Company:
The Bulleit Distilling Co.
Job:
Founder
Website:
bulleit.com
How long have you been working in the whisky industry?
Our family has been
involved in the whiskey industry for six generations. I myself have been
involved since I was a young man working
in distilleries. In the mid 1980s I founded the Bulleit
Distilling Co and brought back my great great grandfather’s recipe.
What has been your biggest career highlight to date?
In 2009 I was
inducted into the Kentucky Distillers Hall of Fame. There are only around 88/89
inductees, most of whom have since passed away, so it’s a very small group. The
Kentucky Distillers Association votes for new members, and you have to have a
unanimous vote to get in, so it’s extremely tough.
Can you remember your first dram, and indeed what it was?
It was on my 21st
birthday and it was a bourbon on the rocks shared with my father.
What does whisky mean to you?
Distilling bourbon
has been the fulfilment of a lifetime dream.
Where would you like to see yourself in five years time?
Well I was a Colonel in the US Marine Corp, and I had always hoped to make sergeant…!
What was your last dram?
I never admit to
whether Bulleit Rye or Bourbon was my last or is my favourite whiskey. I have
two children and my wife always says you can never identify a favourite out of
your children, even if you do have one!
Do you have a favourite whisky and food pairing combination?
American standard
bourbon or rye with steak. In the US, steak houses are usually heavy whiskey
places. Nothing beats a nice rib eye steak and a bourbon.
What’s your favourite time and place to enjoy a dram?
The same as my
father’s which would have been at home after work, before dinner. Also now and
then in a cocktail bar, experiencing a bartender’s creativity.
What do you think is going to be the next big thing on the whisky
horizon?
As a Kentucky
distiller, our on-going job is to make the best whiskey we can make for our
customers to enjoy responsibly. The big thing on the horizon for the Bulleit Distilling
Co is the launch of the Bulleit Bourbon 45% ABV and Bulleit Rye in new markets.
American Rye is growing dramatically, so it’s an exciting time to be launching
Bulleit Rye.
What’s the one dram you couldn’t live without?
This is relatively
obvious, I couldn’t feed my family without Builleit! But whether it’s Bulleit
Bourbon or Bulleit Rye, I refer you to a previous answer, I can’t identify a
favourite!
Many
thanks to Tom Bulleit. Who will be the next Whisky Insider? Click back soon to
find out!