A friend of mine recently told me of a tour he did at the Hayner Distillery in Ohio. He stated that before Prohibition, at the original Hayner Distillery, they heated the warehouse in the winter and during the summer, they... Continue Reading →
When hosting a party or dinner for friends, you like to have a Bourbon on hand that everyone can enjoy. It can be before dinner as an aperitif or after dinner as a digestive drink or as a cocktail with... Continue Reading →
I was recently invited, along with several other whiskey writers, to visit Jane Bowie in her lab at Maker’s Mark and see the process that she and her team go through to in order to bottle their special wood finish... Continue Reading →
The next phase of our whiskey making adventure is going to be bottling the whiskey. After we choose the expression or expressions of the whiskey, we have many other decisions to make. I am already getting questions about how people... Continue Reading →
Bill Thomas and I started this adventure almost four years ago. We contract-distilled four barrels of Bourbon at Kentucky Artisan Distillers. Our Bourbon is made with 60% Hickory Cane white corn, 25% rye, 12% distiller’s malt and 3% chocolate malt.... Continue Reading →
When I worked at Stitzel-Weller as an archivist, I always liked the summer. Walking between the warehouses brought that wonderful aroma of the angel’s share – Bourbon that was literally in the air. I admit, I had an air conditioned... Continue Reading →
I was invited, along with seven other whiskey writers, to be part of a private selection at Maker’s Mark to support the LEE Initiative. Besides myself, there was Susan Reigler, Sara Havens, Carla Carlton, Maggie Kimberl, Steve Coomes, Seth Thompson,... Continue Reading →
I would make a lousy owner of a distillery because I would be more interested in experimenting with making the whiskey than selling it. I would quickly go bankrupt! Still, I like to think about what I would do to... Continue Reading →
Back in 1992, when I was hired full time by United Distillers as their archivist in North America, I was fortunate enough to become involved with the Quality Control Department at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. That is where I met Mike... Continue Reading →