The Friskey Whiskey Podcast
Welcome to The Friskey Whiskey Podcast with your hosts MikeD and TI! Whether you’re a seasoned whiskey enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of whiskey, we’re excited to share our passion for this timeless spirit with you. Join us every Wednesday at 4pm as we explore the history, flavors, and culture of whiskey from around the world. Whether you prefer your whiskey neat, on the rocks, or in a classic cocktail, we’ll cover everything you need to know to enjoy this complex and nuanced spirit.
Welcome to The Friskey Whiskey podcast, where we bring together good whiskey, great company, and delicious food. Join your hosts, MikeD & TI. We're two friends who share a passion for all things whiskey, from the history and production process to the complex flavors and aromas found in each bottle.
On this podcast, we'll be exploring different types of whiskey from around the world, sharing our personal tasting notes and recommendations, and discussing the latest trends and developments in the industry. But it's not just about the whiskey - we believe that good company and food can elevate the drinking experience to new heights, so we'll also be inviting friends and guests to join us for lively discussions and tastings.
So sit back, pour yourself a dram, and join us as we explore the wonderful world of whiskey and share our love for good times with great friends. Cheers!
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
EP 37: Tour of Scotland Part 1
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Wednesday Nov 15, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as we start the first part of an eight part series! We'll be taking a unique tour around the various whisky regions of Scotland from a carefully crafted whisky box.
Sample 1:
Glentauchers Distillery
Age: 4 years
Cask: 1st fill bourbon barrel
Nose: Lemongrass and fresh orange, with oily barley
Palate: Cherry bakewell, spicy cassia, brown sugar and buttered crumpets
Finish: Salted caramel and sponge cake
Sample 2:
Tullibardine distillery
Age: 7 years
Cask: Barrel; 180 - 200L
Nose: Apricot wheats, fresh pancakes and melted butter, and a dusting of cinnamon
Palate: Honeyed toast and toffee apple, with oak spice and juicy raisins
Finish: Lemon curd and buttery pastry, with toasty oak and sweet malt
Sample 3:
Undisclosed; distillery in Orkney
Age: 5 years
Cask: Hogshead; 225 - 250L
Nose: Blackcurrant, ripe peaches, fruit jelly, hay
Palate: Black pepper and strawberries, peach syrup, cherries
Finish: Sweet and sour cherries, grassy, sea salt
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
EP 36: Vermouth Takes Manhattan
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as we dive into a classic whiskey cocktail, the Manhattan!
We use three different vermouth to determine if they really do impact the flavors of a Manhattan. We go with the classic rye version of this legendary cocktail.
Michter's Straight Rye
Martini & Rossi
Dolin Vermouth de Chambery
Carpano Antica
Recipe Used:
2oz whiskey of choice
1oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes angostura bitters
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
EP 35: Howl at the Owl
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Kentucky Owl was founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman in 1879, operating until prohibition became law in 1916. At this point, the government seized some 250,0007 gallons of Kentucky Owl, taking it away for safekeeping.One night, the warehouse where the bourbon was stored burned to the ground. Oddly, for a building filled with alcohol, the fire lasted only a matter of hours, leading many to suspect the entire Kentucky Owl stock had been whisked away by organized crime to fuel their booming speakeasies. Number one suspect was Al Capone.A hundred years later, the great, great-grandson of C.M Dedman, Dixon Dedman revived the family business and set about blending a bourbon worthy of the Kentucky Owl name.
Kentucky Owl St. Patrick's Edition $99 (-$135) 100 proof Mash bill: Unknown. . blend of 4-11 year old bourbons
In celebration of the long-standing ties that bind Irish and Kentucky whiskey making together, Kentucky Owl has partnered with Irish Whiskey Bonder, Louise McGuane to bring her craft in selecting rare whiskey barrels for their unique flavor profiles to this collaboration with Master Blender, John Rhea, to deliver this exceptional blended bourbon together.
Nose: Caramel, honey, spiceTaste: caramel, butterscotch, frosted cinnamon roll, chocolate orange, citrus peel, fruit, vanilla , wood
Kentucky Owl Takumi Edition $119 (- $150) proof. Mash bill unknown. blend of 4, 5, 6, and 13 year old bourbons
A collaboration with John Rhea, Kentucky Owl’s master blender, and Yahisa Yusuke, Japanese whiskey master blender for Nagahama Distillery in Japan.Takumi means "master" [or “artisan”] in Japanese, with the name of the release celebrating the art and craft of modern whisky blending. Rhea and Yahisa worked together to create the resulting Takumi Edition blend, with Rhea selecting four different formulations and sending the samples to Japan. Yahisa evaluated those samples, which represented different ages and mash bills available from Kentucky Owl. Yahisa then created different blends with those formulations to develop one most reflective of his Japanese whisky style.
Nose: rye, caramel, fruit salad (bread, caramel, fruit, tobacco, oak)Taste: butter rye bread, caramel, cinnamon, apple , pear (caramel, cinnamon, apple pie crust, leather, oak, raisin)
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
EP 34: Mark Your Wild Turkey in Yellowstone
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as they take another tour through some of TI's personal collection.
Yellowstone Bourbon: $36.99. 93 proof. Mash Bill 75% corn 13% rye and 12% malt
Yellowstone Bourbon was originally launched in 1872 to honor the establishment of our country's first National Park, Yellowstone, The distillery was started by J. B. Dant (son of J.W. Dant) who teamed up with D. H. Taylor and J. T. Williams. It operated independently until the 1940's. When the United States entered the Second World War in 1941 a wartime prohibition was enacted forbidding the production of beverage alcohol so the distilleries were required to make industrial alcohol for the war effort. Once again the profit margin was very small on this production and by 1944 it was decided to sell the company to Glenmore Distilleries.The 1970s however, were not as kind to the brand. Bourbon sales declined every year and the distillery was making less whiskey every year as the warehouses remained full. The brand became less popular and fell into a lower quality category even though the quality was still superb. In 1985, Glenmore shut down the distillery. Glenmore was purchased by Diageo, who promptly shut it down and sold off the Yellowstone brands to David Sherman who continued to produce Yellowstone brands. David Sherman became Luxco in 2006. In 2015 Luxco purchased a share of the Limestone branch Distillery. Part of the deal was that the Yellowstone brand would be given to Limestone Branch Distillery to produce. Paul and Steve Beam, descendants of both J.W. Dant and the legendary Beam family founded Limestone Branch Distillery with the intention of crafting only the finest whiskey and the dream of restoring the Yellowstone brand to its former glory.
Nose: Rye spice with soft, leather, cherriesTaste: Smoked caramel, Smoky oak and brown sugar
Wild Turkey Rare Breed $47.99 Proof 116.8 Mash Bill 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% barleyBlend of 6, 8, and 12 year old small batch bourbons. No water is added before bottling to get the experience like drinking from the cask
The first distillery on Wild Turkey Hill was established in 1850 and named Old Moore. In 1851, James and John Ripy arrived in Kentucky from Tyrone, Ireland, and opened a store selling general goods. In 1869, they built their first distillery beneath the limestone cliffs of the Kentucky river. In 1855, Austin Nichols & Co., a wholesale grocer, set up shop in Lawrenceburg, KY. The company eventually took over what would become Wild Turkey Bourbon. In the early 1940s when Thomas McCarthy, an executive at Austin Nichols, took some warehouse samples on a wild turkey hunting trip. The bourbon was so popular among his friends that they asked for “that wild turkey bourbon”. In 1954, Master Distiller Jimmy Russell joined Wild Turkey. He learns his craft and becomes the third in a line of master distillers for the brand which includes second master distiller, Bill Hughes, and Ernest W. Ripy, son of the original distiller. In 1976, Wild Turkey introduced the world’s first bourbon liqueur which would eventually lead to the creation of American Honey. In 1981, Eddie Russell, son of Jimmy Russell, joined Wild Turkey as a relief operator and began to work his way up the distillery ladder. In 1991, Wild Turkey introduced their premium Rare Breed bourbon, one of the first barrel proof bourbons to hit the market.
Nose: Spring flowers, pepper, almonds, honey , datesTaste: warm, smoky flavors of grain and spice
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Batch 23-01 $43.99 Proof 110 Mash Bill 70% corn, 16% soft winter wheat, 14% barley
Batches will vary from 108 to 114 proof
Maker's Mark was created by T. William "Bill" Samuels Sr., who purchased the Burks' Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky in 1953. Production began in 1954 and the first bottles were bottled in 1958. The brand's signature red wax seal is still hand-dipped today. The story of Maker's Mark began when Bill Samuels Sr. accidentally set fire to the family's 170-year-old recipe. He then experimented with different grains to create his own mash bill. The family's quest was to create a bourbon they enjoyed drinking and sharing with friends. Maker's Mark was the world's first premium bourbon. The brand was acquired by Hiram Walker in 1981.
Nose: Big oak, vanilla and caramelTaste: warm, caramel, vanilla, spice
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
EP 33: Oh Canada!
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as they discover some unique Canadian whiskeys!
**Canadian whisky was the best liquor category in the US until 2010**The Hiram Walker’s Distillery was one of the key suppliers during prohibition. Al Capone being one of their biggest customers. Capone paid $7 a case and sold them in the US at $75 a case
Swear Jar 6yr Canadian Whisky (Québec) $24.99 80 proof(candied green apple, Maple Donut, and a 10yr whiskey)
Nose: oak, ginger,clove, vanillaTaste: rich caramel, pepper
Three Fingers High 12yr Rye (Location unknown) $45.99 80 proof Mash Bill 100% RyeThree Fingers High is a blend of twelve year-old 100% Canadian Rye Spirits and marries them in a variety of Sherry casks for finishing. The Spirits came from both pot still and continuous columns.
Nose: Rye, baking spices, caramel applesTaste: cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, vanilla bean
Treaty Oak 11yr 8mos Schenley Reserve Rye $99.99 134 proof Mash Bill?? 53% rye, 39% corn, and 8% barleyDistilled in Canada (Gilpin Township) , finished in Texas.
Treaty oak was founded by Daniel Barnes in 2006. It was then the fourth distillery operating in Texas. Treaty Oak Distillery is named after the famous 500-year old tree in Austin, under which Stephen F. Austin signed agreements defining the borders of Texas.
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
EP 32: Purple Top
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as we welcome our special guest from Fox Cigar, Rob! We discuss The Davidoff Experience while enjoying a unique wheated bourbon! If you order from Fox Cigar between 10/4/23 at 4pm until 10/11/23 at 4pm and mention you came from The Friskey Whiskey they'll throw something special into your order!
Willett 8yr old Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon. $220 (price points $249-$600). 108 proof.Mash Bill: Undisclosed proportions of corn, wheat and malted barleyThe first release of Willett Wheated Bourbon was distilled in the early Spring of 2013 and bottled in the Summer of 2022.
History:The Willett family name goes as far back as 1684 where Edward Willet was a master pewter. From 1692 - 1792 the Willets would call George’s County, Maryland home. In 1792 William Willett Jr moved to Kentucky. This is the same year Kentucky became a state. John David Willett was born in 1841, he would become one-third owner and Master Distiller at Moore, Willett and Frenke Distillery. During his lifetime, John was the Master Distiller at 4 other distilleries in Kentucky. In 1883 Aloysius Lambert Willett was born and by the age of 15 was in the bourbon business. In 1909 Aloysius Lambert Thompson Willett was born and would become founder and president of Willett Distillery in Bardstown around 1936. In 1937 on St. Patrick's day, The Willetts put their first barrel into storage. By the 1940’s they introduced Old Bardstown Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. In the 1960’s Willett developed Johnny Drum Bourbon. After an ownership change in 1984 to the Kulsveen family, Willett Distillery began making Small Batch Boutique Bourbons (Noah’s Mills as an example). 2008 Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon debuts in the signature pot still shaped bottle
Nose: Vanilla, fudge, rye, peppermint, and burnt caramel aromas.Taste: Vanilla, oranges, chocolate, black tea, cinnamon, and peppermint.
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
EP 31: Bourbon Under $20
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Wednesday Sep 27, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as they welcome back their guest Vivian to enjoy some bourbons under $20!
Benchmark Small Batch Bourbon $17.99 90 proof Maybe a Mash bill of 75% corn, 10% rye, 15% barley
The Seagram company started as a Canadian distillery back in 1857 and grew to become one of the biggest spirits companies in Canada. Sometime in the late 1960s, Seagram decided to start a premium brand labeled Benchmark Bourbon. It used to be made at Four Roses back when Seagram owned them. Seagram sold Benchmark Bourbon to Sazerac corporation in 1989. Sazerac put the label under their Buffalo Trace brand, creating the whiskey at the same Frankfort, Kentucky distillery as the name brand Buffalo Trace. The name Benchmark Bourbon was changed to McAfee’s Benchmark Old No.8 Bourbon. This was in honor of the McAfee brothers, who surveyed the site of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1775, long before it was built.
Nose: Vanilla, oak, spice, cinnamon, apples.Taste: caramel, leather, charred oak, spice, and honey
Ten High Sour Mash $8.99 80 proof Mash Bill ???
Ten High was established in 1879, although production of the brand began in the 1930s. The 1879 date refers to the founding of the Tom Moore distillery. The name Ten High refers to a barrel storage location at least ten ricks high, as barrels in the upper part of the aging warehouse mature faster. First introduced in the 1930s by Hiram Walker & Sons, now produced by the Barton Brands division of the Sazerac Company since 2009.
Nose: caramel, oak, hint of vanilla, ethanolTaste: oak, brown sugar, vanilla ,pepper
Evan Williams Bourbon $15.99 86 proof Mash Bill 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley
Evan Williams was a natural-born leader, innovator, and entrepreneur. He worked in numerous trades as a businessman, politician, and—most notably—whiskey distiller. In 1783, he founded Kentucky's first commercial distillery on the banks of the Ohio River. Bottled in Bardstown, KY, the product is distilled at the Heaven Hill distillery in Louisville, Kentucky.
Nose: Light with deep vanilla and mintTaste: Notes of oak, brown sugar and caramel
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
EP 30: Elijah Magnus
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Wednesday Sep 20, 2023
Join MikeD and TI as they continue bourbon heritage month with some classic bourbons!
Joseph Magnus Straight Bourbon finished in White oak, Sherry and Cognac Casks. $109.99 100 proof. Rumored to be 9 years old. Mash bill, undisclosed.
History:In the midst of the Civil War in 1864, young Joseph Magnus received news that his father had been killed in battle. With three younger siblings to take care of, he matured quickly and took on the responsibility of caring for his siblings. Following in his father's steps, became a merchant.He soon discovered a niche market for wholesale liquors, and by the time he was twenty-six he had painstakingly built up a liquor empire based out of Cincinnati, Ohio.Magnus prided himself not only on the quality and age of his spirits, but on intelligent and honorable business methods. This is when he produced Murray Hill Club Whiskey.In 1918, the imminent arrival of National Prohibition caused Magnus to pause his whiskey production and sales. For the remainder of his life, Magnus enjoyed but did not produce fine spirits. His four children grew up and started families of their own, and the story of their father’s success began to fade into legend. Stories and a few dusty artifacts were all that remained.
Then, nearly a century later, a fortunate discovery was made by one of Magnus’ great-grandsons: a bottle of 122-year-old Murray Hill Club Whiskey, tucked away and seemingly forgotten. To make sense of this rare find, the family gathered industry veterans to extract a few milliliters from the famed bottle, to taste, test, and reproduce, if possible. These experts were stunned to discover it to be one of the greatest bourbons they had ever tasted. Re-established in 2015Today, using the same blending and finishing techniques Joseph Magnus employed over 100 years ago, Magnus Master Blender, Nancy Fraley, finishes 12-year-old bourbon in a triple cask finishing process using Oloroso Sherry, and Cognac casks. The result is as close as possible to the original Joseph Magnus Bourbon in that 122-year-old bottle.
*this bourbon won 4 gold medals over the last 2 years**Murray Hill bourbon - blend of 11 and 18yr old bourbon with a 9yr light whiskey**Magnus Cigar blend bourbon - blend of 11 and 18yr old bourbon*
Nose: Orange, honey, plum, dark fruits, leather, buttercreamTaste: cherry, vanilla, brown sugar, oak, leather, pepper, tobacco
Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky straight bourbon 94 proof. $89.97 Mash bill 78% corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
History:Reverend Elijah Craig was a Baptist preacher, an educator, and an entrepreneur who built the first paper and wool mills in Georgetown, Kentucky. But for all his industries, it was his gift as a distiller and an innovator that brought him his greatest acclaim.
In the late 18th century, Craig moved to what is now known as Kentucky, then part of Virginia, and settled in a region that would later become Georgetown. He played a significant role in establishing Baptist churches and educational institutions in the area.
Elijah Craig is often associated with the early development of bourbon whiskey. According to legend, he is said to have been one of the first individuals to age corn-based whiskey in charred oak barrels. This aging process is believed to have given bourbon its distinct flavor and amber color. However, historical records are somewhat limited.
In 1789, Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels. Some claim that an accidental fire charred his barrels and changed the whiskey inside. Others say he stored his whiskey in former sugar barrels and was impressed with how charing improved the flavor. Elijah Craig knew he had discovered something great. He continued to refine the barrel charring process, imparting smooth, rich flavor to the spirit that would become known as Bourbon. 250 years later, he is still known as the Father of BourbonElijah Craig's name is synonymous with bourbon today. His legacy is celebrated by Heaven Hill Distilleries, which produces a well-known brand of bourbon called "Elijah Craig Bourbon" in his honor. The brand features a range of bourbon expressions, including small batch and single barrel options.Nose: toasted oak, caramelTaste: spice, pepper, milk chocolate, hint of smoke