About Bourbon Obsessed

At Bourbon Obsessed, we are truly obsessed with bourbon. It is right there in the name, after all!

I started BourbonObsessed.com in early 2019, with an initial focus on Kentucky distilleries. Where were they all located? Which ones offered tours? What was it like to visit them? At the time, it was surprisingly difficult to find all of that information in one place.

We still cover distilleries extensively, but Bourbon Obsessed has grown into quite a bit more since then.

Today, we cover bourbon and other American whiskeys, the distilleries that make them and the people and companies behind them. That includes whiskey reviews, new releases, distillery and industry news, interviews, educational articles, distillery visits and plenty of other related information.

What You Will Find on BourbonObsessed.com

Are you trying to decide whether a particular bourbon is worth buying? We have now published almost 600 bourbon, rye and other whiskey reviews, with plenty more on the way.

Are you planning a trip to Kentucky? Our interactive map includes all of Kentucky’s licensed distilleries, not just the larger and better-known ones. We also have more than 50 in-depth distillery write-ups and tour reviews, along with distillery lists, travel information and other resources to help you plan your visit.

Would you like to keep up with all of the latest bourbon releases and other industry news? Every week, I publish one of two newsletters. The New Bourbon Releases News covers newly announced bourbons and other American whiskeys, while the Bourbon and Distillery News looks at the other stories affecting the industry. That may include new distilleries, expansions, closures, awards, legislation, tourism, lawsuits and whatever else happens to be going on. There is rarely a shortage of news! (Subscribe to our free newsletter!)

If you would rather listen than read, much of our news coverage is also discussed on the Bourbon Obsessed Podcast. We also feature interviews, whiskey reviews and other bourbon-related conversations. You can listen on your favorite podcast platform or watch on our YouTube channel.

For shorter content, you can find Bourbon Obsessed on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, where we share whiskey reviews, new releases, distillery visits, short videos and plenty of other bourbon-related information.

In other words, there are quite a few ways to follow Bourbon Obsessed. You can read the full articles on the website, have the latest news sent directly to your inbox, follow along on social media, listen to the podcast or watch us on YouTube. Choose whichever works best for you, or follow us everywhere so you do not miss anything!

My Goal

My goal with Bourbon Obsessed is fairly simple: to provide the kind of bourbon and distillery information that I would want to find.

Sometimes that means taking an in-depth look at a whiskey and explaining exactly how it was made and what it tastes like. Other times, it means sorting through a long press release to find the details that people actually want to know. It may also mean visiting a distillery, taking far too many pictures and trying to give you a good idea of what it would be like to visit for yourself.

Hopefully, you will find something here that is useful, interesting or both. If there is something that you think we should cover, please feel free to contact us. We would love to hear from you!

Who We Are

Ed

I am the founder and editor of Bourbon Obsessed. I live in Kentucky, which makes visiting distilleries and keeping up with the bourbon industry a little easier!

I am an Executive Bourbon Steward of the Stave & Thief Society and have attended many other bourbon-related educational programs. I have visited countless distilleries, tasted more whiskeys than I could possibly remember and remain on a never-ending quest to try every bourbon.

In my prior life, I practiced academic medicine for three decades, and most recently was a Professor at the University of Kentucky where I served as Chief of the Division of Neuroradiology and Vice Chair For Faculty Mentoring, Development & Wellness of the Department of Radiology. I have extensive editorial experience in academic medical publishing, and I bring that same academic mindset to Bourbon Obsessed, an approach that is unique for a spirits-focused media company.

Karen

Karen is my wonderful wife and has been an important part of Bourbon Obsessed from the beginning. She has accompanied me on virtually every distillery visit and has contributed to almost all of our distillery write-ups.

Karen especially enjoys learning about the history of the distilleries and the science behind distillation. She also joins me as cohost for our distillery visit and interview podcast episodes, where she helps us learn more about the distilleries and the people behind them.

Somewhat ironically, Karen does not drink. However, that does make her an exceptional designated driver—which is certainly helpful when your husband runs a website called Bourbon Obsessed!

Dean

I’m Dean, and I help Ed with the Bourbon Obsessed podcast, occasional reviews and bourbon tastings whenever we can fit them in. My father worked at Glenmore Distilling and Jim Beam during the last 20 years of the 20th century, and I remember working as a night watchman at a distillery one summer during college. Back then, Maker’s Mark was the premium go-to! Now, rye is my favorite, and my collection is split roughly 50-50 between rye and bourbon.

I rediscovered bourbon through the Lexington Bourbon Society in 2016. Over the past decade, I’ve become a Stave & Thief Society Bourbon Steward, helped with barrel picks and enjoyed numerous distillery tours in and outside of Kentucky. As my knowledge of and comfort with the tasting process have grown, I’ve wanted to explore new ways to share what I’ve learned.

From watching distilleries such as Wilderness Trail, Castle & Key and New Riff evolve from new ventures to well-established producers, I’ve been fascinated by the business models and operational differences between distillers. I believe my background as a commercial bankruptcy attorney allows me to share some unique insights with readers, listeners and viewers during the current industry downturn. Most of all, though, I enjoy blind tastings—that’s where you truly discover just how many wonderful bourbons are out there to enjoy!

Our Contributors

Fortunately, Karen and I do not have to do all of this alone. Bourbon Obsessed now has a growing group of contributors who join us for whiskey reviews, the podcast and other coverage. Their different backgrounds and tastes give us additional perspectives—and also make it possible to review even more whiskey!

Thank you for visiting BourbonObsessed.com. We hope you will take a look around, find something interesting and come back often. Cheers! 🥃