Traverse City Whiskey Company’s Finishing Series

Bottoms Up

By Craig Manning | May 13, 2023

Traverse City Whiskey Co. (TCWC) has a reputation for taking its base rye and bourbon recipes and adding unique twists. Think of the distillery’s best-selling American Cherry Edition whiskey, or last year’s summer-tinged Lakeside Peach bourbon. This year, TCWC has rolled out The Finishing Series, a trio of cask-aged whiskeys that dial into an untapped corner of the whiskey world: wine finishings. For one whiskey, TCWC took its 100 percent straight rye and rested it for a year in cabernet franc barrels from 45 North Vineyard & Winery in Lake Leelanau. For the second, distillers finished TCWC’s traditional bourbon in port wine casks from Portugal. A third took the distillery’s high-rye bourbon and aged it in hand-selected Pedro Ximenez sherry barrels. Each spirit has a distinct flavor profile: The cab franc version carries notes of tart cherries and chocolate, while the sherry delivers a nutty, caramel flavor with a toasty finish. We recommend trying each whiskey as part of a Manhattan. Find the series at 201 E 14th St in Traverse City. tcwhiskey.com