Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/818616
94 / the tasting panel / may 2017 It's often hard to name one's company and products; how do you come up with something that is evocative of your brand's ethos, that can represent what you're about in a single word or two? Journeyman Distillery from Three Oaks, Michigan, has managed it quite adeptly, telling a story of their company's history in a fun and unique way. Bill Welter, owner of Journeyman Distillery, moved to Scotland, driven by a love of golf. He befriended a man named Greg Ramsay and began to learn about whisky. In 2001, Ramsay would move back to his home state of Tasmania and open a distillery, while Welter would move home to Indiana and work in the family business. In 2006, Welter trekked to Tasmania to help Ramsay at his distillery. After this experience, Welter moved to Michigan, where in 2010 he would open the aptly named Journeyman Distillery. "Before the distillery even opened I wanted to have an aged rye whiskey, but I didn't want to buy product from another distillery," Welter reminisces. "Instead, I contracted the use of equipment in another distillery and produced a few hundred gallons of an easy-drinking 60/40 rye-wheat blend whiskey, which is now known as Last Feather Rye Whiskey [$49.99]." Journeyman Distillery is located in a 35,000-square- foot factory that is known as The Featherbone Building. The distillery is also home to five cocktail bars, three event venues and a full-service restaurant named Staymaker. Many of Journeyman's spirits pay respect to The Featherbone's former life as a buggy whip and corset factory, like the Buggy Whip Wheat Whiskey ($49.99). While others refer to Welter's own journey, like the Bilberry Black Hearts Gin ($34.99) made with bilber- ries Welter discovered while living in Scotland, that are also native to Michigan. Referring back to Welter's love of golf, there's the Silver Cross Whiskey ($49.99) made from equal parts rye, wheat, corn and malted barley. Named after a medal given out in the early days of the British Open, Silver Cross is a tribute to the game, both its past and its future. One percent of all sales of Silver Cross is donated back to the First Tee program. Journeyman focuses on crafting products that are certified organic and kosher, and Welter is proud that all the products are made from scratch. While its unique backstory may draw you to this family-owned company, its superior handmade products are what makes Journeyman Distillery an American company to love. —Jesse Hom-Dawson What's in a Name? with Journeyman Distillery CATEGORY REPORT Journeyman Distillery Bilberry Black Hearts Gin Blueberries and crème fraîche are not your typical aromatics from a gin, but the bilberry—the Northern European version of the blueberry— certainly main- tains its sweet note here. Just a whisper of juniper wafts out of the glass. The blue fruit persists on the palate along with black pepper that morphs into a minty bliss. 93 —Meridith May Silver Cross 4 Grain Whiskey A Gold Medal winner of our San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Silver Cross offers a sensual nosing of honeyed apples and peach, with a touch of mocha. The grains are outgoing on the palate: toasted barley and wheat akin to the flavors of French toast, with baking spices and a white pepper finish. 94 —M. M. Last Feather Rye Whiskey Banana and mango make up the tropical bouquet that lifts out of the glass. The sweet tangerine, black pepper, toffee and baked apple notes keep the intrigue going. 96 —M. M.