About Shenk's Homestead Original Bourbon Whiskey
In 1992, Jake Norris came across a Seagram’s Company Manual at a yard sale in Flagstaff, Arizona. The manual, “which is what Seagram's used to educate their employees with, really make sense to me,” he says. By the age of 14, Norris had built a small still in his home, and was making moonshine without the permission of his parents. It didn't really appeal to me when I was a kid," he adds. "I didn't get a taste of whiskey until I was probably about 19. I knew how to get drunk from it, but that wasn't on my radar yet. Not until college."
By 2004, Norris had moved to Denver and joined Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey as the distillery’s master distiller. “I managed every aspect of the production of Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, Norris says, :from grain to bottle. I distilled, managed barrel storage, selected barrels for bottling and married those casks.” After the distillery was sold, Norris left to start another distillery named the Laws Whiskey House.”
Laws Whiskey House “is a temple of sorts” to whiskey, and AD Laws Four Grain Bourbon is it’s magnum opus. The bourbon is made from a recipe of corn, wheat, rye and malted barley, all of which (except the corn) come from the Colorado Malting Company (the corn is imported from Wisconsin). "All the grain we get has to be triple cleaned," Norris says, "so we won't accept anything that's anything other than the freshest and cleanest. It's expensive, and requires some special equipment." Following fermentation of the grains, the wash is distilled through Norris’ four-plate Vendome hybrid copper-pot/column still.
Then, the bourbon is matured in 53-gallon American white oak casks that were crafted by the Independent Stave Company in Missouri (the distillery has 1000 barrels aging already). There, the bourbon matures for approximately three years. “Our mountain climate is always active with changes in temperature and air pressure,” says Norris. “As our spirit ages, the magic of time, charred oak planks and high mountain air transform it into a rich, complex, spicy, Straight American four grain bourbon.”
Following this three-year beauty rest, the bourbon is brought to proof and bottled by hand. The bourbon has sweet aromas of roasted corn, grilled peppers, cayenne pepper and chiles. Notes of chewy leather, toasted wheat, caramel, vanilla, spicy rye, and buttered almonds dominate the palate, and lead to a finish accented by touches of spicy rye and moist tobacco.
“There are no shortcuts to truly great whiskey,” Norris says. “It’s a passion-influenced spirit.” Pick up a bottle today!
About Bourbon
There are not many things more American than bourbon, and although most of it is produced in Kentucky, it can be produced all over the USA.
It must be made with at least 51% corn and bottled at 40% ABV or higher. So why not give this American classic a try?
Check out our impressive selection of bourbons, find your new favorite in Top 10 bourbons, or explore our treasury of rare & hard to find bourbons.