Our faculty are drawn from distilling, gastronomy, chemistry, and letters. They share one conviction: what is in the glass matters, and the person holding it ought to know why.
New make spirit & copper interaction
Professor Ashby spent twelve years at a Speyside distillery before turning to the academy. He believes the still is a kind of argument made in copper.
17th-century Irish pot still tradition
Dr. Ó'Briain's monograph on pre-famine Irish whiskey traditions remains the definitive work in the field. She disputes at least two chapters of it herself.
Terroir & indigenous varietals
Professor Vargas-Noel divides her time between the Institute and Oaxaca. She holds that terroir is not a metaphor, and will demonstrate this at length.
Lexicography of flavor description
Dr. Wyndham's research into the language of flavor has led him to conclude that most tasting notes are works of accidental fiction. He teaches better ones.
Add faculty members in the WordPress admin under Faculty → Add New.
Our faculty are known to disagree — sometimes vigorously — on matters of classification, terminology, and the correct temperature at which to taste a cask-strength expression. These disagreements are considered a feature of the Institute's intellectual culture, not a bug.
Students are encouraged to take sides. Tasting notes submitted without a defended position will be returned for revision.
"If everyone in the room agrees, no one is paying close enough attention." — Prof. Ashby, Opening Remarks, Autumn 2023