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We turn the Four Roses 10 Recipe Tasting Kit into a hands-on bourbon class, testing how two mash bills and five yeast strains can reshape flavor in the glass. We rank our favorites, compare the kit to an OBSK single barrel, then build a custom blend to chase the perfect balance of sweet, fruit, and spice.
• quick sponsor shout and housekeeping plus where to watch and listen
• why Four Roses matters plus the brand history from Prohibition to its US comeback
• the 10-recipe system explained using two mash bills and five yeast strains
• tasting through Mash Bill E recipes and calling out vanilla, pear, tea, floral and bitterness
• tasting through Mash Bill B recipes and tracking rye driven spice, cherry, caramel and oak
• naming our top picks with OBSK as the standout for our palate
• comparing kit pours vs a bottled single barrel and checking proof
• asking and answering barrel entry proof today and why it changes whiskey
• blending equal parts to build a personal Four Roses style pour
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Ten bottles from one distillery sounds simple until you realize Four Roses is playing a completely different game. We crack open the Four Roses 10 Recipe Tasting Kit and put the distillery’s famous “two mash bills plus five yeast strains” system to a real test, glass by glass, note by note. If you’ve ever wondered whether yeast can really change bourbon flavor, or why one Four Roses single barrel hits your palate perfectly while another feels sharp, this tasting turns that mystery into something you can actually taste.

We walk through the Four Roses story and the modern rebuild that made the brand a favorite among bourbon enthusiasts, then get practical with the production details: Mash Bill E versus Mash Bill B, and what each yeast strain is designed to contribute (delicate fruit, spice, rich fruit, floral, herbal). From there, it’s a guided bourbon tasting focused on what matters most for building your own palate: identifying vanilla and caramel sweetness, spotting fruit shifts like pear and cherry, noticing herbal tea and mint notes, and paying attention to bitterness and finish when a recipe doesn’t land as a great standalone sipper.

The fun twist is we don’t stop at rankings. We compare the kit to an OBSK single barrel, talk proof, look up Four Roses barrel entry proof, and then blend our own custom pour to see how the recipes behave when you mix them like a master distiller. If you love bourbon education, Four Roses recipe codes, and DIY tasting experiments, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a five-star review so more people can find the show.

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We put Maker’s Mark Star Hill Farm American Wheat Whiskey 2025 and 2026 in the ring and score them side by side to see what changed and which one drinks better. Along the way, we get into why wheat needs oxygen, why Maker’s Mark is treating this as a vintage-style annual release, and how regenerative agriculture connects to flavor.
• why Star Hill Farm exists and why it is not bourbon
• Maker’s Mark shift from one mash bill to experimentation
• regenerative agriculture and why “grain matters”
• why wheat whiskey can improve after opening
• 2025 release proof age mash bill and tasting notes
• our barrel bottle breakdown scoring system
• 2026 release mash bill changes and what they do to flavor
• head-to-head verdict plus a simple blend idea if you own both
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Maker’s Mark spent nearly 70 years defending one core mash bill, so when Star Hill Farm American Wheat Whiskey shows up as a yearly, changing release, we have to treat it like a real moment in modern American whiskey. We line up the first two annual releases, 2025 vs 2026, taste them with our barrel breakdown scoring, and answer the question every curious whiskey fan is asking: which one actually drinks better right now, and why?

We also dig into what makes this project different from a typical “new expression.” Star Hill Farm is built around wheat as the star, not corn as the safety net, and it’s tied directly to Maker’s Mark’s push for regenerative agriculture and a grain-forward philosophy. We talk about why soil health and farming practices matter for long-term whiskey quality, and why this release is designed to evolve like a vintage rather than taste identical every year.

Then we get practical. Wheat can change dramatically after you open a bottle, and we share the cap-off, let-it-breathe approach that transformed the 2026 pour from too oaky into a dessert bomb. Expect tasting notes like cherry cola and toasted oak on the 2025, then caramel, vanilla, and an unmistakable “Milk Duds” finish on the 2026, plus the mash bill changes that help explain the swing. If you’ve got both bottles, we even float a simple blending idea to see what happens in your own glass.

If you enjoy cast strength whiskey reviews, Maker’s Mark tasting notes, and smart whiskey talk that stays grounded in what you can taste, hit subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

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One great bourbon story can change your whole drinking life, and Ed Blake’s starts with a bottle he avoided for years. After a bad early run-in with bourbon, he returns to it later through a Pappy Van Winkle 15 and suddenly the rabbit hole opens. From there, we follow the real path from enthusiast to trusted palate: learning how to taste, learning how to talk about flavour, and learning how to help other people find what they actually like.

Ed (Rising Tide Spirits) shares how barrel picks and community feedback sharpened his selection skills, including the practical reality of tasting barrels in winter, when whiskey can show harsher edges before it warms up. We also get into what it’s like building brands as a non-distiller producer, how Old Stubborn came to life through a strong distillery relationship, and why he’s committed to small production and high quality instead of chasing shelf space.

Then we go deep on rye whiskey, especially MGP rye. We unpack the dill pickle note that turns some drinkers off, how fermentation timing can influence it, and why longer aging often brings more caramel sweetness, richer oak, and a smoother balance. If you’re curious about Old Swagger, Old Stubborn, premium bourbon packaging, or what separates a hype bottle from a genuinely great pour, you’ll leave with a clearer buying compass and a better vocabulary for your own palate.

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We sit down with Ed Blake of Rising Tide Spirits and trace the real steps from bourbon fan to respected barrel picker and brand builder. We dig into how he sources and blends Old Stubborn and Old Swagger, why his packaging is part of the experience, and what he’s learning from rye whiskey as the market shifts.
• Ed’s early bourbon misfire and the moment Pappy brings him back
• Building a whiskey community and learning through shared pours
• The liquor store “help a shopper” moment that turns into a job
• How private barrel picks create trust and demand
• Sourcing as an NDP and why winter barrel samples can mislead
• Designing premium packaging that matches premium whiskey
• Staying small by choice while releases sell out fast
• Rye whiskey education, MGP dill notes, and how age softens them
• Barrel aging plans in Kentucky and a teased higher-aged release

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We sit down with Bill McBrayer to trace how a forgotten Kentucky bourbon legacy turns into a living brand, starting with a family story, a trademark deadline, and a mash bill hidden in the historical record. We talk through the hard parts of building a whiskey company the right way, plus the joy of watching family history become something you can taste and share.
• the moment a trademark requirement forces real bourbon production
• digging up William Harris McBrayer’s story and why it matters to bourbon history
• finding the 1870 mash bill reference and recreating a high-corn legacy recipe
• partnering with Wilderness Trail and using heirloom Bloody Butcher corn
• navigating licensing, controlled-state hurdles, and early bottling decisions
• securing the Cedar Brook trademark and rebuilding brand identity
• visiting and buying land tied to the Cedar Brook distillery site near Lawrenceburg
• Whiskey Trust and Prohibition context that shaped Kentucky bourbon brands
• walking through the current lineup: legacy mash bill, bottled-in-bond, and weeded bourbon
• single barrel releases, Legacy Club access, and expanding distribution
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A family name can disappear from bourbon shelves for decades, but it doesn’t have to stay gone. We’re joined by Bill McBrayer, president and steward of McBrayer Legacy Spirits, to unpack the true story behind bringing an old Kentucky bourbon lineage back to life and why it started with something as unromantic as a trademark deadline.

We talk about the rabbit hole that begins with genealogy research and a historic blog post, then turns into a real distilling plan when Bill learns he has to “use” the brand to keep it. From there, the conversation gets wonderfully specific: an 1870 letter connected to E H Taylor, a high-corn mash bill, heirloom Bloody Butcher red corn, and working with Wilderness Trail to recreate a legacy profile that stands out in today’s crowded craft whiskey market.

The story also moves beyond the bottle. Bill shares what it takes to navigate licensing, distribution, and the slow economics of aging Kentucky bourbon for 8, 10, or 12 years. We dig into Lawrenceburg history, the Cedar Brook distillery site, the Whiskey Trust era, and how protecting a heritage brand becomes a responsibility, not a hustle.

If you care about bourbon history, bottled-in-bond releases, single barrel picks, and building a family-owned whiskey brand with long-term purpose, you’ll want this one. Subscribe, share with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review with your favorite “lost brand” comeback story.

