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We sit down with Drew Thorne of Silverthorne Reserve to trace his path from brewing and engineering into building whiskey brands, then we taste through his new lineup with a blender’s eye for detail. Along the way, we get a rare look at how older sourced barrels become small-batch, cask strength releases through careful selection, marrying time, and controlled finishing.

• Drew’s journey from craft beer to distilling leadership
• Why Silverthorne stays independent while still working with Sagamore for storage and processing
• What it means to source whiskey as an NDP and why 10 to 14 year barrels are still competitive
• Blue label bourbon blend breakdown and how “build a base then flavor it” works
• Returning blends to casks to let flavors marry before bottling
• Port-finished rye process and the CO2 pressurised mist-conditioning method
• Rye blend designed to welcome bourbon drinkers without losing rye character
• Single barrel selection philosophy and logging a sensory library
• Core portfolio plans, limited drops, and slow growth to protect quality
• Where to buy, which states can ship, and how to try bottles locally

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A lot of brands talk about “blending” like it’s just mixing. We wanted the real thing, so we brought on Drew Thorne from Silverthorne Reserve to explain what actually happens when you build whiskey on purpose, barrel by barrel, with nothing to hide. Drew’s background spans brewing, engineering, and leading a major rye operation, and he’s now back in startup mode crafting small batch, cask strength whiskey with a tight focus on older barrels and precision finishing.

We dig into how Silverthorne works as an independent, sourced-whiskey producer while still using Sagamore’s aging barns for maturation and blending support, and why today’s whiskey market is shifting in a way that matters if you care about 10 to 14 year bourbon and rye. Drew breaks down his “build a base then flavor it” approach, how he selects barrels for specific roles in a blend, and why he often returns a finished blend back into the same casks to let it marry before bottling. If you’ve ever wondered why some blends taste stitched together while others feel seamless, this is the missing piece.

Then we taste. You’ll hear the full story behind the blue label bourbon blend, a port-finished rye that uses a custom barrel-conditioning method, and a rye blend designed to keep the classic rye identity while dialing back harsh pepper notes. We also talk single barrel picks, sensory logging, and how a small producer can scale without breaking the quality promise that got people excited in the first place.

If you like deep nerdy whiskey talk with practical takeaways you can taste, hit subscribe, share this with your whiskey group, and leave us a review where you listen. What’s your favorite finish or rye note right now?

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We raise a sip to remember, then dig into how Four Branches turns military roots into real whiskey quality and real giveback. We taste Liberty Reserve, break down the blending and double-oak choices behind it, and talk honestly about what it takes to grow a craft bourbon brand without losing the mission.
• a toast for fallen service members and friends we have lost
• why Founders Reserve becomes the flagship and what double gold means
• the Founders Blend to Founders Reserve evolution and the four grain mash bill
• how the giveback model works including charity auctions and ongoing proceeds
• the Liberty Reserve concept with 1,776 bottles and 250th anniversary meaning
• the Liberty Reserve recipe with 10-year and 6.5-year components at 100 proof
• why toasted barrels change flavor without overpowering the bourbon
• tasting notes that move from caramel and honey to toffee and char nuance
• media moments and momentum from Fox Business and other features
• expansion challenges, capital needs and future festival plans
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A 250th anniversary bourbon sounds like marketing until you hear what’s actually in the glass. We sit down with Rick Franco and master blender Greg Schneider from Four Branches and start with a “sip to remember” for those we’ve lost, because for this brand bourbon is tied to service, memory and gratitude as much as it is to flavor. Then we get into the whiskey details that serious bourbon fans care about: what makes a release stand out, what it takes to win, and how you keep quality consistent as demand grows.

We break down Four Branches Founders Reserve and why it’s become the flagship, including the four grain mash bill and the thinking behind building a sustainable inventory. Greg walks us through blending choices, proof decisions, and what it means to earn a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. We also talk about the mission that sits behind the bottle: giving back through charity auctions and ongoing support, including a dedicated Folds of Honor bottle that helps fund scholarships for Gold Star families and first responders.

Then we taste Liberty Reserve, the limited 250th anniversary release capped at 1,776 bottles. You’ll hear the exact blend approach, the 100 proof target, and the finishing step that makes it different: double oaking with deeply toasted new barrels to pull more caramel and vanilla without smothering the original bourbon character. We trade tasting notes in real time and zoom out to the bigger bourbon market trends, media visibility, and what’s next for Four Branches as they push toward wider distribution. If you care about veteran-owned bourbon, double oaked bourbon, four grain whiskey, and purpose-driven American craft spirits, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share this with a fellow bourbon fan, and leave a review with your favorite Liberty Reserve tasting note.

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We lose our planned guest and turn the night into a live cocktail lab, tasting Fresh Victor mixers straight and then building drinks with bourbon, rum, tequila, vodka, and gin. The surprises are how intense the mixers are on their own, how fast “equal parts” gets you to a great pour, and how easy it is to make solid mocktails too.
• Why concentrated cocktail mixers beat weak juice blends
• What “taste it straight first” reveals about balance and bite
• Lemon Sour builds plus coconut cream as an egg white swap
• Cucumber and Lime with barrel-aged gin and why it works
• Strawberry and Lemon pairings with vodka and Amburana rum
• Grapefruit and Sea Salt with blanco tequila for clean agave lift
• Pineapple and Ginger Root with coconut or pineapple rum for a beach-style drink
• Party hosting idea: set out bottles and let friends build their own “equal parts” cocktails
• Quick notes on shipping cold, refrigeration, and bottle longevity
• Upcoming Bourbon and Cigars event planning, Ohio distilleries, and charity tie-in
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Your guest cancels at the last second, you’re live, and the bottles are already on the table. So we do what we always do: we pour, we taste, and we figure it out in real time. Tonight turns into a hands-on cocktail tasting where we put Fresh Victor all-natural cocktail mixers through their paces and build fast, repeatable drinks with bourbon, rye, rum, tequila, vodka, and gin. If you’ve ever wanted bar-quality flavour at home without hauling out three juices, simple syrup, and a cutting board, this one’s for you.

We talk honestly about what makes these mixers different: they’re intense on their own, designed to be diluted, and they’re versatile enough for both cocktails and mocktails. You’ll hear what happens when we try Cucumber and Lime with a barrel-aged gin, why Grapefruit and Sea Salt loves a clean blanco tequila, and how Strawberry and Lemon plays surprisingly well with an Amburana-finished rum. We also riff on Lemon Sour for whiskey sour builds, including a creamy twist when you want that egg-white texture without the egg.

Then we take it to “party mode” with Pineapple and Ginger Root, rum, and a splash of cream for a beachy pour that tastes way harder to make than it is. Along the way we share practical tips on equal-parts testing, big ice vs small ice, shaking for froth, easy garnish upgrades, and how shipping and refrigeration affects freshness. We also preview upcoming community fun, including our Bourbon and Cigars event plans and a wild Maker’s Mark night featuring Eddie George.

If you enjoy bourbon cocktails, tequila margaritas, at-home mixology, and cleaner ingredient lists, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who hosts, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

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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/