Hops & Spirits: Neat & Mixed

We've Got Questions for OH Ingram River Aged Whiskey Master Blender Scott Beyer about their river aging process, what that does to the bourbon, what new releases might be coming and more at this year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.

MB Roland Distillery is a completely “grain to glass” craft distillery located in Christian County, Ky. We enjoy four expressions — KY Straight Bourbon, KY Straight Rye, Corn Whiskey and Barker’s Mill Bottled in Bond — and chat with founder/distiller Paul Tomaszewski, about why his family launched the distillery, where the name comes from, using white corn, and so much more.

We've got questions for 15 Stars Bourbon co-founder Ricky Johnson about how they come up with their unique blends, what future releases we can expect, when they might start using some of their whiskey and more at this year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.

Brown-Forman founded the white oak initiative to ensure forestry practices were sustainable so there could be bourbon barrels for years to come. It can take up to 80 years for a tree to reach the point it is ready to become a barrel. We chat with Barbara Hunt, past chair and co-founder of the White Oak Initiative, about the initiative, how it impacts bourbon barrels and so much more.

We've Got Questions for Ken MacKenzie, founder and CEO of Fresh Victor, about why he launched a cold-pressed, refrigerated mixes company, where the name comes from, their flavor options and more.

We've Got Questions for Phyllis Whiskey's Ryan Christiansen, President and Head Distiller of Caledonia Spirits in Vermont, about the launch of Phyllis Whiskey, their approach to spirits, the importance of bees and honey, their Bee’s Knees Week and more.

We've Got Questions for RD1 Spirits R&D Master Distiller Jarrad Gollihue about his role, what new wood finishes we might see from RD1, how he balances the finish not overpowering the whiskey and more.

We've Got Questions for Last Cut Crystal's Aaron Gooding on how how he got into cutting glass, how difficult his craft is, the fun in coming up with designs, how they make very unique gifts and more at this year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.

We've Got Questions for Chris Walters, bourbon enthusiast and owner of Nose Your Bourbon, about his nosing kits, how the kits can help bourbon drinkers, how he got into bourbon, how his virtual nosing events work and more. Plus, use HOPS10 for 10% off your order through Dec. 15!

We've Got Questions for Hemingway Rye's Ron Call about his 50 years distilling, if he was surprised by the special edition bottling, their approach with Hemingway Rye and more. Plus, we try several of their expressions at this year's Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown.