Laphroaig Oak Select!

SPEAKER_01 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. Hello 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_02 0:30

We're back. Back at it again without Steve. Back at it with Ryan. With another scotch. With another scotch that Ryan uh Ryan brought. His least favorite uh distillery. We've heard him say some awful things about this distillery, so I'm shocked that he brought it.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

He's just not a fan.

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Um yeah. LaFroig might be his least favorite from what he says. Heard it from him, folks. I uh this this might be safe to say this is one of your favorite distilleries.

SPEAKER_03 1:02

It is, yeah, it's my favorite. Yeah, so this one is Cast Collection, Oak Select.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Oak Select. I feel like we're gonna get matching Lefroig tattoos.

SPEAKER_03 1:16

Yes, we definitely need to do that. Yeah, so I was at the liquor store um actually looking for a Christmas gift. And uh I because the whiskey Christmas exchange. And uh I came across this Oak Select. It's the first time I ever saw this, and it's priced ten dollars cheaper than LaFroig 10, which you don't ever see. LaFroig 10's around 60, hangs out hangs out around 60. This was around 50, which is crazy for any LeFroig, really. Of course, I have to buy that, but I thought like I better try it first before I gift it to somebody. Flavor profile, sweet, subtle smoke. That's that's actually a very good way of putting it. And then it says our most laid-back expression.

SPEAKER_02 2:14

I would agree with that one too.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

But yeah, so then I had to I had to pick it up being a Lefroy fan, and that's how that's how we got the bottle. Um yeah, Chris has had a taste of this before, but Nick, you haven't. So, like what how does it strike you?

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Different. Something's happening, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

That's how I feel. It's different from so we often like well, we like to say for history's sake, that there's a feud between the logovillin and the freig people. You're either one or the other, right? Beatles or stones, yeah. This this is this is neither. This this is something completely on its own.

SPEAKER_03 2:56

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Yeah, how say more elaborate so both Lefroig and Logovin, the minute you touch your lips to it, you're like intense, smoky. I'm I'm now in a campfire or barbecue for Lefroig. So you you're you're all in. Kissing a mermaid who's just eaten barbecue. Uh-huh. This is uh this we've we've talked about lore being the friendly version of the Freud. This is friendlier than lore. It's friendlier than even Logavin. It's got the subtle smoky in the back. But when you start out, it is it's American whiskey with a little bit of sweetness that bleeds into scotch with the peated smoke. And I don't know that I've I don't know that we've ever had anything like it. Not bourbon. We're not talking like American, we're talking like just full-on American whiskey. I get what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

So when Ryan poured this for me a week or two ago, he didn't read me the stuff on the I didn't know anything about it.

SPEAKER_03 4:00

I wanted him to taste it without seeing the label.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

What I think what I said was it was chilled out. It was like chill. And then you were like, oh yeah, well, that's because it's it says our most laid back expression. I was like, that makes sense. Which it is very laid back, which I'll get into, I guess, in a minute. But whether I like that or not, I guess I should say. But uh what you're saying is actually something I didn't think of at the time, but this is reminiscent. The beginning of this, the first part of it, is reminiscent reminiscent of what I would consider an American single malt, the good aspects of an American single malt. And then it fades into it, then it blends into scotch, in my in my opinion. It's very much scotch. Um Isla Scotch, but toned down big time. It's like turning the volume away to a degree that I don't like. Uh but it is very much their most laid-back expression. Who that's for, I don't know. You're buying LaFroig and you want a chilled-out version of Lefroig. What are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 5:01

Yeah, if you're buying Lefroig, I mean, if you're buying Lefroig, you're buying Lefroig. Lafroig for Lefroig, not Lafroig for dull. You know what I mean? Like, and then it's not dull.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

It's not dull. It's not dull. It's um for some reason, just now talking about it's Lefroig's most laid-back expression. The thing that came to my mind was like your wife or girlfriend or whatever, is asleep, and you come into the room and you give her a kiss. That's this LaFroy.

SPEAKER_00 5:34

You're kissing a sleeping woman with no to like no tongues or nothing like that.

SPEAKER_03 5:38

Like, she's not trying, she's not into it, she's not even awake. This is sleeping beauty kiss. Sleeping beauty's kiss. You're still like this is LaFroig, still like you still get the you still get this the Lafroig flavor, but it, but it's thin. The bot, it's it's a thin body, there's no backbone.

SPEAKER_00 5:56

It's uh she's not going out to get groceries goodbye kiss versus I'm going to war kiss.

SPEAKER_03 6:01

Yes, she's not kissing you back. Like you're kissing her, but she's not kissing you back.

SPEAKER_02 6:06

That's the that's the Lefroy. The kiss on the forehead when they're still asleep. And you forget to do it, and they go, You didn't give me a kiss this morning.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

No, you were asleep. You had no idea. Forehead kiss is non-alcoholic beer.

unknown 6:20

That's nothing.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

You gotta have a kiss on the lips.

SPEAKER_03 6:23

But it's a kiss on the lips. But she's not she's not kissing back.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

It's it's a kiss of like, hey, I'm gonna go get the groceries versus uh, I'm going off to war. Yeah, I might not come back. That's for me, regular LaFroy is like like LaFroig 10's, like, hey, well, let me put a little muscle into this. Yeah, yeah. May all your kisses be like Lafroig 10 kisses, let me just say the uh the very first bottle we had for the series, the the kill kill caren.

SPEAKER_02 6:52

We talked about how it like continued to be a Willy Wonka. This might be that like the first few sips. It's it's it's um changing ones. I think it's kind of one note. It's changing in the sense that when you first, like I said, when you first sip on it, it's almost American whiskey. But then also taking another sip, it's almost like oh, there's some corn. There's no corn in here, but it's almost like corn whiskey. Corn in the sense of when you eat corn chips, you know what I mean? Like it's it's not like I'm I'm eating corn on the cob or eating, you know, boiled corn, but like almost like a corn chip where it's it's faint, it's there.

SPEAKER_00 7:27

I get what you're saying, because I was gonna say, I was gonna call Steve up and tell him, like, hey, I finally found an American single malt that I like. It's Lafroy goes because American single malt is like a like a less manly version of Scotch. And I always enjoy it until like the first third is over, then I'm like, oh, I hate it. And then the finish comes, and I'm like, I detest it.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

American single malt is what you have before your bar mint spot. Yeah. And then you become a man, and here's some scotch.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

I feel like this starts off like American single malt, like, oh, this is trying to be something, and then it goes into like something else, but it's not disgusting like American single malt is like it's all right, it's like scotch, you know what I mean? But American single malt, I try it, I'm like, I like it, I like don't like it. I really don't like it. That's usually how it goes, right? Um, this is like I like it, I like it. Uh yeah, I like it, I like it. I'm gonna have to tell Steve, I finally found an American single malt. I like it's a scotch.

SPEAKER_02 8:29

So this is very interesting to me because well, we've talked about LaFrog's history before, probably several times by now. But this bottle moving past all their history, their fun, weird history. The uniqueness for this bottle is the Frog tends to do, along with every other scotch, like X bourbon barrels. That seems to be their aging barrel. They don't like, they don't understand why we use our barrels once and then be done with it. But they do PX sherry casks, I believe X-Bourbon barrels, but then new American Virgin Oak barrels. They do the virgin oak. So ones that have never touched anything else. That's not typical for Scotch.

SPEAKER_03 9:12

That's what this is, the Oak Select.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

That's what this one is. So that's why it's called the Oak Select. I think that's why I'm getting that American bourbon, American whiskey kind of feel is from that American oak that's never touched anything else. But what intrigues me about this even more is knowing who owns it. Was it Diageo? No, it's this is Beam. Oh, it is Beam. Oh, that's right. So that intrigues me even more with this Oak Select and how they decide to do it. Because if you ever talk to the you know anyone at Jim Beam itself, they're like, we don't like Lefrey. Like, I know it's ours, but we don't understand Scotch. We don't like Scotch. We want American bourbon. They don't uh they don't understand Scotch. Scotch is very different from bourbon. However, there's an appreciation for what distillers do for scotch. And so I think that appreciation, this bottle for me shows that that appreciation has grown for both sides to say what do you have that you can offer that we haven't done before? And what can we do that we've never done? Like the merging between the two. This very much seems like a merge between American flavors and scotch, and you take it a step further, and it's one of the uh most offensive scotches you can find, and offensive in a good way, like log of line. I mean, it's in your face. So to take something that's in your face and to be able to tone it down to this without forgetting your roots, so without forgetting the peated the the heavy, smoky flavor, that I find very interesting. I appreciate that. I can respect that.

SPEAKER_03 10:52

That's an interesting angle. Also, I forgot that Beam owned LaFroig. When I drank this the first time, um, I was a little bit disappointed. Like the LeFroig flavor is there, but it's lacking the body or the backbone. It's thinner. It is it is sweeter, it's not a bad flavor, but it's sort of like it made me ask, like, why, why? Why did they make this? Who did they make this for? Like, for people, it if this is like this isn't an entry-level scotch, I wouldn't say.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

Even at this, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 11:35

The the flavor is even in this oak select, it's too, it's too powerful for a you know, like a noob. But if you're not a noob and you've already had LeFroig 10 and enjoyed it, you wouldn't step down to this.

SPEAKER_02 11:49

This is a step down, you wouldn't even go from LaFro uh Logovin to this to Lafrey.

SPEAKER_00 11:54

No, I don't know. That's what I was talking about when we when I first tried. When you're first progressing through scotch and you want something, if you are reaching for something stronger, you would never work your way up to this. It'd be a step back, really. Because I feel like Highland, there's Highlands, like a Highland 12, and then this, you'd be like, Well, I'm not taking a step backwards. Whereas like a Highland 12, Highland Park 12, and then you go up to like LaFroig 10. That's a natural progression, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Yeah, it's so it's a weird combination with the thin body. It's just who's it for and the and the like upfront smoky peaty LaFroig flavor. Like you still pick up that flavor, but there's just something thinner, thinner and weaker, no backbone. It's missing what Lafroig 10 is. Like, why would you want this? So, thinking about it in terms of like the creators and thinking like, let's partner on something and do something new, that makes more sense. But like, who do they expect this to land with? That's a different question. Like, what's the market for this? Because Lefroig 10 drinkers, I I'm I imagine they're gonna feel the way I felt, which is a little bit like, oh, you know, right.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

So as a as someone that loves uh not smoking a pipe, but smoking meat, what I've come to learn is, and you guys have probably seen this with some of the stuff I've done for you guys. I think of the mac and cheese that I smoked for you guys one time for the club. So it was I used mesquite wood for that mac and cheese, and that was intense. That was that was that was heavy, heavy smoke. That was Lafroy times 10. Like that was that was intense. I loved it. I thought it was wonderful. But then if you if you look at that smoking aspect, there's different woods that provide different smoke flavors and smoke intensity, right? But each one has their their role or can provide something. Uh we did uh the the turkey we did for the club was a cherry and applewood smoke. That was dark as all get out color-wise, but it wasn't heavy smoke. So I look at this bottle that same way as like a a smoker, a meat smoker. This has got its place in my shelf because there's times where I look at my collection and what I want to drink, and I go, I want some smoke, but I don't want the intensity of the smoke. I would like something a little bit more subtle.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

So like a smoked chicken versus like a smoked pork or beef.

SPEAKER_02 14:29

Yes. Like there, there's there's there's moments where I'm like, I I I have I have moments where I'm like, I want I want smoke, like I want that that flavor, but I don't want the intensity of smoke. So I I would like a hint of it, but I don't yeah, I want a hint of it, but I don't want full on in your face.

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Would this be something that you would actually reach for in those occasions? Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 14:54

Especially if I'm going from a more a less meaty version of Yeah, if I'm going from a season of I just had a lot of bourbon to now we're starting to we're kind of getting fall, we're kind of getting winter-ish, this would be uh the probably the first bottle I'd grab.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Because it's like a light, full body, you know what I mean? Because it still has full body when you compare it to other things, but it's just light, a lighter version of that.

SPEAKER_02 15:18

It's it's not if you if if you're a lover of a Freud, right? If you if you love that mesquite flavor, you're not gonna go for any other kind of smoke. You're gonna you're gonna want that. And if someone goes, oh, it's mesquite flavored, and you you try it and go, but where? Like, I'm sorry, what what did you like how well we use like liquid smoke? That's not that same thing, you know what I mean? This is this is that. This is like, hey, we used it and you tried and you're like, but that when? Where? Where did where did you use it? Like, I'm expecting the full on thing.

SPEAKER_00 15:56

And I don't have a lighter scotch. It's definitely like um, I mean, it's light for Lafroig, but you couldn't pour this for me and say, like, I I would be able to pick out its LaFroig. You know what I mean? So it's got some of the very um specific characteristics that that um will make Lafroig Lefroig, but they're toned down in a way that I think I guess could lend itself to somebody who likes those flavors but doesn't like how much of a punch Lafroig has, or like what you're saying, Nick, maybe somebody who's not in the mood for all the punch LaFroig has, but still having have have having those specific flavors that make Lafroig Lefroig, which is apart from anything else I've ever tried. Because even in this variation, there's flavors going on that I've never tried in any other scotch ever, although albeit those flavors are toned down. But they're still very unique and specific to Lefroig. You can't get that in any other bottle. And I was gonna ask, like, other than the maybe I missed it, but other than the new oak, what are they doing that's toning this stuff down?

SPEAKER_02 16:59

So they're they're doing quite a bit more than what I said or realized. It's aged in Ola or so sherry butts, first fill ex bourbon, quarter casks.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

So throwing some quarter casks in there. All of its quarter casks, okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:13

And then 53 gallon quarter casks, from what I understand, is it's like journeyman doing 15 gallons and combining it with 53. We had some age longer, we had some age shorter amount of time, but more intense oak, you know, combination interaction with the wood. And then they do PX Sherry Hogshead at different levels of maturations. So if you think of it this way: in a rack house, you have all these different barrels. They're looking at we've got these four that are X bourbon, first frill, X bourbon quarter casks. We got these on the second shelf or second row that are Olarosa Sherry bots, and then we got these on the first ones that are PX sherry, and so they blend those together, and then it's finished in virgin American oak barrels. So brand new American oak wood, which is not normal.

SPEAKER_03 18:08

Finishing in unused barrels.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

So they don't age it in those, they then blend all those barrels together, those three, they blend those three, and then they finish it in first fill virgin oak barrels.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

But you think they bring more of an oak flavor.

SPEAKER_02 18:24

But I think I think that's where you're getting the American that kind of American whiskey from. I think that's where you're getting it.

SPEAKER_03 18:30

It's a really weird concept to think of finishing in an unused barrel.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Right, right. But if you think about it this way, they use American oak for aging, but they're always ex-burbons. So the barrels that they've used that are American oak have already been used by something else. So they you don't have um we've had whiskey that's not been aged, right? So white dog. We've tried white dog and then we've tried it aged. Those are night and day difference, and the only difference is the interaction with the wood, right? So there's something to be said about American oak interaction flavor-wise.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

It's huge, huge. But I just would expect there to be more of an I mean it and it's oak select, but but if it's finished in it, it's expected to be more. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

But maybe it's probably not sitting in there though, just for a little smaller time.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

I mean, compared to everything else, maybe a couple months to a year. It's not like it's a long time, yeah, because otherwise you would get a whole lot more oak. Right. Because if you think about scotch, scotch is old, they like to age their stuff a lot. So if I'm looking at a scotch bottle personally, and I see that it's finished in something, I'm not expecting them to have finished it in it for more than two years max. So in the in the grand scheme of things, if you look at the timeline of how long it's aged to when it's finished, it barely touched the barrel that it's been finishing in compared to how long it's been aging, you know?

SPEAKER_03 19:59

It's like a couple having a a child and all the recessive genes show up for some reason. It's like, how the hell did this happen?

SPEAKER_00 20:08

No, it's an albino, it's an albino.

SPEAKER_03 20:11

Like the all the dominant genes normally show up. Now this kid has all the recessive genes.

SPEAKER_02 20:16

Like, what where'd he come from? Let's let's think about it this way. We've all had toasted barrel finishes, and when you have a toasted barrel finish, it is like it's this, but like marshmallow, it's very creamy, it's very like graham cracker, you know, it's s'mores when you do a toasted oak finish, which is new American oak that's never touched anything, lightly toasted. Lightly toasted. This is not a dark chart. This is like that. Like, this is like we barely touched it with anything. It kind of is.

SPEAKER_03 20:49

Now that you say that, like I noticed the sweetness, it is a little more caramel, but maybe it's more marshmallow than caramel. I think it's more marshmallow than caramel. Then you mentioned that. Yeah, I think that clarifies it a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

Well, and the first time you poured this for me, Ryan, I was kind of like, I don't know, but like now sitting down and like having it, I I I see its place. It's and it's but I think the big thing that to remember is it's still the Freig. It still is the Freig. And that that's the thing. Like it originally I was like, who is this for? I wouldn't like it, why would you buy it? But here's the thing you can't get anything with Lafroig's. LeFroig is so unique that you can't get anything else on the market that has those types of flavors. And to have an option with those types of flavors just toned down a bit is not a bad thing to have. I mean, I don't know. I I would rather just have like foolproof, but I think that it would not be a bad thing to have on hand, a version of Lafroy toned down with a little bit more oak ford, which is what I think this is my a little I am getting a little bit more wood on it than uh typical LaFroy, but it is definitely Lafro LeF Lefroig's flavors, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 21:58

Yeah, it is it is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Like after drinking all this other scotch lately, that this is standing out. And this is even their toned-down version, the most laid-back version of their fruit. It's the best, dude. It's the best. I'd rather have this than half the other stuff I've been drinking lately, you know.

SPEAKER_02 22:16

So I have a big respect for LaFroid. I love Logavin. I will always pick Logavin. But I have a major respect for Lafroy. And not because it's Prince Charles's favorite and he gave a crest and all that fun jazz. Not too worried about all that. All the Epstein stuff. LeFroig is one of the few distilleries, if not the only one, Scotch distillery that I know of, that is also in ownership with an American whiskey or bourbon company that has had some significance in each other's bottles or finished products. Log Volin is Diageo. Uh, we we may get to another bottle of Diaggio's here in the the series. Diaggio doesn't know shit. Kindly put. Kindly put. Diage is really good at what they do. Diageo doesn't have the knowledge or experience. LaFroig has got knowledge and experience. Beam has got knowledge and experience. Now you combine Beam Centauri, Centauri being a Japanese whiskey, they've got knowledge and they've got experience. And know how none of these companies are afraid to boast we know what we're doing and we do it well. Now, what I respect the crap out of is the fact that you've got Beam, who has clearly said the distillers have clearly said we don't understand or appreciate Scotch, but we're more than happy to help be a part of the product. We respect what they do, we respect the master distiller, we respect the blender. That is an art that we cannot achieve, but we don't like it. We don't like the end product. You also have the front that goes, This American bourbon stuff can stop. We don't we don't understand it or like it, but we we can respect what you do. You do it well, and we respect that. Here you've got a final product that potentially says we don't like each other's stuff, but we can find a middle ground that says we we can partner weird, weird middle ground. We we can partner together to come up with something that makes sense for us and for you. Does it though?

SPEAKER_03 24:24

Does it make sense for both flip who's who's going so if you have had if if you know what you're buying, not just like me, me being like, ooh, I've never had this, I'm gonna buy it. If you know what it is, are you gonna pick this?

SPEAKER_02 24:41

Yes, but here's why. Okay, I say have an appreciation of it, it's not as a bourbon drinker or as a scotch drinker.

SPEAKER_03 24:51

It is a tequila drinker. We're trying to snag the tequila market.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

It's it's the it's the whiskey kind of story it's the historian part of me that appreciates what each distillery has, what they do, not necessarily what they put out, but what they do. You're talking this this is little book. This is little book for bean. Little book, each chapter tells a story. Each chapter tells a story, each chapter is different, each chapter is well thought through. Each chapter is expensive. It is those there's two different kinds of collectors for the little books. There's those that want to profit off of it, and there's those that taste it and go, holy shit, this tells a story that nothing, no other whiskey tells. And I I appreciate that and I respect the crap out of that. That's this bottle for me for Scotch. This tells a story that no other Scotch bottle for me tells. Of two different, we're talking two different ends of spectrum for whiskey makers, whiskey distillers coming together and saying, let's let's combine what we know, let's combine what we do to create something. I'm not saying that something's fantastic out of this world, wonderful. It departs from what the original is, but it's something that no other Scotch distillery can claim they do. I think that's true.

SPEAKER_03 26:17

This is unique. I mean, but what is the story? To me, this is more like fan fiction. Okay. Like, this isn't like it has the characters you know, right? It's like like fake news. But this is not like official, this isn't canon storyline here. This is like fanfic. Uh it's a spin-off. It's a spin-off. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

This like this is the uh the choose your own adventure book. I hated it. I never had an appreciation for it. Really? How dare you? I'm of choose your own adventure. This is the this is the choose your own adventure book. This is one that I would have gotten so upset with because I didn't like how it ended. I didn't want to have to choose.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

But you just go back. I always made I always made it to track and then I could go back. I had like 10 bookmarks and everything. I used to write down on a list what I had to go back to on my turns, on my changes.

SPEAKER_02 27:19

The part of me that hated the choose your own adventure books is the part of you that isn't unsure about this bottle. You know what it is, but it's not what you're used to. It's something different.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

Yeah. It's interesting to me because it's not what I'm used to, but I hesitate about it because I'm not sure how like what is the good of it.

SPEAKER_00 27:40

So like what's I think Ryan's afraid he's on a trip to Cancun and ends up in like Kansas City.

SPEAKER_03 27:46

I love Kansas City. Actually, I love Kansas City.

SPEAKER_00 27:51

I've never been to Kansas City, but I you know, you know what I'm saying? Like this isn't where the hell I was supposed to be.

SPEAKER_03 27:58

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

You've had the quarter cask.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Yeah, you've had the lore, you've had the ten, you've had you had the cadaris. I always say Sederis. Sidaris. Caratus. Yeah, you've had all of those.

SPEAKER_03 28:12

How is this different? It's like Lafroig 10 without the backbone or something. It's like, well, it's like um, it's like meeting uh like a great warrior past his prime. Like he's he's chilled out. He he's chilled out, he's not as intense.

SPEAKER_00 28:35

It's Mike Tyson's fight.

SPEAKER_03 28:37

And and and like like he's like lost weight, you know, he's like scrawnier, he's lost, he's he's uh yeah, like he he he's still him, but he's but he doesn't have like the toughness and the power that you know that you associated with him. He's like the the old man version of the person you knew at his prime. That's what this is to me. Okay, so what about the others compared to he's a grandpa now, so he'll like there is some sweetness here in this. Um that it's not unpleasant. I mean, I I enjoy it, but it does seem a little odd to me. It doesn't seem completely to fit with the like the smoky Lafroy flavor with the thinness of body. It's like, yeah, like you've lost weight, you've lost muscle mass, you're an old, you're kind of like an old man now. You can't do what you did, but you still have the same mind you had when you were in your prime.

SPEAKER_00 29:47

Like you're not a bitch, you just less love.

SPEAKER_03 29:49

Or even another aspect of being a grandparent is like somebody, it's somebody else's responsibility to do the things to do.

SPEAKER_02 29:57

It don't have to be as rough around the edge.

SPEAKER_03 29:58

It don't have to be the bad cop. That's exactly what I'm getting at.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

You can only be the good cop. There's different responsibilities there because those kids still kids are not raised well by grandparents specifically, because parents do things that grandparents won't, and vice versa.

SPEAKER_03 30:12

And they have to.

SPEAKER_00 30:14

Somebody's got to be the bad guy, right? Or the kids don't learn. That's what it comes down to. But I was gonna say, and I shouldn't coin this phrase, but it's like what you're describing is I used to have the eye of the tiger, now I have the tiger's tail. That's it, dude. That's totally what this is. This is like the warrior past its prime.

SPEAKER_02 30:35

This is the grandparent that says, I don't have to be I don't have to be tough anymore. Yeah, I don't have to be tough. I can soft mess with that guy.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Right. But don't mess with that guy. This is soften a little bit. This is Clint Eastwood in that movie Gran Torino. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

Uh yeah, that's a great, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:49

Yeah, like that was a good movie. When he finally does stand up, you expect like hell to pay, but like hell doesn't really pay, but he still kind of messes people up. And you're like, well, you could tell at one point, like if he had stood up to these guys, there would have been hell to pay. But now it's just he's still good, just not as good as he used to be. Still badass. Just he's just not a killer, you know what I mean? It's dude, I kill back to it's Mike Tyson's fight. I think that fight was thrown, but uh everybody thought Mike Tyson was gonna go in there and kill uh that that dude. He wanted to, but he held. I think he held back, but I think he held back. But whether he did or not, it's like at one point Mike Tyson was a killer. Now he's older and he fought because he had to for the money. And he was still good, he held his own, he wasn't gonna get knocked out, but he didn't win. He didn't really lose either.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

That idea, do you have more of an appreciation for the bottle? This is a loaded question because you love Lafroy 10. Lafroy 10 is your child, like you love it. This is this is a slightly different version of that.

SPEAKER_00 31:55

I think Ryan still has the eye of the tiger, dude.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

I feel conflicted because on the intellectual level, I think I am able to appreciate it more here hearing your perspective on it. I'm I'm not sure whether I would buy it again. So maybe, maybe I would. Maybe I would, but like, uh like if I if I could go Lefroy 10, I probably would go LeFroig 10.

SPEAKER_00 32:24

He still has the eye of the tiger. I think when I was old, if I was older, I think I might gravitate towards this. Older? Yeah. What difference does that make? I I think as you get old. Have you ever noticed older people like sweets more?

SPEAKER_02 32:40

I've found that older people have more an appreciation of life.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Maybe that's what maybe that's what it is. Maybe that's what it is. I just feel like old, like older people are always about dessert and hard candies and and things like that. You know what I mean? I I feel like there's been people I've known that used to drink black coffee. As they get older, they drink cream in their coffee, right? You get what I'm going, you get what I'm going with this? So I I feel like um as you get older, you might lose the um the edge or the the craving for such a harsh flavor as the Freud 10, which I I don't consider harsh, but I just like it. I just think that as you get uh pipe smokers, a lot of older guys will smoke more aromatics than they used to when they were younger. They have more patience for that stuff too. But I think the sweet the sweet tooth comes out more when you're older. I mean, how many old people do you see that are drinking, drinking or eating or doing stuff that are like super hardcore? You know what I mean? Like not as much, you know what I mean? Some I I I don't know. I just feel like as you get older you you kind of mild out, kind of mellow out. That might be what this is for. I mean, this is still strong for most people.

SPEAKER_03 33:54

Yeah, it's a weird combination. It's somebody, yeah. It seems like it's uh for somebody who's used to the war, you know, but is like yeah, backing off a little.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

I guess that's why I think that like as you get older you might appreciate it more.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

Ryan and I talked about the uh the other week the idea of acquired taste. That's a big thing. I hate the idea of an acquired taste.

SPEAKER_00 34:19

But it's like a life, right?

SPEAKER_02 34:21

So Ryan and I talked about the reason I hate the idea of acquired taste is because every time that I've heard someone talk about uh, for instance, when I turned 21, beer's an acquired taste. You have to drink it to like it. I don't know if that's what I don't think that's true, but that was the idea behind it. You have to drink it a lot to like it. It's an acquired, it's a forced like versus appreciation now over time, right? But now with that thought process in mind, does my idea of an acquired taste make any more sense with this glass for you, Ryan? You'd have to you have to drink a lot to force yourself to go, I appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 35:02

Well, yeah, I mean, so for yeah, for you the connotation is forced. For me, it's just like developed, like you've you've had more experience, so you have more reference points, and you're able to like become a connoisseur who is able to like detect nuances and stuff like that. And there is like you have to develop your palate for to in order to appreciate stuff, which you guys have said before, like the first time you tried scotch, you didn't like it. But but for some people it takes time to like get into it, and then you're like all of a sudden you're like, oh, enough things have happened to me. I've developed enough life experience, whatever it is, yeah. Like, it's hard to say, like maybe even it's physiological changes or something, like all of a sudden, like these flavors appeal to me now, but it it you have to be exposed to it. Beer was like that for me. I didn't I didn't like it at first, but I would taste it on occasion, and then one day it clicked with me. Would you say this is an acquired taste? Scotch? This bottle.

SPEAKER_00 36:15

I don't know what to make of this bottle, it confuses the heck out of me. I've always said scotch in itself is an acquired taste. I don't think anybody would would would This isn't where you start. I don't think any 16, 18, 21-year-old, whatever, uh first time trying whiskey, if they were poured a scotch whiskey, would be like, yeah, you know what I mean? Or like bourbon. No, no, no. I could see being like, yeah, but like a scotch, most people would be like, no, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 36:44

Yeah, maybe I mean, maybe if you were like a hardcore camper and you, you know, you love bacon, you love barbecue, you know.

SPEAKER_00 36:58

It comes down to like uh when you first smoked, when you first started smoking a pipe, what tobacco did you smoke? Paladin Black Cherry, aromatic. How about that? Same thing for me, yeah, same thing for I guarantee 100% of pipe smokers out there. They didn't end with that. They started off with what? Friendly, sweet, aromatic. They didn't start off with freaking Margate, you know what I mean? They didn't start off with uh with the gas light, you know what I mean? So if they had, they wouldn't have continued with it.

SPEAKER_03 37:31

But but it's not a it's not a forced thing. Nobody's forcing you. You're you're just exploring, but you're going deeper in. It's a voluntary thing, you know. And and you're led by your enjoyment and and by an interest in being challenged.

SPEAKER_00 37:47

I I think acquired taste is something that I've used many, many, many, many, many times. That's not it's never been a forced acquired taste. I I think about your bimate specifically. First time you ever tried a Yerba Mate, you're like, whoa, that's strong. Like years and years, like in college. Remember that? You were like, oh, that's not for me. You know, fast forward 12 years or whatever, and you're drinking it. It was never forced upon you. You tried it, might not have liked it. Try it again, uh, I don't know if I like it. Try it again. That's not too bad. And then next thing you know, I like this. Right. And then you get into it, and then you like it, like it, like it, like it. Then you're trying the you text me today. What's the strongest your pomant that you can get? You have smokies. You're like, it's you've come a long way. You know what I mean? Like these things have changed. Uh, same thing with coffee drinkers. Uh I don't know many coffee drinkers that start with black coffee.

SPEAKER_03 38:35

Yeah, I mean, I don't, I did, but the more you like the coffee flavor, the the more you are inclined to decrease the sugar, right?

SPEAKER_00 38:43

And increase the coffee. The next thing, it's black coffee, then you're espresso, then you're this, and you're that, and you're what, you know, and you're doing pourovers and you're doing the right temperature, so you can get the most flavor out of it. Same thing with pipe tobacco, same thing with whiskey. It's everything acquired is not forced, acquired is earned, right? When you're in uh the military in a war-type situation, you acquire merits, you acquire medals, you acquire a citation, you know what I mean? You end up getting rewards, you acquire them by your deeds. Same thing.

SPEAKER_03 39:22

And you're more prepared because of those, you're more prepared to handle something. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 39:26

And that's you acquire a promotion and a job. You acquire a promotion, you acquire this, you acquire that. I don't think you acquire experience. I don't think it's always a forced thing. I think it's an earned thing. I think actually, if you end up forcing something, what happens? Things typically tend to break. And then you end up like I think any person that forced pipe tobacco, if you look at the most people that got into pipe tobacco then got out of it, they tried with aromatics, they tried forcing it, they got frustrated. I I've known many guys that I've they tried smoking and they would text me, I can't keep, I can't keep my pipe lit. I'm getting tongue bite, I don't like it, blah, blah, blah. And there they forced it and they quit. And now they're on to something easier, cigars or whatever it is. Pipe tobacco, like if you're patient, and that's why the old guys smoke pipes, because if you're patient and you take your time with it and you figure it out, and you slowly get rewarded. You acquire the reward. But it's it's an earned thing, it's not a forced thing. I think if you were to choke down anything, it's you're not gonna appreciate it.

SPEAKER_03 40:35

But do you think this LaFroig is for people who have uh transcended LaFroig 10?

SPEAKER_00 40:44

I think personally, because I because when you first poured this for me, I couldn't figure out who it was for. After the after this conversation and after you talking, I think this LaFroig is for people who are backing off. I think this is for uh the old guys or the guys who want to take a break or chilling out. I I I could see myself as I get older, like there's certain things that I do now that I'm into that I I've drink I've drank black coffee uh since I was five years old. We started drinking it when I was five years old.

SPEAKER_03 41:20

That's unique. Straight black coffee. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

I never drink milk, I don't drink cream, I don't drink sugar. When I'm 80 years old, if I'm still alive, am I drinking coffee with milk? Maybe. Maybe because uh am I old? Am I chilled out? Am I a little softer than I am now? Is my maybe my stomach settles better with a little cream in it? Maybe uh black coffee gives me ulcers. I don't know. I'm gonna chill out a little bit. Does that mean I quit drinking coffee? Hell no, I'm not a bitch. You know what I mean? Still drinking coffee, okay?

SPEAKER_03 41:53

Okay, I accept that. That is a great description, right?

SPEAKER_00 41:57

Yeah, so maybe this Lafroy is for people who at one point, yeah, and now they're like, yeah, this is a little bit less, but it's still my same old friend because Lafroig's flavors are LaFroy's flavors. This is just a little chilled out, like they said, it's more laid back. Yeah, maybe you retire in the Cayman Islands, and I'm gonna drink this one instead of Lafroig 10. I think that's totally fine. I get that.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

That's my opinion on it now.

SPEAKER_03 42:27

That makes sense of where of how this exists. So, Lafroy, keep making this until I get old. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 42:33

Just keep on going.

SPEAKER_03 42:35

Keep keep doing it. I might not buy it for a while again, but eventually I will. So don't let go. Especially at $50 price point, maybe it's cheaper.

SPEAKER_00 42:46

And that's the other thing. You know, people are tight with their pennies, man. It's cheaper.

SPEAKER_03 42:50

Yeah, this is this is the uh I'm on a pension now.

SPEAKER_00 42:54

Right now, I'm on a pension.

SPEAKER_03 42:55

That's exactly it. I'm making I'm getting retirement now. I can't afford it. I'm on a fixed income. I gotta 50 I can buy I can handle, but 60, no.

SPEAKER_02 43:04

So weird question. You're you you're a big fan of Kansas City, Chris. And Chris hasn't been to Kansas City. I know what Chris thinks about barbecue. I love barbecue. Certain ones. There we go. I was about ready to get to that. So are you guys charcoal or gas grill?

SPEAKER_03 43:21

Are you sweet or savory? I'm more savory. Okay. Um, I mean, I can appreciate the the sweet, but like a little more savory. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

That's the that's the barbecue I like. So let's take it a step further. If you had to choose between barbecue, grill, open flame grill, and smoker, what would you pick?

SPEAKER_00 43:46

Yeah, I don't know if that's because I I don't know. I'd say open flame, but then maybe smoker. I don't know. Depends. I I it what for me barbecue comes down to sweet and savory. I do not like sweet meats for the most part. I really don't. Uh I it. If I were to eat something that was sweet on a barbecue meat, smoked meat, I would want to add it myself so I can vary it, vary uh the amount of sweetness. I'm much more you give me a savory barbecue, and I am that that's me. I like I like ribs that are not overly sweet. I like, I don't like what I'll tell you what I don't like. I cannot stand pulled pork that is mixed with sweet barbecue sauce. I hate that. I hate that. I hate uh I hate uh freaking uh what what is it called when you make those sandwiches? Those uh pulled pork sandwiches? No, oh those two I hate. It's disgusting. Um the man the man witch stuff, like oh, the sloppy joe's sloppy joe's. I cannot stand sloppy joes because it's sweet meat, but I love I love like barbecue meat, you know what I mean? I love tacos, I love steaks, I love barbecue chicken, but I wanna what I don't want is like sweet, sweet, sweet meat. I just don't like it. It's gross to me. But yeah, that's why Nick's bringing this up because and I do like smoked meat, I just don't like it smoked and sweet, it's gross.

SPEAKER_02 45:07

So the reason I bring that up, Lafroy 10, that's the smoker. It's intense. It's smoked, it is smoke through and through. LaFrog Lore, we're getting a barbecue. Open flame barbecue. This, we're going gas grill.

SPEAKER_03 45:22

Yeah, gas grill, yeah. That's not really barbecue, though, right? That's grilling. Yeah, grilling versus barbecue. People from Kansas City, if you say barbecue and you only cook something on a gas grill, Kansas City people will like revolt.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

I've looked into Kansas City barbecue and it's it's it is more savory, which is what I've always been like interested in trying.

SPEAKER_02 45:45

So that's what I'm getting at. Is this it's it's all the same grill or smoker, the same idea behind it, but it's not. The the idea behind smoking, behind grilling, is time. Time produces good flavor. That's Lafroy. This is what feels like gas grill. It's easier, it takes less time. But you you sacrifice certain things in order to be able to do it.

SPEAKER_00 46:12

You're not gonna be able to get up smoke something all day long. Turn on the gas the automatic gas grill.

SPEAKER_02 46:18

This is the trigger. This is the trigger for smokers. This is the pellet smoker. This is easy, this is peasy, this doesn't take much time, but you don't get you get a little bit of the flavor, but there's a large part of me that's going, How do I get more? I'm I'm missing something. How do I get more? That's this. There's a place for it, but I'm missing something. Those that are like, oh, I'm dead set in my way.

SPEAKER_03 46:46

I think the market is who do you think the target audience is?

SPEAKER_02 46:50

This old people dial in the back. So this would fit great for the uh the Traeger smokers. Traeger tried their thing with uh whistlepig. Yeah, I think uh Lafroig with his bottle needs to go after them. They need to market to them because that's this. It's it's less work, but with some of the flavor of the smoke.

SPEAKER_03 47:12

I know it's there, but yeah, to me, it's it the the thing that makes it weird is it has the flavor, but it lacks the body. Which I I until I had this, I didn't realize how much of a difference the body makes. The intensity and the fullness. There's there's like a fullness about it versus like a thinness that kind of so I've also had food off of triggers.

SPEAKER_02 47:40

I don't like triggers, I don't like pellet smokers for the reason you don't like this. I started out with the intensity, the intense smoker that was full-bodied in your face. Here's the smoke. I don't know that I can go anything less after that.

SPEAKER_03 47:58

Yeah. One thing I said to Chris the first time, um you know, when I uh gave it to him first. Um if if if somebody gave this to me and was like, here, like Cuddy Sark, like stepped it up, or like famous grouse stepped it up. I'd be like, crap, man. This is like, whoa, like they really like they're like punching above their weight.

SPEAKER_00 48:28

This is available, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 48:30

Yeah, yeah. Like if it was one of those guys who like ramped it up and did this, I'd be like, it would make more sense to me because they are thinner bodied and I and I like Cuddy Sark. It it's a decanter bottle for me, but like that would impress me. Lafroig putting this out is like, what? What backwards? Yeah, uh, yeah, like so yeah, it's a it's it's odd how much the context makes a difference.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

Let me put let me bring this up. Uh if Lefroig had put this out first, then put out Lafroig 10 and the other the other things thereafter, would you expect Lefroig to take this off their shelf? Quit producing this.

SPEAKER_03 49:22

Well, I guess I would say no, because I assume like a certain stance toward like respect for tradition, like this is the thing that made a certain market for that grabbed people's attention. We don't want to take that away, but we're doing something that's more meaty, you know, something more.

SPEAKER_00 49:42

So maybe this is something that should have come before but came after, and they're like, This there's a place in our portfolio for this, right? Right? And we're gonna keep it in there.

