Ian Cauble diagnosed with rare lymphoma, Yak asks for help

Big Cat was the first one from the show to put it out there on Monday afternoon, and he didn't dress it up.

Big Cat

@BarstoolBigCat

Really sad news about our good friend Ian Cauble. Anything you can do to help is much appreciated. Ian was so good to us on the @BarstoolYak and one of those guests that instantly clicked with the show/cast t.co/NLxgUuXmvO

If you only know Ian from the Yak, here's the background. He was one of the 4 candidates followed in the 2012 documentary Somm, the movie that took the Master Sommelier exam, one of the hardest tests on the planet, and made it into appointment viewing. He didn't pass on camera. He came back a year later, passed, and became the 197th Master Sommelier. He's since worked as Chief Wine Officer at SommSelect, and he's been a regular face in the Somm film series ever since.

That's the guy who showed up on a Chicago sports and comedy show and somehow fit right in. Big Cat's line about Ian being one of those guests who 'instantly clicked with the show/cast' is the whole point here. A wine guy isn't an obvious fit for the Yak, and he was one anyway. A little under 2 hours after Big Cat's post, the show's account posted the details and the donation link.

The Yak

@BarstoolYak

This weekend we learned the devastating news that our friend and Yak guest Ian Cauble was diagnosed with a rare form of Lymphoma. A GoFundMe has been started to support Ian and his family during this difficult time. If you are able to donate or share, it would be very appreciated. ❤️ Link to donate to Ian:

The fundraiser is run by Jason Wise, the director behind the Somm series, along with 3 co-organizers. According to the page, Ian was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma in late spring 2026, and the cancer has since spread and is 'now past the treatment phase.' Everything raised goes straight to his immediate family: comfort and care, medical bills, and his kids' future. By Monday night it had passed $166,000 from more than 900 donors, toward a $300,000 goal.

The page describes Ian as a teacher, world traveler, familiar face from film and television and, most of all, a devoted family man. That's a lot of people who are going to miss him. Stoolies have come through on this kind of thing before. If you got a laugh out of his Yak appearances, or you watched Somm and suddenly cared about blind tasting, the link is in the Yak's post. Give if you can, share it if you can't.