It’s Bourbon Community Roundtable #66 and here’s what we have on the topic list for today! Pritzker Private Capital Acquires Bardstown Bourbon Company. What does that mean for the pioneer of hospitality in Bardstown? As bourbon capital spending increases and barrel shortage is on the horizon, can cooperages keep up? Raw materials, shipping, and cost to market is increasing. Beam has already announced price hikes to its premium bourbon brands like Booker’s and Knob Creek. How long should bourbon companies keep absorbing these costs and should we expect prices to go up across the board?

Show Notes:

• Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about blind tastings.
• Pritzker Private Capital Acquires Bardstown Bourbon Company. What does that mean for the pioneer of hospitality in Bardstown?
• As bourbon capital spending increases and barrel shortage is on the horizon, can cooperages keep up?
• Raw materials, shipping, and cost to market is increasing. How long should bourbon companies keep absorbing these costs and should we expect prices to go up?
• @bourbonr @breakingbourbon @sippn_corn
• Support this podcast on Patreon

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We’re back with Bourbon Community Roundtable #64 and here’s the topics!
Sazerac implemented NFC tags in this year’s Thomas H. Handy. Is this the boost the bourbon market needed? Is this setting up bourbon for more of a collectible market? But who should be watching and take the next step. I got into a scuffle on TikTok because someone said “what non-allocated bourbons are you hunting for this year?”. Which I replied, that’s not really a hunt. How do you define hunting? Lastly, let’s hear some 2022 predictions!

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about how to attend Whiskey events without getting intoxicated.
• Sazerac implemented NFC tags in this year’s Thomas H. Handy.
• Is this the boost the bourbon market needed?
• Is this setting up bourbon for more of a collectible market?
• How soon will others start following?
• I got into a scuffle on TikTok because someone said “what non-allocated bourbons are you hunting for this year?”. Which I replied, that’s not really a hunt. How do you define hunting?
• Let’s hear some 2022 predictions!
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.
• @bourbonr @breakingbourbon @sippn_corn
• Support this podcast on Patreon

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It’s another jam packed Bourbon Community Roundtable as we discuss the latest trending topics of the past few weeks. One of the greatest pieces of whiskey news is that tariffs are being eliminated. This will open up international commerce once again for bourbon and we take a stab at some theories on what moves we expect distilleries to make in 2022. There are always bottle releases that get all the attention, but after a solid year of bourbon releases we give our takes on some bottles that should have gotten more attention. Lastly, the market is the market and we all know that stores are beginning to price their prized bottles close to secondary. If you’ve been a long-time customer of that retailer, are you going to switch stores or start paying higher prices?

Show Partners:

• Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com.
• Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more.
• Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com.
• You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now.
• Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com.
• Total Wine and More is wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers! Explore more in store or online at TotalWine.com.
• Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about MRE bourbon pairings.
• Now that tariffs have been revoked, what moves do we expect distilleries to make next in 2022?
• Do you think the EU can make it more appealing to sell American Whiskey there vs. keeping it in the US?
• Is there a bottle release that happened this year that you feel should get more attention?
• If your favorite retailer had to start selling their allocations at secondary prices, would you find another store to purchase from?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.
• @bourbonr @breakingbourbon @sippn_corn
• Support this podcast on Patreon

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We’ve taken a bit of a hiatus, but we’re back and we’ve got two topics that are hot. A few months ago, Buffalo Trace announced there would be no George T. Stagg in the 2021 release of the Antique Collection. Many theories arose such as holding it back on purpose to create a media frenzy or potentially having a new brand come from it. However, Buffalo Trace has gone on record saying it didn’t reach the standard they come to expect from it. We’ll analyze this from both sides. In the second half of the show, we’ll look at the sheer volume of brands that are built on MGP and how some have hype and some are still finding their way.

Show Partners:

• Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com.
• Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more.
• Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com.
• You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now.
• Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com.
• Total Wine and More is wonderland for wine, spirits, and beer lovers! Explore more in store or online at TotalWine.com.
• Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about bourbon advertising.
• BTAC was missing George T. Stagg this year, what are your thoughts on this?
• Do you think they are holding the bourbon back for another purpose?
• Does it feel like a PR stunt?
• What do you gain by going to the NY Times?
• Did any of the BTAC bottles not live up to the hype?
• Why do some MGP brands have more hype than others?
• How sustainable are the higher priced MGP bourbons?
• Is it hard to stay excited about MGP based brands?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.
• @bourbonr @breakingbourbon @sippn_corn
• Support this podcast on Patreon

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Last week, White Dog Trading became the newest member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. This is the first time a bourbon broker that helps clients source whiskey has become a member. How does White Dog benefit from joining and vice-versa? Union strikes are not uncommon in bourbon. We’ve seen them happen plenty of times over the past few decades. We will touch on the latest strike to hit the bourbon market. We wrap up the show by talking about who is doing the best at bourbon marketing.

