Send us Fan Mail

We catch up after boots-on-the-ground Ohio bottle signings and get Ross Cornelison on the phone while he drives back to Kentucky. We dig into what makes Barton 1792 so consistent, why the brand’s profile has shifted over time, then end with a full live Barrel Bottle Breakdown of 1792 Sweet Wheat.

• Meeting Ross Cornelissen in Ohio and why the state shows up big for bourbon
• Why Barton 1792 operates as a working distillery and keeps tours closed
• How Ross thinks about consistency through degree of maturation
• What goes into blending 1792 Small Batch as the flagship bourbon
• Building the 1792 12 Year blend and why it changes each year
• The reality of bottle signings and how Ross developed his signature
• Technical whiskey questions from fans including fermentation and sanitation
• Sweet Wheat deep dive: tasting notes, mouthfeel, proof talk and our 13/18 score
• Tips for flying with bottles and preventing breakage
• Matt Lysin’s Cleveland On The Rocks and what they review beyond bourbon

www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things, scotchy bourbon boys. Whether you listen to us or you watch us, make sure that you find a way to show your support, whether it's become a member, subscribe, become a member, do leave super chats on on YouTube, and go to the Apple podcast thing and just write a nice little review for us, give us five stars and get our rating up.

Ross Cornelissen just spent days meeting Ohio whiskey fanatics and signing bottles, and we caught him on the road back to Kentucky to hear what that experience is really like from the master distiller’s seat at Barton 1792 Distillery. Along with our guest Matt Lysin from Cleveland On The Rocks, we talk through the moments that stick: the questions fans ask when they finally get face time with the person behind the bourbon, the stories people share about starting with 1792, and why Ohio might be one of the loudest bourbon states in the country.

We also get technical in a way that actually helps you drink smarter. Ross explains how he thinks about blending for consistency, why “degree of maturation” can matter more than a simple age number, and how open air rickhouses and warehouse placement shape flavor. We dig into the role of 1792 Small Batch as the flagship expression, plus how releases like Bottled In Bond, Full Proof, Single Barrel, and the 1792 12 Year come together with a bigger team than most people realize.

After the call, we bring it back to the glass with a live Barrel Bottle Breakdown of 1792 Sweet Wheat. If you love wheated bourbon, you’ll want our tasting notes, the proof debate, and the final score. We even swap real-world tips for traveling with whiskey so your best bottles survive baggage handling.

If you’re into bourbon, Barton 1792, Sazerac brands, barrel picks, or tasting notes you can actually use, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

We talk with Randy Prasse about why the Kentucky Bourbon Festival keeps selling out faster and how the team protects the general admission experience while still offering real VIP comfort. We get into the unglamorous details that make the weekend work, from gate flow and bottle lines to add-ons, education, and what is new for this year.
• tickets selling out and what the “sold out” numbers really mean
• why KBF prioritises GA first and keeps VIP co-mingling
• how COVID shaped the fenced footprint and current festival model
• distilleries upgrading tents, decor, and interactive activations
• bottle lines, sampling lines, and better cutoff communication
• entry gate fairness and adding a second GA gate
• featured distillery spotlight on New Riff
• new speakeasy style upgrades and small suite concepts
• cigar lounge ambitions and why it is polarising
• add-ons timing, lockers, shuttles, and premium education options
• bourbon tourism impact for Bardstown and repeat visitors
www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys, merchandise, Glenn Cairns, everything
Drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive, and go out and live your life uncut and unfiltered

Tickets vanish in a day and suddenly the Kentucky Bourbon Festival becomes a planning sport. We sit down with festival director Randy Prasse to unpack how KBF in Bardstown earned that demand, what actually changed after COVID, and why the smartest design choice is surprisingly simple: build the general admission experience first, then let VIP be a comfort upgrade without splitting the crowd into two different festivals. If you care about bourbon culture, bourbon tourism, and how the best whiskey events stay authentic at scale, this conversation delivers the blueprint.

We get specific about the stuff that makes or breaks a bourbon festival weekend: bottle lines, sampling lines, communicating inventory before people waste an hour, and improving gate flow so “fairness” is more than a slogan. Randy explains why capacity hasn’t quietly ballooned even when it feels tighter, how distilleries have expanded their footprints, and why the festival pushes brands to bring real engagement instead of a generic pour-and-smile setup. We also talk featured distillery New Riff, the “new product launch” energy KBF is aiming for, and the behind-the-scenes team dynamics that keep the whole thing running.

Then we look forward. Randy shares what’s new, including a speakeasy style upgrade that works like a mini VIP, potential corporate hospitality suites, and the expanding menu of add-ons like education sessions, cocktail and culinary experiences, lockers, and shuttles. If you’re trying to do KBF the right way, you’ll leave with a clearer plan and a better sense of what to prioritise. Subscribe, share this with your bourbon crew, and leave us a review, what’s the one festival change you’d make first?

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/

Send us Fan Mail

We sit down with Danny Polise from Penelope Bourbon to trace how a three-barrel experiment turns into a national brand built on obsessive blending and real boots-on-the-ground hustle. We dig into how sourcing, warehouse knowledge, and smart scaling shape flavor, then taste through new and upcoming bottles while talking festivals, charity blends, and what the next decade of bourbon could look like.
• the early Penelope bet at MGP and why three mash bills mattered
• learning blending through repetition rather than formal training
• selling in the early days and building a label that stands out
• the crossroads of distilling vs scaling and the MGP acquisition
• how tanker-scale batching improves consistency for core products
• light whiskey explained, why used barrels matter, hunting profiles by warehouse
• estate collection breakdown, single barrels, private select, Omega French oak finish
• naming sessions, gimmicks that still have a reason, and dream collaborations
• the F Cancer charity project and the annual blend-off format
• bourbon festivals, cigar blend talk, and what bottles to bring to KBF
• first tastes and details on the upcoming Penelope Classic bourbon and rye
www.scotchyburbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys, contact me directly or just buy it off the website. Whether you listen to us, like, or watch us, make sure that you leave good feedback, become a member, subscribe, do all those fun things, and drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive

They walked into MGP like they were about to buy a million barrels and walked out with three. That’s the true starting point of Penelope Bourbon, and it sets the tone for a conversation that’s equal parts origin story, blending masterclass, and behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a whiskey brand that actually tastes different.

We’re joined by Danny Polise talk about how Penelope uses blending to escape the “standard sourced bourbon” profile by combining mash bills, chasing specific notes, and putting in the unglamorous reps. Danny breaks down how his process evolved from week-long blend marathons with endless iterations to a faster, sharper approach powered by tasting memory, barrel surveys, warehouse differences, and a constantly growing flavor encyclopedia. If you care about bourbon tasting notes, batch consistency, and how professionals decide what makes it into a bottle, you’ll hear the logic in real time.

Then we get into the big business inflection point: scaling. Danny explains why the MGP acquisition helped Penelope grow without losing its identity, how tanker-scale batching can improve consistency for flagship pours, and why small-batch releases still matter when you want precision. We also dig into light whiskey, the Estate Collection, Omega’s French oak finish, the F Cancer charity blend-off, festival plans, cigar blend talk, and a first look at the upcoming Penelope Classic Series with a 92-proof bourbon and a surprisingly bright 92-proof rye.

If you enjoy bourbon podcast deep dives, Penelope Bourbon details, MGP sourcing transparency, and practical blending insight, hit subscribe, share this with a whiskey friend, and leave us a review. What bottle or style should we taste next?

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/