Mark SoRelle’s been in the business a little bit. He’s a former rep for Sazerac and can remember when he and his team had to give away Taaka to get people to carry Buffalo Trace. “Back in the day, we used to do shots of pappy cause nobody was drinking it.” Today he runs Saint Liberty Whiskey where he oversees everything from sourcing juice to shaping corks. His business philosophy is succinct and absolutely right: “You have to have a great package, a great juice, and a great story.” We couldn’t agree more.
What whiskey first made you say fuck yeah?
It was actually a Scotch—Glenlivet
If you weren’t making whiskey, you’d probably be . . .
Being a psychologist. Probably a family therapist. Analyzing is something I enjoy.
What’s a fucked up way you drink whiskey you probably wouldn’t tell anyone if you weren’t filling out this questionnaire?
I’ve actually shot some really nice whiskies like Michter’s Single Barrel 20 year.
What’s a fucked up way someone you know drinks whiskey that makes you want to throw them off a cliff and seriously, Jesus Hashtag Christ, why, Darryll? Why?
I was in the bar business so I ran across a lot of interesting drinkers. I had a woman in Dallas who came in every week to order Louis XIII with diet coke and two olives.
What song will get you onto the floor no matter what?
“Where the streets have no name,” U2
Give a quote from a movie you obsess over:
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather
Besides making whiskey, what do you do right?
Woodworking. I do some really nice rustic furniture like saddle stands, chairs, and tables. Being a dad. I think I do being a dad pretty good.
Sum up the essence of great whiskey with a single word.
Full-bodied.
Whiskey with an e or whiskey without an e?
With.
What moment during your process strikes you as perfect?
I’m there for the distillation and the finished product when we pull it out of the barrel. You can tell a whiskey by its nose. It’s incredible. When I can get that perfect nose—the spice and the floral notes.
List three whiskies you love that aren’t yours.
- Uncle Nearest
- Michter’s 10-year Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon
- I just found a new one, Starward’s Two-Fold Double Grain Australian Whisky.
Name the single most underrated or overlooked distillery in your state.
Milam & Greene have done some really beautiful stuff.
Name a whiskey you think our readers never heard of.
What was your most embarrassing mistake making whiskey?
I have a few. The safety seals on our early bottles didn’t accommodate for the Texas heat. We’ve learned we have to use tapered corks, but before we figured that out, when the heat hit them they popped out. I had to go into stores with my own heat gun and fix them. That’s when I discovered the labels were bleeding. I’d wanted a label that had that felt texture, but if it gets even a little bit wet, it destroys the just bleeds and drips. Also, the early bottles came out so the glass on the shoulders wasn’t as thick. So sometimes on fill if the shoulder touched anything they’d crack and explode. Anything custom comes with custom problems.
What’s a moment in your life that made you realize life is goddam beautiful?
The birth of my kids. Holding the very first bottle of Saint Liberty. Cause I’ve been making brands with people for two decades. But to hold something I made myself. . . to hold that very first bottle off the line was a really cool moment.
Who would you like to see answer these questions?
Dan Garrison of Garrison Brothers Whiskey.
