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Most of us scoff at celebrity whiskey because let's be honest, most celebrities don't care as much about the product as they do sales. But on a past whiskey quickie we reviewed Whiskey JYPSI and that one changed our mind. It wasn't until we started diving into it that we discovered Ari Sussman. He's a whiskey maker for many brands like Whiskey JYPSI, Three Chord, and Mammoth Distilling, but his history with spirits will fascinate you. He's truly a student of the art where he spent years overseas bartending, discovered vintage cocktail books, and was an integral part of the first ever university distilling program at Michigan State. We talk to Ari about his past and then dive into the Whiskey JYPSI brand and how Eric Church and himself are trying to change the face of celebrity booze.

Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about finding better bourbon in the Netherlands.

How did you get to this point in your career?

What old school cocktails and liqueurs fascinated you?

Were you trying to use the University of Michigan distilling program to innovate new things?

Can you talk about blending 50ml bottles?

What brands did you help build?

Why would a company want to ghost blend?

How did you get hooked up with Whiskey JYPSI?

Why is this celebrity brand different than others?

How have you added in Canadian whiskey and light whiskey into a blend?

What do you feel is more innovative in world whiskey that's not happening in American whiskey?

Why are you trying to be different in this celebrity world?

Why JYPSI?



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On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review Town Branch Straight Rye Whiskey. This non-age stated rye whiskey is 100 proof and $55 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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Subscribe to Behind The Pursuit: From Bourbon to Brand
Will consumers become tired of Kentucky bourbon? With the rise of non-Kentucky brands gaining recognition for their quality whiskey, Kentucky bourbon still holds a strong position in the market due to its long-established reputation and consumer perception of safety and acceptance. 
While Kentucky will likely continue to hold the cache of consumer preferences, today we debate whether consumers will move past the big six Kentucky brands, or Kentucky in general, and latch on or explore other options. We'd love to hear from you on this!
We hit on:

Non-Kentucky brands like Ben Holladay, JT Meleck, Still Austin and Frey Ranch gaining recognition for their quality whiskey.

Kentucky bourbon still holds a strong position in the market due to its long-established reputation and consumer perception of safety and acceptance

Consumers may be hesitant to move past the big six Kentucky brands due to familiarity and brand recognition

The cache of Kentucky will likely continue due to marketing and consumer preferences

Are there Kentucky Bourbons being made that are still riding the 'Kentucky Badge of Honor' that aren't very good?

As a blender, why does Kentucky matter as a point of inclusion if that isn’t a focus of the product (or even on the label)?


and much more.
Be sure to visit pursuitspirits.com and click on Visit Us to book a tasting or barrel selection experience. For questions or topic requests on upcoming episodes, email us at podcast@pursuitspirits.com.
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We're back with Bourbon Community Roundtable #94 and this one takes a single subject but it spins off into another. 2024 has seen the decline in whiskey sales and 2025 forecasts don't look much better. So have we finally eclipsed the peak of bourbon? A few years ago, there was a flourishing secondary market, droves of new people getting into the hobby, more options on the shelf, and massive expansions from all the big player. We've talked about this being a side-effect of the COVID boom but we also saw american whiskey get into more gimmicks and inflated prices. But we all still need the category to grow, so what's it going to take to reinvigorate more people to get into bourbon?

Show Notes:

Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about documentaries on other spirits.

Have we eclipsed the bourbon peak?

What can be done to make it just as popular again?



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On this Whiskey Quickie by Bourbon Pursuit, we review High Bank Distillery Whiskey War Double Double. This 5 year old whiskey is 116 proof and $100 MSRP. Let us know what you think. Cheers!DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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It's This Week in Bourbon for May 24th 2024. The maker of Ozempic is investigating its effect on desire to drink alcohol. Woodford Reserve releases Toasted Bourbon, and the oldest Beam bourbon ever bottled will be an astounding 20 years old.Show Notes:
Howler Head continues as the Official Flavored Whiskey of UFC

The maker of Ozempic is investigating its effect on desire to drink alcohol

US government dietary guidelines may say that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption

Uncle Nearest acquires Square One Organic Spirits

Burton James Uniquely American Whiskey Single Barrel Selection – Wheated Bourbon

Woodford Reserve releases Toasted Bourbon

The oldest Beam bourbon ever bottled will be an astounding 20 years old

@howlerheadwhiskey @ufc @unclenearest @squareoneorganicspirits @burtonjameswhiskey @woodfordreserve @beamdistilling @jimbeamofficial

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