ROSELAND, Va. (News Leader) -- But, why is all the rum gone?
No, wait. It's not. Devils Backbone Brewing Company is just getting started.
Matt Casto started working at Devils Backbone five years ago as a beer brewer after studying brewing in Germany at Doemens Academy. He said there's not a huge difference in the distilling and brewing process, and one has to be proficient at one to get the other.
"I always wanted to be a distiller," he said. "But I knew if I wanted to be a good distiller you had to be a great brewer first. Distilling is just a natural extension onto the brewing process. If you can't make a good distillers beer or wash, then you're going to have a hard time distilling."
The idea of distilling came in 2014 and Casto has spent the past few months perfecting the product.
Now, Devils Backbone has a new product: Mountain Cane Silver Rum. This marks the first distillery for The High End, a business unit of Anheuser-Busch, which acquired Devils Backbone in 2016.
The new rum is an un-aged rum that is distilled from molasses and sugar cane. It's fermented and distilled, then it's left to rest to oxygenate.
"You're going to get that bold, toffee, molasses flavor without any of the oak that you would get with something aged in a barrel," Casto said.
Casto said he tries to get products as local as possible.
There are three fermenters, brewhouse, and two different types of stills in the distillery, which is located in Devils Backbone's Basecamp in Roseland in Nelson County.
A new distillery lounge and distillery were built on what has now become a sort of Devils Backbone campus out at its basecamp. Not only does it have the original brewpub, but an outdoor bar, seating, coffee lounge, stage and more — which includes camping coming soon. It's an entire village.
The process
Casto mashes in the molasses and sugar cane where he moves it into the fermenter, then it goes into a stripping still, which starts the distilling process and brings the alcohol content from 8 percent to 30. Next, it goes into the spirit still, which allows Casto to control the whole body of the alcohol flavor, alcohol percentage and more.
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The spirit is made up of heads, hearts, and tails — the stuff in the beginning, middle and end, respectively. Casto's goal is to really bring out the hearts, the middle meat of the spirit.
Other products to come include Nelly's Apple Brandy, Virginia Pine Gin and a beer schnapps which will use Danzig Baltic Porter.
At the distillery, you can sample a 2-ounce pour, grab bottles to go and some swag at the store next to the distillery lounge.
"This is really part of the passion product to bring people here to Nelson County. We want people to come here and try our cocktails and buy bottles, but we don't have plans on moving out too far," Casto said. "We love being a partner with Anheuser-Busch and they know this is part of our beer-first mentality. This is more lab and more fun things where we get to blur the lines of what a brewery and a distillery are. It's really a project based on the beer."
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Expanding
Opening in 2008, co-founder Steve Crandall said his goal was to grow. By 2016, they ran into funding problems where both he and his other partners took out millions to help further the growth. That’s when Anheuser-Busch stepped in and bought a 90 percent stake of the company.
Steve Crandall said this expansion is just another way of stretching the canvas of their products. The company has invested millions in the new distillery venture.
Heidi Crandall, co-founder and Steve Crandall's wife, said moving to spirits has always been a longtime vision.
"It's always kind of been in the cards as an extension to our brewing," she said. "You will take the brewing and extend it into the distilling by further experimentation and innovation comes along with that."
And it's a total collaboration between brewery and distillery, Heidi Crandall said. Casto works with Devils Backbone brewmaster Jason Oliver on coming up with new mixes along with experimental drink options — think beer cocktails.
"There's a lot of fun future projects ahead with our beer," Heidi Crandall said.
