Tenmile Distillery, located in a renovated dairy barn on 70 acres in Wassaic, Upstate New York, is making waves with its American single malt whisky, Little Rest. Founded by John Dyson, a former New York Agricultural Commissioner and owner of Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, the distillery aims to honor traditional Scottish whisky-making techniques. Dyson's son-in-law, Joel LeVangia, joined aspirations after Dyson had long harbored dreams of building a distillery that made authentic Scottish-style whisky. The distillery is situated about 90 miles north of New York City and is accessible by train.
The distillery began production in January 2020, with Fraser—the only Scottish master distiller in America—and LeVangia at the helm. They utilize gleaming copper stills from Scottish coppersmith Forsyths, the same company that supplies distilleries like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. Tenmile distinguishes its whisky through a slow production process, including a 160-hour fermentation (nearly a week, compared to the more common two days at larger distilleries) and slow distillation at lower heat to maximize copper interaction and leave heavier compounds behind, resulting in a lighter spirit. They also use locally grown malt from New York, malted at Hudson Valley Malt, approximately 40 miles away.
Little Rest, Tenmile's inaugural American single malt whisky, debuted after three years of aging in late April. The unaged whisky is noted for its sweet nose and tropical fruit notes, while the aged Little Rest gains gentle cinnamon notes from bourbon and wine barrels (including ex-Pinot Noir casks from Dyson's Williams Selyem winery in California). Despite a retail price of approximately $100-$115 for a 46% ABV bottle (Batch No. 002), the distillery emphasizes its commitment to quality over speed. Buyers of the first run secure priority access to future releases, with the distillery expressing excitement for what the whisky will be like at 10-12 years old. Tenmile Distillery, which joined the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission around 2022, has noted increased interest in American single malt whisky since its recent ratification.
