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/

Something big just dropped in the bourbon world, and it’s not the kind of news you casually scroll past. In this emergency segment, I break down a major announcement from Jim Beam that has ripple effects far beyond one distillery. What’s pausing, what’s still moving, and why this matters right now for whiskey freaks everywhere. No panic, no hype, just straight talk on a situation that deserves your attention.

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/

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, whiskey freaks. In this episode I bounce all over the place like a bourbon-fueled pinball machine. We’ve got some bourbon news, a bizarre new release you’re not gonna believe, a quick detour into Beavis & Butt-Head territory, a rock and roll rant that I definitely needed the “Relax!” sound clip for, and finally a bold pour of Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Batch 228.

It’s a little whiskey, a little nostalgia, and a big rant. Grab a pour and let’s get into it.

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 episode I almost take you on a deep dive into pumpkin spice lattes and teenage TikTok meltdown culture, but luckily for everyone involved, I pull the plug before we all lose IQ points.

Instead we get into the good stuff. I cover the “new releases” from Heaven Hill and Wild Turkey and then I give you the update on the Ezra Brooks 99 Traeger Smoker Sweepstakes where I somehow won a grill without losing my identity or my dignity.

I share three bourbons that will make you look like a holiday gifting hero without refinancing your house. Then I wrap things up with a review and recommendation of Dented Brick Straight Rye Whiskey. Yes, it is actually from Utah. Yes, it is actually good. No, I cannot explain it.

I sip on some old Jim Beam Distillers Cut while I ramble and I give a shoutout to the Metro East Bourbon Society and to everyone who survived Thanksgiving travel. If you like bourbon news, weird whiskey finds, holiday chaos, and a little attitude, this one is for you.

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/

Need a last minute gift for that someone special who loves bourbon, or whiskey, or history? Here ya go! My new book -- Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales

From the host of the Blind Tasting Podcast comes a barrel-proof mashup of fact, folklore, and flat-out fiction. Right Here on Amazon Kindle Books: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLNGXJL3

Did bourbon really age in a sunken ship?

Did moonshiners use possums as lookouts?

Was a World Series fixed over a bottle of rye?

Some of it happened. Some of it almost happened.

And some of it… well, let’s just say it might’ve been distilled in a politician’s basement.

Perfect for seasoned whiskey lovers, curious sippers, and fans of a wild story. But especially, whiskey freaks! (Pretentious drinkers need not inquire.)

Right Here on Amazon Kindle Books: 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/

Today’s episode is packed with news, flavor notes, and a budget bourbon showdown you didn’t know you needed.

First, we dive into the latest releases from Blade & Bow, Willett, and Castle & Key, including a 30-year Blade & Bow monster, Willett’s new Family Estate Small Batch Bourbon, and Castle & Key’s wheated and rum-finished experiments. Some of it sounds incredible, some of it sounds…like the marketing team lost a bet, but it’s all worth talking about.

Then it’s time for the main event: a head-to-head tasting of Evan Williams Black Label and Old Forester 86 Proof. Same proof, similar specs, totally different personalities. Which one brings more flavor, more value, and more reasons to keep it on your shelf? I break down color, nose, palate, finish, and which pour punches above its price.

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/