Wild Turkey Revival, Elijah Barrel Proof Wows Country Music Star Craig Campbell

Bourbon

July 5, 2021

On the new episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Fred is joined by country music star Craig Campbell, who has a brand new single titled “Never Mine.” He is best known for hits such as “Family Man” and “Keep Them Kisses Comin’.” While on the show, Craig and Fred talk TikTok, tuning guitars, bourbon notes, whiskey in song, coffee and plenty more. Oh yeah, and they sip six, count them, six whiskeys. (Note: This interview was recorded early in the covid pandemic.)

Whiskeys tasted:
Jack Daniel’s Taster’s Select (16:28)
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel (22:14)
Wild Turkey Revival (27:30)
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Barrel Pick (39:59)
Four Roses Single Barrel (45:38)
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (52:27)

EPISODE SUMMARY

Fred and Craig talk about a wide variety of things, such as:
Craig uses a friend’s house for the interview because the internet service at his place is “terrible.”
Craig’s daughters are big fans of TikTok, a space Fred hasn’t mastered yet.
Campbell jumps into a song before the whiskey comes out, performing “The Whiskey’s Fine.”
The first whiskey poured is Jack Daniel’s Taster’s Select, and Craig has to grab a glass (although, to be fair, drinking whiskey straight from the bottle is probably pretty darn country).
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel comes next, and Fred chose JD because of Campbell’s affinity for cinnamon and banana pudding.
They talk about why the word “whiskey” appears in a lot of country songs – Craig notes that it’s a “man’s drink,” and if you drink it, “that means you’re a bad-ass.”
While Craig admits he can’t find the banana flavor, he promises Fred he will try to dig into the bourbons more offline to try and train his palate.
Craig talks about being an independent artist versus having record deals.
Campbell explains that while he is often his own worst critic, he also is a big fan of himself. He believes when he listens to his own songs, he can spot ways to improve.
On the Wild Turkey Revival, Craig says, “The Turkey was … stout.”
It’s onto the Russell’s Reserve, and Campbell’s palate finds the cinnamon almost immediately.
Craig is a coffee drinker, and he and Fred compare tasting coffee versus tasting bourbon. Only one involves actively slurping.
Campbell says when he sees Four Roses bourbon, he thinks of a “not-good whiskey.” Fred tells him the fascinating history of why for some people, Four Roses once was not seen in a positive light. Of course, Jim Rutledge changed that.
Fred then dispels the myth that to be bourbon, it must be made in Kentucky. As a bonus, he drops a funny anecdote.
Craig’s wife Mindy makes an appearance to jokingly make sure Fred isn’t getting Craig drunk.
Campbell chooses his favorite as the Jack Daniel’s Tasters Select, calling it the smoothest for his palate.
Craig closes out the session by playing his song, “You Can’t Drown Misery With Whiskey.”

QUOTABLES

Craig Campbell, on being signed to a record label: “The upside to having a record label is that if you are one of their guys, they will make it happen. But if you’re not one of their guys, it will not happen.”

RESOURCES

https://www.craigcampbell.tv/

https://www.facebook.com/CraigCampbelltv

https://www.instagram.com/craigcampbelltv/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Source: The Fred Minnick Show

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