Amazing first time experience at a distillery. The staff was extremely welcoming and didn't hesitate to educate us on the many types of options available. I had a mint julep bourbon with had muddled berries at the bottom. It was so delicious. However if you're expecting the fruit to make the bourbon more subtle, it does not. lol It was still very delicious. My husband had the s'mores, which came topped off with a toasted marshmallow. The smokiness flavors were amazing. We left with 4 bottles of spirits. The ambiance and floor layout was perfect with the main bar directly in the center. It created cohesion among the customers. Can't wait to visit again. read more

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We arrived early for a check in time in Waynesboro and we had this on our list of places to visit while in town so we decided to go there to kill some time. Very nice place and very personable bartender, Chris. This is a designated tasting room so you can have 3 ozs of liquor but for a good drink that is all you need. I got a Sex in the Jungle and a S'mores. Both were delicious. The S'mores had a Honey Rue Whiskey which I do not drink but it was very good. Hubby enjoyed his Smoked Old Fashion and Lynchburg Lemonade. I would highly recommend stopping in to have a drink or flight and try this great liquor! read more

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One of the best atmospheres on the 151 trail. Drinks are great and bold!! Bartenders are very knowledgeable about what they serve and are very friendly. Will be returning to this awesome spot read more

Silverback Distillery - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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Women owned! One of a kind! Every drink they make task amazing! They offer a wonderful amount of different liquors and Always have a cocktail to go along with those liquors! They do offer food trucks and the food trucks are always good! The whole experience and place is amazing! They put a lot of effort into the inside and outside! read more

I love this place, have been several times. Unusual, friendly, lively, with killer selection of spirits made there on the spot. I'm a big fan of their elegant botanical gin and butterscotch-notes bourbon. Interesting cocktails too. Owned and run by wife of former Congressman Denver Riggleman. read more

In reading some of the past reviews, we were hesitant to visit during our last week of April stay in the area. However, we were met with the most friendly lady working the bar, making suggestions and guiding us to what we should select in cocktails. She was informative, personable and we enjoyed our tastings during our visit. We did not come with our kids for obvious reasons of being a distillery. The small, intimate interior has two bars with high too seating and no tables. It is not really a place for kids. Looking forward to our next stop here while in town. read more

This place is so fun! The whiskey itself is, of course, excellent. I'm a whiskey girl, so the single barrel and the 4-grain are my favorites. But the gin is excellent as well, particularly if you don't normally like gin. There's not a lot of indoor seating, and they get crowded fast, so it helps to get here when they open. The staff are all great - very casual but knowledgeable. Try the Cozy Old-fashioned cocktail! read more

Silverback Distillery - Smores smoked cocktail - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

We were driving down a road and happened by this establishment. Figured we were only little bit up road so why not! They had gorilla out front for picture taking moments which we absolutely did! When we got in it's a very quaint bar area. The bartender was very nice and let us try the different liquors they have for sale. Not only do they give tastings but they have many beverages they make with their liquors. Really cool location and like I said great staff. read more

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Love this place and always stop to get supplies when we are in the area. Parking lot is small but we always get there with no problems parking our dually. read more

Not a lot to do here like all the cool activities less than a minute away at the Brewing Tree location BUT good pricing and loved the customer service! Customer service was 10/10 and giving a shoutout to Alexis who works at the bar upstairs with the overflow seating. Will come back for a pre drinking with friends & to enjoy the clean environment and nice AC read more

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Mother/daughter owned distillery with a great selection of vodka, gin, rum, and several whiskey/bourbon offerings. You definitely want to sit inside at the bar and order a smoked old-fashioned. The smoke comes from a torched barrel lid. Oh boy! One of the best tasting smoked cocktails I've ever come across. Our bartender (I wish I could remember her name) was very courteous and accommodating. This was our 2nd time here, and I know we'll be back for more. read more

Silverback Distillery - Smoked old fashioned - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

A fun little tasting room and distillery. We were kindly received and welcomed. Did a flight that came with four tastings (we chose gin, rum, bourbon and honey rye). We're not gin people, but the gin really stood out. Overall, a great visit. Hope to come back soon. read more

I've driven past Silverback a billion times; it's located right on 151, along with so many good wineries. However, I've never stopped in before -- it's usually simply too packed. On an off weekend, we were able to sneak in, and the place was fairly empty, with only a couple other people in there (one of whom was managing to be loud enough to make it nearly unbearable). I think I've been missing out. This is a distiller, which means they're making hard liquor. They have a tasting with about a half dozen different items on it, which I think rotates based on what they've got in production. They had whiskey, gin, vodka, bourbon, and rye when we went. The tasting also comes with a mixed drink. I personally didn't care too much for their gin; it was a little sharp for my taste, but the honey rye made up for it. I wound up taking a bottle home, and grabbed a bottle to give to a friend for the holidays! read more

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They use bourbons not available to the public to win competitions and flaunt fraudulent awards. For instance, they used a customer's 8 year bourbon for the judging process while serving the public samples of their 2 year bourbon. How disappointing it is to be reeled in with the promise of a good bourbon to spend $90 on a watered down brown juice. Slimy, if you ask me. read more

This place was such a great find! The staff is so friendly and the drinks were top notch. It's definitely not the prettiest location we were at all day but it has a great vibe and the honey whisky is SO. SMOOTH. We split a flight which was smart bc it was the honey whiskey, bourbon and moonshine and the latter was aggressive. I ordered the s'mores cocktail and it was so delicious plus it looks really fun :) I would definitely recommend stopping and checking this place out. read more

Silverback Distillery - Smoked S'mores and old fashion cocktails - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

Everything they do is nice, but the gin is off the hook. It has a small tasting room, and a easy parking lot. Knowledgeable staff, and they will do flights. read more

Unfortunately about 30 minutes after consuming the Bourbon Alexander, I felt very ill to my stomach and vomited. I'm confident that it was from my beverages as all I had prior in the day was eggs, toast, and bacon. My friends pointed out that the bar staff were using Coffee Mate creamer in their cocktails (rather than in house made creamer... or really anything would be better than coffee creamer). I felt ill for the rest of the day, but much better the following morning. Additionally, their water had weird debris floating around which was very off-putting. read more

Silverback Distillery - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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Wow. Unbelievably bad experience with 2 incredibly b+%#y hostesses. We just left with group of 15. Could they be ruder? Doubt it!!! Hated this and we t elsewhere read more

Yum. I bout the vodka and the bourbon. Lots to taste and cool place to stop. You can get a drink or a taste

Drive through beautiful mountains to a nondescript building, where you can sit in a dark room and drink hard liquor. Tasting of 6 or seven different things was good. I liked the honey whiskey and they are happy to make mixed cocktails for you. It is a good story-retired couple loving their dream of having a distillery. Silverback is a tribute to the early graying of the husband owner. Nice bottles. If your passing by and want to taste some different whiskeys or rye, then you can be a winner here. read more

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My partner and I drive down to Nellysford every few months and I always wanted to do a tasting at Silverback, but it was always packed (a good sign). We finally had an opportunity to check it out and it was certainly worth it. We shared a flight of 2 whiskeys, gin, and vodka, as well as a cocktail of our choice. Both whiskeys were great but the honey rye stood out as phenomenal. We bottles 2 bottles of it. Neither of us cared for the gin, but we both enjoyed the vodka as well. As for the cocktail, we shared the Harvest Mule, which had apple cider, lemon, ginger beer, and the honey rye whiskey. It was a little sweet but tasty. One note: the tasting room can get noisy. When we first walked in, there was a large group who made it difficult to hear anything else. They do have a large outdoor space as an alternative! read more

I love this place. I have been buying their vodka for years, and it just gets better. The staff is always so enthusiastic about their products, and seem to really enjoying working there. The bar area on the first level is very spacious and laid back. You get 1.5 ounce pours of alcohol, either straight or in cocktails. Last time I was there, I got a flight of straight alcohol because I wanted to try the bourbon. I ended up getting a bottle of the vodka and gin. Their bottles are also incredibly cool. I highly recommend this spot, and their products. read more

Silverback Distillery - Their products. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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Drinks and service were excellent! We both ordered the smoked old fashioned and it was delicious. We enjoyed our drinks outside while I'll 5-year-old played on the deck as we were the only customers sitting outside at the time we arrived. Regarding COVID precautions, we went on a week day around 4 and there were some customers inside, but sitting far apart. Only 1 person per party was permitted to enter and masks are required. I put our order in and the very friendly bartdener brought out drinks out for us. I'd definitely visit again and recommend it if you're looking for a good cocktail. read more

