Caskaway: Stephanie Waller's desert island drams

Caskaway: Stephanie Waller's desert island drams

We send Stephanie Waller, COO of Fierce Whiskers, off to our desert island and ask which five drams are coming with her

Caskaway | 24 Jan 2025 | Issue 205 | By Lucy Schofield

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Stephanie Waller has always been fascinated by the alcohol industry. To her, whisky is synonymous with important memories: her grandparents shared a Scotch in the evenings, her parents’ friends brought gold-foiled whisky bottles to dinner parties, and Jack and Cokes were the first drinks she was poured, by her cousins.

 

Waller began her career as a banker, where she worked with large-scale alcohol companies, but wanted to be much closer to the industry. She was at Harvard Business School when she heard that Tri Vo and Tim Penney, co-founders of Texas distillery Fierce Whiskers, were looking for a chief operating officer (COO). Despite what Waller describes as a “slightly awkward” interview (an ongoing joke between her and Vo), she joined Fierce Whiskers as COO in 2024.

 

Whisky #1

Fierce Whiskers

Texas Straight Rye

I’m biased, but Fierce Whiskers Texas Straight Rye is one of the most incredible products in the rye space. Our Texas Straight Rye is flavourful, delicious, and really easy to drink. It tastes like cinnamon and black tea, like orange peel and vanilla, and the combination has made for a whiskey that is just so good. It’s what I use for my Old Fashioneds, and with it have converted many a rye hater into a rye lover.

 

Whisky #2

Pappy Van Winkle

23 Years Old

While this may not be a groundbreaking choice, I absolutely love this bottle. There is an allure to the rarity of Pappy 23 — you feel like you are tasting an important part of whiskey history, knowing it is a privilege to try it. It’s not a guarantee that a bottle that is famous or expensive is going to be to your taste, but this is definitely to my taste, and it is ever so cruel that it cannot be my everyday beverage. I chose this bottle because it was shared with me by one of my dearest friends and his family. After a particularly painful break-up, my friend Sam invited me to Thanksgiving, and to say that it was truly the best of times, marked by an extraordinary glass of whiskey, is an understatement.

 

Whisky #3

Johnnie Walker

Black Label

For me, Johnnie Walker Black Label is home. I grew up in Peru, and Johnnie Walker was one of the few whiskies you could get in Lima all the time. More importantly, this was my grandmother’s drink. My first sips of whisky were drinking out of her glass, and they were Johnnie Walker Black Label. As a kid, I didn’t realise how cool she was. She was 85 and still drinking whisky on the rocks. I have a very clear memory of her at my dad’s wedding — she was older and couldn’t get around as easily, so she kept sending me to the bar to get her glasses of Black Label. This bottle is nostalgic, meaningful, and delicious.

 

Whisky #4

Uncle Nearest

1884 Small Batch

I was lucky enough to meet Fawn Weaver while I was at Harvard Business School. She came to speak to a class and host an event, and was generous enough to share bottles of Uncle Nearest with us. Every sip of Uncle Nearest tastes like history, and a story worth telling. You can taste not only Nearest Green’s story, but Fawn’s story: both masters of their craft sharing their delicious whiskey with the world. Her visit was well timed, as I was about to start as COO at Fierce Whiskers. Receiving a nod and a pat on the back from an incredibly powerful and gracious woman in the whiskey industry felt like fate, and a moment I think about every time I pour a glass of Uncle Nearest. I feel like that kind of strength would be welcome on a desert island.

 

Whisky #5

Four Roses

Limited Edition 2020

This is another delicious whiskey with an even better memory. My friend Matt collects whiskey; he has cases saved away from the year he got married, from trips, and other important moments in his life. So, when he pulls something from his collection, you know it’s an important moment. Last year, after a great dinner at his house, he produced a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition 2020, and was generous enough to share one of his precious collectables. What followed were pours and pours of great whiskey, incredible conversation, and a wonderful evening. This bottle is a wonderful memory of the power of great whiskey to bring people together. I love thinking about that evening.

 

Luxury item

Sunscreen

I have sensitive skin, and a mild obsession with skincare, and while fine lines and wrinkles may not be my first priority on a desert island, I know they would be up there on my list
of concerns.

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