I guess this is our silver anniversary! We are joined by Josh Reidford who is the producer for the new AMC movie, BULLITT COUNTY, that opens in theaters this Friday the 26th. We discuss the fears of what would happen if a bourbon enthusiast won the 1.6 Billion Mega Millions lottery then wrap up the show talking if we would ever see a buyout of another large brand.

Show Notes:

• Pursuit Series launch by Pursuit Spirits
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick examines the “dad tax” and encouraging more bourbon and food pairing to raise the bar
• Did anyone else realize is Sober October or Mocktober or whatever
• Bullitt County Producer Josh Riedford joins as a special guest
• BULLITT COUNTY tells the story of four friends who reunite for a bachelor party in the Fall of 1977 to hunt for buried Prohibition money on the Bluegrass Bourbon Trail only to become ripped apart by greed, corruption, and murder. Winner of SIX BEST PICTURE AWARDS from film festivals nationwide
• Trailer – https://vimeo.com/278106182
• Do you see more bourbon coming into your world of movie production.
• Lottery at 1.6 billion. If you had enough money for bourbon, what would you do?
• What distillery has the most American whiskey interest?
• Fred gave his lowest score of all time in Forbes

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• This week’s Above the Char has Fred Minnick discussing his Super Bowl
• We have a funny story to tell from the Speed Art Museum’s rare bourbon auction
• Bourbon and Beyond talk
• Brian and Blake ask us the hardest question they were going to ask from their cancelled sessions
• We start talking about the actual roles of Master Distillers and the transition we’ve seen from Four Roses with Jim Rutledge
• Denny Potter from Heaven Hill is transitioning to Director of Operations to Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark. Was this the right move?
• Brian from Sipp’n Corn brought a 1933 Old Taylor for the roundtable to open and try. wow.
• Thanks to Blake from Bourbonr.com, Nick and Jordan from Breaking Bourbon, and Brian from Sipp’n Corn for joining this week.

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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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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 https://bourbonpursuit.com/bourbon-community-roundtable-podcasts/

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The craft beer and wine world has good apps, why doesn’t bourbon? Have you started to see Henry McKenna games start with liquor stores and distributors? Are we entering a new era of specialty bourbon decanters to appeal to an audience that will bite? We investigate the reasons why it’s so hard to make bourbon apps popular. Tell true stories from the front lines of distributors bullying store owners on purchasing cases of Henry McKenna. Reveal our opinions on the new Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-bond decanter.

Show Notes:

• Thanks to Blake from Bourbonr.com, Jordan from Breaking Bourbon, and Max from Superfly Bourbon Club for joining this week.
• Max recently spent his bachelor party trip in bourbon country, tell us about it.
• Why aren’t there apps? It works for beer and wine, but why not bourbon?
• Is there a false sense of scarcity with Henry McKenna?
• Are distributors starting games again?
• Why isn’t hoarding or buying multiple cases of Henry McKenna a good thing?
• Are spirits competitions getting too much recognition?
• Are decanters coming back in style?
• Are we rolling back to the 70s?
• Can this be a collectors item?
• Bob Dylan released his line of whiskey. Is this the start of celebs getting into the game?
• Listen to all the Community Roundtables at https://bourbonpursuit.com/bourbon-community-roundtable-podcasts/

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Will Longbranch slowly phase out Wild Turkey 81? Did you know that 92% of the entrants in the 2017 San Francisco World Spirit Awards won a medal? Did Buffalo Trace start aiming too high? We examine all of these topics much more in depth in this edition of the Bourbon Community Roundtable.

Show Notes:

• Who’s excited for the Matthew McConaughey bourbon?
• Was Longbranch a smart move for Wild Turkey because the Wild Turkey brand name is getting stale?
• Could this be the slow decline and phasing out of Wild Turkey 81?
• Does Wild Turkey lose something in your mind for letting Matthew put his name next to Eddie’s on the bottle?
• Henry McKenna wins the 2018 San Francisco World Spirit Awards as best bourbon. Was anyone surprised this wins out of 300+?
• Let’s talk about anti-spirit award show topics. (refer back to episode 144)
• Do you feel it’s a honey barrel and nothing that just magically showed up?
• A Buffalo Trace rep said no one is talking about the Four Grain or the OFC press release. Should we? Is this unimpressive news?
• Booker’s 30th is 16 year we are all eager to try.
• Watch all the roundtable episodes
• Thanks to Blake from bourbonr.com, Nick from BreakingBourbon.com, Kerry from Sobourbia.com, Wade from tater-talk.com, and  Brian Harra from Sippncorn.blogspot.com

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Do you snuff at $100 MGP bourbon and will sourced Dickel be the next wave of NDPs? What does House Bill 400 really mean when it comes to shipping booze from Kentucky? And finally Buffalo Trace announced their new line of CYPB but who really wanted 95 proof Weller? We touch on all these topics and more on this Bourbon Community Roundtable episode.

