Malted barley | Honeyed oat | Wild honey | Light oak | Graham cracker | Pleasing

Vanilla | Spiced honey | Baking spices | Cinnamon spice | White peppercorn spice | Cinnamon cake | Light toasted oak | Creamy mouthfeel 

Baking spices | Light vanilla frosting | Toasted oak | Malted barley | Faint cinnamon spice | Gentle lingering heat

Located in Statesville, North Carolina, Southern Distilling Company was founded by Pete and Vienna Barger in 2013. The company produces a number of whiskeys at their 20-acre distillery campus. Although many outside of North Carolina may not be familiar with their name, the company has over 65,000 barrels aging and formally announced the creation of Statesville Contract Distilling, a long-standing service now marketed under their new brand.

Pleasing is a theme that carries through the entire sip, starting with an aroma that is full of sweet honey-influenced scents. That same honey theme carries over to the palate, however, instead of being the star, this time around it’s a supporting character. Instead, various spices burst forward in a surprising fashion and quickly overtake the sweet notes. Thankfully, the spice ramps down in the finish, instead focusing on a balanced blend of spice, oak, and sweet flavors, ending with a gentle lingering heat. Overall, this is a really good first showing for Southern Distilling’s single malt debut, and leaves me excited to see what they’re capable of producing in this whiskey category in the future.