SPEAKER_03 49:55

For some people, this will be their first exposure.

SPEAKER_00 49:59

Yeah, no, not it's not for me either, but I I was thinking about that. Like, what if what if we were a company, right? And we came out with like the best, most aggressive pipe tobacco there is, and then we realized, like, oh shoot, maybe we should have had something that was there's only like 10% of our market who can handle it. Maybe there was something that was us, but a little less than, and we came out instead of doing that first, like most companies, boom, boom, boom, we went boom, boom, boom. Yeah, you know what I mean? Yeah, that's kind of what they're doing. Like there's a place in our port portfolio for this, and I think there's a market for this. Let's put it out there. Yeah, maybe that's what they're doing. Maybe they just went too much too quick. It but it would have made more sense if they had gone like boom, boom, boom, right? But they didn't. And if they did that and there was still a market for it, they'd keep it. Oh, it would make sense to keep that on your in your portfolio, like the this one, and there's this one, and there's that one. If you really want to go crazy, you go for that one. But if you want to just start out, you kind of go with this one. But maybe they didn't do that, and they're kind of backpedaling a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 51:07

Okay, I understand that, but is the body the part that they're afraid will turn people off? To me, this has the same flavor that that noobs don't like, but it's less aggressive, it is, it is less in your face.

SPEAKER_02 51:26

If that is, that's like you you said it earlier.

SPEAKER_00 51:29

If I if say now was your first time drinking scotch, right? And you got into the old the classic one, and then you were gonna progress, and I was showing you the way, would I go straight to it from from Space Side or something? Would I go straight to the Freig 10, or would I go with this one first? I'd go this one first because you'd be like, Wow, this is amazing. And then what I would what would I do? Okay, now here's the Freud 10. You go, wow, this is even better, right? You got two more experiences out of it instead of just going straight from like decent, decent, decent to the Freud 10, right? This came out too late, is what it came out. It came out too late. Too late. But but for people that are just getting in a scotch, this might be a very great, and I don't know if they're marketing this way, but this might be very great progress progression of like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

SPEAKER_03 52:23

Yeah, they might still seem like where we're at, but the smokiness is the same, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:28

Oh, I think it's very much the same LaFroig. It's just toned, it's toned down enough to where if you were to go from this to LaFroy 10, it would be a step, right? But from LaFroig 10 to this, it's what? A step down. Okay, it's a step down, which makes which makes this a bridge.

SPEAKER_03 52:46

If you were like a if you're thinking of somebody who is like fully into bourbon, like they're drinking high-proof, bourbon, you know, all the the specialty things, you know, single barrel and all that stuff. Do you think they would be satisfied going to this with less body but more smoke?

SPEAKER_00 53:11

I don't think anybody going from LaFrog 10 to this would be satisfied.

SPEAKER_03 53:15

Well, like a bur a bourbon, though. Like I like a full-body bourbon to the if they're used to like bourbon flavors, but they're they're not accustomed to scotch flavors.

SPEAKER_00 53:26

I don't think you could go from bourbonist to this. I really don't. I think you'd have to be as because there's a big there's a big difference between the scotch flavors and even space-ide flavors. So I when we talk about how Nick was saying that I used to hate scotch, I was very much into bourbon at that time. And I had tried like everything, everything you can imagine. And I was working on my way towards being a rye guy, which is what I'm finished, you know, now I am currently a rye guy. So I was trying the most like staunch bourbons and high rye bourbons and into rye's there were at the time. And he's giving me spaceside scotches that I kind of liked.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

But you kind of don't respect them as much because they're so the they're thinner bodied, they're they're like subtler flavored. Right.

SPEAKER_00 54:20

It was this, it was there were things about them that I didn't, which Nick, you've said this what, 10, 20, 50 times. I don't know. He said, I can't, I can't understand a guy who smokes pipes and cigars who doesn't like scotch.

