Meet The Family
Heather
IHeather is the calm in the bourbon storm—unless you put Fireball in her glass. A proud UNC grad (Go Heels), she’s a lawyer by day, a mom 24/7, and the kind of woman who can juggle a toddler, a court filing, and a tasting glass without spilling a drop. She doesn’t suffer fools—or weak pours—and she brings the brains, balance, and bourbon backbone to Tortured Bourbon.
She’s here to remind you that you can love Taylor Swift and drink barrel-proof whiskey—and that just because she knows how to craft the perfect Instagram reel doesn’t mean she won’t out-rank B in a blind tasting. Sure, she pretends to roll her eyes when B goes on a music rant, but deep down, she knows she’s walking away with a better playlist.
Heather is here to empower women, sip boldly, and prove that bourbon isn’t just a boys’ club—it’s a battlefield, and she’s showing up in heels, ready to drink and dominate.
Katie
She’s Australian. She’s B’s wife. She’s Heather’s best mate. And honestly, she’s still trying to figure out how she ended up on this bourbon-fueled rollercoaster.
Katie is our Outback sheila with a sharp eye, a sharper wit, and a zero-tolerance policy for spiders, snakes, and unnecessary nonsense (looking at you, B). She might cringe at American bourbon obsession, but hand her a good tequila and she’s suddenly the life of the party.
She’s the show’s producer, spreadsheet queen, and official wrangler of chaos. Whether it’s keeping the bourbon budget from turning into a financial crime scene or calling out Heather’s drama and B’s rambling tangents—Katie keeps us honest, on time, and on task (or at least close enough).
She didn’t plan to be on camera. She didn’t plan to taste whiskey. And she definitely didn’t plan to become part of a bourbon show in America. But here she is. Cheers, y’all—and pray for her liver.
B
B graduated from NC State four times. Why? Because they didn’t put a limit on it—and he likes finishing things.Somewhere along the way, he picked up a doctorate, a love of bourbon, and the kind of dry, Gen X wit that only comes from growing up on grunge, gas station coffee, and actual music videos on MTV.
Yes, he’s bald. No, he doesn’t care. He remembers when sharing music meant burning a mixtape, not building a playlist. Raised on Pearl Jam, sarcasm, and the comforting growl of Tom Petty, B brings the unfiltered truth to every pour. He loves his wife, his son, a good riff, and any bourbon with enough backbone to punch back.
B can break down bottled-in-bond law like it’s bourbon bedtime storytelling and still make fun of your tasting notes if they include “smooth” or “caramel-forward.” He’s the chaos agent behind the camera, the guy who somehow makes bourbon history fun, and the reason you’ll hear an unnecessary music reference in almost every episode.
Katie keeps him straight. Heather keeps him honest. The bourbon keeps him interesting. And the rest? Well, that’s probably in a Google doc somewhere.
Bandit
The real star of Tortured Bourbon. Sure, we’ve got hosts. We’ve got cameras. We’ve got bourbon. But none of it happens until Bandit is on his pillow—and that’s just the way it is.
Bandit is a Cavapoo, but don’t let the cute curls fool you—he runs this operation. Named after Smokey and the Bandit, he’s more than just a dog. He’s family. He’s furry. He’s chaos with a tail. And he’s only part of the crew because, well… it’s his house. We just film in it.
He chews memory cards, microphone cables, socks, and occasionally the truth. He licks Heather’s legs (with no apologies), side-eyes B when the monologues go long, and generally brings a level of unfiltered joy and destruction that no amount of editing can fix.
Filming? Doesn’t start until Bandit is on his pillow. Want to visit the set? Better bring a cookie.
He doesn’t drink bourbon—but he’s still the goodest boy in the business.