Blessed is a understatement. I got the privilege to chat with THE BOSS over at Catoctin Creek Rebecca Harris and lets just say it was fantastic. One of the best guest i have had on. And that is saying something. I really hope you enjoy. and check out there website for there new maple cask finished rye (its amazing).

Catoctin Creek® was founded by Becky and Scott Harris in 2009 as the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition. We are located in Purcellville, Virginia, in the heart of the Loudoun Valley. Virginia is the birthplace of American whiskey, and at Catoctin Creek, we faithfully dedicate ourselves to that tradition, producing Virginia's most awarded whisky: Roundstone Rye!

The name "Catoctin" is a regional name. Pronounced Ka-TOCK-tin, the name derives from the Indian tribal name "Kittocton" which, legend has it, meant "place of many deer". Catoctin describes a range of mountains and the eponymous creek which flows picturesquely past the distillery and into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Watershed.

At Catoctin Creek, we believe in high quality food and spirits. We source our grain and fruit from local sources, free of pesticides and chemical additives that would come through in the spirits we produce. The results are the finest, cleanest spirits possible, with the greatest attention to detail in every single bottle we produce.

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Becky graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. As a chemical engineer, she specialized in industrial processes and production systems. Becky brought this knowledge and applied it to something she loved–making the finest distilled spirits in Virginia.

All her products begin with the finest local and organic grains and fruit to create the cleanest spirit possible. At the heart of the distillery is a pair of pot stills, where Becky insists on cooking the distillate for a full nine hours, more than twice as long as most other distilleries, to create the unique and award-winning flavors in her distillate.

Becky was featured in Food and Wine as one of “6 Women in Whiskey to Watch,” and served for three years as President of the American Craft Spirits Association. In 2023, Becky received the Legacy Achievement Award from Bourbon Women in Lousiville, KY for her lifetime of work in the industry.

Scott graduated with honors and two degrees from Georgia Tech. He spent the last twenty years building a software career in telecommunication systems and government IT solutions and traded it all in for the chance to own and run his own distillery. As he likes to say, "Twenty years of government contracting taught me a great love of whisky!"

In, 2011, Scott was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Loudoun Chamber of Commerce, and in both 2012 and 2020, Catoctin Creek Distillery was awarded Small Business of the Year.

Scott was appointed by the governor of Virginia and sits as the Chairman of the Virginia Spirits Board, an organization which encourages cross-industry communication and marketing for the betterment of all Virginia spirits and agriculture. He is an emeritus member of both the Craft Distiller Advisory Board at DISCUS and the board of directors for the Virginia Distillers Association. Scott has been a tireless advocate for craft spirits both in the Commonwealth of Virginia, nationally and internationally.

In his free time, Scott likes to look at birds.

Catoctin Creek has received numerous international gold medals and has been featured in many national publications, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast, and Whisky Advocate. The Daily Beast, Forbes, and Men's Journal have highlighted the distillery as an example of great American craft distilleries making whisky from scratch.

Scott and Becky are happy to be doing something together that they love: Producing the finest spirits in Virginia, completely and truly by hand. At Catoctin Creek, Virginia Rye Whisky is our passion.

This went of the rails right of the bat. You just gotta listen (or watch on Patreon)

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The short answer is we love both, but the story is what dictates how we taste the whiskey.

While the physical liquid must meet a baseline of quality, neuroscience and consumer psychology prove that a whiskey’s backstory changes the neurological chemistry of how our brains register flavor. When we pour a glass, we aren't just drinking ethanol and wood sugars; we are consuming context, scarcity, and identity.

The intersection of liquid and lore splits down a few distinct psychological and historical lines:

1. The Chemistry of "Tasting Belief"

Our sense of smell and taste is hardwired directly to the limbic system—the brain's emotional and memory center. Because of this, expectation entirely alters perception. If you are told a bourbon was rescued from a "lost, forgotten corner of a pre-fire rickhouse," your brain primes itself to seek out complexity, deep oak, and history.

Psychological studies in the spirits industry show that when consumers buy premium bottles, the liquid quality is merely the cost of entry, but the story is what earns the price tag. In blind tastings, spirits with elaborate backstories consistently score higher than the exact same liquid served with a generic label. You are quite literally "tasting belief".

2. Knowledge as Social Currency

In modern whiskey culture, especially among enthusiasts, knowledge is currency. When you share a pour with friends, the enjoyment doesn’t just come from the palate notes of caramel or tobacco—it comes from the narrative you share while pouring it.

“This is an American Single Malt from a tiny distillery using local 100% malted barley.”

• “This cask was specifically selected by an independent bottler who is trying to change the map of American whiskey.” The story gives the drinker a ritual to repeat and a status to claim. It transforms the act of drinking from a solitary habit into a curated, social experience.

3. The Customer is the True Hero

The most successful whiskey brands understand that their heritage isn't actually about the dead guy on the label or a manufactured 19th-century myth. It is about how that story makes the consumer feel about themselves.

As marketing strategists note, consumers have an unfolding story in their own lives. They are trying to celebrate a promotion, impress a father-in-law, or find a meditative moment of stress relief at the end of a hard week. A whiskey's narrative serves as a tool to validate the drinker's identity. If you see yourself as someone who values raw, rugged craftsmanship, you naturally gravitate toward a unfiltered, barrel-proof craft expression. 4. The "Juice-Only" Counter-Movement

Despite the power of storytelling, there is a fierce, vocal contingent of enthusiasts who claim to pointedly eschew marketing. They claim to care strictly about "the juice"—the proof, the age statement, the mash bill, and the price.

This skepticism is well-earned. The industry has a long history of "fanciful marketing," from the 1970s "Dark Ages" when brands hid mediocre whiskey inside collectible porcelain decanters, to modern lawsuits over brands claiming a "small-batch family recipe" when the liquid was actually mass-distilled in a massive industrial plant in Indiana.

Yet, even for the most cynical drinker who only does blind tastings, the data points (distillery of origin, barrel char level, yeast strain) simply become a new, technical kind of story.

1 Whiskey 8 Finishes. I Have been waiting to do this for years. hope you enjoy

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The Cash Stave Experiment refers to a popular multi-part experimental video project by the Whiskey Tribe, an online community and media channel dedicated to whiskey culture.

The Core Concept

In the experiment, the hosts took a regular bourbon barrel stave—referred to or selected in connection to their community project—and used it to test how different wood-finishing methods alter the aging profile of whiskey. This mirrors advanced distillery methods like stave finishing (pioneered widely by brands like Maker's Mark for their Maker's 46 expression), where virgin or specially treated oak staves are inserted into an already matured barrel to quickly impart intense new flavors like caramel, cinnamon, and spice. [1]

Community Involvement

The project was structured as an interactive experience for their community:

• The Process: The team altered a wood stave and added it to a batch of spirit to observe accelerated maturation.

• The Vote: Fans and Patreon subscribers voted on how to manage the whiskey and what to do with the finished liquid once the secondary maturation process was complete. [1]

• The Results: Full behind-the-scenes breakdowns, including tasting notes of the "Frankenstein" style aging experiment, were released as exclusive content for their audience

Mar 20, 2023

So we had some scheduling issues and computer issues. But we finally made it work. Old Glory Distilling out of Clarksville Tennessee, doing some cool stuff with bourbons and Tennessee Whiskey. Enjoy.Patreon.com/offtopicwhiskeyBadmotivatorbarrels.com/shop/?aff=3https://www.instagram.com/zsmithwhisk...Damn Fine Tennessee SpiritsAt Old Glory Distilling Co., we take pride in doing things the right way—every batch from scratch. From carefully selected grains to time-honored distillation methods, we’re crafting spirits worth raising a glass to.We distill everything on-site from Grain to Glory. From grinding and mashing to distilling, aging, and bottling, every step happens right here at our campus in Clarksville, TN. We’re proud to call Tennessee home, and that pride is poured into every bottle. Our grains are locally sourced, our process is hands-on, and our commitment to quality never wavers.Located in the heart of Clarksville, Tennessee, we’re more than just a distillery—we’re a destination. Whether you’re here for a guided distillery tour and tasting, enjoying a meal at our restaurant, or sipping cocktails in the Silo Park, we welcome you to experience the spirit of Old Glory.What Makes Tennessee Bourbon … Tennessee?Not all bourbon is Tennessee Bourbon. While all bourbon must be made in the U.S. and follow strict regulations—at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels, and distilled to specific proofs—Tennessee Bourbon takes it a step further.As a Tennessee distillery, we follow the Lincoln County Process, a signature step that sets Tennessee whiskey and bourbon apart. Before aging, the whiskey is slowly filtered through sugar maple charcoal, refining the spirit and giving it the smooth character Tennessee is known for.At Old Glory Distilling Co., we take this tradition seriously. Every batch is distilled, aged, and bottled right here in Clarksville, Tennessee, using locally sourced grains and time-honored methods. Because making bourbon the Tennessee way isn’t just a process—it’s a commitment to quality, and it’s one we don’t take lightly.

This is the redo of the live i did 9/8/26 With some amazing guests. Hope you enjoy if you were not there. Patreon.com/oftopicwhiskey

Andalusiawhiskey.com

Whiskeydelbac.com

Hrdspirits.com

Andalusia Whiskey Co produces fine handcrafted whiskeys in the Texas Hill Country - a scene reminiscent of the hills in the beautiful Andalucia, Spain. Each whiskey being “grain to glass,” we begin with a mash of the finest American grown malted grains. We then continue our production here in Blanco, Texas distilling each in our hand-crafted copper pot still. McCarthy's® OregonSingle Malt WhiskeyThe First American Single Malt. Blend old-world tradition with Oregon ingenuity and you get McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey. Over 25 years ago, founder Steve McCarthy returned from a trip to Ireland determined to make his own single malt. Not only did he succeed, but in doing so ignited the craft American Single Malt Revolution. This is passion and craft, an Oregon original. It was one of those cool desert nights in 2006 where Elaine and Stephen Paul sat outside on their patio, barbecuing over a mesquite fire and enjoying a glass of Scotch. Elaine had an idea — “What if you made single malt whiskey with ‘mesquited’ malt instead of peated malt?”‍Stephen couldn’t shake the concept. After all, he knew mesquite well. He and Elaine owned a furniture design company that specialized in mesquite. Well-known for the flavor it imparts to food that is cooked over it, mesquite is a beautifully grained wood native to the desert Southwest.Stephen began learning everything he could about how the Scots make their whiskies. While learning how to floor-malt barley, he began with the recipe for Classic, modeled after the unpeated style of Speyside Scotches. If he could nail down a clean-finishing American Single Malt Whiskey that rivaled Scotland’s finest, then he could take the recipe and put a Southwest spin on it — which is how our mesquited (not peated) Dorado was born.

So on the wake of the Big 200 I thought I would do a episode about esters. Or what your actually tasting in your whiskey (besides ethonol). Hope you enjoy. Be Blessed

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Esters are the primary chemical compounds responsible for the sweet, fruity, and floral flavors in whiskey.They are formed when an alcohol molecule bonds with an organic acid molecule—a chemical reaction known as esterification. While water and ethanol make up the vast majority of a bottle of whiskey, trace compounds like esters define its aromatic character and flavor profile.

Over 100 different esters can exist in a single whiskey. Their creation, concentration, and evolution span the entire production pipeline.

1. Common Esters and Their Flavors

Depending on the specific combination of alcohols and acids, different esters produce highly distinct sensory notes:

Ester Name

Associated Flavor ProfileNotes / Significance

Ethyl AcetateGreen apple, pear drops, or nail polish removerThe most common ester in whiskey; concentrations rise steadily as a marker of proper aging.Isoamyl AcetateBanana, circus peanutsHighly volatile and highly recognizable, giving strong top-note fruitiness.

Ethyl ButyratePineapple, tropical fruitsProvides a sweet, rich, exotic fruit punctuation.

Ethyl CaprylateApple, bright orchard fruitsContributes to the crisp fruitiness found in many light malt whiskies.

Formic Acid Ethyl EsterRum-like sweetnessAdds complex, deep spirit undertones.

2. How Esters Form During Production

Esters are not just introduced at one single stage; they are generated, modified, and refined during three distinct phases of making whiskey:

• Fermentation (The Source): This is where the bulk of raw esters are born. As yeast consumes sugars in the wort, it creates both ethanol and secondary organic acids. Yeast strains, lower fermentation temperatures, and longer, slower fermentation times allow more acids and alcohols to interact, building up a high-ester "wash".

• Distillation (The Refiner): The heat inside a copper pot still triggers Fischer-Speier Esterification, accelerating the bonding of lingering acids and alcohols in the rising vapor. Distillers manipulate ester profiles by choosing where to make their "cuts". Lighter, highly volatile fruity esters come over early in the hearts, while heavier, longer-chain fatty acid esters cross over later.

• Maturation (The Transformer): Inside the oak cask, whiskey undergoes a slow chemical evolution. The wood breathes in oxygen, oxidizing ethanol into acetic acid, which then bonds to create fresh esters. Concurrently, the spirit breaks down oak lignins, yielding compounds like ethyl syringate (which smells like fig tobacco) and ethyl ferulate (cinnamon). Meanwhile, some highly volatile esters escape through the wood staves over time, constantly shifting the aroma profile.

Still shape and the timing of the "cuts" are the primary mechanical tools a distiller uses to control which esters make it into the final bottle. While fermentation creates the raw esters, distillation determines their concentration, texture, and balance.

I got the chance to chat with Alan and Erik. And lets just say it was a education. And I can tell you it was what I needed. We talked the new release Wolfe & Wilson a colonial style rye whiskey. And we talked the industry and life, it was great. Hope you enjoy.

Stollandwolfe.com

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Drawn directly from a colonial-era booklet, this unique expression by two craft distillers with a love for the past showcases a genuine attempt to recreate early American distilling practices using documented historical recipes, heritage grains, and period-appropriate techniques. It is a true representation of a 250th anniversary whiskey.

Stoll & Wolfe, a storied craft distillery at the forefront of high-quality Pennsylvania rye whiskeys, is proud to announce Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, a unique collaboration between two masters of the distilling arts, Stoll & Wolfe head distiller Erik Wolfe and southern Indiana farmer distiller Alan Bishop (formerly of Spirits of French Lick). This whiskey is based upon an old colonial-era recipe and serves as a true testament to the journey of this noble spirit through America’s 250 years.

Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey draws its inspiration from a pamphlet written by Frederick Heinrich Gelwicks, an important piece of early American distilling lore from the late 1700s to early 1800s, documenting actual working recipes used by Pennsylvania distillers during that era. A recipe from that publication resulted in a whiskey with a unique grain combination of rye malt, wheat, rye, and oats, fermented with wild yeast and cheese culture, and aged in new American oak barrels at 105 proof.

“Collaborating on translating a nearly 300 century old recipe is a unique opportunity to explore the roots of our local distilling traditions by bringing this whiskey to life and allowing modern consumers to experience a spirit nearly lost to history,” said Erik Wolfe.

Wolfe and Bishop, sharing a fundamental distilling philosophy and ethos that values flavor over efficiency and also honors traditional production methods balanced against modern concerns, began collaboration on this whiskey back in 2023. The challenge for them was how to adapt for today’s distilling world a recipe of 1 bushel rye malt, 1 bushel wheat, 1 bushel rye, and 3 pecks of oats.

Sourcing heritage grains from Pennsylvania family farms, including the Kline farm that’s tied to Stoll & Wolfe, the two set out on an epic undertaking to recreate something few in the modern era would even consider. A testament to their combined creativity and fine attention to historical details, the expression is designed to give today’s whiskey drinker a glance at what was being enjoyed at the birth of a nation.

“Bringing the knowledge brought to Indiana by early PA Germans back East to PA is one of the highlights of my career,” said Alan Bishop. “That we stuck to the ideals of the colonial distillers while implementing modern technological advantages speaks to just how well versed in the art of distillation our forefathers were. To do such great work alongside Erik and Aviana is a rare opportunity!”

Wolfe & Wilson Straight Rye Whiskey, Batch 1, was aged a minimum of two years in new charred American oak before being bottled at 100 proof. The product name Wolfe & Wilson carries layered personal and historical significance, as “Wolfe” represents Erik’s surname (Wolfe), while “Wilson” is Alan’s mother’s maiden name.

Available at a price point of $80, only 1000 750 ml bottles of Batch 1 will be available starting July 4th through Stoll & Wolfe’s tasting room in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and online in the contiguous United States.

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