Middleburg is known for its wineries, horse stables and posh shops. Now there’s another reason to visit this quaint Loudoun County town: private bourbon tastings, complete with overnight stays in a 19th-century manor house.
In September, the newly formed Middleburg Barrel Co. released its flagship 1787 Provenance Bourbon, aged seven or 14 years. The company also ages and bottles Reveries and Hunt Country bourbons at Provenance Estate, its 121‑acre working farm.
“The reason it is called Provenance is because our customers and our partners come out here and choose the whiskey that goes in the bottle,” says founder Viyas Sundaram. In other words, the brand’s connoisseurs play an active role in the origin story of the bourbon they choose to imbibe.
Sundaram, a former tech executive, retired from that field in 2018, but soon found himself turning his love of bourbon into a series of businesses. He started Bourbon Concierge, a D.C.-based seller of high-end bourbon and other spirits. He then opened the Fountain Inn, a whiskey bar in Georgetown. Middleburg Barrel Co. is his latest passion project.
The Middleburg property gives fellow bourbon enthusiasts a chance to experience not just pours of its flagship spirit, but a full Barrel Pick experience. Guests get to pull (or “thieve”) bourbons straight from the barrel, sample them and bottle their favorites. They can even make a trip of it by booking a stay in the estate’s Georgian mansion, Manor House.
“This is intended to be a micro-luxury culinary experience, oriented around the curation of a selection of whiskey,” Sundaram says. Here’s a peek at the property:
Built in 1850, the 7,500-square-foot Manor House was the original residence on what was once a 2,000-acre parcel. “The estate had extraordinary historical character but required meaningful restoration,” says Archana Mehta, president of the Middleburg Barrel Co.
Renovations included new flooring and updated bathrooms and a new kitchen, while many vintage elements were preserved. The stone walls, ornate living room fireplace mantel and most of the hardwood floors are all original.
In total, the house has has nine bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms and plenty of common areas. (Two of the bedrooms serve as a family suite and share a bathroom.)
The chef’s kitchen, added in the early 1900s, is today outfitted with modern appliances. A private chef prepares meals for guests.
The back of the house enjoys bucolic views of rolling hills, a small lake and the mountains in the distance. A stone patio with a fireplace offers a prime spot for warming up on chilly nights.
Most rooms in the house, including the library, have a fireplace. This room has about 2,000 books and looks out over the back of the property.
The primary bedroom upstairs has an ensuite bathroom. “The rooms blend refined touches with modern comfort,” Sundaram says, including Molton Brown bath products, cotton linens and “curated details that reflect the manor’s character. Each space is designed for a sense of calm, connection and a bit of understated luxury.”
No tasting experience is complete without a visit with longtime residents Martha and George, the donkeys Sundaram inherited with the property. Feeding the friendly equines carrots brings good luck, Sundaram claims. (Perhaps it’s just a ploy to encourage folks to give the animals a few minutes’ attention, but who cares. They’re adorable.)
Events are held in the long barn, once a 36-stall horse barn. “This was rebuilt using old fence posts from a barn that fell down on a neighboring property,” Sundaram says.
The barrels here are filled with coffee beans, not whiskey. “We age coffee beans in the barrels that are no longer being used for whiskey,” he explains. It’s part of a partnership with a friend who owns a coffee business.
The magic happens in Provenance’s two rickhouses—warehouses used for aging distilled spirits, which together hold more than 2,000 bourbon casks. The one pictured above has open slats in the roof for air flow. The other does not, to promote a more humid environment, which affects the alcohol’s flavor, says Jay West, principal whiskey maker.
Provenance sources bourbon from Kentucky distilleries and ages its spirits onsite. The alcohol that goes into the barrels is clear. As it ages, it evaporates into the wood, which acts as a filtration system, Sundaram says. “That’s what gives it its brown color and its flavor profile.”
Each barrel has a distinct flavor. West invites guests to pull liquor from select casks using a tool called a thief. The aged booze is then bottled and transported to Provenance’s tasting room, where guests can sip and choose their favorite.
“We are actually not in the business of making whiskey,” Sundaram clarifies. “We’re in the business—and I know it sounds kitschy—of creating shared moments. What happens around a glass of Provenance whiskey is what we’re more excited about.”
During tastings, West explains how whiskey is made. He pulls tastes from barrels approaching the end of their aging process on a quarterly basis. “There is no cap on aging,” he says, so if something doesn’t taste quite right, it can sit longer. Interestingly, the location of a cask in the rickhouse influences the strength of its whiskey. “Barrels on the first tier will stay consistent in proof,” he says. “Barrels at the top get hotter,” so they are slightly stronger.
Provenance spirits are currently available for purchase on site, and at several D.C. restaurants and retailers. The team is working to bring their products to Virginia ABC stores.
An overnight stay at the Manor House is $1,950 Sunday-Wednesday; $2,500 Thursday-Saturday. The rate includes use of the entire estate, including the mansion and its surrounding grounds, plus snacks and beverages. Artisanal meals, bourbon tastings and barrel picks are available as add-ons.
Those who visit are invited to partake in a little playful hunting, Sundaram says. “Tucked away within the Manor House is a small bronze fox—a nod to the region’s rich hunt country heritage. Locals say he’s the silent guardian of the estate, though guests often discover he’s not always where they left him. From time to time, the fox ‘wanders’ outdoors, tucked among the gardens or hidden near the stables as part of a guest scavenger hunt. Finding him has become a playful tradition, a modern homage to the hunt itself. Whoever spots the fox first earns a toast in their honor.”
Provenance Estate is located at 35487 Snake Hill Road, Middleburg, Virginia.