Spirits of San Francisco: Inside Hotaling & Co with Kevin Aslan

Have you tried or heard of Old Potrero Rye? What about Junipero Gin? Surely you've heard of Hirsch American Whiskey, right? If not, Kevin Aslan, head distiller for Hotaling & Co. in San Francisco, is here to re-introduce these under-the-radar giants of American craft whiskey.

Old Potrero, when it first arrived in 1996 (distilled in 1993) was the first fully pot distilled whiskey in America since Prohibition. Add to that, it was 100% malted rye, no exogenous enzymes and no other grains. The brainchild of Fritz Maytag and Bruce Joseph, Old Potrero gave rise to a new generation of craft whiskey and continues to be a sensational product - if you can find it.

Hirsch likely needs no introduction, though I will say Hotaling has turned it on its head. Rather than trying to recreate "The Best Bourbon You'll Never Taste" as Chuck Cowdery has called it, Bruce and now Kevin are using Hirsch as their more experimental line, debuting bourbons, ryes, and American Single Malts. The release I tried - Departure - was 6 years 9 months and had all the ASM and funky barnyard you could want.

When a distillery that grew out of a brewery (Anchor) has 30+ years in craft whiskey, there's a lot to talk about. We cover the history, the products, the thoughts, and the transitions, with an eye to the future of this venerable brand.

Thank you to Kevin for entering the whiskey ring!

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If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

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Hotaling & Co.

• Hotaling & Co. Website
• Hotaling & Co. on Instagram
• Hotaling & Co. on Facebook
• Hotaling & Co. on Twitter/X
• Hotaling & Co. on LinkedIn

The First South Korean Single Malt, or, An Eagle, a Unicorn, and a Tiger Walk Into a Bar

Ki One (formerly known as Three Societies) was founded in 2020 with a simple goal: be the first Korean single malt distillery and set a benchmark for what Korean single malt could be. Given the reaction to their releases, one can only say well done. They are the first Korean single malt on the market, with three core expressions (the Eagle, Unicorn, and Tiger) and special releases exploring different parts of their components or playing with finishes.

What could Korean single malt be? Nestled on the north face of the mountains 30 minutes from Seoul, this distillery gets no direct sunlight in the winter and can swing between -4C and 36C throughout the year. Bryan came from a brewing background, Andrew Shand from a distilling family. Together, they've set a Korean "profile" that hearkens back to their heritage while highlighting something synonymous with Korea: spice.

Make no mistake: whether at 6 months or 5 years, this is a spice-forward single malt, evoking kimchi and gochujang pepper alongside the classic single malt by which they were inspired.

As the first, they had to chart a path, and we get into an unusually detailed description of how taxation and regulation can lag behind industry growth and, if unchanged, hamper it. This was Bryan's first longform English interview for Ki One - I hope you enjoy!

Thank you to Bryan for entering the whiskey ring!

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If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook.

Ki One Distillery

• Ki One Distillery Website
• Ki One Distillery on Instagram
• Ki One Distillery on Facebook

Heritage, Grain, and Grit: Matt McKay Revives the London Distillery Company

The London Distillery Company - TLDC - has, TLDR, had a rather rough two centuries. Two failed ventures, one in the early 1800s and one in the 2010s, the last ending in 2020 with a few dozen casks remaining, sitting in a warehouse for several years unloved.

Enter Matt McKay, a Whiskey Ring Podcast guest way back in Episode 70. Having recently departed Bimber and Dunphail Distilleries, Matt was looking for a project, something that would expand his already extensive whisky knowledge and give him a new challenge in the production space where he felt most at home. Those few dozen casks held some rye, a lot of single malt, and, more than anything, opportunities.

In his "distillery without walls," Matt is slowly and methodically rebuilding TLDC into a respectable company known for its own product (which remains quite limited but also nicely aged) and for blending. The Renascence was a release of their own stock, while the just-released Golden Union blends and celebrates English whisky from multiple distilleries into a harmonious expression.

Matt is unabashedly nerdy (seriously, listen to our previous episode, we got deep in the weeds), and he loves what he does. I can't wait to taste these releases and see what he does. Let's check back in a few years when they're farther down the runway....

Thank you to Matt for entering the whiskey ring!

_________________________________________________________

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

The Bottle Share Club - the $25/month Patreon level - is SOLD OUT! You can still support the podcast for as little as $1/month, and $5/month patrons will have first dibs if a $25/month member retires.

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram and Facebook.

The London Distillery Company

• • The London Distillery Company Website
  • The London Distillery Company on Instagram
  • The London Distillery Company on Facebook