Blind Tasting Podcast
You're gonna get honest (and sometimes irreverent) reviews, news, and opinions on whiskey and the industry.
Will I dwell on the minutia? Sure, sometimes. Will I use sarcasm to get my point across? Yep. Either way you can bet you'll learn something and have something to say about it and that is exactly what Blind Tasting Podcast is all about. Bourbon, Whiskey, and Attitude! Enjoy!
Episodes
120 episodes
Inside StilL 630 Distillery: “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down”
I sat down with Dave and Doug from StilL 630 distillery in St. Louis, and these guys gave me a hell of a lot to talk about. We get into the story behind award winning Due Process bourbon, their American 250th Birthday Bourbon series, taking on ...
Inside the 2026 St. Louis Bourbon & Cocktail Festival w/Co-Founder Andrew Chostner
The St. Louis Bourbon & Cocktail Festival is back October 9th, and this thing is BIG. I sat down with Andrew Chostner, co-founder of the St. Louis Bourbon Society to get the inside scoop on what folks can expect this year, from 86 vendors a...
Dude Was Mad at Heaven Hill...So He Punished the Tour Guide?
I usually don't let the bourbon world's drama bother me. But this post about Heaven Hill hit a nerve, and I couldn't just keep scrolling. Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold T...
Pappy Is Back, MGP Steps Out of the Shadows, & Don’t Shaft Your Tour Guide
Buffalo Trace gets into the RTD game, MGP finally steps out of the shadows with its own bourbon, and Pappy season is officially upon us. Plus, I’ve got an update on that Trails End 10-year bourbon, a little Heaven Hill tour controversy that get...
McBrayer Blind Bourbon Battle: The Judge vs. Their 250th Anniversary Release
Same mash bill. Same family legacy. Different barrels. Different releases. In this episode, I put two McBrayer bourbons to the test as The Judge and their 250th Anniversary release go head-to-head in a blind bourbon battle. Which ...
Bad Marketing, Stolen Beer & Another Crazy Week in Bourbon
Sazerac is making moves again, because...duh. Somebody made a decision involving nonalcoholic beer that I simply cannot understand, and one major whiskey brand has me questioning whether their marketing team has their heads up their ass....
Why Are You Saving That Bottle of Whiskey?
How many unopened bottles are sitting in your whiskey collection right now? I asked that simple question on social media and got answers ranging from zero... to a number so ridiculous I had to question whether one guy was secretly running a liq...
Pursuit United Double Oak Rye Whiskey Review: Is It REALLY “Wise Beyond Its Years”?
Pursuit United Double Oak Rye makes a pretty bold claim about being “wise beyond its years.” So I had to crack one open and find out if the whiskey can actually back up the brag.Grab my book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel S...
Still 630 Wins Big, Fireball Gets Silly & North Dakota Gets My Ire
This week I’ve got a little bit of everything lined up. Still 630 just picked up a HUGE award, Fireball has apparently decided regular Fireball wasn't enough, and Pernod Ricard is dealing with some unwanted attention from regulators. Then I exp...
World’s Best Bourbon, Guess the Whiskey Returns & I Rant About AI
This week on the Blind Tasting Podcast, I’ve got a little bit of everything.I’m talking about the 2026 ASCOT Awards, big news from Pursuit Spirits, and a new bourbon documentary that every bourbon history nerd needs to check out. Then, I...
Silk Velvet Small Batch Select Whiskey Review: Was It Worth Waiting 100 Years?
What happens when you bring a bourbon brand back from the dead after more than 100 years?Silk Velvet Whiskey was once considered one of the finest bourbon brands in America before disappearing into history. Now it’s back with a new chapt...
Four Roses NEW Yellow Label 100 Proof: Should You Buy It?
The new Four Roses Yellow Label 100 Proof is here! Is this the next great budget bourbon...or should you leave it on the shelf? Crank up the volume and let’s find out!Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength...
Whiskey Witness Protection Program: Which Bottle Gets Banished Forever?
I asked one simple question: If you could banish ONE whiskey forever...which one would it be?All ya’ll whiskey freaks answered. Hundreds of opinions. Plenty of grudges. More than a few surprises.Today we're revealing the results o...
Old Forester 117 Series High Angels' Share Rye: Hype or Heaven?
I picked up Old Forester's High Angels' Share Rye (Batch 001) from the 117 Series at the distillery on Whiskey Row in Louisville, and today I'm putting it to the test. We'll talk about what makes this limited-edition, 110-proof rye unique, how ...
Back in the Barrel Again! Family, Bourbon, Buffalo Trace & What's Up Next
The Blind Tasting Podcast is back! After a short break, John catches up on family, summer adventures, and America's 250th birthday before diving into the latest bourbon news. This episode covers Buffalo Trace, Sazerac's latest moves, new 1792 r...
Is Bourbon Losing Its Soul…To Foreign Ownership?
Is bourbon quietly being taken over by foreign corporations…or is this just the biggest overreaction in whiskey right now? We’re talkin’ Four Roses, Brown-Forman rumors, and who really controls what’s in your glass. Gra...
My Conversation with Bill McBrayer, McBrayer Legacy Spirits
This week on Blind Tasting Podcast, I sit down with Bill McBrayer of McBrayer Legacy Spirits to talk bourbon history, his 175 year old family legacy, and how one forgotten Kentucky whiskey name helped shape the bourbon world we know today.<...
Most Underrated Bourbon? I’ve Got Thoughts. Plus Whiskey News & an Olympic-Sized Rant
This week on Blind Tasting Podcast: I dig into a couple major whiskey stories, rant about the most underrated bourbon on the shelf, and somehow end up stress-testing my sanity trying to buy 2028 Olympic tickets like it was a classified governme...
ICYMI: Cock of the Walk Bourbon Review, Is It Pappy’s Bold Wheated Cousin?
In this ICYMI episode, I revisit one of my favorite bourbon reviews from the archive: Preservation Distillery’s Cock of the Walk Bourbon. After a candid conversation with VP of Operations Kyle Lloyd, I break down what makes this micro-batch whe...
Why I REFUSE to Attend Bourbon & Beyond 2026
I explain why I’m officially refusing to attend Bourbon & Beyond 2026 after a bizarre “hokey pokey” process that left me scratching my head. This isn’t just about one festival, it’s about how the whiskey world treats smaller voices, authent...
Resurrecting Silk Velvet Whiskey With Zach Hargis & Master Distiller Jacob Call
The first batch of Silk Velvet Whiskey was produced in the winter of 1880. After 40 years, it faded into oblivion, just like so many others after Prohibition.Today, the brand is back in full force, and Zach Hargis and 8th-generation Mast...
Knob Creek Blender’s Edition Review: Goodbye to Oakie
A deep dive into Knob Creek’s first Blender’s Edition release, a 10-year sweet bourbon blend from Beam Suntory. This one hits a little differently for reasons beyond the glass, and I walk through exactly what’s in it, what’s missing, and what i...
Jackson Purchase Full Proof Review, $12K Eagle Rare 30, Steph Curry Bourbon & Buffalo Trace Chaos
Buffalo Trace drops a five-figure Eagle Rare 30 Year Old, Steph Curry’s going after mizunara finishes, and Kentucky’s arguing in court over who actually gets to claim the title of first Black-owned bourbon distillery. Oh, and I found a 4-year o...
This Huge Bottle of Bourbon Only Cost Me $23 Bucks
While bourbon hunters chase hype bottles and horsey toppers, J.W. Dant just keeps showin’ up with 100 proof, history, and a price tag that feels like it came from another decade. Today, I pour it, taste it, give you my honest take, and do the h...
MGP Pauses Whiskey Production for a Year: What’s It Mean for Lux Row & Limestone Branch?
MGP’s stock has been getting crushed, the industry’s been shifting, and now MGP’s finally jumping on that same train.Grab my new book Whiskey Wisdom & Bourbon B.S.: Barrel Strength Legends, Lies, and Untold Tales here on Amazo...