By Dian Pasquinal Kaur
Drew Mayville is quite a character. Unlike some whiskey, he’s anything but dry. As an award-winning Master Blender and Director of Quality at Sazerac—one of America’s largest family-owned spirits companies, with over 400 years of history and a portfolio of more than 500 brands—he oversees some of the most sought after names in American whiskey.
During a tasting masterclass organised by Single & Available at Smith & Wollensky Kuala Lumpur, Drew held court with the ease of a seasoned raconteur, alternating between chemistry, craftsmanship and comedy. “I’ve been doing this a long time,” he says. “I started out at a company you’ve probably never heard of—Seagram. Oh, you have? Wait, your grandparents have? Oh dear.”
The room erupts in laughter. Anyone familiar with spirits history knows Seagram was once the largest distiller in the world before its empire was dismantled and absorbed by industry rivals. Drew joined Sazerac in 2004 and went on to oversee some of the most celebrated names in American whiskey.
Today, Buffalo Trace Distillery—America’s oldest continually operating bourbon distillery—is regarded as one of the world’s most awarded distilleries, with brands such as Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare and Weller earning devoted followings among enthusiasts. The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, released annually in limited quantities, has become one of the most sought-after whiskey collections.
“When you come to Kentucky, you won’t hear people talking about blending,” Drew says. “They like to refer to it as mingling.” He pauses before delivering the punchline. “But I refuse to call myself a master mingler.”
GUIDING AND EDUCATING
Despite more than four decades in the whiskey business, Drew remains, first and foremost, an educator. “We are very well known across the United States but lesser around the world,” he says. “My job is educating people about our products and the future of our company.”
“Some people describe the distiller as being the cook and the blender as being the chef,” he adds. “The two are merging. Blending is becoming more scientific, and distilling is becoming more artistic.” His team now uses equipment capable of measuring compounds at parts-per-trillion levels. Yet he remains convinced that the human palate still reigns supreme.
Most people, he says, nose whiskey incorrectly. Rather than plunging into the glass, approach gradually and allow the aromas to develop. Slightly part your lips while inhaling. “When you open your mouth and breathe in, it resonates and you pick up a lot more of the flavours.”
He also recommends closing one nostril at a time while nosing the whiskey. Since the human sense of smell naturally alternates between nostrils, different aroma compounds can become more apparent.
“You cannot use the first sip to describe whiskey because you’ve shocked your palate with the alcohol,” he explains. “Only when you take the second sip, once you negate the alcohol, you taste more of the flavours. By the tenth sip it’s delicious.” Glass by glass, Drew guides us through Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, 1792 Small Batch Bourbon and Sazerac Rye, highlighting the distinctive character of each.
WHAT SHAPES A SPIRIT
Consumers often compare bourbon to Scotch whisky and assume age statements are the ultimate measure of quality. Drew disagrees. “It’s less about the age and more about the maturity,” he states. Kentucky’s warm climate and the use of new charred oak barrels allow bourbon to develop colour, flavour and character relatively quickly. The result is a category capable of delivering remarkable complexity without requiring decades of ageing.
That said, Sazerac continues to push the boundaries of maturation. Earlier this year, the company introduced a 30-year-old Eagle Rare expression, which finished its maturation in the distillery’s experimental Warehouse P and is an extraordinary age statement in a category where extended ageing often risks the oak overwhelming the spirit.
“Some people describe the distiller as being the cook and the blender as being the chef, but the two are merging” — Drew Mayville
For all the excitement surrounding rare releases, Drew believes bourbon’s greatest strength is its accessibility. Asian drinkers, he says, are developing increasingly sophisticated palates, while younger consumers and more women are discovering the category for the first time. “It’s very palatable,” he says. “It’s got fruity sweetness, spiciness and balance.”
Just as importantly, bourbon can be enjoyed however you like it—neat, on the rocks, in a cocktail or with your mixer of choice.
That openness is part of what makes bourbon one of the world’s most democratic luxury products: equally capable of inspiring collectors to chase rare bottles or newcomers to order their first whiskey cocktail. Few are better placed to tell its story than Drew, an ambassador not merely for bourbon but for American whiskey itself.
