Iron Vault Batch One Distillers Select!

Welcome And Friendly Chaos

SPEAKER_05 0:09

Welcome to the Whiskey Chasers, where we talk about our passion for whiskey and its history, either amongst ourselves or while interviewing distilleries. Oh, while enjoying a glass. I'm Steve. I'm Nick, and I'm Chris. Please enjoy responsibly while enjoying this week's episode of the Whiskey Chasers.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

We'll start this so I don't forget about it.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

Sometimes you just think right left.

SPEAKER_03 0:32

I can edit out, my friend. I edit these all the time. We did a lot of nonsense at the start of this.

SPEAKER_05 0:38

And I'm glad that you do. Yeah. There was a ton of editing on the last episode when it just came out the the uh the blackened. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Did we keep saying like edit that and edit this?

SPEAKER_05 0:50

No, there was a bunch in the middle. You did a good job on that one. That one was not easy. When you were listening, you could hear the editing? No, I just I remember the conversation. Oh I remembered. Did we need to edit?

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Somebody said stuff, and then they didn't. Was there just a whole lot of editing?

SPEAKER_05 1:06

It was just a lot of random things. We just went real randomly.

SPEAKER_03 1:09

It was still an hour, like an hour place.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

It was blackened. There wasn't a whole lot to talk about. Yeah. Was it a good episode?

SPEAKER_03 1:15

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:17

I enjoyed it still.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

I think it was good. I think what we do is good. You should listen sometime, Chris.

SPEAKER_05 1:22

Yeah. You can start listening. I was trying to say something earlier.

SPEAKER_04 1:28

There's just a lot of fluff.

SPEAKER_05 1:29

There's a lot of fluff on this box.

SPEAKER_04 1:31

Each batch of Iron Vault Distiller Select Whiskey is a unique expression, reflecting the ever-evolving artistry of our distillers. Okay. Because we take a small batch approach, every release is shaped by subtle variations in climate ingredients and the natural aging process. Of course, like subtle changes. Yeah. Like what yesterday it was 86. Today it's 87. Uh yeah, so that results in distinct flavors and nuances with each new batch. The interplay of wood, grain, and thyme creates a diverse palette of tasting notes. Not going to tell you specifically what those tasting are, just tasting notes. Ensuring

Reading The Label Fluff

SPEAKER_04 2:18

that no two expressions are alike.

SPEAKER_05 2:20

I think there's some AI involved here. That's in like chat GBT or whatever.

SPEAKER_04 2:27

Give me the most generic thing you could say about any whiskey ever.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Every label and word on the label has to be approved by the tobacco and alcohol.

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Well then you think they would write less.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

And more some just more specific. You would think so, but but they don't want specific because this is this is the very

Iron Vault Batch One Story

SPEAKER_03 2:46

first. So we have Iron Vault distillery, their very first distiller select coming out next year. This is the very first batch number one. This is batch number one. And from what they have said, they're trying to make sure that not one batch is the same as the next. This one was Rob's baby. This was something he created. The whole distiller select was Rob's idea. Great idea. So his idea with what he did was he grew up moonshining. His family has a lot of moonshine history. And so he took the family's yeast and uh they essentially did bourbon without it being bourbon, but the same like mash bill grain for bourbon and just didn't age it, didn't do anything. It's just mash bill, or just uh moonshell white dog, and he aged it. So he took the family's recipe, the family's yeast, and aged it, and this is the result of that. Which okay, heck yes. Like you you took something that your family did for years that they didn't really talk about. They talked about it, but they couldn't really do legally, and you put it in a bottle as a bourbon because you aged it, and it fit the it fit the parameters it needed to be for bourbon. I'm all game. Not to mention they uh iron vault is big in their yeast uh program of of of creating yeast and producing enough uh one at a time for X amount of runs, and then they start fresh. So it is very much a uh sour mash or not sour, it is very much a sweet mash every uh like couple of days. It's a new sweet mash because it's a new new yeast strand that they start with. But they are big and producing enough yeast that'll last them a while, but they they they do it in five gallon buckets and let it go to town, and then they use that until it's up. But this wasn't Iron Vault's yeast. This was apparently his the family, his family's strand of yeast that they used. Yeah. So that's a good story. It is very their labeling is very generic. They do it on I I understand as a small business doing it generic in the sense that we could grow. It also costs money to try to have to change this every time that we want to change it, and we don't know how often we will. Like I don't know that they know how often they will change the distiller's select, like how often will they change the mash bell?

SPEAKER_04 5:23

I don't know that they know or he knows, but so this might be a thing you can count on from year to year, or it might be something new every time. Right.

SPEAKER_03 5:35

And I well, I don't think that this what's in the bottle right now will be ever the same. They they kind of have select barrels that they may pull from for distiller select, but this was like the start of that. Like, could this work?

unknown 5:51

Taking two of those.

