# The Bourbon Road The Bourbon Road is a bourbon and whiskey podcast hosted by Jim Shannon and Todd Ritter. Two friends sharing pours and good stories with interesting guests since early 2019. Nearly 500 episodes covering tastings, distillery visits, interviews, and bourbon culture. ## About the Show The Bourbon Road started in early 2019 with a simple idea: combine a love of bourbon with the art of conversation. What began as two friends sharing pours and swapping stories has grown into one of the most recognized bourbon podcasts in the world, with a community of passionate listeners known as the Roadies. Each week, the hosts sit down with celebrities, musicians, chefs, authors, distillers, and industry experts to talk about the things that matter — and the bourbon that makes it all a little better. Whether tasting a rare single barrel, touring a craft distillery, or catching up over a familiar favorite, The Bourbon Road focuses on the people and stories behind the pour. ## Hosts - Jim Shannon — Co-founder and co-host. Brings a deep passion for bourbon culture, a sharp palate, and an ability to make every guest feel at home. - Todd Ritter — Co-founder and co-host. Encyclopedic knowledge of whiskey history and a knack for finding the story behind every bottle. ## Content Types - **Tastings & Reviews**: From everyday sippers to unicorn bottles, honest and specific reviews of bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys. - **Distillery Visits**: On-location conversations at distilleries large and small, sharing the stories behind the spirits. - **Interviews**: Conversations with master distillers, brand founders, authors, chefs, and musicians with stories to tell. - **Events & Community**: Coverage of Bourbon on the Banks, Kentucky Bourbon Festival, and other events that bring the community together. ## Scoring Methodology Every tasting on the site comes from the hosts pouring the bottle on the show, taking notes in real time, and scoring it against hundreds of other whiskeys tasted over the years. Nothing is theoretical. Every score is earned at the microphone. ### How We Taste - Every whiskey is poured in a standardized Glencairn glass, at room temperature, without added water unless explicitly noted. - Tastings are conducted neat first, together, out loud — the on-air conversation shapes the review. - Every tasting is broken into three distinct passes: nose, palate, and finish. The notes on the site are drawn directly from on-air conversation, cleaned up for readability. ### Scoring Scale Five anchor points on a 5.0 scale. Scores are issued in tenths between anchors (e.g., 4.5, 4.8). - **5.0 — Perfection.** A bottle that sets the standard for the entire category. Very few given. - **4.0 — Very good.** Above the pack. Memorable, and the kind of bottle you'd recommend without hesitation. - **3.0 — Average.** A solid, honest whiskey. Worth the shelf space and the price of admission. - **2.0 — Substandard.** Not one we'd reach for again. Better options exist at the same price point. - **1.0 — Undrinkable.** If a whiskey misses the mark badly, we say so on the show and on the page. ### Where Reviews Come From Each tasting card on the site is built from three sources: (1) the episode itself — transcribed using WhisperX with speaker identification, (2) the show notes — descriptions with bottle names, proofs, ages, and mash bills, and (3) a reference library of every bottle tasted for calibration against earlier reviews. ### Context Matters Scores aren't issued in a vacuum. A cask-strength hazmat rye and a sub-$30 everyday pour are playing very different games. When head-to-head flights are conducted on the show, the relative rankings are explained. The goal is to be honest, specific, and consistent across hundreds of episodes — so listeners can calibrate their own palates against the hosts' and find what they'd love. ## Episodes The podcast has published 510 episodes. Episode numbers generally follow publication order, with a few skips. The most recent episode is number 511: 511. Reviving a Legend — The Untold History of Chicken Cock Whiskey. Each episode page includes: audio player, show notes, episode-specific reviews with individual scores, full speaker-labeled transcript (when available), and navigation to adjacent episodes. ## Reviews Collection There are 1384 curated reviews. Each includes: bottle name, distillery, proof, age, type, mash bill, price, nose/palate/finish descriptions, overall score on the 5-point scale, and a link to the episode where it was tasted. ## Blog The blog contains 279 articles covering bourbon news, distillery profiles, industry analysis, cocktails, and reviews. Articles are authored primarily by Jim Shannon and cover topics from acquisitions and industry events to deep-dive distillery visits. ## Listen - Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bourbon-road/id1457878143 - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0gZlPgUY5L0FsaXjtWBRiO - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBourbonRoad ## Feeds - Podcast RSS: https://rss.libsyn.com/shows/172469/destinations/1159028.xml - Sitemap: https://thebourbonroad.com/sitemap.xml ## Contact - Email: team@thebourbonroad.com - Bourbon Roadies community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2612790862081576 - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBourbonRoad - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebourbonroad/