web02.fireside.fm Sat, 23 May 2026 03:02:40 -0500 Fireside (https://fireside.fm) Spirits & Distilling Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Spirits Sensory” https://spiritsanddistilling.fireside.fm/tags/spirits%20sensory Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:00:00 -0700 Enjoy and learn from conversations with leading distillers as co-hosts Sydney Jones, head distiller for FEW Spirits in Chicago, and Molly Troupe, master distiller for Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon, explore the technical and creative processes behind award-winning and storied spirits. It’s a podcast by distillers, for distillers, that covers the broad world of finely crafted spirits—botanical and herbal spirits, fruit distillations, agave spirits, grain spirits, and more. Listen as the hosts discuss every aspect of the process, from ideation and ingredient selection through conversion and fermentation, distilling, aging, finishing, proofing, and packaging. Subscribe to this bi-weekly podcast for tips and techniques that will help you make better spirits. en-us episodic Make and drink great spirits. Spirits & Distilling Enjoy and learn from conversations with leading distillers as co-hosts Sydney Jones, head distiller for FEW Spirits in Chicago, and Molly Troupe, master distiller for Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon, explore the technical and creative processes behind award-winning and storied spirits. It’s a podcast by distillers, for distillers, that covers the broad world of finely crafted spirits—botanical and herbal spirits, fruit distillations, agave spirits, grain spirits, and more. Listen as the hosts discuss every aspect of the process, from ideation and ingredient selection through conversion and fermentation, distilling, aging, finishing, proofing, and packaging. Subscribe to this bi-weekly podcast for tips and techniques that will help you make better spirits. no spirits, distilling, distilled spirits, bourbon, vodka, rum, gin, craft, craft spirits. Spirits & Distilling support@spiritsanddistilling.com 27: Ashley Barnes of The Blending House Uses Data to Drive Better Blends https://spiritsanddistilling.fireside.fm/27 a7fd8a26-b321-4215-9597-56661dc0155c Tue, 04 Mar 2025 16:00:00 -0700 Spirits & Distilling full Spirits & Distilling As a chemist with a background in pharmaceutical quality, Ashley Barnes developed scientific discipline and a data-driven approach. Now as master blender at the Blending House, she applies that same rigor to the subject of aging and blending spirits. 52:02 yes <p>Ashley Barnes, master blender at the <a href="https://www.theblendinghouse.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Blending House,</a> joins host Molly Troupe for an in-depth discussion of the scientific and sensorial approaches to building characterful blends. A former pharmaceutical quality chemist, Barnes was recruited by Buffalo Trace, later moved on to Four Roses, and has worked with (and learned from) some of the greats in the bourbon world. Now, at the Blending House, she works with nondistilling producers to carefully age and blend fine spirits using a variety of creative and data-driven techniques, while tracking environmental data such as temperature and evaporation to better understand long-term flavor development. </p> <p>Over the course of the episode, they discuss: </p> <ul> <li> Learning quality, flavor profiling, and profile maintenance from Four Roses master distiller Brent Elliott</li> <li> The challenge of creating different flavors from the same barrel stock</li> <li> Useful analogies for thinking about cohesive blends</li> <li> Both negative and positive selection for minimizing distractions while maximizing cohesion</li> <li> Controlling variables in rickhouse aging for more favorable flavor development</li> <li> Ongoing research on yeast and other topics</li> <li> The basics of labs for both blending quality and bottling quality<br> </li> <li> Sensory strategies for maintaining consistency through varying personal circumstances</li> <li> Building the right lexicon for sensory description<br> </li> </ul> <p>And more. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://gdchillers.com" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">G&amp;D Chillers:</a></strong> G&amp;D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&amp;D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&amp;D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com. </p> whiskey, bourbon, blending, spirits blending, spirits sensory, blending whiskey, whiskey blending Ashley Barnes, master blender at the Blending House, joins host Molly Troupe for an in-depth discussion of the scientific and sensorial approaches to building characterful blends. A former pharmaceutical quality chemist, Barnes was recruited by Buffalo Trace, later moved on to Four Roses, and has worked with (and learned from) some of the greats in the bourbon world. Now, at the Blending House, she works with nondistilling producers to carefully age and blend fine spirits using a variety of creative and data-driven techniques, while tracking environmental data such as temperature and evaporation to better understand long-term flavor development.

Over the course of the episode, they discuss:

  • Learning quality, flavor profiling, and profile maintenance from Four Roses master distiller Brent Elliott
  • The challenge of creating different flavors from the same barrel stock
  • Useful analogies for thinking about cohesive blends
  • Both negative and positive selection for minimizing distractions while maximizing cohesion
  • Controlling variables in rickhouse aging for more favorable flavor development
  • Ongoing research on yeast and other topics
  • The basics of labs for both blending quality and bottling quality
  • Sensory strategies for maintaining consistency through varying personal circumstances
  • Building the right lexicon for sensory description

And more.

G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.

]]> Ashley Barnes, master blender at the Blending House, joins host Molly Troupe for an in-depth discussion of the scientific and sensorial approaches to building characterful blends. A former pharmaceutical quality chemist, Barnes was recruited by Buffalo Trace, later moved on to Four Roses, and has worked with (and learned from) some of the greats in the bourbon world. Now, at the Blending House, she works with nondistilling producers to carefully age and blend fine spirits using a variety of creative and data-driven techniques, while tracking environmental data such as temperature and evaporation to better understand long-term flavor development.

Over the course of the episode, they discuss:

  • Learning quality, flavor profiling, and profile maintenance from Four Roses master distiller Brent Elliott
  • The challenge of creating different flavors from the same barrel stock
  • Useful analogies for thinking about cohesive blends
  • Both negative and positive selection for minimizing distractions while maximizing cohesion
  • Controlling variables in rickhouse aging for more favorable flavor development
  • Ongoing research on yeast and other topics
  • The basics of labs for both blending quality and bottling quality
  • Sensory strategies for maintaining consistency through varying personal circumstances
  • Building the right lexicon for sensory description

And more.

G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.

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