Meet our New Master Distiller, Rob Dietrich

We’re excited to announce the next step in our journey with Blackened American Whiskey as we welcome Rob Dietrich to the family as our new Master Distiller. A veteran in the spirits and music industry, Rob’s passion and experience make him the perfect person to oversee the sourcing, blending, and cask finishing of barrels for each batch of Blackened.

Rob initially learned the art and science of distilling from expert distiller, Jess Graber. He earned his distilling stripes throughout more than 12 years in the industry and whiskey lovers took notice of his limited-release, cask finish expressions such as Snowflake, Sherry Cask, and more. In addition to an extensive distilling background, Rob spent a decade in the music business honing his passion with Bill Graham Presents, as a freelance agent for a variety of venues like Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Fillmore in San Francisco, as well as managing tours and festivals. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and served from 1992 to 1995. His two combat tours in Somalia and relief operations in Haiti helped shape his life-affirming philosophy.

Rob will continue to build upon the foundation set forth by his predecessor Dave Pickerell, who we sadly lost last fall. Known as the world’s preeminent distiller, Dave brought his vision and creativity to Blackened to offer a premier whiskey enhanced by our music. Rob will continue to honor his spirit while bringing his own talents and skills to the role, working closely with us to keep Dave’s legacy alive. 

Dave will forever be a member of our family and we miss him tremendously. As we have gotten to know Rob more closely, his values, knowledge, and love for what he does are also apparent, and he shares great respect for craftsmanship that we have for Blackened and our music.  We’re thrilled that he’s joined the party!