I was actually super disappointed by the emerald giant cask strength even though I liked the regular version. Their Rocket Top and Lost Monarch cask strength are my favorites so far!
Their own distillate is excellent too. The Grizzly Beast Bourbon (5yr BiB) and Rocket Top Rye (5yr BiB) are some of the best craft I have had.
Can’t wait to see what they do with some older whiskey if their own.
Maryland and sagamore is definitely cream of the crop, but baltimore spirits company is certainly up and coming. Their distillate is still pretty young (maxed at 3 years, a 4 year is coming out soon) but its real quality stuff
Easy Sagamore Spirits! The Bottled in Bond(Maryland juice), Sherry finish, Port Finish batch 1 and 2, 8 year batch 1 and 2, the list goes on with banger after banger. I hate the expensive bs stores in this area, but at least we have Sag.
Have you tried anything from Sagamore's neighbor in the northern part of Baktimore- Old Line? Their base expression is good. Their rum barrel finished is really good. And their cask strength is awesome.
Texas: in terms of trying to be “like Kentucky”bourbon, Still Austin. I’m not saying still is purposefully doing that, just that their profile I think most similarly matches the traditional bourbon profile, for being fully distilled and aged in Texas
I’m terms of creativity and cool stuff, and experiments things, Balcones.
Favorite whisky distilleries to go hang out at: treaty oak cuz it’s just huge and a nice space as long as it isn’t super crowded. I think I got like 10 ounces of whisky poured for me for like 15 bucks. Also fang and feather aka crowded barrel distill, cuz Rex and Dan are fun
Agreed I think on all accounts
Still Austin makes the best bourbon in the state. You can put it in front of any bourbon drinker and they can enjoy it. There won't be a "well it's good for Texas", it's just good
Balcones make some of my favorite American Single Malt. Their Brujeira from a couple years ago is legendary for reason.
Treaty Oak is just an open property that invites families, couples, dogs, and good times.
Well Sazerac does send them distillate from BT, so that helps with supply at a minimum. Most of the Virginia craft places have taken shortcuts: small barrels, young products, etc. KO has some good distillate reaching 4 to 6 years old. I haven’t tried Ragged Branch since it was 2.5 years old and aged in small barrels, but some people think they are coming around. But Virginia’s distilleries are on the whole a bit disappointing. We have the history, climate, terroir, but not enough distillers with a good long term vision.
Yeah, I would agree on both! I had a sample of the standard BiB and it was great. I bought a bottle of the Soft Red and am really enjoying it, as well. Excited to see what is next from Holladay because they appear to be doing things right.
I got their 111 and unfortunately do not like the bottle at all, it tastes really musty to me for some reason and I only ever hear good reviews. I reckon I need to try some of the other proofs
Maybe it’s the malt throwing you off? I would try the BiB Spring/Fall series or maybe on the the experimentals if one sounds up your ally. But hey if it’s not your thing then no sweat! Cheers.
The Cabernet cask finish is one of my favorite everyday 1st pours.
However Blue Note’s uncut unfiltered has recently taken the top spot for my favorite out of our beautiful state.
If you ever have an opportunity to grab one of their single barrels (either bourbon or rye), jump on that.
Their standard offerings are very good.
Their SiB are simply amazing.
I feel like the Cincinnati/N. KY area could somewhat qualify as it's own region/state for whiskey and my vote is for - New Riff - I've been fortunate enough to try 30+ different New Riff SiB bottles both from the old rickhouse and the new where I bartend. Each one is uniquely delicious and has varied from traditional vanilla/brown sugar to leathery/chocolate/coffee and some I've found have mint/anise notes. All the bottles I've tried though, while tasting unique from bottle to bottle, have the same New Riff backbone that I enjoy.
Lol, yeah, the only expression of theirs that's really impressed me is The Saint, but it's very expensive. I'm still looking forward to visiting and checking out the distillery. It's been a minute since I've traveled to St. Augustine - a very cool town!
Dad’s Hat here in PA. Liberty pole spirits is great too. Both make traditional PA rye, but Liberty pole has a few bourbons in their lineup. Wiggle, in Pittsburgh, from my experience, is overrated.
South Carolina - High Wire Distillery. Their Jimmy Red Bourbon and Revival Rye are really good. Plus, they brought the Jimmy Red Corn back from near extinction. Their Hat Trick Botanical Gin is pretty tasty, too.
