Tamworth Deerslayer Venison Whiskey Gets a 500mL "Buck" Bottle

Tamworth Distilling’s The Deerslayer Venison Flavored Whiskey started as an experiment. It is now part of the distillery’s core lineup in a new 500mL “Buck-sized” bottle ($45), released Sept. 15 for the start of New Hampshire’s hunting season. The original 200mL “Bambi bottle” is still available.

The whiskey is made with hand-chopped red deer meat plus small amounts of cranberry, porcini mushroom, juniper and green peppercorn. The mixture ferments overnight, is slow-smoked over branches from New Hampshire’s boreal forests, distilled in a rotary evaporator, and blended with aged rye whiskey.

“When we first released The Deerslayer in 2020, we knew we had made something unusual, but we didn’t expect it to take on a life of its own,” said Steven Grasse, Founder and Owner of Tamworth Distilling. “It went viral almost immediately on a bunch of country music radio stations and became a cult favorite amongst whiskey collectors, outdoorsmen, and people who simply wanted to try something they had never tasted before. More importantly, it became the blueprint for House of Tamworth and our ‘weird whiskies’ — inspired by the landscape around us and our belief that whiskey can be a hell of a lot more interesting when you’re willing to break a few rules.”

“Originally, we were painstakingly making Deerslayer one bottle at a time, preparing ingredients, and smoking the venison by hand,” Grasse commented. “As its fanbase has grown, we’ve been able to refine and streamline the production process by acquiring a larger and automated smoker. It’s exciting to now be able to make more of it, without losing the hands-on spirit behind it.”

“The juniper, porcini, green peppercorn, and cranberry are used in small amounts to build this woodsy, autumnal character around the venison.” said Matt Power, Distiller and Biochemist of Tamworth Distilling. “Fermenting and smoking the venison brings out those savory aromas, while the rye gives us a spicy backbone that can stand up to them. The goal is for it to taste like the New England woods in the fall — not just like a piece of venison in a glass.”

Specs: 99 proof (49.5% ABV), $45 for 500mL.

Availability:

Shipped direct to consumers in 45 states via TamworthDistilling.com, plus NH Liquor & Wine Outlets, Total Wine & More in Massachusetts, and the distillery in Tamworth, N.H.