Caramel | Brown sugar | Baking spices | Anise

Light butterscotch | Butter | Honey | Golden raisin | Sweet

Brown sugar | Light leather | Toasted oak | Touch of cinnamon | Mild spice on the backend

The word “Espy” might sound familiar, but this isn’t about the ESPY Awards which are awards given to individual and team athletic achievements and other sports-related performances. No, this is the Espy House. Located in Bedford, Pennsylvania, the 1771 built house was occupied by several notable historical figures, but none as important as George Washington himself. The house is now owned by Todd Eichelberger “who was inspired so much by the history of this historic location that he created a whiskey of superior taste and prestige to commemorate the house and its historical inhabitants.”  

Espy House Spirits offers three bourbons, and George 1794 Edition is the company’s flagship release. Ironically the whiskey has nothing to do with Pennsylvania, as it is sourced from an Indiana distillery(ies) and then bottled by Bardstown Bourbon Co. The bourbon opens with a simple but pleasant array of caramel, brown sugar, baking spices, and a wee bit of anise. The palate is sweet thanks to light butterscotch, butter, honey, and golden raisin. The finish is on the light side with approvable amounts of brown sugar, leather, toasted oak, and a short ramp-up of spice.

I’d have to say I never expected to see a bourbon, or any spirit for that matter, come from the Espy house. Historial locations are often steeped with whiskey-related history (take George Washington’s Mount Vernon house for example), but this may be a little bit of a stretch. Regardless of this bourbon’s backstory, it's a straightforward and sweet tasting bourbon many will enjoy. It’s not a challenging pour but it doesn’t seem to be designed that way either. I would have liked to have seen the bourbon come from any number of Pennsylvania-based distilleries rather than an Indiana one, but perhaps that has more to do with pure economics and value than anything else. I’m sure George Washington would drink to that.