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Okay. You know, like would this work? Could this work kind of thing?

SPEAKER_05 5:56

That's cool. The the yeast idea that Iron Ball does, where they have a lot of their own yeast and they grow their own yeast strains and everything. That's kind of a really interesting thing that they do that is unique to small distilleries, also. So I'm ex- I I want to get more into that, but I also want to smoke something first.

Pipe Tobacco Pick Mississippi Mud

SPEAKER_02 6:15

I'm very curious. What do you what do you have with this one?

SPEAKER_01 6:18

It's oh so it's Cornell and Deal. Cornell and Deal. Yeah. Uh, we're gonna do Mississippi Mud. Mississippi? Hold on.

SPEAKER_03 6:24

Okay, pause. Yep. Before you explain this or go into explaining the year and everything, I recently was on smoking pipes. I have Mississippi River, yeah. That's the right that one's the one that's uh so Mississippi Mud was hard to get and it finally went back in stock, and I decided not to get it. Was I wrong?

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Was that Mississippi Mud or Mississippi River you're talking about?

SPEAKER_03 6:48

Mississippi Mud came back in stock.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

I didn't think it was I didn't think it was like out of stock.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

I didn't think it was a hard thing to get.

SPEAKER_03 6:55

Maybe it is a limited, I guess. I guess it's limited. So they've just been out of it.

SPEAKER_05 7:01

The thing with tobacco is it doesn't have to be limited for them to be out of stock. Like it's pretty normal for the people to be out of stock one week or something. This is one of their staples.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Uh some people really swear by this stuff. I've had it before, we've had it on the podcast before. It has been a while. It's a unique blend, it's not like anything else. It's because so it's it's it's kind of one of their in Cornell and Deal, you know, they're down in South Carolina, but they do a whole lot of like Louisiana-style tobaccos. This is one of those, kind of that area, I don't know, Cajun type area. Um, this one's got a good amount of perik in it. Latichea, which is Cyprian Latichea, which they do a good job with theirs. And then they have unsweetened black Cavendish. So again, it's kind of like in a like American crossover English because it's got Cavendish, but it's unsweetened, which is different. It's kind of like unsweet tea.

SPEAKER_04 7:56

It can still be black Cavendish and not be sweetened.

SPEAKER_01 7:58

Yep, yep. They have their own process, they have the proprietary plot process, yeah. And then uh they have a good amount of preek in this. So it's gonna be a little peppery, a little spicy, along with like an English, like an English, but then that black cavendish is gonna come through and add some some interesting notes. I think you guys will, and I don't think you've ever had this, right? I think you guys will enjoy it. And this one's from the uh 2017.

unknown 8:20

Is it right?

SPEAKER_01 8:21

January of 2017. Sorry, did you mention unsweet tea? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 8:24

Now I'm wondering what pipe I should put it in. That's a good question.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Not in like uh English, but it's not English. It's a unique, and it even says it on there. It's uh it's a very cool smoke with a with a flavor unlike any other, and it does smoke very cool. But 2017, so it's got some age on it. Early 2017, so we'll that was a good hiss.

SPEAKER_03 8:50

The other thing that I did not mention was they had when the club went, I think we bought them out of the rest of the

Bottle Details Proof And Price

SPEAKER_03 8:58

bottles they had. They had probably four bottles left. Okay, I got bottle number 14. I don't know how many they have out of this. It's a very, very small amount. Yeah, uh, but this one is 120 proof, yeah, 120.8 for one year. I'm assuming this is a five gallon, if that.

SPEAKER_05 9:19

Yeah, that's uh that's a dark whiskey.

SPEAKER_04 9:22

Yeah, uh oh man, it's so dark.

SPEAKER_05 9:25

It's very one year old. For one year old. This is much redder than the other one was like maroon.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 9:36

Well, this is a very dark tobacco, so that's yeah, it is. Looking at it from over here. Do we know anything about mash pill on this? I don't.

SPEAKER_01 9:44

I don't so they're not putting it on the bottle, huh?

SPEAKER_03 9:46

No, this is not this is not going on the bottle.

SPEAKER_01 9:48

But they put the year in the proof when the you said 120?

SPEAKER_03 9:51

120.8. This is uh distiller select. This is again his his family's grandma's secret recipe and yeast.

SPEAKER_01 10:01

So this is their bourbon or whiskey version of their moonshine, basically.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

A bourbon version of it, yeah. I mean, it was still the magical.

SPEAKER_04 10:08

That's why I almost you want to smell it? I do. Oh man. This is this has the lingering finish, baby.

SPEAKER_05 10:17

Yeah, it's significantly better.

SPEAKER_04 10:21

Now it works. Something's happening.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Yeah, I feel different. Let me smell. I haven't even smelled it yet. Nose is alright. But a little sweetness on the nose. I think this will go really well. I think this will go really well with that pipe tobacco. At least smell-wise. I don't know how I end up picking. Wow, whole wow.

