Bourbon Community Roundtable Podcasts

213 – Secondary Fallout, MGP Stock Drop, and Brand Perception on Bourbon Community Roundtable #35


It’s a dawn of a new day. The secondary market is scrambling to find a new home and we look at the impact this has on bourbon growth. MGP stock prices took a major hit after reports came out that aged stock hasn’t been selling and we look at new competitors in the bulk contract game. Missouri is putting itself on the map having a legally designated bourbon, but are there ulterior motives? With Knob Creek re-instating the 9 year age statement, does it make it one of the best values in bourbon? With all of these coming together, how are brands being perceived? All this on Bourbon Community Roundtable #35

Show Notes:

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209 – Warehouse Fires and Heaven Hill’s Bottled in Bond Relaunch on Bourbon Community Roundtable #34

A warehouse disaster is a large concern for the bourbon industry, but some people in the community make jokes and laugh at the situation. Should this be considered normal? Heaven Hill phased out their 6 Year Bottled in Bond product that was a true bargain brand to many bourbon consumers and launched a very similar product with a 3X price increase. Was this a good move by Heaven Hill? Are they competing in a high price bracket? Did they just cannibalize their own products? Is this the first #KentuckySnub? We tackle all this and more on Bourbon Community Roundtable #34.

Show Notes:

  • This week Ryan talks about launching a bourbon brand.
  • Look for a new segment called Whiskey Quickie launching next week.
  • Brian Harra’s Sazerac Brands v. Peristyle: Bourbon History Matters as a Matter of Law – https://brianhaaracom.files.wordpress.com/2019/07/haara-bourbon-history-matters-as-a-matter-of-law-ky-jeanrl-2019.pdf
  • Jim Beam Warehouse Fire
  • Heaven Hill 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond
  • Was it the right move to discontinue 6-Year BIB and relaunch with 7-Year at a higher price point?
  • Do you think this product competes with the Woodford and Knob Creek price point?
  • Is Heaven Hill competing against themselves?
  • Why wouldn’t Heaven Hill launch in Kentucky on day one?
  • How do you best support retailers that elevate prices for hard to find bottles?

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205 – Facebook Rule Changes and What’s Next with Marianne Eaves on Bourbon Community Roundtable #33

A jam packed episode. The first half is focused on the the largest Facebook group known for buying, selling, and trading bourbon and it’s encounter with Facebook staff about rule changes. We cover the news and share the information as it’s presented. In the second half of the show, we are joined by Marianne Eaves as she discusses her departure from Castle & Key and what’s on the horizon for her next adventure. This episode has a little bit of everything. Oh yeah, and a teaser about marijuana with bourbon which you can look forward to hearing more next week.

Show Notes:

  • This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bottled-In-Bond and Bernie Lubbers.
  • The Next Phase of the Bourbon Secondary Market. Facebook is cracking down.
  • What will be the next iteration of the secondary market?
  • When did you get the news and how did you feel about it?
  • Will this start more segmented smaller groups?
  • Are there any other platforms where the secondary market could exist?
  • How does one have bourbon as a hobby and ensure that he or she is not becoming an alcoholic in the process?
  • Are Sober Bars going to become a thing?
  • What’s new with Marianne Eaves?
  • What was the response from other companies to you leaving Castle and Key?
  • Are you interested in other spirits?
  • Have you been trained in other spirits?
  • What’s your favorite style of gin?
  • What’s next for you?
  • What do you all think about marijuana infused bourbon?

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200 – Juleps, MGP Chasers, and High Dollar NAS on Bourbon Community Roundtable #32

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:

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196 – Kickstarter, Flavor Packets, and Retail Single Barrels on Bourbon Community Roundtable #31

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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192 – Moonshiners, Jim Beam Legent, and Weller Full Proof on Bourbon Community Roundtable #30

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.

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188 – Supreme Court Fueling the Bourbon Boom on Bourbon Community Roundtable #29

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.

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184 – Fake Pappy, Fraud Sommeliers, and Bunker Clutter on Bourbon Community Roundtable #28


There’s yet another FAKE PAPPY ALERT! Yes, it’s true and it’s not going to be the last time either. Fakers are getting better and we talk about the most recent scandal with an employee of Buffalo Trace who has allegedly been selling counterfeit Pappy on the secondary market. And if you’ve been buying too much, maybe you should be watching Tidying Up on Netflix. Then we dig into the certification game that’s happening. Is there really such a thing as a Whiskey Sommelier or is it just a hoax for your money and some large medallion? We finish off the conversation saying goodbye to Kerry and wish him well.

Show Notes:

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180 – 2018 Whiskey of the Year and 2019 Predictions on Bourbon Community Roundtable #27

It’s one of our favorite episodes of the year. The Roundtable takes a look back at Bourbon in 2018 and our picks for Whiskey of the Year. We then kick off the second half of the show with our predictions for 2019 about expansions, acquisitions, price increases, and lots more…including our favorite 90s and 2000s rap artists.
Show Notes:
  • This weeks Above the Char with Fred Minnick has him answering random questions off twitter.
  • 2018 Year in Review
  • What was your whiskey of the year
  • What is your greatest accomplishment of 2018?
  • Vintage Spirits Law came into effect in KY
  • We picked our first barrel together
  • Longbranch made it’s Wild Turkey debut
  • Brian won a case with Castle & Key against Sazerac over the Old Taylor distillery name
  • 2019 Predictions
  • Banned Crotchshots in Bourbonr and now he’s looking for the next great suggestion to improve the group for 2019
  • Lots of year end expansions being announced in 2018. Do we expect more in 2019?
  • Will prices continue to grow? Four Roses Private Barrel program increase starts Jan 1.
  • Henry McKenna won SF Spirits comp in 2018. Will the Henry McKenna fad pass in 2019?
  • Denny Potter left Heaven Hill for Maker’s Mark in 2018. Will Heaven Hill find a new Master Distiller? Is there an issue if they don’t find one in a timely fashion?
  • Then we finish talking about 90s and 2000s rap icons

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176 – Distillery Expansions and Sticker Game Gone Wrong on Bourbon Community Roundtable #26

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Share those bottles and create some memories with your loved ones. There’s a few interesting topics in the news this week. We touch on distillery expansions of Heaven Hill and Kentucky Owl while diving into the second part of this segment on the hottest topic of all, single barrel stickers.
Show Notes:

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