Whiskey Without Borders: Because Kentucky Needed A Passport

A roasty Lebanese single malt takes center stage as we trade Kentucky comfort for global curiosity, tracing a bottle discovered in Chicago back to an eight-generation family distillery. We score it live, debate the finish, and explain why it belongs on a bourbon lover’s shelf.

• origins of Middle East single malt and Riachi family legacy
• why imperial dark malt tastes like coffee and chocolate
• proof, legs, and how viscosity shapes perception
• tasting notes from toasted coconut to burnt graham
• finish debate and the campfire echo
• price-to-value case and dessert-pour pairings
• upcoming lineup: Starward and other world malts
• how the barrel bottle breakdown scoring works
• community chat highlights and live feedback
• platforms, merch, and where to leave reviews

Please go do that if you haven't. And then also you can always super chat us on YouTube. And then also you can always super chat us on YouTube. And then make sure that you know we also are on Patreon. So go check out the Patreon levels, those are pretty cool. And you can subscribe to us or become members.

Ever tasted a Lebanese single malt that smells like a coffee shop at closing time and sips like dessert by a campfire? We tracked down Levant Dark Malt after a Chicago trip with our friend Martin Duffy, then brought it home for a full barrel bottle breakdown. What we found was a roasty, chocolate-forward whiskey from an eight-generation family distillery that refuses to copy Scotland or Kentucky and instead speaks in its own voice.

We start with the story: a Lebanese producer blending winery heritage and distilling tradition since 1839. From there, we dig into the grain choice—imperial dark malt roasted deep—why that matters for aroma, and how the 86-proof bottling changes the mouthfeel. On the nose, we call out toasted coconut, dark chocolate, and espresso; on the palate, it swings from burnt graham cracker to chocolate Malt-O-Meal with a nutty toast. The finish is a gentle ember—more glow than smoke—medium length with a soft char that keeps the roasted profile alive.

If your bar leans bourbon, this is an easy gateway into world malts. If you collect globally, it’s a distinctive regional expression worth a dedicated spot on the shelf. We tally scores live, argue body versus finish, share pairing ideas (dark chocolate, biscotti, mild cigars), and land on a verdict that balances flavor, price, and approachability. Stick around to hear what’s next as we line up Australia’s Starward and other bottles for “Whiskey Without Borders.”

Liked the ride across regions? Follow the show, drop a review with five stars, and share this episode with a friend who thinks whiskey has to come from one place. Your support helps us bring more bottles—and more stories—into the glass.

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Transcript

Introductions & Bourbon Culture Warm-Up

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Middlewest Spirits was founded in 2008, focusing on elevating the distinct flavors of the Ohio River Valley. Their spirits honor their roots and reflect their originality as makers, their integrity as producers, and their passion for crafting spirits from grain to glass. Their Michelin reserve line reflects their story from the start to the bottle to your glass, with unique wheated it and rye bourbons, and also rye and wheat whiskeys, the Michelon brand is easy to sip. It might be a grain to glass experience, but I like to think of it as uncut and unfiltered from their family to yours. Uncut and unfiltered. We're diving straight into the heart of Kentucky bourbon culture.

SPEAKER_06 1:47

Let's get started.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Tiny here tonight, and we also have the whiskey doctor in the house. Welcome, Izzy. Welcome, Randy. It's good to have you here.

SPEAKER_01 3:15

Good to be here.

Whiskey Without Borders: Show Format

SPEAKER_00 3:16

We are doing our, supposedly, let's see what happened. We got a little thing right there. All right. Super Nash came through and shared it. So there we go. We are shared fully throughout all the podcasts. Welcome everybody. Great to have. But it's we are doing our we're trying to do this as much as possible. We probably over the holidays missed an episode, but our it's we like to call it whiskey without borders. And we got the whiskey doctor, and there are no borders to this because we like to do the more international, or right? That's the right way to say it.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Where you're talking about Yeah, we've expanded from Scotchy. We're still staying primarily with single malts, but we're trying single malts and even rides from all over the world. You know, we we've done stuff from Israel, we've done stuff from Germany. Tonight we're doing some stuff, a bottle from Levant.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

Yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 4:16

Which we all learned about when we were in Chicago for the uh Cubs gang.

