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Koval Millet Whiskey

malty fresh
4
(2)€42United States, Illinois, Single Malt

Flavours

Whisky character

Fresh
Warm
Mild
Full
Smooth
Spicy

Taste mentions

Facts

Koval set up shop in Chicago in 2008, the first distillery in the city since Prohibition. Husband-and-wife founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker chose an unusual grain: millet. A tiny seed more common in birdseed than in spirits. They built a whisky around it from scratch. Every drop is grain-to-bottle and certified organic. With only the heart of each run kept and the rest tossed. The result is gently sweet and floral, soft with vanilla and fresh fruit. There is a malty, grainy core underneath. Each bottle comes from a single barrel, so no two are exactly alike.

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About the distillery

Distillery

Koval

Robert and Sonat Birnecker left academic careers in Washington, D.C. to open a distillery in Chicago, Illinois, in 2008. It became the first distillery within the city limits since Prohibition, reviving a craft that had been dormant for decades. Koval's whisky departs from convention in more than one way. The couple use a 'heart cut' method borrowed from European fruit brandy making, capturing only the purest part of each distillation run. They also work with unusual grains, including millet, alongside the organic corn, rye, and wheat sourced from Midwestern farms. That commitment to grain has helped Koval collect more than 100 international awards. Every bottle is single barrel, and the distillery still mills and ferments its own grain on site in Ravenswood.

4.3Average rating

7Whiskies on Distilld

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Illinois

Most popular whiskies from Koval

About the Koval Millet Whiskey

Koval Millet Whiskey is a craft whisky made in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Koval was founded in 2008 as the first distillery in the city since Prohibition. It is built around an unusual base grain. Most American whisky leans on corn or rye. This bottling instead uses one hundred percent organic millet. That choice gives the spirit its own character. The nose opens with apple and banana, lifted by a fresh, floral note. On the palate you find soft vanilla and a malty, grainy backbone. There is gentle oak from the cask and a light peppery spice on the way out. The fruit stays bright throughout. The millet base keeps everything light, clean and gently sweet. The distillery runs a grain-to-bottle operation. It sources organic grain from a Midwest farmer collective. Koval keeps only the heart of each distillation run. The heads and tails are discarded, leaving a cleaner spirit. Everything carries organic certification. This grain-first, single-barrel approach is what sets Koval Millet Whiskey apart from mass-produced bottles. Because each release comes from one barrel, small differences in flavour are part of the appeal. No two bottles taste quite the same. That is the trade-off, and the charm, of true single-barrel whisky. Enjoy Koval Millet Whiskey neat. Pour it into a glass and let the fresh fruit and vanilla notes come forward. It suits anyone curious about American craft whisky beyond the usual bourbon and rye. The millet grain makes it a genuine talking point for newcomers and collectors alike.