Far North Spirits began distilling in 2013, and we’ve been unabashed fans from day one. Located just 25 miles from the Canadian border, the northernmost distillery in the contiguous United States and one of only a handful of estate distilleries nationwide to also grow their own grains reducing their carbon footprint and the only distillery to be certified by the Pollinator Partnership as a Bee Friendly Farm. Both the rye and corn are planted as well as harvested on this farm by Michael Swanson and his wife Cherri Reese, who returned to the Swanson family farm after tiring of the corporate world. They are the 4th generation to run the farm since its founding in 1917. Michael taught one of the more eye-opening classes in the back room where he showed the flavor differences between 4 different varieties of rye grown, fermented, distilled, and aged in exactly the same way. And yes, each variety produced wholly unique whiskies. Perhaps the secret behind the quality of Far North's bottlings lies in their distinctive soils. Some of the most fertile in the world, these soils have a rich ancient pedigree. A vast ice-age body of water called Lake Agassiz formed from the meltwaters of a huge glacier that covered much of central North America between 30,000 and 10,000 years ago and stretched across the top of Minnesota to Eastern North Dakota and up to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It was larger than any existing lake in the world and larger than the Caspian Sea. Agassiz’s meltwaters deposited rich layers of jet-black silt which is responsible for the unique terroir on Far North's farms. This brings us to our featured: Roknar Rye, which is touted by much of our staff as their "favorite whiskey in the shop." This single-estate rye (with a mash bill of 80% rye, 10% corn, and 10% malted barley) is aged for 16 months in Minnesota-made oak barrels, creating a base of roasted almond and spice. It is finished in Cognac casks, rounding off those prickly rye notes with a buttery bed of brown sugar, smoky wood, and a finish of soft-baked pretzels and star anise. This is Far North's effort in establishing the "Minnesota Rye" as a regional style with unique characteristics, a true "terroir whiskey." There is an immediate sense of place and balance. Beautiful neat, it makes for a great Sazerac or Boulevardier.