Discovering the Unique Flavors of Koval Single Barrel Bourbon: A Visit to Chicago's Award-Winning Distillery

Just one of the many distilleries that we have personally visited... Koval Single Barrel Bourbon is an award-winning spirit from the Koval family of Chicago. It is made from a mash of 51% corn and 49% millet, which is sourced from local organic and non-GMO farmers. The grains are milled on site and cooked to convert the starches into sugars, before being fermented and distilled in a custom-built Kothe pot and column still. The whiskey is then aged in charred oak barrels for an undisclosed period of time, creating a unique flavor and aroma.

When tasting Koval Single Barrel Bourbon, its complexity is immediately evident. The nose offers up aromas of apricots, plums, brown sugar, and vanilla. On the palate, the whiskey is well-saturated with caramel and vanilla, followed by a hint of tartness from the millet. The finish is full of dark chocolate and charred oak.
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Koval’s story began in 2008 when Robert and Sonat Birnecker decided to open the first legal distillery in Chicago since prohibition. Taking its name from the Yiddish phrase “black sheep,” which was a designation of Robert’s grandfather, the family business quickly earned a reputation for producing some of the most unique and flavorful whiskey on the market. With its two-grain mash bill and single barrel aging process, Koval Single Barrel Bourbon is no exception.