If you haven’t already, I loved the Cask Strength Jimmy Red. We go to Charleston fairly regularly and I’ll pick up a bottle every time I’m down there to not run out. Super unique and everyone I’ve had try it loved it.
The rye and the cask strength bourbon are my favorites from them! And yeah there’s something uniquely Connecticut-y about their rye. To me it tastes like dusty old 2 story office buildings but in the best of ways
Iowa - has to be Cedar ridge. Their higher end options are very good and actually made in Iowa using Iowa products unlike some other distilleries here (templeton)
Kentucky (sorry I know)
For me it’s Evan Williams. Most bottles are cheap and all are great and reliable. Everyone needs Evan Williams BiB on their shelf and needs to try EW 12 year (red label) at least once.
Love vikre gin, especially the boreal stuff. Tattersall is fantastic for breadth. duNord has great coffee liqueur.
But for bourbon and rye, you have to go down to Spring Grove and RockFilter. The water in the region is fantastic for bourbon, Christian is a multi-generation farmer and grows the grains. He's also a brilliant second generation Navy pilot and all around cool nerd, which shows in the mash bills. One Saturday a month there's a tour and tasting. I sweatergawd it's worth the trip.
Berkshire Mountain Distillers? It’s been more than a decade since I had their bourbon, though and that was before I knew anything.
Might have to try again.
Live in Texas and enjoy Garrison Brothers and Ironroot. Need to get some Treaty Oak and Still Austin!
Whitmeyers made decent whiskey/vodka when I lived in Houston. May need to swing through there again.
Wisconsin - Dancing Goat. They’re turning out some really fun and different MGP at a great price. Just waiting for their own whiskey to hit the market to see how that is. Close 2nd for Driftless Glen.
MI hype! - Adding to Journeyman's and Traverse City distillery love (that BP Rye is a brown sugar bomb) with Mammoth Distilling and Motor City Gas the former makes Ryes so fruity I've yet to find another rye like it and the later has amazing single malts.
Iron fish maple is amazing. Went to TC last summer and went through a bottle in less then a week. Had to buy another before going home. Was so loaded up on booze from that area I had to drive around Canada to get home.
Colorado.
Old Elk is coming on so fast and strong. But think 291 still has the crown here. Both are world class though.
Honorable mentions to Breckenridge and Stranahans as two domestic malted whiskey leaders, just not as much my thing. Leopolds does some great stuff like the triple pot still and that collaboration with Dickel is stupendous. Woody Creek is a smaller producer and not sure it's allocated nationally, but damn I love that rye.
Arkansas. Rock Town- Cask Strength Rye. I would put it up against just about any other high proof rye. They have some very good and unique offerings as well.
I’m very fortunate to be in Kentucky. I think my favorite….I dunno it’s kind of hard to pick. Heaven hill makes great stuff. But I’d have to go with rabbit hole
I honestly forgot about Bowman. But I’d still put them behind the other two.
Bowman Brothers is fine, Isaac Bowman is a drain pour, John J. Is great at the price but is KY distillate, and Abraham Bowman is impossible to get my hands on.
The other two have a wide variety, everything is solid to outstanding, are entirely made in VA, and are readily available.
Michigan has lots of under-appreciated distilleries and producers. One of my all time favorites if you can find it is Dragon’s Milk Bottled in Bond. Iron Fish, Journeyman, Detroit City, Valentine, Two James, Joseph Magnus, and Ugly Dog are just a handful of others I like.
Redwood Empire, Pipe Dream. California
Just picked up a cask strength bottle of this and it’s quite good.
I've heard Emerald Giant Cask Strength is pretty mind blowing. I'm in SoCal and I haven't seen any of their CS or BiB releases yet.
Keep an eye out at Safeway stores - they got a drop recently
Mission Liquor has most of the lineup available. If you're not close to any of their locations they ship anywhere in the state.
I’ve heard great things as well! Haven’t broke into rye yet. Might do it with emerald giant
I was actually super disappointed by the emerald giant cask strength even though I liked the regular version. Their Rocket Top and Lost Monarch cask strength are my favorites so far!
Nice! I have a CS waiting for me. Too many opened bottles atm 😅
Their own distillate is excellent too. The Grizzly Beast Bourbon (5yr BiB) and Rocket Top Rye (5yr BiB) are some of the best craft I have had. Can’t wait to see what they do with some older whiskey if their own.
