Bhakta Spirits
Aficionados have referred to Raj Bhakta as the Indiana Jones of spirits for his relentless pursuit of the rare and unusual.
Raj Bhakta understands that life is a series of journeys that can lead to the unexpected. Perpetually fueled by this spirit of adventure and a penchant for the extreme, he explored numerous business opportunities in his early years before landing on his passion: seeking and producing the finest spirits. He established his first world-class rye whiskey, WhistlePig, in 2010, from which he departed in 2019. A year later, he launched his second: BHAKTA Spirits. The same year he bought a college campus.
Welcome to the BHAKTA universe, where anything is possible if pursued with derring-do and a splash of panache.
After leaving WhistlePig, Raj traveled to southwestern France where he stumbled upon a chateau that contained the world’s oldest collection of Armagnac, continuous vintages dating back to 1868. He soon possessed the skeleton keys to both the remarkable cellar and the chateau itself. And then, he transported the exquisite brandy to his other new home, Green Mountain College campus in Poultney.
Step back in time with one of BHAKTA’s vintage spirits. Photo courtesy Bhatka Spirits
“I love to seek and breathe new life into abandoned properties and forgotten spirits,” he says. The stately college campus is indeed coming back to life. The BHAKTA Spirits team has settled into the flagship Withey Hall, which contained the dining hall and student centers; some dorms have been converted into lodging for industry professionals invited to campus to partake in the immersive Griswold experience; staff and guests work out in the athletic facilities and relax in Adirondack chairs circled up around fire pits. “We’re big on fire pits here,” says Taylor Hansen, chief of hospitality. “Part of our staff training includes making sure they know how to build a proper fire,” he says, only semi-jokingly. And in another well-secured former campus hub, barrels of the world’s finest spirits quietly rests.
BHAKTA’s treasures begin with the single vintage Armagnac collection that dates back to 1868. A shaft of light passing through the sculpted Art Deco bottles accentuates the range of hues: amber, tawny, cordovan, blackstrap. Prices range from $150 to $22,000 a bottle depending on year. Pour a dram into a tulip-nosed snifter and savor neat or with a whisper of water to coax out subtle nuances.
BHAKTA also offers a 2013 bourbon and a 1990 Jamaican rum of astonishing depth. Like the company’s founder, the rum is particularly well traveled. The barrels left the balmy Caribbean island, journeyed to the Canadian plains to develop character, spent time in Tennessee to age in bourbon barrels before ending their journey in the Green Mountains where they now linger in Armagnac casks.
Specialty brandy blends include BHAKTA 1928, peppery rye whiskey fortified with vintage Armagnac, and BHAKTA 27-07, a marriage of aged Calvados and Armagnac, tailored for whiskey lovers.
The cup overfloweth at BHAKTA Spirits. Photo courtesy Bhatka Spirits
The limited-edition BHAKTA 50 reflects the company’s savvy artistry. This super-premium aged brandy blends eight different Armagnac vintages from 1868 to 1970 and finishes each unique product in Islay whisky casks. Only 38 batches exist so when they’re done, they’re gone. The 50 indicates that all the spirits selected for that run date back at least 50 years. Each barrel bears the name of a groundbreaker—Lindbergh, Gandhi, Fitzgerald, Morgan—and comes with a tale of that icon’s impact on the world. Something to contemplate and aspire to as you sip and dream of your own legacy.
So, who buys BHAKTA? People who possess exquisite taste and value the fine and rare, who appreciate a rich backstory. BHAKTA was the most decorated spirits company of 2023, and their (welltraveled) 1990 Jamaican rum enticed USA Spirits to hail them as the Distillery of the Year.
Aficionados have referred to Raj Bhakta as the Indiana Jones of spirits for his relentless pursuit of the rare and unusual. Or a character straight from the pages of a Fitzgerald novel. To which Raj tips his cap, smiles enigmatically, and strolls down to enjoy yet another sunset along the meandering Poultney River, center of his new universe.
Note: BHAKTA 2013 Bourbon and 27-07 Brandy are available in 802 liquor stores. You can purchase all the BHAKTA lineup of spirits at their retail shop in Withey Hall on the former Green Mountain College campus. BHAKTA will also be rolling out ticketed consumer tastings on the campus later this year. Sign up for promotions and events on their website.
The stately Green Mountain College campus is indeed coming back to life.
