Honey Bourbon Done Right - Detroit City Distillery (Part 1)

Send us Fan MailA lot of “honey whiskey” tastes like sugar and shortcuts. We wanted the real story behind honey-finished bourbon that still tastes like whiskey, so we brought in Dante from Detroit City Distillery to break down how Detroit’s Bees In The D partnership turned raw urban honey into something genuinely complex. We get into the surprising first step: barrel-aging the honey itself in used whiskey barrels, then using those honey-seasoned barrels to finish bourbon without adding flavoring or coloring. Along the way, we trade family history and Detroit roots, including a Prohibition-era boat-running story that somehow makes today’s craft spirits scene feel like part of a longer timeline. Dante also explains why Detroit City Distillery thinks about finishing windows, toasted barrels, and why proof in the 115 to 116 range can bring heat, balance, and a clean finish without blowing your palate up. Then we taste. We compare the 100-proof blended release against single-barrel picks, talk glassware, and share a simple tasting reset that helps you stop judging a whiskey on the first sip. We also go off on whiskey hype, allocations, and a $200 Pappy pour that taught a hard truth about older barrels turning into pure oak. If you love Michigan-made spirits, bourbon finishing, honey bourbon, or just want better tasting instincts, hit play. Subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find us.https://www.detroitcitydistillery.com/Support the showhttps://linktr.ee/ManCaveHappyHourwww.ManCaveHappyHour.comJamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroitMatt Fox @fox_beazlefoxAugust Gitschlag @rawgustoMerch www.WearingFunny.com