Bourbon Pursuit

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Latest Episodes:

164 - Blending Barrel Proof with Joe Beatrice and Tripp Stimson of Barrell Bourbon Aug 30, 2018

Show notes

Why there is an extra L in Barrell Bourbon? Well, today we find out. Joe Beatrice and Tripp Stimson join us to talk about all things Barrell and how this brand is really one for the bourbon geeks with unfiltered barrel proof expressions. We then dive into the newest releases of the Infinite Barrel Project and talk about their plans for sourcing, distilling and blending as they have made Louisville KY their headquarters.

Show Notes:

This week's Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about sexism with Master Distillers.
Do you remember you first bottle of bourbon or first memory with it?
Talk about the history of Barrell. Why did you want to start it?
What is it about barrel proof that consumers like over 90 or 100 proof?
Would you rather blend than distill?
What's the size of a Barrell batch?
Which do you think is harder because we've had both master distillers and master blenders on the show?
How does scale play into this bringing in more barrels?
What's the release schedule and idea about numbering the batches?
Why is there an extra L?
Give us a run down of the line up products you offer
Why rum?
New year edition. Let's talk about what this is all about.
The Infinite Barrel Project is super unique.
Why keep doing new ideas and not sticking with the staples?
Tripp are there any ideas that Joe comes up with and you're like "this is never going to work"?
What's a rejected idea?
Are you able to continually able to source good whiskey and are you able to turn it away?
Talk about the operation now. Are are you contract distilling? straight sourcing? bottling?
So are you itching to start distilling?
Why distill when you haven't had a problem getting barrels before?
Would you take your own distillate and mix from sourced goods?
Why build a distillery that's a pure factory that doesn't look at making it a tourist destination?
Why Louisville? You can build a distillery anywhere.
What about storage? I know you’re at Castle and Key right now but where can you go?
Do you think you started a revolution of brands following suit?

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163 - Distillate Gambling, Heaven Hill Releases, and Heaven Hill sues Bob Dylan on Bourbon Community Roundtable #23 Aug 23, 2018

Show notes

The full gang of the bourbon community roundtable made it for this one. We discuss the timing of distilleries starting to blend their own distillate and a whole second half of the show dedicated to Heaven Hill. Not only did they send some really good bourbon samples, but they are also suing Bob Dylan over Heavens Door Whiskey.

Show Notes

We are seeing a whole new slew of crafts that are moving from MGP to their own distillate. New Riff, Smooth Ambler, it will eventually be lots more. The question is, when is the right time?
Can you taste potential?
When do you stomach it up and buy another after you've been burned?
Battle of the New Heaven Hill releases. Let's talk about them individually and where should you spend your money?
Heaven Hill brings out the big guns to sue Bob Dylan's whiskey brand Heaven's Door over trademark protection
Complaint -> https://www.dropbox.com/s/em64gkv5d3is7yc/Complaint.pdf?dl=0
Expert Report -> https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnm9u12bo8o911a/Expert%20Report.pdf?dl=0
What do you consider a modern unicorn?

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162 - The Largest Bourbon Festival of 2018 - Bourbon & Beyond Aug 16, 2018

Show notes

Where can you see Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, Bourbon Pursuit, Sheryl Crow, Eddie Russell, Sting, Fred Noe, and more! Only at Bourbon & Beyond Festival 2018! The entire Bourbon Pursuit Team is together for the first time to talk about the festival, the music , the Bourbon+ seminars, and a few backstage stories from last year. Oh yeah... you can win tickets to be there with us, visit Facebook and get entered to win.

Show Notes:

Buy your tickets to the Speed Museum’s Art of Bourbon hosted by Fred Minnick
This week's "Above the Char" with Fred Minnick discusses state pride and whiskey bars across the country.
Our first podcast with Fred Minnick joining as part of the Bourbon Pursuit team!
Talk about the origins and the planning process behind it
What was the idea about the culinary components?
What did you see out if your attendees about who were coming from outside the city?
Let’s talk about the sessions
Kenny and Ryan are leading two Bourbon+ Workshops
What are you looking forward to with regards of music?
Let’s talk about the Big Bourbon Bar
Rabbit Hole brought their own bartenders from Death and Co
What is Fred’s mini bar?
Got a cool story from backstage last year?
What about vintage pours?
What is it about having a Tiki bar as well?
We're sipping on Old Jordan from the 1900s

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161 - Blind Battle of Private Barrel Selections with Ben Pickett and Paul Warnott Aug 09, 2018

Show notes

It's time for the blind battle of private barrel selections! Three heavyweight bouts between barrels that have sweet stickers and demand a hefty market price. During this fight of flights we are joined by Ben Pickett and Paul Warnott to discuss blind tasting strategies, barrel selection processes, and overall thoughts on our competing picks.

