For today’s episode, we traveled to Woodinville, Washington and sat down with Brett Carlile, Co-Founder, Distiller, and Lead Hose Dragger of Woodinville Whiskey Co. Brett gives an inside look at how him and his best friend, Orlin Sorensen, built one on of the most explosive craft brands on the market. It starts with an idea, enlisting late great Dave Pickerell to provide guidance, and good luck. Their whiskey began turning heads and led to an acquisition by Moet Hennessy. Get insights into their production process and their aging facility, which is a few hours away from the distillery and has a Kentucky-like climate.

Show Notes:

• Du Nord Benefit Discussion Panel: https://youtu.be/-fuH8aSQVhw
• Du Nord Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/minnesota-poc-business-support?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet
• Distilling Research Grants: https://distillingresearch.org/research/
• Barrell Craft Spirits Private Release Whiskey: https://www.barrellbourbon.com/privatereleasewhiskey
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about how the world needs a drink.
• How did you get into whiskey?
• How did you decide to start the distillery?
• Where did you learn to produce whiskey?
• Tell us about working with Dave Pickerell.
• What was your first distillate like?
• Why Woodinville?
• Where did you get your mash bill?
• Was it a success out of the gate or did you run into issues?
• How long did it take to be successful in Washington?
• What is the whiskey scene like in Washington?
•  How long did it take to bottle your product?
• When did you realize you had good juice?
• Tell us about the whiskey.
• Why 90 proof?
• Talk about your barrels.
• Where are your warehouses located?
• Tell us about your rye whiskey.
• Talk about getting purchased by Moet Hennessy.
• What has the partnership meant to you all?
• What markets are you expanding to?
• What are your plans for distillery expansion?
• What are you trying to accomplish with the port finish product?
• How much of the product is lost to evaporation?
• How do you store the barrels?
• What do you admire about your partner?
• Any plans to make an older product?

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What can you say, sitting down with the Noe family is always a treat. Fred Noe, Master Distiller at Jim Beam, and Freddie Noe, 8th Generation Distiller, are about as genuine and real as it comes. This show takes a bunch of turns. We talk about the new Fred B. Noe Distillery where new projects and small batch blends will take place, Legent, Little Book, and… we ask Fred Noe if he’s ready to retire. You’ll love his response.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Weller.
• Tell us about the property.
• What are your plans for growth?
• What are the plans for the Fred B. Noe Distillery?
• How did you get interested in blended whiskies?
• What’s the hardest part about blending?
• Fred, what was your past blending experience?
• What did you learn when creating Legent?
• How long was the creation process for Legent?
• Where did you disagree in the process?
• What kind of ideas do you have for the new distillery?
• Do you like focusing on consistency or innovating?
• Will Little Book always be a blended product?
• Did you always want to be part of the family business?
• Fred, are you ready to retire?
• Talk about the ham house.
• Any hobbies outside of bourbon?

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We went on a road trip to check out Old Dominick distillery in Memphis, TN. We’re excited to let Alex Castle, Master Distiller at Old Dominick, share the history behind the brand and how it was resurrected. We learn about her time at Wild Turkey and then dive into their current operations and product lines. If you are in the Memphis area, make Old Dominick one of your must-stops so you can check out their incredible facility.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Whiskey from Home.
• Tell us about your background. Did you grow up around bourbon?
• Talk about your time at UK.
• What did you love about working at Alltech?
• What happened after graduating?
• What was your role at Wild Turkey?
• How did you end up at Old Dominick?
• Did Old Dominick have an initial vision?
• What are honeybells?
• How was the transition from Kentucky to Tennessee?
• Tell us about the history of the distillery.
• How did you decide to launch with the Memphis Toddy?
• Talk about the design of the facility.
• What was your vision for the still?
• What was the inspiration for your recipes?
• Tell us about your products and mash bills.
• Talk about the barrels.
• Why keep the barrel wood regional?
• Will it be harder to keep the wood regional as you scale?
• Talk about the rooster.
• Tell us more about your gin.
• What hurdles did you have when opening the distillery?
• How have you been received in Memphis?

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Many of us have heard of A. Smith Bowman, which is owned by Sazerac, but we really don’t know much about them. We sit down with their Master Distiller, Brian Prewitt, to learn about the inner-workings of their operation and how the relationship with Sazerac works, as it pertains to the bourbon. With more than 20 years of brewing and distilling expertise, he tells us how he dialed in their stills to create a unique product and what the future entails for growth. We may or may not talk about gin for a few minutes as well. If you’re a fan of A. Smith Bowman, let us know your favorite bottling in the comments.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Texas.
• How did you get into bourbon?
• What has been your favorite spirit to work with?
• Did your parents influence you to get into the alcohol industry?
• Tell us the history of A. Smith Bowman.
• Does it ever make you mad that Kentucky gets all the glory for bourbon?
• What year did the operation start?
• Tell us the history of Master Distillers there.
• Is it hard to dial in flavor profiles?
• Are you able to make your own imprint on the product?
• What did you tweak during the process?
• When did it become part of the Sazerac portfolio?
• What resources did you gain from Sazerac?
• Do you distill or does Buffalo Trace contract distill?
• Is it aged in VA?
• Are higher age releases sourced or made in house?
• What is your capacity?
• How many states are you available in?
• Is there a flavor profile difference from Kentucky bourbon?
• Tell us about your products.
• What makes your gin unique?
• Tell us about your single barrel program.
• Where do you see the market in the future?
• How has Virginia embraced you?
• Do you have a lot of competition visit?
• Has bourbon tourism grown in VA?
• What are your plans for growth?

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Today, we talk to one of the biggest up and coming distilleries in Bardstown…and that’s the Bardstown Bourbon Company. We covered the business side in a past episode, but this time we look at operations and the two guys responsible for filling thousands of barrels per year. Steve Nally and John Hargrove sit down with us to talk about their background in distillation. Spoiler alert, Steve Nally is kind of a big deal. We also touch on what the process is like for a customer to work with them as they choose a mash bill, yeast strain, barrel location in the rickhouse, and where they see the market in 5 years. If you are on the bourbon trail, be sure to stop at BBC for lunch and a dusty pour.

Show Notes:

• Jim Beam Cheat Sheet: http://bourbonr.com/blog/jim-beam-distillery-production-cheat-sheet/
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Bolivia.
• What was your first taste of bourbon?
• How did you get into working in the bourbon and spirits industry?
• How was it going from Maker’s to a start up distillery?
• Do you have a formal education in science or did you learn on the job?
• How did they convince you to come to BBC?
• What was the initial BBC strategy?
• What is your distillery capacity?
• Did you see the need for contract distilling?
• Is it difficult to produce so many mash bills?
• Do clients have a mash bill in mind or do you help coach them?
• Walk us through the process.
• Can you pick your own yeast strain?
• Can you sample the yeast strains?
• Do you guide customers on wood?
• How long is your wait?
• How do you allocate floor levels in the warehouse?
• What’s the craziest demand from a customer?
• Is it more efficient to have a contract distiller?
• What are you distilling for BBC?
• Talk about the risk of experimenting with products.
• Where do you see bourbon in 3-5 years?
• Any plans for other spirits?
• Tell us about the decision to allow customers to customize the process.
• Do you bottle and help with packaging?

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New for 2020, it’s Scotch Pursuit! Ok, not really. But what better way to start the new year by trying something new and having Dr. Rachel Barrie, the master blender for The GlenDronach, BenRiach, and Glenglassaugh of Brown-Forman, come and show us the ropes. We talk about malting, peat, Glens and Bens, rules and regulations to be considered a scotch, the temperatures and more. This is a fantastic 101 to the scotch world and even made us, not so much scotch curious, but more single malt curious. Since this recording, we’ve tried numerous single malts and found some great ones. If you have an “entry Scotch” for bourbon drinkers, drop it here in the comments.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about Al Young.
• Why all the Glens and Bens?
• Does the altitude affect the whiskey?
• Talk about growing up around scotch.
• Tell us about your doctorate.
• Tell us about the the brands.
• What is an old school malt?
• How do you keep malts consistent?
• What is malting?
• What is the process for making scotch?
• What kind of stills do you use?
• What is your favorite cask?
• How do you make a blend?
• How old does scotch have to be legally?
• Is there a lot of evaporation loss in the barrel?
• What proof does BenRiach come out of the barrel?
• How many barrels are in a typical batch?
• Do you have a team helping you blend?
• Is there a limit to the number of times you can use a barrel?
• Tell us about the special releases.

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Conor O’Driscoll is beginning to make a name for himself. After spending part of his career at Brown Forman and Angel’s Envy, he was recruited to fulfill the role left behind by Denny Potter. Conor is now the seventh Master Distiller in Heaven Hill’s 84-year history. We spend some time getting to know Conor’s past, what the recruitment process is like to find a master distiller, what his role is going to be with the operation side of things, and how at the end of the day he just doesn’t want to screw anything up.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about dry January.
• Where are you from?
• How did you end up in Terre Haute, Indiana?
• How did you get into bourbon?
• Tell us about your time at Woodford.
• What was difficult to learn about the distilling process?
• Talk about working at Angel’s Envy.
• Is distilling rum the same process as bourbon?
• Are distillers in charge of blending?
• How did you end up at Heaven Hill?
• Did you have to give up anything to move into this role?
• Are you looking for ways to improve the legacy brands?
• Was there a learning curve coming to Heaven Hill?
• Who determines the increase in production?
• Were you involved in forecasting at your other roles?
• How did you learn the Heaven Hill portfolio?
• Do you have a favorite brand?
• What was it like to sign your first bottle?