Tasting Notes And Big Finish

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Yeah, took a drink there. I tried talking through that sip and I couldn't do it. This is a much bolder. This is a this is a flavor bomb of a of a we're talking about the the drink and not the smoking. We haven't even lit up yet.

SPEAKER_05 10:58

Yeah, we haven't even lit up yet. The last our our our the the last bottle, uh, Ryan and I both were not incredibly impressed with it. It was a little on the thin side, uh, and it it it just died off quickly. It didn't have a lot of uh it had no finish. Uh, I think I found where they put it.

SPEAKER_00 11:21

So it all went into this bottle.

SPEAKER_01 11:25

I mean, I this is finished for days. And I'm we don't talk about the last one a whole lot. Uh but wow, this one is wow. This I mean, this one is really good. This is why I really enjoy Christmas. This might be that god, this we have we just started, but this might be with their best, like one of their best ones.

SPEAKER_03 11:44

One of their best ones, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:45

Yeah, wow. This is um wow. Cheers, cheers to uh no.

SPEAKER_02 11:50

Are you alright with the label thing?

SPEAKER_01 11:53

I mean, the labels the label could be written in toilet paper for this is this is pretty good.

SPEAKER_04 12:00

They're underselling it with the label, though. I mean that I mean I understand their practical reasons for doing it. Um but people, if you get a chance to buy this, don't be turned off by a generic label that that seems to tell you nothing and talk a lot.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

You know what this reminds me of this is it.

SPEAKER_04 12:23

This is it.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

This reminds me a little bit of our last feather rye pick, our barrel pick on the nose. Oh just on the nose.

SPEAKER_02 12:34

Not not the flavor, not flavoring it.

SPEAKER_01 12:37

I couldn't tell you now. The flavor is so overpowering uh that I could I can't equate this to our last feather at all. It's so different. It's it's uniquely its own thing.

SPEAKER_05 12:49

It's so sweet, but uh, but the finish is not. The sweetness kind of goes away a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

I think there's a kind of a graham cracker thing going on. It's kind of absorbing that sweetness, and it's kind of like kind of like it's like graham cracker. It's like a weed in the crust, yeah. It's like crust, it's taking away some of the it's like a pie crust.

SPEAKER_03 13:12

It's either a pie crust or it reminds me of like a sweet uh pizza crust.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

Yeah, but it's absorbing some of the sweetness. It's good. It's I like it. Me too.

SPEAKER_04 13:23

Yeah, I kind of I I wish okay, so I did I for the stole uh emerald, I I did like what that flavor was. It just wasn't enough. I just wanted I just wanted it to, you know, carry on. Um yeah, I mean if if that if the stole ever evergreen could do this, you know, and follow through. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:53

Which is crazy. So we're talking something. Uh the mash bill is obviously gonna be different. The yeast strand's obviously gonna be different. Aging-wise, it's gotta be roughly the same barrel size. This is six or six months more. Six months more.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

Can we talk about how much they've crammed into one year of aging? This is a lot of this is packing a full bunch for one year of aging. And it's so dark. I mean, they're yeah, it's aged. It's and there's nothing distracted everything it could out of that barrel.

SPEAKER_03 14:22

There's nothing young about it that you would never know.

SPEAKER_05 14:26

No, no, this does not have those issues of of immaturity. Um, yeah, that's very, very nice. It's bold, and I don't know if it's I don't know how much it is proof. Like, I don't know the fact that this is bumped up, it's 120 proof now.

SPEAKER_01 14:41

But it's not drinking like it doesn't aggressive, it doesn't drink hot, it doesn't drink young. I mean, the flavor's aggressive, but the proof's not aggressive, right?

SPEAKER_04 14:49

Exactly. Yeah, and it's full bodied, full bodied.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

Dude, this is like Patrick Swayze roundhouse. Right.

SPEAKER_05 14:58

No, roundhouse. I uh uh this is also a limited release, right? This is also a limited release. So you said you got you got bottle 14 and there weren't very many left at that point. No, that doesn't mean that that's all there is, but you know, they could have just brought in a different box or whatever. But um how much was it?

SPEAKER_03 15:19

Oh, this was maybe in the 80s or 70s? Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_04 15:25

Wow, this is cheaper than the stole evergreen?

SPEAKER_03 15:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 15:29

Is this harder?

SPEAKER_03 15:30

It's not is it harder?

SPEAKER_04 15:32

Is it harder to get?

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Oh, they they're putting out more of this.

SPEAKER_03 15:36

I don't I don't know that they're putting out more of this. I it might be equal uh hard to get.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

We've tried a good amount of their stuff at this point, uh, and there's a few things that I'm like, oh, this is really it's the two things I'm thinking of that I'm like, man, this is like really this might be the best thing I've had from there. Let's put this into perspective.

