Inside Middle West Spirits And Old Elk Ohio Grain To Glass Whiskey!

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Steve Frederick from Middle West Spirits to talk about how Ohio-grown grain, smart production choices, and thoughtful finishing turn into whiskey with real balance. We taste standout releases, dig into why proofing down can unlock hidden aromatics, and look at what Old Elk adds to the bigger Middle West roadmap.  • how Middle West stays rooted in Ohio through grain, people, and barrels  • why grain volume, water reuse, and stillage recycling matter at scale  • tasting Vino De Naranja and what orange wine casks contribute  • how proof decisions change aroma, sweetness, and overall balance  • the challenge of building an American single malt market  • OHLQ barrel picks including toasted rye and a 10-year wheated bourbon  • what makes a great single barrel programme and why one-offs drive demand  • sharing vintage pours and why “dusties” still teach lessons Orange wine casks, toasted rye, and a 10-year wheated bourbon that tastes like hard caramel candy are all on the table with Steve Frederick from Middle West Spirits. We get into what it really means to be an Ohio grain-to-glass distillery at scale, from sourcing and barrel strategy to the unglamorous but essential side of the business like water reuse and stillage recycling.   The tasting starts with Vino De Naranja from the Double Cask collection, finished in Spanish orange wine barrels. We talk through that bright bitter-orange nose, the “baking bread” backbone from a rye and wheat base, and the surprising part: why bringing the whiskey down to 112 proof makes the aromatics pop more than the higher-proof single barrel version. If you care about how proofing affects flavor, mouthfeel, and balance, this is a deep, practical look at the trade-offs.   From there we shift into Ohio Liquor (OHLQ) barrel picks and the Old Elk side, including a toasted rye that leans minty and a wheated bourbon that drinks dangerously smooth for its proof. We also zoom out to bigger topics like American single malt whiskey adoption, the economics of malt, and why limited one-offs and single barrels keep bourbon fans chasing the next bottle.   If you enjoy conversations about craft distilling, American whiskey innovation, and finding real “bang for your buck” bottles, hit subscribe, share this with a whiskey friend, and leave us a review with your favorite pour from the lineup. voice over Whiskey Thief If You Have Gohsts Support the show https://www.scotchybourbonboys.com The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world    https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/