Bourbon Pursuit

Everyone has some news to share this week. We welcome, Fred Minnick, as a new co-host to the show and kick off a new segment called "Above the Char". Ed Bley, multi-appearance guest on the show, has some news to share as well. Can you guess what it is? What's going to happen to Old Baldy? What's on the horizon for everyone? Enjoy this week's episode!Show Notes: This week's "Above the Char" with Fred Minnick discusses cigar barrels or cigar blends Ed is leaving Cork N Bottle and opening a distillery What's the name of it? What happens after barreling? Are you going to be distilling or just sourcing? Focus on filtration and proofing Did you find your great great grandpappys old recipe? How did you feel Cork N Bottle groomed you for this? Elephant in the room... what's happening with Old Baldy? Narrow it down, what does it mean that your focus will be on filtration techniques Have you talked to other master distillers about advice on this adventure? Are you hiring? What's the meaning behind the name? Is there something that was the climatic moment? Do you have a legit fear that it could flop? In the scotch world, blending of other distilleries is common, but why now for bourbon? Have you taken on investors or are you bootstrapped? What's the vision of the site if it's not a distillery? Is there a timeline for having a release? How do you think your loyal Cork N Bottle customers feel? Ed, what do you have planned for bourbon and rum blends? Do you plan on changing your instagram account name? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There used to be thousands of distilleries spread across Kentucky at houses, farms, and industrial sites. As time moved through the industrial revolution, prohibition, and the clear spirit movement, many of these became ruins and were long forgotten. Nick Laracuente has dedicated years to uncovering these forgotten pieces of history as an effort to piece together their story. He is also on the forefront of Buffalo Trace's Bourbon Pompeii exhibit. Listen to this episode as Nick tells his story of discovering artifacts and uncovering the history of bourbon distillation.Show Notes: Did archeology turn you into a bourbon enthusiast or was it the other way around? I suppose it really helps to know more about the product you are researching What is the drive or economic reason for wanting to dig up these sites and learn? Are distilleries funding this or the state? Where is the money coming from? Who was Jack Jouett? Can you talk about the magnitude of the footprint you are dealing with? What is your fascination with the Fraziers or Ecklers who haven't had much history documented? Have you been able to uncover something that isn't part of today's distillation techniques? When you are exploring a site, do you have an idea of how big the operation was to figure out what to look for? When you are digging holes looking for artifacts, how big are these holes? What is your "eureka" moment when something is found? At what point does the story start coming together for the Jouett distillery? Let's talk about the poster child of bourbon archeology, Bourbon Pompeii. Other than the vats, anything else cool that was discovered? Follow Nick on twitter (@archeologist) and instagram (bourbonarcheology) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a tradition that has remained in the hands of the family for generations. Willett Distillery is one of the most recognized brands for bourbon enthusiasts and has accumulated a cult status. Even Kulsveen has seen the struggles and highs of his industry but had foresight to buy aged whiskey stocks when they were plentiful which put the spotlight on this brands. With Britt Kulsveen at the helm as their new President, this family is making bigger waves than before. Listen to their story as Fred Minnick moderates this Kentucky Derby Museum Legend Series.Show Notes: This event is being moderated by Fred Minnick. This years theme is all about family Even, where did you grow up? Did you do a lot of ice fishing growing up? Did you ever fall through the ice? Talk about your time in the Merchant Marines What were your events in college sports? So we found out before we started that you're not an American citizen Britt, can you give us a story about your father's kindness? Even, was there a moment where you saw Britt in action and said she's got skills? Britt, is there a story behind you always wearing boots? Even, did you train Drew? What are you looking for in the barrels when you are creating your small batch composition? What is something that doesn't taste right? What was something you learned from Thompson Willett? Did he ever show you his secret spots in the warehouses? Talk about the Frosted Yeast Rolls. This is the High Corn Mashbill. Barrel entry at Even, How did you meet your wife? All the big brands were bailing out on bourbon, what was that time like? When did you come out with your small batch series? Did you ever travel to Russia in the 90s? Did you ever have trust issues with distributors there? Britt, what was it like as a kid watching your dad living around whiskey? Let's drink the wheated bourbon now. Entry Proof at 115 When Drew brings you something, do you ever turn it away and tell him its bad? You were also bottling stuff for a lot of other people back in the day. Can you talk about that? You had to acquire bourbon from other distilleries, what sort of other whiskey were you looking for? Was there is an age limit of something you wouldn't buy? Would your early batches include barrels from lots of different distilleries? What's your sweet spot for an aged bourbon? Lets taste the 6 year old Rye now, 51% Rye, 34% Corn, 15% barley, Barrel entry proof is 125, but now goes in at 110. Dipping back into the great barrels coming out during the early 2000s, how does this new stuff rank? We talked about the 80s and 90s, but Willett becomes really popular in the late 2000s. There are a lot of fans. Have you ever been a part of the fandom? How many times have you been asked to get bought out? Bill Thomas from Jack Rose has been a big supporter of Willett. Talk about the Willett 80th anniversary. It's the original Willett mashbill, 72% Corn, 13% Rye, 15% Barley and this one is bottled in bond There aren't many bad things to be said about your whiskey. Do you think it's harder to stay on top? Are there any other mashbills or barrel finishes you are working on? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are businesses able to take advantage of Kentucky's House Bill 100 or better known as the Vintage Spirits Law? Today’s show features two opposite side of the spectrum. We have one side doing retail with Justin Sloane at Justin’s House of Bourbon in Lexington, and the other is on-premise at a restaurant with Larry Rice of the famed Silver Dollar in Louisville. Both of these places are known for having unique bourbons on the menu and we get an inside scoop into how this law has effected their business. We wrap up the show with their greatest dusty hunting stories.Show Notes: Talk about how you got into bourbon It seems like many people got started with collecting Maker's Mark. Are any of them valuable now? Justin, talk about the launching point for The House of Bourbon, was the spirit law a big motivating factor? Why did you think a package store would be the best way to capitalize on House Bill 100? Why aren't more liquor stores investing in this business model? Larry, you saw the writing on the wall pretty early and Silver Dollar became a destination for bourbon trail people. What was the idea of having a very large whiskey catalog? Where did the honky tonk aspect come from? What is it about vintage or dusty whiskey that they bring to the table? Talk about how you began acquiring all these bottles Do you feel uneasy knowing you have all these unicorns and you won’t get to try it? How are you managing inventory? What's your target market? Larry, I think you’re getting locals that are just now getting into the scene but don’t know about the forums. Do you find it funny that old people thought this was rot gut? Do you want them to fly off the shelf? Do vintage spirits have big revenue or is it just value-add? Will there be an end in sight of getting hands on dusty bourbon? Lets wrap it up with your best dusty hunting story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pretty sure everyone has heard about Barton 1792's Warehouse collapsing but we take our stab at some chaos theories. Brian Harra from Sipp'n Corn defended Castle and Key against Sazerac in a lawsuit and won. And the second half of the show is discussing all the new releases that are set to debut.Show Notes: Drinking Old Forester's President's Choice, Kentucky Owl Rye, Wilderness Trail, Elijah Craig, and Henry McKenna Why doesn't Heaven Hill allow Elijah Craig Barrel Proof picks? It's the story that broke headlines and most of our phones were buzzing from family sending us links as if we hadn't heard of it yet. But Warehouse 30 at Barton collapsed. First, lets go ahead and see who got the most texts or links sent to them? I know they haven't said the cause, but if you go check out a previous podcast guests blog, bourbontruth, you will see that he wrote an article back in 2015 about infestation of beetles On June 14, 2018, one of the panelists on this roundtable actually counter-suit Sazerac and won. A quick summary of the decision went as follows. Will Arvin and Wesley Murry are the guys behind the Castle and Key venture, even though we see Marianne Barnes on IG all the time. During the period where they were renovating, it was commonly referred to as the old taylor distillery or the spot formally known as. The problem with this was that Sazerac sued them for defamation for the name of Old Taylor saying that it caused brand confusion. Court Ruling PDF What's the Lanham Act? Sazerac points out that there is a four-hundred foot “Old Taylor Distillery” sign on the distillery’s barrel storage warehouse and a twenty-foot “The Old Taylor Distillery Company” sign above the entrance to its main building. What did they expect to do with this? Was there a settlement to be paid? Or attorney fees get paid? Kentucky Owl Rye Batch 2 raise in SRP to $200. Almost a 50% increase. Seen some sold for $160 1792 BiB single barrels Parker's Orange Curacao finish Booker's 30th Blend Announcement - Blake I saw in your email round up you talked about this. Can you give a recap? Wild Turkey Revival Heaven Hill 27 year Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye Thanks to Blake from Bourbonr.com, Jordan from Breaking Bourbon, Brian from Sipp'n Corn, and Kerry from Subourbia for joining this week. Listen