Montanya Distillers ... The world's best rum-tasting room!
Kelly J. Hayes: WineInk
Aspen Times, August 15, 2010
Excerpts:
"With apologies to Humphrey Bogart, of course, I have to say that of all the rum joints in all the towns in all the world … the Montanya Distillery in Silverton, Colo., has to be the most engaging."
"... it is the cocktails. They're made with rum, love and the purest, freshest ingredients found at the top of the Rockies, by a cadre of mixologists with a passion for both classic cocktails and newly created concoctions."
"For visitors, Montanya may be the worlds highest “Tasting Room”, but it is really a working distillery, the place where up to 12,000 bottles of rum will be bottled this year."
"Montanya is on the cusp of becoming a hot brand amongst the cocktail cognoscenti. In May the Platino, their silver Rum (they also make a golden-tinged rum they call, what else? Oro.) won a prestigious honor at the Miami Rum Renaissance. There they beat out a number of rums from more, how shall we say it, rum-centric places, to win the Best in Class for light rums."
"... at $6 a cocktail it is the best fine-drink deal in America. At any altitude."
 Venture
Snowboards' Storm Splitboard chosen for the coveted
Backcountry Magazine 2010 Editor's Choice Award!
www.venturesnowboards.com
Venture's Storm - R Splitboard has received the coveted
Editors' Choice
Award from Backcountry
Magazine!
As the premier backcountry skiing and snowboarding
publication in North America,
Backcountry Magazine
doesn't make endorsements frivolously. This
year's annual product test was held in March at Crested
Butte Mountain Resort, where a selection of boards from
top manufacturers were put through their paces both on
piste and off. When the powder cloud settled, our Storm
- R Splitboard emerged as a top choice.
According to
Backcountry, "outstanding tester response,
exceptionally high scores, and category-leading overall
performance contributed to our selection of the Storm as
a 2010 Backcountry
Magazine Editors' Choice."
The Storm - R Splitboard is a new addition to the
Venture lineup for winter 09/10. Based on our first
generation Divide splitboard and
developed in conjunction with Silverton Mountain, this
deck craves big lines and burly terrain.
Moderate taper and a softer nose provide float for
untouched powder fields, while a stiffer midsection and
tail lend stability and control in unpredictable big
mountain conditions. Our re-design for 09/10 includes a
rockered shape and slightly softer flex pattern for
increased freedom and mobility, and a new surf-inspired
nose that keeps you from augering into the deep stuff.
The Storm - R Splitboard will receive special coverage
in this year's
Backcountry Gear Guide - look for it on
newsstands in September!
Silverton Brewery's Ice Pick Ale
wins a Gold Medal at the 2009 North American Brewer's
Awards!
www.silvertonbrewing.com
A drinkable, yet hoppy, traditional India Pale Ale in
the British style. This ale will not pucker your mouth,
but will appeal to hop-heads simultaneously.
Dry-hopping yields a distinctive nose, followed by a
balanced body, and a notable hoppy finish. Malts are
not ignored in this brew, merely subdued.
Silverton's Public School awarded
$9.5m for Renovation!
State
education officials have recommended Silverton
School District receive a grant for nearly $9.5
million to overhaul the 98-year-old school building
and nearby gym. Final approval of the grant
from the State Board of Education is expected in
mid-August.
“It’s
really looking like this building rehabilitation
project is moving forward,” said School
Superintendent Kim White. White said the
school district has rounded up funding to cover 90
percent of the $11.2 million project cost. She said
the district is still looking at ways of coming up
with the additional $1 million to $1.2 million it
will need for the project. “A mill levy is an
option, but we have other options as well,” White
said Monday evening during a briefing to the
Silverton Town Council. White said voters can
expect some sort of election this November, either
to authorize the school district to borrow money or
for a millage to finance the school’s portion of the
construction costs. White said that if a mill levy
is needed, it would likely be no more than 1.5 mills
for 20 years. White said that among the more
innovative parts of the project is an entire new
heating system for the school and gym. The
idea is to make the school a high-efficiency “green”
building. A geothermal heating system is being
explored as part of that effort. White said
that in late August a drilling team will be taking a
look at what’s under the school playground, hoping
to find enough heat 150 feet down to boost the
school’s heating system. “The drilling is to
see what it really looks like in reality before we
go down that path,” White said. The current
timetable for the construction project envisions the
school finding temporary quarters in other buildings
in town starting in January 2010. By fall of 2010,
the building should be ready for occupancy again.
White
said the project will at last address “an
ever-growing list of needs” the school faces.
• New
electrical wiring;
• New fire alarm and fire suppression system;
• New heating system;
• New cafeteria and lunchroom;
• Classroom and science lab upgrades;
• Technology upgrades;
• Installation of an elevator;
• A new secure entrance on Snowden Street.
Historic preservation of the building is also a
goal. White said the outside of the structure will
look a lot more like it did originally. Inside,
however, will be a different story. “The goal
inside is for an historic feel rather than historic
accuracy,” White said, as the school modernizes.
White also emphasized that the school project will
allow greater community use of the school and gym.
She said she envisions open gym nights with “a
legitimate weight room for this community.”
The school would also be glad to share its
video-conferencing capabilities and use of the new
kitchen, perhaps even as an incubator for start-up
businesses to use when available.
 Silverton's
Montanya Distillers takes
home
4 top awards in 2009 International Spirits competitions
for its light and dark rums!
Gold Medal - Montanya
Platino
Silver Medal - Montanya Oro
International Rum Tasting, Miami
Silver Medal - Montanya Platino
Silver Medal - Montanya Oro
International Review of Spirits Awards, Chicago
www.montanyadistillers.com 
Taster's notes
(Beverage Testing Institute):
Oro: Fruity caramel and poached pear tart aromas follow
through on a supple, buoyant entry to a dry-yet-fruity
medium body with mocha, brown spices, and cola notes.
Finishes a lively coffee, toffee and pepper fade. An
engaging, spicy gold rum for mixing flavorful cocktails.
Platino:
Aromas of
coconut crème brulee and anise cookie follow through on
a soft entry to a dryish medium body with slightly
acidic peppery notes and a roasted nut finish.
Interesting."
To post your business news here,
please contact Kim Buck at
kim@sanjuandevelopment.org |
