife in 2012, she “turbocharged” his interest in space. The couple now has, in Ferrell’s words, “a gigantic telescope” and does telescope research for NASA. They travel all over the world for government agencies to study objects in our solar system. All this is to say, Strato Whiskey is a project that has been long in the making and holds a special interest in Ferrell’s heart.
The whiskey took flight via a partnership with World View, which uses balloons to launch instruments and, in this case, whiskey into the stratosphere. Originally targeted to launch in 2020, the project had to be pushed back due to Covid-19 delaying the ability for the company to launch. A year later, Mile High Spirits sent up their whiskey on a World View craft. It turns out, however, that you can’t just attach a barrel of whiskey and let it sail up 20 miles into the air.
The barrel used in this inaugural project was only 3 gallons in size, which was dictated by the available payload limitation on the craft that also included unrelated instruments sent up by World View. Ferrell stated that the barrel was sealed on the outside with a specialized wax to prevent off-gassing whiskey from ruining the other instruments on board. Additionally, the company had a very real fear of a catastrophic 100% off-gassing event taking place, so they put part of the whiskey in a specially developed bag with wood and placed it inside the barrel. While no spectrometer analysis was done on the whiskey upon returning to earth, the company stated that both the bagged whiskey and unbagged whiskey tasted exactly alike, and they were re-mingled together in the barrel for further aging.
Strato Whiskey Facts:
Ferrell states that the company spent a lot of time deciding on what to do with the whiskey once it was time to bottle it. They went through a number of options, including adding a small amount to every batch of their Fireside Whiskey line moving forward or creating a new line that had some added to every bottle. Ultimately, Mile High Spirits decided that, at first, they wanted to just sell the whiskey that went into the stratosphere by itself. The result was 250 50mL tubes of Strato being created.
Realizing that the whiskey itself would take up a small portion of the box, and some purchasers may never even open it, the company wanted to offer a little more to enhance the experience and created a specialized Strato box. The box contains all of the data and information on the flight on the outside, while the inside contains a photograph of part of the spacecraft along with a sliver of the barrel that journeyed into the stratosphere. In addition, the box contains a rocket cocktail shaker and a NASA-style “remove before flight tag” that will allow holders to get free entry to all future events, as well as discounts and deals in the company’s tasting room. Each tube of whiskey is hand-numbered, and the entire package has an MSRP of $299.
Mile High Spirits expects Strato to be the first of many whiskeys sent towards space to age. In fact, the company has already sent World View a larger barrel for a future launch with more exciting things planned down the line. Ferrell stated that Mile High Spirits has “always embodied flight and that the company’s goal wasn’t to have Strato be viewed as a gimmick. Instead, it’s meant to show that Mile High Spirits is testing the boundaries and experimenting beyond the normal. I like to think of it as a labor of love.”
To find out how the whiskey tastes, the company sent over a full retail Strato box containing whiskey number 11 out of 250. I will say that in hand, the packaging shines and that consumers will be pleasantly surprised by all of the nuanced details. As gimmicky as I thought the cocktail shaker sounded, it’s well done and will readily adorn the bar or desk of whiskey or space enthusiasts who buy Strato.
Dark bronze in color, Strato Whiskey opens with scents of rich charred oak, burnt caramel, rye grain, and nougat, along with hints of tobacco leaf and graham cracker. Transitioning to the palate reveals bold flavors of charred oak, mixed peppercorns, leather, nutmeg, and a faint, sweet cinnamon stick note. Seeing as it was aged in such a small barrel, it surprisingly doesn’t come across as being over-oaked at all. Instead, the flavors mingle well together, giving the perception that it’s older than it actually is. The sip ends with big rye spice, charred oak, faint cinnamon spice, vanilla bean, and a touch of cinnamon bread crumbs. It provides for a light lingering heat to go with its 106 proof, along with a very faint copper note.
I can’t necessarily say that the flavor profile was out of this world (pun very much intended); however, what Strato does provide is a sip full of rich, distinct flavors that are very enjoyable. Did its time in the stratosphere necessarily impact the flavor to a great degree? I can’t say that definitively, but I can say that knowing that this whiskey spent some of its time aging 20 miles above the earth certainly added to its allure as I was sipping it. While it’s unclear if those who purchase a Strato Whiskey set will actually open and taste it, I hope they do. Sure, collecting whiskey is fun, but to be able to say that you tasted the first whiskey aged high above the earth is a better story to be able to tell for the rest of your life!
