Tenmile Distillery

New York's Only Single Malt Whisky Distillery Is a Train Ride Away From Grand Central

"Tucked into Amenia, New York, a few miles from the Connecticut border, I found Tenmile Distillery producing ultra-smooth vodka, an award-winning gin, and Little Rest, a new single malt whisky made with 100% New York State–grown barley. The distillery operates out of a former farm designed by Allan Shope — the estate even includes an eco-home tucked under a cliff with built-in insulation and solar panels — and was purchased in 2017 by John Dyson and his son-in-law Joel LeVangia, who now serves as General Manager. They brought in Scottish master distiller Shane Fraser (who built his pedigree at Royal Lochnagar, Oban, Glenfarclas, and Wolfburn), installed custom Forsyths copper stills in the refurbished dairy barn, and put the distillation equipment behind large glass so the process is fully on display; the stills’ curves are both beautiful and functional, controlling reflux and how condensation reintegrates with the spirit. Little Rest is made in small batches from barley grown mostly within a 30-mile radius, fermented nearly 160 hours (about seven days) for added depth, and aged three years in Scottish-style cask barns; for this first release they produced 4,000 bottles and continue to experiment with sherry casks and barrels from Dyson’s William Selyem winery. Nearly all ingredients are sourced in New York State (the exceptions being the whisky yeast and a few gin botanicals), they’re planning to plant barley on-site and harvest estate botanicals, and an heirloom apple orchard on the property may be used for Calvados or gin infusions in the future." - Lucy Simon