198: Wolfe & Wilson with Alan Bishop & Erik Wolfe - Off Topic Whiskey | Lyssna här

I got the chance to chat with Alan and Erik. And lets just say it was a education. And I can tell you it was what I needed. We talked the new release Wolfe & Wilson a colonial style rye whiskey. And we talked the industry and life, it was great. Hope you enjoy.

Drawn directly from a colonial-era booklet, this unique expression by two craft distillers with a love for the past showcases a genuine attempt to recreate early American distilling practices using documented historical recipes, heritage grains, and period-appropriate techniques. It is a true representation of a 250th anniversary whiskey.

Stoll & Wolfe, a storied craft distillery at the forefront of high-quality Pennsylvania rye whiskeys, is proud to announce Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, a unique collaboration between two masters of the distilling arts, Stoll & Wolfe head distiller Erik Wolfe and southern Indiana farmer distiller Alan Bishop (formerly of Spirits of French Lick). This whiskey is based upon an old colonial-era recipe and serves as a true testament to the journey of this noble spirit through America’s 250 years.

Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey draws its inspiration from a pamphlet written by Frederick Heinrich Gelwicks, an important piece of early American distilling lore from the late 1700s to early 1800s, documenting actual working recipes used by Pennsylvania distillers during that era. A recipe from that publication resulted in a whiskey with a unique grain combination of rye malt, wheat, rye, and oats, fermented with wild yeast and cheese culture, and aged in new American oak barrels at 105 proof.

“Collaborating on translating a nearly 300 century old recipe is a unique opportunity to explore the roots of our local distilling traditions by bringing this whiskey to life and allowing modern consumers to experience a spirit nearly lost to history,” said Erik Wolfe.

Wolfe and Bishop, sharing a fundamental distilling philosophy and ethos that values flavor over efficiency and also honors traditional production methods balanced against modern concerns, began collaboration on this whiskey back in 2023. The challenge for them was how to adapt for today’s distilling world a recipe of 1 bushel rye malt, 1 bushel wheat, 1 bushel rye, and 3 pecks of oats.

Sourcing heritage grains from Pennsylvania family farms, including the Kline farm that’s tied to Stoll & Wolfe, the two set out on an epic undertaking to recreate something few in the modern era would even consider. A testament to their combined creativity and fine attention to historical details, the expression is designed to give today’s whiskey drinker a glance at what was being enjoyed at the birth of a nation.

“Bringing the knowledge brought to Indiana by early PA Germans back East to PA is one of the highlights of my career,” said Alan Bishop. “That we stuck to the ideals of the colonial distillers while implementing modern technological advantages speaks to just how well versed in the art of distillation our forefathers were. To do such great work alongside Erik and Aviana is a rare opportunity!”

Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, Batch 1, was aged a minimum of two years in new charred American oak before being bottled at 100 proof. The product name Wolfe & Wilson carries layered personal and historical significance, as “Wolfe” represents Erik’s surname (Wolfe), while “Wilson” is Alan’s mother’s maiden name.

Available at a price point of $80, only 1000 750 ml bottles of Batch 1 will be available starting July 4th through Stoll & Wolfe’s tasting room in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and online in the contiguous United States.

Rss Apple Podcaster