Notes on the Templeton Rye production process
Recently there have been a few questions posed to us via Twitter about our production and distillation process, and whether or not we work with outside partners. Because it’s difficult to address those inquiries in 140 characters or less, we wanted to use our blog to follow up.
First off, it is no secret that we - like almost every new spirits brand - originally worked with production partners. We tell this story as part of our Templeton Rye distillery tours, at industry events, and it was even mentioned in our profile story in the Des Moines Register last fall.
Over the last several years we have taken on the serious process and great expense required to establish (and ramp up) production, and we’ve built a 12,000 square foot facility in Templeton, Iowa. We have been distilling in Templeton since 2005 and have sold product distilled in Templeton. Every drop of Templeton Rye has been processed and bottled at our facility and we are trying to grow rye in Templeton this year with the hope of eventually growing all of our grain locally. We’ve invested over $1 million in the local community and brought serious attention and excitement to the town of Templeton.
Keep in mind: had one of the big boys done Templeton Rye, there would have never been so much of a shovel of dirt moved in Templeton. We could have outsourced every aspect of this company as well, but felt that wasn’t the right thing to do.
Finally, the real underlying motivation for doing this in the first place, and for me moving back from Boston, is because it’s a cool thing for Iowa. Keith Kerkhoff and I are both small town Iowa guys and we love the fact that we are building a company and a product that the State of Iowa can be proud of.
The most satisfying compliments we get are from people who say “thank you” for making something that they are proud, as Iowans, to take to their friends in Chicago, New York, or wherever.
We have lots of hard work ahead of us, and we’ll continue to focus on building our company and being positive contributors to the State and local community. For those who are curious about our production process, I personally invite you to tour our distillery in Templeton, or just email us at info@templetonrye.com if you have further questions.
Cheers,
Scott Bush
President, Templeton Rye
March 27th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Hi Scott,
Thanks much for sharing some of the details. I had planned to do a tour last fall but my family’s schedule didn’t coincide with the tour dates you had.
I too moved back to the Midwest from the East Coast because I believe Iowa is great place to live and build a business.
The couple questions I have are
1) I’m guessing based on the label that Templeton Rye is not a straight rye. Is that correct?
2) What batches were distilled where?
3) Given the aging needed to make a good whiskey, when do you think you’ll have bottles of TR that come from solely from product distilled at your Templeton facility?
Thanks for sharing the info.
-Mike
March 27th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Mike, thanks so much for leaving a comment here! Below are some answers.
1.) Templeton is indeed a Straight Rye. We feel that term is a bit confusing to consumers so we chose not to put it on the label.
2.) Thus far we have characterized batches based on the production year as that is how we have distinguished them. We have worked with more than one production partner so it is not as clear as Batch I here, etc.
3.) That is a tough question but we think and hope very soon as we have not had any product distilled outside of Templeton for over two years now. Of course we do not know exactly what the future holds and where our brand will go but are pleased with what we have accomplished. BTW, if you want to come visit, plan on August 8th for our Summer Event in conjunction with the Templeton Community Betterment Association. More details to come but it is going to be called Rock & Rye 2009.
Cheers,
Scott Bush, President
Templeton Rye
March 27th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Mr. Bush,
Forgive me for being unsophisticated, but I’ve been following the thread on Twitter and still do not understand your answer to Mike Gorski’s question posted below:
“Given the aging needed to make a good whiskey, when do you think you’ll have bottles of TR that come from solely from product distilled at your Templeton facility?”
You answered:
“That is a tough question but we think and hope very soon as we have not had any product distilled outside of Templeton for over two years now.”
Given the frequent shortages in the Iowa market, how could Templeton Rye bottled in Templeton as early as 2007 still be in the marketplace?
Also, I hear that the federal government has records indicating that you purchased large volumes of Rye whiskey from a plant in Indiana within the last two years. If the whiskey was not purchased and subsequently sold as Templeton Rye, for what purpose did Templeton Rye Spirits LLC purchase the whiskey?
Please forgive me if the answer is obvious!
Regards,
Jodie Sodders
Whiskey Enthusiast
March 27th, 2009 at 9:14 pm
Scott - thanks for the details.
I think you would allay a lot of chatter in the whiskey world if you made clear the “straight rye” fact somewhere on your label. I agree most consumers probably don’t care, but no need to stir up fears in the connoisseur community.
I truly enjoy (and have probably spent more than I should have) your whiskey.
-Mike
March 31st, 2009 at 10:55 am
Hello Jodie.
Sorry for the delay in answering your question. I have been running hard in Chicago since Thursday. I think your confusion comes from not accounting for aging time.
The whiskey making process involves mashing, fermenting, distilling, aging, processing and bottling. The bulk of this is aging as our product sits in a barrel for 4-5 years prior to being bottled, so we are distilling whiskey today that will not be drank until 2014. As I mentioned, we originally worked with distilling partners prior to us building our facility in Templeton. Some of that product was stored off-site as well and that is what we bring into our facility on occasion to process and bottle. One of these partners is in Indiana. Again, we have been distilling in Templeton since 2005 and have not had any product distilled elsewhere in over two years.
Any product we had distilled elsewhere was paid for when it was originally produced so it would not be true to say the federal government has records indicating that we purchased large volumes of rye whiskey within the past two years as we have not purchased any new product in over two years. We do reporting for what are called Transfers in Bond which would be the product we had made 4-5 years ago that is sent to our facility via truck. Keep in mind that was distilled and paid for years ago. As a small company, we could only afford to have so much product made, which is why we are in short supply as we can not go back in time and make more.
Cheers,
Scott Bush, President
Templeton Rye
June 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Scott,
Love your product, and I believe that we sell more of it than anyone else! We own a small bar in Marshalltown, IA called the Coppertop Lounge, and Templeton is our premier product. Anytime someone comes in and is not sure what to have, we recommend your excellent product. It really is the House Whiskey!
We are planning to be in Templeton for the Rock & Rye 2009, and hope to get a chance to meet you. Until then, thanks for the good stuff, and thanks for your committment to small-town Iowa.
Sean McFarlin, Owner and Operator
Coppertop Lounge
207 E Main Street
Marshalltown, IA 50158
(641) 691-2477