Barley: Not Just a “Commodity” for Distillers (Episode 868: April 26, 2021)

In our last episode, we looked at how different types of Rye produce different flavors in whisky. While that’s relatively new understanding for Rye, it’s been common practice for generations among distillers to search out the latest, greatest Barley strains available for making single malts. However, most of those strains are selected not by distillers, but by maltsters looking for yield per acre and not necessarily flavor per dram. Seattle’s Westland Distillery has been working with Barley mavericks in Washington’s Skagit Valley to explore strains that don’t exist in the “commodity system” for several years, and master distiller Matt Hofmann joins us with the story behind Colere, a new single malt series that focuses on those unique strains of Barley. We’ll also have the week’s whisky news, including a management shakeup on Islay that caught the island by surprise.

Links: Westland Distillery | Elixir Distillers | Company Distilling | Beam Suntory | Johnnie Walker | Talisker | Oxford Artisan Distillery | The Lakes Distillery | The Glasgow Distillery | Glen Scotia | The Whisky Exchange | Jameson | Nc’Nean Distillery | Jack Daniel’s | Larceny Bourbon | Torabhaig Distillery | Method & Madness | Glenfiddich