Freddie Johnson, 3rd Generation Employee and Tour Guide at Buffalo Trace, talks about his family legacy and his depth of bourbon knowledge.

Show Notes:

• Freddie Johnson, legendary tour guide at Buffalo Trace
• This will be an easy question for you and the basis for our show today, but tell everyone about your family history in the area and how you got into the bourbon industry. and let’s be long-winded here.
• At what age did Jimmy Sr start working at the distillery? and was it called the GTS distillery at that point?
• What roles did Jimmy Sr have at the distillery?
• What do you mean that he had Irish features?
• What would he do on business trips with Colonel Blanton?
• What age did Jimmy Jr start at the distillery?
• Your dad also had a special relationship with Colonel Blanton as well.
• Why would he filet fish? It didn’t seem like that would be in a specific line of duties
• Does Harlan or anyone here ever ask you to do some oddball task?
• What keeps you going every day?

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Kris Comstock, the Bourbon Marketing Director at Buffalo Trace, talks about how he made his way to Kentucky and gives us insight into the brands and even the new 2015 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (sorry about the horrible audio on this one).

Show Notes:

• Firenado/Bourbonado
• Tell us your bourbon story
• What led you to Buffalo Trace?
• What do you do in your current role?
• Give everyone a bit of insight on how you do forecasting for production?
• Since you are in charge of packaging let’s talk a bit about some of the labels we see today.
  Can you talk a bit about some of them and perhaps some backstory. Maybe even give the listeners an understanding why Buffalo Trace is even called Buffalo Trace?
• Now I know Blantons has the collector series of caps. Am I right?
• You’ve also had a hand in developing some of the other brands like EH Taylor, Experimental, Stagg Jr and Single Oak. talk about each one of those a little bit and the roles you played
• The Antique collection was just announced. Talk to us about it a bit
• Follow Kris on twitter at @BUFFALOCOMSTOCK

Martha Carlin, Great Great Granddaughter of George T. Stagg, talks about her gaggle of Stagg bottles up for auction, her family history in the bourbon industry, and how much George T. Stagg really loved to fish.

Show Notes:

• Pappy Spring Release in Louisville
• Bourbon auction: A gaggle of Stagg on thebourbonbabe.com
• What’s the auction currently priced at?
• Did you grow up around bourbon or did you just recently discover it all?
• Sour Mash smells like home
• Do you still have any family in the bourbon industry?
• Did you or your mom collect all of this research of family history?
• What happened to all the money?
• Any memories of George T. Stagg from your mother?
• Paul Sawyier was supported by Frank Stagg
• Lots of pictures in the show notes of the website
• Can you talk about the picture with the lock of hair in the folded envelope?
• What was George T. Stagg doing in Baltimore when he died? And how?
• Ryan is going to take Martha out to dinner if she gets him her extra bottle of 2013!

Beau Beckman, Barrel Select Manager at Buffalo Trace (and great great great great great grandson of Colonel EH Taylor), talks about his family legacy, the process of buying a barrel, and how technology is changing the future of the program with Single Barrel Select.

Show Notes:

• Tell us a bit about your lineage and the dirty rundown of the Taylor’s
• Where did the EH Taylor packaging and logo come from?
• What led you to Buffalo Trace?
• Talk about your role as a Barrel Program Manager
• How many barrels are available for the program?
• How do you choose who gets to pick a barrel?
• What’s the process of going through the barrel selection?
• What brands can you choose and the history of the barrel program?
• Why does the barrel program exist? Why mess with the “chef’s recipe”?
• Talk about “Honor Tradition, Embrace Change” with Single Barrel Select app to follow the barrel selection process online.
• What your thought’s on the Old Taylor brand getting a re-birth?
• If you have a Tornado you are willing to part with, Beau is in search of it!
• What’s the best part about the job?

Harlen Wheatley, Master Distiller at Buffalo Trace, joins us we discuss multiple facets of his history and life at the famed Buffalo Trace Distillery

Show Notes:

• Do you remember life before bourbon? What led you here?
• Wheatley Vodka, the spirit named after Harlen.
• Sampling, tasting, and characteristics of the brands
• Don’t you get tired of tasting bourbon all day?
• History and future of the Single Oak Project
• Warehouse X… what’s the big deal?
• What’s more important? The mash bill or the aging process
• Forecasting demand for Pappy and other BT products
• What’s the best part about your job?