Smithsonian Magazine recently reported on the invention of an electronic “nose” that can identify different whiskey styles, their individual brands and even geographic origin by “smelling” samples.

Created by researchers at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in Australia, the prototype called NOS.E demonstrated its incredible accuracy by correctly identifying three blended-malt whiskies and three single-malt whiskies made by four different companies – Johnnie Walker, Ardbeg, Chivas Regal and Macallan. But for one whiskey company, it’s not about the differences that NOS.E would find, it’s the similarities.

Designer Dram is a whiskey company that uses this technology to empower regular consumers to become “distillers.” Customers start by selecting their custom mash bill – bourbon, rye, wheated, etc. – which are all aged 5-10 years. They decide the ratio of each, as well as ABV (alcohol by volume) to produce a final 750ml bottle of whiskey that is uniquely theirs and distinctly high-end, down to the custom label and designer bottle. The company has been featured with rave reviews by Maxim, Cool Hunting and Whiskey Consensus.

Designer Dram does it by leveraging the “dirty little secret” of whiskey makers – which is that dozens of high end whiskey brands costing well over $150 a bottle all in fact come from one source: MGP Ingredients, Inc., based in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. 

So what is MGP (Midwest Grain Processing)? It’s the supplier for some very expensive “artisanal” whiskey brands like Joseph Magnus, Barrel Whiskey and Old Bones Bourbon. Those brands create their custom blend using MGP-sourced whiskey – just as a regular person can do with Designer Dram.

“I think our customers would be thrilled to see the computer analysis of their Designer Dram custom blend to see how it matches up to other pricey alternatives produced using MGP whiskey or even whiskeys from other producers,” said Designer Dram co-founder Chintan Dhanji.

“Many people don’t realize how whiskey is produced. When a new company decides to get into the whiskey business sourcing from MGP, the minimum barrel order results in a high starting cost. But we can enable consumers to become their own ‘whiskey brand’ for $169 (including shipping), a price that is comparable to what they might pay for a high end liquor coming from the same source or even another producer which is every bit the same in quality.”

For more information, visit https://designerdram.com.