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

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?

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

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?

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

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.

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?

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?

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?

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.

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?

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  

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?

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

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?

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

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

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?

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?

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”

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

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?

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

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)

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

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?

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?

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?

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?

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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

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?

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”

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?

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?

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?

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.

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?

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?

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?

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

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?

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?

(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.