Great American Whiskey Cookers

🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge! This week, we put Brickway Distillery's Rye Whiskey under the box for an honest, no-label blind tasting. Rye whiskey is one of the most debated spirits in the whiskey world. Some love its bold spice and complexity, while others stick with bourbon. So where will Jeff, Wes, and the crew land on this craft rye? No labels. No preconceived opinions. Just real rea...

🥃 One of the best parts of visiting a craft distillery is discovering expressions you can't find just anywhere. With so many unique whiskeys to choose from at StilL 630 Distillery, it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, Dave Weglarz guided us through one of his favorites—the Maple Sunset Rye. 👉 Listen now for a guided tasting of StilL 630's Maple Sunset Rye and discover wh...

🥃 This week, Jeff and Wes put Brickway Double Barrel Bourbon to the test in a true blind tasting. We're both fans of double barrel bourbons, so the expectations are high. But when the label disappears, can Brickway still stand out against some of our favorite pours? No branding. No bias. Just honest reactions, real tasting notes, and one simple question: Is Brickway Double Barrel Bourbon wor...

🥃 Getting to taste a bourbon unicorn never gets old. During our visit to Blaum Bros. Distillery, Matt and Mike surprised us by pulling out a bottle of their Original Knotter Bourbon—a bottle that's become a true bourbon unicorn and is nearly impossible to find today. Opportunities like this don't come around often, so we couldn't pass up the chance to taste this rare pour and see h...

After losing my father, I found solace helping my mom. Evenings led us to a local distillery, revealing a community built on shared moments and open learning. The unique smoky flavors explained it all. 

This pour is for my dad. He wasn't a huge bourbon fan, but he always tried the whiskeys I brought home. A tribute to a father's simple pleasures. Remembering his favorite Crown Royal and Coke, a bond shared through a familiar sip. Cherishing memories, one glass at a time.

🥃 Every great whiskey has a story—and sometimes that story starts in a farm field generations ago. One of our favorite things is discovering how a whiskey got its name. At Wildcat Distillery, their Tillman's Whiskey is more than just a bottle—it's a tribute to family legacy. Named after their Grandpa Al, the original Wildcat Tillman who first planted the grain that would become part of...

🥃 Sometimes the best things in whiskey happen by accident. You don't just order a custom still and have it show up next week. Building a distillery still can take months—or even years. And when projects stretch that long, mistakes can happen. That's exactly what happened at Lonely Oak Distillery. What started as a mix-up during the still-building process resulted in a unique combination...

🥃 One blind tasting turned into two. On this Friday Blind Tasting Challenge, we put Shortbarrel Straight Rye Whiskey under the box expecting one review—but the conversation quickly led us down the rabbit hole to another Shortbarrel expression: Bees Knees. From rye spice to honey-finished sweetness, these bottles sparked plenty of debate, comparisons, and whiskey geek talk. Which one came out on t...

🥃 From Iowa farmland to the whiskey glass. At Wildcat Distilling Co. in Webster City, Iowa , a brother-and-sister team, alongside their spouses, are carrying on a tradition as old as America itself. They plant the corn, harvest the crop, and then transform it into handcrafted whiskey. This is true farm-to-bottle whiskey —where the people growing the grain are the same people making the spirit. Jo...

🥃 Every new distillery faces the same question: Source whiskey, bottle it young, or wait until it's truly ready? At Wildcat Distilling in Webster City, Iowa, they chose patience. Rather than rush a bourbon to market, they waited for their own whiskey to mature—and now their first-ever bourbon is finally ready. We got a rare opportunity to taste this farm-to-bottle Iowa bourbon straight from...

This week, we put StilL630 Whiskey under the box and put our palates to the test. Jeff is joined by the Big Human and Wes for a true blind tasting—no labels, no preconceived opinions. We were big fans when we visited the distillery and tasted it firsthand. But does it still impress when we don't know what's in the glass? 👉 Listen now to see our honest reactions, tasting notes, and wheth...

It’s Friday, and that means blind tasting time. Today under the box it turns out to be a Kings Family 10 year Bourbon. Friend of the show, Wes joins me on this blind tasting, so check it out and see what we think.

🥃 Honey-finished bourbon is having a moment—and we're here for it. Barrel finishing has become one of the biggest trends in bourbon, and honey cask finishes are creating some seriously interesting pours. So when we got the chance to try Rush Creek's Honey Finished Bourbon, we couldn't pass it up. Did the honey influence add the perfect touch of sweetness and complexity, or does it...

🥃 No two single barrels are ever the same—and that’s what makes them special. At Old Glory Distilling Co., their Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey has become a regular release, giving whiskey fans a chance to experience the unique character each barrel brings. From flavor differences to proof variations, every single barrel is its own experience. In this episode, we crack open one of Old Glory’s si...

Friday Blind Tasting Challenge: Craft vs. Big Bourbon. This time, we put a Still Austin Single Barrel Straight Rye head-to-head against the bold new Sazerac Rye 125 Proof Rye. One is a rising craft whiskey favorite. The other comes from one of the biggest names in bourbon and rye whiskey. No labels. No bias. Just a true blind rye whiskey tasting to see which bottle comes out on top. 👉 Listen now...

Non-Distillery Producers have lots of choices. And one of those choices is do they ever want to distill their own product.  In this episode, Amine Karaoud and Old Louisville Whiskey Co. has made the choice to rely on a heritage distiller who is making some great whiskey to supply his whiskey. Amine gives us his insights on why sourcing is a great way to build a business. 👉 Listen now for an insid...

🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge is back. Under the box this time is Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. Bloody Butcher Bourbon, made with the increasingly popular Bloody Butcher corn, a heritage grain that’s gaining attention across the craft whiskey world. More and more distilleries are experimenting with this unique red corn… but how does it actually change the bourbon? No labels. No expectations. Ju...

🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge is back. Under the box this time? MB Roland Distillery Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. The Big Human and Wes jump in for a true blind rye whiskey tasting—no labels, no expectations, just honest reactions. Will this Kentucky straight rye stand out… or get lost in the shuffle? 👉 Listen now for real-time reactions, tasting notes, and the final verdict.

🥃 You can find Elijah Craig almost anywhere… but not like this. When Elijah Craig partners with the PGA of America, it results in a limited annual release that’s much harder to track down. In this episode, Craig Duncan of Whiskey University pours us a sample of the Elijah Craig Valhalla CC PGA bottle—and it delivers a surprisingly different experience from the standard Elijah Craig profile. Rare....

🥃 This one’s for the true whiskey nerds. We sit down with Julian Jones of West Fork Whiskey Co. for a deep dive into the science of distilling whiskey. We’re talking esterification, yeast selection, hybrid sour mash techniques, and how cuts are made, the details that shape flavor long before the whiskey hits the barrel. If you’ve ever wondered how distillers actually craft their whiskey, this epi...

🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge is back. This time, we’re putting a limited release 4 grain sour mash bourbon from Steeple Ridge Bourbon to the test, completely blind. We were lucky enough to grab a bottle when it dropped… but the real question is: Does this craft bourbon limited release live up to the hype? No label. No expectations. Just honest reactions and real bourbon tasting notes. 👉 List...

This time, we’re putting a barrel strength bourbon from Harmony Spirits Distillery to the test, straight out of the northern heartland of Minnesota. Small craft distillery. Big proof. No label. Can this barrel strength craft bourbon stand out in a true blind tasting? 👉 Listen now for honest reactions, tasting notes, and whether this hidden gem earns its place.

🥃 When you hear “Edelweiss,” you probably think of the classic song… but what if you could distill it? That’s exactly the question Ari Klafter asked at Thornton Distilling Co. and the result is something truly one-of-a-kind. In this episode, we get to taste a rare, experimental spirit inspired by Edelweiss, crafted right at the distillery and not something you’ll find on shelves. Unique. Unexpect...

🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge just got serious. This time, Wes (Patreon supporter and friend of the show) brings out a heavy hitter—George T. Stagg 2025 from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). One of the most highly sought-after allocated bourbons on the market… but does it actually live up to the hype? No labels. No bias. Just a true blind tasting to answer the real questions: 👉 Is...