Bourbon Pursuit

What is sourced whiskey? It can mean a lot of different things and many of us bourbon geeks feel some do it better than others. There is contract distillation and there is outright buying barrels, but it’s what you are doing with the bourbon that makes the story. We evaluate some of the most iconic brands that built their legacy off of sourcing and then look at today’s market to see who is doing something special versus simply slapping a label on a bottle.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about barrel finishes. How do you know when something is sourced? How do you source whiskey? What brands are sourced? What about pricing sourced whiskey? What kind of influence has sourced whiskey had on the industry? What is more respectable, starting a brand sourced and then transitioning to your own distillate or starting with your own distillate? What about contract distilling? What are the primary places to source from? Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Angel's Envy Mizunara Cask. It is a blend of 4 and 9 year old bourbon, is 97.8 proof, and $350 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

This week we look at how the size of a distiller will put a focus on their core name brand vs creating extensions. We talk a little bit about what you can and can’t patent in the whiskey business. Next, we examine the new Old Forester 150th anniversary and our thoughts on whether you would rather see single barrel cask strength releases or create a wide release. Lastly, we cover what has gone right and what’s been done wrong with limited edition releases that have happened in person and online.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about how sometimes ignorance is bliss. Orange juice, pulp or no pulp? Why don't new Distillers/Bottlers differentiate their products more? For instance, Barrell Bourbon, Barrell Rye, Barrell Rum, Pinhook Rye, Pinhook Bourbon, Pinhook Cask Strength. Whereas Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, etc. What can and can't be patented in the whiskey business? Old Forester drops 3 batches of cask strength at $150 per bottle. Before I saw the price, I thought it was going to be a competitor to ECBP or Bookers. Would you rather see wide releases at barrel proof or barrel selections at barrel proof? You can't choose both. Angel's Envy Mizunara Cask, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Four Roses LE Releases. What has been done right and what went wrong? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Four Roses 2020 Limited Edition Small Batch. This 12-19 year old bourbon is 111.4 proof and $150 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

Well, you asked for another episode talking cocktails and that’s what you get. On this episode, we talk to Nic Christiansen who runs the single barrel program at Barrell Craft Spirits, but is also a nationally recognized bartender and cocktail competition champion. She talks about the variety of cocktails and how it’s really about swapping out simple ingredients to create endless possibilities. From a classic Old Fashioned or Mint Julep to creating your own bitters, this episode will have you wanting to create something unique of your own.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about bourbon heritage month. What was your favorite tv show growing up as a kid? Tell us about your background. What made you decide to get into cocktails? What bad habits did you learn when you first started making cocktails? What is involved with being a beverage director? How do you train bartenders? How did you remember all those cocktails? How do you make bitters? How do you build a cocktail from an economic perspective? What is your Old Fashioned recipe? What is a Brown Derby? What kind of ice do you prefer? What do you think about the growing mixology culture? Do you ever enter competitions? What is your go to vermouth? Rye vs. Bourbon in cocktails? What are your thoughts on Rum cocktails? How frustrated do you get when a place can't make a good cocktail? Do you prefer different cocktails for different seasons? Talk about using a raw egg in a New York Sour. Where did you get the inspiration for your New York Sour? Any upcoming cocktail trends? What do you do on a daily basis? Does your palate differ from Tripp and Joe? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel. This non-age stated bourbon is 94 proof and $50 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

Clay Risen somehow narrowly escaped being a guest on the podcast, but we got him. We talk about some of his past work and his newest book, The Impossible Collection Of Whiskey: The 100 Most Exceptional And Collectible Bottles, that will be coming out in October 2020. So of course, we talk about chasing unicorns and our early bourbon regrets.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about unity in bourbon. Tell us about your books. If you could be best friends with any celebrity, who would it be? Do you feel like books need to be refreshed constantly? Talk about the different kinds of rye. What are your favorite ryes? How did you become the whiskey guy? What year did you get into whiskey? What is one of your favorite pieces you've wrote? Tell us about your new book. How do you have time to venture out to all different kinds of whiskies? Did you include specific vintages in your new book? What about exports created for the Japanese market? How hard would it be for you to open a rare whiskey? Now that you are covering politics, are you drinking more whiskey? 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 2020 Birthday Bourbon. This 10 year old bourbon is 98 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

Old Forester is really starting to win over bourbon lovers. We are joined by our returning guest, Master Taster at Old Forester, Jackie Zykan, to chat about the 2020 Birthday Bourbon, the new barrel proof offering on the single barrel program, the story behind President's Choice, and much more. Have you tried an Old Forester 1915? Well, if you've never heard of it, get ready to start blending.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about labor strikes. If you had a time machine would you go back in time or to the future? Let's talk about 1915. Tell us about working with Chris Morris and Birthday Bourbon. How hard was it to get the single barrel program to be barrel proof? What age barrels are going into the Whiskey Row Series? How do the barrel picks work? Tell us about President's Choice. Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye. This non-age stated bourbon is 112.2 proof and $60 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