Peggy Noe Stevens is an encyclopedia of great information about many bourbon brands. You may not know it, but she’s one of the biggest influencers behind many of the great distillery experiences while on the bourbon trail and outside of the state too. Peggy is a pioneer in driving diversity with her leadership behind the Bourbon Women organization and involvement with women-led panels. Peggy is an incredibly talented person that has shaped the industry from being in front of people leading them at bourbon tastings and crafting one of kind experiences behind the scenes.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Wikipedia.
• What is an experiential expert?
• Who have you consulted for these experiences?
• What value do you bring to these experiences?
• What was it like working at Woodford Reserve?
• How do you elevate the experience?
• How do balance the history with modern day innovation?
• Explain the difference between someone coming up the ranks in the bourbon industry vs. someone just taking it.
• What was it like when you were named the first female master taster?
• Do you feel like the media is better today that back then?
• What about diversity in the whiskey industry?
• Was Lincoln Henderson your Mr. Miyagi?
• What are you doing today with this master taster role?
• Let’s discuss Bourbon Women.
• What was your inspiration for Bourbon Women?
• Tell us about the growth of Bourbon Women.
• How do you market the organization?
• What type of members do you have?
• What are visitors looking for in a distillery experience?
• How do you deal with a difficult person in the hospitality industry?
• How did you help pioneer the Bourbon Trail?

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This guest gets more TV face time than The Bachelorette. He has built up a big fan base among weather geeks and now Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel joins Bourbon Pursuit to talk about his career, braving crazy storms, and how weather patterns and global warming are affecting today’s bourbon stocks. We also get to hear a funny story shared by Jim and Fred as they were drilling barrels of whiskey together at Jack Daniels. This episode gives you a look into Jim’s everyday life and how bourbon became a part of it.

Show Notes:

• The Curation Desk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fSTu8zbAwM
• Chuck Cowdery’s Top Bourbon List https://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-best-bourbons-ever.html
• Pursuit Series Episodes 010 and 011 https://pursuitspirits.com/
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about whiskey decanters.
• How did you get involved in weather?
• When did you start drinking whiskey?
• After you first started drink bourbon, what were you seeking out in the store or bar?
• What’s the strangest thing anyone has said to you in public?
• Do you get annoyed that people associate you with disasters?
• Do you get a high being in bad weather?
• Do you ever get panicked in certain weather situations?
• When you celebrate a job well done, what do you drink?
• Tell us about your interest in cars.
• Was deflategate real?
• Can your joints hurt from weather changes?
• Does increased rain impact a microclimate? Waters are rising around distilleries. How will it impact the warehouses?
• Will the rain affect the white oak trees?
• Do you predict any climate shifts in the Kentucky area that could affect bourbon?
• Tell us about the time you picked out a barrel with Fred.
• How does humidity affect barrels?
• Jim Cantore Website/Social https://jimcantore.tv/

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What if there was a legalized secondary market? Some may argue there is with new vintage laws being introduced around the country, but then there is the massive flood of online marketplaces that don’t have any regulation whatsoever. It’s a touchy subject because anyone that is really into bourbon, has seemed to find their way into these corners of the web. And lets be honest, most of us have had to do some sort of buy, sell, or trade to get bottles that we desire. It’s the nature of the game and this show looks at the premise of if you could build your own legal secondary market, what would it look like? We are joined by bourbon enthusiast Nate Shue, a Patreon supporter, on this topic.

Show Notes:

• KDA and BIER report on the Kentucky Bourbon industry’s energy, water, and emissions data. – https://www.bieroundtable.com/news/formalizing-sustainability-kentucky-bourbon-industry-collaborates-with-bier/
• Whiskey Stocks and the Bubble Burst – https://www.barrons.com/articles/u-s-whiskey-stocks-like-brown-forman-have-soared-beware-the-bourbon-bubble-51557514898
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about whiskey ‘first’ marketing.
• When did you start getting into bourbon?
• What do you think started the secondary market craze?
• What are the issues with the secondary market?
• Do you think referral secondary markets like Wine Searcher or Blur Book hurt or help?
• How does the value get established?
• What would happen if you removed the community aspect of the secondary market?
• Do you think other states should have laws similar to Washington D.C.?
• What about auction houses like Christie’s?
• If you were to have a legal secondary market, what would it look like?
• Should distilleries price the bourbon so high that it basically eliminates the secondary market?
• Do you think if they shut down the secondary market overnight, would it just come back?

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We all know wood influences bourbon, but to what degree? This episode explores both natural and human impact to understand the chemical breakdown of what happens in the barrel. Peggy rounds this out by pairing it with food so you know how to train your palate. Peggy Noe Stevens is renowned for her ability to combine all of your senses into a memorable experience when you are drinking any bourbon. This session took place at the 2018 Kentucky Bourbon Affair and you can buy tickets to remaining 2019 events at kybourbonaffair.com.

