Giving Bourbon's Official Tree Stately Recognition

When you drink a glass of whisky, spare a thought for the lonely
Quercus Alba. Without the thousands of American White Oak
trees harvested every year, we wouldn't have Bourbon or most
other whiskies, since Bourbon barrels wind up at distilleries all
over the world. Kentucky claims to make 95% of the world's
Bourbon, so one might think the Commonwealth would honor that
with its choice for the state's official tree...but no.
Lexington-based forestry scientist Tom Kimmerer and some of his
colleagues want to change that, and are starting a campaign to
persuade state lawmakers to replace the yellow poplar with a much
more popular (and logical) choice. We'll talk with Tom on
WhiskyCast In-Depth about the logical reasons for choosing the
White Oak, along with his op-ed column last week in the Lexington
Herald-Leader on how Kentucky could become a destination for
"climate change refugees" escaping coastal communities. In the
news, the big mystery in whisky circles is what happened to a
$5,800 bottle of Japanese whisky given as a gift to former
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo two years ago. State Department
investigators are trying to find out, and we'll hear from Pompeo
himself...who says he wouldn't be able to tell the difference
between a $58 bottle of whisky and a $5,800 bottle.