Brims and Barrels

The Tokaji Finish Experiment 🥃

What happens when 15-year Buff Turkey meets a Tokaji wine finish? You get one of the most unique pours we’ve had hit the table.

In this Game Ready segment, we dive into the Ampersand Opimus 15-Year Tokaji Finish — a pour layered with chocolate-covered raisins, stone fruit, sweet oak, and lingering honey notes that kept evolving from sip to sip.

This wasn’t just another finished bourbon.
This felt like a calculated risk that actually paid off.

Big shoutout to the bourbon brothers looking out for each other and helping secure pours like this. That’s what the community is all about.

Would you put this one in your lineup? 🥃

🎙 Brims & Barrels
“Two Fits. One Pour.”

#GameReady #BrimsAndBarrels #AmpersandOpimus #TokajiFinish #BuffTurkey #BourbonReview #WhiskeyTalk #BourbonCommunity #WhiskeyTube #BourbonVibes #BuffaloTrace #WildTurkey #WhiskeyCulture

This episode is different.This one is personal.Before the collaborations… before the events… before the growth… there was this room.The Brown Room is where Brims & Barrels was built from late nights, ideas, trial and error, friendship, and belief. It’s where Xavier’s Brown Room Pour found its voice. From learning camera settings and audio, to filming early episodes, blinds, game readys, and unforgettable conversations — this room saw every step of the journey.In this final episode recorded in The Brown Room, Xavier and Ray sit down and reflect on:🥃 How Xavier’s Brown Room Pour started🎥 The struggles and growth behind content creation🤝 The organic beginning of Brims & Barrels🏈 Favorite episodes, guests, and memories❤️ The importance of family, friendship, and support systems🔥 Why they refused to give up on the visionThis isn’t goodbye.It’s simply the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.As the brown pours… so does the story.Two Fits. One Pour.🎧 Available on:Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Amazon Music • iHeartRadio🙏 Thank you to everyone who has supported the journey from the very beginning.Special thanks to:✂️ https://www.chophousebarbercompany.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com🥃 https://onlydrams.app/?utm_source=chatgpt.com#BrimsAndBarrels #XaviersBrownRoomPour #WhereItAllStarted #BourbonPodcast #HoustonPodcast #WhiskeyCommunity #TwoFitsOnePour #ContentCreators #BourbonCulture #AsTheBrownPours #HoustonTexas

Welcome back to another Brims & Barrels Game Ready 🥃

Today, we’re diving into the highly talked about Rare Perfection 10 Year Bourbon — a bottle that’s been creating major buzz in the whiskey community. From the unique presentation to the deep brown sugar sweetness, oak influence, dark fruit notes, and elevated finish… this pour immediately stood out.

We break down:
🥃 The nose, palate, and finish
🔥 Whether the $230 price point is actually worth it
🏈 Why this bottle reminds us of Travis Kelce and an elite shortstop
👀 The hype surrounding Rare Perfection
💭 Whether this pour truly earns “Game Ready” status

This wasn’t just another review. This was one of those pours that instantly feels different the moment you crack the bottle open.

Two Fits. One Pour.

🎧 Available on:
Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Amazon Music • iHeartRadio

👍 Be sure to LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, and RATE the podcast on all platforms.

#BrimsAndBarrels #RarePerfection #GameReady #BourbonPodcast #WhiskeyTube #BourbonCommunity #RarePerfection10Year #TwoFitsOnePour #BourbonReview #WhiskeyReview

Today’s episode of Brims & Barrels is brought to you by https://onlydrams.app?utm_source=chatgpt.com — helping collectors and enthusiasts discover, track, and connect with whiskey, bourbon, tequila, and other spirits across the community.In this episode, we sit down with our guy Collin from OnlyDrams to dive into one of the most creative and conversation-starting bottles we’ve seen all year — the Still Austin Distillery Reserve Series release.This isn’t just about bourbon.This episode turns into a conversation about art, expression, community, storytelling, sports, creativity, and how whiskey brings people together.We break down:🥃 The flavor profile of this limited Still Austin release🎨 The chaotic-but-beautiful artwork behind the bottle📱 How the OnlyDrams app is changing the whiskey community🏈 Sports, injuries, purpose, and finding new outlets in life🤝 Why bourbon is bigger than the pour itselfFrom controlled chaos to shared memories, this episode is exactly what Brims & Barrels is about — real conversation over a great pour.Two Fits. One Pour.🎧 Available on:Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Amazon Music • iHeartRadio👍 Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, SUBSCRIBE, and RATE the podcast on all streaming platforms.#BrimsAndBarrels #StillAustin #OnlyDrams #TexasWhiskey #BourbonPodcast #WhiskeyTube #BourbonCommunity #DistilleryReserve #WhiskeyCulture #TwoFitsOnePour

Fresh off the river and straight into the starting lineup. 🌊🥃

In this episode of Game Ready, we’re diving into the O.H. Ingram River Aged Single Barrel — a bourbon doing things differently by aging barrels on floating barges along the Mississippi River. After first discovering the brand at the Houston Whiskey Riot, we had to bring this single barrel back to the table and see if it truly lives up to the hype.

From grape soda and dark fruit notes to chocolate, peanut, and plum flavors, this pour sparked a real conversation about potential, craftsmanship, and what makes a bottle stand out from the crowd. We also break down why this bourbon reminds us of athletes like Reed Sheppard and Steve Smith Sr. — talented, confident, and built for big moments.

Is this bottle Game Ready… or riding the bench?
Pull up and sip with us.

🥃 Two Fits. One Pour.

🎧 Available on:
Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Amazon Music • iHeartRadio

👍 Don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, and rate the podcast — it helps the show grow and keeps the pours flowing.

#BrimsAndBarrels #OHIngram #GameReady #BourbonPodcast #WhiskeyTube #SingleBarrel #RiverAged #BourbonCommunity #HoustonWhiskey #TwoFitsOnePour

Welcome back to Brims & Barrels — Two Fits. One Pour.This episode started as a blind tasting… and turned into one of those conversations that just kept flowing.Today we put Still Austin’s highly sought-after Nancy Picks head-to-head in a blind battle featuring multiple 2025 bourbon and rye releases. From caramel and chocolate notes to maple crème brûlée and rye spice, we break down which pours stood out, which surprised us, and whether bourbon or rye took the crown.But like always, the conversation doesn’t stop at whiskey.Somewhere between the pours, we ended up talking:🥃 Texas whiskey culture🏈 Running 4.2s in high school⚾ Baseball superstitions👟 Dad shoes vs Jordans🎙️ XLR mics, content creation, and getting older😂 Star Wars references, barbershop energy, and real-life conversationsHuge shoutout to:• Still Austin• Nancy Fraley• Producer Randy• Armando from Cinematic Labs• Chophouse Barbershop• OnlyDramsAnd don’t forget — join Brims & Barrels and Chophouse on May 31st for the 6th Annual Race to Camp 5K Fun Run supporting kids going to camp.Subscribe, comment, and hit notifications so you don’t miss:🥃 Weekly Game Ready episodes🎥 Full podcast drops🎙️ Blind tastings, bourbon talk, and real conversationsTwo Fits. One Pour. 🥃

Welcome back to another Game Ready from Brims & Barrels — where every bottle has one question to answer:

🥃 Is it a starter… or does it ride the bench?

Today, Xavier and Ray sit down with one of the most talked-about Texas bourbons on the market: Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre. A limited release finished in rare French Limousin oak, carrying a hefty $350 price tag and a profile completely different from your traditional Kentucky bourbon.

From leather, chocolate-covered raisins, oak, and black licorice notes… to conversations about slowing life down, blocking out negativity, and enjoying the moment with people who matter — this episode goes deeper than just tasting notes.

Ray compares Laguna Madre to an old-school power forward: tough, different, physical, and built to stand out in its own lane.

But the real question is…

👀 Did this bottle earn a starting spot?
Or is it riding the bench?

Tap in and find out.

🎥 Subscribe on YouTube
🎧 Streaming on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio

#BrimsAndBarrels #GameReady #GarrisonBrothers #TexasBourbon #BourbonReview

The Barbershop is the Original Podcast

Before the cameras… before the mics… before podcasts became the culture — the barbershop was already the stage.

In this episode of Brims & Barrels, we step inside Chophouse Barber Company and sit down with owner Josh to talk about how a simple idea rooted in service turned into something bigger than expected.

This isn’t just about haircuts.
This is about community, consistency, and conversation.

From starting in a small salon suite to building multiple locations…
From cutting hair to creating a space where people feel seen…
From quick visits to real-life therapy sessions in the chair…

This episode proves one thing:

👉 The barbershop has always been where real conversations live.

We also talk:

• Why serving people is the foundation of success
• The mindset behind building a lasting business
• How barbershops became a place for connection, not just cuts
• The balance between entrepreneurship, pressure, and purpose
• And how slowing down (even with a pour) brings out deeper conversations

This one is raw, real, and exactly what Brims & Barrels is about.

💈 Pull up. Tap in. Be part of the conversation.

🎧 Listen / Watch Everywhere:
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio

🔥 Drop a comment:
Is the barbershop still the original place for real conversations?

#BrimsAndBarrels #BarbershopTalk #PodcastCulture #HoustonPodcast #MensGrooming #EntrepreneurMindset #RealConversations #Chophouse #BourbonAndBusiness

No script. No overthinking. Just real pours and real conversation.In Episode 23, we sit down with former NFL fullback Laurence Vickers as he steps into the bourbon world for the first time—breaking down flavors, sharing real reactions, and connecting it all back to football, life, and mindset.From comparing pours to NFL teams, to stories about battling legends like Ray Lewis, to what it really means to sacrifice at the fullback position—this episode goes way beyond bourbon.As the pours open up… so does the conversation.🥃 Featured pours:* Maker’s Mark (Wheated Bourbon)* Eagle Rare (10 Year)* Four Roses Single Barrel* Penelope Rio (Finished Bourbon)💬 Topics we get into:* First impressions of bourbon vs expectation* NFL mindset: being the hunter vs becoming the hunted* The underrated role of the fullback* Playing against legends & earning respect* Leadership, sacrifice, and life after football👉 This isn’t about being experts—it’s about the conversation that happens when you pour up.“As the brown pours, so does the story.”🔔 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW📺 YouTube: Brims & Barrels🎧 Available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio#BrimsAndBarrels #LaurenceVickers #NFL #Bourbon #Whiskey #FootballTalk #RealPoursRealTalk #BourbonCommunity #YouTubePodcast #Houston

🥃 EPISODE 23 | ELIJAH CRAIG 15 YEAR — GAME READY OR RIDING THE BENCH?Is it Game Ready… or riding the bench?In this episode of Brims & Barrels: Game Ready, we sit down with former NFL fullback Lawrence Vickers to put the brand new Elijah Craig 15 Year to the test.This one came in with expectations—15-year age statement, 108 proof, and a legacy name behind it with Heaven Hill Distillery. But does it actually deliver when it hits the glass?We break it down the only way we know how—real talk, real reactions, and a little creativity along the way.From sweet oak and brown sugar to unexpected comparisons like Tom Ford Oud Wood and Emporio Armani Stronger With You Intensely, this episode goes beyond just tasting notes… it’s about the experience.And by the end, we make the call:👉 Is it Game Ready?🎯 WHAT WE COVER* First impressions + fresh crack reactions* Nose, palate, and finish breakdown* 15-year age vs 18-year comparison* Why 108 proof changes the game* Cologne-style analogies (yeah… we went there 😅)* Final verdict: Starter or Bench?🏈 GAME READY FORMATQuick. Honest. No fluff.We pour it, break it down, and decide:Is it Game Ready… or riding the bench?📲 TAP IN WITH USFollow us on all platforms:* 🎥 YouTube* 🎧 Apple Podcasts* 🎧 Spotify* 🎧 Amazon Music* 🎧 iHeartRadio👉 Don’t forget to rate & review on Apple Podcasts — it helps the show grow!🤝 SHOUTOUTBig thanks to Lawrence Vickers for pulling up and bringing that real perspective to the table.🧠 PRO TIPIf you pick up this bottle, track it using the OnlyDrams app—scan it, log it, and build your lineup.🔥 REMEMBERWe’re not experts…We just know how to sip, talk, and keep it real.Two Fits. One Pour. 🧢🥃🏷️ HASHTAGS#BrimsAndBarrels #GameReady #ElijahCraig #BourbonReview #WhiskeyTube #BourbonCommunity #HeavenHill #WhiskeyTalk #StarterOrBench #TwoFitsOnePour