The Charlottesville 29

Orhun Dikmen, center

In Malt Masters 2025, top Charlottesville bartenders competed to create cocktails from a whisky tribute to Charlottesville. Once named the world’s Distillery of the Year, Virginia Distillery Co.’s first single-cask 100% American single malt finished in a port cask, The Charlottesville 29 Single Barrel, is a tribute to the place on which its success stands. “Crafted from this place, for this place,” the distillery says. The full story is in C-VILLE.

A panel of judges has sampled all the entries and selected a winner. During deliberations, the judges marveled at the quality of the entries: a showcase of the passion, talent, and creativity of the Charlottesville beverage community. Each one, they said, warrants praise, which they share here.

A Tale of Two Homes: Early Harvest — Orhun Dikmen, Smyrna

In Orhun Dikmen’s current home, Charlottesville, he owns Smyrna, the ancient name of his former home, Izmir. In Dikmen’s creation for Malt Masters, his two homes unite.

The concept behind single malt whisky is a sense of place. “Single” means made at one distillery, distinguishing single malts from blended whiskies that combine products from multiple sources. Single malts’ flavors, then, reflect the culture and climate of where they are made.

Virginia Distillery Company’s whisky tribute to Charlottesville was distilled by Virginia people from Virginia products in Virginia’s climate. Dikmen infused the whisky from one place he calls home with flavors from another: olive oil, mastic gum, and oregano from Dikili. “When I tried The Charlottesville 29 Single Barrel, I loved the notes of earth, smoke, and chocolate,” said Dikmen. To enhance those flavors without obstructing them, Dikmen used an olive oil wash and infusion of mastic gum and oregano that his mother harvested in Dikli.

For the cocktail, Dikmen’s preference for dry flavors led him to a Perfect Manhattan riff. To the infused whisky, he stirred in Cocchi di Torino, Cape Corse Mattei, and Amaro Montenegro. As for the name, olive oil connoisseurs prefer oil made from the first olives of the season, and the Turkish oil that Dikmen uses is indeed “Erken Hasat,” or Early Harvest.

Excellent on its own, an Early Harvest is even better with Dikmen’s recommended pairing, chef Tarik Sengul’s raki balik, another tribute to home. Inspired by seafood restaurants of Turkey, where fish is traditionally enjoyed with the Turkish liquor raki, raki balik is hamachi crudo, anise-compressed melon, fennel, Meyer lemon, and olive oil. “The cocktail means home for me,” said Dikmen.

For the judges, what sets the cocktail apart is the way it combines excellence on the palate with the very spirit behind the whisky: celebrating this place we are so lucky to call home. The judges:

“Early Harvest embodies a sense of place and of community. I strive to create a whisky for making memories and sharing with loved ones — over food, listening to music, creating art, etc. The flavors and aromatics of Early Harvest tell that story: authenticity and heart in a glass, with the whisky as the foundation.” – Amanda Beckwith, Lead Blender & Director of Liquid Development, Virginia Distillery, Co. 

“In the world of mixed drinks we always look to represent the spirit as a backbone of the whole structure, with good integration, balance, and complexity. Early Harvest adds an element that few attain, which is at its core: family values and traditions that create a nostalgia reminding us of the place we came from, a place that is tangible that we carry with us, and makes us who we are as individuals. That is a component that I recognize, love, and respect.” – Joel Cuellar, Speakeasy

“For me, taste is paramount. At that, the Early Harvest excels. Its dry finish cries out for food, and the pairing of raki balik heeds the call. Good on its own, the Early Harvest becomes special with raki balik, as the melon’s sweetness rounds out the dry finish. Beyond the taste, what a treat it is to sit with a cocktail and reflect on the love of community that inspired its creation. On a map, there is 5,000 miles of space between Dikmen’s two homes. In his heart, none.”  – Simon Davidson, The Charlottesville 29

With the Early Harvest, the Malt Master 2025 is Orhun Dikmen.