Podcasts about kentucky spirit

Send us a textEver wondered how a weekend of bourbon tasting could transform strangers into family? Join us as we recount our exhilarating experiences at the Bourbon on the Banks event, where CT and I met legendary figures like Stephen Fonte, Barry from RD1, and Matt from Augusta. This remarkable gathering left us with not only unforgettable whiskey memories but also a newfound "Frankfurt family" bonded over the shared love of bourbon. Each sip was a new adventure, and each encounter added a cherished chapter to our bourbon journey.Picture a bed and breakfast tailored for whiskey enthusiasts, where you can indulge in barrel-aged spirits and then rest easy in a cozy setting—we call it the "Cot and Chicken." We dive into a spirited "barrel bashing" session featuring Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, Four Roses Single Barrel, and Blanton's. With rich notes of brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla, Wild Turkey's comforting flavors reminded us why it stands out among bourbon lovers, especially when compared to the classic Jim Beam profiles.Our conversation takes a heartfelt turn as we highlight the inspiring story of a friend who donated a kidney, reminding us of the power of compassion. From sharing concerns for recent events in Florida to upcoming Thanksgiving plans infused with Wild Turkey 101, our journey is filled with both reflection and anticipation. Listen as we recount visits to the picturesque Wild Turkey distillery and plan for an epic Thanksgiving podcast featuring Russell's Reserve picks. With camaraderie and nuanced appreciation, we invite you to savor the essence of bourbon with us. Cheers to the memories we've made and the adventures yet to come!Add for SOFL If You Have Gohsts Support the showhttps://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

Bourbon heritage month is upon us and a big milestone happened. Jimmy Russell just passed 70 years at Wild Turkey, this is such a epic event they are releasing a special bottle for the event. But first a word from our sponsors. Badmotivatorbarrels.com/shop/aff=3 https://www.instagram.com/zsmithwhiskeyandmixology?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== JIMMY RUSSELL'S70th ANNIVERSARY8-YEAR-OLD RELEASE Commemorative bourbon release honoring Master Distiller Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary with Wild Turkey making him the longest-tenured spirits Master Distiller in the world.  WILD TURKEY JIMMY RUSSELL'S 70TH ANNIVERSARY To honor Jimmy's incredible impact on the bourbon world, Wild Turkey is proud to present the limited-edition Wild Turkey Jimmy Russell's 70th Anniversary 8-Year-Old Bourbon. This collector-worthy release is an 8-Year-Old, 101-proof bourbon, with an additional blend of 8- to 9-year-old whiskeys, hand-selected from a few of Jimmy's favorite Rickhouses. Best enjoyed neat or over ice, this bourbon is a true tribute to Jimmy's legacy From his earliest days at the distillery sweeping the floors at age 18 to rising through the ranks to become Master Distiller, Jimmy has remained committed to crafting bourbon one way, the right way, even when it wasn't popular. In the 1970's and 80's when the bourbon industry was close to collapse, Jimmy stayed the course. 1855 Wholesale grocer Austin Nichols begins selling wine and spirits. The business would later go on to own and sell Wild Turkey. 1869 The Ripy brothers open their family distillery on Wild Turkey Hill in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. 1893 The Ripy Brothers' bourbon represents Kentucky at the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois. 1940 Wild Turkey Bourbon gets its name after a distillery executive shares his bourbon with friends on an annual hunting trip — of course, they were after wild turkey. THE RUSSELL EFFECT 1954 Master Distiller Jimmy Russell joins Wild Turkey. He learns his craft from becomes the third in a line of master distillers for the brand which includes second master distiller, Bill Hughes, and Ernest W. Ripy, son of the original distiller. 1976 Wild Turkey introduces the world's first bourbon liqueur, introducing a broader audience and attracting even more drinkers to the bourbon world. The liqueur would eventually lead to the creation of American Honey. 1981 Eddie Russell, son of Jimmy Russell, joins Wild Turkey as a relief operator and begins to work his way up the distillery ladder. 1991 Wild Turkey introduces our premium Rare Breed bourbon, one of the first barrel proof bourbons to hit the market. 1995 Wild Turkey follows it up with the launch of Kentucky Spirit, a single-barrel 101-proof bourbon, one of the only single barrel American whiskey offerings of the time. THE NEW VISION 2000 Master Distiller Jimmy Russell is inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. 2004 Jimmy Russell celebrates his 50th year at the Wild Turkey distillery. 2010 Eddie Russell is inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame by his father, Jimmy Russell. 2015 Eddie Russell is officially given the title of Master Distiller, then making Jimmy and Eddie the only active father and son duo of bourbon Master Distillers in the world. 2016 Famed actor and bourbon enthusiast Matthew McConaughey joins Wild Turkey as Creative Director. 2018 Wild Turkey introduces Longbranch, a small-batch bourbon refined with Texas Mesquite and American Oak charcoals, and the first co-creation from Master Distiller Eddie Russell and Creative Director Matthew McConaughey. 2020 Wild Turkey introduces Rare Breed Rye, our premium quality, masterfully crafted barrel proof rye.  

Ole Kentucky Home, New Kentucky Spirit. How can we honor our old Kentucky home while embracing our New Kentucky Spirit?

This week Matt and I discuss my favorite documentary, American Movie. Since we recorded on Thanksgiving week I decided to break out the Wild Turkey 101 12 year old. We compare it with regular 101 and a Stearns Store pick of Kentucky Spirit that is 10 years old.

Imagine kicking off your Thanksgiving Day with a hearty conversation with a bourbon enthusiast, just like you. We've got CT joining us, hinting at some intriguing plans for next year, and we're all about stirring the pot. We're chatting everything from our fascination with Alan Bishop's enthralling podcast, "If you have Ghosts, you have Everything," to our very own ventures that bring the Scotchy Bourbon Boys to your screens - our website, our social media game, and of course, our select bourbon picks. We've recently let loose our Elijah Craig Barrel Proof single barrel release and there are just a few bottles left. Fancy one?Now, what's Thanksgiving without a little gratitude? We're here not just because we love a good bourbon, but because we love each other, this podcast, and you all - our vibrant community of bourbon enthusiasts. We journey down memory lane, tracing our steps through the world of whiskey, and the relationships we've found along the way. Yes, we need to watch out for the risks of alcohol, but let's also celebrate the positivity and connections it fosters. So, join us, as we salute the industry, the camaraderie, and the simple joy of savoring that perfect glass of bourbon! Support the showhttps://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

On this episode we sample a slew of Wild Turkeys (101, Kentucky Spirit, Russel's Reserve Private Selection, and Rare Breed) while discussing starting the episode with bloopers, gobblin time, rugged unsettledness, wild turkeys in suits, the difference between stuffing and dressing, don't forget the neck, crispy bits, hanging out in the bathtub, stepping on micro machines, the magic at 116.8, Elf ad nauseam, A Grinch on the horizon, and the sheer tonnage of broccoli casserole that would be sufficient for Kyle. Support Us On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrepandStone Use the promo code DrepandStone15 to Get 15% off your order from Flaviar.com We'd love to hear from you! https://linktr.ee/DrepandStone Don't forget to subscribe! Music by @joakimkarudmusic Episode #217

On this episode, Dude and Brett sit down and plow through four different Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrels. Two from clubs and two from the distillery.  Find out more about them and what we thought on this episode of… The Bourbon Hunters. Have you thought about supporting our podcast? Do you like buying bourbon gear?  Check out our website at https://www.bourbonhunters.com where you can do both with our latest bourbon shirts and our Bourbon Hunter Kenzie Drams. --Tags-- #punkrockandcocktails #thebourbonenthusiast #bourbonhunters #bourbonlover #breakingbourbon #bourbondrinkers #bourbonporn #kentuckystraightbourbon #kentuckybourbon #thebourbonalliance #bourbon #bourbonlife #bourbonlifestyle #bourbonenthusiast #bourbonwhiskey  #bourboncountry #deckpour #bourbongram #instabourbon #yourbourbonyourway #yourbourbonroad #blantons #pappyvanwinkle #vodkasucks #bourbonpodcast #columbuspodcast #bourbonneat #smokewagonbourbon #woodinvillewhiskey   -- Tags -- the bourbon enthusiast  bourbon hunters  bourbon lover  breaking bourbon  bourbon drinkers  bourbon porn  kentucky straight bourbon  kentucky bourbon  the bourbon alliance  bourbon  bourbon life  bourbon lifestyle  bourbon enthusiast

In the second of Chris's picks we chat about Steven Seagals second film, "Hard to Kill". There's a lot of laughting in this one. Before diving into the movie we try Wild Turkey 101 bourbonas well as it's single barrel counterpart Kentucky Spirit.

Proof Positive Review: Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit

Welcome back to Master Your Ash, I'm pairing the Ashton VSG Illusion & Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon. Please like and subscribe and comment below so we can feature more commodities of civilization and pair your passion! *********************************** @00:45 Into: Ashton VSG Illusion Cigar @02:00 Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Bourbon @03:00 Tasting Notes - Bourbon Rant @06:00 Ashton VSG Lighting @07:30 VSG Tasting Notes @08:30 Overall Pairing Experience @11:15 Outro/Thank You For Watching *********************************** Products I Use Camera https://amzn.to/3srjN0a Xikar VX2 V-Cut https://amzn.to/3swK5Lf Xikar XK1 Single Torch Lighter https://amzn.to/3qYRdmi Xikar Soft Flame https://amzn.to/32gL36t Soft Flame/Torch Dual Lighter https://amzn.to/3iO8hq9 Turtle Ashtray https://amzn.to/3pjhtGM Antique Ashtray https://amzn.to/3hOUboT Toppin Air Purifier https://amzn.to/3u13QuC Cigar Rights of America https://www.cigarrights.org/ *********************************** Like, Subscribe for future content and support Master Your Ash: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/masteryourash RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/MasterYourAsh BITCHUTE: https://www.bitchute.com/channel/a06ws7N5WYga/ INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/masteryourash WEBSITE: https://www.masteryourash.com #AshtonVSGCigar #AshtonCigars #WildTurkey --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/masteryourash/support

Welcome to another exciting edition of BBR! In this show we invited Travis G. and Cousin Torry over to rate some ounces of Wild Turkey bourbons! In this episode we sample and review Longbranch, Russel's Reserve 10 year, WT 101, Kentucky Spirit, Russel's Reserve Single Barrel, and Rare Breed. While we were sipping on these, we decided we needed some doubly American side beers to go with, so we chose Lupulin's American Pils American style pilsner. Thanks to https://fargounderground.com/ and https://www.bridgeviewliquors.com/ for supporting the show. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes, please feel free to e-mail us at info@brewsboozeandreviews.com. If you like this podcast, share us with a friend. If you would like to support our show, you can do so by heading to https://www.patreon.com/brewsboozeandreviews For more information, or to listen to our back catalogue of episodes, head over to https://brewsboozeandreviews.com/ On behalf of everyone at Brews, Booze, & Reviews, may your glasses be full, and your spirits high! Cheers! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/brews-booze-and-reviews/message

Today McNew kills off a bottle of Kentucky Spirit and takes you to Utah to learn about Ronnie Lee Gardner.

This week we try Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit, discuss EmberConf and Next.js and talk about Porsches vs Mustangs.

Steve sits down with Tyler Jones, Espinosa Cigars Territory Manager, to smoke the newer 601 La Bomba Warhead 6, which is a limited edition. We are sipping on a Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel which is wonderful bottle from Wild Turkey. We are happy to have Tyler back on with his new role with Espinosa Cigars. Pour one more...light up another...we'll figure it out together.   Thanks to our sponsors:   All of you that have been supporting us! Join our patrons at patreon.com/bourbonandbspodcast to help support the continuing growth of the show and the community.   Tinder Box at Easton for the weekly featured cigar and check them out for their current weekly sampler at eastontinderbox@gmail.com   Altadis USA for the weekly second cigar and the continued support   BS Cigar Company for the continued support! Check them out at bscigarcompany@gmail.com for ordering the BS Gold and BS Silver.

TFMS Podcast Derek Trucks On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter Derek Trucks joins Fred for a spirited conversation with plenty of whiskey sipping along the way. Trucks, co-founder of the Tedeschi Trucks Band (with wife Susan Tedeschi) and member of the Allman Brothers Band, has been a professional musician since his teen-age years, when he performed with Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Stephen Stills and others. Here are the bourbons they tasted: Weller Single Barrel (16:38) Jefferson's Reserve (21:13) Parker's Heritage (34:57) Vintage Four Roses (45:16) During the show, Derek tells the story of "The Viking," a man he knew in Kentucky who helped turn him onto bourbon in the early days, before the bourbon boom. Derek was smart enough to stock up back when things like Weller 12 year were common place. (Smart guy!) And Fred tells how he and his sons watch live music performances together on YouTube every weekend - including some Derek Trucks shows. EPISODE SUMMARY Some of the topics Fred and Derek get to while tasting whiskey together, such as: Fred's wife Jaclyn keeps sneaking bourbon from his office, which threw a slight monkey wrench into this week's show. Derek loved the Weller Single Barrel Fred sent him, saying, "I would never not want to drink that bourbon." The legendary guitarist talks about the bourbon stashes of bands he's toured with, from the Allman Brothers (no alcohol, so he sneaked in his own Kentucky Spirit by Wild Turkey) to Eric Clapton (also not a drinker) to his own band. Trucks also talks about being on the road as a child - he started touring at age 9 - and those who mentored him. He talks at length about his dad and others keeping him grounded, including Willie Nelson and B.B. King. He also notes that not all the stars he met were terribly nurturing or friendly. Fred recounts one of his favorite (and funniest) Parker Beam memories. And Derek talks about some of his favorite music venues, such as Red Rock and The Fox in Oakland. Fred tells a fascinating back story about the 1942 bottle of Four Roses, a blend of whiskeys from a variety of unknown distilleries, he and Derek tasted together. And then Fred drops his glass and spills it, so he promises to lick what's left off the floor. QUOTABLES "You've got to have good heroes. ... We all do what we do because somebody paved the way." - Derek Trucks FOLLOW DEREK https://www.tedeschitrucksband.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DerekTrucks/ https://www.instagram.com/derekandsusan/?hl=en https://twitter.com/derektrucks FOLLOW FRED htps://www.instagram.com/fredminnick/ https://twitter.com/FredMinnick https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyE_GJtYr3yowks2iv1o4jg https://www.facebook.com/fred.minnick/ SPONSORS Michter's: https://michters.com/ B-Line (Northern Kentucky Bourbon Trail): https://findyoursippingpoint.com/ Distillery 291: https://distillery291.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Craft & Puro, we fire up the new Diesel D.10th along with a fun and unique Wild Turkey bottle we found at the local liquor store. Later we fire up the bourbon cowboy's favorite 6x60, the Asylum Premium nicaraguan puro. Next we pour the 1792 High Rye whiskey and wrap out the show when our friend dalton drops by.

