It’s been a little weird writing this Tribe newsletter the past several weeks. Usually, hanging around the distillery team and visiting MB’s gives me a spark of inspiration. Without that in-person camaraderie, it feels like I’ve been talking to myself - until I got some news earlier today.
Dennis Murphy (whiskey tribe email stud) just told me that we’re reaching the upper limit for signups on our newsletter platform, and we need to upgrade our account. Apparently there’s tens of thousands of you Magnificent Bastards getting this thing - and most of you are actually reading it...
Guess I should up my game.
Probably.
Maybe.
Eh.
Thanks for keeping up to date. In case you missed the Tribe’s live stream last week, Rex is now rocking a for-real skullet (mullet in the back, bald on top). After re-reading that last sentence, I may need to dial it back a bit. Having seen this abomination first hand, I don’t think it’s possible to "rock" a skullet. It’s more like a skullet happened, and everyone is just trying to wince their way through it.
From what I understand, this "Skullet of Solidarity" will remain perched upon our resident Mooch’s dome until MB’s across the U.S. no longer have to shelter at home.
"Why not the whole world, Rex?"
"I’d like to stay married…"
"Fair enough."
Fancy Dan and Alex-The-Hand-Model finished making an entire wall out of barrel staves, and it turned out pretty great. There’s still some tweaking to be done, but you should be able to see it in this Saturday’s Tribe episode.
If you want a quick glimpse before then, there’s a piece of it on the Whiskey Tribe instagram. Fair warning, it will haunt your dreams…
In this video, Rex and Daniel talk about The Whiskey Tribe - a big, salty and ridiculous community of whisk(e)y loving MB's. They've raised a whiskey freak-flag...
Is your inner bastard Magnificent enough to salute?
A pillar of poise. She stands alone before the thunderous throng of her Whiskey Tribe.
This gathering was unexpected. Unnerving rumors of foreign biscuits wars and new cults wash over an anxious community.
Finally…"Heed my words you Magnificent Bastards!!!", Emma roars.
Within seconds the Tribe is calm, stoic. (except for Schwab - he never shuts up.)
"You know me and my prowess upon the battlefield. Together, with sharp glasses and strong armor - we have slain many whiskeys! But truly I ask you… why are our t-shirts always black?!"
Eventually, MB’s begin to reply...
"But I like black!"
"It’s slimming!"
"All my other t-shirts are black!"
"Steady yourself Tribe!" She replies. "Answer me just 1 question… Are we the black t-shirt Tribe, or are we the Whisk(e)y Tribe!?"
Through the murmurs and confusion, she hears a lone Magnificent Bastard mumble to himself, "I guess color is OK sometimes…"
Ian Piggott is our unofficial whiskey article curator. Basically he posts a bunch of great whiskey article links in the Facebook group, and we go steal them and post them in the newsletter. Thanks Ian :-)
It started with a sabbatical and a case of whiskey. Time away from the usual research and teaching responsibilities -- and a bit of inspiration. University of Louisville mechanical engineer Stuart J. Williams wanted to learn more about how particles and fluids interact, which is called colloid science.
And just before he was set to spend some time working with an expert in the field named Orlin Velev, Williams talked to a colleague at the Kentucky-based beverage giant Brown-Forman, who mentioned that whiskeys happen to contain colloids. Thus a project was born…
Stuart MacPherson, Master of Wood at The Macallan, calls wood the "singular most important factor in creating a whisky’s character," since up to 80 percent of its final flavor comes from the cask. Nevertheless, How does aging works?
Two hundred years ago, two brothers crossed the Atlantic for Scotland’s wave-battered Isle of Skye, where they founded the picturesque Talisker Distillery. Today, a typical visit to that storied distillery concludes with a five-minute stroll through peaty countryside to the Oyster Shed, where the morning harvest from nearby waters is served on the half shell…
