Bourbon Pursuit

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A120. This 12 year old bourbon is 136.6 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association does more for bourbon in the US than just Kentucky alone. Eric Gregory, the President of the KDA, has been on both sides of the government trying to put the interests of the distillers and consumers first. We talk about his experience with government lobbying and how he revived the organization. What is the future of bourbon? Are distribution laws changing, what will happen with tariffs, and how will the Bourbon Trail maintain growth?Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about up and coming writers. Tell us about your background. What was it like at the KDA when you first got this job? What was your first lobbying experience at the KDA? Any good horse racing tips? How do you see bourbon growing? What do you think of the tariffs? Tell us about the lobbying process. How do you keep it bipartisan? When you hear rumblings of new taxes what do you all do? Tell us about the steps you have taken from the promotional side of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Affair? How many trail visitors did you have the first year? Talk about partnerships. What are some of the weirdest requests you've gotten from people? Are there other states that look to your organization for guidance? What is your position on the secondary market? Why do so many people oppose shipping alcohol? What do you think about bourbon tourism growth in Bardstown vs. Louisville? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength. This non-age stated bourbon is 130-135 proof and around $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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you don’t live in Kentucky, you still need to listen because this is the first piece of legislature that could hit your state next. Adam Koenig, State Representative and Chairman for the Licensing and Occupation Committee in the House, and Christy Trout, Lawyer, Former Commissioner the KY Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, and Special Counsel to the Speaker of the House, give us a break down of the Kentucky House Bill 415. HB415 is the beginning of dismantling the three tier system. Giving consumers the ability to buy directly from distilleries and producers themselves, putting more money back into the pockets of the distillery. No distributor in the equation AND the distiller also acts as the retailer. Second is shipping. Distilleries, as well as breweries and wineries, can now ship to your doorstep in reciprocal states. Listen to get all the detailsShow Notes: Download the HB415 SummarySupport this podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s podcast, as you guessed it, is a reflection on what’s been happening with COVID-19. The whiskey industry is going to see some big changes. We’ve seen legislation pass as it relates to shipping and delivery of alcohol because it’s deemed an essential part of living and our culture. How long will this trend stick around and will we see this continue when the pandemic is over? Do you want to see more relaxed liquor laws? Lets hear it in the comments.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about grains. Lots has changed since our last roundtable with COVID-19. Are people actually drinking more? Or are they just hoarding? Is distribution down with distilleries producing hand sanitizer? Will COVID-19 change consumer demand indefinitely with services for shipping and delivery? KY HB415 has passed. What could this mean for the greater United States? Should these large corporations that have donated 50k, 500k, or 1M be donating more? Billions in revenue vs a small donation amount in comparison. When this is all over, what’s the best thing that will come out of COVID-19? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Driftless Glen 51 Rye Whiskey. This non-age stated rye whiskey is 102 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special bonus podcast, we take a moment to talk to Aaron Goldfarb, whiskey and cocktail journalist and the author of Hacking Whiskey. We talk about his origins and how he got into journalism. The state of NYC at the moment during COVID-19. Then we talk about what led him into covering spirits, his thoughts on the secondary market crackdowns, some of his favorite articles, and where inspiration strikes.Show Notes:Hacking Whiskey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we’ve seen with the impacts of COVID-19, it’s now become necessary for the spirits industry to adopt technology and delivery services to stay alive. Cory Rellas, the CEO of Drizly, was on the forefront of this years ago. This podcast dives into their business model and how they are helping stores build a digital infrastructure to sell their goods online and get it into the hands of consumers faster. We hit on all kinds of topics such as their competitors in the market, what shipping laws could mean for Drizly, and if there is an opportunity to extend this business model into cannabis.Show Notes: This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the power of packaging. What is Drizly? How did you come up with this idea? What's the timeline? What was the state of the industry when you got started? What were the challenges? Why did you go through New York early on? What is your big selling point to retail locations? Any pricing restrictions to prevent gouging? Talk about pricing transparency. How are you using the data you are acquiring? Are you sharing the data? Do you have a CRM? How are the products delivered to the consumer? How are you dealing with competition? Are you all interested in getting bought out? What's the end game? What happens if shipping laws change? What is your best selling bourbon? What are the top 5 selling spirit categories? What's your favorite bourbon? How do you work with brands? What needs to change to get more people buy alcohol online? Are you lobbying at all? Is there an opportunity with cannabis? What would the perfect alcohol market look like? What's the latest trend? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Hillrock Estate Exceptional Cask #1. This non-age stated bourbon is 116.8 proof and $120 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of a Patreon supporter. 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

We started off the year talking about Scotch… and now…we’re talking Irish Whiskey? It’s not another April Fool’s joke. We had the opportunity to sit down and capture one of the most interesting stories in Irish Whiskey with Alex Conyngham, co-founder of Slane Irish Whiskey. We talk castles and rock concerts because that’s one big aspect of his history. Then we get into the dynamics of Irish whiskey and if there are commonalities between bourbon like sourcing, regulation, and financing a distillery. Then we discuss the role Brown-Forman plays and how they are trying to appeal to both bourbon and Irish Whiskey consumers.Show Notes: DISCUS hand sanitizer portal: https://www.distilledspirits.org/distillers-responding-to-covid-19/distilleries-producing-hand-sanitizer/ Less than 100 bottles left from 3 different barrels of Pursuit Series left on Seelbachs: https://seelbachs.com/search?q=pursuit This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about drinking bourbon during the COVID-19 pandemic. Where did you grow up and how did you get into whiskey? Tell us about your rock concerts. How did you decide to do the concerts? What is a good Irish cocktail? Where is Slane? What makes Irish whiskey unique? Do people source Irish whiskey? What is the process? How did you decide to start the distillery? Did you use a consultant to get started? What's glamping? Tell us about your dad. How did you finance the distillery? What was it like to work with Brown-Forman? How big is the distillery? What age can you sell Irish whiskey? Tell us about the whiskey? Do you have your own yeast? What's the typical Irish whiskey proof? How long are you aging? Tell us about your packaging. Would bourbon drinkers like Slane Irish whiskey? Tell us about the ultra premium Irish whiskey category. What is the price point? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices