Mark Coffman, Master Distiller at Alltech Brewing, which is the home of Town Branch bourbon, talks about being a Brewmaster as well as a Master Distiller.

Show Notes:

• Talk about your adolescence for a bit, was there any influence of bourbon growing up?
• What made you want to get into the spirits industry?
• Most people get their stills from Vendome, but yours aren’t. talk about them for a bit
• Talk about the Town Branch name for a bit. What’s the history and Where did the name come from?
• What makes Town Branch unique in comparison to other bourbons?
• Let’s talk about the location for a bit. it became the first company to make bourbon in Lexington, Kentucky since the closure of the Old James E. Pepper Distillery in 1958. how many barrels are you filling per day and how many do you have aging?
• What’s the average age for Town Branch blend?
• You’re in an interesting position where you do not only bourbon, but also beer. How much of the bourbon distillation process is used for beer?
• Be honest. what’s more fun to make. bourbon or beer?
• You are also doing a traditional Irish Whiskey. talk about that.
• Follow on twitter (@TownBranch_KY) and Instagram (townbranchdistillery)

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Andrea Wilson, Vice President and General Manager of Michter’s Distillery, gives us the history of Michter’s, her rich history influencing the bourbon industry behind the scenes, and hints at a new 20 year bourbon release and potential Celebration.

Show Notes:

• Talk about your first encounter with whiskey or bourbon
• How did that influence you to make a career from it?
• What kind of path did you take because you can’t tell a distillery, “Hey i’ve got experience because i’ve been moonshining”
• You’ve got a historic past. First woman to serve as chair for the KDA. What does that mean to you?
• Talk about your current position at Michter’s and what that means
• Give some people a quick history lesson of Michters
• There is a new place being built on Whiskey Row, talk about that.
• There are 4 core products, talk about each one of those and choose a favorite child
• Then we have a few that are super extreme premium bourbons. Now choose a favorite child.
• You also have reminiscent feelings when drinking bourbon, talk about your tasting experience.
• What sort of legacy or impression do you want to leave on the industry?

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?

Fred Noe, Global Ambassador and Master Distiller at Jim Beam, talks about the history of Jim Beam, his celebrity encounters and the new Booker’s Rye release.

Show Notes:

• You were born into this. Talk about your child hood and some Beam history
• What are some things your dad taught you about this business and made you appreciate what you do today?
• Your role is not only a master distiller but also a brand ambassador, do you ever sleep?
• What’s the short list of some of your favorite places you’ve been?
• What do you think has made Jim Beam grow to the #1 product in the world?
• You’ve probably done a lot since then, best and worst jobs of working at the distillery?
• The latest Beam ads feature Mila Kunis. Talk about your interactions with Mila.
• A question from one of our listeners, what did you think of Mila when she blew up one of the rick houses in the latest ad?
• What’s the current state of Jim Beam today?
• As more engineering programs expand and more universities offer programs. Do you think the future of distilling is more science than art?
• There’s a lot of different bourbons under your portfolio, who are some of your right hand people to make sure every brand stays consistent?
• Another question from one of our listeners, what is the inspiration behind the Signature Craft series?
• Talk about Booker’s Rye that will be hitting the shelves soon.
• If you have to start a journey for drinking Jim Beam bourbons to get to the point where you drinking Booker’s neat, where do you start?
• Lastly, we need to get the Kentucky Chew.

Greg Davis, Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark, talks about how is continuing the tradition that has been set and more about day to day operations.

Show Notes:

• Today. we go on-site to Loretto to Maker’s Mark Distillery
• Breaking News: Users claim there is a bad batch of 2015 Elmer T. Lee. Barrels 256, 264, 266 and 267 are the “defective” barrels but Buffalo Trace has already responded.
• Tell us about your story
• What was your background before coming to Maker’s Mark?
• What are some of the key things you remember from your mentorship?
• Can you talk about your wheated mash bill and how it came to be?
• Talk about the difference between Makers and Makers 46
• Why go with French Oak?
• Are there other kinds of experimentation going on?
• Talk about the motivation behind the Cask Strength offering
• Talk about what you are doing different with your barrels compared to others
• How do you pick the barrels that are going into the batch?
• Do you sample every barrel?
• Are you able to go to different warehouses and taste the difference?
• How do you detect “must”?
• Can you explain what still you have and why you prefer it?
• What is the average bottle count that comes out of Makers?

Dixon Dedman, Owner Operator of Beaumont Inn & Partner in Kentucky Owl, joins us to talk about his family history and how they revitalized a brand that died during prohibition.

Show Notes:

• Fantasy teams are now using high valued bourbons as entrance fees
• Let’s talk about you. Who are you and what have you been doing up to this point?
• Let’s talk about your bourbon. What got you into dealing with the brand?
• Why the tag name “The Wise Man’s Bourbon”?
• What made you go with a barrel proof bourbon?
• How many barrels went into the particular batches?
• So you take the barrels, and you dump them and put them into new charred barrels?
• Is there a big difference between Batch 1 and Batch 2? What about Batch 3?
• This is a KY only release. Why only KY?
• How does it feel to have this craze happening?
• Talk about the Old Owl Tavern on your property
• Where do you sit on the Bourbon Trail?
• For anyone still looking for a pour of KY Owl, can they get it at the tavern?
• Adam Johnson asks, What is the secret to the General Lee cake?
• How can people get in touch with you?

Brent Goodin, Master Distiller at Boundary Oak Distillery, discusses his new startup distillery and how his first bottle of bourbon off the line sold for $28,000.

Show Notes:

• What’s your bourbon story? Do you have an earliest moment with bourbon?
• Are you picking up the family lineage of getting back into the bourbon industry?
• What led you to becoming a Master Distiller? Any influencers along the way?
• How long have you been practicing your trade?
• Where does the name Boundary Oak come from?
• Where is your location in relation to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail?
• I don’t get to use this word very often, but What’s it mean to be the first distiller in Hardin County after a “centennial plus some”?
• There was an Insider Louisville article lately that talked about a record being broken for the most paid for a first bottle of bourbon. Talk about that
• Most consumers think 2 year old bourbon is under-aged. Are you doing something different to age your bourbon to make it more appealing?
• How big is your operation? and how many barrels can you age?
• Are you thinking you are going to have multiple brands or mix them all together to have a consistent flavor?
• What price point are you targeting?
• As with most distillery startups, you already have a product for sale, Kentucky Amber, talk about it a bit
• How can people get a hold of you and learn more about the distillery?

Marianne Barnes, Master Distiller at The Distillery Formally Known as Old Taylor, discusses her new role, what everyone can expect coming from this revitalization, and insights into what it takes to be a master distiller.

Show Notes:

• Tell us a little bit about your past
• How does chemical engineering play into this role?
• Talk to us about why we have you on the show
• Are you going to keep the name Old Taylor name or will it be renamed?
• What’s being invested into restoring the distillery?
• Where is the distillery in relation to the bourbon trail?
• Where do you see this business in the next 5 years?
• How do you measure success?
• What can you do differently versus Brown-Forman?
• What does it mean to be a woman in this male dominated field?
• Talk to us a little bit about what made you so successful and why you were chosen for this role
• What is going to set your bourbon apart from everything else on the market?
• When is the distillery going to be up and running?
• Follow Marianne Barnes on Facebook

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Jim Rutledge, Master Distiller at Four Roses, joins us for Part 2 of this 2-Part podcast and discusses his travels, limited edition releases, one floor warehouses, and how he’s shaping their future.

Show Notes:

• What experiences stand out from your travels?
• Talk about your super premium releases such as the Single Barrel and Small Batch Limited Editions
• What goes into the process of selecting the premium limited edition barrels over regular bottling barrels?
• Do you look at limited editions as a form of experimentation?
• Talk a bit about the single barrel bottle labels providing the consumer information for warehouse locations and recipe used
• Have you selected the barrels for 2015 limited edition releases?
• Four Roses has one floor warehouses, is that done to minimize variables of temperature fluctuations?
• Why wouldn’t you create 10 different brands from 10 different recipes?

Jim Rutledge, Master Distiller at Four Roses, joins us for Part 1 of this 2-Part podcast and talks about his education, job history, his love for bowling, and how he brought Four Roses straight bourbon back to the US.

Show Notes:

• What was your first experience with bourbon?
• What was your journey from different roles with Seagrams and your path into Four Roses?
• Who gave you the opportunity to get back into distillery operations?
• Blended Whiskey by Seagrams were top shelf at one time
• What impact did Kirin have on Four Roses since it was primarily an export only?
• How has the Four Roses brand grown since it’s been back in the US?
• What are you most excited for with the future of Four Roses?
• How are you planning for Four Roses future?