History in a Bottle: Making Heirloom Corn Whiskey

Nick Nagele, Jaime Walter, Jim Walter of Whiskey Acres

In December 2022, the Illinois General Assembly designated August 1 as “Sweet Corn Appreciation Day.” The objective of the legislation is to celebrate sweet corn and its importance to Illinois agriculture. I don’t think too many folks would disagree that sweet corn is a delightful part of summer. And yet, while sweet corn may be the most direct contact many folks have with this vital grain, it is a fairly small part of the corn story—and it’s not the part that first made Illinois famous. The corn that made Illinois famous was that which was turned into whiskey. From the 1840s to 1919, Peoria was known as the whiskey capital of the world. Millions upon millions of gallons of whiskey were produced—so much whiskey that taxes on Peoria’s output provided nearly half of the federal government’s revenue during the Civil War.

Illinois may no longer be the nation’s whiskey capital, but whiskey has not faded from the scene. This was brought home to me several months ago when I was invited to speak on the history of corn at the Batavia Depot Museum. A gentleman named Nick Nagele had also been invited, because he makes whiskey from heirloom varieties of corn—and he brought samples. It was not my first experience with heirloom varietal whiskey, but it was my introduction to what I learned was the first estate distiller in Illinois, DeKalb’s Whiskey Acres. Fast forward a few months, and I was at Whiskey Acres, learning more about the history, the process, and the people behind the remarkable whiskey.

Joining me to talk about Whiskey Acres were Nagele and Jamie Walter, co-founders, and Master Distiller Robert Wallace. Not with us, but part of the story, is the final co-founder, Jim Walter, master farmer and Jamie’s dad. Nagele relates, “We’ve been farming for five generations, my family as early as the 1860s. Jamie’s family since the 1890s. Jim Walter has been named a Master Farmer, an award that has been described as Illinois agriculture’s lifetime achievement award. I believe Whiskey Acres is the only distillery in the world with both a Master Distiller and a Master Farmer on the team.” Of course, having a Master Farmer on board is a plus when you grow everything you bottle.

Discussing the inspiration for Whiskey Acres, which was incorporated in 2013, Jaime Walter points to his father’s influence. “We had always had an interest in pursuing a value-added enterprise to help diversify the family farm. Commodity row-crop farming is a low-margin, high-risk industry, as farmers have little to no ability to control commodity prices or mother nature. Adding value to the premium quality grain we grow by processing it into a consumer good gets us closer to our end users and helps us stabilize our profitability. Being close to Chicago gave us the ability to tap into a vibrant spirits scene.”

Knowing that corn comes in a stunning range of varieties—more varieties than any other crop species in the world—I was particularly interested in learning more about how and why Whiskey Acres chose to focus on artisanal, heirloom-based corn whiskeys. Walter, who has a background in corn genetics, but who also spent time making wine in Napa Valley before returning to the family farm, says, “I understood the impact that different grape varieties have on wine flavor, so I hypothesized that different corn varieties could have a similar effect on whiskey flavor. And it turns out they do. We spent several years researching and testing different genetics here to determine which ones had the most positive impact on flavor. Our master distiller, Rob, even wrote his master’s thesis on the topic. Initially our research revolved around commercial corn varieties. But eventually it led us to discover even more interesting flavor profiles in heirloom corns.”

Asked why, if variety makes a difference, there aren’t more whiskey makers pursuing these heirlooms, Walter explains that raising their own corn is a big part of the process, as it gives them access to all the different corns. Plus, it’s not cost-effective for large manufacturers. “What we do here is hard work. It is inefficient and expensive. But the proof is in the bottle, so to speak. We’ve won so many awards and accolades for our whiskeys now that I’ve lost count. That kind of affirmation keeps us energized on those long harvest nights.”

A bottle of Whiskey Acres

Nagele leads me to the building where the magic happens, where we meet up with Rob Wallace. Nagele describes his distiller as having an unmatched palate and enthusiastic work ethic, both of which are needed for this specialized work. Wallace, who got his master’s in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, proudly points out the towering, copper hybrid still that makes it possible to capture the characteristics of the different corn varieties. Wallace ays enthusiastically, “Using a batch system like our hybrid still gives us better control via cut points in the distillation process, which is a major factor in controlling flavor during distillation.” The discussion becomes technical, but the conclusion is that “being able to adjust these cut points per varietal is key due to the varying flavor profiles we have found in the varietals we’ve used.”

Wallace also talks about the research being done to determine what causes the differences in flavor among the varietals. While the discussion again gets technical, because there are as many as forty different compounds discovered so far, Wallace concludes that the greatest tool in the distiller’s kit is still one’s nose. “We identify characteristics of each varietal and then examine how this might affect aroma and flavor during fermentation. For example, our blue-popcorn distillate is very light and clean with slight nutty and doughy notes that let fermentation aromas shine through in the distillate, while Bloody Butcher yields a cornflake note that is richer than the popcorn and balances well with the fermentation notes. Modern yellow dent yields an oily spirit with very dominant corn aromas—think cornbread and corn oil—that becomes very nutty and rich during maturation.”

Nagele says that while they also have an award-winning straight rye, and are always looking at new flavors to coax from what they grow, bourbon and its corn varietal variations are the centerpiece of their operation. Current varietals include Oaxacan Green Corn, Glass Gem Popcorn, Blue Popcorn and Bloody Butcher Bourbon, but there is also a still-to-be-named bourbon made from a proprietary corn hybrid they’ve developed.

Whiskey Acres has the perfect combination of serious artistry and sense of fun, with a generous side of caring—about everything from the staff and customers to the fields where they grow their corn.

If you want to sample the offerings of Whiskey Acres, their whiskeys are at hundreds of locations throughout Illinois. Check their store locater to find a place near you. If you can get to DeKalb and visit Whiskey Acres, it’s a great destination. The visitor center is handsomely rustic, and the staff is delightful. Tours offer tastings of different whiskeys, to help you decide which bottles to bring home. (And they serve cocktails, if you want more than just the tastes. Midwest Mule anyone?) They also have live music and food trucks most weekends; check out the schedule. Nagele says that they have been host to tens of thousands of guests from every state in the U.S. and more than fifty countries worldwide. You won’t be alone.

Whiskey Acres is open to the public from 4:30pm-8:30pm on Fridays with a 6pm tour; 1:30pm-8:30pm on Saturdays with tours at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm; and Sunday from 1:30pm-5:30 with a 2pm tour.