Bourbon Pursuit

Nancy Fraley is world-renowned for her expertise on blending… or is it mingling? In this podcast, we talk about the difference between blending and mingling, but also go into barrel sizes, terroir, and the art of barrel finishing. Spoiler alert, here’s another industry veteran who isn’t a fan of small barrels.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about hats. Tell us about your background. How did you get on the blending path? What is a french style? What are other styles of blending? Let's talk blending vs. mingling. Talk about blending trends you are seeing internationally and in the US. What is terroir? What characteristics are you looking for when blending? Tell us about the impact of barrel size and climate on the bourbon. How do you decide what kind of cask you want to finish a bourbon in? How do you test a finish? What type of whiskey works better for finishing? How often do you sample? How do you figure out how long you finish a bourbon in a barrel? Are there any tried and true casks? Should the finishing barrel be empty? 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 Master's Keep 5th Edition. This 17 year old bourbon is 100 proof and $175 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

Many of us know the basics of distillation, but only a few know the true science. Today, we’re joined by Tripp Stimson of Barrell Bourbon and we ask all the hard questions on distillation that we’ve always wanted to know. This is really for the geeks at heart because it goes into pH levels, yeast strains, malting processes, and so much more. Listen close to the expert because it’s definitely one show where you will learn something new about the distillation process.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about bourbon in the movies. What are your goals for the year? Tell us about your background. Let's talk about grains. Does it matter where the grain comes from? What happens after getting the grain? Does the size of the mash tub matter? What is the percentage of mash to water? What's the best way to mix the mash? How long is the process? How do you know the mash is ready? What grain do you add in first? Talk about malted grain. What happens next? What is the consistency of the product when going from the mash tub to the fermentation tank? Let's talk about yeast. What about a mash rest? What is the chemical breakdown during fermentation? Why do some people do closed vs. open fermentation? What determines the number of days for fermentation? Do different grains change the process? What is sour mash? Let's talk about the pH of the water. Is the flavor more consistent in a sour mash process vs. sweet mash? Do you use a bourbon backset in a rye mash? What happens after fermentation? Talk about the shape of stills. After the still where does it go? What happens in the doubler? What are heads, hearts and tails? What are the health risks of the process? What's the difference between the column still and pot still? When do you get the waste out? How do you control the proof coming off the still? What is the argument for a low entry proof? Does it have to be the exact proof listed on the label? How do you get a final proof when using multiple barrels? How do you clean the equipment? Does an older still produce a different flavor? What are you looking for when picking rum? Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review an E.H. Taylor Single Barrel selected by the Dallas Bourbon Club. This non-age stated bourbon is 100 proof and around a $65 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.Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For anyone that doesn’t know Peggy from listening to our past episodes, you will get to hear from the first ever woman Master Taster. She has been a remarkable inspiration for anyone in the bourbon industry and her crowning achievement was being inducted into the 2019 Bourbon Hall of Fame. This podcast was recorded at the Kentucky Derby Museum’s Legends Series so make sure you are following their social media handles @derbymuseum to catch the next season. Learn more about Peggy by listening to episodes 204 and 198, which is her session from the 2018 Kentucky Bourbon Affair called “The Stave is the Rave”.Show Notes: DISCUS Petition: https://p2a.co/yrfbbV7 Podcast Awards Voting: https://www.podcastawards.com/ This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Wild Turkey and small barrels. Tell us about being a Noe. What were you like when you were young? What was your dad like? Tell us about your time at the University of Kentucky. What were you drinking back then? Why did you chose these whiskies to taste? What was your first job out of college? How long were you in the hotel business? When did you work at Brown-Forman? What was the coolest event you coordinated? What was the next step? Tell us a good Lincoln story. What challenges have you faced? Do you feel like you always have to prove yourself? Talk about what you've done for women in bourbon. Tell us about Peerless. How many distilleries have you worked on? Tell us about Bakers. Bourbon Women: https://bourbonwomen.org/ Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Tincup Rye Whiskey. This 3 year rye whiskey is 90 proof and $30 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

Does the purchase of Early Times by Sazerac signal trouble in the water for Brown-Forman? We look at the motivation behind this and if tariffs could have a future impact as well. If you’re thinking about visiting distilleries and experiencing Kentucky, is now the time to do it or wait until things settle down? And lastly, we ask ourselves what do we do with a bottle that only has 2 or 3 pours left? Finish it or save it?Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about People Magazine. Sazerac purchased Early Times. What will happen to a recent bourbon entrant that has become a beloved bottom shelfer? Distilleries are slowly starting to open back up. Would you go ahead and take your KY vacation now or wait? Do you look at bottle fill levels and feel the need to finish them off or keep them? Thanks to Blake from bourbonr.com, Jordan from BreakingBourbon.com, and Brian from sippncorn.com for joining. Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Chicken Cock Rye Whiskey. This rye is aged at least 2 years, is 90 proof, and $70 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

Do you have a really old bottle of whiskey? What about a unicorn that’s coveted by every bourbon enthusiast out there? We’re joined by Joe Hyman of Skinner Auctioneers to talk about what it’s like to buy and sell high-end bottles at a legit auction. We talk about everything from the bottles they accept, how they process auctions, and how they spot fakes. Every year a whiskey breaks the ceiling for sales, who knows what it will be this year.Show Notes: BevAlc Insights: https://bevalcinsights.com/ Dating Old American Whiskey Bottles: https://bourbonveach.com/2020/06/29/dating-old-american-whiskey-bottles/ Whiskey Advocate Article: https://www.whiskyadvocate.com/black-market-bourbon-feature/ This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bottled-In-Bond. How did you get into spirits and auctions? Did 50 year old scotch ruin you? How do you get these rare bottles? Talk about the legalities of selling and shipping alcohol for an auction house. How do you transport or ship the bottles? What do you define as a rare bottle? How often do you get something in and it's ruined somehow? How do people react when they bring you a bottle that they think is amazing, but you can't sell it? How do you spot fakes? What would happen if you auctioned a counterfeit bottle? Do you research on the secondary market for pricing? How do you gauge value? What do you attribute fluctuations in the market to? Any advice for people wanting to participate in an auction? Do you still get a thrill when finding rare bottles? Are there things you won't sell? What's the record sale? What's your commission rate?  Who is cooler, Scotch or American whiskey buyers? Support this Podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Corsair Triple Smoke Whiskey. This single malt whiskey is aged for 7 months, 80 proof, and $45 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