Bourbon Pursuit

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Latest Episodes:

204 - Fostering Diversity and Building Experiences with Peggy Noe Stevens, Master Taster and Experiential Expert Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

Peggy Noe Stevens is an encyclopedia of great information about many bourbon brands. You may not know it, but she's one of the biggest influencers behind many of the great distillery experiences while on the bourbon trail and outside of the state too. Peggy is a pioneer in driving diversity with her leadership behind the Bourbon Women organization and involvement with women-led panels. Peggy is an incredibly talented person that has shaped the industry from being in front of people leading them at bourbon tastings and crafting one of kind experiences behind the scenes.

Show Notes:

This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Wikipedia.
What is an experiential expert?
Who have you consulted for these experiences?
What value do you bring to these experiences?
What was it like working at Woodford Reserve?
How do you elevate the experience?
How do balance the history with modern day innovation?
Explain the difference between someone coming up the ranks in the bourbon industry vs. someone just taking it.
What was it like when you were named the first female master taster?
Do you feel like the media is better today that back then?
What about diversity in the whiskey industry?
Was Lincoln Henderson your Mr. Miyagi?
What are you doing today with this master taster role?
Let's discuss Bourbon Women.
What was your inspiration for Bourbon Women?
Tell us about the growth of Bourbon Women.
How do you market the organization?
What type of members do you have?
What are visitors looking for in a distillery experience?
How do you deal with a difficult person in the hospitality industry?
How did you help pioneer the Bourbon Trail?

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203 - Weather and Whiskey with Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel May 30, 2019

Show notes

This guest gets more TV face time than The Bachelorette. He has built up a big fan base among weather geeks and now Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel joins Bourbon Pursuit to talk about his career, braving crazy storms, and how weather patterns and global warming are affecting today’s bourbon stocks. We also get to hear a funny story shared by Jim and Fred as they were drilling barrels of whiskey together at Jack Daniels. This episode gives you a look into Jim’s everyday life and how bourbon became a part of it.

Show Notes:

The Curation Desk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fSTu8zbAwM
Chuck Cowdery’s Top Bourbon List https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-best-bourbons-ever.html
Pursuit Series Episodes 010 and 011 https://pursuitspirits.com/
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about whiskey decanters.
How did you get involved in weather?
When did you start drinking whiskey?
After you first started drink bourbon, what were you seeking out in the store or bar?
What's the strangest thing anyone has said to you in public?
Do you get annoyed that people associate you with disasters?
Do you get a high being in bad weather?
Do you ever get panicked in certain weather situations?
When you celebrate a job well done, what do you drink?
Tell us about your interest in cars.
Was deflategate real?
Can your joints hurt from weather changes?
Does increased rain impact a microclimate? Waters are rising around distilleries. How will it impact the warehouses?
Will the rain affect the white oak trees?
Do you predict any climate shifts in the Kentucky area that could affect bourbon?
Tell us about the time you picked out a barrel with Fred.
How does humidity affect barrels?
Jim Cantore Website/Social https://jimcantore.tv/

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202 - What if there was a Legal Secondary Market? with Nate Shue May 23, 2019

Show notes

What if there was a legalized secondary market? Some may argue there is with new vintage laws being introduced around the country, but then there is the massive flood of online marketplaces that don't have any regulation whatsoever. It's a touchy subject because anyone that is really into bourbon, has seemed to find their way into these corners of the web. And lets be honest, most of us have had to do some sort of buy, sell, or trade to get bottles that we desire. It's the nature of the game and this show looks at the premise of if you could build your own legal secondary market, what would it look like? We are joined by bourbon enthusiast Nate Shue, a Patreon supporter, on this topic.

Show Notes:

KDA and BIER report on the Kentucky Bourbon industry’s energy, water, and emissions data. - https://www.bieroundtable.com/news/formalizing-sustainability-kentucky-bourbon-industry-collaborates-with-bier/
Whiskey Stocks and the Bubble Burst - https://www.barrons.com/articles/u-s-whiskey-stocks-like-brown-forman-have-soared-beware-the-bourbon-bubble-51557514898
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about whiskey 'first' marketing.
When did you start getting into bourbon?
What do you think started the secondary market craze?
What are the issues with the secondary market?
Do you think referral secondary markets like Wine Searcher or Blur Book hurt or help?
How does the value get established?
What would happen if you removed the community aspect of the secondary market?
Do you think other states should have laws similar to Washington D.C.?
What about auction houses like Christie's?
If you were to have a legal secondary market, what would it look like?
Should distilleries price the bourbon so high that it basically eliminates the secondary market?
Do you think if they shut down the secondary market overnight, would it just come back?

