2024 Q3 Spirited VA - 16

DISTILLERIES
Highlands Distilling Company
The U.S. military and the mountains of Southwest Virginia provide
inspiration for owner Chris Saufley.
H
eritage matters at Highlands
Distilling Company in Marion. Honor
for the region, for military veterans and for
first responders is evident in the names
of the distillery and its spirits.
" Marion is located in the Blue Ridge
Highlands of Southwest Virginia, " says
owner Chris Saufley. " This area was
settled in part by the Scots and Irish, and
Highlands Distilling Company is named
in celebration of that heritage. " Indeed,
the Blue Ridge Highlands was central to
the liquor trade for more than 200 years,
sometimes illegally, when restrictions
became too tight.
Saufley is a native of Marion and a
veteran. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in
the Nuclear Power Program and served
on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65). He rose
in the ranks from there-he became a
Naval Flight Officer in 1996, qualified
to fly an electronic attack carrier-based
aircraft, served on three different aircraft
carriers, deployed to and flew in combat
zones three times, volunteered to serve
and deploy with the U.S. Army in Iraq
in 2011 and retired in 2015 at the rank
of Commander.
After his military service, Saufley
returned home to Marion and worked
alongside his father. He also invested in
a small local craft distillery, Appalachian
Mountain Spirits.
" I quickly became interested in the
distilled spirits industry, learning as
much as I could, " he says. The distillery
eventually closed, but Saufley's interest
in the industry continued. " I remained
friends with the distiller and, in 2019,
I approached him about trying again,
this time with much more control over
the direction of a new effort. "
Master distiller L. Scott Schumaker
began his distilling career in 2010.
He founded Appalachian Mountain
Spirits, co-founded the Virginia Distillers
Association and has won awards for his
products. He continues to ply his trade
at Highlands.
After licensing and build-out, the
Highlands Distilling store opened in early
2020. Despite the unfortunate pandemic
timing, growth has been steady, and the
future is looking bright.
The spirits of Highlands Distilling
Highlands Distilling focuses on whiskey-
appropriate for the region and its ScotsIrish
background-with vodka and gin
to round out the lineup.
Products and their rich backstories
include:
* Highland's Shiner's Gold Moonshine
(50.5% ABV), an unaged corn whisky,
was created as a tribute to the region's
legendary moonshiners.
* War Horn Virginia Whisky (45% ABV)
and War Horn Virginia Rye Whisky (45%
ABV) are named in honor of Lieutenant
Colonel Sean Schumaker, brother of
Master Distiller Scott Schumaker, who
commanded the 32nd Signal Battalion,
aka the War Horns, served in Desert
Storm and earned two Bronze Stars. He
passed away in 2011.
* Highlands Distilling Gin's (57%
ABV) bold and refreshing taste is juniper
forward with a hint of lime to follow.
The following products are available
from the distillery only:
* CAVU Straight Bourbon Whisky.
(54.5% ABV) In aviation terminology,
CAVU is an acronym for Ceiling And
Visibility Unlimited. That's a " quick way
to describe the perfect day for an aviator
to go flying, " explains Saufley.
* Revelations Virginia Smoked
Whisky (47.5% ABV) celebrates the rich
heritage of the Blue Ridge Highlands.
" The prevalent grain in this area is corn,
so this product is made with corn, rye
and heavily peated barley, giving it
that smoky flavor those who settled
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2024 Q3 Spirited VA

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