Скачать или смотреть A Fine Glass of Whiskey: The Senator Rye 6 Year Summer 2021 Batch

https://dandm.com/the-senator-straigh...

One thing to get out of the way up front: this is not from a small distillery, and doesn’t have as compelling a backstory as many American Whiskeys We are also seeing a bit of an arc away from the single distillery, single barrel, cask strength that has held sway over the American Whiskey landscape for almost a decade. With Independent Bottlers like Barrell and Proof and Wood treating the varied style and sources of whiskey like a chef treats ingredients, we see some fun things headed down the pipe.

Proof and Wood is the company of serial entrepreneur Dave Schmier. Dave has been in the spirits business for over a quarter of a century and has done everything from running a boutique marketing agency for distilleries, to launching Indie Spirits Expo, to creating a series of spirits and whiskey brands. After surviving the Vodka years of the late 90s and early 00s- he and business partner Michael Kanbar formed Bardstown Barrel Selections. The focus was from the start on sourcing the work of others and not leaning too much on the ‘family recipe’ style of marketing. As Dave explained via email, when he and Michael "stumbled on" LDI (previously Seagrams and now MGP), “we were blown away by the quality of the rye”. This was around 2010 when everyone from Willett to Smooth Ambler was finding treasures from Indiana. After he and Michael sold Redemption in 2015 to a wine company looking to get into the spirits game, Dave took a few years off to work on his ski pursuits before launching Wood and Proof.

Via email we put forth a couple of questions to Dave, which we include below.

D&M: Congratulations on your recent accolade being named independent bottler of the year from Icons of Whiskey. We have seen a 60% increase in the number of distilleries registered with the TTB since 2017, how do you as an independent bottler see your role changing with an increase in the number of distilleries?
Dave: It's a slow change, initially there were only a handful of distilleries providing volume and quality available for independent bottlers. While distilleries come in many shapes and sizes, there are infinitely more opportunities for an Indie bottler to build a bigger library and offer special bottlings from single distillers or blend to a preferred flavor palate.

D&M: Are you buying barrels from some of these smaller operations / new distilleries or from more long term established distilleries?
Dave: [Mostly we have done] larger purchases from bigger distilleries, but we have commissioned some small batches (20 -100 barrels) from smaller distilleries.

D&M: With a 95% Rye and 5% Malted Barley mashbill, is it safe to say that The Senator is from LDI/MGP?
Dave: Absolutely. Since Michael and I started Redemption, LDI has been a core of [my] line to this day.

D&M: What do you look for in terms of aromas and flavors when you are assembling a blend?
Dave: What we are looking for is overall balance in the blend- it should have elements of spice and sweet.

D&M: How many barrels do you marry together when you are putting together a new seasonal batch for the Senator?
Dave: [Each batch is made up of] 20 to 40 barrels.

D&M: While the Senator is perfect on its own, what would be your preferred cocktail to make with it?
Dave: I like to keep it classic and highlight the spirit, so I typically enjoy this in a Manhattan or Sazerac.

D&M: With a name like the Senator, we have to ask-- which current Senator would you say comes to mind when you think of your Whiskey?
Dave: That's a tough one, I can say that like a good Senator, our Senator is always for sale.

The nose of the Summer 2021 release has aromas of roasted coffee, cocoa nib, orange peels, honey on rye bread, and soft caramel sweetness. On the palate, the proof is evident, but not overwhelming with flavors of candied orange peels, caramel, barrel spice, cinnamon red hots, and a light dill note to finish. Enjoy!