Meet Stellum Spirits!

JOE BEATRICE

Founder

Joe Beatrice is the driving force behind Stellum Spirits. Joe’s belief in balancing intuition with observation guides the company’s perspective on each step from barrel to lips. Stellum is focused only on upwards and onwards for the American Whiskey category, a directional orientation Joe knows well from his years of Mountaineering and Ice Climbing. 

TRIPP STIMSON

Chief Whiskey Scientist & Chief of Distillery Operations

Tripp Stimson, Chief Whiskey Scientist is unmatched in his ability to blend whiskey using a balance of scientific method and instinctive knowhow. Tripp is the lab coat and the overalls of the Stellum operation. In his spare time he likes to drive four wheelers, but for Stellum he drives the flavor bus.

NIC CHRISTIANSEN

Blender & Manager of Blending Operations

You might find Nic sitting pensively in the blending lab, mulling over twenty options for a single barrel selection. You also might see her drilling into barrels to check on their evolution before advising they are ready to pull into one of our blends. If you see a Stellum shirt racing past you on a mountain bike, that’s probably her too.

Stellum Bourbon

Stellum Bourbon finds its flavor in the tension of three Indiana Bourbon mash bills, two of which are high-rye, with the third being almost exclusively corn. Older barrels from both Kentucky and Tennessee are folded in slowly, through a multi-step blending process. This brings added layers of depth and complexity, ultimately allowing us to round out a uniquely Stellum flavor profile.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Amber gold.

Nose: Intense clove and allspice immediately jump out of the glass, supported by creamy macadamia nuts and light tobacco. As the whiskey opens up, sweet aromas of honeysuckle, green apple, and nectarine begin to show, rounded off by toasted rye and oak.

Palate: The tip of your tongue is met with a hint of vanilla, marshmallow, and cotton candy. The whiskey quickly transforms as it spreads across your tongue, revealing spicy notes of black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon baked apples. The spice is supported by tart underripe blackberry and apricot that contrasts perfectly against the initial sweetness.

Finish: The spiciness of the palate carries over into the finish with candied ginger and more black pepper before slowly fading into a syrupy sweet honey.

With the Addition of Water: The strong pepper notes are more subdued, allowing for sweet cinnamon streusel and stewed apples to come to the forefront of the palate.

Stellum Rye

The identity of Stellum Rye is rooted in a tried and true 95% Rye Indiana mash bill. To enhance this classic style, we incorporate small amounts more barley-forward rye and choice barrels from both Kentucky and Tennessee. This brings a full, round mouthfeel and flashes of buttery sweetness to an otherwise spicy and tightly focused Rye Whiskey.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Deep copper.

Nose: Stewed apples, peaches, and pears dominate the initial nose, along with an undertone of baking spices. Nutmeg and clove provide a counterbalance to the sweet fruits, while a light mint and licorice note bring further depth to the aroma.

Palate: Aniseed, cardamom, and coriander wake up your palate with an intense spice punch. Notes of lemon peel and tangerine coming from the rye grain provide a nice citrus component to the overall spiciness. As the whiskey breathes in the glass, fresh green apples and spearmint arise, which offers just enough of a sweet component to engage all your taste buds.

Finish: Star anise, white pepper, and mint linger on the palate before fading into a honey-sweetened jasmine green tea.

With the Addition of Water: The citrus notes on the palate become more pronounced with candied lemon and orange peels, all supported by a mint simple syrup like you would find in a derby julep.