SPEAKER_00 4:19

Yeah, that's a really that's a really good story that we'll get into uh when we when we start it up. But remember everybody, www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things scotchy bourbon boys, t-shirts. We got t-shirts, which I got to put another order in finally. I think there's gonna soon be hoodies because uh who doesn't want a Scotchy Bourbon boy hoodie along Glenn Cairns and bourbon balls, another batch is gonna be made, I would say, this weekend because I'm gonna be taking that down to Kentucky when I go. We've got a lot of people here tonight just to throw out. We got uh Walker's here, Matt Lisen, Rick, Ricky, well, Rick Johnson. I mean, there's there's a decent amount of people here, so I'm excited. This should be a lot of fun. We monitor comments on YouTube and Facebook, but just remember we're on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, and on TikTok, along with all the podcast audio podcast formats, Spotify, iHeart, Apple. But remember, no matter whether you listen to us or you are watching us, to leave us good feedback. If you're on YouTube, I challenge you again to leave a super chat because super chats are there. Last week we got a super chat, our first ever super chat.

unknown 5:41

Woohoo!

SPEAKER_00 5:43

And it's really kind of cool. I like that to get, but if you do the super chat, I will be watching and I will light it up and let everybody know what you're saying. Let us know on YouTube what you're sipping on tonight, what where you're from, because that's very exciting. There's what's happening. Yeah, there's it's just so funny. Some people come on and they're like, what's happening here? Well, we're having a podcast. That's what's happening here. And you know, just leave good feedback on like especially Apple. If you could give us a review with a with a five-star review and and leave some comments, that would be awesome. So I don't know. Did we just it looks like we might have died on Facebook? Are you there, Randy? I'm here. Can you hear me? Yeah, I can hear you, but all of a sudden the it's moving. Are we moving?

SPEAKER_01 6:36

It's moving. You're moving still. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:38

As long as we're moving, let's just see what's what happened here.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Did I Matt Albert just said he's having some antique 107 with a nice cigar? And Walker had started off with just said he's having some.

SPEAKER_00 6:54

Hold on, let me get the the sound.

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Started off.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Okay, there you go. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

So Walker started off with a different single mall, but he switched on over to the uh the Levant that we're being what we're talking about. And Matt Albert is using a little bit of the uh Antique 107, which is always good.

Community Shoutouts & Platform Housekeeping

SPEAKER_00 7:17

Yeah, and uh tonight, you know, it's kind of cool. We break away from the bourbons and the rise, which I find is something that we do a lot of. We usually cover, we we've got the Irish covered. Ohio is just such a strong Irish whiskey market. I mean, what Ohio has done here with the barrel picks in out of Ireland and everything has just been amazing. So we've gotten to taste and learn so much about the Irish, but you know, we were but we do Martin Duffy, who we're gonna talk a little bit about. We have done a couple scotch podcasts with him, and I think we should get one together. And when we do the scotch podcast, um Mr. Dr. Sir, we're going to we're gonna get Martin on. I'll have you on, and then we'll work on getting some decent scotches in here that we could coordinate with them. That should be all right, because the man, you just you know, what Martin brought to the table last August, myself, Super Nash, and John Ritt. We were over at his house. You got you stayed there, me and Super Nash met, and I believe why am I why am I missing somebody here? It was me, you, John, and Supernash, right? The four of us, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:41

And and Martin and Martin, and I'm trying to remember if there was Super Nash.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

No, I think there was put in the Well, the person who was the one more was Ben.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

Oh, John's brother-in-law.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Was he with us? No, but it was but but um who was come that came that night, the the pilot that you met. That was Yeah, no, Ted wasn't there for the night. Ted was there later on. He would come during the night, yes. But he wasn't, it was the four of us at the at the oh yeah, yeah, it was his brother-in-law because his brother-in-law, his brother-in-law went to the baseball game. Yeah, went to the baseball game, and he was our he was our designated driver, kind of. So that was cool.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

But the manager of the bar there, a restaurant was with us too. Hey Sarah, how are you? Sarah Evans is watching us.

Global Single Malts We’ve Tried

SPEAKER_00 9:31

Cool. I'm glad that Sarah has joined us. I forgot to send Stacey an invite. Usually I send her Stacy an invite. But, you know, you know, everybody should be used to us by now on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you know, coming in and being here at 8:30 to not miss it. And especially if you don't, if you just want the podcast aspect of it on Tuesdays and Thursdays, just show up at 8:30. I mean, you get a little bonus. We like to give a little bonus while we're sharing. Some people like to put music up. I know I've been waiting a couple times for live streams to kick in. And a lot of times you get there right at the time and it's like five, 10 minutes before they actually go live. It's kind of like a press conference kind of thing. But I like to be early and then just prep it. But we, you know, and it seems to be working out all right. But the Brian was his was his brother-in-law's name. But that was just a blast. We went to the Cubs game, and then after the Cubs game, we met up with Martin Duffy, and he we basically that day that we no, the next day, that so Friday was the Cubs game, and then Saturday we met up with Martin because we went to Binny's and a bunch of different places, and then we also went to Co Koval. We we've got to do that podcast coming up with everybody that you know that would be cool. And then we met up with Martin at I do you remember the name of the restaurant? But I think actually someone told me that that restaurant closed. I think I heard that. I think I might John might have, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:18

If you if you do, John put it in the chat, please.

SPEAKER_00 11:22

Yeah. Anyways, and and you know, before everybody afterwards, uh John will be on, and uh we'll we'll we'll talk a little bit about the podcast after. But I would like to shout out John for this sample. It's so funny because we did this at our holiday podcast where we did Bookers of the Year, and then we finished up with Bourbon of the Year, two podcasts in one day, and we did a blind, and everybody was having fun, and this got poured. And it's funny because I was looking for it, and I was thinking I was looking for a a bottle like this. And I've got three decent samples from you that are the next three podcasts, but I was looking everywhere. I looked and tore up this place, and I couldn't find it. And then I looked where I kept the samples over by the fireplace, the three samples, and this bottle was sitting there, and when it was sitting there and I looked at it, I'm like, oh yeah, I gave them this because I wanted a full good two-ounce pour, and this this is this will measure. This is just this is a great kit to get. And I so I was able to pick that up, and I'm like, that's when I let you know. I was just sitting right out there plain as day, wasn't misplaced.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

So let's let's as soon as you open it, you know you've got it. So we out of Kentucky.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

So John John forgot the restaurant, but I did I for some reason I heard that it's it it it closed up. But the the restaurant had that that he took us to was what would you say, fantastic restaurant, had a super bourbon and scotch collection to choose from. And then we were there with Martin and we paired some scotches and we and we and we were just drinking. And at one point, I believe we tasted this Lebanese.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

He said, I want you to try something you've never had, and pulled it out. And of course, none of us had had it. And the really neat thing is attached to the restaurant was a small bodagos, what I would call it for New York, that sold with had a little tiny whiskey aisle, and then sold other things too.

SPEAKER_00 13:51

And and they had this more like a whiskey window, but it was a deli, they had sold bread, they had, you know, some meats, and I mean it was a very uh yeah, it was. It was like a this little corner delicatessen shop, and but you guys were like, well, I believe Martin's like, there it is, Martin Duffy, right? Yeah, so you picked up a bottle, I believe John picked up a bottle. Super Nash did not, I did not either. I liked it, but you know, I can't at this point building my Scotch collection would I would have to build shelves on the ceiling. Yeah, yeah, so that's kind of how that works, anyways.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

So let's talk a little bit about this.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

Yep, you go first because you know, on this, this is why I have you, because I really like this segment, and you give them the information.

SPEAKER_01 14:58

And it was started by a Mr. Riacci. I think that's how you pronounce it.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

That is how you meta pronounced it for me.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

It's Riace in 1839, started off as a winery and then became a distillery.

