“Whiskey is by far the most popular of all remedies that won’t cure a cold.” – Jerry Vale
Missed last week. My apologies. I was on a little trip with the Mrs., and doing a little research for this column. More on that soon. For now, I’m going to continue with my discussion on Indiana bourbons with a look at a great little distillery right here in the Indianapolis area.
West Fork Distillery got its humble beginnings in 2015 in a tiny little building near downtown Indianapolis. In 2020-2021, they moved to a multi-million-dollar facility in Westfield called “The Mash House at West Fork.” The “new” place is beautiful, shiny, and sleek with a restaurant/bar and lovely tasting room. They also have an even newer, smaller, yet equally shiny and sleek, facility on Shelby Street in Fountain Square (West Fork Social House). Both places make wonderful cocktails.
In honesty, I miss the quainter, older, original place. Suppose that’s because I’m quainter and older. It was a great place to have a craft cocktail. I digress – time and change march on.
They make two lines of bourbons: The West Fork-labeled brand and their “crown jewel”: the Old Hamer/Hugh Hamer offerings. The West Fork bottlings are, simply put, good, solid, whiskies. At the moment, I only own one bottle (I know! What’s wrong with me?!) – their Double Oaked Bourbon. Registering a potent nearly 119 proof, this is a delightfully potent whiskey. Double oaked, yet not too oaky it has a pleasurable balance of sweetness, oak, and high-proof zing. A very nice bourbon.
I would have to say that their Old Hamer bottlings are the stars of the show. I have a few different bottles of their juice. All of their products have a high-corn mashbill and are solidly good. Their special offerings are outstanding. Two swiftly come to mind. Their Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Port Wine barrels is wonderful. Picture a 118-proof bourbon with the luxurious hint of a fine port. It doesn’t get much better than that! Unless … you happen to try their Straight Bourbon finished in Cherry Brandy barrels – rich, dark, decadent, and, yes, definite notes of cherries, this 124-proof whiskey is a real gem.
As far as their “special bottlings” go, they might not have the bourbons I’ve described above available at this time. If you find them, grab them! However, they’ve always got something special up their sleeves, and what goes around comes around, so keep an eye open on their site or at your local liquor store for their special stuff.
The best part about West Fork? Their whiskeys come at a down-to-earth price. Their West Fork line ranges from $30 to $45. Their Hamer line goes from $30 up to the $80 range for some of their special bottlings such as the ones described above. Great prices for great bourbons from an awesome little distillery. Give it a try.
One other refreshing thing about West Fork is their unabashed relationship with MGP. What is MGP and why would they possibly be abashed? Well that was part of my research and the topic of next week’s column. Gotta leave ya hanging.
Until then … cheers!
Jon Smyrnis is a lifelong Indianapolis area resident. He enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, kayaking, dining out, and, of course, fine cocktails and great bourbons.
My dad is credited with that statement but he never made it. He drank vodka martinis.