A new American malt whiskey from Good Deeds Spirits is a special expression blended from 10 leading American craft whiskey producers. This 1,000 bottle release will see 100 percent of the proceeds going to benefit STEPUP Foundation, a diversity and inclusion initiative founded by the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA).
Established as an unofficial group of distillers back in 2017 (then as a Facebook group of 100 distilling industry friends called “Good Guys Distillers”), the group formally set up a DBA as Good Deeds Spirits in 2021.
It was created, according to them, to bring about interesting, collaborative spirits, all with the goal of raising money to benefit important industry causes. From coast to coast, these distilleries have shared their spirits, time, and energy in an effort to raise money for causes that echo the group’s values and mission, “to be a force for good.”
Johnny Jeffery, of Bently Heritage Estate Distillery and who led this effort, said in a prepared statement, “As an industry, we’ve come to realize that we need to do more to change the face of distilling. We believe this is an important first step we’re taking together. As a group who says our mission is to do good, we felt this was a great start and a tangible way to put our skills to good use and show what a group of friends can do when they care enough about a mission.”
Their inaugural, limited edition offering, Good Deeds Malt Whiskey, helps focus on the cause’s primary objective, to increase inclusion and diversity in the drinks industry.
Created by a handful of whiskey distillers who donated spirits towards the master blend, Good Deeds Malt Whiskey was made with donated whiskey from some of the country’s most respected craft distilleries. Fellow industry suppliers further supported these efforts by donating bottles, closures, labels, and their expertise in an effort to contribute to the mission of helping to diversify the industry.
Good Deeds Malt Whiskey was created in February of 2021 from a blend of ten donated whiskeys from Balcones Distilling (Waco, TX), Bently Heritage Estate Distillery (Minden, NV), FEW Spirits (Evanston, IL), Headframe Spirits (Butte, MT), Rogue Spirits Distillery (Newport, OR), Santa Fe Spirits (Santa Fe, NM), Sonoma Distilling Company (Rohnert Park, CA), State Line Distillery (Madison, WI), Triple Eight Distillery (Nantucket, MA) and Thornton Distilling Company (Thornton, IL).
Blenders Johnny Jeffery (Bently Heritage Estate Distillery), Randy Hudson (Triple Eight Distillery), Reade Huddleston (Headframe Spirits), and John McKee (Headframe Spirits) blended over the course of two days in Butte, Montana.
Trending Stories
All of the whiskeys was blended on-site, then returned to used bourbon barrels to marry for five months before proofing down to 46% for bottling and release.
Margie A.S. Lehrman, president of STEUPUP Foundation, said that Good Deeds Malt Whiskey mirrors the energy and passion behind the STEPUP Foundation, a diverse blend of skills and talents married together to create a premium product. “STEPUP is beyond grateful for Good Deeds Spirits for its significant contribution which will allow us to change the face of the industry, one intern at a time.”
Good Deeds Malt Whiskey retails for $75, and will be available exclusively online via Seelbachs. Public sale begins on Oct. 15, with 1,000 bottles available.
Official tasting notes are below.
- Color: Medium Amber with flashes of gold and copper.
- Nose: Dried apple, brûlée sugar, brown butter, toasted walnut, biscuit, hay and golden raisin, with notes of dried cherry, orange peel and warming spice.
- Taste: Silky, confident and broad, with balanced earthy, savory and dry, candied notes. Dried apple, dried cherry, heather, toasted brioche, toasted walnut, savory leather and black tobacco leaf. Evolving in the glass showing hay, caramel, singed cinnamon, and orange.
- Finish: Long, with evolution on the back palate.
Latest News