On Saturday May 4th I attended the Bourbon at Belmont whiskey festival.
The event was held at Belmont Park which is located at 2150 Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont, just over the New York City border in Nassau County. Belmont Park is one of the remaining thoroughbred horse racing facilities in the New York City area that at one time had several. The raceway was opened in 1905 and hosts the Belmont Stakes which is the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown. The first leg of the Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby was held on this Saturday.
The festival was held in the Grand Stand overlooking the racetrack and featured over 30 whiskey. Though advertised as a Bourbon event, it was an all-American (with one outlier, a Mexican distiller) whiskey event that featured many Rye and whiskey blends as well as Bourbon whiskey. In addition to whiskey, Bourbon barrel aged craft beer was served.
It was a “live” racing day with horseracing throughout the afternoon and a live simulcast of the Kentucky Derby later that afternoon. Of course while sipping on whiskey, you had the option to place a bet on any of the races.
There was a good selection of high end whiskey with a couple of new producers that I had never tried before.
Some of what I sampled:
Clyde May’s: Straight Rye, Straight Bourbon
Elijah Craig: Small Batch Bourbon
Finger Lakes Distilling: McKenzie Bourbon, McKenzie Bottled in Bond, McKenzie Wheated Bourbon
Hudson Whiskey: Baby Bourbon, Manhattan Rye, Maple Cask Rye
Hillrock Estate Distilling: Estate Single Malt, Solera Aged Bourbon
High West Distilling: American Prairie Bourbon, Double Rye, Campfire
Jefferson’s: Ocean Aged, Very Small Batch, Very Old Small Batch
Kings County Distilling: Straight Bourbon, Bottled in Bond
Larceny: Very Special Small Batch Bourbon
Montauk Hard Label: Original Whiskey
Russel’s Reserve: 10yr Straight Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon
Splinter Spirits: Slaughter House American Whiskey
Sierra Note Mexican Whiskey: Yellow, Black
Taconic Distilling: Dutchess Private Reserve, Barrel Strength Bourbon
Widow Jane Distilling: 10yr Bourbon, American Oak and Applewood Aged Rye
Whistle Pig Distilling: 10yr Straight Rye, 12yr Old World Cask Finish
Wild Turkey: Longbranch
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