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.
McClintock Distilling
Overview of the Distillery
McClintock Distilling is located in the heart of Downtown Frederick and specializes in making spirits entirely "from scratch." With USDA Certified Organic corn, rye, and barley as the basis, they mill the grain on-site, conduct controlled fermentation and copper pot still distillation, and mature the new distillate in oak barrels. The result is a range of organic rye, bourbon, gin and vodka, and the distillery invites the public to free tours and booked tastings.
History
Organic, "from scratch" profile in Downtown Frederick
McClintock Distilling has established itself as an organic distillery in Downtown Frederick with a focus on making spirits from grain to bottle. The company highlights the use of USDA Certified Organic corn, rye and barley, on-site milling and traditional copper pot stills as central elements of their work. The distillery is described as award-winning in its marketing materials and has also opened to the public with tours and tastings.
Raw Materials and Production
Production starts with certified organic corn, rye and barley, which are milled on-site to preserve freshness and control particle size. The fresh milled grain blend mashes in mash tuns to convert starches into sugar-rich wort; the mash bill varies by style (corn-forward for bourbon, rye-led for rye). When the wort is cooled, yeast is pitched, and fermentation runs for several days under tight temperature control to manage the formation of congeners. Distillation takes place in copper pot stills, where heads, hearts and tails are separated to extract the clean hearts fraction. Bottling occurs on-site at proof with no additives.
Maturation and Barrel Types
Newly milled spirit is laid down in oak barrels for aging. The aging is highlighted as central to flavor development: the wood adds vanilla, caramel and spices and softens the raw distillate. The distillery also notes that Frederick's climate, with hot summers and cold winters, creates large temperature swings that push the spirit in and out of the wood's pores, accelerating the extraction of flavors and color.
Whiskeys
The range includes organic gin, vodka, rye and bourbon. Examples from the product page are Forager Gin, Gardener's Gin and McClintock’s Reserve Gin, as well as Epiphany Vodka and Oro Cucumber Lime Infused Vodka. The whiskey range includes Bootjack Rye Whiskey and Matchstick Straight Bourbon Whiskey, sold in the distillery shop, via online ordering, and through select retailers in Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.
| Whiskey | Type / Series | Alcohol | Barrel & Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bootjack Rye Whiskey | Rye whiskey | 45 % | Oak barrels | Organic rye whiskey highlighted with dark cherries and marzipan on the nose, a bold and spicy rye profile on the palate, and a light, sweet finish. Nose: Dark cherry and marzipan; Taste: Bold and spicy rye flavor; Aftertaste: Delicate finish with a sweet banana bread note | Current; Core range; Available in the distillery shop, via online ordering with curbside pickup and at select retailers in Maryland, Delaware and Washington D.C. |
| Matchstick Straight Bourbon Whiskey | Bourbon | 45 % | Oak barrels | Organic straight bourbon with fruity nose notes and notes from the oak extraction in the finish. Nose: Intensely smelling honey and figs; Taste: Pronounced notes of tobacco and coal; Aftertaste: Light finish with hints of vanilla, caramel and butterscotch | Current; Core range; Available in the distillery shop, via online ordering with curbside pickup and at select retailers in Maryland, Delaware and Washington D.C. |
Whiskeys’ Style and Flavor Profile
Three themes recur in the product descriptions: fruitiness (dark cherries and figs), sweeter/bready notes (marzipan, banana bread), and spicy/wood-derived nuances (spicy rye, tobacco, as well as vanilla and caramel from the oak). These elements appear in descriptions of both rye and bourbon releases.
Visit the Distillery
The distillery offers free tours in Downtown Frederick and paid tastings. Tasting hours are Tue–Thu 12:00–18:00, Fri–Sat 12:00–20:00, Sun 12:00–18:00. Tours run on weekends with times Saturday 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00 and Sunday 12:00, 14:00 and 16:00. Visitors can purchase spirits in the distillery shop, book tastings and use online ordering with pickup/curbside.
The stated hours are Tasting: Tue–Thu 12:00–18:00, Fri–Sat 12:00–20:00, Sun 12:00–18:00. Tour times: Saturday 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00; Sunday 12:00, 14:00, 16:00.
Philosophy and Craft
McClintock’s philosophy rests on a "from scratch" approach: choosing USDA Certified Organic grains, on-site milling for control over raw material handling, and the use of traditional copper pot stills. The distillery prioritizes sustainable ingredients and packaging by bottling at proof without additives to preserve the spirit’s intrinsic character.
Sustainability
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Use of USDA Certified Organic ingredients.
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Focus on supplier relationships to maintain a limited supply of organic grain.
Latest News
How McClintock Distilling Makes Whiskey From Scratch – 2026-04-09
An article that walks through McClintock's "from scratch" process: sourcing USDA Certified Organic corn, rye and barley; on-site milling in Downtown Frederick; mashing; multi-day fermentation; copper pot-still distillation with fractional distillation; maturation in oak barrels and bottling at proof. The article also explains how Frederick's climatic temperature fluctuations affect wood extraction.