SPEAKER_03 15:52

We we took the new chapter of the club to this distillery. Year one, were you guys into craft distilleries like this? Year one, not done.

SPEAKER_04 16:02

No, I mean I didn't know anything.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

Okay, were you into their flavor release?

SPEAKER_04 16:06

I didn't know the difference between craft and not craft.

SPEAKER_03 16:10

I it was just on the shelf or not. That was it for perfectly that appreciation comes over time.

unknown 16:16

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_03 16:17

The majority of the guys that went were from the second chapter, and they tried that we got a sample of this because Rob made sure that we got a sample of this. We didn't get a sample this the first time we went. It wasn't ready, it wasn't out. Oh dang it, and we that he made sure that everyone on his dime got to try this, and almost every single guy from the new chapter walked away with a bottle. Really? Everybody got one, yeah. Oh, from the new chapter, they they were like sold, done. Yeah, like this is amazing. But you said Rob, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:51

Cheers to you, Rob. Yes, Rob nailed it, absolutely. This is this is like uh a Robin Hood kind of thing where there's like an arrow in the middle of the bullseye, and then he shoots another arrow that splits that arrow in the middle of the bullseye. That's this.

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Have you ever seen the Robin Hood Tights where he's like, I lost, I'm not supposed to lose, I get another shot.

unknown 17:13

He gets another shot.

Why Rob Matters As Distiller

SPEAKER_03 17:15

Let me explain to you Rob as a person. Those that have never met Rob, we went, we did the interview, everything was open. He he found bottles off the truck for us to try. That that's kind of Rob. We start communicating, hey, we won't take the club there. We're gonna try to find the time to take the club there. I've I've got something going on, my personal like I've got stuff going on. I could do it around this month or that month. We go. This guy recently just had like major invasive medical surgery procedures, like maybe like a week before we went. And this is the first time I met the owners, and the owners were both like, we've told Rob not to come in, but Rob will not listen to us. Like, he came in for this, he came in for you guys because he was so excited to talk whiskey, to talk this kind of stuff with you guys. We've been telling him not to come, he's still coming in, he's still doing this thing. This is a guy that has a a passion out the wazoo and just loves talking craft, loves talking whiskey, loves talking oddities. He might eat was he into pipes too when we were there?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

I think he was into smoking cigars, but he was open to pipes. Maybe he had had some pipes. I think he had had family that smoked okay. Anyone that's into moonshine smokes pipes.

SPEAKER_03 18:49

I mean, if you haven't listened to the episode, there's a portion of it that he talks about. They've they've they've tried experimenting with chips, wood chips for finishings, like staves, yeah. But like actual instead of like buying staves, he went out and bought like chips like you would smoke with. And at one point he thought, hmm, could I toast these and would that make a difference? And did it in a toaster oven in his own house or apartment and got yelled at by his wife because it smelled so bad.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Oh yeah, she kicked him out for like two days ago.

SPEAKER_03 19:22

This is like this is that kind of guy or something. He's got like a passion for, and like, could I do this? What would this look like? And for this to be his like crescendo, like this is my like my family's stuff. I understand why you like what why this is your passion. This is holy cow.

SPEAKER_01 19:45

Yeah, crescendo is a good word. Crescendo. I this is um I I if he said this was our magnum opus, I'd say, yeah, okay. 100%. This is and you guys did well with it. This is their, this is what they should. I mean, this is their the bar is set for them, I think. This is it. This should be their like crown and jewel um type of a bottle. This is just great. It's so good. I mean, and the thing is they have other products that are different that are also good. But so I wouldn't say this is like the best of like their other it's just it's different and it's the best because it's its own thing. I don't think this is like anything else we tried while we were there. It's like where I'm like, where when did we get ice cream? You know what I mean? Like that's what I feel like. I'm like, where did this bottle where was this bottle? You know, like you guys are getting what is that movie? What is that movie? The uh that's the uh the tr uh with the Down syndrome kids and uh Johnny Knoxville. Yeah, I was I was quoting that the other night.

SPEAKER_02 20:50

When the F did we get ice cream?

SPEAKER_03 20:52

We got ice cream? We were we were out getting ice cream. When the fuck did we get ice cream? Yeah, it's that's that's this.

SPEAKER_01 20:58

Like what like I like I want I this has to be in my collection. I have to go get a bottle of this.

