The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Welcome to Episode 29 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast. My guest today is Brandon Joldersma of Still Austin Distillery in Austin, Texas. Texas whiskey is undoubtedly a growing category all its own, but inside that category is a massive spectrum, from great barrel proof bourbons and full-flavored winners to one-year-old whiskies that aren’t ready to clean floors. Count Still Austin’s core product, The M...

If you're into whiskey and haven't heard of MGP (Midwestern Grain Products), what have you been drinking?!?!  Today's episode brings David Whitmer, Master Blender (among other titles) for this distilling behemoth. David may be a VP, but as I found out he spends more time on the floor than he does behind a desk. If you do know about MGP, your first thought might be "sourcing", and you wouldn't be w...

The Whiskey Ring Podcast returns Michter's Master Distiller Emerita Pam Heilmann. It was a thrill to talk with Pam and explore her history before whiskey, at Beam, and at Michter's, including overseeing the transition from contract distillaton to Michter's own equipment, managing the largest bourbon plant in the world for Beam, and what her favorite of all these jobs was - I promise, you'll want t...

After 1300 tastings, it's so rare to come across something truly new and exciting at the same time. Enter Takamine 8-year-old whiskey, a koji-fermented and double distilled spirit from Fukuoka in southern Japan.  Named after Jokichi Takamine, one of the most influential and under-known men in both Japanese and American history, this whiskey with an "e" is unlike anything I've had before and someth...

Welcome to Season 2!  The Whiskey Ring Podcast returns with Oded Weiss of M&H Distillery in Tel Aviv, Israel. This distillery - another project of the late Dr. Jim Swan - is creating new and exciting single malts in the land of milk and honey (hence the M&H). Perhaps even more exciting than the malt itself are the finishings, including peated casks, Israeli wine, and pomegranate wine, plus...

Part 2 of our Season 1 and 2021 finale! Owner Mike Vacchrese and I continue our talk about his establishment, Travel Bar, in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.  Mike generously gave over three hours to our interview, so I've broken it into two parts - make sure to listen to both!  Travel Bar Brooklyn, 520 Court Street, Brooklyn, 11231 Travel Bar Instagram Travel Bar Facebook Travel Bar Twitter If you have...

Season 1 and 2021 finale! Owner Mike Vacchrese and I talk about his establishment, Travel Bar, in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.  Mike generously gave over three hours to our interview, so I've broken it into two parts - make sure to listen to both!  Travel Bar Brooklyn, 520 Court Street, Brooklyn, 11231 Travel Bar Instagram Travel Bar Facebook Travel Bar Twitter If you haven’t joined the Patreon comm...

A crossover! On this week's episode, I'm joined by Jeff Schwartz, AKA Whiskeyfellow. He's been writing about whiskey for several years on his blog and Facebook page - both of which you should definitely like and follow ( Instagram too!). We're tasting the Tennessee Tasters, a 7-bottle series from Jack Daniel's that's all experimental (until they aren't, of course).  If you haven’t joined the Patre...

Hey folks, welcome to Episode 21 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast. My guest is whiskey writer and historian Clay Risen, whose new book Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey is available today. It’s a table-top book that you will go back to again and again, and I’m thrilled to have my own copy on my table now. If you haven’t joined the Patreon community, now is the time: you can now support the site an...

This is one for the record books – I taste through four high-end brandies from Bhakta Spirits with none other than Raj Bhakta himself. This is a different type of episode right from the start. Bhakta Spirits’ story comes out through the conversation, but it’s really about the spirits themselves. From a decades-old Armagnac and Calvados blend to a pair of century-and-a-half-old brandies, a single w...

This is a turning point episode! Starting with Ep. 19, we're moving to an every week format, so tune in to this episode and be ready every Wednesday morning for a new drop! This week I'm joined by Jesse Parker from Doc Swinson's and Distiller's Way. He and I talk through the entire Doc Swinson's line, including the 15 year, the Alter Ego releases, the core Blender's Cut, and the Exploratory Series...

Hey folks, welcome to episode 18 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast! My guest for this episode is Michael Foglia from Wigle Whiskey in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.   This is a fun one – Wigle is another off-the-wall distillery that loves to try something different. Go to their website and see how many expressions they have (or if you’re a Patreon subscriber and watching the video, see the wall behind Michae...

Hey folks, welcome to episode 17 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast! My guest for this episode is Stefan van Eycken, author of Whisky Rising: The Definitive Guide to the Finest Whiskies and Distillers of Japan . The Nonjatta Blog Stefan’s Whisky Magazine Profile Stefan is simultaneously one of the most important writers on Japanese whisky and perhaps one of the most unknown on this side of the Pacific. H...

Hey folks, welcome to episode 16 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast! My guests for this episode are Paul McLaughlin, Martin Purvis, and William Hornaday of Kelvin Cooperage. If you’ve listened to earlier episodes, you know I’ve been excited to bring on a cooperage – so much of what we all love about whiskey and other aged spirits comes from the barrel, up to 80% depending on who you listen to. But how of...

Hey folks, welcome to episode 15 of the Whiskey Ring Podcast! My guest for this episode is Miles Munroe of Westward Whiskey, based in Portland, Oregon. This podcast marks a big turning point for the podcast and the site. First off, Westward is the first American Single Malt producer I’ve had on…I think…might have to check through the little notes but I’m pretty sure that’s right. Second, Westward...

Episode 14! Welcome to the Whiskey Ring Podcast where we’re bringing you the people who make whiskey interesting. Joining me today is Adam Edwards, Digital Brand Ambassador for Rabbit Hole. Adam and I met during a virtual tasting almost exactly a year ago. It’s a fun memory to reach back to – by this point a year ago, the website was just starting up, the podcast was still several months in the fu...

Lucky Episode 13! Welcome to the Whiskey Ring Podcast where we’re bringing you the people who make whiskey interesting. Today’s podcast is with Stauning Whisky all the way from Denmark. I came across Stauning by accident, if I’m being honest, but was taken with their story and their process. Plus, it’s the first Danish whisky I’ve tried, so either way I had questions. Joining me to answer those qu...

Episode 12! Welcome to the Whiskey Ring Podcast where we’re bringing you the people who make whiskey interesting. New tagline – let me know what you think of it. Today, we’re going across the Great Lakes to visit Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’m joined by Ross Salchow, a longtime employee whose title would never cover the range of work he does.   Great Lakes was the first distil...

Episode 11! Today, we’re going across the pond to the North of England and Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery . I’m joined by founder and Managing Director, David Thompson. Dave is a farmer at heart, and Yorkshire is his garden. Yorkshire is the largest county in England by far and has ample space to grow grain and everything you need for distilling. And yet, like much of the rest of England, distille...

Episode 10! We're bringing out the big guns now (after Michter's, is there such a thing?) Today's episode is with Lew Bryson, longtime spirits and beer writer, author, taster, and all-around great guy. Lew is a literal spirit guide for me - his book  Tasting Whiskey kickstarted my whiskey tasting journey, and his follow-up, Whiskey Masterclass , gave the deep dive into each part of the process any...

We're at episode 8.2! Part 2 of my special 2-part episode with Michter's Distillery's Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson. Couple quick things: 1 - Follow and enter the Michter's barware giveaway on all my social media accounts 2 - Check out Mike's Michter's History article on www.thebourbonculture.com If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on  Instagram...

Hi Whiskey Ringers, it is episode 8! Thank you so much for listening and please share with your friends, family, and fellow whiskey lovers.  This is part one of a special, two-part episode with Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson of Michter’s Distillery. I am beyond excited to have both Dan and Andrea on the podcast after just seven episodes. Not only were they generous with their time, they were generous...

Hi Whiskey Ringers, it is episode 7! Thank you so much for listening and please share with your friends, family, and fellow whiskey lovers.  On this episode, I’ve got Paul Coughlin, founder of Taconic Distillery in New York’s Hudson Valley. New York whiskey - bourbon, rye, single malts - is fascinating and deeply personal to me. I love talking to friends and distillers throughout New York about di...

Hi Whiskey Ringers!  It took 6 episodes, but I got to talk to my favorite Scottish distillery, Highland Park. My guest, Martin Markvardsen, is their Senior Brand Ambassador.  We talk peat, non-chill filtering, how whisky changes over the years, Islay vs Orkney vs other types of smoke/profiles, and more.  If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on ...

Episode 5! This one’s a kicker, Whiskey Ringers. A nearly 2-hour conversation with the one-and-only Alan Bishop, Master Distiller of Spirits of French Lick Distillery in French Lick, Indiana. If you haven’t guessed by now (or this is your first episode), I’m a whiskey nerd/geek and proud of it. Thankfully, Alan is just the person to talk to. Getting into the details of whiskey making - from naming...