Holladay Happy Hour

Working in the Stillhouse

June 14, 2023 Holladay Distillery Episode 22
Holladay Happy Hour
Working in the Stillhouse
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

(00:00 - 01:05) Intro

(01:05 - 01:59) 1856 Old Fashioned

  • 2 1/4 oz Ben Holladay Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon
  • 1/2 oz Gomme Syrup
  • 3 dashes Orange Bitters
  • 3 dashes Aromatic Bitters

(01:59 - 03:58) Welcome Matt and Tucker

(03:58 - 09:45) What is it like to work in the stillhouse day to day?

(09:45 - 14:03) Tasting bourbon

(14:03 - 20:34) Kyle's special surprise

(20:34 - 22:48) What is your favorite Holladay Bourbon?

(22:48 - 30:58) Blending bourbon (Holladay Soft Red Wheat - May 2023)

(30:58 - 34:03) Hipsters

(34:03 - 37:33) What is actually our favorite bourbon?

(37:33 - 40:38) Kyle's barrel pick

©️2023 Holladay Distillery Weston, MO. Drink Responsibly. Drive Responsibly.

Speaker 1:

They came on, so I wanted to get something special.

Speaker 3:

That's figured it out. I'm gonna let Tucker tell us what this is cuz, i think he knows exactly or if he doesn't.

Speaker 1:

If you don't, you should be fired.

Speaker 2:

I think I know what it is. Welcome to holiday happy hour. We are back at the holiday distillery with some very special guests today that we have yet to hear from on holiday happy hour. So we're gonna talk production today. We're gonna really talk about what the life is a day in the life of making bourbon. But before we get there, brendan, what are we drinking?

Speaker 4:

so today we are drinking a 1856 old-fashioned. So it's our classic old-fashioned, but we put a little twist on this. Today we're drinking it with Ben holiday Rick house proof. So it is two ounces and a quarter of Ben holiday Rick house proof, and then half ounce of our gums syrup and then three dashes orange bitters, three dash, three dashes of Angostura bitters, and you stir that up and garnish with an orange peel delicious, i mean it's very good.

Speaker 1:

It's not a twist for me, because that's the way I always drink it like.

Speaker 2:

I always get Rick house, that's my go-to order.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that makes me probably an alcoholic. I don't know.

Speaker 2:

But no, kyle, you just like the full flavor, i do, that's what it's. It's, it's really good.

Speaker 1:

I enjoyed this.

Speaker 4:

This is my, for sure, my go-to yeah, so I mean, we figured we had the still house guys here. We got to do something special.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, speaking of the still house guys, so we have master over here.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, you know he's a regular. That was really nice of you they are very special you know we actually like talk about you guys, all the time you do this without them we could not.

Speaker 2:

That is so true, all you guys.

Speaker 1:

I, you know I do appreciate them. I also like to make fun of them. They, you know, make fun of me back. They're gonna try to be nice today we'll see gonna try to get them to make fun of me, but no, they're not, it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. There's a lot of drinks on the table there are plenty of time?

Speaker 2:

yep, just a matter of time not even just drinks, delicious drinks sorry and sorry, but like a surprise a surprise that no one knows about here for you.

Speaker 1:

I yeah yeah, i poured it. I have this bad habit so I always interrupt Jordan. So I feel like there was probably questions coming and I just interrupted the whole podcast.

Speaker 2:

So he does this every time you know, and it was actually more, not so much questions, but I wanted to properly introduce you both. So here on the far end we have Matt and we have Tucker, and Matt and Tucker work very closely with Kyle and the still house, so they are the ones doing the work right.

Speaker 1:

Kyle, like making the distillate yeah, i often get asked what I actually do, and it's not make bourbon. These two definitely are coordinating and doing all of that and I just go out into the market, so they, they have the the real job for sure master distiller is deceiving it's not what it sounds like yep, yep, mm-hmm, yeah, so

Speaker 3:

he does a lot he does he does do a few things, but but yeah, i can't really say that he works closely with us in the still house when we see him, like once a day. Okay, that's twice, twice on a good day, okay.

Speaker 2:

So you don't work closely with Kyle, but you do make some bourbon. So, with that being said, what does your day-to-day look like when you get here? what time do you get here?

Speaker 5:

in the morning probably before I start this, because it's gonna, i mean I usually hear about ten after seven okay eight.

Speaker 1:

He's supposed to get here at seven, as I think where Tucker's going with that okay but you know people, you know we all have our own schedules, right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so when you get here at ten after seven, then what happens?

Speaker 3:

I mean, if you want the honest, it's. I sit down in the quads a hut for about 15 minutes and I talk with Bob and Ryan prepares for the day. I get the day started for the day yeah, i go create batch paperwork and bring it up to Tucker okay, okay so I'll give the quick intro just to kind of give the precursor.

