Story and photos by Elizabeth Woessner
Nestled high above Black Hawk, Rick Thomas Distillery is creating distinctly Coloradoan whiskey using techniques firmly rooted in Scotland. The family-owned operation was founded by Brian Watts and named for his father, Richard Thomas Watts.
The whiskey is crafted by Brian’s son, Declan Watts, who, after earning a B.S. in Fermentation Science and Technology from Colorado State University, went on to study at the esteemed International Center for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.
His commitment to traditional techniques shapes everything from grain selection to distillation.
“He will not compromise,” Brian says. When Declan selected a particular rye variety only to learn it was no longer available, the family contracted with the farmer to grow it rather than substitute another grain, despite delaying the release of the rye whiskey by a year.
All the distillery’s grain comes from small Colorado family farms. Corn is sourced from the Front Range, rye from the San Luis Valley, and barley and wheat from farms near Loveland, Greeley, and Fort Collins.
The inaugural American Single Malt took home a gold medal from the North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition even before it was released to the public. Declan blended it from eight barrels selected after the team tasted approximately fifty. It displays impressive maturity for a whiskey aged just under three years, perhaps due to Black Hawk’s elevation and low humidity.
Rick Thomas Distillery will follow the single malt with a bourbon to be released this month. Exceptional individual barrels are regularly held and tasted for potential future single-barrel releases. A rye and a permanent tasting room are also planned. Until then, the Watt’s family maintains a delightfully informal welcome: “If there’s a car out front, we’re open for tours.”
Rick Thomas Distillery
Blackhawk Colorado
https://rtwhiskey.com/
