IronRoot Distillery Tour: A coffee persons view

Yes I know, I’m the coffee guy, but I enjoy a good dram like everyone else. Recently, the misses and I went up to Dennison, Texas, to do the IronRoot Republic distillery tour, now understand that IronRoot is not a brand I’ve been familiar with until now, we were venturing into the ‘unknown.’

When we drove up, we left our home and drove in the dreary rain for an hour and a half, which seemed like it would never end, to be honest. The only tricky part besides getting through Dallas was knowing the Distillery was behind the Fossil Creek Liquor store.

Upon arrival, we were met by the intern, John, who happens to be Marsha’s husband and the father of both owners, who are brothers. John was kind as he was funny and was happy to talk about all things from his dogs to the Whiskey.

He happily poured us samples from the many options. To be honest, the storefront is a narrow space and can be claustrophobic when crowded. But the storefront had whiskey, gins, vodka, a moonshine selection, staves, glassware, and sunglasses for sale.

During the Tour, we were told about the training the brothers received, the stills, their cost, everything you ever wanted to know about corn, and a showing of the Rick house. Now, if you have some knowledge of distilling, all of this is standard information. The unique thing about Iron Root is that the owners were trained in the Cognac styling of distilling, which comes through heavily in the whiskey. The vodka is nontraditional as it has significant notes from the ingredients.

The big question is would I go again? Yes, absolutely, because I enjoyed hearing Robert Likarish’s stories. I’m impressed they allow opportunities for the public to sign up to bottle whiskey. The passion for using local corn and their experiments like different finishing barrels from Port, Cognac, and ex-Isaly casks.

Personally, I enjoy weird and bizarre experiments because they are worth the risk, in my opinion. I also learned about Blackland Distillery while there and got to try a barrel pick I wouldn’t have otherwise known about if I had not gone.

Something I would do better next time is to have a bigger budget, yes I know everyone wants a bigger budget, but hear me out here: I think to get all you can out of this experience truly, you need to eat lightly beforehand, like a salad or Lunchable, buy a bottle you like the best and try it at home later and eat a heavier meal afterward. The Thai place we tried in Dennison was okay for the population they cater to, but it was nothing like what we have in DFW.

This experience is incredible for the price. It is also meant for people with little to no knowledge of whiskey. For those of us in the society, an experience that would make me return would be a tailored whiskey tasting that challenges me and has pairings like different snacks.

For me, I think the barrel pick is an excellent option for those with the money. I understand the funky corns and the different finishings aren’t for everyone, but they are fantastic for people like me who appreciate them. Above all, the hospitality was great, and we met great people.