On this third epidsoed I site down with the founder of Twelve Barrels Whiskey Cole Miller. Cole was on my short list after hearing him speak at a pitch event in our small community late last year, but only after he had a successful Dragens Den appearance.

Cole is a young entrepreneur with a strong head on his shoulders and already with experiences that both the young and old can appreciate and learn from. Two of the biggest take aways for me and I believe for Cole from our chat was the importantance of tough life lessons and having the resilence to get back up and keep moving forward.

Listen to “E.3 Steps2Success Cole Miller of Twelve Barrels” on Spreaker.

A little bit about Twelve Barrels: Twelve Barrels is based on a Canadian Whisky first distilled in 1853, on the shores of the Napanee River. Canadian Whisky prior to prohibition used wheat as the primary grain, corn has become the favored grain among the “Big Boys”, but we are bringing back a little bit of history. We source our whiskies from a range of distilleries, allowing us to ensure quality and consistency.

Twelve Barrels receives most of its flavour from two sources, the grains and the barrels for aging. Most companies won’t reveal the information below, but as a consumer I want to know what I am drinking and what makes a product unique.

Canadian Wheat Whisky- 40% of 12B – 100% Wheat aged in Seasoned White Oak (Previously held Bourbon)

Canadian Corn Whisky- 35% of 12B – 90% Corn aged in Seasoned American White Oak (Previously held Bourbon)

American Rye Whisky- 25% of 12B – 95% Rye aged in Brand New American White Oak

John Meagher, the distiller we base our recipe off of, and “George the Jumpers” dad, was a gristmill owner in Napanee and the local grain of choice was wheat. Wheat Whisky is very soft and subtle compared to other grains, it is less sweet then Corn Whisky and provides a drier finish. This leads Twelve Barrels to be quite different when compared to Crown Royal or Forty Creek.

However we do have some of that corn in here, 35% of Twelve Barrels is Canadian Corn Whisky. Corn whisky brings sweetness, vanilla and toffee flavours. Aged in used bourbon barrels, this provides that signature Canadian Whisky taste that we are accustomed with.

Twelve Barrels has spicy notes, thanks to rye. Rye doesn’t create a “hot” whisky, but provides notes of rye spice, pepper, among others. Actually pepper is a pretty good analogy. Many people add pepper to steaks, salads, soups etc. as it enhances the dish. But you don’t need to use a whole lot as it can quickly over power the food. The same goes for rye, it makes whisky taste better but too much can be overwhelming.

Enjoy the episode!