Campbell Brown, President of Old Forester Bourbon, is interviewed by Fred Minnick at the Kentucky Derby Museum’s Legend Series.

Show Notes:

• Fred gets more information about the corporate side rather than the distilling side.

We are going back and revisiting episode #056 about building the barrels at Brown Forman. This is a great to wrap up back to basics month.
Michael Nelson, Plant Director at the Brown-Forman Cooperage, gives a step-by-step and inside look to the barrel making process.

1. Give us your bourbon story.
2. Before we dive into the ins and outs of technicalities of barrel char. give us a history lesson about where we are.
3. So this is my first encounter being at a cooperage. give me the 101
4. We saw one barrel that was cross cut. Talk about that.
5. What’s the average number of discarded barrels that don’t meet some sort of quality assurance?
6. Talk about char levels for a bit because it’s something that is always said, but never really explained about in depth.
7. Is the barrel making process getting more expensive on a yearly basis because of demand and material supply?
8. For everyone that missed the episode with Chris Morris where we talked briefly about the cooperage, talk about what it means to have a cooperage dedicated to their private whiskey
9. The release of Cooper’s Craft happened recently. And it was named after the location of where we are recording today. What does that mean to you?

(more…)

Elizabeth McCall, Sensory Scientist and Master Taster, Brown-Forman, joins the show to share what happens behind the white curtain and how people with a psychologist degree are recruited into bourbon.

Show Notes:

• Talk about your past, growing up and your education
• What got you into brown spirits
• Did you have family influences or connections to the spirits industry?
• So I have to be honest, we have done the rounds with Master Distillers and they always give credit to people like you, but lets get an idea of your day to day responsibilities
• What else happens in the lab? we need to give our listeners an idea of what’s happening behind the curtain so-to-speak
• So why psychologists for being sensory scientists? go deeper there
• What’s the most important sense when it comes to making a product consistent?
• What does catching a cold have on the influence of the bourbon your doing that day? or do you have an addiction to Afrin nasal decongestant?
• What sort of training goes into becoming a master taster?
• From Matt Fisher on Facebook: Super nerdy and specific. With most bourbon drinkers using Glencairn glasses at home, why does the distillery use Copita Nosing glasses vs the Glencairn? Looking for an expert opinion of why they use the Copita.
• I watched part of your presentation of change and you gave a good explanation of why people mix their bourbon with coke, explain that
• Talk about your other passion of horses

(more…)

Michael Nelson, Plant Director at the Brown-Forman Cooperage, gives a step-by-step and inside look to the barrel making process.

Show Notes:

• Give us your bourbon story.
• Before we dive into the ins and outs of technicalities of barrel char. give us a history lesson about where we are.
• So this is my first encounter being at a cooperage. give me the 101
• We saw one barrel that was cross cut. Talk about that.
• What’s the average number of discarded barrels that don’t meet some sort of quality assurance?
• Talk about char levels for a bit because it’s something that is always said, but never really explained about in depth.
• Is the barrel making process getting more expensive on a yearly basis because of demand and material supply?
• For everyone that missed the episode with Chris Morris where we talked briefly about the cooperage, talk about what it means to have a cooperage dedicated to their private whiskey
• The release of Cooper’s Craft happened recently. And it was named after the location of where we are recording today. What does that mean to you?

(more…)

Chris Morris, Master Distiller at Woodford Reserve, gives an insight into the historic grounds and the $1000 Mint Julep in time for Derby.

Show Notes:

• Talk about your first memorable experience with bourbon. Good or Bad?
• Talk about your background and coming into the bourbon industry
• Let’s talk about the Woodford grounds a little bit. It’s held over 4 different names in the 200 years it’s been existence.
• What makes your bourbon special or unique compared to others?
• There’s a misconception that Woodford is aged longer than Old Forester. Can you explain the differences?
• What is the future of distilling going to be? Is it a science or art form?
• You’ve been quoted as saying “Because we have a small distillery we use less sour mash than many distillers, which gives more fresh grain in every batch”. I know we can go to the liquor store and read a label that says Sour Mash bourbon but what does sour mash truly mean?
• You also ferment the mash for nearly twice as long as other distilleries, around 6 or 7 days when most usually do 3 or 4. Again talk about the role that plays.
• You do some unique experiments that are released yearly or even at the distillery. The latest masters select was called 1838 Style white Corn. Then there was another recent release called frosty four Wood. Talk about those.
• Choose your favorite child
• Talk about the process of the “Double Double Oaked”
• It is Derby season and Woodford has some affinity with horses. Talk about your ties to the horse racing industry
• Any favorite horse names over the years?
• With Derby time the drink of the season if the Mint Julep, talk about the $1000 Mint Julep
• I don’t know if this is fact or fiction, but is the ice actually flown in from a glacier?
• How do you get your hands on one?

Jackie Zykan, Master Bourbon Specialist for Old Forester, talks about each of the individual expressions and the history behind this Louisville based brand.

Show Notes:

• We are coming to you from Rye On Market in Louisville
• Tell us your coming to age of tale of bourbon
• What is it about Old Forester that made you leave working behind the bar
• Is Old Forester the same thing as Woodford Reserve?
• What do you actually do as a Master Bourbon Specialist?
• The name “Brown” has a stigma and prominence in Louisville. Talk about George Garvin Brown?
• Where is the 2nd “R” in the name?
• How did Old Forester move from sourcing to distilling it’s own stuff?
• How did Old Forester survive prohibition?
• Brown-Forman owns it’s own cooperage and what does that mean to you?
• Talk about each of the Old Forester brands and what makes each unique compared to the next
• What was the market reaction for the Whiskey Row edition?
• Give the listeners some kind of idea behind Birthday Bourbon
• What can you tell us about 2016 Birthday Bourbon
• Give us some of the more well-known cocktails you make