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Lovell Bros Whiskey

Author’s disclosure up front . . . I didn’t feel like I could do a proper review of a whiskey without drinking it while I wrote it. So I am writing it while I drink it and I am damned sure I have drank a lot of it while I have wrote it. But whether I have had my first sip or my last, I consider Lovell Bros. Whiskey to be one of my favorite brands out there.

So there’s that.

Where do I begin with my love of the Lovell brothers? I originally met them at a whiskey tasting and pouring that our friends at The Old Pal in Athens hosted last year. The story goes that these two brothers, one 87 years old (Fred) and the other 86 (Carlos), had learned the ways of bootlegging from their dad back in the 1940s in North Georgia right outside of Clarkesville in Mt. Airy Georgia. They eventually decided to get out of the illegal moonshine business and developed property and real estate across the North Georgia mountains for the next 30 years.

Then in 2012, at the encouragement of Carlos’s daughter Carlene, they decided to make whiskey again. This time they decided to do it legit though and stay clear of the law.

What inspires two brothers to decide to start a business like this in their late eighties? I don’t know. But I want whatever they’ve got stirring around in them that motivates them enough to go out and create something out of nothing.

They have two offerings. Both good. My favorite is their Georgia Sour Mash Whiskey. It is so smooth and has a ton of complexity on the back side.

Let’s be honest, whiskey is an acquired taste. Never mind the fact that beer and wine and every other type of liquor takes some time to get used to it and to learn to appreciate it for what it is. But for some reason, most people give up on whiskey after their first taste. They may get adventurous one day and have a Jack and Coke when they’re at a bar and reach for one of the only cocktail names they know. But it’s so much better than that if you’re patient with it and give it some time to appreciate it.

I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to spend a lot of time with the Lovell Brother’s whiskey. It’s not harsh and it doesn’t have a huge bite. Let’s not kid ourselves, it’s not water. But it’s one of the smoother whiskeys I’ve drank. And because it’s on the lighter side, it’s adaptable enough to drink neat or to use as a mixer. My recommendation is to drink it straight. Use an ice cube or splash of water if that’s your thing.

It’s on the cheaper side at about $30 a bottle depending on where you look.

If you like whiskey and want to drink something locally made right here in North Georgia by two genuinely awesome and inspiring guys, this is your best bet. Or the most legal best bet you will find.

So pull yourself up a chair next to the fire, do your best Nick Offerman impersonation, and have yourself a nice glass . . . or two.

Lovell Bros Whiskey

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