We would have called this Episode 51 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban.

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Lean Whiskey is transitioning to a new brand, Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie. We're also calling this Episode #1 of Season 2 of the podcast series. If you're subscribed, the podcast logo will change but the feed will continue as is.

We are just as passionate about their coffee beverages as the whiskey. We’ll still talk about lean stuff, ranging from in-the-news to our own topics of choice.

In this first installment, Mark and Jamie each have an espresso. Mark from an automated home machine and Jamie’s from a more manual process. In future episodes, we’ll likely get more into the process.

In this episode, we begin exploring the challenges of supply chain risk and dealing with the disruptions of tariffs. Uncertainty is having a huge impact on the economy. We discuss the impact on coffee from Columbia, the Risk Index from the Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh, and even Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We move on to discuss the changes being made at Starbucks. What allowed them to grow may not allow them to stay strong, but then again, there may be some subtle magic in those changes from free refills in store to having your name on your cup.

We explore the deliberate breakup of Honeywell, following in the footsteps of GE. This helps make an organization more focused on customers, value delivery, and the needed operations to make it all work. Is this a trend? If so, there are several reasons we believe it's a favorable one. We close out the topics with Mark’s Toyota experience during a recent tour seeing examples of "raku", or devices that provide comfort or ease for team members.

• SNL 50th feature of Coffee Talk
• The threat of tariffs drives up coffee prices
• Ben Stein on tariffs from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Center for Supply Chain Research at Lehigh’s Supply Chain Risk Index
• Jamie’s IndustryWeek article on Supply Chain Risk
• Starbucks adds in-store free refills and writes names on cups again
• Honeywell breaks itself up, but is still acquiring
• Mark’s TMMK tour and writing about "raku"
• Podcast feed at LeanCoffeeTalk.com or jflinch.com/leancoffeetalk

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It's Episode 50 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban!

tl;dr: Lean Whiskey will transition to a new brand Lean Coffee Talk, so stay tuned for more episodes from Mark and Jamie

In their 50th and final episode of Lean Whiskey, hosts Mark and Jamie announce a significant transition, revealing that while this marks the end of “Lean Whiskey,” the podcast will continue under a new title called “Lean Coffee Talk.”

The change is partially influenced by Jamie's lifestyle choices, which is reflected in their drink selections for this episode – both hosts opt for non-alcoholic spirit alternatives, with Jamie choosing Almave (co-founded by F1 legend Lewis Hamilton). Mark made a non-alcoholic Manhattan (with Bourbon alternative and a Sweet Vermouth substitute), but as he found it undrinkable, we'll spare you the brand name.

The bulk of the episode focuses on the current state of the whiskey industry, which is experiencing its first significant downturn since 2002. Drawing from multiple sources, they discuss how the bourbon boom appears to be over, with distilleries facing waning demand and a supply glut. The situation is particularly stark in Kentucky, where 14.3 million barrels are aging at the start of 2024, representing approximately 2 billion bottles of whiskey.

The hosts explore how this oversupply mirrors historical patterns, referencing the 1980s when 22 Scotch distilleries closed between 1980 and 1986 and bourbon sales plummeted 50 percent in the US. They also discuss how this situation exemplifies principles from The Beer Game, a famous MIT supply chain management simulation that Jamie has facilitated many times over 20 years (and Mark has played a few times).

The episode concludes with details about the podcast's rebranding to “Lean Coffee Talk,” which will maintain the casual, conversational format while using a loose version of the Lean Coffee structure that has been part of many Lean Whiskey episodes. The new format pays homage to both the Lean Coffee methodology and the classic radio program “Car Talk,” with the hosts emphasizing that while the name and logo will change, the podcast will continue in the same feed, ensuring continuity for their listeners. Cheers!

• Jamie's choice, Almave from Lewis Hamilton
• Bourbon sales a dropping, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and New Wine Review
• Signs of overheating include bottle buying restrictions
• A piece on the cyclical nature of the whisky market
• The Beer Game as featured by the MacNeil Lehrer Newshour in 1989, talked about by Professor Nelson Repenning at MIT, Professor John Sterman's research on order stability in supply chains
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

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It's Episode 49 of the Lean Whiskey podcast with Jamie Flinchbaugh and Mark Graban!

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Mark shares tales of his holiday / study tour trip to Japan. Since we start with the whisky (like scotch, note the lack of an ‘e’), and Mark’s opportunity to visit bottle shops, his favorite whisky bar, and even a whisky museum, along with the many samples he had a chance to try along the way. He brought one home, an Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve, which he was able to find for a fair price (and also a ridiculous one), and it was the featured bottle for Mark’s pour. Jamie used Hibiki Japanese Harmony, a good entry-level Japanese blended whisky that is both easy to find and relatively affordable.

Mark and Jamie then discussed the Japan Study Tour itself, organized by Katie Anderson. This included Isao Yoshino as a co-host and Toyota alum, and another Toyota retiree sharing his story as well. It included trips to Toyota suppliers and Japanese food manufacturers, including Ina Foods. There were many themes, including providing an environment where employees have the opportunity to speak up, the benefits of a long-term view including a 100-year calendar, and a focus on employee development as a primary goal.

Mark also introduced a word he learned about similar to kaizen and kaikaku, and that word is kaiteki which means comfort for the employee. We also discuss the benefit of study tours in general, including Jamie’s long-ago effort to organize one for the continuous improvement team at DTE Energy.

They finish by talking a bit about Thanksgiving, including how Lehigh University football won the Patriot League and went on to the FCS playoffs and also lost very heavily to Northwestern in basketball. I guess you can’t win them all. Happy Thanksgiving, and Cheers!

• Jamie’s pour: Hibiki Japanese Harmony
• Mark’s pour: Ichiro’s Malt Wine Wood Reserve
• Jiro’s Sushi Restaurant (Sukiyabashi Jiro)

• Katie Anderson’s Japan Study Trip
• Podcast feed at LeanWhiskey.com or leanblog.org/leanwhiskey or jflinch.com/leanwhiskey

Please review us and follow or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform!