Whiskey Tangent

Flashback to our last night in Kentucky, when we visited a random tavern and tried some amazing whiskeys.  One of them was this very Bourbon, which turned out to be created by the former owner of not only the tavern but also the hotel attached to it. And that person ended up being the guy who resurrected his great-grandfather’s pre-Prohibition brand too!  So, who was this person?  Which tavern and...

Whiskeys: Kentucky Vintage • Speakeasy • Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond • Old Bardstown Estate • Noah’s Mill Tangents: Jeff joins us once again as we taste the Willet Bourbons we bought in their gift shop! • The somewhat confusing history of the Willett family and their whiskey • Prohibition strikes again SMH • How to differentiate between Willett’s formerly sourced and new-make spirits • Get the e...

Marty & Rachel are back again to taste and critique the latest in Pinhook’s ongoing whiskey-aging highwire act, one of the most thrilling experiments in distilling today. And we have two previous versions to try along side it to gauge how much a year’s difference makes between the three of them. Oh, and there might be some talk about a seriously flawed, tiny-mustached, German dude from the ‘30...

Round 1 – Apéritif: Willet Rye, Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth, Cynar Round 2 – Appetizer: Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth, Lillet Blanc, Angostura Bitters, Orange Bitters Round 3 – Entrée: Angel’s Envy Rye, Averna, Ginger Liqueur, Angostura Bitters Round 4 – Dessert: Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon, Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Spice Persimmon Syrup, Angostura Bitters R...

After being released this past summer, we've only just recently seen it in our local liquor stores and were finally able to get our hands on a bottle. A unique combination of two of our long-time go-to spirits, we’re a little trepidatious about what we’re getting ourselves into. Will it be a seamless, delicious, and triumphant melding of iconic whiskeys? Or will it be a Frankenstein’s monster of c...

New News: American Single Malt is finally an official whiskey category • Jim Beam launches single barrel program • Bardstown Bourbon Company launches barrel lease program • Maker’s Mark finally has a new master distiller • Whisky Advocate ’s Top 20 of 2024 • Is the Great American Bourbon Bubble starting to burst? • Rare whiskey sales plummet • Kentucky Owl set adrift amidst parent company’s bankru...

Sue and Shavonne join us yet again for our Christmas Bonus episode, this time for a double taste of supposedly wintry expressions from both Jim Beam and Jack Daniels, plus a list of we-promise-it’s-not-sad-Christmas-death-related fun facts that we got off the internet. Really, it’s fun for the whole family. Well, except for the children. Please don’t let your children listen to this. (Or really an...

Distilleries: Willet • Jim Beam • Four Roses • Wild Turkey Whiskeys: Basil Hayden Malted Rye • Four Roses OESV Barrel Strength Single Barrel • Four Roses OBSK Barrel Strength Single Barrel Tangents: Our epic journey to Bourbon Country continues! • Apparently, Kentuckians go to bars at 10 am • Ed tries to shade Scott and Jeff over their breakfast orders • Scott forgot the Willet guide's gender • Mo...

Distilleries: Evan Williams • Angel’s Envy • Prohibition Craft Spirits (Nulu) • Kentucky Peerless • Old Forester • Bardstown Bourbon Company • Lux Row • Heaven Hill Whiskeys: JTS Brown Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon • Old Forester 1910 Old Fine Whiskey • Lux Row Four Grain Double Single Barrel Bourbon Tangents: Jeff joins us for an epic—and literally explosive—journey to Bourbon Country! • Ed’s already t...

Gabe, Christian, and Mike are back to help us evaluate the latest expression from Blue Note, a company whose whiskeys haven't let us down yet. And because it's a honey-infused expression, we end up comparing it to the Garrison Brothers Honey Dew Bourbon we tasted a few months ago. (But really it was just as an excuse to drink more whiskey.) So, how does the Blue Note taste on its own? And can it h...

Beers: New Belgium Oakspire Strong Ale (Rd 1) • Dragon's Milk Crimson Keep Red Ale (Rd 2) • Founder's Backwoods Bastard Scotch Ale (Rd 3) • Dragon's Milk Reserve S'mores American Imperial Stout (Rd 4) • Founder's KBS Double-Oaked Russian Imperial Stout (Rd 5) • Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout (Rd 6) • Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Backyard American Imperial Stout (Rd 7) Tangents: G...

Season 11 está finito (castanets) but we still have one last thing to talk about. Ok, several last things. So, join us for a review of the past six months and a preview of Season 12. Shout outs: All our guest hosts • Interviewees Nora and Adam from Lost Lantern plus Craig, Howard, and Crispin from Star Trek Spirits • New super fan Justin from Tennessee • Do we have listeners that don’t start with...

