🎙️ Ep. 126 - FETTERCAIRN DISTILLERY: Tropical Fruit Notes, Long Aged Whisky, and History

Milk Street Distillery (Branchville, NJ) WF0078 On the way to New England for the Great 48 Tour and I took a few backroads through northern New Jersey to discover unexpected scenery, the influence of unmalted barley, and two brothers who left construction jobs to take advantage of New Jersey's evolving laws on distilling. Join me for a laid back conversation with Mike and Gordon Geerhart, founders of Milk Street Distillery. We'll find out the story behind the names Murder Bourbon and War Penny, I'll test my palate on rum, and we'll find out what wild and crazy things happen here on Saturday nights.  Don't forget, there are 20 more minutes available in this interview to members of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy. Try a 7-day free trial at Patreon.com/WhiskeyLore and find the perfect book for the whiskey lover on your holiday list at whiskeylore.org/shop (discounts and free U.S. shipping).

Welcome to a surprise tasting event. Today I'll be joined by Greg King of Proof, who is going to introduce us to the 2025 lineup of Diageo Special Releases. In this episode we'll dive into the history of this series and Greg and I will taste the new Oban and Lagavulin releases and I'll toss in a couple wildcards as well. We'll talk a little about the distilleries and flavor characteristics. There are some nice surprises in this pack that includes: ● Lagavulin 12 Year Old 'Grain & Embers' ● Oban 12 Year Old 'Heart of the Harbour' ● The Singleton of Glen Ord 17 Year Old 'Into the Blue'  ● Talisker 14 Year Old 'Molten Seas'  ● Dailuaine 21 Year Old 'Marbled Treasures' ● Roseisle 14 Year Old 'Harmonic Grace'  ● Clynelish 18 Year Old 'Waxen Sun'  ● Teaninich 8 Year Old 'Daring Rye'  ‼️ DISCLOSURE ‼️ Whiskies supplied by Proof for this tasting. Opinions are my own. for this tasting. Opinions are my own.

Today, we're taking the week off from the Great 48 Tour and giving some much needed time to Scotch whisky and history. Join me as I chat with Stewart Walker, longtime Distillery Manager of Fettercairn in the Highlands of Scotland. We're going to dive back into the the origins of the distillery, the Prime Minister whose family owned Fettercairn at one time and his impact on Scotch whisky, the distillery's distinctive flavor profile, and how to make a 40 to 46 year old whisky wake up before it's bottled. Enjoy this commercial-free version on both Patreon and the regular Whiskey Lore podcast feed. I'm celebrating, as I close in on the completion of my next book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey. We'll get back to whiskey travel next week and I may even have the book ready for pre-orders. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Brush Creek Distillery (Saratoga, WY) WF0077 As we reach the end of the western swing of the Great 48 Tour, I reach the most sprawling and scenic distillery of the trip. Out in the wilds of Wyoming, isolated from the rest of the world stands a 30,000 acre ranch and luxury resort with a distillery, underground speakeasy, and some unique ways to reuse elements of its whiskey barrels. Join me as I chat with the Managing Director of the distillery Andrew Wason. We'll talk about who turned him onto this job, how that same person inspired him to put whiskey on the rails, and the "blank slate" in began with, and the industry veteran he leaned on for to get things going in the right direction. It's a fascinating conversation talking about an incredible destination. Patreon paid subscribers, get an extra 20 minutes of conversation---commercial free. 

Headframe Spirits (Butte, MT) WF076 Today, a bit of a hybrid episode. As part of the Great 48 Tour, I decided to revisit a distillery in the mining town of Butte, Montana. It's a distillery that tells the story of Butte America and the town's mining legacy through its spirit names. So, not only was I fascinated by it's storytelling, I was also intrigued by the fact I've seen stills around the country with Headframe's logo. So, I wanted to dive a little deeper with founder John McKee, who not only has a passion for making a unique (for America) style still, but also is a great ambassador for the town of Butte. A good bit of history, some talk about whiskey, and a wee bit of a technical deep dive into what makes his stills different from the pot stills and column stills we see throughout the industry. Enjoy this interview/flight with an additional 5 minutes of content as a member of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy: patreon.com/whiskeylore  Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Up North Distillery (Post Falls, ID) WF075 Occasionally I visit a distillery that stretches the imagination of what spirits can be. Randy and Hilary Mann have just such a distillery in the upper reaches of the Idaho panhandle. Up North not only makes a delicious single malt (featuring one of my favorite tasting notes) they also make barrel aged and barrel finished honey spirits, brandies, and a fascinating spirit that was inspired by a Bavarian spirit. Join me as we taste through some of these unique spirits and learn what it takes to distill honey, turn people on to brandy, and taste through a wide spectrum of spirits. Whiskey Lore Speakeasy fans get an extra 12 minutes of interview time. Join on a 7 day free trail at patreon.com/whiskeylore

Browne Family Spirits (Spokane, WA) WF0074 As we hit the midway point of the Great 48 Tour, we're hitting the furthest point northwest on our tour. Our destination is a distillery that lives in the shadown of a massive grain mill on the eastside of town. It's known in the area for great and innovative cocktails, its owners came from the wine industry, the distiller is a Kentuckian, and the whiskeys are filled with depth and character. Join me as I chat with Aaron Kleinhelter, master distiller, about working with Pacific Northwest grain, how he gets so much flavor from his spirits, and life for a Kentuckian in Eastern Washington.  And enjoy a few extra minutes of interview time as a member of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy, by joining at patreon.com/whiskeylore while supporting this independent podcaster. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Oregon Spirit Distillers (Bend, OR) WF073 Over the last 3 months, I've been scouring the United States for distilleries to list in my upcoming Experiencing American Whiskey book. But I've also been trying to find other things that would help whiskey fans discover new distilleries in each state. It was while trying to learn about Oregon's whiskey festivals that I was introduced to Brad Irwin, co-founder of Oregon Spirit Distillers. Brad and his wife Kathy run the annual Oregon Whiskey Festival each September at their distillery. It is just the kind of festival I was look for. So when it came time to plan out a trip to Oregon for a distillery visit on my Great 48 Tour, I thought, maybe I should stop by and see what this distillery is all about. Join me as I chat with Brad about starting with a wheat whiskey, how it differs from a "wheater" and talk about why the classics are always the best. Plus, I'll be popping into a store that many of you probably thought has long since disappeared. Enjoy an extended version of the podcast at patreon.com/whiskeylore as a member of the Speakeasy and support this independent podcast.

If you've been to their distillery in Louisville or read one of their bottles you have probably encountered the claim that that Old Forester was "the first bottled Bourbon." The story suggests that in 1870, a former pharmaceutical rep George Garvin Brown began placing whiskey in sealed bottles and putting his signature on them to show he stood behind the safety and quality of the whiskey. It's a great story. But is it true? Join me in this pilot episode of a potential new Whiskey Lore series, as I dig through old newspapers and archives to seek out the deeper story of who George Garvin Brown was, more about this fine spirit known as Old Forester, and how much of the story is truth and how much of it is lore. And if you enjoy this kind of deep-dive whiskey investigation and want to help this independent podcaster bring more episodes like it to life, join the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy at patreon.com/whiskeylore It is time to disrupt some whiskey history! Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Hinterhaus Distillery (Arnold, CA) WF072 Today the Great 48 Tour climbs over the Sierra-Nevadas into the great state of California. The drive in featured mountains, huge Sequoias, and some hairpin turns. The first signs of life (beyond some bikers and travelers at overlooks) occurs when you see the sign for Hinterhaus Distillery. This is a distillery I've long wanted to visit, thanks to the great support it got in my Instagram Fan Favorite Craft Distillery competition last year. The trip didn't disappoint. The Randalls are making some amazing whiskey without a lot of background. Quality ingredients, trying to stay as California as possible for terroir, and a love for experimentation. I've been enjoying the flavors I've discovered on this trip and Hinterhaus is a big part of that flavor story. If you're a member of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy at patreon.com/whiskeylore then you've got a full hour of conversation to listen to. We'll dive deeper into the pros and cons of wild yeast, dealing with grains in drought conditions, and how Nate Randall set up a distillery without a single consultant. We'll also go through several whiskies and even a brandy on top of the 2 we taste for the podcast feed. Enjoy this trip to the edge of the wilderness.  Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew