Awildan Distilling: Wisconsin, We Have a New Member of the Distilling Family!

Last weekend I took a short jaunt to Sun Prairie to visit Wisconsin’s newest whiskey distillery, Awildan Distilling. Founded in February 2020 by Jeff Olson, the distillery equipment was all ordered, and then COVID-19 hit. The production of his copper pot stills from Portugal by Hoga Company was set aside, and Jeff was stuck waiting it out. In December 2021, he resumed getting the distillery set up and began making whiskey, rum, and genever.

 
Jeff’s two hand-hammered stills have custom-made heads and lyne arms so he can embrace traditional Scottish distilling methods. One is a 600-liter and the other a 100-liter. All of his distilling is done in-house in obviously small batches. He also employs an electric boiler and chiller.

Most people don’t wake up one morning and decide, “Hey, today I’m going to distill whiskey!”  Jeff was no different and began his “spiritual” journey as a home brewer before becoming head brewer of Karben4 Brewing in Madison. In 2017, he went to Scotland and engaged in a week-long production opportunity at Strathearn Distillery, which is Scottland’s smallest, and from there, he was hooked.

 
If you’re unfamiliar with genever, it is an old-time gin-like spirit from Belgium and The Netherlands. It begins with a malted grain (including barley) that is then distilled with botanicals and juniper. Genever can be either unaged or aged in oak. It differs from gin because gin begins with grain-neutral spirits as the base. The malted grain base of genever provides a lot of flavor at the start. 

 
Jeff utilizes Golden Promise barley, which is a heritage variety that is primarily grown in Scotland. He then uses Kveik, which are Scandanavian yeast strains that have been used for brewing for centuries. His fermentation process averages about three days, and he double-distills it in his copper pot stills. The hearts are used to make whiskey or to be redistilled with botanicals for genever, while the heads and tails are saved for a future spirit run.

 
Awildan’s American Single Malt newmake has an entry proof of 123° and is aged in 53-gallon vintage cooperage sourced from Driftless Glen and Wollersheim, two Wisconsin distilleries. Awildan also has 30-gallon used barrels from Driftless Glen and FEW Spirits of Evanston, Illinois. He is also aging spiced rum and, once dumped, will use it as a finishing cask for his American Single Malt.

Jeff plans to age the 53-gallon whiskey for five years and the 30-gallon for three. But, he stresses those times are estimates and that the whiskey is ready when the whiskey is ready. He has set forth what he calls his “progress report,” which will seriously consider how whiskey matures at 18 months and go from there.

 
I can tell you from my visit that Jeff is a passionate guy. In his own words, he explains the story behind naming his distillery:

 

“I came up with the name, Awildan, in the fall of 2018 and started working on the bronze logo with a very talented sculptor/artist friend, Paul Nitsche. I didn’t know when or how the distillery would exist, I just wanted to work towards that goal, and it felt more real with a name and a logo. Awildan spoke to me on many levels. I love being out in nature, and the sense of really being alive when you are made more aware of the primal forces around you. I also find that time and place in history very interesting. The region that would come to be known as England had a lot going on in the time of the Saxons, with Danish/Viking raiders and settlers, the Scots and Picts in the north, and Welsh/Irish celts in the west. All these groups struggled against each other and nature to survive. And you had these different mythologies and art forms coming together, which I tried to include in the logos and branding for the distillery.

 
Awildan has the word wild in it, and that sense of familiarity but also strangeness is intriguing. There is a timeless quality to the word that reminds me of the centuries of distilling tradition I’m now a part of. I like the meaning of Awildan as an intent to return to the wild, and if my whiskey and other spirits can help connect people to the world around them in a positive way, it gives the distillery greater purpose.”

Jeff was kind enough to allow me to taste two batches of his not-yet-ready whiskey; one from a Driftless Glen barrel and the other from Wollersheim. One was peated! Both were obviously immature, but from what I tasted, I’m excited for him and what the future holds for Awildan Distillery. I want to be there when his “progress report” is ready and taste how things are coming along.

If you want to visit Awildan Distilling, it is located at 5353 Mally Rd, Suite D. He currently maintains visiting hours on Saturdays between 10 am and 4 pm.

 
Please help me raise a glass and toast our newest member of the Wisconsin distilling family. Cheers!