This Distillery is Working With University of Tennessee Scientists in an Attempt to Make Better Whiskey

(Image via Sugarlands Distillery)

Sugarlands Distillery is looking to science to make better whiskey. According to WVLT, the distillery’s team includes scientists from the University of Tennessee.

The goal of the collaboration was to be able to produce consistent flavor with each batch. “I think that’s what separates good distilleries from great distilleries is the ability to produce something really good every single day,” Sugarlands Master Distiller Greg Eidam said, per WVLT.

However, getting the same flavor every time requires more than simply following a recipe, which is why Sugarlands brought together a team including UT scientists.

Per WVLT, UT doctoral candidate Melissa Dein uses a “specialized gas chromatographer to analyze individual flavor compounds and aromas.” Each shot of whiskey can contain up to a hundred, giving them “a fingerprint of that whiskey.”

The distillery claims that because it can analyze the whiskey to this level, it has more control over the end product, ensuring consistency and that each sip is smooth.

The final product is Sugarlands Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey, which is said to have notes of black pepper, vanilla, caramel, tobacco and oak. The rye has also brought home multiple awards, including a gold medal from the 2017 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition.

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