Wealth of Whiskey Knowledge With Noah Rothbaum

Get ready for a wealth … I mean a WEALTH … of Whiskey knowledge.Today I am not at one of my Industry Night residencies. No City Ridge, no restaurant, no bar. I am actually home, surrounded by my plants… and, believe it or not, a frankly ridiculous amount of whiskey.I went to my own bar and pulled a little selection for today because I am very honored to be joined by someone who has probably forgotten more about whiskey than most of us will ever know: Noah Rothbaum.Noah is the spirits editor at Men’s Journal, one of the world’s leading authorities on cocktails and spirits, a James Beard Award winner, and a fellow at the James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits at the University of Kentucky.He’s written The Art of American Whiskey, The Business of Spirits, and he was associate editor of the award-winning Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails.And now he’s back with a brand new doorstop of a book:The Whiskey Bible: A Complete Guide to the World’s Greatest Spirit — more than 600 pages of history, secrets, lore, producers, timelines, and 60 cocktail recipes that cover everything.So let’s pour a little something, and talk about how you take all this knowledge and tasting and turn it into a bible.Chapters:00:00 — Home Studio Intro & Whiskey Setup00:59 — Noah’s Whiskey Authority & New 600-Page Bible01:45 — Noah Joins & Whiskey Everywhere02:26 — From Scotland Semester to Spirits Journalism04:07 — St. Andrews Pub Life & Early Exposure05:49 — Food & Wine Internship & Cocktail Legends08:27 — Pre-Renaissance Cocktail Culture09:18 — Breaking Into Spirits Writing & First Book11:23 — Rye Whiskey: Decline, Confusion & Revival12:57 — Whiskey Styles: Global Categories 10114:27 — Scotch Deep-Dive: Single Malt vs Blended19:13 — Irish Whiskey Traditions & New Distillers22:23 — Bourbon vs Rye: Mash Bills & Flavor Impact24:32 — Canadian Whisky’s Flexible Rules & Blending Culture25:25 — Becoming a Kentucky Colonel26:05 — Japan’s Whiskeys: Origins, Hype & Blending Scandals31:15 — Barrel Aging: Angel’s Share & Flavor Creation36:12 — Char Levels, Wood Chemistry & Barrel Finishes38:03 — Peated Scotch: Smoke, Isla, and Flavor Identity41:45 — Whiskey in Cocktails: Myths, Water & Technique46:33 — Highballs, Ginger Mixers & Everyday Drinking49:03 — Final Notes, Book Access & Upcoming GuestsQuotes:“The beauty of whiskey is that there are very few hard and fast rules… you should feel empowered to experiment and try things.” - Noah Rothbaum“There is so much history… not just to the whiskeys, but to cocktails and to our history as Americans.” - Nycci NellisKey Takeaways:Whiskey Knowledge Isn’t Inherited — It’s LearnedScotland Shaped Noah’s Whiskey IdentityThe Cocktail Renaissance Had Humble BeginningsRye Whiskey Was Nearly ExtinctBlends vs Single Malts Is Mostly MarketingWhiskey Categories Are Simpler Than People ThinkJapanese Whisky Is Much Newer Than Its Reputation ImpliesBarrels Drive Most of Whiskey’s FlavorThere Are No Real Rules About How to Drink WhiskeyThe Whiskey World Is Bigger—and More Accessible—Than EverGuest Social Media Links:Instagram: noah_rothbaumOrder ‘The Whiskey Bible’: Hachette Book Group - The Whiskey BibleRead his Article on 92NY: Bourbon Barons: A Conversation on Jews on the Bourbon TrailFeaturing Nycci Nellishttps://www.instagram.com/nyccinellis/https://www.thelistareyouonit.com/Produced by Heartcast Media http://www.heartcastmedia.com