Jason Kern/Cleveland Barrel Hunter Pick, America's 250th, and Tom's Foolery Distillery; Ep. 57

Daniel AI: Jason Kern from Cleveland Barrel Hunter joins Dan to talk about his newly announced barrel picks from Tom's Foolery Distillery. Dan was lucky enough to be invited to the process. This is also the inaugural podcast from the almost finished studio. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Dan: Good evening and welcome back to Bourbon, Brass and Beyond. Tonight I am with Jason Kern, the Cleveland barrel hunter. invited me to come along to a pick a couple weeks ago at Tom's Foolery Distillery and ⁓ we're talk about it tonight. So good evening.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Good evening, what's going on? How's it going?

Dan: ⁓ just just, you know, staying busy.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Hope hopefully Monday wasn't too painful after the weekend, huh?

Dan: no, not too bad. Not too bad. I mean I I'd I had to fly on Saturday. So it's been but ⁓ no, Friday ⁓ went up and and interviewed our mutual friend ⁓ Tom and Lianne Herbruck and had a great time up there at Tom's Foolery Distillery. ⁓ fantastic and they really they spent so much time with us

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Okay. Great people, aren't they? They're amazing.

Dan: ⁓ Steph went up with me ⁓ we got to ⁓ talk and then empty barrel. So that was fun ⁓ and yeah. ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ nice. Is that where you got that that barrel you posted? Or that bottle I mean?

Dan: ⁓ yes. Yes. So not only I I I picked up a bottle and he gave me two barrels.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ really? I saw you yeah, I saw you posted that. That's pretty cool. Just some stuff that he had around at his or were they Kelvin's or what were they? Do you know anything?

Dan: Yeah. And the and they Yeah. Th they were empties. They were empties and so yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Did you do the old shtick? ⁓ do you have a couple that are full?

Dan: Yeah, right. Right. Well, even even the empty ones were heavy. I I was actually pretty surprised. But but yeah, they both rolled in the car. So they they came home call home with us.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ yeah. Do you have a a a goal with those in mind or?

Dan: ⁓ well I well here I'll I'll show ya. So I put them in the ⁓ in this back corner here and then in that front corner you can see on that screen.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ yeah. Nice.

Dan: So yeah, I just so this is the n inaugural very first podcast from the new downstairs. So just finished ⁓ finished the ceiling. Now I still have shelves to put up, glass shelves that are coming in, supposed to come in tomorrow. ⁓ I can put the rest of the stuff up behind me, but this ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ yeah, what an honor. Yeah. Like the vintage ⁓ plane stuff, that's really cool.

Dan: The we actually just went to an auction from a a retired airline pilot found a whole bunch of stuff. So yeah, this is and now some of the stuff I've collected for years but but yeah, it's been pretty cool. So we have some

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Do you get into like the boards and stuff, the old like plane boards and gauges and

Dan: ⁓ I have those too. Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Do you yeah, ⁓ yeah.

Dan: Yeah, enjoy it. ⁓ really enjoy it. we're gonna

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: I saw that plane that that plane is incredible. What is that from?

Dan: So that was actually the centerpiece at the Pittsburgh International Airport until nineteen ninety-four. That is a that is a US Air seven thirty seven. it's a ⁓ three hundred model, but ⁓ but yeah, that was the centerpiece. I I've been in them, you know, I I I didn't fly that one, but I rode on that one a lot. I used to be based in LaGuardia, so I'd ride on that airplane ⁓ between Pittsburgh and LaGuardia.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Wow, that thing is awesome. Yeah. You flown one of those? Yeah. Mm-hmm. That is a really cool piece.

Dan: I have my Cleveland Barrel Hunter glass.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Heck yeah.

Dan: And I I put in from bottle number one.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: few of mine. I don't know if th is that background causing a goofy ⁓ kind of feedback or is that just me?

Dan: maybe a little bit, but I I don't think that'll come through.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Okay, cool. Yeah, what bottle did you have?

Dan: This is from bottle number one.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Okay, so bottle number one is actually bourbon number three is what they call it. That was originally b ⁓ barreled june thirtieth, twenty fifteen. So coming on before I came on, I'm not sure if you saw the post. So in the group I actually posted a little ⁓ light reading, ⁓ an article back, I think want to say from like twenty sixteen, about the you know letting the cat out of the bag a little bit, so to speak, with were these two barrels that ⁓ I selected that we selected were distilled. the original Michter's pot stills that Tom and Lianne had purchased. ⁓ these two barrels that ⁓ were picked were distilled on those on those stills. Unbelievable. 'Cause we tried ⁓ we tried four different bourbons and their stuff was fantastic. It was really good with their modern ⁓ pot stills that they had in the little place that we did the tasting. but the difference is man, I mean, holy smokes, you're talking A and Z difference. And you knew it right away, right? I mean, as soon as you tasted it, you're he's like, Let's see if you guys can pick out the the two barrels that ⁓ were distilled on the original Michter's pot stills. Like everybody was like,

Dan: Yeah. Right.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Holy crap, as we went through these like these these are s like I've been telling people like that own like liquor stores I'm friends with or different groups, like they are sitting on like liquid gold. Like these two barrels, I'm so blessed and fortunate that that I was able to take ⁓ both. And you know, what what we're about to ⁓ tell the people we're gonna be doing with these two barrels ⁓ in honor of the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the country, it's it's just I mean, it's beyond anything I could have even even, you know, dreamt

Dan: Right. And it just there and going through the process and and and smelling the two barrels that we're going to talk about, I mean, it just kept getting better. And then, you know, the nose, just opening this nose up here, I I'm smelling it, I'm like, ⁓ wow. This is fantastic.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Right. Incredible. It's almost like it's so rich. It's almost like ⁓ I I wanna I don't want to say a brandy 'cause that's what they're obviously known for, but it does have that like richness, you know what I mean? That like high end, high dollar, like unicorn bourbon. Like the coloring is like absolutely classic looking. It's got that gold kind of tinge to it. The smell it like you said, as soon as you pop it is it is endlessly fantastic.

Dan: Yeah. And even the

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: And ⁓ my goodness, what a profile.

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Unbelievable. And this is the lower proof one. This is one fourteen point three.

Dan: Mm-hmm. You get and you get some of those orange, like a marmalade flavor, like a a nice caramel mixed in with the vanilla, but it it's got that almost a citrus this time when taste it. I mean it just

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yes.

Dan: Really nice.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Well I'm I'm I'm zipping through this this sample because it's it's incredible. It's ⁓ so the first couple of times even at the tasting, I got like that the initial light, like my depends where you're at with like your your palate and like if it's warmed up or if it's you're coming in cold. But there's very little to zero ethanol on the on the palate. There is a little bit of heat that as you kind of go through it, you get a little bit of that Kentucky hug. But the I keep getting that real faint ⁓ like Washington apple that is just so refreshing and delightful. It's it's crazy. And then it really does go into that that sweet ⁓ vanilla, almost orangey style. V semi similar to ⁓ the palette on the double oaked Wheater I just did with River Roots. I mean, that is one of my that is one of my favorite palettes that that I've of anything I've ever tasted. It's just incredible.

Dan: Absolutely. Yeah, that I I still keep going back to that one as well. That one that that one's fantastic. wait. That's I'm on the previous one. I'm still on the previous one that you did. I don't have it.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, yeah, you're on the known as that's the that's the off profile bookers that's that one's that one's so good. Yeah, we gotta we gotta catch up and cross paths and I'll get you I've gotta get you the the double oak wheater I mean just to just to give you your feedback on the final

Dan: Yeah. So when we were doing these, this next one was actually my favorite.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Correct. Yep. N yep, num bottle number two, also known as bourbon number two zero five. It is one hundred and eighteen point six proof. It was ⁓ originally barreled june thirtieth, twenty thirteen.

Dan: Mm-hmm.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: And when it these are released to the group and then the cost that we're gonna be releasing to the group as because it's such a special thing all the way around the whole package is absolutely insane. And people are gonna be absolutely blown away tomorrow almost a twelve and almost a thirteen year ⁓ original distillate again on the original pot stills from Michter's what we're gonna be offering this to the group as ⁓ at ⁓ I don't know. I I can't compare it to anything. I don't know if this opportunity or these numbers will ever come to to you know to be able to have have this again. just the quality of bourbon that we're offering at the price is like I mean you've been you've been in this a while too. Have you ever seen anything like this?

