Let’s explore the stories around products, places and people that make them inherently interesting. Stories full of drama and passion. Stories filled with history. New stories. True stories. Less than true stories. We’ll mostly talk about bourbon and wh
Inside the Kentucky Bourbon Festival with Randy Prasse
Hit Like a Girl made an album that'll cost you something. It's worth it.
An Irish Whiskey Sour for people who don’t want green beer
I don't know enough about jazz to pretend at a dinner party. But I will.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHO SHIPS YOUR BOTTLE
From Berlin cocktail bars to building an international whiskey brand, one conversation about finding your lane
Eight Cocktails. Three Sessions. One Recipe Worth Making.
Lowland & Campbeltown: Elegance & Rarity
History Repeats itself
What happens when a Detroit bartender who helped open America’s first fragrance bar joins one of bourbon’s most innovative distilleries?
Sometimes you get an idea and just start running with it.
Finding the Signal Through the Noise
There’s something deeply uncomfortable about blind tastings if you’ve spent years developing preferences in whiskey.
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival Identity Crisis
Western Kentucky Distilling, though new to the scene, brings seasoned expertise through Master Distiller Jacob Call.
MB Roland’s experimental fill-your-own bottle program yielded this unique single barrel selection.
Golden Sheaf, under David Mark Young’s guidance, crafts intentionally blended whiskeys that aim to capture historical flavor profiles.
This special release from Casey Jones represents their first five-year four-grain wheated single barrel program.
High ‘n Wicked represents an intentional approach to whiskey making, with their straight rye offering demonstrating their commitment to quality.
Boulder’s entry into the American Single Malt category brings a peated expression that bridges Scottish tradition with American innovation.
Blue Note’s return to rye whiskey production marks an interesting evolution for the brand.
New Riff’s 8-year bourbon represents an important milestone for this relatively young distillery.
Barrel Bourbon Company’s Mizunara Cask Finish represents their exploration into Japanese oak finishing.
Is the Kentucky Bourbon Festival broken, or are attendees just doing it wrong?
Owen Martin, Master Distiller at Angels Envy, joins EmbellishPod to discuss the unique challenge of stewarding a bourbon brand through time.
Owen Martin, Master Distiller at Angels Envy, joins EmbellishPod to discuss the unique challenge of stewarding a bourbon brand through time. From honoring Lincoln Henderson's pioneering legacy of cask finishing to innovating with new grain bills and experimental finishes, Owen reveals what it's like to simultaneously preserve tradition, manage current production, and lay the groundwork for releases that won't see bottles for years to come. In this candid conversation, we explore Owen's journey from Scottish distilleries to American single malt at Stranahan's, and ultimately to Angels Envy where he's pushing the boundaries of what cask-finished bourbon can be. Learn about the innovative barrel-aged water project, the complexities of sourcing finishing casks from around the world, and how Angels Envy is expanding beyond their classic port-finished bourbon into international markets with unique expressions. Whether you're a bourbon enthusiast, a whiskey nerd, or simply curious about the craft behind the bottle, this episode offers an insider's look at the art and science of modern bourbon making. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - Introduction 00:52 - Meet Owen Martin: The Elevator Pitch 02:21 - From Scotland to Stranahan's: An Unconventional Path 05:02 - Why Angels Envy? The Cask Finishing Connection 08:48 - What is Cask Finishing and Why Does It Matter? 12:07 - Defining "Mature Whiskey" for Finishing 14:31 - Sourcing and Selecting Finishing Casks 16:45 - Keeping Innovation in Check: The ADHD Question 19:05 - Small Scale vs. Large Scale Trials 20:25 - Working Within the Bacardi Portfolio 22:25 - The Barrel-Aged Water Experiment 28:33 - Innovation Grain Bills: Beyond 72-18-10 32:36 - Exploring New Small Grains and Malts 36:07 - The Challenge of the Three Acts 39:03 - Sourced vs. Own Distillate: The Evolution 42:39 - The Blender's Philosophy 45:53 - Owen's Vision: Act Three for Angels Envy 49:23 - Recent Releases: Cask Strength 10 and More 52:44 - Age Statements and Brand Maturity 54:20 - Final Thoughts and Thanks CONNECT WITH US:
Join us as we sit down with Denny Potter and Jane Bowie, the founders of Potter Jane Distilling in Washington County, Kentucky.
Join us as we sit down with Denny Potter and Jane Bowie, the founders of Potter Jane Distilling in Washington County, Kentucky. After decades of combined experience at Heaven Hill, Maker's Mark, Jim Beam, and other industry giants, these two bourbon veterans left their corporate careers to build something generational from the ground up.
Journey to Scotland's rugged maritime islands where isolation breeds innovation and tradition creates legendary whiskeys.
Journey to Scotland's rugged maritime islands where isolation breeds innovation and tradition creates legendary whiskeys. Host John Hughes explores how geographic challenges become competitive advantages in the world of island whiskey production. In This Episode: Discover the legendary tale of the SS Politician—a cargo ship carrying 264,000 bottles of premium Scotch that ran aground, sparking one of whiskey's most fascinating stories of island resourcefulness and community resilience. Explore Highland Park's Norse heritage and how Orkney's culture influences every aspect of their whiskey-making, from traditional floor maltings to hand-turned germinating barley that preserves irreplaceable flavors. Learn how Loch Lomond combines innovation with tradition, using different still types and unique maritime conditions to create diverse spirit styles that showcase island character. Understand how salt air, geographic isolation, and cultural heritage converge to produce some of the world's most distinctive whiskeys—spirits that are more than just drinks, they're liquid history. Perfect for: Whiskey enthusiasts, Scotch lovers, history buffs, and anyone curious about how tradition and innovation shape the spirits we drink. Keywords: Scottish whiskey, island whiskey, Highland Park, Loch Lomond, SS Politician, Orkney whiskey, maritime whiskey, Scotch whiskey history, whiskey production, distillery tours, craft whiskey, traditional whiskey making, Norse heritage, whiskey podcast, Embellish Pod Subscribe to Embellish Pod for more immersive explorations of whiskey culture, history, and craftsmanship. Host: John Hughes Show: Embellish Pod Category: Food & Drink, History, Education
© 2020-2026 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
