Nic Corbett - Lead Distiller

Before I came to work at Soft Tail spirits six months ago I didn’t really drink hard liquor except for the occasional shot or two on a wild night. I certainly never wanted to taste it! But over the last few months, I and my palate have been exposed to a whole new arena of sensory awareness. A new challenge and level of palatable pleasure have been presented to me and I’m happy to have embraced it.

 Because of the painstaking artisanal methods employed in the production of our Soft Tail products, they are notable in flavor and character. Take this year’s Sangiovese Grappa for example; produced from the finest fruit of Chandler’s Reach and Brian Carter Cellars, our 2009 Sangiovese Grappa is a truly unique tasting experience.

The nose is full and delicious; it reminds me of sweet ripened star fruit. When it hits the tongue, you are taken on a journey through 3 distinctive layers of flavor. First, a strong almost woody alcohol taste that is surprisingly delightful, hits you in the face. Then, as the alcohol begins to evaporate slightly, the taste mellows out and changes to a softer, sugary white-grape-like amiability that hangs on your tongue for just a few seconds. Finally, the last vestiges of alcohol dwindle away leaving a very light and tingling sensation just barely hanging on for dear life and then, the experience is over.

 Another singular product we have is our Soft Tail Vodka. Vodka? Singular? Right. You probably know of vodka as a versatile, certainly tasteless mixer for martinis. Well, you haven’t tried ours then. There is a distinctive smoothness to the beverage which leads me and others to prefer to drink this vodka at room temperature. It is so smooth that if you’re not careful, you’ll be half way through a bottle before you realize it. We think it’s dangerously smooth.

 Now, I’m only a fledgling-expert by any standard, but being involved in the craft distilling industry I have become happily aware that we have much to offer our customers. We offer more than just liquor, we offer an aberrant experience that can be enjoyed and shared with others. It not only comes through in the quality of our products but you can feel it the moment you walk through the tasting room doors.

 Accented in warm wood tones and glass, the tasting room is an environment that relaxes and invites:  People stay and chat for a while when they are here. The glass window behind the bar opens up to the environment beyond; our distillery. Our two copper stills are always busy working in the back ground amidst the industrious tones of stainless steel, hoses and well organized oak barrels. The two environments create juxtaposition between fastidious productions and laid back lounging.

 Stop by our distillery in Woodinville to see what I’m talking about. Try our award winning Sangiovese Grappa and Vodka made from Washington Apples. Bring an inspired mind, a thirsty palate and be ready for an experience you’ll not soon forget.

The daily operation of a small batch distillery is a balanced system. It is a process based on scientific method, intuition and sensory awareness. To make a quality batch of spirits, it takes a constant and watchful eye to ensure the process goes smoothly. Our team has found this balance and is producing a remarkable vodka in a short amount of time. In fact, after just 6 months of experimentation and productions, we won the Bronze Medal in February at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, California. We’ve discovered this simple fact: How we start our week determines how we finish it.

Each day begins with the cleaning of our two stills. They have aptly been named Tumwater (the column still) and Maggi (the pot still). Once the stills are emptied from the previous days’ productions we start the process of making vodka. We begin with Maggi: We fill the pot still with our exclusive apple mash, which is pumped in from fermentation drums into the belly of the still. It takes a full day of cooking this half-batch to produce our stripped apple mash.

This stripped apple mash, a simple base alcohol, is then poured into Tumwater to begin the refining process of making high quality Vodka. This process takes approximately two days of careful and deliberate monitoring to ensure that we are consistent in our endeavor. In-between the ongoing tasks of working at a small batch distillery, Nic and I are continually moving between both stills. We are careful to ensure we attain success in every step of our process through touch, smell and careful monitoring of gages, temperatures and output.

 The distillation of the vodka is only half of our production process. Once the alcohol has been refined to our specification, we blend the finished product with high-quality water and store it. A freshly distilled batch of vodka can have an alcohol content of close to 190 proof. The water-cut yields a product that is finalized at 80 proof and stored for filtration. 

Filtration is an extremely important process for our finished product. So, we begin a multi-stage operation utilizing a special filtration process that ensures the finished vodka has all the consistent character and elements we are looking for. Once again, we are utilizing a balance of technology and the artful-skill of our master distiller. Dennis Roberts takes the lead as we work through each filtered batch; smelling, tasting and comparing the filtered product to meet our quality benchmarks. It is his skillful nose and palate that ensures the vodka is ready for final bottling. Dennis works carefully with Nic and I to learn his art.

Once we are confident we have a product that can be enjoyed to perfection we begin the bottling process. It’s the end of the week by this time and all our efforts have afforded us one complete batch of Vodka. Nic & I will prepare the bottling machine and Tammy will warm up wax to seal the corks. We will finish our week by polishing each bottle and boxing each batch for delivery. It’s a trade we are proud of and a skill we will carry forward as our production grows to meet demand.

 Soft Tail opened it’s doors about 12 months ago with the intention of producing a very high quality product. The first to be batched and produced was a line of Grappa’s that will truly surprise you. Grappa is a liquor that hasn’t yet taken off here in the states but has a lot to offer the refined palate. First produced in Italy during the middle ages, Grappa is made from the pomace or left-over grape seeds, stalks and skins of wine production. The pomace is distilled down to produce an alcohol that is around 40% (80 proof).

Soft Tail produces several types of Grappa, including a Blanco, Reserve, Giallo blends  and a single varietal Sangiovese. We also have a single varietal Cabernet Sauvignon that is soon to be released. Most people find Italian Grappa to be an acquired taste but the team at Soft Tail has found a way of mellowing the product and producing a Grappa that is richly fragrant in nose and decidedly smooth in flavor.

This seems to be the simple gift the folks here at Soft Tail Spirits are bringing to the craft of distilled spirits. Around October of 2009, Master Distiller, Dennis Robertson had an idea. What about adding a grain Vodka to our line of liquors. The experimentation began but yielded rough results. The bottom line is, grain Vodka is a  highly refined alcohol that often lacks in taste and sophistication. That’s why it is so often used with mixers. The very idea of a fine liquor being cut with an over-bearing mixer goes against the most discerning philosophy of Soft Tail Spirits.

 Our team is focused on producing the highest quality spirits that can be enjoyed as they were intended to be; with flavorful palates and smooth finishes. So, Dennis had another epiphany. What about producing a high quality Vodka from the apples of our fine state? Our signature Soft Tail Vodka has been the result.

 Now, I realize that we are trying to sell this Vodka and making it sound good is important in that process but the fact is, IT DAMN GOOD! It’s smooth and actually quite a refreshing break from the bite that most grain Vodka’s have. We have several delicious house recipes for fresh herbal martini’s and soda water shakers that don’t steal the flavor of our Vodka but play nicely with it. It’s worth a try and we invite you to look for us in a liquor store near you or come by our distillery and tasting room in Woodinville, Washington.

 Our product is currently being sold in 21 Washington State Liquor stores and we are working to cultivate distribution relationships outside the state. We have a very special product and a very creative team here at Soft Tail Spirits. We are all excited about what the future holds and I’m excited to be a part of the team!

 Now that we are off and running, come by and see what we have to offer.  www.softtailspirits.com