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We catch up with Tracy and Barb Napolitano as they lay out the biggest upgrades to New Orleans Bourbon Festival, from a new self-contained downtown venue to a rooftop Grand Tasting with sweeping views of the city and the Mississippi River. We also dig into the dinners, ghost tours, VIP judging, seminar lineup, and the barrel picks that support charity while keeping the whole weekend easy to navigate on foot.

• new downtown venue that keeps tastings, seminars and hotels close
• rooftop Grand Tasting setup with a full outdoor atmosphere
• Britannia Theater seminar experience with comfortable seating and service
• French Quarter ghost tour ending at Oddfellows Rest Cemetery
• Dark Arts tasting in the cemetery as a true New Orleans twist
• VIP judging experience and what makes it special
• brand and distillery presence including Four Roses, Sazerac, Michter’s, WhistlePig, Barrel, Penelope, Proof and Wood, Old Carter and more
• why the festival prioritises passionate whiskey people over empty booth pours
• awards judged by real bourbon fans and everyday drinkers
• Friday and Saturday seminar schedule highlights including cigar pairings, women’s panel and next generation panel
• barrel pick reservations through the festival website with festival pickup only
• charity focus behind bottle sales and how proceeds are handled
• ticket timing for dinners and ghost tours plus remaining festival tickets

A bourbon festival can be big and still feel close knit, but only if the layout, the people, and the programming are built with intention. That’s why we sat down with Tracy and Barb Napolitano to get the real plan for this year’s New Orleans Bourbon Festival, including the biggest change yet: a brand-new downtown venue that keeps the weekend together and walkable.

We talk through what that actually means on the ground. The Grand Tasting moves fully outdoors to a rooftop overlooking the New Orleans skyline and the Mississippi River, while the seminar track shifts into the Britannia Theater for a true sit-back-and-learn experience with comfortable seating. We also hit the event schedule: VIP judging, brand dinners, late-night meetups, and the kind of after-parties that make New Orleans the perfect backdrop for a whiskey weekend.

Then we get into the line-up and why it matters. You’ll hear which distilleries, blenders, and personalities are coming, plus why this festival leans into independent and craft whiskey alongside heavy hitters like Four Roses and Sazerac. We also break down barrel pick reservations, the no-shipping rule, and how bottle proceeds support charity. And yes, we cover the ghost tour that ends with a Dark Arts tasting in a haunted cemetery, because New Orleans is going to New Orleans.

If you’re planning a bourbon festival trip, want the best bourbon seminars, or just love whiskey travel stories, this one is your blueprint. Subscribe, share this with your festival crew, and leave us a five-star review on Apple so more bourbon fans can find the show.

www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things scotchy bourbon boys. Make sure you check us out on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and Patreon. Also on iHeart, Spotify, and Apple. Make sure you become members, you subscribe, you do all that, but leave us good feedback, five-star reviews on Apple.

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We celebrate Irish whiskey’s roots, its collapse and comeback, and how Ohio became a hotbed for great bottles. We taste and score Bua Imperial Stout Finish, then mix an Irish Mule with maple and a Guinness Old Fashioned topped with vanilla foam.

• Irish whiskey heritage from monks to Bushmills
• Four core styles and triple distillation explained
• Why Ohio’s shelves now carry deeper Irish picks
• Bua Imperial Stout Finish tasting and scores
• Price, drinkability, and value talk
• Irish Mule with barrel-aged maple tweak
• Guinness Old Fashioned with chocolate bitters and foam
• Irish coffee shortcut and bar gear tips
• Shoutouts to local events, brands, and rare releases
Irish whiskey has a way of sneaking up on you—soft at first sip, then suddenly full of story. We kick things off by resetting our palates for St. Patrick’s season and tracing the spirit’s arc from monastic stills to the first license at Old Bushmills, through the hard years of trade restrictions and Prohibition, and into a modern revival that’s filling glasses around the world. Along the way, we talk styles—single pot still, single malt, single grain, and blends—why triple distillation matters, and how used wood and clever finishes shape flavor without piling on heat.

From there we get local. Ohio’s shelves have quietly leveled up, and we shout out bottles that punch above their price, like The Whistler Double Oak, Writers’ Tears, and a few “how is this still here?” finds. The centerpiece is our bottle breakdown of Bua Imperial Stout Finish, a Columbus-rooted Irish whiskey guided by seasoned hands. On the nose we find limoncello brightness, light cocoa, and a subtle nuttiness; on the palate, a gentle sugar note and roasted malt from the stout cask; the finish stays tidy and refreshing. We score it, debate body and balance, and talk real-world value—aka the kind of bottle that vanishes at a fantasy draft.

Then we head behind the bar for two crowd-pleasers you can master tonight. First up: an Irish Mule with fresh lime, ginger beer, and a dash of barrel-aged maple syrup to round the edges. Next, a Guinness Old Fashioned built with Bua’s stout finish, chocolate and Angostura bitters, and a silky Guinness brown-sugar syrup, crowned with a light vanilla foam. It drinks like the best parts of a pour and a pint in one glass. We close with a quick Irish coffee riff and a few gear tips to make your home bar smoother and more fun.

Raise a glass with us, explore beyond the usual suspects, and lean into a season made for sharing good bottles and better stories. If you enjoyed this one, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a friend who loves whiskey—or Guinness. Your support helps more curious listeners find their next favorite pour.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and Patreon. Become a member on YouTube and Patreon. Leave super chats on YouTube. Good bourbon equals good friends and good times. Make sure that you don’t drink and drive, drink responsibly, and live your life uncut and unfiltered.

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We trace Michter’s from its 1753 Pennsylvania roots to a Kentucky rebirth built on low entry proof, heat-cycled warehouses, and ruthless quality control. We taste a 2019 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash, debate the brand’s most defining bottle, and share memories with Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson.

• sponsor spotlight for Middle West Spirits
• agenda: Michter’s journey, bottle-your-own recap, Old Louisville breakdown
• community shoutouts, platforms, and membership drives
• Fort Nelson bar experience and gift shop selections
• Pennsylvania origins, rye dominance, and Bomberger era
• Prohibition shutdown, 1950s rename, 1970s decline
• bankruptcy, lost barrels, and brand dormancy
• Kentucky rebuild under Joe Magliocco and Dick Newman
• roles of Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson clarified
• low barrel entry proof and heat-cycled maturation
• small-batch scale around 20 barrels and select single barrels
• tasting notes and ratings of 2019 Toasted Sour Mash
• myths vs facts about history, sourcing, and age statements
• homage releases: Shenk’s and Bomberger’s
• Fort Nelson Select nuances and gift shop batching
• closing thanks and responsible drinking reminder

A whiskey brand that predates the United States doesn’t usually get a second act—but Michter’s did, and it turned that comeback into a masterclass on flavor. We trace the line from Shenk’s 1753 Pennsylvania rye to a modern Kentucky rebirth, where low entry proof, heat-cycled warehouses, and uncompromising standards define how every bottle earns its label. Along the way, we revisit Fort Nelson memories, the bottle-your-own experience, and the friendships that make great pours even better.

We sit with the choices that changed the trajectory of Michter’s: rebuilding in Kentucky under Joe Magliocco, tapping legendary guidance from Dick Newman, and empowering Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson to release only what meets the mark. That means small batches around 20 barrels, single-barrel highlights, and the guts to skip the 10 Year when the whiskey isn’t ready. We unpack why 103 proof going into the barrel deepens oak sweetness at approachable bottle proofs, and how heat-cycling keeps extraction alive through winter for a rounder mid-palate and cleaner finish.

Tasting the 2019 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash brings the philosophy to life: cherry, maple, and toasted marshmallow on the nose; a light-to-medium body that still coats; honeyed sweetness with a snap of pepper; and a dry, medium finish. We also explore how Michter’s helped popularize toasted barrel finishing, why age statements don’t guarantee balance, and how homage releases like Shenk’s and Bomberger’s honor Pennsylvania roots while Fort Nelson Select grounds the present in Louisville. The result is a consistent, distinctive profile that collectors chase and newcomers can enjoy without a learning curve.

If you love whiskey history, crave insight into maturation choices, or just want tasting notes you can use tonight, you’ll feel right at home. Tap play, subscribe, and leave a review so more whiskey lovers can find us. What Michter’s pour best defines the brand for you?Make sure that you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, and Patreon, listen on Apple, iHeart, and Spotify, become a member, leave a five-star review, and write a review each year

Make sure that you follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, TikTok, and Pat

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