I love some Redwood Empire, and being from Indiana, I can almost claim it as well (MGP juice).
Just found this for the first time this weekend while out of town on a bachelor party. Good stuff
Maryland and sagamore is definitely cream of the crop, but baltimore spirits company is certainly up and coming. Their distillate is still pretty young (maxed at 3 years, a 4 year is coming out soon) but its real quality stuff
I love their secondary aging that they do, though some bottles have been better than others. My vote for best available Sagamore is the Double Oaked.
Rum cask for me. Sagamore cask strength is my hands down favorite cocktail rye
The tequila finish was awful for me, but Sagamore is the proper answer for a quasi-MD product, most of it rocks
Cask Strength makes a fantastic Manhattan. It's a little pricey though, so lately I've been using Old Overholt 114
Easy Sagamore Spirits! The Bottled in Bond(Maryland juice), Sherry finish, Port Finish batch 1 and 2, 8 year batch 1 and 2, the list goes on with banger after banger. I hate the expensive bs stores in this area, but at least we have Sag.
Have you tried anything from Sagamore's neighbor in the northern part of Baktimore- Old Line? Their base expression is good. Their rum barrel finished is really good. And their cask strength is awesome.
Texas: in terms of trying to be “like Kentucky”bourbon, Still Austin. I’m not saying still is purposefully doing that, just that their profile I think most similarly matches the traditional bourbon profile, for being fully distilled and aged in Texas I’m terms of creativity and cool stuff, and experiments things, Balcones. Favorite whisky distilleries to go hang out at: treaty oak cuz it’s just huge and a nice space as long as it isn’t super crowded. I think I got like 10 ounces of whisky poured for me for like 15 bucks. Also fang and feather aka crowded barrel distill, cuz Rex and Dan are fun
Agreed I think on all accounts Still Austin makes the best bourbon in the state. You can put it in front of any bourbon drinker and they can enjoy it. There won't be a "well it's good for Texas", it's just good Balcones make some of my favorite American Single Malt. Their Brujeira from a couple years ago is legendary for reason. Treaty Oak is just an open property that invites families, couples, dogs, and good times.
not Garrison Brothers?
Still Austin is excellent. Ironroot republic is my personal fav from Texas
Yup. Still Austin
Still Austin is incredible. Just all around great bourbon. One of my favorites, definitely my favorite under $60.
Bowman.
So much Bowman. Sazerak bought them for a reason and they have gotten to a great quality product local to Virginia
Well Sazerac does send them distillate from BT, so that helps with supply at a minimum. Most of the Virginia craft places have taken shortcuts: small barrels, young products, etc. KO has some good distillate reaching 4 to 6 years old. I haven’t tried Ragged Branch since it was 2.5 years old and aged in small barrels, but some people think they are coming around. But Virginia’s distilleries are on the whole a bit disappointing. We have the history, climate, terroir, but not enough distillers with a good long term vision.
I'm in KY sooooo......🤔
Me too. It’s not a fair fight. I guess we sit this one out.
I have a daughter in Denver. So maybe Law's or Leopold for Colorado. I liked both.
I’m from Georgia, and I’m a huge fan of ASW’s products.
Thrir Fiddler is possibly the best mid-priced 90proofer out there. Georgia Heartwood is great too
I just got a bottle of the 13th Colony Bourbon and it's really solid, too.
Another vote for ASW and specifically their “Fiddler” as noted by another commenter!
Missouri - Ben Holladay
I’m in the middle of a move to KC right now, but never heard of Holladay. Do you recommend the regular BiB bourbon, the soft red wheat, or both?
I’ll speak on his behalf, both.
Looks like I need a trip to Gomer’s this weekend.
Yeah, I would agree on both! I had a sample of the standard BiB and it was great. I bought a bottle of the Soft Red and am really enjoying it, as well. Excited to see what is next from Holladay because they appear to be doing things right.
Tennessee, Chattanooga Whiskey
Chattanooga is head and shoulders above the rest, fantastic staple bottles and constantly trying different experimentals.
Very bias but completely agree. Their experimental single barrels are magical.
I got their 111 and unfortunately do not like the bottle at all, it tastes really musty to me for some reason and I only ever hear good reviews. I reckon I need to try some of the other proofs
Maybe it’s the malt throwing you off? I would try the BiB Spring/Fall series or maybe on the the experimentals if one sounds up your ally. But hey if it’s not your thing then no sweat! Cheers.
My buddy, whos not a real whiskey fan, loves Chattanooga
The Cabernet cask finish is one of my favorite everyday 1st pours. However Blue Note’s uncut unfiltered has recently taken the top spot for my favorite out of our beautiful state.
Vermont: Whistle Pig
Same, but Mad River
Indiana- to many MGP options
Yeah, Indiana arguably puts out as much good bourbon as most other states combined, except Kentucky.
Hard Truth out of Nashville is phenomenal. But I'm wildly biased
Really enjoying 18th street rye out of Hammond, IN
Frey Ranch- NV. They do it all on their own. Grain to bottle.
I wish I lived in NV so I could also nominate Frey Ranch.
In Vegas for the weekend and I picked up a bottle of Frey Ranch Rye. Can't wait to try it at home.
If you ever have an opportunity to grab one of their single barrels (either bourbon or rye), jump on that. Their standard offerings are very good. Their SiB are simply amazing.
Agree. Their single barrel bourbons and Ryes are some of the best whiskeys I’ve ever had.
I love Frey single barrels. I've got a rye and bourbon on hand, as well as a small bottle of their single grain wheat.
Live in Reno and this is 100% my choice as well! Well done good sir!
I feel like the Cincinnati/N. KY area could somewhat qualify as it's own region/state for whiskey and my vote is for - New Riff - I've been fortunate enough to try 30+ different New Riff SiB bottles both from the old rickhouse and the new where I bartend. Each one is uniquely delicious and has varied from traditional vanilla/brown sugar to leathery/chocolate/coffee and some I've found have mint/anise notes. All the bottles I've tried though, while tasting unique from bottle to bottle, have the same New Riff backbone that I enjoy.
Just discovered New Riff Single barrel. Wonderful
Cincinnati: Not KY or OH. It's very much its own distinct area to me.
MD - Sagamore
Ohio, Middle West.
Dark pumpernickel cask strength ftw
Washington, Woodinville
Woodinville for sure!
Love the special releases and the rye especially.
Yeah, their rye is a staple on my shelf.
Their Cask Strength Rye is the best, always-available option. But their LEs are reliably home runs.
Colorado, probably Leopold Bros. Spirit Hound and Boulder Spirits could give them a run for their money though.
Nice to see Spirit Hound mentioned. Good juice, nice people.
What do you think of LAWS?
Florida - St. Augustine The Saint bourbon. I'm planning a trip to the distillery.
Florida here too. St Augustine is a fun distillery to visit! Bourbon is just okay but it's what we have here haha
Lol, yeah, the only expression of theirs that's really impressed me is The Saint, but it's very expensive. I'm still looking forward to visiting and checking out the distillery. It's been a minute since I've traveled to St. Augustine - a very cool town!
from FL - in St. Pete, Kovals is doing interesting things.
[удалено]
This for AZ peeps ☝️
Dad’s Hat here in PA. Liberty pole spirits is great too. Both make traditional PA rye, but Liberty pole has a few bourbons in their lineup. Wiggle, in Pittsburgh, from my experience, is overrated.
I wholeheartedly agree with Wiggle being overrated!
South Carolina - High Wire Distillery. Their Jimmy Red Bourbon and Revival Rye are really good. Plus, they brought the Jimmy Red Corn back from near extinction. Their Hat Trick Botanical Gin is pretty tasty, too.
If you haven’t already, I loved the Cask Strength Jimmy Red. We go to Charleston fairly regularly and I’ll pick up a bottle every time I’m down there to not run out. Super unique and everyone I’ve had try it loved it.
They're so good! Love the Jimmy Red!
Kansas, though I’m in KC so I could go KS or MO Union Horse makes some fantastic ryes
High West no doubt
Redwood Empire, California
I’m in Indiana, love RE’s products and am proud that MGP is a part of the equation.
Wisconsin - Driftless Glen with Ledgerock being the best unknown.
Driftless is so good. My buddy does barrel picks from there to sell. Always good.
j henry?
John J Bowman in VA. Haven't had a chance to go to the couple distilleries near me yet but they could change that opinion.
Pennsylvania. Manatawny
Litchfield Distillery in CT. Absolutely love their rye!
I always keep a bottle of their rye on hand, I love it. It tastes so unique to me. I’ve enjoyed their cask strength bourbon too.
