Provided by Rick Thomas Distillery
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Coloradoans will soon have an opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind taste of Black Hawk inspired by Scotland, as the Rick Thomas Distillery team prepares their first round of premium products.
With an American single malt whiskey slated for release on July 17 — along with a bourbon following later in the summer and a rye further down the road — father-son team Brian and Declan Watts are preparing to expand beyond the vodka and one-year-aged corn whiskey they’ve had on the market under their 1859 label.
“We recently shared some small samples with some industry peers, and the comments I was getting back were they were surprised at how dark and how well aged it seemed, being just under three years old,” Declan says. “It’s got a great color. You get some sweetness. You get grain-forward flavors, which is common with pot stills. Surprisingly smooth, because they were tasting it at high proof.”
The centerpiece of their distillery is a set of pot stills built by the renowned Scottish manufacturer Forsyths. The company is usually booked for years out, but the Watts were able to squeeze onto the schedule due to COVID-related disruptions and slowdowns in equipment ordering.
“We were able to slip in and I worked with them very closely for a couple months designing the stills that we have,” Declan says. Before opening the distillery, he completed the fermentation science program at CSU and then studied distillation at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and he knew what he was looking for.
“These stills are 100% handmade copper, and every little angle, bend, every diameter and height, every little dimension you can think of on these stills affects the flavor of the final product,” he says. “So I was real precise in how we were designing them and what I wanted their shape to be.”
Provided by Rick Thomas Distillery
The pot still helps highlight the character of the grain in their spirits, all of which is Colorado-grown from three farms on the Front Range and in the San Luis Valley.
The Watts began planning for the distillery in 2019, eventually building out a facility in the town’s forthcoming Artisans’ Point development on Miners Road. It’s named for Declan’s grandfather, Rick Thomas Watts, who Declan said “was a Scotch guy.” The distillery building is designed to match the historic look of Black Hawk, modeled it after the ironworks building that was torn down in the middle of the 20th century.
Along with the choice of still, the location at more than 8,600 feet in elevation helps them produce a quality product.
“We believe that helps the aging process. Low humidity, big temperature swings gets us to our peak quicker than aging in Kentucky at 300 or 400 feet elevation,” says Brian. “Colorado’s got a vibrant whiskey industry, and I think being a little bit more unique in our equipment, there’s room in that marketplace for the flavors that Declan’s getting.”
The first Rick Thomas malt whiskey will consist of eight barrels, and even after blending, they’ll take weeks to bring the batch down from barrel proof (generally between 55 to 60% ABV) to bottle proof (48% ABV) to help preserve the most delicate flavors and aromas.
“It has some nice fruity, floral esters that come through, and in the barrel they turn into chocolate-covered candied orange and dark fruits like plum,” Declan says. “We also see that grain come through in a nice light aroma. It’s not overpowering, it’s not grassy, but you can really smell the grains in there. You get just a hint of anise, maybe caramel-y vanilla flavors. In the end, it turned out to be quite a complex but balanced flavor profile.”
Provided by Rick Thomas Distillery
Once the malt whiskey is bottled and out on the shelves, they’ll repeat the same process with the bourbon, holding another release party a month or so later as the blending schedule allows.
“So far, those barrels are surprisingly good. I was pretty sure they’re going to be real good, but I’m blown away in what I’m tasting,” he says. “We’re getting a lot of notes of those dark fruits coming through. On average, the barrels are looking around 114 proof. And the bite isn’t there like you’d expect with 114 proof. It’s pretty darn smooth.”
The release party will run from 4 p.m. to about 7 p.m., though Declan Watts said they wouldn’t necessarily be kicking visitors out right at 7. There will be live music, food, tastings of the new malt whiskey, and bottles available for sale. The malt whiskey will be available for distribution the following Monday, July 20. While the tasting room isn’t officially open yet, they also offer drop-in tours at the distillery. “Our rule of thumb is if there’s a car out front, we’re open for a tour. We like people to see the process of how we produce whiskey,” he says.
