The Scotchy Bourbon Boys
The Scotchy Bourbon Boys love Whiskey and every thing about the industry! Martin "Super Nash", Jeff "Tiny", Rachel "Roxy" Karl "Whisky" and Chris "CT" all make up The Scotchy Bourbon Boys! Join us in talking everything and anything Whiskey, with the innovators, and distillers around the globe. Go behind the scenes of making great whiskey and learn how some of the best in the whiskey industry make their product! Remember good whiskey means great friends and good times! Go out and Live Your Life Dangerously!
The Scotchy Bourbon Boys
Unlocking Bourbon Secrets: Exclusive Barrel Picks, Buffalo Trace Old Charter Oak, and Kentucky Bourbon Festival Highlights
Ever wondered what makes a bourbon truly exceptional? Join us as we uncover the secrets behind some of the most anticipated barrel picks and limited releases in the bourbon world. From exclusive insights into Old Stubborn bourbon by Ed Bly to a special treat from Buffalo Trace's experimental collection, this episode promises to enhance your bourbon knowledge. We also dive into the history and craftsmanship of Buffalo Trace Distillery, celebrating its rich legacy and innovative spirit.
Get ready to feel the excitement as we gear up for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, a must-attend event for every bourbon lover. We’re planning an exhilarating trip to Bardstown, where we might just bump into industry legends like Sandy and Fred Noe. Don’t miss our discussion on the latest trends, including the soaring popularity of barrel-aged tequilas and the landgrab for limited releases. Plus, hear about our upcoming visit to J Mattingly's new distillery, where we might even record a live podcast!
But that’s not all – we celebrate the growth and camaraderie of our Scotchy Bourbon Boys community! Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and engage with fellow enthusiasts. From our latest merchandise like Glen Cairns and bourbon balls to our thriving Facebook group, there's always something exciting happening. Remember to subscribe, leave us a review, and join us for a spirited conversation that celebrates all things bourbon. Cheers!
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Hey Bryce, hey Terry, my new podcast If you have Ghosts, you have Everything available now, wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify, google Podcasts and Amazon.
Speaker 2:We'll be right back, all right.
Speaker 3:Welcome back to another podcast of the Scotchy Bourbon Boys. Tiny here tonight. I just saw that Ross Cornelison is watching and in the house. Welcome, ross. Also, terry Dant was here. I see, bryce Rowan, thanks for watching. I got to give a shout out to Bryce because he has been a part of the Scotchy Bourbon Boys almost from the beginning. As far as watching, he's gone through some health issues over the past couple years and it was good to see him back on Facebook fighting the good fight. We appreciate everything you do with us, bryce, so keep watching. And thank you for watching. And same thing, ross, thank you for watching.
Speaker 3:I'm going to be uh in bardstown on sunday. So, uh, I think I'm gonna be hanging out with uh sandy and fred no, hopefully uh having some lunch with them, but afterwards, uh in the evening on sunday evening, I think stacy I'm gonna see stacy, but we might be around that area. So if, if you're in town, maybe stop by, say hi. That would be great to see you, that's for sure. We're the Scotchy Bourbon Boys wwwscotchybourbonboyscom. For all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys. We've got Glen Cairns, the T-shirt that I'm wearing tonight. We've also got Scotchy Bourbon Balls.
Speaker 3:Me and my wife have been trying to get the newest batch out. They're going to be delicious because they've been soaking in pecans for about four. No, they started in, I want to say November. So what's that? December, january, february, march, april, may we're almost to June. That's six months. That's the longest we've soaked them yet.
Speaker 3:I'm excited for this next batch, all right, and then also, remember, we're on Facebook, instagram, youtube and X. Wherever you want to follow us, follow us. And then also we're on all the major podcast formats Apple, spotify, iheart all great places to listen, plus a bunch of other ones. But remember, like, listen, subscribe and leave good feedback. And if you can go to Apple and leave a good review, I would greatly appreciate that. But all right. So there we go. Now our newest sponsor, who? It's going to be official. I'll have it recorded for june 1st. So I got to work on that friday and saturday so that the next podcast on tuesday. I got it, but it is rosewood bourbon and it's like here's my, my. This is good, this is what I wrote myself to promote it and I'm going to put it on tape. But let me know what you think, hey, hey, scotchy Bourbon Boys.
Speaker 3:Tiny here to tell you all about Rosewood Bourbon and Rye the bourbon that implicated Andy Dufresne in a double homicide he did not commit in the classic movie Shawshank Redemption. Initially produced in California by General Distillers in the 1930s and originally called Lewis Hunter's Rosewood Bourbon called Lewis Hunter's Rosewood Bourbon. Master blender Jason Giles has brought back Rosewood to you by purchasing plus contract distilling barrels of bourbon in Kentucky and Indiana. Once they mature, he ships them to Texas where he ages them for at least another summer in the Longhorn heat. The Rosewood Contexian blend and the rosewood single barrels offer a unique bourbon and rye experience. Please drink responsibly and never drink and drive so jason giles.
Speaker 3:I hope you like that one, and I wrote that with uh he's got. Go to, um, uh, rosewood bourboncom. Check that out and then, if you're interested, go to the bourbon outfitter where all his bourbons are for sale uh, fantastic single barrels and his kintexian is fantastic folks, if you can get that blend, I strongly suggest it. I this is one of the reasons why I took uh jason on as a sponsor, because I loved what he was doing with the bourbon. I like the taste of it, uh, so go check it out. All right, so it's like. Also, just know that we are coming up on our next barrel pick. It is a lillian sinclair and uh, william dalton. Uh, out of the spirit of french Lick, going to be going down there for that pickup, so it will be available if anybody is interested in either one. The Lillian Sinclair was one of Alan Bishop's passion projects, plus, we dropped a French oak stave in it. It's going to be fantastic, folks. We got a chance to taste that barrel. I wanted that barrel. And then also the William Dalton is, uh, a little bit more on steroids than the last pick we did, and y'all love that. So the Elijah Craig barrel pick, which sold out very quick. Um, just know everybody that one uh is almost all delivered. I only think we've got like two more bottles. Barry Brinegar, who was able to pick up a bottle we still got to get it to him. So if you ever are listening, I know CT has it and we're going to be down there on Sunday and Monday running around so maybe we can get it to you, barry. That would be awesome, awesome. Look forward to our podcast and our lives. This coming up Monday because we are going down to Bardstown for a chicken cock barrel pick. Greg Schneider is going to be on it with us with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival and we are going to pick a fantastic barrel of chicken cock Plus. Afterwards we're going to head back up to J Mattingly and find out what's happening at their new place and hopefully be doing a live Facebook podcast right from the new distillery. So that's exciting, we are excited about that. So that's what's going to happen on Monday. Tuesday night.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking that if I can get enough of us, we all now have the old stubborn. The old stubborn is Ed Bly's or Blaze His just. He even tells me right on the podcast it's Ed Bly. He basically came out with his second batch, which is a high rye bourbon. The first one was a weeded, but it's spectacular. All the Scotchy Bourbon Boys have it and we'll give it a review.
Speaker 3:Coming up Tonight, we're going to review this special bottle. It's hard for me, honestly, folks, it really is hard for me to have to. What would you say? It's going to be hard for me to actually open this bottle, because this bottle is one of Buffalo Trace's special. Now I'm going to give you a little quick. Since we're doing this, I'm going to give you a quick rundown. I got Michael Jackson's Whiskey, the Definitive World Guide Scotch Bourbon Whiskey. This is a new edition that they put out, but this actual edition is a little bit out of date, so it was from 2018. But the history's still you know what there, but they've really come up but also the experimental collection, so I've got a little bit here.
Speaker 3:Stony point, an elegant limestone mansion, overlooks the whiskey landscape of buffalo trace distillery, formerly known as ancient age. The distillery site is located at an ancient buffalo crossing where the animals ford the Kentucky River. It was part of the Great Buffalo Trace, a pathway or trail carved out by the buffalo as they thundered from Salt Lake to Salt Lake. The present distillery site became a settlement in 1775 when Hancock and Willis Lee set up camp here. The Lee Town settlement eventually became an established stopping place for travelers and by 1790 was home for a thriving population. The first modern distillery was built on the Buffalo Trace site in 1857 and was the earliest to incorporate steam power into the production of bourbon whiskey. Colonel eh taylor jr, one of kentucky's original bourbon aristocrats, bought the distillery in 1886 and introduced a number of innovations, including the first use of steam pipes to heat a warehouse in the winter. The buffalo tray site encompasses 110 acres, 270 hectares and 110 buildings, representing three centuries of american history and 200 years of productions.
Speaker 3:So, uh, we'll go through, uh, the experimental collection. That gives you a nice history. I mean, then there was, if you really want to get down to it, george T Stagg worked with EH Taylor but then bought him. There was a fire and then Taylor rebuilt, bought him out, and then Stagg bought him out and then he was the master distiller there and then he was the master distiller until, and then he was the master distiller till, uh, colonel blanton was there and then elmer t lee took over and now harlan wheatley is the master distiller right now for buffalo trace, but the experimental collection. Buffalo trace has a small still where it has, for some years now, experimented with different mash bills and has dedicated a special warehouse for experiments with charring and toasting oaks and different types of wood. There are more than 5,000 experimental barrels currently on site. In the recent years, a select few of them have been bottled under the experimental collection moniker. Many of them are of great age and offer a fascinating insight into the bourbon-making process.
Speaker 3:So what's really cool is that Old Charter, which is distilled, aged and bottled on the Buffalo Trace Sazerac distillery, is one of those, and this bottle is freaking awesome. So I don't know how this gets out. It's something that you wouldn't, that I wasn't, what would you say, I wasn't expecting. You know, it's kind of like when you go, I'm kind of watching this, not a lot of people. So let's flip over to. I'm going to flip over to this live chat. Okay, I would love to watch this stream, but I am 14 months over, that is what, and hey, yeah, so I'm going to flip over to and watch the. Let's see, I'm going to turn it still down. I'll watch the YouTube for a little bit, right? So this is an awesome bottle. I wasn't expecting it. I go in and this is not something that a lot of people expected or know about. Because this is not something that a lot of people expected or know about, because this is, uh, when it comes to what this, this brand, is, they just don't realize it's buffalo trace. Uh, it is released. Not a lot there's been. Uh, I've got this. Um, I'll read this on the back.
Speaker 3:In 1874, adam Adam and Ben Chepese created the now famous Old Charter Whiskey brand, named in honor of arguably the most well-known white oak tree in America. Old Charter Oak symbolizes the pivotal role that oak barrels play in making of a great whiskey. That oak barrels play in making of a great whiskey. Old Charter Oak reveals the hidden flavors in a wide array of oaks as they influence this diverse collection of bourbon whiskeys Aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery. This bourbon whiskey is rich and sweet, drawing its character from barrels made of French oak, an oak that has long been used for aging the world's finest wine. The lighter grain of French oak impacts more subtle flavors and a silkier texture than its American counterpart Harvested from the forests of France. This oak was seasoned outdoors before the wood was made into barrels that aged this unique whiskey that honors its French origins. Enjoy this tribute to French oak and raise a glass to its storied journey from forest to barrel to bourbon. This is a very, and so the bottle is. You know, the 705 says charter oak, but it's got this wood medallion of an oak tree on the front of it. And then this is the French oak version.
Speaker 3:Now I'm going to share screen. A lot of you that are listening to the audio. That's not something that you know that you won't see this, but I will do some reading based off the share screen. But we'll hit this up. Share. It's right there, right off the Buffalo Trace. There, it is right off their website. This should be be. I'm looking, I get to see that share screen. You on everybody on YouTube. You cannot see that, but I'm gonna flip back over and go to Facebook and so this should be able to be seen on Facebook. Jamie's watching. Hey, jamie, good to see you. Let's see what. Let's see if it actually there it is. You guys can see it. Uh, it's up there, let me see. Do I gotta actually? No, that has nothing to do with it all. Right, here we go. So, uh, the, the.
Speaker 3:There are other versions of this. There's a Chinquapin oak, a Mangolian oak, a Canadian oak and then just regular old charter, which has nothing to do with this because the bottle is completely different. But then I also did, I believe I also saw a Canadian and then this is the French oak that I got when I was able to get. So it's really kind of cool because it's aged. It's it says on the bottle um kentucky straight bourbon. No age statement on the bottle, but it's aged 12 years at buffalo trace distillery.
Speaker 3:This bourbon is rich and sweet, drawing its character from barrels made of french oak, an oak that has long been used for aging the world's finest wine. The tighter grain of french oak impacts more subtle flavors and a silkier texture than its american counterpart harvested from the forests of french okay. So it looks like um the story journey of from the fourth. Yeah, that that's what was on the back of the bottle. But the tasting notes for the French oak describe it as having a nose of vanilla with hints of apricot, cherry and rose petal. The palate is thick and creamy maple syrup and the oak flavor comes through A long finish of chocolate and toasted oak rounded out. I mean, it's like when you go online. The secondary is anywhere I mean be it's like you look and it's between 900 and 200 a bottle.
Speaker 3:I was able to pick this up in the state of ohio on this release for 69.99, so $74 with tax. Not a bad bottle, that's for sure. Very cool. I'm excited. Was not expecting this because this isn't something that gets released, but the state of Ohio has been on fire. We have been able to get some bourbons that have not been able to be gotten and this one is an LTO and wasn't allocated, so it's even crazier. I mean, there was a select few stores that got cases around the state and my store just happened to be one. But I got it. It was out and when I got in there was still four bottles left and honestly, folks, people didn't know what this was. They didn't realize it was a Buffalo Trace product. It's not something that is advertised or you see a lot in A lot of times this kind of stuff gets released just at the distillery. I mean, you see these bottles in people who have huge bourbon collections that were able to pick it up whatever way they were able to pick it up, not just walk into the liquor store, pay MSRP. So that was a really good Wednesday for me. I would have to say, really kind of cool.
Speaker 3:I'll go back to stop sharing's go. Yep, there we are. We'll go back to share view. Let me get this up full screen. There we go, um, so let's, let's open this baby. Uh, that's what bourbon's for. Honestly, with all my being this one, if I put put up bottles I would put this up, but I gotta taste it. I've never had it. I've never had it at a bar. I mean, when it comes to the other stuff from, I've had pretty much. I've had buffalo trays, uh, products like pappy, uh, 24, 20, I mean I've had them all, uh, and tasted them all one way or another, but I never tasted this. So I think, rock hill farms when I was with walker a while ago, um, you know, in I think it was, yeah, like in beginning of march, I was with walker and, uh, when we did the barrel pick, um came down and we oh, no actually it's the first time I was with walker that that must have sounded horrible on on youtube.
Speaker 3:But I picked it up and it's going back up there. I didn't even do anything, and so here we go again. Am I gonna? I gotta figure out if I I should have a screwdriver or something, because this, this, uh seal, this plastic seal is a good one. Uh, I see it here. There we go. The teeth, the teeth worked. Folks, I was able to get that baby started. It's got like a tailor. Now that's weird. The whole thing didn't come off and I really want it to. Let's see there it is. Let's see if I can get it off that way. I'm sure there was an opening that I just don't see. Hey, hello, walter, walter, good to see you. Haven't, kevin, gotten down there in a while? But I definitely want to get down there and see you soon. This plastic off, this one, you know it's so funny because the plastic is like not cooperating. Yep, there we go, got that off, and then you got this uh tax seal, so I'll hit that this is it gonna open it.
Speaker 3:Oh, that textile broke this. Let's see what kind of cork it has. Oh, good one. That's a. That is a real cork. So real cork for this. This is uh charter. Uh, this is old charter oak, french oak.
Speaker 3:So I'm, I popped it. I'm telling you what I smelled right off the bat is crazy. Good, uh, right off the bat. Yeah, I got to come visit soon for sure. I miss you guys. Hannah and Kelly definitely got to get down there. See, I haven't seen you in a while either. I've seen your brother a couple times, but then I'm going to.
Speaker 3:I did the. That wasn't even a shake up. Let me, let's shake it up because I let the. All right there, we go Get rid of that barrel pick or the next thing. So I've got a Buffalo Trace Distillery. Eh, taylor glass. I'm going to put that in in respect. All right, taylor glass. I'm gonna put that in in respect. All right, all right.
Speaker 3:So I got a decent pour out of this. I mean, I just when I saw this, I didn't know what to do with it. I knew I had to buy it. I'm on a. Lately I've been on a restriction. Restriction is the least amount of the way to put it of buying bourbon, because I have enough. I could do another 20 podcasts, 30 podcasts and still not run out of bottles to podcast about, plus what people send me. So, based off that, but then so I haven't been buying a lot this year. But when we go to Kentucky Bourbon Festival I plan to, or I'm going to plan to go, when we go down on Sunday, ct and I you know, and then Monday, maybe Monday on my way home, we'll hit Whiskey Thief and see you, walter.
Speaker 3:But the no nose on this. It's got a nice floral I smell. I actually can say I do. It's, it's smell. There's, there's apricot and I do smell the rose petal. Honestly, that is actually there. That's like a floral and it does have a rose-ish it's not completely rose the bitterness of it, it's like a sweet, but it still has that essence of the rose. So let's give it a taste.
Speaker 3:I'm going to barrel, bash it. So I have to. That's a shock. I believe it's 94 proof. Um, not you know as far as what it is. Um, I'm gonna barrel, bash it. I taste the, the french oak. It's not toasted, but I could get that, that. So I've been to buffalo trace many times, usually afterwards I go visit walter.
Speaker 3:All right, you're going to be at the festival. Are you going to be thieving a barrel at the kentucky bourbon festival? Because that would be fantastic. I know you guys were able to do that at Bourbon on the Banks. But you know, just one of my favorite things to do is be a whiskey thief, and you guys, that's your favorite thing. Obviously, that's the whole marketplace. So that's interesting. We will definitely be at the festival also. But if you guys are there, um, they have that cigar line lounge and I'm looking forward to that immensely.
Speaker 3:Hey, justin, good to see you, uh. So we've had ross, uh, master distiller. We've had walter sausch, uh, owner of, uh, whiskey thief. Uh, ross carnellison's been here, master distiller of barton 1792, and we got justin whaley, head distiller at the spirit of french lick, one of our sponsors. So I mean tonight's uh. And we had greg schneider also, uh, master distiller of chicken cock whiskey. So tonight's been a who's who in the distilling industry. So, but we'll get back to this. Uh, old charter french oak now.
Speaker 3:Um, now that I've had it, now I have to say it's called old charter oak. There's a ton of vanilla and I do also get cherry a little peppery, um, it's drinking a little hotter than the 94 proof. Maybe I want to say a cross between black pepper and a little bit of cinnamon. But if the pepper is like on the front part or the mid palate and it is, oh, I mean I have my readers. Why am I doing this? I will make sure 46, 92 proof it drinks hotter than 92 proof, um. But when I go to buffalo trace and I'm in that uh area where they talk about all the experimental wood projects that they're doing, I've always imagined of how can I get one? I see those bottles out there Of some of them when they're typed out. It's like this is experimental and I know people that haven't gotten samples of that. We're not big enough to do that yet, but I'm hoping to be. Yes, dare to dream. This should be.
Speaker 3:I'm excited About this year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Let's just break here before I barrel bash this and talk about the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Randy Prass is going to be on coming up sometime. I want to say he usually late July, early August to talk about the festival. It usually sells out about that time.
Speaker 3:You need to go to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival website and buy your tickets. It's a three-day pass or a single day pass on Sunday, but for for the price of what you pay, you get 62 distilleries, including uh Whiskey Thief. I did not know that. Um, I'm very excited with that announcement, uh that walter said that they're going to be there, because that's one of my favorite places to go when I go down to kentucky. Uh, walter and uh kelly, their distiller, and uh hannah make us feel like we're amongst family, so we love that. But uh, make sure that that those three-day are. It's like you get to taste from 62 different distilleries, plus shop at all the bourbon booths where people have bourbon merchandise. It is an amazing event. The VIP is cool, but you don't needip to feel like a vip.
Speaker 3:Uh you, there is so much to do. There's going to be the cigar. They've they've got an upstairs cigar lounge this year. Their store is being expanded. Uh. They've got uh the area where they have all the crafts and all the people selling their wares. They've got the uh the craft distillery area and then they've got the major distillery area and all of them are releasing all along. Plus, they've got a food court, uh, with food trucks that are going to be off. Uh, you know off that just keeps getting bigger and better. Uh, this it's not the. The space is being utilized unbelievably compared to what I had, what I saw in 2019 and went down to which I had a blast and loved, but what randy has done to evolve this festival into, in my opinion, the premier whiskey festival in the world.
Speaker 3:You can't get it, but you, when you go to bardstown and you get this festival, you get, uh, bourbon in the air the night when all the uh master distillers are there pouring, and then, uh, you get all the craft distillers, the owners of the craft distilleries. You get everything. So, go to wwwkybourbonfestivalcom and get your tickets, because we're going to be there. 62 Distilleries are going to be there. Other podcasts are going to be there.
Speaker 3:It's going to be a party and actually I'm one week away that weekend a party, and uh, actually I'm one week away that weekend. Uh, normally it's on the third week, but it's on the second weekend, so it is, I believe, uh, 13th, 14th and 15th. It's kicks off on the thursday, the september 12th, with bourbon in the air and then goes. It goes 13th, 14th and 15th Three days of spectacular. You get enough. They've got talks by distillers, they've got stages, they've got music, they pretty much have it all. And when you leave, plus, they have everybody. I mean people that come down there and the people, all the groups come down. It is just a great party. It lasts from noon to 6, and then you go out into the town of Bardstown. There's so much to do, so there we go.
Speaker 3:I gave Kentucky Bourbon Festival a plug and then let's, uh, let's get back and we'll barrel bash this. I'm gonna. I'm not even paying attention to that part. Okay, we're doing good, we'll barrel bash this. I'm not even paying attention to that part. Okay, we're doing good, we'll barrel bash this.
Speaker 3:Old Charter Oak, french Oak expression from Buffalo Trace. All right, at 92 proof. Ah, I mean, who doesn't like smelling? I would say there's an apricot or almost a, a melon kind of nose, but I do smell the florals of rose a lot of times. I'm not happy with uh, a rose, uh nose. But I am here because's like, if you smell a bouquet of roses, great bourbon for for, uh, giving your wife to start off. I mean, I think they would, that they would love it. It's 92 proof. Women a lot of times like higher proofs. That's what I find in my tastings. So, oh, sandy and Chris, okay, all right.
Speaker 3:So here we go, I'm gonna give you the barrel bashing. Uh, our rating system, uh, it's, it's evolved, but here we go. The barrel. The scotchy bourbon boys barrel bashing rating system is uh, we rate the nose, we rate the body, we rate the taste and we rate the finish. Uh, the, the nose and the body, uh, you can give up to four points the taste and the finish. You can give a total of five points each. And if you like something and make it and think it's exceptional in the whiskey drinking area, you can give it a but up up. That is something that we came. So you can get a total of, if I'm not mistaken, 19 of 18 on a perfect bourbon, because they all get the top scores, plus a but up up, all right.
Speaker 3:So this Charter Oak, french Oak, if you like, an oaky flavored not too much wood, but to have the flavor of the wood be prevalent and the flavor, you're going to like this. So, the nose with the rose. Out of four, I'm going to give the rose a three. Then it's like I've been watching Alan do some and been at some craft distilleries where there's been barrel hoop and barrel making demonstrations. So my French oak barrel here needs to have the hoops tightened on them. So that's coming up. That was a three, and then we'll go to the body. The body roof your mouth, under your tongue and it goes out. So, on the body, you could give it a four. I'm also going to give this body a three now.
Speaker 3:Uh, today, at 8 30, what? That is just weird. It is 909. So I don't know what that's about. Now, as far as taste, I could give this up to five. I do like the taste of this.
Speaker 3:This is a really, really good, complex whiskey. Um, no, overpowering, not too sweet, um, experimental wood. Let's see. It's funny because old tub has very similar taste to this. This just has a little bit more what would you say, body or a little bit more complexity now.
Speaker 3:Now, when I'm looking, this is what I would expect. I've never tasted a bourbon quite like this. It's got the oaky flavor, it's 12 years old, it drinks like a 12-year, like I said, and uh, with a subscriber for a year for old charter canadian oak. I, I've not had the canadian, I've just had the french. I just got this yesterday. Uh, that's sandy and chris. Uh, and honestly, this is uh. When it comes to uh, wood, it's exactly. It's an experimental series and they experiment with wood. So it is exactly what I would think it should be. They're experimenting with different wood.
Speaker 3:Um, as the dominant flavors, the caramel's not dominant. There's a little bit of vanilla, I taste a little bit of cherry, but then it goes to that French oak which I do like. Definitely. When you drop a French oak stave in it and what it adds, I can taste that, but that's prevalent, really like an oak forward. Um, that, that. Um, those wood mature wood sugars. Um, I think you would like this. Um, the char is a good char. There's no doubt about it. There's some char to it.
Speaker 3:Um, on the flavor, I'm going to give it a four, four on the barrel bash. So right now we're at 10 out of 13. The finish is long for a 92 proof, but the 12 year really comes through on the finish. It's a sip in whiskey, there's no doubt. Share with friends. I will not say it's over-oaked, it's perfectly oaked is my opinion. And where that comes through is on the finish. This doesn't stop. I honestly think I will have this tonight and when I go upstairs I will still have the finish. It has a nice hug. It's everything that bourbon should be.
Speaker 3:So, on this, on the, the finish, I give it a 5, which then takes us to 15 of 18, is what I give charter, old charter, oak, french oak, a 15 out of 18, which is decent. I mean honestly, uh, this bottle is pretty cool. I mean, I love it there. It is right there for everybody to see. Uh, if you get a chance, I would definitely say uh and you buy it. It's well worth a 70 bottle. I you know it's not something you pass up for $70. I don't know if I pay secondary $400, $300. Knowing what I just had and what I got, that was pretty good. That's what I'm sipping tonight.
Speaker 3:I thought it was very smooth, good sweetness in the front. Yeah, it reminds me a little bit of elmer t lee, but with a way more body. Um it it. You know that 92 from, I believe elmer t lee is 84. It's either 84 or 86. Proof that extra proof is available is right there. The hug on this is fantastic. It would be. I do get a little bit of spice and pepper that then turns more into like a cinnamon, but I'm still getting the. It's a finish of. You know, the finish is the strong point of this bourbon, and what else would you think, when it comes to a special wood finishing series, that they're doing these experimental barrels 5,000. Back in 2018, I think there's a lot more there. So, hats off to Buffalo Trace on this one. Hats off to the state of Ohio getting this to the people on the shelf. That was a really cool week.
Speaker 3:So that brings us to the other part that we're going to cover um, is bourbon still hot right now? Is it the hot commodity? I know that everybody knows all along tequila hell, not tequila but vodka always holds its own. I mean, vodka is vodka. I mean, it's just for people who want to drink, um, something that doesn't taste like it. Now, yeah, great. Oh, what did you send me? I just got an email saying, um, I do not. That is just the weirdest thing anyways. So so it's.
Speaker 3:We were getting. You know, has bourbon cooled down or is it hot right now? That is the question, and it's so funny. I wish I could go back and start talking about before. Just two seconds ago, I had a train of thought. I would say that what is on the shelf?
Speaker 3:Some of the things I think bourbon is still hot. There's no doubt that it's hot, especially here in the state of Ohio. Oh, we were talking about vodka, just holding its own the whole time. And then what's been coming on is tequila. Uh, barrel aged tequila, they're aged in bourbon. Barrels tequila aged in four roses, barrels tequila aged, you know, mez met, mezcal and anejo. Uh, those are those. Things are coming on, there's no doubt about it. And uh, trading, unfortunately it's up and down, but trading unfortunately, um, it is. I think what's happened to the market is that it's still hot, but the demand meeting the demand is happening. That is one thing. That's cool. But if you are a very sought-after brand, let's just take Buffalo Trace. I think it's hotter than ever. I think that's not a problem. When it comes to Jim Beam, it's still hotter than ever.
Speaker 3:People are buying their main bourbon and it's funny because Jim Beam always produces a massive amount of just Jim Beam. That is something that is fantastic. But their small batches, the Bookers, the Bakers, the Knob Creeks, the Basil Haydens and some of the other stuff, the Jim Beam Black, the Double Oak, devil's Cut, those all are moving and their small batches are just what they've done with Baker's 13 and Baker's and what they've done with Booker's, with the different batches, that's all on fire. I used to, even during probably about a year ago, I could walk into the store on a Booker's release and still, at the end of the day or the next day, pick it up. That's not the case, no more. I got to get it. You got to be in line on a Saturday and you got to pick it up, otherwise it will be gone. Now there's a couple batches that it seemed like we got a little bit more Now. Yes, the higher prices, but some of the bourbons, for instance Booker's, it's not a higher price. Well, I guess it is Picking it up. It used to be a hundred bucks or something. Yes, some of the stuff is higher, but overall, in my opinion, now I myself seem to be mirroring this, but I'm saving for specific, like this weekend.
Speaker 3:I'm going to be going down to Bardstown. I'm going to be looking for the Little Book, chapter 8, which just got released. I'm going to be going over to the Jim Beam Distillery. I should be able to pick that, hopefully pick that up. And then I'm also going to be looking for, I believe, blood Oath. I'll stop off at Lux Row to pick up the Blood Oath, the newest pack. They let that out of there. If I don't get it now, I'm sure I'll be able to, like usual, pick it up at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.
Speaker 3:But I think all the small batches and the limited releases are hotter than ever, like, for instance, the Buffalo Trace. All the Buffalo Trace stuff that's been hitting in the state of Ohio throughout the last year has just been spectacular. People are getting it, and so what they're doing is to meet this massive demand that was there that wasn't being met. The main distillers are now able to produce more of what's out there, but they're getting it to more people that couldn't get it before, like all the flippers were getting it or whatever, but now everybody's getting it, which is causing the industry to actually if let's just say you couldn't get Weller Full Proof, but Penelope was on the, you know. So I think some of the craft distilleries or the blenders, if they're not doing the proper amount of marketing, they are feeling this crunch. People are not how much they can buy, but with their money that they still can spend. The main distillers are meeting the demand now so that they can spend their money on that, and so when it comes to the market, especially here in Ohio, because we're getting so much more product and more people are getting it, which means that the market gets bigger, because they're starting to get it what they couldn't get before. Now it's not like they can get 10 bottles of it, they're getting one or two bottles of it or two bottles of it.
Speaker 3:Um, but one thing that I've seen is the weller uh special reserve, their regular brand of weller uh, which people refer to as the green weller green. Um, I've noticed that has it sells, don't get me wrong, but it doesn't sell out right away. It moves, it's good, but, um, it's not like, uh, antique 107 or foolproof or 12 year. Um, those all you'll never. You don't see them, except for their release day. So, um, the first time I had bookers was march 2005. It was 60. Msrp meyer had an abundance of rock hill farm at 55.
Speaker 3:Okay, times have really changed due to the tight, yeah, um, there's two things with the times yes, the the massive demand and, uh, the costs of doing business have gone up completely in this country. But at the same time, how you spend your dollar, you might be a little bit more. So what you've wanted for a while and haven't been able to get and you've been spending your dollar on other stuff. All of a sudden you're able to get it. So you're spending your dollar on the stuff you couldn't get, which is fantastic because it's not like you could get a lot of it, but you can get it and that is just really good marketing.
Speaker 3:So my opinion, any any distillery that is marketing properly, working like just let's here in ohio you work with the state of ohio to come in, you're gonna sell your stuff people want. It's like when you walk into the liquor store there's so much to choose from when it comes to bourbon and whiskey irish whiskey, scotches you're gonna buy. If you met the master distiller like, let's just say, greg schneider comes up and he's selling chicken cock and you met him. And then you're trying to figure out what to buy and he's selling chicken cock and you met him. And then you're trying to figure out what to buy and there's another, let's say another brand right next to it that you've never met the person doing the marketing or the master distiller and you've only been. You know, you just kind of had you're going to buy the bottle where you met the master distiller and that is the marketing, the boots on the ground, that is working right now for the industry.
Speaker 3:It's not that the industry is cooling off. It's. People are watching where they spend their dollar. They're still buying, but they're spending their dollar different way, more responsibly. So I see how hot this market is when it comes to stuff that you can't get, that you can start to get now. So I don't believe it's cooling off. The overall market might be plateauing. It's not going backwards, but when it comes to the stuff that you weren't able to get, that they're starting to meet the supply and demand. It's hurting the smaller, the craft distillers that aren't doing all the stuff it needs. They need to do um, and that's what I'm seeing. So how I spend my money, that's also another way. It's just kind of like how it goes. So my consensus is before you could open up, you could be a blender and you just could open it up and no problem. But if you're a place that isn't distilling and you're blending, or you're contract distilling and you're trying to maybe sell your brand, that is not the same as it was even six, eight months ago. People aren't looking. They're going to see what happens with this market.
Speaker 3:Uh, the amount of people that have, uh, built new distilleries in the state of kentucky alone. Uh, here in ohio, um, you've got uh, middle west. Uh, ryan uh is a great owner has built this massive distillery. He's contract distilling. Plus, he's also making his own stuff and it has come online. You've got Denny and Jane down in Kentucky doing their thing. You've got what is it? The Kentucky Whiskey House, which is just going to be opening real soon contract distilling. And then you've got, you know, bardstown came on. They went to Green. They bought the Green River. It's just amazing. You've also got the people who used to own Green River opening up a distillery. You've got a distillery a little bit south of Bardstown opening up. You've got the Bluegrass distillery. They're getting close to opening up.
Speaker 3:I mean the amount of distilleries going up and they don't just put in a pot. Still it's not like where Limestone Branch was make a barrel a day. They're putting the ability to make between 250 to 1500 barrels a day. Um, they're building rick houses at. You know, there's gonna be a point where we have a lot and lot of uh, you know, whiskey. But we're not to that point. So I just want to throw that out there.
Speaker 3:I think it's still a hot commodity if you do it right. Uh, you got to be doing it right. It's not like you just can start it up and just do it. You have to get to the liquor stores, sell your brand, have the people who make it believe in your brand, and it has to taste good. But I have not tasted a lot of bad bourbon lately, compared to when I first started. There was some stuff out there that just wasn't as good. But what? What's happening now? Um, you know, and then even in indiana I mean, we just put in old homestead just went on has come up online with alan bishop, the, the amount of good spirits going out there is still there and uh, it's.
Speaker 3:It's a wonderful time to be involved in bourbon because I think, especially if you're a newbie getting in, you're going to be able to get some stuff that you weren't able to get before. They've always been upping the production. We're just starting to see that. But then all the new things Buffalo Trace put in a double still. They've got so many stills running there I don't even know what's going on.
Speaker 3:Right, right, walter, I agree, the people, the people who are out there. You have to have a marketing plan. You have to have the right people, you have to have distribution and you've got to be to survive in this market. And if you don't have that, like I said six, eight months ago, you could start. And it was selling A lot of stuff sold itself.
Speaker 3:But what I saw is that not only where the liquor stores are taxed is there's so many different brands they can't carry them all, so to get on the shelf is starting to be competition. But also, once you're on the shelf, if nobody knows and you haven't done anything, like just the state of Ohio, you haven't come here and you haven't put yourself out there so people can meet you when they're trying to make a decision. It's a really easy decision because the people who came up here uh, we, you know michael and danny came up here. Uh, from penelope, it's an easy buy. Um, it's uh, you know, when it comes to greg schneider, he's been here easy buy. So those are each shelf buys, because I know the people, but they and I've been around them and traveled with them. I mean it's the same thing what Jim Beam does and what Fred and Freddie Noe do. I mean Freddie Noe's been up here. Bruce from Wild Turkey, bruce Russell, he's been up here. That's the grandson of Jimmy, so they're doing the legwork to keep their stuff on the shelf. But also, for you to know, and locally a lot of people have been doing a lot of stuff too. So, uh, I guess that's what you know, that's what we got, but, like walter says, it's not easy. Uh, they're.
Speaker 3:I think, uh, whiskey thieves's marketing plan is spectacular as they go out and they start to put some stuff on the shelf. That's really good, especially since they've been at the festivals and being at the festivals and knowing to get people to see what they're doing, you've got to get there. I mean, it's like every day, no matter what you go there. And I believe it's $25 for the tour and barrel pick. That's insane. That's an insane thing. I mean there's five up to ten barrels that you can choose from. You can bottle your own if you want to buy it, but that tour gets you to taste those barrels. It's a barrel picking experience which you know is a special thing. And calling themselves whiskey thief was genius. Uh, great marketing. And not only do they just call themselves, they are, they are it. So, um, it's at three boy farms. Uh, right, 15 minutes, or 10 to 15 minutes from buffalo trace. So if you're in the buffalo trace area, you got to stop off at whiskey thief, uh, walter and the, the team he's assembled there. They are phenomenal uh, when you go there you feel like you're just like everything in kentucky, that it's like your home. So, all all right, there we go.
Speaker 3:The last thing I want to do is talk about the open dash. So it's open-beescom. It's a raffle. The raffle is going on. It's a bourbon raffle 75 different bourbons. We are talking top-of-the-line bourbons. We are talking top of the line bourbon stuff. That, uh, I, I got to see the collection. You're talking pappies, uh, the full collection there. And then you're talking about a couple you know duplicates of the collection and you're talking about the full antique collection, uh, for buffalo trace. And then you're also talking about you know that with the george t stag, the sazerac, um the, I believe uh, eagle, rare 17, I mean the, that that is there. But then you've got um, stag, uh, really bunch of, I mean what's available and what.
Speaker 3:What Christy has amassed for this raffle is amazing. And you got to go to open-beescom. Go there, you'll see the second bourbon raffle for charity and what she's done for kids with learning disabilities that can't get the help they need. She basically uses this bourbon raffle to raise the money so that she can help those kids and those families that are struggling. Sometimes the kids are on the border of genius.
Speaker 3:So this one, specifically this, this go to this. This is legitimate. She did it last year. All the bottles got delivered. If somebody was dissatisfied, she made sure that they were happy. But I don't see how you're dissatisfied. You're helping kids. Just the cause alone is worth the donation. But then you have a chance at a phenomenal bottle that you might never get in this bourbon raffle. So she wants to be finished up by Father's Day. She needs to sell a certain amount of tickets. She's getting close.
Speaker 3:So go to open-beescom and sign up and buy your raffle tickets for this great cause. All right, so there we go. What was the last thing? Uh, how, supporting charleston, I mean now supporting charities. Yes, go check it out. Um, check that out. Christy mcginnis uh, mad, she is a fantastic person. I got a chance to meet her last year. We've become friends and I can not say enough. There is when you go there or you're on my. If you're on my, if you go to our Scotchy Bourbon Boys YouTube. You can watch the video on all the good that they've done, but overall, you know, watch the video on all the good that they've done, but overall, check that out, get your raffle tickets and we'll go from there. All right, tiny here, finishing up.
Speaker 3:Great podcast tonight. Really enjoyed it. Had a lot of people on supporting us and, like, always appreciate doing this. Remember wwwscotchiebourbonboyscom for all things Scotchie Bourbon Boys, and then also Twitter, facebook, instagram and YouTube. Follow us there. Our Facebook group is about 1,400. Ask to join. That's the best link into us. Everybody there is always talking bourbon, talking about our events, talking about our barrel pigs, talking about everything. So join that Facebook group, the Scotchy Bourbon Boys. Check us out on YouTube. That is all. We're all over that. We're live there tonight along with the Facebook. And then also remember to listen to us on Apple, iheart, spotify, all those major podcast formats and no matter what. Like listen, subscribe, leave good feedback and comment. And then also make sure that you give us a review on the Apple. If you listen on Apple, please give us a good review. That's how we get more viewers. Um, and then remember, good bourbon equals good friends and good times. Drink responsibly, don't drink and drive, and make sure that you live your life. Dangerously little steve-o's gonna take us out.
Speaker 2:Oh, show me the way to the next whiskey bar. Oh, don't ask why. Oh don't ask why. Show me the way to the next whiskey bar. Oh don't ask why. Oh don't ask why. For if we don't find the next whiskey bar, I tell you we must die, all right.
