Catoctin Creek opened in 2009 in Purcellville, Virginia — husband and wife Scott and Becky Harris, copper pot stills, rolling Blue Ridge foothills, and a commitment to 100% rye that was quietly radical at the time. While most American rye whiskeys blend rye with corn and malted barley, Roundstone is made entirely from organic Virginia rye, non-chill filtered, and driven entirely by grain character. The Cask Proof is what all of that looks like with nothing softened or diluted. Released only twice a year in single barrel form, each bottling varies slightly — the ABV sits at approximately 58%, drawn straight from the barrel without water. Dark, nutty, and surprisingly composed for the proof: dried dates, molasses, and butterscotch on the nose, with milk chocolate and a dill-like rye grain note that is distinctly its own. The palate is full and oily — rye bread, bitter orange, fig, tanned leather, baking spice — with oak that supports rather than overwhelms. The finish is long, spiced, and warming, settling into cocoa powder, clove, and a low steady heat that stays with you.
