So, in doing our research for Craft Distillers, we came across 10,000 Drops in Faribault, Minnesota. What spoke to us was the fact that they waiting four years to release their first Bourbon. This fact was incredibly interesting to me, since most Craft Distillers end up pushing out a whiskey or a bourbon after 18 months or so. So, their story and why the waiting seemed very interesting.
To say it was cold when started our trip to Faribault Minnesota is an understatement. It was already cold where we were. 24 degrees. But, by the time we got up north in Minnesota, and got out of the vehicle, it was 7 Degrees, and a whole lot of snow.
The first question I had was, why did I decide to come north in February? Holy buckets was it cold.
However, as soon as we got inside the tasting room at 10,000 Drops and met Rob (head distiller) and one of the four legged side-kicks (Sherlock), The question was soon answered. The tasting room was very comfortable and had a great vibe. Rob was a great host and super easy to talk with. One of his partners (Jake) arrived shortly after, and we were off to the races. Well, sort of. Before we could sit down and have an in-depth talk, Jake needed to go out and plow some snow. It is after all, Minnesota in February.
Regardless, we had a great conversation with Rob and Jake, who were very transparent about their hurdles, challenges and what they are making, and why and how they decided to wait four years to release their first Bourbon. It was a great discussion.
Rob gave us a great tour of the still / production room and we had some great discussions of how they are making their whiskey. They are truly a small craft distillery. And, watching them make use of gravity to transfer their distillate was all sorts of fun. Not to mention we got to hand dip some bottles into the wax they use for their Bourbon.
And, for those of you that seek out single barrels, every bottling is a single barrel. This is the second distillery that we have spent time in where they are doing all single barrels. We got to sample Barrel #4. So, if you want to add to your single barrel collection, check out 10,000 drops.
The bar is hand-made custom just for 10,000 drops, and almost everything from the lighting to the chairs is re-purposed or salvaged furnishings. It's a great place to hang out (especially when it's freakin' cold outside and the snow piles are six feet high). Talking with some of the patrons, it was clear why they came here and just spent the afternoon. From the two couples playing pinocle in one corner, to the couple who came in with their dog to hang out and have a drink and everyone else. One of the regulars (Ken) happened to be sitting at the end of the bar (he was, by Rob and Jake's account, their Norm), and was great fun to talk to. Not to mention he gave Rob a hard time for sitting on his bar stool.
If we didn’t have an almost 4 hour drive home, we would have stayed and enjoyed more of the Old Fashioned' s we had and talking with the patrons. Maybe it's just Midwest nice. But, bottom line, this is a great distillery to hang out in, enjoy some great whiskey (the Gin and Rum were pretty damn good to), and just kick back and relax. Bring your dog, bring your friends, plan to spend some time playing cards, playing a board game or the bar shuffleboard, but do yourself a favor and stop in.
Check out the some of the behind the scenes pics below. The full YouTube episode can be seen HERE. You can also check out the guys walking us through a tasting of their 4 year old Wheated Bourbon HERE. If you want to see the full un-edited table talk and the Distillery tour head over to our PATREON site and sign up or log-in if you are already a member and check out all the other videos from 10,000 drops.
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