Video version: https://youtu.be/5dV_KkwkeQ4

So, when a listener gifted us a bottle of whiskey, we took a look at the label and said, “Wait, Malört makes a Bourbon?!” Because if you’re not familiar with Malört, it’s an extremely bitter liqueur made from wormwood, the main ingredient in Absinthe, but without any anise, sweetness, or complexity. So, can the palates that produce the most bitter drink on the planet be trusted to craft a good whiskey? Press play and find out!

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil at  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Vb55i9ubwPnxUnY6OG3nH • Fig Leaf Rag by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html

New News: Bacardi Takes Ownership of Teeling • Sazerac Tries to Buy Brown-Forman… Again • Uncle Nearest’s Legal Woes Continue • Trump Escalates Canadian Tariff War • Global Whisky Challenge winners • North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition winners • ASCOT Awards winners

New Whiskeys: Bardstown Bourbon Co. Victoria Pineapple Whiskey • Barton 1792 Rye • Bib & Tucker 8 Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon • Breckenridge Rye • Buffalo Trace’s 2026 Prohibition Collection • Bulleit 20 Year Rye • Booker’s “The Milkshake Batch” Bourbon • Heaven Hill Double Mash Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon • Old Elk 10-Year-Old Collection • Penelope Classic Series Bourbon and Rye

New Music Credits: Retro News at Nine (Stinger 1) by Steve Oxen and Just Breaking (Softer) by David Fesliyan from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com • News Sting and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

Whiskeys: High West Cask Collection Whiskey Finished in Sauvignon Blanc Barrels • High West Cask Collection Whiskey Finished in Chardonnay Barrels • High West Cask Collection Whiskey Finished in Petite Sirah Barrels • High West Cask Strength Blend of Straight Whiskeys

Tangents: Marty and Rachel get high in the west with us for a wine-soaked trek into the mountains of Utah! • Rachel isn’t actually Japanese (or a geisha) • Ignorance never stopped Ed (or America) before • High West history • We’re considering giving out The Chancellor Award from the Whiskey Tangent Society • Our High West origin story • Once again, Ed doesn’t speak French • Black (box wine) is slimming • We’re recording remotely at Marty and Rachel’s house • Apparently, “new shoe” and “Mormon marital sheet” are tasting notes now • #dolltangent • Stop trying to make “Fijian wine” a thing • Ed’s granddaughter thinks expensive whiskey is dumb (and she’s right) • Marty and Rachel meet-cute Scott and Ed (thanks Anders!) • Rachel thinks we’re fabulous • The springs got sprung • Top 10 Fun Facts About Utah • I’m kidding, it’s a joke! • Sorry, any kind of ambrosia is gross • Anybody remember Geno’s? • Marty didn’t get a tilde this time • Jeff and Marty have a sword fight • Zoey is the quietest Siberian Husky ever • Apparently, “New wooden porch swing” is a tasting note now • Ed kums violently • The Bangtail cocktail identifies as apple

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Hyperfun, and French Café by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.com • Jungle Roll by Winnie the Moog from https://filmmusic.io

Video with Bonus Cocktail: https://youtu.be/vr7A7Gi5pyU

Ever since they opened their own distillery in 2017, Bulleit has been doing some interesting things with their whiskeys, including higher-aged versions of their Bourbon and Rye, an American Single Malt, and even a Bottled-in-Bond. But now they’ve gone and done something truly unique by replacing the rye component in their own-make Bourbon with some mesquite-smoked malted barley. Will it be too smoky? Or not smoky enough? Will we miss the rye? Or will it strike the balance between single malt and bourbon that the mashbill implies? Tune in and find out!

