Lt. Col. Gary Odle has been a member of Whiskey University since Mid 2022. In 2016 Whiskey University began offering Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees. Gary earned his Whiskey Diploma on October 4th, 2022 and then finished all seven degrees at warp speed. He has earned the highest title of a “Chartered Master Whiskey Taster” and has earned his Master of Arts Degree from Whiskey University on January 22nd, 2024 with a total of 60 Credits in four Majors completed in The Bourbon Capital Region, The Bluegrass Region, The Tennessee Whiskey Region and the Mid-Atlantic Rye Region.

Gary actually grew up in Louisville Kentucky in the 60’s and 70’s. He attended the University of Louisville. Odle and his wife and I have been married 25 plus years. He works for the Government in Logistics. Gary earned his Associate Degree at 20 credits on December 13th, 2022 earning him the title of “Certified Bourbon Taster.” He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts Degree at 40 credits becoming a “Master Whiskey Taster” on April 6th, 2023.

Gary had always been around bourbon and start sipping on it one summer and thought, “I really like this.” I did a little research on-line and found Whiskey University. Odle now serves as the Whiskey University Quiz Committee Chairman putting together over 120 quizzed that have been assigned over 104,000 times to reinforce education. Gary has helped to develop quizzes and load them into the system so they can be released for everyone to take after attending their appropriate class.

Odle has also co-hosted a number of classes and taught his first class just months after double bypass surgery. Recently Gary started a tasting night with 5 gentlemen from the neighbor teaching them about whiskey. They have loved it so much, that they are out buying a lot of bourbon and whiskey, but their wives blame Gary for it.