Harvest day arrived as the Koloa corn reached a perfect 13% moisture content. And the orange and yellow candy corn looking kernels tasted great! The old John Deere also made it through the day with only a few slipped belts and some minor repairs along the way. Not bad for a 1970’s machine! Many thanks to farmer Scott Bloemke for a job well done. After a close call from Hurricane Lane, and a hungry population of local parakeets the crop survived the season. Next time we see this Koloa corn it will be in the form of Kapahi bourbon!
5 GALLON BARRELS 201809061-17 (Released to HI Market) Contains our first small barrel, micro aged lots of bourbon in seventeen 5 gallon barrels and is intended for release no sooner than the Fall of 2019, or when we determine it is ready. We will continue to update each 5 to 30 gallon barrel on this page and attempt to identify the tasting characteristics of each small barrel as they age over time. When we first started the research and development of Kauai bourbon in 2014 it was all produced in small lots through a 50 gallon process that included a 50 gallon stripping still, and 26 gallon column spirit still. Naturally, and because we never produced runs that could fill full 53 gallon barrels, we turned to smaller barrels ranging in size from 1 gallon to 5 gallon. The result was nothing less than amazing as aging times ranged from 45 days to 6 months. At that point we figured our bourbon could only get better in larger casks. Still, it is the smaller barrel and micro aging that led the way in the early days, and it would be a mistake to not feature it as one of our selections.
10 GALLON BARRELS 2018090618-23 (Released to HI Market) Contains our first small barrel, micro aged lots of bourbon in six 10 gallon barrels and is intended for release in the Winter of 2019, or when we determine it is ready. We will continue to update each 5 to 30 gallon barrel on this page and attempt to identify the tasting characteristics of each small barrel as they age over time. When we first started the research and development of Kauai bourbon in 2014 it was all produced in small lots through a 50 gallon process that included a 50 gallon stripping still, and 26 gallon column spirit still. Naturally, and because we never produced runs that could fill full 53 gallon barrels, we turned to smaller barrels ranging in size from 1 gallon to 5 gallon. The result was nothing less than amazing as aging times ranged from 45 days to 6 months. At that point we figured our bourbon could only get better in larger casks. Still, it is the smaller barrel and micro aging that led the way in the early days, and it would be a mistake to not feature it as one of our selections.
15 GALLON BARRELS 2018090624-53 (Released to HI Market) Contains our first small barrel, micro aged lots of bourbon in thirty 15 gallon barrels and is intended for release no sooner than in the Spring of 2020, or when we determine it is ready. We will continue to update each 5 to 30 gallon barrel on this page and attempt to identify the tasting characteristics of each small barrel as they age over time. When we first started the research and development of Kauai bourbon in 2014 it was all produced in small lots through a 50 gallon process that included a 50 gallon stripping still, and 26 gallon column spirit still. Naturally, and because we never produced runs that could fill full 53 gallon barrels, we turned to smaller barrels ranging in size from 1 gallon to 5 gallon. The result was nothing less than amazing as aging times ranged from 45 days to 6 months. At that point we figured our bourbon could only get better in larger casks. Still, it is the smaller barrel and micro aging that led the way in the early days, and it would be a mistake to not feature it as one of our selections.
30 GALLON BARRELS 2018090654-71 (Released to HI Market) Contains our first small barrel, micro aged lots of bourbon in eighteen 30 gallon barrels and was released in the spring of 2022. Considered a straight bourbon this whisky and aged for 2 years and 6 months. We found it to impart notes of chocolate, oak, vanilla and a hint of citrus.
FIRST 5 YEAR BOURBON! (Barrel 2018090672 Released DTC in June 2024) proved to be more than worthy of a first five year aged release, so on April 13, 2024 we happily dumped this 53 gallon barrel for bottling and have made it available through the mail and direct to consumer only! The whisky imparts a wonderful toasted oak and honey taste with hints of candied walnut. We debated bottling this first barrel at cask strength, but decided to simply take it down to match the same 93 proof that all of our Kapahi Bourbon is bottled at. Rest assured that a cask strength release will occur in the future!
53 GALLON BARRELS 2018090673-78 (6 Year Released to Hawaii Market, 2025) Our Kauai grown corn is blended with premium North American grains to create a wonderfully complex and titillating Hawaiian American bourbon. Filled into 53 gallon new American Oak, Char #3 barrels this whisky is intended for a lengthy aging of no less than 5 years. We will continue to update each barrel on this page and attempt to identify the tasting characteristics of each as they progress while also alerting you to their release. These 6 barrels hit their stride after 6 years of aging and impart leather, grain, spice, and vanilla notes. The flavor at age 6 is definitely different than the toasted oak, honey, and candied walnut we tasted just one year ago!
53 GALLON BARRELS 2018090679-82 Our Kauai grown corn is blended with premium North American grains to create a wonderfully complex and titillating Hawaiian American bourbon. Filled into 53 gallon new American Oak, Char #3 barrels this whisky is intended for a lengthy aging of no less than 5 years. We will continue to update each barrel on this page and attempt to identify the tasting characteristics of each as they progress while also alerting you to their release. Heading towards year 7 the journey only becomes more intriguing and interesting with these four remaining casks!