This Episode we Review Kentucky Spirit Bourbon Wilderness Trail Bourbon and Johnnie Walker Blue! and have a great time doing it!  Join Young Nose Johnson and Tiny while they have a blast tasting whiskies for you!Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/scotchybourbonboys)

This episode was produced, in part, by Christian Degrave. Christian sent Will and Greeze a jar full of honey and samples of the Whistle Pig pick they did with Carothers last year. There is a remarkable similarity. After the 15, they try Kentucky Spirit and give it the buy, bar, pass treatment. Finally, they give a brief tribute to Al Young.  Thanks to our sponsors this week: Eli Mason: Premium cocktail mixers and syrups made in Nashville, TN. Check them out at EliMason.com! You can use code "PODCASK" for 20% off 3-packs!  Southern Whiskey Society: February 29, 2020 (it's a leap year folks!) is the inaugural Winter Edition of Southern Whiskey Society. Will and Greeze will be broadcasting live, much whiskey will be poured, delicious food will be had. Go to SouthernWhiskeySociety.com for tickets! 

Kyle and Nick sample Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel while discussing Thanksgiving, turkey, and post meal naps.  We'd love to hear from you! Email us your comments and questions: DrepandStone@gmail.com and connect with us via Facebook Don't forget to subscribe! Music by @joakimkarudmusic  

Hoppyest of Hoppes and a suprisingly sweet whiskey, what else is there to love? --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brewsandbourbon/support

Time to go back to their roots. A shorter episode with your favorite dram yinzers. Join them as they sip on some of Wild Turkey’s Kentucky Spirit. Then take a detour to episode 1 and try Makers and Buffalo side by side again. If you would like to become a patron of the show, please check out our Patreon site. https://www.patreon.com/thosedramyinzersBe sure to rate and review us on iTunesFind all other info on our site!https://pittsburghwhiskeyfriends.org/those-dram-yinzers/

Luke 2 & Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel signed by THE JIMMY RUSSELL! Luke 2 finds Jesus staying behind in Jerusalem and Mary and Joseph didn’t know He was missing for an entire DAY!! They had to go alllll the way back to Jerusalem and it took them another 3 DAYS! They’re literally raising the Messiah! Don’t you think you’d keep a better eye on him? They’re pretty much the opposite of helicopter parents. Speaking of parents, I was honored to meet Jimmy Russell, Wild Turkey’s Master Distiller, the Grandfather of Bourbon, and he signed the bottle of Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel! This is an amazingly smooth bourbon with a rich caramel color and mouth feel that finishes with sweet vanilla and caramel flavors. Thank you @wildturkey For the incredible Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel! Cheers to another great week everyone!

Today’s guest needs no introduction. He is one the most iconic living figures in bourbon today. He’s been on episodes 77, 105, and 175. He’s even got his own personalized scooter to get him around the distillery and that is Jimmy Russell. This podcast touches on his early years and how he was selected to become the next master distiller. He talks about the changes he saw at the distillery as it exchanged hands throughout the years. Also, we get to hear the story on the birth of Rare Breed and his opinion on chill filtering vs non-chill filtering debate. Show Partners: Barrell Craft Spirits blends cask strength, high quality spirits to explore the effects of different distillation methods, barrels, and aging environments. Find out more at BarrellBourbon.com. Use code "BOB2019" for discounted tickets to Bourbon on the Banks in Frankfort, KY on August 24th. Visit BourbonontheBanks.org. (Offer good through 6/30.) Aged & Ore is running a special promotion on their new Travel Decanter. Get yours today at PursuitTravelDecanter.com. Receive $25 off your first order with code "Pursuit" at RackhouseWhiskeyClub.com. Show Notes: The history of JW Dant and Log Still Distillery - https://www.distillerytrail.com/blog/j-w-dant-investing-12-million-to-restart-historic-distillery-in-the-bourbon-capital-of-the-world/ Heaven Hill 7 Year Bottled in Bond Launch - https://www.facebook.com/bourbonpursuit/posts/2640636035998401?__tn__=K-R Leave us a review! https://link.chtbl.com/LeaveAReview This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about speaking at a Total Wine event in Atlanta. Does limestone water make a difference in bourbon? How long does it take to cook bourbon? Can you burn the mash? When did you start at the distillery? What roles have you had at the distillery? What Master Distiller trained you? How did he decide he wanted to train you? What were the early years like? Was there anything from prohibition that affected the distillery operations when you started? Will you all need to increase capacity soon? What was it like when you first started traveling to talk about Wild Turkey? What were your biggest challenges on the road? Were you nervous when you first went out on the road? Were you happy traveling and talking to the consumers? What was the name of the distillery before Wild Turkey? What was it like to distill then ship the bourbon away? Tell us about the other former Lawrenceburg distilleries. What was it like when you were out on the road? Do you think it helped grow the brand? Do you prefer to travel or be at the distillery? Tell us about Kentucky Spirit and Rare Breed. How often are you going through and sampling barrels? Do you have a favorite warehouse? Do you have a favorite floor? Why do you only have 7 floors? What innovations have you seen throughout your time in the bourbon industry? Talk about your rye mashbill. What do you think of non-distilling producers? Tell us about the inception of Rare Breed. Do you like the barrel char flavor? What do you think of chill vs. non-chill filtered? What kind of steak do you like? How much time do you spend at the visitor's center? What do you drive most of the time? Are you excited to have Bruce at the distillery? Did you ever want to own the distillery? Why do whiskey consumers get enthralled with age statements? Any life advice for younger generations? 0:00 I've had one bad job since I've been here. My dad worked for Old Joe Distilling company. The last 10 years of his life he worked here. 0:09 You know what the problem was? You were working here too? Yeah, I was his boss. 0:13 Oh really? (laugh) 0:28 Hey, it's Kenny here and this is episode 207 of bourbon pursuit. It's been a pretty busy week and a half of bourbon news. So let's get to it. Another warehouse comes crashing down. However, this time it's not because of unknown reasons, but it was because of disastrous weather in wind. O.Z. Tyler located in Jonesboro, Kentucky, had a corner of warehouse age get ripped off and barrel started coming to the ground back on Monday, June 17. About 4500 barrels and bourbon more in that quadrant that have now been rescued. The warehouse has been successfully deconstructed, and the cleanup process is underway. That particular warehouse holds around 19,400 barrels. O.Z. Tyler has been in daily meetings with the Environmental Protection Agency to make sure that everything stays contained. On the right side there has been minimal damage in very little leakage because bourbon barrels are constructed to withstand plenty of movement. JW Dant, you've heard the name before because it's one of the many brands owned by Heaven Hill and is also one of the prominent bottled in bond Bourbons that you see on the shelf. And it's been talked about previously with Bernie lovers back on episodes 3637 and 89. Well, heaven Hill may own the name JW Dant as the brand but they don't own the person. j w. Wally dance surprised the crowd during the national bourbon Day celebration in Bardstown, Kentucky, announcing a $12 million investment to build logs still distillery on 2200 acres of land that he purchased that was once guessed them and he decelerate until that was actually shut down back in 1961. In 1883, that distillery at this site was called head and beam distillery but was closed during Prohibition. The distillery reopened the repeal of prohibition, eventually selling to United distillers and later Shanley production at the old distillery was relocated to Louisville in the early 1960s. And production at this location had ceased. The JW dant brand name was sold to heaven Hill in the early 1990s. Heaven Hill still produces JW Dant bourbon today, so don't expect this name on a future bottle from logs still distillery. You can read more about the history of JW Dant and logs still distillery at distillery trail.com with the link in our show notes. while speaking of heaven Hill, everyone is up in arms either celebrating or chastising them over the new announcement of the relaunch of their heaven Hill bottom and bond. You may remember this last year when this product was only available Kentucky and it disappeared from shelves when it had announced its retirement. However, it's back. But there are some catches. The age statement has been increased one year from six to seven years old. It's still bottle and bond at 100 proof the packaging is a bit more flashy than its white label screw top predecessor. Now the big news might be that it's not launching in Kentucky, and it's not going to be available in Kentucky on the first release. Instead, it will be immediately available in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, South Carolina and Colorado. And the prices jumped from the once low budget daily bourbon of $12 and 99 cents to nearly three times that with a suggested retail price of 3999. We're gonna be discussing this one in a lot more detail on the next round table. So we can see where this new price point positions them in the market. So stay tuned for that one. Today's guests, he needs no introduction. He's easily one of probably the most iconic living figures in bourbon today. He's been on episode 77 105 and hundred and 75. He's even got his own personalized scooter to get him around the distillery and that's Jimmy Russell. This podcast touches on his early years and how will you selected to become the next master distiller and how he saw the changes of his own distillery changed hands plenty of times throughout the years. It was certainly an honor for myself to sit there and chat with this man one more time to really just hear more about his story. You're listening to this podcast so we know you enjoy it a little bit. So if you can please be our boots on the ground. leave us a review because that helps the show grow and find new people. Now let's hear what Joe Beatrice over a barrel bourbon has to say. We've got Fred Minnick with above the char. 5:03 Hi Joe from Barrell Bourbon. Here we blend cask strength 5:06 high quality spirits to explore the effects of different distillation methods, barrels, and aging environments. 5:08 You can find it on the shelves at your nearest retail store. I'm Fred Minnick, and this is above the char. I was changing my nine month old baby's diaper. When suddenly an enormous back pain struck my lower back a spasm seized my spine. It says if 1000 vodka troops grabbed their pitchforks and started stabbing me. Thank goodness I was able to place Julian gently down and the changing station as I toppled over and intense pain. I simply couldn't move. And all I could think about was the total wine event I had in Atlanta later that day. I considered canceling it decided to push on. I drove to Atlanta from Louisville stopping every hour to stretch my back. At one point I thought I was going to pass out in the middle of $1 general and chat and knew them as I was shop for back support things. If I did pass out there, I don't think I would have woken up with much. It was a very interesting crowd shopping that day. I pressed on, I get to the total wine two hours late, and there was a decent crowd waiting for me. I tried standing and talking but could barely stand. So I sat and talked about taxation and bourbon. I never really know what I'm going to talk about with these things. I like to feel the crowd out. And this was one I felt was really hungry for geeky knowledge and somehow bourbon taxes just kind of rose to the forefront of what to talk about. I went through my spiel sign some books and magazines, but couldn't have a tasting. For some reason. Georgia doesn't allow people to have tastings and liquor stores. When will our country figure out that responsible alcohol actions are the answer, not pesky bands on things like tastings. I feel really bad for those total wine workers because they can't really share the goodness of bourbon. Anyway, the next day I went to Atlanta's other times wine. When I ran into the show's good friend Kerry, aka suburbia who taunted me with a vodka bottle and took a picture of the pleasure he had. You should check it out on his Twitter handle look for suburbia, it really captured my disdain for the bourbon job stealing parasite known as vodka. Seriously, vodka sucks. Okay, I told my therapist I would cut back on my vodka rant. So let me get back to the total wine stuff. I did a similar talk about taxes at Kennesaw store and later hung out with the club Atlanta bourbon barons, where the founder Giuliano opened up his house and insane collection to me, at this point, after hitting up the urgent care center the day before, I was on some medication for the back and couldn't really partake in much of this great whiskey tasting. But I slipped a little, just a little. One of the members is Atlanta's leading personal trainer and geologists who sees Atlanta Braves players and people who have a bunch more muscle than me. He offered to look at my best And that, to me is the epitome of the bourbon community. We like to help one another. Atlanta was gracious with the bourbon hospitality and concerns from a health and it just made my trip all the worthwhile. So thank you so much to the Atlanta bourbon community for opening up your arms and accepting me and my bad back because I hobbled to and from all the total wine stores and to your homes. I shared this with you because I feel like the bourbon community is at a breaking point on the internet. I'm seeing constant trolling and bickering and online forums. And maybe it's time we go back to the old ways of the bourbon social life. You know, when you invited total strangers into your home and poured over your conversations with your very best Bourbons. Those were the good old days, and I'd like to see us get back to them. And that's this week's above the char. Hey, have you subscribed to my new magazine bourbon Plus, you should. Latest cover features the actor Jeffrey Wright, who's starring in James Bond and john wick. He's on the cover. Check it out. Until next week. Cheers 9:08 Welcome back to the episode of bourbon pursuit the official podcast of bourbon back in Lawrenceburg filming recording on site at wild turkey distillery wild turkey Hill I believe one time is what you call it right Jimmy 9:21 is known as wild turkey he'll it's been named Ed bar county is known as wild turkey. He'll 9:26 There you go. So we have master distiller Of course, bourbon legend, Jimmy Russell on the podcast today. And before I kind of dig into it, just want to say thanks to everybody from the empire that helped set this up everybody that also kind of figured out the logistics for it as well. We are recording outside today. So if you hear some trucks going by, it's something that Jimmy had already mentioned earlier to us that there is a rock quarry probably about a mile and a half down the road. And apparently they make some pretty damn good limestone and that's where you hear these trucks that are just going back and forth all day. Right You know, this is where all the lamps only had to have good limestone water to make good bourbon and the Kentucky River is all spring fed limestone water. So I guess we'll go ahead and we'll kick it off with that. So anybody everybody knows Jimmy so we'll get we'll get past that but you know, we'll we'll talk about water in general right because I think it's one of those things that gets a lot of talk about when it comes to Kentucky bourbon you know, you talk about limestone and about limestone filtration but does it really matter at the end of the day because a lot of stuff goes to like reverse osmosis and it's really filtered heavily through there so what's 10:32 kind of your thought process well done in the cooking process we use just limestone water is no go so old time we use house Moser is I use when we're cutting a bourbon after it's been aged for years, but it's just regular Kentucky River water when when you're actually cooking it 10:47 coconut. Okay, so I guess let's let's give some people a little bit of a schooling. So when you're cooking bourbon, what's what's the usual time process when it goes into the masher and everything like Well, 10:59 it depends on time a year we're cooking 400 bushels to a mash corn rye and barley malt. Now the cooking times are the same we cook corn up to 212 degrees and then we cook it for a period of time. Then we start cooling down we had a rather certain temperature has a little more starts a little more flavors, and then we cooling down to certain temperatures. It had we had to barley malt barley malt converts all starches into fermented will sugars. Then we pump at our firm better at our east and East a non ferment will sugars produces a bourbon in 72 hours. And this depend on temperature cook, the cooking temperature is always the same. But cooling down from 200 and 20th. We're cooling water outlet Kentucky River used to cause and all in the wintertime, we can cook and pump a fermented mash mash out in a firmer and three and a half, four hours. And when we just shut down and last part of June the water was hot. It was taking four and a half five hours. So what you're doing, you're setting there and beating that grain to death cooking in the I use simple terms. Just like cooking at home, we leave something on the stove too long. It gets mushy and not as good. So 12:11 yeah, but do you get any like, like say you're putting in like a baking pan? Does ever actually get like black underneath of it? Like if you actually cooked it too long? No, no, no. So you're not gonna actually get can actually burn it. 12:23 No, you're not going to burn it. 12:25 So is there? Is there a point when you know that the mash is done? 12:28 In your opinion? Oh, yes, you can tell by looking at the firm better. First day is pretty smooth and even on top. And they used to own sugars and the apartment or is rolling and moving and it's the natural movement was the East really known the sugars scene. And as it starts finishing Oh, we call it down down they'll start dying down and it'll be come out clear on top. 12:52 Oh yes. The father the firm enters right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 12:55 We call it beer at that stage. 12:57 So distillers beer. Absolutely. I so what's let's let's give everybody a little bit of a history lesson too because you started here at wild turkey back in September 10 1954 Okay, so you know the exact date remember the time 13:12 6am seven o'clock in the morning 13:16 maybe I'm not the first person to ask that one. I don't know. Yeah, so you you've pretty much taken you've done a pretty much every single role with inside as 13:25 well yes. 13:27 Most of times you started in the bourbon business you started one place you stayed there all master still it took me under his wing. And that started out in the lab and salary time I learned that you know we learned a job well you can sit back and take it easy, then a boom into something else moves. So that experience in running the ball and operation running the whole client and exercise client management for several years. So what what made it into balls By the way, who was your master distiller that Mr. Bill Hughes he was young distiller for probation and Helio God appeared top heel. And he's took me under his wing started training and were born raised here in Lawrenceburg, Anderson County, and he'd known me you know, all my life and he more or less took me under his wing started training me. 14:14 What What was it about you that? Did he see something? Was there a glimmer in your I did you? Did you ask like, what was it? 14:21 No, I didn't really know. He just they just started trading me doing everything here. 14:25 He's like, here's the here's the biggest sucker in the room. And probably 14:29 nobody else would ever 14:31 know how to use it. 14:33 So what were those were those beginning years, like when you're when you're trying to have this apprenticeship. 14:40 While he's learning everything in the story. I worked in quality control and the story that day and time we didn't have all is saying they will quit what you have now. we'd run analysis on the corn, check it make sure it meets our standards, everything we done by hand. Now you have good equipment to check off, they're going to say you check all the grain and maybe four days are with you my brother scoop shovel shovel, and done a little bit everything. 15:09 So So you started 1954. Right. Yes. So at what point was that during pre post, sorry, post prohibition and and was there anything that really that was, I guess, prohibition ask that that affected your your job at the time? Or is everything just running full cylinders? We started of prohibition in 1933. And this story, some of the buildings and our storage bill some our storage building here 15:39 was built for and 1890s. And most of the steel was, was dismantled cause it was 1919 1933. A lot of them didn't think they'd be back in operation. But the family that owned this at that time is a big rock where why the amount of limestone out here blows. And they own that rock quarry too. So they work here in wintertime. Work in Iraq, we're in the summertime. 16:04 So yeah, you weren't running full cylinders, like you are today. 16:09 Still the same way as to the hot mush July which medicine we don't make any bourbon you just too hot. Doing it now bottling in Hawaii, how's everything Danish goes on all the time? Before it's a cooking mash? It just takes too long to cook them and cooling down. 16:26 Now, do you think that has any effect on the supply of what you all can try to produce? Or? I mean, do you look at it as maybe we should throw in some air conditioning units or open some windows? And 16:36 well, that's not the problem is the water? Oh, is it we say we start having chill water to cooling down. And it just takes along with our we've doubled the capacity owners are to steer in the last few years. So we're running about 346 faster right now. So when we build servers angry, the refurbished everything, we doubled our more than doubled our capacity. And the way we got it now we can put in extra parameters, we can still put in more firm owners and increase more and more. 17:08 I mean, do you do you see the day coming? Where you're going to where you're going to need to do that? Or is right now everything pretty good. And status? Well, 17:14 you know, I hope we have to go save when I started 50 or 60 barrels a day. Now, of course we're restricting our own product, everything to wild turkey products here we make our own product, a drone product and bottle our own product. 17:30 Well, almost right you've got a few other things out there old recipe bond and 17:35 that was too old to steal was that was a one time deal. They went back and done some compile on that. But that's some older stories was here. And they've been looking at some of the older stories for for probation. Maybe doing a special every once while now. 17:49 Yes. What to say I was like there's another one that could be coming out. I think it was the wash. Was it the barons? The barons releases or something like that. They look like it was kind of another another camp party thing. But we figured you probably didn't have a whole lot of your hands involved in that one. No, I didn't. So another thing I guess let's give an idea of, of what so at some point, you are also Do you remember when you had to start going on the road to start talking about the bourbon? Yes, 18:20 it was probably at least 30 years ago or more. And production to master distillers working in production. They just do is to play. That's all you done. And our company started me out going on the road and made a trip all across the United States. And it is completely different is now everybody is all whiskey don't make it. What it is nowadays, everybody. With all internets and everything. Everybody knows everything is going just like this broadcast broadcast. You all covered everything people know what's going on all the time now. 18:54 Well, there's a hungry consumer out there, right? They, they, they want to know more 18:58 they want. That's what I say when I say started. There's always good in my country with what it was. But now they're very well educated. They know what's going on all the time. 19:06 So what was what were some of the biggest challenges when you were doing that in regards of trying to get people to either listen to you or try the product? 19:14 Well, they listened. When you started talking to them, they really listened and this one he's a bourbon Sally's come along whiskies of the world and it's all over the world anywhere you go in the world, you know, for many years, and bourbon was strictly a Southern Gentleman strength. They got their cards or cigars and bourbon went to back room playing cards. That's where it comes in. How will you read old story you never drank bourbon till after five o'clock? Or somewhere? It's always five o'clock. Yeah. But that was always storing in his coming worldwide right now. The export market is huge. everywhere in the world. Now bourbon is really doing well. Were you because you were 19:56 I guess you consider yourself a pioneer when it comes to going out traveling and and talking about the whiskey. Were you nervous? 20:03 No, not really. No, I'm just playing. Oh, Jimmy. I'm saying Well, I mean, 20:08 at this point, yeah, you've stood up and you've talked in front of a bunch of people for quite a long time. And I know one of the things that was always relatively funny was Eddie would always say you know you didn't really do a whole lot of talking at home but you should see it the distiller you're doing you're doing your thing then you're always talking 20:25 well that's what he said the first trip he made with me. Then he come back home said Mama, you don't know that he said he's out here so you can keep him quiet. What 20:36 do you think you think you found like 20:40 like a new new happiness when you were when you were traveling of trying to find a way to connect with consumers I 20:45 had but I've always been people enjoy people. I'm a call myself a people's person. I like to be just like here. I tried to get down to Visitor Center at least once today. Talk to the venture see what they have to say about it. And my wife likes to come here to and on Saturdays. My family has breakfast to get we're family everything's open Joel except our home. That's all but we have breakfast together every Saturday morning. And we she'll come out with me actually she worked here for ideas even she worked here for eight years or children come along and she stayed home took care of the children and and we have Bing she likes come out here and see the vicious dog and they like see are so weak and then after church on Sunday we normally come out a little while on Sunday afternoons I get to spend more time in a visitor center that away for through the week. I got a job to do up there and I don't get down here as much. 21:41 So you know I think I remember this correctly. When you said your your wife Georgia, by the way it is now was this place called was it old tub or Old Joe? Is that what all 21:51 know it was Anderson County just still in 21:53 Anniston County. Okay. 21:54 And then one time was really brothers. And it was JT s brown at one time. And then been since 1971. has been Austin Nichols. 22:04 Gotcha. All right. We'll see. Mr. Sir. I'm learning something today as well. 22:08 They also Nichols company. They had their bourbon made here. It was shipped to New York and bottled in New York at that time. And they bought everything out here. Both the whiskey the day old already here. Um, it was already there. So they both and they didn't buy any other products at JDs brown at them. They didn't buy any of that. 22:30 Alright, so at what point so you were here during the entire Austin Nichols? 22:34 Since they've actually owned everything here in Kentucky. 22:38 Absolutely. So what was it like during that time to sit there and distill and then just ship everything away? Like what was what was the Lucille Ball and everything here? Okay, you're still doing that too? 22:48 Yeah, we're doing everything here. So talk about a little bit because that was in the 70s. Right. So it wasn't it wasn't the heyday for bourbon. No bourbon was true. Say back in that day and time bourbon restrictive Southern Gentleman. Right. So what was what was the, I guess you could say the are or the feeling that, you know, kind of went through a lot of the veins of people around here of what's going to happen with bourbon during that time. I mean, well, you know, before prohibition, it was 12 distilleries here in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, Canada was known as one of the biggest selling cup places it was at that time. Most when I started with steel for here for roses known at nationals are still here in town. Old Joe distilling company was here, and Hoffman distillery was here, then we were here. So when I started the steel forward, now we're down to two four roses and us, 23:41 right. And so what what was what was the Old Joe and Hoffman? What? What kind of fate were they delivered? 23:47 Well, Joe was one of the oldest brands just our 1918 is one of the oldest, oldest brands, and they had several different brands. And in Auckland, they had half and broke. Then they started days were broke. Hmm, there was worried started, 24:04 which, from what I understand is Ezra Brooks was even a real person, right? 24:08 I thought he was I'm not sure. 24:11 Fancy. I don't know. I think that's been one of those biggest lords of bourbon. Nobody actually knows who Brooks actually is. I think it's just a fictional character. Good to be. 24:21 Jimmy Russell doesn't know I'm gonna I'm gonna go ahead and put my stake in the ground. It might be fictional. I might be right on that one you might be right. 24:29 So I kind of want to go back a little bit about, you know, your time on the road and what it was to to start doing that because you said you weren't nervous. But what was what was the reception of a lot of those people? You know, you'd said that they were they were listening. But do you think that that sort of help kick mark or sorry? kickstart the the market at the time for what we're seeing today? 24:53 Oh, yeah. say they've started wanting to learn about his dad and no, back to Ezra Brooks. Love the fellowship, Assyria his his first name was Ezra now well, that had anything to do with it. I don't know. I don't know either. I don't know either. But the fellow that owned all hapa distillery, while the owners first name was Israel, 25:11 we'll have to look into that. And put that on the research papers for later. But again, I cannot go back to your traveling, you know, the reception of those individuals and how that kind of kick started. So how long? And how many years? Were you traveling? And you're still doing a little bit not near 25:27 as much? Well, I'm still doing it in the States. I'm not going overseas at doing most of traveling overseas now. But, but I've been in just about every country in the world, who was talking about bourbon and say it's become a worldwide drink people's really educated and where you go in the world now. And so you have the bourbon side is in Japan, Australia, Europe, everywhere. Women in the bourbon women, the whiskey of the world and everything nowadays. 25:53 Absolutely. So do you. I guess I'm trying to find a good word to kind of summarize this with but when you're Did you did you look at that time traveling as as a good time to be able to do that? Or would you rather been back here at the distillery kind of overseeing a lot Oh, I enjoy 26:11 doing that. I would want to be a distillery. I wouldn't want to do it all the time. Like la the ambassador's is now they're on the road all the time. But every so often be out on the road and see what two people has to say, you know, you make it, agent, bottle it and ship it out. Unless you had complaints. And we've had very few of them over the years. You never heard any more about it. This way. When you're out in the field, you get to meet people. It's enjoying it and drink it and hear what they have to say about it. 26:40 So when we talk about just the whiskey in general, what do you what do you look at as some of the more brands that that you fall in love with? You know, we've talked to Eddie and and you know, he talked about everybody's got their baby, right? Everybody's got their baby. And so he looks as Kentucky spirit and rare breed. We're really your babies. Yes, 26:59 Kentucky's spirit and Blanton's was the first two single barrels on the market. Way back in early 90s. The first two barrel proofs on the market was Booker's and rare breed and that was late 80s, early 90s. Now everybody that has them but they were the first to own the market. 27:16 So kind of talk about what the Kentucky spirit line really is and what it kind of means to you as well 27:21 the Kentucky spirits of single barrel your hand selected and selected one when you say single barrel has come one barrel and one barrel only. So you're selected. Now here way we do it. Every barrel has a little different taste, even though it's the same going in his way of white oak tree grows in the woods has effect on a tree. I use simple terms. You plant flowers around your home all the way around someone who better on one side or another cause you get more sun more rain or same with white oak trees. So we were selected, were selected consistent taste Now we have this barrel program or bars restaurants, distributors can come in and select their own barrel. We'll have some more spicy pans on the wood some lyst because they know their customer we're trying to please everybody who are they know their customers and they were picking one one of my wanting more spicy one might not want is spicy. So when we're selecting the single barrels 28:19 so the I mean how often were you actually going through and testing some of these Kentucky spirit barrels to see if they matched up profile that people would want to come in and actually purchase them 28:30 we we've always done that we check everything we're Hey, we don't control our grains check before it's ever unloaded, we check it actually grounded. We check it when it's been cooked. We check the firm owners we taste a new product before it ever goes into barrel and then we check new barrels make sure they meet our standard we use a number for heavy char we make sure everything meets our standards before 28:54 so it's like it's like you almost have like a battle of wills here right because you've got this you got this heavy lean on consistency where you're saying like yes, we've got one mash bill we go in one entry proof we do this we do this that have this level of consistency and it's like but we're going to come up with a product where every single thing is different 29:13 you know me I like to be consistent even though I've come up with American honey I've come up with several different experiments over the years but you know I use simple terms Yeah, I certain foods and if I don't like taste them but I'm not gonna eat them again. 29:31 Like what like what foods you're not gonna try again? 29:36 Yeah, cuz simple. It feels like people say like, I'm too old to eat this anymore. I'm gonna enjoy the rest of what I'm going to eat. 29:41 Well my wife sure she says I too much steak and beef. 29:46 You can't have enough steak. That's BBQ Yeah, there you go. What about stuff that you you're not going to touch? Anything that you're not going to touch anymore? No Really? 29:55 Mo is not very few thanks to that. Oh like 30:00 Alright, so let's talk a little bit about the warehouse is here. So it seems like you probably know every every nook and cranny of a lot of these things right? So do you have Do you have a favorite warehouse 30:10 you know to me, most of them. If you sit near you see they all said about the same level. Get same airflow, get same air flow and everything it or some places are you know they're down in valleys different places. But here we're good now at likes a and b warehouse he says it is but you know he gets something in your mind you believe it but I may. I don't see a lot of division er houses. 30:38 What about the floors Do you have a particular floor that you're akin to? 30:41 Well the third fourth fifth floors ideal aging. The first and second floors at same story warehouses. It can be 30 degrees difference between the top floors and the bottom floors. It ages two faced on the top floors and don't age fast enough on the bottom floors. So at times you have to rotate bottom the middle forces idea who managed in temperature and all that there's not that big change in it so but the bottom folders and top floors it is if you use over an hour going to the warehouse you start up steps every floor use field difference in the heat on up. 31:16 So why do you think they stopped? What do you stop at seven place? Why would you go like a 50 story warehouse? 31:25 Do you love bourbon? How about festivals? course you do. So join bourbon pursuit in Frankfort, Kentucky on August 24 for bourbon on the banks. It's the Commonwealth premier bourbon tasting and awards festival. You will get to taste from over 60 different bourbon spirits, wine and beer vendors plus 20 food vendors all happening with live music. Learn more about bourbon from the master distillers themselves that you've heard on the show and enjoy food from award winning chefs. The $65 ticket price covers everything. Don't wait get yours at bourbon on the banks.org and through June 30 you can get your discounted ticket offer two tickets for the low price of $110 when using the code be EOB 2019 during checkout at bourbon on the banks.org 32:18 Hey everyone, 32:19 Ryan here and I know when I celebrate a weekend with friends I want to bring some of my best bourbon. However, if I'm on the car, a plane is not convenient. Plus my bottles are clanging around they're not really secure. So I have the perfect solution. 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They apply their expertise from brewing and began distilling at beer barrel finished whiskey began production 2012 and rock house was the club is featuring it in their next box. The barrels come from Tennessee get filled a dragon's milk beer twice the mature bourbon is finished in those very same barrels. Rocco's whiskey club is a whiskey the Month Club on a mission to uncover the best flavors and stories from craft distillers across the US. Along with two bottles of hard to find whiskey rack houses boxes are full of cool merchandise that they ship out every two months to members in over 40 states go to rock house whiskey club com to check it out. And try a bottle of beer barrel bourbon and beer barrel rye use code pursue for $25 off your first box 34:00 so why do you think they stop what do you stop at seven place? Why would you go like a 50 story warehouse like what would be the will be the the ideal way of not doing something like that? Well 34:10 I don't know how that would look but it'd be monstrous it'd be monsters but to back in that day in time they didn't have all this quit but you have now they they had police horses pulling the barrels up to the top floors. Oh really? Yes. 34:25 Yeah cuz i guess i mean i've seen you've seen you can go in some of these these warehouses and you do see the you can see like the pulleys and you do see like essentially like almost like an elevator shaft you put it on pull it up 34:37 cool isn't it? That's what they don't leave these two for prohibition here. 34:41 They didn't like put a put a backpack on you with a rope and make you go 34:46 away man does I now you have Rick and machines and all the put them up into three tour. So used to tear Rick's back Ned day we call the dropper she had a cable with hooks on the end. And you looped it up over the for Buffy and one fellow would hope to borrow was a hoax and I'll be back pulling them up earlier than Rick now you have all kinds of equipment to handle it now. Yeah, same way taking them out. You had to take them out the same way. 35:12 So what other I mean let's let's go ahead and rewind the clocks of time here right so during your time what other type of innovations have you seen when it comes to just yeah, either that's rolling barrels or wrecking barrels or dumping or anything like that that sort of either made it easier or just 35:28 it's made it easier you got better equipment now everything's better equipment, you know in the dump room used to knock the bone out of every barrel still. Now we got you got a bone puller pulls the barrels out soaks $1 now same way and fill in barrels you field every barrel, you had to drive the bone and it rolled it out. And it's a lot of those things is better equipment. Now that's why I say our forum and everything, we haven't changed anything. We just have so much better equipment now than you did and everybody to steal you run it by hand you had one hand on the steam veil, want to head on flow veil and you actually you got to be consistent improves on your steel if you prove runs up and down on the steel the flavors are going to be up and down. So you have to be consistent get good if you want consistent taste and flavor you gotta run the same prove all day long. 36:21 So I guess now it's a lot easier because it's all probably computer controlled 36:26 with how we have computers but we still at hand operators are still doing it by hand I can sit there and 36:32 click on click a mouse and I can make it like that and 36:35 then they had when we're grind and grind that has to be their meals we're cooking a cooker fella has been around the cooker we're filling the first matter yes be there so we're still got a computer city have sitting around doing some buy in and that's still in the middle of steel is about 240 degrees and it was hot back in that day and time setting imagine you got air conditioning control room for no sudden oh 37:04 yeah now they're just they're living life of kings or is so he you got to see the hard days hard days everything done by hand 37:12 Yes. 37:13 So let's let's talk a little bit more about the the distillation pieces of it so you've got one match but let you do for all the Bourbons but you also have a ride 37:21 around Nashville right? So talk a little about the rye when was that introduced? Like because I know for a while you know you used to have wild turkey from Maryland source oh not a store it is like bourbon even to this day you have allowed people to bourbon can be made distinctive product United States of America. And a lot of people thanks has been made in Tokyo it's not bourbon. When I started in Radwan made in Maryland, Pennsylvania. It wasn't rat whiskey rye was dominant grain on the East Coast when they come here and that's what they first started us probably George Washington was one of the first distillers I'll get this question all time who's the first distiller someone says a words I you know what I say? The first old farmer got over the mountains got a steel set up claims at the first and Is that another so I don't know whether anybody really knows who really registered still rewards. 38:17 Now that's going to be a mystery that will never going to solve. So back to the rye You know? So when was that when was that introduced here? Because I'd we had mentioned that it was it was sourced at one point for wild turkey 38:31 well it made in Pennsylvania were made for us in Pennsylvania. Okay, but we've ever since I've been here we bottle right? Then we started Mike or own 38:41 probably 38:43 late 60s early 70s. Most rise says 95% 100% rise. Ours is old fashioned formula. It's got raw corn, corn and barley. And that's way that if you look back to original recipes for and Pennsylvania, Maryland as well, they were 39:00 right. So I mean that's so you're keeping the same Nashville that you you sort of were even right. You can consider that contract was stealing if you were taking it out of out of Maryland and bring it back here. Is that 39:12 technically what it was? No, they was making it for us. 39:15 Yeah. Wasn't that considered contract distilling 39:17 or they was gone? Yeah. Same way bother stores in Kentucky right now. does a lot of social media does still brands, it does not have the story as Nautica, and that's what's made the bourbon market short right now, a lot of Bourbons made such a huge jump in the last seven or eight years. Same way as a lot of them were selling bourbon, other people live in a barn and lived under other brands. And now they're shorter bourbon. 39:43 So what's your what's your what's your take on that? Do you think? Are you a fan of indie peas or non distilling producers? Do you 39:51 think? Well, you know, they're making it for people how they want by either I guess or how they want it done. But no, monastery is Bowser says bourbon or rye all have come out of hit on it right. 40:06 Rising Tide raises all ships and right that's that's the way to look at it. So So yeah, so you've been doing that for a while. Rare Breed is the the barrel proof baby of yours. So kind of talk about the inception of that. 40:21 Well, actually, we were tasted we sample say we sample everything we're saying was Asian each year sitting here in LA the visitors come in, we'd be safe and we would sample right in the warehouse at that time. Dr. Bone had a thief pulled our Berlin sampler dr. Terry lovers come in KFC. Why can we get some of this? Why can't we get some of that? That's what brought to me. That's what brought the idea for us here that if they've wanted, that we could probably make it happen. Right? Right. It's easy enough to just not just basically just dump it right away. Don't need to prove it down too much. Right? You can't prove it that Yeah, not can prove it down. Actually, the only thing you can do is put a little water behind it to clean out your filters. Because you got a filter to get this so much at char HR and dump trolls. You'll see big flakes a char and Eric comes loose in that barrel. Then you have a lot of little fan jar that you had to filter to get f5 Charla, 41:21 a lot of people like that fine char at least some of the whiskey geeks What about you, do you when you when you have the opportunity to just go and sample something or go ahead and just fill up your own bottle? Whatever it is, do you get a little bit of that just barrel char sitting around in there? Do you 41:34 like that? Really, you don't get with a thief pull it out. You don't get that in there when he jumped the barrel and get everything out of it. 41:41 Right. But are you a fan of it? Because Because he don't be people like people? I mean, I I don't know. I look at it and you're like, Oh, it's kind of like an extra little little thing about having the bottles you can can you swirl it around you can see that 41:52 a lot of people's like so something wrong with it when they see that is what it is. 41:57 Yeah, I could see a probably a general consumer market would probably look at it like that. The same reason why everybody went to chill filtration at one point because you put ice in it and all of a sudden looks cloudy, but now we're starting to see this shift or this turn where people are, they're asking for, you know, non shelf. They're asking for throw a little piece of char in there for good measure. So I know 42:20 I know, I know it's authentic or something, you know, actually we never use chill for it depends on the proof. It depends on how much water you're adding when you cut it down whether the show failed or not. So at one on one prove up in just a few years ago we never geophones this tall it that what will happen to it. If you say you're shipping it from here and maybe 40 degrees goes to Canada 20 below, they get cloudy and hazy. And that's what you're doing. You're checking out some of those sayings. They won't get that away when you chill. 43:00 Now there's there's always the the never ending debate or story. If you do chill filter it are you removing any flavor. 43:10 Well, unless you see by federal law, if you move so much flavor, you can't call the bourbon anymore. So now you are doing very little flavors. 43:22 So you don't think it's really affecting anything you think it's more of a aesthetic. 43:26 Yeah, it's a now in the lower proves if you're adding a lot of water. See we're not a rule of thumb. It takes about a gallon of water Drew's 100 gallons of bourbon one proof point. So our barrel proof right now is 116.8. And we bonded one on one. You had very little water to it. That is coming on that barrel. 140 something you couldn't have 80 proof you had a lot of water to it. Absolutely. Because we just seal distill it low proof and put it in a barrel at low Bruce to say Hi, are you still were allowed to steal up? 160 proof? Hmm. And I use simple terms. You like to eat steak? 44:05 Do you want it well done or you want to medium rare? Yeah, 44:08 you like it? Well done. 44:10 I'm not a well done fan. I'm a medium medium rare. Just you don't get a lot of the those flavors you 44:15 answer my question. 44:18 You're taking the flavor. Hello. 44:20 Yeah, I mean, so it sounds like your state guy we were talking about already. So 44:27 are you uh, yeah, ribeye fillet. What's your what's your 44:30 what's your Academy? Like on the primary of verse your prime rib guy? I didn't even think about that row horse race choices. 44:37 Oh, yeah. That's so Joe Redis she had she had prime rib cooker for you go out around. Yeah. 44:45 You know, when the children are growing up, she cooked all the time. And now just the two of us and she never knows what time I'm getting home at nights. So weed out just if I'm in town, we added lunch. And you know, it's bad when you go restaurants now and they bring the teeth to you. Like what we said, 45:05 Jane? Yeah, well, I mean, you're here in Lawrenceburg. So I'm sure everybody probably knows you by name, that's for sure. Right. 45:10 Lehman likes to their place to we go to Lex and a lot of course I got a lot more restaurants and we have here in Lawrenceburg. 45:18 Absolutely. And so let's let's kind of talk about you know your time here at the distillery now you spend a lot of time down at the gift shop, chicken, some hand sign and bottles. 45:27 Try to get down at least once today, but I'm in distillery. Most all the time. I try to get to this person or at least once to today, usually about this time they afternoon. course they get off. Regular workers gets off at 330. So I'll usually go down our late night afternoons and sit around. I like 45:48 is it about you think it's the best part of your day? Or do you just like to have a healthy balance of getting in front of people? 45:52 I want to hear what people have to say. You know, I'm on the list and see what they have to say. Uh huh. 46:01 And plus you've got your your scooter, your own personalized scooter down there. 46:05 They had two bunnies. I can't get around and he feels he goes in these fields and I write it down here. 46:12 Right. Really? Okay, so it's an off road kind of guy. 46:16 Yes. Run 40 miles an hour on the road. Well, you 46:19 could just take it to the McDonald's parking lot if you're getting hungry today. Right. 46:23 It's not lost in Mattoon last night for the road he's got turns angles narrow lane. They bought that special for me I didn't even know that he's getting it till one day they said we need you down to Visitor Center will what it was I thought somebody that are wanting bottles I walked in and hey, come pushing that out. Sit here. This is what you go around around. 46:45 But you actually came up here we're recording outside on this hill. You actually came up here in your car you're looking actually drove up here on that? Yes. And now if had been the first for the week? Well, they tease me about this. You know what I draw most of the time 46:59 when you got most of the time 47:00 1998 Ford pickup truck. four wheel drive. Yeah, now I feel as well. And my wife forgot to her for Christmas. She's never drove it much so it's been sitting in the garage for three weeks so I told her to get out and drive Yeah, well battery dies, right? Well, it's it's only got 4000 miles on it. Yeah, and I'm driving a whole lot then well $2,000 we go to Destin Florida we're vacation Fourth of July we we drove down back so to 47:31 see now everybody that lives out in the the Destin region they know where to catch you when it when it comes time to for family vacations and stuff like that is so the other thing that you know I kind of want to talk about just kind of kind of wrap it up with some more bourbon talk is over the years you know you've had your hands in a lot of the releases that have come out and stuff like that you've handed a lot over to Eddie as well and then you've everybody's what he's really banging on Bruce to really move here now. We've I've been I've been sensing that a lot recently. You know where do you kind of see the the lineage going? I mean you excited to have to have Bruce come into here and do you think he's gonna do a good job like what do you think that's gonna be like? 48:11 Well like he said if he if he says I don't do something the heavens me. 48:17 Me and Bruce holdovers from there 48:22 but this is saying I enjoy so much about to bourbon business. All of us are close friends here in Kentucky if one of them gets in trouble others doing is anything they can to help them out. And we talked about Booker know Elmer Lee and part rain we all grew up together. Fred Nolan he grew up together at Parker son Craig been they they're about the same age they grew up together. But Craig had to give it up you know Parker old friend of mine he had Ellis disease engages in his 70s he got the point tour he still could talk all right he couldn't do anything they have big trucking company isn't cattle farms. So Craig had to give it up and stay in taking care of the farms and all now you got Bruce and free its own free little free together now so steal that vision is going on in 49:16 yeah i mean you do see this this family lineage is happening across pretty much pretty much all of them right i mean there's there's something that that there is to be said about that 49:27 little bit different on the heaven Hill side right let disappears disappears and more more business focused rather than distilling focused but the only thing known is to relive 49:37 all of this is Sharon before and countries are stock 49:41 so at one point would you would you rather had the opportunity to like buy back wild turkey and put it under the Russell name? No, we never did own it. Yeah. Well not buy it back. I'm just saying like if the opportunity presented itself or was just something that probably would never would have happened and it wouldn't happen yeah. 49:58 Yeah, it's the know it's very costly. Yes, yes, very costly. And see, most sayings if you don't turn your inventory winter for months, you're not going to be in business very long. See here we're not thinking about even turned inventory with the same date 10 to 12 years from now. So we got a lot of money tied up space in the state of Kentucky we pay a tax on each barrels and since you're in ages, yes the state of Kentucky 50:26 now you'd also mentioned 12 years but from what I understand and what I remember is that you're you're more of a like a seven to eight year old bourbon guys the 50:34 same to toys with seven to 12 Yeah, now we do an older limitation ever was while we put out 14 year old 15 the same thing the decades if we just finished the ad put out it's got 10 to 20 year old version, but it's just a few barrels and we we keep our record bottling one a lot 1400 Barroso badge bother in a small but there's no such term as small badge 50:59 now you can doesn't 51:00 really matter you can call whatever you want ours is about 100 250 barrels who were tasted all the time we found somebody thanks agent a little extra special will set them aside and keep taste them and if he starts getting that woody okie taste like a lot of would know he tastes you like an older bourbon but I don't like it and he starts getting that we can move them down at the bottom of our house and slow at age and down. We can't move same hundred thousand barrels as well on the inventory right now. 51:26 So I guess let's let's talk about that with Woody and okie bourbon because there is kind of a shift in the way that consumers are looking at buying bourbon when it comes to like a whiskey geek market right when people are coming out with crazy age data 2327 year old Bourbons and they do they've got this like heavy okie painting panicky kind of taste and flavor to it. However people like you are saying that's that's probably not the way you should be drinking personal taste Yeah, 51:57 how much it's your taste you drink whatever you live with this not my taste so 52:02 why is it that you think that 52:05 I would say a new whiskey geek or new whiskey consumer gets totally enthralled with this large number on the package rather than the taste and 52:15 it's a lot of people thanks older it is a better it is now go back to scotch which I know a lot about that to see they're using barrels has been used to us as I get as we 1516 years old to really get some good taste in it because they're using barrels and we've already used and the one thing about it when they start using your barrels they want to keep using them goes and eight years we lose about a third of a barrel is soaks into the wood and they're getting some flavor allied barrel so if they used our barrels one year beams or makers or Buffalo Trace and then it's going to change the taste of their product and that's one thing it's like food and all I want to taste the same everytime i don't i don't want some food taste this way tonight. Next week it tastes different way I don't 53:08 there's a lot of variations you can do to mac and cheese 53:12 anymore right and then you know that's funny saying mac and cheese now is all over the world he used to be he didn't see much but they were you going to world as mac and cheese they got it all now so many different ways they fix it now and cookies 53:29 Do you have a favorite mac and cheese rest we could just turn this into mac and cheese pursuit because I think there's there's not a lot of people that don't like mac and cheese 53:35 right. 53:37 Joe rata make a good mac and cheese. We don't eat much. No no mac and cheese for 53:41 all much anymore. My parents put two majors in it. 53:45 Really? 53:46 That's a new one. Here they their mac and cheese when I was growing up had two majors in it that see I don't think I've ever had that. 53:55 I can always try it though. I can always try. So we're gonna wrap it up with with one one last question here. And this actually came from a listener. His name is Jeremy. And he said me myself of several people that I know love visiting the distillery we love to visit with Jimmy for an hour. So he's a good rich source of information and bourbon lore. Now, he kind of wants to ask, what's a couple things to like an advice that you would give of things or codes to live by for younger generations? 54:24 me do it. Like I said a while ago, do it right or don't do it at all. Don't try to change keep consistent taste and flavor and all the time. Don't keep changing different times as you say to him says I'm hard headed in ways but I've done a lot of experiment in over the years with American honey with the barrels has been a scotch different barrels and everything. I've done a lot of experiment over the years but I stay strictly to old tradition doing it the right way. 54:57 Well, that's that's the bourbon side. But just in life in general. And life in general. What what what do you have some good, some good little tidbits that you can hand down to young generations of whether it's Don't work too hard? Maybe it's just enjoy what you love, whatever it is, enjoy 55:14 what you love. Don't try to be somebody who are not. That's what, you know, I don't I hope you see I'm not put on the plane Zambia, just, that's something I'm a piece of trash put on a big spiel. And I'm not if I really had 55:31 deep thoughts with with plain old Jimmy right. Alright. So let's go ahead, we'll wrap it up right there. So make sure that if you get the opportunity to come to Lawrenceburg and visit Wild Turkey, try to figure out was we're recording around three o'clock right now four o'clock, he said he's usually down at the visitor center then. So that's when you know is probably a good time to go catch him. Or you can ask the visitor center and I'll be glad to come down there and salty. There you go. You can do that as well. Right. So he'll do that for our panel cast. Listen, I will. Jimmy thank you so much for hopping on the show today. It was a pleasure to talk to you and you know, capture a lot of that good information. I'm sure we all learned something new every single time and I think we're gonna have to go back and figure out who this Ezra Brooks character was. 56:14 Yeah. Well, thank you for coming and being with us. We enjoy it anytime. You're always welcome here anytime you want to come 56:19 back, except your house right. Now that 56:22 that's all. We're family. 56:24 It's okay. I'll accept that. I'll accept that. Would you be surprised? 56:29 I'm not good on these computers. Other people tell me I saw we were home on 56:36 the internet. No. 56:39 Well, you know where you live? 56:40 Yeah, that's that's the that's the scary thing about it. gotta hide your address. 56:46 No, I'm in the phone. My name is in the phone book here and everything. 56:49 Oh, well. There you go. You can you can you can find them in the local Lawrence County phone book. Right. So with that, I want to say Jimmy, thank you again for coming on the show today. It was a pleasure to have you. That's how you can find Jimmy and I can meet him I'm sure we already talked about it will be back down in Destin, Florida at some point soon. And who knows you might see him at your favorite liquor store across the country signing bottles. 57:10 Thank you, sir. Appreciate you come. Say you're always welcome. Anytime you want to go. 57:15 I appreciate it. And make sure you follow bourbon pursuit on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. And if you do like what you hear you want to see more interviews with legends like Jimmy, make sure you support us patreon.com pa te r eo in comm slash bourbon pursuit. That's how we're able to keep buying new equipment, putting miles on the car and making these good interviews happen. So with that, I want to say thank you again and we'll see everybody next week. 57:40 Cheers.

