Baltimore Spirits Company: Epoch Rye, Pot Stills and a Blending Visit
Updated: 5 days ago
Baltimore Spirits Company makes Maryland rye the centre of a working urban distillery. Its Epoch range connects pot distillation with a detailed interest in fermentation, while the visitor experience lets guests explore blending for themselves. The company’s current sales model also makes a difference to planning: it says its spirits are now available directly from the distillery, rather than through distribution.
Information checked on 27 October 2026.
At a glance
At a glance | Baltimore Spirits Company |
|---|---|
Country | United States |
Region | Maryland |
City | Baltimore |
Address | 1700 W 41st Street, Suite 430, Baltimore, MD 21211 |
Status | Operating distillery and visitor venue |
Founders | Ian Newton, Max Lents and Eli Breitburg-Smith |
Principal whisky | Epoch Maryland rye |
Current sales model | Direct from Baltimore Spirits Company |
In this guide
AI summary: key points
Baltimore Spirits Company makes its whisky in house at Union Collective in Baltimore, with rye at the heart of its identity.
Epoch Reserve and six-year cask-strength rye offer two starting points; the latter’s strength varies by bottling.
The visitor programme includes a 90-minute blending experience and the separate Cocktail Gallery bar.
Summarise this guide with AI
A company built around Maryland rye
The producer identifies three founders: Ian Newton, its chief financial officer; Max Lents, chief executive; and Eli Breitburg-Smith, head distiller. Their stated purpose is to restore rye production to its Maryland home. The company makes other spirits, but describes rye as the organising idea behind the business.
Its production claim is unusually clear: the whisky is mashed, fermented, distilled and aged in house. That makes the distillery itself central to understanding the bottles. The wider range includes gin, apple brandy, amaro and experimental spirits; those categories should not be confused with the Epoch whisky family.
A working distillery at Union Collective
The venue is part of Union Collective, an assembly of independent Baltimore businesses in a former Sears warehouse. Union Craft Brewing anchors the complex, with neighbours including coffee, ice cream and other makers. It is a practical setting for combining a distillery visit with time elsewhere in the building.
The Collective’s own description identifies Baltimore Spirits’ copper pot stills, open wooden fermentation vessels and geothermal cooling. Its parking guidance is more cautious than the usual visitor shorthand: marked spaces are limited, and individual businesses keep their own hours. Use the distillery’s current booking and bar information when planning your visit.
Rye grain, brewing yeast and copper pots
Epoch uses rye, including malted rye, and is distilled twice. The producer has not published a fixed malted-grain percentage or annual output in the sources used here.
Fermentation is a particularly revealing part of the story. In its September 2026 account, the team explains that early batches used surplus yeast from The Brewer’s Art’s Resurrection beer. It later adopted dried SafBrew T-58 to pursue a comparable flavour profile as production grew. The distillery also alternates yeast on some batches, giving it different components to work with.
The producer links those yeast choices with fruit character in the new spirit. That is its explanation of the process, rather than a claim that every bottle will taste identical. When comparing expressions, grain, fermentation, maturation and final strength all deserve attention; the number on the proof label is only one part of that comparison.
Reserve and six-year cask strength
Epoch Reserve is the accessible starting point in the current range. The six-year cask-strength edition offers a longer maturation and is bottled without dilution or filtration. Its exact proof must be read from the individual bottle.
Current sales are direct from Baltimore Spirits Company. Check the producer’s bottle shop for the expression available on your visit, especially if travelling for a particular cask. An older shop listing elsewhere does not establish that the same edition remains part of today’s release schedule.
Epoch Reserve Epoch 6 Year Cask Strength
The tasting descriptions below paraphrase the producer’s notes. They are not Whisky Clan tasting scores.
Epoch Reserve
Style: Maryland straight rye whisky
Age: Over 4 years
Strength: 50% ABV (100 US proof)
Cask or maturation: Not confirmed for this specific release in the sources checked.
Palate: Producer’s combined profile: cherry sweets, cedar, tropical fruit and cinnamon.
Epoch 6 Year Cask Strength
Style: Maryland straight rye whisky
Age: At least 6 years
Strength: Variable; 62.5% ABV or above. Photographed bottle: 64.3%.
Cask or maturation: Not confirmed for this specific release in the sources checked.
Palate: Producer’s combined profile: gingerbread, apricot and red apple.
Single barrels, experiments and a precisely dated award
The Epic Epoch Whiskey Club is one route into special selections. Its published programme includes quarterly bottles, member-only single barrels and priority access to limited releases. Collection arrangements and benefits should be checked against the current membership terms before joining.
The company’s 2026 Anomaly account also describes an unusually high-strength barrel discovered during stock assessment. The article explains the attraction of such releases, but does not provide enough exact bottle data here to create a separate specification card. A nickname or release story should never stand in for an actual strength, age or batch label.
In September 2026 the producer reported that its six-year cask-strength rye was a San Francisco World Spirits Competition Best in Class finalist. The same announcement looked ahead to a November result. As of this guide’s 27 October review, finalist is the supported description; an overall win is not claimed.
Blend a bottle, then explore the Cocktail Gallery
The advertised blending experience lasts around 90 minutes. It combines a production tour with four barrel-finished rye samples, guidance on assembling a blend, and a bottle that participants label and take home. The production stages are presented within one large room, making the relationship between equipment and maturation easy to follow.
For a less structured visit, the Cocktail Gallery presents the distillery’s spirits through cocktails. Its setting includes a light sculpture by local artist Greg St. Pierre and changing artwork. This is a separate way to experience the producer, so reserve the blending tour if the practical session is what interests you. Confirm the live schedule and ticket inclusions before travelling.
Other distilleries in Maryland and the wider Mid-Atlantic region
These guides are suggestions for further reading. Check locations, travel distances and current bookings when planning a visit.
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Frequently asked questions
Does Baltimore Spirits Company make its own whisky?
Yes. Its current account says it mashes, ferments, distils and matures its whisky in house.
Is every cask-strength bottle the same strength?
No. The six-year range is listed at 125 proof or above. The photographed bottle is 128.6 proof, so check the exact label.
Can I make a blend during a visit?
The booked blending experience includes four finished rye samples and a custom bottle to take home. Check current tickets for availability.
Can I expect to find the range in ordinary distribution?
The company’s current homepage says it sells directly and does not distribute. Use its own bottle shop for current availability.
Can I visit the bar without choosing the blending experience?
The Cocktail Gallery has its own published opening schedule. A bar visit and the booked blending programme are different experiences.
Sources and image credits
View sources and image credits
Baltimore Spirits Company: building Epoch flavour, 23 September 2026
Baltimore Spirits Company: Anomaly and high-strength barrels
Featured image: Baltimore Spirits Company.
Epoch Reserve image: Baltimore Spirits Company.
Epoch 6 Year Cask Strength image: Baltimore Spirits Company.
Research checked on 27 October 2026. Tour arrangements, releases and availability can change.
Whisky Clan original illustration — an artistic impression of Baltimore Spirits Company, rather than a documentary photograph.
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