Show Notes:

Buy your tickets to the Speed Museum's Art of Bourbon hosted by Fred Minnick
This week's "Above the Char" focuses on the myth that bourbon can only be made in Kentucky
Paul invited us to come, what was the motivation behind it?
Ben, how do you disperse 150 bottles between 1000 people?
Are you spoiled by being able to go on every single barrel pick?
Do you see people faking store picks now because there are hang tags?
Time to do our first blind tasting
[Russell's Reserve Results between Blind Monkey, Bluegrass Berries, and Twix]
Does trying anything in a particular order skew the results?
Tell the story behind Bluegrass Berries
Do you use anything as a palate cleanser
When you're going into blind tastings, do you have a method for setting it up and breaking it down?
Time do our 2nd blind tasting
Have you tried a bottled-in-bond blind to remove the proof variable?
Do you pick for the group or the store?
Have you ever done a barrel proof line up and is that harder or easier than something that's 90 or 110 proof.
What do legs do for you?
What do you think the attraction is to NCF or is it all mental?
[Buffalo Trace Results between Bourbon Community Roundtable, The Bourbon Review 2017, and Tipsy Buffalo]
Is there any way you can get a barrel proof single barrel any more that is outside of MGP?
Time to do our 3rd blind tasting
What was your impression of picking a barrel at New Riff/OKI vs Wild Turkey or Buffalo Trace?
When going back and forth between two, do you look for big discerning differences?
When you are doing blind, is it harder to do 8 or more together or should you narrow the field?
How often do you, if ever, spit anything out when tasting?
[Barrel Proof Results between EH Taylor Barrel Proof and OKI 12 year "Ricky Bobby"]
Stop in at Jake's Cigar Bar to learn more and try some of these barrels.

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160 - Kentucky Owl: The Growth, Passion, and... Theme Park? with Dixon Dedman Aug 02, 2018

Show notes

Kentucky Owl has amassed a cult following. It hit the market in 2014 but didn't gain nationwide sensation until recently. Dixon Dedman joins the show to talk about the Stoli investment, huge rye releases, and what's in store for Batch 8 this fall. Listen as we talk about burnout as Dixon continues bussing tables and making fried chicken at the Beaumont Inn while building a brand.

Show Notes:

This week's Above the Char with Fred Minnick discusses responsible drinking and taxation.
Can you give a refresher of Kentucky Owl and Beaumont Inn?
Are you getting to the point of burnout?
How much time are you putting into Kentucky Owl?
What has changed with Kentucky Owl in the past 2 years?
Were you looking for investors or being sought out?
Why did you choose Stoli over others?
Was the goal to really get this big?
Have you caught yourself saying you want to do Kentucky Owl full time?
Talk a bit about the blends and batches
What is the ultimate goal in how you can take something and scale it for blending?
Why have different batches and not have something consistent?
Give everyone a refresher on the bourbon process for re-barreling
How long are you re-aging?
How often are you putting out new batches?
What are we doing different with Batch 8 vs Batch 7?
Why start the Rye release?
Do you want the bourbon to become as big as the rye release?
How many bottles were in the Rye release?
Are you putting more emphasis on the bourbon rather than the rye?
Talk about the investment from Stoli and what's going to happen with the theme park
Talk about your epic samplings at Beaumont Inn on Instagram
All Kentucky Owl Podcasts

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159 - Looking to the Horizon and What's Next with Ed Bley Jul 26, 2018

Show notes

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?

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158 - Bourbon Archeology and Forgotten Distilleries with Nick Laracuente Jul 19, 2018

Show notes

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)

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157 - A Willett Family Tradition with Even and Britt Kulsveen at the Kentucky Derby Museum Legends Series Jul 12, 2018

Show notes

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?

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156 - The Business of Vintage Whiskey with Justin Sloane of Justin's House of Bourbon and Larry Rice of The Silver Dollar Jul 05, 2018

Show notes

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

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155 - Barton's Warehouse, Sazerac Lawsuits, and New Releases on Bourbon Community Roundtable #22 Jun 28, 2018

Show notes

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/

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