Creative Distilling in New Orleans

A couple of self-styled “magnificent bastards” or, as we might put it, irreverent Texas Whiskey Guys, recently produced a video review of our Riz, Louisiana Rice Whiskey. By the way, this is the second video review of one of our spirits; if you haven’t seen it already, check out Goth Girl Adrienne’s video review of Toulouse Green.

We appreciate the energy and humor that these bearded rascals bring to the tasting table and enjoyed their review. We certainly agree with their sentiment that one should “walk around the street drinking [Riz] in public, in New Orleans.” For those out of town who may not be aware, that’s perfectly legal too, as long as you decant your Riz into a plastic cup or other suitable non-glass container first.

We were also intrigued when they compared Riz to a renowned, rare, and very expensive Japanese rice whiskey. After some nosing, sipping, and comparison, the rascals remark that Riz is “way more interesting and a little more approachable.” They further opine that Riz would be “really good in a cocktail.”

We’re also in strong agreement with the latter portion of their performance, in which they provide relationship advice and criticize “college style drinking” – namely, shooting down whiskey without tasting it. Visitors to our tasting room should be aware: no college style drinking is permitted!

Many thanks also to the kind efforts of a certain Robert & Kim Gremillion, who sent the bottle of our current release of Riz to said magnificent bastards, where they reviewed it in their room full of mirrors and whiskey bottles.

Ahem.

There were a couple inaccurate statements in the video. We understand. Incomplete information or innocent misunderstanding can often lead to outlandish or false claims. With that said, contrary to what is stated in the video, we are not “specifically focused on distilling rice.” While distilling Riz is an important and foundational part of our distilling, we currently produce more than ten different spirits.

Also contrary to what is stated in the video, the three year old release that Whisky Tribe reviewed is hardly the first release. In fact, Riz has been in research, development, and production for ten years and Riz has been released since 2013, when the initial release came on the market as a clear (unaged) whiskey.

Since then, we have been producing and releasing Riz for a number of years and have been distilling larger quantities. As our barrel stock increases, future releases are likely to be even older and more refined.

With any whiskey, or any spirit, there are many choices that can be made throughout the diverse steps of the production process. Each step, in and of itself, may be minor. But the cumulative effect of the different steps and significant decisions that must be made can have a profound effect on the final product. The choices that can be made at any stage of the process are often a matter of opinion. But the end result is a comprehensive statement on the results of those choices. With Riz, we have been making decisions on the ideal production method for a long period of time; we believe we’re on the right path and future releases will be the proof (or not) of those convictions.

Rice is a signature crop in Louisiana and this fact was the inspiration for developing Riz. Use a regional agricultural crop and reflect the terroir of the land. We invite you to raise a glass of Riz and to celebrate our Louisiana whiskey tradition.