Washington rye whiskey ready for market

Draining cooling water from a still at Mt. Vernon (Dowd photo)

MT. VERNON, VA -- Whiskey fans and collectors may want to circle October 22 on their calendars. That's the first day for sales of the first batch of aged rye from George Washington’s reconstructed distillery.

Three hundred limited-edition bottles will be sold for $185 each beginning at 10 a.m. that Saturday. Proceeds will go toward upkeep and operation of the Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens

Washington was the largest whiskey distiller in the U.S. at the time of his death in 1799. His distillery was reconstructed from original notes and plans and opened in 2007. This whiskey was aged on-site in charred oak barrels, unlike in Washington's day when freshly-made whiskey went straight to market.

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Go here for my story on opening day at the distillery.

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The aged George Washington Rye Whiskey will be available at The Shops at Mount Vernon and the Distillery & Gristmill site, located three miles from the estate.

The whiskey was made from an original recipe. A group of master distillers will be making a batch of original-recipe apple brandy next week.

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