Blind Tasting Podcast

Something big just dropped in the bourbon world, and it’s not the kind of news you casually scroll past. In this emergency segment, I break down a major announcement from Jim Beam that has ripple effects far beyond one distillery. What’s pausing, what’s still moving, and why this matters right now for whiskey freaks everywhere. No panic, no hype, just straight talk on a situation that deserves you...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, whiskey freaks. In this episode I bounce all over the place like a bourbon-fueled pinball machine. We’ve got some bourbon news, a bizarre new release you’re not gonna believe, a quick detour into Beavis & Butt-Head territory, a rock and roll rant that I definitely needed the “Relax!” sound clip for, and finally a bold pour of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch...

In this episode I almost take you on a deep dive into pumpkin spice lattes and teenage TikTok meltdown culture, but luckily for everyone involved, I pull the plug before we all lose IQ points. Instead we get into the good stuff. I cover the “new releases” from Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey and then I give you the update on the Ezra Brooks 99 Traeger Smoker Sweepstakes where I somehow won a grill wit...

Need a last minute gift for that someone special who loves bourbon, or whiskey, or history? Here ya go! My new book -- Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales From the host of the Blind Tasting Podcast comes a barrel-proof mashup of fact, folklore, and flat-out fiction. Right Here on Amazon Kindle Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Did bourbon re...

Today’s episode is packed with news, flavor notes, and a budget bourbon showdown you didn’t know you needed. First, we dive into the latest releases from Blade & Bow, Willett, and Castle & Key, including a 30-year Blade & Bow monster, Willett’s new Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon, and Castle & Key’s wheated and rum-finished experiments. Some of it sounds incredible, some of it so...

In this episode, I dive headfirst into one of the most heated debates in the whiskey world: is it time to retire Booker’s bourbon? Yeah, I said it. And judging from the comments y’all sent in, some of you were ready to fight me in a Kroger parking lot over it. Before we get into the madness, I break down the latest whiskey news, including Buffalo Trace dropping a 125 proof Sazerac Rye and Michter’...

Today we’ve got a full plate of bourbon news and pours you won’t want to miss. From Jack Daniels’ historic new bottle size to Sweetens Cove’s latest Tennessee releases, plus a deep dive into the ups and downs at MGP, it’s all coming at you full-speed. I also crack open Yellowstone Select 93 Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey and give you my take on what’s worth your time, your money, and your glass. B...

Welcome in, Whiskey Freaks. This episode dives into my unexpected visit to the WhistlePig tasting room in Quechee, Vermont, where I sat down with their Distillers Craft Flight and tried three premium ryes you almost never see on the shelves. I walk you through each pour and give them the full Keep It, Collect It, or Cull It treatment, along with some honest thoughts on flavors, finishes, and those...

In this episode I review Cock of the Walk Bourbon Whiskey from Preservation Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. I talk about my candid conversation with Kyle Lloyd, Preservation’s VP of Operations, and break down what makes their micro-batch, wheated bourbon so unique. Could it be Pappy’s long, lost cousin? Listen and find out! You’ll also get updates on the new 2025 Remus Gatsby Reserve, Locke &am...

Something big’s brewing in the bourbon world, and it involves one of Kentucky’s most iconic names: Four Roses. 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/blindtastingpodcast   Help support the podcast by shopping for...

Whiskey Freaks! This week I bring you a full recap from the 5th Annual St. Louis Bourbon Festival, where I tasted copious amounts of bourbon and whiskey, met distillers from Missouri and beyond, and explored some of the standout releases. I also cover the latest whiskey news, including new high-rye and barrel-strength releases from Calumet Farm and Woodford Reserve. Finally, I sit down with a full...

Whiskey Freaks, forget the glitter and halftime shows, this episode is all about bourbon chaos. We dive into Uncle Nearest’s rocky road to recovery, Woodford Reserve’s experimental Sweet Oak Bourbon, Elijah Craig’s first-ever Barrel Proof Rye, and the return of Ezra Brooks in giant 1.75L form.  I also break down Rebel Butter Pecan Bourbon Cream with a dessert latte recipe, reveal the world’s “best...

Just a quick bourbon morsel for you, Whiskey Freaks. I finally got a straight answer from Buffalo Trace about what’s really going on with their gift shop allocated bottles.  So let’s clear up some of that confusion together! 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 do...

