Missoulians seem to have a particular affinity for locally made products. They also seem to have a particular affinity for fine spirits. Whistling Andy Distillery’s soon-to-be-released barrel-aged one-year whiskey is sure to satisfy both of these tastes.

Harvest Select Whiskey is 100 percent Montana-made: the grain comes from Lake Seed in Ronan and is milled at The Hedstrom Farm north of Kalispell. The hearty combination of barley, wheat, corn and rye has been triple distilled and aged over the past year in medium-charred American white oak barrels.

According to information released by the distillery, the whiskey’s flavor features a sweet, fruity nose that leads into warm spiciness mid-palate and finishes smooth with accents of toasted caramel and well-rounded oak flavors. (I don’t know about you, but my mouth is watering right now.)

The family-run distillery — located just a couple of hours up the road in Bigfork — opened its doors a little over a year ago. In that short time, they have built a strong local following while earning recognition on an international level. This past summer, the distillery received a platinum award from Spirits International Prestige (SIP) for its Hibiscus Coconut Rum.

Bottles of the special-blended American-style whiskey will be sold on a first-come basis starting at 10 a.m. March 17 in the distillery’s tasting room. But you don’t have to travel all the way to the Flathead Valley to score some of this much-anticipated spirit, as a limited number of bottles will also be available for purchase at two Missoula locations: Grizzly Liquor Store and Stone of Accord.

Bottoms up!

Brooke is a 2010 graduate of The University of Montana, where she ran track and cross country for the Grizzlies. She is currently working as a writer and editor in Missoula.

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