BELLEFONTE — Big Spring Spirits, a LEED-certified distillery nestled in the heart of Pennsylvania, recently announced it picked up a win at the renowned New York International Spirits Competition.
The distillery”s American Whiskey has been awarded the prestigious Double Gold medal, as well as a rating of 96, by the competition judges. The Double Gold medal signifies the highest level of recognition at the NYISC, reserved for spirits that receive gold ratings unanimously from all judges. Out of 1,400 entries, only 39 whiskeys were awarded the ranking of Double Gold.
The NYISC is one of the world’s most influential and distinguished spirits competitions, bringing together judges and industry experts to evaluate and recognize the finest spirits from around the globe. With a rigorous blind-tasting process, the competition showcases outstanding products and provides a platform for distilleries to gain recognition for their exceptional craftsmanship.
Big Spring Spirits’ American Whiskey is a bourbon-style blended whiskey made using locally sourced corn, wheat and rye and is aged six years in charred new American oak barrels.
“I am thrilled that our American Whiskey received double gold because it is a blended whiskey,” said Big Spring Head Distiller Phil Jensen. “Choosing which barrels of each distilled grain to use adds an extra variable to the quality of the final product that a non-blended whiskey doesn’t have. Most of the time, the agreed-upon favorite blend of the staff is, in fact, the one I created in my head based on my quick samples from the barrels. That always gives me great satisfaction, and having industry experts agree is very gratifying.”
As a part of its commitment to environmental stewardship, the LEED-certified distillery is housed in the historic Match Factory Complex in downtown Bellefonte. It capitalizes on its water source, the eponymous Big Spring, located just yards from the manufacturing facility. The water from the Big Spring — voted the best-tasting water in the state by the Pennsylvania Rural Water Association — is the key to the distillery’s ability to create superior spirits, and the award-winning American Whiskey is just one of 14 spirits now being produced, with vodka, gin, several rums and several aged whiskeys including rye, corn and wheat in the line-up. More information is available at BigSpringSpirits.com.
