Tasting Notes: What happens when two friends sit down with four mystery pours, zero preparation, and a shared love for great spirits?

In this episode, Jason welcomes back fan-favorite guest John (@mr._given)—the king of Porch Pops and High-Proof Hikes—for another Blind Bonanza. This time, the focus shifts to Reposado tequila as the guys work through a lineup of mystery pours, attempting to identify distilleries, proofs, and flavor profiles completely blind.

Along the way, the conversation wanders into everything from social media creativity and tequila collecting to side-by-sides, college tuition, Braves baseball, NFL Draft reactions, and why certain spirits become lifelong favorites.

As always, the real fun isn't just what's in the glass—it's the stories that come with it.

Key Topics & Takeaways

🥃 Blind Bonanza: Reposado Edition

• Four mystery Reposado tequilas tasted blind
• Guessing proofs, distilleries, and production styles
• Why proof doesn't always tell the whole story
• The surprising differences between Highland and Lowland tequilas
• How barrel influence can dramatically change a tequila's profile

🌄 Highlands vs. Lowlands Tequila

• What terroir means in tequila production
• Why Highland tequilas often showcase brighter citrus and fruit notes
• How volcanic soils influence Lowland tequila character
• Learning to identify regional characteristics through blind tasting

And why some bottles become "repeat reaches" regardless of how many options sit on the shelf.

📸 Creativity, Community & Instagram

• How content creators develop their own style
• The inspiration behind Jason's "Repeat Reach" series
• Why authenticity matters more than chasing trends
• Building community through shared passions

🚜 Porch Pops, High-Proof Hikes & New Toys

John talks about:

• Purchasing a Kawasaki Mule
• The origins of "Musings from the Mule"
• Why followers keep asking for merch
• The surprising ways social media catchphrases take on a life of their own

⚾ Sports Talk & Dad Life

• Braves baseball optimism
• Georgia Bulldogs baseball
• NFL Draft reactions
• Raising kids, preparing for college, and balancing hobbies with real life

🇲🇽 Falling Down the Agave Rabbit Hole

The conversation explores:

• Why tequila continues to gain momentum among whiskey drinkers
• The appeal of additive-free tequila
• High-proof versus standard-proof expressions
• How tequila and mezcal reveal terroir in unique ways
• Why Mexico's culture, food, and hospitality continue to inspire

Connect with John

Follow John for Porch Pops, High-Proof Hikes, whiskey adventures, and plenty of good laughs:

Instagram: @mr._given

Connect with The Dram Amateur

📸 Instagram: @dram_amateur
🎥 YouTube: The Dram Amateur Podcast
📘 Facebook: The Dram Amateur Podcast

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a fellow whiskey, tequila, or spirits enthusiast and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts.

Because every pour comes with a story. 🥃

Tasting Notes: In this episode, Jason sits down with Dan Hakker, founder of Oade Armagnac, for a deep dive into the history, craftsmanship, and soul behind one of the world’s most overlooked spirits.

From hidden cellars in Gascony to tasting 100-year-old Armagnacs straight from the barrel, this conversation explores why Armagnac isn’t just another spirit category—it’s living history in a glass.

Dan shares the journey of building Oade Armagnac from scratch, traveling across southwest France to uncover forgotten barrels, meeting multi-generational producers, and introducing American drinkers to a spirit built on patience, authenticity, and human connection.

This episode is about more than tasting notes.
It’s about slowing down, honoring craftsmanship, and appreciating the stories behind every pour.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

🇫🇷 Discovering the Soul of Gascony

• How Dan fell in love with Armagnac through travel, food, and culture
• Why Gascony feels completely different from the modern spirits world
• The emotional connection between people, land, and spirit production
• What makes Armagnac feel deeply personal compared to other categories

🥃 What Exactly Is Oade Armagnac?

• The meaning behind the name “Oade”
• Why Oade focuses on honoring producers instead of making spirit themselves
• Traveling across France to taste over 2,500 barrels
• Finding rare single-barrel, cask-strength Armagnacs to bring to the U.S.

🧪 How Armagnac Is Actually Made

• The once-a-year harvest and distillation process
• Traveling alembic stills that move from farm to farm
• Why Armagnac production is still incredibly small-scale
• How aging environments dramatically impact flavor

🍇 The Importance of Terroir & Grapes

• The difference between Bas Armagnac and Tenarèze
• Why Baco grapes became legendary after Phylloxera
• How soil, climate, and barrel placement shape flavor profiles
• Why no two producers taste alike

🏚️ Hidden Cellars & Forgotten Barrels

• Discovering producers with no digital footprint
• Walking into century-old cellars covered in dust
• The emotional experience of tasting Armagnac from the 1900s
• Why some producers refuse to sell—even when the barrels are extraordinary

⚠️ Building a Brand With No Roadmap

• Launching an import business with zero alcohol industry experience
• Navigating distribution, importing, and international logistics
• Surviving tariff increases right as the first shipment was ready
• Why educating consumers is the real challenge

🕰️ Why Armagnac Teaches You to Slow Down

• Appreciating time, craftsmanship, and patience
• Why Armagnac changes in the glass over time
• The importance of savoring experiences instead of rushing through them
• How Armagnac became Jason’s “Sunday pour”

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• Why Armagnac is radically different from bourbon and cognac
• How vintage Armagnac is preserved and documented
• What makes aging conditions so important in Armagnac
• Why authenticity matters more than hype
• How culture and craftsmanship still survive in modern spirits

🔁 Why This Episode Matters

This episode is a reminder that not everything needs to move fast.

Armagnac represents:

• patience over production
• craftsmanship over scale
• connection over marketing

And in today’s spirits world, that’s becoming increasingly rare.

🥃 Featured Armagnacs Tasted

• “The Farewell” — 1986 Domaine Marquestau
• “Serendipity” — 1985 Domaine du Carpoulat
• 1976 Vintage — J. Damblat Selection

Follow Oade Armagnac

• Oade Armagnac Website: www.oadearmagnac.com
• @oadearmagnac on Instagram
  
  

Follow the Dram Amateur Podcast

• @dram_amateur on Instagram
• The Dram Amateur Podcast on YouTube
  
  
• Share this episode with a fellow spirits enthusiast
• Leave a review to help grow the community

🥂 Closing Thought

Some spirits are made to sell.

Others are made to preserve history.

Armagnac belongs to the second category.

Tasting Notes: What does it take to revive a whiskey city after 100 years?

In this episode, Jason sits down with Tim Piersant, CEO of Chattanooga Whiskey, to unpack the journey from grassroots startup to 2x Craft Producer of the Year. From fighting outdated laws to building one of the most innovative distilleries in America, this conversation dives into the mindset, risks, and relentless creativity behind the brand.

This isn’t just about whiskey—it’s about identity, community, and building something that actually means something.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

🔥 Bringing Whiskey Back to Chattanooga

• The accidental discovery of Chattanooga’s pre-Prohibition distilling history
• Launching a brand overnight with nothing but a story and a Facebook page
• Turning local pride into a movement

🏆 Craft Producer of the Year (Twice)

• What the award really means internally
• Why “product integrity” is the core of everything they do
• How validation changes (and doesn’t change) the mission

⚙️ Building a Brand from the Ground Up

• Bootstrapping the business with extreme risk and belief
• The moment they had to jump from 20 barrels to 1,200
• Changing Tennessee laws to legally distill

🧪 The Experimental Distillery

• Over 500 experimental barrels and counting
• Why innovation never stops being R&D
• How small-batch releases became a cult following

🥃 Tennessee High Malt Explained

• Creating a completely new style of American whiskey
• Why they chose to “wear blinders” instead of copying trends
• The role of roasted & toasted grains in their flavor profile

⚡ The Biggest Risk That Could’ve Killed the Brand

• Replacing sourced whiskey with their own overnight
• Walking away from 18,000-case momentum
• Betting everything on authenticity

🏙️ Why Chattanooga Matters

• The city’s role in the brand’s success
• Community, culture, and investor support
• Why this story couldn’t exist anywhere else

💬 Standout Moments

• “We didn’t just build whiskey—we built identity.”
• “Product integrity over brand hype. Every time.”
• “We could’ve killed the company overnight… but we didn’t.”
• “This is a company full of creators—not just distillers.”

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• How to turn history into opportunity
• Why authenticity beats trend-chasing in spirits
• What real innovation in whiskey looks like
• The power of community-driven brands

🔁 Why This Episode Matters

This episode is a masterclass in:

• Taking risks when there’s no roadmap
• Building a brand with purpose—not just product
• Staying creative even as you scale

Follow Chattanooga Whiskey:

• Follow @chattwhiskey on Instagram
• www.chattanoogawhiskey.com

Follow the Dram Amateur Podcast:

• Follow @dram_amateur on Instagram
• YouTube, Facebook
• Share this with a fellow whiskey lover
• Leave a review to help grow the community

🥂 Closing Thought

Some brands follow the rules.
Others rewrite them.

Chattanooga Whiskey chose the second path.