Bourbon Pursuit

Whether you call it Seagram’s, LDI, MGP, or its official modern name, Ross & Squibb—the massive facility in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, is the undisputed backbone of the whiskey industry. On this episode, we sit down with Ian Stirsman, the Master Distiller steering the ship at this legendary production powerhouse. We tackle the distillery's endless naming history head-on and trace Ian’s journey from a chemical engineer working in a paper mill to commanding one of the largest distillation footprints in the world. Ian delivers a technical masterclass on how they produce massive mash bills at an unbelievable scale, the history behind their iconic 95/5 rye recipe, and why vintage light whiskey is suddenly having a massive moment. Plus, we pull back the curtain on how their team approaches blending, warehouse aging, and wood selection for Ross & Squibb's own rapidly growing premium house brands like George Remus and Rossville Union.
Show Notes:
Why the industry still calls Ross & Squibb Seagram's, LDI, and MGP

Ian Stirsman’s journey from chemical engineering to the Lawrenceburg distillery floor

The Dayton whiskey bar epiphany that revealed MGP’s true market dominance

Moving from process engineer to managing a multi-spirit team operation

Deconstructing the legendary 95/5 rye recipe and the lasting impact of Seagram’s documentation

The history of light whiskey and why older expressions are suddenly booming with consumers

How the team selects barrels for George Remus and Rossville Union

Wood management, rickhouse microclimates, and creating the Remus Experimental Series

The future of Ross & Squibb’s brand strategy, bottle club, and upcoming changes to the barrel program

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Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted 2026C “A Breath of Fresh Air” brings a wild Madeira barrel finish layered with orange meringue, citrus, toasted sweetness, and surprisingly hoppy IPA vibes. Weird? Absolutely. Delicious? Maybe even more so.DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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Ever wonder what it actually takes to build, run, and automate a distillery? On this episode, we sit down with someone unknown to most of the general population, but he's on speed dial for every major prodocuer across the country. A 2023 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Inductee, and the owner of Distillery Engineering: Pete Kamer. We talk about Pete’s incredible journey from his early days learning the ropes at Four Roses to his milestone career of 27 years at Barton in Bardstown. The distilling world has its own unique engineering hurdles, especially as traditional floor operations transitioned into modern automation. Pete shares his masterclass take on adjusting flavor profiles through still design, yeast, and cuts, and why relying on an operator's sight, smell, and hearing will always beat looking at a screen.
Show Notes:
Pete’s career journey from Four Roses to his 27-year legacy at Barton in Bardstown

The evolution of traditional distillery floor operations into modern automation

Technical insights into manipulating whiskey flavor profiles through still design, yeast, and cuts

Why sensory skills—sight, smell, and hearing—beat relying on control-room screens

The mechanics and engineering hurdles of running a large-scale Kentucky distillery

The physics and environmental factors that make duplicating the exact same whiskey impossible across different warehouses

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Onyx & Amber’s Guest Blender Series #1 is getting serious buzz… and we see why. A blend of 7–12 year barrels aged in Colorado, bringing peach tea, orange marmalade, brown sugar, and a smooth toasted coconut finish. Is this sleeper hitting above its weight?DISCLAIMER: The whiskey in this review was provided to us at no cost courtesy of the spirit producer. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is our honest opinion based on what we tasted. Please drink responsibly.
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It's This Week in Bourbon for May 15th 2026. Brown-Forman has officially rejected a $15 billion all-cash takeover bid from Sazerac, FBI Director Kash Patel is facing scrutiny with personalized bottles of Woodford Reserve, and Penelope Bourbon has announced Architects of Golf.

Show Notes:
Brown-Forman rejects Sazerac’s $15 billion takeover bid to maintain family-owned independence

Sixth Circuit strikes down Ohio’s unconstitutional ban on out-of-state wine shipping

"Free Our Spirits" campaign launches to privatize North Carolina’s government-run liquor system

FBI Director Kash Patel under fire for gifting personalized Woodford Reserve bottles

Little Book Chapter 10 “All the Wiser” debuts with intuitive blending at 122.6 proof

New Riff 2026 Single Malt features heirloom British barley and five-cask finishing

Wenzel Distillery Batch 2 Sherry Barrel Finished Bourbon launches as a 119.1 proof limited release

Green River Honey Finished Bourbon utilizes 100% local, raw honey inside the barrel

Chattanooga Whiskey marks 10th Bottled in Bond vintage with new five-grain mash bill

Maker’s Mark honors America’s 250th anniversary with patriotic red, white, and blue bottle

Town Branch releases 6-Year Wheated Bourbon as its first dedicated wheat expression

Penelope Bourbon debuts "Architects of Golf" trilogy featuring variable stave finishing intensity

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