THE REVEREND SOUR MASH WHISKEY

I’m a bit torn about the Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey. You might now wonder, “en, why are you including it in your column, Gabby?” I’m a sucker for history (even if it’s based on legend).

According to the makers of the Reverend, Call Family Distillers, Reverend Daniel Houston Call was “a man of contradictions — distilling and drinking whiskey on Saturday, then sweating it out in the pulpit on Sunday”. Moreover, the brand says Call worked alongside whiskey legends Jasper “Jack” Newton Daniel, the man behind Jack Daniel’s, and Nathan “Nearest” Green, the inspiration behind Uncle Nearest Whiskey, at his family distillery in the hills above Lynchburg, Tennessee.

The Reverend is aged for four years in new charred oak and rst- ll bourbon casks before undergoing maple charcoal filtration (the Lincoln County process). I dig the baked cinnamon apple, delicate honey notes, and approachable price. However, I’m still left with questions. Since the narrative of the Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey acknowledges its Tennessee roots, why is it blended and maple charcoal ltered in North Carolina, where the Call Family Distillers are based? Is there any Tennessee whiskey in this expression?

Whatever the case, I’m a fan of whiskey that meets my taste — and the Reverend

fits the bill. I look forward to learning more about what’s in the bottle as the brand’s distribution expands across the country later this spring.

e Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey, $35.99, reverendwhiskey.com