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We hang out with Stephen Canepa and Troy Bolotnik from FilmLand Spirits and dig into how they built a whiskey brand around vintage movie poster storytelling without sacrificing what matters in the glass. We taste their Moonlight Mayhem and Rise Of The Robots, talk blending philosophy, and hear why they obsess over labels, transparency, and the long-term connection with drinkers.
• why Filmland Spirits launches bourbon in Kentucky and California
• the origin story of blending bourbon culture with film and screenwriting
• designing labels like real movie posters with scripts, bios, and Easter eggs
• using AI for mockups while keeping a creative and quality standard
• the Crimson Cask Kentucky-exclusive reveal and what makes it different
• how they source MGP and blend in small batches for a signature profile
• limited releases like Quadraforce and the risk of multi-state blending
• tasting notes and what “Extended Cut” means for cast strength
• why their rye leans minty, citrusy, and sweet instead of harsh spice
• barrel-aged cocktails at home and how proof changes an old fashioned
check us out at filmlandspirits.com. And also we’re on all the social platforms at filmlandspirits. We definitely encourage you to go chat with the filmologist on our website. If you’re interested in purchasing, just ask it for discounts. www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Bourbon Boys. Make sure that you leave us good feedback. Go to Apple, leave us good reviews. That five out of five star thing helps
A whiskey label catches your eye once. A whiskey story makes you pick it up. A great pour makes you come back, and that’s the bet Filmland Spirits is making. We sit down with founders Steve Kanepa and Troy Blatnik to unpack how they built a craft bourbon and rye brand that treats each bottle like a vintage B-movie poster, complete with character bios, hidden Easter eggs, QR-code trailers, and original screenplays written for every release.

We get into the real nuts and bolts too: sourcing and blending MGP bourbon and rye, aging and bottling in Kentucky, and why “small batch” can mean seven to twelve barrels instead of thousands. Troy and Stephen share how they chase consistency without going generic, what judges have rewarded in blind tasting competitions, and why they refuse to let packaging distract from liquid quality. Along the way, we talk AI in whiskey marketing and label art, not as a magic button, but as a tool with real creative and cost tradeoffs.

Then we taste. Moonlight Mayhem Extended Cut brings that cast strength depth and long finish, while Rise Of The Robots Extended Cut rye lands surprisingly minty and sweet with notes that spark a real debate. We also reveal the Kentucky-exclusive Crimson Cask with a film-noir vibe, and we dig into distribution realities like Ohio control-state challenges and what a future Filmland tasting room could look like.

If you like bourbon podcasts, rye whiskey deep dives, and the intersection of storytelling and spirits, hit play, subscribe, share this with a fellow whiskey nerd, and leave us a review so more people can find the show.

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We sit down with the Echo Spirits team to talk about how a Columbus, Ohio distillery builds award-winning rum, creative whiskey blends, and a bar that feels like home. Along the way we dig into sourcing versus grain-to-glass debates, how finishes can rescue tricky barrels, and why community matters more than competition.
• Columbus distillery community and why collaboration works
• Why Echo starts with rum and how the portfolio evolves
• Queen Share rum and the “saved cuts” distillation method
• San Francisco World Spirits Competition medals and what they signal
• Engineer Series blends as a limited, never-repeated workbench
• Picking favourites like Trail Mix and Bavarian Rhapsody
• Elusive herbal liqueur built for Chartreuse-style cocktails
• Designing a cocktail bar that stays casual and welcoming
• Two Cats canned cocktails and how RTDs get made
• The costs and risks of fast growth and staying in stock
• How barrel selection works and why rejects become new projects
• Finishing barrels with beer casks and the amburana learning curve
• Bottle Your Own Bourbon tour and hands-on bottling
• Echo Spirits On The Vine seasonal location and Ohio events
echo spirits.com follow us on Instagram Facebook as Echo Spirits also the bar at Echo Spirits on both of those platforms Echo Spirits on the Vine is our location up in Liberty Township Powell area that's also the social media for them Echo Spirits on the Vine

Something interesting is happening in Columbus, Ohio: craft distilleries are getting better, bolder, and more connected, and Echo Spirits is right in the middle of it. We talk with the Echo team and our Cleveland rep Matt Lysen about what it really takes to build a modern distillery brand when you’re small, bootstrapped, and trying to “bat above your weight” without losing what makes you special.

We get deep into rum and whiskey making, including Echo’s Queen Share rum, a flavor-packed, barrel-aged release built with a traditional “queen share” process and proven on a huge stage with medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Then we pivot to bourbon blending with the Engineer Series, Echo’s limited, never-repeated blends that treat barrels like ingredients in a chef’s kitchen. We also unpack what sourcing means today, why transparency matters, and why “what’s in the glass” still wins when the pricing is fair.

There’s plenty of real-world talk too: how a cocktail bar can feel like a neighborhood hangout while still serving upscale drinks, how the bar team created Elusive to solve a Chartreuse shortage problem, and why canned cocktails like Two Cats help reach new drinkers. If you’re planning a Columbus distillery trip, we cover Echo’s Bottle Your Own Bourbon experience and their seasonal Echo Spirits On The Vine spot for live music, outdoor pours, and summer energy.

If you like honest industry talk, award-winning spirits, and practical behind-the-scenes detail, listen through and share it with a friend who loves bourbon, rum, or great cocktails. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: do you care who distilled it, or only how it tastes?

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We catch up after boots-on-the-ground Ohio bottle signings and get Ross Cornelison on the phone while he drives back to Kentucky. We dig into what makes Barton 1792 so consistent, why the brand’s profile has shifted over time, then end with a full live Barrel Bottle Breakdown of 1792 Sweet Wheat.

• Meeting Ross Cornelissen in Ohio and why the state shows up big for bourbon
• Why Barton 1792 operates as a working distillery and keeps tours closed
• How Ross thinks about consistency through degree of maturation
• What goes into blending 1792 Small Batch as the flagship bourbon
• Building the 1792 12 Year blend and why it changes each year
• The reality of bottle signings and how Ross developed his signature
• Technical whiskey questions from fans including fermentation and sanitation
• Sweet Wheat deep dive: tasting notes, mouthfeel, proof talk and our 13/18 score
• Tips for flying with bottles and preventing breakage
• Matt Lysin’s Cleveland On The Rocks and what they review beyond bourbon

www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things, scotchy bourbon boys. Whether you listen to us or you watch us, make sure that you find a way to show your support, whether it's become a member, subscribe, become a member, do leave super chats on on YouTube, and go to the Apple podcast thing and just write a nice little review for us, give us five stars and get our rating up.

Ross Cornelissen just spent days meeting Ohio whiskey fanatics and signing bottles, and we caught him on the road back to Kentucky to hear what that experience is really like from the master distiller’s seat at Barton 1792 Distillery. Along with our guest Matt Lysin from Cleveland On The Rocks, we talk through the moments that stick: the questions fans ask when they finally get face time with the person behind the bourbon, the stories people share about starting with 1792, and why Ohio might be one of the loudest bourbon states in the country.

We also get technical in a way that actually helps you drink smarter. Ross explains how he thinks about blending for consistency, why “degree of maturation” can matter more than a simple age number, and how open air rickhouses and warehouse placement shape flavor. We dig into the role of 1792 Small Batch as the flagship expression, plus how releases like Bottled In Bond, Full Proof, Single Barrel, and the 1792 12 Year come together with a bigger team than most people realize.

After the call, we bring it back to the glass with a live Barrel Bottle Breakdown of 1792 Sweet Wheat. If you love wheated bourbon, you’ll want our tasting notes, the proof debate, and the final score. We even swap real-world tips for traveling with whiskey so your best bottles survive baggage handling.

If you’re into bourbon, Barton 1792, Sazerac brands, barrel picks, or tasting notes you can actually use, hit play, then subscribe, share this with a bourbon friend, and leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts.

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The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/