Newsletter No. 9
At Silver Brothers, our mission is making whiskey that captures the unique spirit and terroir of our farm in the Hudson River Valley. Grain is the bedrock of whiskey, and the proportion and type(s) of grain used in each batch is known as the “mashbill.” The mashbill for our single malt whiskey is simple, and defined by the category: 100% malted barley. However the mashbill for our rye is far more flexible. Rye whiskey, by law, must be 51% rye, but the remaining 49% of the mashbill can be comprised of any other portion of corn, wheat or barley.
In the interest of emphasizing the unique flavor profile of rye grain, we created a mashbill that is mostly rye along with a complementary portion of malted barley. When we first started our rye whiskey production in 2023 we settled on a standard mashbill of 40% unmalted (raw) rye, 40% malted rye, and 20% malted barley. Occasionally, however, we ran out of malted rye before exhausting our raw rye supplies. To maintain production in those instances we introduced a second mashbill comprised of what we had on hand - 80% raw rye and 20% malted barley. As a side note, raw rye is the norm for rye whiskeys, and the most ubiquitous mashbill of all is the famous 95% raw rye, 5% malted barley mashbill of the industrial contract distiller MGP (if you’ve ever tried Bulleit, Angel’s Envy or Redemption Rye, you’ve had MGP’s 95/5 mashbill).
Our older rye whiskeys are starting to mature and we’ve noticed an interesting contrast between our two mashbills. The 40/40/20 is the more complex and layered of the two. However the 80/20 shines with bright fruit notes and a characteristic rye spice. Either will be delightful on its own, or perhaps even better married together - that is a decision for a later date. For further information regarding the process of marrying barrels, please see Newsletter No. 8.
Given the promise of our raw rye mashbill, we spent the months of September and October experimenting with different proportions of raw rye. In addition to the aforementioned 80/20 version which is all raw rye, we also experimented with several batches using ratios of 50/30/20 and 60/20/20 (with 50% and 60% raw rye, respectively). The difference in flavor profile of each mashbill is immediately apparent in the new-make spirit. At present, the 50/30/20 is our favorite, with an ideal combination of fruit, grain, and complex earthy undertones. But only after time in the barrel will we know for sure which version is the optimal expression of our terroir.
In other news, we’ve begun the architectural and design phase of our tasting room buildout. The talented team at Studio Tre is re-imagining the space at the southern wing of the distillery, formerly the sales offices for the Old Chatham Sheepherding Company, into a bright and inviting venue. Our aim is to begin construction in January and complete the buildout to coincide with the release of Batch No. 1, sometime in late-summer/early fall of 2025.
This fall - our fourth planting season - we seeded 40 acres of rye and 10 acres of barley, our most ambitious planting to date. Our aim is to plant another 8-10 acres of spring barley, putting our total for the 2025 harvest at near 60 acres, enough for nearly our entire production needs.
With an unusually dry late-summer we were able to prepare and plant our fields earlier than in years past, with all seed in the ground by late-September. Our barley was emergent a week after planting, and the rye a week after that.
The dry weather has continued and we are now in the midst of a historic drought. Observing our various grains under drought conditions is enlightening.
Our Violetta barley is thriving. Violetta is one of the few barley varieties that tolerates the varied Hudson River Valley climate, with cold winters, and hot humid summers. But Violetta was not bred for this region. Rather, it was intentionally bred for the northern great plains, where arid fall weather is the norm. The 10 acres of Violetta barley are at present the greenest acres on the farm.
Our two rye varietals present an interesting contrast in the fields. The 30 acres of Danko rye are, if not thriving, at least content. Though not as lush and tall as in previous years, when autumn rains were abundant, the Danko is well established and looks ready for the extremes of winter weather. Our Hazlet rye, on the other hand, is looking challenged, with short plant growth and scattered bare spots on the field.
Fortunately, rye is known for its resilience. And looking back, we’ve seen worse. During our first year of farming wet weather forced us to plant in late-October, at the tail-end of the growing season. When the plants emerged they struggled to establish fully before the onset of winter. The barley did not survive, and that particular crop was a total loss. The rye, however - though stunted in growth as the Hazlet is this year - made out fine. We will not know the true impact of this drought on our grain harvest until later next spring. As is often the case with farming, all we can do now is wait… and, in this instance, hope for rain.
Holiday Wreath Fundraiser benefiting the North Chatham Free Library. Order your wreaths online. Pick up this year is on Thanksgiving weekend at the Little Library: November 29 from 4:00-7:00pm and November 30 from 9:00am-Noon. northchathamlibrary.org
Farm & Flea Holiday Market, Basilica Hudson. November 29, 30, and December 1, 10am – 6 pm (tickets available online and at the door). basilicahudson.org
NightWood: A fantastical journey through sound & light, The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home, Lenox. November 22-January 4 | 5-8 pm, weekends and select weekday evenings (tickets required). edithwharton.org
Village of Kinderhook Candlelight Night, December 6 from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. villageofkinderhook.org
Wintermarkt, Vanderpoel House, Kinderhook. December 7th from 11am-5pm. cchsny.org
Winter Walk, Hudson, December 7, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm. foundryhudson.org
Holiday Marketplace, Berkshire Botanical Garden. December 7-8 from 10 am to 4 pm. berkshirebotanical.org
Olana Winter Solstice Celebration, December 21, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. olana.org
We hope you enjoyed our free newsletter. Be sure to subscribe and please share with a friend if you think they would enjoy it as well. For more information about Silver Brothers, visit silverbrothers.com and follow us on Instagram @silverbrotherswhiskey.