Show Partners:

• Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com.
• Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more.
• Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com.
• You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now.
• Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com.
• Savor every drop of summer at Total Wine & More! You’re sure to find cool prices in-store or online at TotalWine.com.
• Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about forests and barrels.
• Above the Char Link on White Oak Regeneration: https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/2020/05/12/white-oak-regeneration-in-canopy-gaps/
• White Dog joins the KDA making it the first broker to join. What are your thoughts on brokers joining the KDA?
• Are there any downsides?
• Heaven Hill union goes on strike. What impacts do unions have on the bourbon industry?
• Who’s the best at bourbon marketing?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.

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It’s the 60th Bourbon Community Roundtable where we’ve got 3 topics of recent news to cover. Beam Suntory is launching new subscription models for Little Book and Maker’s Mark which makes us wonder if this trend will continue for most major distilleries. Fall release season is around the corner so Jordan from Breaking Bourbon picks out 5 releases to discuss. Lastly, George Dickel has released a bourbon, which is the same recipe as their Tennessee Whiskey, why would they do that?

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about climate and the aging process.
• Bourbon Subscriptions
• 5 Limited Releases to Watch
• Dickel releases bourbon.
• Thanks to Blake (@bourbonr @drinkseelbachs), Jordan from Breaking Bourbon (@breakingbourbon), and Brian (@sippn_corn) for joining in another lively discussion.

Support this Podcast on Patreon

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On this Bourbon Community Roundtable, we do an in-depth analysis of The Bourbon King, two episodes from the Netflix series Heist. Now I have to warn you, if you haven’t seen it yet this is full of spoilers. If you plan on watching it, go watch it and then come back and listen. On the 2nd half of the episode, we talk about the new executive order coming straight from the Whitehouse that is going to put a microscope on the alcohol industry and look at unfair trade practices when it comes to distribution and competition.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about tasting notes.
• Breaking down Netflix’s Heist featuring Pappygate, the story of Gilbert “Toby” Curtsinger, an employee at Buffalo Trace that stole hundreds of thousands of dollars of Pappy Van Winkle.
• Do you think Buffalo Trace let them film on property?
• Who is Moonshine Mike?
• How do you steal a barrel and where do you hide it?
• What are your thoughts on the sheriff sensing it was an inside job right away?
• Do you think the sheriff was media hungry?
• What do you think of the sentencing?
• How was his wife not aware?
• How will the executive order on promoting competition in the American economy impact distributors and distribution?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.

Support this Podcast on Patreon

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As bourbon grows with popularity, so do the prices. The roundtable comes together to discuss how to price bourbon and if there is a good formula that can make everyone happy. There are lots of new sourced brands on the market, and more and more investors coming in every week to buy barrels, what will the sourced market look like in a few years? Lastly, we examine the business side of the industry and we try to figure out who is more important, the master distiller or the salesperson?

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about private barrel picks.
• How should you appropriately price bourbon?
• What’s the future of the sourced whiskey market?
• Who’s more important, the master distiller or the salesperson?

Support this Podcast on Patreon

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Today’s roundtable tackles a new topic that took most of us by surprise. About 3 weeks ago, when I was doing a label approval for our Four Roses barrels, I was given an additional contract to sign that was called a non-mutilation agreement. Basically stating that we agree to not add any stickers, wax, or anything that alters the package. Will other distilleries follow suit? What happens if someone breaks the contract? We give our opinions on that plus, if we think blends are going to become the new single barrels.

Show Partners:

• Catoctin Creek has been honoring that tradition of small craft rye whisky since 2009. Learn more at CatoctinCreekDistilling.com.
• Smooth Ambler builds on the traditional roots of American whiskey in West Virginia. Visit SmoothAmbler.com to learn more.
• Wilderness Trail is Sweet Mash Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey distilled, aged, and bottled in Danville, Kentucky. Learn more at WildernessTrailDistillery.com.
• You can now buy Barrell Craft Spirits products online and have them shipped right to your door. Visit BarrellBourbon.com and click Buy Now.
• Spirits of French Lick is delivering the finest hand crafted Bottled in Bond bourbons. Check out SpiritsofFrenchLick.com.
• Fling into spring at Total Wine & More. Always at low prices in-store or online at TotalWine.com.
• Heaven Hill Distillery has been lifting America’s spirit since 1935. Check out educational resources and sign up for their newsletter at HeavenHillDistillery.com.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about what smooth means.
• Four Roses bans stickers for private barrels. Is this good or bad?
• Do you think other distilleries will start banning stickers?
• How do you enforce the ban?
• Does the ban violate freedom of speech?
• How can you set your pick apart from other picks?
• Are blends the new single barrels?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.

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On this 56th Bourbon Community Roundtable, we discuss what it means to Kentucky Owl now that Dixon Dedman is leaving the brand, what does Indiana Rye Whiskey mean as a new legal designation, and now that there are 10 million barrels aging in Kentucky, will we see an oncoming glut of bourbon in a few years?

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about the color of whiskey.
• Dixon Dedman leaves KY Owl. What does that mean for the brand?
• What does Indiana Rye Whiskey mean as a new legal designation?
• Now that there are 10M barrels aging in KY, will we see a glut of bourbon in a few years?
• Thanks to @bourbonr, @breakingbourbon, and @sippn_corn for joining.

Support this Podcast on Patreon

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