Bourbon Pursuit

Is the madness ever going to end? Are those unicorn bottles going to continue to climb in price for the future? How did we end up here? Past guest Chuck Cowdery, a bourbon authority, enlightens us to how the history of bourbon being an unwanted commodity created stocks of well aged whiskey that led us to the market we see today. Show Notes: Let's talk about the past and the bourbon, crisis, was it an overall understanding that bourbon might be extinct? At what point did you come in to see some of this first hand? How did advertising work for bourbon? How did you get it into the hands of elders? How did no one see this coming? Like literally no one. You talk about the resurgence of bourbon was partly because of the lack of drinkers because it led to the unintentional benefit of very well-aged whiskey What were distillers doing with this better aged whiskey? Do you think exports are the biggest benefactor? What were bourbon brands doing at the time to appeal to the Japanese and European markets? So people are buying whiskey again, how are distillers ramping up production? Was there a surge of more NDPs and independent bottlers buying sourced whiskey? Why do you call this a “not so attractive” trend? At what point did we start seeing the “shortage”? or is there really a shortage? Have NDPs died off because they can’t source or contract distill now? Will craft distillers put a dent in the market or are they just looking for their piece of the pie? Do you think any of these companies will be "under water" on their investments when the bourbon matures for sales in 4-12 years? Especially when they have to compete with the big boys as they are expanding. Do you think we are going to see people drop off because we don’t have a lot of well-aged whiskey now? We have distillers and craft distillers removing age statements. How will that effect the future? What’s the key to making this trend last? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever visited the Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown or the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville? It's time you meet Jeff Crowe who is the General Manager of Visitor Experiences for Heaven Hill. Jeff takes us through what each locations have to offer and gives some insight into how he can fairly distribute Parker's Heritage and William Heaven Hill releases Show Notes: Did you come from a hospitality background or whiskey? Was life a bit less hectic in 2013? How has bourbonism grown since you have been around? Has it put more stress on your job Talk about each theEvan Williams Bourbon Experience EWBE and theBourbon Heritage Center BHC and what you will see in each Heaven Hill is unique that you don’t actually ever get to tour where the majority of the bourbon is made. Is there plans to open up Bernheim for visitors? I’ve always told people that they need to visit EWBE to break up the distillery visits because it’s more like a mix of a museum with video projectors. Most distillery visits get pretty repetitive but this breaks the mold. Do you know whose idea it was to build it this way? Talk about the history of this building because it was owned by the Shapiros at one point too. What is the wildest thing you’ve seen happen at either location? Someone trying to dive into the large glass of Evan Williams at the entrance? You also spend time at the BHC in Bardstown. Even though these locations are only an hour away from each other, is there a different vibe or feeling the visitors get from each? Is there something one offers that the other can’t? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freddie Johnson has a long resume. Previous guest on episode 59, 3rd Generation Employee at Buffalo Trace, and Tour Guide Extraordinaire. He joins to talk about Bourbon Pompeii, who was Thomas H Handy (THH) and other tidbits of random knowledge you only get from Freddie. Show Notes: What’s been going on since the last time we talked? You haven’t been getting a bigger head by reading all those 5 star TripAdvisor reviews have you? Lets give everyone a little refresher about you and your family history at BT So who’s going to continue the family tradition and be the 4th generation? What are the ABCs of bourbon? What is the origin of “the shot”? Who was Thomas H. Handy? Alright, this Bourbon Pompei, lets talk about it. For some other geeks out there besides whisky geeks, you also took part in a new Buffalo Trace virtual reality tour. talk about that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bourbon community roundtable does a blind tasting with samples sent in by a fan of the show. The best bourbon bloggers out there are put to the test to see if they can figure out where it came from. You won’t believe what happens. Show notes below… Show Notes: We’ve got a full house tonight with Blake from bourbonr.com, Nick from BreakingBourbon, Kerry of subourbia.com, Brian of SippnCorn, and Michael with @flightofbourbon as our special guest Blake talks about tasting blind all the time What do you do about wanting to sample limited releases, but you may not get the opportunity if you only have that 1 shot to buy the bottle? Throughout the show we try samples A, B, C, and D. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Minnick, multi-appearance guest on the show and author of the new book Rum Curious, educates us bourbon drinkers on why rum isn’t so bad and how the rum industry needs the passion of the bourbon community. Back in February you had a article named “For Rum’s Sake”, an open letter to bourbon drinkers. Was it a plea? Why rum? There’s lots of other spirits Name a few brands that are accessible in parts of the US that are trustworthy. So what’s wrong with Captain Morgan and those typical ones we all think of? We know bourbon has 3 main ingredients, but what are some of the main ones going into rum? We also have corn whiskey, rye whiskey, etc, any variants? So people want to learn more about rum, besides your book, where are the rum fanatics? Talk about the laws and labels for rum producers What do you think about those companies that say they can create an aged rum in less than 7 days using technology? Thanks to Emmet Klocker that sent us some samples from Lemon Hart, Havana Club, and 1931. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beau Beckman, Barrel Select Manager at Buffalo Trace, is now a 2nd time guest! We talk about how the program has matured, why you only get to taste 4 barrels rather than more, how the barrels are chosen for the program versus the regular blend, and how you can get your own. Show Notes: So what’s been happening since the last time we chatted back on episode 009? You’ve managed to stay off the news radar it seems like except there was a good article Forbes put out recently and our good friend Bourbon Truth was talking about good private barrels and said you basically had to lick someone’s balls (especially Beau beckman) to get anywhere So we just did a pick and you said you can have the barrel or we can send it off to Mexico For anyone that doesn’t know and didn’t catch them up to speed on your family heritage that you bashfully don’t like to talk about I was actually out here today doing a barrel selection of Buffalo Trace, talk me through the process of what I experienced today The numbers have been dwindling at every place for barrel selections. Where it was once fruitful to try 12 or more barrels, sometimes it’s down to three. Is this just lack of mature whiskey? Or is it lets dwindle down these remaining barrels for single selections and then we will pull out new ones How often does it happen someone will pass on a barrel and then the next group or the group after says something ridiculous like “oh man, that’s the honey barrel!” speaking of honey barrels, do you really believe there are such a thing and how often do those go to single select? how are the barrels chosen for single select, randomly? by a group of tasters? I've had some very off profile barrels too Coming and doing a barrel pick for new whiskey geeks is like the ultimate experience. What do you attribute to the success of a single barrel program? Any advice for those stores who are itching to get on the program or know of a shortcut? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reid Bechtle & Emerald Adair of 1789b join the group to talk about the fascinations with the better things in life, how they started 1789b, how barrel selections have changed in 7 years, and the barrel picks they have still yet to do. Introduce yourselves, your background and how bourbon got into your life What are those coins you have in your hands? Explain what 1789b is Where does the name 1789b come from? Do distilleries roll out the red carpet for you? Have the advent of prolific Facebook groups influenced the group? Talk about those early Reid & Emerald picks How has the barrel selection process changed now that you don’t get the pick of everything in the rick house? When newcomers are in the market and they see Billions with Michter’s 20 year and they get caught up in the chase. Do you all get caught up seeking limited releases too? Is there a bourbon pick you haven’t done yet that would be on your bucket list? Listen to the barrel pick we all did back on Episode 105 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The roundtable is back with a new panel member. Some of us got cursed by making fun of the eclipse while others are being cursed by the Old Forester vapor gods by stealing some extra alcohol for OFBB 2017. Show Notes: Thanks to Maxwell Christy of SuperflyBourbonClub, Blake from bourbonr.com, Jordan from BreakingBourbon, and a brief appearance from Kerry of subourbia.com Who watched the eclipse today? Anyone else underwhelmed? OFBB is releasing their 2017 Birthday Bourbon How about Old Forester Statesman? Has anyone tried it yet? Why is it people are ok with higher prices on private label bourbons however it’s not like that in any other industry? Quinn English asks “I’d like to hear more about distribution and alternatives for the three tier system” Vlad Belchinsky asks “I would like to see a discussion about 'store picks", are they really and why does someone's opinion of 1 barrel drive the price up over a standard release?” Adam Kessell asks “Another topic is what you drink when you don't drink bourbon. And it's connection to bourbon. Or bourbon barrel aged tequila/rum, etc.” https://youtu.be/D7TxC0b6B0k Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Retail Pricing Wars! Does MSRP really mean anything? How do stores price their products relative to their size, customer base, and geographic location? We’re joined by Ed Bley of Cork N Bottle and Angelo Ingrati of Peppino's Liquors & Wine to discuss both sides of the story. Read Show Notes Below. Show Notes: What’s your reason on why your stores can sell above MSRP? Why would any store NOT sell at secondary pricing? How does geography play a role into this with Kentucky vs NYC? Is Buffalo Trace or the distillery the real culprits of the problem? Don’t most liquor stores make their money on volume rather than limited releases? So how do you keep your customers happy after this bubble bursts? Small mom & pop shops are losing allocation and reps are favoring big box stores, do you see this as a problem on the distributer side? Do store owners get tired of hearing “Do you have any X?” What do you think is the effect of square footage of your retail space? What are their advantages? How do you buy enough fireball to get any limited release bourbon? Are everyday items priced higher in NYC like Maker’s Mark? By raising the retail price, then do you feel like you are cutting out the distributor and the distillery of their fair share? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denny Potter, Master Distiller and VP of Operations at Heaven Hill, talks about his past handling dangerous chemicals, answers if bourbon production is green, touches on age statement removals and the market for higher age statements. Show Notes: Thanks to Linden Ferguson for being the guest co-host The man behind many of the famous brands we talk about on the show like Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, Henry McKenna, Larceny and much more. Former Master Distiller and now VP of Operations at Heaven Hill, Denny Potter Talk about your history and how you came to Heaven Hill Talk about your old jobs dealing with dangerous chemicals. Talk about the environmental impact of bourbon production. So you have a history of rum. What do you think about this newborn uptick in Rum interest? How many barrels is Heaven Hill producing per day? What once was impossible to get rid of and now HH has been known for their high aged premium products by whiskey geeks. From Martin Mills 24 to EC18 and 23 and WHH 14 and 15 years, do you anticipate the future whiskey drinkers 10 years from now to still be wanting higher aged products? There's a little known gem here in KY and that's the 6 year BIB white label. When you travel do people ask you about how they can get their hands on some? What are some of those labels people are always wanting to know more about or how they can get their hands on? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph Magliocco, President of Michter’s Distillery and CEO of Chatham Imports, joins the podcast to talk about the rebirth of an American Whiskey brand and how he used to sell it growing up. He talks about why he rebooted Michter’s in Kentucky rather than Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania and we talk through each of their whiskeys and ryes including their extreme high end expressions and whether or not the barrel proof bourbon will be a line extension. Show Notes: Lets talk about the beginning because you’re an odd type of guest for us. We’re typically getting Andrea Wilson or Pam Heilmann on to talk about brands, but you my friend are the business end. Talk about how you carved your path in this wine and spirits world I’m glad to hear you call it Michter’s because i hear people call in “Mishters” and i cringe. Talk about the history of Michter’s and where you come in What legal hurdles did you have to overcome when taking the name? You could have created a new brand. You didn’t need the name. But why use the Michter’s