Many of you know this story. You have your own. Some of you are starting to make up that story and will go through the same process. I share this for all of us who pursue craft as a testament to how we, the little guy, can find something good.
11 months ago I stepped off a flight in a cold and misty weekend in Amsterdam. I went to spend an afternoon with the founder of iStill, Odin. In the middle of a lot of decisions, I had to settle on one of the cornerstones of the business; the still. Really I was also interviewing for something more than that. I wanted a business relationship--not just the sales veneer that can come with a tool that can look as seductive as those beautiful stills that are out there. Prior to meeting Odin, I was running into some measure of "we have the perfect tool, but we're so busy...", and then I became a number.
Meeting Odin and seeing first hand the technology--and care--put into his products was a turning point for our business. Fast forward to this past weekend and I couldn't be any more pleased to tell you that we have the first iOne still, an i250 still, as well as a rocket ship that is the iStill Pump up and running in our distillery. Moreover, Odin and his Engineer came over to assemble and run the rigs. To say that is an understatement actually. They came and poured themselves into our situation--into the rigs, the first runs, the whole business. As a team we set it all up, processed two 1000 l of fermentations into rum and one 250 l of vodka. It was an experience that I couldn't ask any more of. While we have our Federal and State permits, we're not quite ready for the grand opening. Still, with the help of the tools I now have in place and the support of the iStill team I feel like I have a headstart.
This missive is my public thanks and strong endorsement for their products. The runs we did with them at scale were great. Not only is the support there, but the quality of the runs, the automation and control, the efficiency and for sure the value will knock your socks off. I won't belabor it anymore as I'm sure you'll see more information on the iStill blogs if you want--except to say that its all true. It all works as promised. Thank you Odin. Thank you iStill.