Bourbon Pursuit

There's a time when whiskey enthusiasm takes it to the next level. I've lived through it. I was a stone cold hobbyist, and I still am, but then I started a podcast and now Ryan and I have Pursuit Spirits. We don't know how to stop taking a hobby too far. And our guest today is no different. Mike Hinds is co-founder of Nashville Barrel Company, Mike takes us back five or six years to NBC's humble beginnings, starting with local charity picks for cancer research, hunting down Jack Daniel’s, Weller 12, and Willett single barrels, and making frequent runs to Bardstown to learn the ropes. When he decided to start Nashville Barrel Company there were plenty of operational headaches like sourcing whiskey and dealing with shady brokers but a few mismatched samples unexpectedly got them a hit they kept on playing with Kelvin barrels. Since then they have been expanding into downtown Music City, and have now opened a new spot in NuLu called the Louisville Rickhouse Company. Instead of chasing cheap inventory or relying on marketing gimmicks, Mike shares how their focus cask-strength single barrels built consumer trust and whiskey clubs kept their growth soaring. We also talk about Stella, the official company dog, their VIP club, and how Mike has been one of the few lucky people in history to pick a single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15.

Show Notes:

• How a passion for bottle shares, charity picks, and barrel hunting birthed Nashville Barrel Company.
• Early sourcing realities: broker blunders, mismatched samples, and launching with rye instead of bourbon.
• Pivoting during COVID from third-party co-packers to brick-and-mortar locations in Nashville and Louisville.
• The strategy behind building a brand on cask-strength single barrels and authentic community trust over gimmicks.
• Inside NBC's special releases, including a Pappy 15 single barrel, "The Compromise" blend, and their VIP club.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Penelope Riviera blends 8 year American light whiskey with straight bourbon, then finishes it in rosé wine casks for a lighter, sweeter pour. With buttered popcorn, brown sugar, soft berry notes, and an easy 94 proof profile, this one feels built for warm-weather sipping.

DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's This Week in Bourbon for August 28th 2026. Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have officially broken down, Humble Baron from Uncle Nearest is facing a change from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 liquidation, and Larrikin Bourbon Co. unveils its new Australia Series.

Show Notes:

• Brown family members clash over falling profits and cratering stock price at Brown-Forman
• Sazerac acquires Garrard County Distilling facility in Lancaster, Kentucky
• Humble Baron bankruptcy shifts toward total liquidation as judge delays final judgment
• Trade negotiations collapse as 50% U.S. tariff on Canadian alcohol goes into effect
• Legal analysis highlights growing AI compliance risks under federal and state alcohol ad laws
• Uncle Boojie’s research links F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to Louisville bourbon history
• Angel's Envy unveils Distillery Series finished in Stout and Amburana barrels
• Belle of Louisville and Brough Brothers partner on commemorative bourbon expressions
• Larrikin Bourbon Co. debuts Australia Series with exotic wood finishes at Kentucky Bourbon Festival
• Redwood Empire Whiskey launches inaugural limited-edition series with The Hyperion Batch 001
• Jack Daniel’s releases American Single Malt Whiskey nationwide across the U.S.
• B.R. Distilling Company launches Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask finished in wild-cherry barrels
• Four Roses Distillery unveils Experimental Series No. 002 Honey Cask Finish
• Actor Chris Hemsworth joins Archie Rose Distilling Co. as co-owner ahead of U.S. launch
• Dueling Grounds Distillery celebrates 10-year anniversary with Bourbon Harvest Picnic 2026

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the classic "unicorn" whiskey officially dead, or is the market just finally giving us what we’ve been asking for? On this edition of the Bourbon Community Roundtable, our panel is breaking down how 2026 is shaping up in the world of whiskey releases. With older age statements hitting shelves, pricing pressure mounting, and an avalanche of finishes and experimental wood treatments coming from both heritage giants and craft newcomers, picking a clear bottle of the year is harder than ever. We dive into the heavy hitters and sleeper hits catching everyones attention, including the Blade & Bow 12-Year Solera, Parker’s Heritage 20th Edition, Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, Dragon’s Milk Origin toasted and amaretto releases, Four Roses’ latest experiments, New Riff’s 6-year wheater, Old Soul’s house distillate, Leiper’s Fork’s 10-year blend, Lost Lantern’s 50-state blend, and an Angel’s Envy stout finish that surprisingly delivered. We wrap up by asking the big question: in a flatter market overflowing with high-quality, accessible bottles, what actually makes a bottle legendary today?

Show Notes:

• How 2026 compares to recent years with older age statements, pricing pressure, and fierce market competition.
• The wave of experimental finishes and wood treatments shaping consumer attention across large and craft distilleries.
• Highly anticipated releases on the panel's radar, including Parker’s Heritage 20th Edition, Blade & Bow 12-Year Solera, and Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon.
• Standout craft and independent releases from New Riff, Dragon’s Milk, Old Soul, Leiper’s Fork, and Lost Lantern.
• The evolution of "unicorn" whiskey and whether extreme scarcity is losing its grip on the bourbon community.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass returns with its wheated “Year of Wheat” release. This 6 year, 107.8 proof bourbon brings sweet candy, maraschino cherry, cherry Pop-Tart, and creamy dessert vibes with a finish that kept us talking.

DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's This Week in Bourbon for August 21st 2026. Heaven Hill is joining the fun on E!’s upcoming mixology competition series, Cocktail Wars, Bardstown Bourbon Company has two new releases, and Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2026.

Show Notes:

• Heaven Hill partners with E!’s Cocktail Wars competition series featuring Deep Eddy and PAMA
• Give 270 launches Bourbon Raffles Serial No. 013 benefiting the Hanger Foundation
• St. Louis Bourbon Society announces 2026 St. Louis Bourbon & Cocktail Festival for October 9
• Bardstown Bourbon Company reveals 2026 releases: Lochs of Jura Finish and 2026 Discovery
• Redemption Whiskey introduces Single Barrel Bonded Bourbon and returns 18-Year-Old Ancients expression
• Stranahan's debuts historic 11-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond American Single Malt Whiskey
• Branch & Barrel Distilling launches first-ever corn-forward Straight Rye Whiskey in Colorado
• New Riff Distilling brings back award-winning Sherry Finish Malted Rye at barrel proof
• Koopers Whiskey releases limited 8-Year Texas Oak Bourbon finished in local toasted barrels
• Maker's Mark announces Cellar Aged 2026 release blending 11-, 12-, and 14-year bourbons

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Single barrels have changed. It was once a time where it was a simple trip to a Kentucky warehouse but now it's morphed into a tech-driven, digital community experience. On this episode, we sit down with Michael Nagdi, co-founder of The Prime Barrel, and Garry—better known as "Mr. G"—chief taster and host of the Prime Barrel Chronicles. Michael shares his journey from retail into pivoting during the pandemic, taking his traditional retail setup into an online barrel club built on Discord, education, and exclusive access. But Prime Barrel isn't just picking regular old barrels—they’re leveraging tech like NFTs as digital membership cards and embedded NFC chips on bottles that let their club members unlock tasting notes, watch videos from the pick, and even provide that information back to distilleries for real-time data on where bottles are actually being opened and enjoyed.

Show Notes:

• Behind the scenes of building The Prime Barrel and pivoting from retail to an online-first model during COVID.
• How Discord and digital access transformed a local bottle-picking group into a thriving nationwide community.
• Using NFTs and NFC-chipped bottles to unlock exclusive tasting notes, videos, and real-time consumer data.
• Mr. G's journey into bourbon, selecting barrels for diverse palates, and hosting the Prime Barrel Chronicles.
• Current market trends: high age statements, the shift away from finished whiskeys, and upcoming distillery experiments.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Evan Williams celebrates America’s 250th with a blue wax, 117.76 proof single barrel that takes a surprisingly different turn. Cinnamon pastry, burnt kettle corn, herbal spice, and a funky finish make this one anything but ordinary.

DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's This Week in Bourbon for August 14th 2026. The Bourbon and Beyond line up with set times has been announced, US Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the decision on Bad Spaniels, and Chattanooga Whiskey has announced Chattanooga Whiskey Moldovan Ice Wine Cask Finished.

Show Notes:

• Festival details and culinary lineup revealed for 8th annual Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville
• 9th Circuit Court rules for VIP Products, overturning Jack Daniel’s dog toy sales ban
• California craft distillers face deadline as direct-to-consumer delivery rights near expiration
• Next Century Spirits acquires Chicken Cock Whiskey and Grain & Barrel Spirits portfolio
• Brown-Forman partners with E! network for new "Cocktail Wars" competition series
• Indianapolis-based Circle City Whiskey Co. celebrates major growth as an independent bottler
• Copper & Kings expands reach with new direct-to-consumer online shipping program
• Hard Truth Distilling announces Master Distiller’s Reserve Dark Roast Rye for fall release
• Garrison Brothers reveals 2026 Cowboy Bourbon at 141 proof for September release
• Chattanooga Whiskey launches Moldovan Ice Wine Cask Finished bourbon

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we’re bringing you live, boots-on-the-ground coverage directly from the Pursuit Spirits booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. This action-packed compilation captures the energy, debates, and dynamic voices shaping modern whiskey culture. We kick off by tackling the push-and-pull between digital marketing, detailed tasting notes, and the essential trust built through live tastings. From there, we explore how fresh, diverse perspectives are breaking traditional industry molds, why balance and distillate quality beat arbitrary age statement numbers every time, and how tight-knit communities keep enthusiasts connected beyond the bottle. Plus, we throw down in a live debate comparing the innovation of craft distillers against the scale of heritage titans, and wrap up with a look at how social algorithms, hype, and online content creators drive today’s bourbon market. Pour yourself a drink and experience the best of the festival floor with us!

Show Notes:

• Live coverage directly from the Pursuit Spirits booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.
• The balance between digital marketing, detailed tasting notes, and building trust through live tastings.
• How fresh, diverse voices and perspectives are reshaping traditional whiskey culture.
• Why distillate quality and overall balance matter far more than age statements.
• The role of tight-knit communities in keeping whiskey enthusiasts connected beyond the bottle.
• A live debate comparing the innovation of craft distillers against the scale of heritage brands.
• How social media algorithms, hype, and online content creators drive today’s bourbon market.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices