Do you ever wonder how new businesses come to be? In the case of 8 Feathers Distillery, it was 5 friends, a supper club and a passion for food and whiskey. Formed in 2013, this “state of the art, small batch craft distillery” is located in Boise Idaho. The owners determined that Idaho was the perfect location to produce their premium bourbon and whiskey. The combination of the excellent air quality, an artesian well and the best locally sourced grains are what make their bourbons and whiskeys so awesome.
Bourbon Rules
Believe it or not, in order to be a bourbon, it must meet some rigorous standards. It must go into NEW charred oak barrels, contain 51% corn, be distilled at or below 160 proof and be barreled below 125 proof. Break any of those, then it’s no longer bourbon. It moves into the category of whiskey. Once you have produced a barrel of bourbon, you can’t use that same barrel to produce bourbon again. So, what do you do with a used bourbon barrel – make whiskey!
Distilling it Down
It is a quite a process to distill bourbon, whiskey and moonshine at 8 Feathers Distillery. Check out some of our tour by Larry Price, President/Co-Owner of 8 Feathers. He brings the process to life! Who knew how much went into making this awesome adult beverage? We do, now you will too!
Bourbon, Whiskey, Moonshine (oh my)
At the end of the tour comes time to taste these amazing products. Going into the tasting with all the background, really prepares you for what you are going to enjoy. You really need to try them all because each product brings something different to the table. Sandy, Co-Owner, shares insight into 8 Feathers Distillery product line. I personally enjoyed the Vanilla and Cherry Bourbons.
Distilled Thoughts
As someone who had never tried bourbon, this was so much fun. I even found a couple I liked! I’ve been told it is an acquired taste however, once you enjoy these amazing Idaho produced products at 8 Feathers Distillery, you will definitely acquire a need to continue tasting! Larry, Greg, and Sandy were amazing! You can definitely see the passion they have for what they do. Not only will you experience a great bourbon, whiskey and moonshine, you will make new friends. What a great way to spend an afternoon. However, they are only open on Saturdays from 12-5. So grab some friends, make some new ones – it’s time to get your adventure on!