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201 - Old Forester's State of the Union with Campbell Brown, President of Old Forester May 16, 2019

Show notes

Campbell Brown, President and Managing Director of Old Forester is back on the show. If you've been a long time listener, you may have remembered him back on Episode 98. As the President of Old Forester, he oversees a lot of the brands momentum and strategy. We get his take on bourbon tariffs with international expansion along with his hope for future movie partnerships. Anyone interested in a business background, you're going to find this one entertaining.

Show Notes:

This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Marianne Eaves.
Talk about the Brown influence on our city because you've got the Brown Hotel, The Brown Theatre, the Hot Brown, etc.
Is there pressure to keep the Brown tradition going?
How did you work your way up at Brown-Forman?
What got you into the Old Forester category?
Talk about the building and distillery.
What about the fire in 2014?
What chapter are we in right now in Old Forester history?
Let’s talk about international markets and tariffs.
What was the international growth plans for Old Forester prior to all the tariffs? Did they change or are they staying the same?
Where do you see the Old Forester brand?
What are you doing to elevate the Old Forester brand into a premium category?
Talk about your team and what goes into the bottle.
Do you take a Bill Samuels approach about not interfering with what goes in the bottle?
Is there a brand rivalry in the company?
Do you have to fight Woodford for barrels?
Will you ever have 100% of production here?
What impact did the Kingsman movie have on Old Forester business?
Do you have a strategy to do more than Statemans?
If you could do a movie tie in, which movie past or present would you do?
How far down the gene pool are you to George Garvin Brown?

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200 - Juleps, MGP Chasers, and High Dollar NAS on Bourbon Community Roundtable #32 May 09, 2019

Show notes

Are Mint Juleps the problem child of bourbon cocktails? We examine the Mint Julep and it’s impact on history and give our novice commentary on horse racing. We then look at the crazy hoarding of higher aged MGP stocks because there are now groups scouring the country to find distilleries with this coveted whiskey. Is there a scary future of higher priced bourbons (over $100) that don’t carry an age statement? Lastly, we give our initial thoughts on the new Wild Turkey “Cornerstone” release.

Show Notes:

Oldest Whiskey: http://www.lawhiskeysociety.com/pages/Worlds-Oldest-Whiskey
Yelp Recommendations: https://www.yelp.com/collection/Si779eiZUmjGomZP2pZLTg
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the word smooth.
200th Episode of Bourbon Pursuit
Kentucky Derby Post Mortem. Thoughts on the race?
Bourbon was out in full force with Brown Forman having a spotlight. Are mint juleps a timeless classic or is it ruining good bourbon?
How many brands can you name that have a horse on the label?
MGP prices sky rocketing. When did this phenomenon begin?
KY Owl Confiscated. Thoughts on the future with high price no age statement bourbon?
Wild Turkey "Cornerstone" releasing their limited edition rye. http://whiskyadvocate.com/wild-turkey-masters-keep-cornerstone-rye-last-drop-glenrothes-whisky-whiskey/

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199 - The Future Faces of Wild Turkey with Bruce Russell and JoAnn Street May 02, 2019

Show notes

Bruce Russell and JoAnn Street both know their Wild Turkey distillation and family history like the back of their hand. Both have been brand ambassadors but are now transitioning to new roles. While JoAnn is developing the hospitality side, Bruce is learning the ins and outs of the distillery. This show dives into the personalities of these two as we discuss the effect of bringing fresh faces to the distillery and how they plan on keeping traditions alive.

Show Notes:

Episode 186 we feature Pam Heilman of Michter’s Distillery
150 bottles remaining from 4 barrels of Pursuit Series
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about fake whiskey.
JoAnn, do you want to get into working in the distillery?
Bruce, are they going to make you join the union?
How are you related to Jimmy?
How did you decide to get into the family business?
Talk about being a female in whiskey.
What does it mean to be new blood in the company?
Tell us about your background and how it will help with working in the distillery.
Did they have a daycare for you at the distillery when you were young?
What is your favorite Wild Turkey product?
Do you see yourself living in Lawrenceburg?
Give us your typical brand ambassador spiel for 80 proof and 101.
Tell us about Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit.
Why is 101 Rye important?

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198 - The Stave is the Rave with Peggy Noe Stevens Apr 25, 2019

Show notes

We all know wood influences bourbon, but to what degree? This episode explores both natural and human impact to understand the chemical breakdown of what happens in the barrel. Peggy rounds this out by pairing it with food so you know how to train your palate. Peggy Noe Stevens is renowned for her ability to combine all of your senses into a memorable experience when you are drinking any bourbon. This session took place at the 2018 Kentucky Bourbon Affair and you can buy tickets to remaining 2019 events at kybourbonaffair.com.

Show Notes:

Behind the Scenes of Four Roses Small Batch Select - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9YR-fr95s
Kenny’s Big Batch Mint Julep Recipe - https://www.patreon.com/posts/26331151
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about who you would like to go out drinking with.
All the magic of bourbon happens in the barrel.
Overview of barrel making and charring barrels.
Innovation with barrels.
As much as we try to control barrels and warehouses, mother nature still controls a lot of variables.
Barrels provide 6 basic food flavors: sweet, spice, wood, smoke, fruit, and floral.
Understanding aroma and flavors.
Tricks to neutralize your olfactory sense.
What decisions affect the flavor of bourbon?
What flavor does toasting a barrel provide?
What flavor does charring a barrel provide?
The chemistry behind bourbon.
Importance of oxygen and water.
Exploring the texture of bourbon.
Where do the barrel notes hit the tongue?
When is it over oaked?
The Chew Down: bourbon and food pairing.

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197 - Bourbon Society Showdown Apr 18, 2019

Show notes

How should a successful bourbon club function? Are there annual dues that go towards hosted events or is it completely unstructured where all business takes place online? We invited the leaders of Louisville, Lexington, Dallas, and Houston bourbon societies to come on the show and talk about how they manage growth and keep participation levels high amongst their members.

Show Notes:

James “Buddy” Thompson - https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=james-thompson-buddy&pid=192232789&fhid=4753
2019 Eagle Rare Life Award - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICAjPavE4hs
This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about flasks.
Joining us this week: Kristopher Hart (Houston Bourbon Society), Peter Schmidt (Dallas Bourbon Club), David Bock (The Louisville Bourbon Society), and Matt Preston (Lexington Bourbon Society)
Tell us about the purpose of your Bourbon Society. (Events, philanthropy, bottle swapping, barrel picks, etc.)
What are the differences between a traditional and non-traditional bourbon society format?
What do your events look like? Who are you inviting?
Are events completely bourbon focused? Or do you cross over with food, cigars, music, etc.?
Is Texas half whiskey/half bourbon or all bourbon?
What are the benefits when you pay to be part of a club?
Do you feel like your club is more intimate than an online group?
Walk us through one of your meetings.
What do members get in return for their dues?
How do you charge for events?
Do your events have consistent participation or are there constantly new people?
What challenges do you experience when hosting events?
Is it redundant to have multiple local bourbon groups?

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196 - Kickstarter, Flavor Packets, and Retail Single Barrels on Bourbon Community Roundtable #31 Apr 11, 2019

Show notes

The roundtable is back at it again, but this time we are joined by David Jennings of RareBird101 and Wade Woodard of tater-talk to discuss some topics. Learn how you can be a part of Wild Turkey history by supporting RareBird101 on Kickstarter and if you agree or disagree with Wade on barrel finished bourbon classifications. We wrap up talking about limited editions and store picks because that's always a hot button for all.

Show Notes:

The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Joy Perrine, the first female bartender to be inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.
Wild Turkey Kickstarter with David Jennings of RareBird101 - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rarebird101/wild-turkey-american-spirit
News came out this week that the TTB is allowing "specialty whiskey" classifications to adorn the name bourbon on the label. Is this the demise of the bourbon law?
Maker’s Mark released another limited edition. From a retail standpoint, isn’t this the easiest money that’s ever been made?
When it comes to store picks should retailers care about what’s in the bottle? Taste vs Age, who wins? Will it sell no matter what?
Thank you to Blake of bourbonr.com, Brian of sippncorn.com, and Jordan of breakingbourbon.com for joining as usual.

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195 - Theirs vs Ours, Comparing Private Barrel Selections Against Standard Offerings with Chris Zaborowski at the Kentucky Bourbon Affair Apr 04, 2019

Show notes

Chris Zaborowski put Westport Whiskey & Wine on the map with their very large tasting bar and plenty of private picks. This session was recorded at the Higher Proof Expo during the 2018 Kentucky Bourbon Affair. The 2019 Kentucky Bourbon Affair will take place June 4-8. It’s 5 Days. 19 Distilleries. 45 Events. Tickets for the 2019 Bourbon Affair are currently on sale and you can find our more information at KYBourbonAffair.com.

Show Notes:

Pursuit Series Episodes 006 through 009 on sale now, visit PursuitSpirits.com.
The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the Kentucky Derby.
Chris Zaborowski helped shape the Stave & Thief Society curriculum.
What's all the fuss about bourbon?
What do you need to know about buying a single barrel?
You have to have a retail partner.
All brands are allocated.
Do you choose to go to a distillery or get samples sent to you?
What's your delivery lead time?
What brands are available for barrel selections? Large vs mid-size distilleries.
What questions do you ask when you go on a barrel selection?
What is the estimated cost?
What is the expected bottle yield?
What's the final bottling proof?
Can you get it Non-Chill Filtered?
Let's taste ours vs theirs.

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