Clay Risen somehow narrowly escaped being a guest on the podcast, but we got him. We talk about some of his past work and his newest book, The Impossible Collection Of Whiskey: The 100 Most Exceptional And Collectible Bottles, that will be coming out in October 2020. So of course, we talk about chasing unicorns and our early bourbon regrets.
Show Notes:

This week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about unity in bourbon.

Tell us about your books.

If you could be best friends with any celebrity, who would it be?

Do you feel like books need to be refreshed constantly?

Talk about the different kinds of rye.

What are your favorite ryes?

How did you become the whiskey guy?

What year did you get into whiskey?

What is one of your favorite pieces you've wrote?

Tell us about your new book.

How do you have time to venture out to all different kinds of whiskies?

Did you include specific vintages in your new book?

What about exports created for the Japanese market?

How hard would it be for you to open a rare whiskey?

Now that you are covering politics, are you drinking more whiskey?

Support this Podcast on Patreon

271 - The Impossible Collection of Whiskey with Clay Risen

The Official Podcast of Bourbon! The best in news, reviews and interviews with people making the bourbon whiskey industry happen. Join hosts Kenny Coleman, Ryan Cecil, and Fred Minnick as they talk with prominent guests and provide insight on American whiskey 3 times a week. Catch all new episodes every Thursday with special Whiskey Quickie reviews on Tuesday and get caught up on bourbon news with This Week in Bourbon on Friday.

Arts

Literature

Performing Arts

Design

Food

Fashion & Beauty

Visual Arts

Hobbies

Games & Hobbies

Leisure

It's This Week in Bourbon for April 26th 2024. Master Distiller Alex Castle will be leaving Old Dominick, the bourbon spirits market size to rise up to US$12 billion by 2030, The WoodWork Collective and David Jennings announce Raconteur Rye.Show Notes:
Master Distiller Alex Castle will be leaving Old Dominick

Give 270 has a new giveaway

Three Chord Bourbon x Allman Brothers Band

Shelter Distilling expands to Montrose, Colorado

ourbon Spirits Market Size to Rise up to US$12 Billion by 2030

A ransomware attack on a Swedish logistics company

London Marathon runner tasted a different glass of wine each mile of the race.

Garrison Brothers Lady Bird

J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery Combat Infantry Badge (CIB) Bourbon

Bulleit  12-Year-Old Rye Whiskey

Derby City Gaming and Hotel “Thoroughbred Collection”

New Riff Silver Grove Bourbon and Silver Grove Rye

Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke

LuxRow Blood Oath Pact 10

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend

Two Souls Spirits Spring 2024 release

The WoodWork Collective and David Jennings Raconteur Rye

@olddominick @give270 @threechordbourbon @shelterdistilling @garrisonbros @jmattingly1845 @bulleit @newriff @basilhayden @luxrowdistillers @chattwhiskey @rarebird101

Support this podcast on Patreon

TWiB: Master Distiller Alex Castle Leaves Old Dominick, Bourbon Market Size to Reach $12 Billion by 2030, Raconteur Rye

This is a question that has plagued me for quite some time and it was inspired by my wife. Ryan and I continuously evaluate brands as we compare what works and what doesn't when it comes to consumers. We get caught in this trap of continually pivoting as we see other brands catch fire because of a bottle design or some element. So my wife asked me, Kenny, are you are whiskey company or a marketing company? It caught me off guard and I really had to think about the broader landscape so I wanted to make an episode where we talk about what it takes to be a whiskey company versus a marketing company. There's probably a lot of brands out there that think of themselves as a whiskey company but in reality they are a marketing company. Here's the thing, there's no wrong answer. Marketing plays a crucial role in whiskey and it could be the marketing that's in your face through point of sale, it could be bottle shapes, or even the lack of marketing to keep the mystique alive. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and it probably requires us to hit this topic again in the future if you send us your feedback.

 Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about Maker's Mark and their role in bourbon resurgence.

Where do you spend your first initial investment?

Does the liquid even matter?

Does having special distillation, heirloom grains, or anything else really matter?

Can a big distiller be considered a marketing company?

When a big distiller creates the same label with different colors and proofs, is that about the whiskey?

How do you transition from being a marketing company to a whiskey company?

Does it matter if you're getting it from one source like everyone else?

Do you need to cater to the neophytes or the mass consumer market?

If Fred Minnick starts a brand would you put your money in marketing or the whiskey?

Can you be a whiskey company if you are using MGP?

Is a lack of marketing considered marketing?



Support this podcast on Patreon

459 - Are You A Whiskey Company or a Marketing Company?

On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review High N' Wicked Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. This 5 year old whiskey is 98.2 proof and $80 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!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.

Whiskey Quickie: High N' Wicked Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Review

It's This Week in Bourbon for April 19th 2024. Maker's Mark, Ed Lee, and Messermeister come out with a knife collaboration, Bourbon Women announces the 2024 SIP Scholarship Program, and Keeneland Race Course and Maker’s Mark launch Greats of the Gate.Show Notes:
Woodford Reserve Distillery has unfairly influenced a 2022 unionization vote

Maker's Mark, Ed Lee, and Messermeister come out with a knife collaboration

Bargo 459 joins The Kentucky Distillers’ Association

Bourbon Women is pleased to announce the 2024 SIP Scholarship Program

Hard Truth Distilling Co. to break ground on its third rackhouse

Old Line Spirits 51 Rye Whiskey

Keeneland Race Course and Maker’s Mark launch Greats of the Gate

@woodfordreserve @makersmark @chefedwardlee @messer_meister @bourbonwomen @hardtruthspirits @oldlinespirits @keeneland

Support this podcast on Patreon

TWiB: A New Knife Collaboration, 2024 SIP Scholarship Program, Keeneland and Maker’s Launch Greats of the Gate

Whenever you get into a hobby that involved enthusiasts and collecting, there are trends that begin to appear. Allocations, raffles, lotteries, fakes, these are things that become common. One of those hobbies that has quite a few parallels is sneakers. Matt Kusek is a certified whiskey enthusiasts as a write for Malt Review but he's also the host of the Swoosh Life podcast that focuses on sneaker heads. He joins the show to give us an insight into how the shoe game and bourbon have so many similarities that, in Matt's words, sneakers are 20 years ahead of bourbon. We dive into the types of collectors, brands, sales, allocation, and so much more. If sneakers are really 20 years ahead of bourbon, who knows what the next few years has in store for us.

 Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about Buffalo Trace expansion.

What's the similarity between Jordan's and bourbon releases?

Are there raffles, lotteries, or hunts for sneakers?

Who is the distributor and how do they own the retail store?

If Nike is number one, who would they be compared to and who's the next biggest?

Mom and pop stores vs chains and how are they getting pushed out of the market?

What about saving and storing vs wearing or drinking?

Is it Jordan and then everyone else?

What is the Heaven Hill or Weller of sneakers?

Are there people that only collect one type of shoe?

Bourbon hits all walks of life or does the sneaker enthusiasts hit all walks of life?

Are there sneakers that don't need marketing?

Do you look differently at people who are rookies and buy stuff just because they want every color?

Are there any value brands that hold up over time?

Are there some LTOs that flop?

Are replicas or fakes a big problem?

Has the market gone down because everything became a limited edition?

Was Blue Run able to sneakerize the industry in your opinion?

@mattkusek

Support this podcast on Patreon

271 - The Impossible Collection of Whiskey with Clay Risen

Download our free app to listen on your phone