By
George Brozowski
When
I pulled up in front of the Middle West Spirits distillery,
little did I realize that I was about to have a spirited religious
type of experience. Now, I have been to dozens of distilleries
over the years and many have started to look alike but the
big difference between them all is the folks who run them.
And I was about to meet the most passionate pair of principals
I had ever met.
Talking
to Brady Konya and Ryan Lang is like attending an old time
revival meeting in a tent in the middle of a corn field in
the heart of Kansas on a sweltering summer night. The minute
I walked in they climbed up on their bully pulpits and just
like the hell fire and brimstone preachers of days gone by
they began to convert me to believe in the Goddess OYO.
OYO is the name of their vodka and whiskey
and is pronounced like Ohio but with a Y in the middle instead.
Their
tale begins with them wandering through the fields of Ohio
for two years with no food or water, sleep or shelter, seeking
enlightenment much like Moses in the desert. Actually they
were looking for a special type of grain, one that held the
essence and spirit of OYO so they could set
her free and bring her to an unenlightened but much needy
people. Once they found that grain they built a temple to
the Goddess, their distillery. They brought forth Teutonic
pots and stills (that would make even Rube Goldberg jealous)
from across the ocean and shined them up and fired them up
and set the Goddess OYO free. They have what
looks like a pot still attached to not one but two column
stills that automatically distills the spirits more than a
dozen times in one pass. So thorough is this conglomeration
of contraptions that they don't even have to filter the final
product! Never have I heard of such a thing!
Unlike
the alchemists of old who tried to turn lead into gold, they
have succeeded in turning grain and water into vodka and whiskey.
The distillation process is a combination of science and art
and magic and they have mastered it.
The
OYO vodka comes in an apothecary style stout
bottle (as does the whole line up) and simply describes the
product within as; "A smooth, small-batch artisanal vodka
made of Ohio's soft, red winter wheat". Popping the cork
on the bottle releases a miasma of wheat and grain and yeast
and buttery and bready and vanilla aromas. This is no ordinary
vodka nose. This baby has a fair amount of terroir permeating
through it. Vodka is by definition an odorless and tasteless
neutral spirit and this definitely is a vodka that defies
that definition, but then again that's what the high priests
of OYO were after. They didn't want to produce
another Grey Goose; they wanted something unique and different
but equal, so far so good. On the palate there is a definite
minerality (is that even a word?) and depth unlike classic
vodkas that are crisp and clean. The wheat is backed by yeast
and bread with hints of vanilla. That mélange of flavors
is well balanced and very, very mellow and smooth. I've never
said this about a vodka but this hooch is complex and yet
it works. The finish is smooth as well and leaves a welcome
warmth and subdued flavors that remind me of standing in a
bakery just after they have pulled the last loaves out of
the ovens. This is a good vodka with unexpected pleasures
but may not be everyone's cup of tea. Traditional it certainly
isn't but it does have its place among premium vodkas. I just
might allow myself to be converted to OYOism but that will
be determined by the remaining OYO sisters. This sells for
around $35.00 per bottle.
Next
is the OYO Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka. If you've
been following my adventures you know I'm not a big fan of
flavored vodka or flavored almost anything else. However,
I must admit a few folks have really gotten it right. Let's
see if the High Priests make their Goddess proud. The nose
is very subtle with hints of vanilla and honey and no alcohol
up front. There's a spice note as well but the nose has changed
from the previous product even though I know it's the same
base vodka. I almost feared it would be overpowering but much
to my surprise and delight the vanilla comes through clearly
on the tongue followed by the sweetness of the honey. The
vanilla is interesting in that it has depth and a few layers
and is not your ordinary everyday vanilla. As a matter of
fact the guys import these fair-trade Ugandan vanilla beans
and they're premium vanilla and the flavor is not lost in
the vodka. The honey is just transparent enough not to be
cloying yet has presence and remains sweet and adds body to
the mixture. Beneath all the vanilla and honey I can just
barely discern the terroir of the base vodka but it is there
and adds its own flavor to the mix. Needless to say the finish
is smooth and leaves a lingering and pleasant aftertaste that
is not overpowering not over sweet and just right. I'm almost
converted but there is one more step in the conversion process
and it's a long way removed from vodka. This also sells for
around $35.00 per bottle.
OYO
Whiskey is a single cask small batch whiskey made
of that same Ohio soft red winter wheat as its vodka sisters.
Ahhhh whiskey, it's that amber liquid that has elevated civilizations
as well as brought them to their knees. This is one sweet
and gentle smelling whiskey. I get the slightest hint of the
terroir since they use the same wheat that comes from the
same Ohio farms as their base vodka but then it takes a twist
and a turn. I discern hints of oak and char and subtle pepper
and a touch of smoky scotch and yet it all stays clean and
the aromas play nice with each other. It's definitely whiskey
on the palate but it is so tender I am surprised. It has all
the whiskey flavors anyone would expect but it is not as abrasive
as most straight up whiskeys are. I get young oak up front
on the tongue followed by vanilla and pepper and a smokiness
followed by a subdued spicy finish that lasts a short while.
I'll bet if this hooch were aged a few more years it would
become more complex however this a great start in the right
direction. This is around $46.00 per bottle.
All
right you High Priests of OYO take me down
to the river and baptize me in the wiley ways of OYO.
I believe I am prepared to convert. And so it came to pass
that the High Priests of OYO took me down
to the Ohio River that very next Sunday morning at sunrise
and before a gathered crowd of the faithful I waded into the
river into chilly chest high waters and they commenced the
ritual. I was given a drink of the vodka and the priests grasped
me by the top of my head and forcefully thrust my head backward
underwater and forcefully kept it there for at least 15 seconds.
When they brought my head up out of the water I was sputtering
and spitting and felt pretty much like a prisoner at Guantanamo
who had just been water boarded. I finally opened my eyes
and looked into the eyes of the High Priests and they screamed
at me, "Do you believe?" I immediately shrieked
back, "I believe" and at that very moment they threw
my head backward underwater again but this time for at least
45 seconds. When they pulled me up out of the water they again
peered intently into my eyes and screamed even louder than
before, "Do you believe?" In between desperate gasping
attempts to breathe I managed to screech back, "I believe".
Again they threw my head back into the river's water and this
time they held me underwater for at least a minute even though
it seemed to me an eternity and finally they dragged my sodden
face out of the water and intently staring into my eyes they
screamed again, Do you believe?" and I, spitting water
and blood out of my lungs with every desperate attempt to
suck in air cried out, "I believe". And then they
screamed back at me, "What do you believe?" And
I defiantly shouted out, "I believe you're trying to
drown me".
And
so it came to pass and I was accepted into the fellowship
of the OYO cult and we all headed back to
the temple to partake in the spirits and become one with the
universe or at the very least falling down drunk, Amen.
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more Rants & Raves click
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