Stillman’s Sonder

Duane Maas, the foundational Stillman of this story, shaped the whiskey industry in more ways than one could imagine. In the 1950s, his work behind the scenes modernized production and quality control for spirits ranging from Seagram’s to Chartreuse.  He left a permanent but mostly invisible mark on spirits around the world. Tom Maas, Duane's son, was a brand builder, anchoring his efforts in the life and legacy of his father and other stillmen like him. He formed growth and innovation strategy for heritage brands such as Jack Daniels, Canadian Club and the Jim Beam portfolio.  His vision helped usher in the era of small-batch bourbon, which brought the craft of whiskey-making to life for drinkers everywhere.  Today, Tom’s son Nick Maas runs Dancing Goat Distillery. At the blending table and the still, he carries forward the family tradition. Stillman’s Sonder is a project that reflects Nick’s reverence for his father and grandfather, and every bottle contains their shared ideals: the precision, curiosity, and dedication of the stillman.

Now that we’ve told you about the family, let’s talk about what is in the bottle. In early 2010, single-malt distillation at MGP in Indiana was a series of exploratory test runs, and ultimately orphaned barrels. The Maas Family carefully collected these barrels in secret until their stocks grew and aged to a point where a 10+ year aged whiskey could be blended and produced with consistency and growth. When the time was right, the Dancing Goat Team embarked on an eighteen-month journey—analysis, blending, reentry testing, gauging, finishing, re-blending, and re-gauging—to take the most choice barrels from their elusive aged stocks. Stillman’s Sonder is a whiskey that is polished and reimagined. It is made by committee and by generational knowledge and responsibility.