Send us Fan Mail

We talk with Randy Prasse about why the Kentucky Bourbon Festival keeps selling out faster and how the team protects the general admission experience while still offering real VIP comfort. We get into the unglamorous details that make the weekend work, from gate flow and bottle lines to add-ons, education, and what is new for this year.
• tickets selling out and what the “sold out” numbers really mean
• why KBF prioritises GA first and keeps VIP co-mingling
• how COVID shaped the fenced footprint and current festival model
• distilleries upgrading tents, decor, and interactive activations
• bottle lines, sampling lines, and better cutoff communication
• entry gate fairness and adding a second GA gate
• featured distillery spotlight on New Riff
• new speakeasy style upgrades and small suite concepts
• cigar lounge ambitions and why it is polarising
• add-ons timing, lockers, shuttles, and premium education options
• bourbon tourism impact for Bardstown and repeat visitors
www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys, merchandise, Glenn Cairns, everything
Drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive, and go out and live your life uncut and unfiltered

Tickets vanish in a day and suddenly the Kentucky Bourbon Festival becomes a planning sport. We sit down with festival director Randy Prasse to unpack how KBF in Bardstown earned that demand, what actually changed after COVID, and why the smartest design choice is surprisingly simple: build the general admission experience first, then let VIP be a comfort upgrade without splitting the crowd into two different festivals. If you care about bourbon culture, bourbon tourism, and how the best whiskey events stay authentic at scale, this conversation delivers the blueprint.

We get specific about the stuff that makes or breaks a bourbon festival weekend: bottle lines, sampling lines, communicating inventory before people waste an hour, and improving gate flow so “fairness” is more than a slogan. Randy explains why capacity hasn’t quietly ballooned even when it feels tighter, how distilleries have expanded their footprints, and why the festival pushes brands to bring real engagement instead of a generic pour-and-smile setup. We also talk featured distillery New Riff, the “new product launch” energy KBF is aiming for, and the behind-the-scenes team dynamics that keep the whole thing running.

Then we look forward. Randy shares what’s new, including a speakeasy style upgrade that works like a mini VIP, potential corporate hospitality suites, and the expanding menu of add-ons like education sessions, cocktail and culinary experiences, lockers, and shuttles. If you’re trying to do KBF the right way, you’ll leave with a clearer plan and a better sense of what to prioritise. Subscribe, share this with your bourbon crew, and leave us a review, what’s the one festival change you’d make first?

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

We sit down with Danny Polise from Penelope Bourbon to trace how a three-barrel experiment turns into a national brand built on obsessive blending and real boots-on-the-ground hustle. We dig into how sourcing, warehouse knowledge, and smart scaling shape flavor, then taste through new and upcoming bottles while talking festivals, charity blends, and what the next decade of bourbon could look like.
• the early Penelope bet at MGP and why three mash bills mattered
• learning blending through repetition rather than formal training
• selling in the early days and building a label that stands out
• the crossroads of distilling vs scaling and the MGP acquisition
• how tanker-scale batching improves consistency for core products
• light whiskey explained, why used barrels matter, hunting profiles by warehouse
• estate collection breakdown, single barrels, private select, Omega French oak finish
• naming sessions, gimmicks that still have a reason, and dream collaborations
• the F Cancer charity project and the annual blend-off format
• bourbon festivals, cigar blend talk, and what bottles to bring to KBF
• first tastes and details on the upcoming Penelope Classic bourbon and rye
www.scotchyburbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys, contact me directly or just buy it off the website. Whether you listen to us, like, or watch us, make sure that you leave good feedback, become a member, subscribe, do all those fun things, and drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive

They walked into MGP like they were about to buy a million barrels and walked out with three. That’s the true starting point of Penelope Bourbon, and it sets the tone for a conversation that’s equal parts origin story, blending masterclass, and behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a whiskey brand that actually tastes different.

We’re joined by Danny Polise talk about how Penelope uses blending to escape the “standard sourced bourbon” profile by combining mash bills, chasing specific notes, and putting in the unglamorous reps. Danny breaks down how his process evolved from week-long blend marathons with endless iterations to a faster, sharper approach powered by tasting memory, barrel surveys, warehouse differences, and a constantly growing flavor encyclopedia. If you care about bourbon tasting notes, batch consistency, and how professionals decide what makes it into a bottle, you’ll hear the logic in real time.

Then we get into the big business inflection point: scaling. Danny explains why the MGP acquisition helped Penelope grow without losing its identity, how tanker-scale batching can improve consistency for flagship pours, and why small-batch releases still matter when you want precision. We also dig into light whiskey, the Estate Collection, Omega’s French oak finish, the F Cancer charity blend-off, festival plans, cigar blend talk, and a first look at the upcoming Penelope Classic Series with a 92-proof bourbon and a surprisingly bright 92-proof rye.

If you enjoy bourbon podcast deep dives, Penelope Bourbon details, MGP sourcing transparency, and practical blending insight, hit subscribe, share this with a whiskey friend, and leave us a review. What bottle or style should we taste next?

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

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

Send us Fan Mail

We sit down with Mark Carter to talk about how Old Carter stays unmistakable batch after batch, from chewy caramel depth to that long, silky finish. We get into the real work behind very small blends, the Social Club experience, and why we chase “delicious” over age statements and hype.
• tasting through recent Old Carter releases and why bottles can open up over time
• what the Old Carter Social Club is and how lockers, appointments, and tastings work
• how Mark builds tiny blends and uses a blind tasting panel to choose winners
• double barreling with brand new barrels and how char levels shape flavor
• distilling history since 2017 and why keeping barrels “straight” matters
• mash bill range from high corn to rye and why older rye drinks better
• bourbon community culture, whiskey versus wine logistics, and lessons from both worlds
go to uh oldcarterwhiskeyco.com
let's do the www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things scotchy bourbon boys

Caramel you can chew, a finish that won’t quit, and a blender who treats barrels like instruments in a band. We’re joined by Mark Carter of Old Carter Whiskey to unpack how his team keeps a bold, recognizable profile across small batch bourbon, very small batch drops, and club only releases without watering anything down.

We talk through the Old Carter Social Club and why the membership model changes everything: tiny two barrel blends, 375ml formats that actually make sense for ultra limited whiskey, lockers, and tasting appointments that feel like a shared night with friends who care about the details. Mark explains how a blend earns the label, how his blind tasting panel makes final calls, and why “delicious” beats chasing proof or age for its own sake.

Then we go full nerd on double barreling done the hard way, meaning brand new oak barrels, multiple coopers, and char levels that help dial in viscosity, aromatics, and that signature toffee and caramel depth. We also get into mash bills, from high corn sweetness to older 95/5 rye, plus the real world “neck pour” debate and what shipping, heat, and oxygen can do to a bottle.

If you love barrel proof bourbon, blending talk, and behind the scenes whiskey decisions, hit play, subscribe, share this with your bourbon group, and leave a review with the Old Carter batch you’d pour for a friend.

Add for SOFL

If You Have Gohsts

Support the show

https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com

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