Chasing the Unicorn: Bourbon & American Whiskey

Jack Daniel's answers the "quality over marketing" question with a fully specced Coy Hill Rye, while Stagg and Sazerac move in opposite directions on the secondary floor and Buffalo Trace's own shelf splits in half. Plus Fawn Weaver's bond fight, a documented 1982 Willett at auction, DISCUS's European push, California's distillery grant, and Lost Lantern's new George Dickel collection.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

MB Roland Distillery, one of Kentucky's first craft distilleries after the modern boom, goes to auction this December as its founders retire. We also cover Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond's trophy win against far pricier competition, the century-old Pond Fork recipe finally reaching a drinker, Chattanooga Whiskey's maple-record-finished Bad Chattanoogan, and a side-by-side review that drew a hard line through Hawaii's whole bourbon category.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

Maker's Mark has a bourbon called Cellar Aged moving through federal approval with no proof or age attached, and John reads that as a label still a long way from the shelf. Also this past week: Russell's Reserve's barrel-proof series moves in three different directions by vintage, and three charities built raffles around the Weller lineup, plus a rickhouse-driven Russell's Reserve surprise, Iron Smoke buying its own building, China's luxury spirits slump, a Mississippi delivery lawsuit, and Holladay's first ten-year bourbon.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

This Sunday, Franklin lines up two twelve-year whiskeys that happen to share the exact same age statement: Penelope's Conundrum rye and Old Forester's new Tribute Series bourbon. With the age held constant, the only variable left is the grain — and that's this week's one thing to do. Also on the board: the Riley Children's Hospital raffle closes October 30 with 125 bottles still in the pool, and Virginia's lottery is running two allocated bourbons at once, free to enter.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

This Saturday, Franklin shares five stories worth telling somebody: Wyoming Whiskey's tribute bottle to the famous bear Grizzly 399, Mike Rowe's foundation-funded Tennessee whiskey, a UK auction that just priced American bourbon in pounds, a Washington single malt aged in a nearly-vanished oak, and a new Texas distillery opening on rainwater and live music. No clock today — just the week's standouts.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

MGP Ingredients, the Kansas distiller that's quietly made whiskey for High West, Bulleit Rye, Templeton and dozens of other labels for 85 years, filed paperwork on October 14 to rename itself Sempreon, Inc. effective November 2 — the Nasdaq ticker flips from MGPI to CASK the same day. The episode also covers Bulleit '87, a new bourbon-rye blend built around a Mike's Hot Honey partnership and a 22-city traveling bar tour.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

Pursuit Spirits debuted Pursuit United XS Double Oak Rye this week at its Louisville storefront — a 126.2-proof rye finished nearly two years in custom Napa oak barrels. Of the 720 bottles made, 92% were already claimed by the shop's own club members before the doors opened to walk-in customers. The episode also covers Old Fitzgerald's $425 Jonathan Adler backgammon set, paired with its Bottled-in-Bond 7-Year.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

Barrell Craft Spirits released a new 12-Year French Toast(ed) Bourbon, blending straight bourbons from four states aged 12 to 17 years, then finished in French oak toasted to a deep "Grand Chauffe" level. It's $159.99, available now with no lottery or club wall. The episode also covers DISCUS pushing Washington to drop the last tariff on European cognac.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

New Riff Distilling, a decade into building its name on rye and high-rye bourbon, just released its first wheated bourbon — a 6-year, 100-proof release with three separate wheat components stacked into the mash bill. Sales open Friday through the distillery's Whiskey Club only, with no retail version announced. The episode also covers a veterans' charity raffle built around a full Weller "Rainbow" vertical.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.

Four Roses blended a 23-year-old barrel into its 2026 Limited Edition Small Batch, alongside three younger batches, bottled raw at 109.2 proof. Most bourbon can't survive barrel aging that long without the wood overtaking the whiskey, so the episode also covers Keeper's Heart's new triple-pot-distilled Midwestern rye, a different take on an old process question.

The retail detail — the where, the when and the numbers — isn't in this episode. Platform rules for alcohol content don't allow it here. All of it is in the American Whiskey Industry Brief, free at chasingtheunicornpodcast.com.