Production places
Connections to water sources, peat places, maltings, cooperages, warehouses and maturation sites. Uncertain connections are labelled.
No documented production places are linked to this distillery yet.
Black Dirt Distilling, LLC
Brief overview of the distillery
Black Dirt Distilling is based in Pine Island, New York's fertile 'Black Dirt' region, and builds its production directly on local ingredients. The company started in 2012 and moved in 2013 into a 4,000-square-foot facility with a prominent 60-foot still column. The focus is small-batch whiskeys and apple brandy, where locally grown Jonagold apples and the character of the soil play a central role in the choice of ingredients.
History
The history goes back geologically and locally. The dark, organically rich soil around Pine Island is the remnant of a prehistoric lake, and through the 19th and 20th centuries the area was drained and farmed intensively, including major works during the WPA in the New Deal era. In this soil region, Jason Grizzanti and Jeremy Kidde established Black Dirt Distilling in March 2012. To increase production of their already popular Black Dirt Bourbon and Black Dirt Apple Jack, a 4,000-square-foot distillery building with a 60-foot column was built and completed in 2013 in Pine Island. The founders drew on prior experience with brandy- and liqueur-making under the American Fruits name and the connection to Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery, and have since made the distillery a local supplier of whiskey and fruit-based distillates.
Raw materials and production
The production combines local access to ingredients and column distillation. The facility in Pine Island houses a 60-foot distillation column, and the distillery reports a weekly production of around 60 barrels of whiskey or apple jack. The apples for Apple Jack come from the local area, specifically Jonagold varieties for the apple brandy, which is aged further in oak barrels. The company has prior experience with small-batch brandy and liqueur production and therefore continues to work with fruit-based spirits alongside bourbon production. Water sources, fermentation details and malted grain are not described, but the documented use of column distillation technically shapes the profile of the distillate.
Aging and barrel types
A documented element of the aging is the use of charred oak barrels, especially for Apple Jack, which is aged in such barrels for four years. For other products, only generic aging is mentioned without details on barrel type, previous contents or aging conditions. The charred oak barrels are an accepted resting place for the apple brandy and are part of how this product gains its mature character over four years of aging.
Whiskies
The core range consists of Black Dirt Bourbon and Black Dirt Apple Jack, the latter being a 100 Proof (50% ABV) apple brandy aged in charred oak barrels for four years. The founders' experience from the American Fruits brand and Warwick Valley products means the distillery also operates in the field of fruit brandies and liqueurs. The products are marketed regionally in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and can be tried and purchased in Warwick Valley Winery’s tasting room.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Barrel and Style | Flavor profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Dirt Bourbon | Bourbon | Black Dirt Bourbon is one of the distillery's flagship products; the name refers to the local black, fertile soil. The product has earned Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. | Current; Core range; Sold in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as well as via Warwick Valley Winery’s store | |||
| Black Dirt Apple Jack | Applejack / apple brandy | 50 % | 4 years | Charred oak barrel | 100 Proof Apple Jack distilled from local Jonagold apples and aged in charred oak barrels for four years. | Current; Core range; Sold at Warwick Valley Winery’s tasting room and through regional retailers in NY, NJ and CT |
The whiskies' style and flavor profile
The overarching style draws on pronounced fruitiness from apples and other fruit-based distillates, tannic and lightly astringent notes from some of the brandy and liqueur products, and oak influence from aging in charred oak barrels. The combination of fruit-based distillates and barrel aging yields a profile where apple and berry notes, tannic elements, and oak character are prominent.
Visit the distillery
Tastings and sales of Black Dirt products take place through Warwick Valley Winery’s tasting room and shop at 114 Little York Road in Warwick. For tours of the facility, interested parties are asked to contact the distillery by email or telephone to obtain practical information and schedule a time. The products are also available from retailers in NY, NJ, and CT.
Philosophy and craft
The distillery works with local ingredients drawn from the dark, fertile soil of the Black Dirt region and draws on many years of experience with small-batch brandies and liqueurs. There is a focus on utilizing regional crops and maintaining a small-scale, artisanal production model with column distillation as the technical pivot.
Awards and recognitions
- Double Gold Medal (Double Gold, Black Dirt Bourbon)