Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Denny Potter Leaving Heaven Hill for Maker's Mark


Denny Potter needs a new vest.
Maker's Mark has announced that Denny Potter is departing Heaven Hill to join the Beam Suntory subsidiary as Master Distiller and General Manager. Potter has been Master Distiller at Heaven Hill since joining the company in 2013. He became Vice President of Operations last year.

Before Heaven Hill, Potter worked at Maker's Mark for ten years.

"(We are) happy for Denny," says Heaven Hill spokesperson Josh Hafer. "We will have a transition period before he heads over to Maker’s Mark. But our distilling, warehouse and whiskey innovation teams are exceptional and all remain in place. Many of them with decades of experience. Moving forward, we will look for someone who can maintain the traditions of our previous Master Distillers including a commitment to heritage, quality, authenticity and transparency," said Hafer.

Potter replaces Greg Davis, who has been Master Distiller at Maker's Mark since 2010. Davis has been promoted to Director of Distillation at the Jim Beam Distillery in Clermont, where he will be responsible for that plant as well as the Booker Noe Distillery at Boston, Kentucky.

Also moving to Clermont is Victoria MacRae-Samuels, currently Vice President of Operations and Plant Manager at Maker’s Mark. She is relocating to the Global Innovation Center in Clermont as Senior Director, Global Quality for Beam Suntory.

Jane Bowie has been promoted from Distillery Maturation Specialist at Maker's Mark to Director of the Private Select and Diplomat Program.

4 comments:

The Souper Sleuth said...

Chuck, please forgive me if this is too much of a "newbie" question, but how much difference does the Master Distiller make in a bourbon's profile and taste? Does a distillery's history, heritage, mash bill, etc. make much more of a difference than the Master Distiller, or is this move something that is likely to make a difference in what consumers get off their local store shelves? Thanks!!

Chuck Cowdery said...

Any Master Distiller will tell you that his or her primary job is to not change anything.

Unknown said...

No need to reinvent the wheel wheen it is turning full circle and true. Just keep it rolling. Yes, Chuck is correct.

Unknown said...

Feel bad for HH. Park left us too soon and Craig sought other opportunities (no problem with that).
Is there a Beam out there who might shepard HH for next 35 yrs? It feels important to me, not sure why