NFL Legend Terry Bradshaw Finds New Home in Bourbon

On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Fred is joined by Terry Bradshaw, the legendary NFL quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his 14 seasons in the league, Bradshaw helped lead the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins in a career that would lead him to induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Since 1994, Bradshaw has been an NFL analyst on Fox NFL Sunday. On the show, Fred and Terry sip some whiskey and talk about many things, from Bradshaw's brand of bourbon to his football career and plenty more. Whiskeys tasted: Bradshaw Bourbon Batch 2 (10:15) Bradshaw Rye (25:51) Old Grand-Dad Vintage 1970s 86 Proof (36:41) Very Old Barton Vintage 1960s (52:21) I.W. Harper Vintage 1933 (1:10:00) EPISODE SUMMARY Fred and Jay talk about a wide variety of things, such as: Terry is immediately impressed by the Fred Minnick logo mini-bottles. He tells Fred how he came to release his bourbon, emphasizing the importance for him that he loved the bourbon he ultimately chose to release under his name. "I wanted it to have a wow impact. I wanted it to taste to last and not fade out on me." Terry notes he didn't know anyone in the industry, nor did he have any clue how to launch a whiskey brand, before jumping in. He started by watching the film "Neat." He doesn't like the fact it was immediately termed a "celebrity bourbon," but says, "Hey, it is what it is." The 51.9 proof in the bourbon is also Bradshaw's career completion percentage in the NFL. Fred says the Bradshaw Bourbon tastes more mature than its two years of aging. There is a long and involved discussion of smelling things. Fred notes when he was in the agriculture business, he could smell fertilizer from five miles away. When Terry first got into the bourbon business, he didn't know who Fred was, and then he discovered that Fred was "important" to what he was doing. "When I heard you liked me bourbon," Terry tells Fred, "it was like ... oh my god." They try the Bradshaw Rye, and Fred gets sugar cookies and lots of spice. (Terry admits he's never been a "rye guy.") Fred notes that two other former NFL stars - Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson - also are in the bourbon business now. Terry says he heard Manning's bourbon is highly expensive, and to Terry that means he isn't a "serious player" in the business. Bradshaw's bourbon hits around $40. They move to the vintage Old Grand-Dad, which Fred says it is a "throwback" to when National Distillers was making its hay releasing 86-proof whiskeys. The one being tasted dates back to the 1970s, when Bradshaw was lighting up the NFL. Fred talks about how distilling is different today than when the Old Grand-Dad was made, much the way football is different today than it was then. Fred then asks Terry if this particular whiskey reminds him of any game or play from the 1970s. "If I could drink a bunch of this, I could go back and tell you about some times," Terry says, laughing. Terry: "I call it bourbon, I don't call it whiskey. Bourbon is a little sexier than whiskey." Fred tells Terry he got into the bourbon business at just the right time. Terry then tells the story of how he picked his first barrel. Terry's pretty sure the master distiller who helped him was none other Jim Rutledge at Four Roses. He ended up doing it two more times - while also donating profits to Wounded Warriors - which is how he ultimately decided to get into the business. Terry: "I have a little problem with my preacher. They think I am some kind of heathen." Terry: "I get the feeling I would become an alcoholic before I ever got good at this." Terry talks about a scene he wants to shoot a scene that has a James Bond theme. Sadly, Bond was a vodka drinker. Terry chimes in: "I don't like vodka. I can't stand gin. Tequila, you can have. If I drink beer I have one beer and that's enough for me. I'm a bourbon drinker." Fred notes that many ranchers would use...