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Tasting
Notes
All rights reserved
©2009 F. Paul Pacult
The following story first appeared in the December 2009 issue
of F. Paul Pacult's Spirit Journal.
A
Spirit Journal appreciation of America's legendary whiskey
distillers.
 This
past August I traveled from the Hudson Valley, New York to Frankfort,
Kentucky to take part in a birthday ceremony for Master Distiller
Elmer T. Lee, who turned 90 this past summer. Lee is the
guiding light of Buffalo Trace Distillery and a personal hero
of mine. At the ceremony, I had the honor to talk about my first
meeting with Elmer back in the early 1990s. The meeting was set
as research for a story focusing on American whiskey for The
New York Times Magazine. I recall that the only time I could
get down to meet Elmer at the Ancient Age Distillery complex
(this was before it was renamed Buffalo Trace) was not a convenient
time for him. I was told that I could have 30 minutes, maybe
45 minutes with him, at the most. Having been made aware of Elmer's
distilling reputation by another legend, my late friend and travel
companion Booker Noe, I took whatever time could be given.
I was grateful just to meet him.
I arrived promptly at the
distillery at the agreed time and I was directed to a warehouse
where I found Elmer walking around checking barrels. He politely
greeted me. I remember thinking two things: how small he was
and how cool he looked in his sporty flat cap. I mentioned that
I was aware of his time constraints and that I would honor those
restrictions by asking him only eight or nine direct questions
about whiskey distilling and wood maturation. He nodded.
As we strolled around the
aging warehouse, me rapid-firing questions to Elmer and Elmer
succinctly replying, we lost track of the time. When we finally
arrived at his office to taste some samples that he had pulled
that morning for our meeting, I realized that we had been visiting
for close to an hour and a half. I brought this to Elmer's attention
and he said calmly, "No matter. It's fine. Stay a while
longer." That "while longer' ended up being another
hour of unhurried tasting, keen enlightenment, and pleasant conversation.
Elmer supplied me with streams of insider material for my article.
Not once did I feel rushed or made to feel a nuisance. I'll always
remember his kindness.
Buffalo Trace is in good
hands in 2009 with Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley filling
the role of the Trace's distilling maestro, having taken over
from Gary Gayeart. Harlen is taking the Trace, American whiskey
distilling in general and the legacy of Elmer T Lee to places
never imagined just a generation ago.
More Heroes
 As I write this
cover story in early October 2009, I look over at my wall calendar
and see that I'm heading back to Kentucky to help celebrate Master
Distiller Parker Beam's 50th anniversary at Heaven Hill Distillery
(Bardstown) over the weekend of October 23-25. Parker Beam, a
cousin of Booker Noe, is another of the glorious post-World War
Two generation of master distillers. When one considers the whiskey
roster that Parker has been the squire of - the brilliant Evan
Williams Vintage Single Barrel series, the sensational Parker's
Heritage Collection, the nuts-and-bolts Evan Williams Black label,
underappreciated Elijah Craig 12 & 18, Henry McKenna, Old
Fitzgerald, Bernheim Wheat Whiskey and more - it makes one realize
what a distinguished career he's had.
Like with Elmer, every time
I meet up with Parker, the pleasure of his mellow, serene company
is worth every second. Unassuming, courteous and funny, Parker
is a true Kentucky gentleman who happens to be another hero of
mine. Parker's genial and talented son Craig has been at his
side for years, learning the craft and honing his own distilling
skills. That fact alone assures the whiskey fortunes of Heaven
Hill for another generation.
Master Distiller Jimmy
Russell (official Pacult hero) of Wild Turkey of Lawrenceburg,
Kentucky is another of this hallowed generation who has come
to characterize all that's good about American whiskey distillers.
Affable, big in physical stature and acutely no-nonsense, Jimmy
has been at the forefront of American whiskey breakthroughs throughout
his superstar career, with achievements like the sterling Wild
Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon, Wild Turkey Rare
Breed, Russell's Reserve, Russell's Tribute, Wild Turkey Rye,
and the high-octane straight bourbon staple Wild Turkey 101.
Eddie Russell, Jimmy's son, has assumed many of the day-to-day
distilling duties since 2007 and has worked with his father for
more than two decades. Jimmy, though, will remain the heart and
soul of WT for years to come.
Bill Samuels of Maker's
Mark has been a good friend and a hero for more than 15 years
as he has astutely guided this iconic brand through the sometimes
choppy waters of commerce. Frank, witty, and commercially savvy,
Bill is an authentic maverick who does things his way. Now as
a portfolio brand of Beam Global, Maker's Mark continues to grow
and expand its international horizons under the watchful eye
of Bill's son Rob Samuels and Master Distiller Kevin
Smith.
I look at Bill and Maker's
Mark this way: whenever I'm in a bar and I order my favorite
cocktail, a Whiskey Sour, I always request Maker's Mark first.
Sue Woodley, my wife and the SJ Managing Editor, is also a fan
of Maker's Mark, but served neat with a side of water. It's Bill's
uncompromising approach to producing Maker's that brings it to
the top of the heap.
Master Distiller Jim Rutledge
(hero/friend) has been making spectacular bourbon at Four Roses
Distillery since 1995. In my view, the series of Four Roses single
barrel and limited edition bourbons that have been reviewed in
the SJ over the last three years have been among the best whiskeys
in the world. Jim and I try to meet at Grand Central Terminal
anytime he's passing through New York.
Master Distiller Chris
Morris of Brown-Forman of Louisville, Kentucky and I have
known each other since the late 1980s. Chris has been making
some of the best whiskeys in America through the venerable company's
Old Forester (the first American whiskey to be bottled) and high-end
Woodford Reserve labels. Chris is likewise a distilling historian
who gives keen perspective in every conversation.
Over at the massive James
B. Beam Distilling Company in Clermont, Kentucky, raconteur Jerry
Dalton was Master Distiller from 1998 to 2007 when he retired.
Jerry worked closely with Frederick Booker Noe, Jim Beam's grandson,
up until Booker's death in February 2004. Jerry's work on whiskeys
like Jim Beam White Label (still one of the best bargains in
all of spirits), Baker's, Basil Hayden's and many more cannot
be overlooked. Jerry deserves to be included in this illustrious
coterie of men.
Booker's son, Fred Noe,
is now assuming more of a role in the distilling aspect at Beam
and has for years taken the lead with Knob Creek Small Batch
Bourbon. Fred also safeguards Booker's signature whiskey first
released in 1988, Booker's Bourbon. Fred and I have worked together
many times at book signings, tastings, seminars and more over
the years and to say that Fred's company is always a pleasure
is a vast understatement.
Of course, my traveling exploits
with the late, larger-than-life Booker Noe in the early
1990s are well documented in my 2003 book, American Still Life,
so there's no need to rehash them here. When Sue and I were researching
American Still Life, Booker, Annis (Booker's widow) and Fred
took us in as family and never let us go hungry or thirsty. Never
have I consumed so many ham-and-biscuit sandwiches in my life.
All I'll say about Booker for the record is that he imparted
a lot of things to me, not just about American whiskey and how
to taste it, but also about personal integrity and never allowing
people who might not know better to rule who you are, what you
say, and what you do. Booker Noe was a gigantic man of strong
conviction, frequently acerbic opinions, a teasing wit and a
surprising gentleness when you least expected it. Booker was
a distilling genius and the most ardent lover of smoked ham I've
ever known. Both fine qualities.
Last, Sue and I wanted to
publicly celebrate these fine men and the work that they do because
they represent much of what's noble and real about large-scale
American distilling. I urge the up-and-coming small whiskey distillers
scattered around the States, whose pioneering spirit I admire
and applaud, not to neglect or casually dismiss the legacy generated
by Jimmy Russell, Elmer T Lee, Booker Noe, Parker Beam, Jim Rutledge,
Chris Morris, and Bill Samuels.
For consumers, take a sensory trip through the likes of Booker's
Bourbon, Maker's Mark, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Parker's
Heritage Collection, Four Roses Mariage, Blanton's, and Russell's
Reserve Straight Bourbon for a memorable journey through the
magical territory of American Whiskey Distilling.
© F. Paul
Pacult
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