Single Malt

In Chicago’s south suburbs, a stone’s throw from one of the world’s largest quarries, Ari Klafter is building a brand focused on single-malt whiskey—and he’s done just about everything else along the way, including rum, gin, vodka, and a line of Kosher for Passover spirits. As told to Ryan Pachmayer.

In this clip from his video course, Boulder Spirits distiller Justin Baier shares several details about how they age, evaluate, blend, and proof down different barrels of single-malt whiskeys, as well as how they finish some in different kinds of casks.

Distiller Justin Baier walks us through the details and numbers of mashing and fermenting a wash for single-malt whiskey at Boulder Spirits—including what sets the process apart from brewing beer.