CRAFT by Under My Host® Issue No. 17 Made in America: Part II | Page 138

W W W. C R A F T BY U M H . C O M
Though her distilled spirits consulting firm is Nosing Services, Master
Blender Nancy L. Fraley is much more than “just a nose.” She is a ghost
blender, formulation expert, sensory analyst, teacher, and our featured
Heroine. Fortunately for her clients, including Jos. A. Magnus & Co., Iron-
root Republic, Wyoming Whiskey, J. Henry & Sons, VA Distillery Company
and several others, Fraley decided not to become a professor of Buddhist
Studies, nor a human rights lawyer. After sampling a portfolio of brandies
from the Germain-Robin distillery, she became obsessed with learning all
she could about distilled spirits production. She quit her job at a law firm,
traveled through Morocco, Spain, and Mexico, then began working with
Germain-Robin/Alambic Inc. The rest is history – a rather unique one,
which we had the privilege of learning more about from Fraley, firsthand.
How did you know you had a special nose for distilled spirits?
Oh boy, I knew quite early on…maybe a little too early! My sense of smell
really came alive when I was about seven years old. During the after-party at
my father’s wedding to my stepmother, I was drinking a Coca-Cola and put
my glass down on a table so my father could introduce me to guests. When
I returned to get my Coke, I picked up what smelled like Coke with bourbon
in it – a smell I recognized because my father drank Jack Daniels and Coke
(along with most everyone else in East Tennessee during the 1970’s). I told
my aunt that the drink I thought was mine smelled like alcohol, and she said,
“Oh no honey, that’s right where you left your drink.” I took that as having an
adult’s permission to drink it and went for it! The aroma and taste left an in-
delible impression upon me.
Why did you decide to become a Master Blender?
When I started working at Germain-Robin, I did numerous things from le-
gal-type work and research to events and marketing. Although I knew I
wanted to be in the craft spirits industry, I imagined myself working with
barrels, in cellars and blending. I was very mismatched for the job I origi-
nally had there and left for a few years. When I came back to GR, I worked in
production. It became very clear to me that I had a knack for doing what I do
now.
Why do distillers come to you?
The primary reason is to help with the maturation, warehousing, and blend-
ing of spirits that have spent time in a cask. Year after year, I am responsible
for various distilleries’ quality control, as well as all the blending, picking out
which casks should be destined to become single barrels, creating new prod-