Blind Tasting Podcast

Sazerac just dropped a $605 million bombshell, with investments across four Kentucky facilities. What does it mean for Kentucky whiskey production, local jobs, and the future supply of bourbon? Let's break it down.

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Frey Ranch rolls out a pricey five-grain whiskey, a little-known Kentucky distillery takes on the big boys and WINS, and whiskey heads back to space. Heaven Hill celebrates a milestone and I rant about MGP’s name change and identity crisis. Plus, we talk about Grizzly Bear 399, and a Halloween party introduces me to a California cask strength rye I'd never heard of. Turns out, the scariest part of Halloween is realizing how many whiskies I still haven't tried!

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How much of what we believe about whiskey is actually history, and how much is just good marketing? Today, I'm hanging out with Jon from BarRoom Knowledge, a guy who loves digging into the history, stories, and facts behind the booze we drink. We're talking whiskey myths, questionable origin stories, social media misinformation, and why some whiskey opinions can get people awfully worked up.

Find Jon and follow BarRoom Knowledge on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578692213748

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

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Whiskey Freaks, does ice ruin your whiskey? I asked the question, you all had plenty to say, and the ladies had some pretty amazing answers of their own. And we’re finally settling the long-running Team Neat vs. Team Ice debate once and for all. What really happens when you add ice to your whiskey? Let’s find out. Cheers!

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

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This episode’s got new releases from Angel’s Envy, Remus, StilL 630, a little trip back to 1996 with Woodford Reserve, and a whiskey experiment that’s literally going out of this world. Yep, we’re talkin’ SCIENCE!!!

Plus, I’ve got a contest you won’t want to miss, and I’m sharing a little personal experience with one that actually paid off for me. Plus, if you ask nicely I might tell you where the best classic country radio station in America is located!

So grab a pour and settle in. We’ve got a lot to talk about!

Cheers!

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

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Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

I sat down with Dave and Doug from StilL 630 distillery in St. Louis, and these guys gave me a hell of a lot to talk about. We get into the story behind award winning Due Process bourbon, their American 250th Birthday Bourbon series, taking on the big boys (and beating them), and why StilL 630 is still a hidden gem in its own city. Brutally honest talk about building a small distillery, the mistakes they've made, and the attitude it takes to keep pushing forward. “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” pretty much sums up their mindset. And when it comes to StilL 630, the goal is simple: become undeniable.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Swing by, follow, and comment at Blind Tasting Podcast on Facebook and Instagram at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560596922297

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Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

The St. Louis Bourbon & Cocktail Festival is back October 9th, and this thing is BIG. I sat down with Andrew Chostner, co-founder of the St. Louis Bourbon Society to get the inside scoop on what folks can expect this year, from 86 vendors and more than 600 samples to cocktail competitions, VIP lounges, exclusive single-barrel picks, cigars, live music, charity, and the spooky atmosphere around Lemp Mansion. I was there last year, but Andrew gives us a whole different look at what goes into making this massive event happen. If you're thinking about heading to the festival, you'll want to hear this before you go.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

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Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

I usually don't let the bourbon world's drama bother me. But this post about Heaven Hill hit a nerve, and I couldn't just keep scrolling.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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Buffalo Trace gets into the RTD game, MGP finally steps out of the shadows with its own bourbon, and Pappy season is officially upon us. Plus, I’ve got an update on that Trails End 10-year bourbon, a little Heaven Hill tour controversy that gets me fired up, and a giveaway for my loyal Whiskey Freaks. We’re talkin’ bourbon news, transparency, distillery tours, and why you might want to think twice before stiffing your tour guide. So buckle up, grab your bourbon, and let’s get after it.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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Same mash bill. Same family legacy. Different barrels. Different releases. In this episode, I put two McBrayer bourbons to the test as The Judge and their 250th Anniversary release go head-to-head in a blind bourbon battle. Which one will come out on top?

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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Sazerac is making moves again, because...duh. Somebody made a decision involving nonalcoholic beer that I simply cannot understand, and one major whiskey brand has me questioning whether their marketing team has their heads up their ass.

Plus, more new releases coming down the pike, a little bourbon history, and a whiskey I stumbled across on top of a mountain that turned out to be one hell of a pour.

Just another week of bourbon news, crazy life choices, and me trying to make sense of it all.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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How many unopened bottles are sitting in your whiskey collection right now? I asked that simple question on social media and got answers ranging from zero... to a number so ridiculous I had to question whether one guy was secretly running a liquor store. But the numbers weren't the most interesting part. The reasons people are saving their bottles? Now THAT got me thinking.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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Pursuit United Double Oak Rye makes a pretty bold claim about being “wise beyond its years.” So I had to crack one open and find out if the whiskey can actually back up the brag.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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This week I’ve got a little bit of everything lined up. Still 630 just picked up a HUGE award, Fireball has apparently decided regular Fireball wasn't enough, and Pernod Ricard is dealing with some unwanted attention from regulators. Then I explain why North Dakota has apparently declared war on fountain soda and decent bourbon. Plus, a big shoutout to Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez after he made some baseball history. So grab yourself a pour. We've got a lot to talk about!

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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This week on the Blind Tasting Podcast, I’ve got a little bit of everything.

I’m talking about the 2026 ASCOT Awards, big news from Pursuit Spirits, and a new bourbon documentary that every bourbon history nerd needs to check out. Then, I’ve got the latest Old Forester 117 Series release.

And then... Guess the Whiskey is BACK!!!

And finally, I rant about AI and thermostats. Yeah... I really do.

So grab yourself a pour and come hang out for another round of bourbon, whiskey, history, technology, and even some shenanigans.

Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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What happens when you bring a bourbon brand back from the dead after more than 100 years?

Silk Velvet Whiskey was once considered one of the finest bourbon brands in America before disappearing into history. Now it’s back with a new chapter and a bottle that carries a lot of history with it.

In this episode I pour Silk Velvet Small Batch Select 107 proof Bourbon and find out if this comeback was worth the wait.

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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The new Four Roses Yellow Label 100 Proof is here! Is this the next great budget bourbon...or should you leave it on the shelf? Crank up the volume and let’s find out!

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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I asked one simple question: If you could banish ONE whiskey forever...which one would it be?

All ya’ll whiskey freaks answered. Hundreds of opinions. Plenty of grudges. More than a few surprises.

Today we're revealing the results of the very first Whiskey Witness Protection Program as bottles are defended, condemned, and quietly relocated for their own safety. (And maybe ours)

Who survives...and who gets voted off the whiskey island?

Grab a pour, send the kids over to Grandma's house, and crank up this episode!

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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I picked up Old Forester's High Angels' Share Rye (Batch 001) from the 117 Series at the distillery on Whiskey Row in Louisville, and today I'm putting it to the test. We'll talk about what makes this limited-edition, 110-proof rye unique, how those high angel's share barrels create a more concentrated whiskey, and I'll break down the nose, palate, finish, and whether it's worth the $65 price tag. Most importantly, does it earn a Keep It, Collect It, or Cull It? Let's find out.

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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The Blind Tasting Podcast is back! After a short break, John catches up on family, summer adventures, and America's 250th birthday before diving into the latest bourbon news. This episode covers Buffalo Trace, Sazerac's latest moves, new 1792 releases, upcoming whiskey reviews, and a look at what's coming next for the podcast. Pour a glass and join your number one attitudinal bourbon destination!

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com/ Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

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