Catching Up with Jackie Zykan, Hidden Barn Whiskey

0:00 Hey, everybody. Welcome into the film and whiskey podcast. I'm Bob book, I'm Reggie, and we're coming at you with another special bonus. Episode. Bonus episode Brad today, on the program. We have one of my favorite people in the whole world of whiskey. And dude, I'm just going to come out and say it like this, we're going to get real today. So I'm just going to come out and say like this. We've interviewed a lot of people on this show and some of them have very minimal personality. Charisma. Local. That's a good way to say it. It's R, it's really great when somebody makes your job easy and Jackie's. I can is one of those people and we've got Jackie hanging out on the other end of the line here.

0:42 Just say hello, say hello to the people. Jackie. Hello. Come on laughing in the background at all. We've got Jackie's, I can back for the third time on the podcast now, representing hidden Barn, whiskey. Jackie, I'm still getting used to saying it, but it is. To have you back in any capacity? Thanks for being here today. Oh, thank you for having me. You guys have such a unique platform and it's so it's just fun, right? It's not like old getting notes of almonds. Like, no. Like that's not part of it. It's just, it's really refreshing when for years and years and years and years and years. You say the same thing over and over and over again and then you guys are like.

1:24 So let's talk about, I don't know, it's just it's great and we have a good vibe. Yeah. There's a soft hint of pretentiousness on this one. Exactly sure. Alright, so let's go ahead and just kind of get the elephant out of the room. Here, you are representing a new company and you've left old Forester, you've left your post at Old Forester, where you had been for a number of years. So catch us up a little bit. What how's life going representing a new brand now? So it's completely different because I'm not necessarily just representing hidden bar and I am a owner of hidden garden, so I, it's funny like it just In This Moment it's making me because I'm like, thinking through, like oh I just said, I'll probably get fired for saying or yelled at and now it's just gone to pawn me that like I'm not getting fired because I would fire myself and that's really strange.

2:22 So this is it's just it's different. It's like it's totally with the freedom comes, a lot of risk and you know like there's the security and the cushiness isn't there anymore? But it's great. I have no complaints. Well, I was gonna say that. So this whole new Venture with hidden bar and like you could have done a million different things with your life, right? Like you are immensely talented and yet here you are you now, I guess I'm curious. Did you join like an ownership? Were you there at the very start like around the table drinking whiskey saying like, hey, we should we should start our own company like wailing or were you at with that?

3:04 I was looking for an alternative source of income in my life that I was looking for a different job for a while wild. Okay. That's just what it was. Sure. I had things that like, just didn't just didn't align with me anymore, and it was to the point. Like, I'm a person that really identifies as a hard worker. I love to put in the hours. I love to be busy and I love to do things that appealed to me. I don't like to do things that don't feel to me. Like, I don't know what persons like. Oh, yeah, I hate that. But I like, but it's, I'm like, no. If I don't like it, I'm not gonna do it. That sounds really selfish or kind of stubborn, I guess. But I don't mean it in that way. I just think like I I like to work and it's easier for me to do that with something I really appreciate and enjoy.

3:50 And it's not to say that I didn't enjoy my experience at Brown Forman. I very much did. But from day one, I knew I mean it's just the most obvious thing that I'm not a person that thrives in that type of environment. Yeah, I've never ever. I literally have worked since. Before I legally could work, I have never been unemployed. It's like an insatiable thing is probably some like weird, like inner child, trauma. I don't know what the hell but I just I'm worried and so any situation where I've worked in my life all the way from like 14 years old, all the way up now until I'm 37. Yeah. If it was smaller independent, we're had more like freedom in. It was fine.

4:33 It was just like, I just committed to it, and I tried to replicate that in this role at BF. And this just the free rein wasn't there, right? And so, like, it makes the effort field that much more cumbersome. I I've worked in other like corporate I guess it was good. I just use quotes that you can't see but corporate. Groups are her corporate companies that had like this diet, like rulebook and like, there's just, there's a lot of pressure and stress and, like white noise that comes around from stuff like that, and I don't view myself as being purposely contrarian by any means or rebellious. I just view myself as being stubborn and someone that likes to learn things, kind of the hard way. And I don't know, I don't think there's a lot of room for that when everything is so risk averse. Yeah.

5:20 And so, I needed to go, you know, just like throw my life down the garbage disposal. Bosal and see. What comes out. The other end. That's a fantastic metaphor, whatever. Let's see, I don't know. Maybe this maybe this is all better as like a salsa of some sort of grind it up and see what happens. All right, so I gotta, I gotta push you a little bit on that though, because you're talking about how you guys never been unemployed and like as much as you're comfortable with, give us a little bit of a peek behind the curtain because, you know, people who are in roles as prominent As You Are. When I'm opening my email and getting the press release that you're leaving brown-forman and you're immediately pivoting to this new thing.