So, when the email came in asking us if we'd like to cover a new whiskey from Beyoncé, we were like “OMG OF COURSE WE WILL TASTE A WHISKY FROM BEYONCÉ ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?!?!” And then after 30 minutes of running around like our heads were on fire, we finally calmed down and wondered if this was going to be just another half-hearted attempt by a celebrity to enter the whiskey scene, like...

New News: Seven Distilleries Announce New Whiskey Alliance • Pernod Ricard Launches New North American Whiskey Company • Macallan Releases Their Oldest Whisky at an Astronomical Price • Super-Fast Whiskey Aging Is Here, But Should We Be Doing It? • Beyoncé Released Her Own Whiskey Brand • Derek Trucks Has a New Whiskey with a Cheeky Name • Fake Spirits Seized in Large-Scale South African Crackdown...

This is what happens when Scott decides to actually spend some serious money on something that he thinks is gonna be great. And to his credit, we’ve had a couple Cedar Ridge expressions over the years that we loved, so we were really excited to taste this. And just perusing the label, it tells you all the secondary finishing it went through plus the addition of some peated malt, which was also fin...

Whiskeys: Garrison Brothers Small Batch • Garrison Brothers Honey Dew • Garrison Brothers Guadalupe • Garrison Brothers Balmorhea • Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon Tangents: Anders is back after over a full year to help us decide once and for all if we actually like Texas whiskey • Anders has actually met one of the brothers! • The History of the Garrison Brothers distillery • Gabe and their mast...

So, every once in awhile, Ed likes to bring Scott strange whiskeys he's never heard of before, like how a cat brings a dead baby bird to its owner. When that happens, we like to do one of our patented QuickTastes, and this whiskey is no exception. But what the heck do the words "Coalition," "Sauternes," and "Barrique" even mean? Does their combination actually make a good whiskey? And what new tec...

Whiskies: Johnnie Walker Red Label • Johnnie Walker Black Label • Johnnie Walker High Rye • Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve • Johnnie Walker 18 Year • Johnnie Walker Blue Label Tangents: Joe, our resident Scotch expert, is back after a 3-year hiatus to taste a flight of 6 Johnnie Walkers! • We sent Joe to the British Isles (but not really) • The (basically ancient) history of Johnnie Walker • Is...

So when we received two of the same brand of whiskey-infusion kits—three years apart—we figured it was finally time to try them out. And what a surprise it turned out to be! Adding wood chips and botanicals really does change the character of a whiskey. But does it change it for the better or worse? Click play to find out! Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundclo...

New News: Distilling Your Own Whiskey Could Soon Be Legal • Jim Beam Opens Heritage Center in PA • Chicken Cock Opens New Center in KY • Irish Whiskey Predicted To Grow by Billions • Whiskey Investment Market Has Crashed—But is it a Good Thing? • Con Artist Fined for Million-Dollar Whiskey Investment Scam • Man Steals Construction Vehicle In Order To Steal Whiskey Barrel • Officer Arrested After A...

Round 1: Manhattan Slushie – Rye, orange juice, sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, and orange bitters Round 2: Strawberry Lemonade Frozen Whiskey Sour – Rye, strawberries, lemon juice, and simple syrup Round 3: High on the Hog – Maple-Finished Bourbon, ginger ale, dry vermouth, and bacon Round 4: Divine Oreo Chocolate Bourbon Shake – Bourbon, vanilla ice cream, half-and-half, cocoa powder, and Oreos...

So, not only did we have an amazing time in NYC witnessing the Global Whisky Challenge, we also came away with several spirits that the organizers and judges couldn't take with them (as you may have heard us talk about on June's news episode). And this standard bearer of Buffalo Trace's expensive-on-the-secondary annual Antique Collection was one of those whiskeys. So, is it worth the hype? Is it...

New News: Dueling Kentucky Bourbon Trails merge • New Wild Turkey visitor’s center celebrates Jimmy Russell • Jim Beam Black gets an upgrade • Nikka ramps up investment in exports • Buyers are getting cheap Blanton’s from unlikely source • Grocery store’s whiskies win SIP Awards • Our epic trip to NYC to witness the finals of The Global Whisky Challenge New Whiskeys: Angel’s Envy BIB Bourbon • Cro...

Another year, another Pinhook Bourbon expression. This the fourth in our ongoing series with Marty and Rachel, and it's one of the most fascinating high-wire acts in modern distilling. We kinda keep waiting for it to get worse, become overly oaked, or acquire some off notes, but it's honestly only gotten better each year. But does the 8 year end the streak? Is it getting too expensive now? Will Ed...

Whiskey: Old St. Andrew’s Clubhouse Scotch in miniature golf ball decanters Wormholes: Sue and Shavonne join us for only our second Wormhole episode ever! • Ed puts out Shavonne’s business (but it's for her own protection) • Sue and this whisky were born in the same year (1969 *wink*) • #doublegroan • Golf has been annoying wives for six centuries • Ed’s brother and his housemate are just friends...