What on earth? Old Forester again? Looks like we are in a groove. This week, we taste and review the brand new batch of Old Forester 117 High Angels' Share bourbon. This limited release comes in at 110 proof and is in a tiny 375ml bottle. These bottles aren't easy to get, but are they worth the hype? Our in depth analysis will let you know if you are missing out...legit. Join us this week as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a pre-pour and share a ton of laughs before getting into assessing th...
Mar 22, 2024•50 min
First debuting in 2019, Bulleit 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey was available for a limited amount of time and then was seemingly gone. During a recent trip to a liquor store, one of the fellas noticed this bottle sitting on the front counter and immediately purchased it. The strangest thing about this MGP sourced rye is that it reappeared without much warning. In fact, we looked all over and couldn't find any formal announcement about the reemergence of this whiskey. Join us this week as we chat about ...
Mar 15, 2024•48 min
This week we venture into the somewhat budget cask strength bourbon realm. What appears to potentially be a house brand for a big box store (that will remain unnamed), McFarlane's Reserve Select Cask Strength Bourbon is a wheater that comes in at nearly 110 proof! With those stats, it has got to be good....right? Well...you'll have to listen to find out. In this episode, the fellas ponder if the bourbon boom is over and have some lively conversation about where things can go from here. Also, the...
Mar 08, 2024•49 min
The Holladay Distillery in Weston, Missouri is rich in history and heritage. Recently, we had the chance to meet Kyle Merklein, the Master Distiller of Holladay and also got the chance to taste the different bourbons they offer. In this episode, we talk about that fantastic evening and also taste and review "the bourbon of Missouri," Ben Holladay Bottled-In-Bond Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey. While this brand is still relatively unknown to many (including us, before this week), there is a la...
Mar 01, 2024•52 min
If you take a short trip back to episode 100 of the podcast, you'll notice that we tasted and reviewed the 2022 version of the Four Roses SMBLE. When Steven and Anthony both struck out on finding the 2023 version of this annual release, Kenny saved the day. Coming in at 108 proof with a blend of 12-25 year old bourbons, the 2023 SMBLE celebrates the 135th anniversary of the Four Roses brand. Not only do we taste and review this highly sought after release, but we also do some blinding and have s...
Feb 23, 2024•51 min
Yellowstone is a popular TV show and a world renowned National Park, but it is also a Kentucky bourbon brand. It's hard to believe it took us this long to review anything Yellowstone, but better late than never. This week, we taste and review the 2023 edition of Yellowstone Limited Edition Bourbon thanks to the generosity of one of our dedicated listeners. This offering is a blend of 7, 15, and 16 year old bourbon that was finished in Tokaji casks, coming in at 101 proof. We hope you will join u...
Feb 16, 2024•40 min•Ep. 143
With all the fanfare surrounding the recently released Traveller Whiskey, you knew it was only a matter of time before we gave it a try. Proudly blended and bottled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, this Chris Stapleton endorsed whiskey took the world by storm recently and aims to be a readily available product for years to come. But what does it taste like and what is actually in the bottle? While we don't have any inside info on the blend, we are certainly going to give you our honest thoughts ...
Feb 09, 2024•39 min
In 1924, Calvin Coolidge delivered the very first radio address from the White House, the Summer Olympics were held in Paris, and...and...Owsley Brown took barrels of whiskey with different mash bills to a warehouse on Howard Street in Louisville, KY and bottled them as Old Forester. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of this momentous occasion, Old Forester has released the 10 year old "1924" bourbon. This new edition to the Whiskey Row Series is 100 proof and diverges from the classic Old Fo...
Feb 02, 2024•45 min
The Pacific Northwest is known for many things, but one of its best kept secrets might be the Camas Whiskey Club. Founded in 2023, this small, but dedicated group of individuals get together regularly for tastings and have also used the power of the brown water for charity. A couple months ago, the founder of the group (Shawn) reached out to us on Facebook to tell us how much he enjoyed the podcast. The praise was enough, but what came next was unexpected and amazing. Shawn sent us a "care" pack...
Jan 26, 2024•49 min
The shear length of the episode this week signifies that we had a lot to discuss. Recently, our esteemed whiskey tasting panel completed the "Best of 2023" competition. This "best of" has been going on for the better part of four years, but this is the first time we are discussing the results on the podcast. To assist with this discussion, we are joined by our good friend Ryan Alves from bourbonoutfitter.com. The format/foundation of the whiskey competition was co-founded by Kenny and Ryan and t...
