Dark Corner Distillery, a South Carolina-based micro distillery, is to launch its first barrel-aged spirit - Lewis Redmond California Bourbon Whiskey - on 17 November 2012 in honor of Lewis Redmond, a native of North Carolina and an outlaw, a bootlegger and distiller of illegal whiskey.
The whiskey is made from corn, red wheat, barley and rye. It has been aged in charred American Oak barrels since October 2011.
Dark Corner Distillery head distiller John Wilcox said by using five and 15gal barrels, they increased the surface exposure of wood to whiskey, which lowered the aging time for the spirit.
The distillery also took extreme measures in terms of varying the temperature of the aging cellar, which results in expansion and contraction of barrels forcing whiskey to move in and out of the porous hard wood. This process brings more flavors to the whiskey in the form of vanilla and tannins.
Dark Corner Distillery co-founder Joe Fenten said beginning at 125 proof and aged to mellow perfection, they feel that now is the ideal time to pull the extremely small batch of whiskey from the barrels for bottling.
"Bourbon can be produced in any of the 50 states, but ours is made right here in the hills of Carolina," Fenten added.
