In this episode, I sit down with Nick Colombo, Operations Manager at Switchgrass Spirits in St. Louis, for a no-fluff, behind-the-scenes conversation about what it takes to run a worker-owned, award-winning distillery. We dig into the origins, the challenges, the mistakes, and why local whiskey done right is making waves.

Check out the full episode for an honest, in-depth look at Switchgrass, the people behind it, and the bourbon that keeps them winning gold medals.

Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

Swing by, follow, and comment at Blind Tasting Podcast on Facebook and Instagram at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560596922297

https://www.instagram.com/blindtastingpodcast/

In this not-so-short Splash 'n Dash edition of the Blind Tasting Podcast, I put two of the most hyped Blanton’s bottles head to head with no labels and no bias. Blanton’s Gold versus Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel. Same warehouse. Same mash bill. Very different proofs and price tags.

I break down the fascinating history behind Blanton’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Warehouse H, Elmer T. Lee, and why this bourbon was never meant to be mass market. Then I taste both pours blind and answer the question everyone argues about. Does higher proof and higher price actually deliver a better drinking experience once the hype is gone?

This episode is honest, as always, and straight to the glass. No flexing. No marketing talk. Just what actually tastes better and whether it's worth the money.

If you've ever chased Blanton’s, paid secondary prices, or wondered if Straight From the Barrel really earns its reputation, this one is for you.

Cheers, whiskey freaks.

Grab the new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

Swing by, follow, and comment at Blind Tasting Podcast on Facebook and Instagram at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560596922297

https://www.instagram.com/blindtastingpodcast/

Social media had opinions when Jim Beam announced it was pausing distillation at its Clermont Kentucky facility and most of them were loud, political, and wildly wrong. In this bonus episode of the Blind Tasting Podcast I dive headfirst into the comment section chaos and bring backup. Joined by our resident economics guru we break down the biggest misconceptions floating around the internet including tariffs, stock prices, bourbon demand, generational drinking habits, and whether politics has anything to do with what is happening in American whiskey. No vibes, no outrage, no hot takes, just real numbers, real context, and real world economics. Consider this episode a fact check for whiskey freaks who prefer data over drama.

Grab the new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Like what I'm doing? Support the pod here: https://buymeacoffee.com/blindtastingpodcast

Help support the podcast by shopping for whiskey, prohibition, and gangster-related photos and art at: https://famousdocs.etsy.com Get 20% off for a limited time when you purchase 4 or more items!

Swing by, follow, and comment at Blind Tasting Podcast on Facebook and Instagram at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560596922297

https://www.instagram.com/blindtastingpodcast/