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We dig into why bourbon demand cooled after years of explosive growth and why that shift could be a gift to craft distilleries that focus on quality and real relationships. We swap stories from the trail, debate what “craft” even means, and share how pricing, distribution, and the fading secondary market are changing what bottles people actually buy.
• bourbon boom context and what changed after 2023
• why craft distilleries struggled early with young stock and pricing
• how direct shipping, local shelves, and tasting rooms reshape the playing field
• Iron Fish and the Mad Angler approach to storytelling and limited releases
• Whiskey Thief and the bottle-your-own barrel experience as a draw
• flippers, the secondary market peak, and why higher MSRPs squeezed resale margins
• what separates craft from big producers, including scale, access, and experimentation
• panel shout-outs to surprising producers and standout distillery tours
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Bourbon didn’t “die” overnight. It got normal again, and that’s a bigger deal than most people realise. We look at what happened after the 2015 to 2023 bourbon boom, why whiskey sales cooled, and how that pressure is forcing everyone from legacy brands to tiny craft distilleries to prove their worth with flavour, value, and trust instead of pure hype.

We talk through what makes craft distilleries uniquely resilient right now: smaller production targets, tight local followings, direct-to-consumer shipping, and an experience-first business model built around tasting rooms, clubs, single barrels, and limited releases. We dig into Iron Fish as a case study in how branding and storytelling can actually deepen a whiskey’s identity, including the Mad Angler concept and why community events and raffles keep fans coming back. Then we compare that to distillery destinations like Whiskey Thief, where the “fill your own bottle” barrel-thieving approach turns a purchase into a memory you’ll talk about all year.

We also get practical about the money. Distribution is expensive, shelf space is brutal, and when classic bottles sit at $35 to $60, a $90 craft bottle has to earn it. We break down how flippers and the secondary market peaked, why rising MSRPs changed the math, and what “quality over hype” looks like for today’s more intentional whiskey buyer. If you care about craft bourbon, bourbon tourism, the bourbon trail, and where American whiskey is headed next, you’ll leave with a clearer map.

Subscribe wherever you listen, share this with a bourbon friend who’s tired of chasing unicorns, and leave a review with the craft distillery you think deserves more attention.

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We go deep on Booker’s Bourbon and put two 2026 batches head to head, chasing the uncut, unfiltered barrel-strength experience Booker Noe wanted people to taste. Big Easy Batch brings the classic Beam backbone while Milkshake Batch surprises us with dessert-like sweetness that still feels unmistakably Booker’s.

• why Booker’s stands out as uncut, unfiltered, barrel strength bourbon with real batch variation
• where Booker’s comes from in the Jim Beam lineup and why the flavor profile is a bourbon benchmark
• pricing and availability differences across states and how we track releases
• details and story behind Booker's 2026-01 Big Easy Batch plus full tasting notes
• details and story behind Booker's 2026-02 Milkshake Batch plus why it “drinks below proof”
• our Barrel Bottle Breakdown scoring for nose, body, taste, finish and how a “butt up up” works
• the rare tie at 18 out of 18 and the tiebreaker chart that crowns the final winner
• rapid-fire verdicts on best nose, best finish, most “Booker’s” profile and which bottle to bunker

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A barrel-proof showdown that somehow turns into a tie, then a dessert-bourbon debate. We pour Booker’s 2026-01 Big Easy Batch against Booker’s 2026-02 Milkshake Batch and chase the exact thing Booker Noe intended: an uncut, unfiltered, straight-from-the-barrel style bourbon experience that doesn’t hide behind proofing or filtration.

First up, Big Easy Batch (129.1 proof) brings a more classic Jim Beam Booker’s profile, backed by a New Orleans-inspired story and tasting notes that lean roasted peanut on the nose with baking spice and a punch of cherry that reads like cherry cola. On the palate and finish, we get bold structure, oak-driven grip, and that long Kentucky hug that makes Booker’s feel like a “main meal” pour, not a sweet treat.

Then Milkshake Batch (124.4 proof) shifts the whole mood. The batch story ties back to Booker’s chocolate malted milkshake tradition, and the whiskey follows through with creamy vanilla, caramel sweetness, toasted oak, and a malt-like note that makes the name click. It drinks below its proof, feels unusually approachable for barrel strength bourbon, and pushes Booker’s into a sweeter direction without losing the house character.

We score both using our Barrel Bottle Breakdown for nose, body, taste, and finish, land at 18 out of 18 for both, then go to a tiebreaker chart across sweetness, fruit, oak, dessert, complexity, and drinkability to crown a winner. Listen now, then subscribe, share the show with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review with your pick: Big Easy or Milkshake?

