Whiskey Chasers

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Nathan Kaiser of 2BAR Spirits to unpack how a Seattle distillery builds real bourbon from scratch while staying honest about process, pricing, and what it takes to last. We dig into a six-grain mash bill, bottled-in-bond flavour, and finishing choices that pull new drinkers into whiskey without turning the bottle into sugar. • the 2BAR name and South Texas ranch heritage • leaving tech behind and learning distilling and distribution fast • bootstrapping ve...

Send us Fan Mail We pour Iron Vault Distiller Select Batch 1 and can’t stop talking about how a one-year, 120-proof whiskey lands with huge flavor and a finish that just keeps going. We also light up Cornell and Diehl Mississippi Mud and dial in why the pairing works while debating what the bottle should say and how the distillery should signal how special this release is. • the back-label copy problem and why it reads generic • Iron Vault’s Distiller Select concept and why Batch ...

Send us Fan Mail We taste Iron Vault’s Stowel Evergreen white corn whiskey and try to decide if a tiny, hyper-local process can justify a young, limited release price. Along the way, we open a decade-old Savinelli tobacco tin, chase an online Sun Bear drop, and argue about mouthfeel, finish, and what “ready” really means for craft bourbon. • setting up our progressive bottle series with returning guest Ryan • scrambling to get a limited Sun Bear pipe tobacco release • cracki...

Send us Fan Mail We pour Liberty Pole’s Pentucky and end up in a deep tasting spiral about rye sweetness, blending shortcuts that somehow work, and why the same whiskey can taste different depending on the room. We also light up an aged English pipe tobacco and use it to explore craft distillery survival, honest pricing, and the way story and setting change what we notice in the glass. • Opening an 11-year-aged Lane Limited English blend and calling out Latakia and Nightcap vibes ...

Send us Fan Mail We pour MB Roland’s Kentsylvania, a rare Kentucky bourbon and Pennsylvania rye collaboration, and figure out why it tastes like a completely new whiskey instead of a simple mash-up. Along the way we pair it with aged Briar Fox pipe tobacco, debate how smoke shifts the flavor, and unpack what makes MB Roland such an interesting grain-to-glass craft distillery. • how Kennsylvania is built from two single barrels and why that matters • what MB Roland does differently...

Send us Fan Mail We pour Redwood Empire Haystack Needle and get a high-proof bourbon that drinks surprisingly friendly while still delivering dense, layered flavour. Alongside the whiskey, we light up Cornell and Diehl King Cake and end up talking grains, sourcing, single barrels, and what makes a bottle truly worth the money. • Redwood Empire Haystack Needle overview, Indiana exclusive single barrel and grain to glass context • Tasting notes: burnt caramel, dark syrup, light mola...