COLOR ME UNSURPRISED: Like wine, environmental conditions impact flavor of whiskey, study finds.

In fact, Heath Clark, founder and proprietor of the H. Clark Distillery, was guest-lecturing in my Law of Distilled Spirits class just this past week and mentioned that whiskey has terroir just as wine does. His big advice for people starting a micro-distillery: Understand fermentation thoroughly, have more capital than you think you need, and realize that you need to be a good salesman, not just a good distiller. Also, it helps to have a law degree, as that’s a major comparative advantage in a highly regulated industry.