Speaker 1:

So Matt is, he's the supervisor in the still house, so he does kind of coordinates all of where everyone's going throughout the day, as well as maintaining all our records with the TTV.

Speaker 2:

So in order very important very important.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you know that the government they want to make sure they know how much alcohol is being produced, make sure that we're paying taxes on it and complying with all regulations, and so that's kind of what Matt does on a daily basis. Tucker is in the still house and so he's the one starting up the column, starting up the boiler, running the column, making every cook and kind of managing everything that happens in that building.

Speaker 2:

So there's the intro, the bourbon.

Speaker 1:

Tucker is actually making the berm. That's kind of like a mini me where he's not really doing much to be fair used to.

Speaker 5:

Matt started the whole process. He was here from the beginning. Okay, so I can't take all the credit. Matt started everything. I don't even have any of my stuff. I'm waiting for that soon enough, i'm sure.

Speaker 2:

Two years, okay, okay three years.

Speaker 5:

Three years, yeah, two and a half three yeah, so how long?

Speaker 2:

when did both of you start working here? how long have you been here?

Speaker 3:

I started in the bottle shop in 2011 what were you doing in the bottle shop? working on the line, did maintenance for a little while okay, yeah whatever just whatever they were.

Speaker 2:

Nice Tucker, what about you?

Speaker 5:

so I started in the bottle shop in 2019 and then I came over to the still house. It would have been 2020. It was on superglue wow so like that was, like Man, do I really want to work here? Don't want to go watch the season.

Speaker 2:

Man, that's a tough choice.

Speaker 5:

It's a tough decision, and that's the where I'm at.

Speaker 2:

Wow, well, you persevered. You got a Super Bowl win, so Yeah wow, that's a memorable first day, though, if I could say so myself. So you started on a Sunday, like, is that a thing?

Speaker 5:

Yeah, because we were running Sundays then. Ok, so that's just how the paper era started, and we started on a Sunday.

Speaker 2:

OK.

Speaker 1:

We had two different Kind of days, two different bids open at that time Tuesday through Saturday, and then Sunday through Thursday. And so, yeah, when you first started in there, that was the route it was.

Speaker 2:

OK.

Speaker 1:

Run seven days a week, Split it and then, when everyone was here overlap, You had everyone, the entire crew available to rack barrels, fill barrels, dump barrels, do all the actual moving of product.

Speaker 2:

Wow, I didn't know that about you. I was just telling them before we started recording that they'll wave to me and be nice when I see them out on the road or whatever, but I don't really know them. They're too cool to hang out with me because they're too busy making bourbon and I'm too busy recording podcasts with the Pod Squad, I guess, or I don't know. whatever it is, we do.

Speaker 2:

We don't get a lot of invites, so To be clear, unfair when I did invite you Shut up, shut up You were not happy about it and I sent you a very nice email and then you just responded to Kyle and you said no.

Speaker 5:

But you didn't send it to me.

Speaker 1:

I took it back. I thought it was a good idea. Yeah, Tucker has this habit of typing on his phone what he wants to reply, screenshotting it and then sending it to Matt and I to see the his version of the response. And so, yes, he originally replied just no to Jordan on if he was available to do this.

Speaker 3:

I think it was. I think there was also.

Speaker 1:

I was actually recording a podcast.

Speaker 2:

Was it way worse? I think there's probably. Please share.

Speaker 5:

There wasn't no screenshot there, so Probably some profanity involved, Nope.

Speaker 2:

Well, in their defense, though, whenever I asked them to do this, I said what did I say? Casual conversation, some bourbon, some drinks, no video.

Speaker 5:

Why not? That was a lie.

Speaker 2:

I really didn't know. Brendan surprised me with this, you knew, but I didn't know.

Speaker 4:

Kyle knew. I think Kyle was one of the only ones that knew. I knew last Friday.

Speaker 2:

But we scheduled this what like a week ago.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, i don't know.

Speaker 2:

Anyway, a week ago, So you guys are troopers. I appreciate you.

Speaker 1:

But I would have told them before they found out today they wouldn't have worn matching shirts.

Speaker 2:

And I think that's very nice.

Speaker 3:

It's beautiful. That's what we call it. It's a team building.

Speaker 2:

Team building. I like that. That's how you make the best bourbon.

Speaker 5:

I'm glad Kyle didn't tell me, because then my whole vacation would have been ruined.

Speaker 2:

Your vacation? did you just get back from vacation? Where'd you go? You do look a little tan.

Speaker 5:

I'm burnt We went to Cancun.

Speaker 2:

Show us that burn. I'm wearing a shirt. Very nice, i want to do that. It's his first time on Holiday Happy Hour. He's ancient into it.

Speaker 5:

I want to come back, guys, i don't.

Speaker 2:

Yes, well, glad I couldn't make you too anxious. Well, yeah, so you make the bourbon. What else do you get to do? You get to taste the bourbon? We were just talking about that a little bit.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, that is one of the perks.

Speaker 2:

Is that the perk of the job?

Speaker 1:

So what happened last time you two were affiliated with the Holiday Happy Hour podcast?

Speaker 2:

Good question.

Speaker 5:

That was a deal.

Speaker 3:

We were drunk at 8.30 in the morning.

Speaker 1:

Pretty much.

Speaker 3:

I mean, that was the just note. I think, we had what 20?

Speaker 5:

different samples 18 or 19 barrels we sampled.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, how does that work? Because at that point do you even know, this is a good one, You just like they're all good.

Speaker 5:

I mean, after thousands of them, they all start tasting For context Kyle needed us to pull the samples for your guys' podcast.

Speaker 2:

Right for the barrel pick.

Speaker 5:

So it was still winter, then It was cold And we went and pulled them. And you can't really get a good feel of the barrels when it's cold out, so we pulled them, pulled the samples, brought them back down here, let them sit overnight. I came back the next morning. Let's, let's do it in the morning, get it over with. Well, like halfway through, i'm like I'm there, like this is.

Speaker 2:

This is Getting out of control out of control, but your boss asked you to do it. We did it great.

Speaker 3:

We, we, we powered through it.

Speaker 5:

And I went back up there and worked and I mean I.

Speaker 1:

Like I do that often to you guys where I make you go pull samples, That was the first time where it was unique of you. Know you have to pull and taste and select. That's true because Mick wanted it to be completely blind for me going into the podcast as well. So he did a great job. I appreciated that.

Speaker 3:

Well, it was fun. Tucker's favorite was the first one out.

Speaker 5:

That's true. I mean, I don't think I was disappointed.

Speaker 1:

I mean he tried. Yeah it's always good to have one where it's like an easy out, like I know that's not the one that I like. Like, yeah, that was helpful.

Speaker 2:

So, yes, if anybody did listen to that episode, it also got a little out of control, but for all the samples that were pulled, there was an unanimous choice Between four of us, except for Kyle was the outlier.

Speaker 1:

I was the grand one ended up choosing that one. Which one did I pick? I think I picked the same one as Matt.

Speaker 4:

Because I, when I talked to him later that day, and I think it was a sample that Matt was his favorite.

Speaker 5:

That's one that was my favorite. No, it was the second. Yeah, Yeah but.

Speaker 4:

But it's also exciting because that is sold out now, so obviously it was a great pick, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I mean, it was fine. I should have kept mine as the next pick and let people you know truly decide which one was better and like this, was Kyle's pick. Like By Kyle's pick, like I feel like that could be the next.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, you keep talking about that.

Speaker 2:

Okay both do have very nice beards, by the way. Yeah is that a requirement to be able to, like, make good bourbon Kyle?

Speaker 1:

You got like a beard. No, I just don't shave all the way I just I'm lazy.

Speaker 2:

A lot of work, i hear.

Speaker 1:

I trim it up, but then I don't do that sometimes.

Speaker 5:

So you can tell when I was like got something important going on, cuz I'm yeah.

Speaker 1:

That's true, that's a hundred percent true.

Speaker 2:

It's all town.

Speaker 1:

So I brought something. I'm gonna just jump in with this. I brought something special to taste today and I haven't let anyone know what it is, so I wanted to do it live. Well, i guess not really live, the podcast doesn't air live, but whatever you know, you know wanted to do this on camera, so Matt's been wondering why it's so light And I just wanted to. You know they they came on, so I wanted to get something special.

Speaker 3:

Figured it out. This is what I know, what it is.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna let Tucker tell us what this is cuz, i think he knows exactly, or if he doesn't, you don't, you should be fired.

Speaker 2:

I think I know what it is Cool guys.

Speaker 5:

I'm just my favorite already.

Speaker 1:

There we go. I think he's caught on Good. Yep, go ahead, tucker, i'm not even gonna. I should try it.

Speaker 3:

So that's, that's what you were raving about forever, huh, so there is a.

Speaker 1:

There is a certain flavored whiskey that when Tucker first started, when he first started, it's like okay, man time out.

Speaker 5:

Okay, I'm out. We'll let you describe now. So when I started In the still house, I didn't know Nothing about whiskey, bourbon. I had no idea about distillation. It's pretty obvious And whatever. That's fine.

Speaker 2:

I've grown yes, Yeah so.

Speaker 5:

I started trying stuff and Think I know where Kyle's going with this.

Speaker 1:

Mm-hmm. Yeah, i mean, you can keep telling the story and there was a.

Speaker 5:

There was a certain Bourbon that was out there.

Speaker 1:

Oh, it's not obviously One, whatever so we always ask, like you know, what's your favorite bourbon, what do you drink, what it, what it like? Matt and I have actual bourbons that we had drank. We didn't have our product out yet And so we knew, we knew the market. We asked Tucker the same question and he brings up a black cherry flavored Whiskey and that was his latest, but so that's what we just drank. Was Was his favorite bourbon.

Speaker 3:

Several years ago, I mean, I mean, you know that's the first time I've ever had that Yep, i've never had that either, i think I. It is something that's.

Speaker 2:

That's good stuff to each their own time if you do you.

Speaker 5:

I like that we got a hit every category, every.

Speaker 2:

Yes, every feel like this is like for high school kids Tucker.

Speaker 5:

Well, I schoolers don't drink.

Speaker 2:

It's a legal Matt.

Speaker 3:

But doesn't mean, they don't do it for clarity.

Speaker 1:

It's also not our product but yeah. That's your special surprise. So they're like everyone was expecting.

Speaker 2:

I am something different, wildly disliked.

Speaker 5:

I know. I I think we should dive a little deeper into that.

Speaker 4:

So Kyle texted me earlier and he's like I have this idea, should I do it? I'm like, oh yes, you should absolutely do it.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I just didn't know like if that was appropriate. It's trying to be like nice to them like. Seriously.

Speaker 3:

That was did you just drink it out of a glass? No, I'm being serious. Did you mix?

Speaker 5:

it. That's not bad.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, seriously, how did you drink?

Speaker 5:

it. I think we can work on that. Yeah, yeah, i'm sure the question How did you drink?

Speaker 4:

it.

Speaker 1:

How was that? like I don't hate it, no, but like back in the day when that was your favorite thing. Oh, what was the thought process going through your head?

Speaker 5:

Not much Like when you looked up in the cabin.

Speaker 3:

You seen that bottle sitting there. You're like, hmm, so I'm gonna grab a glass and some ice. And then what else did you?

Speaker 5:

put in, i was at a wedding when I tried that, so I was already a couple beers deep.

Speaker 3:

So like anything tasted, alright, you know yeah so I you know So these people, that you're getting married at bad taste also.

Speaker 5:

Well, maybe yeah.

Speaker 1:

They just didn't know. I mean, it's a wedding like you gotta have, you gotta have.

Speaker 5:

I'm gonna try to get there. You know, relax, yeah, but okay, so that's just that's why we're drinking it today.

Speaker 3:

We were nervous, now relax.

Speaker 1:

That was the thought process there.

Speaker 2:

You know you're ready. You're gonna want to come back.

Speaker 1:

I'm cherry the cherry whiskey. Okay, but I still need to. I need to know more. Okay, so you're at a wedding. That's. That's Excusable. Like you drink what you have at a wedding, like that's just the option. What makes you go into the liquor store and buy it again, and then how do you drink it after that? Are you taking shots? Are you putting it on on the rocks, like what's what's going through your head, i'm straight straight.

Speaker 5:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

That's hardcore.

Speaker 5:

I actually got My brother and my mom drunk off of it too.

Speaker 3:

You feel good about yourself? I do. I felt really good about that night because my mom Hasn't done that in years.

Speaker 2:

Well, she probably had a really good time. She did good for her. What's your mom's name? bet, love that for Beth Nr. Some crappy whiskey. She probably would does Beth like bourbon? now, probably not. Yeah, i get it.

Speaker 1:

I mean my parents don't drink it either. It's fine.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you know, it's a, It's an acquired taste.

Speaker 5:

It's time, since we're on that. I got a controversial statement. So what are we got?

Speaker 1:

Tucker is all conspiracy theories all the time in the still house.

Speaker 5:

I'm a little worried about where this is going.

Speaker 3:

No, this isn't so going dinosaurs or aliens, which one we go with today?

Speaker 5:

It's, that's not it. Okay, anyways, when we had a Our bourbon class, we had a our soft red, and I haven't had it yet. And I'm not a wheat guy, i'm not a weeded bourbon guy.

Speaker 4:

Not at all.

Speaker 5:

So I tried it during our class and I loved it, and this is going to be controversial, but I put it above the shorty.

Speaker 1:

Really.

Speaker 2:

When you say bourbon class, was that like the Mike Beach bourbon class? Okay, okay.

Speaker 4:

Okay, so let's lead into this, because we've been asking everyone this What is your favorite expression of our bourbon So month? you know, ben Holiday versus Sofred versus the one barrels, like, do you have a favorite month or you know one barrel that we've done? But that is really interesting that you would put that above shorty, cause I feel like all of us, like, have always put shorty above anything else.

Speaker 1:

I mean, is it interesting? This is the guy that literally just told us he liked a black cherry flavored whiskey.

Speaker 4:

That's totally fair.

Speaker 1:

I'm also learning Like this is just the introduction, like he needs to build up to it. Like you know, five years from now he'll have a different I really like the soft drink.

Speaker 5:

That's good.

Speaker 3:

It's growing on me Yeah.

Speaker 4:

This may batch that you have right now. This is incredible. This is really, really good. Oh, what was it? This plus, yeah, the one that's empty of Matt's.

Speaker 1:

I need to make sure that I put this officially on air, because Patrick's not here. He's in Ireland right now And we dumped the barrels for the May bottling of holiday soft red on Tuesday. Is it Tuesday yesterday? And so we have the the the Rick House version 119. What was it? five And it's? we got to try it. He did not. This is definitely going to make him upset and I just need to make sure that it's documented. On holiday Happy hour.

Speaker 5:

It was really good.

Speaker 3:

He's not going to be happy about that I've had three or four glasses of it.

Speaker 1:

It is, it is really good.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I need to text him right now because he's on his flight from Ireland to the UK right now And so when he lands he's not going to be happy when he sees the text.

Speaker 5:

So it should be really happy because it's really good, Right See?

Speaker 2:

let's look at the bright side. But you're right, kyle, he's going to be pissed Yeah it's going to be.

Speaker 4:

I can't wait.

Speaker 1:

I love it.

Speaker 3:

Well, you know maybe we can all FaceTime him after we could know this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, make him feel a little better.

Speaker 4:

Let him know how good it is?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, i think that's a great idea.

Speaker 4:

Actually, we should do that Yeah.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, i agree I agree, yeah, i just finished my glass of that and it's it's just, it's money.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, No, that I was really surprised, Like cause we did So um Kyle, I and Amanda. Actually was it last week or two weeks ago? No, it was last week, It was last week Yeah. We went and pulled some barrel samples and uh, and there was some that we were just like questioning, like is that going to be really good? And then you know, eventually they got blended A lot of those that we pulled into this May batch for soft red. And like I'm very surprised, like how could that turn out?

Speaker 5:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

And and that's, that's still uh. You know I have people talking in the background over there. I'm sure that picked up on the mic. I hope it, but not uh. Man, i hope it but not uh. Matt and Tucker were whispering and judging me. Uh, I was judging Tucker on Okay.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, uh, still back on that, yeah.

Speaker 1:

Um, so, uh, I completely lost my train of thought. Yes, The barrels that we pulled, uh, they were, they were good, yeah, um, but they again. It was one of those things where you pulled the sample and it's just like you're not a hundred percent certain and that that happens. Um, but you know that they're going to be a part of the larger picture. And so that was what what the ones that we pulled were.

Speaker 4:

So I know you talked about this and I want to ask Matt and Tucker what their thoughts are on this too. Like cause we were talking about like we pulled the samples, like we're kind of in spring, so it's kind of going through the transition from winter to summer where you know it's coming in and out of that barrel right now And we noticed a lot of the barrels like had some odd flavor or like some just different notes that come up more than other times. And you know, kyle, you talked about like you thought maybe that was just due to the spring season as the changing over of that. Do you guys ever notice when you're sampling barrels, anything like that, like during like spring or fall?

Speaker 3:

I know I think a lot of times when we go sample the barrels it's been cold up there and there's been barrels up there that we've sampled and thought we liked, until they came down here and warmed up and then we hated them. And there's been barrels up there that we've hated bringing down here and they warmed up and we loved them. It's hard to tell when you're up there in the warehouse you got dirty hands Yeah.

Speaker 5:

Matt's spilling bourbon everywhere.

Speaker 3:

He complains the whole time.

Speaker 5:

So When we did the R1 barrel pick, there was one barrel on the. They didn't pick one you liked, No, but the one barrel we thought we tried up there was on the first floor. That was gross And it was Well we liked it.

Speaker 2:

Kyle, your barrel was gross It was gross, but then it was good down here. I feel like we need to do like you know, pr marketing training?

Speaker 1:

No, these guys just they use any words, call it like they see it Well it's the temperatures It throws it off a little bit.

Speaker 5:

And when we picked our I don't know how many barrels we picked for our selection, what was it? 18, but we picked five out of those 18. There was one where we really really liked And it was. We liked it up in the Rick House Like we really really liked it. And when we got down here we're like, okay, well, that's not our favorite anymore, this one's going to be our favorite. And then we just left it out because we're like, well, it Just from temperatures it changes a little bit.

Speaker 5:

So, you know, maybe it needs more time to mature, or you know whatever, but it throws it off when it's cold, and that's something that I didn't know. Yeah, if we were up there and we were picking barrels for our selection, i would win with that one.

Speaker 2:

So when you're up there and you drill in, you take a sip then and then you bring it down and let it sit.

Speaker 5:

Typically what happens is Matt will drill a hole in and we have to use a manual drill because Kyle won't let us use anything else.

Speaker 1:

I don't want sparking tools up there. Also, the manual drill looks cooler and I mean that's what I'm using, so it's not like I'm expecting you to do something else.

Speaker 3:

Tucker likes to throw the word we around.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, i don't, he doesn't drill never. Yeah, that's because he holds a bottle, because the third rex is really high and I'm really short and he's really tall, so, like it's just, It works.

