Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/76623
Dram On C story and photo by Elizabeth Kate hris Uhde looks good in a kilt. That's not something to which most men hailing from Athens, Georgia could lay claim. But Uhde is not your typical Southerner. He's a whisky man and that's whisky without that extra e, because Uhde's first love is Scotch whisky, with a preference for single malts. Western Division Manager for Impex and Southern Division Manager for JVS Imports, Uhde represents a fine selection of single malts and blends from Scotland as well as some very interesting American micro- distilled whiskeys. Uhde sees himself as a whisky educator, his goal being to "empower people to make more informed decisions about the whisky they choose to drink." Uhde actively encourages whisky lovers to go outside their comfort zone: "We're in the day and age where so much variety is at our fingertips." And if indeed variety is the spice of life, then Uhde represents some of the spiciest. Uhde's scotches include peaty island single malts like Kilchoman, from Machir Bay on the island of Islay. From a brand new distillery, Kilchoman is a blend of three-, four- and five-year-old whiskies aged in Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels. The Master Distiller cuts to the heart of the spirit early for a lighter, fruitier, early- drinking spirit. Kilchoman boasts sweet fruit and vanilla tempered by a light peatiness. Chris Uhde is Western Division Manager for Impex and Southern Division Manager for JVS Imports. Another notable is The Arran Malt 14 Year, hailing from the island of Arran, which is considered to have the purest water source in the world. A Double Gold Medal winner in this year's San Francisco World Spirits Competition, this whisky has a gorgeous nose of vanilla bean and leather and is creamy and lightly sweet on the palate with a long, elegant finish. Uhde's American whiskies include some intrepid producers who are taking risks and experimenting with different grains, single malts, hopped whiskeys and extremely small barrels. They are produced all over the U.S., including at Oregon's Chatoe Rogue, which grows all its own barley and "ocean ages" its whiskies in oak barrels for three months, and spicy Fog's End Monterey Rye Whiskey, produced in the traditional sour mash whiskey method in cool Monterey wine country. In the end, it's all about personal preferences. Uhde advises against getting caught up in the web of confusing names, places and production techniques. "Relax," he says, with a wink and a grin. "It's just whisky!" august 2012 / the tasting panel / 43 CHRIS UHDE, WHISKY SAVANT