to all the Community Roundtables at http://bourbonpursuit.com/bourbon-community-roundtable-podcasts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The spotlight is set on the man who has made non-distilling producers famous. It's an exclusive podcast to the operations behind one of the largest distilleries in the world. Our guest spent nearly 40 years with that very famous Indiana distillery. It's safe to say, Greg Metze probably produced more bourbon and rye in a single year than some master distillers will in a lifetime once you hear about the size and scale of MGP. Show Notes: Let’s do what we all always do and start from the beginning. Do you remember your introduction into whiskey? Can you talk about your education and what led you into distillation? So lets look at your history at MGP Ingredients. What was your career path and trajectory there? The internals of MGPi aren’t discussed very much. How big is the operation there? What was the idea to distill all that rye before it became popular? Are there more spirits that were produced than others? What was the break out in bourbon vs rye being produced? Do you pride yourself in knowing that 90% of the Ryes and probably a good percentage of bourbon on the shelves of liquor stores is all from your work? How popular was contract distilling 10 years ago? Do you feel a bit angered or left out knowing there are tons of NDPs out there who are making a fortune telling a story about a rye that you created? Talk us through the process of selling to an NDP. Are they coming to MGP asking for juice? Is MGP coming to them first trying to sell them? Are there contracts that say you can or can't market a MGP bourbon or rye? Are there boundaries on how they market MGP juice? I'd like to know if they have ever had to turn someone away with either just buying sourced barrels or contract distilling? If so what is the pecking order or criteria? What are NDPs doing to make their product different or if it's all the same stuff? Are NDPs taking barrel from the same warehouses or how do they pick and choose? Did the whiskey boom hurt MGP getting rid of aged stocks? Lets talk about Old Elk in Colorado Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wes Henderson ran with his father's idea of doing port barrel finished bourbon. He weathered the storm of critics and let the product carve a new path where barrel finishes are now commonplace. It caught the eye of Bacardi and is continuing to grow with their own distillery that's now up and running. We talk about brand loyalty, social media, acquisitions, and business models when it comes to bourbon and spirits.Show Notes: Wes, you were back on Episode 006 which was back in March of 2015. I mean that was a long time ago! But for all those who just recently joined, lets give a quick recap of who you are, you father, the origins of Angel’s Envy, etc. Also, why the port finish? Barrel finishes are taking off, do you think you're delivering a better product than just standard bourbon? You know last time we talked, you were talking about trying a sherry finished cask. How has that experiment progressed? One of the great things I see consistently out of you is how you connect with the people who drink Angel’s Envy on social media. You respond back to almost every angels envy hashtag thanking the consumer. How does that effect brand loyalty? How are you connecting to a wide demographic to bourbon drinkers? The last time we saw each other was at Bourbon and Beyond and I thought this can’t be real. When did people in bourbon started getting treated like celebrities. I was there with you hanging out on stage with the bands as they were playing and it was a good time. I know I’ve seen you rubbing shoulders with a lot of Hollywood elite now too. I think you’re becoming secret best friends with actress and country music singer Laura Bell Buddy. So the last time we talked it was the same exact week Bacardi had announced the take over of Angel’s Envy. How has that been going? Was the Bacardi acquisition a big jump in capital that was needed? Then why a Distillery if no debt? What was wrong with the sourcing business model? You talked about tremendous upside building in Louisville but where's the risk? As the innovation officer, how are you getting your brand into the eyes of more consumers every day? Do you think the acquisition train will be coming full steam as bourbon begins to rise? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know when people say "I miss the good 'ol days"? Guthrie McKay is one of them. He has seen the bourbon renaissance flourish as he's been nestled in a small little liquor store in downtown Bardstown called Toddy's Liquors. Toddy's has almost become a stop on its own as people visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Listen as Guthrie tells stories of taking customers to visit Booker and Parker, his run in with Bill Thomas, and how the current boom has made him adapt business.Show Notes: Talk about the store. How did you get into the liquor business? Why didn't you name it after yourself? Talk about Bardstown 30 years ago and the bourbon scene and how it has changed Was there a premium brand back then? Did you have a hard time selling stuff like Booker's or Maker's Mark? Talk more about those early relationships with first entrants in the market? I'm sure you aren't sending people to the Beam's house any longer Is your store becoming another stop on the bourbon trail? What's your most annoying Pappy story? Talk about your history with Bill Thomas How do you deal with distributor games now? Are you looking forward to seeing Bardstown grow with reinvestments into infrastructure for keeping bourbon booming? How do you deal with shelf space on craft brands? Are you major buyers on the bourbon trail or everyday consumers? So you don't feel bad about pricing above secondary? Are gift shops taking away from your bottom line? What can big distilleries do to help support you? Can Bardstown support any more business? Are there enough people? You've talked about lot of gripes, but tell us what are some of the positives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The craft beer and wine world has good apps, why doesn't bourbon? Have you started to see Henry McKenna games start with liquor stores and distributors? Are we entering a new era of specialty bourbon decanters to appeal to an audience that will bite? We investigate the reasons why it's so hard to make bourbon apps popular. Tell true stories from the front lines of distributors bullying store owners on purchasing cases of Henry McKenna. Reveal our opinions on the new Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-bond decanter.Show Notes: Thanks to Blake from Bourbonr.com, Jordan fromBreaking Bourbon, and Max fromSuperfly Bourbon Club for joining this week. Max recently spent his bachelor party trip in bourbon country, tell us about it. Why aren't there apps? It works for beer and wine, but why not bourbon? Is there a false sense of scarcity with Henry McKenna? Are distributors starting games again? Why isn't hoarding or buying multiple cases of Henry McKenna a good thing? Are spirits competitions getting too much recognition? Are decanters coming back in style? Are we rolling back to the 70s? Can this be a collectors item? Bob Dylan released his line of whiskey. Is this the start of celebs getting into the game? Listen to all the Community Roundtables at http://bourbonpursuit.com/bourbon-community-roundtable-podcasts/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Jack Daniel's a bourbon? It's a question that has been asked thousands of times over and there never really seems to be a good answer. It's about time you hear it from the man himself, the one who helps make every drop of that charcoal mellowed goodness, Jeff Arnett, the Master Distiller at Jack Daniel's Distillery. We talk about the Lincoln County Process and if that changes the terminology from "Bourbon" to "Tennessee Whiskey" or if it can even be replicated in other parts of the country. If you've ever snuffed your nose at Jack thinking it's not bourbon, perhaps you should listen to this episode and you might end up buying a bottle at the end.Show Notes: Talk about your background Did Pringles really start because they couldn't get rid of the tennis ball cans? When did you start there? We are pretty unfamiliar with Jack Daniel's history. Was there an actual man named Jack Daniels? Jack Daniels like to categorize itself as a Tennessee Whiskey and not a bourbon so we are going to look at all the information in front of us and put it to rest So lets talk about the mash bill being the first checkbox… Does it use at least 51% of corn? What is it about your yeast and water that make Jack so unique? So lets talk about the distillation process of Jack Daniels because it’s in the United States which hits a check box. It follows pretty much every other bourbon law if i’m not mistaken, meaning that you aren’t adding flavoring agents, distilling at no more than 160 proof and entering the barrel at no more than 125 proof Give me an idea of what the Lincoln County process is? So you’re really just trying to one up Kentucky Bourbon then? You use new charred oak barrels, yes? In 2014, legislation was introduced in the Tennessee legislature that would modify the 2013 law to allow the reuse of oak barrels in the Tennessee whiskey aging process. But you opposed the legislation, why? is it because you secretly love bourbon? And it’s bottled at 80 proof which is also another checkbox. So by in large it follows the all the laws of being a bourbon… but it doesn’t want to be. Do you believe this is a major influence on the flavor or “charcoal mellowing” of Jack Daniels? Why do you think the general public cares if it’s a bourbon or tennessee whiskey? Is it because we have too much time on our hands? Do you start hearing of people from Kentucky who tell stories about disowning their sons when they bring a bottle of Jack to christmas because "it’s not bourbon”? Does it go the other way that Tennesseans don’t want to be associated to Kentucky bourbon? But it’s funny because Jack Daniels is a part of Brown-Forman, the same family as Woodford Reserve and Old Forester but it’s a substantial portion of the portfolio. Fred Minnick goes as far as saying that the federal government needs to define Tennessee Whiskey so this will be ended once and for all. So I think we’ve hit on a lot but I want to give our snobby listeners out there a taste of what’s beyond the signature black label. If someone out there wants to get into the other expressions where do they start? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices