The Whiskey Trip - Season 3, Episode 45 - Whiskey Reviews with Kevin Hemmingway

This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief steps into one of the most impressive private whiskey sanctuaries in Texas, Kevin Hemingway's Hemingway House of Bourbon. Built on passion, hospitality, and a deep love for the spirit, Kevin's space is a living museum of rare bottles, Texas standouts, and stories collected over years of sharing pours with friends. Surrounded by this curated treasure trove, Big Chief and Kevin sit down for a four pour journey that explores the past, present, and future of American whiskey. They open the evening with Milam & Greene Provisions, a new 80 proof blend combining Texas pot still whiskey with Kentucky and Tennessee bourbon. It is light, approachable, and intentionally crafted to welcome new whiskey drinkers while still offering nuance for seasoned palates. Big Chief and Kevin break down how the Texas component adds warmth and character and why this bottle will likely find a permanent place on entry level whiskey shelves. The second pour brings the heat with Wild Turkey Master's Keep Beacon, the 2025 release from the iconic Lawrenceburg distillery. This limited edition blends 16 year and 10 year Kentucky straight bourbons and comes in at a bold 118 proof. With rich oak, leather, seasoned rickhouse funk, caramelized citrus, and a long, classic Wild Turkey finish, Beacon showcases everything fans love about Master's Keep. Kevin and Big Chief reflect on how Beacon fits into the series and why this release is already generating so much anticipation. In the second half, they dive into a Texas standout, 1845 Distillery's Preemption rye based bourbon. Made with Yellow Corn, Elbon Rye, and Malted Barley, this bold whiskey ages for five years before being double oaked in lightly charred and toasted barrels. Bottled at 115.4 proof, it delivers a powerful blend of Texas rye spice, deep sweetness, and toasted barrel richness. Big Chief and Kevin talk about 1845's rising profile and why Preemption represents the next chapter of Texas distilling. To close out the night, they finish with something truly unique, Dark Arts Ripple Rye. This is a Straight Rye Whiskey finished in maple syrup barrels and treated with toasted amburana oak staves. Distilled in Indiana, aged 7.5 years, and bottled at 110.74 proof, this pour brings an otherworldly profile with maple sweetness, rye bite, exotic amburana spice, and a long warming finish unlike anything else on the table. Big Chief and Kevin dig into why Ripple Rye is gaining such a cult following and how finishing techniques like this are pushing modern rye whiskey forward. Throughout the episode, Big Chief and Kevin share stories, compare regions, debate aging philosophies, and celebrate the kind of friendship that forms when great whiskey is poured with intention. Inside Hemingway House of Bourbon, surrounded by its history and heart, this episode reflects everything The Whiskey Trip stands for: community, curiosity, and chasing down the next great pour. Wherever you are listening from, whether it is your truck cab, a back porch, or the bar top of your favorite local, this one invites you to slow down, sip deep, and enjoy the ride. Take the Ride with Big Chief.