GolfCask - Originals

Welcome to Inside the Ropes for the week of December 15 with host Brian Bailey—where offseason golfers, whiskey lovers, and cigar folks gather quietly while everyone else “shuts it down.” This episode is built in four purposeful parts: why next season’s goals fade (the Goal Proximity Effect with Dr. Mike), why whiskey mastery can’t be rushed (a distiller’s reflection from Devil’s Due), why rebellion can produce a cigar worth trusti...

In this special follow-up edition of Revelry & Reflection, Inside the Ropes brings you five new stories from GolfCask Magazine—spanning golf performance, whiskey philosophy, cigar rituals, Dallas whiskey adventures, and a bonus members-only bourbon review. With updated commercials, expanded Pour Decisions rankings, and the signature GolfCask tone, this episode blends insight, humor, and craftsmanship across all three pillars: g...

In this special year-end edition of Inside the Ropes, host Brian Bailie walks you through the December issue of GolfCask Magazine: Revelry & Reflection—straight from the pages to your earbuds. You’ll spark things up with Eddie K’s ode to My Father Cigars Blue, a cigar built for honest self-assessment and post-round storytelling.

From there, Megan Miller takes you to the French Quarter with Crescent Simples and her Vieux Carré ri...

Welcome back to Inside the Ropes for the week of November 24, 2025 — the Thanksgiving edition where your clicks, taps, and late-night scrolls decide the show.

This week’s four most-viewed GolfCask articles brought the heat:

1. The World’s Best Scotch Whisky… and Why You’ll Still Miss the Fairway After Drinking It
   Isle of Raasay’s cask strength single malt walks out of Vegas with a 99/100 and a platinum medal. We break down Na Sia...

This week on Inside the Ropes, we cover a whiskey that failed the blind test, five Virginia munis that play like private clubs, the slow ritual of cigars done right, and a stunning reminder from Argentina that reflection and celebration belong in the same round.
Plus — an exclusive members-only GolfCask ritual: The Smoke Challenge.
Whiskey. Golf. Cigars. Stories worth retelling. Spark | Sip | Swing.

Join GolfCask.com — whe...

🎯 Internal vs External Focus — and Why “Always External” Is a Myth

Everyone says, “Focus on the target, not your body.” But that’s only half true.

External focus means attention on what happens outside the body — the ball flight, the clubhead, the target line.
Internal focus means attention on you — your feel, rhythm, or motion.

The problem? Most studies make internal focus look bad by using robotic cues like “extend your arms rap...

Whiskey in the glass, golf on the mind—let’s get started. This episode dives into the rituals that make life taste better and swing smoother: the art of lighting a cigar with patience and purpose, the Irish double tap that honors both presence and memory, a bourbon lover’s paradise at the Cavalier in Virginia Beach, and a quick walk through six centuries of golf’s evolution. From flame to fairway, it’s all about respect—for cra...

In this week’s Inside the Ropes Review, host Brian Bailie blends whiskey wisdom, golf grit, and heartfelt legacy.
The pour begins with “From Reuse to Revelation”, tracing how necessity birthed whiskey finishing — from reused rum and sherry casks to today’s double-oaked creativity. Angel’s Envy, Bardstown, and Penelope lead the lineup, proving that a great finish can turn spirit into story.

Then comes “The Edge: Smoke and Mirrors,...

This week on Inside the Ropes, we dive into “The Numbers Beneath the Surface” — where precision meets feel in both golf and whiskey. From Trackman data and distiller’s proof to your first cigar and LPGA Coach John Lewellen’s take on distance, it’s all about mastering what matters and refining your craft. Whether you’re chasing spin rates or savoring small batches, the secret isn’t in the numbers — it’s in the balance. Spark. Sip. S...

Hook Summary:
From the first draw to the final pour, this week’s Inside the Ropes explores the intention behind the spark, the precision behind true preparation, and the geometry that makes whiskey—and golf—an art of contact. Whether it’s striking a match, crafting a game plan, or understanding the hidden edge of oak, it’s all about slowing down, training smart, and appreciating the quiet beginnings that shape great stories.

Feat...

🎯 Social Caption Example:

Whiskey in the glass, golf on the mind—let’s get started.
This week’s Inside the Ropes Review is live:
🐾 Train your mind to refuse to miss with The Dawg Ball
🕯️ Find rhythm and patience in The Slow Burn
🏆 Reflect on passion and poise in The Ryder Cup
⛳ Pursue Excellence, Not Perfection on your journey

Pour. Play. Reflect.
🎧 Listen & Read → GolfCask.com

#GolfCask #InsideTheRopes ...

This week we’re pouring mystery, ritual, and reflection into one glass:

• A Dragnet-style whiskey caper in Seattle with Westland’s stolen Garryana.

  
  

• Cigar 101—why the ritual matters more than the smoke.

  
  

• A dad’s rant on closed-minded golf coaches and the lessons of growth.

  
  

• And a GolfCask Life Magazine feature on finding your true “Sweet Spot.”

  
  

From heists to humidor, fairways to reflection—it’s golf, whiskey, an...

Ryder Cup Roundup with Coach Brian Bailie, Dr. Mike Grevlos, and Coach Chris George. We dig into why Europe jumped out early (bonded pairings, clutch pace control, role clarity) and why the U.S. tried to be “Europe-lite” instead of America’s best self. We torch the Bethpage setup (soft, slow, wedge-fest, LCP), talk New York crowds (fun until the show became about ducks 🙄), and relive pressure moments (Cam Young’s dagger, Justin Ro...

This week on Inside the Ropes, we crack into a scrambled mini-golf mystery in Cape May, debut On My Radar—GolfCask’s personal assistant for pours, puffs, and plays—drift into dockside reflections with Lost Whiskey and golf travel wisdom, and close with the bold history of Bottled in Bond. Along the way, we pour out details on Irons & Oak Weekend in Charlottesville (Oct 31–Nov 2) and remind GolfCask Nation why every round, every...

Bottle Share continues at Ragged Branch Distillery in Augusta County, Virginia, with founder Brian Bailie, co-host Bo Hammond, and distiller Alex Toomy.

In this episode, we taste through three pours that tell the Ragged Branch story:

• Signature Bourbon – clean, balanced, the “bourbon-drinker’s bourbon.”

• 1820 Bumgardner Revival – a historic Augusta County recipe resurrected from family archives.

• Cowboy Cut Barrel Proof – bold, wheate...

Golf, whiskey, cigars — and the stories that make them worth chasing.

This week we chased lightning with Pappy, proving bourbon hunting is more about the story than the shelf. We kicked back in the leather chair and reminded ourselves that reflection, not repetition, is what makes golf easier. We laughed at cigar bar politics in Wisconsin—because nothing says ‘freedom’ like tobacco and leather chairs. And finally, we asked if whiske...

In this episode, GolfCask founder Brian Bailie sits down with Alex Toomy of Ragged Branch Distillery and co-host Bo Hammond to uncover the origins of one of Virginia’s most authentic whiskey makers.From the 2008 economic downturn and late-night ideas in a horse barn, to mentorship under legendary distillers and the chaotic first mash that blew its lid—this is the unfiltered, hands-on story of how Ragged Branch came to life.Alex sha...

This week on Inside the Ropes, we tee up four unforgettable stories:

• A Limerick pub makes history as Whiskey Bar of the Year.

• A “purest shot” turns into a 9-iron moon launch straight into trouble.

• Sergio Garcia waves from the tarmac as the Ryder Cup jet takes off without him.

• And the GolfCask Syndicate uncovers Denmark’s Stauning Rye—aka Danish Whiskey Bread.

It’s golf, whiskey, and storytelling the way only GolfCask pours it.

J...