In this episode, Jim and Randy sit down with Chris Zaborowski, co-owner at Westport Whiskey & Wine in Louisville Kentucky. They talk in detail about barrel selections at each of the distilleries. We also talk about the Stave & Thief Bourbon Steward Certifications. We drink barrel selections from Wild Turkey's Kentucky Spirit and Grass Widow. Subscribe to catch every episode. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @thebourbonroad. Thanks to LogHeads Home Center for supporting this episode. Find out more about their fine rustic furniture at https:/logheadshomecenter.com.

Bruce Russell and JoAnn Street both know their Wild Turkey distillation and family history like the back of their hand. Both have been brand ambassadors but are now transitioning to new roles. While JoAnn is developing the hospitality side, Bruce is learning the ins and outs of the distillery. This show dives into the personalities of these two as we discuss the effect of bringing fresh faces to the distillery and how they plan on keeping traditions alive. Show Partners: Barrell Craft Spirits blends cask strength, high quality spirits to explore the effects of different distillation methods, barrels and aging environments. Find out more at BarrellBourbon.com. Receive $25 off your first order with code "Pursuit" at RackhouseWhiskeyClub.com. Show Notes: Episode 186 we feature Pam Heilman of Michter’s Distillery 150 bottles remaining from 4 barrels of Pursuit Series This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about fake whiskey. JoAnn, do you want to get into working in the distillery? Bruce, are they going to make you join the union? How are you related to Jimmy? How did you decide to get into the family business? Talk about being a female in whiskey. What does it mean to be new blood in the company? Tell us about your background and how it will help with working in the distillery. Did they have a daycare for you at the distillery when you were young? What is your favorite Wild Turkey product? Do you see yourself living in Lawrenceburg? Give us your typical brand ambassador spiel for 80 proof and 101. Tell us about Rare Breed and Kentucky Spirit. Why is 101 Rye important? 0:00 There's those 0:00 weird beetles that we got out here. 0:02 Yeah. Does that what does that mean that they're like stink bugs and know what they are? Yeah, yeah, at least that's what I know 0:16 that say that one for the blooper reel. 0:29 Welcome back. This is Episode 199 of bourbon pursuit. I'm one of your host Kenny. And to go through a little bit of news back on episode 186. We featured Pam Hyman of Victor's distillery. Pam talked about her extensive history working in bourbon that began at the Booker no plant. She's had a long tenured career and was named the master distiller Victor's back in October of 2016. However, last week, Pam announced she is retiring from actors, and Dan McKee will be taking over as the new master distiller. We wish him all the best in her retirement, and you can look forward to hearing her one last time when we release her interview with Fred Minnick at the Kentucky Derby museums legend series. It might be the worst kept secret in history, and I think it even gets a mention in today's episode, but the fourth wild turkey masters keep released titled Cornerstone will likely be a nine year old rye according to the filings with the TTP. The label describes it as the cornerstone as a Kentucky straight rye whiskey batch 0001 bottle at 109 proof aged a minimum of nine years and approved by Eddie Russell. However, we all sort of knew this was coming for a while. also kind of fun to note, if you go in a barrel, pick a wild turkey there is going to be a few ride barrels just for sampling fun. Just another reason to love those Russell's. We've had both our guests back on the Russell's family episode, which was 175. But this time, Joanne and Bruce get to have a moment in the spotlight. Both know their wives, Turkey distillation and family history like the back of their hand. We know this firsthand. Because on our last Russell's reserve barrel pic, we have Joe in actually giving us the tour for the podcast. And this show dives into their personalities. Because these two are very vibrant. They know what they're doing. And we discussed the effect of bringing fresh faces into the distillery and how they plan to keep some of these traditions that me as you understand here in a little bit how it try to keep those alive. We've got about 150 bottles remaining from our four barrels of pursuit series. These are ranging anywhere from 10 to 14 years old. And we're excited, we're going to be bringing two new more barrels in May. One last one of these is actually going to be a five year week from Finger Lakes distilling. And you can get information about these barrels such as their proof and the story behind them as well as you can get them shipped to your door at pursuit spirits.com. Now sit back and relax and here our friend Joe over a barrel bourbon. And if you want here more Joe, make sure you follow us on all our social media channels because our next live recording at downwind bourbon bar is going to be featuring Joe Beatrice of barrel so make sure you stay tuned for that. And as always, you've got Fred Minnick with above the char. 3:16 Hi, this is Joe Beatrice from barrel bourbon. We blend cast right high quality spirits to explore the effects of different distillation methods, barrels and ag environments. Use our store locator to find a retail or a bar near you at barrel bourbon calm. 3:30 I'm Fred Minnick, and this is above the char 3:34 and a recent Twitter survey. I asked the question, do you think fake Pappy Van Winkle is in circulation and American retailers and restaurants? 86% of the 861 voters said yes. Now my followers tend to be a little bit more cynical and on the whiskey geek side. But think about this for a moment. Some of the most enthusiastic people and all of spirits American whiskey fan 4:01 tend to think that there's fake Pappy Van Winkle in circulation. 4:06 That means someone is going to be buying a fake bottle or poor of Pappy Van Winkle. Now, how is this possible? And the times we live in? How is it possible that we can continue to face these types of issues, fraudulent activity on something as as benign as an American whiskey? It's ridiculous. But we've seen it in scotch, there are people serving time in prison for wine. We even had the Pappy Van Winkle heist a few years ago where Buffalo Trace employees stole from their own employer and tried to resell it. 4:45 The fact is, as long as people can make money, it will always happen people will always try to circulate fraudulent bottles into the marketplace. And there's not a whole lot we can do about it. But there is one thing, one thing that everyone out there can do. And that's putting an end to the selling of empty bottles on eBay. Get on eBay right now and just search Pappy Van Winkle empty bottle. Now I came across one that was selling for $700 and the guy had empty in quotation marks. And you know, frankly, I just saw read and kind of went off on it and Instagram. But he was really probably trying to sell a full bottle now that I think about it. But nonetheless, you will still find a number of Pappy Van Winkle bottles for sale. You'll also find empty orphan barrels and Buffalo Trace antique collection and four roses limited editions and you'll see older mixers bottles being for sale. And there's they serve no purpose to be sold as empty bottles, other than to for someone to refill them at another time. because no one's sharing the shit making candles, armor lamps. So if you're someone who's putting an empty bottle in eBay, I just want you to know that you're part of the problem. Oh, you may need money. I understand that. And if you've done a once, you know, I hope you got the funds you needed. But if it's consistently happening, and this is part of a business plan that you have or this is something that you hope to break in and become like a special follow on eBay. Well then sir, ma'am, you are causing us a whole lot of headaches and American whiskey right now. Because there's a good chunk of us who do not trust that good Pappy Van Winkle, or Buffalo Trace antique collection is legitimate. And if you are selling MTS on eBay, you are one of the biggest pariahs in American whiskey right now. There I said it. 6:55 Think about that, if we can put an end to selling empties on eBay, we may be able to put a dent in some of the fraudulent activity we've seen on the secondary market. And worst case scenario in retail or in restaurants. So I don't know what to do about it. It's not illegal. 7:16 People can do what they want with an empty bottle. But if you have an empty bottle, display proudly on your mantel, or take it outside and break them on the fucker with a sledgehammer. I don't care. But don't put it on eBay. 7:31 And that's this week's above the char this this subjects get me pretty pissed off. So if you have something that might piss me off, hit me up on Twitter, or Instagram at Fred Minnick. That's at Fred Minnick. Until next week. Cheers. 7:48 Welcome back to the episode of bourbon pursuit the official podcast of bourbon. Kenny here recording once again in Lawrenceburg at wild turkey Hill, home of wild turkey bourbon. And this has been a serious recordings that we have been doing. However, we have two new guests to the show that had not been on previously because we have had Jimmy and Eddie on. And we've got a few of the wild turkey super fans that have been on before as well. But this one we kind of looked at and we said there's got to be some more faces, right. And there's a lot of new faces that are starting up and become better the younger generation of bourbon, or what Fred and some other cells are starting to call this even the media people like the new regime of it, right because we've got a lot of people that are older authors and they're trying to do something different and we're doing podcast now. And now we've got some new blood that are starting to enter the the whiskey world in itself. So with that, I'm going to go ahead and introduce our guests. So we have got Bruce Russell, who is the global was the global brand ambassador gonna go ahead and introduce yourself. 8:48 Yeah, how's it going, guys? I was just the brand ambassador, there's just only ever one of us I was like all of them whatever there would be I would do. 8:57 But now they've got me transitioning to be more than a story hopefully take over and 9:02 do a lot of the same stuff that dad Jimmy did. So we'll talk about that one then we also have Joanne and Joanne is it st them I saying that correctly? Okay. 9:09 Yeah, so I do a little bit of brand ambassador work but I also help out and the visitor center with you know, all the events and whatnot that go on kind of all over the place. 9:19 So let's go ahead and that's a that's a good way to kind of kick started so you you're going in and doing a lot of like the events and stuff like that Do you do you want to follow in any other footsteps to like get into the the distillation, the warehouse, the actual jobs of what's actually happening inside of the distillery now. 9:34 So for me, I have a little bit of a different story, like Bruce grew up coming to the distillery whereas I grew up in Tennessee, and then decided to move up to Kentucky. But right now I'm committed. Great. 9:47 Thank 9:47 you. I think I'm liked a little bit more now and the Russell family because 9:51 you don't wear like a bunch of orange around the house. Okay, so you're not a volunteer went 9:54 to the University of Kentucky. So okay, well, pretty hard cats fan. But for me, I think I'm just still trying to find my way in this industry. And right now I'm really enjoying the marketing aspect of the job, and just really getting to interact with different bartenders and people who truly love what you do here. And it makes me more passionate and want to be better at my job, as well. So for right now, I think, let Bruce, Eddie and Jimmy make all the good juice. And then I'll just be out there talking about it sharing the wild turkey love. 10:22 So you don't have any dreams or aspirations to want to do that. 10:25 Maybe in the future. But right now I'm enjoying what I'm doing. 10:28 Maybe like a summer internship, something like that to learn the distilling operation. 10:33 Yeah, we'll see. I think once Bruce gets here, I've learned a lot from him. We're kind of really good buddies, and definitely who I look up to the most. So I'm sure once he gets back here and kind of doing his thing, I'll probably be very intrigued in that as well. But I'm really enjoying what I'm doing right now. So 10:47 awesome. And so Bruce will will kick that over to you. So you have been now you live in Austin, Texas right now. Correct. 10:55 Kind of kind of all right. So I haven't lived there much this year. So he's got a home back. 11:02 They've got me moving back for sure. Permanently here in Kentucky, January one. It was actually supposed to be sometime this year. So my jobs kind of in a transition phase where I've really probably spent the most time here in Lawrenceburg at the distillery this year, as opposed to 300 days on the road last year, but I'm still doing a little bit of the ambassador work. We've hired somebody to take over as a national level ambassador, but I guess they don't. They don't they treat everybody a little bit nicer than us. So they didn't make your family. Yeah, they didn't make him travel 315 days. So he only has the West Coast. So I'm filling in a little bit on the East Coast, Joanne's feeling a little bit on the east coast and some of the smaller markets. 11:38 So you guys are starting to understand what it's like to live in the Delta sky lounge. 11:43 Exactly. Yeah. And we are Delta 13 through me, dad, Jimmy, I think all of us. 11:48 Yeah, we've we've talked about it, to an extent, at least with Eddie and I, because I was a Delta person at one point when I was traveling. So we talked about sky lounges and sort of how you get used to 11:58 lean and do while they weren't Southwest. With his wild turkeys. So yeah, and Jimmy was buddies with herb. And like, I think that's kind of how that wild turkey thing got started. 12:08 But now I've 12:09 worn by bugs out here, by the way. So if you see us on camera, and we're dodging we even it's, it's because we're just bug just flying everywhere. And we are recording outside. So if you hear trucks going on the background, it's because of the limestone quarry that they are just trucking stuff in and out of, you know, it was funny, we were actually recording another episode and trying to figure out, you know, where Bruce was going to start coming into here, because Eddie actually was part of the Union when he started coming in here. And Jimmy was sort of laughing a little bit because he made him do that. Now they're going to make us start joining the union to and sort of work your ranks up you think, you 12:44 know, the know, and it's a cute story now, but 12:50 he wasn't as cute back in the day, there's, you know, there's some real animosity between him about how that got started. I don't even think that many originally wanted to work here. You know, now they are, they work well together, we make amazing whiskey. 13:04 But I won't have to do the exact same thing dad did. His dad was kind of forced to go the union without a college degree. And I'm coming in with a little bit of background in the job and with a degree in some chemistry under my belt and stuff and been having doing the apprenticeship. So I would assume that I'm going to have to do the same type of things. But I probably won't be a union employee. I'll probably be a company employee, but their plan is to get me as soon as possible into the warehouse. And one thing we did forget to mention is so you are Eddie son. 13:35 Oh, yeah. So we got forgot to get all about the family lineage. Point. So 13:40 yeah. Jimmy Russell Mini is what we call it means it is our grandfather, Eddie occur master distillers, my father, and then he is joins uncle. But as far as Walter, he's concerned, you know, Jimmy me was not the first one to work here. My grandmother worked here before he did, and was basically the reason he got a job here. And then his father had worked here even before my grandmother did. And as far as I know, his grandfather was maybe the first person to work in a distillery here in Lawrenceburg, and Anderson County. And he worked at the Old Joe plant, which I believe was the precursor to what eventually became for roses. 14:19 So talk about your side, like, did you did you look at coming into this and saying, like, I just, I just need a job guys. Like, can we can we have some fun here? Or did you have this aspiration of wanting to be a part in the family business? 14:34 Yeah. So growing up, I always went to different events that they threw, like outside of the distillery, whether it be bourbon festival, or like the national Wild Turkey Federation down in Nashville. And I've always kind of had interest in it. But when I turned 21, I started out giving tours at the visitor center and just kind of working there as a summer job. And the longer I was there, the more passionate I got about it. And when you really get here, and you see what Jim Eddie do here, and then what Bruce has done the past few years, you just kind of you love it, you can't get out of it. It's addicting. And when you see that passion, you don't want to do anything else. 15:10 You use that word passion a lot right about what you what you see inside the family. Yeah. So are you looking at making this a lifelong career Wild Turkey? Are you looking this is like this is this has been fun? 15:21 No, I'd love to, I'd love to work here. And it's not just the family, it's the people. A lot of our employees have been here for very long time. And I think that says a lot to our company and who we are as a brand, that it's not just Jimmy and Eddie that have been here forever. We've got people that have worked here, 2030, 4050 years. So you saying there's other 15:38 people we should have on the podcast to be saying to me, 15:42 if you want to 15:43 tell you the real truth, maybe you don't like that. 15:47 So yeah. 15:49 So another question for you. While you're still we're talking on Joanne here, kind of talk about what it is being you know, we will talk about being sort of a younger generation here in a second. But you've been very female, because right now you have a lot of females that are starting to make their presence, you've got fond Weaver of uncle nearest you've got Marian eaves of castle and key. You've got the bourbon women's society that's starting to grow on hundreds of members now. So do you do you see this as like a great push for for, you know, involvement of women into whiskey to 16:22 absolutely and I've got to be a part of women and whiskeys a lot. So their Instagram page, they've got a ton of followers, but also just the support. Because I'm sure like Jimmy said back in the day, it really wasn't gentleman's drink and not so much anymore. And he likes saying that i think i think he does. Yeah, 16:38 he's got he got this little like, twinkle in his eyes, like, 16:41 just a demand. 16:42 Maybe maybe the good old days. I don't know. 16:44 It's awesome. It's a great time to be in the industry. It's booming right now. And it's not just whether it be brand ambassador work, but bartenders and just industry in general is, is growing insanely right now. And I'm just thankful to be a part of it. 16:59 So let's talk about sort of new blood, right? Like what it means to be new blood in here. Do you do you think that this is because Jimmy it said it before right? It's it's an old man's drink it was something that just just kind of just pretty stagnant for a while DC is a new regime or new blood coming in? That's kind of reinvigorating this market. 17:18 Absolutely. I would definitely say so. And it's it's everywhere. And I don't think it's just in bourbon or whiskey. I think it's in all of the industry whether it be the beer or the vodka or the gin. Think it's everywhere everybody's kind of coming together and realizing women have a pretty powerful role in this industry and it's just exciting to be a part of it. 17:38 And Bruce What about you because you know you're going to be I guess going head to head with say Freddie no here in a few years right? 17:47 Oh, not head to head he's bigger than me. I'm not mad. 17:51 Oh, hello, Freddie. I love that family. There's very little competition I don't even consider me and Freddie the new regime that is not new regime he's just trying to do is granted did he's just trying to make Booker proud really. And that's kind of what I'm doing just trying to make Jimmy Pro. So I think you'll probably see some more old school stuff from us then you will maybe our peers as far as age is concerned. This new wave of distiller this new wave of industry person is really exciting. For the most part. Now here I can tell you one thing we have as big of a problem as you see in other places. 18:24 But here in Kentucky we've got a ton of 18:28 young and just younger people than dead and Jimmy that are making amazing product when you look at stuff 18:35 and people that are just involved maybe not even at the master quote unquote master distiller level but there's the people in there making it there's a young guy out there, that 18:44 new contract is still right there in Bardstown bourbon company, and they're making crazy good juice, we went out there and checked it out with blaze news, Mr. Hargrove out there making some good stuff, Drew over there will it's doing some crazy cool stuff, Mariana, they're canceling key. He's doing some crazy cool stuff. There's this group of people, especially here in Kentucky, the folks over at angel's envy, are doing some really cool stuff that and that younger generation, I'm really excited to see because all these people are either from here and had family involved, or they're doing it in a way that I think you can be proud of. But I will say that there is some bad that's come from, 19:24 Oh, here we go go with the dirt and not dirt. But I 19:27 do think that there's something about every 25 to 35 year old person with a chemistry degree. distilling. aspirations now, like we talked about before, calls himself a master distiller and finds seven angel investors to build them a distillery in their band choose that they don't want to really talk about and be honest about like, there's a good side and a bad side. 19:48 Not only to the young, younger, influence and kind of influx into our industry, but also there's money to be made now. And for most of Jamie and dad's career, there was no money to be made. So the people doing it more people that loved it. Now, you know, you see a little bit of both. But with people like Freddie and the family over there at angel's envy, and drew and Marianne, and I mean, even dad and his generation, when you look at Fred and dad and somebody a car owner, Danny, we're good hands here in Kentucky. Absolutely. Yeah. 20:21 So I want to kind of touch on something else that you were talking about there, too. We talked about, you know, the chemistry degrees and all that sort of stuff, kind of talking about your background of sort of what's going to lead you into the distilling path, right. I mean, you're going to take an apprenticeship underneath your dad sort of learned from the ranks. 20:40 So I think the my kind of education will be twofold. 20:46 It'll be mostly hands on work, the academic aspect of distilling that the chemistry component. 20:55 I've spent a lot of time studying, researching and learning from the people that we have here on our technical team and our old distillery supervisor and dad. And that's what I've always been most interested in. Before I wanted to work here. I was going to school trying to be an engineer. So you know, I've always been a tinkerer taking things apart, figuring stuff out, it's always been very interesting to me, where most of my production will be now is learning how to actually do it by hand. Even though all this is automated is very important for dad and Jimmy to pass along. how it's done, kind of the way that Jimmy used to do it. That way I know, oh, when this when this shit breaks, when this shit breaks, isn't going right, in a distillery does not run correctly, almost ever. Anybody anytime you go to the store, and like oh, everything's running great. It's usually not 21:46 everything, something's always wrong. And I need to know why. Because that's where a master distiller really comes in to play now. You know, and some people I guess, are just figureheads. But a lot of these guys whether the consumer base another they're not are in their work. But a master is doers and stern pots anymore. He's not hand crushing grain or, you know, he's not sitting on top of a 200 degrees still having to take proofs and temperatures like Jimmy would. It's all automated now. Right? We're master distiller really comes in handy is, how to remedy something that's going wrong. 22:18 Or how to make something maybe even better in that automated process. And that's the stuff you've got to learn. You only learn that by being here, Jim, you can go in and smell the fermentation say, I left that sitting there too long starting to smell spicy. Until I was here for a decade, and trying to actually listen and learn. I had no clue what that meant. But now when you go in, you smell it. And you can tell, oh, we've had secondary fermentation come in. It's kind of smells like vinegar and spices, pepper. And it's stuff like that. You just have to kind of be here and pick up 22:49 there for some reason Jimmy and dad don't. They don't teach you. They just figured you know, you listen, you learn, you know? Yeah, it's got to do time. It's experience. 22:57 Yeah. And you're gonna figure out the hard way. I 23:00 don't know if I'll ever make whiskey is as good as Jimmy did in his prime. I think. 23:05 I know, I'm boss, because he's my grandfather. But when you try that Turkey that he was making when cost was not a factor, he was probably losing money hemorrhaging money, probably by making whiskey the way he did. And that stuff in the 70s and 80s and early 90s. That stuff is incredible, right. And so my goal at the end of my apprenticeship is just to make some things happen, you know, if I can make something that's got a little bit of that old school, wild turkey phone, because we got away from it for a while. There's this weird time in the 2000s, where our stuff is a little bit inconsistent. It doesn't have that same kind of wild turkey. Overall flavor. It's not as complex as flavorful. It doesn't have that deep funk that some of that other stuff has. 23:47 Now we're getting I think back to that, yeah. When you taste somebody limited editions, like the Russell's limited editions are like that decades are 23:56 you man, you take some of these single barrels that that people come and buy some of the best of we've ever made in the history of artist story. And so I'm excited about getting to learn how to do it, but also trying to do that same stuff that Jimmy always did. 24:07 Yeah, I mean, that was actually one thing that I had asked your dad, when we started looking at the growth of the brand, how everything is pretty much that's not running at full bore, right? It's about three quarters capacity, something like that at the at the current time. So there's going to be a day when agent stock is going to be there, right? And you can be able to say, well, we're looking, I'll go fill a few barrels with 107, right? Because you can do a run and I'll just go fill 600 barrels, and then yeah, then maybe you'll be able to look at having those releases where they are reminiscent of those old days. And it could be eight year wild turkey one on one, you know, going into the barrel 107. And it might be able to pick up some of that that old. 24:48 So here's something I'll tell you. And really, I'm trying to tell your listeners 24:53 is that if you all want to see stuff like that, even if we have so here's how it kind of works with us is even if we do have backstage to be able to do that thing, we have to not necessarily get permission. But you know, you gotta convince your overlords 25:05 exactly, 25:06 there needs to be a kind of a program and a plan involved. And they really want to see that it's going to be worth their time, even if it's not sold that you know, needs to generate something. And so one thing that I like to tell bartenders, but it goes the same for people that would be listening to this somebody that's an enthusiast or considers himself a bourbon geek or bourbon nerd or collector. 25:24 If you want to see stuff like old incher proof, if you want to see everything going on to filter this stuff that I see people yelling about on bourbon Reddit or on people's blogs or on comments on Patreon and stuff. 25:36 Not only your online, purchase, use your purchasing power, purchase the stuff like that tell people when you're at tastings or at these events, you know, hey, I would really like to see some wild turkey from one on seven. Because that's what matters it. You never know, you could be talking to the right marketing person at the right time. And all of a sudden, because this has happened with us. I heard from this guy that we would really like this kind of thing. It's like yeah, we been trying to tell you that for 15 years, but the one right consumer the one right time of one right place can get something like that through. So we want to do all this kind of stuff like one on seven injury proof, we want to 26:10 go back to making you know, maybe some even smaller batches, then we're doing that are how proof maybe non to filter barrel proof, maybe something like the Kentucky donut legend series. 26:21 There you go. But 26:22 to be able to do that, you know, we need you guys to 26:24 There you go. So there's a there's a call to action for all the listeners out there 26:29 who will help us a lot when you all fight for the old school style whiskey that we want to make for sure. 26:33 There you go. So one of the things that we didn't ask when we started this, because typically when we have somebody we don't really need to watch Jimmy Nettie, because it's Jimmy and Eddie but with you all. And it's typically what we ask all our guests is kind of like, how did you get into bourbon? Like what was? Do you remember that first? Like time that you either consumed it? Or was it something that you know? I'm sure. Probably you come in here and actually just having to go to get delivered daycare here. Did you have to come to date here at the distillery 27:00 the day here for me, I think it was called like Keith James. It was a guy that worked under dad that I always used to hang out with and I was a kid. And I think he knew I got you a bug again. I think they keep knew if he had the basically the boss's grandkid with him that he could do whatever he wanted. It worked. So we just hang out. No, no daycare. 27:19 But if you want to go ahead first on the whiskey thing. 27:22 I mean, for me, I guess definitely in the past few years my my interest in it, my left words grown a lot and just getting very fortunate to taste a lot of different things. Especially a lot of our old school stuff like Bruce was talking about earlier, the stuff that Jimmy was making the 70 in the 70s in the 80s as some of my favorite stuff. And personally for me like Russell's 98 is one of my if probably my favorite product that we've ever made here before. I just tend to like that sweeter that vanilla Carnival in those Bourbons that we make here. So for me, I'm a big Russell's advocate. And the whole entire line I really enjoy 28:01 when I was 12 I know that's not what they want to hear. So 21 this is 28:06 all about being authentic. But when I was 12 28:10 around then I might have been 13 my brothers nine or 10 28:15 dad took us in gave us some whiskey and who you all probably know as bad and Jimmy is not really who they are at home. They're very stereotypical Southern patriarchs a family's stern don't speak. 28:30 disciplinarians. tough on you. And dad at home does not speak he hadn't spoken me probably four times my whole life except for maybe good game or bad game when I mean a 28:40 lot of it, there's There seems to be a consistent generational thing between the fathers in these families is 28:46 I'm the kind of the gregarious one so I'll just force everybody to talk to me, even if they don't want to 28:52 talk to a brick 28:52 wall. Yeah. But when, whenever I was about that age, dad took me and Jake, besides my younger brother's name, and 29:00 took probably 30 or 45 minutes to explain to us the importance of the product and kind of like his involvement in it. And he could tell he's very proud about a thing that I'd never seen him. He'd never been proud of anything like that before in his life, except maybe my mom like that's the kind of look he had on his face. And that's when I knew me, my brother both, you know, he never got into this. And at that time, I didn't want to do this. But I knew this is special. Because dad doesn't really care about anything besides us. His dogs, you know, maybe hunting and fishing. 29:32 He really cared about that whiskey. And I knew like, Oh, this is cool. Because before then All I knew is Jimmy's. Everybody's boss me because he had a big office in dad is not anybody's boss because he did not know he was just the norm. He smelled like everybody else smell it smelled like sweat, and motor oil. And like aging whiskey is the best smell of the world when I was a kid kind of smells like when you drove up to the stereo, what it's smelled like, but I he was a normal worker. So I didn't even know him probably 15 or 16 that like 30:06 Jimmy was different. He wasn't just like an employee. You know what I mean? Yeah. But even at 12 I knew whatever this was, it matters because it matters today. 30:16 So what was that? That turning point for you? Whether it was a few years ago that you said? Yeah, sure I can I can get into the family business. Because it sounded like you were lying 30:26 thing happened to me that happened to dad that happened to Joanne 30:30 Jamie was forced into his job. But my grandmother but we all took summer jobs. 30:37 Dad did not start off wanting to work here. He was playing football at Western hitchhiked up here. didn't have a car back then granny made him get a job at this story summer job he just never will have same thing happened to me. Basically, same thing happened to join. Whenever I was 21. I got a job here given tours. I had worked a million jobs and stuff farm stuff, working Kroger, the meat department organ and FedEx moving boxes. Dad was like withdrawal would be a lot easier. know everything at the distillery already, you can just give a tour and talk about yourself. It's like cool, and this little place right next to where we're at. So the one room home that they've kind of converted into an event space. 31:14 And I gave tours and thought I'm gonna make my 10 bucks an hour and give these tours and it'd be easy six hour day job. And I'll go back to Lexington and party up with UK kids. And about a month in. 31:27 I started getting questions from people, I started to get groups like probably the people that listen to this podcast. What's amylase enzyme? I've heard that before? Like, you know, why is your yeast proprietary? Why does that matter? Or you would get questions that I would have no clue what it was, which would be like, why do you all run your steals hotter? And why is low proof even a good thing? Because I just knew low proof. I went through proof or distillation proof. That's because that's what maybe says because tastes good. And then once I realized I don't have the answers that started to pick the brains. And again, it was a situation where you had two guys in your family. 32:01 They really don't open up about much. And then as soon as you start talking bourbon, all of a sudden you start to push Yes. 32:09 And that's when I knew like oh, I need to stick around here and at least figure out what's going on. Because this is cool. And this in that time I was still thinking maybe I'd go be an engineer or do something like that. 32:21 And it was probably the end of that summer when I knew I'm probably never gonna leave. 32:27 And now you know I'll never leave the bourbon industry. I love it the people 32:34 and the opportunities afforded my family's changed my fam the opportunity to travel around the world and meet people that don't look like us and sound like ghosts and it girl by ghosts it's changed me for the better a lot. So this industry's done a lot for us. And we're very appreciative. 32:49 So the other thing is, you know, being a little bit younger, you know, you're you're talking about going party back with the Lexington boys and something like that. So do you see yourself actually living here in Lawrenceburg? Or do you see yourself maybe coming from Lexington or Louisville everybody can eat from the city now love where I'm from. I love Lawrenceburg. 33:05 And it's a great place to grow up. It's great place to raise a family but you gotta you gotta have a Yeah, there's a little a little more I've got I've got to make the family before I move somewhere where I 33:16 tell me Tinder isn't like a big thing and Laura's knowledge. 33:18 It's pretty tough going out on dates when every single single woman within probably five years of me I'm either related to dated before I dated their sister, you know, it's a small community. Everybody knows me and everybody knows my best times and my worst time Yeah, and that's rough here. In South probably have to go to over Lexington. I'm not gonna say I'm never going to live here because Lawrenceburg town, it's home. Like I went to school at Anderson County. I went to the same high school that Jimmy went to same buildings and everything. I went to church right down here growing up in this little community called Tyrone that is the most little country church in the world. 33:56 And that it made me who I am. And I love it. Maybe when living in Austin, so it's gonna be awesome. Yeah, six 7000 people or whatever it is. Yeah, 34:06 the live music scene and Lawrenceburg just isn't the same. 34:09 Well, now there's a guy right down there Jared Stratton, who disagrees pretty good. Yeah. 34:15 take your word for it. 34:17 So who knows you could be here long enough and you'll get your own scooter down there. 34:21 That's good. It's pretty cool in about 50 That's what he said he's 34:24 got a license plate on and do some turn signals 34:26 I really want to because you know we know we're back in town I really want to get the the chief of police to come down here like fake arresting from drinking and driving on us. 34:37 That'd be a good one. What about you Joanne do you actually live around here? Do you commute like what's your what's your 34:42 went to school and Lexington I still live there right now. But think I'm going to be making the move to local by the beginning of the year just for work. bigger market. As you know, Lexington it's not super big, definitely a college town. But there's only so much you can do there. So I'm excited to make the move to global get to a little bit better, bigger city. Because I did grow up in Nashville. I grew up in a small town about 20 minutes south of Nashville so much bigger than Lawrenceburg. It 35:08 was like if they gave you an ultimatum gotta move to Lawrenceburg. We would 35:11 do it absolutely i mean granted Joe and made me live here. I get free breakfast every Saturday 35:17 enforcer to be complaining to me. 35:20 Like I'm spending the night at your house. I gotta get I gotta get out of here. 35:28 You've probably heard of finishing beer using whiskey barrels. But Michigan distillery is doing the opposite. They're using beer barrels to finish their whiskey. New Holland spirits claims to be the first distillery to stout a whiskey. The folks at Rock house whiskey club heard that claim and had to visit the banks of Lake Michigan to check 35:45 it out. 35:46 It all began when New Holland brewing launched in 97. Their Dragon's milk beer is America's number one selling bourbon barrel aged out in 2005. They apply their expertise from brewing and began distilling beer barrel finish whiskey began production today thousand 12 and rock house boozy club is featuring it in their next box. The barrels come from Tennessee get filled with Dragon's milk beer twice, the mature bourbon is finished and those very same barrels. Rocco's whiskey club is a whiskey the Month Club on a mission to uncover the best flavors and stories from craft distillers across the US. Along with two bottles of hard to find whiskey rack houses boxes are full of cool merchandise that they ship out every two months to members in over 40 states. Go to rock house whiskey club com to check it out. And try a bottle of beer barrel bourbon and beer barrel rye. Use code pursuit for $25 off your first box. 36:37 So I want to kind of just kind of take it back, talk a little bit more about the whiskey right because both of your ambassadors you both know it inside and out. So kind of because this is this is, you know, every show is going to feature a little bit different kind of angle on the wild turkey story. And since you guys know the product sets really well. Let's just go through them just kind of real quickly to give our listeners kind of a different understanding that they wouldn't necessarily get from me Eddie or Jimmy when we're talking stories, right? So So let's start at the like the at one in one on one and kind of like give us the give us a typical spiel that you would usually do when you're out in Ambassador is the word we're 37:13 all good at when you do one on one. And that one's a little bit more difficult. 37:17 A bit different. Yeah. 37:18 So at one is a was not the original one on one is. So it was kind of a take on that that came out under the promo, I believe, regime when they were a parent company, and they had decided that they wanted to have a competitor for the 80 proof set. And like most 80 proofs, you know, surprise surprise to no one on this, listen to this, or 45 years old. And they had chosen to go down that same route. And so for a very long time, we had an 80 proof wild turkey that was in when people say 45 years old. Hopefully everybody knows that means it's probably all four years old. And every now and then a fat might squeeze in you know. And so when the best whiskey in for a long time in you've I've heard on this podcast, I'm sure you're aware that it's very hard to get Jimmy to say anything bad about anything that's ever happened the distiller he's a very, very proud company, man, very proud, very positive. And he just don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. And if you get him on Sometimes he'll say what he thinks. But he did not like that at PR never did. And now he admits it. And I think by the end of the ad, he used to tell people kind of like wink, wink, why would you drink the ad if you could get the one on one, because not only was it a four year old product, but it's proof down. It's just not what he liked. But then, after he bought us and I thought I think it's one of the smartest things they've done, they realized that we didn't care for the product. And that's probably a big reason why I didn't sail because when your two main phases of the company, they're on the road debt and Jimmy, when people ask him to drink the 80 proof, and they refuse outright, and go to something else that tells you all. And so they decided to let's change it. And that is one of the few things that they gave that almost full rein on it. He said, Well, I don't think that it's a problem that we have a proof down thing, I just think the whiskey is not good. And so we changed the product. And what you see now is at one is no longer any four or five, it's now going to be six, seven and eight year old bland average age right around six and a half years. And what he wanted is he wanted an 80 proof product that going to stand up in a cocktail. That's one of the reasons why I think one on one is so industry friendly is 101 proof. And we're known for having a big kind of in your face flavor. And it stands up if you add sweetener, you add modifier is you're going to still taste the whiskey or the raw. It wasn't the case for 80 proof. And I think it was just a 39:37 it's night and day better. And I've seen all the reviews come out that have compared the old ad to the 8181 just kicks its tail. That's one of the few things that was kind of in that Jimmy era that just I didn't think was a very good product. But I know it wasn't up to him to make it. So what you have now is that blend of 678 right at 81 proof is a large batch. So both it one on one American honey, these products, they're right around 1500 barrels mingled together for that one batch as opposed to like 150 or less on those small batches. And what we're looking for is kind of the classic wild turkey flavor profile, but a little bit lighter, a little bit, I guess brighter and a little bit more crisp, maybe fruity almost is the way I would describe it. I think it's a lot less of that kind of combo vanilla and a lot more like honey fruit, it's kind of a lighter thing. They it is a different blend than the one on one. I think that's something that consumers don't know. It's not the same bland, it's not the same age, they're completely different batches. One on One is older journal talking about that. And we do want at one to have a different kind of flavor profile 40:41 at doing that for a particular market. Because you know, talking about the bourbon aficionado of somebody that's semi educated. Did you really think that they're going to go for the 81 or they should probably not 40:56 bourbon aficionado, the only thing we would make was masters keeps. 41:00 That's not what everybody needs. Everybody likes different stuff. I'm not an expert in wine at all. I can't even really say one that will. 41:09 But 41:12 yeah, when I whenever I drink my bottle of two buck Chuck or whatever it is, I'm as happy as a lark. Yeah, just like I'm sure whoever enjoys like the 81. That's their go to drink their enjoyment. It's, it's for maybe a more of a beginning consumers for somebody that wants something low proof or something a little bit more sensible. 41:31 or four bar because there's a lot of bars that want wild turkey is their base product. But we don't want a one on one raw are not inexpensive, especially for well, or rail products. So if you go to a bar, and they have one on one or one on one, right as their, their bourbon and coke order or whatever, that's a good bar, it's been in a lot of money on their product. Most people don't want that they want something a little bit less expensive at ones for that kind of bar too. But we have seen a pretty big growth on the offspring to which is exciting because it like you were talking about a lot of the consumers that are going to be on this are going to be listening to this are going to want more probably Rare Breed spirit, private barrels, the limited stuff. 42:11 Nailed it. 42:13 We've got those consumers like they're already on our side and we make stuff specifically for them. So it's really fun to see when you walk into a liquor store. And there's somebody that's like, looking through what bourbon should I get? Oh, well, Turkey. Well, now at one's not at all anymore. It's wild turkey bourbon. So that's what they're going for. 42:29 And I think if you try that it does give you a kind of a good representation of what wild turkey can be. Yeah, one on one. And when you go to Rare Breed or like a Russell 2002, it just continues to be I think even more and more, quote unquote, wild turkey. I think at once like a really good entry point, maybe long branches to now. There we go. 42:49 So go ahead is a little bit of one on one. Yeah, 42:51 absolutely. So um, started back in like the late 30s. Early 40s is when we first started making one on one it was eight year one on one. One thing, one story that really stood out to me that Bruce told in the warehouse one day when we were doing a barrel pick was it really stood out because back then four year old bourbon was really what everybody was getting. And I guess when you put a big on a bottle and one on one, people kind of get drawn to it. So that's kind of what built our company. It's cool to see one on one still do so well. It's still our number one best selling product. Like Bruce said it does tend to be a little bit older. So Seven, eight, sometimes maybe a little nine is thrown in there as well. But for those long 43:28 old book 10 year old and this year, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Short on it, I guess because long range or something. There's a little bit older in this year. 43:34 Yeah. But for the longest time, all we were making was one on one and one on one. Right. And one of the coolest stories that I've come to know is that without the bartending industry without 43:46 off Prem on prem, we would just still be one on one and one on one right. We would not have Russell's we wouldn't have Kentucky spirit, we wouldn't have rare breed, because that's not what the market wanted back in the day. So it's really what Bill our company, it's still who we are today. One thing that I really respect about Eddie and Bruce is that they will never step on what Jimmy's done here. Like Eddie talks about a little bit earlier. One on one wall is we want to one Rare Breed will always be rare breed Kentucky spirit will always be Kentucky spirit. Those are kind of Jimmy's babies. But the one on one, like I said is a little bit older than the 81 tends to be a little bit spicier, a little bit bolder kind of that in your face bourbon. A lot of people tend to say it reminds them of their college days. Which is 44:25 funny. It's funny because we all we all talk about one way more 44:29 money than I did in college. I used to drink whenever I was broken couldn't steal anything. Yeah, Kentucky gentlemen a mountain dew. 44:34 I was a Kentucky Tavern guy. So I was Kentucky. But we wouldn't every once while I had a pet a buddy cuz I'm a nerd. Right? I work in tech. And so every time I had to go fix something form or reboot his girlfriend's router, whatever the fuck it was at the time. It and he would always be like, he was like, Hey, we're gonna go get a bottle one on one and drink it tonight. Yeah, yeah, we'd shoot it back then we're kind of like I was like, now I'd probably like savor and sip it. But back then we were shooting it right. I don't know. Understand. 44:59 I still you never know. 45:02 But it's I mean, that's probably one of the biggest the biggest things I get, especially working in the visitor center when people come in, oh, I drank this back when I was in college. Like, that's how I know it is what it is and why it's around but tend to be older, a little bit spicier. 101 proof, definitely stand up in a cocktail. Definitely our oldest product in my opinion, it's we're going to get that spice it kind of takes over your palate a little bit compared to a few other things in our portfolio that tend to be a little bit sweeter. 45:28 What's quite the statement to say it's the oldest one because you got a rare breed as well. So 116 is pretty easy to drink. No, yes, that's that's just that's just back porch. Country Day sipping whiskey right there. 45:38 One thing I'll say about the one one that I think is kind of cool that people probably don't realize when they look at the history. And I think this is like kind of in your face to some of the crowd that maybe listens to this podcast, one on one started off as a contract brand. So when people that aren't super educated about how contract works, yeah, don't Pooh Pooh contract brands, some of a really great artists pretty good. But what it is what how it kind of it all started, artist story was already making that recipe and something similar. A guy that went on a turkey hunt got some of our whiskey from our distillery that he was already purchasing, and fell in love with it and was one of the few people that probably ever existed that was wealthy enough to turn an inside joke into a brand. And it had become kind of an inside joke with him. And these guys on this hunting trip. Oh, this is Tom's wild turkey whiskey. And they fell in love with it. And then he started to promote it locally. And it was a contract brand. He owned it the label owned the name. And we made the whiskey for him here out of our distillery back when we were still Anderson distilling company when it was owned, I think even by the repeat. 46:42 And then by the time we were quote unquote, owned by the Austin Nichols company, Austin Nichols was then kind of merged or owned by completely different company. And so anytime when we were the label was owned by Austin Nichols. It was kind of a contract situation. And we were making good stuff out of here. So it was a good contract situation. And Walter, you just kind of took over we were the JT s brown distillery more so than anything else that was our big product. And really the only thing that we made back then that's still around, I think, although I think we made Dowling whiskey back then, too. And I think it might still be around, but I'm not sure. Jimmy thing seems to think it is. But all of his like facts and figures or stuff from from back when he was drinking 20 years ago. 47:23 I'm not sure he's not he's not hitting it as hard as he used to 47:26 know he's not not unless I make him. 47:28 Yeah. Because now it's YouTube that are taken over hitting it hard 47:32 on the right. But you know, once every four or five months, whenever we're all out somewhere, especially like he has certain places he really likes Chicago is probably his favorite market. Definitely. Because he has a lot of friends there. And an old school people are still around there. But when you get him with some old school buddies, he'll still stay out of 456 in the morning. He the mind is willing. And I think that the The palate is willing. He's just getting up here and age. Yeah. But if you if you hung out with him all day today and drink whiskey, he'd stay here with you till Friday, if you want to do. Absolutely. 48:06 So let's go hit hit a few other ones real quick. So talk about rare breed a little bit. Who wants to take that one? 48:12 Yeah, I mean, I'll talk a little bit about it. So it started back in 91. When we did the first batch, I think Eddie said we've made about 13 batches. Now. 48:20 There's like 12 or 13 different proofs that we've done, 48:23 that we've done. So making a new one every few years, but right now, it's going to be six, eight and 12 years old. So Jimmy really, really loves whiskey that is six to 12 years old. So he basically took those three years that he loves the most put together out of barrel proof. And that's what made Rare Breed so been around since the 90s. The previous batch was at a 112 point eight. So it's a small batch bourbon for us, that's about 150 to 200 barrels coming together. And then right at barrel proof, so chill filter it right a barrel proof not on any water to that product whatsoever. So it's a cast cask strength, or barrel proof bourbon, and right now it's sitting on 116 eight and it tends to be there a lot of my opinion there are a lot of flavors that go on in the rare breed just because it does have so many different years in it. When you get down to kind of the nerdy science part about whiskey and especially agent in a barrel different years produce different flavors so for me six is really really where you get that spice and the rare breed The A is kind of where you get a little bit more of that vanilla Carmel okie flavor and then that 12 is really getting kind of rounded out bringing more a little bit more of that sweetness kind of that that chocolate Enos I guess Eddie would say nuttiness on the back end of the product. Gotcha. 49:38 real cool. And then what we Kentucky spirit Russell's right, those are kind of still fall in the same right single barrel will actually Russell's doesn't technically have to be single barrel does it? Or is it? There's four Russell's products. So two single barrels and two small batches. configs spirits probably the next one, that we would go with every like doing the ambassador thing because we usually do like all the turkey stuff and then the Russell stuff. So rare breed and spirit kind of have a similar story where those aren't original ideas from me. And I think he just saw his friends do something and thought it was cool and did his version. So Rare Breed came about just two years after Booker's You know, that's not a coincidence. And but for the longest time, maybe mini nor, as far as I know, talking to Freddie Fred and, and remembering what I do from when I was a kid Booker never wanted to do a single barrel neither to Jimmy. They thought that it would be a disgrace to the brands because you would lose consistency and the right you can never be perfectly consistent barrel the barrel. And that's why most of the people listen to this podcast and myself included think the single barrel stuffs probably the coolest stuff that comes out all these distilleries because you can taste 50:47 every day, it's something different. You 50:48 could taste the barrel there Fred Minnick picked out or you could taste a barrel that the like I was just up in New York with the beast masters guys or whatever, or you taste one that an ABC store picks up, they're all going to be so wildly different, some super weird and funky some, just like retail some supply. And he hated that. And still doesn't completely get behind. Because the consistency bothers him so bad. And so it took him forever. So Booker's 89 Rare Breed 91 will bite and come out in 84. But took him 10 years to finally admit, he's playing stuffs pretty cool. Maybe we should do our version. And so he kind of wanted to do the same thing over did Elmer wanted to basically make the best version of that ancient age juice he could. And Jimmy wanted to go about making the best version of one on one he could and I still tell people that's the only way you're getting kind of the Oh gee, the original one on one just can tell you spirit in that retails all we can be at least eight years old, one on one in the bottles not anymore unless you're getting it from Japan. So if you want that old school, at least eight year old one on one proof, kind of flavor profile experience the way to go. It's probably 51:58 the least talked about least and over. 52:02 Most forgotten about product that we have on our line now that the Russell's single barrels have come out and a lot of people have gone to those with a private barrel program. And with rare breed been so good lately. 52:14 I really think people should should give spirit a chance if they haven't had in a while. It's a delicious product. And when you find that right barrel might be the best thing we make. Yeah, that stuff is so good. And I know some people get caught up in the will Russell's is 110. And it's one on one. Sometimes water helps. Sometimes you find that right? That right barrel that you prove it down, you know, 1015 proof points and that water opens it up. And it's just super tasty. 52:38 We're getting small bugs over here. 52:39 But I agree with Bruce definitely because I think Kentucky spirit is my favorite product and just kind of like our standard portfolio, but definitely doesn't get the love that it deserves for being eight year one on one kind of like that. Oh, gee stuff. 52:51 Where's me they change that bottle? 52:53 Yeah. 52:55 It could be the fact it could be the only reason people bought now is because of that goal bought onto it scares me because not very much of it is bought. And so I don't want anything to happen to that product. 53:03 Right? Well, you should probably just save like a few pallets of it in the back. So you can just go have your own little special releases of your own spirit. 53:10 Don't think that's not already done. Yeah. Here's a few, quote unquote, empty barrels out here, you know, there you go. 53:18 That's smart. So we're gonna, we're gonna get towards the end of this. So if there's any other products that you want to quickly touch on real quick, that kind of educate the consumers. Yeah, I 53:25 would love to touch on one on one raw, a little bit more. It's my favorite product that we make you're in, you're out because you're the right guy. But it's not because it's my favorite to drink that probably the single barrel raw or maybe a revival right now really like, but I think one on one rise very important to us, because it's very important to the bartending industry. 53:49 It's what they've traditionally kind of held as their own. And the thing that they've always kind of supported. Wild Turkey with is putting one on one rise, the bass cocktail and spirits are in Wales. And it only exists today in its current form because of our dinner. And I think this is a good story to tell your listeners, whether they work in the industry, or they're enthusiasts, or they run their own blogs or podcasts or whatever, that you all matter people that really the people that enjoy our product, and people that are passionate about our product they matter to us. So one on one raw went away for a while, we made very little raw for very long time, one day, kinda in the first season, spring, one day in the second season, fall winter, and 54:32 didn't have enough. Part of that is because we didn't forecast enough part of that is forgiven happen. So we lost six months worth of our on to accidental thing that our buddy Connie did. And we didn't have enough. So in the late 2000s, I think might have been around 2010, 2011, 2012, 54:51 right in there. 54:53 One on one route went away. And compared to Tom came out with 81. And nothing faith we can get by by just lowering the proof a little bit. And we couldn't get by a lot of people got very angry, especially people that were had to use that for decades is there? 55:11 Well, yeah, they're raw. If you ask for a Ronnie, that's what they're going to give you. And so 55:18 a guy by the name of Eric Asher, who's a good buddy of mine, now that he's almost like one of the family owns bars in San Diego, New York. At that time, I think maybe working in San Francisco started an online petition, first time I ever seen this happen to petition a supplier and also kind of speak out and say, if you are going to get one on one on one route, we're not going to carry any more competitive products. In he was the guy that kind of mattered, you know, he made himself mad, or he was loud and proud about what he did and took bartending seriously. And, and because of his passion, and because he got a lot of other people to kind of side with him and sign up on this kind of like online petition or group or whatever it was completely Listen, and they came out with a product after just two or three years of her being off the shelf. And it's we don't where it's not even an allocation anymore, we have plenty of it, and have had plenty of it for a year to the one on one or at least 56:11 in that's why it's kind of my favorite product, because it's a product that is very near and dear to me because I enjoy it so much. Because one on one rise, the only reason why we make any rat to begin with, because it's the thing that kind of makes money on the wrong side. But also because it's a good example of what a person that can be passionate can take what they can do what they can get done. You know, you had a question from from Dave Jennings earlier, Robert. It's another good example like this dude just made a hobby, his hobby into almost like a full time job. Even though he has another job in like, we talked about him in the company when we're doing meetings and stuff like did you see that thing he said? Or did you see that timeline that he did like bars? Like Is this right? Can we use this? Like, should we pay him 57:00 he's doing a better job than a lot of people we paid to do that kind of stuff. And if you're even if it's not wild turkey if you're listening into this, you're passionate about whiskey about bourbon. If you're a Buffalo Trace fan or a Jim Beam Stan, are you only like 400 year old family state will it? That's cool. Be passionate about that, almost to the noxious level and kind of good things happen. Because we like that we like when somebody shows up and gets that know that look I was talking about earlier the den Jimmy have on their face on their passion about something like when dad was talking about that whiskey. That's the kind of look that makes me excited when somebody comes in. And dad's like, I got something that we haven't even put out yet for Detroit. And you see that guys, I was like, you know, you think that at home the moon at that point. That's the best part of this job to see people get excited about what we do. 57:51 Absolutely. Well, that's good. That's I'm gonna go ahead and end on that note, because there's gonna be one that we're never gonna forget because we're all going to walk away with mosquito bites after this. 58:01 So I want to kind of quickly wrap it up. If there's anybody that people want to get in contact with you social media, go ahead and let them know so they can find you. Twitter, Instagram, 58:10 I'm Joanne Street. It's pretty basic on all social media aspects. 58:14 You said of yourself called yourself. 58:19 That was karma right there. 58:22 My Instagram is Russell's rock. I don't use social media very much. And I think my Twitter is Bruce Russell one on one. 58:31 I'm on Reddit too. You'll see me like pop around on bourbon Reddit

