18: Mark Vierthaler of Whiskey Del Bac Is Pursuing a Distinct Sense of Place, Transparently

Whiskey Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona, has pursued a taste of place in its spirits since opening in 2011, using local mesquite wood instead of peat to smoke-dry malt for its single-malts. Head distiller and blender Mark Vierthaler—also the interim marketing director—joined the team in 2021, leading the production of what he calls the distillery’s “love letter to the Sonoran desert.”

In this episode, Vierthaler joins host Sydney Jones to talk terroir, transparency, marketing, blending, and balancing art with pragmatism. Among other topics, he discusses:

• transparency and sense of place as integral to the brand
• sourcing rye whiskey—transparently—and filtering it through mesquite charcoal
• adding a rye that fits the locally rooted brand
• collecting and interpreting sensory data to craft a blend that’s better, not just to spec
• the push-and-pull of creativity and the needs of the business
• marketing perspective and brand consideration for distillers
• the Distiller’s Cut series as an outlet for creativity
• fermenting hot, up to 95°F (35°C), with special ester-forward yeast
• fermenting and distilling a cleaner product meant for aging in the hot climate
• using thick-staved barrels to mitigate for dramatic daily temperature swings in an arid climate
• leaning into Arizona flavor for wider appeal

And more.

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