Have you ever heard of Light Whiskey? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Light Whiskey includes whiskey that is lighter in color and distilled at no lower than 160 proof.It was a category designed in 1972 to compete with lighter spirits like vodka that were popular at the time.
Nowadays, New Basin Distillery is one of a handful of distilleries who are making it. Their American Light Whiskey, named Strongest, recently earned the based in Madras, Oregon distillery top honors at Sip Magazine’s 9th Annual Best of the Northwest spirits competition.
“We’re ecstatic that our products were chosen over some of the leading distilled spirits in our region,” said New Basin Distilling Company co-owner and Head Distiller Rick Molitor. “Oregon is now producing some of the best whiskeys, so to see our American Light Whiskey product, an often-overlooked category, bring home a win was something special.”
New Basin’s Strongest American Light Whiskey Batch #1 is 133.4 proof, aged 13 years, and presented at barrel strength. The name comes from one of Oregon’s first Eastern settlers and explorers, Jedediah Strong Smith. In the same spirit of Smith, New Basin Distilling draws support from back east before “settling” on its final product – the whiskey is sourced from the east, cut with pure water from the nearby Opal Springs and aged in the High Desert.
When asked why Light Whiskey gets overlooked, Molitor said, “Bourbon is king and most people gravitate toward the common. Also, being limited, it is hard for the consumer to find and sample.”
New Basin’s Strongest American Light Whiskey retails for $120.
