(Part 1) Bernie Lubbers (@BernieLubbers), The Whiskey Professor and Brand Ambassador for Heaven Hill, talks about his past, catchphrase, and overview of bourbon badges in Part 1.

Show Notes

• Talk to us about how you first got into whiskey.
• You signature catchphrase or tagline is “Stay Bonded”. Tell the folks what you mean by that.
• http://www.whiskeyprof.com
• Bernie talks about the history of Bottled-in-bond
• Bernie talks about words on labels and how those are badges
• You do a lot of bourbon-related research. Is there something you’ve found that has fascinated you?
• Bernie talks about flavor profiles and how they are attained through distillation, aging, and yeast. How each distillery does something different.
• What’s the day in the life of Bernie for being a Brand Ambassador?
• Give us a 101 level rundown of why a bar needs three different labels of the same stuff.
• Stay Tuned for the next episode where we talk about the removal of the Elijah Craig age statement, dive into the individual brands, and also a solo guitar performance.

Reid Mitenbuler (@ReidMitenbuler), author of Bourbon Empire, joins Ryan and Kenny to talk about the history and psyche of bourbon, “a distinctive product of the United States”.

Show Notes:

• The Frazier Museum has a new Prohibition exhibit that will become a new or even a first stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
• Reid, what’s your coming to age tale of bourbon?
• What made you so fascinated that you took the time to become an author on the subject?
• Talk about the misquote of bourbon being a “distinctive product of the United States”.
• Talk about the beginning with the “Big Bang of Bourbon”.
• In the book, you talk about myths behind the labels.
• Let’s jump ahead in history, there was a lot going on in 1964. Can you talk about what was going on during that time period?
• What was the result of The Bourbon Institute in overseas markets?
• There is a concept of marketing that has changed the way in what you think you’re drinking.
• You said (paraphrasing) “Rosenstiel presided over vicious consolidation rounds that made many distillers and brands extinct, but is also a part of the reason why many bourbons today taste as good as they do”. Talk about that. How come his name isn’t as prominent as EH Taylor for Bottled-in-Bond?
• How come we don’t see a bourbon or whiskey brand named Rosenstiel?
• Within the prologue, you talk about bourbon being a “comfort food”. Talk about that.
• If you want to buy Bourbon Empire, it’s available on Amazon.

Erik of @BourbonSeason joins the show to talk about the infamous bottle chase and the growing secondary market.

Show Notes:

• Before we get started, there is a new December release coming from Kentucky Owl so be on the lookout for red, blue, and green ink bottles soon.
• Erik, how did you get into bourbon?
• Tell us what you do with your twitter handle, @BourbonSeason
• There’s a lot of ways to get allocated bourbons, have you found a good formula for getting special release bourbons?
• Have you seen special hunting groups that have formed?
• Have you seen more camp out situations in other parts of the country?
• There’s camping, lotteries, and being a “best” customer but is there a fair way to distribute allocated bottles?
• In Louisville the secondary market is starting to take its effect. Small shops are selling bottles for secondary prices. Are you seeing this in other parts of the country as well?
• When you think about the secondary market there are fingers to point. Are people flipping the bottles or buying the bottles the culprit of the problem?
• How do you feel about seeing the flipper “crotch shot”?
• Some people on forums are selling 2 or 3 full verticals of Pappy or BTAC, so how are these people feeding the secondary market?
• In Louisville, we have a few restaurants that have fantastic selections, but they are price gouging. No question about it. Do you see restaurants as contributing to the secondary market as well?
• Are the distilleries going to start charging more to combat and make more money for themselves?
• This week, Buffalo Trace sent out an email responding to the mass inquiries about secondary market pricing and they intend on trying to shut down secondary markets. Can Buffalo Trace successfully shut it down?
• Would you like to see Buffalo Trace crack down on stores and restaurants that price gouge since the three-tier system is the only way a consumer can get a bottle?
• Quick PSA on breaking your empty bottles
• Is there such a thing as “bourbon karma”?

Meet Ryan and Kenny. Your hosts on this journey. They discuss everything about the show and more

Show Notes:

• Welcome to the podcast! So what’s this thing all about?
• Who are some of the guests in the queue for upcoming shows.
• How each of them got into bourbon, the history, and the culture.
• How to form a facebook hunting posse which has worked out well for us.
• Lastly, how do you throw a wrench into a bourbon tasting event?