Jan 19, 2024•1 hr 41 min
Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s incredibly hard to believe that we’ve been doing this podcast for 3 years! What started as a way for us to connect during the pandemic has blossomed into something that we couldn’t have imagined. Thank you for your support. For this anniversary episode, we decided to taste and review Old Forester Rye whiskey. In 2019, Old Forester released their first new mashbill in 150 with this rye whiskey release. Instead of just reviewing the acclaimed 100 proof shelf...
Jan 12, 2024•49 min•Ep. 138
The holidays might be over, but the fun continues. This week, we welcome our first ever female co-host to the podcast to discuss a very interesting pour. The Old Elk Distillery was founded in 2013 by Curt Richardson and proudly calls Fort Collins, Colorado home. With longtime MGP distiller Greg Metze at the helm, Old Elk's "quiet on purpose" motto has been tested by the excellent and buzzworthy products they are releasing. In this episode, we taste and review Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend. Comi...
Jan 05, 2024•57 min
New Riff Distillery was founded in 2014 by Ken Lewis. Just south of Cincinnati in the heart of Northern Kentucky -- this urban style distillery has gone from craft to established purveyor of spirits in record time. This week, we taste and review one of their newest (and oldest) offerings to date: New Riff High Note 8 year old 100% Malted Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey . If you wanted to hear our thoughts on New Riff prior to this week, you would have to go all the way back to episode 11! What too...
Dec 29, 2023•44 min
The holidays are one of the best times to share and enjoy good bourbon. We were lucky enough to win this bottle in a lottery and were looking for the perfect occasion to open it. This week, we taste and review a very rare release: Pride of Anderson County Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This bottle represents one of the oldest and highest proof single barrel releases to ever come from the Wild Turkey Distillery. Rare Bird 101 and Rare Character Whiskey combined forces to bring us this ultra p...
Dec 22, 2023•41 min
We get quite a few requests to review bottles that are readily available. As the holiday season approaches, we felt it would be appropriate to blind three shelfies priced under $30. The three bourbons that we blind and review this week are: Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve, Wild Turkey 101, and Elijah Craig Small Batch. All of these bottles have been dubbed by many in the whiskey community as "good values." But, is that really the case? Join us this week as we laugh a lot, talk about value bourbon,...
Dec 15, 2023•41 min
What else is there to say? It's BTAC season! For this week, we taste and review one of the most revered bourbons in all of the land which is George T. Stagg. Coming from the annual release of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, this years version is a little over 15 years in age and clocks in at a blistering 135 proof. This bourbon is the shear definition of premium. Even though we were passed over again for media samples by BT, Kenny hustled his *ss off to get us this bottle. So, is GTS the s...
Dec 08, 2023•50 min
The whiskey that we taste and review this week started out as an 8-year old Kentucky bourbon and then traveled to Japan for finishing in wine, sherry, and ex-yamazaki casks. Woooo! That's a voyage that even Jefferson's would be jealous of. This limited release collaboration from Beam Suntory is the first of it's kind -- but, is it any good? You'll have to listen to find out. Join us this week as we talk about gas station sushi and try to figure out who the other dude is. Also, you'll get to hear...
Dec 01, 2023•50 min
Maysville, Kentucky is known as the “birthplace of bourbon” and this week we taste and review a whiskey that dates all the way back to 1876. Old Pogue Master’s Select is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey that is produced in very small batches and only available in a handful of states. The original Pogue Distillery closed its doors in 1920, suffering the same fate as many other brands during prohibition. The 5th and 6th generations of the Pogue family revived the brand in 2004 and built a new d...
Nov 24, 2023•42 min
Michter's 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has been around for quite some time. While "M10" bourbon is always a favorite amongst Michter's fans and enthusiasts alike, the 2023 release has been receiving some very praiseworthy reviews. Even though we could take the word of others about this years release, it's always more fun to find out for ourselves! Join us this week as we reflect on the third annual Mashup Halloween extravaganza, tease a recent barrel pick that we went on, and also c...
Nov 17, 2023•41 min
Lux Row Distillers has put out some excellent products over the last few years. Even though you've heard of Blood Oath and Double Barrel Bourbon, the bottle we've chosen for this week is probably sitting on a shelf somewhere near you. Old Ezra 7 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey, is a bold and robust rye that is a blend of two different MGP mashbills. This bottle definitely flies under the radar, but should it? Join us this week as we taste and discuss this whiskey, discuss an unfortunate incident a...
