Starlight Distillery Launches in Canada

Starlight Distillery calls upon a foundation of family history to craft some of the finest American spirits. Seven generations of Hubers have sustainably operated the now 850-acre family-owned estate established in 1843 by German immigrant, Simon Huber—a farmer and winemaker—and have been producing exceptional agricultural products for over 180 years!

The name Starlight Distillery comes from the town of Starlight located in southern Indiana, which the distillery resides in. In addition, the majority of Starlight’s agricultural ingredients are grown on the Huber estate or sourced from neighboring farms, and the distillery publicly shares yearly agricultural reports on yields and quality to underscore the transparency and sustainability of its distilling processes.

Distillation is performed by several Master Distillers, including Ted Huber and his two sons, Christian and Blake Huber, with each distiller utilizing their own favorite mash bills, yeast preferences, fermentation methods, and distillation techniques to create craft spirits which are then aged and meticulously blended by the entire team to create a consistent house style. Trust, passion, and expertise are paramount in operating a distillery with Starlight’s approach, where fermentation, mash bill, and distillation methods are done by hand and by taste.

Pairing the expertise and personal preferences from each master distiller, at Starlight Distillery there is a still to accompany it. The spirits produced are specific to one of the two pot stills utilized here at the distillery.  

Our original still is an 82-gallon German Christian Carl still. This still, the smaller of the two stills on property, is responsible for the launch of Starlight Distillery and the ports and brandies originally produced. This small but precise still allows for distillers to make the finest of cuts during the distillation process. These precise cuts create spirits with soft and elegant characteristics that shine through in our hand-crafted ports and brandies. 

On the opposites end of the spectrum is Starlight Distillery’s 500-gallon Vendome copper pot still. This still is responsible for the overall launch of the bourbon boom here at Starlight Distillery. This larger pot still allows for increased production of grain-based spirits that the smaller, original Christian Carl still was not capable of producing. The hand-crafted distillation method used on this still curates unique and one of its kind whiskeys that shine through in the end product produced from the barrels. As Master Distiller Blake Huber says, “Starlight Distillery prides itself on producing the best whiskey of each day.”

Maturation takes places in the distillery’s four aging warehouses high upon the Knobstone Escarpment, a limestone bluff 960-980 feet above sea level overlooking the Ohio River Valley. Just 20 short miles north of Louisville, Kentucky, the climate lends comparable maturation conditions, while the elevation and proximity to the river, results in rapid temperature and barometric pressure fluctuations ideal for barrel aging.

Blending starts in the distillery’s four barrel warehouses, where the team at Starlight gathers hundreds of samples of different lots, mash bills, cooperages, and warehouses to masterfully blend their award-winning spirits! The goal is to create a whiskey better than the sum of its parts! Tasting and blending can take up to a few months before ever making a final decision. 

“The process of blending at Starlight is science, sustainable agriculture, and art coming together to create an incredible hand-crafted whiskey” -Blake Huber (7th Generation, Master Distiller)

As the bourbon and whiskey industry continues to boom and grow at unprecedented rates, the Huber family continues to focus on innovative approaches to drive the industry forward. Starlight Distillery sources new American oak barrels from ten different cooperages across the world – seven domestic cooperages, and three international cooperages. Pairing the varieties of barrels from all differing cooperages combined with the varying char and toast levels, these barrels deliver a unique and elevated experience for each barrel coming out of Starlight Distillery.  

“The beauty and appeal of Starlight is that no two barrels are ever the same.” -Andrew Jerdonek (Spirits Program Director)

Starting in 2018, Starlight Distillery opened the secondary finishing cask program, beginning with its authentic Huber Winery port wine barrels and Starlight Distillery’s apple brandy barrels being used to secondarily age bourbon and rye whiskey. 

Since implementing its barrel program, Starlight Distillery has become an industry leader in the secondary finishing cask market. In the last 4 years, Starlight has grown the barrel program portfolio to include over 30 differing finishing casks sourced from all around the world. 

Mash Bills

3-Grain Mash Bill: 60% corn; 20% rye; and 20% malted barley.

4-Grain Mash Bill: 51% corn; 20% rye, 20% malted barley, and 9% wheat.

Old Rickhouse

Starlight Distillery’s flagship OLD RICKHOUSE RYE WHISKEY, named after the old Rickhouses located high upon the Knobstone Escarpment in Starlight, Indiana, is a blend of our two signature rye mash bills. Beginning with sweet mash fermentation and distilled in our copper pot stills, this straight small batch rye whiskey is aged in new American Oak barrels for a minimum of 4 years, then blended and bottled at 92-proof.

The result is a sustainably crafted small batch rye whiskey displaying distinctive hints of sweet caramel and vanilla. The prominent characteristics of rye exhibit classic spice notes which shine through, making for a long smooth finish.

MASH BILLS

Rye Mash Bill 1: 80% rye & 20% malted barley

Rye Mash Bill 2: 90% rye & 10% malted barley