Whiskey Freaks! It’s the Splash n Dash edition of the Blind Tasting Podcast, where I skip the history lesson and dive headfirst into a blind battle between two 18-year-old heavyweights. Elijah Craig 18 and Knob Creek 18.  Same age, same price, but totally different vibes. I break them down, blind, to find out which bottle is actually worth dropping $180 on. And as always, there's no distiller...

Hey whiskey freaks, on this new episode, forget life’s big questions. No upside-down pineapples, no soul-searching. It’s all bourbon, all the way. We’re diving into the 2025 Pappy drop (good luck getting any), revisiting a rare smoked Ben Holladay bourbon to see if it still hits like it did months ago, and talking stocks: because apparently, I own both Brown-Forman and MGP, and I like to buy when...

In this episode I dive into a wild mix of bourbon news, Ireland is getting invaded, Heaven Hill’s grain-to-glass wheater, Buffalo Trace hitting the road (literally), and some bad news out of Lebanon, Kentucky. But the main event? My review of Booker’s 2025-02 By the Pond . Spoiler alert: I think it might be time to send Booker’s out to pasture. Yeah, I said it. Don’t come at me, bro, I’ve got reas...

Welcome back whiskey freaks. This episode kicks off with some “bad news” you won’t want to miss, then we roll straight into the madness of bourbon heritage season. There’s plenty of whiskey news to sort through, and of course, a review that caught me off guard. I’m tasting Cask House Triple Cask, finished in rye barrels at 116.58 proof. Say what? Yeah, I know.  A bottle that looks plain, sounds qu...

Welcome in, Whiskey Freaks! This week on the Blind Tasting Podcast, we’re throwing down in a blind bourbon showdown. In one corner: the heavyweight champ of entry-level Kentucky bourbon, Buffalo Trace 90 proof. In the other: a scrappy Alabama upstart with outlaw moonshiner roots, Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon 92 proof. I’ll walk you through the wild backstory of Clyde May,the man, the myth, the moo...

I kick things off with a bourbon BOLO featuring Beyke’s Blue Corn Bourbon and Yellowstone’s new ready-to-drink cocktails. After that, I run through the Bourbon & Beyond festival lineup (spoiler: it now includes roller coasters), and then dive into a Kentucky Owl story that plays out like a full-on bourbon soap opera. Next up, I asked you all: what was your first whiskey, and do you still drink...

It’s a big day on the Blind Tasting Podcast, and this episode is straight fire! I start out with this week’s bourbon BOLO which includes Remus Repeal Reserve Series IX from Ross & Squibb and the final chapter in Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep series. After that, I finally explain what a “Whiskey Freak” actually is, since a lot of you have been asking. Spoiler: it’s not an insult. There’s also a l...

First up, an update on Uncle Nearest. Things are getting messy in Tennessee with judges, lawsuits, and a brand doing everything it can to keep the whiskey flowing while the money folks circle.  Then it’s time for a little Bourbon BOLO, with new releases you’ll want to know about: Doc Holliday cask-finished bourbons, Penelope’s new ready-to-pour Old Fashioned, and Heaven Hill dropping an 11-year Ol...

What if Sydney Sweeney suddenly started chugging Jack Daniels? I’m dreaming big, whiskey freaks. Next, I dive into I.W. Harper’s wild 34-year-old bourbon auction mixing rainbow flags with rickhouse pride since bourbon apparently needed a parade float. Then we head north to Canada where tariffs have created a bourbon shortage causing some serious bar drama. After that, I break down the bold new Par...

This episode’s got a little bit of everything for the whiskey freaks. I shamelessly plug my new book on Amazon, Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales (because if I don’t tell you to buy it, who will?), right here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Then we dive into Wild Turkey’s recent sales slump and what it says about the bigger bourbon market. Spo...

NEW BOOK ALERT! -- Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales From the host of the Blind Tasting Podcast comes a barrel-proof mashup of fact, folklore, and flat-out fiction. Right Here on Amazon Kindle Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3 Did bourbon really age in a sunken ship? Did moonshiners use possums as lookouts?  Was a World Series fixed over a...

This week, I take a closer look at 1792 Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey to see if it deserves a spot on your shelf. Just honest tasting and unvarnished truth. I also break down the latest unicorn bait from Buffalo Trace: Sazerac 100, Weller Millennium #2, and even Weller 18. Will you ever see one in the wild? Not unless you know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy in Kentucky. Also in t...