name anyway? Why did you decide to revive the brand in Kentucky vs the history in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania I mean, that distillery in PA had one of the greatest iconic runs of all time with AH. Hirsch. Can you comment on that? You are also reviving other brands like Bombergers and Shenks. All of these brands have origins in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania You know I wish I was smart enough to get my hands on M25 Rye and even more bottles of M10. Those older vintages are out of this world I’m going to put you on the hot seat here for a minute. How do you justify the price tag of your Celebration bourbon? What’s future expansion looking like for Michter’s? Where are you planning to take the brand next? During the week of the KY Bourbon Affair you released a barrel strength Michter’s. Is this going to be a line extension? Listen to all the Michter's Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BCR is back again with more questions than ever coming from our viewers. We talk about Sazerac’s devious marketing tactic with age statement removal, the regrets of past purchases, will we see a buying increase of pre-sourced NDP after their stills are running, and how our buying habits have changed Show Notes: So Who's shipped their samples from the last roundtable? The picture BCR made famous. Old Charter 8 vs 8yr. Was there a case to be made? Lucas asks: With the bourbon boom in full effect, many of the large NDPs have really focused over the last few years on getting their own stills set up. Many of these brands have loyal followings from people that know what an NDP is . As these brands start to bottle their own juice, will we see a shift along the same lines as the hunt for stitzel weller juice or old heaven hill stock. Brands like Bulleit, Michters, Angels envy, and Luxco have plenty of money to pay chemists and tasters to keep flavor as close as possible but bourbon nerds are notorious for wanting what they no longer can get. What are your thoughts on the possibility of a subculture being created for people that really want Four Roses Bulleit or Heaven Hill Ezra brooks instead of what these companies are actually producing on their own? Will brands suffer as they change sources? Will we not notice it at all because the blending process is so key to major bourbon labels? Will consumers notice at all? Eric, who has yet to make an appearance from Breaking Bourbon, posted an article about changing our buying habits. Have you all slowed down? Amped up? Do you have more bourbon than you can drink in your lifetime? http://breakingbourbon.com/a-different-persepective-changed-my-buying-habits.html Rick Noland asks: You guys talk about FOMO. I also occasionally have FOBR (Fear of Buyer's Remorse). How about an open discussion for the next Roundtable for the bottle(s) everyone regrets buying? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wild Turkey Barrel Selection Exclusive with Ed Bley of Cork N Bottle, Reid and Emerald of 1789b, Nick Dikeos of The Bourbon Mafia, and Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey. Get an inside look at how these connoisseurs of bourbon choose barrels while Jimmy is rattling off more information and history than we knew before. This is a Bourbon Pursuit first, bringing you inside on a private barrel selection. Show Notes: Everyone introduce themselves Ed, what’s your mentality going into a barrel pick? Jimmy, what hasn’t been tried in this business? Jimmy, you said Wild Turkey doesn’t produce anything outside of their own brands but what about Old Ripy and Bond and Lilliard? Emerald, what’s bourbon like in Arizona? Jimmy, talk about Chill Filtering Ed, do you feel like we could be choosing barrels that have been passed on by others? Jimmy talks about MGP, Schenley, and more Nick, talk about off-profile picks and why they are desired Emerald, how has barrel picking changed since bourbon has become so popular because you can’t get things like private ETL? Reid, talk about the differences between choosing barrels at Four Roses Jimmy, talk about the oak that goes into making the barrels Jimmy, when it comes to local farmers, does farm to bottle really mean anything? Jimmy, how did you get in trouble with the Wild Turkey pewter tops? Ed, Reid, and Nick, what do you think collaborations of different stores and groups coming together to make something special? Jimmy, talk about Parker Beam from Heaven Hill These bottles will be in stores very soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A combination of 10 interviews all done at WhiskeyLive in Louisville. This podcast features Fred Noe and Beth Burrows of Jim Beam, Joe Beatrice of Barrell Bourbon, Brian Gelfo of Rabbit Hole, John Foster of Smooth Ambler, Josh Hollifield of Barton 1792, Kelly Ramsey of Art Eatables, Winston Edwards of Balcones, Greg Roshkowski of Cooper’s Craft, and we wrap it up with Bill Thomas of Jack Rose. Show Notes: Thanks to WhiskyLive during the Bourbon Affair for letting us come and record these interviews. Make sure you attend a future WhiskyLive event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Mayville, Master Blender at Buffalo Trace / Sazerac, has one of the most important jobs and that’s making sure the blended products meet a flavor profile. We dive into the differences between tanked and non-tank Sazerac 18 year and even talk about his involvement with the Old Rip 25 year. Show Notes: Talk about your past because I did some LinkedIn sleuthing last night and come to find out you’re no spring chicken. Talk about what it means to be a master blender because we talk to master distillers all the time but we don’t get to see this side very often Talk about the panel and the process Would you say blenders are under appreciated in this business? Talk about some of the labels you are blending for Let's take Eagle Rare as an example, what are some of the characteristics you are looking for to have it’s consistency? Are you using a previous batch or set of samples and comparing that to new samples? Did I read somewhere that BT’s Buffalo Cream is your baby? What else are you or your team responsible for? Fireball? Harlen has his vodka. If you have your way, what sort of spirit do you want your name across? Everyone knows that warehouse X is part of the experimentation projects. Do you have some of your own things over there as well? Don’t you think experimentation of everything has been done already? Many consumers are just looking for good bourbon from a good distillery with a rich history. Personally, the EHT 4 Grain was a way to build the EH Taylor hype but, of BT knew the 4grain bourbon was better than 3, then all bourbons would have been 4grain from the beginning. am i wrong? Is the single barrel, barrel proof explosion going to put you out of business? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Elliott, Master Distiller at Four Roses, takes us through the creation of Al Young’s 50th Anniversary bourbon at an exclusive session during WhiskyLive. Show Notes: Listen as Brent talks about every individual bourbon and how it blended all together to make Al’s commemorative bourbon. Listen to Al Young’s podcast and all the past Four Roses episodes at http://bourbo.nz/4R Special Thanks to WhiskyLiveUSA for letting us share this information with you during WhiskyLive Louisville. Show your support for WhiskyLiveUSA by liking their page and attending one of their events. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bourbon Community Roundtable #9 talks about the recent news of one man who has defrauded the secondary bourbon market with counterfeit bourbon. We wrap up the show talking about the Weller 12 craze. Show Notes: The biggest reveal in secondary market history. A seller with 2+ years worth of building up sales reveals that he's been counterfeiting bottles. Hear the story unfold How does this impact bourbon going forward? How do you trust you seller? How can you trust anything in bars? What has happened with Weller12? It’s madness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charlie Downs, Artisanal Distillery Manager at Evan Williams Bourbon Experience (a part of Heaven Hill Brands) talks about the operations, his mentorship with Parker Beam, and the recollection of events that took place at the Heaven Hill fire of 1996. Show Notes: Before we dive into it, people have to know about you. As most people may know, my wife works at HH and I was at the company Christmas party this year where you were honored by spending your 40th year at HH. What has this business taught you? Talk about how you carved your path in HH and who was your mentor and who gave you those lucky breaks? Do you have a favorite memory with Parker? Lots of people like to just call this a tourist center, but this is actually a functioning distillery as well Is it just Evan Williams or a different mash bill are you distilling? How many barrels a day? And you’re about to hit that 4 year mark, what’s the plans for the first few barrels? Talk about the fire of 1996 and where were you Other than amount, what the difference between you here and Denny over at the Bernheim plant Do you often feel like a hamster in a cage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Minnick, Bourbon Author, Pundit, and Expert, joins us to discuss the San Francisco Spirits Competition, asking if bourbon is just a gimmick when it comes to experimentation, how the new vintage spirits law will effect Louisville, and if pricing has gone out of whack! Show Notes: So what’s new since the last time we chatted? What are you doing for the Bourbon and Beyond Festival? I hear there is a Bourbon Cruise? You’re also going to be at Forecastle Let’s talk about the new Dusty law So lets talk about San Francisco. Lets talk about the upsets. Who doesn't get a golden medal or a star? Is bourbon turning into a gimmick for releases? Can we stop it with the experimentation? At what point does it go to far? Pricing is out of whack. How do we as consumers fix this? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Campbell Brown, President of Old Forester Bourbon, is interviewed by Fred Minnick at the Kentucky Derby Museum's Legend Series. Show Notes: Fred gets more information about the corporate side rather than the distilling side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bourbon Community Roundtable #8 is back for a Derby special to talk about their lack of desire for ORVW25, a surprise twist with Bulleit Bourbon, and results from San Francisco Show Notes: It’s Derby, who has plans So Pappy25 is out. Who actually cares? Interesting bulleit scenario that was posted in a significant bourbon group out of houston… Bourbon Barrel Batch 011 Wins Best Bourbon WhistlePig Boss Hog wins best Whiskey Quinn English: Has anyone had Four Grain? Thoughts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JK McKnight, Founder and Captain of Forecastle Festival, talks about running a music festival and how their Bourbon Lodge has become a festival of itself. Show Notes: If you’re a music lover, you’re going to enjoy this episode. We’ve been to forecastle a few times and we’ll talk about why our guest is here talking about Bourbon a bit later, but music festivals are just fun. There’s no better way to put it than that. Explain to everyone who isn’t up to speed on music festivals, what is Forecastle. I went to Forecastle back in 2008 to see Counting Crows and 2010 to see Widespread. What’s the history? Why did you start it, what was the idea? How big has it grown? I know you also are starting to get a little bit of growth in the EDM tent. I believe this is the 5th year in a row you all are featuring the “bourbon lodge”. talk about what it is. What was the idea behind drinking bourbon in 100 degree weather in the middle of July? How has the lodge progressed from when you first started it? - It seems like you’ve got everyone on board now. There’s bulleit, woodford, four roses, jim beam, larceny of heaven hill, maker’s mark, michaels, old forester, and wild turkey. pretty much all the big guns. Instead of a beer garden, you all have a bourbon garden. Cocktails sound more up my alley in the July heat. i see there is a mixology station and signature cocktails. Talk about the food because you have a friend of the show taking care of that for you. Lastly is a rarities bar sponsored by Liquor Barn. forecastlefest.com/bourbonlodge Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beth Burrows, Kentucky Bourbon Ambassador for Beam Suntory, gives us all the history behind Jim Beam and the different expressions. We even get the chance to learn how Baker’s Bourbon got its name. Show Notes: Tell us about your history with bourbon Do you miss bartending? What has the passing of Senate Bill 11, allowing producers to serve cocktails and more whiskey going to do for Jim Beam? Jim Beam is really pioneering and doing all flavored whiskey like the Apple and Honey, Black Cherry, Fire, Maple. Thoughts? Who’s your target market with these? Then you’ve got Jim Beam white label, black, double oak, devils’ cut, rye, bonded, single barrel, Tell us about the Jim Beam distiller’s masterpiece Names behind Knob Creek, Baker, Basil Hayden, OGD, Old Crow, Booker’s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bourbon Truth, the infamous blogger and twitter persona known as Lloyd Christmas, gives a Bourbon Pursuit exclusive where no one is safe. He tells it like it is and let's you know not everything smells like roses. Show Notes: What made you start blogging? (spoiler alert, he has bone to pick with the Van Winkles) Let’s talk about distilleries and their non-sense tactics. Which ones stand out the most and why? Your latest blog post talked about the issues behind private barrel picks. Let’s talk because people are moving to these as the limited edition market is now flooded with people. Let's talk about marketing over the value of the bottles. What do you see consumers continually falling for? Distillers are continually pushing the envelope of cost. Bottles are increasing in price and even limited editions that were once $50 are now $350 at retail. These were always 15 year bourbons. What’s the long-term effect? Should a person that never drank Bourbon before 2017 take the precious bottles from those drinking it for 5 or 10 years? Are they worthy? Is there a problem with people “collecting” bourbon? Does Craft Whiskey stand a chance? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Minnick interviews Tom Bulleit of the Bulleit Distilling Company for the Kentucky Derby Museum's Bourbon Legends Series. Show Notes: Listen as Fred tries to pry information out of Tom about family history, stitzel-weller, age statements, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are going back and revisiting episode #056 about building the barrels at Brown Forman. This is a great to wrap up back to basics month. Michael Nelson, Plant Director at the Brown-Forman Cooperage, gives a step-by-step and inside look to the barrel making process. Give us your bourbon story. Before we dive into the ins and outs of technicalities of barrel char. give us a history lesson about where we are. So this is my first encounter being at a cooperage. give me the 101 We saw one barrel that was cross cut. Talk about that. What’s the average number of discarded barrels that don’t meet some sort of quality assurance? Talk about char levels for a bit because it’s something that is always said, but never really explained about in depth. Is the barrel making process getting more expensive on a yearly basis because of demand and material supply? For everyone that missed the episode with Chris Morris where we talked briefly about the cooperage, talk about what it means to have a cooperage dedicated to their private whiskey The release of Cooper’s Craft happened recently. And it was named after the location of where we are recording today. What does that mean to you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike Sherman, Owner of Vendome Copper and Brass Works, joins the show to talk about the art and craftsmanship that go into making the stills and how they have established being the best and #1 still maker after a century of being in business. Show Notes: Before we get into talk about what it is that you do here, let’s get your thoughts on bourbon. Do you drink it? or just love it because it means good business right now? For those listeners who have never heard of Vendome, give them an idea of what it is you all make here and why it’s important What else do you make here besides copper stills? Give us the history of Vendome and how you grew up in the business. Give us a break down of trial and error. Because at this point you are carrying on legacy, but the generations before you probably had to go through retooling, or refactoring of certain things to make the stills as reliable as they are. Terry Bone & Brent Melvin ask how customized are your products? do they start with a base design for the stills or is it entirely customized to the whiskey manufacturers desires? Is there any innovation thats going on or is pretty much copy/paste? Why is copper the element of choice when making a still? What makes Vendome stills unique? What’s the average time is takes to manufacture a still? I know that’s a loaded question but humor me. Follow @VendomeCopper and Like on Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bourbon Community Roundtable #7 talks about their beginnings with bourbon. Where did it all start, the intimidating scenarios, tips for beginners, and even tips for veterans. Show Notes: What was your gateway bourbon? The one that started it all... Blake you started with a barrel-proof, why is that? Do you think it’s a smart idea to introduce people to bourbon with low proof vs high-proof? What bottles would you say are a must for a newb? I know this is very broad question, but if I was gonna start with 5 bottles, what would be on your list? What’s the most intimidating thing about being new to this? Tips to newbies getting into this Tips to veterans like us to help new people? What’s the first limited release bourbon that made you become a sucker for FOMO? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bernie Lubbers, Whiskey Ambassador for Heaven Hill and also known as The Whiskey Professor, joins the show to talk about bottled-in-bond and what makes these bourbons “bricks of gold”. Show Notes: Talk about Bern’s Corner and how you arrange your bottles What has made you so fascinated with Bottled-in-Bond. Talk about the issue or necessity behind bottled-in-bond When people were diluting whiskey or using tobacco spit, were people still buying it? Why 100 proof and not 90 or 80? Is the bottled-in-bond act still a binding piece of legislation? So you can have bottled-in-bond of spirits other than bourbon? There is an interpretation for bottled-in-bond corn whiskey Why did Issac Wolfe Bernheim against the bottled-in-bond act? Talk about Colonel Taylor and his involvement Were there any palms that were greased to make this happen? After this bill passed, did it put brands out of business? What’s the importance of having bottled-in-bond today? What is the responsible for the resurgence of bottled-in-bond? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Knittel, Bourbon Educator at Distilled-Living.com and a certified Stave & Thief Society Executive Bourbon Steward, kicks off "back to basics" month by giving an in-depth Bourbon 101 and 201 level knowledge bomb. You will learn something new, guaranteed or your money back! Show Notes: let's start from the top. What is bourbon? How's it made? What goes into it? What's the average proof coming off the distillate? Some people say that limestone water is a big reason why Kentucky bourbon taste better. Is that true or can I get the same effect out of a garden hose? Is anything stopping someone outside of America from making a bourbon or it just can't be called that? What advice do you give people of the first bottles to buy that give you a variable taste range? So people like us who think we know everything, what's a common misperception or falsification we tend to fall for? What’s the most common question you get asked at your tastings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Elliott, Master Distiller at Four Roses, talks about how he never owned a bottle of Four Roses until he interviewed and how the conversation went when he was tapped to be the new Master Distiller. Show Notes: Talk about growing up in Owensboro, your history and education What made you want to get into bourbon? Were you a Four Roses bourbon fan when you applied to work here? Was Four Roses the first place you looked at working? How long have you been working at Four Roses? Talk a little bit about working with Jim Rutledge under his tutelage. So talk about that phone call, when it’s usually depicted in the movies as being called up to the CEOs office on the 33rd floor to get that big promotion Why is there not a rye whiskey offered by Four Roses? What about the rage of barrel finishes or cinnamon whiskey? From Kevin Ragland on Facebook - How was the process for selecting 2016 LE went since it was the first time you would have done it without Jim. Why did you come out and call it Elliott’s Select instead of just the normal 2016 Limited Edition Single Barrel? From Travis Roberts on Facebook - Will FR continue their barrel selections in the future and if so, will they eventually be able to offer barrels aged 10+ years again to consumers? Talk about life outside of bourbon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bourbon Community Roundtable #6 discusses Beam sales tactics with OGD114 news, Buffalo Trace OFC conspiracy theories, and is there a bias towards NDP/MGP when buying off the shelf. Show Notes: Blake from Bourbonr.com, Nick from BreakingBourbon.com and Kerry from Subourbia.com. OGD 114 is here to stay. Another Beam ploy to drive shelf sales. There’s been no shortage of getting your chance to buy raffle tickets for the Buffalo Trace OFC bottles. They carry a suggested price tag of $8-10k. Is there a hidden motive here by Buffalo Trace? A clever coup by BT to bring a bottle to market valued at $10k then release more OFC to the general market at $1k and call it a bargain? NDP, MGP, and the bias. Do you hold a grudge against NDPs and refuse to buy? Or are you a believer that the flavor can come from aging and finishing rather than the distillate. Bruce Schwalm: Question for the panel: If we geeks are the 1% of the drinkers, why aren't we more focused on the art and less on the marketing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

James Markert, author of The Angel’s Share, joins the show to share information about the first fictional novel based on bourbon that takes place in Twisted Tree, Kentucky on an old family distillery that was abandoned after prohibition. Show Notes: Talk about your brush with bourbon Let’s talk about The Angel’s Share, what’s the premise of the story? What are some distilleries where you got inspiration? Does it take a different kind of author to write something completely fictional? Do you have a fascination with the 1920’s gangster era? What does this book mean to you as you carve out a new mark in bourbon history? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth McCall, Sensory Scientist and Master Taster, Brown-Forman, joins the show to share what happens behind the white curtain and how people with a psychologist degree are recruited into bourbon. Show Notes: Talk about your past, growing up and your education What got you into brown spirits Did you have family influences or connections to the spirits industry? So I have to be honest, we have done the rounds with Master Distillers and they always give credit to people like you, but lets get an idea of your day to day responsibilities What else happens in the lab? we need to give our listeners an idea of what’s happening behind the curtain so-to-speak So why psychologists for being sensory scientists? go deeper there What’s the most important sense when it comes to making a product consistent? What does catching a cold have on the influence of the bourbon your doing that day? or do you have an addiction to Afrin nasal decongestant? What sort of training goes into becoming a master taster? From Matt Fisher on Facebook: Super nerdy and specific. With most bourbon drinkers using Glencairn glasses at home, why does the distillery use Copita Nosing glasses vs the Glencairn? Looking for an expert opinion of why they use the Copita. I watched part of your presentation of change and you gave a good explanation of why people mix their bourbon with coke, explain that Talk about your other passion of horses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ed Bley, Spirits and Beer Manager at Cork ’N Bottle, joins the show to talk about their historic past with bourbon, the importance of shopping small, and his process of doing barrel picks Show Notes: Dive into your past and some history to what led you into bourbon What’s the history of Cork N’ Bottle? Talk about how you deal with allocated releases What’s the importance to shop small and local? What’s your process for barrel picks? Anything special coming up? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Bourbon Community Roundtable #5 dicusses the theories behind Old Scout, 2017 Predictions and Easily Obtainable Barrel Proof Choices. Show Notes: Joined by Blake of bourbonr.com, Jordan of breakingbourbon.com, and Kerry of subourbia.com So Smooth Ambler has discontinued their barrel program, which means no more private picks of SAOS. Thoughts? 2017 Predictions. What's going to happen? Are there any companies that will be bought up in 2017? Are we going to see more bottles lose age statements? Is there a consensus favorite among the more easily "obtainable" high proof? Stagg Jr, ECBP, EH Taylor BP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Ashley, COO and Director of Distillery Operations, talks about how his history of beer brewing led him to distillation, the Four Roses brand, distillery expansion, and even hints at a possible Four Roses Rye. Show Notes: Today's Guest co-host is Linden Ferguson Talk about your past. Where did you grow up and your education, family influence, all that You’ve been known to be a big beer guy. What got you into bourbon? Talk about your job for a few minutes and your responsibilities So before we get into it, I think this is a good time to re-introduce Four Roses to people. So talk about the uniqueness of four roses with the two yeast strains, 10 recipes, warehouses, etc This big news is that Four Roses is investing $55 Million into expanding operations. And we have all been in remodeling projects so we know that you need to budget 15%, so we’ll say 63million. talk about that From Michael Leeper on Facebook, What kind of issues do you struggle with as you scale up distillation?, "How do you ensure raw ingredients are available to meet your need (from grain, to glass, to packaging and ultimately labor)", "Is there a limit to how big you can grow within the Bourbon region?" Talk about working with Brent Elliott Are you a stout guy or hops guy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chuck Cowdery, Bourbon Author and media pundit, joins to talk about Jim Beam backpedaling its way out of Booker’s price increase and the unique purchases Sazerac is making to expand their footprint. Show Notes: Talk about how you got into bourbon in the beginning Give the listeners a quick background on your books The Booker's thing is on everyone's mind and you had a article calling their actions dumb and embarrassing Sazerac has purchased the Popcorn Sutton, a building in downtown New Orleans and more recently. Possibly attributed due to the success of Fireball. What’s on the horizon for them? Chuck on Facebook http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Little, VP and Head Distiller at Smooth Ambler, talks about the how the whole operation started from a note his father-in-law gave him from Time magazine. John dives into the roots of his current distillation and the single barrels seen on the market. Show Notes: Talk a little about your past and how you got into Whiskey What made you want to start a bourbon company a long time ago outside of KY? Talk about Smooth Ambler for a bit and what you offer Talk about the name behind it as well. Smooth Ambler, Contradiction, Old Scout, etc; So how did you learn about the distilling process since you didn’t have a background in it? You all don’t hide the fact that a lot of what’s on the market today is sourced from MGP. But there was a question that was brought up by Ryan Lintz that asked “Why Does SA MGP sourced bourbon taste so much better than others? Is it because it’s bottled at Cask Strength? Or is it a mental hype train thing?” The Old Scout store picks have had wild success. It seems like people can’t get enough of them Are we ever going to see Very Old Old Scout again? The biggest news as of late was Pernod Ricard has taken a majority stake in your company. First off, congratulations. I hope we’re going to see a new ferrari in your driveway soon, but what does this mean for your business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This one is going to be a heater in December! Join Bourbon Pursuit along with bloggers from Bourbonr, Subrourbia, and Sipp'n Corn to talk about these following questions and a 2016 Year in Review: Show Notes: Let's bring the heat. What the hell is Beam doing?! On the last episode we talked about gifting bourbon in the $50 or $100 range. Now, what bourbons do you "want" to be gifted if you had the choice? Was 2016 a year of dud bourbons? What was one thing you were happy about and one thing that pissed you off in 2016? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy Russell, Master Distiller and Legend at Wild Turkey, sits down to tell his story. He thinks he’s “Plain Ol’ Jimmy” but once you hear his stories about childhood, befriending the likeness of greats in the industry, and sharing his wealth of knowledge you will see he really is an icon. Show Notes: I want to talk about your history before Wild Turkey. Talk a little bit about your childhood and upbringing. Sports, basketball, track, baseball. I know your father and grandfather were in this whiskey business, is that why you got into the bourbon industry? Were you always around bourbon? What made you come to Wild Turkey in beginning? What was the state of Wild Turkey when you joined? How big was the operation? Who were your mentors? How have you embraced a lot of modern distillation techniques with computers and automation taking over? What was life like for you before the boom? Did you ever make any radical changes to Wild Turkey? You were best friends with the greatest minds in the industry before bourbon was cool. Talk about the comradery between people like you, Elmer, Booker, and the like. Now that bourbon is in the spotlight, are you hesitant on taking a backseat because at 82 years old, you won’t stop and you continue to travel to talk about Wild Turkey. Your son Eddie now has taken the spot light. What’s it mean to you that you get to trust the business to him? From @bourbonooga: Do they wish the old distillery was still down by where Warehouse A sits? From @Primo55: The eternal debate: Cheesy Gold Foil 12yr or Split Label 12 yr? What do you think is the best product that ever came out of here? Give us your thoughts on the 6-8 vs older aged bourbons? From @BreakingBourbon: Share a drink with anyone past/present/future who would it be and why? What are some of those things that you want to leave as a legacy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin Didio, Manager of Kentucky Visitor Experience at Bulleit Frontier Experience, talks about his career in bourbon with multiple distilleries, dives into the history of Stitzel-Weller and IW Harper, and talks about the visitor attractions you can see at the reinstated Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Show Notes: Talk about your role here at the Bulleit Frontier. Before we talk about some of the other positions you've held, Talk about how you got into bourbon. I found my calling in college, what about you? Talk about your career with various players in the industry Talk about more about your time at Jim Beam and what you were doing This is also the historic site of the Old Fitzgerald / Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Now, we do have a lot of people listening for the education, so talk about the history of the distillery itself. Can you comment on what you think made people Stitzel-Weller crazy? Talk about what's happening on the grounds here today. Distillation? Aging? Bottling? Brands? Is there a possibility that Bulleit can have the same product as the famed Stitzel-Weller? Talk about the bottling happening here Give people the small run-down of Bulleit history Talk about Blade and Bow It's a bit of an odd duck here because this is owned by Diageo. You've got a whole heap of brands that you can talk about. Bulleit, IW Harper, Orphan Barrels, blade and Bow etc. Talk about which one of those you have a bigger fascination with and why At this point, I guess we never talked about some IW Harper history. Can you school us there? Talk about a typical tour done here? How can people schedule tours? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bourbon Community Roundtable #3 - we discuss best bottles for the dollar, holiday sharing, hunting stories, and Kerry’s #pappyslap Show Notes: Max Gordian on Bourbonr Facebook: Just curious, how long do you usually let your bourbon breathe after you pour a glass? What's the -cheapest- bottle worth having? The holidays are coming up with the family. We've all got family members who like bourbon but not on our level. Do you bring the goods or some of the regular stuff you want to deplete? What's your favorite $50. That cuts out things like OWA as well as pretty much any LTO What's the furthest you've traveled for a bottle and what did you get? So this past week on Twitter, Kerry finally got Julian to drop a bomb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eddie Russell, Master Distiller at Wild Turkey, joins the show to discuss growing up around the distillery, apprenticeship, and what tradition has taught him about the business. Show Notes: Talk about your childhood. What was your upbringing like? What sports did you play? You were also going to play college ball at one point How did you get roped into this operation? In 2015 you were named Master Distiller here at Wild Turkey. Talk about your job now. Did your formal education prepare you for being a Master Distiller? What are some of the biggest lessons your father taught you? What was life like before the bourbon craze? Do you and your dad have the same flavor pallet? Your dad has said time and time again he’s hard-headed and old fashioned. What are some of the traditions here at Wild Turkey you intend on keeping? Do you feel a sense of pressure? From Erik Hasselgärde on Facebook: Bourbon is rooted in tradition, some from 200 years ago, some from 50. What are they learning about bourbon today, that they hope to pass on to future bourbon producers? From Ryan Oberleitner: Why has their entry proof been raised over the years? What affect do they think that has had? Do you plan on bring the 13yr age stated export here stateside? From Jack Johnson on Facebook: When they reach 100 years (total together) as Master Distillers (which will occur in less than 18 months), can we expect some outstanding special editions? From- Will T @iamwillt: Can we please get age and warehouse info on private and single barrels? It would give us reason to buy multiples. What’s one thing that annoys you in the bourbon industry? Do the ladies pay attention to you when Matthew McConaughey is around? Last year you all came out with Russells Reserve 1998. Talk about that release because I’m mad at myself I didn’t drop the money on it and people are raving it’s one of the best things to come out of Wild Turkey What’s next for Eddie Russell? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Kokoris, author of The Big Man of Jim Beam: Booker Noe And the Number-One Bourbon In the World, joins the show to talk about the life of Booker Noe and the impact he made on the industry. How did you get into writing about bourbon? What kind of man was Booker Noe? What was Booker doing as a Master Distiller before that term became skewed - over the years? How did Booker have the foresight of single barrel and small batches is where the market is headed? Did Booker embrace the fame? What memorable stories stick out from your travels with Booker? What would Booker think of the certain state of bourbon affairs? Where did Booker start at the distillery? Where can you get the book? Perhaps as a stocking stuffer this christmas. Amazon www.jimkokoris.net is where you can learn more about Jim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jay Erisman, Vice President, & Hannah Loween, General Manager, from New Riff Distilling talk about the unique bourbon they are making while being in an urban setting. Show Notes: Jay Erisman, Vice President - Distiller - Strategic Development Hannah Loween, General Manager Tell us how you got started with brown spirits? Talk a bit about the history of New Riff. What's the story behind the name of New Riff? Talk about all your different stills Talk about your milling process Talk about your water source Where are all the computers? Talk about OKI because it might be the most well known. What's the ranger program? What's it mean to have a distillery like this in Newport which is right next to Cincinnati? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Trevino, the YouTube sensation known as Liquor Hound, talks about the intricacies of reviewing whiskey ranging from the type of glass to even the water used to dilute it. Show Notes: How did you get started with whiskey Talk about what you do. How many videos do you have and how many whiskies have you reviewed? Lets talk about your process of tasting because a simple tasting with you on your youtube videos takes a solid 10 to 15 minutes - Liquor Hound Back on episode 30 we talked with Rowbert and Tom from Aroma Academy Sensory training. i want you to talk about your aroma training and how do you pull out all these scents? When you review bourbons, do you get tired of always saying, it smells like caramel and vanilla. Talk about the glasses you use to taste. After you take a sip you almost roll your tongue. are you trying to get more tastes out of it? You also will add water at times. Talk about the water you use and the amount of drops you put into a whiskey You talk about wood and oak, but explain to our listeners what is a tannin? What i’ve noticed is that you aren’t rating the whiskey. why not? Since you have a good palette, do you do your own barrel picks for stores? Do you prefer scotch or bourbon or just any whiskey? Any reviews coming up we can look forward to View all his videos at Liquor Hound Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bourbon Community Roundtable #2 - we discuss bourbon regrets, thoughts on bottle signings, what brand markets best, and weller special reserve. Show Notes: Watch it on Bourbon Pursuit's YouTube Page Joined by Blake from Bourbonr.com, Jordan from BreakingBourbon.com, and Brian from Sipp'n Corn. What's your biggest bourbon regret? Getting bottles signed. your thoughts? What distillery or brand does the best job marketing their products? Why do people really give a shit or go crazy for regular weller special reserve? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Minnick, acclaimed bourbon author who also happens to have the Amazon #1 Best Selling book in the Whiskey Category Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey, shares his history before bourbon, dive into chapters of bourbon history, and get his opinion on barrel finishes if it’s still a bourbon and age statement removals Show Notes: Acclaimed bourbon author and media pundit on all things bourbon who is always dressed to the 9s and who also happens to have the Amazon #1 Best Selling book in the Whiskey Category Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey Now lets talk about life before bourbon. What were you doing before then? What was the turning point that got you into bourbon or just whiskey in general? Let’s talk about your latest book Bourbon: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of an American Whiskey and I want to read everyone the first line from it so they have an idea what they are in for. “Bourbon is more American than Apple Pie, existed before baseball, and has built more roads, schools, and government infrastructure than any other non-petroleum domestic product” and you finish off the thought with “Bourbon is good for America. And it’s time we understand the historic intricacies that make it so unique” Talk about the inspiration behind writing this piece. I want to learn a bit about some of the individual chapters without giving too much away. So i’ll give you the title for a few of them and give the listeners an idea of what they can expect when they read What did you learn through the process of writing? Last week there was a pretty interesting discussion happening online and everyone has to weigh their own opinion. It was an argument that a bourbon finished in a different barrel can no longer be considered a bourbon and should have it’s own category defining itself. What’s your thoughts on finished bourbon in regards to the technicality of their category? You can find all of Fred’s books including Bourbon Curious, Whiskey Women and more on Amazon and links on his website fredminnick.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Herbruck, Master Brewer and Distiller of Tom’s Foolery, and his wife Lianne, Rack House Manager, share their beginnings when Tom ran a still at the age of 15 and turning his hobby into a business that is producing the first bonded bourbon outside of Kentucky in over 50 years. Show Notes: Shout out to Ryan Lintz and Edwin Vargas. Both of these guys came to me and said “you’ve got to hear this story”. So thanks to these listener requests, we are making this happen. Talk about how the distillery began. What mistakes did you make early on that you’ve perfected How many different still do you have and do you do different spirits on each? Any wheated bourbon? Any interesting barrel finishes? Update on the new gift shop/distillery? Brian Harkless from twitter asks: i’ve seen two different colors of wax for BiB. he has white. i have a cool copper color. any differences? Follow Tom’s Foolery on twitter (@nobodysfool2), Facebook, and Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices