Blind Tasting Podcast

How much of what we believe about whiskey is actually history, and how much is just good marketing?  Today, I'm hanging out with Jon from BarRoom Knowledge, a guy who loves digging into the history, stories, and facts behind the booze we drink. We're talking whiskey myths, questionable origin stories, social media misinformation, and why some whiskey opinions can get people awfully worke...

Whiskey Freaks, does ice ruin your whiskey? I asked the question, you all had plenty to say, and the ladies had some pretty amazing answers of their own. And we’re finally settling the long-running Team Neat vs. Team Ice debate once and for all. What really happens when you add ice to your whiskey? Let’s find out. Cheers! Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lie...

This episode’s got new releases from Angel’s Envy, Remus, StilL 630, a little trip back to 1996 with Woodford Reserve, and a whiskey experiment that’s literally going out of this world. Yep, we’re talkin’ SCIENCE!!! Plus, I’ve got a contest you won’t want to miss, and I’m sharing a little personal experience with one that actually paid off for me. Plus, if you ask nicely I might tell you where the...

I sat down with Dave and Doug from StilL 630 distillery in St. Louis, and these guys gave me a hell of a lot to talk about. We get into the story behind award winning Due Process bourbon, their American 250th Birthday Bourbon series, taking on the big boys (and beating them), and why StilL 630 is still a hidden gem in its own city. Brutally honest talk about building a small distillery, the mistak...

The St. Louis Bourbon & Cocktail Festival is back October 9th, and this thing is BIG. I sat down with Andrew Chostner, co-founder of the St. Louis Bourbon Society to get the inside scoop on what folks can expect this year, from 86 vendors and more than 600 samples to cocktail competitions, VIP lounges, exclusive single-barrel picks, cigars, live music, charity, and the spooky atmosphere around...

I usually don't let the bourbon world's drama bother me. But this post about Heaven Hill hit a nerve, and I couldn't just keep scrolling.  Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast   H...

Buffalo Trace gets into the RTD game, MGP finally steps out of the shadows with its own bourbon, and Pappy season is officially upon us. Plus, I’ve got an update on that Trails End 10-year bourbon, a little Heaven Hill tour controversy that gets me fired up, and a giveaway for my loyal Whiskey Freaks. We’re talkin’ bourbon news, transparency, distillery tours, and why you might want to think twice...

Same mash bill. Same family legacy. Different barrels. Different releases. In this episode, I put two McBrayer bourbons to the test as The Judge and their 250th Anniversary release go head-to-head in a blind bourbon battle. Which one will come out on top? Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLN...

Sazerac is making moves again, because...duh. Somebody made a decision involving nonalcoholic beer that I simply cannot understand, and one major whiskey brand has me questioning whether their marketing team has their heads up their ass. Plus, more new releases coming down the pike, a little bourbon history, and a whiskey I stumbled across on top of a mountain that turned out to be one hell of a p...

How many unopened bottles are sitting in your whiskey collection right now? I asked that simple question on social media and got answers ranging from zero... to a number so ridiculous I had to question whether one guy was secretly running a liquor store. But the numbers weren't the most interesting part. The reasons people are saving their bottles? Now THAT got me thinking.  Grab my book Whis...

Pursuit United Double Oak Rye makes a pretty bold claim about being “wise beyond its years.” So I had to crack one open and find out if the whiskey can actually back up the brag. Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.co...

This week I’ve got a little bit of everything lined up. Still 630 just picked up a HUGE award, Fireball has apparently decided regular Fireball wasn't enough, and Pernod Ricard is dealing with some unwanted attention from regulators. Then I explain why North Dakota has apparently declared war on fountain soda and decent bourbon. Plus, a big shoutout to Cardinals rookie Joshua Baez after he ma...

This week on the Blind Tasting Podcast, I’ve got a little bit of everything. I’m talking about the 2026 ASCOT Awards, big news from Pursuit Spirits, and a new bourbon documentary that every bourbon history nerd needs to check out. Then, I’ve got the latest Old Forester 117 Series release. And then... Guess the Whiskey is BACK!!! And finally, I rant about AI and thermostats. Yeah... I really do. So...

