The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Mammoth Distilling was, well, a mammoth effort to get on the podcast! But we're here, and it was a blast. 

Ari and Collin have quietly (to the outside world) and not-so-quietly (to the whiskey world) been on an adventure, one that spans a century, a ten-mile-wide straight, an isolated island, and two countries that, despite continued animosity, seem to keep giving and taking throughout history. 

We chat about Rosen Rye, the golden child of the ryevolution happening right now, as well as Mammoth's other non-Rosen-related offerings, including cocktail cherries that I'll have to face off with Traverse City's. This is appropriately a Mammoth-sized episode, so prepare to get lost in the great north!

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Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Ari Sussman and Collin Gaudard of Mammoth Distillery. 

Mammoth Distillery

• Mammoth Distillery Website

Reviews Coming Soon!

• Mammoth Distilling Limited Release Northern Rye Whiskey No. 1 Review

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

Execute episode 66...

Fittingly, for Episode 66 we're going to Northern California, the home of Redwood Empire Whiskey and the great redwood forests. Looking up at these primevally-large trees is a stupendous experience, one George Lucas would be inspired by. 

Redwood Empire was founded in 2017 with the goal of producing excellent in-house whiskey that could stand on its own or be blended with older, sourced whiskies without being lost. In their Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, and Lost Monarch blends, Redwood Empire showcases its blending skills - and the cask strength versions just add to that showcase. 

The newest outturns are the Redwood Empire Bottled-in-Bond whiskies- the Rocket Top and Grizzly Beast - 100% their own distillate at 5 years old. The Redwood Empire house style shines in these two whiskies, and each are worth trying as soon as you can find them. 

With Lauren Patz and Jeff Duckhorn (yes, that family) running the stills, Redwood is quickly ascending the ranks of American whiskey. Lauren is a true whiskey geek, someone you want behind the stills but can also explain complex topics to any audience. 

Oh...and did I mention they'll have a single malt soon?

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Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Lauren Patz of Redwood Empire Whiskey.

Redwood Empire Whiskey

• Redwood Empire Whiskey Website

Reviews Coming Soon!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

Glenn's Creek Distillery lies on hallowed ground - the former Old Crow bottling plant on McCracken Pike in Kentucky, down the road from Castle & Key. Founder David Meier knows this, and has set his sights on resurrecting the Crow name...in his own method, of course. 

Glenn's Creek is quietly producing some of the best nano-batch bourbons, whiskies, and spirits in Kentucky. Overshadowed by its neighbor and the Beam company (which owns the Old Crow brand rights), Glenn's Creek is content to wait in the shadows for now, but I hope it won't be for long. The whiskey is just too good. 

From the interpretations of what OCD means (old cranky Dave, obsessive-compulsive distiller, etc.), to the S'wheat wheated bourbon, to the A-maize-ing COB Bourbon, every pour has a story to tell, one Dave and his team are ready to share - with a glass in hand. 

There are several reviews to come through this episode, so keep checking the episode notes as well as the Whiskeyinmyweddingring.com website for new reviews throughout this week!

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s David Meier, Founder of Glenn's Creek Distillery.

Glenn's Creek Distillery

• Glenn's Creek Distillery Website

Reviews

• Glenn’s Creek Café Olé™ Bourbon Review

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

This week we turn to another new concept - blended whiskey overseen by a team of whiskey writers. Lifelong friends Devin Ershow and Chase Langdon have run American Mash & Grain for several years, but last year they decided to put their whiskey knowledge into practice. 

The result: Borrowed Page Volume One, a whiskey blending four distilleries: 

- Watershed Distillery in Ohio (WRP Episode 39)

- Wigle Whiskey in Pennsylvania (WRP Episode 18)

- Spirits of French Lick in Indiana (WRP Episode 5 and Episode 44)

- Whiskey Del Bac Distillery in Arizona (WRP Episode 63)

So, not only was I talking with the guys doing the blending, I had also talked to and tasted all four distilleries in the blend. That, to me, was an out-of-body experience. 

Devin and Chase are fascinating to listen to, and their process for choosing distilleries and partners was equally intriguing. There are close to a dozen distilleries mentioned in this episode, and I hope I've tagged them all - if I miss any, tag them in the comments on IG, FB, or Twitter! 

Borrowed Page Volume 1 is out now and available for purchase!

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Chase Langdon and Devin Ershow, writers of American Mash & Grain and blenders/producers of Borrowed Page American Whiskey Volume One. 

American Mash & Grain

• American Mash & Grain Website

Reviews

• Borrowed Page Whiskey Volume 1 Review 

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

Our first ever episode from Arizona! 

I'm joined by Whiskey Del Bac Founder Stephen Paul and Head Distiller Mark Vierthaler to walk through the Whiskey Del Bac Classic, the Whiskey Del Bac Dorado, and how they're making American Single Malt in the not-so-dry desert on a spaceship malting apparatus. 

Stephen comes from a carpentry background - having joined the "nub club" - and saw the beauty of mesquite wood. Like their counterpart in New Mexico, Stephen and Whiskey Del Bac decided to incorporate that delicious smoke into their single malt (the Dorado), but not the classic, which was a single malt to be left unpeated.

Mark comes from both Boot Hill and 10th Ward Distilleries, two places where he had to wear many hats - but at Whiskey Del Bac...let's be honest, he's still wearing many hats. But he's enjoying it just as much, and has wide range to experiment with finishes and barrels as much as he likes, as long as it's single malt!

They're in a desert that has not one but two rainy seasons, use a still with no reflux component, and age in quarter casks - and their whiskey is excellent. On its own, smoked or unsmoked, even in Borrowed Page Volume #1 from American Mash & Grain, Whiskey Del Bac makes an impact. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Mark Vierthaler and Stephen Paul, Head Distiller and Founder, respectively, of Whiskey Del Bac. 

Whiskey Del Bac

• Whiskey Del Bac Website

Whiskey Del Bac Reviews

• Whiskey Del Bac Classic Review

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

Has anyone held more jobs in the whiskey industry than Gregg Snyder? Seriously - I received the man's bio ahead of our interview and it was downright intimidating. 

He's had roles at - just to name a few over a 41-year career:

• Chicken Cock/Grain and Barrel

He's also an honorary Kentucky Colonel, Diamond Life Member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and more. Seriously - this guy not only knows a tremendous number of things but also at great depth. 

The one that stood out most to me was his work at Blue Grass Cooperage, now known as Brown-Forman Cooperage, simply because how many master distillers have also been at the head of a cooperage? 

His newest challenge is reviving Chicken Cock, a brand with tremendous history that suffered an unfortunate and long hiatus. It truly is a venerable brand, the "Famous Old Brand" that was the house whiskey at New York's Cotton Club during Prohibition. 

Of course the name might make you snicker at first - we're all childish at heart, after all - but once you get past it you'll find a really cool brand putting out some great bourbon and rye. The limited editions have all been solid and interesting, some outright delicious. 

Plus, listening to Gregg talk about Jimmy Russell like a regular guy who just "poked his head in my office" is hilariously fun. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Gregg Snyder, Master Distiller of Chicken Cock Whiskey and Grain and Barrel. 

Chicken Cock

• Chicken Cock Website

Chicken Cock Reviews

• Chicken Cock Bourbon and Rye Review

Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

Last year, Dr. Edward Slingerland published Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to talk to him. I had so many questions! 

It took me a year, but I got him on - and it may be the best interview yet. Dr. Slingerland is a multifaceted researcher, drawing on experience with Warring States-era Ancient China, philosophy, sociology, evolutionary theories, archaeology, and scientific data to come to a breathtaking conclusion: human civilization could not have evolved without alcohol and intoxication. 

That's obviously an oversimplification. Dr. Slingerland and I get into the theories behind his argument, the studies he references, and challenges to this work. After all, there's voluminous, even endless literature on alcohol's dangers (and Dr. Slingerland doesn't shy away from those, devoting an entire chapter to those dangers) - but very few have ever written of alcohol in a positive light. 

This is, above all, a must-read for anyone truly interested in alcohol and intoxication. Like the best works do, it will make you think about life, where we come from, and how we achieved the civilizations we now take for granted.

And thinking feels best over a nice glass of whiskey. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Dr. Edward Slingerland, author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization.

Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

From the meeting of two continents comes one of the best new whiskies of the year, and an episode so good I couldn't wait to share it with you all!

Keeper's Heart - bringing together Irish pot still, Irish grain, and American Rye whiskey (and Bourbon, in another product) is the cross-Atlantic collaboration the industry has been waiting for. 

David Perkins, liquid collaborator and advisor (and of High West fame) joins me to talk about his journey, the Keeper's Heart team and ethos, and where this brand new idea can go. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s David Perkins of Keeper's Heart Whiskey.

Keeper's Heart Whiskey

• Keeper's Heart Whiskey Website

Keeper's Heart Whiskey Reviews

• Keeper's Heart Irish + American Whiskey Review

Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

How many times have you tried a sherry-finished whiskey? 

How many times have you tried the sherry it was finished in? 

This week, I brought in sherry expert Monique Huston to talk about this fascinating fortified wine from Jerez, Spain. From Fino and Amontillado to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez, sherry and wine-finishing has played an outsized role in whiskey maturation in the last century-plus. 

In this episode, Monique and I talk through the history of Sherry (itself an Anglicization of Jerez) and how sherry came to be, how it became useful in European whisky-making, and why it deserves much more attention and appreciation. 

Oh - Monique will also be back in the future. She's a multi-time panelist for tasting competition and an agave-spirit lover who has taken on the challenge of making me one too. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Monique Huston of Winebow Fine Wine and Spirits.

Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website

This week we're visiting a new state for the podcast - Virginia. When it comes to Virginia distilleries, you'll probably think of A. Smith Bowman or Mount Vernon first, but Ironclad should be your next visit. 

Owen King, distiller and son of the distillery's founder, is playing with corn and mashbills the same way Middle West, Mammoth, and other innovators are exploring. Some of it isn't ready for market - he's dedicated to at least four years in the barrel, then however long is needed afterwards - but some of it is, like the Monitor Blend and Old Kernel. 

Then there's the finishes - if you find a Petit Verdot, shout me out immediately - and the story itself. Newport News, VA is home to aircraft carriers and a huge US Navy presence, plus the story of the Monitor itself. 

Owen is passionate about making the best and most creative whiskey in Virginia - and he just might be succeeding. 

_________________

Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!

• The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 

You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 

Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 

Thanks for reading! Now here’s Owen King of Ironclad Distillery.

Ironclad Distillery

• Ironclad Distillery Website

Ironclad Distillery Reviews

• Ironclad Flying Fox Winery Cask-Finished Bourbon Whiskey Review

Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages

• https://impexbev.com

Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society

• SMWS Website