Speaker 2:

It's a partnership, matt.

Speaker 3:

And he's. He drilled one time and he bent the drill bit. That's a good sense.

Speaker 1:

That was you. I'm kidding, i actually didn't know.

Speaker 3:

Kyle's drill.

Speaker 1:

Kyle didn't break one, he dropped, i dropped mine from the fifth floor and it fell down and now mine is bent and I need to get a new one because it doesn't work very well.

Speaker 5:

But the typical what happens is Matt will drill a hole with our manual drill and I will be ready with a bottle. It's a real beaver, yeah, and I will be ready with a bottle, and what'll happen is he'll pull that drill bit out and nothing will happen.

Speaker 3:

And.

Speaker 5:

I go. okay, here we go again, So you have to.

Speaker 1:

It's only when it's cold though, and when it's cold, it's cold Yeah.

Speaker 5:

So because the pressure is in the barrels, they fluctuate, they're stupid And it's frustrating.

Speaker 3:

So you have to drill a second hole up top so it can vent.

Speaker 1:

I mean, it's kind of like when you take a water bottle and you have a sip at, you know, in the airport, and then you close it and then you go on the plane and you fly up to altitude and it sucks in. That's what the barrels that they're sampling are. And so then they have to drill the second breather hole.

Speaker 5:

That's the worst. And then when he gets that second hole drilled, then it's just fires out of there and I'm not ready, i don't know what's going on. It's dark, i got a flashlight And it just gets everywhere.

Speaker 1:

Okay, So a tip, because I do this by myself.

Speaker 3:

Not to do it by yourself.

Speaker 1:

I would send you and Tucker up there every time, I mean it's a lot easier that way, but it sounds like I send you up there when it's cold because you keep talking about how cold it is And I never think it's that bad. So apparently, yeah, i don't like cold. The first hole once you drill it. You then plug it with the woods file. Then you drill the second hole.

Speaker 5:

And then you come back. I told you we should do that. That makes sense.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's the pro tip of the day.

Speaker 2:

Okay, okay.

Speaker 5:

I'm just a pro, yeah, no, and other tip, if you bring the. I've been in the master category for two years now.

Speaker 2:

If you bring the photographers.

Speaker 4:

With you, you get extra light. I know Kyle was super happy about that, like we had the photo light with us, like it was giant flashlight, and so you could see everywhere when you were in the dark.

Speaker 3:

We're going between the ricks Should probably get headlamps. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4:

You had one, that one time Yep.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I want to come with you one time, just to like see what happens.

Speaker 3:

You're not going to be able to wear that.

Speaker 2:

Well, I could wear like. Maybe the same shirt is like what you guys are wearing like the uniforms.

Speaker 3:

It's dirty up there. Yeah, we could do that Kyle.

Speaker 2:

could I go with them sometime? Sure.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, that sounds good. Next time Kyle has samples on the first floor.

Speaker 2:

Okay, you can go with this.

Speaker 3:

And we will let you drill, fill the bottle everything.

Speaker 2:

Okay, hey, i have an idea. So we need to pick another barrel, yeah Right, so let's go get some samples. Quite a sound We don't have to get 18.

Speaker 3:

I can just go like curfew, you've got to get the first four.

Speaker 2:

I'll get the first four.

Speaker 3:

To be in Tucker, or two big to fit in the first four. That's.

Speaker 2:

Okay, okay, i thought you didn't want me to crawl up, but I see what you're getting at. No, the ricks are pretty tight Like it's.

Speaker 1:

if you think of a rick house and how structurally you have to build it, the bottom beams or posts are just an extra couple inches wider.

Speaker 2:

Okay, yeah, it's tight, i can help with this And then, okay It's been decided, then We will take you up on the first floor. Okay, yeah, first floor. Anytime you let me know, i'm just here to like make sure we get good bourbon.

Speaker 3:

So You thought I was gonna throw a joke in there, didn't you? Yeah, i was waiting to call really.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, no, i'm nice.

Speaker 5:

Are you guys? I said we both don't fit.

Speaker 4:

I get caught up on my chest. You can't go over things, it's all right.

Speaker 5:

It's tight, it's a tight fit.

Speaker 3:

It's a tight fit.

Speaker 2:

That's okay, that's okay.

Speaker 1:

There's an inside joke. I can only imagine, i can only imagine This is what happens when you have a lot of drinks beforehand with a hipster and the other guy.

Speaker 2:

Which one's the hipster? I mean, look at him, thank you. Do you think that's a hipster?

Speaker 1:

He's not at heart, but like.

Speaker 4:

Well, I don't even know what that means. I'm not at heart, Jordan do.

Speaker 2:

I look like a hipster to you. I don't think you look like a hipster. Thank, you See, No, i don't think you look like a hipster.

Speaker 1:

I mean he does.

