Mckenzie Rye and the Story of Empire Rye

Send us Fan MailWe pour Elijah Craig’s first Barrel Proof Rye and get stuck on one detail that changes everything: 12 years old, “uncut,” and somehow only 108 proof. We chase the science, argue about hype versus reality, and land on why this bottle feels like an outlier even if it is technically what the label says.• why Elijah Craig rye has a reputation as a “barely rye” pour • what makes A925 unusual as a 12-year “barrel proof” rye at 108 proof • how entry proof, warehouse placement, humidity, and time can proof down a barrel • tasting notes including thin body, limited rye character, and almost no finish • Stonehenge tobacco pairing and why it still does not rescue the pour • whether the release is a money grab or a warehouse space clearing move • how pricing and “barrel proof” labeling change expectations • who might actually enjoy this as a bridge rye for bourbon drinkers • what we think the label should have said to make the bottle make sense • where we draw the line between business realities and a real lack of passionIf you want more great content and other perks, be sure to support the show by clicking the link in the show notes. We can be reached on our website, whiskey tasterspama.com, with any ideas for the show.Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailWe pour Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Rye Batch 2 and get honest about what we love, what feels thin, and why a short finish can hold a bottle back even when the flavor is good. We also crack an aged bag of pipe tobacco and end up in a surprisingly deep debate about what “finished” should mean in American whiskey. • the origin of the “Quintessential” name and why smart naming works • American single malt whiskey trends, pricing, and why big launches cooled off • opening an older vacuum-sealed tobacco bag and what aging does to moisture and aroma • Cedar Ridge double barreled rye basics, mash bill talk, and tasting notes on spice and stone fruit • the difference between double barreled and finished whiskey, and why definitions get messy • why new American oak dominates bourbon, plus thoughts on maplewood and other woods • value at $55, whether we would replace the bottle, and why limited craft releases create urgency If you want more great content and other perks, be sure to support the show by clicking the link in the show notes. We can be reached on our website, whiskey tasterspa.com, with any ideas for the show. Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailWe finally get Steve back behind the mic, then crack open Watershed Rye Batch Three, and it immediately resets our idea of what Ohio rye can be. Between a 143.1 proof gut-punch of flavor and a long-awaited tin of Esoterica Plum Cake, we end up talking about scarcity, lotteries, and why some bottles demand patience. • Steve’s return after tax season and what we’re pouring • Watershed Rye Batch Three first impressions and why it tastes “vastly different.” • The shock of 143.1 proof and how the intensity shows up as flavor • Comparing Ohio rye to Pennsylvania-style profiles and defining “Ohio rye bite.” • Watershed’s sale to Marussia, the restaurant closing, and what Greg's leaving could mean • Lottery releases vs distillery lines and what feels fair to fans • Esoterica Plum Cake tin note, moisture issues, and why time improves the smoke • Batch-to-batch comparisons, packaging quirks, and why both bottles feel worth the price If you want more great content and other perks, be sure to support the show by clicking the link in the show notes. We can be reached on our website, whiskeychaserspod.com, with any ideas for the show. Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Mike Trott and Harold Underdown from Four Branches Bourbon to unpack how a loss in the field turned into a whiskey built for remembrance and real connection. We also get candid about quality, pricing, veteran mental health, and why their motto “sip to remember” is a line in the sand. • the origin story behind Four Branches and the friends they honour • why bourbon is a reflective spirit that triggers memory through the senses • partnering with Bardstown Bourbon Company while staying hands-on in blending • the four grain mash bill choice and how wheat changes softness and complexity • the chem room story with Steve Nally and the sample that disappeared • why 96 proof matters and the quiet symbolism baked into the bottle • building a brand in a crowded whiskey market without cutting corners • limited time offerings like Black Ops and plans for future releases • giving back through multiple veteran nonprofits and a 4% revenue commitment • “sip to remember” as a response to drinking to forget and veteran suicide • Tame The Kraken and the “never quit” message for mental health resilience take a minute to watch the film. It’s called Tame the Kraken. If you go to fourbranches.com on our site you can navigate and find it Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailWe crack a Hugh Hamer cherry brandy barrel finished bourbon and end up with a shockingly sweet, creamy, cherry-forward pour that drinks lighter than its proof. The real surprise is how perfectly it pairs with Plum Pudding pipe tobacco and turns the whole night into a “Nirvana smoke” kind of memory. • Debating how to pronounce Hugh Hamer and why the name matters • First impressions on nose and palate, from vanilla cream to cherry soda vibes • Smoking Seattle Pipe Club Plum Pudding and talking Balkan vs English characteristics • West Fork Whiskey background, Indiana identity and the Old Hammer vs Hugh Hamer lines • Mash bill talk and why 99% corn amplifies the finishing influence • Why this feels like a summertime dessert whiskey and how chilling changes it • The “Nirvana smoke” concept, nostalgia, and why perfect pairings are hard to repeat • Single barrel store pick scarcity, pricing, and whether we would buy it blind • Cherry brandy definitions, what barrels might actually be, and the muscadine brandy dream • White labeling vs sourcing with purpose, plus why transparency drives value • Bottle hunting vs drinking, and why trying odd or even bad whiskey teaches your palate If you want more great content and other perks, be sure to support the show by clicking the link in the show notes. We can be reached on our website, whiskeychaserspomma.com, with any ideas for the show.Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailInteresting things about the distillery:First NEW distillery to open in Indiana after 2 years of fighting to change the laws. Bear Wallow has a history dating back to the prohibitionBootleggers used to hide from the law in Bear Wallow because of how many bears were present at that time, and people did not want to normally take the risk with the bears Out of Brown CountyAll grains are from local Indiana Farmersdistill the alcohol a second time in their custom-made (in Louisville, KY) old-fashioned Scottish Gooseneck Copper Pot StillFunction: Used primarily for batch distillation, especially for malt whiskey.Small-Batch Model: Modern, smaller versions (e.g., 3-inch) are used for home distilling, typically with a shotgun condenser for cooling.Performance: These stills often produce spirits at lower, flavor-packed proofs, though multiple distillations can raise the proofFamily-owned and runSons are involved, and her husband is also involvedOur Bottle: Liars Bench Rye (store pick)Gays Also, from a couple of years agoThe risk of barrel picks100 proof - 55% rye, 35% corn, 10% malted barleySupport the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailInteresting things about the distillery:This is an MGP product, but not their normal mashbill or mashbills Key MGP Mashbills:Rye Whiskey: 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley.High Rye Bourbon: 60% Corn, 36% Rye, 4% Malted Barley.Low Rye Bourbon: 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley.Wheated Bourbon: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley.Light Whiskey: 99% Corn, 1% Malted BarleyThis was bottled by a small winery in Elizabeth, Indiana, for a distribution companyThe winery does not even list this bottle on its websiteI believe this is a white-labeling beverage companyAll their liquor is made in Lawrenceburg, INCan’t seem to figure out this brand. They are based in Indiana but also have a large following in New Zealand for this bottle and their copper still brand. Our Bottle: 51% corn 45% wheat 4% barley Aged 3 yearsAll Doc Whiskey bottles are single-barrelUncut and unfiltered Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailInteresting things about the distillery: Became one of the first 200 Craft distilleries in the USUtilizes traditional Cognac and Scottish pot stills alongside pre-industrial American whiskey, cognac, and Scottish methodsStarted with beer, then wine, and then grappa before whiskeyDouble pot stillUtilize locally sourced grainsThe owner came from a finance background and, after 2008, decided finances were too unpredictable, so he went into distillingProudly boast of being grain-to-glass for their productsOur Bottle: California Smoked BourbonCorn, Rye, and cherrywood-smoked barley Barley is smoked in-house by themAged a minimum of 3 years92 proofThey marry two styles of bourbon togetherHigh Wheat High ryeSupport the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailOpened in March, not until August of 2007.The Farm Distillery Bill was signed in August, making it easier for people to open farm distilleries and more like a winery.Founding member of empire Rye Support the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!

Send us Fan MailSupport the showWebsite:www.whiskeychaserspod.comFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/whiskeychaserspodcastInsta:https://www.instagram.com/whiskeychaserspodcast/TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@whiskeychaserspodcastThanks For Listening! Tell a Friend!