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil at  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Vb55i9ubwPnxUnY6OG3nH • River Valley Breakdown by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html

New News: Is Brown-Forman No Longer for Sale? • Brown-Forman Halts Distilling at Slane Irish Whiskey • Jim Beam CEO Talks Whiskey's Future • Uncle Nearest Has a Secret Buyer • The Tarriff Nonsense Continues • Grandmother Found Guilty of Whiskey Manslaughter • Half a Million Dollars of Whiskey Stolen from Philadelphia Warehouse • Woman Arrested for Starting Impromptu Happy Hour at Costco

New Whiskeys: Chicken Cock Old Glory Rye • Evan Williams Single Barrel 250 • Four Branches Liberty Reserve Bourbon • Rittenhouse 10 Year BiB • WhistlePig Declaration Wheat • WhistlePig Red, White & Blue PiggyBank Rye • Blue Note Small Batch Wheated Bourbon • Blue Run Blueprint Bourbon • Col. E.H. Taylor x 2 • Elijah Craig 108 Proof PGA Edition Bourbon • First West Explorer Bourbon • Garrison Brothers Ranch Reserve Series x 2 • Little Book Chapter 10 • Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel • Widow Jane Tequila Ocho Cask Finished Bourbon

New Music Credits: Retro News at Nine (Stinger 1) by Steve Oxen and Just Breaking (Softer) by David Fesliyan from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com • News Sting and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

Whiskeys: Quest’s End: Paladin Bourbon • Quest’s End: Rogue Whiskey • Quest’s End: Warlock Bourbon • Dragon’s Milk Origin Bonded Bourbon

Tangents: Jeff and Shavonne join us for a night of whiskey-fueled adventure in which we taste four fantasy-inspired expressions in the course of playing D&D! • Ed used AI to create his character’s backstory • Shavonne didn’t read the book for the book report • Jeff crafted a truly epic origin for his dwarven wizard • Bamboozled: A mini-D&D adventure! • Should we do a sequel? • You could have just asked the ghost to stop masturbating • Ed’s character is impatient (like Ed tbh) • Giant centipedes are surprisingly hard to kill • Ed can’t keep his hands off the chest • Giant bats are also surprisingly hard to kill • Shavonne accidently hits Ed with her dagger • Dragonfruit is just a gay kiwi • Swallowing isn’t always bitter • We haven’t figured out how to bring a brick? • Nobody likes a Charlie-in-the-Box • Don’t be suspicious! • Shavonne distracts the Sphinx • Jeff should strangle Scott for giving him the hard riddles • Why does Ed hate the glasses again?! • Scott did two good squirts • #fuckstealth • Everyone ignores Shavonne’s French sex joke • It’s a baby dragon genocide! • I told you to leave the tambourine at home • Say “Blue Peak” again, Ed • “Dynamicness” is not a word, Scott • Everyone gets real treasure!

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi, Celtic Impulse, Temple of the Manes, Skye Cuillin, Folk Round, Lord of the Land, Shadowlands 4–Breath, Grim League, Rush to Glory, Unseen Presence, and Giant Wyrm by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html

Video with bonus cocktail: https://youtu.be/toVg2ru7qck

So many barrels, so little time. Join us as we taste a recent JD expression that, although it didn’t make the Final Pour of this year’s Madness Tournament (just a few podcasts back), it impressed us enough that we thought we’d do a full evaluation of it. We also made our first full tasting video on YouTube (linked above) so you can see our faces AND watch us taste a bonus cocktail made with the whiskey. But is the Heritage Barrel worth the higher price over their regular single barrels? Press play and find out!

Music Credits: Freedom courtesy of Choc Mic McNeil at  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Vb55i9ubwPnxUnY6OG3nH • Fireflies by Kevin MacLeod at https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html

New News: Sazerac makes a bid for Brown-Forman • MGP halts production at two Kentucky distilleries • Green River lets go their Head Distiller as job losses accelerate • New tax ruling makes homemade whiskey legal • Uncle Nearest legal woes continue • Competition results from Denver International Spirits Competition, Beverage Tasting Institute, and World Whiskies Awards • Low-carbon distillery project marks decarbonization breakthrough • Meet Scotland’s whisky-sniffing robot dog • A listener-supplied Connecticut whiskey QuickTaste!

New Whiskeys: Booker’s “Big Easy” Batch Bourbon • Bulleit Mesquite Smoked Malt Bourbon • Chicken Cock Wheated Bourbon • Eagle Rare 30 • Elijah Craig 15 Year Single Barrel Bourbon • Evan Williams Blackberry • Green River Wheated Full Proof Bourbon • Heaven Hill Bernheim 20th Anniversary Wheat Whiskey • Johnnie Walker Black Cask Blended Scotch • Knob Creek Blender’s Edition Bourbon • Lux Row Estate Bourbon • New Riff Duet American Whiskey • Penelope 7 Year Barrel Strength Bourbon • Proper No. Twelve Black Reserve Irish Blend • Redemption 92 Proof Bourbon

New Music Credits: Retro News at Nine (Stinger 1) by Steve Oxen and Just Breaking (Softer) by David Fesliyan from https://www.fesliyanstudios.com • News Sting and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

Whiskeys: Far-Flung Bourbon 100 v. Far-Flung Bourbon IV • Copperworks Distilling Washington Single Malt v. Boulder Spirits 7 Year Colorado Single Malt • Fiddler Soloist Georgia Straight Bourbon v. Dread River Distilling Co. Alabama Straight Bourbon • New Riff Distilling Kentucky Straight Rye v. Broad Branch Distillery 8 Year North Carolina Straight Rye • Montgomery Distillery Montana Straight Bourbon v. Day’s Defile 10 Year Idaho Straight Bourbon

Tangents: Join us as we taste 5 lower v. higher proof pairings of 10 whiskeys from 15 distilleries! • Ed’s already arguing with himself in the intro • The Lost Lantern founders’ new baby will be a whiskey genius • Each of these distilleries is a master of its own domain • Scott snuck a French word into Ed’s script • Donna Summer crickets! • Apparently, “cherry life savers dipped in baking spices” is a tasting note now • It’s not soda, it’s cocaine • Lost Lantern tricked Scott with their last collection • Seriously, don’t do this at home • Ed’s nose has shut down • Did you have to say “lube”? • Ed once maced himself with eucalyptus • Why haven’t we done a New Jersey distillery episode yet?! • You can say it, but it’s not real #whitechocolate • We give you The Glass of Insanity!

Music Credits: Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod from https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html • Total Happy Up And Sunny and Electric Soul by Sascha Ende from https://filmmusic.io/ • Starting the Day with Energy by MusiclFiles from https://filmmusic.io/

Say “bye bye Bob” to Season 14! Oh but wait, we have one last thing to talk about. Ok, several last things. So, join us for a review of the past six months and a preview of Season 15.

Last Things – Shout-outs: All our guest co-hosts • Dr. Ulysses • Gabe-related Random Belligerence • South Jersey Highschool Tangent • Listener Stats: 57,000 downloads! • Several new countries • Virginia and Japan vaulting • Ed knows a minx in Minsk • Canada tariffed us • Season 14 Recap: 20 Podcasts • 38 New Whiskeys • Sue, behave! • Jeff visits the 70s talk show circuit • Are we famous enough to be canceled? • Nobody bought us a coffee • Ed channels Casey Kasem and Sally Field • It's a platonic whiskey relationship • Scott can’t go to Ireland now • Her name is Dickensheets • Do you want my cinnamon ring? • Scott gets punished (and likes it) • U n i cum • Vampires never thrift their cloaks • Ours is very regional humor • YouTube blocked us • Ed invades Ft. Dix • Brian puts coal in our whiskey stockings • Sexmas Bonus! • Shavonne demotes Ed to working the phones • Eat your Spam and shut up • Stabbing Cats and Punching Scotts • Scott’s uncle ruins his Angel’s Envy • #thinpoint • Don’t say “D” • Ed likes a gae-lic • “Sue”-icide • Viggo the Carpathian did NOT like the tournament results • Season 15 Preview: Lost Lantern Spring Collection 2026 • D&D Whiskeys • Kinsey Deep Dive • Bardstown BBC or Blue Run • Cocktails with Kayla • Plus Shorts, News, Videos, and more!

Thanks to everyone who listened!

Music Credits: Octoblues by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4152-octoblues | License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license • Whiskey on the Mississippi by Kevin MacLeod | Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4624-whiskey-on-the-mississippi