Every year for the past few, the Whiskey Rebellion Spirits Walk has taken place in downtown…read moreWashington, PA. Registration typically starts at 5:30 pm at the Meeting House, located at 182 S. Main Street, Washington, PA 15301.
Participants receive a wristband, a walking map, and a sampling glass at the Meeting House. The wristband identifies you to the vendors, who are set up throughout various businesses within the event footprint. As you walk from place to place, you can sample different libations, and if you like something, you can purchase a bottle. Some participants collect all their purchased bottles and pick them up at the registration area at the end of the walk, so they don't have to carry them around.
This year, there were 16 participants, 15 of which were distilleries, with 5 new additions from the previous year. Some familiar faces, like Quantam Spirits from Carnegie, PA, were missing this year. We started our journey at B&B Distillery, our favorite location from last year. Located in the basement of the Washington Brewery, B&B Distillery offers a hidden gem. We sampled their Single Malt Whiskey, made from 100% malted barley, pot distilled, and aged in American oak barrels, coming in at 91 proof--an amazing experience and my favorite. We also enjoyed their AppleJack, an Apple Brandy aged in both American and French barrels at 94 proof, along with Blackberry and other flavorful options.
Next, we headed upstairs to Washington Winery, where we sampled some tremendous wines and liqueurs. We then moved down the street and stopped at Iron City Distilling, a new establishment, and Ponfeigh. We skipped Ponfeigh because we had recently sampled everything there. At Iron City Distilling, we tried all four options: bourbon, PA and MD Rye, and Corn Whiskey. The MD Rye was our favorite, and we purchased a 375 ml bottle.
Across the street, we visited Excise Distillery, one of our favorites from last year. We were recently in State College, but they weren't open, so it was nice to sample their Bourbon, Apple Pie Moonshine, Single Malt, Rye, and some liqueurs, one of which my wife loved and purchased. Moving up the street, we sampled Big Spring Spirits, where despite the heat inside, everything we tried was excellent. We've been to their Sewickley location and were very satisfied, even having a bottle of their coconut rum at home.
Next, we stopped at Heist Spirits, a new local distillery in Burgettstown. We sampled their new Rye whiskey, which was good as always, and it was nice to see the owners again. They shared that Rye is a staple for them and plan to have it available year-round. At the back of the David Bradford House, we tried new products from Lucky Spirits out of Gibsonia. They had a new product by their distiller, a celebrity on the Moonshiners TV show, called "The Outpost," a triple grain bourbon whiskey aged 4 months with a wonderful taste, so I purchased a bottle.
Inside the Bradford House, we sampled from Old Overholt, one of the oldest distilleries in Pennsylvania, located in Scottdale. Although all their whiskey is now made 100% in Kentucky, it is available for purchase and sampling. We enjoyed what we tried and plan to visit the Overton Village soon. We also had some whiskey from the Lab at Armen's Barrels, which, surprisingly, offers both wine and whiskey.
Our final two stops were Still Mill Distillery, where our friend Josh always has some of the best products. He's very energetic and willing to share all their new offerings, leaving you wanting more every time. Lastly, we visited MLH Distillery out of Grove City. Everything I tasted here was so good that I wanted to purchase a bottle of each. They make whiskey, vodka, rums, liqueurs, and gins. I sampled their Bourbon, Single Malt, Monongahela Rye Whiskey, Coconut Rum, and Spiced Rum. The Spiced Rum, in particular, stood out with its fantastic flavor, and I bought a bottle.
Overall, the Whiskey Rebellion Spirits Walk continues to be a remarkable experience, offering a diverse range of spirits and a chance to discover new favorites while revisiting beloved ones.