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We sit down with Alex Castle and Matt Grove to talk about how Augusta Distillery grows fast without losing its cask strength, unfiltered identity. We dig into the Ohio OHLQ collaboration, why the $59 small batch matters, and how meeting people in stores and at festivals turns shelf bottles into home bar staples.
• why Augusta moves from single barrels into three to six barrel small batch while keeping a single barrel mindset
• how the Ohio OHLQ custom small batch and Buckner’s 13 release land with fans across the state
• why cask strength and no dilution stay non-negotiable for the brand
• the real work behind barrel picks, blending decisions, and building a balanced flavor profile
• why pricing is part of trust, giving new drinkers a lower risk way to try Augusta
• what “boots on the ground” tastings change for a brand in a crowded bourbon market
• how Augusta’s distillery experience keeps evolving, from tours to bottle your own to cocktails
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A $59 bourbon can sound like a compromise until you taste what Augusta Distillery is putting in the bottle. We’re joined by master distiller Alex Castle and brand ambassador Matt Grove to unpack the thinking behind Augusta’s cask strength small batch, built from six barrels and designed to drink with the same care you’d expect from a single barrel program. No dilution, unfiltered, and largely made from 7 to 9 year old bourbon, it’s positioned as a real entry point for people who have stared at premium Buckner’s bottles and thought, “I need to taste this before I bet that kind of money.”

We also get into Augusta’s Ohio push with OHLQ and what it’s like taking the show on the road, hitting tastings across Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati at some truly weird hours, then finding lines of fans already waiting. If you know Ohio, you know the love for weeded bourbon runs deep, so we talk about the reception for Augusta’s weeded single barrel and why face to face tastings still matter in a world of constant releases and crowded shelves.

Along the way we swap festival stories, explain why barrel picking and blending is harder than it looks, and tease what Augusta is planning for Kentucky Bourbon Festival. If you’re hunting bottles, planning a bourbon tourism trip, or just want a cask strength pour that overdelivers for the price, this conversation gives you the context and the practical tips. Subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show.

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We sit down with Greg from Hayner Distilling to trace a 150-year Ohio whiskey legacy from 1866 through Prohibition to a modern revival built on blending, transparency, and great barrels. We also dig into what makes a memorable tasting-room experience and why limited releases and community events can pull people off the shelf and into the story.
• Hayner Distilling history from 1866 to Prohibition to a 2020 relaunch
• Rebuilding the brand by reverse-engineering a 1904 bottle sample
• Why Hayner uses Bardstown Bourbon Company for contract distilling
• Blending philosophy vs single barrels, chasing complexity over “smooth”
• Rye and bourbon combinations that win blind tastings
• Barrel proof experience with fill-your-own bottles from the barrel
• Expansion plans for a larger 1910s to 1920s themed space
• Troy, Ohio stops to pair with a distillery trip
• Craft whiskey marketing realities, crowded shelves, and earning the second bottle
• Event talk: Bourbon and Cigars at Mother Stewart’s plus an exclusive Hayner bottle
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A forgotten Ohio whiskey giant is back and it’s not pretending the old world never changed. We’re joined by Greg from Hayner Distilling in Troy, Ohio to unpack how a brand founded in 1866 became the largest distiller in the state, shut down with Prohibition, and then re-emerged in 2020 with a very modern playbook: transparency, barrel selection, and serious whiskey blending.

We get into the nuts and bolts of the revival, including how Hayner took a 1904 bottle sample to Bardstown Bourbon Company to help reverse-engineer an original-style mash bill, then built today’s lineup while their own barrels come of age. If you care about craft whiskey, sourced bourbon done right, MGP rye, and what separates a smart blend from a random mix, you’ll love the way Greg talks about complexity, mouthfeel, and why blends often beat single barrels in blind tastings.

Then we shift from liquid to experience. We talk distillery visits, Hayner’s barrel proof “fill-your-own” setup, and the big expansion into a larger 1910s to 1920s themed tasting space with a whiskey thieving room and a dedicated history area. We also preview the Bourbon and Cigars event at Mother Stewart’s and the exclusive Hayner bottle tied to it, plus why limited releases and community-driven events still matter in a crowded bourbon market.

If you’re into Ohio bourbon, American whiskey history, and the future of blending culture, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a whiskey friend, and leave us a five-star review so more people can find the show.

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