Corn | Vanilla | White peppercorn | New oak | Slight ethanol

Cereal grain | Vanilla | Rye spice | Sharp peppercorn spice | Corn oil | Oak

Creamed corn | Fresh charred oak | Burnt vanilla bean | White peppercorn

Located in North Conway, New Hampshire, Cathedral Ledge Distillery takes sustainability seriously. It proudly labels itself New Hampshire’s only USDA-certified organic distillery, meaning its products are completely GMO-free, and contain no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or cleaning products. Additionally, the bottles prominently state that their Bottled in Bond Organic Bourbon is gluten-free and bottled in 100% recycled glass. The company opened its doors in December, 2020 and started distilling vodka at that time. In 2021, they started distilling bourbon, making this batch of Bottled in Bond Organic Bourbon from the fall distillation season of that year, some of the very earliest bourbon the company produced.

Having only been distilling whiskey for a few months before this was barreled, Cathedral Ledge’s Bottled in Bond Organic Bourbon is literally a snapshot of the company’s first attempt at whiskey. Unsurprisingly, the bourbon paints a picture of a new craft distillery. Various forms of corn and vanilla weave their way throughout the sip, with spice and oak leaning in for contrast. While the sip certainly has its downsides, particularly the various grain and new oak notes, it also shows the potential Cathedral Ledge Distillery has to offer. Ultimately, it leaves me curious to revisit the distillery in a few years once they’ve had time to dial in their Bottled in Bond Organic Bourbon.