Dan: Never. Never. ⁓ well i I mean you you look at the color of that. You look at the the then you see the legs on the glass.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Never, never. Yeah. Endless.

Dan: and and the nose. It it's this has gotta be one of my favorite one of my favorite bourbons I've had. And and who would have thought that saying that about Ohio, you know, I I would have not imagined that.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Right. Right. In a complementary to each other, like so we're releasing the ⁓ bourbon three, which will be ⁓ the red, and then the older one, the one that was just barreled in twenty thirteen, the bourbon two hundred five, will be the white, and then we're I'm blessed enough to do like we did on site at the tasting, we did a blend of the both the blend ⁓ a thirteen and eleven year ⁓ bourbon. ⁓ and it all it did was absolutely magnify the best parts of each of I mean, if you can I'm sure you got the video of ⁓ mine in Colton's face when we did that. And then we initially tasted it and we were like, what? It was

Dan: Mm. So I'm I'm releasing part of that video with ⁓ the interview with with Tom and Lianne. So that that'll come out. And ⁓ it'll probably be out well it it'll be out before this is seen.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Man, is it is this the first time you revisited the second one since we've done the tasting?

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: My goodness. That that is something, isn't it? That is the fact that they were the both on the original Michter's pot still, but the difference in the barrels, like I almost want to ask Tom, like I mean obviously it's a two year difference. ⁓ almost a two yeah, exactly a two year difference. This this older one is like it's such a different profile. Like like what we got, like that it's that dusty vintage ⁓ baseball glove, leather, light kind of coffee.

Dan: ⁓ That has been problem.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Toffee, just just absolute like silk sipping. And then the other one is a little bit more fruit forward with that. I like I said, I get that like faint Washington apple, but then you you broke it down perfectly after that with the the orange and just man, it's it's I don't know. There it's just interesting after a couple of years with the same stills, the the stark difference from these two profiles.

Dan: And this one stays darker. It stays that that dark brown sugar. I think toffee is a good word for that. ⁓ has that toffee and it stays on the palate. You know, and that's the one that's the thing I was really most impressed with. This one is that that dark sugar stays consistent from the tip of the tongue all the way to the back of the tongue.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Mm. Yeah, this is a this is like a toffee bomb on the back of the throat, man.

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: I don't even know if the I don't even know if the the light in here does this justice. It is like like you said, absolute legs for days. This is like I'm like taking the liquid off the side of the glass and just watching it sit there. Like as thick as it would be if the liquid was still sitting there. Which is crazy.

Dan: So this will be the white the white wax.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yes, sir. Red, white, and blue is what we're doing, obviously. ⁓ we're doing the Americana the the I got a couple buddies working on some different tater stickers for this. ⁓ I'm gonna do the white is most likely gonna be my logo with the ⁓ the state of Ohio flag in the background and an eagle behind it. ⁓ it's really cool. I think I'm not sure if I sent you that, I could send you that. just so I'm obviously, you know, being from Ohio and Cleveland that and then the other two Tater stickers are gonna be like full blown, like fireworks, like just over the top. Like ⁓ it they are AI, but we're trying to do everything we can to make it with a little bit of realism because I I can't stand AI images, which is like always my reason for not doing tater stickers. But you know, with what we're doing with this special release, it's it's gonna be a above and beyond anything, you know, like tater sticker wise, but just super Americana, ⁓ you know, the Seventeen seventy six, the Eagle, the the troops. I mean th just everything you can imagine you would see in one of those images, it's gonna be that and then times ten. So

Dan: So now I'm gonna do the blend.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah.

Dan: So even going up there to talk with Tom and Lianne, I it was like I was in a lesson. I was in a a bourbon history how to make bourbon lesson. And it was fantastic. I learned more Friday with with Tom than I have in the last ten years. Really.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Were you in that same place we went to or did you go to the other Rick House?

Dan: So I went to the other Rick House, which is actually at the you know, at at their home. And yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, where all the barrels are. How cool is that place?

Dan: ⁓ fantastic.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Imagine having that in your backyard.

Dan: I can imagine.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: wouldn't you be getting a lot done with life, I could tell you that. At some point there would have definitely been an intervention.

Dan: No. And you're right, that that does bring out the best parts of of both ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ the blending, yeah, absolutely. It's un it's unbelievable. It's like just like it's like I don't know, I guess I might have said to my buddy or whatever when I was showing him these and I did the blend and he said, Holy crap and then I said it's like a golden it's almost like a golden sip. Like I don't know how it's kinda corny to say, but it's when it's so perfect that it magnifies the everything that's good about them separately, which is why like we're gonna do it ⁓ you know, unlimited. I mean if you just wanna buy one bottle or if you wanna buy, you know, ten of bottle two or ten of the old one or six of the the one that was in twenty fifteen, that's eleven year. That's cool. I mean whatever you want. I don't do I don't do any tiers. I don't do any previous supporters stuff 'cause there's you know, it's the evolution of the community and I want more people to come on board and for the group. And I don't want them to feel left out holes. Hey, I just joined last week and these are really cool. You should they should have the rights to them too. that's just the way I've always felt. I'm not doing the tier thing. I get people all the time are like, you gotta do a Patreon. I'm like I am nowhere near that or doing that. I still get t stuff about doing ⁓ merchandise and glens and I like I said, like, you know, I do the glens for all the tastings that I do, I take for the pick team. ⁓ try to get a bunch of different people on that. And ⁓ I just kinda do that as a courtesy thing for, you know, coming and jo doing the experience with me. ⁓ but I get messages about that all the time. And ⁓ I just you know, I I'm not gonna limit anybody that's been in the group for a month or two months the people that have been there since day one. ⁓ I think everybody should have the rights to so but I I think I think when people actually get the visual of the red, white and blue and then the breakdown of what these are, it's it's gonna be insane. I don't know how else to say it.

Dan: So no, I agree. I one hundred percent. It I was just gonna let you know that I was I I was I looked at the clock and it took almost fifty seconds for the legs to come down this glass. man.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Man, I I gotta tell you, I I don't even know if I could differentiate between if I had to pick one. Like I know everybody was kind of hartset on two because it had that like really perfect balance, vintage, old school style, like bourbon, like high end bourbon, and ⁓ and it's more to like traditional base, like with the the leather, the old dusty like catcher's mit, I I said at the time. And then my buddy Matt was sitting next to me and his reaction when he snapped his head to me, he's like, dude, that was like literally going through my head. ⁓

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: You said that. So it was just what an unbelievable experience that was. That was just a great group of people we had together.

Dan: Yeah. A lot of fun. A lot of fun. and we and we got some good video of it. So I I'm excited for everybody to get to see the video.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: ⁓ good. Yeah.

Dan: I will say that at the end of the video or at the end of episode ⁓ fifty-six that's gonna come out, the the the captions won't line up. There's nothing I could do. I couldn't get the captions to line up. But I I think it was because I was having technical issues while I was at the distillery. But ⁓ but yeah, other than that, it should come out.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. I mean it wasn't really the best I mean best environments for sound, right? I mean it's it's you're talking I at least at least when we did the tasting, I don't know how much audio you got from that or how much you're gonna use, but that that open warehouse kind of garage with the open big open doors and just a it was a great setting, but I mean if you're trying to record something without putting actual clip mics on people, I don't know how much feedback you you know.

Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Well I I think that it the audio is a little quieter, but you can still hear it. So I it it should come out pretty pretty nice. ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Good, good. Yeah, hopefully so. I like to I mean peop people to l at least, you know, go on to your YouTube and get to semi experience, like the just the great people we had and the great time we had. It's I mean, it was written on all over all of our faces, especially as we went through these and then to see Colton in Austin who run, you know, a couple of different groups individually, just the reaction that they had to the ryes And I'm like the the the onion keeps peeling, right? Like this this stuff is eleven and twelve year ryes that are like the value is off charts.

Dan: Yeah. Right.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: What they're gonna be able to offer it is gonna be reflective of what I'm offering it, ⁓ these at. ⁓ just 'cause it's it's insane. It's like it's a no brainer.

Dan: So what's our price point?

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: So it's gonna be seventy six dollars each, or I'm gonna do two ⁓ six for the trio.

Dan: Okay. I mean seven even seventy seventy six, you can't beat that for a twelve year old.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: No, no. No, yeah, you're talking about a seven you're talking about a seven year bourbon, re ⁓ based off, you know, what you should be at.

Dan: Yeah. Yeah. No, that's a fantastic deal.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. These are just I mean, they're just can go on forever about these. This is gonna be one that gets into people's hands and they're gonna be like, Holy moly.

