For the first time ever, the shit show has a guest IN the studio. Mike Ciacciarelli of Castle & Key — the unicorn listener the boys found at Whiskey Riot — rolls in with six bottles and the full story of the distillery Colonel E.H. Taylor built in the 1880s, left to ruin, and one entrepreneur bought off a Google search for under a million bucks. The birthplace of bourbon tourism, rebuilt from rubble.

X, Big Red, and Lumpy taste through the whole lineup: the 6-Year Small Batch Bourbon (101 proof, 73% heirloom white corn), the Small Batch Wheated that finally converted Lumpy, the Restoration Rye, the Cask Strength Wheated, and two Experimental Series cask-strength rye finishes — Vino de Naranja and 15-year Haitian rum barrels (yes, there’s banana, and no, it’s not on the nose).

Then the guys get into why you don’t have to be right to be happy — layoffs, dance dad reflections, ego vs. peace at home — before an AITA that split the table: is Gary’s “secret family recipe” cocktail just a Manhattan, and who’s the asshole for saying it out loud at Thanksgiving? Leave a comment with your verdict — we’re reading them next episode.

In this episode:

​ (00:44) Meet Mike: Jersey Shore hospitality, $40 Pappy pours, and the road to Castle & Key

​ (05:40) What actually makes an American single malt

​ (09:24) The Castle & Key story: Col. E.H. Taylor and the birthplace of bourbon tourism

​ (20:15) What’s in the Glass: all six pours, white corn magic, and confectioner’s-sugar finishes

​ (48:28) Experimental Series: VDN and Haitian rum-finished ryes at cask strength

​ (1:21:52) You don’t have to be right to be happy

​ (1:35:49) AITA: The Founder’s Pour is just a Manhattan

​ (1:43:34) A toast to things rebuilt from ruin

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It’s a red, white, and blue celebration on Talking Shit Today. General X, Lumpy, and Big Red sit down with Gary Hinegardner, founder of Wood Hat Spirits, and Irene Tan of Whiskey Mentors (aka the “Single Barrel Queen”) to crack open their collaborative 250th Anniversary blend, a five-corn bourbon built from Gary’s proprietary corn genetics and Irene’s blending palate. Gary talks corn breeding and sustainable distilling, Irene shares her path from software engineer to single-barrel legend, and the crew breaks down the tasting note by note. Then in Mental Health, the guys discuss PTSD beyond combat trauma, including Red’s own experience after a car accident, and why men often avoid asking for help. They close with Am I the Asshole, on a listener whose brother wanted to open their late father’s unopened bottle collection, including a Blanton’s he was saving for “the right occasion,” at his memorial.

Episode 21 calls for a celebration and we're doing it right. Three bottles, all carrying a 21-year age statement, go head-to-head on the Talking Shit Today rating scale. X cracks open his raffle-won Knob Creek 21 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Big Red brings the Redbreast 21 Year Irish Whiskey, and the night gets derailed in the best possible way by a 140-proof Rare Character Limited Release Light Whiskey Batch #5 that broke Lumpy's brain in real time.

Then we flip the script on Kyle for once, he might not be the asshole. We dig into milestones, crossroads, and the choices that made us who we are. Plus: what does turning 21 actually look like when you look back on it? Spoiler, it's more Red Lobster than you'd expect.

As always, if you're struggling, you don't have to go it alone. Text or call 988, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. We need you here.

Here's to the people who show up, crack the bottle with you when the moment's right, and don't put it on a shelf. Pour something good.

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X and Lumpy go head-to-head in a blind tasting showdown between two wheated bourbon legends — Weller Antique 107 and Old Fitzgerald 7 Year — while reflecting on a wild night at the Orlando Whiskey Riot (including a lost phone, a surprise fan encounter, and bottles they definitely didn’t leave with). The guys then take the mental health conversation a floor deeper, unpacking stoicism, emotional bank accounts, the difference between reacting and responding, and why your happiness matters more than being right. Plus: Am I the Asshole returns with a bourbon abandonment dilemma, and a teaser for episode 21’s very special age-statement bottle.

🥃 Topics: Blind wheated bourbon tasting | Whiskey Riot Orlando recap | Stoicism & anger | Men’s mental health | AITA: the allocated bottle

📞 If you’re struggling: 988 — call, text, or chat. You’re not allowed to quit.

We finally crack all three batches of Fire and Flask Didymium side by side and let the table decide which one wins. Spoiler: the char makes all the difference. Big Red is back from South Texas with tales from the Whiskey Warriors RGV chapter kickoff, including a pour of Russell’s 15 that may have been the bottle of the night. We dig deeper into what anger is really masking, why men’s emotions always get read as aggression, and what HALT has to do with all of it. Plus, Kyle sold a bottle he had no business selling and no, paying you back does not fix it. We also preview the Orlando Whiskey Riot and remind you there are over 200 pours waiting. Cheers.

Join us while we get to spend a kick ass time with Stephen Lowery bringing some of the best that Old Dominick has to offer. We explore anger and how men deal with it and how we may have learned it. And we pick out the asshole between a husband and wife. Join us and comment your thoughts as you go. Email us at [email protected].

Chris Ritch, aka Whiskey Gorilla, joins the show to break down his path through the whiskey business, from Angel’s Envy and Willett to Rare Character’s rise in the bourbon world. We dig into non-distilling producers, the bourbon market shift, Florida whiskey culture, and the stories behind standout bottles like Black Angus and the Commander’s Club.

Episode 16 is all about big pours, big laughs, and real talk. We kick things off with a bourbon tasting that turns into battles of blue corn, all north of 120 proof. We then slide into a conversation about stress, mental health, and how we unwind. We also get to pick the asshole in our recurring AITA story time.

General X and Lumpy are back for episode 15, and they're keeping their pants up — barely. The guys crack open a bottle of Mammoth Distilling's Borrowed Time, a 12-year single barrel rye out of Traverse City, MI, and it does not disappoint. Then they sit down with a true original — Don Colangelo, the retired architect behind Bourbon Trading Cards, the collectible trading card series that's basically Pokémon cards for people who drink. Don shares the story behind his cards, his distillery tour adventures from Louisville to New Zealand to Vietnam, and why the bourbon community has embraced what he's building in a big way.

The back half gets real. General X and Lumpy dig into mental health, what it actually means when somebody says "I'm fine," and why checking in on your people isn't soft — it's maintenance. Plus a recap of a legendary bottle drop at Corona in Lake Mary featuring Rare Character's Black Angus and a visit from the founder himself. And of course, Am I The Asshole makes its return — this one hits close to home for any dance dad in the room.

Find Don and his cards:Instagram: @bourbontradingcardsTikTok: @bourbontradingcardsShop: linked in his Instagram bio

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Big Mike's Bourbon joins the show for a conversation about barrel picks, pediatric cancer fundraising, and how a passion for whiskey built a community with serious heart. We recap Orlando Whiskey Fest — the highs, the hidden pours, and one moonshine booth we should've skipped. Plus, Kyle wins a raffle bottle and immediately ruins everyone's charity event. We also get into men's mental health and what it really means to live for the people you love. Cheers.