RD1 Spirits has added a unique new position to its team as it continues focusing on the role wood places in whiskey flavor. The Lexington-based bourbon brand has named Jarrad Gollihue, Ph.D. as its new Research and Development Master Distiller.
RD1 Spirits said Gollihue “will lead this science-heavy position, overseeing RD1’s wood-finishing operations and experiments with new woods at RD1 Distillery at The Commons, slated to open in January 2025.”
Eighth-generation Master Distiller Jacob Call at Western Kentucky Distilling in Beaver Dam, Kentucky will continue to craft the brand’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
“The R&D Master Distiller role enhances our business and operational focus on stellar Kentucky Straight Bourbon and its intersection with unique wood from across the world,” said Mike Tetterton, chief executive officer of RD1. “We are fortunate to have a relationship with Western Kentucky Distilling and Jacob Call to supply our bourbon and now to layer in the expertise of Dr. Gollihue in our distillery lab with his focus on innovation on wood. RD1’s powerful distilling and finishing team will help us continue to write the next chapter in bourbon.”
Gollihue is a former University of Kentucky (UK) distilling researcher and instructor. The native Kentuckian earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from UK. His doctoral dissertaion was on “barrel variation impacts from cooperage to whiskey maturation.”
“There’s always been a thread to my research. I’m most fascinated by the flavor development we get from trees and plants, and how varieties in grains and wood can dramatically impact bourbon. When it comes to wood species, there’s a big world of flavor out there just waiting to be discovered, and there’s plenty of ground that no one has touched. Those nuanced notes are what get me excited every day.”
