Proof of Life: Washed Away, Wound Up, and Wide Open
For a limited time, we’re unlocking this and a few past editions for all members to read. So if you like what you see, share it with a friend who knows good whiskey—and even better BS—when they read it.
Welcome back to Proof of Life—your weekly pour of bourbon reality, industry nonsense, and the occasional musical breakdown from your Chief Drinking Officer. For a limited time, we’re unlocking this and a few past editions for all members to read. So if you like what you see, share it with a friend who knows good whiskey—and even better bullshit—when they read it.
This week:
- Barrels get their moment on 60 Minutes
- Bourbon avoids a trade war roundhouse
- New bottles are hitting the shelves faster than tater tears
- And we may have written a full-blown country parody called “All My Pappy’s Been Washed Away” in honor of the recent Buffalo Trace flooding.
Yeah, it’s that kind of week. Let’s get into it. 🥃
BARRELS GET THEIR 60 MINUTES OF FAME
In case you missed it, CBS’s 60 Minutes aired a surprisingly thoughtful (and beautifully shot) segment on one of the unsung heroes of the whiskey world: the oak barrel.
The story covered the 2,000-year history of the wooden barrel, from its origins with the Celts and Romans to its current reign in the bourbon world—not just as a vessel, but as the source of whiskey’s signature flavor.
Bardstown Bourbon Company took center stage, with a few other familiar industry names making an appearance. It was a well-produced and accessible piece that gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at why the barrel is still king.
🥃📋 SIP REP: I’d love to know how many years (and sample bottles) it took to get 60 Minutes to say yes to a story about barrels. Whatever the pitch was, it worked—because this was prime-time, whiskey-nerd gold. Whoever runs PR for BBC deserves a raise, a bottle of something older than their career, and maybe their own parking spot at the distillery. Well done.
INDUSTRY NEWS THAT YOU CAN USE
🎁 🥃 Bourbon Xmas Comes Early: KBF Tickets Incoming 🎟️
Reminder that tickets for the 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival will go on sale next week on April 17 with early-access for “Bourbon Insiders” on April 16.
The 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival is Sept. 5-7 in Bardstown, Ky., the Bourbon Capital of the World
For more information on ticket tiers, please visit https://kybourbonfestival.com/.
Bourbon Dodges Another Trade War Bullet
Bourbon lovers (and exporters) can breathe a sigh of relief—for now. The EU has decided not to impose a 25% retaliatory tariff on U.S. bourbon, thanks to lobbying efforts from France, Italy, and Ireland who wanted to protect their own alcohol industries from blowback.
Other American goods, like soybeans, orange juice, and poultry, are still getting slapped with tariffs ranging from 10% to 25%, starting between April 15 and December 1.
This move follows years of back-and-forth: when the EU hit American whiskey with tariffs in 2018, exports to Europe dropped 20%. Since suspending those tariffs, U.S. whiskey exports have jumped nearly 60%, reaching $699M in 2024.
🥃📋 SIP REP: Another week, another near miss. Bourbon keeps dodging trade bullets while soybeans take one in the chest. But let’s not forget—it only takes one ego and a Twitter login to undo all of this. Stay tuned... and stay stocked.
Steve Coomes
Patrick “Pops” Garrett
Booze + Bud May Blur the Risks
A new study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine found that simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis may actually lower people's perception of alcohol’s negative effects—which could lead to more drinking, higher risk for alcohol use disorder, and increased danger behind the wheel.
Researchers surveyed participants in real-time throughout their day-to-day lives to better understand how and why people use both substances at once. The concern? If people feel fewer short-term side effects while crossfaded, they may be more likely to overindulge and underestimate the risks.
🥃📋 SIP REP: Look, we’ve all heard “crossfaded” used like it’s a party trick—but this study suggests it’s also a slippery slope. If the booze hits softer when paired with weed, don’t be surprised when folks start pouring heavier. As always: sip smart, and don’t try to outscience your liver.
When the Water Rises, So Does the Bourbon Spirit 🥃🌊
Like many of you, we’ve been following the news of the recent flooding at Buffalo Trace with concern and compassion. While our hearts go out to the distillery team and everyone impacted, we also believe that bourbon folks—by nature—find ways to cope with a little creativity (and maybe a pour or two).
In that spirit, I asked community member Jason Fiehler to assist me in writing a little parody to help process the heartbreak of watching the good stuff float away. It’s called “All My Pappy’s Been Washed Away”—a tongue-in-cheek tribute to irreplaceable bottles, lost pours, and the reminder that whiskey, like life, is meant to be enjoyed before it disappears downstream.
We hope it gives you a chuckle, a sigh, and maybe even a reason to open something you’ve been saving too long. (click here to view if video doesn't load below)
Video footage courtesy of Buffalo Trace.*
🥃 NEW RELEASES
Here are some new releases worth a look—shared for awareness, not endorsement. #DrinkCurious, but choose wisely. 🥃
Chattanooga Whiskey’s Founder’s 13th Anniversary Blend Drops April 11 🎉🥃
Chattanooga Whiskey is celebrating 13 years of pushing boundaries with its latest limited release: the Founder’s 13th Anniversary Blend. Curated by founder Tim Piersant, this year’s blend unites whiskey from three unique solera barrels, each symbolizing the brand’s past, present, and future.
- 1816 (23%) – A high-rye bourbon that started it all.
- Barrel 91 (58%) – Their current high-malt signature.
- Infinity Barrel (19%) – Experimental malt and rye malt blends pointing toward the future.
