The Bourbon Life

On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief sits down with old friend and master distiller Lee Kennedy of Leiper's Fork Distillery for a conversation rooted in tradition, craftsmanship, and the future of American whiskey. The episode opens with Big Chief sipping on Revenuers Reserve, a standout release from Leiper's Fork Distillery. This small batch blend of three 8 year old Tennessee wh...

Featuring Distillers Laurie & Bernard Quandt On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief heads into the rugged granite country of Llano, Texas, to spend the day with distillers Laurie and Bernard Quandt of War Trail Spirits. Their passion for the Hill Country, their hands-on approach, and their embrace of modern distilling tools make this stop one of the most memorable rides of the seaso...

On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief takes listeners on a ride to the heart of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where music, history, and whiskey all share the same soul. He sits down with Thom and Kim Bard, the founders of The Bard Distillery, inside their beautifully restored 1920s schoolhouse to talk about heritage, community pride, and the craftsmanship behind their exceptional li...

On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief takes listeners on a ride to North Conway, New Hampshire, to visit Cathedral Ledge Distillery and sit down with owner and head distiller Christopher Burk. Set against the backdrop of the White Mountains, Cathedral Ledge is known for its certified-organic spirits, its respect for the land, and the clean, hands-on approach Christopher and...

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief steps into one of the most impressive private whiskey sanctuaries in Texas, Kevin Hemingway's Hemingway House of Bourbon. Built on passion, hospitality, and a deep love for the spirit, Kevin's space is a living museum of rare bottles, Texas standouts, and stories collected over years of sharing pours with friends. Surrounded by this curated treasure trove,...

This week, Big Chief heads into the rough-and-rowdy heart of Fort Worth, Texas, where legends were born and outlaws once ruled the night. Deep in the infamous Hell's Half Acre, he finds himself at Acre Distilling, a distillery that honors the city's wild past and bold spirit. Big Chief sits down with Tony Formby, one of the driving forces behind Acre, to hear how a group of brewers came together t...

This week, Big Chief sits down with Mike Sherman, one of the owners of Vendome Copper & Brass Works, the legendary Louisville-based company that has been crafting copper stills and distillation systems since 1903. For more than a century, Vendome has been the backbone of American whiskey, shaping the character and flavor of spirits made by the country's most celebrated distilleries. While Mike was...

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Troy Bolotnick, Founder & CEO, of Filmland Spirits. They talk with Troy about his past life as a writer in LA in the entertainment industry, the unique stories that Filmland embraces for each of their releases, and what the future of the brand looks like. They also taste and review Filmland Spirits' Quadraf...

This week, Big Chief rolls into Augusta, Kentucky, to sit down with one of  bourbon's baddest trailblazers, Master Distiller Alex Castle of Augusta  Distillery. And y'all, this woman's story is straight fire. From studying distillation in her home state to cutting her teeth at Wild  Turkey, to shaking things up in Memphis, Alex has been breaking barrels and  boundaries her whole career. Now she's...

This week on The Whiskey Trip , Big Chief welcomes Heath Trigg, the owner and founder of The Heritage Flag Company and the newest sponsor of The Whiskey Trip. Based in North Carolina, The Heritage Flag Company was born from the love of country, craftsmanship, and whiskey. Heath's story is one of passion, patriotism, and purpose — showing how one idea, sparked by service and sacrifice, grew into a...

This week, Big Chief takes The Whiskey Trip deep into the beating heart of Branch, Louisiana, where faith, family, and providence have tilled the same soil for generations. Here he sits with Mike Fruge, the man behind J.T. Meleck Distillery, who turned a family rice farm into a living testament of Louisiana's spirit and soul. The Meleck family came to Louisiana from Germany in 1896, settling among...

This week, Big Chief takes a heartfelt ride on The Whiskey Trip with two remarkable guests — Seth Fuston, U.S. Air Force Veteran and Co-Founder & President of Staves of Honor, and Eric Lytle, Board Member. Together, they share the story of Staves of Honor, a nonprofit built to support veterans, first responders, and law enforcement officers through fellowship, charity, and the shared love of whisk...

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief sits down with Todd Grube and Dominic Sung to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Houston Whiskey Social. We kick things off with a special Elijah Craig 10-Year private barrel selected for the anniversary, then dive into some legendary dusties. Todd brings out a 1994 Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond, followed by an unforgettable 1991 Austin Nichols Wild Turk...

On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief is joined by whiskey researcher and writer Jacob Kiper for a conversation about what's coming next in the world of American whiskey. Known for his work as Coming Whiskey, Jacob has a reputation for being first to the presses with news on new labels, upcoming releases, and trends shaping the American whiskey and bourbon landscape. The ta...

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Jason Brauner, Co-Founder & Master Blender, of Buzzard's Roost Sippin' Whiskeys. They talk with Jason about his background in the restaurant world and how that led him into the world of Bourbon, how the Buzzard's Roost brand was created and their unique double oaking technique, as well as what the future lo...

This week, Big Chief heads to the Lowcountry to sit down with Burnt Church Distillery President Chris Crowe and Head Distiller Peter Thompson in Bluffton, South Carolina. Together, they dive into the traditions of Carolina grains and the bold vision behind one of the Southeast's most exciting craft distilleries. The tasting kicks off with Johny Fever Small Batch, a four-grain whiskey that immediat...

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Owner/Chef Ruth Osterman and Chef Jessica Faulhaber from La Bonne Vie in Lexington, KY. Chef Ruth was formerly a guest on Episode 231. They talk with Ruth and Jessica about their backgrounds and how they each ended up in the culinary world, how they go about selecting the dishes and the Bourbons for their f...

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast , Big Chief welcomes Caleb, the TX Whiskey Geek, for a conversation that celebrates the bold and innovative world of Texas Whiskey. In the first half of the show, Big Chief pours a glass of Still Austin Red Corn Bottled in Bond (100 proof) while Caleb enjoys Milam & Greene Provisions—born in Kentucky, finished under the bold Texas sun, and bottled at 96 proof....

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Michael Nanula, CEO, and Ari Sussman, Whiskey Maker, from Three Chord Bourbon. They talk with Michael and Ari about their respective backgrounds and how they each got into the Bourbon world, the rebranding that Three Chord has gone through recently and how they are tying together the world of Bourbon and th...

On this week's episode of The Whiskey Trip , Big Chief heads back to Houston to sit down with Master Distiller Julian Giraldo and Brand Manager Mike Cosby of Giant Texas Distillers. Julian isn't just any guest—he was the very first to appear on the show—so it was only fitting to bring him back to share another round of stories and pours. We start with Giant Texas' standard 90-proof expression, the...

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, The Bourbon Life Crew (minus Chad) spend some time hanging out together in The Bourbon Life Studios, sharing some great conversation and great pours. The Crew talk about the recent litigation involving Uncle Nearest and what that might mean for the brand and the owners moving forward, some of the newer Bourbon experiences that have opened in Louisville...

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief sits down with the founder and owner of K.LUKE Whiskey Company, Jonathan Maisano. A master blender of epic proportions, Jonathan has carved out a reputation for crafting whiskeys that bring together bold innovation with timeless tradition. From his start in the wine and spirits world to building K.LUKE into one of the most respected independent blending hou...

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Mark is flying solo in the Bourbon Life Studios spending some time hanging out with his good friend, the President and COO of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Randy Prasse. This is Randy's 4 th appearance on the Podcast making him one of only 4 guests to ever appear on The Bourbon Life Podcast 4 times. Mark and Randy talk about this year's upcoming 34 th...

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief sits down with his great friend, the Bourbon Baroness – April Weller Cantrell. Together, they tackle one of the toughest conversations in whiskey today: the wave of distillery shutdowns, bankruptcies, and industry turmoil that has rattled the whiskey world over the past two years. From promising craft upstarts to iconic brands under pressure, the discussion...

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief saddles up and rides into the Hemingway Hideout for a straight-shooting, cork-popping conversation with Kevin and Ken Hemingway — two brothers with a taste for bold pours and even bolder opinions. They are not marketing executives with polished taglines — they are full-blooded whiskey enthusiasts who live for the hunt, the crack of a fresh cork, and the kin...