Speaker 2:

I don't think hipster is the word.

Speaker 1:

I'll think about it. It's probably not, but like I know he hates that word.

Speaker 3:

I just don't like it, and so I've. I think I fit the bill.

Speaker 2:

No, totally not. That's not your style, your age is Contemporary. Contemporary. That's what you're going with.

Speaker 3:

I had all this stuff for school.

Speaker 1:

If you're just listening to the podcast and you don't know what Matt looks like, you should check out the video. That'll be fun for you.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah.

Speaker 4:

If no one said anything and you're like what does Matt do? He very much looks like he's an artist, like a designer or something like that.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, i could pass as a tattoo artist.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, oh, 100%, yeah, but you also look like he makes a better urban, but I wouldn't call him a hipster.

Speaker 4:

No, You got a little beard Because I've gotten like. A lot of people have called me a hipster too And I'm like I don't think I fit that bill.

Speaker 1:

I was just about to say Brendan, wouldn't call you a hipster because he is a hipster.

Speaker 4:

No, I'm not.

Speaker 1:

And he doesn't want to. I'm kidding. I'm just That's like a. I feel like it's not a real term and everyone just gets so triggered by it that I just call everyone a hipster.

Speaker 2:

I kind of wonder if we're so old now, like if people are even saying hipsters anymore.

Speaker 1:

Oh, there's probably a different word for it for sure.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, i don't know. Did you just say because we're so old? Yeah, we're definitely old.

Speaker 2:

I'm the same age as Kyle. What are you guys?

Speaker 4:

34?

Speaker 2:

We're like Oh maybe I would kill to be 34. How old are you?

Speaker 3:

41. 41. And you're, i am not 45.

Speaker 2:

32.

Speaker 1:

Regardless, we're all old Anyway.

Speaker 2:

We're all like not 25 spring chickens anymore.

Speaker 3:

I definitely feel old.

Speaker 1:

There's probably social media sites I don't know about Same. I'm gonna get my hair cut and I'm gonna trim up some of this gray.

Speaker 3:

Oh, what do we call this?

Speaker 2:

This is the good stuff though, guys. We're drinking the good stuff. We know it is the good stuff.

Speaker 3:

This isn't the good stuff. No, looks like all that, so you don't drink it. I don't see the problem.

Speaker 2:

I am seriously, I thought I knew the color was a little light but I was like Oh yeah, i smelled it.

Speaker 3:

It doesn't look like you tried it.

Speaker 2:

I thought it was gonna be triple crown butterscotch, if I'm being honest, because it smelled so sweet, because I just thought it was something of ours.

Speaker 3:

I knew what it was, And then I was like hey, candy.

Speaker 5:

And then when I tried it.

Speaker 2:

I was like oh, That's pretty good, that's pretty good. I mean it's not for me, but you know I support you, tucker.

Speaker 4:

I mean to each their own.

Speaker 2:

Exactly.

Speaker 3:

People like different things and that's okay, tucker, i don't support you enough. Okay, i don't, it's fine.

Speaker 1:

The news is you're coming around to you know.

Speaker 2:

You're coming around.

Speaker 5:

Good products I'm getting there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it takes time.

Speaker 1:

Can we do a rapid fire? That takes me back to what Brendan first said of the favorite.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, yeah, We never answered that Because yeah, we just completely got off topic.

Speaker 1:

In fairness, I took us completely off topic Nice going Kyle. I do that, yeah, so our favorite what Favorite Of our? burns that we've released.

Speaker 4:

So month barrel, you know which brand.

Speaker 3:

I don't, I feel like I think October we didn't put a Rick House out.

Speaker 4:

No, I think it was November was the first Rick House.

Speaker 3:

That batch at proof I really, really liked. The shorty barrel is great. I think this month's wheat at barrel proof is fantastic. I think it could be one of my favorites. I think that second batch of the regular bin was pretty damn good Quiz.

Speaker 1:

which month was that I?

Speaker 2:

know, July.

Speaker 3:

There you go.

Speaker 5:

Good job, tucker had noted that. I still let Tucker, i'm busy up there Yeah that's true.

Speaker 1:

You were making stuff for six years from now.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, thanks, tucker, looking into the future Way to set up 2028. Great work.

Speaker 2:

You go Tucker.

Speaker 5:

What I'm here for.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, Tucker.

Speaker 5:

I'm going to go with I'm going to go with Wow For the record.

Speaker 1:

If you say that you should find a different job, i'm going to go with the soft red. There you go.

Speaker 5:

The first batch of soft red. I had one batch Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Breakhouse or bottle and bottom. What did I try?

Speaker 5:

What was the?

Speaker 2:

Oh, wait, just now. You think I would just have No, No that was bottle and bottom.

Speaker 3:

That would have been the bottle and bottom.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 5:

That's also very good, what we just tried.

