Bobby grew the sorghum grass, a local non-profit paid for a steaming tray, we borrowed an antique sorghum press, and went to market with a product we thought was kinda “rum like.”

No’lasses was named after an old southern expression:  “You can’t have mo’lasses if you don’t have no’lasses.”  That maybe is why there was lonesomeness in every bottle.  No’lasses was ill suited as a rum.  Nine out of ten of our customers thought it tasted more like whiskey.  Less than one out of ten of our customers bought it.  Like our Agricole rum, No’lasses has been extinct for years. And like our Agricole it remains a “cult classic” amongst the “too cool for school” crowd.

Our apple brandy starts in North Carolina’s mountains, where we source dozens of apple varieties during harvest. Each batch is unique, influenced by frost, weather, and yield. Barreled in used bourbon casks, proofed at 100, this brandy is a powerful expression of local fruit, time, and craft.

Our small batch malt whiskey is pure barley, captured in carboys, loaded into barrels, and left on the wall to tell its story. No corn, no shortcuts, just time, wood, and human hands. When a barrel finally whispers it’s ready, we proof it down and bottle it. Capturing the quiet complexity that comes only from waiting.

We couldn’t find enough rye in North Carolina, so we turned to Virginia and built our whiskey from 100% malted rye. Barreled and aged in our rick house alongside our rum and malt whiskey, this rye expresses bold grain, subtle oak, and a flavor born from patience and craft.

Gin taught us patience, focus, and humility. Years of experiments—some aromatic, some like licking a pine tree—led to Balancing Act Gin, where juniper meets lavender, angelica, lemon, coriander, and dill in harmonious tension. It’s local, complex, and utterly drinkable—a gin worth the wait.

Flying Pepper Vodka was born on campus at The Plant, where peppers (including a breed developed on site, selected for smoky flavor without the spice) grow mere yards from our distillery. Hand-cut, inspected, and covered in vodka to concentrate the pepper essence, this vodka brings smoky, layered pepper goodness. It’s local flavor you can sip straight or in a spicy cocktail.

We’ve been aging rum on our barrel wall since 2015, letting it slip from gold to amber to its signature deep brown—no added sugar, no caramel coloring, no shortcuts.The result is a British style rum that’s smooth, oaky, and quietly complex.