unknown 54:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 54:33

You said that like 50 times to me. And I'm like, I'm telling you, yeah, I'm like, and at the time I was like, I tell him telling you, I don't like it. I didn't like it. I didn't like it. Meanwhile, I'm drinking like booker's. You know what I mean? Like hard, like very, you know, flavorful purpose. It's substantial bourbons. And I'm going, I don't like space-side scotches. You know what I mean? So where's that? There's scotch is a different flavor. When I started finally getting into scotches, and I'll tell you what it was, it was Johnny Walker. And then some monkey shoulder and blended, but basically blended scotches. I got in Johnny Walker, and the next thing you know, Nick would come over and I was like, hey, I've got this Johnny Walker black, and he's like, Yeah, it's good stuff. And I was like, I got double black, you know. And he's like, Okay, you're starting to start to get there, right? And then um, next thing you know, like, and it progressed from there. And then where did I end up? Like, you can't give me a scotch that's strong enough, period. But it was a it was a progression. The October was pretty that was pretty strong. It was a progression, right? And uh again, an acquired, a uh earned, not a right, like we were talking about. I don't think I was ever forced in a scotch, but I acquired it. But all that to say that um you can't go from bourbon to scotch in that context. I still think for scotch, you got to start as a baby. You're crawling, you're walking, you're running. There's no, I like the highest, like the I like, oh, all I drink is knob creek, full, you know what I mean? All I drink is bookers, right? And I'm gonna go straight from Bookers to Lafroy. No. I don't think it's possible. And if you think, if you say it is, you're liar. You're a liar. I don't, I don't believe it. I think uh scot with it comes a scotch, there's you're a baby. Now, some babies walk and run faster than others, but I still think it's a crawl, walk, run, period. And for me, that's what it is. It's a call, crawl, walk, run. And I think if this had been on the shelves at that time, I definitely want to gone to this, and then I would have gone to LaFroig 10. However, that wasn't on the shelves, and I went somehow. I was able to go to Florida 10 and I was like, this is my jam. You know what I mean? What's funny is I went to Logaville in 16. I still was like, this is not for me. I I like it, I do like it, but it is not my favorite. LaFroig 10 is my favorite, which is funny because I don't like sweet barbecue. Lafroy 10 has sweet barbecue and logavol in his campfire. It's just weird. I don't know how that works out. But I like LaFroig 10, that's where I'm at. But I see a place for this, for the progression. I do not see how this would be a okay, you like staunch bourbons. Let's go to this this LaFroig oak. No, I still think that somebody who's never had scotch, if you went from like a bourbon, even hardcore bourbon lovers, if you gave a hardcore bourbon lover their first time scotch is this one, they'd be like, hell no. Hell no, hell no. Because I remember drinking freaking uh Glenn Fitdock and being like, This is strong as crud, you know what I mean? And it's not, it's not strong at all. I remember thinking, like, you remember that? We will drink space eyes, and I was like, this is scotch, man. Like, this is some strong stuff. Well, guess what? It's not, you know what I mean? It's not all now. I think it's water, you know. But the time, you remember that? I was like, this is not for me. And this is a guy who at that time had been smoking pipes for and cigars for uh, let's see. God, Nick, how long ago was that? It was probably 10 years ago, right? So I was probably I had been smoking pipes and cigars for like 10 years at that time. So I mean, it's not like some new new guy, yeah. It's just I mean, I started smoking pipes and cigars at right at, well, a little bit before, but then mostly right at 18, you know what I mean? But and I still wasn't a fan. And I was smoking strictly English blends at that time, and I would and that's the thing that Nick would say, he's like, You I how do you not like scotch? This your pipe tobacco smells rough, you know what I mean? He would be like, Man, I'm that's strong pipe tobacco. And I was like, Yeah, it's good. And he's like, Here, try this scotch. And I was like, That tastes like crap. I it's not the same thing. I just it's just not. It's a it's an it's a taste that you acquire over time. I think mate is like that. I think food is like that. And I think um I going back to what we were saying before, I think as you get older, if you notice, old people tend to eat food like you would have in your teens. You notice that? Like, it's like when you get to a certain point, you go, you then you go back the other way. And then, yeah, because eventually you're gonna end up what pooping in diapers, and then you die, you know. So, like it's literally like the circle of life. So I could see, like, as an older person that at one point was a Scotch drinker, to be like, yeah, I might, I might crack this bottle open, you know. I think that that's kind of what it is. It's either that or it's the people for the progression, right? So would you say you wouldn't buy this? I'm saying I currently would not buy this. And that's because even though it's cheaper, I think that for the $10 more, I'm getting way more for what I want in this current time in my life. But I think there is a place for this on my shelf at some point in the future. I I do I do like this. I do like this a lot, and I think it's because the Freig has captured its own specific flavors, and whether those are weaker or stronger, it's the Freud. I've never had anything on the Scotch market that is the Freud. And I mean, that's Lagerville and that's anything else. I uh nothing. Can you think of anything else on the market that captures the Freig's quintessential flavors? Nope. And you can't say that with anything. I mean, I've had pipe tobacco that been like, this is the best English I've ever had, but this is comparable, this is comparable, this is comparable. Like, I've never had anything, and I've been like, this is it, period. LaFroig is one of those things, yeah, and you don't get that too often these days. Um, they've done something that's unique, it's their own thing. And if you want that, and there's times where I crave the crap out of it, nothing else will do. Give me LaFroig, whether it's this one or the tenure or the lore or the quarter cask, I don't care what it is. At least it's got those flavors that I'm seeking after. My palate is seeking after. And this one, um, I haven't had LaFroy in a couple weeks since you poured it last time. And this one really, I mean, I know the stronger stuff out there. This one hit, I mean, this one really hit the palate well today. Like it, I enjoyed it. So even this would be a just a damn fine drink, you know what I mean? Like, compared to most things out there.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:47

They haven't betrayed their essence or their identity.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:50

No, if somebody poured me this, would I be upset? Hell no. I would be damn happy, you could especially compared to a lot of other stuff out there. Yeah, so there you go.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:01

Would you buy a Nick? Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:03

Especially for the price, probably.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:05

Uh, for the appreciation of what it is, or what I think it is. I don't know for sure. But I I I think it's it's good. I think it's really good. It's it's very different from the traditional Lefroig, but the idea or the appreciation of the idea that of taking uh the traditional scotch route, but adding a little bit of American to it, and still having it come out uh drinkable and good. I I appreciate that. So I would I would I'd be all for it. There are some uh there are some LaFroid bottles that I've had that I've I I will say I will never get again. Quartercask being one of them. Oh I was never I was not a fan of that one. Because it doesn't distinguish it. The quarter cask and the triple oak.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:56

I was not a fan of either one, that also comes down to price.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:00

Not for those two, it's the flavor for those two.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

The quartercask and the triple oak. You could get those for 60 bucks a bot a pop. 40?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:09

Maybe 60.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:10

I'm such a Lefroig fanboy, I'd be like, I'll drink that for 50 bucks a pop.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:15

Yeah, I wasn't a fan of those two. Like for those, like I liked them, but they were just weren't different enough for I think they lost uh they they went they weren't worth their money.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:26

They weren't worth the money, but they also went um they went a different route than what Lafroig is, in my opinion. And I wasn't a fan of that. I would agree with that.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:35

We talked about a lot about those for those bottles specifically.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:38

Uh this one still stays in line with what LaFroig is flavor-wise. It's just a little bit uh mellowed out, hidden. I'd buy it. Would you buy it again?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:49

After this conversation, I would think about like I would think I would consider it for like old age.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:00

Okay, all right, all right, yeah, we're targeted. I would I wouldn't I wouldn't buy it again. But I gave you something to think about immediately, yeah. But like I would consider it um sometime in the future, but if my palette changes a little bit, but like at the moment, I would think it's worth it to just put the 10 extra bucks into a standard Lafroy 10.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:25

I'd be like, what the hell am I thinking?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:26

Yeah, Freud 10 sitting right here. Yeah, it it it it just doesn't have the fullness that I that I'm looking for. I agree, but I respect it, yeah, you know. It it's I I I feel like I can't really hate on anything LeFroig does, you know. Um, but um, but yeah, I wouldn't put this on the same level. I put this below the Foreig 10.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:53

Right, which is great. I'm I'm so grateful. I'm so glad that you brought that you brought that up because originally, if you remember, I thought this was more than. And when you poured this, I was like, I was really disappointed because I was like, this is more expensive than like the Forg 10. And you're like, no, no, it was ten dollars cheaper. And I was like, oh, thank God. You know what I mean? I was like, because a lot of companies will do that when they're like, oh, this is the best thing ever, and then ten dollars more. And it's like this sucks. Like, what are you guys doing? Like, thank God they at least were like, no, this is not worth the same amount.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:26

They recognized themselves in the in the price point, which you gotta really respect that. Yeah, yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:32

That's it's not like you're paying ten dollars more for this. We'd be having a whole different conversation if this was ten dollars more than the LaFroy 10. You know what I mean? It'd be a whole different thing. Yes, it would.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:45

Yeah, there would there would be some anger involved in it.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:48

There would be anger, there would be some anger, dude. The fact that it's less than I'm like, yeah, this is definitely got his place.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:55

This is ten dollars less than LaFroig 10. And experience as well as price point.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:02

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:06

That's I don't know what else to say about that. It was a good bottle. I don't know if there's anything else to say. I mean, we we had we had a good amount of it. We're gonna come back and drink some more with Ryan.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:14

Interested to see what's uh what's next.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:16

Tuned for the next bottle.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:18

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:18

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:24

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, whiskeychaserspod.com, with any ideas for the show. Thanks again.