Not many distilleries offer a helicopter fly-in option. And not many require customers to leave before nightfall. NJoy Spirits offers both. Perhaps the best way to get to this unique distillery located in the middle of a 40,000-acre game preserve is on a Bell Long-Ranger IV copter because if you wait too long and try to drive out after dark, you’ll probably take a wrong turn somewhere and end up as fairly pricey gator bait. Natalie Goff and her husband make Mermaid Rum and Wild Buck American Rye Whiskey. They have a slew of awards, a stable of horses, and make their whiskey the hard way. They are small, don’t use IRCs, aren’t affiliated with a distributor, and don’t have any partners. NJoy is one of the most independent distilleries in America.
What whiskey first made you say fuck yeah?
I would say McCallan 12 is super nice. I like Angels’ Envy. That’s always been my trump card as to what I want my whiskey to be like.
If you weren’t making whiskey, you’d probably be . . .
I’m in the medical field. Let’s just leave it at that.
What’s a fucked up way you drink whiskey you probably wouldn’t tell anyone if you weren’t filling out this questionnaire?
With apple juice. Simple apple. Ginger ale and whiskey. Oh yeah. And cinnamon on top.
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?
Laurie Smith likes Peanut Butter whiskey with cranberry juice. She made me try one and I had to go to the bathroom and rinse my mouth out.
Besides making whiskey, what do you do right?
I garden right. We have sugarcane. Olive trees. Vegetables, citrus. We are starting to grow grapes. We are hoping to make wine. I’d like to grow hops one day and I’d like to try growing coffee.
Sum up the essence of great whiskey with a single word.
Divine.
What moment during your process strikes you as perfect?
When I’m pulling it from the barrel that aged four and half years plus. I use a wine thief and when I pull that up and see gorgeous color and taste it on my finger and it’s just right—that’s nirvana.
List three whiskies you love that aren’t yours.
- Highwest Rye Blend
- Eagle Rare
- McCallan 12 (18 is good too)
What was your most embarrassing mistake making whiskey?
Wrecking batches. Burning batches. In the first years, not knowing the proper temperature to rest and using propane with a copper pot still running for 16 hours and burning the mash. That’s not a good thing.
What are you reading?
Forbes, self-help books on finance, Wine Spectator.
What’s a moment in your life that made you realize life is goddam beautiful?
Just sitting on my porch gazing out at my pastures with my horses and cows and dog.