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Today is all about Barrell Bourbon. We had Joe and Tripp back on Episode 164, but it’s time we get an update on what’s happening with this team. We talk more about the flavors they are pulling from different states of distillation and how that goes into the blend as well as hearing about their newest release of the American Vatted Malt Whiskey. We then talk about some gripes with the TTB, take another stab at online sales, and then look to the future with new dovetail offerings while potentially phasing out other products.

Show Notes:

• Bourbon Warehouse made out of shipping containers: https://www.wdrb.com/news/wdrb-video/bourbon-warehouse-made-of-shipping-containers-planned-in-j-town/video_100e2934-e0ca-5335-a956-83f9d9a9150a.html
• Bourbon Pursuit Yelp Collection: https://www.yelp.com/collection/Si779eiZUmjGomZP2pZLTg
• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about barrel proof bourbon.
• What’s new with Barrell?
• Tripp, what is your role?
• Do you taste every barrel?
• What flavors are you looking for?
• Do you think every batch is significantly different?
• How many barrels does it take to get the right flavor?
• Tell us about Batch 18.
• What is your ratio of barrels from each state?
• What notes do you pull from KY, IN, TN
• barrels?
• Where do you get the barrels?
• What makes up an American malt whiskey?
• Is the TTB creating new categories for you?
• How do you decide what to blend?
• Why do producers have non-disclosure agreements?
• How many employees work at Barrell Craft Spirits?
• Did you envision this growth?
• What challenges have you faced?
• Are distributors knocking on the door for the next batch?
• Any plans for Barrell Vodka?
• Are you pro online sales?
• What’s next?
• Is it hard to make a new label for every product?
• Any plans to phase any products out?
• Is sourcing rum similar to bourbon?
• Why rum?
• What do you think is the next it category?
• Have you considered using armagnac?
• Tell us about Dovetail 3.
• What’s the difference between finishing and aging?
• How much product is left in the finishing barrels?
• What are you passionate about?
• Any plans to distill your own product instead of sourcing?

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What happens when you get master distillers from two largest rivaling brands together? Actually, some pretty good jokes. Fred Noe, Master Distiller at Jim Beam, and Jeff Arnett, Master Distiller at Jack Daniel’s, take the stage at Bourbon and Beyond to field questions asked by Fred Minnick. They talk about BBQ, celebrities, mash bills, the Lincoln County Process, and if Jack Daniels is actually a bourbon. Bourbon and Beyond 2019 will take place September 20th through the 22nd so if you want to be there in person to hear sessions like today’s podcast, go get yours at BourbonandBeyond.com.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about drinking in moderation.
• What kind of music have your brands been part of?
• What is your BBQ connection?
• What is the history of your distillery?
• What is your mash bill?
• What is your proof point off the still?
• What do you think of the Lincoln County process?
• How do you train your tour guides?
• Tell us about Gentleman Jack.
• Tell us about Jim Beam.
• Is Jack Daniels a bourbon?
• Do you ever feel competitive against each other?
• What does your average day look like?
• What was it like to hang out with Mila Kunis?
• What celebrities are connected to Jack Daniels?
• How often do you introduce new products?

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Chris Morris and Elizabeth McCall are no strangers to the show so we’re excited to have them back on again. This time, we explore the controversial topic of “what is a master distiller?”. How is a title like that earned through years of service? How is Brown-Forman laying the foundation for Elizabeth to take over when Chris is ready to retire? We also talk about barrels from their cooperage, the influence of char on their whiskey, and this week’s Whiskey Quickie, the King of Kentucky.

Show Notes:

• This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about rapid aging.
• Lawsuit challenges out-of-state retailers’ ability to sell, deliver and ship alcohol to Kentucky consumers – https://www.wdrb.com/news/lawsuit-challenges-out-of-state-retailers-ability-to-sell-deliver/article_4881080e-acc4-11e9-9dbc-8b443dc97b9e.html
• Join us on barrel selections and see what other perks await. Support the podcast at https://www.patreon.com/bourbonpursuit
• Come drink some beer with us at 3rd Turn Brewing on July 26th from 4-7pm https://www.facebook.com/events/327452114804983/
• Elizabeth, tell us about your role.
• Do different Master Distiller’s have different styles?
• Is there a Master Distiller training manual?
• What do you think of everyday people becoming Master Distillers without significant training?
• What is a Master Distiller today?
• How do you know a bourbon will be good once it’s aged?
• What flavors or notes do you consider defects?
• Are we going to see more single malts come out of Brown-Forman?
• Why is there such a fascination with making malts work?
• Tell us about the latest Distiller’s Select?
• Are there two different char levels on the double double oaked?
• Talk about owning your own cooperage.
• Tell us about King of Kentucky.
• Why did you chose this label?
• Is there any pressure on Elizabeth to live up to Chris?
• How did you feel when you became a Master Distiller?
• Recorded live at Down One Bourbon Bar in Louisville, KY.

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