On this episode of The Fred Minnick Show, Grammy-winning guitarist and songwriter Derek Trucks joins Fred for a spirited conversation with plenty of whiskey sipping along the way. Trucks, co-founder of the Tedeschi Trucks Band (with wife Susan Tedeschi) and member of the Allman Brothers Band, has been a professional musician since his teen-age years, when he performed with Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Stephen Stills and others.

Here are the bourbons they tasted:

Weller Single Barrel (16:38)
Jefferson’s Reserve (21:13)
Parker’s Heritage (34:57)
Vintage Four Roses (45:16)
During the show, Derek tells the story of “The Viking,” a man he knew in Kentucky who helped turn him onto bourbon in the early days, before the bourbon boom. Derek was smart enough to stock up back when things like Weller 12 year were common place. (Smart guy!) And Fred tells how he and his sons watch live music performances together on YouTube every weekend – including some Derek Trucks shows.

EPISODE SUMMARY

Some of the topics Fred and Derek get to while tasting whiskey together, such as:

Fred’s wife Jaclyn keeps sneaking bourbon from his office, which threw a slight monkey wrench into this week’s show.
Derek loved the Weller Single Barrel Fred sent him, saying, “I would never not want to drink that bourbon.”
The legendary guitarist talks about the bourbon stashes of bands he’s toured with, from the Allman Brothers (no alcohol, so he sneaked in his own Kentucky Spirit by Wild Turkey) to Eric Clapton (also not a drinker) to his own band.
Trucks also talks about being on the road as a child – he started touring at age 9 – and those who mentored him.
He talks at length about his dad and others keeping him grounded, including Willie Nelson and B.B. King. He also notes that not all the stars he met were terribly nurturing or friendly.
Fred recounts one of his favorite (and funniest) Parker Beam memories.
And Derek talks about some of his favorite music venues, such as Red Rock and The Fox in Oakland.
Fred tells a fascinating back story about the 1942 bottle of Four Roses, a blend of whiskeys from a variety of unknown distilleries, he and Derek tasted together. And then Fred drops his glass and spills it, so he promises to lick what’s left off the floor.
QUOTABLES

“You’ve got to have good heroes. … We all do what we do because somebody paved the way.” – Derek Trucks