Dan: ⁓ that's just simple. Yeah. Yeah, I That і so that blend is so complex. And ⁓ you're still getting all of the broad spectrum flavors of both, but the ⁓ together it is just ⁓ so and pleasing. mean I

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: It is All the aspects just complement each other when they come together. It's like I really like like you're taking a few sips and enjoying it and then taking a like a nice sip of water just to kinda soften it a little bit and then sip again and it's just like magnified every time you do that, go through that.

Dan: Yeah. Yeah, that's really good.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: That ⁓ that ⁓ I I love how I also love how they open up. Like I'm I keep going to the two because it's so dang good, but going back to the the one it's just like it's starting to just kind of open up and it smells like a like a like a cleaner version of a vintage bourbon. I mean, even though it's like a you know, this is the two year younger one and it's just it is so not that far behind the thirteen year, if it if that makes sense.

Dan: Yeah. Right. No, I agree. I agree.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: But it i it it is it is distinctively on a sweeter tinge. And I think that the blends are gonna be, I mean, off the charts. I mean, you get that the the sweetness on the front and then that dustiness on the mid the back that just keeps going for days and you get that that light little bit of tickle of the heat and ⁓ enjoyable. I'm not a I'm not a hazmat guy. I think ⁓ hazmat is kind of a gimmicky thing. I wanna spend my money on something that I'm gonna come back to regularly and that I can enjoy and ⁓ you know hazmat is like you have too many pores with the buddies and they're like Dude, I got a hundred fifty six proofer. You wanna try it? Th then maybe I I I'll I'll try a hazmat. But ⁓ for ⁓ like my money, this is like this is like the dream bottles.

Dan: Right. I I would put this up there with that the Russell's Reserve two thousand three, you know, and that's eighty nine and a half proof. But as far as flavor, that is one of the most flavorful bottles I've had. I I I think that I I I I like the old Dusties, but I ⁓ do not think you need proof to have that flavor. ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. No. I will say if if some of those that I've had that are like no low ninety dusties, if those were just like mm, ten to twelve proofs higher, I think that they would they would just last longer. You'd get that experience on the mid palette longer. Just I think everything would just be magnified just by that little bit of a difference.

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: At least for my profile.

Dan: No, I agree. I agree. And I I really think it this is where I think barrel entry proof really matters. You know, on those old dusters, you know, they since they had the lower barrel entry proof, they got they extracted more flavor from the wood. and then they a lot of times they had a lot more oils and fats that retained the palate and and maintained the palate. So I I think that

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yes.

Dan: those those bourbons to me are are some of my favorite.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Super reliable, ⁓ a lot of those. That's the the word I always use for those old dusties. They're they're just endlessly reliable. You're not gonna go back to it and have it hit you ⁓ you know, different or based on what you ate or what it it it is what it is. ⁓ sometimes it might be off or not as enjoyable, I think. 'Cause the the 'cause the proof but I I think if like I said a minute ago, if those were ten to twelve point proof points higher, I think you just I mean you're gonna consistently get that same Incredible pork, time after time. Yeah, this blend is ⁓ I don't know, this is like a I'm getting it now that it's sitting a little bit and then I actually have it in one of my one of the older ones I did for the the leather and oak tasting, this has got a little bit of a wider opening to it. It's ⁓ it's got like a mahogany sweetness. You get that ⁓ initial sweetness on the palette and then that kind of gets that vintage leather tobacco y sweet heat kind of going on the back end.

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: The blend the blends and cr I mean the blends is it's these are just I don't know. The blend's gonna be crazy.

Dan: just went back to number two.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: And th then the the the thing like I said, like having these three different bottles and they're gonna be they're seven fifties. What we're gonna be able to offer these at as a trio is it's insane. So like you can do the blend one minute, you you can literally take these three bottles in a night and either you share with your friends or sit down with yourself if you're just flying solo and you can literally bounce back and forth between all of these and have a different experience.

Dan: That's such a great Such a great taste on that.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: So good as choking you.

Dan: Yeah. Actually I wow.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah.

Dan: And it's so different. I was just doing one and two on their own again. It's it they're they are so different from each other that

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: They are.

Dan: It just amazes me.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, I just take a little bit of slip of water between ⁓ and just kind of wash the tongue off and then you can still feel it sitting in the back of the mouth and the and then you go to go to another one or you go to the blend and it's just like Holy Smokes. Beyond excited for this.

Dan: I can't wait. I can't wait. So what's the time frame what what's the time frame looking at for this?

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: I think you can out So I definitely wanna tell Tom I wanna have these in hand by the last week of June. That way I can make sure I get ⁓ off on like a Saturday or Monday. So even into the my ⁓ people out in San Diego and I have a few people up in northern Washington, that th those that five to seven days should be plenty of time to get these in their hand before Fourth of July.

Dan: Perfect. Perfect.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: That that that is my ultimate ultimate. I even told Tom and Lianne, I said, If you need me to come out there and help you guys bottle these or I could probably even recruit a couple of people to come out and help for a couple hours. Anything to take the the ⁓ alleviate some pressure from them. Obviously you know their story, just you know, kinda just husband and wife and that's the way they've done it. I have ⁓ contacted like I said at the beginning, a few of my friends that own ⁓ liquor stores and they've already been in contact with Tom and Lianne for samples. I said I I think you're at the beginning of a good problem. And I think your good problem's probably gonna have to be staffing at some point. ⁓ because if if if the my friends who like respect my palette and I've done samples for them or picked barrels for them before, and they've pretty much universally loved everything I've done, they they're gonna be in the the same kind of mindset that you and I are right now.

Dan: You're right. Right. Right. I I don't know ⁓ you could not be, 'cause this you know, I I've been doing this for a while. At ⁓ around bourbon for for quite a while. ⁓ and you don't run into this kind of quality, you know.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. You don't you d you sure don't I ⁓ I mean I was like I liked Irish whiskies before, but then before I just kinda went completely eyebrows deep into the the bourbons and the whiskies. It's just like getting to this point with all the stuff that I have tried with the craft spirits or the high end bottles or the the bottom shelf. I have never heard of that before. Well it's forty bucks, let's get it and try it, which I have got a whole shelf downstairs of stuff like that. from Texas to Tennessee to you know Kentucky to ⁓ you know Indiana. Th this is like I mean this is on par with any of it, if not slightly above it.

Dan: Absolutely. Absolutely. And and I think having actually and and talked with Tom and his you know, listened to him speak about how he makes the whiskey and and it the process he goes through. wow. I mean he actually learned from ⁓ the original master stiller from Michter's from the seventies, Dick Stool. So so when when they bought the ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Six tool. Yeah.

Dan: the pot stills, Beam family actually, you know, said, Hey, we should reach out to Dick Stohl and gave him his number. I'm I'm sorry. He actually called information back in the day when you had to use one four one one. ⁓ you know and ⁓

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: One Yeah, yeah. Yeah, when he told us this at the tasting hours just like I'm sitting there just like a little kid listening to like his ⁓ grandpa or uncle tell a story 'cause I was s so enamored by it.

Dan: Yeah. and then came out and was there for their first run, you know, ⁓ and and helped him, you know, understand the stills. I I think that the the word of mouth passing of knowledge to me you it kinda touches the home, because ⁓ kind my background with flying, you know, that that that's how you learn. You everybody has to teach somebody.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Right.

Dan: So I think that is to me the most fascinating part of it. That and then to say

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, it's what a it's it's just an incredible story.

Dan: And and to sit and talk to Tom, I mean his knowledge.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah.

Dan: I mean

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: He he which is good, right? 'Cause these I mean, ⁓ if you had the same initial reaction I had to him, they're just sweet, down to earth, like very humble, very reserved people. And then you kinda like get ⁓ to open up a little bit and then he starts talking about the history of it. You you could it's written all over their faces, like how much they like appreciate what they do and they want it to be like enjoyed by people and like, you know, at a at an unbelievable offering. It's it's you know.

Dan: Yeah.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: It's a special place, that's what I said.

Dan: Absolutely. Absolutely.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: And and obviously they're known for their apple brandy and their apple jack. I mean lo at least locally within Ohio, Central Ohio, Northern Ohio. but this is like I mean, this is they're coming out with like golden boxing gloves on. If they wanted to get into a fight with bourbon, you know what I mean? It's

Dan: Yeah. Well and I am just grateful that we were I'm grateful that you invited me up. 'cause that to me was was a fantastic pick. and and to get to experience that whole process with them. I I I think that and I learned a I actually I really learned a lot, which was you know

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Dan: That's the big thing. I always want to keep learning.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, for sure. This is like that's like the grassroots. I mean that's like learn from the get go from and then like you said, the journey that they went on with those Michter's pot stills and just doing it the right way, right? And caring so much that you want to make sure you do it the right way from day one. And this is this is the this is the result of that.

Dan: One more blend.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: You running low on those samples?

Dan: I am.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. I know. It's a blessing and a curse. I ca I can't wait till these get bottled.

Dan: Right. Right. Like I I'll I have no problem driving up to pick ⁓ up.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, right, right. It's not I mean that's not terribly I mean, far for like they're kind of like in the middle of us actually. Yeah, I'm I'm beyond excited for these. I just I've been, you know, grinding out like was trying to get some stuff scheduled. I'll ⁓ like I told you before, ⁓ you're you're actually gonna be with me. and end of July we'll be down in K Kentucky doing a few picks. Got some really, really incredible stuff coming. this these are gonna be like ⁓ you know it's gonna be tough to follow these regardless of where I do a pick or what I end up finding. ⁓ but just you know, the d do the do the ⁓ due diligence to make sure that these are done right is like my primary focus right now. ⁓ I've been talking to like Ever North, I've been talking ⁓ we're doing the Buffalo Trace Pick, Oaken Age, been talking to Marcia Preservation. so just gonna you know, keep the ball rolling and ⁓ to be able to just kick it off like especially with something so special, at least you know, co country related, ⁓ with these is like it's just it's gonna catapult the rest of the year for for us, for me. So it's just beyond excited.

Dan: And I'm I'm excited to ⁓ be there. So I appreciate that. This is

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. Glad to have you guys along the way, you and stuff. I mean great. Just you know, th have the the similar palettes and the knowledge that w when stuff hits you like this and you're just how much you appreciate it and then like you said, doing the due diligence on their background that you know, Tom and Lianne and just what incredible people they are that there's there's no BS. It's all it's all done to the to the best of their abilities from day one. And then, you know, think about this. This is twenty thirteen, it's twenty sixteen. I mean twenty twenty six, so you're mean, you're almost exactly at the ⁓ you know the point now where it's like even sitting on those barrels you you went through the the process of doing it the right way and you just literally stare sit at this barrel, stare at that barrel, you know, every night when you go home. ⁓ and their situation with where they keep their barrels like someday you're gonna be something special.

Dan: Yeah. And then when you actually and when you actually go to their rack their rack house, you see barrel heads that their kids have actually painted. You know, and and those barrels are still there, waiting to be to to be to be used. and and their kids are now grown, but it it's just funny that you know, this is part of their life. This is their process. This is

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: That day is here. Yeah. Yeah.

Dan: This is what their passion has been. And you feel that when you're there.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's it's definitely who they are. It it it's what they're made of. It's you know they wear it they wear it on their sleeves every day, that what they go through with like the process of running this kind of as the family business.

Dan: Well, looking forward to it, brother. I appreciate it.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Yeah, man. Yeah, I appreciate the time and the the getting the word out and I think this is ⁓ this is gonna take off like a rocket, no pun intended, ⁓ for the fourth of July and ⁓ a special time of ⁓ special year and special time for the country. So and I l I lo you I love the Americana stuff. Anything to do with this great country well other than that, I'm all about it.

Dan: I guess. Well, I I agree. I'm I'm the same. And I think that Well I am gonna enjoy it. This is this is gonna be a good time. So appreciate it. Well hey. we'll call it tonight, but ⁓ I appreciate it.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: I'm glad you're alone for the ride. Y yeah. Yes, sir.

Dan: for watching and go to Facebook, go to Cleveland Barrel Hunter and you can ⁓ find

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Instagram, Discord, then w or ⁓ with the private group on Facebook. You can find us through the Insta or you can find me or us through the Instagram, Cleveland Barrel Hunter.

Dan: And we are bourbonbrass and beyond and you can find us at bourbonbrassandbeyond.com, but we are also on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. So like, subscribe, follow, share. We appreciate it. Cheers. Leave a review. Thanks.

Cleveland Barrel Hunter: Cheers, everybody.