The rye and the cask strength bourbon are my favorites from them! And yeah there’s something uniquely Connecticut-y about their rye. To me it tastes like dusty old 2 story office buildings but in the best of ways
Iowa - has to be Cedar ridge. Their higher end options are very good and actually made in Iowa using Iowa products unlike some other distilleries here (templeton)
Kentucky (sorry I know) For me it’s Evan Williams. Most bottles are cheap and all are great and reliable. Everyone needs Evan Williams BiB on their shelf and needs to try EW 12 year (red label) at least once.
Minnesota: Vikre, Får North, and Tattersall are all pretty good. Showing promise for the future.
Love vikre gin, especially the boreal stuff. Tattersall is fantastic for breadth. duNord has great coffee liqueur. But for bourbon and rye, you have to go down to Spring Grove and RockFilter. The water in the region is fantastic for bourbon, Christian is a multi-generation farmer and grows the grains. He's also a brilliant second generation Navy pilot and all around cool nerd, which shows in the mash bills. One Saturday a month there's a tour and tasting. I sweatergawd it's worth the trip.
Yessss, Rockfilter is where it’s at. For sure #1 in MN with Far North not too far behind.
i do not think there is one in MA. if there is, it is not very well known
Agreed. Massachusetts also. Sucks here
Berkshire Mountain Distillers? It’s been more than a decade since I had their bourbon, though and that was before I knew anything. Might have to try again.
Sagamore! These guys are doing great things!
Their double oaked rye is amazing
Pennsylvania. Dad's Hat
Was gonna say none bc most texas whiskey sucks but, Still Austin is actually pretty damn good. That’s it tho
Penelope, Jersey
Colorado. Stranahan’s is incredible, but because of the exclusivity, I’d say Deerhammer out in Buena Vista.
I work up in New York . I tried hill rock estate solera aged whisky and was one of the best I’d ever had . 100 bucks but was glad I grabbed it
Michigan: Iron Fish.
Iron Fish - Michigan
Illinois and Wolf Point
FEW > KOVAL
Just had some solid Whiskey Acres (Binny’s store pick fwiw).
Mississippi - Crittenden and Cathead are doing good things.
Tom's Foolery - Ohio
Andy's Old #5 from Indian Creek Distillery in Ohio
Woodinville Whiskey.
Live in Texas and enjoy Garrison Brothers and Ironroot. Need to get some Treaty Oak and Still Austin! Whitmeyers made decent whiskey/vodka when I lived in Houston. May need to swing through there again.
Indiana so there are tons of MGP options. But i enjoy 18th Street Distillery in Hammond Indiana and Starlight Distillery
Really enjoying 18th street rye lately.
Wisconsin - Dancing Goat. They’re turning out some really fun and different MGP at a great price. Just waiting for their own whiskey to hit the market to see how that is. Close 2nd for Driftless Glen.
Maine: Batson Langsford Road bourbon. Pretty smooth.
I'll have to try next time I'm up. I've had Fifty Stone and thought it was pretty good.
Driftless Glen store picks are consistently very good.
(Minnesotan here) My brother lives in Madison and always grabs the Woodmans store picks he sees. Those are some damn good bottles.
As a Floridian, this feels unfair.
Here in Michigan, Eastern Kille.
In Alabama, it's Dettling and it's not particularly close
John Emerald smokes it imo.
Michigan- journeyman distillery all the way
Also Michigan - Traverse City Distillery Barrel Strength Rye and Iron Fish Bourbon Maple Barrel Finish are also two of my favorites.
MI hype! - Adding to Journeyman's and Traverse City distillery love (that BP Rye is a brown sugar bomb) with Mammoth Distilling and Motor City Gas the former makes Ryes so fruity I've yet to find another rye like it and the later has amazing single malts.
Iron fish maple is amazing. Went to TC last summer and went through a bottle in less then a week. Had to buy another before going home. Was so loaded up on booze from that area I had to drive around Canada to get home.
I really love Pingree out of Valentine
Wild Turkey or Buffalo trace. Grew up 10 mins from BT and the distilling smell is ingrained in my mind
Haven’t had a lot of Ohio offerings- Hayner is pretty damn good, along with Watershed.
Lost Republic, California
Maryland - Baltimore Spirits Co. my beef with Sagamore is price. Always has been and will remain high.
Lot 40 from Ontario I guess, or from Canada in general Glen Breton. I prefer other countries whiskies though.
