In this episode, I sit down with Nick Colombo, Operations Manager at Switchgrass Spirits in St. Louis, for a no-fluff, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to run a worker-owned, award-winning distillery. We dig into the origins, the challenges, the mistakes, and why local whiskey done right is making waves. Check out the full episode for an honest, in-depth look at Switchgrass, the people behind it, and the bourbon that keeps them winning gold medals. Grab my new book Whiskey W...
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In this episode, I sit down with Nick Colombo, Operations Manager at Switchgrass Spirits in St. Louis, for a no-fluff, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to run a worker-owned, award-winning distillery. We dig into the origins, the challenges, the mistakes, and why local whiskey done right is making waves. Check out the full episode for an honest, in-depth look at Switchgrass, the people behind it, and the bourbon that keeps them winning gold medals. Grab my new book Whiskey W...
In this episode, I sit down with Nick Colombo, Operations Manager at Switchgrass Spirits in St. Louis, for a no-fluff, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to run a worker-owned, award-winning distillery. We dig into the origins, the challenges, the mistakes, and why local whiskey done right is making waves. Check out the full episode for an honest, in-depth look at Switchgrass, the people behind it, and the bourbon that keeps them winning gold medals. Grab my new book Whiskey W...
In this not-so-short Splash 'n Dash edition of the Blind Tasting Podcast, I put two of the most hyped Blanton’s bottles head to head with no labels and no bias. Blanton’s Gold versus Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel. Same warehouse. Same mash bill. Very different proofs and price tags. I break down the fascinating history behind Blanton’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Warehouse H, Elmer T. Lee, and why this bourbon was never meant to be mass market. Then I taste both pours blind and answer the ...
Social media had opinions when Jim Beam announced it was pausing distillation at its Clermont Kentucky facility and most of them were loud, political, and wildly wrong. In this bonus episode of the Blind Tasting Podcast I dive headfirst into the comment section chaos and bring backup. Joined by our resident economics guru we break down the biggest misconceptions floating around the internet including tariffs, stock prices, bourbon demand, generational drinking habits, and whether politics has...
Something big just dropped in the bourbon world, and it’s not the kind of news you casually scroll past. In this emergency segment, I break down a major announcement from Jim Beam that has ripple effects far beyond one distillery. What’s pausing, what’s still moving, and why this matters right now for whiskey freaks everywhere. No panic, no hype, just straight talk on a situation that deserves your attention. Grab the new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, ...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, whiskey freaks. In this episode I bounce all over the place like a bourbon-fueled pinball machine. We’ve got some bourbon news, a bizarre new release you’re not gonna believe, a quick detour into Beavis & Butt-Head territory, a rock and roll rant that I definitely needed the “Relax!” sound clip for, and finally a bold pour of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch 228. It’s a little whiskey, a little nostalgia, and a big rant. Grab a pour and let’s get into it...
In this episode I almost take you on a deep dive into pumpkin spice lattes and teenage TikTok meltdown culture, but luckily for everyone involved, I pull the plug before we all lose IQ points. Instead we get into the good stuff. I cover the “new releases” from Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey and then I give you the update on the Ezra Brooks 99 Traeger Smoker Sweepstakes where I somehow won a grill without losing my identity or my dignity. I share three bourbons that will make you look like ...
Need a last minute gift for that someone special who loves bourbon, or whiskey, or history? Here ya go! My new book -- Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales From the host of the Blind Tasting Podcast comes a barrel-proof mashup of fact, folklore, and flat-out fiction. Right Here on Amazon Kindle Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Did bourbon really age in a sunken ship? Did moonshiners use possums as lookouts? Was a World Series fixed over...
Today’s episode is packed with news, flavor notes, and a budget bourbon showdown you didn’t know you needed. First, we dive into the latest releases from Blade & Bow, Willett, and Castle & Key, including a 30-year Blade & Bow monster, Willett’s new Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon, and Castle & Key’s wheated and rum-finished experiments. Some of it sounds incredible, some of it sounds…like the marketing team lost a bet, but it’s all worth talking about. Then it’s time for the...
In this episode, I dive headfirst into one of the most heated debates in the whiskey world: is it time to retire Booker’s bourbon? Yeah, I said it. And judging from the comments y’all sent in, some of you were ready to fight me in a Kroger parking lot over it. Before we get into the madness, I break down the latest whiskey news, including Buffalo Trace dropping a 125 proof Sazerac Rye and Michter’s launching a 20 year bourbon whiskey that’ll cost you your marriage and at least one kidney. The...
Today we’ve got a full plate of bourbon news and pours you won’t want to miss. From Jack Daniels’ historic new bottle size to Sweetens Cove’s latest Tennessee releases, plus a deep dive into the ups and downs at MGP, it’s all coming at you full-speed. I also crack open Yellowstone Select 93 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey and give you my take on what’s worth your time, your money, and your glass. Bourbon. Whiskey. Attitude. Let’s Go! Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel S...
