Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1036886
october 2018 / the tasting panel / 85 october 2018 / the tasting panel / 85 The thought of rural English towns often conjures images of rolling hills with greenery extending as far as the eye can see, and when it comes to the county of Herefordshire, that's not too far from the truth. Founded in the area by potato farmer William Chase, the family-owned Chase Distillery grows the produce utilized in the production of its vodkas, gins, and fruit liqueurs: By evoking the nature of its hometown, the company exemplifies the true spirit of field-to-bottle craftsmanship. The distillery and the single-estate farm coexist on the property, allowing staff to closely supervise every step of the process, from farming to distillation and hand-bottling. Potato varieties King Edward, Lady Claire, and Lady Rosetta are grown for use in the Chase Original Vodka ($36). They're distilled five times at 96% ABV—three times through a copper pot still and twice through a 70-foot-tall copper column—before the resulting spirit is brought to proof using water drawn from a well on the property. The expression is used as the base in Chase's Gin ($44), the brand's flavored vodkas, and its liqueurs, including the Chase Elderflower Liqueur ($33), which is made using pressed fresh elderflowers mixed with water and blended with sugar. The extract is infused into the potato vodka over- night, and after the blend undergoes hand-bottling, the result is a 40-proof fragrant liqueur that makes an excellent companion to Champagne and cocktails (it can also be sipped neat). In accordance with the full lineup of Chase Distillery products, the Elderflower Liqueur embodies the true essence of single-estate distilling. —Jesse Hom-Dawson Straight from the Garden: CHASE DISTILLERY ELDERFLOWER LIQUEUR Chase Elderflower Liqueur is an aromatic phenomenon. Scents of jasmine, mandarin orange, plumeria, and lanolin are mesmer- izing. Unctuous on the palate without being cloying, its flavors further inspire the elderflower essence as white peach, white tea, and pink grapefruit add complexity to a weighty mouthfeel. 93 —M.M.