I've been in contact with a distiller who has hinted that they are in production of authentic okolehao and they could be making an announcement in the very near future. This is not a fly by night operation. It's a brand that is familiar. This is a direct quote from part of my correpondence with them:

"Thanks for the email and the interest. It is a little too early for us to announce anything concrete.....
Best we can say right now is keep checking our website . . . and before you know it your efforts will be rewarded. Sorry I can't say more, but our company's policy is to make product announcements when we have actual product on the shelves to sell."

I don't feel like I should reveal who they are because of their business plan. This could be 'vapor ware', but I don't get that feeling from all that's been given to me.

I know, I know . . TC has been down this road before. And yes, I could be making all this up, but if you've been following some of my other oke posts you know I'm very serious about the subject. I've been trying to get an authetic recipe and the obscure ingredients to make my own. A commercial vendor may beat me to the goal line.

That wouldn't be Sandwich Islands Distilling Company on Maui would it?

Humuhumu caught wind of that in April of last year. Guess it's taking longer than expected.

No, not the Sandwich Islands Distilling Company situation. This is a different company.

I'll believe it when I drink it.

On 2007-09-11 23:47, Koolau wrote:
I'll believe it when I drink it.

Me too - but I'm hopeful.

Yeah, I hope they make me a believer. I want an official Okolehao hangover!

Crazy Al has his own opinion about okolehao!

http://www.tikimania.com/mp3/I'mPau.mp3

The Crazed Mugs are doing a tune called Spirits of Okolehao that tells the story of two brothers who stunble across an old okolehao still in the hills of Hawai'i.

The tag line to every verse is something like "And you just can't put it down."

It ends with a ghostly warning. Spoooooooooky.

Sure would be nice to try a little of the real thing.
The posts here about once a year that have the promises are fun to read although so far... no ti juice.

Well I watched the Three Sheets Hawaii tonight, and it reminded me of this long ago post.

Did some research sad to say, from what I can come up with is this. Kolani Distillers is suing Sandwich Islands Distillers. This was started in 2007 and is still in court on going.
I wonder if this is a trade secret thing or what. But sadly it may be some time before we get to see or taste any.

Any news on the okolehao? Sandwich Island Distillers doesn't even have a website (that I could find) and Kolani is still working on theirs.
I am kind of assuming that neither one will have a product.

Who knows the 808 State gov ideas on this?

A buddy visiting Maui yesterday brought me back a bottle of real 'Okolehao! It was made by Haleakala Distillers, out of Makawao town, Maui. Real ono stuff... bottle is already pretty much empty. From what he told me, only a few independent stores on Maui have it yet. I found a website for it http://www.haleakaladistillers.com

AAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHH! My brother was just on Maui a couple of days ago. Wish I would've known this...I would've made him go find a bottle and bring it back!

[ Edited by: Rum Balls 2009-12-28 06:43 ]

From Today's Maui News...

http://mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/527105.html?nav=10

Aloha

You might check out "Hi-Time Wine Cellers" in Costa Mesa,
we stopped by yesterday before going to the New Year's Eve,
Jungle Jettsetter Ball at Don the Beachcomber's,
and there was Okolehao (liquour)on the shelf,
the # is (949) 650 8463,
if you have questions ask for Forrest,
he always helps us.
hope it's what your looking for... P

I have never tried Okolehao before, so I have nothing to compare it to.
To me personally, the Haleakala Distillers Okolehao smells/tastes like Almaretto or Frangelico.

Got together with UngaBunga yesterday to sample and compare several different Okolehaos. I've had a stash from Hawaiian Distillers, who I think were still bottling up until a few years ago, and a small airplane bottle from Ti Root Distillers that's probably 40 year old. The Haleaka Distillers brew has a straight sweet vanilla almond taste with something of a spiced rum base. I would characterize it as a liqueur that because of its sweetness is probably best suited for a mixed drink. It's uncomplicated and easy to share with those who don't like 'difficult' alcohols. If you are a sweet rum lover you could easily substitute this in tropical drinks that call for a spiced rum and then get something a little different. Try it. Surprise the kids.
The Hawaiian Distillers Oko, which was made with a bourbon base, has a sweet taste too but it's not as pronounced. It has a slightly more complicated flavor that is a little different, but it doesn't stray too far from its whiskey lineage. I believe it was not made from actual distilled ti root but was an infusion.
The Ti Root Distillers Okolehao has a very unique taste that is hard to describe. There is a medicinal taste at the beginning that on first sip is a little tough to appreciate. You'll learn to like it very quickly though. The flavor that comes to mind is pernod because of the licorice bitterness, but it isn't too close to that. It defiantly isn't anything like you've had before. After the initial sip it fades into a mildly sweet taste with hints of smoky vanilla, almond and some nice fruit/floral over tones. The finish is very clean and leaves you with a nice warm feeling. It is definitely something you could enjoy straight up. In a mixed tropical drink I think it could be overwhelmed in something sweet. This stuff needs to be front and center in a recipe so it could be appreciated for what it is, and it's very nice.
So there is my review. I think you can figure out my favorite, but as always every person's taste is their own. Try Haleaka Distillers new brew and see what you think. We're lucky that there is someone who is trying to bring back something that is truly a part of Hawaiian - and mixology - history. We need to support those businesses that are putting themselves out on a limb with products that admittedly have a very small audience. No support means other distillers won't ever think of trying to produce their own brands. We need more liquor of all type from the Islands. And you can never have too many choices of booze can you? (smile)

[ Edited by: Okolehao 2010-01-05 09:29 ]

I emailed them and told how I had been hording vintage oke for years and looked forward to trying theirs. He said not to compare them. What you got n the day was generally bourbon. What he makes is the real deal and probably unlike anything any of us has tried. So, when making a drink that calls for oke, you can probably sub bourbon and be right on.

From Wickpedia:

The real or original okolehao can best be described as tasting like medium bodied neutral rum with a tinge of tequila flavor, and a nose of rum, sake and pineapple. Therefore, it does not resemble any other familiar spirit flavor profile.

Another scource of info:

Ti root drinks have been around for many, many years. It was in the 1780's when Captain Nathaniel Portlock first instructed the locals how to make a mildly intoxicating brew from the roots of these plants. In 1790 it took an escaped Australian convict, William Stevenson, to teach them how to distill a mash of fermented ti roots in the iron 'try-pots' used by whalers to boil blubber. The pots and the beverage took the name okolehao or "Iron bottom." Perhaps from the effects that the beverage produced! King Kalakuau, the Merrie Monarch who was known to occasionally imbibe, once granted a full royal pardon to a man imprisoned for making illegal okolehao. This infamous Hawaiian moonshine even earned a bronze medal at the 1898 Paris World Exposition and in 1915 took 1 st place at a San Francisco spirits competition!

Since the 1970's the now defunct Hawaiian Distillers produced and bottled a product under the same name that was loosely based on the original Hawaiian moonshine (some of which can still be found in certain stores if you look hard enough!) It is rumored that there is someone who wants to produce a commercial 100 percent Hawaiian okolehao using a formula that calls for a mash that is 25 percent ti root, 20 percent rice and 55 percent cane sugar, all grown in Hawaii . It has yet come to market.

[ Edited by: Unga Bunga 2010-01-05 13:42 ]

1963

1967

Great review of the old stuff
http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=363&task=displaybottling

Classic Velvets
by Song Shen

[ Edited by: Okolehao 2010-01-05 14:35 ]

An you can get to Haleakala Distillers from their advert banner on TC! ^^^^

1967

Old Fashions?? :wink: