268: Exploring the Story of North Carolina’s Oaklore Distilling Co.

Friends and co-Founders, Matt Simpkins and Thomas Bogan, join Bourbon Lens in this week’s podcast. We’re talking Oaklore Distilling Co. in Matthews, NC. Tom and Matt started like most whiskey hobbyists do, with tasting nights in their basements and at their bars, but quickly developed their passion into a brand and now distillery. Located in North Carolina, Oaklore Distilling Co. is looking to embrace its community as it grows its distilling operation and its distribution footprint through DTC online sales. We tasted their North Carolina Straight Rye and Four Grain Straight Bourbon in this episode and, as you’ll hear in the episode, enjoyed each of them. After checking out this episode, head to Oaklore’s website to learn more about their distillery and grab yourself a bottle.

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About the Oaklore Distilling Co. Whiskey:

North Carolina Straight Rye

Proof: 92 proof
Mash bill: 70% rye, 20% corn and 10% malted barley
Tasting Notes: Starts with light wood tones on the nose, almost like a kiss from the barrel. The palette comes through with some agave notes, then transitions into sweet rye cereal. The finish is subtle and sweet, with some medium pepper spices.
About the product: The story of the stave couldn’t be more evident than in the small batch rye whiskey we produce. Each batch is created using different pages of a stunningly beautiful story. You’ll fall in love with each chapter!
Bringing together our best 6-year-old barrels from our sister distillery here in North Carolina,
our rye whiskey is a grain-to-glass local product, showcasing what the ideal climate of the Piedmont region of North Carolina can do to a whiskey as it ages.
The constant large swing in daily temperature year-round forces the barrels to breath deeper and more often, allowing the whiskey to penetrate the grooves at a higher rate.

Oaklore Four Grain Straight Bourbon

Proof: 92 proof
Mash bill: 72% corn, 11% wheat, 10% rye and 7% malted barley
Tasting Notes: Starts with a nose full of pecans and buttered honey cake. Once it hits the palette, silky smooth toffee bar takes over. Then a lingering finish of butterscotch, leaving a light spice on the tongue.
About the product: This is Tom and Matt’s heart. They are bourbon guys through and through and wanted to bring quality and creativity to the spirit, so they chose to pursue the four grain. As a rare find on the shelves, this style of bourbon brings depth and uniqueness.
Bringing together our best 4- to 6-year-old barrels from our sister distilleries in North Carolina and Kentucky
we batch them, let them get to know each other for 48 hours or so, then re-barrel them in the same barrels for additional aging.
Once we feel the barrels are ready and matured, we batch them one last time before proofing and bottling to 92-proof.

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