Starlight Distillery

First Visit to Starlight Distillery

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July 4, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

June 15, 2024, Wayne and I visited Starlight Distillery in Borden, IN for the very first time. In addition, June 29th we made a return visit. Yes, we enjoyed it that much! Getting to the distillery was reminiscent of a Beatles song, “The Long and Winding Road.” But seriously, there was lovely landscape along the way.

Upon arrival, we were amazed at just how large the Huber Family Farm, including the Huber Winery and Starlight Distillery, is! During our tour, we learned it is over 800 acres. Our minds were somewhat blown as we drove in the entrance … people, cars, directional signs, and more as far as our eyes could see. We expected to see a small family establishment like so many others that we have experienced; however, we learned rather quickly that this would be like no other.

Tractors pulling U-pick wagons filled with people were heading to the various U-pick areas. Berries and peaches seemed to be very popular. The Farm Market was filled with vibrant colors from so many amazing fruits and vegetables – we knew we would make that our final stop so we could take home some goodies. The fresh ice cream shopped looked amazing but even after two visits, we have yet to indulge in that sweet frozen cream, perhaps next time!

We could see the distillery in the distance but it was a few hours until our tour so we looked around the bottle and gift shop and then grabbed some beverages and headed toward the expansive patio to listen to live music. We met some terrific people and visited with them. We learned that they come often for the fresh fruits & veggies as well as the great atmosphere for family.

While we didn’t try the food on our first visit, we did get the “burger” on the second trip. Wow! It was huge and delightful. We may have opted to split one had we known it was so enormous since it was a double cheeseburger. We each got the Peach Tea with Bourbon as our beverage – also quite good. They have a good selection on their menu and cafe bar and we will make time for lunch on subsequent trips.

This note on their website really sums it up: “Since 1843, our family has cultivated an oasis for you to connect with your loved ones surrounded by the natural beauty of Southern Indiana. Make new memories every time you come—whether you’re with your kids, your friends, or your parents. When you visit Huber’s, you become family, too.”

We couldn’t agree more with their description. We have fallen in love with the Huber Family Farm and all it has to offer. This will become a regular stop on our journey. We hope you will visit too!

Tour of the Starlight Distillery

Rikki Urquhart, Starlight’s Tour Guide Manager, was our guide and she was incredibly knowledgable and engaging throughout. We had booked the “Straight From the Barrel Tour” that included all aspects of production and concluded in the rickhouse for a tasting flight that Rikki thieved straight from the barrels for us.

Rikki Urquhart, Starlight’s Tour Guide Manager

The tour began in the cellar (which was nice and cool on a rather hot day) and included a history of the Huber Family, the farm, the winery, and distillery. We were surrounded by some amazing wine barrels and overhead you see see remnants of some very old vines.

We moved room to room to view and learn about the various aspects of production, starting with wines and then the distilled spirits.

We made our way out to the rickhouse where we would partake in a tasting that Rikki thieved from various barrels. Each expression was unique and included a double oaked, finished bourbons, and a rye. The selections that Rikki made were outstanding.

This is a terrific tour! We highly recommend it as you get to learn so much and then experience the rickhouse thieving tasting. Thank you, Rikki, for an amazing afternoon!

Starlight Gift & Bottle Shop

We didn’t purchase souvenirs on either trip, but I’m thinking that a T-shirt might be in our future. We were fortunate that our barrel thieving tour included Glencairn glasses and 10-year anniversary pins. That said, there were bottle purchases. In addition to what is pictured below, we also got a bottle of their Cabernet Franc (Wayne’s favorite wine) and their Peach Brandy.

One of these has already been placed on my hat!

Bourbon finish in honey barrels, Cigar Batch, Double Oaked, and Bourbon finished in Champagne Wine Casks.

We enjoyed the Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Champagne Wine Casks so much that it was the reason for a rather quick subsequent trip – to get a couple more. You can read our tasting notes HERE.

Distillery Trail Statistics

The Starlight Distillery in Borden, IN was our 60th distillery, the 5th Indiana distillery, and our 129th distillery experience.

Pro Tip: Plan to visit other nearby distilleries. Starlight Distillery is only 30 minutes from Louisville, KY with over 10 distilleries and/or experiences. Also nearby, the Spirits of French Lick.

Happy Trails!
Rebecca & Wayne

All photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer unless otherwise noted.

July 2024 Tasting of Starlight Bourbon Finished in Champagne Wine Barrels

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July 2, 2024
By Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Wayne and I recently visited the Starlight Distillery in Borden, IN for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. Please see our visit story HERE. Thus, for this tasting, we decided to taste a recent Single Barrel release that we purchased during our visit: Starlight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Champagne Wine Barrels. We were intrigued by this one at the distillery and requested a small sample taste. That was enough for us to make the purchase. Please be sure to read our approach to Tasting Whiskey if you haven’t already. 

Starlight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Champagne Wine Barrels, Single Barrel

Mashbill – Carl T. Single Barrel Bourbons begins with their 3-grain and 4-grain mash bills. Undisclosed blend of:
1) 60% Corn, 20% Rye, 20% Malted Barley
2) 51% Corn, 20% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, 9% Wheat

Age – 4 years
Proof – 117.8
Price Paid – $80.24 (with tax)
Finished – Finished in Champagne Wine Barrels
Other – Sweet Mash Fermentation, Distilled in Copper Pot Stills; uncut, and straight from the barrel without any filtration.

Appearance – Golden amber. They are somewhat slow to form but this spirit has terrific legs on the glass.

Aroma – Very inviting nose with the light brightness of summer fruits and maybe a hint of citrus. There is also the sweetness of vanilla cream. In addition, there is a warm baking spice aroma coming through.

Tasted Neat – The bourbon comes forward clearly with notes of vanilla cream, light caramel, hints of grape, and nice baking spices. The finish is fascinating with somewhat of an effervescence that is almost popping with the flavor of grapes. It is like the perfect marriage of bourbon and champagne in a most unique way.

Tasted with dried cranberry –  The cranberry makes it pop more and brings the grape forward. The front and middle of the palate is champagne-like while the finish has a warm bourbon hug with spices.

Tasted with a pecan – The pecan comes through like a candied pecan and the grape-like fruitiness is gone as is the effervescence. It is also much woodier an with a nice spice note. Different but still good.

Tasted with dark chocolate – Interestingly, the chocolate brought a lot of spice, such as white pepper, baking spices, and cinnamon. The effervescence returned as well and each pop seems a bit like a spice explosion.

Discussion and Final Notes

This is a story of bourbon meeting champagne and becoming great friends. In our minds, this shouldn’t be the case; however, in our mouths, this unique finishing creates a one-of-a-kind taste sensation. The feeling of effervescence and the taste of a traditional bourbon with hints of a light champagne taste is so interesting.

We love that the bourbon holds its own and in a really strong way. However, this does not detour the champagne from letting you know it has arrived at the party as well! This is a bottle that we will want to share with friends to see what they think and watch their reactions. It is truly different, in a great way, and a terrific addition to a bourbon collection.

Cheers,
Rebecca & Wayne

Photos by Rebecca Herman McBrayer

Straight Bourbon Whiskey Requirements & Sweet Mash

Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Such whiskeys have all the requirements of bourbon: Made in the U.S, distilled at <= 160 proof, barreled at <= 125 proof, aged in new, charred oak containers, bottled at >= 80 proof. Straight bourbon means it is aged at least 2 years (and must have an age statement if less than 4). For additional information on bourbon requirements, please read this post – Bourbon Whiskey.

Sweet Mash: Sweet mash is a process in distillation that does not use the sour mash as a starter for fermentation. Instead, only fresh yeast is used. Using sweet mash has the benefit of more control over specific ingredients and the ability to use lower temperatures for fermentation. However, it does require more maintenance and extreme cleanliness to avoid contamination. For more information, please read this post – Four Stages of Making Spirits.

NOTE: The bourbon in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.