SPEAKER_03 21:04

What's crazy so what's insane to me is to think you've got craft distilleries. We'll take watershed. Craft distilleries that have been around for 10 plus years. But they started with owners that didn't know the distillation process. They're not distillers. They can market, they can sell, they're great. But they don't really know, they don't have distilling in their blood. They sell out. Still love them, still think they're great, but they're not the same. Then you've got distilleries like this where the owners don't distill, but they found a guy, and if you ha again, if you haven't listened to the story, the interview, Rob came in with a bunch of friends. They used to do this thing on Saturdays where uh they would they would do like a course, like a a distillation course class. And His friends got this good idea of like, oh, let's go, and like not tell him that we've distilled it before just to see what happens. Like for shits and giggles. Let's go. And they go. And at the end he was like, I got pulled aside of like you've done this before, haven't you? You you know what you're doing. And he was like, eh, maybe maybe sort of. And they're like, Would you like a job? And started distilling for them. Like you you talk about a uh a a no-namer craft distillery that they know this is not in their wheelhouse. Distillation is not in their wheelhouse. They have flavors in mind, they have what they want in mind, they don't know how to get there. And they bring on this guy. And this is his first like crescendo, his masterpiece of like let me show you what I can do without no bars holding.

unknown 22:55

No hold spard.

SPEAKER_03 22:56

I was got through that, but then I was like, I'll let it go, I'll let it go. No holds part, yeah. You know, and like there's there's no leash, you do what you want.

SPEAKER_05 23:05

This is these are the bottles that I really wish had Rob's name on them. Yeah, I really wish that there was a signature of the artist.

SPEAKER_04 23:15

Yeah, you should at least in pen, if not on the list.

SPEAKER_05 23:19

Yeah, like I I think that when you like the master distiller is the artist of the bottle. Yeah, and I think that they should be more well known than they are.

unknown 23:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 23:29

And so having somebody like him, I think people should know when they go to Iron Vault that Rob is the master distiller. Yeah, I think that's something that should be happening, whether it's him him putting his name on it, whatever else. Because if, you know, you know, his circumstances may be different, but if you were a 20-something just getting started in the industry, yeah, and you found a place like Iron Vault where they picked you out of the out of the out of the town there, that would be a way for you to say, you know, I know what I'm doing, and I can move to other larger distilleries and kind of make a name for yourself, or grow this distillery on the back of your name.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

And I wish that was more of a if if if I don't know if they're gonna listen to this episode or not. We should we should tell them they probably won't do it.

SPEAKER_05 24:18

We'll we'll tell them though we're really soon.

Packaging Ideas Wax And Signature

SPEAKER_01 24:20

Yeah, I think the uh signature is a good idea, but I I would say something very specific that they should do with this bottle is you see how they have that black wax top. It's really nice, they have their logo and stuff. If that was gray, for one thing, it would set this bottle apart as like this is something special, that different color, but also iron vault, like that gray iron color, that would be kind of cool. But I do think this bottle deserves a pop of color on the wax to kind of be like this is special. And I think visually, when you see that, you already um know it's kind of like Garrison Brothers. You ever seen like they notice like some of their wax kind of stands out, and those are usually kind of their top bottles, like or something that they think they're they're they're proud of those bottles, you know what I mean? Because they're not all different colors, but when you get one, sometimes you're like, okay, this is a why is that a different color? And I think a gray on there, like a light gray, would would distinguish this bottle, and then people would be like, okay, this is all already. I'm thinking this is something different. And right now it looks like just in one of their another one of their things, but this is this should be something they hang their hats on a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 25:30

So sort of like uh Pinhook does the silver wax for the for all their like real specialty IT ones.

Bourbon Or Whiskey And Why

SPEAKER_03 25:39

So let me ask you this if this if this is not a bourbon and just a whiskey, is that it's still the same thought?

SPEAKER_01 25:44

I don't care what it is, it's good. I I don't know why it's not a bourbon, but it's I I don't give away.

SPEAKER_04 25:50

I mean, I didn't read that part of it.

SPEAKER_03 25:54

Whiskey distilled from a bourbon mash.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

I don't know what that so they're doing something to it that's making it not a bourbon.

SPEAKER_03 25:59

Or or or legally speaking. Or they're just they created one label that said distillers select premium whiskey, but it could be a bourbon.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

I don't think so because they wrote it down as whiskey made from a bourbon.

SPEAKER_05 26:12

So I I also I don't know what the cost of a new label is, right? But I have a really hard time with that particular story. Yeah, I don't I don't think that that's exactly to say that this is a batch one, and in another year you're not gonna have enough money to make another I have a hard time believing that. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

That doesn't seem that I get to catch all stuff, but a bourbon's a bourbon and a whiskey's a whiskey, and a whiskey made from bourbon is something else.

SPEAKER_05 26:33

Everyday stuff. Um I'm cool with that. That makes sense. Why change it just to change it from distilled to be? But this is something you should maybe be proud of and do it right.

SPEAKER_04 26:41

Yeah, it's a invest bottle. Invest in this man.

SPEAKER_01 26:44

I don't care if it's a whiskey or a bourbon. Uh, I would like to know why it's not a bourbon. There must be something going on, maybe it's something he's doing to it that's making it technical. Technically speaking, by the letter, it's not a bourbon. I don't give a I mean, but bourbon is whiskey. And I'm fine with it saying it's whiskey and it's you know it's whiskey made from a bourbon or whatever. I'm fine with that. I don't get it.

SPEAKER_05 27:05

Maybe explain it more, but but it's either not going at the right proof point, he's doing something with a reused barrel or something.

SPEAKER_01 27:11

If it's not going in a brand new barrel, it's not going in if it's not going into a brand new barrel, it's not a bourbon. Right. Period at the end. So I so and that's fine.

SPEAKER_05 27:19

Like for me, I'm I don't care less if it's a bourbon or a whiskey. This is brand, whatever.

SPEAKER_04 27:23

I'm I bet that's what it is. The barrel. If he's got them, if the bourbon, if the mash bill is bourbon, how many other options are there? And to get at 100%, there's no aging requirement for bourbon, is there?

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Long branch, long branch is not a bourbon. It must be I love it. It's a whiskey, but I love it. You know what I mean? I don't care. It's as close as it's close enough, you get it's not by the letter of bourbon, but it's a bourbon. You know what I mean? I don't care.

SPEAKER_04 27:46

If somebody cares about that, there's plenty of corners. You're suffering your own punishment by avoiding this bottle. Yeah, like just drink it, man. Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

Like get over get over yourself. Snobbiness and drinking kosher and you can't have it. I mean, but like whiskey bourbon. There's no shellfish has been added to the I I can't have it if it's not bourbon. Like, okay, dude.

SPEAKER_05 28:08

Like honestly, I like whiskey better than bourbon anyway, just as a general rule. It's more open. So yeah, I can I like more whiskeys out there than I do bourbons. So I'm not opposed to it not being a bourbon. Um, but I do want to know why it's not a bourbon.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

I would like to know if that's but I don't give a I don't care. I I wouldn't change it. I here's the thing I wouldn't change one aspect of this except for I think the the gray wax top would be cool. Other than that, I wouldn't change one thing about this. This is flavor-wise, I wouldn't change one thing. I wouldn't, I can't think of anything to improve it. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_04 28:41

Yes, it's perfect.

SPEAKER_01 28:43

And the price sounds I mean, it's perfect. Heavenly that's insane.

SPEAKER_05 28:46

An $80. So I don't know what they're paying for that corn. Well, I mean, this is not what is going on corn. I mean, it has to be the special thing. That's that's I mean, the the that's backwards. Yeah, I mean, you got you got an extra charge for pillowcases, I suppose.

SPEAKER_04 29:01

But do they have to be new pillowcases, or can they be used?

SPEAKER_01 29:04

Probably from uh Super 8 or whatever down the road. So else do you get that many pillowcases? Pillowcases, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:10

But this makes it unique. And and the fact that this is 120 proof also like that means it's not you know, it's I don't know if it's bigger old strength or foolproof or whatever, I don't know. But either way, you're not getting as many out of it.

SPEAKER_01 29:23

You don't need to put that it's one year old. Yeah, maybe just don't put anything, yeah. Just leave that off age-wise, and just just let leave it ambiguous. Uh, who gives a shit?

SPEAKER_05 29:32

Yeah, yeah. It's interesting, it's interesting.

SPEAKER_01 29:35

You don't have to put it on there, it's intriguing. I don't understand what it's intriguing. We were able to get all this flavor into one year. I maybe, but I maybe you don't need to put it on there, right?

SPEAKER_04 29:45

They could move that info info to the website, yeah, because that's not what like, yeah, that isn't gonna sell the bottle. I think aged one year is not gonna sell the bottle. No, don't get that out of the way.

SPEAKER_05 29:57

Too many people are gonna be like, uh uh, it it makes the it makes the liquid more impressive to me, to me, but it would never make me pick up the bottle. And so it's like it's it needs to be in the little novella that they have written on the back of it there. Which they can probably slim down to put it put it into that, you know, put it into that information. Probably take three-quarters of that out of the website or something, yeah. Um but the the liquid inside is heavenly.

Tobacco Flavor And Pairing Clicks

SPEAKER_05 30:23

I mean, this is a fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

So this tobacco, let me get into this for a minute. It's interesting because I've had this before. I actually had it a few times before, and I was never like super impressed with it. Um, I'm and I'm wondering if I just didn't get it at the time. But uh, this is really good for me right now. Like this is actually hitting for me. Um, but you know what? It's it's I think it's because it's remi, it's kind of scratching an itch I've been having for a while. I ordered um, I got a big old bag of Esoterica um black pull like years ago. And it's a very random one-off thing that I wouldn't even recommend. I got it in an eight-ounce bag, and it's a very heavily it's overly sweet, um, and it's licorice, and it was kind of like too too much. Um, but it was good, but it was like too much at the time. It was one of those things like I didn't really appreciate it, and I got rid of it, and then I was like kind of craving it. It was one of those weird things, and you just can't get it because it's not something they really make a whole lot of. Um and I've been looking for it kind of just because it was like a weird, like, you know what I mean? Like, well, this is kind of scratching that itch a little bit because it's English like that, but it's got this sweetness, and it's just got this unique, and I think it's the preek a well as well, but it's got this really interesting flavor to it. And it does remind me of like kind of a muggy summer night, you know what I mean, out in the woods or something. It is kind of Louisiana-esque, you know, the bayou-esque kind of, but it's I don't know if it's just if it's going really good with this whiskey, and I just randomly had to happen to pair that, or if it's just smoking really well tonight, or if it's the age on it, or what. I actually like I'm enjoying this so much, I'm like, I have to get up a few more tens of this. I really enjoy this because it's it's got the smoky latikea going, but it's sweet, but it's not overly sweet, it's like naturally sweet.

SPEAKER_04 32:22

Um, and then it's got that peppery kind of salty kind of yeah, and and um it's smoking that way. Well, maybe a little bit different from the way it smells in the tin.

unknown 32:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 32:36

Because when I was smelling it in the tin, I could smell the Latachia, and I was thinking, oh man, which pipe am I gonna use? If I use my full English pipe, the the cake in there might add too much more, but I was a little bit afraid to smoke that much Latikiya in a different pipe. Um, and so it's like one of those like right on the borderline of is this a dedicated Latikia type pipe or no? Um, and but it's smoking a lot less uh Latikia than what it smelled to me.

SPEAKER_01 33:15

Yeah, it's less of an English than you think.

SPEAKER_04 33:18

Yeah, yeah. And and I enjoy it. It's smoking.

SPEAKER_01 33:22

It's it is very cool smoking.

SPEAKER_05 33:24

It is, it's interesting because like you said, it has, and this I get this a lot with those little Louisiana style style tobaccos where there's like a spiciness, there's a depth to it that it's almost like this is meant for the winter, yeah, but I also feel like it's a perfect summer blend. Yeah, for like summer evening. Yeah, this is a very summer kind of a pipe tobacco, but it's a really bold pipe tobacco, also, which is the same. It could go for winter too.

SPEAKER_01 33:50

I think it's because it could also this could go with rum. This reminds me of like a spiced cake, like a fruit cake sometimes, you know what I mean? Like when I'm smoking, I'm like, I could eat fruitcake and smoke this kind of a thing. And that's a weird, that's like uh winter time, you know what I mean? Or a smalled wine, things like, but then also it goes to like a summer evening with the crickets and the sun's going down, and there's a lot of grass, you know what I mean? And it's like it could go both ways, it's so weird. It's not really a fall or a spring blend, but like summer and winter.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

It goes really well with this whiskey.

SPEAKER_05 34:28

It does.

SPEAKER_04 34:30

Yeah, I mean that that that because this is like full body, full flavor. Um, there's just something really nice about this tobacco that's like a mellow accompaniment to this um with just enough spice to kind of make it interesting and and and stuff. And it goes really well. Like this I go I could say that this whiskey could be the equivalent of like uh what'd you say, like a rum cake? Yeah, like uh uh or so or so.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Or like a spiced cake, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:04

Yeah, even though it's not rum, it's like it's spicy, like all that all the body of that.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Yeah, and it's just it's a very smooth, uh, cool uh burning tobacco. It's such a it's such a smooth tobacco, especially for an English. I just feel like it's very uh easy going, but I feel like it would also keep the mosquitoes away, you know.

SPEAKER_05 35:30

Yeah, it's burning well. It's uh you know you're relighting. It's burning really well, yeah. It's going down to a nice white ash. A little peek behind the curtain in the last episode.

Sun Bear Update And Future Pairings

SPEAKER_05 35:38

We told you you guys we were waiting for the sun bear. Uh we were in line for that. We did achieve it. Yep, I just couldn't eat more. Oh, good. Okay, next next time.

SPEAKER_01 35:48

I figured you were able to snag some.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

Uh well, it says I paid for it, but I have yet to get confirmation otherwise.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

So those guys are like do not refresh. Yeah, can you imagine having disappeared? I was like, well, the imagine having a business where you have to like keep people in line and like before you sell out, like you're managing yourself. You already know you're gonna sell out, yeah, and you're managing it. That is a pretty good business.

SPEAKER_05 36:10

It is, yeah. So uh so we will have some some of the new Sunbear on at some point in the next few months, so that will be coming out eventually. Um uh because we will pop at least one of those tins right away, and so we'll we'll get a get a taste of them and then set a few back for for future, future episodes and everything. But we will have a chance to try some of that new sunbear, and we'll have to figure out what in the world we're gonna pair it with. This is good, we're gonna have to reverse this. It's gonna have to be what are what drink do we pair the tobacco with? Yeah, you're right.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

It's gonna be the other opposite.

SPEAKER_05 36:44

Because normally we're just kind of randomly finding tobaccos to to pair with whiskies. We'll have to go the other way around with that one.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Well, is there anything more we can say about this other than buy it, go out and buy it? Yeah, what that's that's the crazy thing.

SPEAKER_03 36:55

This this it's not it's not a very long episode, but this has been like that's the thing. What the heck? Do this.

SPEAKER_05 37:01

We really don't have a lot to say about it because we like it so much. Uh we like it, and we've already said everything we can about the distillery. Um, but it's it's so good. I there's no notes.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

It's it's other than they should change the uh wax.

SPEAKER_05 37:16

Yeah, we have we have bottle issues, but no no liquidity.

SPEAKER_04 37:19

I do wish they need to do some something to let the container know down by three quarters on the back. Yeah, let people know by looking at it on the shelf. This is something out of the ordinary. Right. You need you need to look at this right now.

SPEAKER_05 37:36

Yeah. Because this is worth every penny of an $80 bottle. I mean, this is a I mean, not that I want you to do anything about it, but right they could pay more if you're they shouldn't change the price, but they could change the price. Yeah. So um, yeah, so I I think that it's a it's a win all the way around. Yeah. I mean, it's yeah, it's real sexy at that price.

SPEAKER_01 38:00

Yeah, yeah. It's showing a lot of leg at that price.

SPEAKER_05 38:04

Uh this is badge one, and we got it. We're so low-cut dress. We bought it. We bought it. When did we buy it? Roughly. Like last month, a couple months ago.

SPEAKER_03 38:14

A couple months ago. This would have been uh sometime in July, June?

SPEAKER_01 38:19

Well, July was just one month ago.

SPEAKER_03 38:22

Uh this was a month ago. Yeah, not even no, this would have been April? Was it April? I thought it was April. Back in April, okay. April 18th is when I bought it.

SPEAKER_05 38:33

Okay. So keep an eye on Iron Vault around April time for you. And uh that way when batch two comes out.

SPEAKER_04 38:42

I mean, I w I wonder if they've already sold out. There's a possibility. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:47

I mean, how do you try this and not buy it?

SPEAKER_05 38:49

Yeah. And that's the thing.

Where To Find Iron Vault

SPEAKER_05 38:51

That's one really nice thing about these places is you go in there, you can sample it. You can try it.

SPEAKER_04 38:56

Try everything. Is this only available at the distillery? I mean, pretty much all their stuff.

SPEAKER_05 39:01

Do they sort of do they distribute anything?

SPEAKER_03 39:05

It's low. There's very little bit. There's a few bars that's a few bars and may uh uh they do do like oh stores, but it's very few that they can like supply.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

It would just be right around the the galleon of clumboard. I mean, it's a tiny tiny place, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:23

Yeah, galleon for those of you that don't know where it is, which probably most of you, right?

SPEAKER_01 39:27

North, north, or that's what I meant. North to say north northeast.

SPEAKER_03 39:31

What I can tell you is they have a really good windy's, apparently, right beside them. That is the only place next to them in the whole place. Really nice windies, huh? Uh we went to a really good Mexican fries, or you just drive maybe five minutes away and you got a really good one. We did a really good Mexican Mexican place was pretty good.

SPEAKER_01 39:51

Do you get briot tacos both times? We got it last time. It was really good.

SPEAKER_03 39:55

I thought it was really good. And Micah got guak for the whole table, the tableside guak.

SPEAKER_05 39:59

Nice. So there you go. So yeah, it is uh is north of Columbus, north of Delaware, uh South of Toledo? Besires, I suppose, is town northeast, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:09

Yeah, northeast, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 40:10

North North Central pretty much, but mostly north central. Yeah, Besires is the north closest big town. Bucky Russ. Go get yourself a Bratwurst and then hop over there. What do they have bratwurst at Bucky Russia? We've talked about this before. They have a Bratwurst festival every year.

SPEAKER_01 40:27

Oh, I forgot about that.

SPEAKER_05 40:27

We should go. Carl's things.

SPEAKER_01 40:31

Carl's had it. Oh, yeah, I've had it many a time.

SPEAKER_05 40:35

Carl that kills people.

SPEAKER_01 40:36

Is that a just at the festival or you carl is a restaurant? Why didn't we do that last time?

SPEAKER_05 40:43

Well, that's in Kubernetes. It's not in Galleon. So it's another 15-20.

SPEAKER_01 40:48

Totally would have been worth it. Oh, yeah. Let's do that sometime. I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_03 40:51

So we go there and then get up and we make several trips? Yeah. Well, perfect. Yeah. Win win-win. Win win-win.

SPEAKER_05 41:00

Oh man. All right. Until next time, gents.

Final Thoughts And Support The Show

SPEAKER_05 41:08

Thank you for listening to the podcast. If you want more great content and other perks, be sure to support the show by clicking the link in the show notes. We can be reached on our website, whiskeychaserspa.com, with any ideas for the show. Thanks again.