A Unique and IMPORTANT Perspective On Sensory - Phil Downer, Wanderback #2/2

In a bit of a branch off the traditional approach of talking with distillers and whiskey makers, Matt takes a left turn and talks with Marty Duffy, U.S. Representative for Glencairn Crystal about one of the most ubiquitous symbols of fine whiskies the world over; the Glencairn glass.

Matt wraps up his conversation with Phil Downer of Wanderback in Hood River focusing almost exclusively on arguably the most critical aspect of making whiskey; sensory evaluation.  And of COURSE, arguably the most critical component of sensory evaluation is tasting! So we do that, too. With Wanderback's latest release, #5. And it is . . . SO good!

In the first of two episodes, Matt gets together with Phil Downer, Founder and Chief Whiskey Maker of Wanderback in Hood River, Oregon. And it's impossible to talk about his latest release (release #5) without talking about how and why Phil has chosen to take a bit of a non-traditional approach to how he's building his brand; by collaborating with other distilleries and like-minded brands focused on both quality and the exploration of flavor.

Making good on his promise from episode #34, Matt starts the deep dive down the whiskey rabbit hole to talk about milling with Matt Hofmann from Westland, and Murphy Quint from Cedar Ridge. This is so important to talk about, in large part because most people have NO understanding of it, but before malt can be mashed, it has to be milled, and that milling process is arguably the first step of the production process that has an immense impact not only of flavor, but on general perceived quality. Here's why . . . 

In this episode, Matt gets back together with Steve Hawley from Westland Distillery in Seattle to taste through (and talk about) The Judgement of Westland. The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant, in which French judges carried out two blind tasting comparisons: one of top-quality Chardonnays and another of red wines (Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California). A Californian wine rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world's best wines. In the spirit of the Judgment of Paris, Hawley and Westland set out on a mission to establish that single malt whiskies should be evaluated on their own merits, rather than (primarily) on where they've been made. This conversation between Matt and Steve takes a journey through roughly five months, more than 2,000 individual tastings, and single malts from America, Australia, India and Scotland. And the results are quite surprising!

In the second episode with Adam and Nora from Lost Lantern and Stephen Paul, founder of Whiskey Del Bac, we really dig into some  interesting flavor differences between three expressions - a couple of which, though distilled at the same time and aged right next to each other in identical barrels, taste unexpectedly different! We also talk a bit about Whiskey Del Bac's maturation program and delve a little into some really promising things to come!

In the first of two episodes with Stephen Paul of Whiskey Del Bac and Adam and Nora of Lost Lantern, we discuss the back story of Whiskey Del Bac, which was born out of a love of Scotch and a furniture business, as well as what it was that appealed to Adam and Nora. Adam and Matt also catch up about ACSA, and talk about the Good Deeds Malt Whiskey release by the Good Guy Distillers! AND be sure to listen all the way to the end to get in on the FIRST EVER Single Malt Matters single barrel release, featuring Balcones! 

The second and final episode with Caitlin and Joe starts off with a conversation around the strong sense of community in American Single Malt, as well as (to a greater degree) American craft distilling. From there we touch on topics ranging from the trajectory of the category and where it will be in a century, to the unfortunate circumstances that led to them posting signs in the restrooms reminding patrons not to flush their undergarments. No, for real though....

Episode 30, features Mr. Joe O’Sullivan, Master Distiller, and Ms. Caitlin Bartlemay, Head Distiller of Hood River Distillers/Clear Creek Distillery, makers of THE O.G. American Single Malt, McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt! This episode is the first of two with this genuinely passionate and dedicated team, and it’s non-stop fun from the very start. Listening to these two feels like conversation with close family around the dinner table, and you can’t help but smile throughout the whole episode. From lost posterity resulting from their founder’s terrible handwriting, to the OLDEST barrel of American Single Malt Whiskey on the planet (GIMMEE!!) to the impetus behind their origin story, this episode is a heartfelt, authentic peek behind the scenes of an inspired brand.

Episode 29 starts in Nashville with Anger Webber, CEO and co-founder of Corsair Distillery and creator of Triple Smoke. Some great ground was covered, most notably Andrew's approach to smoke and flavor exploration in a new category. From there, we head to the midwest and catch up with Murphy Quint for the first time since BEFORE the launch of his Quintessential single malt, and get his take on how it's been received and how it's evolving.