Introducing Joe Z. Henry, the master blender extraordinaire. With over a decade of hard work and eight years of apprenticeship under his belt, Joe has achieved a rare and prestigious title in the American whiskey industry. At just 31 years old, he has been promoted to master blender at J. Henry & Sons Bourbon, a Wisconsin whiskey maker where he has been the head blender for the past two years.

Joe’s journey to becoming a master blender began when he apprenticed under Nancy Fraley, his mentor and the previous master blender at J. Henry. Nancy, a fourth-generation seed corn farmer, grows her own heirloom grains to craft her whiskey. She recognized Joe’s aptitude and nose for whiskey blending and chose to take him on as an apprentice, but not without putting him through the proper European-style apprenticeship training.

According to Nancy, becoming a master blender is not a title that is given lightly. It must be earned through hard work and dedication. Joe studied diligently until he was ready, proving his knowledge and intuition about the aging process of their whiskeys. Nancy knew he was ready to become a master in his own right when they reached a point of unspoken understanding about the barrels they worked with.

In a formal ceremony at the farm, Nancy bestowed the title of master blender upon Joe and gifted him with a personally engraved prouvette, a tool used to sample spirits from barrels. Joe humbly accepted the promotion, although he still feels a sense of surrealism about it. However, he trusts Nancy’s judgment and believes that she knows him better than he knows himself.

As master blender, Joe’s goal is to make the best whiskey possible while differentiating J. Henry & Sons Bourbon from larger brands. He seeks to put Wisconsin on the map for its unique and high-quality whiskey. Joe emphasizes that whiskey making is an exquisite blend of science and art, combining chemistry with artistry.

His first release as a master blender will be a new rye whiskey that he and Nancy have been working on for several years. This rye whiskey stands out with its four-grain mash, consisting of heirloom rye, heirloom wheat, heirloom red corn, and malted barley. It has been aged for over four years and will be available next month.

Joe is also exploring the integration of calvados barrels from France and wine barrels from Spain to age some of his special blends. He is excited to see what unique creations they can produce and hopes to bring joy to people through his whiskies.

Joe Z. Henry is a testament to the dedication and craftsmanship required to become a master blender. With his promotion, he is set to continue the legacy of J. Henry & Sons Bourbon while putting his own mark on the whiskey industry. Cheers to Joe and his pursuit of creating exceptional spirits!