Just the thing you needed to kick start your Thanksgiving season. We've had Jimmy and Eddie on the show and we've got upcoming episodes featuring Bruce and Joann, but I don't think anyone has ever had all 4 of these people sit down at one time and talk. We go into bourbon itself, the family, the roles they are playing within the business, the new Kentucky Spirit glass design, and lots more. It's a family affair with some exchanges of compliments from each around the table. Show Partners: If you love Eagle Rare Bourbon, go support the causes they stand for at Eagle Rare Life to vote for the 2019 nominees that most inspire you. Voting ends December 5 Coming this fall to Barrell Bourbon is a 15-year old, very complex bourbon, that was blended at peak The Duo glass is the most versatile whiskey and cocktail glass around. Use code ‘pursuit’ to get 15% off your order and free shipping at agedandore.com Show Notes: Our first barrel pick for 2019 is going to be Buffalo Trace. View all of our barrel picks at https://www.patreon.com/bourbonpursuit Fred published his article in Forbes for the 2018 best American Whiskey every day sipper. Fred does Instagram Live for Best of 2018 Fred talks about his holiday gift guide on Forbes and why it was really hard to coming up new pairings in this week's Above the Char - https://www.forbes.com/sites/fredminnick/2018/11/13/holiday-gift-guide-2018-the-most-money-minded-bourbons/ Bruce, they are really pressuring you to move back soon Bruce, remember that panel we were on together? Are you excited to have Bruce back Eddie? Jimmy, how old were you when you started at the distillery? What has changed from the operations standpoint from when you first started? Have you all done recently to certify your warehouses or check them out after the Barton incident? Jimmy when you were coming up the ranks, federal government would check everything. Not so much anymore Do you think the distilling industry misses the oversight of the government? What does "Master Distiller" mean to you, Eddie? What about the flip side that a "Master Distiller" is just a marketer now? You did have to change the entry proof at one time. Was that corporate pressure? Why does some proof go down vs go up in some warehouses? When people come in for a visit, do they want that level of detail? Do you read your Yelp reviews? Is the bartending community the gate to your future? What's the worst part about signing bottles? Where do you see barrel finishes in the Wild Turkey line since the last Master's Keep was finished? It seems like a lot of flavored whiskeys have died down over time Why are we still not experimenting with different mashes? Bruce, you're trying to revive the rye. talk about that. Are you a scotch person? Jimmy, what have you learned by the younger generations? From RareBird101, what's your honest opinion on the new Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit bottle? So why isn't the top level listening to you? Choose an individual and take one word that embodies the person View all Wild Turkey Podcasts

Steve and Jake sit down our friend and author Mike Fry while sampling a Ohio pick of Kentucky Spirit and smoking an Epoch from Nat Sherman. We discuss Mike's book, G.O.A.T Envy, and the topic of creativity. The conversation addresses being creative in all aspects of life and we answer some live questions. Sit down, pour a drink, light up, and join us in the garage.   Thank you to our sponsors Tinder Box at Easton, Altadis USA, and BS Cigar Company for the support and helping us make this happen.

Jay & Chuck are at Calandro's Supermarket on Perkins trying the Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Whiskey with Taylor Calandro.

You asked and we listened. In this episode, we talk turkey... Wild Turkey that is. We did it by having a blind of two picks of Russell's Reserve, one from Flight Club and one from Motor Supply Co Bistro, against a Kentucky Spirit picked by 404 Kitchen in Nashville and plain ol' Rare Breed in a blind tasting. Cheers and Happy 4th of July! 'Merica! intro/outro: springtide "Fall Asleep Under the Millions of Stars"