Founded in January of 2010, OOLA Distillery was one of the first distilleries to open in Seattle post-Prohibition. Located in Seattle’s vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood, OOLA produces small, handcrafted batches of premium spirits.
Kirby, can you tell us a little about yourself. What is your background?
K: I’ve done a pretty diverse set of things before finding this passion for distilling. I studied the arts as well as chemistry and math in university. After finishing school I raised milk goats, started a pottery studio, pursued sculpture and painting professionally, worked in the Alaska commercial fishing industry, painted and lived in Tahiti, started a residential construction/remodel business in Seattle, studied the culture and collected tribal artifacts in Papua New Guinea, raised an amazing son, found the love of my life, ran a gallery in NY and one in Seattle selling South Pacific antique art to museums and private collectors though out the US and Europe, before FINALLY finding distilling. Whew, this sounds like a guy that can’t hold down a job!
One can say you’ve done it all. What was your vision for OOLA distillery? Would you say it came true?
K: I wanted a community based business that created quality jobs with a purpose and spirits that excelled nationwide and beyond. In 2010 small scale distilling was new enough and it seemed if one worked hard, had some luck and focused on innovation and quality, one could make a mark in this world. So far, so good – we are growing at a healthy pace and we donate to over 150 local charities each year and have an amazing crew that I would say are pretty much family. The OOLA vision is realized in many but certainly not all ways – the fun has just begun!
As the founder of this distillery, can you walk us through what a normal day looks like for you?
K: I’m not a good sleeper so I’m usually up from about 3 am to 5 or 6 am. During these early hours I get some emails answered and do some reading on industry related subjects – pretty much all work related stuff that I don’t have time to read during the daylight hours. This is also the time to plot the next steps for the distillery – new whiskey Discourse projects, etc.
Then I try to grab an hour or two of more sleep make amazing Seattle coffee for my wife and I to consume in a quiet moment before the day starts. …..and then the dog and I head over to the distillery. It’s a 45 second commute – walking. (How great is that!?!) I make sure I have the place to myself in production at least a couple mornings a week. That is pure bliss – to get the stills going, check the fermentation’s, cook a mash, do some bottling, crank bad country music, 80’s new wave or old blues – all just me and the dog and incredible focus.
Then sometime between 10 am and noon the rest of the production crew comes in and pretty much takes over – damn they are good! . At that point I shift gears out of production and into the office where I try to focus on the big picture issues the business side is dealing with. My right hand on the biz end, Alan, has already completed multiple tasks that I want nothing to do with – out of state compliance, licensing, distributor issues, etc. It does take a village of just the right people…..Sometime between 6:30 and 8:00 pm I walk home. To unplug from the work brain (kinda) I spend an an hour or two cooking and have dinner with my always fascinating wife.
Do you source all your material locally?
K: Most all of our raw materials come from one organic farm in Eastern Washington – these grains are the basis of our complete flagship line. The gin botanicals come from all over the world plus my personal garden. Our Rosemary and Citrus Vodkas are all from botanicals I grow a block from the distillery. Having local sources and a responsible ecological footprint is very important to us at OOLA Distillery so it makes sense to source locally as much as possible.
What are some important things to look out for during the whisky distillation process? How do you ensure that there is a balance to produce consistent high quality product?
K: The main thing is to pay attention. Don’t run the still too hot ( fast) or get busy and space out when the cuts need to be made. Keep tasting and trust your palate and maintain focus – don’t rely on abv or time to make the decisions in other words.Also I feel like there is often too much focus on the distilling part of the Whiskey making process. Fermentation, mash cooking, conversion and barrel aging are all also key and in many ways more complex in the big picture of making a whiskey. Distilling is so important but just one part of the complex puzzle. The final choice of what barrels go into the bottling tank is the most significant time to maintain consistency and quality -assuming you have done everything else right this is your chance at creating something truly special.
Can you give us some brief info on the types of Whisky’s you currently produce?
K: Oh yes, we are doing some cool stuff in the whiskey realm. We make a classic wheated bourbon. Named one of the top spirits of 2014 by Wine and Spirits Enthusiast. Watch out Kentucky- you do it right but this ones a contender. See below for more about our Whiskeys.
Tell us a bit about the Whiskey Discourse collection?
K: We also have four whiskies in our Whiskey Discourse Series. These are all about taking whiskey traditions and working them in new and innovative ways – creating different “conversations” within the spirit. We started relatively conservatively by taking our 4 yo Waitsburg Bourbon and aging in an additional 10 months in a used Cabernet Sauvignon wine barrel ( French oak). The transformation was epic. Rated ” highly recommended” by the Tasting Panel the release sold out immediately.
The next conversation in the discourse series was our Smoked Whiskey. Peat and sweet smoked whiskeys were put into balance in this one. Our sweet smoked whiskey was made by smoking malted barley with cherry and apple wood as well as used bourbon barrel staves. Subtle and exquisite. A hands down favorite of bartenders.
The three Shores World Whiskey is a unique conversation in the Whiskey World. I took the iconic whiskey from three different countries and, after too many trials to admit to, I came up with a blend that lets them all have their say. Rye from Canada, lightly peated Scotch and our own sweet smooth Bourbon in perfect balance (at least to my palate ;))
We also just released a black label version based on the success of the first Discourse Whiskey where we aged the Three Shores blend for an additional year in french oak used wine barrels. Baking spices emerged – the whole whiskey became more lively on the palate – so much positive change in one additional year. These have to be tasted side by side to be understood. The next release in the Discourse Series is still a deep dark secret but may be the best ever.
Let’s get a bit personal Kirby and talk whisky experiences. Do you remember your first dram? Is there a story behind it?
K: Yes. One of my best friends celebrated his birthday in Paris and opened a 40 year old Calvados and then another. Chance of a lifetime. Crazy fireworks on the palate! Maybe that was the beginning of all this.
Have you always been a whiskey drinker? Do you take your whiskey neat or on the rocks?
K: No, not always a whiskey drinker by a long shot. The Whiskey focus started just a few years before the distillery. Maybe ten or twelve years of serious study at this point so I’ve had some time to get my chips down! I almost always drink a two+ to three fingers pour (luckily I have fat fingers) the first is neat. If I’m a fan, most of the second is also neat. Then I add the biggest ice cube my favorite glass can hold and start getting focused on a more analytical way.
So much happens when you dilute a whiskey. There can be only Angels on the palette until the ABV lowers but then you can find some Devils lurking. Lowering the proof is So important in assessing whiskey. But other times I just imbibe the complete glass neat and soak in the friendship and mood even a mediocre dram can enhance. I try not to take this all to seriously when enjoying the fruits of some ones labor – one can lose the point of it all, right? … And there is plenty of seriousness in production.
Have you seen changes within the whisky industry since you’ve been in this business?
K: Small distilleries have finally gotten some respect. Maybe the whiskey we make is now older and better but people are taking notice. Whew.
Where do you see the whiskey business being/going 3 years from now?
K: For us small guys, innovation will rule as long as it doesn’t get too far off base and weird and lose site of quality. Traditional brown spirits are pretty damn good but a little innovation is key to keeping people interested in what we do.
Is there anything else you would like to share with Tastethedram readers?
K: I want to encourage your readers to seek out new spirits and try them! …..and stay curious!!
