Whisky Work. Without the E. It's a twofer on Edacious! In this episode, we hear from Marlene Steiner and Ian Thomas, both of Virginia Distillery Company in Lovingston, Virginia. Today's podcast is another chance to educate everyone on the American Single Malt spirit category and on Virginia Distillery Company who are making waves, collecting awards as they do. In March VDC was named the Best American Single Malt Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards, presented by Whisky Magazine. When their own single malt, distilled right here in Virginia, is ready in 2019? I've no doubt the medals will continue to roll in.
First up? A complete tour of the process and a conversation with Distillery Director Ian Thomas. Does single malt reign supreme? Are blends better? We discuss both schools of thought. There is true skill to blending consistently and a couple of different approaches. But a truly great single malt can be a beautiful thing as well. Both require their own unique talents. Whisky, like wine, has terroir. VDC's whiskies use raw materials and water from Nelson County. They're barrel-aged in Virginia, making it a true Virginia whisky, distilled in Virginia with Virginia resources. This is whisky without the "e" folks.
Next up we speak with Brand Director Marlene Steiner about more "Front of House" subjects like cocktails, distillery events, community initiatives, and of course The Virginia Whisky Experience Tour, a hands-on interactive educational foray into the origins of whisky right here in Nelson County.
A forest fire, threatened the distillery just last Fall, but thankfully first responders were able to save the business. Nothing was damaged and neighbors stepped up, allowing firefighters onto their property to backburn, minimizing damage. VDC responded by creating their Nelson County First Responders Single Barrel, partnering with local coffee roaster Trager Brothers on this project, and all proceeds were donated to Nelson County First Responders. The response was so great VDC now plans to do a charity cask every year. Taking potential disaster as an opportunity for community growth. What's better than that?
You can find Virginia Highland Malt Whiskey at your local ABC store or at the distillery. Get a gorgeous gift basket with a rose gold shaker. Grab some friends and join The Cask Society. Try the whisky-infused chocolates at Gearhart's (a past podcast guest). Stay tuned for their Whisky Tiki event later this summer. But not before listening to this fantastic episode. Cheers!
