Tattersall Distilling
Overview of the Distillery
Tattersall combines a Minneapolis cocktail experience with a large, visitor-friendly distillery facility in River Falls. The place is known for sustainability, large solar installations, and the use of local, Midwestern ingredients. In addition to producing whisky and other spirits, Tattersall offers guided tours, free self-guided experiences, cocktail classes, live music, a restaurant and an event center, so the visit ranges from tastings to larger private events.
Ingredients and Production
Tattersall's production is based on Midwestern grains and a range of technical choices visible on the product pages. Several rye whiskies use single-farm sourced rye (e.g., from Cambridge, MN) and a combination of AC Hazlet and Bono rye plus a share of malted rye. Straight Rye is described as mashed, fermented and twice-distilled through a pot still. For their American single malt (Interstate) they use a blend of malted barley, cherrywood-smoked barley and dark roasted barley, and this distillate is aged in virgin oak at both locations. Tightline vodka is organic and distilled from 100% Midwestern corn. On the barrel side, Tattersall works with both new and used barrels: charred white oak for primary aging, virgin oak for the single malt, and a range of finish barrels such as port-finish and used maple syrup-finish for special expressions. The producer also highlights on-site barrel rooms in River Falls as part of the aging infrastructure.
Maturation and Barrel Types
Tattersall uses several barrel types targeted by spirit type: charred white oak for classic whiskey aging, Minnesota white oak for their wheated bourbon, virgin oak for American single malt, and used tawny/ruby port casks for port-finished Port Barreled Rye. They experiment with special finishes such as used maple syrup-finish (Birkie WI-SKI) and finish on oak for aquavit. Several expressions have documented minimum aging times (e.g., a minimum of two years for their Straight Rye and at least four years for Interstate in the text).
Whiskies
The whiskey lineup ranges from classic rye expressions and a wheated bourbon to an American single malt and several finish-finished specials. In focus are bottlings such as 5-Year and 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond rye, a Straight Rye made with local ingredients, Interstate American Single Malt aged in virgin oak, and special editions such as Port Barreled Rye and a maple-barrel aged Birkie edition. The range shows both fixed core varieties and the site's interest in aging and finish experiments.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Barrel and Style | Tasting Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-Year Rye Whiskey | Rye Whiskey | 50 % | 5 years | Charred white oak barrels | Bottled-in-Bond rye made from single-farm sourced rye (AC Hazlet and Bono plus malted rye), aged five years.; Nose: Robu st notes of caramel and vanilla (as stated by the producer); Taste: Complemented by pepper and a hint of cherry (producer's note) | Current; Core Range |
| 7 Year Rye Whiskey | Rye Whiskey | 50 % | 7 years | Charred white oak barrels | Bottled-in-Bond rye in 7-year edition, based on single-farm rye and malted rye.; Nose: Robust notes of caramel and vanilla; Taste: Pepper and a hint of cherry (producer's description) | Current; Core Range |
| Interstate Whiskey | American Single Malt | 45 % | Min. 4 years | Virgin oak barrels; smoked/toasted | An early American Single Malt from Tattersall, distilled in Minnesota from a blend of malted and smoked barley types and aged at least four years in virgin oak at both locations.; Nose: Complex notes with chocolate and cherry plus a touch of coffee; Taste: Rich and complex (producer's description) | Current; Core Range |
| Rye Whiskey (Straight Rye) | Straight Rye Whiskey | 50 % | Min. 2 years | Charred white oak barrels | 100% rye, mashed, fermented and twice-distilled through a pot still, aged at least two years in on-site barrel room.; Nose: Vanilla, maple and soft oak; Taste: Robust and peppery with a hint of cherry; Finish: Long caramel finish (producer's formulations) | Current; Core Range |
| Tattersall Port Barreled Rye | Rye Whiskey (Port-finished) | 50 % | 2 years + 2 years port finish | Charred white oak barrels (primary) and Used tawny and ruby port barrels (secondary); finish: Two years finish in used port barrels | Distilled on 100% Minnesota-grown rye, two years in charred white oak followed by two years aging in used tawny and ruby port barrels.; Nose: Dark fruits and nutty notes; Taste: Intense dark fruit with spice (producer's description) | Current; Core Range |
| 6 Year Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon | 50 % | 6 years | Minnesota white oak barrels | Tattersall's oldest bourbon to date, made with Minnesota grain and aged in Minnesota white oak for over six years.; Nose: Toasted marshmallow / toasted marshmallow (as stated by the producer); Taste: Sweetness with notes of caramel, vanilla and stone fruit | Current; Core Range |
| Birkie® WI‑SKI™ | Straight Rye Whiskey (special barrel) | 40 % | Used maple syrup barrels; finish: Aged in used maple syrup-finish barrels | Straight Rye Whiskey, specially aged in used maple syrup-finish barrels, designed as a local tribute to the Birkie/Nordic ski tradition.; Nose: Robust and peppery with a hint of sweetness (producer's description); Taste: Peppery and light sweetness | Current; Core Range |
The Style and Flavor Profile of the Whiskies
Across the documented expressions, recurring notes run through: caramel and vanilla (especially in rye and wheated bourbon), peppery spice tones and hints of cherry in the rye line, and dark fruits, nuts and chocolate/coffee notes in the longer aged or port-finished whiskies. These flavor directions appear in the producers' own tasting notes for several products.
Visiting the Distillery
The distillery in River Falls is a visitor site with both public and private tours. Public guided tours are typically offered on Saturdays, while private tours can be booked during normal opening hours Wednesday to Sunday for groups of five or more ($30 per person). Private tours include three tastings, a Tattersall tasting glass and store discounts. In addition to tours, Cocktail Academy classes (standard class $59 with four cocktails and charcuterie) and facility tours of the event spaces are offered.
See times and book a visit.
Philosophy and Craft
Tattersall emphasizes sustainability and local sourcing. The distillery highlights an extensive solar installation, use of local Midwestern grains, partnerships with independent farmers, and a portfolio ranging from organic vodka to locally sourced rye. At the same time, they combine production with guest experiences such as cocktail classes and events.
Sustainability
The website describes the distillery as powered by the largest solar installation among distilleries in the USA.
Indicates use of local ingredients and collaboration with sustainable, independent farmers.