Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/288975
april 2014 / the tasting panel / 75 it, albeit in a slightly refined version for today's tastes, but still acknowledging the Duke's preference for quality. "I'm not a craftsman at that level," says Ethan, "but I am in charge of doing something appropriate with John Wayne's name. I remember hearing my father say, after having an especially good drink, 'I wish I could own a distillery and make great whiskey.' So when I was introduced to Jayson and Chris, and realized the magnitude of their craftsmanship, I thought it was a great opportunity to collaborate with people who were at the same level in their industry as my father was in his movie-making profession." Thus, Monument Valley Distillers was born, a partnership between Wayne, Woodbridge, Radomski and Howell. Its name pays homage to one of John Ford's favorite movie locations. And just as Ford kept returning to that majestic spot in Arizona, Wayne, Woodbridge, and Radomski returned to Kentucky to test and taste a wide range of whiskeys to find one worthy of the name "Duke." They finally found it "where the aromat- ics really kicked in, and gets back to John Wayne's timeless reliability and quality," says Ethan. This carefully honed blend of barrels, contain- ing whiskies that range from five to ten years old, results in a roundup of vanilla, cherry, cinnamon and slightly smoky citrus nuances, with a gentle pinch of spice in the finish. Appropriately, the 88 proof is double that of the .44 caliber Winchester the Duke carried. But even more surprising is the price; even though Duke tastes like an $80 bourbon, it will retail for $34.95, which, in my opinion, is dramatically underpriced. "It's a great quality product and it's over-delivering at that price point," agrees Ethan. "But we do John Wayne limited editions all the time and we often price people out of the market. John Wayne was accessible—he wasn't exclusive, he was inclusive. He was an approachable guy, answered all his fan mail, and we wanted this product to represent that. Of course, later on, we'll have programs where we can deliver something special at a higher price point. But we wanted Duke bourbon to be accessible to everyone, like he was." That's why, taking his Dad's teach- ing to heart, the inside label of Duke bourbon reads, "A Man's Gotta Do What A Man's Gotta Do." You can't see it until a third of the bottle is gone. So I guess it looks like I finally will have that drink with Duke after all. www.dukespirits.com Inside the bottle, the Duke's famous phrase, "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." PHOTOS: LEIGH CASTELLI PHOTO: LEIGH CASTELLI TP0414_072-101.indd 75 3/21/14 2:52 PM