Show Notes:

• Behind the Scenes of Four Roses Small Batch Select – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my9YR-fr95s
• Kenny’s Big Batch Mint Julep Recipe – https://www.patreon.com/posts/26331151
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about who you would like to go out drinking with.
• All the magic of bourbon happens in the barrel.
• Overview of barrel making and charring barrels.
• Innovation with barrels.
• As much as we try to control barrels and warehouses, mother nature still controls a lot of variables.
• Barrels provide 6 basic food flavors: sweet, spice, wood, smoke, fruit, and floral.
• Understanding aroma and flavors.
• Tricks to neutralize your olfactory sense.
• What decisions affect the flavor of bourbon?
• What flavor does toasting a barrel provide?
• What flavor does charring a barrel provide?
• The chemistry behind bourbon.
• Importance of oxygen and water.
• Exploring the texture of bourbon.
• Where do the barrel notes hit the tongue?
• When is it over oaked?
• The Chew Down: bourbon and food pairing.

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How should a successful bourbon club function? Are there annual dues that go towards hosted events or is it completely unstructured where all business takes place online? We invited the leaders of Louisville, Lexington, Dallas, and Houston bourbon societies to come on the show and talk about how they manage growth and keep participation levels high amongst their members.

Show Notes:

• James “Buddy” Thompson – https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/louisville/obituary.aspx?n=james-thompson-buddy&pid=192232789&fhid=4753
• 2019 Eagle Rare Life Award – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICAjPavE4hs
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about flasks.
• Joining us this week: Kristopher Hart (Houston Bourbon Society), Peter Schmidt (Dallas Bourbon Club), David Bock (The Louisville Bourbon Society), and Matt Preston (Lexington Bourbon Society)
• Tell us about the purpose of your Bourbon Society. (Events, philanthropy, bottle swapping, barrel picks, etc.)
• What are the differences between a traditional and non-traditional bourbon society format?
• What do your events look like? Who are you inviting?
• Are events completely bourbon focused? Or do you cross over with food, cigars, music, etc.?
• Is Texas half whiskey/half bourbon or all bourbon?
• What are the benefits when you pay to be part of a club?
• Do you feel like your club is more intimate than an online group?
• Walk us through one of your meetings.
• What do members get in return for their dues?
• How do you charge for events?
• Do your events have consistent participation or are there constantly new people?
• What challenges do you experience when hosting events?
• Is it redundant to have multiple local bourbon groups?

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Chris Zaborowski put Westport Whiskey & Wine on the map with their very large tasting bar and plenty of private picks. This session was recorded at the Higher Proof Expo during the 2018 Kentucky Bourbon Affair. The 2019 Kentucky Bourbon Affair will take place June 4-8. It’s 5 Days. 19 Distilleries. 45 Events. Tickets for the 2019 Bourbon Affair are currently on sale and you can find our more information at KYBourbonAffair.com.

Show Notes:

• Pursuit Series Episodes 006 through 009 on sale now, visit PursuitSpirits.com.
• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the Kentucky Derby.
• Chris Zaborowski helped shape the Stave & Thief Society curriculum.
• What’s all the fuss about bourbon?
• What do you need to know about buying a single barrel?
• You have to have a retail partner.
• All brands are allocated.
• Do you choose to go to a distillery or get samples sent to you?
• What’s your delivery lead time?
• What brands are available for barrel selections? Large vs mid-size distilleries.
• What questions do you ask when you go on a barrel selection?
• What is the estimated cost?
• What is the expected bottle yield?
• What’s the final bottling proof?
• Can you get it Non-Chill Filtered?
• Let’s taste ours vs theirs.

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Jamie Farris might be known as The Store Pick King. Lincoln Road out of Hattiesburg, MS is a hidden gem for those in the know. Depending on the day, Jamie might have 70 or more available store picks at one time. This episode digs into his barrel pick strategies, how distilleries have changed in treating their single barrel customers, and how he handles the “aficionados” that visit his store and leave with nothing.

Show Notes:

