The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Ep. 131: Hampden Estate with Kate Perry of La Maison & Velier

Uptown FUNK
When you think Jamaican rum, you think funk. Funny thing is, most Jamaican rum by both volume and number of distillers is not funky. 
BTW - funky is the unscientific way of saying ester content. All those fruity, dark, tropical, funky notes are esters, the interactions and transformations of acids and alcohols and aldehydes into the familiar flavor compounds we love. 
Hampden Estate, however, is the funkiest of them all. 
Originally built in 1753, Hampden has been producing Trelawney-style rum (named for its province in Jamaica) continuously for closer to three centuries than two. For nearly that entire history, though, they produced rum and rum extracts for other bottlers, lending their flavors to everything from blended rum to confectionary to perfumes. Had rum cake? Hampden. Rum-flavored anything? Chances are, Hampden. 
After the Hussey family bought Hampden in 2009, they made the massive decision to bottle their own rum for the first time. Most of their production is still dedicated to blends and rectifiers - that's what keeps the lights on - but the results of their own bottlings so far have been spectacular. In 2023, they gave the rum world a love letter with their 8 Marks Collection, to be repeated in 2024. Nerdiness abounds, with everything you could want to know about every mark in the Hampden lineup. 
This was a hell of an episode, and I can't wait to do the follow-up. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Kate for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! 
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. 
Hampden Estate Rum
Hampden Estate Rum Website
Hampden Estate Rum on Instagram
Hampden Estate Rum on Facebook
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 130: Field & Sound Whiskey and Long Island Spirits with Founder Rich Stabile

“Born of the Field – Raised by the Sound”
Just in time for Bottled-in-Bond month! 
Long Island Spirits - Long Island's first craft distillery - is quietly leading the way in my own backyard. Situated about an hour and a half outside of NYC, LI Spirits is making field-to-glass whiskies, brandies, vodkas, and more using the local land for its grains, grapes, and potatoes (not the rum, sorry - sugar doesn't grow well here!) 
I got to know LI Spirits through their Teddy Roosevelt-themed whiskies (Bull Moose Rye, Old Lion 8YO Single Barrel, and Rough Rider Bourbon). Over the past few years, they've been rebranding their whiskies to reflect the terroir of being right on Long Island Sound - and thus, Field & Sound was born.
Note: Bottled-in-Bond month starts on March 1st!  
Field & Sound covers the full range of whiskies, from bourbon to rye, wheat, and wheated, all bottled-in-bond. There are also special editions, such as the rum-finished bourbon finished in their own nearly eight-year-old rum casks (that rum is unlike any rum I've had, somewhere between an Agricole and a new-make Barbados) and a brandy-finished bourbon in their own brandy. The brandy - also made in-house from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes grown nearby - clocks in at a massive 166+ proof. 
Long Island Spirits is the first distillery on Long Island since Prohibition. Even today, fifteen years after they've opened, there are very few spirits producers and none with the pedigree they've built. As the Roosevelt era fades and Field & Sound takes center stage, I couldn't be prouder to have this quality of spirit coming from where I grew up. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Rich for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! 
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. 
Long Island Spirits and Field & Sound Whiskey
Long Island Spirits Website
Field & Sound Website
Long Island Spirits on Instagram
Long Island Spirits on Facebook
Long Island Spirits on Twitter/X
Long Island Spirits on YouTube
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 129: Arbikie Highland Distillery with John Stirling

Makers of the only vodka I enjoy. And also the first rye from Scotland in 100+ years. 
Arbikie Highland Estate is in the forefront of the new Scotch whisky movement. Focused on sustainability, flavor, and locality, Arbikie is betting big on the future. 
They're making a single malt, but waiting 18 years to release it (some might be released early, but don't count on it).
Their strawberry vodka takes nearly a year to produce from harvest to bottling.
The gin is hyperlocal, with coastal elements. 
The Nadar vodka is climate-positive, with the whole process removing 1.54kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per bottle (through legume farming). 
Kirsty also has a PhD and puts it to use in creating these releases from grain to bottle, with backing from the Stirling family who owns the farms from which the grains grow. 
The Highland 1794 Rye is available in the US now, as are the gins and Nadar Vodka. The single malt we'll have to wait for - they're already halfway there. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to John for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! 
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. 
Arbikie Highland Estate
Arbikie Highland Estate Website
Arbikie Highland Estate on Instagram
Arbikie Highland Estate on Facebook
Arbikie Highland Estate on Twitter/X
Arbikie Highland Estate on YouTube
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 128: Kentucky Peerless with Ellie Reed and John Wadell

Peerless in the 1800s and Peerless today. 
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., founded by Henry Kraver in the late 19th century, is in a class by itself. The lone sweet mash distiller in Louisville with the most distinctive bottle in the state, Peerless built itself back up through rye and its story. 
Several years later, they're thriving. Single barrels abound of both rye and bourbon, with all the maturity you want from the oak without much of the tannin. Their bottlings are all at barrel proof, though from an entry proof of 103 (for now!) they rarely crest over 110º. Much like other low-entry-proof producers (Michter's, anyone?), these whiskies taste fantastic to a proof hound like I am even at a "lower" proof. 
Why? Simple: add water at the beginning and not at the end and the water doesn't dilute the precious flavors you've built. Ellie, an engineer-turned-distiller, and John, Kentucky Peerless' national brand ambassador and single barrel specialist, join me to talk about the growth of Peerless in the heart of Louisville and the future of this already historic brand. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Ellie and John for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! 
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. 
Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
Kentucky Peerless Website
Kentucky Peerless on Instagram
Kentucky Peerless on Facebook
Kentucky Peerless on Twitter/X
Kentucky Peerless on YouTube
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 127: Heaven's Door Spirits with Alex Moore

Knock, knock, knocking on Heaven's Door? 
I'm joined by Alex Moore, head blender for Heaven's Door to talk about their entire spirits lineup, the plan to start distilling in Kentucky, and how much of a role Bob Dylan plays in all of this (spoiler: he's actually quite involved!). 
Here's an admission: I don't really know much about Bob Dylan's music. I don't know if it's not my style or I just haven't been exposed to it, but for whatever reason, it hasn't been part of my musical education. That being said, I'm impressed by the quality of blends coming out with his signature on them.
The artwork is eye-catching, the blends are high quality for a reasonable price (maybe except the annual Bootlegger release), and with plans for a distillery campus to open later this year, it seems to be a decidedly un-celebrity brand, one that won't be sold off so soon. With the creativity behind it and the resources to see those ideas to fruition, I'm excited to see what the next few years have in store. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Alex for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 2 Spots Remain in the Barrel Club.
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. 
Heaven's Door
Heaven's Door Website
Heaven's Door on Instagram
Heaven's Door on Facebook
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 126: Hard Truth Distilling with Bryan Smith

Let's start with the basics: Hard Truth is putting out some incredible ryes from Indiana. And none of it came from MGP. 
There's so much more, though. Using a sweet mash technique, Hard Truth is developing ryes, bourbons, and finished whiskies, always with an eye to standing out. They've got a 325-acre property on which you can stay, taste, tour, make your own moonshine, and "get lost" adventures. 
Hard Truth also puts its money where its mouth is by using local grain and honoring the farmers. It's latest endeavor partners Hard Truth with the Mellencamp family, producing four editions of the Harvest Rye to showcase the farmers' skills through the final product. 
You might debate sweet vs. sour mash or what an "Indiana" rye is (there's a designation for that now, btw) but the Hard Truth is undeniable: visit and taste and you'll love what you have. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Bryan for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
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 three WRP barrel picks are in! The Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Ryes are SOLD OUT, and the Barrell Rye Finished in Armagnac Casks is now live!
Patreon members get an exclusive discount for the Jack Daniel's barrels and free shipping for the Barrell pick - now's the time to up that subscription or join the Patreon if you haven't already!
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!)
$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!
There are now two more spots open in the Barrel Club and 10 spots open at the $15 level for those who want to experience more of the whiskies I get to try every month (or every other month). 
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 2 Spots Remain 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 $15 tier takes second access to the $25 tier with 10 spots divided into two: 5 for people who want to receive samples every other month, and 5 for people who want to receive them every month but in smaller numbers. 
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 2 spots remain! 
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. 
Hard Truth Distilling
Hard Truth Distilling Website
Hard Truth Distilling on Instagram
Hard Truth Distilling on Facebook
Hard Truth Distilling on Twitter
Hard Truth Distilling on YouTube
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 125: River Roots Barrel Company with Co-Founder Ryan Lintz

River Roots Barrel Company, out of Cleveland, Ohio, has been making some serious waves in the whiskey world. Their hazmat proof bottlings on Seelbach's flew off the virtual shelves, and the upcoming port barrel bourbon is on my to-do list as soon as it's live. 
As always, though, there's more to the story, including partnerships with barrel brokers and celebrity chef Michael Symon. At first glance, River Roots seems like an independent bottler, but they're really doing more than that. Like Lost Lantern and some of Gene Nassif's work, they're blending, finishing, and playing with the bourbon, with great results so far. 
The Cuhayoga River once caught fire - we know it, they know it - here's hoping River Roots, with the Cleveland crew, keeps catching fire as well. There's lots of good whiskey that will come from it. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Ryan for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
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 three WRP barrel picks are in! The Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Ryes are SOLD OUT, and the Barrell Rye Finished in Armagnac Casks is now live!
Patreon members get an exclusive discount for the Jack Daniel's barrels and free shipping for the Barrell pick - now's the time to up that subscription or join the Patreon if you haven't already!
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!)
$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!
There are now two more spots open in the Barrel Club and 10 spots open at the $15 level for those who want to experience more of the whiskies I get to try every month (or every other month). 
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 2 Spots Remain 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 $15 tier takes second access to the $25 tier with 10 spots divided into two: 5 for people who want to receive samples every other month, and 5 for people who want to receive them every month but in smaller numbers. 
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 2 spots remain! 
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. 
River Roots Barrel Company
River Roots Barrel Company Website
River Roots Barrel Company on Instagram
River Roots Barrel Company on Facebook
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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

Ep. 124: Andy Nelson and Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

Nelson's Green Brier Distillery - NGB for short - has been around for quite a while. It's older than Jack and George, and at one time produced more than both of those by several magnitudes. And then, like so many others (and unlike its younger peers), Prohibition put an end to Charles Nelson's distillery, which his wife Louisa led for 18 years after his passing and until statewide Prohibition in 1909. 
NGB was then lost to history and nature for around 90 years. Then, by a fluke, Andy, Charles, and their dad went to a butcher. That butcher...well, you'll hear the story in the episode. 
Today, Nelson's is quickly becoming a go-to spot in Nashville and a fast-rising Tennessee Whiskey. After touring the facility and trying some of their whiskies, it's clear they're earning the legacy of DSP-5. Gone are the days when Belle Meade was the flagship, sourced while their own whiskies were aging. Now, Nelson's Green Brier Tennessee Whiskey and the Nelson Bros. line are taking center stage. 
Thanks everyone for listening, and thank you to Andy for entering the Whiskey Ring!
_________________________________________________________
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 three WRP barrel picks are in! The Jack Daniel's Barrel Proof Ryes are SOLD OUT, and the Barrell Rye Finished in Armagnac Casks is now live!
Patreon members get an exclusive discount for the Jack Daniel's barrels and free shipping for the Barrell pick - now's the time to up that subscription or join the Patreon if you haven't already!
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!)
$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!
There are now two more spots open in the Barrel Club and 10 spots open at the $15 level for those who want to experience more of the whiskies I get to try every month (or every other month). 
Join the Patreon now for early access to the barrels!
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 2 Spots Remain 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 $15 tier takes second access to the $25 tier with 10 spots divided into two: 5 for people who want to receive samples every other month, and 5 for people who want to receive them every month but in smaller numbers. 
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 2 spots remain! 
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. 
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery Website
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery on Instagram
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery on Facebook
Thanks to our Lead Sponsor, 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