553 - What is the Perfect Proof? On Bourbon Community Roundtable #115

Bourbon Pursuit

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4.8 • 926 Ratings

🗓️ 12 February 2026

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s time for another Bourbon Community Roundtable, and the panel is locked, loaded, and ready to talk about the one number that drives every enthusiast crazy: The Proof. We look at how we all start with those easy-drinking, low-proof staples like Kentucky Tavern before eventually finding ourselves chasing the high-octane allure of barrel-strength pours. We even get into some fun hypotheticals—if you could sample the same bourbon at every proof point from barrel to 80, how would that change your understanding of your favorite brand? Whether you’re a 90-proof purist or a barrel-strength junkie, we’re breaking down why the best bottle on your shelf is ultimately the one that tastes the best to you. Is the industry pushing proof too far, or have we finally found the sweet spot? We’re debating it all. Show Notes: Evolution of bourbon drinking from low proof to high proof Insights into how proof affects whiskey blending and flavor Discussion on consumer perception of barrel-proof vs. proofed-down expressions Exploration of notable brands and their proof characteristics Fun hypotheticals regarding proof sampling experiences Final thoughts on the importance of proof in the bourbon journey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	If something's 130, even 120 proof,
0:04.0	you can cover up a lot of the imperfections of the whiskey
0:06.9	just because the alcohol numbs the senses and everything else.
0:10.1	So, like, really proofing it down
0:11.9	is where you can really kind of peel back some of those layers
0:15.8	and the whiskey comes through.
0:18.1	And a lot of times things just taste better proof down.
0:33.3	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.
0:44.4	And I'm one of your hosts, Kenny Coleman.
0:46.5	Well, it is another Bourbon Community Roundtable, but this is a favorite episode of mine because we took one topic and just ran with it. And that's talking
0:55.7	about proof. What is the perfect proof point? We all go through a learning curve of where we
1:04.3	find ourselves going in from lower proof, getting into cash strength whiskey and then finding our
1:08.9	perfect proof. But ultimately, sometimes that perfect proof might actually lie in the whiskey itself,
1:15.2	how the blender wants to bring it out,
1:17.0	analogous to how a chef wants to create their own dishes.
1:20.4	It's going to go in a lot of different ways,
1:22.3	depending on what you're having at the time,
1:25.6	whether you're getting into the hobby, or whether you've just
1:29.7	had so much bourbon that you really know your perfect proof. But with that, enjoy this
1:34.7	week's episode. And now here's Fred Minnick with Above the Char. I'm Fred Minnick, and this is
1:41.5	Above the Char.
1:49.7	This week's idea comes from Jesper Larson Mask, who writes me on fredminic.com.
	...

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