The Bourbon Life

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief takes you on a ride to Tennessee and introduces you to Company Distilling. He chats with Co-Founder, Jeff Arnett, who was the former Master Distiller for Jack Daniel’s.  Jeff tells listeners how he got his start in the food industry as a production manager for Folgers Coffee where he learned sensory sciences.

He started at Jack Daniels as their quality control manager for seven years and was hand-picked as Master Distiller of one of the largest whiskey brands in the world. Who better than a man knew their entire process? Over the next 12 years he would grow the Jack Daniel’s line from three expressions to eleven.

Why would anyone leave? Jeff felt that he had an opening to do something for himself and his family.  Company Distilling allowed him to step away from the cog that never stops and concentrate on his own ideas and passions.

Jeff and Big Chief start the show by sipping on Company’s Applewood finished whiskey that has cinnamon spiced apples on the palette. They then move to a maple wood finished wheated bourbon blend. In the second half they start with a straight Rye whiskey finished in cherry wood. They finish the show with a cask strength maple wood finished Bourbon at 117 proof.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip shows that there are still ways to change the complexity of whiskey with wood finishing and it’s exciting to see Jeff be able to be creative with his expressions.

Cheers!

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief takes you on a ride to Northern Kentucky to introduce you to New Riff Distilling. He chats with Co-Founder, Jay Erisman, who is known as the Whiskey Man. Jay tells listeners how everything started from one of the largest liquor stores in America, The Party Source, where he helped educate costumers about whiskey with his amazing barrel picks. He also introduces the Big Man to New Riff’s new 8-year-old whiskies.

Jay and Big Chief start the show by sipping on New Riff’s Winter Whiskey which is 100 proof whiskey that has malted oats and steell cut oats in the mash bill. A new take on a chocolate malted oat stout beer. They then move on to a a sour mash single malt whiskey that is 113.8 proof.

In the second half they start with a Bohemian Wheat Bourbon at 117.9 proof which grabbed the big man’s attention as you can imagine. They finish the show with a rare 8-year-old Malted Rye at 118.2 proof.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip shows Big Chief’s commitment to bringing you the rest of the story even when he and his guest are both feeling a little under the weather.

Cheers!

In this Special Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, the entire Bourbon Life Crew spends some time together in The Bourbon Life Studios sharing some great drinks and conversation, as well as their annual “Crewsgiving” meal prepared by Matt.

They go a little bit off the rails in the first session and give you some great topics to discuss with your loved ones at Thanksgiving, including Bigfoot, the Yeti, UFO’s, and other unexplained phenomena. Then they move on to discuss whether there really is such a thing as a “neck pour” and then close it out with a conversation about celebrity whiskies.

They also taste and review Detrick Straight Rye Whiskey, Old Grand Dad 114 (a Bourbon Life favorite), and a Barrel Proof Fortuna Kentucky Straight Bourbon.

This Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast is sponsored by Liquor Barn, ZBiotics, The Stave Restaurant, Three Chord Bourbon, and District 7 Social.

Check out all of our amazing sponsors online at:

www.liquorbarn.com 

www.zbiotics.com

www.thestavekentucky.com 

www.threechordbourbon.com

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief takes you on a ride to the Hill Country of Texas to visit Treaty Oak Distilling. He sits down with owner, Daniel Barnes, and Chief Marketing Officer, Tony Gonzalez. They talk about Daniel’s beginning in the distilling industry and how Treaty Oak has become a destination in Dripping Springs.

Daniel, Tony, and Big Chief start the show by sipping on the Day Drinker which is an 80 proof, wheated expression. In the second half they start with the Treaty Oak Ghost Hill Texas Bourbon and finish the show with a Ghost Hill Single Barrel release that Big Chief just falls in love with.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip shows Big Chief’s love for Craft Distilleries and Texas Whiskey.  It’s Southern hospitality at its best.

Cheers!

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Barry Downing, Executive VP & Master Blender, of Limestone Farms

The guy talk with Barry about his extensive background in the culinary and spirits industry and how that led him to Limestone Farms, the creation of the Limestone Farms brand and his incredibly complex and impressive blending process that he utilizes for creating their expressions, and what the future looks like for Limestone Farms, including a new Distillery with some impressive production capacity that is coming in 2024 in Georgetown, Kentucky.

They also taste and review several different expressions from Limestone Farms, including their Select Batch, Small Batch, and Private Stock.

This Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast is sponsored by Liquor Barn, ZBiotics, The Stave Restaurant, Three Chord Bourbon, and District 7 Social.

Check out all of our amazing sponsors online at:

www.liquorbarn.com 

www.zbiotics.com

www.thestavekentucky.com 

www.threechordbourbon.com

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief introduces you to the Texas Whiskey Trail and its Director, Jake Clements.  They sit down at the Annie B's Bar & Lounge to talk about all that is Texas Whiskey. They discuss 2024 being the Texas Whiskey Trail’s 5th Anniversary and how all 32 distilleries will be celebrating. Jake talks about the 4 regions of the trail and what else the great state of Texas has to offer.

Jake and Big Chief start the show by sipping on a Texas Single Malt Andalusia Whiskey Company and then move onto a Bottled in Bond Bourbon from Rebecca Creek. In the second half, they start with a Ranger Creek Bourbon. They finish the show with Ironroot Republic Harbinger Summer Solstice Tribarrel. This is one amazing bottle of whiskey that blows the big man’s mind. It’s in Big Chief’s Top 5 for the year.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip gives you another challenge to undertake after you have completed the trails in Kentucky and Tennessee.

Cheers!

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Zack Abbott, CEO, of ZBiotics.

They talk with Zack about his extremely impressive educational background and work experience in the world of science, the amazing Pre-Alcohol Prebiotic Drink that he and his team at ZBiotics have developed and how it is genetically engineered to help you feel better the day after a few drinks, and some of the very exciting things that the future holds for the ZBiotics Company.

They also taste and review Basil Hayden Bourbon, Legent, and Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye.

This Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast is sponsored by Liquor Barn, ZBiotics, The Stave Restaurant, Three Chord Bourbon, District 7 Social.

Check out all of our amazing sponsors online at:

www.liquorbarn.com 

www.zbiotics.com

www.thestavekentucky.com 

www.threechordbourbon.com

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast, Big Chief heads to Bardstown, Kentucky to hang out with two of the best in the whiskey business.  He sits down with Jane Bowie and Denny Potter to discuss their new distillery, Potter Jane Distilling Co. located in Springfield, Kentucky.

These two have built a chemistry with the Big Man, so the laughter and conversation comes easily. They talk about the difficulty of leaving Maker’s Mark and the challenges of becoming distillery owners. They walk Big Chief through the design of their new home and the mashbill they will use to make whiskey that should be ready in 2029.

Denny, Jane, and Big Chief start the show by sipping on Henry McKenna 10 year bottled and bond. In the second half these two bourbon comedians let Big Chief try some of the Markers Mark Cellar Aged 12 year, that he says could quite possibly be his whiskey of the year.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip is dedicated to Denny and Jane’s great friend Diane Rogers, the Quality Control Manager of Maker’s Mark who lost her battle to cancer.  Raise a glass to her passion for life and bourbon.

Cheers!

In this Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast, Matt and Mark spend some time hanging out with Tim Heuisler, Global Small Batch Whiskey Ambassador for Beam Suntory. Tim was previously a guest on Episode 124.

The guys talk with Tim about the concept and idea behind the recently released 3-part Hardin’s Creek Series from Beam, the direction and future of the Beam brand under the leadership of newly named 8th generation Master Distiller, Freddie Noe, and what the future of the Hardin’s Creek brand looks like.

They also taste and review all three of this year’s 204-month-old Hardin’s Creek releases, including Clermont, Frankfort, and Boston.

This Episode of The Bourbon Life Podcast is sponsored by Liquor Barn, The Stave Restaurant, Three Chord Bourbon, and District 7 Social.

Check out all of our amazing sponsors online at:

www.liquorbarn.com 

www.thestavekentucky.com 

www.threechordbourbon.com

This week on The Whiskey Trip Podcast , Big Chief discusses one of his favorite pastimes, hunting, with Ben Cole from Rooted TV on Carbon Network. The air has started to cool and it’s early October and the changes have these two big men ready for the excitement of the season.

They talk about sharing pours of whiskey with fellow hunters at camp and the experience of sharing one’s knowledge of the outdoors with the young and old. They reminisce about their first pours of bourbon and their first hunts. They also dive into Ben’s new show, Rooted TV, and wild game cooking with passion.

Big Chief and Ben sip on Kentucky Vintage from Willett to start the show and then in the second half Big Chief introduces Ben to Elmer T. Lee from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Just like hunting, whiskey is meant to be shared.

This ride on The Whiskey Trip gives you a peak into Big Chief’s life outside of Whiskey.

Cheers!!