Whiskey Tangent

Last Call - Summer 2020 | Where the Hell Is Everybody?

Well, the slow-motion disaster that was Summer 2020 is finally over, but we’ve still got one thing to say. Ok, SEVERAL last things. So, won’t you join us for a look back as we revisit the past 6 months, give some shout-outs, recap all the Epsiodes and Sho(r)ts, and try really really hard not to talk about the apocalypse.

Last Things: Everything sucks and we all know it, but we’re gonna focus on the good • We have a Whiskey Safety Deposit Box of Love at the Local Lounge • Shout-outs: Marty and Rachel (procurers Blood Oath) • Anders (bartender and cohost extraordinaire) • Gabe (the Yellow Stain to Ed’s Mantress) • Shavonne (our new Director of Social Media, Marketing, and HR) • Jeff & Sue (we're breaking them up!) • Whiskey Advocate (put us on their list of 2020 whiskey podcasts!) • Sexton Irish Whiskey (gave us a free bottle!), Fistful of Bourbon (gave us a free bottle too!) • Legent Bourbon (gave us TWO free bottles!) • Adam Harris (Beam Suntory Brand Ambassador) • Kevin MacLeod (provided 90% of our music) • Listener Demographics: 38 countries! 47 states! 6000 downloads! • Afghanistan still has our 3^rd most downloads (thanks Brian!) • Spain and Italy are now on the board (thanks Bill!) • Episode and Sho(r)t Recaps: Ed doesn’t need smoky peat shoved up his anus • Gabe got belligerent when Ed was trying to be nice for once • We got plied with free whiskey at the liquor store • Hipsters hate Blanton’s • Scott throws down Death Magnetic as best Metallica album • We make cocktails by ourselves for the first time and accidentally stumble upon the brilliance of The Scofflaw • Ed mercilessly mocks Gabe (again) • Wow we really hated the James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon • Our parents drank such sad liquor • Why we have Episodes and Sho(r)ts • Anders and Gabe should be listening to all of our damn podcasts dammit! • The Next 6 Months: Barrell Bourbon • Infinty Bottle 3 • The United States of Whiskey • Blood Oath 6 • Bourbon-Barrel Wine • Little Book 4 • Bourbon-Barrel Beer 2 • Ladies Night 2 • Whiskumentary 2 (Topic TBD) • Four Roses vs. Old Forrester • Whiskey Madness 2021

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ • Titanic Blues by Virginia Liston (1924, Public Domain)

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Legent QuickTaste + Beam Ambassador Interview!

Join us and a couple of friends as we taste the latest release from Beam Suntory, their first new brand in almost 30 years. (That's not a typo!) It's a blended bourbon, yes, but with an interesting twist. It's all the same famous Kentucky mashbill spirit, but a portion of it was finished in ex-wine barrels and another portion was finished in ex-sherry barrels, after which it was all blended together with some good ol' Japanese know-how.

Plus, we were lucky enough to score an interview with Senior Brand Ambassador, Adam Harris, and things got downright belligerent! Lol we're kidding. Adam's a great guy, and we had a great chat about some great whiskey. (Now if only Ed and Gabe could get along so well.)

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom • Porch Blues, Temple of the Manes, and Corncob by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode #30: Classic Cocktails Deep Dive! Manhattan v. Mint Julep v. Sazerac

Round 1: Original Manhattan – Bulleit Rye, Cocchi Tornio Italian sweet vermouth, simple syrup, Angostura bitters, atomizer spray of absinthe, served in a coupe glass

Round 2: Original Mint Julep – Smith & Ross Jamaican Rum, mint simple syrup, Angostura bitters, served in a silver cup with Sonic pebble ice and a sprig of mint

Round 2B: Traditional Mint Julep – Buffalo Trace Bourbon, mint simple syrup, Angostura bitters, served in a silver cup with Sonic pebble ice and a sprig of mint

Round 3: Traditional Sazerac – Sazerac Rye, simple syrup, Peychaud’s bitters, atomizer spray of absinthe, served in a rocks glass

Tangents: Anders and Gabe join us for an in-depth tasting, history, and discussion of three classic cocktails! • Scott and Anders both separately went to New Orleans and neither had a Sazerac #epicfail • Can the original recipe for the Manhattan be found on the Rosetta Stone? • The coupe glass was modeled after Marie Antoinette’s breasts? • Manhattan history and tasting • Anders would have gotten a lot of action on the Love Boat (but not from Scott Baio) • How to serve absinthe • Mint Julep history and tasting • Muddling mint can release chlorophyll and make it too bitter • Ernest Hemmingway once got belligerent about the terrible Mint Juleps in Paris • Tornadoes make another appearance on a cocktail episode! • Sazerac history and tasting (and maybe some porn) • Ed wants to make an anise/anus joke SO badly right now • Wow the Sazerac is delicious • Anders gets belligerent and a little cocky

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi and Five Card Shuffle by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Let's Play Quiskey! Meta Ménage à Trois Edition

So if you've been listening for awhile, you know that Ed is 0-3 in Quiskeys. He lost once to Anders and twice to Gabe. But now he has a chance to get his revenge on both of them at the same time in our first threeway! Wait, no, that came out wrong. It's our first threeway competition, featuring... New questions! New buzz-in system! New scoring penalties! New sound effects! And a new winner? Well, there's just one way to find out! (Um, by clicking "Play" if that wasn't already clear. Oh sure fine, go get a sandwich first. Sheesh. God forbid you wait 18 minutes to eat again.)

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom

Episode #29: Baker's Small Batch v. Baker's Single Barrel | Making Up for Lost Time

Whiskeys: Basil Hayden’s • Knob Creek • Booker’s • Baker’s Small Batch • Baker’s Single Barrel • Old Ezra No. 7 • Little Book Chapter 3

Tangents: Baker’s is like the lesser known members of The Supremes and Destiny’s Child • Baker Beam’s Backstory • Baker’s Small Batch Tasting • How small does a small batch have to be? • Why Baker’s changed from Small Batch to Single Barrel • Baker’s Single Barrel Tasting • Baker’s v. Baker’s blind tasting (as in a Whiskey Madness 2020 bracket) • Scott’s weekend: Fresh brownies and leather • All the Single Barrels! All the Single Barrels! Uh oh oh! • Ed likes 6-oz pours • Infinity Bottle III Pouring Ceremony • We make a high-proof Manhattan with the Single Barrel (as in Episode #25) • Baker’s v. Little Book side-by-side tasting • We really need a yearly expression of Little Book Chapter 3 • Top 10 Cookies! (because Bakers make cookies, get it?) • Wow Scott get belligerent about cookies (as in Episode #4) • Seriously, don’t sleep on the Baker’s

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Porch Blues, Corncob, and Cantina Blues by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ • Fight Back by Neffex | Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYDP_8UTAus | License: https://www.youtube.com/t/creative_commons • Deep Sea Blues by Clara Smith (1923, Public Domain)

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Fistful of Bourbon QuickTaste

Take one venerable Scotch company, add two talented whiskey blenders, give them five completely different tasting bourbons, and what do you get? Well, you get another fine expression in the continuing trend of blending American whiskeys, something once considered to be just about the worst thing you can do. But, really, that's because "a blend" used to be just a cover for truly terrible whiskey. Today, we use Fireball for that. #sorrynotsorry

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom

Episode #28: WhistlePigs v. Sazerac | Ryesurgence!

Whiskeys: Sazerac Rye • WhistlePig 12 Year: Old World Style Rye • Sazerac 18 Year Rye • Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye • James E. Pepper 1776 Rye • James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon • Barton’s 1792 • Blanton’s • Buffalo Trace • Eagle Rare • Col. E. H. Taylor • Elmer T. Lee •  George T. Stagg • Pappy Van Winkle • W.L. Weller • Whistle 6 Year: Piggyback • WhistlePig 10 Year Rye • WhistlePig 15 Year: Estate Oak Rye • WhistlePig 18 Year: Double Malt Rye • WhistlePig Boss Hog VI: The Samurai Scientist • WhistlePig Boss Hog V: The Spirit of Mauve • Willet Family Estate Rye

Tangents: Shavonne and Gabe join us again! • Kinda hard not to get laid at a Luther Vandross/Vanessa Williams concert • Rye History Recap • We get the yips • Sazerac Tasting • Ed wants to get a $600 (Thomas H.) Handy • Gabe has anger issues • What are the ingredients in a “Tonya Harding” cocktail? • Ed hates on the 1776 whiskeys again • Sazerac History (company, cognac, cocktail, whiskey) • Gabe gets belligerent about cheesecake • We get the yips again • Ed confuses Antoine Peychaud with Jean Luc Picard • The ridiculously long list of Sazerac-owned distilleries and brands • WhistlePig History - Part 1 • We try to get some free Ben & Jerry’s • WhistlePig 12 Tasting • WhistlePig History - Part 2 • Ed gets interrupted (a lot) • WhistlePig actually has pigs! • Vermont oak has tightly packed rings • MGP has tightly packed barrels • Wow there really are just way too many anise/anus jokes right now

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Corncob, Fireflies & Stardust, Porch Blues, and Wah Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Sho(r)t - The Sexton QuickTaste

Having been big fans of Irish whiskey for awhile now, we're excited to see the many new distilleries and expressions coming out of Ireland after decades of languishing behind the other countries enjoying the benefits of a resurgent whiskey industry. And The Sexton is one of these new expressions. Not only is the bottle cool as hell (just look at it!), it also has an interesting backstory.  But none of that truly matters unless the whiskey itself is actually any good.  So... is it?  Tune in and find out!

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom • Skye Cuillin by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4371-skye-cuillin | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Wormhole 1986: Halley’s Comet Scotch | Dusting Off the Layers of Antiquity

Whiskeys: Halley’s Comet 1986 Blended Scotch • Macallan • Port Ellen • Chivas Regal • Johnnie Walker • Monkey Shoulder

Wormholes: Jeff and Sue join us in the Wormhole! • Sue’s our little WhiskeyPixie™ • Jeff describes how he got ahold of a Scotch from 1986 • Why did our parents drink such sad liquor? • Halley’s Comet History (the whiskey) • We were children when this was bottled • Halley’s Comet History (the comet) • Halley’s Comet Tasting (and a small emergency) • Why Scotch tastes so different from Bourbon • Who doesn’t like a little cork in their mouth? • We drink a tribute to Jeff’s late father • Fun Facts About 1986 • Scott had a handful of Stiff Stuff • Ed paid way too much for a Tandy computer • The Challenger, Chernobyl, and Mad Cow Disease all explode • Poor Bill Buckner • The Top 10 Movies (and Songs) of 1986 • Jeff gets belligerent about Top Gun • Scott gets crap for refusing to watch It’s a Wonderful Life • Ed Murphy was really living it up in ’86!

Music Credits: Political Action Ad, Ouroboros, and The Pyre by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Episode #27: 1776 Bourbon v. 1776 Rye | The F**ker Fish & Other Whiskey Jokes

Whiskeys: James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon • James E. Pepper 1776 Rye • Old Oscar Pepper • Old Crow • Woodford Reserve • Bulleit Rye • Angel’s Envy Rye • WhistlePig 10 Year Rye • Redemption Rye • Sagamore Spirit Cognac Finish Rye • High West Double Rye!

Tangents: Sue and Jeff are back again! • James E. Pepper History (Part 1) • Whiskey is an incestuous business • Marketing was important to whiskey, then as now • James E. Pepper changed whiskey laws, owned racehorses, hung out with captains of industry in Manhattan, and popularized the Old Fashioned • 1776 Bourbon tasting • The menthol in the bourbon makes Ed want to start smoking again • Jeff puts us in the Whiskey Wormhole™ • James E. Pepper History (Part 2) • Ed creates a new word! • 1776 Rye tasting • Is copper on the nose like a penny in your mouth? • Sue compares whiskey to vegetable dip • Scott sings Donna Summer • Is this episode a complete failure? • Bulleit Rye comparison • James E. Pepper Rye is well-named • Sue’s mother ruined spicy ryes for her forever • Scott & Ed tell some podcast-saving whiskey jokes

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Corncob, and Fireflies & Stardust by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Top 10 Ryes of the Unwashed Podcast Cohosts

Yes, yes, another Top 10 list. But THIS time it's actually TWO lists! Anders is back to help us with ranking the Top 10 Ryes that we like, and then we check Ranker.com's Top 10 Ryes to see how we match up against the masses. Fun right? RIGHT?! *crickets* Sigh.

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom

Episode #26: Suntory Toki v. Nikka Coffey Malt | We’re Turning Japanese!

Whiskeys: Suntory Whiskey Toki • Nikka Coffey Malt Whiskey • Suntory White Label • Suntory Kakubin • Suntory Single Malt • Yamazaki 12 Year • Yamazaki 18 Year • Yamazaki 25 Year • Hibiki Harmony • Hibiki 17 Year • Hibiki 21 Year • Bushmills • Green Spot • Four Roses • Pappy Van Winkle 12 Year • Evan Williams 23 Year

Tangents: Our friend Anders joins us for a virtual trip to the Far East • Crazy-flavored Japanese snacks! • Suntory Distillery history • Toki tasting • Japanese spots in Philly’s Chinatown • We all want to travel to Tokyo • Ed’s come a long way in liking Scotch (which is all Anders’ fault) • We almost outbid Suntory when they bought Jim Beam (we were only $15.999999 billion short) • Coffey Still v. Pot Still • Nikka Distillery history • Nikka Coffey tasting • Korean fire-breathing squirrels! • Cambodian sniper monkeys! • How Japan saved the Bourbon industry (no, seriously) • How Ed talked Scott down off the Whiskey Madness ledge • Anders bought his way onto the podcast (but not really) • Anders defends Gabe against Ed • Star Blazers and naked anime • What do Japanese people call Easter Eggs? • Anders really misses the Lounge (and so do we)

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Shenyang, Ishikari Lore, Living Voyage, and Temple of the Manes by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ • Saikai no Yakusoku by Kuyuri | Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBW7nDmFM2Y | License: https://www.tandess.com/en/music/free-material/material.html

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Widow Jane Decadence QuickTaste

Pop quiz, Whiskey Peeps! What does maple syrup, the Brooklyn Bridge, 10-year-old whiskey, and the Magna Carta all have in common? If you need a hint, it has to do with some old abandoned limestone mines located in Upstate New York, but seriously, that's all you're getting. You can find out in just 14 minutes if you just press play. I mean, if we reveal everything in the description, then there's no reason to listen at all. Hmm... maybe we should just do a blog. It would probably be a whole lot easier than dragging out all the equipment, recording an hour of material, editing out our dumb crap, publishing it on our podcast site, etc., etc. Hell, we had to come up with this description, why not just write the entire damn thing out in an article and be done with it?! #randombelligerence

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom

Episode #25: High-Proof Prohibition-Era Cocktails! Great Rants About Great Aunts

Round 1: Maker’s Sour – Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon (109.6), simple syrup, lemon juice, cherry, lemon peel

Round 1B: Bulleit Sour – Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength (125.4), less simple syrup, more lemon juice

Round 2: The Scofflaw – Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye (127), dry vermouth, grenadine, lemon juice, orange bitters, lemon peel

Round 3: Bourbon 76 – Old Ezra 7 Year Bourbon (117), Champagne, honey, lemon juice

Tangents: The history of the traditional Whiskey Sour • The ubiquitous and terrible Whiskey Sours everyone made in the 1970s • Ed’s Aunt Scottie: The Last of the Classy Dames • Dry vermouth is terrible by itself • Scott’s Aunt Oceana: Vodka Martini Aficionado • The history of the Scofflaw (the word and the drink) • Old Ezra’s distillery also produces Blood Oath • Murder hornets do not make honey • Bee is for belligerence • Scott stole his ex’s Champagne flutes (shhh) • New name for the Bourbon 76: The French Foreplay! • The history of the French 75 (the drink and the war cannon) • The terrible conditions of World War I • Spoiler Alert: We just had the first and last Bourbon 75s in our lives

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ • One Dime Blues by Blind Lemon Jefferson (1927, Public Domain) • Ragtime Annie by Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers Group (1926, Public Domain) • Deep Sea Blues by Clara Smith (1923, Public Domain) • Titanic Blues by Virginia Liston (1924, Public Domain)

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Blanton's QuickTaste

Finally! At long last we scored a bottle of Blanton's! And naturally we wanted to share it with you. So join us for a tasting of the Grandaddy of Single Barrel Bourbons and discover all the rich Japanese history of this seemingly singular American spirit. Yeah, that's right, Japan. As in the country where you can find several Blanton's expressions you can't get anywhere else. #notjealousatallohmygodyesweare

Producer's Note: We have a later Blanton's Sho(r)t in which we taste 4 of the Japanese versions we talked about in this Sho(r)t: https://whiskeytangent.podbean.com/e/whiskey-short-japanese-blantons-quicktaste

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom • Fireflies & Stardust and Senbazaru by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode #24: Maker’s Cask Strength v. WR Wheater | Fatbergs & The Industrial Wheel of Death

Whiskeys: Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon • WR Wheater Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon • Larceny • W.L. Weller • Henry McKenna • Blanton’s • Kinsey Zinfandel Finish • Journeyman Last Feather Rye • Angel’s Envy Rye • Knob Creek • Hillrock • Jefferson • Larceny Barrel Proof • Maker’s Mark • Maker’s Mark 46

Tangents: Local v. national wheated Bourbon brands go head to head! • We interview one of the owners of Banash Liquors in Cherry Hill, NJ • How does a liquor store create its own whiskey? • How many delicious local whiskeys are we missing? • WR Wheater Barrel #1 tasting • WR Wheater Barrel #2 tasting • Scott makes an Infinity Glencairn! • Whiskey industry innovation • Ed could survive on whiskey and toilet paper • The real reason why there still isn’t any toilet paper on the shelves • Uncle Ed’s toilet paper tips • How wet wipes create Fatbergs (seriously, stop using those) • Maker’s Mark 46 is the Newman to our Seinfeld • Take a chance on your local liquor store’s selections

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Corncob, and Fireflies & Stardust by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Whiskey Madness High-End Double-Blind Invitational!

Ok, so we lied. Whiskey Madness 2020's The Final Pour was not, in fact, the final pour. But here we switch up the guest taster, remove the under-$60 restriction, allow ourselves more whiskey to taste, and taste them double-blinded so that nobody knows which whiskey is which. So what does all that mean? It means we drank too much, got a little belligerent with each other, and it all nearly spiraled out of control. Enjoy!

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom • Fight Back by Neffex | Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYDP_8UTAus | License: https://www.youtube.com/t/creative_commons

Special Announcement | Ketchup Week

This is a special announcement regarding a change in our schedule for the forseeable future, which brings to mind that time Beavis & Butthead were watching TV and the video of Culture Club's 80s hit "Karma Chameleon" came on...

Butthead: "Hey Beavis, is this supposed to be, like, in the future?"

Beavis: "Yeah, the future sucks. Change it."

Butthead: "I'm pretty cool, Beavis. But I can't change the future."

But we can, Beavis. We can.

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom

Episode #23: Glenmorangie 10 v. Monkey Shoulder | A Sparkling Isolation

Whiskeys: Ardbeg Scotch • Auchentoshan American Oak Scotch • Lagavulin 8 Year Single Malt Scotch • Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch • Glenmorangie 10 Year Single Malt Scotch • Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch • Glenfiddich • Balvenie • Kininvie • Chivas Regal • Stranahan’s American Single Malt • McCarthy’s American Single Malt • Hillrock American Single Malt • Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey • Woodford Reserve Chocolate Malted Rye • McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon • Henry McKenna Bourbon • Woodford Reserve Bourbon • Basil Hayden’s Bourbon • Knob Creek Bourbon

Tangents: Finally a Scotch episode! • Scotches for Bourbon and Rye drinkers • Ed doesn’t want smoky peat shoved up his anus • Monkey Shoulder history and tasting • Is 15 times a day too much? • Scott has an issue with Ed saying “my” locker • Stop hating on blends, people • What is “monkey shoulder”? • Glenmorangie history and tasting • We’re on a journey into Scotch • “Modicum” = 20 minutes • The NJ & PA Coronavirus Lockdown • Extroverts v. Introverts v. Isolation • Our word of the day is “wonderful” • Top 10 Scots! • Scott is supposedly Scottish (and possibly admits to some light crossdressing) • McKenna v. Glenmorangie tasting • 50 Shades of Brown • #letgabeout • We have a surprising amount of knowledge about corn • Cat food fish tacos • Expand your horizons with whiskey (not anal beads)

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Fiddles McGinty, Hidden Past, and Moorland by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io | License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whiskey Sho(r)t - Infinity Too: Electric Boogaloo

Join us as we open and taste our second attempt at building an Infinity Bottle. (And if you don't know what one of those is, please do go back and listen to our previous Sho(r)t on "How to Build an Infinity Bottle" from early October 2019). But that's not all! We actually saved some of our first bottle to compare! AND we have a guest who made their own! Hilarity ensues! You know the drill by now. ;-)

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil | Link: https://soundcloud.com/chocmic/freedom