Welcome in, Whiskey Freaks. This episode dives into my unexpected visit to the WhistlePig tasting room in Quechee, Vermont, where I sat down with their Distillers Craft Flight and tried three premium ryes you almost never see on the shelves. I walk you through each pour and give them the full Keep It, Collect It, or Cull It treatment, along with some honest thoughts on flavors, finishes, and those eye-watering WhistlePig price tags. We’ve also got a couple big whiskey stories on deck, includi...
In this episode I review Cock of the Walk Bourbon Whiskey from Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. I talk about my candid conversation with Kyle Lloyd, Preservation’s VP of Operations, and break down what makes their micro-batch, wheated bourbon so unique. Could it be Pappy’s long, lost cousin? Listen and find out! You’ll also get updates on the new 2025 Remus Gatsby Reserve, Locke & Co.’s Big Blaze Bourbon, and Knob Creek’s 21-year release. Honest reviews and absolutely no fr...
Something big’s brewing in the bourbon world, and it involves one of Kentucky’s most iconic names: Four Roses. Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com&nb...
Whiskey Freaks! This week I bring you a full recap from the 5th Annual St. Louis Bourbon Festival, where I tasted copious amounts of bourbon and whiskey, met distillers from Missouri and beyond, and explored some of the standout releases. I also cover the latest whiskey news, including new high-rye and barrel-strength releases from Calumet Farm and Woodford Reserve. Finally, I sit down with a full pour of Bulleit Straight Bourbon, giving you my honest tasting notes from a perspective that onl...
Whiskey Freaks, forget the glitter and halftime shows, this episode is all about bourbon chaos. We dive into Uncle Nearest’s rocky road to recovery, Woodford Reserve’s experimental Sweet Oak Bourbon, Elijah Craig’s first-ever Barrel Proof Rye, and the return of Ezra Brooks in giant 1.75L form. I also break down Rebel Butter Pecan Bourbon Cream with a dessert latte recipe, reveal the world’s “best bourbon” nobody has even heard of and hit you with Buffalo Trace’s nine millionth barrel mi...
Just a quick bourbon morsel for you, Whiskey Freaks. I finally got a straight answer from Buffalo Trace about what’s really going on with their gift shop allocated bottles. So let’s clear up some of that confusion together! Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast Help support t...
Whiskey Freaks! It’s the Splash n Dash edition of the Blind Tasting Podcast, where I skip the history lesson and dive headfirst into a blind battle between two 18-year-old heavyweights. Elijah Craig 18 and Knob Creek 18. Same age, same price, but totally different vibes. I break them down, blind, to find out which bottle is actually worth dropping $180 on. And as always, there's no distillery freebies, no filters, just brutally honest bourbon talk. Grab a pour (maybe not Traveller), h...
Hey whiskey freaks, on this new episode, forget life’s big questions. No upside-down pineapples, no soul-searching. It’s all bourbon, all the way. We’re diving into the 2025 Pappy drop (good luck getting any), revisiting a rare smoked Ben Holladay bourbon to see if it still hits like it did months ago, and talking stocks: because apparently, I own both Brown-Forman and MGP, and I like to buy when everyone else panics. There’s a charity barrel pick to shout about, canned bourbon cocktails, and...
In this episode I dive into a wild mix of bourbon news, Ireland is getting invaded, Heaven Hill’s grain-to-glass wheater, Buffalo Trace hitting the road (literally), and some bad news out of Lebanon, Kentucky. But the main event? My review of Booker’s 2025-02 By the Pond. Spoiler alert: I think it might be time to send Booker’s out to pasture. Yeah, I said it. Don’t come at me, bro, I’ve got reasons. Grab a pour, lean back, and let’s stir the pot on whether Booker’s has run its course. You mi...
Welcome back whiskey freaks. This episode kicks off with some “bad news” you won’t want to miss, then we roll straight into the madness of bourbon heritage season. There’s plenty of whiskey news to sort through, and of course, a review that caught me off guard. I’m tasting Cask House Triple Cask, finished in rye barrels at 116.58 proof. Say what? Yeah, I know. A bottle that looks plain, sounds questionable, and costs about as much as a fast-food combo meal. So is it a Keep It, a Collect...
In this episode, I sit down with Nick Colombo, Operations Manager at Switchgrass Spirits in St. Louis, for a no-fluff, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to run a worker-owned, award-winning distillery. We dig into the origins, the challenges, the mistakes, and why local whiskey done right is making waves. Check out the full episode for an honest, in-depth look at Switchgrass, the people behind it, and the bourbon that keeps them winning gold medals. Grab my new book Whiskey W...
