Three Chord Bourbon Tasting: Four Expressions, One Band, Zero Filler

Behind the Pour

This one arrived through a handshake — a bottle gift from Angry Mac, the New York creator and burger aficionado who had already given Crystal and Roger their Wilderness Trail cask strength pick. Three Chord was created by Neil Geraldo, a musician, producer, and film composer, as a brand built to celebrate music and those who make it. Four expressions are on the table for this episode: the Hellstrom, the Exchange Collaboration, the Allman Brothers straight, and the Goodbye June. Crystal and Roger start low and work up — though they end up rearranging the order when the proof details come in.

What You'll Discover

• A brand built on barrel complexity: Three Chord sources high-quality whiskies from distilleries in Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana. The blending happens in Chelsea, Michigan, where the barrels go back in after blending for a second maturation pass before bottling.
• Four different barrel types, four different flavor directions: Three Chord uses four barrel categories — American heavy toast #4 char, French and American oak hybrid #3 char, uncharred barrels imported from Cognac, and uncharred barrels from Spain. The result is a blend that can't come from any single cask type alone.
• The 2024 Backstage Series: The Hellstrom (95 proof) is part of the Backstage Series and finishes in Cherry Bounce barrels, inspired by rock musician Lizzy Hale. Each Backstage Series release is named for and inspired by a musician.
• The Allman Brothers at 120 proof: The Allman Brothers Band-inspired expression is the highest-proof bottle in the flight — and the episode. Crystal and Roger work up to it deliberately.
• The Goodbye June for last: Like any well-planned tasting flight, save the farewell expression for the end. They do exactly that.

A Moment of Pourspective

Music and whiskey share the same architecture: individual notes that don't explain themselves until they are heard together. Neil Geraldo built a brand on that connection. The best flights work the same way.

Explore the Conversation

Three Chord's origin as a musician's brand could easily be a marketing overlay on an ordinary bourbon — the kind of celebrity spirit that leans on the name and delivers nothing distinctive in the glass. But the episode's conversation reveals something more considered. Geraldo is not just putting his name on a sourced bourbon; he is sourcing from multiple states, using multiple barrel types, and returning the blend to barrel for a second pass before bottling. The result is a spirit system, not a single expression. The handshake gift from Angry Mac adds to the episode's texture. Crystal and Roger have built genuine relationships with other creators in the whiskey space, and those relationships show up as bottles — a gesture that says 'you need to try this.' The Hellstrom, the Exchange Collaboration, the Allman Brothers, the Goodbye June: four bottles on the table because one person thought Crystal and Roger would appreciate them. Roger's note that these are all 'bring that home' bottles — that any of the four would earn its place on the shelf — is the episode's takeaway. Four expressions and all four make the cut is not a common outcome in a blind comparison.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is Three Chord Bourbon produced? Three Chord sources whiskey from Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Indiana, then blends and re-barrels in Chelsea, Michigan.
• Who is Neil Geraldo? Neil Geraldo is a musician, producer, and film composer who created Three Chord Bourbon to celebrate music and those who make it. The Backstage Series bottles are named for and inspired by specific musicians.
• What is Cherry Bounce? Cherry Bounce is a colonial American cordial made from cherries and spirits — historically brandy or whiskey. Three Chord uses Cherry Bounce barrels for finishing the Hellstrom, adding a subtle fruit character to the bourbon.
• What is the Backstage Series? The Backstage Series is Three Chord's annual limited release line, with expressions named for different musicians. Each year brings the same series names (sometimes) with new releases.

Episode at a Glance

• Spirits reviewed: Three Chord Bourbon Flight — Hellstrom (95 proof), Exchange Collaboration, Allman Brothers (120 proof), Goodbye June
• Hosts: Crystal and Roger
• Category: Bourbon
• Gifted by: Angry Mac (TikTok/Instagram creator and community friend)