Nov 10, 2023•40 min
In 2018, Woodford Reserve debuted their Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey. As the third permanent extension of the Woodford line and the increasing popularity of malt whiskeys, we felt it necessary to sip and review this shelfie. This whiskey is a barely malt (coming in at 51% malt/47% corn/2% rye) and the tastings notes emphasize nutty characteristics and chocolate. Is that what we will taste? You never know. Join us this week as we talk about a recent barrel pick experience at the famed Woodford ...
Nov 03, 2023•34 min
Southern Distilling Company was founded in 2013 and their spirits has been getting quite a bit of attention lately. This week, we take our talents to back to the south and explore what might be North Carolina's worst kept secret. For this episode, we sip and review a bottle of Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon. Coming in at 4 years old and 110.7 proof - will this young wheater delight our senses or leave us feeling like it needs more time in the barrel? Join us th...
Oct 27, 2023•45 min
It's a big week on the Mash Up. Not only are we reviewing one of the hottest bottles in the land, but we are also welcoming back our brother in bourbon, Steven. 13th Colony Distillery has been around since 2009, but they gained massive notoriety last year when they released their double oaked bourbon. We got our hands on the most recent version of this bottle and couldn't wait to crack it. You'll have to join us this week to see if we think this bottle is worth the hype. Also, you won't want to ...
Oct 20, 2023•45 min
Maryland-style rye came roaring back onto the scene over the past few years and one of the companies most closely associated with its resurgence is Sagamore Spirit. Founded in 2013 by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, Sagamore Spirit Distillery is in the heart of Baltimore, Maryland and has a history that is tied to champion thoroughbred horses and limestone-filtered water. Sounds a lot like Kentucky. Well, we're not in Kentucky anymore and this week we taste and review Sagamore Spirit Double Oaked ...
Oct 13, 2023•40 min•Ep. 125
In episode 107 of our podcast, we tasted Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch B523 which was the first in the history of the release to carry a sub 12 year age statement. The newest batch of ECBP (C923) has been one of the most hyped due to the fact that it carries a whopping 13 year, 7 month age statement. This "technically" makes it the oldest release of this product to date. Instead of our normal format, we called an audible and decided to blind this most recent batch of ECBP against two previous ...
Oct 06, 2023•40 min
Something special happened at Star Hill Farm in Loretto, Kentucky this past month. After many years speculation, Marker's Mark finally released something loyal enthusiasts and newbies alike have been waiting for. Marker's Mark Cellar Aged is a blend of 11 and 12 year old bourbons that started off aging in traditional rickhouses and was then moved to a temperature controlled cellar to finish the aging process. Outside of some highly sought after commemorative bottles, this has easily become one o...
Sep 29, 2023•41 min
You know that we favor Kentucky - almost to a fault. When we heard that Garrison Brothers annual Cowboy Bourbon release was gonna be hazmat, that definitely got our attention. Join us this week as we taste and review one of the self-proclaimed finest whiskies to come from Texas. In 2006, the Garrison Brothers distillery was granted the first stiller's permit for bourbon outside of Kentucky and Tennessee, which makes it the oldest legal bourbon distillery in Texas. This is a first on The Mashup. ...
Sep 22, 2023•56 min
In 2021, it was announced that Wild Turkey's Camp Nelson "C" warehouse would be decommissioned. Though this was done for safety reasons and due to the age of the building, it left turkey lovers a bit bewildered as this warehouse had a reputation for housing some excellent single barrels through the years. On the heels of this news, Wild Turkey announced a brand new release: Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse. The first annual limited release was made up of 72 barrels from the famed Camp Nelson "...
Sep 15, 2023•44 min
Just last year, rumors were swirling that the Old Fitz Decanter Series was being discontinued. Many wondered what was next for the long revered and beloved Old Fitzgerald bourbon brand. However, in the midst of the speculation, Heaven Hill surprised us all when they announced the "Spring 2023" decanter series release of Old Fitz. Coming in at 10 years old, this bottle marks the 11th national release in this series and should be arriving on shelves across the nation very soon. One member of our c...
Sep 08, 2023•34 min
These week, we used our midwestern sensibilities and traveled to north to the Great Lakes State to taste and try a bourbon that was gifted to us during a recent barrel pick experience. From just north of the Motor City, Valentine Distilling Co. burst onto the scene a few years ago by sourcing some excellent MGP distillate. During that time, they were also barreling their own liquid. Is this juice worth the squeeze? Tune in this week as the fellas take a deep dive on this whiskey while giving an ...
Sep 01, 2023•30 min•Ep. 119