MONTVILLE, Ohio — Maple syrup and whiskey go well together, a combination that maple producers Kevin and Morgan Holy have already proved to be a good match with their award-winning bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup.
The Holys run Seldom Seen Farm, a maple operation in Montville, Geauga County, Ohio, consisting of 4,000 maple trees.
But now, the couple is taking their business one step further, making and selling their own maple rye whiskey through their new company, Seldom Seen Whiskey Company. Its first batch of maple whiskey will be on sale at the farm’s upcoming pancake breakfasts on March 7, 8,14 and 15.
“It completes the story,” Kevin Holy said. “We use the whiskey barrels for the syrup, and then the whiskey goes into the syrup barrels after we dump them.”
Seldom Seen Whiskey Company
The Holys’ journey in the whiskey industry began roughly seven years ago, when they started making bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup. This syrup is one of Seldom Seen Farm’s most popular products, aged in bourbon barrels for six to eight months to impart a hint of whiskey flavor.
At the time, the couple had already been supplying maple barrels for whiskey companies, and “people kept asking me why we don’t (age whiskey) ourselves, and it was like your a-ha moment,” said Kevin.
It wasn’t until 2020 that the Holys started taking their first steps toward creating their second business, “Seldom Seen Whiskey Company,” by crafting a business plan.
The Holys applied for their Ohio state liquor license two years ago, which came through in early 2025; last year, they aged their first batch of rye whiskey.
The rye whiskey is aged for four years before it comes to the Holys, who finish it off by placing it in barrels that previously held bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup. This whiskey is aged for an additional eight months to get that sweet maple flavor.
Starting a whiskey company certainly had its challenges compared to running their maple business.
“The whole process of just learning a whole new industry (is tough). The highest regulated industry in the country is alcohol,” Kevin said. It was also a long process, as the liquor license took 18 months to acquire, in addition to various other permits they had to get.
But now, with the clearances to sell their product coming through a few weeks ago, the Holys are ready to take the liquor industry by storm, and not just the whiskey industry.
Maple distillate
The Holys also started making maple distillate in the past year or so as a way to use their low-grade maple syrup. “It’s a great source for syrup that doesn’t go in bottles,” Kevin said.
The couple started crafting this maple distillate after hearing about a maple producer in Canada who was doing something similar.
According to Kevin, this low-grade maple syrup is often a byproduct of maple syrup that has an “off-flavor,” usually syrup that is produced later in the season when the weather starts to warm.
“Instead of trying to blend it into our good maple syrup, we just separate it and run it through the still because the flavors, the proteins and the sugars don’t come through when you distill it,” said Kevin.
The Holys have a 50-gallon copper still. The clear, maple distillate is 170 proof right off the still and is then aged for two to four years, which lowers the proof to roughly 100.
Seldom Seen Farm collects some of this low-grade maple syrup from nearby maple farms, as it doesn’t produce enough that would be necessary to make maple distillate.
While this maple distillate isn’t on the shelves yet — it’s set to be released in fall 2027 — the Holys are excited about this future product.
“It’s 100% distilled maple syrup that we made here on the farm,” said Kevin. “It’s a pure product, and it’s 100% from our property. It’s super cool.”
Renovations
Over the last two years, the Holys have expanded their operations by renovating their warehouse and bottling facility, and opening up a storefront.
They have a new and improved kitchen, which hosts their bottling facility, and the storefront, completed in early February, is home to all of Seldom Seen Farm and Seldom Seen Whiskey Company’s products, including several types of maple syrup, bourbon-barrel aged maple syrup, maple syrup BBQ sauce, maple syrup cotton candy and more.
The warehouse is also where the farm hosts its annual Pancake Breakfasts set to take place on March 7,8, 14 and 15 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Seldom Seen Farm, 10055 Madison Road, Montville, Ohio.
At the breakfasts, attendees will get to view the farm’s new storefront, eat pancakes with Seldom Seen Farm maple syrup and have a chance to buy the farm’s various products, including the first batch of Seldom Seen Whiskey Company’s maple rye whiskey.
“Combining the two industries together and exposing people who aren’t familiar with maple to whiskey and whiskey to maple, just experimenting is (our favorite) thing. You can come up with a million different creations and make them all unique,” said Kevin.
For more information, visit https://seldomseenmaple.com/ or https://www.seldomseenwhiskey.com/.