6:02 Like I have to imagine that this was in the works for a little bit and that you were really working hard behind the scenes to get this up and running so like, how not at all. No! Wow, yeah. Sorry, that's I guess I went off on this like weird tangent about childhood trauma and like, weird like insatiable things and so probably parents Jackie God. Which was like, when did this all, like how did this come to be wanted to start? I wasn't there at the table. When this idea came to be, I was the fourth partner. Add. It was just the three of them. They had the entire plan worked out, they had all the liquid like reserve they had everything, all their forecasts and done. Like they had sourced a marketing agency to weigh in for label design and website and all that other stuff like.

6:47 Wow, I just came in and blended whiskey and was like, here's my name. Give me a check. I don't know like it. So here I am II downplay it but I've known them for a long time. I've known 8 the longest Matt s that and Royce I didn't even meet Royce until the day that the three of them said we would like to offer you a part of this partnership because the first day I ever met Royce, can you give us like a? It didn't matter. It felt right? Can you give us like a proper introduction to your partner's? Like for those for those people in our audience who aren't familiar with the other figures here totally. So we've got to in Kentucky and soon Colorado. So in Kentucky, you've got me and Royce melee. Where is melee is obviously producing all the liquid and product that's coming through on this first series out of the nearly family Distillery and Sparta Kentucky. And then the two in Colorado are Matt Bank Nur and Nate winegar their part of the 5280 whiskey Society. So there's whiskey societies all over the place now like yours, you throw a dart blindfolded.

7:53 You're going to hit once. We're on a map of the u.s. like they're everywhere. Nate started it with this intention in mind of doing things a little bit differently. It was about Community, it was about Fellowship. It wasn't about egos, it wasn't about making money. It wasn't about flipping bottles, there's actually like a very very, very / precise code of conduct for the 5280 whiskey society, which is very much like responsibility focused and just nothing, but feel, good vibes on the 50 to 85, and I've done so many events with them. From old Forester and that's kind of how we first connected and then mate. And I and his wife, Claudia were out going skiing out in Colorado. This fall is when he knew about the project. So like yeah last fall and say this whole like not this upcoming one but I was like right around Thanksgiving or something and he was like yeah you know we think we're going to start our own brand and that's what we're thinking and I immediately was just like, have you considered this like as a friend like leaning into just like, well, you might want to look out for the Maybe just very honest and like, this is what I have in my experience.

8:58 This is what I came across and gold while. Like no part of me was like, well, if you want some help, I'll charge you a consulting fee, is just a friend conversation. We were stuck in a snowstorm driving back down, Highway 70 out there. So it was just conversation. And so, it wasn't until closer and closer and closer to when I had decided I was going to put in my notice. The reason I did it when I did was because those were that that day of the year, is when all bonuses come out and bf, it's I was waiting until the check. Hit the bank was going to get my notice so I mean, you would do like, don't crazy 100%. Yeah. Sounds like you'll get it. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'm like nope, I don't believe any of it.

9:38 I don't know what's going to happen. I'm terrified. I am preparing for worst-case scenario and I need that check to hit the bank. So, yeah, well in the the beautiful thing about what I'm hearing is, it feels like it's getting back to kind of the roots of whiskey. That like, whiskey was made by a bunch of people who needed something to drink because their lives were kind of rough and they did it as a community. And here you are, you know, a few years after they started doing that. And it's like, yeah, we're just going to talk about making really great whiskey together as a community. We're going to try to fight this ridiculous secondary Market that has just ruined whiskey for a lot of people unfortunately, and Yeah, I man, Jackie.

10:26 I'm like 100% in. I think this is the, this is just the coolest thing. Yeah, it's been really great. And you know what? So we launched in Kentucky and Colorado with like actual brick, and mortar Distributors, and then we're using steel box.com for access to other states for direct shipment. They put the announcement on sealed box yesterday and then four minutes. It was all sold out. Now I bring that up for an important reason. This isn't some sort of like, whoa, look how high and demanded. It's like, let's be clear here. Didn't sell out of 100,000 cases, we sold out of like twenty six packs. So, like, let's just keep it all in perspective here. But the fact that people wanted now we can start to sell more and people have been posting if they actually do find a bottle.

11:09 I do keep tabs on the social internet Media stuff, you know, and people are posting bottles and you know what the best part about it is every single person that has posted something so far. Has been like, I like it's a picture with a glass or they're talking about how they tried it. I've had people texting me and like, oh, I just got to this bar and they have it so I bought some for my friend and myself and oh my God. Now we need to buy some for the bartender because like it's so good. It's that's exactly what it's supposed to do. I have not seen a single person flip, any of our bottles and I know like from like the big box brands, I guess, like, we used to sit around in, like, like, oh my God, that flipped for $1200. Oh, that's crazy. Like, most people love us, know that An indication that anyone likes your product.

11:54 The indication is that they don't give a shit how much they can get for it. They're going to drink it, right? Once you know, and they enjoy and then they want to share it like that success. Success is not a flip tag price at all and so I hope no one puts it. I hope they don't hope they all drink it. It's not meant to be like an ornament on your mantle. It's meant to be consumed. All right, let's go in on the brand a little bit. Like I want to talk about hidden Barn. Because first of all, You know, we read a lot of press releases. And like, I would say, 75% of a press release is like marketing, PR bullsh, but like, I read this press release and I'm like, if true comma the origin of this Brand's name is like the coolest story I've ever heard. So can you fill our listeners in a little bit on the naming of the brand?

12:43 And also like am I falling for it or is it like an actual thing? Um okay so we went through a lot of difference. Ears. I was Anonymous at this point, right? I'm like, not really fully being involved, but the final name had not been decided upon just yet. And so, like, I saw what the other options were, here's a little news, flash for anybody out there, looking to create a whiskey brand, or a booze brand of any sort. Like just make up words, because everything is already been trademarked. You're not going to get anything out of it, like trust me, like it's just how it is going to go. Like, you're going to try every different like like every different format of every different day, it's taken. Just already know it's taken.

13:27 So it's a nightmare process. I can't even remember like the laundry list of names that were combed through to go over this and every single one of them just there was always an issue hidden born really calls back to this time in Kentucky, when, of course, Kentucky as Kentucky is people are making whiskey whether it was legal or not. And anytime you have alcohol production or storage For maturation, you got ethanol in the air. Now, there's naturally occurring. Microflora, it's this nice little sock. Fungicide like, shows up as little black specks on the sides of buildings on trees on all kinds of things. You'll see it at any Distillery, it's there. And so of course, like if someone's making booze or storing a bunch of booze, you're going to nowhere because there's a bunch of, there's a bunch of black crap on the walls. So what do you do?

14:15 So you paint the walls black. So you can't tell that those black spots on it but then everyone's like, oh, that building could paint it black. They must be. Making boost but then everybody would do in these little clusters and you can see that this is true you can see them in Kentucky and little cluster is a lot of them still stand today of black Barns and so having a cluster of black lines means that you don't necessarily know which one should Nanny and they're going down in but it's in one of them. But that's not the sole purpose of the black bar in the black bar and also functions as a great storage and drying house for tobacco and things like that. It's pulling in all that heat and the Kentucky son. So, it's an interesting little thing but now that it's out there like you'll notice, I notice a more now obviously all over the place but it's a it's a true thing.

15:03 It's not just like hoopla. So it's just kind of like funny that you know. I'm not saying anyone was doing anything illegal to get this brand going but you know, this was a group of people that were supporting each other and supporting this little adventure and whiskey making without Unknown because well, yeah, I mean, like not not surprisingly, you know, given our podcast title, I'm always reading stories and being like, Oh, that's a fantastic movie right there. Like that should be a movie. And I hear this story about communities coming together to just trick the old-timey police. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is, this is a movie right here. Like, it's an instant classic. Oh, yeah. Like you put, you put Paul Newman and Robert Redford in that bad boy.

15:47 And you've got, oh my God, an all-time classic. You want a totally different direction because like When I picture how this would like really play out on a screen. It's like a Three Stooges episode. Like, it's definitely not. It's all like weird like fast-forwarded and like scrambling black and white so that I don't know, you know what, let's pivot into talking about movies for a little bit, I guess. Get you out of the, you know, brand ambassador hat here and put you into the movie, their seat. What have you been watching lately? Have you gone to the movies lately? I haven't gone to the actual movies lately, but I did spend a significant amount of time flying to Australia recently which provided me a opportunity to watch.

16:31 Maybe he's just like maybe one movie, you know, or like seven right, Louisville Zoo Atlanta or my husband and I went to Atlanta to Minneapolis to cans. So like yeah we had a lot of time. And this was the perfect opportunity for me to finally admit to him. I have not ever ever, seen any of The Godfather movies. Oh my gosh. I don't know, man. I know. But I feel like we've talked about this before. Like there are these, like, everybody's seen that movies. I am not that person who's ever seen that, everybody's seen that movies. So many of them I'm like, nope. Just don't even know.

17:13 Like what? Exactly. I don't know. One of my really close friends. The other day we were talking about movies and I found out that she'd never seen Jurassic Park. Arc and how is that what the Jurassic Park post is about? It may have been a post about it just a little bit. Listen we're not in a position to judge anyone though like a whole premise of the podcast is Brad, has not seen all these movies. Let's watch the movies together. So like you this is a safe space. Oh no I feel bad, I don't care. I'll admit you and I think it's ridiculous. It's very strange. Okay. Not strange, not ridiculous. I'm going to stop judging myself here, but it is something that is surprising because Most people I have ever met in my life. Actually everyone I've ever met has seen all of them are at least one or get it.

17:57 I get the references, right? Like Family Guy will have like a reference like in the middle of an episode and I'm like, oh it's a Godfather reference. However, seen the whole movie. Do I know what it's even about? Like, who is that guy? Like, I don't know. I know now I now know all three of them. Boom boom, boom in a row. And in True Form to him I will give him credit for it. Chris is so So great about like, always kind of like, he just, I trust his judgment and he's like the first one. Good second, one phenomenal, third one, absolute garbage. And I have to agree. Yeah. I'm gonna say coming off of the three, the third ones, obviously your favorite though, it's clearly clear.

18:39 That top-notch material is terrible, but then that, that, that brings up another important point and I don't know. Have you guys ever had this conversation? Forgive me in. These where there are three. How often is it? That the first one is the best. The second one is the best or the third one. I feel like always falls off a cliff. This is a great question and we've had a couple trilogies on the show and I'm always partial to the second chapter in a Trilogy because like, you got to carry on the Legacy from the first one, but you don't have to spend so much time setting stuff up and as long as you nail like the Cliffhanger ending, then your gold. It like Empire Strikes Back. Perfect example Brad and I are both.

19:20 Big Lord of the Rings fans. The second Lord of the Rings. My is my favorite one of the three. So I don't think the third one is ever the best one but the second one for me, almost always is Jose. One of the only exceptions to that I would say is the Matrix trilogy where like the first one is Far and Away the best of the three. That's true. No. And you don't know that's not a Trilogy anymore. That they made a fourth one. Yeah, probably yeah. It does that count, right? I'd still considered a Trilogy with like a hanger. Just a little Klinger hanging on there at the end. That's how I feel about the Toy Story movies, like, you have perfect Trilogy and then you come out with a fourth one that greedy that completely undermines the rest of it.

20:01 Like holy greeting. I just don't don't acknowledge it. No. But you know what else or the first one is absolutely like can stand alone, right? Like if none of the other ones were made it would be start to finish, like the story. They're done clench it up, done Home Alone. There we go. I know, it's, yeah, the first one Yep. Amazing second one. Okay, I guess third one. Who's that kid? Like, who cares? Like, go away. Sorry. I offended too. You know, it's bad. When you're like actively rooting against the kid by like the third one, I hope the flavors. No, it's not personal. It's nothing personal. But like, one of the most fascinating things I find about home alone.

20:42 Is that in the first one? It is a night. I know this is like going weird but, like whatever it's not only a holiday movie. I'm not Serving this into like Christmas movies. Yes it is about Christmas but I could watch Home Alone. Anytime of the year, every single scene in the movie, incorporates nothing, but red and green, go back and watch it, pay close attention, whoever designed all of that layout, like the whole movie, the wallpaper, the artwork on the walls, the carpet, the kitchen appliances everything, red and green everything all the time. No matter what go back, you cannot unsee it. See, this is why we bring you on, I love it. I've never even thought about that or do.

21:23 It's so funny. As you were saying that I was like just mentally going through the movie. I'm like, Yep. They're like yep, red and green. Yeah, that's right. A green like almost every room in the house is like red wallpaper. No yeah, no seriously. Go back and watch it and you're going to be like, oh my God, like the Wardrobe, the cars, and your everything, if he's Ibaka everything. The craziest thing to me in that movie was the fact that Joe Pesci did that and Goodfellas in the same year, are you serious? Yeah. What a year, what are you here for that guy. Best year, those his golden year. Do you ever just like, look at somebody that does something incredible like that and just think like I will never have a year where I like I'm never going to have a year where I have my life's equivalent of Good Fellows and home alone. That's just like it's unattainable now. I don't know.

22:11 I think that's my year this year. I think that's what just happened. Area had a day. I quit. I Today. And I got married in the same day. Like, that was my day. Like, I don't get a whole year, but I can have a day Joe Pesci of 2022. That's right. Jackie's. I can get ready. Here we go. You guys. I don't know why you guys don't have like Awards. Like you need to have like an award ceremony of these sorts of things. Really, I'm gladly, accept the Pesci will give you a little here, and we'll be like a bust of his head that will just send you in the mail, the Pesci, the Pesci humanitarian award by. Is it his head? And good follows. This is headed home alone like after like the hats been burned through. Oh yeah. The one it'll be actively on fire. The bus will include the flame things like the Olympic torch. It just never goes out.

23:00 It's amazing. All right Jackie. I've got a couple more movie related questions here. Okay. The most burning of, which is am I to understand that you have not yet seen top gun Maverick? This is like, oh my God. Okay, this is so crazy because you know where I'm leaving. And 15 minutes. When we're wrapping this up is I'm heading to a drive drive in in the middle of a cornfield and Iowa to watch that. Exactly Jackie. I had my not lying, is the greatest know like like like 30 year follow-up, because the the Studios have been obsessed with remaking or continuing movies from 50 years ago, this one actually did it.

23:44 And it's, I am We might just need to have you on to review it. Once you've seen it. Oh my God. I will, I can't wait. I guess. I better pay attention tonight at the movies. That's so weird to you guys about that. Literally like I'm good. It's like leaving to go see that baby. I'm a huge standard Top Gun fan. I am. So it's a spectacular really? I'm excited. Okay, well, I trust your judgment. I couldn't tell like every word to word. I was like, are they going well? Great with this like are they about to say like it is a huge amazing failure like it was that was coming up. I don't know where you think not excited. Okay, this is cool.

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25:38 So I'm really resonating with your story of leaving, and starting and everything else. If you had to pick a comfort movie for, when you were going through it in life, what's your moving, our youth? What do you throwing on? When you're yeah, do it. There's only one. There's only one. I don't know if we've ever talked, I would be shocked. I know. Talked about Wes Anderson and my love for Wes Anderson films but I heart huckabees got me through this entire transition big time. Okay. Yeah, dead serious. I watched that I have seen that movie over a thousand times. I know every single word in that movie it is my I just need something on Just for background noise.

26:19 I need to like not like think about anything right now. I need somebody to distract me like all of it. I just I heard Huckabee's. Especially if you're in a corporate job and you're like God I just why can't I just work for myself? I just wanna you know, carve things out of wood. That's what I want to do. Like just watch it, just watch it. You're not alone like you're okay. That's my go-to. Yeah it's hysterical. I think it was like very poorly rated because it's probably like a terrible baby after all, but like I enjoy it. So I'm willing to own that but it is very much satirical take on corporate. Environments.

27:01 Yeah. And and that's the beauty of movies, right? It doesn't have to hate for everybody. As long as it hits, ya, you people? Listen. I did, we did a whole season of the podcast where we were just picking movies from, you know, 15 years ago that we remember loving and re-evaluated them to see if they were any good. And, you know, we had a couple Duds like I was I brought up Elizabethtown and I was like, I love this movie when I was in high school and that movie sucks. But I'm still there still, like there's a soft spot in my heart. For that movie, I know. Because it's connected to a time and a place for you. Right? Like it goes in behind the movie, it's not. It's definitely not just the movie, right? This one is funny because it really does blend the sort of and it's funny now, like, it's an older movie.

27:45 I don't even know what year it was made in. But like it's just it's not new by any means. But I think right now we're kind of in this like World of like existentialism and like new agey kind of methodologies coming to light. And like on Trend if you will Even though a lot of people have already been, like, leaning into that kind of stuff. So, it's kind of funny that it's, like, here's the juxtaposition sterility and, like, falsehood and like this corporate culture, where it's just kind of phony versus like the complete opposite end of the spectrum of, like, just completely, it's if you haven't seen it, go watch it. If you're listening to this, if you don't like it, I know, like, I know you don't like it, like it's probably not a good movie, like an Ting, but I've always thought it was funny because I've just always found like that kind of like, work environment to be funny.

28:36 It's because it's, I don't know. It's just, it's just hysterical to me, right? There's that. Before we let you go today, we're going to start something new. We've never done it before. So you are are here the test pilot here. Do we started so many new things today? Like, we've started the Pesci's, right? Like, yeah. I just like, ruined. Everybody's like taste. For Jackie's movie picks by suggesting to watch. I heard Huckabee's like absolutely not be disappointed. No I think this is great. I think this is just the Pinnacle of our show and it's all downhill from here, perfect, I can't wait. All right, so when when I was growing up there was a show on the TV channel called Bravo and it was called Inside the Actors Studio. I don't know if you're familiar with it, James Lipton and at the end of every one of those episodes, he had a questionnaire that he would walk everybody through. And so you'd hear like Denzel Washington give his favorite curse word.

29:29 Something. And I always loved that it was based on, you know, some, another authors questionnaire that he would always ask people which in turn was based on something that proust wrote. So we have developed the film and whiskey inside the whiskey Studio questionnaire, and we're going to have today, is the first time. This is the first one ever. This is no pressure. Okay. Is this like a quick-fire format? I am, I like to think. I mean, you can take a little bit but like, you know, only on only a tiny bit of thinking, right? 2% of your brain. Minimal thinking. Alright, here we go. Ready, what is your favorite word? All right, all right.

30:11 What is your least least favorite word. Absolutely stacked. Favorite word in this entire world is cubbyhole like dollop cubbyhole like just splattered that bothers me too but don't cubbyhole you've already you've already hinted but what's your favorite curse? Word. I don't know. I feel I already used one earlier in this, but I think that my favorite one that I feel more comfortable using just in public is a really versatile would truly it is, it's great.

30:57 What sound or noise? Do you just love? I know I'm not supposed to think about this. Like, I do think about this, the think about this. I don't know. I like the sound of sizzling food. There have been if it's going to be crispy. I don't Liz Lange meat. I don't like a fajita situation, like a sizzling plate, like if you're like making, let me go real redneck here, you know, when you're like, making pizza rolls in the oven Bob and I have a continuing debate. Whether pizza rolls or pizza bagels, are better roles all day long.

31:37 I don't want Bagels. Thank you. Thank you too much. Cross to filling ratio way too much crust. Jackie, you are illustrious and amazing. What sound or noise? Do you hate anything? That sounds gelatinous? Like if you took like a Jello mold and just like shook it around and it was just like, like, we all know that was a kid. I wasn't quick answer, I love it. Yep. Yeah, what profession outside of the whiskey world? Would you love to attempt? Before I got into whiskey, I was in this like different phase of finally having the guts to explore interior design and I love interior design so much.

32:18 I was just like well I'm probably not going to make any money. It's like, you know that like childhood trauma that tells me like make money, make money work, work work. So like I never did it but I do love it. I very much, enjoy it. Jackie, if you need the name and number of a good counselor afterwards. I know one, I'll email it to you. David Parker, I love you, sir. Shout out to Parker. Who are your favorite? Who are your favorite fictional Heroes? I have never gravitated towards the hero. Always really appreciate the village spicy take here.

32:59 Mmm. Yeah, that's a Twist isn't the Pesci? Indeed. I don't know. All right, how about this one? Who are you? Who are your favorite real-life Heroes? Well, Parker my favorite best. There it is, I'm just joking. Um, I don't know, I've had the very, very fortunate path. Here of having so many amazing people come into my life and so, I don't know. I don't have an answer for that. I really don't favorite musician. Should I don't have any answer for that one either. I'm not that. So have we talked about this before?

33:39 I know I'm like totally destroying this whole like rapid fire thing from like a killer, you're doing great now just really, really drown in here that I'm like the same way I think this is our first episode we ever did together. We were like, oh we're talking about - that's like I'm really insecure about this because I don't get like deep into like the critical stuff of like movies. The same way with music, we were like, what kind of music you listen? And I'm like, I don't know everything. What's your name? I don't know anything. And it's like, what would you Surely, you must have some and I'm like, I don't know. I just know if in that moment in that mood with that phase of the moon. I like what I hear then cool if I put that subject to change. So I don't know, I don't hold tightly. Keep any of them got it. All right. Yeah, man.

34:20 That was emphatic. Okay. We will, what do you value most in your friends? Honesty, I guess and not towards me towards everything. I like honesty, people. I like people who have the guts, to be honest, no matter. What, what's your principal defect, what does that mean? What does that even mean? Like what's the number one thing wrong with me? We don't have time like we do not have time. I principle. Is that what you mean? Or do you mean like physical like, what do you mean? No. Nothing Exactly. Okay. Well, you know, I always was yeah, it's getting real intimate here.

35:08 I think I honestly, I have difficulty sitting still and that is a problem because it just I just like constantly, just go, go go go go go go go go. And I wear myself out and then I do it over again. So that is the defect for me that I can't sit still. So on the flipside, working on it. On the flip side, what is a gift that you You wish you possessed. I wish I was better at small talk because I'm terrible at small talk. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to say it. I don't know how to start it, and I think that makes me come off as like a total ass sometimes, because I'm just like, quiet and sitting there, like, I'm judging the world. I'm not. I'm just sitting there panicking and my mind on a hamster wheel.

35:49 Like, what do I say? What do I say? What do I get? So I go like that, so yeah, all right. Here's the chance to keep like cheese, this is who's really vulnerable here. Here's a chance to feel better, what's your favorite thing? About yourself. What do you just love? You're like man Jack. He's awesome. I don't know I think that I have a really nice tenacity to me. We're I you I don't half-ass anything. I will see it through and make sure it's the best of the best of the best that I can do possible. I do I try very hard with everything that I do. That is a very good quality. All right. Sometimes I'm funny but like, I don't know. Here's one that I hope it's not too dark, but for someone who likes, I heart huckabees, we should be okay.

36:30 If you, if you had a say in how you died, how would you want to go out? Like super boring here? Like I'm not like I want to like you know fall into a volcano and like whatever. Like no I want to be so old that no one gives a shit that I even exist anymore and I want to die in my sleep. You know that you got to go out like Rose in Titanic. Mike? No. Sympathize, but like, goes and meets Leo in the afterlife. Yeah, I know, but like, I don't know the Titanic we're gonna have to do a whole different episode. Um, it's icy and basically there's a whole thing because I was there, I was there at like Prime, like I'm going to the movies with my friends, phase of life when it was in the theaters.

37:18 And I was there when it came onto VHS has like in a box set, he had to like, you know, get up and put the second one in like we need to unpack Titanic. No not. Not as good of a movie as Oh yeah, extra I'll watch it. Hot tea, will Jackie. All right, we've got one final question for you here. And this is one that we really did come up with just for the show, the last few guests that we've had on that have been, like brand ambassadors or distillers. We've been asking them this because our audience prizes value, and people keep pairing, their Whiskey's with like, high-end charcuterie and stuff. And we're like, listen, our audience is not eating that. If you had two pair hidden Barn, like the current The current expression of it with any fast food item.

38:04 What would you pick? Okay, I don't know. Can I go with? Like I'm more accessible food, like, prepaired food grocery store doesn't have to be fast food like chain because what for first came to mind, okay, back in the day, through these Frozen. Like dinners, I guess I use that in quotes Loosely dinners kids cuisine. And there's one with chicken nuggets and it had mac and cheese. And there's like, Brownie that cooked in the microwave. Come on. Come on, Jack. Let's go. That's it. Yeah that's it. It's Kids Cuisine chicken nuggets meal. That's what it is. Listen as a family that frequent did save a lot when I was a kid. Like kids cuisine was the highest end thing on the menu.

38:46 That like you said special yes. Birthday meal. Like yes, intense. You'd throw that brownie in the microwave. Oh oh. I know that's why I'm saying like it's yep. And if I may because he doesn't resonate with you. But you're like well I can't afford the $60 worth of charcuterie, you know, it works just as good Lunchables. You get the ham and cheese lunchable make sure you put the cheese between the ham and the cracker or it sticks to the top of your mouth and it comes with an Oreo. Most of the time. Sometimes a Capri-Sun good to go. It's a fast meals or that 100%. That's it. That's all you need. How far we have all come or not. We're full circle. Yeah like exactly as they might be full circle, Jackie Max?

39:28 I don't know. If there's a more fun person in the world of whiskey to talk to like y'all are the best. What a blessing to have you on. Thank you. I hate. All right we're going to we're going to try this whiskey now. So can you give us can you like intro our whiskey segment? Yeah, for sure what you were about to sip is going to make you want to share with you with your friends, which is the point of this Whiskey In general, it is delicious. It is balanced and structured but it is a little bit unique in This is all pot still distillation, there's no column still. This is low pot so deflation, so like we're taking it off the still at 127 proof and going into Darrell 110.

40:10 The barrel has been seasoned Oak for two years sitting out to season. So it's super, super stripped of all that acidity. This is four year old whisky. This is Barrel strength. It's 106 period for VH1. So like that is straight out of their old. There is no filtration, there's a cheesecloth catches, the chart chunks and Is it? There's no wins. There's no water, it's just is what it is, and it's beautiful. It's a 70 batch. It's wild yeast, which is kind of it's risky to use while these because you never know what the flavor is going to be, but that's exactly what makes it so unique tasting. So yeah. Jackie. I'm like, wildly excited to drink this now. Oh, yeah.

40:53 It's pretty good. It's I'm not gonna lie for you. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been Jackie's. I can of Hidden Barn. I prize these discussions, above almost everyone that we have on this show. I can't wait to have you back on again, hopefully after you go see Top Gun tonight. Yes. So Jackie, thank you so much for being. Thank you guys so so much. Today's sponsor is a little bit of a departure from our usual area of expertise. And man, oh, man, I was blown away by their product. Once we received it, I am talking about manscaped. Now, if you're like me at all, you probably seen the manscaped ads and kind of Wonder to yourself like, do I really need like some sort of specialty trimmer to take care of my downstairs business. And I've just got to be honest.

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42:26 All right everybody. We're not going to delay it. Any longer you have heard from the master herself, Jackie's, I can giving an intro to this whiskey hidden Barn, just to reiterate a couple quick points. Everything in this, this bottle is pot stilled, Brad. It's a blend of just a few barrels at this. She said, like seven barrels total, it's four years old, the barrels that they were aged in, were left out in the elements to kind of cure and get what was the word she used not toasted but tasty tasty. There it is. They got tasty for my real tasty. Let's Dive Right In. Brad on the nose. This is really interesting to me because, you know, it's four years old but it smells really really yeasty. And that was another thing Jackie said, was that this was made with wild yeast like this yeast, grew out in the wilderness and it smells the way that a lot of young whiskey smell because it has that really yeasty kind of grain forward character to it.

43:23 But on top of that, I'm getting like a really fresh handful of wildflowers and quite a bit of melon to like I get some cantaloupe on this. I really like it dude. I got Grain on the front and then for me it was just butterscotch on top of butterscotch on top of butterscotch. It's not incredibly deep like that. Like the depth isn't there that you get with a lot of decadent whiskeys. But I just I literally for about 20 minutes with smelling this whiskey And couldn't get around. That knows it just smells like a rich. Butterscotch feel to it and I am just really impressed that there is that much kind of creaminess to go along with that grain forward, note, hmm, when you were talking about the rich butterscotch, all I could think of was Ron, Burgundy. Sing my apartment smells of Rich mahogany, Rich butterscotch. It's so funny.

44:27 I like I was just having a conversation with my wife about this. Do you ever do you ever think in colors when you taste things? No, I do not. Does that make sense to you? Like, do you ever you know, that scene in Ratatouille, where he's like, eating the strawberry and then like everything behind him. Turns pink? Yeah. Like I've had that before, where I'm like, I don't know how to explain this, but this just tastes like what? I imagine the color mahogany. Wood would taste like or the color turquoise would taste like, yeah. You know what? I just learned literally today, Bob. I learned that some people think in images and other people, think and words, huh? And I had no idea that people didn't just think in words all the time.

45:07 I I'm with you I think I think in words. Yeah, once in a while, I think in images but like, like I said, colors sometimes come to mind. Yeah, I just, I literally had no idea that when some people think it's in image form, like, I'm not really sure how that works. I'm very curious about it. I'm going to learn more so I'll repeat. We're back next bonus episode and let you know where I'm at. In our listeners have just gotten so much, educational content, this episode, you're welcome. All right? When we get to The Taste Brad, again, it kind of reminds me of a brand. We featured about a year ago on the show, called Broken Barrel, where we talked about, how that process of submerging the staves in like a big vat of the stuff really helps kind of sand off or, you know, the rough edges on the young whiskey and that it still had a lot of young character.

45:56 On it. But like there was no harshness to it. This one I kind of feel like is that but taken to its extreme, like there is just a tiny bit of that youthfulness. And yeast Enos underneath all this, but it's like, it's been covered up by so many incredible things on top of that. Yeah, and I know again like a youthful taste is not necessarily a bad thing. So I don't want to make it sound like oh, they're covering up some flaws here. That's not it at all. It's just, it just tastes like it's not a super well, aged whiskey. And so like right on the tip of my tongue, it is like overwhelmingly sweet. This is a really really sweet bourbon. It hits the mid palate and that's when you pick up a little bit of that yeast Enos, but for me that's also where the kind of alcohol burn started to set in and then towards the back of the palette, you get a lot of really nice baking spices.

46:45 I got a lot of clove on this one on the finish. And I think that those notes at coming at the right times in the drinking experience really did kind of cover up some of the youthfulness on this. Yeah, it's an incredibly smooth whiskey throughout the experience, there is a really nice marriage of grain with sweetness. I think for me it was almost like an apple peel. Butterscotch mixture that was underlaid with all sorts of kind of grain. You get a little bit of that kind of barley feel coming through. I really like this palette a lot, Bob it is unique and complex. And interesting and I haven't had many things like it. No, I totally agree and I think that's again, it gets back to the beauty of blending where I don't know if you could get this specific kind of a pallet just from just from like a single barrel, you know what I mean?

47:41 Like it it seems like Jackie was pulling rather disparate elements together and making something really, really cool out of it. And again that gets back to the finish here. The Finish doesn't have any of that. Sort of melon, that I picked up on the nose, it gets really into Like the kind of Darker baking spices, like some molasses and some clove for me. I'm really digging this man. It takes you on a journey as you sip it. Yeah, for the finish for me, there is like mint and Oak and butter that all mixes together beautifully. Man. This is just a really incredibly impressive first offering out of hidden Barn. Bob, yeah, totally agree.

48:22 And we can't say thank you enough to our friend Jackie's. I can, I can't wait to try it. More of these as they continue to come out. It sounds like they are going to kind of Let each batch be its own thing that it's not necessarily going for the same taste every time and I think that's an incredible way to go because it reminds us of some other distillers and producers that we really love that go batch by batch and let each batch Shine for what it is. So yeah, great things coming out of hidden Barn. Always a good time to talk to our friend Jackie's. I can Brad we will be back on Monday with another regularly scheduled Episode but until then I'm Bob book I'm Reggie and we'll see you next time.