Q&A With John Rempe, Lux Row Master Distiller
By Richard Thomas
(Credit: Luxco)
New distillery openings are a common enough story now, even for well-established brands owned by big liquor companies. Just as common is seeing a company that started building its identity several years ago with sourced whiskey making the transition to distilling its own spirits. Both of these events are staples of the American whiskey boom.
Even against that backdrop, Lux Row is different. The distillery opened in January 2018, and while the company behind it was in the business of bottling sourced whiskeys, they were hardly newcomers. Instead, Luxco was founded in 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri as the David Sherman Corporation. They owned and bottled several liquor brands, among them Rebel Yell and Ezra Brooks. To put the era into perspective, Bill Samuels opened Maker’s Mark in 1953 and George Dickel started in 1959.
Their sourcing was different too. Most of the modern newcomers source their whiskey from already made stock held at MGP in Indiana. Reflecting their mid-century origins, Luxco relied on contract production from Heaven Hill, which until relatively recently had the still time to lease.
Thus Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe faced a very different set of challenges from all the other companies (apart from Michter’s, that is) making the transition from sourced whiskey to in-house production. Sharp observers will note most of those making that transition are not even attempting to retain a specific flavor profile, but that isn’t an option for a company like Lux Row and its legacy brands.
I was fortunate enough to see Lux Row when it was under construction, but was unable to revisit the working plant until just recently, but on that occasion I was able to chat briefly with John Rempe about his handiwork.
(Credit: Luxco)
RT: You are overseeing two legacy brands from decades of being sourced to your own in-house production. What is the main challenge in doing that?
JR: Getting the distillate as close as I can to what Heaven Hill was doing for us. One thing I get asked about all the time is why were not playing around with barrel entry proofs, and that ties into why. Heaven Hill worked very closely with us, helping us get everything right. Denny Potter * was down here all the time. We are replacing our contract production, so we follow that production as closely as possible.
It isn’t as easy as it might sound. Thank God we have just the two mash bills!
RT: Luxco also owns a big stake in Limestone Branch Distillery, just down the road from here in Lebanon. What role do you play at Limestone?
JR: I just provide advice to Steve Beam. We consult and we talk, but he runs his own show there.
RT: Your lead limited edition bourbon, Blood Oath, just recently reached its fifth expression. Which of the five has been your favorite?
JR: This new one, Blood Oath V. I’ve always been a huge fan of Caribbean rums [Blood Oath uses rum bask-finished bourbon]. It imparted a sweet, dark molasses and plums and prunes flavor.
(Credit: Luxco)
I used three whiskeys in making Blood Oath V, and just one of them is finished [in rum casks]. Doing it that way lets me control the barrel influence better.
RT: I’ve seen on your social media that you are a hunter and outdoorsman. While drinking and guns absolutely don’t mix, how about naming a favorite whiskey to take for a walk in the woods?
JR: David Nicholson Reserve. 100 proof is perfect. I can easily sip on it.
RT: You just passed 20 years at Luxco. How did the company mark that?
JR: I just mentioned rum? In eight days I’m going on vacation to Punta Cana! That is what they did for me.
* Heaven Hill’s Master Distiller at the time Lux Row was under construction. He recently left to become Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark, and was replaced by Conor O’Driscoll.
