Your Executive Bourbon Steward

06/14/2026

I love that National Bourbon Day falls on a Sunday this year.

My faith and bourbon are both deeply woven into who I am. My faith is something I love sharing with people, and bourbon has become another way I love bringing people together, slowing life down, and creating space for real conversations.

I asked ChatGPT to create an image that told a story about me, using the things I love, the way I teach, and the pieces of my personality that seem to show up in this bourbon journey. I’ll be honest, I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. There’s a lot in this picture, but in many ways, it really does capture so much of what I love: faith, family, teaching, storytelling, bourbon history, good people, and yes, even the Dallas Cowboys. 

In my Bourbon Steward Experience classes, I often talk about the unique power bourbon has to slow time down. Not because of what’s in the glass, but because of what happens around it. A pour can create space for conversation, laughter, stories, healing, memories, and moments with people we care about.

And the truth is, we aren’t promised tomorrow.

So on this National Bourbon Day, my hope is that you’re able to share a pour with someone close to you. Take your time. Tell a story. Listen well. Be grateful for the people God has placed in your life.

Happy National Bourbon Day! Cheers, friends. 🥃

06/12/2026

New educational bourbon content is on the way…

I recently spent some time with my friends at Backroads Distilling Company, talking whiskey, asking questions, and diving into a topic I think a lot of bourbon fans will find fascinating.

More soon. Any guesses what we’re discussing?

06/11/2026

I was out shooting content today and stopped into Cap n' Cork on my way home to see what new single barrels they’ve recently brought in.

I had a chance to talk with Zach, who I always find to be really knowledgeable about their barrel picks, and even more so about his love for Scotch.

Two of the new picks still had a few samples left, so naturally, I had to do a little “research.”

I know I say this a lot in my videos, but I really do love going into stores where the employees know their stuff. It makes such a difference when someone can talk through a barrel pick, explain why the store pick team liked it, and help tell the story behind the bottle.

The brand is Larrikin Bourbon Company, and Cap n’ Cork recently picked both a small batch and a single barrel from them. I only knew a little about Larrikin from some friends, but after tasting through these samples, I can tell you this: I need to make a trip to this distillery ASAP, hear their full story, and capture some video to share with my community.

Of the two, I thought the single barrel was the standout. It was honestly one of the first times I’ve ever picked up a sweet note right at the beginning, followed by what I can only describe as a toasted pretzel flavor at the end. It was very unique and extremely delicious.

That’s one of my favorite parts of this bourbon journey, finding brands I don’t know much about yet, tasting something that makes me stop and pay attention, and then wanting to dig deeper into the people, place, and story behind it.

So don’t just take my word for it. Stop into Cap n’ Cork Covington Plaza and try these out for yourself. I have a feeling you’ll want to take a bottle home too.

Have you tried Larrikin Bourbon yet? If so, what are your thoughts?

06/09/2026

I recently had the chance to go on a behind the scenes tour of Holladay Distillery, and this brand has always been a special one for me. It was one of the first wheated bourbons I tried early in my bourbon journey.

And if you love bourbon history, this tour absolutely explodes with it. From the story of Ben Holladay himself to the way the distillery has held onto so much of its history, there is a lot to take in.

I felt then, and still feel now, that with its 6-year age statement, it’s one of the best values in bourbon for the amount of flavor it brings.

One thing I really loved about visiting the distillery was seeing how much pride they take in Missouri. All of their grains, minus the rye, come from Missouri, along with the Missouri white oak that’s used by Independent Stave Company to create their barrels. There is a real emphasis on keeping the process connected to their home state.

They also told me they don’t like to bring anything to market unless it’s at least 6 years old, and I absolutely love that. In a market where so many brands rush products out, I really respect that kind of patience and commitment to flavor.

I’ll share more in a future post about some of the new things they showed me they’re working on, along with my personal hope 🤞🏼 that someday we see a Rickhouse Soft Red Wheat Single Barrel.

Have you tried a Ben Holladay bourbon yet? Let me know which one is your favorite, and I just might send some Ben Holladay swag your way.

06/08/2026

A few weeks ago, I was invited by my good friend and fellow Bourbon Steward, Steve Zishka of ZBar Bourbon Club, to take part in a blind whiskey tasting with another local content creator and friend, Marcus Carlson, aka, The Bourbon Preacher.

If you’ve never done a blind tasting before, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Someone secretly pours each whiskey into a glass, and you work through them without knowing which bottle is which. The whole point is to remove the marketing, hype, and mental bias we can sometimes have toward certain distilleries or bottles.

At ZBar, their motto is, “We sip together, we learn together, and we have fun together,” and this tasting definitely lived up to that.

This was a new format for me and a great change of pace from my traditional bourbon history content and certification classes. Getting to do a live blind tasting with some highly allocated whiskeys was fun, challenging, and honestly a little humbling.

There’s a phrase I use often in life: iron sharpens iron. When I get the chance to connect with other great bourbon content creators for something like this, it helps me grow, learn, and appreciate this incredible bourbon community even more.

Check out the YouTube video link below to see the full blind tasting. It’s funny, entertaining, and be sure to stay until the end to find out why blind tasting similar whiskey expressions can humble even the best of us.

https://youtu.be/Gkb1nkgMRtc?si=vj12Fuuq5Pwof_cR

06/08/2026

Whenever I travel, I’m always looking for great bourbon and whisk(e)y bars, but what Google considers “great” and what I’m looking for can be two very different things.

While I was in downtown Kansas City, I came across King G Bar & Deli, and this place had such a cool, upbeat vibe along with a really solid whiskey selection. A lot of their bottles leaned heavy into the Bardstown area distilleries, which I always love seeing.

When I’m looking over a whiskey list, I’m pretty particular about what I’m going to spend my money on. At first, nothing really jumped out that I hadn’t already tried or didn’t already own. But that’s one of the best parts of this community, the conversations and connections you make along the way.

After talking with Brandon, the head bartender who curates their whiskey collection, he mentioned he had a bottle that hadn’t even made it out yet: the new Old Grand Dad 114 Single Barrel.

I’ve always felt like OGD 114 is one of the best values in higher proof whiskey, but this single barrel takes it to another level. Each barrel is going to have its own unique profile, and side by side with the standard bottle, the color difference is night and day. A big part of that comes from the age, this one is 7 years old, almost twice as long as the regular release.

For me, that 7 year range and around 107 proof is where so many of my favorite bourbons seem to land, and this one was no exception. Honestly, I enjoyed this much more than the recent Old Grand Dad 16 Year, which I was a little disappointed in because it felt like it had been proofed down too much.

This was easily one of the best Old Grand Dads I’ve had from Jim Beam. King G was a great find, and Brandon made the experience even better.

06/04/2026

Four Roses Bourbon is swinging big with this one.

Their new Anthology Collection starts with Chapter 1: Origin, a 21 year old OBSF recipe and the oldest bourbon they’ve ever released.

For those who don’t speak Four Roses code, OBSF means their high-rye mash bill paired with the “F” yeast strain, which is known for herbal notes, spice, and fruit.

I’ve always loved Four Roses. It is easily one of my top five bourbon brands, partly because of how unique their 10 recipe system is. Two mash bills, five yeast strains, and 10 completely different personalities inside one distillery.

I always love covering this in my Bourbon Steward classes because it helps people understand just how much mash bills, yeast strains, and aging can shape the final bourbon in your glass.

At $500 a bottle retail, this would honestly be one of the most expensive bottles I’ve ever purchased. But there’s something about a 21 year barrel strength Four Roses OBSF that makes me want to at least try.

Would I buy it just to sit on a shelf?

Absolutely not.

Will I try to get one so I can open it, share it, and experience it with some of you in my bourbon community?

That sounds a whole lot more like me.

What do you think? Is $500 too much for Four Roses, or is a 21 year old OBSF Anthology release worth chasing?

06/03/2026

One of my favorite bourbons of all time, the highly allocated Russell’s Reserve 13, is back.

This marks the 7th release in the series, coming in at 121.2 proof. The only one higher was last year’s Batch 6 at 123.8 proof. This release also carries some extra meaning, honoring Master Distiller Eddie Russell’s 45th anniversary at Wild Turkey.

Russell’s 13 has always been one of those bottles that gets my attention fast. Batch 2 has been my favorite so far, so I’m really curious to see how this one stacks up.

Thank you to Wild Turkey and the Russell's Reserve family for continuing to make such incredible bourbons. Here’s to hoping I can get my hands on one soon and give you all a full review. 🥃

05/31/2026

Something about the name of this one tells me I’m going to need to buy one.

The rumors are true! 😳 Can't wait.

Rumored to be a new offering priced in the $40-$45 range, bottled at 94 proof and be a minimum of 3 years old. I'll post more details and confirmation as I get them.

What do you think? Are you excited about a new wheated bourbon priced at half of the Screaming Titan?


Redwood Empire Whiskey

05/30/2026

I think this is going to be a really fun event. Grateful for the team that’s putting it all together.

🚨 Fort Wayne Bourbon Fest is officially LIVE! 🥃
Join us Saturday 9/26/26 for bourbon pours, VIP experiences, exclusive barrel pick bottles, and a raffle featuring highly allocated bourbons including Pappy Van Winkle.
🎟 Early Bird Tickets are live NOW — save $25 before 7/31/26.
Http://FORTWAYNEBOURBONFEST.COM