Koval whiskies

History

Robert and Sonat Birnecker left their academic and diplomatic careers to open a distillery in Chicago, inspired by his family’s tradition of distilling fruit and grain in Austria. They started with a still of their own design and a clear bet: single-grain or unusually blended whiskeys, made from start to finish at the distillery. Over the years the house has grown and has helped other craft distilleries get started with its consultancy and still-making service.

House style

Koval’s whiskeys are clean and elegant, with grain playing a bigger role than wood. Its bourbon, made with corn and millet, is smooth, sweet and somewhat floral, with vanilla, caramel and fruit. The house bottles its whiskeys barrel by barrel, at 47% ABV, and uses standard-size new American oak barrels. It is a bourbon best appreciated neat or with a few drops of water, so as not to lose its more delicate nuances. The house also makes single-grain whiskies, such as rye, oat or millet, which let you discover the flavour of each grain on its own.

Where to start

Koval Single Barrel Bourbon is the catalogue’s entry and a good way to discover what millet brings to bourbon. Compare it with a wheated bourbon, such as Maker’s Mark, and a high-rye one, such as Bulleit, to see how the style changes with the second grain.

• Koval Single Barrel BourbonBourbon · 47% ABV