[podcast src=”https://html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/9794684/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/cc9933/” width=”100%” scrolling=”no” class=”podcast-class” frameborder=”0″ placement=”top” primary_content_url=”http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/chtbl.com/track/51159/traffic.libsyn.com/bourbonpursuit/201-CampbellBrown.mp3″ libsyn_item_id=”9794684″ height=”90″ theme=”custom” custom_color=”cc9933″ player_use_thumbnail=”use_thumbnail” use_download_link=”” download_link_text=”” /]

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?

(more…)

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/

(more…)

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?

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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?

(more…)

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.

(more…)

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.

(more…)

Starting a new bourbon brand is tough, especially when you are in the backyard of the biggest dogs in the industry. However, Kaveh Zamanian saw a hole in the market where he could bring new mash bills and new experiences to bourbon drinkers. As the founder of Rabbit Hole Distillery, he has faced some criticism but is taking it head on in this episode. We talk about the startup hustle, contract distilling, pricing strategies, their 5 year roadmap and more.

Show Notes:

• San Francisco World Spirits Competition – https://bourbonpursuit.com/2018/04/12/144-judging-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition-anthony-dias-blue/
•  “Bourbon & Thoroughbred Infused” Lean Management Training Certification Course from April 22-23, 2019. http://solarity.com/lean
• Pursuit Spirits on ModernThirst.com. https://modernthirst.com/2019/03/22/pursuit-spirits-video-tasting-with-kenny-of-bourbon-pursuit/
• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bourbon BBQ potato chips.
• Let’s start from the beginning. Talk about your introduction to bourbon.
• When you first met your wife, were you intimidated?
• What made you want to go down the path of opening a distillery?
• What did you want to change when you got in the bourbon industry?
• How did you get the ball rolling?
• Did everyone think you were crazy?
• How do you outline expectations to investors?
• Do you think it is challenging for someone from outside of Kentucky to build a distillery in Kentucky?
• What was your motivation for building the distillery vs. sourcing?
• Can you disclose who was contract distilling for you?
• How did you come up with your recipe?
• Can you explain the difference between malted grain and a regular grain source?
• How do you know your mash bill will be good years down the road?
• Talk about being added to the official Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
• Do you think you are beyond being a craft distiller now?
• Do you want to see TTB define the term small batch?
• What are you all doing differently that would entice visitors to come check our Rabbit Hole?
• When people see the name Kaveh Zamanian, do you think the general public has an unfair bias?
• How hard is it to build a brand or story when you had no connection to the industry until recently?
• Since you have a psychology background, can you give us a breakdown of the bourbon consumer?
• Who are your early adopters?
• How do you deal with negative feedback?
• Talk about your pricing strategy?
• How old is most of your whiskey?
• What keeps you from putting the age statement on the bottle?
• How do your products stand out in a crowded market?
• Talk about your relationship with Death & Co.
• Do you think there is any confusion among whiskey geeks about your product being for cocktails vs. sipping neat?
• What story do you want consumer to know when they see your product?
• What are your long term goals for the brand? Any intentions of selling it off?
• Tell us about your roadmap. What is going to be happening with the brand in 5 years?
• What can visitors expect when they visit Rabbit Hole?
• What is your connection with cigars?
• How did you come up with the name Rabbit Hole?

(more…)

Charbay is changing things up. To be a Master Distiller in the Karakasevic family, you must meet or exceed your predecessors ability. Marko decided to try to make whiskey with a brewer’s key ingredient, hops! However, some folks in the whiskey world don’t think it should classify as one. This podcast digs into his history and what types of beer styles can turn into delicious whiskey.

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
• How did your family get started in this business?
• Did you have a choice to not be a distiller?
• What’s an eau de vie?
• Do you clog the still up with hops?
• Is there a breakdown of grains you use in your beer?
• Have you done any experiments with other beers?
• Why do you age in stainless?
• What is the formula approval process like with TTB?
• How many styles are you going to do?
• What is your go to beer style?
• What is your response to people who say Charbay isn’t a true whiskey?
• What do you have aging now?
• What justifies the high price point for you releases?
• Any business growth plans?
• Where does the name Charbay come from?
• Where are you distributed?

(more…)

The roundtable welcomes Jackie James, of @JackieJames on IG and Creator of HerWhiskey.com, as a panelist this week. We talk with Tim Jones about his new show on the Discovery Channel, Moonshiners: Whiskey Business. We also discuss the new Jim Beam Legent and Weller Full Proof because who doesn’t love a little bit of controversy?

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Captain Kirk.
• Join Kenny and Ryan at The Louisville Bourbon Society meeting on 3/18. https://admin.associationsonline.com/secure/events_register.cfm
• What bottle got you into whiskey, Jackie?
• Tim Jones tells us about Discovery Channel’s new show, Moonshiners: Whiskey Business.
• Does the show follow a formula?
• What is your primary role on the show?
• How do you help with marketing?
• What is important to getting the customer to pick up that first bottle?
• How can brands stand out on the shelf?
• Take us through the distiller selection process.
• Is the whiskey ready from these distilleries? Has it been aged long enough?
• Do you think Virginia will ever be able to compete with Kentucky?
• Did you have any input on pricing on the show?
• Jim Beam is releasing Legent, a collaboration between Fred Noe and Shinji Fukuyo.
• Does this new release excite you?
• What do you think of the price point?
• Do you look at this product as a marketing opportunity?
• What is your stance on blending?
• Do you think the Weller Full Proof line extension is going to be a good thing?
• Do you think Weller is listening to their fans by creating a full proof version?
• Let’s talk about the EH Taylor Amaranth.
• Thanks to Bourbonr.com, BreakingBourbon.com, HerWhsikey.com, and TimJonesCreative.com for joining the roundtable.

(more…)

Trey Zoeller makes his return and we are also joined by his father, Chet Zoeller. We go back in time, before Jefferson’s Bourbon was established, to see how the Co-Founders sourced whiskey. We look at the current landscape to see if they feel pressure as sourcing becomes much harder when distilleries want to hang on to current stocks and people with deeper pockets enter the industry. We delve into Chet’s past by talking about prohibition era whiskey and ask if he thinks Jefferson’s Ocean is a gimmick. Trey and Chet provide knowledge behind growing a business and making pivots to find new opportunities.

Show Notes:

• Join Bourbon Pursuit on March 16th at The Louisville Bourbon Society meeting – http://www.thebourbonsociety.org/
• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about getting caught up in the moment.
• Talk about growing up around bourbon.
• What made you think getting into bourbon was going to work?
• Does 25 year old Irish Whiskey take on as much oak as bourbon in the US?
• How did you go about sourcing barrels?
• Chet, talk about your books and how you are a historian.
• Did you think Jefferson’s would be as successful as it is today?
• What roadblocks did you hit?
• Did you feel like you were pricing it too high at first?
• What’s the next big hurdle for bourbon to take over scotch?
• Are many brands underselling themselves today?
• What flavor profile were you aiming for when you started Jefferson’s?
• Did you start off selling in Kentucky only?
• Talk about the first blending experience.
• How did you name Old Iron Skillet?
• Do you have any tips on blending?
• If you tap into a barrel that isn’t good, how can you know it will be better in a few years?
• Tell us about all the moving parts of sourcing whiskey.
• Do you have a turf war problem when sourcing?
• What did you think of Trey’s Ocean experiment. Was it a gimmick?
• Tell us about the double barrel and twin oak.
• Do you think there is an opportunity for line extensions?
• How did the New Orleans experiment turn out?
• Talk about your pet sharks.

(more…)

Jamie Farris might be known as The Store Pick King. Lincoln Road out of Hattiesburg, MS is a hidden gem for those in the know. Depending on the day, Jamie might have 70 or more available store picks at one time. This episode digs into his barrel pick strategies, how distilleries have changed in treating their single barrel customers, and how he handles the “aficionados” that visit his store and leave with nothing.

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about influencers.
• Tell us how you got into bourbon and owning a liquor store.
• Talk about dry county Mississippi. Were you trying to get moonshine?
• How many store picks do you have available?
• How do you get so many private barrels?
• Who’s cut you back on getting some barrels?
• Does that upset you a little bit since you sort of started this craze?
• Has the Mississippi allocation decreased or do you have to share the pie with more people?
• What year did you get in the private barrel game?
• What single barrel program does the best job?
• Do you approach this the same as you did 5 years ago when you could reject barrels?
• How often are you rejecting barrel samples?
• Are you blending because single barrels are getting boring?
• The next step is creating your own label, are looking into creating one?
• Do you think you put Hattiesburg on the map?
• Some of the Lincoln Road picks are credited to Misty. Explain who Misty is.
• Do you think there is a market for collaboration picks?
• Is there another category that’s growing with a fan base like bourbon?
• How do you explain the Maker’s Mark 46 barrel program to someone who isn’t a bourbon geek?
• What are most whiskey/bourbon shoppers looking for? The average shopper vs the “bourbon/whiskey aficionado”.
• Why do Mississippi legislatures think tastings once a quarter is a good idea?
• How annoying does it get to have these “aficionados” come in and leave with nothing?
• Do you foresee an end to the craziness?
• What are some current or emerging trends in whiskey/bourbon?
• Do think it will be a problem in the future when these places run out of MGP?
• Do you feel it’s not your obligation to push craft whiskey?
• Do you think stores should price at secondary?