Silverback Distillery - Smoked Old Fashioned Cocktails - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

This little distillery is woman-owned: a mother/daughter duo. I didn't love their bourbon but the man really liked the gin and bought a bottle. They make an impressive smoked old fashioned - give it a try! read more

Silverback Distillery - That silverback is quite the flirt. - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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We stopped in this place while driving passed one day. They had a great outside space, and it was packed on a Friday afternoon. We tasted some great liquors and tried some fun drinks (especially loved the s'mores inspired cocktail they had at the time!) Very easy and laid-back spot to try out while visiting wine country in VA. read more

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I loved the honey bourbon. The gin was okay. The cocktails are the money!!! Definitely order one! Best place to go if you don't want to deal with the bar atmosphere! read more

Silverback Distillery - My main man. The gorilla! - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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I've driven past this before but recently have gotten into liquor and craft cocktails and wanted to give it a shot. It's a nice concept and our bartender was very personable. We sampled a few and had a cocktail. The place was super busy! We would have liked an opportunity to tour the facility. It might have been an option, but it was a very busy Sunday and it wasn't clearly offered or advertised. The bottles of liquor are rather expensive and not of a high enough quality for the cost. There seemed to be more of a push for merchandise sales rather than liquor bottles, which was a little disappointing. They distill a wide variety of spirits, so there are many options for people. read more

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Omg what great drinks!!! I have never been to a distillery before but great great options. It was a small place but very intimate. The bar staff was great as well. I am sticky ya tequila drinker BUT that Honey Rye Whiskey meat was great. I usually think any brown alcohol is strong and puts "hair on your chest" lol. Not this one we bought a couple bottles. We then ordered a Smoked s'mores drink O. MY. GOSH. It tasted just like a s'mores made with that Honey Rye it was absolutely great Iwill be going back after the Covid #s drop read more

Silverback Distillery - Their popular options - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Afton, Virginia

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Sat at the bar with Alexis today - had an awesome time and some delicious s'mores cocktails!! She managed quite the crowd for a Thursday afternoon and did an awesome job! read more

What's your favorite high content alcohol? Vodka? Whiskey? Bourbon? Gin? They have it. All of it. And it's good. We met the Mother-Daughter distilling team! This is a working distillery after all and got a taste from the still and - BAM! Lacey was our mixologist and she was great. It was hot so I went with the Vodka Mule. Stop by and check this place out in your tour of the 151! read more

I enjoyed the variety of alcohol and cocktail flights (vodka, gin, bourbon, rye whiskey, moonshine). You can't go wrong here. I was impressed and slightly overwhelmed with all the different cocktail flights to choose (about a dozen cocktails with different alcohol to choose from). The mini cocktails on the standard menu are 1/2 ounce (limit up to 3 ounces/person). I really enjoyed the bourbon moscow mule (the vodka one wasn't as good) and the spiked hot chocolate. I would skip the caramel apple with vodka, it was a bit too sugary sweet for me. In addition to the cocktail flights, there are some seasonal signature drinks (full-size cocktails: 1 ounce). I got the S'mores cocktail and watched in awe as the bartender smoked the glass on the barrel and blowtorched the marshmallow! It was sooo cool! Although the cocktail didn't have a smoky flavor, I really enjoyed the smell and the presentation! It wasn't a traditional S'mores cocktail that I expected, it was honey bourbon neat with chocolate bitters. If you are looking for more of a sweeter chocolate boozy cocktail, I recommend the spiked hot chocolate. My fiancee enjoyed the neat flight. As a gift and to his delight, I bought him a bottles of honey bourbon and rye bourbon. I would definitely come back to check out new cocktails and recommend adding Silverback to your list! read more

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If you are planning on stopping here drive right on past, much better distillers in the area. Establishment claims to be the only mother daughter team in the nation, maybe at one point in time but not now. Waited 10 minutes to order with no one in front of us to be told we needed a wristband...when we walked in the wristband station was vacant. Girl at the stand proceeded to lecture us on the wristband protocol while were standing inside...walk back to the bar wait only 5 minutes this time to be told we had the wrong color wristband..bartender sensed our frustration and got us the appropriate color and now have two colors...finally got our drinks...needless to say they were mediocre at best...could not discern any spirits at all.. had only one drink and left... read more

The bartender upstairs Alexis was horrible. She was rude and pre occupied with her cell phone to be considered about the customers.When we ask a question about a flight she seem like it was disturbing her cell phone time. When we waiting in line to get drinks we watch her put little to no alcohol in some of the mixed drinks. read more

Great vibe and cocktails. We were in the area and decided to check out Silverback Distillery. Their tasting room is not what I was expecting, it's more like a bar. You can try out their spirits with a flight of straight pours or select from their extensive cocktail menu. All the cocktails include only 1oz of liquor so you can try a few. (State law has a 3oz limit). The bartender was working solo and was rushing around serving everyone but he was still able to educate us on their selection. He was also very accommodating of our dog which is always appreciated. read more

Seth has great knowledgeable Hungry hill honey taste And of course I bought some for my cough! So next time you are around stop by for a taste! read more

Five stars for their Strange Monkey gin alone. At first I thought I loved Hendricks, then Green Hat, but I love this gin the most. We only came in here after a day of cider tasting to check out the merchandise. We in fact had a pizza to pick up at Crozet Pizza and planned just to run in and out. Somehow their friendly staff convinced us to have a seat and try their Honey Rye, Rye Whiskey, and Gin.Then I moved onto the mini tasting of the Gin Mule. Because I was with someone who wasn't a hard liquor drinker, I took one(or four or eight) for the team. I could have sat here all day, just trying mini cocktails. I even suggested adding a mini old fashioned to the tasting menu, I hope that happens! The staff also has a high tolerance for Harambe jokes. Anyways we walked out here later than we planned on Christmas Eve day to get some cold pizza and my one regret is not picking up more Rye Whiskey glasses and a bottle of gin. It gives me all the more reason to come back. read more

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Silverback Distillery is simply fabulous. You have your outdoor seating or you can do the (slightly uncomfortable) indoor seating. There was a gentleman at the door who greeted us and giving us all the information we needed to know as it was our first time. It was a great way to walk in as we did need the information. Once you see someone from the Silverback team make a smoky drink with their torch you will want one. Basically save yourself the time and just order a smokey Old Fashioned like I did. The team was very friendly and patiently answered questions. They had a sampler flight which we shared and thoroughly enjoyed. I forget what the other drink was, but it was the honey rye with mint and it was awesome. I did not get a chance to return to this place, which made me very disappointed. Silverback Distillery is simply a MUST if you're in the area. If you don't visit, trust me you're doing yourself a disservice. read more

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I really liked this distillery. First of all, their bottles for the Vodka and Gin are awesome looking. I included a picture of them with this post. They then offered a tasting and cocktail combo (to stay within the ABC rules it was a total of 3 oz). We had a bourbon Alexander and smoked old fashioned. They were unique/cute takes on traditional cocktails. I enjoyed the bourbon and definitely will be looking to buy this at an ABC store in the future. read more

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Visited with a group at the end of a day in wine country. Actually this was the perfect ending, since several were already a bit 'happy', and Silverback made them happier. When visiting distilleries, ABC laws only permit consumers to be served a total of 3 ounces of their product. But despite that they seemed really busy. We told our inside server we wanted to get our samples in the outside bar, only to learn that bar was in the process of closing for the evening. When we went back inside, our original server gave us a big smile and said "You're back, so I must have gotten a lot better looking!" Sense of humor - check. Silverback has 4 options; vodka, gin, rye whisky, and grain, which are served either straight or part of a mixed drink. I'm not generally a liquor aficionado (although I made an exception for their rye), but I did enjoy their mixed drinks. Special shout out to their gin-infused Tom Collins and "Grain & Hot Chocolate". After some quick-thinking Facebook posts, I got Dad a bottle of the rye. read more

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Excellent time! Have to give credit to our hostess/bartender Cory. The spirits were very good! Well worth a trip. However, Cory was the highlight if the trip. Personable, efficient, knowledgeable, great fun. Stop by, have a drink, enjoy. read more