What happens when you bring a bourbon brand back from the dead after more than 100 years? Silk Velvet Whiskey was once considered one of the finest bourbon brands in America before disappearing into history. Now it’s back with a new chapter and a bottle that carries a lot of history with it. In this episode I pour Silk Velvet Small Batch Select 107 proof Bourbon and find out if this comeback was w...

The new Four Roses Yellow Label 100 Proof is here! Is this the next great budget bourbon...or should you leave it on the shelf? Crank up the volume and let’s find out! Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blind...

I asked one simple question: If you could banish ONE whiskey forever...which one would it be? All ya’ll whiskey freaks answered. Hundreds of opinions. Plenty of grudges. More than a few surprises. Today we're revealing the results of the very first Whiskey Witness Protection Program as bottles are defended, condemned, and quietly relocated for their own safety. (And maybe ours) Who survives.....

I picked up Old Forester's High Angels' Share Rye (Batch 001) from the 117 Series at the distillery on Whiskey Row in Louisville, and today I'm putting it to the test. We'll talk about what makes this limited-edition, 110-proof rye unique, how those high angel's share barrels create a more concentrated whiskey, and I'll break down the nose, palate, finish, and whether...

The Blind Tasting Podcast is back! After a short break, John catches up on family, summer adventures, and America's 250th birthday before diving into the latest bourbon news. This episode covers Buffalo Trace, Sazerac's latest moves, new 1792 releases, upcoming whiskey reviews, and a look at what's coming next for the podcast. Pour a glass and join your number one attitudinal bourbo...

Is bourbon quietly being taken over by foreign corporations…or is this just the biggest overreaction in whiskey right now? We’re talkin’ Four Roses, Brown-Forman rumors, and who really controls what’s in your glass.     Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Like what I'm doing?...

This week on Blind Tasting Podcast, I sit down with Bill McBrayer of McBrayer Legacy Spirits to talk bourbon history, his 175 year old family legacy, and how one forgotten Kentucky whiskey name helped shape the bourbon world we know today. We get into old-school distilling, Hollywood connections, Wild Turkey, Kentucky Owl, trademark battles, family mash bills, and what it actually takes to bring a...

This week on Blind Tasting Podcast: I dig into a couple major whiskey stories, rant about the most underrated bourbon on the shelf, and somehow end up stress-testing my sanity trying to buy 2028 Olympic tickets like it was a classified government operation. We’ve also got baseball bourbon, soccer whiskey, Wild Turkey doin’ Wild Turkey things, and a Bernheim pour so good it might make you slap your...

In this ICYMI episode, I revisit one of my favorite bourbon reviews from the archive: Preservation Distillery’s Cock of the Walk Bourbon. After a candid conversation with VP of Operations Kyle Lloyd, I break down what makes this micro-batch wheated bourbon stand out, and why it reminded me of a bolder, rowdier cousin to Pappy Van Winkle. Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel S...

I explain why I’m officially refusing to attend Bourbon & Beyond 2026 after a bizarre “hokey pokey” process that left me scratching my head. This isn’t just about one festival, it’s about how the whiskey world treats smaller voices, authentic coverage, and the whiskey freaks who actually support the industry.  Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, a...

The first batch of Silk Velvet Whiskey was produced in the winter of 1880. After 40 years, it faded into oblivion, just like so many others after Prohibition. Today, the brand is back in full force, and Zach Hargis and 8th-generation Master Distiller Jacob Call join me to break down the resurrection of this forgotten whiskey, from an antique store discovery to a full-scale revival rooted in Kentuc...

A deep dive into Knob Creek’s first Blender’s Edition release, a 10-year sweet bourbon blend from Beam Suntory. This one hits a little differently for reasons beyond the glass, and I walk through exactly what’s in it, what’s missing, and what it might be trying to say. Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon:  https://www.a...