(more…)

Eddie Russell from Wild Turkey needs no introduction. He’s one of the most honest Master Distillers in the industry and tells it like it is. This episode digs into the nuances of the Wild Turkey line up to see if we can figure out what could change. The biggest answer we all want to know is when will there be a barrel proof Russell’s Reserve? Tune in to find out.

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about value whiskey.
• How often are you going to Jimmy with questions?
• Do you feel like you have the job down?
• When you retire do you think you will hang around the distillery like Jimmy?
• Do you feel like you have to work at the distillery?
• Since you travel so much, what airline are you loyal to?
• When you travel, do you wear Wild Turkey gear?
• Are there any travel destinations that have stood out to you?
• Do you get to have any fun when you travel?
• Are there any plans for changing barrel proof entry?
• How can you not get 101 proof out of bourbon that goes in a 110?
• What is the thought process behind where in the rickhouse you place the barrels to age?
• Is 108 your target for Rare Breed?
• How many barrels are being dumped into Rare Breed?
• Talk about the warehouses. Do you see a difference in the whiskey coming out of the brick warehouses?
• How often do you get the chance to take a gamble?
• Do you see 81 still being prevalent in the market place?
• How many more derivatives do you think you can do?
• Are you wanting to bring in another recipe?
• Will we ever see a barrel strength Russell’s Reserve?
• Do you enjoy picking barrels with consumers?
• Talk about the proof difference between Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit and Russell’s Reserve.
• Tell us about the partnership with Matthew McConaughey.
• Is it a goal to bring back the 8-year-old age statement?

(more…)

Will the U.S Supreme Court completely change alcohol sales across the country? The case of The Ketchum Family and Total Wine vs the State of Tennessee could bring interstate commerce parity and break down all the shipping law restrictions. The Roundtable’s legal counsel of Sipp’n Corn explains it in laymen terms while we discuss the opportunity this could present to retailers like Amazon. We keep the legal discussion going with KY House Bill 200 that would allow distilleries to have releases that don’t go to retail stores. Then we wrap it up with a hypothetical question of what would you do if you are creating your own whiskey label?

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about new bourbon drinkers.
• Total Wine vs State of TN in the Supreme Court and what that means for nationwide shipping.
• House Bill 200 in KY is pushing for distilleries to have something unique that doesn’t make its way to distribution. Does it actually compete with liquor stores?
• Say you are creating your own whiskey label. Do you create something new or do you try to revive an old defunct brand?
• Thanks to Bourbonr.com, BreakingBourbon.com, Sippncorn.com, and TheBourbonBabe.com for joining the roundtable.

(more…)

Matt Rehwoldt, or better known as WWE Superstar Aiden English, is finding a passion in bourbon with WrestlingWithWhiskey Instagram and YouTube series. Matt was in town for a live event so we took the opportunity to invite him over to talk about wrestling and whiskey. We discuss a his career, personal life, and of course, when bourbon became an obsession. His traveling schedule has turned him into a national bourbon hunter and he’s got some stories to tell.

Show Notes:

• Find Bourbon Pursuit on Pandora
• Learn more about Pursuit Series
• Derby Museum Legends Series
• Bourbon Pursuit presenting at The Louisville Bourbon Society on 3/18
• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about limited edition whiskey advertising.
• How did you get into whiskey?
• Is Wrestling with Whiskey the real you?
• Have your trips turned into adventures with side stops for Bourbon hunting?
• Have you connected with a store yet and built those relationships?
• Talk about how you got into wrestling.
• What demographic is the WWE fan base?
• South Park did a spoof of wrestling. Talk about the state of wrestling and how it’s perceived as choreography.
• Tell us about your wife.
• Were you nervous when you married into the top wrestling tree?
• What’s your persona in the ring?
• Have you ever thought about changing your persona?
• Is WWE against alcohol being portrayed?
• How have you been received on social media when sharing posts about wrestling and bourbon?
• Have you ever been stalked?
• Are you using Instagram to connect with fans and let them see the real you behind the scenes?

(more…)