Myer Farms is a new distillery located not far from me in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. The farm itself has been in production for over 200 years, and the current owners are 5th generation farmers. They use certified organic winter wheat grown on their own estate for all of their spirited products. In spite of a large portfolio, they have only been in production since June of 2012. They utilize a 650 liter copper pot still hand-crafted in Germany, as well as a sixteen foot column still for producing vodka. Notably, they do not chill filter their spirits, which lends them more flavor and body. Later this year they expect to have corn, wheat, rye and barrel aged bourbon whiskies available.
Myer Farm Vodka (80 proof)
Visual: Clear.
Nose: A creamy, almost nougat-like scent, with vanilla.
Taste: More vanilla, with the addition of a peppery cashew flavor. Surprisingly sweet.
Finish: Fairly long, with lingering sweet sugary notes.
Overall: It could do with some refining, to bring out a crispness and more minerality. As it stands, it seems a lot like a vanilla-tinged vodka.
GSN Rating: B-
Myer Farm White Dog (88.4 proof)
Visual: Clear.
Nose: Wet leaves and black pepper.
Taste: Quite light and smooth considering it’s almost 90 proof. There’s a hefty amount of spice working here as well, to its advantage. A creaminess hits midway through the tasting and leaves your mouth with a full, rich flavor just bordering on sweetness.
Finish: Medium long, with the memory of sweetness and lingering spice.
Overall: Even though this is made with winter wheat, I am reminded of biting into fresh, young sweet corn. Quite interesting, and will work well as an adjunct to silver tequilas and mezcals.
GSN Rating: B
Myer Farm Gin (85.4 proof)
Visual: Clear.
Nose: Sweet spices, with coriander and cinnamon playing older sibling to the juniper. A soft nose more in keeping with Genever than London Dry style.
Taste: A sweet gin, but not malty like a Genever. This is more in line with the Old Tom style, with the addition of a sly orange citrus tang. The botanical bill is intriguing, but nothing stands out as prevalent or obtrusive.
Finish: A slight bitterness keeps things from staying too sweet, and some interesting mineral notes with a dry bite end things well.
Overall: I like this gin. It has enough body to support whatever you might throw at it in a cocktail blend. The sweetness and simplicity also makes it a throwback to the days before gins were adding esoteric ingredients to their infusions.
GSN Rating: A-
Myer Farm Ginger Flavored Vodka (40 proof)
Visual: Clear.
Nose: Not a lot of ginger on the nose, but it has a dry and crisp scent more in keeping with traditional, non-flavored vodkas.
Taste: Smooth, fresh and with the slightest hint of heat. You’d be hard pressed to say that it is ginger, but this has a subtle and prickly warmth that elevates it beyond their regular vodka.
Finish: The sweetness I picked up in the regular vodka is still here, albeit tempered by the ginger. The heat actually builds over time, leaving your mouth with an almost fresh ginger burn minutes later. Nicely done.
Overall: This works nicely in conjunction with sodas (highballs), and as a shot. Quite tasty.
GSN Rating: A-
(They also make a White Dog Corn Whiskey and a Blueberry Orange Vodka which I was not sent for review. – ed.)
For more information go to: Myer Farm Distillers
Good Spirits News 