Part II: Whiskies of the World

My review of the "Whiskies of the World" expo earlier this week attracted a special visitor: Dean Phillips, the head distiller for Phillips Union Whiskey, was kind of enough to respond to my unfavorable review of their whiskey. His comment definitely deserves to be posted here on the main page:

Dear Ten Fingers 6 Strings:

Just read your glowing review of my new whiskey, Phillips Union.

I was hoping to find some salvation in "shit sandwich", but am still looking for the positive spin. Alas, I appreciate the fact that you took the time to taste our products.

I'm actually quite proud of our whiskies, and hope your legions of followers will, at the very least, give them a try at some point in their drinking lives.

In a whiskey world increasingly dominated by large, faceless conglomerates, I hope there's a bit of room left for the little innovative guys like us.

And, if you're ever in the mood for a Manhattan, try some chilled Union Cherry Whiskey with a dash of Peychaud bitters. You may be surprised!

Best wishes,
Dean Phillips

Dean, I do hope that you got the Spinal Tap reference in my two-word review. I am unapologetic about the review, but I'm sure you understand that we bourbon drinkers tend to be a rather intolerant bunch.

I am just one schmuck with an opinion, just like everyone else, and the beautiful thing about blogs is that it is an avenue to form and express our own opinions as others interact with us from their perspective. I'm glad that you came here to present your side of things and I hope that I can provide our readers here (all four of them) with a little follow-up to your credit.

Admirably, Dean sounds like a really innovative thinker and businessperson. Here is the write-up on the Phillips Union website about him:

Dean Phillips is the first generation of a spirits-producing family that, for over 90 years, has stood for qality and innovation. From introducing America to the delights of flavored schnapps in the 1930's, to creating the first flavored vodka in the 1950's, to launching the world's first luxury vodka in the mid-1990's, the Phillips family has been a longtime industry pioneer.

The revolutionary legacy continues into the 21st century with Phillips Union, a whisky with exceptional flavor and unprecedented smoothness.

That's an impressive pedigree and one that doesn't come easily. Peppermint Schnapps gave me a few headaches in my early drinking years. Alas, the one thing that we have in common is a passion for booze--Dean has a lot of it and it says a lot about him to take the time to address this stodgy bourbon fanatic.

Longtime blog readers are well aware of the term, "Read the whole thing." In this case, "drink the whole thing." Get a bottle of Dean's hootch, or order a drink next time you are out, and make up your own mind. That's how we do it around here.

Cheers.