Bourbon Pursuit

Bill Thomas (@MashBill_Thomas), Owner of Jack Rose (@JackRoseinDC), tells his history of turning a passion for whiskey and 20 years of dusty hunting into the single largest collection of epic bourbon that is available for sale at Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington D.C. Show Notes: Talk about your history and your love affair with bourbon? Explain to the listeners, what is Jack Rose? How many bottles do you have in inventory? Is it safe to assume that every bourbon bar in the nation aspires to be Jack Rose? How do you source all of your older vintage whiskey? Do you think most of your patrons prefer older or newer stuff? How do you keep your personal vs business bunker separate? If you were to share a drink with one person, past or present or fiction, who would it be? What's the best find you've ever had? Talk about choosing barrels that have leaks You have a crazy amount of Willetts. So talk about how you got connected with Drew You can see the passion is there for you. Do you ever get burnt out always having to chase? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Hagan and Ethan Pardieu, Kentucky Bourbon Boys Distillery Tours, give insights into their customized tours and how they learned about bourbon themselves. Show Notes: Tell us about yourselves and how you got into bourbon? How did this idea come about? How much of you had to study or learn to be able to give a tour? Talk about your tours for a little bit and what you offer? How customizable are the tours? Are the tour is open for individuals are just parties of six or more? Is it for people only staying in the Louisville area? What are the most popular request of distilleries to visit? How many people are on a tour on average? What's the cost per person on average? How many tours are you doing on average? If people want to know more about your tours and what you offer and how to book where would they do it? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show Notes: Recorded on YouTube LIVE! We will pose questions to the audience to see what YOU think. If you have questions, ask them on the right hand side and we will tackle as many as we can. Ask anything you want! Social Media and Bourbon. How to target the right consumer. The most random trades of all time. Who would have thought we would see people trade bourbon for Pokemon cards BTAC. Because why not? A bit of talk about the new Parkers Best 2016 release so far? The origins of bourbonr.com and not being “Bour-boner” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chad Butters, Co-Founder and CEO of Eight Oaks Craft Distillery, and Vince Roth, Managing Partner of Final Furlong Racing Stables, talks about a new partnership to invest in a horse and get bottles of bourbon in return Show Notes: Tell us a little about yourselves Talk about the offering to invest in a horse and get bourbon in exchange Talk about the horses Talk about the distillery and what makes it unique How much longer until the bourbon will be ready? Follow @GoFinalFurlong and @eightoaksdist on twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trey Zoeller, Founder and Master Blender of Jefferson’s Bourbon, shares his story with some new information about a new Presidential special release. Show Notes: Your family history is going to play a large part in this, talk about how you got into bourbon. Quickly talk about your dad for a bit How did you start the Jefferson’s Brand For our listeners out there just now getting into bourbon, give us your pitch of Jeffersons. Give some history on why it’s called Jefferson’s Bourbon and not Zoeller’s reserve You’ve been a non-distilling producer since 1997 up until last year. Talk about the current operations The Jefferson’s Presidential line hasn’t been seen on the shelves around the country in a few years. Any chance of those higher aged bourbons making a return? We also haven’t seen any of the Jefferson’s Rye You’ve been doing quite a bit of experimenting lately. The Jefferson’s Wood Experiment, Chef Collaboration, the Groth Cask finish, the Oceans. are there any other’s I’m missing? Anything on the horizon? There is actually a pretty great story behind the Oceans and I think the listeners would get a kick out of it. So talk about that Ocean’s Cask strength is making its way out there. We’ve seen many start going that route and offering barrel strength expressions Follow along with Jefferson’s Journey What’s the life of Trey like outside of bourbon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Reigler, Executive Bourbon Steward, joins the show again to talk about Bourbon Women, an organization founded to join like-minded individuals around the nation. Show Notes: Let's talk about the Bourbon Women Association (also open to men). Give us the pitch. How many members across the country? How did it start? How does one join? What is a benefit of joining? How much are dues and how is it distributed? How do you start a chapter/branch? Do you all have regular meet ups? If you only get 180 bottles out of the barrel and you have over 1000 members, do other members across the country as you to ship them bottles? Is there a secret handshake? Talk more about the Sip-posium. What's the long term goal of this organization? Updates on the bourbon tasting notebook Follow on Twitter @BourbonWomen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Coffman, Master Distiller at Alltech Brewing, which is the home of Town Branch bourbon, talks about being a Brewmaster as well as a Master Distiller. Show Notes: Talk about your adolescence for a bit, was there any influence of bourbon growing up? What made you want to get into the spirits industry? Most people get their stills from Vendome, but yours aren’t. talk about them for a bit Talk about the Town Branch name for a bit. What’s the history and Where did the name come from? What makes Town Branch unique in comparison to other bourbons? Let’s talk about the location for a bit. it became the first company to make bourbon in Lexington, Kentucky since the closure of the Old James E. Pepper Distillery in 1958. how many barrels are you filling per day and how many do you have aging? What’s the average age for Town Branch blend? You’re in an interesting position where you do not only bourbon, but also beer. How much of the bourbon distillation process is used for beer? Be honest. what’s more fun to make. bourbon or beer? You are also doing a traditional Irish Whiskey. talk about that. Follow on twitter (@TownBranch_KY) and Instagram (townbranchdistillery) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kelly Ramsey, Bourbon-Certified Chocolatier and Owner of Art Eatables, talks about her delicious bourbon truffles and the difference between bourbon balls. Show Notes: Ryan, any fond memories of bourbon balls growing up? Our guest today didn't invent the bourbon ball, instead they made the bourbon truffle. Difference bourbon ball and truffle Tell us about how you got into bourbon What do you think makes pairing bourbon and chocolate a harmonious marriage? What brands/chocolates do you have? Is it really possible to tell the difference between them? Does the truffle process change based on the bourbon you chose? Talk about some of the tasting notes between a few of them What's your best selling truffle? Talk a bit about the B. I. T. Everything is hand made too. It's not out of a factory www.arteatables.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Freddie Johnson, 3rd Generation Employee and Tour Guide at Buffalo Trace, talks about his family legacy and his depth of bourbon knowledge. Show Notes: Freddie Johnson, legendary tour guide at Buffalo Trace This will be an easy question for you and the basis for our show today, but tell everyone about your family history in the area and how you got into the bourbon industry. and let’s be long-winded here. At what age did Jimmy Sr start working at the distillery? and was it called the GTS distillery at that point? What roles did Jimmy Sr have at the distillery? What do you mean that he had Irish features? What would he do on business trips with Colonel Blanton? What age did Jimmy Jr start at the distillery? Your dad also had a special relationship with Colonel Blanton as well. Why would he filet fish? It didn’t seem like that would be in a specific line of duties Does Harlan or anyone here ever ask you to do some oddball task? What keeps you going every day? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Judge, Global Ambassador for Bulleit Bourbon, dives into the Bulleit Bourbon origination and all the new expansion taking place. Show Notes: Tell us about your journey into whiskey Why did you choose Bulleit as your spirit of choice in the portfolio? What lessons did you take away from Tom after meeting him? We’ve had plenty of ambassadors on the show that talk about going around to different places and telling bartenders about their bourbon or attending events and handing out cocktails. but you’re a “global” ambassador, what more does that entail? You also have passion outside of spirits, talk about that For those folks who are unfamiliar, which I think would be pretty hard to do at this point, tell people about Bulleit bourbon. Also let’s talk individually about the different expressions that are available. and what makes each unique or special. sort of the pitch that you would do during a tasting event. Bulliet Bourbon has the tagline that says “Frontier Whiskey”. The thing of it is, you would probably never want to drink Frontier Whiskey And marketing plays a heavy role in the label positioning as well, talk about that. Bulleit is now owned by Diageo and is hypothesized to be distilled by Four Roses. However, mistake me if I’m wrong, I believe that the agreement or contract with Four Roses is going to be coming to an end and distillation is going to be moving to the Bulleit Frontier experience at the acclaimed Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Do you see a change in the flavor profile coming as new operations come online? We had Carol Perry back on the show back in episode 23 and you had the opportunity to meet with him. What did you think? Back to you, a lot of people here in the states are starting their own bourbon and whiskey collections, trying to round up as many as they can for the fun of tasting and even for potential profit, do you have a big collection yourself? This is a question from Blake @ bourbonr.com - if you want to make some classic bourbon cocktails, what are some of the ingredients you should always have on hand? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason Brauner, Owner of Louisville-based restaurant Bourbon’s Bistro, talks about his family history at National Distillers and running a full serviced bourbon-themed restaurant. Show Notes: Once again, thanks to Adam Johnson…..., we are making our first podcast on the Urban Bourbon Trail. For those not familiar, the Urban Bourbon Trail is sponsored by the Louisville Vistor’s Center as a way to show attractions relating to bourbon right here in the heart of the city. It has a majority of bars and restaurants but you can download the Urban Bourbon Trail app for yourself to find out more. Or you can pick up a Passport at any Urban Bourbon Trail location or at the visitors center on 4th street downtown. So there’s more to the bourbon trail than heading out to bardstown. What’s your history with bourbon? Did you have the foresight to stock away a bunch of National Distiller’s products? We met at WhiskyLive and you were wearing your great uncle’s watch. talk about that and your family history in the bourbon business. Give everyone the scoop about Bourbon’s Bistro Talk about the connection between bourbon and France. How did you decide to get into the restaurant business? What did it mean at the time to investment in something that was on the bandwagon and take that risk? Back in 2014 your restaurant was names on of the world’s best whiskey bars, talk about that You’re also a stop on the Urban bourbon trail. How has that effected business What’s your favorite thing on the menu because mine is the shrimp and grits You have quite a whiskey collection and lots of dusties. talk about it. Are you in favor of KY changing their laws to be a more relaxed like DC where you can source a bottle from anywhere to sell at your establishment, cutting out the distributor and giving your patrons a chance at tasting bourbons that you have amassed? Any advice to others out there looking to open a bar? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Nelson, Plant Director at the Brown-Forman Cooperage, gives a step-by-step and inside look to the barrel making process. Show Notes: 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

Josh Hollifield, Visitor Center Manager for Barton 1792, gives a history of the grounds and an insider look to the resurgence of the 1792 brand. Show Notes: Shoutout to Adam Johnson of the KY Bourbon Affair What all does your job entail? What’s your coming to age tale of bourbon? Most people may or may not know, but Sazerac is your parent company who also owns Buffalo Trace. Talk a bit about that background Can you give us some history of the distillery? Talk about the different brands coming out of Barton Talk about Ridgemont Lets talk about the new 1792 expressions We know our friend of the show Owen Powell picked a barrel of 1792 and asked it to be Full Proof. Are barrel proof offerings of 1792 something that you all are considering for a majority of these soon? Can you talk a little bit about your mash bills? What other spirits do you age here? What's the one thing people are always surprised about when leaving or taking tour The barrel char in the gift shop What's next for Barton? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Susan Reigler, Executive Bourbon Steward and author of multiple bourbon books, talks about her past as a food critic and shares how to pair food with bourbon and explains what it means to be an Executive Bourbon Steward. Show Notes: Your bourbon resume is impressive. Where did this all begin? It must have taken some sort of inspiration. How would you categorize yourself? We have bourbon historians. Do you consider yourself to be a bourbon enthusiast? I want to talk about food for a little bit because you must have a very refined palate. When was the last time you ate at a Red Lobster? Do you think food and bourbon pair well together because I sometimes find that i don’t get to experience the full flavor of a bourbon when i’m trying to eat my pepperoni stuffed hot pocket. What dishes do you find are best paired with a bourbon? Any particular bourbon that works better than others? First off, give the listeners a quick explanation of what the James Beard Awards are and what’s is like being a judge. Give us the top 5 restaurants that you need to eat at while you’re here exploring the trail What’s it mean to be an executive bourbon steward? We've been told that women have a better palate than men. I hear you have scientific evidence that it's true. See all of Susan's books on Amazon.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chef Edward Lee, 4-time James Beard nominee, TV Show host, owner of 610 Magnolia and Milkwood, dives into culinary arts and cooking with bourbon while sharing his philosophy on bourbon with dinner that led to the creation of Jefferson’s Chef Collaboration. Show Notes: You were a suggestion from one of our listeners, give us your background as a chef and what led to southern cuisine The derby couldn’t have been your first bourbon experience, or was it? What intrigues you about bourbon? Can you remember your first dish using bourbon? Tell people about your two restaurants and dishes you serve here in Louisville Does bourbon have any inspiration on your menus from time to time? Talk to us about your book Smoke and Pickles and cocktails Do you have a bourbon of choice when your cooking? Talk about the process of choosing a bourbon for Jefferson’s Chef Collaboration Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kerry Bossak (@bourbon_gamer), author of Subourbia.com, talks about how bourbon helps him lose weight and goes over his top 10 list of the most annoying trends in the bourbon world. Show Notes: Special guest co-host Blake from bourbonr.com shares his favorite release of the past few months. How did you get into bourbon? Also talk about your blog Then we dive into the Top 10 most annoying trends in the bourbon world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maggie Kimberl, Nino Marchetti, and Michael Veach join as we discuss Maker’s 46, Pappy & Co Cigars, history of Buffalo Trace, Castle & Key, and the failed crowd funding campaign by Jim Rutledge. Show Notes: Wrapped up dinner at Down One Bourbon Bar and in the Speak Easy Room. Down One has a private Maker’s 46 selection and Micheal talks about a good food pairing Talk about the Maker’s 46 Barrel Selection Maggie, you had a chance to be a part of Pappy & Co’s Pappy Cigar Line. Talk about it. How long will it be till you see counterfeit Pappy cigars? Nino, you saw something interesting at a liquor store in Frankfort, talk about it. Michael, talk a little bit about the Buffalo Trace Distillery history Nino, you’ve been here for 3 days now, what is the coolest thing you’ve seen so far? What makes you excited for Castle & Key? I want to get your opinions on the failed Rutledge crowd funding campaign. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ray Perryman (@LBSpringHurst), Spirits Manager at Liquor Barn (@LiquorBarn) in Louisville, shares an insider view to carrying over 400 bourbon and whiskeys, how to deal with the allocated ones, and keeping transparency. Show Notes: We open up a Van Winkle Rye 13 Year to start the show Ray, I know you're a beer guy but do you enjoy the brown water? How did you get into bourbon? What is Liquor Barn for all those outside of Louisville? What's the day in the life of a spirits manager? You came into the Springhurst location and you said it was in dire need of a shakeup. What have you done to increase interest? Talk about the Tasting Bar How do you all deal with releasing rare bourbons Talk about Flat Boat Bourbon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan, Eric and Nick, authors behind BreakingBourbon.com, talk about how bourbon fill levels change flavor profiles and we look at the new releases to come in 2016. Show Notes: We see yet another Colonel Taylor will be hitting the market called EH Taylor four grain. Each one of you give us a quick tidbit about how you got into bourbon So what led into the point of starting a blog? You all get to do a lot of reviews, what are some top reviews for whiskeys outside the state of KY? You did your 100th review and you made it special. Tell us about that. One of my favorite articles is the Bourbon Storage experiment. Tell everyone about that. Once you open a bottle of bourbon, how long do you have until you have to drink it all? One of your most popular articles is the release calendar. What are you all looking at for favorite releases outside of Fall? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Johnson (@CamperJohnson), Director of the KY Bourbon Trail, comes back to gives us the scoop on the 2016 Bourbon Affair and a more about Senate Bill 11. Show Notes: Senate Bill 11 tourism reform bill You’re our first 3-peat guest, what’s been happening in the past year? We’ve said time and time again that the Bourbon Affair is like a fantasy camp for bourbon lovers. Give everyone a recap of what is the Kentucky Bourbon Affair. I was fortunate enough to go to the Opening Event last year at the MegaCavern and it was phenomenal. I was able to rub shoulders with titans of the industry and met some stellar folks. My wife even got me to do the ropes course since i’m scared of heights. What is the opening event like this year? Talk about some of the newer events happening this year? There was also one with Heaven Hill’s Build-aBarrel. talk about that. I see that half the events are already sold out. it seems like everyone wants the opportunity to do a single barrel selection. Pick the top 3 events with tickets still available. We talked about the Old Forester Speakeasy series with Andy Treinan a few weeks ago. That seems like another “can’t miss event” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrea Wilson, Vice President and General Manager of Michter’s Distillery, gives us the history of Michter’s, her rich history influencing the bourbon industry behind the scenes, and hints at a new 20 year bourbon release and potential Celebration. Show Notes: Talk about your first encounter with whiskey or bourbon How did that influence you to make a career from it? What kind of path did you take because you can’t tell a distillery, “Hey i’ve got experience because i’ve been moonshining” You’ve got a historic past. First woman to serve as chair for the KDA. What does that mean to you? Talk about your current position at Michter’s and what that means Give some people a quick history lesson of Michters There is a new place being built on Whiskey Row, talk about that. There are 4 core products, talk about each one of those and choose a favorite child Then we have a few that are super extreme premium bourbons. Now choose a favorite child. You also have reminiscent feelings when drinking bourbon, talk about your tasting experience. What sort of legacy or impression do you want to leave on the industry? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Treinen, the Director of Marketing at the Frazier History Museum (@FrazierMuseum), talks history of prohibition, the future Bourbon Museum for “bourbonism”, and the Old Forester Speakeasy Series. Show Notes: Huge shoutout to Josh Menke for sending us a sample of Stranahans Talk about your introduction to bourbon What is the Frazier History Museum? Talk about the prohibition exhibit on display right now Talk about some of the things in the exhibit Talk about George Remus and Al Capone Why did they decide to do an exhibit? What do you think is the most prized possession in the exhibit? Talk about the future of this exhibit and your partnership with the KDA Talk about what we will see in the future bourbon museum This is important because of your location, so talk about that for a minute Talk about the Old Forester Speakeasy Series Finally, what’s the cost of admission to those who are on the trail and want to see the exhibit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Morris, Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve, gives an insight into the historic grounds and the $1000 Mint Julep in time for Derby. Show Notes: Talk about your first memorable experience with bourbon. Good or Bad? Talk about your background and coming into the bourbon industry Let's talk about the Woodford grounds a little bit. It's held over 4 different names in the 200 years it's been existence. What makes your bourbon special or unique compared to others? There’s a misconception that Woodford is aged longer than Old Forester. Can you explain the differences? What is the future of distilling going to be? Is it a science or art form? You've been quoted as saying "Because we have a small distillery we use less sour mash than many distillers, which gives more fresh grain in every batch”. I know we can go to the liquor store and read a label that says Sour Mash bourbon but what does sour mash truly mean? You also ferment the mash for nearly twice as long as other distilleries, around 6 or 7 days when most usually do 3 or 4. Again talk about the role that plays. You do some unique experiments that are released yearly or even at the distillery. The latest masters select was called 1838 Style white Corn. Then there was another recent release called frosty four Wood. Talk about those. Choose your favorite child Talk about the process of the “Double Double Oaked” It is Derby season and Woodford has some affinity with horses. Talk about your ties to the horse racing industry Any favorite horse names over the years? With Derby time the drink of the season if the Mint Julep, talk about the $1000 Mint Julep I don’t know if this is fact or fiction, but is the ice actually flown in from a glacier? How do you get your hands on one? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fred Noe, Global Ambassador and Master Distiller at Jim Beam, talks about the history of Jim Beam, his celebrity encounters and the new Booker’s Rye release. Show Notes: You were born into this. Talk about your child hood and some Beam history What are some things your dad taught you about this business and made you appreciate what you do today? Your role is not only a master distiller but also a brand ambassador, do you ever sleep? What’s the short list of some of your favorite places you’ve been? What do you think has made Jim Beam grow to the #1 product in the world? You've probably done a lot since then, best and worst jobs of working at the distillery? The latest Beam ads feature Mila Kunis. Talk about your interactions with Mila. A question from one of our listeners, what did you think of Mila when she blew up one of the rick houses in the latest ad? What’s the current state of Jim Beam today? As more engineering programs expand and more universities offer programs. Do you think the future of distilling is more science than art? There's a lot of different bourbons under your portfolio, who are some of your right hand people to make sure every brand stays consistent? Another question from one of our listeners, what is the inspiration behind the Signature Craft series? Talk about Booker’s Rye that will be hitting the shelves soon. If you have to start a journey for drinking Jim Beam bourbons to get to the point where you drinking Booker’s neat, where do you start? Lastly, we need to get the Kentucky Chew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Hutchens, Owner of Promotional Wood Products, shares his company’s story of giving premium bourbons the extra edge. Show Notes: Tell us about your first encounter with bourbon We’re sipping on a barrel of Knob Creek that you picked out. Tell us about it. What is Promotional Wood Products? How did the relationship form that you began to make all the boxes for every Booker’s? How has production scaled in Booker’s boxes over 22 years? Talk about how the scents of the Goose Island Rare box that you did What’s the process for making a box? How have you tried to perfect the manufacturing process? Talk about the process of the barrel heads Talk about the amount of moisture inside of the used barrel products Are wooden boxes today like the gimmick of the ceramic decanters of the 70s? Is your goal to have every bottle of bourbon out there in some wooden box? When you do put these items in boxes, do you really feel that you are making it a premium product? Any special release boxes coming out? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Gandolfo, Brand Ambassador for Wild Turkey, talks history of the brand, non-GMO grains, each of the expressions and the new “Decades” release set for May 2016. Show Notes: We kick off the show talking about one of our past guests, Marianne Barnes, and the new name for the Old Taylor Distillery. Tell us about your first encounter with bourbon Tell us about your role and what it consists of Why is Wild Turkey 101 and not 100? How did it grow to a business from 101? What did the name Austin Nichols mean to Wild Turkey? So why remove the name Austin Nichols from the brand? What are some of things during the process makes Wild Turkey unique compared to other brands? What does Non-GMO products give you in regards to quality? What’s it like hanging around Jimmy Russell? Talk about the individual expressions and the differences between each. Talk about the new release called “Decades" that will be coming in May 2016 Is there something that holds true to the quote “Older turkey is better turkey”? If you have to have one Wild Turkey product on the shelf as a staple, which do you choose? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Gelfo, Maker’s Mark Ambassador Extraordinaire & Bourbon Mafia Member, goes in depth about the Maker’s Mark Ambassador. Show Notes: Markers Mark is now starting a “private barrel” program. But it’s more like a private blend program. What’s your story? Tell the listeners about your Maker’s Mark collection How do you get a hold of all the export bottles? What would you consider your most prized Marker’s Mark collectable? Explain to the listeners what the Marker’s Mark ambassadors program is How does someone sign up for the program? Is it free of charge? What are the benefits of being an ambassador? Give the listeners some idea of the best items Marker’s Mark has sent over the years to their ambassadors. what’s the process for going to pick up a bottle from your batch? Is it like the Willy Wonka golden ticket? What is life like for the Samuels outside of bourbon? What are some of your favorite Maker’s Mark events over the past decade? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jackie Zykan, Master Bourbon Specialist for Old Forester, talks about each of the individual expressions and the history behind this Louisville based brand. Show Notes: We are coming to you from Rye On Market in Louisville Tell us your coming to age of tale of bourbon What is it about Old Forester that made you leave working behind the bar Is Old Forester the same thing as Woodford Reserve? What do you actually do as a Master Bourbon Specialist? The name “Brown” has a stigma and prominence in Louisville. Talk about George Garvin Brown? Where is the 2nd “R” in the name? How did Old Forester move from sourcing to distilling it’s own stuff? How did Old Forester survive prohibition? Brown-Forman owns it’s own cooperage and what does that mean to you? Talk about each of the Old Forester brands and what makes each unique compared to the next What was the market reaction for the Whiskey Row edition? Give the listeners some kind of idea behind Birthday Bourbon What can you tell us about 2016 Birthday Bourbon Give us some of the more well-known cocktails you make Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Samuels, COO of Maker's Mark, talks about the operations behind Maker's and holding almost every job at the distillery since he was 9. Show Notes: We kick off the show talking about bourbon tourism numbers from 2015 Talk about your childhood and growing up in the family business What does the phrase mean “blow your ears off?” Maker's has a great relationship with Keeneland, talk about it. Where do you see Makers as a part of the growth of bourbon? What do you think kept Maker's alive 20-30 years ago when vodka was king? What are some your favorite ads Maker's has had over the years? This is a family business. What was the best piece of advice your father ever gave you? You started at the distillery at 9 years old. Talk about holding all those various positions over the years. Best and worst job How do you get on the tasting panel at Maker's? Back in 2013 was the great proof reduction debacle. Talk about that. What are some of toughest decisions you’ve had to make as COO? Let's talk about life outside of bourbon. Do you have any other hobbies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turner Moore, President of Whiskey Obsession Festival, joins the show to talk about the festival and what to expect this year. It takes place 3/30/2016-4/1/2016 in Sarasota Florida. Show Notes: How did you get into bourbon or whiskey? Is there a certain bottle you would favor towards when you first began? Talk about your festival What do a lot of attendees coming away with at the end of the day and why do they love coming to your event? How does the panel session work? Talk about the tasting session and how you move from light to bolder flavor whiskies. What happens on the day of the main event? Where can you buy tickets? Talk about the cigar and whiskey pairing and what’s a good start for someone just beginning on that journey? Are any local distilleries going to be there? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Part 2) Bernie Lubbers (@BernieLubbers), The Whiskey Professor and Brand Ambassador for Heaven Hill, continues in Part 2 talking about Heaven Hill bourbon brands, the removal of the 12 year Elijah Craig age statement and breaks out the guitar for a Bourbon Pursuit first. Show Notes: Let’s talk about some of the brands from HH, because there are quite a few of them. But we will focus on the bourbon, of course. I’ll give you a name and you give us a fun fact or tidbit. (this is awesome! must listen part!) The cat is out of the bag. And it’s been the hot topic for the past week Elijah Craig is dropping the 12 year age statement and it’s going to be a blend of 8-12 years. You have a pretty firm stance on age statements. Talk about what that means to you What are the pros and cons of keeping and removing the the age statement? We wrap up the show with Bernie playing an original tune that has lots of different bourbons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Part 1) Bernie Lubbers (@BernieLubbers), The Whiskey Professor and Brand Ambassador for Heaven Hill, talks about his past, catchphrase, and overview of bourbon badges in Part 1. Show Notes Talk to us about how you first got into whiskey. You signature catchphrase or tagline is “Stay Bonded”. Tell the folks what you mean by that. http://www.whiskeyprof.com Bernie talks about the history of Bottled-in-bond Bernie talks about words on labels and how those are badges You do a lot of bourbon-related research. Is there something you’ve found that has fascinated you? Bernie talks about flavor profiles and how they are attained through distillation, aging, and yeast. How each distillery does something different. What’s the day in the life of Bernie for being a Brand Ambassador? Give us a 101 level rundown of why a bar needs three different labels of the same stuff. Stay Tuned for the next episode where we talk about the removal of the Elijah Craig age statement, dive into the individual brands, and also a solo guitar performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Seth Thompson, of The Bourbon Classic, chats about all the awesome events being held from Feb 23-27th, 2016 and how you can get last second tickets. Show Notes: Tell us your story of how you got into bourbon? If your house is on fire, what’s the one bottle you grab? Give the high level pitch of The Bourbon Classic How has the event grown over the years? Let’s dive into the events. Talk about the key events on Friday and Saturday It’s awesome because consumers can take away knowledge about food pairings It looks like Saturday is the big day. Friday is the pre-game. Talk Saturday’s all day extravaganza Bourbon and ham pairings sound very intriguing If you’re coming from out of town, you can learn about Louisville’s Whiskey Row in a session with Mike Veach. Talk about that. Talk about The Classic Taste How much are tickets and how many are left? Talk about all the events leading up to the main events on Friday and Saturday Talk about the Van Winkle event that is sold out What are the added benefits of VIP tickets? Talk about the brands and distilleries that are going to be a part of the event. Any ideas for the 2017 event? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chad Hartsfield, Owner of ReWicked Candles, discusses the process of turning old bourbon bottles into works of art. Show Notes: Tell us your story of how you got into bourbon? Tell us about ReWicked Candles. What was the inspiration? How do you get around legal issues with brand names? Explain to us the process. How do you experiment with the scents in the wax? Where do you get all your bottles? What’s the reaction you get from bars or distilleries when you’re asking for empty bottles? How do you plan on keeping up with demand? Talk about the light fixtures and display cases your getting into What are you always on the look for when your picking or hunting? When did you start collecting bourbon? Any tips for dusty hunters? Do you barter for higher-end empty bottles? Where can people buy your products? Etsy Shop or [email protected] Lets talk about the cost of the candles. What are the most popular candles? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Davis, Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark, talks about how is continuing the tradition that has been set and more about day to day operations. Show Notes: Today. we go on-site to Loretto to Maker’s Mark Distillery Breaking News: Users claim there is a bad batch of 2015 Elmer T. Lee. Barrels 256, 264, 266 and 267 are the “defective” barrels but Buffalo Trace has already responded. Tell us about your story What was your background before coming to Maker’s Mark? What are some of the key things you remember from your mentorship? Can you talk about your wheated mash bill and how it came to be? Talk about the difference between Makers and Makers 46 Why go with French Oak? Are there other kinds of experimentation going on? Talk about the motivation behind the Cask Strength offering Talk about what you are doing different with your barrels compared to others How do you pick the barrels that are going into the batch? Do you sample every barrel? How many rick houses do you have and do you take barrels from different places? Are you able to go to different warehouses and taste the difference? How do you detect “must”? Can you explain what still you have and why you prefer it? What is the average bottle count that comes out of Makers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Erik of @BourbonSeason joins the show to talk about the infamous bottle chase and the growing secondary market. Show Notes: Before we get started, there is a new December release coming from Kentucky Owl so be on the lookout for red, blue, and green ink bottles soon. Erik, how did you get into bourbon? Tell us what you do with your twitter handle, @BourbonSeason There’s a lot of ways to get allocated bourbons, have you found a good formula for getting special release bourbons? Have you seen special hunting groups that have formed? Have you seen more camp out situations in other parts of the country? There’s camping, lotteries, and being a "best" customer but is there a fair way to distribute allocated bottles? In Louisville the secondary market is starting to take its effect. Small shops are selling bottles for secondary prices. Are you seeing this in other parts of the country as well? When you think about the secondary market there are fingers to point. Are people flipping the bottles or buying the bottles the culprit of the problem? How do you feel about seeing the flipper "crotch shot"? Some people on forums are selling 2 or 3 full verticals of Pappy or BTAC, so how are these people feeding the secondary market? In Louisville, we have a few restaurants that have fantastic selections, but they are price gouging. No question about it. Do you see restaurants as contributing to the secondary market as well? Are the distilleries going to start charging more to combat and make more money for themselves? This week, Buffalo Trace sent out an email responding to the mass inquiries about secondary market pricing and they intend on trying to shut down secondary markets. Can Buffalo Trace successfully shut it down? Would you like to see Buffalo Trace crack down on stores and restaurants that price gouge since the three-tier system is the only way a consumer can get a bottle? Quick PSA on breaking your empty bottles Is there such a thing as “bourbon karma”? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reid Mitenbuler (@ReidMitenbuler), author of Bourbon Empire, joins Ryan and Kenny to talk about the history and psyche of bourbon, "a distinctive product of the United States". Show Notes: The Frazier Museum has a new Prohibition exhibit that will become a new or even a first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Reid, what’s your coming to age tale of bourbon? What made you so fascinated that you took the time to become an author on the subject? Talk about the misquote of bourbon being a “distinctive product of the United States”. Talk about the beginning with the “Big Bang of Bourbon”. In the book, you talk about myths behind the labels. Let’s jump ahead in history, there was a lot going on in 1964. Can you talk about what was going on during that time period? What was the result of The Bourbon Institute in overseas markets? There is a concept of marketing that has changed the way in what you think you’re drinking. You said (paraphrasing) “Rosenstiel presided over vicious consolidation rounds that made many distillers and brands extinct, but is also a part of the reason why many bourbons today taste as good as they do”. Talk about that. How come his name isn’t as prominent as EH Taylor for Bottled-in-Bond? How come we don’t see a bourbon or whiskey brand named Rosenstiel? Within the prologue, you talk about bourbon being a “comfort food”. Talk about that. If you want to buy Bourbon Empire, it’s available on Amazon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Mohr & Tom Johnson of Aroma Academy (@AromaAcademyUS) join the podcast to talk about the science behind using olfactory senses to know more about your bourbon and the key aromas. Show Notes: How do you store your extensive bourbon collection? Is it like storing wine? Give us a quick intro about how you are and how you got into bourbon The tagline is “a sensory training for DRINKS PROFESSIONALS” so talk about what is Aroma Academy Are the smells common between everyone or does everyone smell something different? What are some of the key aromas we get from bourbon? Has there ever been a bourbon, scotch or wine that you’ve nosed and you said, “I’m not even going to drink that” Talk about your blog post on creating a Pappy Van Winkle nosing sample Have you found two particular brands of bourbon that are two polar opposites of one another? If someone purchases a kit, is there a 24-hour turnaround time or how long does it take to better develop your olfactory senses? Do aromas change based on density levels depending on the type of glass its in? Talk about letting the alcohol dissipate after pouring it in a glass before nosing and tasting Special 20% discount for Bourbon Pursuit listeners on the 24 Aroma Kit - When checking out, just use the coupon code “Pursuit”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Kowalczyk reveals how he started a Bourbon Christmas Gift Exchange that grew from just a handful of friends to an event that is sponsored by liquor stores and distilleries. Show Notes: Overview of the past few bottles to come out and Ryan is becoming a dusty hunter after attending Whiskey Pig at Willett Distillery. What’s your bourbon story? How did you get into it? Tell us about your Bourbon Gift Exchange Are there rules to your gift exchange? Throw out some of the names of the brands you had your first year How did more people find out about it and spread? Is there a certain bottle that stands out among the crowd? How did you get sponsorships from local stores and even distilleries? What are the plans for this year? Are you trying to step it up? After the exchange is over, do people just immediately open their bottle and start sharing? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Jamie, Founder and Owner of Bourbon Barrel Foods, talks about how he started a company with Bluegrass Soy Sauce into a brand that does everything to promote "Eat Your Bourbon". Show Notes: We’ve taken a hiatus and we apologize. Sometimes life just gets in the way… and bourbon hunting. lots and lots of bourbon hunting. What's your bourbon story? I know you are a Louisville native, has bourbon always been in your blood like ours? Tell us the story of Bourbon Barrel Foods and how it got created. Talk about some of the products and what makes them special I notice that you also have a lot of products from Woodford Reserve. Can you talk about their products or the partnership you have with them? Talk a bit about Kentuckiaki and Bourbon Vanilla Extract I was also reading about a sponsorship you received in 2013 to help build a Kitchen Studio. Can you talk about that? Do you have any of your favorite recipes? If people in louisville and traveling for the bourbon trail want to find a retail store, where do they go? What entails the Eat Your Bourbon Class and the Chef Series? If you want to learn more, you can visit the online at bourbonbarrelfoods.com or follow them on twitter @bourbonbarrel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dixon Dedman, Owner Operator of Beaumont Inn & Partner in Kentucky Owl, joins us to talk about his family history and how they revitalized a brand that died during prohibition. Show Notes: Fantasy teams are now using high valued bourbons as entrance fees Let's talk about you. Who are you and what have you been doing up to this point? Let's talk about your bourbon. What got you into dealing with the brand? Why the tag name “The Wise Man’s Bourbon”? What made you go with a barrel proof bourbon? How many barrels went into the particular batches? So you take the barrels, and you dump them and put them into new charred barrels? Is there a big difference between Batch 1 and Batch 2? What about Batch 3? This is a KY only release. Why only KY? How does it feel to have this craze happening? Talk about the Old Owl Tavern on your property Where do you sit on the Bourbon Trail? For anyone still looking for a pour of KY Owl, can they get it at the tavern? Adam Johnson asks, What is the secret to the General Lee cake? How can people get in touch with you? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mikael Mossberg, Co-Founder & CEO of Distiller, talks about his whiskey recommendation app and how his whiskey passion led him to be in the startup world. Show Notes: Kick off the show talking about Parker's Heritage Collection #9, The Malt Whiskey Release What has your past been that led you up into Distiller? Tell us more about the app, what would you categorize it as? How did the idea spawn? We really like the "trending bottle", how did that idea come about? Walk us through the recommendation engine Where do you find your expert reviewers? The reviews are like Amazon reviews, short and to the point. What sort of glasses do you drink out of? I found a good tidbit of information from Marianne Barnes about density and nosing. How many people are on the platform? How do you get all these bottles and samples for reviews? How did you come up with the tagline "The Whiskey Companion"? Shout out to our new audio engineer David Isreal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nino Marchetti (@WhiskeyWash), Founder at TheWhiskeyWash.com, joins us today to announce a new partnership between us. We talk about his news outlet, the authors, products, and most importantly, his bunker! Show Notes: Starting the show off by drinking Kentucky Owl Batch #2. Add it to the collection if you have the money to spare Talk to us about the TheWhiskeyWash.com We’re proud to announce a partnership between our two brands Nino has an offsite, undisclosed location, for his bunker Talk about the authors on the site Talk about some of the most popular articles One of the most popular articles is about the $75,000 Whiskey In regards to reviewers, what walks of life do they come from so we trust them? There are lots of reviews on food pairings Your apartment is on fire, what’s the one bottle you grab? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kris Comstock, the Bourbon Marketing Director at Buffalo Trace, talks about how he made his way to Kentucky and gives us insight into the brands and even the new 2015 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (sorry about the horrible audio on this one). Show Notes: Firenado/Bourbonado Tell us your bourbon story What led you to Buffalo Trace? What do you do in your current role? Give everyone a bit of insight on how you do forecasting for production? Since you are in charge of packaging let's talk a bit about some of the labels we see today. Can you talk a bit about some of them and perhaps some backstory. Maybe even give the listeners an understanding why Buffalo Trace is even called Buffalo Trace? Now I know Blantons has the collector series of caps. Am I right? You’ve also had a hand in developing some of the other brands like EH Taylor, Experimental, Stagg Jr and Single Oak. talk about each one of those a little bit and the roles you played The Antique collection was just announced. Talk to us about it a bit Follow Kris on twitter at @BUFFALOCOMSTOCK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Carol Perry, or just Perry, is a legend in his own right. Perry has worked at the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively for 45 years. He has held about every job you could possibly have and is currently working security and head greeter for the Bulleit Frontier Experience. Show Notes: Give us an idea of what you have been doing here for the past 45 years Talk about what life is like working at the warehouse Why did they have windows open only during the day? What other kinds of experiences did you gather from working at warehouse? Drinking your own product on the job probably wasn’t uncommon back then How automated were the processes back then? What do you mean by dumping the glass? Did you ever have any interactions with the Van Winkle family? Wasn’t there a break room incident with Julian? What were you doing when the distillery closed its doors? Any security incidents in your time? You’ve seen the ups and downs, is this the craziest time you’ve ever seen? Is there a best memory that sticks out for you during this time? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your hosts, Kenny and Ryan, take a look back on the past 21 episodes. We talk about the guests and what is still to come with the remaining part of the year. Show Notes: Have we had some guests that have stood out more than others? Great history lesson with Brian Haara of Sipp'n Corn Learned a great deal about pot still vs column still with Brent Goodin of Boundary Oak Have you had any favorite bourbon releases this year? Lots of distilleries are having unique and rare releases for big money If you think you are going to visit Louisville for bourbon hunting, you've come to the wrong place Did you ever open your EH Taylor Cured Oak? Are people looking to get price for proof now? Take a look back on the Orphan Barrel releases with Ewan Morgan What other guests did you find interesting? We also get to visit some interesting places such as mansions to record our podcasts Jim Rutledge's retirement made us thankful he recorded a show An Easter Egg... you have to listen to find out!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brent Goodin, Master Distiller at Boundary Oak Distillery, discusses his new startup distillery and how his first bottle of bourbon off the line sold for $28,000. Show Notes: What’s your bourbon story? Do you have an earliest moment with bourbon? Are you picking up the family lineage of getting back into the bourbon industry? What led you to becoming a Master Distiller? Any influencers along the way? How long have you been practicing your trade? Where does the name Boundary Oak come from? Where is your location in relation to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? I don’t get to use this word very often, but What’s it mean to be the first distiller in Hardin County after a “centennial plus some”? There was an Insider Louisville article lately that talked about a record being broken for the most paid for a first bottle of bourbon. Talk about that Most consumers think 2 year old bourbon is under-aged. Are you doing something different to age your bourbon to make it more appealing? How big is your operation? and how many barrels can you age? Are you thinking you are going to have multiple brands or mix them all together to have a consistent flavor? What price point are you targeting? As with most distillery startups, you already have a product for sale, Kentucky Amber, talk about it a bit How can people get a hold of you and learn more about the distillery? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Haara (@SippnCorn), Attorney and blogger at Sipp’n Corn, joins the podcast to talk about the history of the bourbon industry through the lens of lawsuits. Listen to find out how Colonel Taylor loved getting himself into trouble as well as the real story behind Ezra Brooks. Show Notes: Do you have a favorite office bourbon? What’s your bourbon story? How did you get into bourbon? The one thing I love how blog is such an interesting angle into the past. You stumbled upon this, now are you going through archives in Lexis Nexis to search for keywords like “EH Taylor”. Do you think more people are looking to become educated consumers? You have an article on your blog on how to read the Four Roses single barrel label Talk about Copycat Whiskey with Jack Daniels and Ezra Brooks Who is the most notorious for being in legal trouble with bourbon? Talk a bit about Taylor and the bottle-in-bond act What about the lawsuits between George Stagg and Taylor? What did that mean about the brands and the distilleries? Is there more legal trouble about Taylor’s Signature? You’ve got another article called Kentucky Isn’t Big Enough for Two Colonel Taylors. Talk about that. Did you see a lot of cases based off copyright or brand infringements? Churchill Downs Distilling vs Churchill Downs Inc. Were there any cases involving Stitzel-Weller? Are there any recent laws or cases that are interesting? Give me your favorite bourbons you have reviewed recently Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Mandell, CEO of the Bardstown Bourbon Company, talks about the beginning of one of the newest and largest distilleries to ever hit Bardstown, KY. We talk about the present and future of this up and coming distillery. Show Notes: David tell us about your background Tell us about the spirits you will be distilling Give us your bourbon story. What led you into the spirits business? Talk a little bit about the operation you are currently building What edge does this give you compared to Heaven Hill, Four Roses for outsourcing bourbon? What are you going to do with 37,000 square feet of space? We’re the first to break the news about Harrison-Smith House being a staple at the new distillery. What else can you fit inside this massive space? What’s the timeline to get the stills running? To be called a bourbon it needs to be aged for two years. So what’s your two year plan to fill the gap? What are the long term plans with that facility? What was the solidifying fact by choosing Bardstown as the home for this new distillery? What are the biggest hurdles you see as the biggest blockers for trying to get into the spirits industry? Tell us about Steve Nally and what he brings to possible micro-distillers wanting to expand their product lines Where are you exactly in Bardstown? Like Bardstown Bourbon on Facebook, Follow @btownbourbon on twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marianne Barnes, Master Distiller at The Distillery Formally Known as Old Taylor, discusses her new role, what everyone can expect coming from this revitalization, and insights into what it takes to be a master distiller. Show Notes: Tell us a little bit about your past How does chemical engineering play into this role? Talk to us about why we have you on the show Are you going to keep the name Old Taylor name or will it be renamed? What’s being invested into restoring the distillery? Where is the distillery in relation to the bourbon trail? Where do you see this business in the next 5 years? How do you measure success? What can you do differently versus Brown-Forman? What does it mean to be a woman in this male dominated field? Talk to us a little bit about what made you so successful and why you were chosen for this role What is going to set your bourbon apart from everything else on the market? When is the distillery going to be up and running? Follow Marianne Barnes on Facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices