Bourbon Pursuit

Cigars... they are one of the best ways to enjoy a nice glass of bourbon. The flavors and aromas all become enhanced into a better overall experience. We talked about cigars and bourbon back on episode 129 with Jeremy and Jake from Jake's Cigar Lounge, but this time we're joined by Ibis Lu. She's a Cigar Sommelier and Certified Bourbon Steward, but also operates the Instagram account @Cigarlover12. She's probably been smoking cigars for longer than me and you combined. We talk about aging cigars, fake cubans, and the overhyped barrel aged cigars.Show Partners: Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com. Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more. Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com. You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now. Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com. Savor every drop of summer at Total Wine & More! You’re sure to find cool prices in-store or online at TotalWine.com. Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com. Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about age statements. What got you into cigars? When did you have your first cigar? Talk about the history of cigars in Cuba. Are there are a lot of fake Cuban cigars? What cigar do you recommend for pairing with bourbon? How many cigars do you smoke a day? Do you take tasting notes on cigars? How do you get rid of the cigar taste in your mouth? How do they age cigars? What are your thoughts on barrel aged cigars? What is a good amount to spend on a humidor? Tell us about your journey in bourbon. Is the cigar community like the bourbon community? Do you prefer pairing cigars with bourbon or Scotch? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Smooth Ambler Contradiction Rye. This non-age stated rye is 105 proof and $40 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!Whiskey Quickie is brought to you by Barrell Bourbon. Learn more at BarrellBourbon.com.DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back on Episode 295, the roundtable discussed when does craft whiskey stop becoming craft whiskey. Well, the internet is full of opinions and we heard every last one of them. Many of whom said, "Why don't you get some real craft distillers on the show and ask them?" Well, we took your advice and did just that. We're joined by Becky Harris of Catoctin Creek and Alan Bishop from Spirits of French Lick to talk about what craft means to them. We also discuss their thoughts on sourcing and how they overcome the craft stigma to set themselves apart from the rest.Show Partners: Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com. Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more. Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com. You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now. Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com. Savor every drop of summer at Total Wine & More! You’re sure to find cool prices in-store or online at TotalWine.com. Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com. Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about the influence of social media for brands. What got you into whiskey? What does craft mean to you? How do we get past the craft stigma? What are the positives of being in craft whiskey? How do you feel about the sourced whiskey game? Has the popularity of bourbon helped your business? Talk about your experience over the past year. @catoctincreek, @spiritsoffrenchlick Support this Podcast on Patreon  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Walker's Cay Bourbon. This non-age stated bourbon is 90 proof and $37 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Maker's Mark RC6. This is Maker's Mark's first national limited release. It's non-age stated, 108.2 proof, and $60 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: This whiskey in this review was purchased by Bourbon Pursuit for reviewing. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the 60th Bourbon Community Roundtable where we've got 3 topics of recent news to cover. Beam Suntory is launching new subscription models for Little Book and Maker's Mark which makes us wonder if this trend will continue for most major distilleries. Fall release season is around the corner so Jordan from Breaking Bourbon picks out 5 releases to discuss. Lastly, George Dickel has released a bourbon, which is the same recipe as their Tennessee Whiskey, why would they do that?Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about climate and the aging process. Bourbon Subscriptions 5 Limited Releases to Watch Dickel releases bourbon. Thanks to Blake (@bourbonr @drinkseelbachs), Jordan from Breaking Bourbon (@breakingbourbon), and Brian (@sippn_corn) for joining in another lively discussion. Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Old Forester 2021 Birthday Bourbon. This 12 year old bourbon is 104 proof and $130 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So what is a dusty bourbon? Well... it's just an old bourbon. The idea was that these were bottles that used to sit on the shelves and collect dust. Now a days, these are rare gems and lots of bourbon hunters go crazy looking for them. Unfortunately, the days of finding a 1980s Old Grand Dad on the shelf are long gone, but we sit down and analyze what makes a dusty a dusty.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about yeast. What's the allure of dusties? What makes dusties different? Are there any dusities you should stay away from? Let's discuss bourbon hunting? What do you consider a dusty? What's your best dusty score?  What are your thoughts on decanters? Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Taconic Mizunara Cask Bourbon. This non-age stated bourbon is 107 proof and $90 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About twice a year we have a guest on the show that just amazes us with the science behind bourbon. Stuart Williams is a professor that directs the microfluidic systems laboratory at the University of Louisville. He discovered that when bourbon begins evaporating, it creates a web that resembles constellations in the dark sky. Stuart was able to document his findings and show how bourbons that come from the same distillery create similar webs. Pictures speak louder than words so make sure you check out his website at WhiskeyWebs.org to see the stunning representations.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about sourced whiskey. How did you become so passionate about this research? Tell us about fluid dynamics. What is a whiskey web? Talk about filtration. Is it good to have more colloids vs. less? Tell us about the physics of evaporation. What proof were you testing at? Will 3 different bottles of the same whiskey have the same pattern? Which bourbon didn't show a web? What other things could you test with this research? Could you use the whiskey web to determine taste? WhiskeyWebs.org Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices