Blackwater Distilling

Some time ago, Blackwater Distilling was my first experience in local distilling. The idea of trying straight liquor was a little intimidating, and somewhat bringing back memories of ripping shots of Burnette’s vodka in college…I still get chills from that memory. Despite my anxiety, I ended up enjoying the tasting and tour, and came to realize that good vodka, and other spirits, can be quite enjoyable – even straight with no chaser. I have since made Sloop Betty Vodka my go-to, especially the honey. While fixing myself a pomegranate martini a few Saturdays ago, I realized that I needed a refresher on this distillery. I remembered enjoying the experience, but couldn’t tell you much about the spirits except that they were created on Kent Island, MD. A quick google search later, and I found a Groupon for a tasting, tour, and bottle for two. The next morning, it was time to go learn about Blackwater Distilling.

Blackwater Distilling began producing spirits in 2008, but didn’t open their doors until 2012. Starting their business required them to get a number of laws passed, which has since paved the way for other distilleries in Maryland.  They’re most commonly known for their Picaroon Rums and Sloop Betty Vodkas, which you can often find on the shelves of your local, Maryland liquor store. But don’t be fooled, they’re not afraid to experiment beyond their comfort zone and expand their inventory.

Upon entering the industrial park building, we noticed a group of volunteers working together to fill liquor bottles. Even though they were laughing and joking, and had football on in the background via someone’s cell phone, each bottle received a thorough inspection to ensure that you’re receiving a quality product.  We were greeted by Julie, and proceeded to the stills. Julie enthusiastically explained the entire distilling process, including an explanation of the heads, hearts, and tails. Prepare your nose for a chemical overload when you have the opportunity to smell the heads (the first liquid out of the still, which is v. toxic) and the tails (the last liquid out, which they typically use for cleaning). And if you haven’t figured it out yet – you drink the hearts! In my opinion, the general distilling process is typically the same no matter where you go – what makes a venue unique is where they source their raw ingredients from. For example, Picaroon is made from raw sugar cane – as pure as they can possibly get. And the yeast is isolated from natural sugar cane fermentations on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

After the tour, it was time to start the tasting. During my visit, I had the option to try 10 different liquors. This included:

• Picaroon Rum – Dark, Gold, White, and Overproof (which is 120 proof and mostly used by bars)
• Sloop Betty Vodka – Regular, Honey, Caramel, and Professional Bartender’s (also 120 proof)
• Sherry Barrel Whiskey
• Port Barrel Whiskey

I’m not afraid to admit that I’m partial to the Sloop Betty Honey Vodka, particularly because I’ve been loyal to this vodka for a few years now. You can’t beat the taste of authentic, local honey mixed with unblemished vodka. Trust me. But I was also excited to try some new pours. The whiskeys had distinct flavors reflecting the barrels they were aged in. If I had to choose, I guess I liked the sherry barrel better, however I wouldn’t pass up either. And if you are apprehensive about trying straight liquor, there are a number of local mixers available that you can combine with your tasting. This includes True, Shrub District, Element, and other bitters. While Julie wasn’t allowed to pour the mixers and liquor together for us (that would be “bartending”), she was able to give us some suggestions that we could pour ourselves. It helped take the sting off some of the tastings, especially the 120 proof spirits.

Probably one of the most admiral facts about Blackwater Distilling is their transparency about their products. Blackwater isn’t afraid to bring to light the deception that often happens in the distilling world. To ensure that their customers know exactly what to expect with their products, they fully disclose what products they distill from scratch, versus those that are distilled elsewhere and refined in-house. The labels indicate this distinction. This is particularly important as Blackwater continues to take on whiskeys – some of which they plan to create from raw materials, while others they intend to customize spirits that began their journey elsewhere.

In recap: while Blackwater has successfully distributed their rum and vodka, they have not lost sight of the creativity that got them here in the first place. One of their more interesting experiments is solera aging of their rum – which will ultimately blend their Picaroon Maryland Rum and a six-to-eight year old Jamaican rum. Overtime, the rum coming out of the solera system will be primarily Picaroon rum, with an average age of seven years.

At first glance, it might seem that each spirit has independent labeling, but they actually follow a pirate theme (took me a minute to figure this out). The Sloop Betty vodka features a pin-up girl, whom I heard someone once refer to as “Maryland Monroe”. The sloop “Betty” was a merchant vessel that encountered Blackbeard at the mouth of the Chesapeake. His crew easily overtook the vessel but they soon discovered it was delivering Madeira wine. They made a mistake we can all relate to… they got drunk. Well, subsequently, they sunk the ship and thus the Betty is at the bottom of the Bay. Along the same theme, Picaroon, which means rogue, is in honor of the original picaroons of Kent Island who helped shape the state’s history. When it comes to their labels, I personally love the original Sloop Betty label – it has since been changed to be more family friendly.

I plan to continue patronizing Blackwater Distilling’s Sloop Betty vodka. It’s delicious and worth the money. Plus I enjoy supporting a local business. It sounds like they have big plans for the future; I’m excited to watch them grow and will definitely visit again soon.

Date of Original Visit: November 4, 2017