esanford

As one of the co-founders of the Newcomers Whisky Club, I've enjoyed my role in running the club. I do the technical things like putting together the menus and tasting notes that we compile into book inserts for our members, and now I am learning how to build, update, and maintain a website....a first for me! Setting up a club website was something I'd considered for some time and having recently retired from the mortgage banking industry, I now had the time, so why not? :) ESanford_biophotoI have been married to the same wonderful woman since 1991 and we have one son. I graduated from The Colorado College in 1984 with a BA in History/Political Science and later attended Thunderbird where I completed a Masters in International Management degree in 1991. I played ice hockey growing up, spent two years playing Juniors in British Columbia, played at Colorado College, and played professionally for EV Pfronten in the German Bundesliga II. Pfronten is a beautiful small town along the German-Austrian border right at the foot of the Alps. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area! During my post-hockey playing work career, we have lived in CA, CO, MN and two stints in TX. When we returned to TX after being in Minnesota for 7 years, my son, who was 11 at the time, said that if we move again, he's not going! But that's okay because we're pretty settled here with a large circle of great friends and, for the most part, year-round golf! My friend Mike, who introduced me to the wonderful world of single malts when he gave me a small glass of Caol Ila 12 year-old, inadvertently started something that soon grew into a real passion for me. From there I discovered a great big world full of all-things whisky that I find fascinating. I've learned about chemistry and the distillation process, discovered some great books on whisky and the history of the industry......plus, I get to enjoy some really good whisky, too! As I've gotten deeper into this hobby, I've met a number of new friends who share the passion, which has led to the opportunity to experience some extraordinary whiskies - some from closed distilleries and that are rare and exceptional. These folks are so generous with their collections, sharing their bottles with friends...I've been very lucky! Beyond my whisky hobby, I am an avid golfer and woodworker. To my wife's lament, our three-car garage here in Texas has never had a car parked in it because of my tool collection! I've built larger pieces, including several tables, a bed, a Grandfather clock, and have also built small boxes of various styles. I do quite a bit of veneer work because it lets me use some incredibly beautiful wood that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive. Over the last few years I have built serving trays that my wife's club auctions off as part of their fund-raising activities. Typically, I build one-off pieces because the repetitive nature of production building doesn't appeal to me very much. I've discovered that I much prefer the learning process and taking on new challenges that go along with each new project.