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about influencers.
• Tell us how you got into bourbon and owning a liquor store.
• Talk about dry county Mississippi. Were you trying to get moonshine?
• How many store picks do you have available?
• How do you get so many private barrels?
• Who’s cut you back on getting some barrels?
• Does that upset you a little bit since you sort of started this craze?
• Has the Mississippi allocation decreased or do you have to share the pie with more people?
• What year did you get in the private barrel game?
• What single barrel program does the best job?
• Do you approach this the same as you did 5 years ago when you could reject barrels?
• How often are you rejecting barrel samples?
• Are you blending because single barrels are getting boring?
• The next step is creating your own label, are looking into creating one?
• Do you think you put Hattiesburg on the map?
• Some of the Lincoln Road picks are credited to Misty. Explain who Misty is.
• Do you think there is a market for collaboration picks?
• Is there another category that’s growing with a fan base like bourbon?
• How do you explain the Maker’s Mark 46 barrel program to someone who isn’t a bourbon geek?
• What are most whiskey/bourbon shoppers looking for? The average shopper vs the “bourbon/whiskey aficionado”.
• Why do Mississippi legislatures think tastings once a quarter is a good idea?
• How annoying does it get to have these “aficionados” come in and leave with nothing?
• Do you foresee an end to the craziness?
• What are some current or emerging trends in whiskey/bourbon?
• Do think it will be a problem in the future when these places run out of MGP?
• Do you feel it’s not your obligation to push craft whiskey?
• Do you think stores should price at secondary?

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A Bourbon Pursuit exclusive! Brad Boswell, CEO and 4th Generation Cooper at Independent Stave Company, rarely does any media coverage so we are ecstatic to not only capture his family story, but how they take customer service to the extreme and continue to invest in research and development to push the bounds of today’s bourbon. If you’ve ever wanted to know the extent of oak influence on whiskey, this one touches every aspect from types of wood, the building process, charring, and finishing.

Show Notes:

• Learn more about Pursuit Series
• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bourbon at Great Wolf Lodge
• How did you grow into this business?
• When you were young did you have a feeling of your family’s legacy in the cooperage industry?
• Did you family ever lobby to have the law put in place for new charred oak barrels?
• How has your family been able to maintain business all these years?
• What other side business have you had in the past?
• Have whiskey barrels always been the hallmark for your company?
• Talk about the size of your operation.
• Has the waiting list died down a little bit? Any issues meeting demand?
• What’s the process look like for bringing on a new client?
• Tell us the story of Maker’s 46 from your perspective.
• Talk about the process of making a barrel.
• What are the differences between various oaks, French vs. American vs. Japanese?
• Do you have customers that prefer KY barrels vs MO?
• Why do you keep innovating?
• Are there any other core states you are harvesting oak from right now?
• Tell us about Oregon oak.
• What’s the wackiest spot you’ve gotten an oak tree from?
• Tourism has changed over the years, what has that been like for ISC and what is the future?
• What experiments are you doing with the barrels?
• Do customers ever get upset about other companies copying their barrel finishes?
• What’s a barrel experiment that ended with a bad result?
• How can you control the variables?
• How long can you char a barrel?
• How many times can you reuse a barrel?
• Where are we in the growth of American Whiskey?

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Chuck Morton is a Bourbon Venture Capitalist with the Bourbon Bank Fund backed by Venture First. This episode compliments barrel sourcing from episode 182 on building a brand. But where do you get the funds? Is a traditional bank the way to go? Or with someone like our guest who knows how to put collateral on barrels of whiskey in return for dollars? Learn how to become a start up in the bourbon world and the common mistakes seen when looking for investors.

• The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the need to drink responsibly
• What is Venture First? What is the Bourbon Bank Fund?
• So you’re not in this to lose money?
• What does SPV mean?
• What is your ideal customer?
• Why come to you instead of a bank?
• What did people do before when they were interested in expanding?
• How are customers responding?
• Are you lending to companies with no juice that just want to create a startup?
• How do you approach a startup that doesn’t have a proven product?
• What are some common mistakes that you notice when distilleries are getting started or jumping from one level to the next?
• Do you feel the market might be saturated or is the there room for growth in bourbon?
• What data are your analysts using to determine trends?
• How did the idea come about?
• Do you see a bunch of defaults on the horizon?
• Are you allowed to work with people outside of Kentucky?
• How much does the name Kentucky come into an evaluation?
• Do you have a bullshit meter when people come to you with a proposal?
• What’s the worst pitch you’ve heard?
• If someone like Dave Pickerell came in, would it be a turn on or turn off?
• Are you looking for people that value the whiskey over the experience?
• Tell us about your investments in cooperages and rickhouses.
• How can you compete against Buzick for rickhouse building?
• What kind of return is coming to the owner on an investment?
• Are there signs that a distillery is about to sell?
• Are you receiving dividends?
• Would you prefer a distillery that is turning a good profit or one that intends on being acquired?
• How much do you need to start a distillery?

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An insider exclusive where you get to see what happens behind the scenes of the bourbon business. Bourbon sourcing isn’t a new concept but it’s a hidden fortress of the industry the average consumer has no clue about. Jeff Hopmayer of Brindiamo Group tells us some of the tricks of the trade in the barrel sourcing world, how he has created a connected web across the world to get people access to any spirit, and how he has seen fake bourbon come from tankers that would fool even the best master distillers. He has helped brands like Kentucky Owl, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Barrell Bourbon and many more. This episode is one you can’t miss.

Show Notes:

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