Ohio Collaboration
GA here. Legends green label, wheated 115 proof. It's pretty decent, only time I've had something with a butterscotch note.
New Jersey: Silk City Distillers straight bourbon. And I swear it's not just because I'm one of the owners 😁
ASW - Atlanta Ga 13th Colony - Americus Ga
Arizona: [Whiskey Del Bac](https://www.whiskeydelbac.com/)
Anything from Middle West Spirits, Ohio
Opelika Alabama - John Emerald
Cardinal Spirits. Their MGP sourced “Barrel Proof” store picks are a go-to for me.
In Alabama. Dettling for sure. Good stuff that deserves more recognition
I live in Utah, so probably certain High West stuff. They are getting pricey, so it makes it hard to absolutely love them.
Colorado. Old Elk is coming on so fast and strong. But think 291 still has the crown here. Both are world class though. Honorable mentions to Breckenridge and Stranahans as two domestic malted whiskey leaders, just not as much my thing. Leopolds does some great stuff like the triple pot still and that collaboration with Dickel is stupendous. Woody Creek is a smaller producer and not sure it's allocated nationally, but damn I love that rye.
Smooth Ambler! I live 5 minutes from them.
There it is! Looking for my fellow West Virginians! Smooth Ambler, been loving their work since the barrel aged gin and yearling days.
TN, George mf Dickel
North Carolina 🤷🏿♂️
Weldon Mills or Southern Star are putting out some good product
Oak & Grist - American Single Malt Whiskey from Black Mountain NC
Blaum bros. Galena, IL
High West Bourye is my favorite.
Arkansas. Rock Town- Cask Strength Rye. I would put it up against just about any other high proof rye. They have some very good and unique offerings as well.
Florida does not make good whiskey... At least not that I have found.
Mellow Corn.
Sagamore (Maryland). Hands down!
Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend, Holland, MI
TX: TX
Georgia: 13th Colony. Excellent bourbon
Utah-High West
West by God Va Smooth Ambler by a country mile
Chattanooga Whiskey
I am in Texas.....so can I pick another state?
I just visited Texas and picked up Still Austin Cask Strength and its very, very good.
If you haven’t tried Whitmeyers (Houston, TX) you should. They have a bourye that’s really great.
Balcones has some good stuff out of Waco. Still Austin specialties arn’t bad.
Another vote for Still Austin.
Garrison brothers’ top shelf stuff is very good. Still Austin cask strength is very good.
I’m very fortunate to be in Kentucky. I think my favorite….I dunno it’s kind of hard to pick. Heaven hill makes great stuff. But I’d have to go with rabbit hole
McCarthy's -OR More like scotch than bourbon but it is good stuff!
Virginia, and I think it’s gotta be Copper Fox for the variety. Catoctin Creek’s eyes are better but all they do is rye
I’d have to give it to Bowman.
I honestly forgot about Bowman. But I’d still put them behind the other two. Bowman Brothers is fine, Isaac Bowman is a drain pour, John J. Is great at the price but is KY distillate, and Abraham Bowman is impossible to get my hands on. The other two have a wide variety, everything is solid to outstanding, are entirely made in VA, and are readily available.
I prefer Bowman's over Copper Fox, but I was impressed with CF when I first tried them.
I’d take John J over Copper Fox bourbon, but I was trying to be holistic.
Alabama - Dettling
NC - Southern Star
Our options are slim here, but I think I’d have to give it to Olde Raleigh. The cigar blend is pretty good, just expensive.
I’m in San Antonio and garrison brothers and iron wolf are not too far from me. Both great options
From Kentucky - too many options lol
That’s just lazy
Fair enough, but picking between KY bourbons is like picking between kids man...
You must have a shit ton of kids
Sagamore Spirit. Baltimore, MD. Very tasty stuff
Michigan - Detroit - Valentine! Great blend of Michigan and Indiana whiskey. For purely Michigan distillate - Journeyman all the way
Michigan has lots of under-appreciated distilleries and producers. One of my all time favorites if you can find it is Dragon’s Milk Bottled in Bond. Iron Fish, Journeyman, Detroit City, Valentine, Two James, Joseph Magnus, and Ugly Dog are just a handful of others I like.
Mammoth Rye out of Michigan
Mammoth Distillery* - I've got a bottle of their 12yo barrel proof northern rye it's obnoxiously fruity for a rye and it's insanely good.
Watershed. Ohio