The 29th episode of the Bourbon & Banter podcast – Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle - is now available for your listening and drinking pleasure. The holidays are right around the corner, so we’re camped out at the pie table. You know, the one grandma has on the back porch with 12 different kinds of pie, cookies, sweet rolls, and other delectable treats. Time to get that onesie ready, as it’s comfortable and can hold extra vittles for when we don’t want to walk from the couch to the table.
Pops shares his experience working with the folks from A Kid Again in Ypsilanti, Michigan, for their recent gala, with an ending that’s truly a GAS!
The Bourbon & Banter/DrinkCurious Community had some great dialogue this past month, including a conversation on giving a little more love to George Dickel’s Bottled-In-Bond expression, especially as it relates to value over other brands, specifically Knob Creek 15-year. Have you had both? What say you?
The Community also discussed the best age for bourbon, the true cost of a single barrel, and enjoyed the camaraderie that you’ll only find here. Tired of the endless stream of unopened bottle photos, crotch shots, and generally uninformed discussion that you get from other social media bourbon groups? Get on board with the Bourbon & Banter/DrinkCurious Community and see what you’ve been missing.
The Bourbon & Banter/DrinkCurious Single Barrel Club has a LOT of barrels in the pipeline that should be hitting our retail partner soon. Glass shortages are hitting everyone hard this year, so some of these are taking longer to bottle than what we expected but when they do, trust us they’re all worth the wait. As a reminder, we are also able to ship NATIONWIDE now.
The WHISKEY NEWS has a lot of information this month, beginning with the postponement of the Bourbon & Barbecue Louisville Festival due to unforeseen issues. Bob admits he might have had something to do with that.
The biggest news to hit recently comes out of Wilderness Trail, who announced they’ve sold a seventy-percent share of the distillery to Campari for $420 million. We’ll be interested to see how this develops, as Wilderness Trail has created some great products in a very short time.
Diageo’s acquisition of Texas distillery Balcones gets Bob a little riled up, and makes us wonder will Texas whiskey get…worse? Old Forester announces Melissa Rift as Brand Ambassador and Master Taster, filling the role left by Jackie Zykan’s departure, and Seth MacFarlane joins Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey as their Chief Storyteller. We’re guessing if anyone can tell a good story, it’s going to be Seth MacFarlane.
The whiskey boom isn’t slowing down, as Traverse City Distillery in Michigan announced a major expansion and new headquarters, and Western Kentucky Distilling Company breaks ground on a $30 million distillery in Beaver Damn, Kentucky.
There’s a cavalcade of new releases hitting shelves…well, some of them will hit shelves, and some won’t. We cover new whiskeys from Widow Jane, Blue Run Spirits, New Riff, Old Forester, Angel’s Envy, and the news that George T. Stagg is back in the lineup for this year’s Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.
Our last bit of news comes from our friends at KO Distilling in Manassas, Virginia, who has a new expression they’re rolling out this holiday season. We’re excited to break the story here about the infusion of Virginia fruit cake into KO’s Bare Knuckle high rye bourbon.
The CRAFT SHOOT takes us on a trip with a sample we’ve had for a while, but was it worth the wait? Listen and find out!
We close the episode with the most honest segment in all of bourbon podcasting…BOURBON BULLSHIT. We chuckled at a recent share from the Bourbon & Banter Members Community on S’otit Special Family Reserve, which focused on their zero-taste vodka. They even admit that “Glenns Creek Distillery was entrusted to make this pure, nearly tasteless distilled spirit because the family felt that it must be made by truly tasteless distillers. We fit that description and wear the title with pride.”
Bob shares his recent experience from a “hell’s frozen over” moment: a visit to his local Total Wine & More store, reminding us that just because there are intellectually challenged drinkers roaming the aisles, it doesn’t mean they won’t try to appear the opposite.
We close out Bourbon Bullshit with our annual take on holiday gifting for the whiskey lover. Whiskey stones: JUST DON’T DO IT!
As the most honest podcast in bourbon, we don't pull any punches and we tell it as we see it. If you've been searching for a bourbon podcast that provides honest commentary, to-the-point information, and doesn't take itself too seriously – welcome home!
Here’s the breakdown for Episode #29 – Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle, Snickerdoodle
- 21:56 Whiskey News
- 1:01:59 Craft Shoot
- 1:06:44 Bourbon Bullshit
Are you ready? Pour yourself a drink, get comfortable, and listen to Episode 29 using the player above or via your favorite podcast player.
Warning: If you're not comfortable with unapologetic, independent thinking, plus a healthy dose of swearing, you might want to skip this one folks. It's recorded at barrel strength with full-throttle banter.
Listen via your preferred podcast player
We sure hope you enjoyed Episode 29 of the official Bourbon & Banter podcast and that you'll consider sharing it with your friends. We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or by emailing us.
Have a great weekend and remember to stay safe while you're spreading the bourbon gospel and learning to #drinkcurious.
Hey, wait a minute. You have listened to all our previous episodes, right? If not, head on over to our Bourbon & Banter Podcast page to get caught up.
The fifteen months Bob Bennett spent living in Lebanon, KY, as a child may have laid the groundwork for what would happen years later (something in the water…literally). Originally from Corning, NY, he grew up in a household where happy hour was celebrated every night. Surprisingly, Bennett didn’t start drinking until he was 23 years old. He quickly made up for lost time, gravitating to bourbon as his preferred libation immediately, and proudly filled the bar that was passed down from his father. In the years that followed, not only did he develop a deeper appreciation for bourbon, but began to cherish the opportunity to talk about the spirit he has grown to love. As the Artistic Director for Jazz St. Louis, Bennett has become the unofficial bourbon ambassador of jazz, spreading the gospel of good taste to musicians everywhere. It also helps endear him to the St. Louis community, which is needed, as bleeding Dodger Blue tends to rub those Cardinal fans the wrong way.
Read Bob's full profile.
Patrick Garrett, "Pops" as he's known to his friends, is the founder of Bourbon & Banter, LLC and claims the title of Chief Drinking Officer (CDO). A long-time marketing professional and photographer, Pops hopes to use his professional experience and love of Bourbon to spread the Bourbon Gospel and help everyone realize the therapeutic power of having a good drink with friends. Read Patrick's full profile.
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