The Whiskey Trip - Season 4, Episode 15 - Shelley Sackier - Virginia Heritage Grain Project

This week, Big Chief takes you on a ride that doesn't just sip whiskey… it digs it straight out of the dirt and pours history into your glass.

The show kicks off with a bold pour of Old Kernel from Ironclad Distillery Co. —a whiskey that sets the tone for what's ahead. Rich, rooted, and unapologetically tied to place, it's the perfect way to open a conversation about grain, heritage, and identity.  

Big Chief sits down with Shelley Sackier , who brings more than knowledge—she brings purpose. Her journey through whiskey has led her beyond barrels and into the soil of Virginia, chasing something deeper than flavor… chasing origin.  

At the heart of this episode is the Virginia Heritage Grain Project , a movement focused on reviving the grains that built American whiskey as far back as 1620. This isn't about nostalgia—it's about rediscovery. About taking grains that were lost to time and putting them back where they belong… in the ground, in the mash, and in your glass.

But this project isn't a solo act.

Distillers across Virginia are stepping up to be part of something bigger:

            •           Mary Allison at Reservoir Distillery , leading the charge by turning heritage grains into living, breathing whiskey

            •           Owen King of Ironclad Distillery Co. , pushing the idea that whiskey should reflect where it's grown, not just how it's made <span style= "fo