What makes a Scotch worth $25,000 may surprise you

As published by Quartz

David Stewart, The Balvenie’s master of malt, and the longest-serving master blender in the Scotch industry, claims that roughly 70% of whisky flavor comes from wood. Over the last half of a century, he has discovered, through trial and error, just how different types of oak containers can drastically shape the profile of a whisky. Now, Stewart is taking all that he has learned—and distilled—over the years to create some of the highest quality, rarest Scotch ever produced. And while the drams can be described in myriad ways, “affordable” isn’t one of them.

As published by Quartz

Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger is just as passionate about Champagne as he is about the condition of the grounds that facilitate its production (including its lavatories). It may seem ironic that a producer of the classiest beverage on earth is obsessed with bathroom accommodations, but to this, Pierre-Emmanuel just shrugs and offers up his life motto: “Be serious. But don’t take it seriously.”

As published by Quartz

Thirty minutes outside of Park City, Utah, High West Distillery’s brand new 25,000-square-foot compound sits amidst vast stretches of open wilderness and magnificent mountain views. Blending modern and rustic aesthetics, the stunning construction set on a 3,500-acre luxury cattle ranch called Blue Sky Utah is any whiskey distiller’s dream-come-true. And yet, the apparent irony of this gorgeous new state-of-the-art facility–complete with a built-to-order Scottish Forsythe Copper pot still–is that High West has best come to be known for blending whiskey, rather than distilling it.

I WROTE THIS STUFF.

As published by Quartz

As published by Quartz

As published by Quartz

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