519 - Does Ambassador Emeritus Mean Retirement? with Bernie Lubbers of Heaven Hill

Bourbon Pursuit

Hobbies, Food, Arts, Leisure

4.9 • 866 Ratings

🗓️ 19 June 2025

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You know, there are some people in the bourbon world who aren't just part of the industry, they are the industry. And our guest today absolutely fits that bill. We are incredibly excited to welcome the one and only Bernie Lubbers to the show, the newly appointed Ambassador Emeritus at Heaven Hill! Bernie started his journey with Heaven Hill back in 2005, and since then, he's basically rewritten the book on making bourbon fun and accessible through his incredible storytelling and humor. In this episode, Bernie takes us through his fascinating career, including his pivotal role in bringing bottled-in-bond back into the spotlight, how tasting events have evolved, and the impact of age statements on bourbon production. Get ready for some fantastic anecdotes as Bernie shares his passion for whiskey, why quality always comes first, and his take on current market trends, like the growing demand for older, stronger bourbons. Of course, we couldn't have Bernie without a tasting, so we're pouring Bernheim Barrel Proof and William Heaven Hill – a true celebration of unique whiskeys among friends. As he reflects on his new Ambassador Emeritus role and what "retirement" actually means for Bernie Lubbers, he gives us some amazing insights into the relationships and creativity that truly fuel the bourbon community. Plus, stick around for some exciting teasers of upcoming releases and Bernie's signature blend of whiskey education with a dash of bluegrass! Show Notes: His transition to Ambassador Emeritus at Heaven Hill and the journey that led him there. The revitalization of bottled-in-bond whiskey in modern bourbon culture. Navigating the complexities of age statements and consumer demand in the bourbon industry. The significance of storytelling and tasting events in enhancing whiskey appreciation. The evolution of consumer tastes towards barrel-proof whiskeys. Upcoming releases from Heaven Hill and the harmonious blend of bluegrass with whiskey storytelling. Support this podcast on Patreon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	It's a long time ago.
0:00.9	It's a long time.
0:01.5	Can you believe it?
0:02.1	That's a lot of bourbons ago.
0:02.9	It's when Elijah Craig dropped its state statement.
0:05.0	Yeah, yeah.
0:05.8	That's when I first started earning my money.
0:07.7	We got to talk about that.
0:09.3	Then they did away with the,
0:10.7	deflect, deflect.
0:11.1	The heaven hell six year, a bottle and bond.
0:13.3	I had to weather that storm too.
0:14.6	We'll save that for the spot like that.
0:22.4	That's what you got to have, man.
0:35.4	This is Bourbon Pursuit, the official podcast of Bourbon, bringing to you the best in news, reviews, and interviews with people making the bourbon whiskey industry happen, and I'm one of your hosts, Kenny Coleman.
0:47.5	You know, there are some people in the bourbon world who aren't just a part of the industry. I feel like they are the industry. And our guest today absolutely fits the bill.
0:57.0	We're incredibly excited and honored to welcome the one and the only Bernie Lubbers back on the show.
1:03.0	And he's now the newly appointed Ambassador Emeritus at Heaven Hill.
1:07.0	Bernie started his journey with Heaven Hill back in 2005, and since then, he's basically rewritten the book on making bourbon fun and accessible through his incredible storytelling and humor.
1:17.0	And in this episode, he takes us through his fascinating career, including his role of bringing bottled and bond back into the spotlight, how tasting events have evolved, and the impact of age statements on bourbon production.
1:28.4	And we also talk about a few other things. But get ready for some fantastic antidotes as Bernie shares
1:32.8	his passion and why quality comes first and his take on some current market trends like the
	...

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