Irish Whiskey Alchemy & Artistry at Hinch Distillery

Join us as we get “Lost Outside of Belfast” when we take a 25-minute cab ride from the city center to Hinch Distillery in bucolic County Down. With Head Distiller Will Stafford as our guide, we explore the sensory journey of whiskey making from the meticulous process of mashing, fermentation, and distillation to savoring the heady aromas of the “angels’ share” seeping from the aged wooden barrels shacked ceiling-high in the cavernous Hinch whiskey warehouse.

Next, Claire McLernon guides us through a tasting of Hinch's range of whiskeys and its Ninth Wave gin, highlighting the different flavor profiles achieved through the distiller’s alchemy and artistry.

Founder Dr. Terry Cross then joins in to share what it takes to succeed in the increasingly competitive whiskey business and talks up the business opportunities he finds at the Belfast International Homecoming, a yearly marquee business event that your co-hosts attended the previous evening, which we’ll explore in a future Irish Stew episode.

Pull up a stool and join us for a happy hour at Hinch.

Hinch Links

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  • Hinch
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Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 12; Total Episode Count: 115

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction
• 2:38 Will Stafford Background
• 7:08 Coming to Hinch Distillery
• 9:59 Grain, Whiskey, Stills, Flavor and Patience
• 13:18 All About Casks and Barrels
• 17:34 Getting Distribution
• 19:18 The Hinch Visitor Experience
• 21:00 Mash Conversion and Triple Distillation
• 27:25 Visiting the Angel's Breath
• 31:28 The Spectrum Room - Whiskey Color in Action
• 34:52 Meeting Claire McLernon
• 36:31 Tasting the 4 Year Old
• 40:05 Tasting the 5 Year Double Wood
• 42:06 Tasting the 5 Year Stout Cask Finished
• 45:00 Tasting the 15 Year Sherry Cask Finished
• 46:28 Hinch: Nearby Attractions
• 48:02 Tasting Ninth Wave Gin
• 51:45 A Chat with Hinch Founder: Dr. Terry Cross
• 55:05 John's Recaps the Hinch Experience
• 56:19 Credits