Personal Attention, Community, Talking, and Education

Now that the new RD1 Distillery has been open a few months, I went to see how things are going at one of the brightest new gems on the Kentucky bourbon scene. I began by meeting the dynamic trio leading the operation: RD1 CEO Mike Tetterton, National Brand Ambassador and Co-Founder Barry Brinegar, and Jarrad Gollihue, PhD, Research and Development Master Distiller.

Tetterton is an entrepreneur with a long history of creating and growing several businesses. As CEO, he told me he responds personally to every review the distillery receives.

I asked what the customer reaction has been to the new facility. He said visitor numbers are exceeding projections and people are really enjoying the personal touch.

Tetterton cited a recent 5-star RD1 review: “It said, ‘Your staff is amazing. They took so much time with us. The cocktails they made were incredible.’ Visitors like the interaction.It sounds cliched, but it’s like “Cheers.” Visitors want personal attention, community, talking, and education.We want to teach something you’d know before you got here.Visitors want more than just to tour the production facility. They’ll come back because of that.”

RD1 has a unique system where a string of virgin wood stave pieces (including amburana wood from Brazil, mizunara from Japan, and oak from France) goes into the original mature barrel through the bunghole, where it spends anywhere from one to eight months. Taste is the true determining factor for how long the finishing staves stay in the barrel.

This focus on wood finishing really went into high gear last year when Gollihue, a former University of Kentucky distilling researcher and instructor, came on board to oversee RD1’s wood-finishing operation and experiments with unique woods from around the world..

I commented that when Gollihue joined RD1 Spirits last year, I thought he was the perfect person for the job.

Brinegar said, “When we were just starting out, we were throwing some wood in a barrel, and saying, “Oh, that’s good. I wonder if we can do that again. And then Jarrad comes in and brings this whole scientific method to the art of bourbon. We’re damn lucky to have him.”

Gollihue’s nickname is “Dr. Wood.” He said, “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.”

Life is a bit different for Gollihue now than during his days at the university (“I don’t have to write research papers anymore.”) but he’s still researching and teaching everyday. His “students” range from other staff members, visitors, and bourbon lovers he meets at events around Kentucky and the country.

“Jarrad can nerd out, but he can talk with you on your level,” Brinegar said.

To prove the point, we came across a visitor who had met Gollihue at a tasting in another state who brought his wife to Lexington to experience RD1 in person. He greeted Gollihue by name and was genuinely excited to see him again.

We stopped by Gollihue’s office, a mad scientist’s lair of experimental bourbons and whiskeys showcasing this distilling and blending skills, each one with a different wood finish.