Expect notes of red licorice, grilled peaches, cherry cola, and toasted marshmallow in this year's nostalgia-tinged blend.
Available April 11 at Chattanooga’s Experimental Distillery, select retailers in 11 states, and online via Seelbachs.com in May.
SRP: $59.99 for a 750ml bottle.
🥃📋 SIP REP: You’ve got to hand it to Chattanooga—they make “experimental” feel approachable. A solera system with origin stories and sentiment? It’s part whiskey, part legacy project. At $60, this release punches way above its proof in both story and flavor.
Pursuit Spirits Launches Mellwood Legacy Collection 🏇🥃
Pursuit Spirits is honoring Louisville’s deep whiskey roots with the launch of the Mellwood Legacy Collection, a revival of vintage bourbon labels tied to the historic Mellwood Distillery Co., founded in 1865. The new series kicks off with two releases:
- Mellwood Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon – A 6-year-old, 100-proof bourbon inspired by the original Mellwood label.
- Tasting Notes: Praline, browned butter, salted caramel, and a hint of orange peel.
- Mashbill: 78% corn, 12% rye, 10% malted barley
- Price: $29.99 (375ml flask)
- Derby Town Barrel Proof Bourbon – A 7-year-old, barrel-proof bourbon reviving a General Distillers classic.
- Tasting Notes: Spiced fruitcake, cherry, clove, and walnut.
- Proof: 122.8 (batch may vary)
- Price: $49.99 (375ml flask)
Both are available exclusively at the distillery and to P.Club members starting April 9, 2025. Each bottle comes in a sleek 375ml hip flask—a nod to heritage with a modern twist.
🥃📋 SIP REP: This is how you do a heritage revival right. No lazy label slap-ons—just solid whiskey, slick packaging, and a history lesson with every pour. Plus, at under $50, you don’t need a trust fund to get in on the nostalgia.
Bourbon Ice Cream You Actually Might Want to Try 🍨🥃
Graeter’s Ice Cream has teamed up with New Riff Distilling to release Bourbon Ball Ice Cream, and for once, this mashup doesn’t sound like a crime against humanity. Inspired by the classic Kentucky bourbon ball candy, it blends bourbon-infused ice cream, whiskey-glazed pecans, and dark chocolate chips, all built around a single barrel New Riff bourbon.
It replaces their Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan (RIP, you delicious beast), and will be available at New Riff’s gift shop starting April 12, in Graeter’s scoop shops April 14, and nationwide via Graeters.com, with select stores stocking it later this month.
🥃📋 SIP REP: Now before you dive in spoon-first, remember—Graeter’s is also the same outfit that thought Skyline Chili ice cream was a good idea. So while this collab sounds amazing, we’ve been burned before (and not in a warm, cinnamon-spiced way). That said, New Riff doesn’t tend to miss, so there's hope.
We’re holding our final verdict until we get someone off the bench to give this thing a proper B&B taste test. Stay tuned—an old friend will be chiming in soon with their thoughts on this bourbon-fueled brain freeze.
If you’ve laughed, learned, or rolled your eyes so hard you needed a neck adjustment while reading Proof of Life, do us a solid: share it with someone who needs a little more truth (and a lot less influencer fluff) in their bourbon life.
We’re building something real here—and the more folks we get into the Drinking Class, the better the pours, the picks, and the banter get. Forward the email, tag a friend, shout it from the rickhouse rooftop. Just help us keep the signal strong.
Because bourbon’s better when it’s shared—especially with people who actually get it.
📆 DATES TO REMEMBER
I suck at remembering dates. As such, I've developed a solid habit of putting things on my schedule as soon as I get the information. Let my lack of memory help you keep track of key dates related to booze.
Community Calendar Reminder 🗓️
Bookmark our community calendar so you're always in the know.
Blind Drinker's Tasting – 4/21 🥃👀
Our next Blind Drinker’s Club tasting (formerly known as BITB) is happening April 21, and a few spots are still open in this exclusive membership tier.
Tequila 101 in the Blind Virtual Tasting 🇲🇽 - 4/28
Why haven't you signed up yet? Yes, I'm looking at you. Do it now.
April's Group Therapy Session ⚕️- 4/29
Join your fellow paid community members for our monthly group therapy session on April 29th at 7:30 pm CT. A Zoom link will be sent via email and Discord before the session date.
West Fork Whiskey Barrel Pick Weekend - 6/6
Details are still coming together, but here’s the plan: we’ll be selecting a private single barrel at West Fork Whiskey and inviting a limited number of community members to join us for a tasting and tour at the distillery. Then, on Saturday, we’re planning a trip to Hard Truth for a full day of drinking curious, followed by a bottle share and cigars back in Indianapolis.
Stay tuned—more details coming soon!
That’s a wrap for this week’s Proof of Life. If something in here made you laugh, wince, or seriously reconsider hoarding bottles in your basement, then I’ve done my job.
As always, thanks for reading—and if you’re one of the fine folks enjoying this during our open-access window, don’t wait too long to join the Drinking Class. The good stuff doesn’t stay on the shelf forever.
Got feedback? A hot tip? Or just want to share your thoughts on bourbon ice cream and emotional barrel tributes? Hit reply—I read everything (even the weird ones).
And if you liked this edition, give it a quick thumbs up at the bottom of the email—it helps me know what’s hitting and what needs another round.
Until next time: sip what you’ve got, share it with someone who matters, and never forget... if your whiskey ends up floating downstream, make damn sure it was worth the pour.
—Pops
Chief Drinking Officer 🥃💼🧔🏻♂️