Ever had bourbon from North Carolina? No? Me neither.

The distilling industry in North Carolina is experiencing a vibrant renaissance, marked by rapid growth, innovation, and a commitment to quality. Over the past decade, the number of distilleries in the state has surged from a mere handful to nearly fifty, reflecting a burgeoning interest in craft spirits and a supportive environment for local producers. This growth can largely be attributed to the groundwork laid by the craft brewing and winery sectors, which have demonstrated that small-scale operations can thrive and contribute significantly to local economies and tourism.

Southern Grace Distilleries, for example, has become a beacon for the state's distilling potential. Located in the unique setting of "Whiskey Prison," formerly the Mt. Pleasant Prison (that was closed a remarkably short time ago!) the distillery invites visitors to experience their craft firsthand, emphasizing the importance of tours and tastings in promoting the local distilling economy. This hands-on approach not only educates consumers about the distilling process but also enhances the overall appreciation for the spirits being produced in North Carolina. The distillery landscape is diverse, with various grain bills and aging techniques, allowing for a wide range of flavor profiles that cater to different palates.

If this is the mark from which all will be judged, good luck to the dozens of other North Carolina distilleries operating or getting underway. Southern Grace has laid down a gauntlet.

As part of my episode with Thomas Thacker of Southern Grace, I got to try the Conviction Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the Conviction Double Oak 1929 Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the National Bourbon Heritage Month 2024. The former is their core bourbon release, aged about 5 years (though non age stated on the label), and the latter is a single barrel that was aged first in a new charred oak barrel and then again in a brand new barrel all over again.

There’s thought behind both, and the flavors built up in the regular Conviction release are doubled down on in the 1929 Double Oak. Thomas and his team go by a rule: if you double oak, the liquid has to stay in the second barrel longer than it stayed in the first. It’s not a finishing - it’s a true double maturation.

By Thomas’s reckoning - and that of many other people I’ve talked to over the years - short exposure to new wood can make a whiskey worse off. Whether it’s greener wood notes, tannins, perhaps even some char, there’s a reason you leave whiskey in the wood long enough to get rid of those “young” notes. The spirit needs time to settle, and whether you measure settling by esterification or more qualitative methods, the truth remains the same.

Craft whiskey got a bad (if somewhat undeserved) reputation for being, well, bad, because people put out product that was too young, aged in brand new wood, sometimes in tiny barrels that gave even more of those new oak negatives. Even 53G barrels take time. Add in the need to have good, quality spirit going in, and you have plenty of distilleries that go awry trusting the wood to “fix” their whiskey. That “hands-on” approach I mentioned earlier? It shows in their tours, where you can try their whiskies at different ages to see how aging affects the spirit and how it can go bad before it goes good.

No such fixing is needed at Southern Grace. Good wood policy doesn’t “fix” a spirit, it elevates it, and that’s exactly what happens here. As good as the Conviction is - and a 7.3 is damn good for a core bourbon - the 1929 Double Oak takes the bourbon to the next level.

Starting with a Piedmont-style 88% corn 12% malted barley mashbill, they have damn good spirit going into damn fine casks. By emphasizing local grains, distilleries like Southern Grace are not only supporting local farmers but also creating spirits that tell a story of place. This approach fosters a deeper connection between consumers and the products they enjoy, enhancing the overall drinking experience.

And when that connection is made, the one making the connection is to be celebrated. Thank you to Southern Grace for making it happen.

Want to hear more of Southern Grace’s story? Listen to the Whiskey Ring Podcast at whiskeyringpodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

Thank you to Southern Grace Distilleries for providing these bottles free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Whiskeyinmyweddingring.com is proudly sponsored by BAXUS, the global marketplace for the world’s most collectible spirits

Conviction Straight Bourbon: Specs

Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Southern Grace Distilleries

Mashbill: 88% Corn, 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 102.3 (51.15% ABV)

Age: NAS (~5 Years)

Location: North Carolina

Conviction Straight Bourbon Price: $54.99

Official Website

Conviction Straight Bourbon: Tasting Notes

Eye: Extra dark maple syrup. Thin, arcing rims and large sloughing drops.

Nose: Dark caramel with dark red fruit undertones. Freshly polished old oak. Salted pretzel crusts, very mild proof, make-your-own-root-beer kits. Toasted oak, deep wood vanillins, star anise and cardamom toasting in a pan.

Palate: Lots of barrel influence, all in flavor and not woodiness. Tons of vanilla and caramel and the warm classic notes of bourbon. A touch of proof, mostly adding to the body and the almost-toasted character of this pour. Mouthfeel is just shy of syrupy, piquant on the front half of my tongue, coating and oily. Full-bodied, some mint emerging late.

Finish: Maple sugar, caramelized turbinado sugar, a dark rum floater on a sweet and spicy rye cocktail. Medium length.

Overall: The toast profile is strong and sweet, lending a maple sugar and dark fruit tone reminiscent of dark aged rums (unsweetened, of course) from Barbados. As it stands, this accomplishes exactly what the team is looking for and what you need from an introduction to a brand. It should be a great standalone pour that hooks you and makes you want to try the rest of the lineup. This is an A+ on that.

Final Rating: 7.3

Conviction 1929 Double Oak Straight Bourbon: Specs

Classification: Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Southern Grace Distilleries

Mashbill: 88% Corn, 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 102.3 (51.15% ABV)

Age: 5 Years

Location: North Carolina

Conviction 1929 Double Oak Straight Bourbon Price: $64.99

Official Website

Conviction 1929 Double Oak Straight Bourbon: Tasting Notes

Eye: Garnet, clear and quite dark. Medium blurry rims and varied drops.

Nose: Double the toast, double the char, both out in force. Maple sugar and extra dark syrup. Dates and fig newton filling. The vanilla is there but more balanced by the varied sugar tones. Proof hits stronger, dried strawberries and milk chocolate.

Palate: Dried berries and a touch of real maraschino cherry liqueur. Intense fruitiness on top of the muscovado sugar. Wood is present as body, not astringency, just like in the original Conviction, telling me again that Southern Grace knows how to handle their casks. Pomegranate molasses. Mouthfeel is thick, again nearly syrupy, the proof just cutting the sugar. Coating and piquant on the front half of the tongue, baking spices erupting late.

Finish: Baking spices flash at the end with clove, ginger, and cinnamon, all on the spicier rather than sweet side. Medium to long finish.

Overall: Noticeably more fruity than the original Conviction, with the wood profile and baking spices rolling in late. Comparing them 1:1, I think this is more complex, adding layers to the dark rum undertones. Excellently done.

Final Rating: 7.7

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation