Ghostwood Distilling Co.

Overview of the Distillery

Ghostwood Distilling Co. draws its inspiration from a lonely forest edge in northern Illinois and a drive to create a whiskey that reflects autumn's darkness and winter's warmth. The product is built on a 4-grain bourbon recipe, where Midwest corn meets hard red spring wheat from Droge Farms in Montana. The combination of regional ingredients and a handcrafted approach makes Ghostwood a small, characterful player in the bourbon world.

History

The story begins in early 2014, when the founder was asked a question that led to an intense period of experimentation. The first distillates were produced on a five-gallon copper potstill in a family barn, where repeated attempts refined a 4-grain bourbon recipe. In the hunt for the right wheat, Droge Farms in south-central Montana was found as the supplier of a hard red spring wheat, whose dry and earthy character provided the missing element in the blend. The result is both a product of home experiments and a collaboration between families from the Midwest and Montana.

Ingredients and Production

Ghostwood's recipe centers on a 4-grain mash bill, highlighting the sweetness from Midwestern corn and a dry, earthy hard red spring wheat sourced from Droge Farms in Montana. The early experiments were conducted on a copper potstill in the family barn, and the development emphasizes a small-scale, handcrafted approach to recipe development. Sourcing ingredients from two geographically distinct farming regions is a deliberate choice to create balance between sweetness and earthy complexity. Many technical details about commercial malting, fermentation, and distillation practices are not described.

Aging and Barrel Types

The maturation includes the use of Chardonnay casks for select releases, as indicated by product names and campaigns. Details about other cask types, use of new versus used barrels, aging time, and storage conditions are not specified. The Chardonnay casks, however, indicate that wine casks are used as an element in the portfolio.

Whisky

The core of the portfolio is Ghostwood Blended Bourbon, a 4-grain bourbon created by combining corn from the Midwest with hard red spring wheat from Montana. In communications, releases/variants are also mentioned as CHARDONNAY CASK and BLACK BARREL PROOF. The range is presented with a focus on ingredient choices and the regions' contributions, while details such as alcohol percentages, bottle sizes, and age statements are only partially available.

Whiskies' Style and Flavor Profile

The flavor impressions, which recur in descriptions and customer quotes, range from a sweet start to earthy and nutty tones with hints of spice and light smoke. There are references to a "warm honey-almond" finish, a "rye-like spice" in the aftertaste, and notes described as "wood, nutty, slightly buttery and earthy" as well as a noted absence of burning alcohol at 90 proof. These elements paint a picture of a bourbon where sweetness, spice, and woody/nutty nuances interplay.

Visit the Distillery

Sales and distribution take place via web and third-party licensed retailers; orders are placed and fulfilled through a third-party distributor in accordance with the American three-tier distribution system. It is explicitly stated that they ship to most of the American states and Washington, D.C., with a specified list of states where delivery is not offered. The information primarily concerns online sales and shipping; there are no details about public tours or visitor facilities.

Philosophy and Craftsmanship

Ghostwood is built on a desire to combine personal memories and regional ingredients to create a distinctive bourbon. The choice of a particular hard red spring wheat from Droge Farms and the collaboration with local farming families are concrete expressions of a philosophy that values raw ingredient traceability and family-based partnerships, as well as a handcrafted approach to development through repeated experimentation.