The Mash Up

Michter's Toasted Bourbon is a limited release offering that does not come around annually. In fact, since 2014, this whiskey has only been released a total of four times (with the latest being in 2021). We recorded this episode on August 12th. On the very next day, Michter's put out a press release to announce that Toasted Barrel Bourbon would be released this Fall (24') to celebrate...

It's another "two for Tuesday" and we give our full attention to Old Louisville Rye (batch # 2) and Redbreast Missouri Oak. While this isn't a head to head competition, we would love for you to speculate about which whiskey you think we would like better. You don't have to speculate thought, just give us a listen and see if your thoughts match up with ours. Happy Tuesday and...

The Heaven Hill 18 year bourbon is the 3rd release in the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection. With the two previous releases being a 17 year old bourbon and a 20 year old corn whiskey, this limited release is a very small batch blend of 133 barrels that comes in at 120 proof. Even though it carries a pretty hefty MSRP, we are here to tell you whether we think its worth chasing. In this episode, we ta...

The short for this week features a newcomer and a classic on steroids. Bottle # 1 is the second release of Old Stubborn and it is a bit different from the first. This bourbon is a blend of 10-12 year old whiskeys from West Virginia and it comes in at 123.8 proof. Bottle # 2 is this year's batch of Maker's Mark 46 Cask Strength. Affectionately known as Bill's recipe, this french oaked w...

Episode 140 captured what ensued the very first time that a listener sent us some blinds to taste. For this week, another one of our dedicated listeners (Ryan from Texas) was kind enough to send us some things to try. When Ryan reached out and said he would be sending a "care" package with some of his favorites, we felt very honored and humbled. He said he had no expectations and simply...

New Riff Distillery is celebrating 10 years in the biz this summer. Located in Northern Kentucky, we've been big fans of this distillery since they opened in 2014. For this week's short, we taste and review two of their new rye whiskeys: New Riff 8 Year Rye Whiskey and the 2024 release of Silver Grove Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey. We try to pack as much whiskey goodness into each short as poss...

We were fortunate enough to take our very first trip down to the Jack Daniel's distillery to pick two barrels of whiskey for the Bluegrass Liquor Box (a local liquor store in Georgetown, Kentucky). Though it was our first time in Lynchburg, we took in all the sights and now have a newfound respect for this juggernaut whiskey producer. Two days before we arrived for our pick, the thirteenth ver...

For our third ever short episode, we went in completely opposite directions. Even though Old Forester is involved, this episode is sponsored by the great state of Texas. First, we review a Cask Strength Single Barrel Strength Rye from Still Austin Whiskey Company and then we turn our attention to the most recent release in the Old Forester 117 Series which is a classic OF bourbon finished for 6 mo...

Somehow we manged to get through many episodes without ever reviewing: Blanton's Bourbon: The Original Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey. This bourbon needs no introduction. It is the reason that some of us started collecting and it also still causes traffic jams every time it's released at the Buffalo Trace distillery. Even though we've reviewed a number of other Blanton variants in past...

"The shortest bourbon conversation you're gonna hear all week long" is back and better than ever. Well, it's not necessarily better, but we are starting to get the hang of things. For this short, we tackle the newest permanent extension of the Bulleit brand: American Single Malt Whiskey. Made from 100% malted barley, this newer release from Bulleit represents a move in a new and...

Just a few days ago, the online release of Russell's Reserve 15 Year Bourbon broke the Internet! While many people were hoping to get a bottle, very few were successful. We were lucky enough to snag a bottle at the distillery release. This brand new, ultra age / ultra premium release from Wild Turkey is one of the hottest bottles at the moment. Coming in at 15 years (minimum) and 117.2 proof,...

You said you wanted more episodes, so we are trying to deliver. Join us this week as we venture into the unknown and put out our first "short" episode. The WhistlePig CampStock Wheat Whiskey is a collaboration between Solo Stove and WhistlePig. WhistlePig has been a darling of rye whiskey lovers for a long time, but they are starting to venture into more mainstream and attainable release...

Special episode alert! This is the first time we've ever taken The Mash Up on the road. When Hector Garcia (who is a fan and friend of the podcast) asked us to come to his restaurant in Corbin, KY, we couldn't say no. Hector is the co-owner and operator of Brooklyn Brothers Pizzeria in Corbin and he is not only a budding bourbon aficionado, but also the proprietor of some of the best Itali...

Raise a glass to the man who raised you well! That's what the label on the side of this brand new Four Roses Special Barrel Strength Bourbon reads. Released about a week before Father's Day, this distillery only release was meant to honor the dads in our lives but wasn't without controversy. When we recorded this episode, we wondered how one of the highest proof single barrel releases...

With Steven and Anthony on vacation, Kenny took it upon himself to book guests and record. Unlike other episodes where we give you exquisite details and our patented "pass, try, or buy," this episode is a pure hang between friends. Kenny is joined by none other than RareBird101 (DJ) and Whoryno (Alves). The three of them double blind each other with some excellent pours and engage in a r...

It's hard to believe that the Master's Keep series from Wild Turkey has been around for almost 10 years. In that time, we've seen everything from ultra aged Wild Turkey bourbon to different finishing techniques (rum, sherry, toasted) which has made these bottles stand out. The most recent release of the series, dubbed "Triumph," features the oldest ever age-stated rye from th...

Between vacations, we found the time to get together to bring you another action packed episode. This week, we taste and explore a single barrel cash strength offering from the up and coming Augusta Distillery. Nestled on the banks of the Ohio river in Northern Kentucky, Augusta Distillery released their first bourbon in 2020 and just recently won "best bourbon in the world" at the San F...

This week, we head out toward Bardstown (and also north of the border) to bring you a review of Very Olde St. Nick Ancient Cask 8 Year Old Rye Whiskey. Though the label is pretty old, the distillery is actually quite new. Since 2018, Preservation Distillery has focused on sourcing very unique stocks of whiskey and bottling it under their brands which include: Very Olde St. Nick, Pure Antique, Rare...

Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. is known as the father of the modern day bourbon industry. Not only is he a central figure in creation of what we now know and love as the Buffalo Trace Distillery, but he was also instrumental in the passing of the Bottled-in-Bond Act and even served as Mayor of Frankfort for 16 years. Though his beloved "EH Taylor" label has been owned by many differen...

There was a rumor floating around that David Jennings aka Rare Bird 101 was going to be in town for an event at Wild Turkey. We figured it wouldn't hurt to ask if he would be willing to join us for a conversation. We knew it was a long shot, but when he said "yes," we couldn't believe it. So, this week, we present a wide ranging conversation with the unofficial mayor of Wild Turk...

Over the past couple weeks, you've heard us talking about the WoodWork Collective and David Jennings aka Rare Bird 101. What do you get when you mix the palate and bourbon prowess of David Jennings with the good folks over at the WoodWork Collective? Well...it's none other than Raconteur Rye! The recently released, limited edition, straight rye whiskey is a blend of three different/expertl...

Orphan Barrel whiskeys have been around since 2014. As the story goes, each bottle in this series represents stocks of whiskey that were hidden away and nearly forgotten in the back of rickhouses and distilleries. The newest release in the Orphan Barrel series is Indigo's Hour Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This is a blend of straights from Kentucky and Indiana that is 18 years old and has a mashbi...

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of acquiring the famed Bernheim Distillery and the Old Fitzgerald brand, Heaven Hill went deep into the "tanks" and bottled a very special bourbon. Distilled in 1999 and aged for 13 years, this VVS (very very special) Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond decanter contains the very juice that Heaven Hill deemed as exceptional all the way back in 2012. It'...

When a listener asks you to review a bottle...you don't just review that bottle...you review the entire vertical plus one more blind. Lol. This week, we dive into Campari's Whiskey Barons Collection which features, Bond & Lillard, Old Ripy, and W.B. Saffell. These 375ml bottles have been released since 2017, but can still be found in some markets. Even though these bottles are billed a...

The Dark Arts Whiskey House is an up and coming spot in Lexington, Kentucky which focuses on blending, rebarreling, and finishing a variety of different whiskeys. The brand promises an experience that is anything but ordinary. So what exactly does that mean? Join us this week as we welcome The Bourbon Swami/Chief Alchemist/President of Dark Arts, Mr. Macaulay Minton. This conversation is a lengthy...