316 – More About Michter’s with Master Distiller Dan McKee


We’ve had the opportunity to interview lots of great people from Michter’s such as their Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson, President Joseph Magliocco, and their former Master Distiller Pam Heilmann. When Pam retired in April of 2019, Dan McKee stepped in. Dan worked alongside Pam at Jim Beam for many years and has a wealth of industry knowledge. We talk about selecting barrels for the 20 and 25 year old releases and learn more about what goes into their everyday products.

Show Notes:

  • This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about local store relationships.
  • What’s the funniest animal you’ve owned as a pet?
  • Are there ever any bad barrels when selecting Michter’s 20 and 25?
  • What is your process for choosing older releases?
  • How did you train your palate to pick these releases?
  • What was it like working at Jim Beam?
  • What can you tell us about your yeast?
  • Talk about the distillery.
  • Do you have specific protocols for picking barrels from certain places in the warehouse?
  • How big are the batches?
  • Is it easier to blend smaller batches?
  • What was the transition like to Master Distiller?
  • Do you overlap job tasks with Andrea?
  • Are you a morning taster?
  • What variations do you see in barrel proof?
  • Does lower entry proof age well?
  • What about the heat cycled warehouses?
  • Talk about the toasted barrel craze.
  • Any professional goals for 2021?
  • @michterswhiskey, @michtersmasterdistiller

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