BLACK DIRT DISTILLING: A First Look

PINKY MIXOLOGY PRESENTS APPLEJACK-OFF 2014:

BLACK DIRT APPLEJACK:
A First Look 

Black Dirt Applejack is made in Warwick New York, and the Black Dirt Distillery is actually a spin-off of the Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery (according to their website) and that Warwick Valley Winery is, yes, the Doc’s Draft Cider People.  We hope they’re not on their way down here to kill us for not liking their Raspberry Cider (we love their Apple and Pear though), and we do buy a few 22oz bottles every week so hopefully they won’t want to lose the business.  Seriously, we’re well on our way to 200 bottles, the empties we save and give to our home-brewer friends (rather than just toss in the recycle bin). 

But, cider time is over and we’re here to look at Black Dirt Applejack.





Black Dirt Applejack is Bottled in Bond.  That means that there is a specific benchmark and inspection that goes along with the production and aging of this applejack.  Also, this is Batch #2, which means that this has been barrel-aged for six years at 100 proof.  That is much longer and stronger (lol porn joke) than anything else that we have seen.   Finally, it is also made from only one type of apple; Jonagold Apples grown in New York.





 



Don't get us wrong, we'd probably drink this neat for the entire review if we could.  The American Oak char aging, New York Apples, and that Rubik's Cube of distillation which Black Dirt has perfected ...which keeps the apple notes intact while still coming out at 100 proof is done so right.  This is the kind of thing that you simply can't find mundane no matter how much time goes by.  But, this Applejack served neat isn't for the uninitiated.  If you haven't had spirits neat before, then you might want to start with something a bit more tame, because this is more or less expert level.

Seriously, there we were almost done with these Applejack labels, and we pulled the top off thinking “yeah, yeah, here’s another one...”  Then shazam, it pounded us in the face with a shoe shine box while screaming at us to respect it like mutherfuckin Black Caesar!  It has paid its dues and will take shit from exactly no clowns out there. 

Black Dirt Applejack is made by Apple People, who (by the taste of things) know exactly what they're doing.  Black Dirt also makes a Bourbon style Whiskey that is aged for 3 years in charred barrels.  So look for that as well.  
 


We've decided that there will be no punches pulled with this one.  We’re gonna enlist some serious challenges that only the most tested of aged spirits could possibly go up against, and see how the Applejack stacks up.  Spoiler alert:  Black Dirt kicks ass.

Stay tuned you little salamanders.