The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Ep. 112: Live at Black Button Distillery!

Live from New York it's Black Button Distillery! 
Black Button has just opened a brand new facility, 6 times the size of its former one and with 10 times the capacity! They're now producing between 10-15% of all the bourbon in New York, all while promoting New York whiskey, Empire rye, and knowing where your grains are from. 
I'm joined by founder Jason Barrett, Director of Marketing Gregg Stacy, and Alex Hunnell, the first guy I met from Black Button and how I'm now obsessed with their products.
This is recorded live, on-site, before any production had started. It'll be posted with great photos from behind-the-scenes, including new stills, new equipment in every room, and a high-proof alcohol room that I had never heard of let alone seen before. 
Oh - and one more thing - The Whiskey Ring Podcast is now PROUDLY sponsored by Black Button! 
______________________________________________________
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. 
Black Button Distillery (Our Newest Sponsor!)
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. 111: Clear Creek, Hood River, and McCarthy’s American Single Malt with Caitlin Bartlemay

Hood River, Clear Creek, McCarthy's Single Malt, and Trail's End Bourbon - all are the same family, the same facilities, and part of a whole. 
Hood River Distillers, founded in 1934, was one of the first distilleries to come online post-Prohibition. Clear Creek was founded by Steve McCarthy in 1985, first to produce fruit brandies and later (starting in the '90s) a peated single malt that paid homage to his newfound love of Islay Scotch. 
Today, McCarthy's (which, though a brand, is the name by which many would call the family of distilleries) is a leading voice in American Single Malt and one of the OG producers. I'm joined by distiller Caitlin Bartlemay to talk through the history, the future, and the present growth of this fascinating distillery (in between bursts of air from the nearby vodka still!)
Clear Creek and Hood River Research Playlist
______________________________________________________
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. 
Clear Creek Distillery, Hood River, and McCarthy's
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 110: Ardnamurchan and Adelphi with Jenny Karlsson

Ardnamurchan Scotch Whiskey, out of Adelphi Distillery, is not-so-quietly putting out a delicious new style of Scotch, marrying peated and unseated spirit (with peated water right off the peated hills nearby) into a gentle, smoky spirit with huge body and oiliness. 
Ardnamurchan is an extension of Adelphi, an independent bottler with a history dating to the 1820s. This (relatively) new distillery is focused on quality over quantity, leaning into their remote location on the Scottish coast and learning from nearby Campbeltown. 
With homages to legend Charlie MacLean and QR-coded blockchain technology, there is a perfect blend of old and new. 
Ardnamurchan Research Playlist
______________________________________________________
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!
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. 
Ardnamurchan and Adelphi Distillery
Ardnamurchan Distillery Website
Ardnamurchan Distillery on Facebook
Ardnamurchan Distillery on Instagram
Ardnamurchan Distillery on X
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Bonus Episode 7: Barrell Rye Single Barrel Launch with Tripp Stimson

The Barrell Rye pick is in! A Barrell Rye blend finished for 12 months in Armagnac casks - this is an incredible pick. 
To help us launch it, I invited Barrell's own Tripp Stimson to talk about this pick in particular and the goings on at Barrell as they expand around their 10th anniversary. 
I'll leave the rest for the episode - oh, btw, Patreon members get an exclusive benefit. Join today!
______________________________________________________
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!
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. 
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 109: Lisa Roper Wicker

Lisa Roper Wicker. If you know bourbon (or American whiskey in general), you know her name. She's an industry legend whose humility and quiet nature belies an intensity for her work and a vast store of knowledge. 
Lisa has had stints at such spots as Limestone Branch, Widow Jane, Pearse Lyons, Samson & Surrey, and more, exploring a new facet of the industry at each step. Distiller, blender, brewer, president, it's all on the resume. 
Beyond that, though, Lisa is a wonderful human being. For this very special episode, she graciously invited me into her home in Bardstown for a live recording. We spoke for nearly three hours. In between many asides, stories, and connections, we found a commonality - a city boy from New York and a small-town woman who's traveled the world, me loving to visit her state and her having lived in mine for years. 
Oh - and there's a teaser about her next steps, too. 
______________________________________________________
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 available at the links below, and the Barrell Rye Finished in Armagnac Casks will be available October 2nd.
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!
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. 
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 108: Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit

THE SINGLE BARRELS ARE HERE! IF YOU'RE NOT ON PATREON YET, GET ON IT NOW OR YOU'RE LIKELY TO MISS OUT
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Ok, here's a new one - how often do you come across a whole new category of spirit? Something that needs new recognition by the TTB, EU, UK, and all regulatory agencies? 
Introducing Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit. Think about a brandy base (distilled from fruit) using a gin-esque botanical and fruit mix with essential oils. This defies categorization. 
Great on its own, Trä-Kál can replace any mixer, any amaro, a vermouth, anything. It's versatile, it's delicious, and I'm glad I ran into it by accident at the Indie Spirits Expo in June. Listen for Sebastian Gomez's fascinating origin story and why we want to spread the gospel of this spirit everywhere. 
______________________________________________________
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. 
Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit
Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit Website
Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit on Instagram
Trä-Kál Patagonian Spirit on Facebook
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 107: Cape Byron Distillery with Founder Eddie Brook

This week, we're back to whisky! Still without an E, but whisky nonetheless! 
We're going to the farthest east coast of Australia, the Gold Coast and Cape Byron to visit Cape Byron Distillery. 
Founded by Eddie Brook and nurtured by whisky legend Jim McEwan, Cape Byron is putting out whiskies, gins, and liqueurs that celebrate the land from which they come. The Brookie's gin has 25 botanicals, with 17 native species. The single malt is excellent, boasting the creamy, buttery notes of a great malt whisky in half or a third of the time it would take in Scotland. 
After the whisky and gin, they've got a macadamia-based liqueur, a slow gin (their version of a sloe using native Davidson plums in place of sloe berries), and many more products. Not all are available in the US, but I certainly hope they will be soon. 
And if you're a fan of Jim McEwan, you'll find some of his signature touches, from the still design to the fermentation, all customized to reflect the unique environment of Australia's east coast. It's halfway across the world, and you should be paying attention to it. 
______________________________________________________
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. 
Cape Byron Distillery
Cape Byron Distillery Website
Cape Byron Distillery on Instagram
Cape Byron Distillery on Facebook
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 106: Holmes Cay Rum with Founder Eric Kaye

We're taking another diversion from whiskey this week to talk rum! I'm joined by my favorite rum guru, Eric Kaye, to talk Holmes Cay Rum, single barrels, and origin series rums from around the world. 
Eric spends half the year traveling around the world, trying rums from Barbados and Jamaica to Mauritius, Japan, and Fiji. Dozens of countries, all making their own styles of rum for exploration. 
And that's why Holmes Cay is the best way to get into the rum game. It's not all Bacardi, sugared and colored sugarcane distillate, and mixed drinks - rum is incredibly diverse, can handle years of aging both continentally and tropically, and varies far more from country to country than anything you'll see in whiskey. 
I caught a new rum bug recently and I genuinely think it may be more exciting than whiskey at the moment. At minimum, it's something new to explore. Glad I've got someone like Eric to guide me through the journey. 
______________________________________________________
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. 
Holmes Cay
Holmes Cay Website
Holmes Cay on Instagram
Holmes Cay on Facebook
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter