About

Curators

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  Holly

  After relocating to NYC for my first “adult job” I was handed a glass of Lagavulin 16 neat at a sales meeting. I had never smelled anything like this in my life and it quickly became my go-to drink of choice. A few years later, all the while pushing outside of peated Scotch into Bourbon and Rye, I did start to wonder if my business skills could be utilized within the whisky world. I sat at my kitchen table one evening, with Nikka Pure Malt in my glass and mapped out my “Whisky Education Program”. I would save up over the next few months, leave my job, put everything in storage, and travel the world for almost a year visiting distilleries in Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Australia/Tasmania, and the United States. This networking tour led me to opportunities such as working at anCnoc, Knockdhu Distillery in Scotland, and earning my Certificate in Distillation from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling at Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland.

  This education journey became known as the “Her Whisky Love” blog and Instagram which would eventually lead me to join a small liquor retail chain in Massachusetts as their Whisky Specialist. The education program I had built for myself was finally paying off although I still don’t think my family and friends understood what I was doing quite yet. Since then I have continued to visit distilleries in Scotland, Tasmania around the world and more recently spent two years with Bacardi as the North American Brand Ambassador for their Single Malts.

  Over the years Charles has gone from whisky friend, hiking friend to family. After our first trip to Kentucky together, I could immediately tell we enjoyed whisky in the same way: sharing it and spreading the word about the amazing places it can bring you. There is no one else I would want to open this whisky shop with and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

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  Charles

  Growing up in San Francisco was an incredible experience. You take for granted all that you have around you, from cultural diversity to international food. Living now in Upstate NY via Nashville has made me aware of different cultural traditions across the United States.

  It was in Nashville that I fell in love with my first whisky, the Oban 14 Year Single Malt Scotch. I was living in the heart of Jack Daniels’ country, but it was the Scotch that allured me. This was over 20 years ago. Since then my passion for travel and learning has taken me to well over 100 distilleries around the world and I started a travel company, Rascal + Thorn, to bring people with me! During the last 6 years, I led over 10 whisky tours to Scotland, Japan, Ireland and Kentucky. And to complete the full circle, the Oban Distillery was the first distillery I visited in Scotland.

  I am so excited to work with my great friend Holly! We have co-led two whisky tours now, one to Kentucky and one to Scotland, and this dream of opening a curated whisky shop focusing on independent bottlings and single barrels has finally happened. Exciting times ahead, great whisky and travels!