The Whiskey Ring Podcast
Join Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and my guests to talk about all things whiskey and spirits! Support this podcast: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring
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Episodes
Wednesday Aug 30, 2023
Wednesday Aug 30, 2023
Let's be honest - if you don't know who or what Jack Daniel's is, you probably aren't old enough to listen to this podcast.
ANYWAY - I'm thrilled to be joined by Lexie Phillips, Assistant Distiller. Lexie is not only the first woman in this position, she's also an accomplished distiller and taster in her own right with a background in agriculture. Oh, and she led the barrel pick that resulted in TWO barrels for podcast listeners!
Lexie and I talk the parts of Jack that you don't always hear about, including the rye, the single malt, how Jack became Jack, and how one of the world's largest distilleries is managing to put out innovative (and good!) releases multiple times per year.
I can't tell you how excited I was to get this podcast in the books. Thank you to Lexie and the entire Jack Daniel's and FINN Partners group for making this happen. Special shout out to Hillary, without whom none of this was possible.
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
Ad-free listening is now available to $5/month patrons and above! Sign up or raise your pledge at the link below.
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. Our Spirits of French Lick barrel pick is done! I won't spoil the surprise, only saying it is one of only 9 or 10 barrels ever made of this whiskey (and ours will be the first to come out!)
Our Barrell Rye pick done with Perry and Eric of This Is My Bourbon Podcast is just about ready, too, so keep an eye out on social media and on the mailing list for updates.
$25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one was on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks and shortly will have access to ad-free episodes.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Jack Daniel's Distillery
Jack Daniel's Distillery Website
Jack Daniel's Distillery on Instagram
Jack Daniel's Distillery on Facebook
Jack Daniel's Distillery on YouTube
Jack Daniel's Distillery on Twitter/X
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Wednesday Aug 23, 2023
Part 2 of our episode with Dread River Distilling in Alabama gets down to the nuts and bolts with new distiller Joshua Goins. Founder John Cubelic stole Joshua down to Birmingham to take over the distilling, and just a month and a half into the job he entered the Whiskey Ring.
I must say, he did an amazing job.
This episode works best with Part 1 (Episode 98) but is set as a standalone, too. Enjoy!
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
Ad-free listening is now available to $5/month patrons and above! Sign up or raise your pledge at the link below.
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. Our Spirits of French Lick barrel pick is done! I won't spoil the surprise, only saying it is one of only 9 or 10 barrels ever made of this whiskey (and ours will be the first to come out!)
Our Barrell Rye pick done with Perry and Eric of This Is My Bourbon Podcast is just about ready, too, so keep an eye out on social media and on the mailing list for updates.
$25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one was on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks and shortly will have access to ad-free episodes.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Dread River Distillery
Dread River Distillery Website
Dread River Distillery on Instagram
Dread River Distillery on Facebook
Dread River Distillery on YouTube
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Wednesday Aug 16, 2023
Back to whiskey! Driving down to Brooklyn, we're visiting New York Distilling Co. (NYDC) with founder Allen Katz.
NYDC was one of the first distilleries back in NY after the craft movement started. It devoted itself to only one type of whiskey: rye. Gins, too, but only rye on the whiskey side. And that rye is Empire Rye - a minimum of 75% rye grown in New York.
NYDC is a fascinating study in focus and length. A decade-plus in its history and multiple rye variations later, it stays true to that mission: rye is, and always will be, the driver behind NYDC's growth.
After a move from its longtime home in Williamsburg to a new, larger site in Bushwick, NYDC is ready to keep growing. With its founder still at the helm, this is a NY distillery to discover, revisit, and enjoy.
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
Ad-free listening is now available to $5/month patrons and above! Sign up or raise your pledge at the link below.
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. Our Spirits of French Lick barrel pick is done! I won't spoil the surprise, only saying it is one of only 9 or 10 barrels ever made of this whiskey (and ours will be the first to come out!)
Our Barrell Rye pick done with Perry and Eric of This Is My Bourbon Podcast is just about ready, too, so keep an eye out on social media and on the mailing list for updates.
$25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one was on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks and shortly will have access to ad-free episodes.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
New York Distilling Co.
New York Distilling Co. Website
New York Distilling Co. Facebook
New York Distilling Co. Instagram
New York Distilling Co. Twitter
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
Wednesday Aug 09, 2023
I know what you're thinking: Gin? That bitter, juniper-heavy, cocktail drink?
Yes, gin. But gin is so much more than a mixing spirit.
Gins have been a low-key favorite spirit of mine for a while now. The most interesting ones differentiate themselves with local botanicals (read: plants, spices, etc.) that create a profile unique to that place. Some, like this week's guest, start before that, using the base as a differentiator.
I didn't know this, but apparently whey-based alcohol is a thing and a growing thing at that. Basically, take the whey off of cheese-making/dairy production, ferment and distill it, and you get a base alcohol just like if you distilled fruit or grain or potatoes. The difference is the mouthfeel, and boy is there a difference.
Bertha's Revenge is the best of both worlds: a gin that has the botanical profile of provenance with a mouthfeel that's unmistakably viscous. It's a gin that works perfectly well in a cocktail and as a standalone (especially that navy strength - wow!). Add in the sloe gin (Slow Bertha, a fantastic name) and founders Justin and Antony have a winning combo.
This is a flat-out fun episode, bouncing around between a London gin trip to the brand's namesake, a 49-year-old cow (deceased in 1993) who had a mind-boggling 39 calves in her lifetime. 39!!! My god...that Droimeann must be proud of the gin that's adopted her name and likeness. If you have 39 kids and don't drink, you're listening to the wrong podcast.
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. Our Spirits of French Lick barrel pick is done! I won't spoil the surprise, only saying it is one of only 9 or 10 barrels ever made of this whiskey (and ours will be the first to come out!)
Our Barrell Rye pick done with Perry and Eric of This Is My Bourbon Podcast is just about ready, too, so keep an eye out on social media and on the mailing list for updates.
$25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one was on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks and shortly will have access to ad-free episodes.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Bertha's Revenge Distillery
Bertha's Revenge Website
Bertha's Revenge on Facebook
Bertha's Revenge on Instagram
Bertha's Revenge on Twitter
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
In the last two years, how many products have we seen that contained 15-, 20-, even 30-year-old Canadian whisky? A dozen? two dozen?
Also - want to know how buffalo horn buttons help Jason move whiskey across borders? (Don't worry, the horns fall off naturally, no hunting involved).
None of these products came from Canadian producers, though - all the ones I could find were put out by NDPs or producers blending it with their own spirit. So where does one find those barrels? When a brand suddenly has a 15-year-old bourbon on the shelf, how did they get their hands on it?
If it was the Canadian juice, it likely came through Jason Barrett. Known more for founding Black Button Distilling in Rochester, NY (check out an earlier episode with Alex Hunnell of Black Button from early last year), Jason practically fell into the barrel brokerage business.
Turns out, lots of companies want whiskey of all types, and there's plenty of room in the sandbox for new entrants. Jason will humbly say that there are five major players (he says he's the smallest of the largest) and a dozen or so minor players moving whiskey all around the world. In just a few years, he's made his mark, and there's room to grow.
Listen in for the ins and outs of the barrel brokerage business, how his existing relationships from his family's button manufacturing helped ease his path, and how Black Button fits into his vision for a dual business structure.
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. There are also upcoming picks of KO Distilling, Barrell Rye, and Spirits of French Lick (trust me - Alan has picked out some funky things for us to try!). $25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one is on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Black Button Distillery
Black Button Distilling Website
Black Button Distilling on Facebook
Black Button Distilling on Instagram
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
We've reached it! Episode 100!
For Episode 100, I wanted to feature a distillery I initially wasn't sold on. I wanted to highlight the importance of retrying products every few years, especially for younger distilleries that continue to hone their craft.
Coppersea sits in the beautiful Hudson Valley, right outside New Paltz (which is world-famous for its mountain climbing - who knew!). They're one of the few distilleries with on-site malting, which they use to add character to their ryes and bourbons in the form of malted rye and - weird upon weird - to an unmalted rye that honestly I didn't know what to do with when I first tried it.
The distillery I wasn't sure about just a few years ago has truly come of age. Their ryes will still be nontraditional, but in the most traditional way: they pride themselves on pre-prohibition recipes and techniques. The bourbons might taste more familiar, but still uniquely New York, uniquely Hudson Valley, and uniquely Coppersea.
Thrilled to see where they've come and where they've yet to go. Excelsior!
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. There are also upcoming picks of KO Distilling, Barrell Rye, and Spirits of French Lick (trust me - Alan has picked out some funky things for us to try!). $25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one is on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Coppersea Distillery
Coppersea Distillery Website
Coppersea Distillery on Instagram
Coppersea Distillery on Facebook
Coppersea Distillery on Twitter
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Dread River is here! Our first episode in Alabama, and it doesn't disappoint.
Dread River was founded by John Cubelic less than a decade ago. With founding partner Jeff (a doctor with Andrews Sports Medicine - the site of more Tommy John surgeries than I'd care to think about), they toured the country to find out what American distilleries were doing in different states. Along the way, they found an identity they wanted to achieve.
Back in Alabama, they found a Tuscan-style villa for their building, started a cocktail bar with all in-house ingredients, and started distilling in a state that only legalized it a few years before.
This is a hell of a conversation, and it's not over. Halfway through, we realized their new distiller should be part of the technical side, so we hit pause and rescheduled a second half.
Thanks to John for coming on and for offering up Dread River for a second episode!
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. There are also upcoming picks of KO Distilling, Barrell Rye, and Spirits of French Lick (trust me - Alan has picked out some funky things for us to try!). $25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one is on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Dread River Distillery
Dread River Distillery Website
Dread River Distillery on Instagram
Dread River Distillery on Facebook
Dread River Distillery on YouTube
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Holladay Distilling burst onto the scene in 2022 with a 6-year-old Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon that won Best First Release at the 2022 Whiskey Ring Awards. It was a fantastic pour that beat out several other highly-touted distilleries from around the world, including Lochlea (helmed by the legendary John Campbell) and Keeper's Heart, which stole Brian Nation from Midleton and brought his influence to America.
It was a statement: we're from Missouri, we're making Missouri Bourbon, and just try and beat us.
After a few batches of the original Bottled-in-Bond - plus "rickhouse proof" versions - they followed it up with what might be my favorite new release of 2023, the Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon. Simply divine, and the best wheater I've had in over a year.
The story is fascinating: McCormick Distillery, the brand's parent distillery, is named for the Stagecoach King of the World; though his story just barely predates the more well-known titans (Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Gould) he died in near-poverty. McCormick has had several names, was allowed to distill during Prohibition, and at one point was owned by MGP.
It's a company and distillery that has woven a thin but constant thread through America's distilling history, and its story needs to be told. Listen in for an incredible episode!
______________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
The first WRP barrel pick is coming! I'm back from Tennessee after picking two barrels - that's right, two! - of Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Rye. There are also upcoming picks of KO Distilling, Barrell Rye, and Spirits of French Lick (trust me - Alan has picked out some funky things for us to try!). $25 members get the chance to join me on picks: one of your fellow Patreon members joined me in Lynchburg, one is on the Spirits of French Lick team, and I'll be picking one or more for the KO pick once samples come in!
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 1 Spot Remains in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 1 spot remains!
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up.
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings.
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.
Holladay Distillery
Holladay Distillery Website
Holladay Happy Hour Podcast
Holladay Distillery on Instagram
Holladay Distillery on Facebook
Holladay Distillery on Twitter
Holladay Bourbon Reviews
Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Batch #001 Review
Ben Holladay Bottled-in-Bond Wheated Bourbon Review
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube