Proof and Wood

Proof and Wood Ventures was established in 2015 by spirits industry veteran Dave Schmier, focusing on aging, blending, and bottling exceptional spirits from unconventional sources. The portfolio includes The Presidential Dram (99% corn bourbon, barrel proof), The Stranger (Polish rye aged in Kentucky rickhouses), Proof and Wood Pot Still Rum (Jamaica-distilled, ex-rye barrel finish), The Representative (barrel proof 4-year bourbon), and The Justice (14-year barrel proof bourbon).

Browse all bourbon and American whiskey at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Stranger and why is Polish rye aged in Kentucky unusual?

The Stranger is a rye whiskey distilled in Poland from Polish rye grain, then shipped to Kentucky where it is aged in Kentucky rickhouses — a cross-continental production model that is genuinely unusual in American whiskey. The aging environment matters enormously for whiskey flavor development: Kentucky rickhouses experience dramatic seasonal temperature swings (from well below freezing in winter to 100°F+ in summer), which drive the spirit in and out of the barrel wood repeatedly as it expands and contracts with temperature. This cycling accelerates extraction of vanilla, caramel, and oak compounds from the barrel. Polish rye spirit has a different distillate character than American column-still rye — more grain-forward, more robust — and Kentucky aging adds a layer of sweetness and barrel character that the spirit would develop more slowly in Poland’s milder climate. The result is a whiskey with both European grain character and American aging influence that neither origin alone would produce.

What is the Proof and Wood approach to rum with the Pot Still Rum?

Proof and Wood Pot Still Rum is distilled at a Jamaican pot still distillery — capturing the high-ester, funky character that Jamaica is known for — then finished in ex-rye whiskey barrels rather than the standard ex-bourbon barrels used for most aged rum. Ex-bourbon barrels are the default rum finishing vessel because they are abundant and contribute vanilla, caramel, and coconut character. Ex-rye barrels are less common in rum finishing and contribute different compounds: baking spice, pepper, and herbal rye character that complements rather than duplicates the tropical fruit and funk of Jamaican pot still distillate. The combination produces a rum with more complexity and a different flavor dimension than standard ex-bourbon finished Jamaican rum.