Show Notes:

• What’s everyone drinking tonight?
• Are we getting tired of seeing $100 MGP bourbons?
• Bourbonr and BreakingBourbon have Doc52, let’s hear it
• Any good April fools out there?
• Let’s talk shipping. HB400 passed
• The new W. L. Weller Bourbon, CYPB edition (short for Craft Your Perfect Bourbon), is, according to those behind it, made from a wheat recipe, aged eight years on the top floors of the warehouses, and bottled at 95 proof. It is the bourbon which best fit into what over 100,200 bourbon drinkers voted most for over two years –  a wheated bourbon recipe aged for eight years that’s been matured on the top floor of the bourbon warehouse and bottled at somewhere between 90-99 proof. Although very limited, one batch of this new bourbon will be released each year, beginning this summer. The recommended price is around $40 for a 750ml bottle. First off, who said we wanted 95 proof weller?
• Kerry visited Bowman and Jack Rose Dining Saloon
• Thanks to Blake from bourbonr.com, Jordan from BreakingBourbon.com, Kerry from Sobourbia.com, and Brian Harra from Sippncorn.blogspot.com

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We have a loaded show today with some hot topics hitting the boards. This episode touches on recent releases of NEAT, the less than stellar James Thompson & Brother incredibly overaged bourbon made its way out, we discuss the practices by Pennsylvania liquor control board setting lottery prices at secondary prices, thoughts on the new Old Fitzgerald release, we wonder if NDPs sourced from MGP being $100 is the new norm, and Kenny gets snobby a bit.

Show Notes:

• What are your initial thoughts on the new release of NEAT at thebourbonfilm.com?
• We’ve got our own bourbon film come out. You will love the cheesy graphics. It’s fun to watch.
• There was release for James Thompson & Brother Final Reserve 45 year old bourbon here in Louisville. 250 total bottles. only 150 to the public. It was $1800 + tax. People camped out in the rain. First few sold and then the reviews came out. It’s terrible. What’s the likely future outcome for pricing of this bourbon? and the subsequent 43 and 41 year old releases?
• The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board admitting that it’s pricing Booker’s Rye with secondary in their online lottery. This is state run. Is this legal? What’s to make of this?
• Heaven Hill is releasing their Old Fitzgerald BIB Decanter at $100. Will you be buying it? What will happen to the bottom shelf Old Fitz?
• Are $100 NDP MGPs the new norm? We used to scuff at this like 2 years ago saying you wouldn’t pay these prices for something you knew was made in Indiana. Now with things like Mic.Drop. people are doing it. And keep in perspective that GTS is only $89.
• Is it a problem with hype?
• What’s the next SAOS
• MGP be the new stitzel weller…all these up and coming distilleries are going to switch to their own distillate and their mgp bottlings will become more valuable
• Is it worth buying bottles over $50 now?
• What’s up with all the Wathen’s Barrel Proof recently? When did this become a sought after item? Because it’s barrel proof? a single barrel pick? Wathen’s has been around forever but just now became something that continually shows up on my feed.
• How about an additional topic: Blake hates Single barrel bourbons…thoughts?

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Everyone has a different strategy when it comes to picking barrels and we talk about each of ours. We also touch on the topic of a “group pick” versus a “store pick” when something is selected by the Master Distiller. Crown Royal Bourbon Mash has violated the TTB, but does the TTB even care? Why are consumers still regulating this? And we talk about bourbon FOMO and the ridiculous amount of people around the country that have Blanton’s scarcity, where did it all go? But more importantly, who cares?

Show Notes:

• We picked our first barrel together. Let’s talk about the process a bit more.
• Everyone has a different strategy
• Blake can you give your tasting notes on it
• Video will be posted on perfectpourtv.com in the future
• Everyone passed on barrel #6 but someone will eventually take that barrel. Or do you think that goes to stores who don’t select and ask the Master Distiller to pick on for them?
• Wade Woodard who has started his new blog at tater-talk.com had an article called Diageo done screwed up. He talked about the Crown Royal Bourbon Mashbill release we discussed in the roundtable. Wade is a consumer advocate and whiskey law sleuth and discovered they are in violation. Can you take any guesses to what this product will be called after the 1 year period is over?
• Why are consumers still the ones doing all the legal hurdles? Does the TTB not care? Does it really matter at the end of the day since it’s not a real crime?
• OKI announced the end of their line with a bunch of 12 year barrels being dumped soon but people are cleaning out shelves. In addition, the standard Old Scout is being cleared too. Not even store picks. Is there a panic mode being set in right now?
• People are continually complaining about finding Blanton’s. Is it just me or does regular Blanton’s not do it for you all anymore?
• Is Buffalo Trace manufacturing demand?
• Thanks to Blake from bourbonr.com, Nick and Jordan from BreakingBourbon.com, and Brian Harra from Sippncorn.blogspot.com
• Listen to all the Bourbon Community Roundtables

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The community did a pretty quick 180 in regards to treating people more fairly in facebook groups. We discuss how banning unopened bottles has settled the drama and also evaluate the definition of the new vintage spirits law that has passed in Kentucky. Taking a speculative look at the success and if it has the potential to go mainstream across the country. Lastly, we wrap it up talking about our favorite wheated bourbons of all time.

Show Notes

• Blake are you going to be coming out with a whiskey inspired cookbook?
• It is now (as of Jan 1) legal in Kentucky for people to sell their vintage spirits to liquor stores (and bars), which can then sell them to the public. What are our speculations on what will happen?
• It looks like the flood gates have opened up again and eBay has seen a rise of bourbon being sold. Is this just eBay not paying attention?
• The Crown Royal Bourbon Mash Blended Canadian Whisky
• Your favorite wheated bourbon ever.
• Listen to all the Bourbon Community Roundtables.

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