Speaker 1:

Yeah that's very good. The May The one Patrick has not tried.

Speaker 5:

Patrick has not tried it Jordan.

Speaker 2:

Soon enough.

Speaker 1:

Pee-Pee. He has not tried it, he'll love it. I feel like Jordan is going to say May-Ben.

Speaker 2:

You know what I'm going to say. You know I'm going to say May-Ben, yeah, that's fair.

Speaker 4:

That's fair. She talks about that a lot.

Speaker 2:

I love me some May-Ben, but that's because I'm loyal to the first release. But also any Ben Raycouse, any Ben really.

Speaker 1:

But mostly any Ben Raycouse.

Speaker 4:

I'm going to be a big fan of.

Speaker 2:

I don't hate your soft red. It's just like I don't. I'm not connected, yet I like the kick in the face.

Speaker 1:

You're like a PR marketing. You got to connect.

Speaker 2:

You got to, it's got to feel, i got to taste.

Speaker 3:

I get it. It's fine. You haven't had the newest batch, though.

Speaker 2:

I just had some, Oh the soft red.

Speaker 3:

Oh, I have nothing. It was Ben. Do you know the newest Ben? No, the soft red.

Speaker 2:

Oh, I just tasted it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, you don't think that's fantastic It is fantastic.

Speaker 2:

It is very good but my favorite of Like I had one sip of it.

Speaker 3:

You're going to need to have to. Yeah, I need to like.

Speaker 1:

I got a bottle. It's not enough for me to say it's my favorite at this point, but it is very good.

Speaker 2:

That's a good point, Matt. Yes.

Speaker 1:

It's enough for me to say it's my favorite of our weeded. That was really good. I like Shorty as our one barrel. My second favorite one barrel is the one that we did on the podcast that no one else liked because it was mine, and then Wait, the one McCormick Lane?

Speaker 2:

No, the one you chose on the podcast, the one I chose on the podcast because no one else liked.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that was my fifth.

Speaker 3:

That was in me and Tucker's top five.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, but I mean it could have been my number two.

Speaker 3:

I don't remember which barrels were which.

Speaker 2:

I mean it didn't suck, but it wasn't.

Speaker 1:

It was my number one and it would have sold out right away, but we just Too bad, that's fine.

Speaker 2:

That's fine When I go up and pick the samples with Matt and Tucker, do we?

Speaker 4:

know if that ever got sold off to an account or anything, or if that's still up there.

Speaker 1:

I don't know how we're going to remember.

Speaker 4:

I was going to say we maybe should look at that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, how do you even remember at this point, there was a lot of bourbon flow in that day.

Speaker 1:

I think I have the card that says which ones we sampled.

Speaker 4:

Well, so we did say it on the podcast, so we can just go back and listen to it, that's true.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, actually We'll just go back to the text messages and figure it out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Yeah, or further our records.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's funny to think that when we were putting together the distillery, we looked at TTB records and actual documents And if people ever look back at what we're doing, they're going to be listening to this And I feel bad for them. Like, this is the way that you figure out how to make bourbon. That's not fun at all.

Speaker 2:

I mean I think it's fun, kyle. I think you're kind of being negative. I think that's super fun. I mean I'm always negative.

Speaker 1:

I'm always negative, but I enjoyed today because these two had so much like anxiety about this that it was like I talk on the podcast multiple times about how I have anxiety about a release or what we're doing or talking to people in general. And today it was good because, like I'm the seasoned vet of the podcast and then these two are just joining and they have no idea.

Speaker 2:

It's not so bad right.

Speaker 3:

I don't typically have anxiety about anything I do Super laid back, but I felt like I needed to eat Xanax today. That's the way I felt And then, once I found out that we're going to be on video, I was like what the hell happened here? I don't want this.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, you thought you just made whiskey for a living. Yeah, it's all now It's been good. It's been good. Well, except for that, That's the worst thing.

Speaker 5:

I've drank all day Anyone who's not watching the video?

Speaker 1:

again, we're pointing at Tucker's favorite sample that none of us drank except for Tucker.

Speaker 3:

It's syrupy, it's pretty light, it's super sweet.

Speaker 5:

It's onto something We can work on it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, we'll see what we can do with that. It needs to be onto a drain, it's where it needs to be on sometime, whatever That stuff.

Speaker 5:

It's the same.

Speaker 1:

But May is good, So yeah.

Speaker 2:

I'm excited about that. Yeah, well guys, what did I miss? Is that it? Yeah, all right.

Speaker 4:

Cheers.

Speaker 1:

I'm sure I can make one of them all day, but yes, that's it, cheers.

Speaker 2:

Thank you.

Speaker 3:

Thank you.

Bourbon Production at Holiday Distillery
Bourbon-Making and Barrel Tasting
Bourbon Tasting and Barrel Sampling
Temperature's Effect on Bourbon Sampling
Bourbon Tasting and Record-Keeping