The Brown Hotel is holiday cocktail competition titled "Top of the List", Eastern Light Distilling is moving forward with building a $60M distillery, and the release of Willett Pot Still Reserve Cask Strength.

What happens when the biggest distilling powerhouse behind the scenes decides to step into the spotlight and release whiskey under its own name? On this edition of the Bourbon Community Roundtable, the crew kicks things off by celebrating a massive milestone—our very own Fred Minnick being inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. After raising a glass to the iconic ceremony, national coverage, and the community that made it happen, the panel dives headfirst into one of the most controversial moves in the spirits industry today: MGP dropping its flagship Chapter One 10-year, 111-proof straight bourbon. We debate whether the distilling titan is directly competing against the very NDP customers who built its reputation, if everyday consumers will even recognize the brand, and what happens when the ultimate supplier becomes a frontline producer. The conversation quickly expands into a high-stakes clash between massive legacy distillers and nimble, enthusiast-led brands. The panel breaks down why independent bottlers and craft innovators are constantly outmaneuvering corporate giants by moving faster, cutting through red tape, and listening directly to what whiskey drinkers want. We trace the complete lifecycle of a modern bourbon enthusiast—from hunting allocated unicorns to returning to reliable everyday pours—while debating direct-to-consumer clubs, barrel pick culture, and whether the market has reached a tipping point for craft saturation. Wrapping up with a look at why fan-first entrepreneurs continue to dominate the modern whiskey space, this is an unfiltered, deep-dive discussion on the shifting power dynamics of American whiskey.

Garrison Brothers Lady Bird Cask Strength Single Barrel layers Texas bourbon with wildflower honey and cognac cask finishing.

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits will pay a 12.5M penalty, More tariffs and bans of canadian liquor into the US, and Booker’s Bourbon The Reserves 2026 and Little Book The Infinite, Edition III.

Today, we are bringing you the final installment of our live Pursuit Palooza AMA session with myself and my co-founder, Ryan Cecil. We kick off by tackling the business realities of the RTD boom, exploring why entering the canned cocktail market is a completely different beast than aging bourbon in a barrel—from short shelf-life stability issues and massive R&D costs to navigating shelf space in a crowded market. We also pull back the curtain on our sourcing philosophy at Pursuit Spirits, breaking down why we lean on established legacy producers over unpredictable craft profiles to build consumer trust. From there, things get wild as we reminisce about the weirdest tasting notes we've ever pulled—think peanut butter and jelly, peach rings, and Grandma's candy jar—before diving into the strict legalities of TTB labeling for finished bourbons and "straight" designations. Finally, we get personal about what it really takes to run an independent spirits company. We talk about managing operational pressure, our core philosophy of "no problems, only solutions," and the wild, unfiltered Palooza memories from over the years—including EDM table service, lost keys, and keeping each other out of trouble. Plus, we debate the real impact of celebrity brands, call out overhyped trends like hazmat-proof bottles, and share which historical figures—from George Garvin Brown to President Taft—we'd choose to sit down and share a pour with.

Frank August Case Study 07 takes a Kentucky bourbon and rye blend and finishes it in Calvados, Martinique rum, and Caribbean rum casks.

The KY ABC is going to be auctioning off rare bottles of confiscated bourbon, The New Era Whiskey Distillery and Social Club has opened in Lexington KY, and Heaven Hill announces 20th Edition Parker’s Heritage Collection.

Today, we are bringing you a full-access pass to the Pursuit Palooza 2026 AMA session recorded live with myself and my co-founder, Ryan Cecil. We take a look back at how Palooza originally grew out of having way more whiskey and industry guests than we could ever fit on the podcast—and why we decided to share these pours with the community rather than let good whiskey sit on a shelf. From there, we dive into the sticky topic of transparency in bourbon labeling, dissecting "bottled by" statements, straight bourbon requirements, and whether the average consumer actually cares about production details versus price, story, and flavor. Plus, we address the big question on everyone's mind: has the bourbon boom peaked, or is there still room for category growth? Finally, we tackle the technical production realities, the brutal lessons we learned about marketing, packaging, and the three-tier system when launching Pursuit Spirits, and the industry's hidden gems—including underrated distilleries like Tennessee Distilling Group and Woodinville. We close out with a look at organic grain challenges, memorable Palooza horror stories, and what we'd pick for our absolute death row meal and whiskey pairing.

Maker’s Mark Star Hill Farm 2026 brings big ice cream shop vibes with cherry cordial, vanilla custard, waffle cone, and a gooey cherry syrup finish.

Kentucky Bourbon Boys has officially launched KBB Reserve, the American Whiskey Scholars program, and Starlight has 2 brand new releases.

Today we’re sitting down with Mike Hinds, co-founder of Nashville Barrel Company, to chart the wild ride of turning a shared passion for high-proof single barrels into a powerhouse whiskey brand. Mike takes us back five or six years to NBC's humble beginnings—starting with local charity picks for cancer research, hunting down Jack Daniel’s, Weller 12, and Willett single barrels, and making frequent runs to Bardstown to learn the ropes. He gets candid about the early operational headaches of sourcing whiskey, from dealing with shady brokers and mismatched samples to launching unexpectedly with rye over bourbon and pivoting away from co-packers during the pandemic. Mike breaks down the strategy behind the Nashville Barrel Company name, expanding into downtown Music City, and opening the Louisville Rickhouse to tap directly into the Kentucky Bourbon Trail audience. Instead of chasing cheap inventory or relying on marketing gimmicks, Mike shares how focusing on cask-strength single barrels, earning consumer trust, and fostering connections with whiskey clubs kept their growth soaring.

Penelope Riviera blends 8 year American light whiskey with straight bourbon, then finishes it in rosé wine casks for a lighter, sweeter pour.

Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada have officially broken down, Humble Baron from Uncle Nearest is facing a change from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7 liquidation, and Larrikin Bourbon Co. unveils its new Australia Series.

On this edition of the Bourbon Community Roundtable, our panel is breaking down how 2026 is shaping up in the world of whiskey releases. With older age statements hitting shelves, pricing pressure mounting, and an avalanche of finishes and experimental wood treatments coming from both heritage giants and craft newcomers, picking a clear bottle of the year is harder than ever. We dive into the heavy hitters and sleeper hits catching everyones attention, including the Blade & Bow 12-Year Solera, Parker’s Heritage 20th Edition, Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon, Dragon’s Milk Origin toasted and amaretto releases, Four Roses’ latest experiments, New Riff’s 6-year wheater, Old Soul’s house distillate, Leiper’s Fork’s 10-year blend, Lost Lantern’s 50-state blend, and an Angel’s Envy stout finish that surprisingly delivered. We wrap up by asking the big question: in a flatter market overflowing with high-quality, accessible bottles, what actually makes a bottle legendary today?

Heaven Hill Grain to Glass returns with its wheated “Year of Wheat” release.

Heaven Hill is joining the fun on E!’s upcoming mixology competition series, Cocktail Wars, Bardstown Bourbon Company has two new releases, and Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2026.

On this episode, we sit down with Michael Nagdi, co-founder of The Prime Barrel, and Garry—better known as "Mr. G"—chief taster and host of the Prime Barrel Chronicles. Michael shares his wild journey from brick-and-mortar retail and rare spirits into pivoting hard during the pandemic, transforming a traditional retail setup into an online barrel club built on Discord, education, and exclusive access. But Prime Barrel isn't just picking great whiskey—they’re leveraging tech like NFTs as digital membership cards and embedded NFC chips on bottles that let consumers unlock tasting notes, watch pick videos, and even give distilleries real-time data on where bottles are actually being opened and enjoyed.

Evan Williams celebrates America’s 250th with a blue wax, 117.76 proof single barrel that takes a surprisingly different turn.

The Bourbon and Beyond line up with set times has been announced, US Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the decision on Bad Spaniels, and Chattanooga Whiskey has announced Chattanooga Whiskey Moldovan Ice Wine Cask Finished.

In this episode, we’re bringing you live, boots-on-the-ground coverage directly from the Pursuit Spirits booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown. This action-packed compilation captures the energy, debates, and dynamic voices shaping modern whiskey culture. We kick off by tackling the push-and-pull between digital marketing, detailed tasting notes, and the essential trust built through live tastings. From there, we explore how fresh, diverse perspectives are breaking traditional industry molds, why balance and distillate quality beat arbitrary age statement numbers every time, and how tight-knit communities keep enthusiasts connected beyond the bottle. Plus, we throw down in a live debate comparing the innovation of craft distillers against the scale of heritage titans, and wrap up with a look at how social algorithms, hype, and online content creators drive today’s bourbon market. Pour yourself a drink and experience the best of the festival floor with us!

Another PursuitPalooza is officially in the books. If you’ve never made it out for one, the whole idea is to pull back the curtain and give our listeners a completely immersive experience right here in our backyard, leveraging all the relationships we’ve built over years of running this podcast. On today’s episode, we’re recapping the whole chaotic, incredible weekend.

We fresh-cracked the 2026 Michter’s 10 Year Rye to see if it still lives up to the hype.

Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 11YR, Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Selection #17 High Angel’s Share Straight Tennessee Whiskey, and Uncle Nearest now has a proposed court date.

What does it take to pivot from selling the hottest consumer tech of the early 2000s into leading, not one but two, distilleries? Today's guest is Luis Gonzalez. We've known Luis on our first trip out to Old Elk and he forever made an impression on us. If you've ever heard Ryan say "sanity over vanity" this the guy that shared that wisdom. Luis has an interesting journey of starting in mall kiosks selling BlackBerry before making his way to executive status at OtterBox and got the call to help build Old Elk from the ground up. His next big move is now stepping into the Chief Commercial Officer role at Middle West Spirits in Columbus, Ohio after the acquisition of Old Elk. For nearly two years, Middle West has been quietly operating in custom contract distilling, aging, and bottling behind the scenes. We talk about how Luis manages massive inventory networks, maintain transparency with customers, and how to avoid the race-to-the-bottom price wars. Plus, we get into how Middle West is already distilling Old Elk’s custom mash bills and what the future holds for all their brands.

Bomberger’s 2026 brings a wild mix of historic Pennsylvania whiskey heritage, unique oak finishing, and some seriously unexpected flavor notes.