HOLLYWOOD, Md. — When you think of bourbon, you might think of Kentucky or Tennessee. But long before those states even existed, Southern Marylanders, such as Basil Hayden, were perfecting their distilling methods-as far back as the 1700s.
Tobacco Barn Distillery in Hollywood aims to continue that rich tradition while providing an enjoyable experience. Visitors can taste good bourbon while also learning about Southern Maryland’s history of making top-flight spirits.
Scott Sanders, along with friends Sean Coogan and Dan Dawson, founded Tobacco Barn Distillery in 2014. Ever since then, Sanders says, they’ve been working to methodically get things right. Those efforts paid off when “Whiskey Advocate” featured Tobacco Barn’s very first small barrel bourbon.
What makes Maryland bourbon so special? Sanders cites several factors.
“We like showcasing what we call the provenance of Maryland bourbon,” Sanders said. “The weather, the soil, and the water affect the taste and quality. It’s going to taste different than other areas of the country.”
The water used at Tobacco Barn Distillery comes from an ancient aquifer that’s 380 feet down. He added, “Maryland water has a unique taste because there aren’t large coal or iron deposits to filter out.”
Weather plays a part in the taste of Maryland bourbon, but it isn’t the only thing that makes this bourbon different. The ingredients are also from Maryland. The corn comes right from the tobacco farm on the same property in Hollywood where the tasting barn is located. The rye is sourced by Ivan Stauffer, one of the local Mennonite farmers in Loveville, and the molasses comes from Domino Sugar in Baltimore.
Sanders retired as a Navy admiral in 2013. He said that’s when he, along with his two friends of 30 years, began seriously considering opening their distillery.
“It’s great because Dan and Sean both have defense backgrounds,” Sanders said. “Sean is a marine. Dan has designed telemetry for space.”
At Tobacco Barn Distillery, they combine old-school distilling with high-tech know-how.
“All of our processes are very, very repeatable. The only variation we have is the difference in each barrel and the time of year-since we make each batch,” Sanders said.
What makes this bourbon different from traditional bourbon? It’s like the difference between Keebler cookies– which are good– and your grandmother’s homemade cookies– which are delicious.
Grandma, like Tobacco Barn Distillery, makes one batch at a time. It costs more, but it tastes much better.
Tasting Events Available
The owners of Tobacco Barn Distillery are eager to share their spirits. The distillery is now offering weekly tasting events on Saturdays and Sundays. Due to COVID-19, tastings are by reservation only and are limited to eight patrons.
Tastings can easily be booked online at the distillery’s website. Each tasting event will last about 45 minutes.
Tasting experiences are customized to the interests of the individuals attending. They might discuss the history of Maryland whiskey or the farming aspects of making fine spirits. You may even learn how they make the bourbon.
“It’s more about what the people are interested in and want to talk about,” Sanders said.
If you want to learn even more, you can take the Bourbon Maturation Tour where you can taste bourbon at different stages of maturation. This tour lasts about an hour and 45 minutes.
One patron, Violet Morgan, visited Tobacco Barn Distillery for something fun to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I didn’t know much about bourbon before I came in for a tasting,” Violet said. “I just thought it would be a fun event to share with some friends. We were all pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the bourbon, and we all had a really good time.”
Another patron, Karen Rose, said “the bourbon is good, but they also have really good rum.”
This place is something special. And who knows? It could just be the start of a craft bourbon surge-similar to the tremendous rise in popularity of craft beer.
There is one thing Sanders is certain about.
“I think everyone will be surprised to find some really good bourbon right here in Southern Maryland.”
Click on the link to book your tasting event before all the spots are booked!