The Mash Up

For the second time in the history of the podcast, we welcome back our friends from River Roots Barrel Company. The last time we had them on the podcast, River Roots had been in existence for just over a year. Since that time, the brand has continued to flourish and they are getting ready to move into a brand new (and larger) building in downtown Cleveland. In this episode, you get hear about all the exciting things that are in the works for River Roots and the best part is that you'll get to hear it directly from Ryan Lintz (Co-Founder) and Christine Schmittgen (Single Barrel Program Manager). River Roots has become a destination for whiskey enthusiasts across the nation and even in South Korea. So, join us this week as Kenny solo hosts this long form conversation with the good folks from River Roots and shares some absolutely epic pours in the process. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Green River is the "Whiskey Without Regrets." In this episode, we welcome back our friend Jason to the podcast and he brought the brand new Green River Wheated Full Proof Bourbon as well as a Green River Wheated Single Barrel Store pick from Liquor Barn. In addition to tasting and reviewing these two bottles, we also incorporated some surprise blinds from the basement and from our community. Green River has been putting out some tremendous stuff so you will definitely want to hear our take on these new wheated offerings. Spoiler alert - this was a the last episode we recorded on a very busy evening so things got a little spirited. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Buffalo Trace Distillery’s Single Oak Project (SOP) is the ultimate in bourbon exploration. Consisting of different mashbills, wood, and a host of other unique variables, this grand experiment boasts 192 unique bourbons with 1,396 different flavor combinations. With this experimentation, Buffalo trace aims to have it's consumers isolate and compare every variable that shapes what ends up in the bottle. Our good friend Jason brought bottle of SOP for us to taste and review. Mistakenly, we thought this was a rye when it was really bourbon with rye as the predominant flavoring grain. At any rate, we had a a lot of fun with it and would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that facts are indeed optional when it comes to bourbon. Enjoy the short! --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

When Brown-Forman announced they would be releasing a new small batch version of King of Kentucky, we were excited and also had many questions. Instead of more single barrels, this remixed version of the "King" comes in the form of three batches with a brand new mashbill. For the first time, King of Kentucky has released a three-batch series, each bottled at  a distinct proof to showcase the complexity of its aging process: Batch 1: 105 proof; Batch 2: 107.5 proof; Batch 3: 110 proof. For this episode, our friend Jason was able to secure Batch 2 and we supplied some blinds to make sure that the very first time we tasted this whiskey would be blind. How did things end up? Is this new version of the king really the "King?" You'll have to listen to find out. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

In 2025, Willett quietly released a blended bourbon called "Speakeasy." Coming off our best of blinds where Willett was well represented, we thought it would be good to taste and review a shelf product that's available in most markets. Our friend Jason joins us as a guest co-host and the conversation ranges from high class seafood to amusement park lines. As always, we give you our honest take on this relatively new offering from the Willett Distillery. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Bruce Russell is the Associate Master Blender for Wild Turkey. Over the past few years, he has been responsible for making some of the most epic Turkey releases and is making a name for himself by pushing the boundaries of what Wild Turkey can be. We've had the chance to talk to Bruce before, but it's never been like this. In this episode, we have a long form conversation and taste through some of the most revered Wild Turkey offerings in history as well as some new things that Bruce is working on. We are joined by guest co-host Ryan Alves from Bourbonoutfitter.com who also happens to be one of Bruce's closest friends. This episode really needs no description. It's 2 plus hours of Bruce sharing his vision, wisdom, and intimate stories that you've never heard before. Cheers and be on the lookout for all the goodness that is on the horizon from Wild Turkey. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

It's been a minute since we did back-to-back blind episodes, but our community keeps sending in a lot of goodness for us to taste. Our listener and long time supporter (Pu Bear) sent us a couple of blinds. Spoiler alert - we didn't do nearly as good as last episode, but we did have quite a bit of fun in the process. In this short, we talk about our upcoming episode with Bruce Russell and give an update on some upcoming events. But, most of the time is spent on the blinds. The whiskey that we liked best out of the four blind samples is a brand that you might have heard of recently : ) --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

For this Friday episode, we decided to dig into our backlog of blinds that have been sent by our community. Our listener and friend (Ryan from NC) sent us some blinds that drummed up some serious nostalgia. He also sent us some holiday gifts and those gifts cause quite a bit of clamor and laughter. We've been doing this podcast for nearly 5 years and this set of blinds was surprising and meaningful. Why is that the case? You'll have to listen to find out. Those of you who have been with us since the beginning will understand. It's been a minute since we've done one of these episodes, but it was really fun. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Coming off our "best of" episode, we decided to celebrate Fat Tuesday a little early. Twice previously on the podcast, we tasted Smooth Ambler Founders' Cask Strength Bourbon (at 6 years and 8 years old). We'd like to thank a great listener (Patrick) for sending us the 9yr version of this of this bourbon. For this weeks short, we taste this new bottle against the 8yr version and the results are kind of shocking. We also taste a blind sample and stuff our faces with some King Cake courtesy of Caleb C. Another culinary focused episode from your favorite facts optional bourbon podcast. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Finally - The Mash Up Podcast has crowned it's best whiskey of 2025! Annually, we have a "Best of Blinds" event which consists of an esteemed panel of friends tasting through some of the best whiskeys of the year. We had 67 total bottles in the field. After multiple preliminary rounds, we came up with our top 12. These "top" whiskeys were then blinded again in a championship round. Who made the top 12? Who won the whole dang competition? You'll have to listen to find out. With special guest host Ryan Alves from bourbonoutfitter.com, this conversation is an important and spirited one. While this episode is a little long, we promise that it's worth it. This blinds event is one of the funnest things we do all year and we're happy to share it with you. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

We have two upcoming barrel picks from Dark Arts Whiskey House in Lexington, Kentucky. We selected a 12 year Armagnac finished bourbon and an 11 year straight bourbon whiskey (both MGP). You've heard us discuss about Dark Arts before, but you'll have to listen to hear about how these barrels were selected and how they taste. We welcome Steven back the podcast. Also making a special appearance is our friend Ryan Alves who discusses a number of things including Bourbon Outfitters new "insider" program. Be on the lookout for these upcoming picks which will be exclusively available from bourbonoutfitter.com--------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Old Dominick Distillery, located in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, is a historic, family-owned distillery producing whiskey and vodka, revitalized in 2017 by the descendants of Domenico Canale, who first created the brand in 1866. For this episode, we taste and review two single barrel offerings from Old Dominick (Tennessee Whiskey and Wheat Whiskey) that were provided to the podcast by listener/friend . While we had heard of Old Dominick, we'd never tried any of their offerings. What were we waiting for? Not sure. But, better late than never as this brand seems to have much potential. So join us this week as we talk about humble beginnings of an immigrant, three 6 mafia, and a whole host of other stuff.--------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

For this episode, we taste and review a 13 year old Brook Hill Rye selected by Liquor Barn. It's always good when we can taste and review a bottle that was selected by one of the most well known liquor stores in Lexington. While this episode isn't a terribly long, we do manage to taste this high proof premium offering from Rare Character and we also blind it against something our listeners might be familiar with. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

How do we follow up a BTAC episode? Well, by reviewing Woodford Reserve Barrel Proof Rye and the new Barrel Proof Double Oaked Store Picks. While the whiskey reviews are good, the conversation is even better. In this episode, we go a bit "old school" and focus on much more than the title would reveal. In this wide ranging conversation, we talk about Fred Minnick's top 100, upcoming barrel picks, and many other topics. To help with this, we welcome back our friend Jason from Arsenic Culture. Lots of laughs, commentary, and opinions are the hallmarks of this episode. Feels like a good ole bourbon hand and there's nothing wrong with that.--------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

We might be a little late on this one, but thanks to a massive assist from our buddy Cam over at Drums & Drams, we have a complete review of the 2025 Buffalo Trace Antique collection plus some extras. Join us for this short as we taste and review some of the most sought after whiskeys of 2025: George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Thomas Handy Sazerac, Eagle Rare 17, and the brand new Colonel E.H. Taylor Bottled-In-Bond. This was a fun one to record and we hope you enjoy! --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Maplewood Brewery & Distillery started off as a craft distiller of beer and they instantly made an impact on the Chicago area and beyond. Even though their whiskey releases have garnered a lot of discussion and attention, we had never really heard of them until we got our hands on this bottle. So, join us this week as we review this bottle of wheated bourbon from a beer/spirits producer in the Chicagoland area. We want to thank our listener Josh for the assist on this one. Go Bears!--------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Jason Callori of the Mash and Drum recently worked with the folks at Barrel King to create a custom blend which serves as the very first release of the Drum Key Spirits Brand. "The Debut" is comprised of 7-, 8-, and 9-year Green River Bourbon, personally chosen by Jason from the distillery’s most legendary and seldom-revealed rickhouse locations. This 123 proof bourbon definitely packs some flavor and we give you are thoughts on it. Also, in this episode, we provide an update on our Best of Blinds for 2025. Sure, we are a little behind, but we've finally got our top 12 whiskeys and we will be doing a championship round very soon. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

The Jim Beam Distillery recently made news when they announced they would cease distilling operations for one year at their main campus in Clermont, KY to make long overdue improvements to the distillery. While this headline certainly captivated folks near and far, Beam puts out a lot of product and someone needs to review it. That's where we come in. This week, we review two limited edition releases from Jim Beam: Little Book Infinite Edition II & Booker's The Reserves 2025 edition. These two premium offerings are relatively new from Beam and we liked what we tasted last year. How will the newest releases of these whiskeys compare to last year? You'll have to listen to find out. This holiday hangover edition of The Mash Up features one of Kenny's family members (again). Cheers. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Marianne Eaves has put together a very impressive resume in the bourbon industry in a short amount of time. For this exceptionally special episode, we had a chance to sit down and chat with her about Forbidden Bourbon. Although Forbidden is a relatively new brand, the foundation and roots of it began long ago and are influenced by Marianne's drive, passion, and experiences. Marianne shattered a massive glass ceiling when she became Kentucky's first female Master Distiller since prohibition, but she has not rested on her laurels and continues to push the boundaries of the industry. So join us this week for a fascinating and fun conversation with one of the highest profile guests to ever be on the podcast. Marianne is a bourbon nerd at heart and a true ambassador of the spirit. Her accomplishments speak for themselves, but her future plans are nothing short of amazing. We hope you enjoy this episode and you should definitely check out all the goodness coming from Forbidden Bourbon. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!

Helllooooo and welcome to the New Year! To kick things off, we are reviewing a brand new bottle that commemorates the 90th anniversary of Heaven Hill. For the last nine decades, Heaven Hill has been a family owned, independent company and they are one of the biggest names in bourbon. To celebrate this milestone, the 90th Anniversary bourbon is a blend of 9 year bourbon (some aged in heavy char barrels) and comes in at 107 proof. Packaged in a nice box and rustic sheik bottle that mimics what we've seen in previous special releases, this bottle appears to have everything that enthusiasts are looking for. But how does it taste? You might be surprised at what we think about this one. Also, listen closely as this episode features a special mystery guest host. --------------------------SocialsIG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupkyFB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupkyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themashupkyJoin our community on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheMashUpBourbonPodcastPartnership(s)Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUPMusic: All the Fixings by Zachariah HickmanThank you so much for listening!