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Welcome to “Bourbon: Legends from the Trail,” the ultimate podcast where bourbon’s rich history and captivating stories are poured into every episode. Hosted by Travis Hounshell, a seasoned bourbon trail guide, this show explores the fascinating world of America’s native spirit, uncovering the legends, myths, and truths that have shaped bourbon’s legacy.
Each episode takes listeners on a journey through the heart of bourbon country, visiting iconic distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey and many more! Travis dives deep into the lives of industry pioneers, from the infamous to the revered, shedding light on the personalities and events that crafted some of the world’s most beloved spirits. Discover how legends like Elijah Craig and Pappy Van Winkle helped shape bourbon’s legendary status, and uncover the secrets behind famous brands, like the story behind Maker’s Mark’s signature red wax or The Great White Whale of bourbon (a bourbon that most do not even know exists, but is a collector's apex)
Whether you’re a seasoned bourbon aficionado or someone who simply loves a good story, “Bourbon: Legends from the Trail” offers a flavorful blend of education, entertainment, and surprises. You’ll hear about the passion, innovation, and resilience behind each bottle, while learning the untold stories and serendipitous moments that turned bourbon into an enduring American icon.
Pour a glass of your favorite bourbon, uncork the history, and join us for a journey through time and taste. Hit subscribe or follow button and immerse yourself in the legends behind the spirit that continues to captivate whiskey lovers worldwide. Cheers to the stories, the craftsmanship, and the legends that live in every drop of bourbon!
24 Episodes
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Send us a text A bourbon born from a love story. Nearly erased by time. Rescued by belief and stubborn devotion. In this episode of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, we unravel the sweeping, cinematic journey of a whiskey that refused to stay forgotten — a spirit shaped as much by heartbreak and perseverance as by oak and fire. From a moonlit Southern ballroom and an unanswered proposal, to the early days of blending whiskey in post–Civil War Kentucky, this legend begins not in a rickhouse, bu...
Send us a text Bourbon is patient. It waits. It listens. And inside the dark silence of rickhouses live the whispers that built legends. In Season Three of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, host and longtime bourbon guide Travis Hounshell steps off the polished tour paths and into the forgotten corners of bourbon country — where vanished distilleries, buried rivalries, outlaw ambition, and quiet acts of brilliance shaped the whiskey we know today. This season uncovers a bourbon empire so domin...
Send us a text They thought she was finished. After building an empire in a man’s world, surviving death, fire, and prohibition itself, one woman’s legacy stood on the edge of collapse—not because of bad business or market forces, but because someone knocked at her door in the dead of night with a fist full of warrants and a thirst for destruction. What followed wasn’t just a legal trial—it was a full-scale reckoning. And at the center of it all: a woman whose name carried the weight of both ...
Send us a text She was born into a world that didn’t expect much from her—at least not outside the kitchen or the church pew. But behind a dry goods counter in a dusty Kentucky town, she learned the pulse of commerce, the weight of reputation, and the quiet power of watching everything. By fifteen, she’d been matched to a man twice her age—not for love, but for legacy. And together, they built more than a life—they built an empire. When tragedy struck, she didn’t crumble. She rose—armed with ...
Send us a text If there is one episode I would want everyone to hear, it would be this episode. While I am proud of every episode, this one holds a special place. There is a message and meaning that everyone, whether you are a bourbon fan or not, should hear. I hope you enjoy it ! In this episode, the delicate art of promise-making is put under the microscope—a reminder that every word we utter carries a hidden weight. We delve into a world where promises are not mere ...
Send us a text In the world of whiskey, some bottles are born of tradition, others of innovation—but once in a generation, one emerges from the quiet collision of greatness. This is the story of two icons from opposite sides of the world, each steeped in legacy, who dared to defy convention. One was a master of American bourbon, whose family had passed down the craft for over two centuries. The other, a quiet force behind some of the most elegant spirits ever blended, was shaped by precision,...
Send us a text A warm November afternoon, an eerie shift in the wind, and then—chaos. In this episode, we step into the heart of one of the most catastrophic moments in bourbon history: the Heaven Hill fire of 1996. What started as a single spark, fueled by relentless winds, erupted into an unstoppable inferno. Flames engulfed rickhouses filled with aging bourbon, the heat so intense it sent barrels rocketing through the air and melted mailboxes in nearby neighborhoods. But the true horror ca...
Send us a text She didn’t come all at once. That would’ve been too easy. No, this time, Mother Nature rose with a quiet vengeance—slow, steady, and unstoppable. First came the wind—tornadoes clawing across Kentucky’s heartland. Then came the rain, wave after wave, day after day, until the rivers could hold no more. The waters rose of Kentucky’s rivers rose—not with a roar, but with a creeping certainty. Towns flooded. Homes vanished. And in Frankfort, the unthinkable happened: the legendary B...
Send us a text For as long as bourbon has rested in Kentucky’s rickhouses, Mother Nature has been the silent partner—nurturing the spirit with each season, yet always waiting to remind distillers who truly holds the reins. In this episode, we step into the heart of bourbon’s battle with the elements, uncovering the moments when nature turned from ally to adversary. From devastating tornadoes that left distilleries in ruins to fires that burned through thousands of barrels, we’ll relive the di...
Send us a text In the shadow of Kentucky’s rolling hills, two brothers with roots stretching deep into bourbon history set out to revive a whiskey long thought extinct. Armed with nothing but their family’s legacy and an empty jug tied to a tale of ingenuity, they embarked on a journey that defied time itself. Their quest took them from forgotten archives to cutting-edge labs, where the secret to recreating a lost recipe—a flavor that once ruled the shelves—lay hidden in the microscopic remna...
Send us a text The cases were there—until they weren’t. One morning, a routine inventory check at a storied Kentucky distillery turned into the discovery of a heist that no one saw coming. The missing bourbon wasn’t just any whiskey; it was THE bourbon, the kind collectors whisper about and connoisseurs hunt for. How could so much of it vanish without a trace? Was it an inside job, a well-planned heist, or something even more sinister? As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered a tangled web...
Send us a text (Season 2 begins March 3, 2025) Last season… we took a journey to discover LEGENDS We uncovered the legend of how bourbon came to Kentucky—why this state, why this water, and why it became the beating heart of America’s spirit. We met Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr., the legend who shaped modern bourbon. We hunted the White Whale of Bourbon—one of the rarest bottles ever made, lost to time and a legend sought after by the greatest hunters. We unmasked the King of Bootlegger...
Send us a text In the heart of Tennessee, tucked away in a remote holler, a secret lost for over 150 years waited to reshape the world of whiskey. When this story came to light nearly eight years ago, it sent shockwaves through the spirits industry, further explaining how the pivotal distinction between Kentucky Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey came to be, and still defines these spirits today. It began with a modest farmhouse, a determined preacher, and a mysterious shack billowing smoke and st...
Send us a text In this gripping installment of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, we take you deep into the misty hills of Kentucky for a tale that’s equal parts thrilling and thought-provoking. While the moonshiners of yore have captured imaginations for generations, today’s story flips the perspective to the other side of the law. Meet the men tasked with shutting down the illegal stills that dotted the countryside—fearless agents who not only enforced Prohibition-era laws but became legends ...
Send us a text In this captivating episode of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, we step into the moonlit shadows of Appalachia to uncover the rebellious history of moonshine—bourbon’s untamed brother. From its roots as a clandestine craft born of necessity to its undeniable influence on American culture, moonshine has always walked a fine line between defiance and tradition. This episode delves into the mysteries surrounding its production, the fiery legacy of its makers, and the enduring spir...
Send us a text In this week's episode of Bourbon: Legends from the trail, we will hear part 2 of Crown of Shadows: The Prohibition King’s Rise and Fall. As George’s journey takes him to Cincinnati, he steps into a world where wealth and corruption go hand in hand. Surrounded by marble, gold, and opulence, he quickly rises to be the King of the Underworld. But his ambition and charm have their limits—and cracks begin to show, not only in his empire but in his marriage to the captivating yet da...
Send us a text Transport yourself to the smoky speakeasies of 1920s Chicago, where one man seized the chaos of Prohibition to build an empire unlike any other. He wasn’t a household name, but his cunning rivaled the most infamous crime lords. From a humble start, he rose to wealth and power, manipulating the law with brazen genius and a twisted loyalty to himself alone. This two-part episode uncovers the legend behind a bourbon bottle you might have overlooked, a story pulsing with ambition, ...
Send us a text On this episode of Bourbon: Legends from the Trail, we delve into a story as iconic and enduring as the bourbon itself, a tale that bridges past and present with astonishing intensity. It’s a legend forged in battle, bound by camaraderie, and carried through to the distillery. Most might recognize echoes of this saga from Hollywood or bestsellers, but few know how it intertwines with Kentucky’s bourbon trail and the indomitable spirit of those who walked it. We’ll take you back...
Send us a text In this episode, prepare to delve into a legend that transcends whiskey itself - an elusive treasure whispered about only among the most dedicated collectors. It's a tale of passion, pursuit, and the mysterious bottle that has captivated bourbon enthusiasts for decades. In the 1990's, the world was gripped by a frenzy, but little did most know that far from the public eye, an even greater obsession was slowly brewing inside barrels in a dark, long-ago forgotten rick...
Send us a text In this episode, we journey to a town that most people do not even know exists, where rolling hills hide a secret that changed American history. Beneath the quiet facade lies the story of a young woman whose sons would wreak havoc on not only their town, but the future bourbon capital of the world. Their wild antics and lawless deeds left a lasting mark, but their connection to Kentucky's bourbon history runs deeper than most realize. We'll explore a historic ...
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