DISTILLING A FAMILY LEGACY

Stillman’s Sonder is three generations in the making.

Duane Maas, the foundational stillman of this story, shaped the whiskey industry in more ways than one could imagine. Beginning in the 1950s, his work behind the scenes modernized production and quality control for spirits ranging from Seagram’s to Chartreuse.  He left a permanent but mostly invisible mark on spirits around the world. Much of what we see on shelves today can be traced back to Duane’s innovations and dedication to quality.

Tom Maas, Duane's son, became a brand builder, anchoring his efforts in the life and legacy of his father and other Stillmen like him. He formed growth and innovation strategy for heritage brands such as Jack Daniels, Canadian Club and the Jim Beam portfolio.  His vision helped usher in the era of small-batch bourbon, which brought the craft of whiskey-making to life for drinkers everywhere.  Tom became a bridge between the maker’s discipline and the marketer’s imagination, ensuring that every story told was rooted in authenticity and respect for the stillman’s art.

Today, Tom’s son Nick Maas runs Dancing Goat Distillery. At the blending table and the still, he carries forward the family tradition.  Stillman’s Sonder reflects his reverence for his father and grandfather, and every bottle contains their shared ideals: the precision, curiosity, and dedication of the stillman.

WHERE NATURE MEETS ENGINEERING

The Dancing Goat team embarked on an eighteen-month journey—analysis, blending, reentry testing, gauging, finishing, re-blending, and regauging—to take the most choice barrels from their elusive aged stocks. Stillman’s Sonder is a whiskey that is polished and reimagined. It is made by committee and by generational knowledge and responsibility.

In the early 2000s, distillation at MGP in Indiana included a series of exploratory test runs, and ultimately orphaned barrels. This is one of the rare moments where a large distillery deviated from their normal production before the craft whiskey boom encouraged them to do so. The Maas Family carefully collected these barrels in secret until their stocks grew and aged to a point where a 10+ year aged whiskey could be blended and produced with consistency and growth.

STRAIGHT BOURBON

Stillman’s Sonder 10 Year Straight Bourbon utilizes multiple barreling techniques to achieve an unrivaled texture and concentration. It is aged in oak barrels from both North and South America, with several components of the final blend seeing a second or “double-oaked” barrel process. In the 6-months before bottling, spoon-fed dilution and encouraged oxidation results in an approachable pour without sacrificing palate complexity. Bottled at 94 proof, this is a bourbon of opulence and extreme care.

TASTING NOTES

  • The nose is remarkably expressive, showing evidence of the multiple barrel strategies and

    layered blending. Most prominent are notes of milk chocolate, ripe strawberry, and chai tea.

    There is also a curious hint of the outdoors, wet stone and live wood, like a forest stream in autumn.

  • The palate is sweet and remarkably concentrated. It opens with brown sugar and sweet cream, touched with vanilla bean. The strawberry note is confirmed here as well, though it subsides into a more structured sweet cardamom as the palate evolves.

  • The finish travels extremely far on the palate. What starts as sweet and inviting meets a robust wall of oak, showcasing the precise use of several different barrel types. In the end, the milk chocolate and berry notes prevail, leaving a sense of complexity with an inviting, long, and pleasant finish.

AMERICAN SINGLE MALT

Stillman’s Sonder 10 Year American Single Malt involves three rounds of selection, blending, re-barreling, and finishing. Bottled at 96.4 proof, it is blended for consistency, utilizing:

  • Virgin oak casks, at several toast and char points

  • Ex-Bourbon casks

  • Wisconsin brandy casks

  • Cognac casks

  • Calvados casks

TASTING NOTES

  • The nose features a subtle, integrated oak profile, dominated by toasted dessert spices like nutmeg and allspice. Unlike bourbon, vanilla plays a backseat role here rather than taking the lead. The fruit is sweet and stewed — think peach cobbler or baked pear.

  • The palate is surprisingly soft and slowly evolving, holding its fruit through the mid-palate while the more exotic baking spice notes develop into vanilla bean and caramel apple. The sweetness is viscous yet delicate, like light brown sugar or a balanced custard. As the palate transitions into the finish, the fresh fruit returns, leaving a sensation of Fuji apple and spiced pear.

  • Stillman’s Sonder’s finish begins late, offering a longer mid-palate experience than most whiskeys. Here, the spices finally transform into a touch of heat, with vanilla bean turning to chai and toasted black peppercorn. The Fuji apple note lingers but merges with more classic, oxidative whiskey tones — showing more as mulled cider or spiced pie. Most notably, the sweetness holds its own against the heat, leaving a balanced, lingering caramel afterthought.