Bourbon Podcast

(Episode originally released on 4/6/23)2XO is an award-winning Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey brand from renowned American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman. 2XO, meaning Two Times Oak, refers to the blending process Dixon pioneered where every 2XO expression has additional oak exposure. The additional oak interaction builds the sweetness to balance out the spice from the rye in the mash bills, creating a unique combination of intense flavors, character, and complexity with each expression.Dixon’s vision is to revolutionize the category, a shift away from the overplayed nostalgic American whiskey storyline, and create an innovative Brand backed by the incredible liquid in the bottle.The 2XO brand consists of an everyday blend offering (Oak Series), a series of limited-time, small batch blend offerings (Icon Series), and a series of single barrel releases (Gem of Kentucky).

(Per breakingbourbon.com)-Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey is named in honor of the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Bernheim Distillery was founded in 1992 by United Distillers (who became Diageo in 1997), and then sold to Heaven Hill and renamed Heaven Hill Bernheim Distillery in 1999. It would later become Heaven Hill’s primary distillery after the 1996 distillery fire destroyed Heaven Hill’s Bardstown Distillery along with 90,000 barrels of whiskey. Cheers!

Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof Bourbon is a highly sought-after, uncut and unfiltered Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Bottled at over 125 proof, it offers a robust, intense flavor profile featuring rich caramel, toasted oak, and dried fruit, designed to replicate pre-Prohibition whiskey. Cheers!

(Per BreakingBourbon.com)-In the spring of 2018, Brown-Forman finally answered fans' calls to release a high proof  Woodford Reserve Batch Proof Bourbon. Now, more than 7 years later, the company has decided to release a high proof version of their standard Woodford rye. This release seems unexpected, as the standard Woodford Rye is often overshadowed by its more well-known bourbon counterparts and various limited edition bourbon offerings that the company delivers. This new limited-edition release is presumably intended to be an ongoing series and will most likely see future releases carrying various proof points, much like Batch Proof Bourbon does. Cheers!

To sip Barrel Proof Rye is to experience our Straight Rye Whiskey in its purest form: uncut, straight from the barrel, and without chill filtering. Each bottle is labeled with its unique proof, batch number, and age; but the nose, taste, and finish are pure Elijah Craig.'Each batch of Barrel Proof Rye is bottled with a unique age statement, including the monthand year of the youngest barrel from the batch. The proof also varies with each release.The batch number on the label provides specific information about each batch. The firstletter indicates the order of the release for that year, starting with "A.” The first numberrepresents the month of the release. The third and fourth digits indicate the year. Cheers!

Highly acclaimed, high-proof (often 125–135+ proof) bourbon noted for rich, intense flavors of caramel, brown sugar, oak, and baking spices. It is generally considered excellent, earning ratings around 8.5/10 to 87/100, offering a, complex, and sometimes hot, "Kentucky hug". Cheers!

The Heaven Hill 90th Anniversary 9-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a limited-edition, 107-proof (53.5% ABV) release honoring the distillery's 1935 founding. Released in late 2025 for $124.99 MSRP, it features a 9-year-old blend of 70% standard barrels and 30% heavy-char barrels filled in 2015. Cheers!

Pappy 12: Highly coveted 90.4-proof (45.2% ABV) Kentucky straight wheated bourbon, known for its balanced, smooth profile featuring notes of caramel, vanilla, and oak. While the MSRP is approximately $149.99, high demand drives secondary market prices often exceeding $1,000.Highly sought-after, wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace known for its 12-year aging process, 90 proof, and smooth profile with notes of lanolin, almond, vanilla, and oak. It is generally considered a premium yet accessible "allocated" bourbon, with a retail price around  but often selling for much more on the secondary market.Cheers!

Another great Proof Positive by the guys! Cheers!

The Willett Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon is a commingling of two classic Willett family mash bills. A new addition to the Willett family of brands with legendary roots and fresh elegance. Both mash bills enter the barrel at 125 proof with a final bottling proof to vary among batches based on the discretion of Master Distiller and fifth generation whiskey maker, Drew Kulsveen. Cheers!

Kentucky straight bourbon finished in a second, custom-toasted, lightly charred oak barrel. It features notes of toasted oak, caramel, spice, and milk chocolate. While the standard release is 94 proof, rare, high-proof (120+) single barrel, 8-9 year old is your barrel proof. Cheers!

Highly sought-after, limited-edition Kentucky bourbons and ryes, especially the "Christmas Dream" release, known for rich holiday spice, dark fruit notes (like eggnog, cinnamon, clove, cherry), and complex profiles, often from older, rare casks bottled by Preservation Distillery for Japanese export or select markets, making them prized collector's items. These unique bottlings offer intense, flavorful experiences, with aromas and tastes reminiscent of festive baking and classic Christmas candies. Cheers!

Blanton's Gold Edition is a higher-proof (103/51.5% ABV), limited-release Kentucky straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery, known for its richer, spicier, and more complex flavor than the Original Single Barrel, featuring notes of honey, rye, fruit, oak, and vanilla, and is highly sought after by collectors for its intensity and smoothness, offering a bold experience for bourbon enthusiasts. Cheers!

Highly anticipated, limited-edition, cask-strength Texas bourbon, released in December 2025, notable for its extreme 146.4 proof (73.2% ABV) and aged at least 8 years, offering rich notes of burnt wood, spice, dried fruits, and toasted marshmallows from its unique Texas aging, with only 10,000 bottles available globally at an SRP of around $250. Cheers!

It is that time of the year again! The boys wrap up 2025 by picking their whiskey of the year for 2025. See which one the guys pick! Cheers!

Merry Christmas! Each limited edition of William Heavenhill is a unique expression of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. For William Heavenhill, distilling was a family tradition. By some accounts Heavenhill’s Corn Whiskey supplied Bardstown’s historic Talbott Tavern in the early 1800s. But our connection to his legacy runs even deeper. The limestone spring Heavenhill used to make his Bourbon was the same spring that inspired our original name—Old Heavenhill Springs Distillery.

King of Kentucky has cemented itself as one of the most consistent, great-tasting bourbons year after year ever since Brown-Forman began releasing it in 2018. The 2025 version marks the eighth edition for the brand, and like the 2024 release, it is seeing a $50 increase over the previous year. But if one brand has consistently proved its worth, it would be the rightfully named King of Kentucky.  Age statements for the brand tend to fluctuate by only a few years with each release. The 2025 edition features a 17 year age statement, and you’ll taste every bit of it. Released as a single barrel product, this year’s release consists of 63 barrels, which, according to Brown-Forman Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris, were “personally selected and tasted from the highest-quality warehouses, are a true masterpiece.” It's a big talk, but once again, the bourbon speaks for itself. The barrels for this year’s release were pulled from the fourth floor of Warehouse J and the first floor of Warehouse G, and ranged in proof from 124.5 to 135. The total yield for this year’s release was 5,000 bottles, which, while still small, is larger compared to some of the releases in years past.

Chris Fletcher is Vice President, Master Distiller and Director of Distillery Operations at the Jack Daniel Distillery. In this role, he uses an extensive knowledge of the whiskey-making process to supervise and ensure the world’s top-selling whiskey is both in constant supply and true to Jack’s guiding belief that “Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can.” Chris is one of only a handful of individuals to have held the title of “Master Distiller” in the distillery’s history, which began production in 1866. A native of Lynchburg, Tennessee, he is proud to accept the enormous responsibility that comes with having one of the most envied jobs in the world. Chris joined the Jack Daniel Distillery first as a tour guide, coming home to work summers during his college years. After earning a degree in chemistry, he gained a complete knowledge of production at Jack Daniel’s including milling, mashing, fermenting, distillation, mellowing and maturation, all passed down first-hand by his grandfather, the late Master Distiller Frank “Frog” Bobo, and other Jack Daniel’s employees with decades of experience. After his stint in Lynchburg, Chris worked for Brown-Forman Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky on Jack Daniel’s quality control. Following two years of gaining valuable experience working for distilleries across North America, he returned to the Jack Daniel Distillery in 2014. This experience primed him to spearhead the quality operation at Jack Daniel’s. Chris plays a key role in any potential new offerings and considerations from the distillery.As the grandson of Bobo, making Jack Daniel’s TennesseeWhiskey comes naturally to Chris.  He recalls visiting his grandfather at the distillery, following closely at his heels and hearing stories about those who came before them. Chris’s first memory of the distillery is watching his grandfather make sour mash and operate the stills. Fletcher not only has a foothold into the heritage and authenticity of Jack, but he also brings a fresh approach to product innovation. As his grandfather often reminded him, the incredible growth Jack Daniel’s has experienced since his days at the distillery is a result of the process and quality controls established by its founder.  

Knob Creek 21 Year Old is a limited-edition, 100-proof straight bourbon whiskey that became the oldest expression in the brand's history upon its release in October 2025. It features complex notes of charred oak, caramel, and fruit from its long aging period, with a rich and robust profile designed to be bold yet balanced

The mighty Sam Bronfman, Seagram’s first master blender, revolutionized the art of blending as he built his Seagram Company into a massive spirits empire. Their Master Blender, Drew Mayville, comes from this Seagram master blender lineage. Before he came to Sazerac, Mayville was the last master blender at Seagram’s and his mentor was Seagram Master Blender Art Dawe, who worked directly with Sam Bronfman. Mayville created this perfect blend through experimentation and precision and it is fittingly bottled at their Old Montreal Distillery in Montreal, Quebec. Cheers!