Chicago Trip, Martin Duffy, And The Find

SPEAKER_00 15:15

Wrong. It actually started out as a distillery and in the ear the 1900s, then turned to a winery, according to Meta.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

She I will say that maybe part of Meta's 40%, but it may not be. Because I actually don't know. I just know the way I the story I read did not specify. I said winery and distillery.

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Right, right. It was the like the 1900s, it started making wine, but the first it started in 1839 as a distillery. That's what she said.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

I'm looking for where I read that exactly, but yes. Any wine of wine and whiskey, they're eight generations in. And this is made from a roasted imperial dark malt mold barley and heavily roasted in it. When I first tried it, to me it tasted like a chocolate espresso. I got coffee notes, I got dark, dark chocolate notes, I got the burnt, slightly burnt flavor you get from a roasted coffee bean or something like that. I just I like smoky, I loved it, absolutely thought it was fantastic, but it's not like anything you've ever had if you're getting stuff out of Kentucky.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

No, and and anybody right, and but and it's not any like anything you had out of Scotland.

unknown 16:54

Right.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

It's this is Lebanon.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

I mean, uh it's you know hotter for one. A lot hotter, way hotter. It's 1,100 square feet. I mean, 1,100 feet above sea level, 1132, I think. The one I've got here is batch one, which is what you got too. I was like it when I get the first batch of something. Yeah. Sometimes things get a lot better after after several batches, sometimes they don't. So I'll be looking forward to finding out the others. Now it's imported by Keeper's Quest out of Chattanooga. Ed Cole imports it. And Ed is well known in the Scotch world. He's been recognized by Scottish, the Scot Society over in Scotland. And he started with one brand, he's growing at 30% a year in his business, and he's he's bringing lots of good stuff over now. So not just from Scotland, but from a lot of places.

SPEAKER_00 18:02

So right now the distiller is Roy Riachi. It never left. It's the like you said, it's was the you said eighth generation, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:14

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Eight generations of Riachis. It's still a winery and a distillery. So it's kind of like when you think about Lebanon and a Lebanese place of a distillery, there's in the history books, you don't usually think of the that a family-run business because of where it is. You think of, you know, it what what kind of just you know, where it is. I mean, a lot of people who are of certain religious beliefs don't drink. So, you know, you wonder, you know, a distillery. I understand the winery and that type of thing. So it's very unique to when I when I was doing the research to think about it's kind of like right, you know, a little bit young. It's not as old as, you know, Jim Beam, you know, Jacob Beam when he was in the seven late 1700s, but it's close, 1839 to start out and then have it stay within. And it's family-owned still. So what's even crazier is when you think about Jim Beam and the family's still associated, but it's not family owned.

SPEAKER_01 19:36

Yeah, and you saw, you know, how a lot of times we'll get whiskey in your hands and rub it and smell it. I don't want to offend anybody that might not believe in eating pork, but when I rubbed it, I smell my hands smell like smelled bacon. Which I was not expecting, but yes. Wonderful. All right. Well, you know that Glenn, I am gonna step for just a second because the dryer keeps buzzing at me. Well, I'm gonna turn it off. I'll be right back. At least my wife is not gonna live.

Levant Distillery Origins & Family Legacy

SPEAKER_00 20:13

All right, so I'll go into our segment. So everybody, I don't know how this happened, but we have the old Louisville barrel bottle breakdown of Levant Dark Malt Whiskey tonight. Old Louisville Whiskey Company in Louisville, Kentucky, a mean car, owns the old Louisville whiskey company. Right now, he is in the process of moving to Shively, but at the same time, he's still at his current location doing fantastic bourbons and ries. Right now, everything that he puts out is seven years or older, so you could. Gets some really fantastic whiskey. He buys it and then he ages stuff further and also puts it in different barrels. I mean, he's like, you know, like you know, it's like a mad scientist kind of thing with him. So you want to check out old Louisville whiskey company in Louisville, Kentucky. And if you are there, stop in and say that the Scotchy Bourbon Boys sent you in. So there we go. I'm gonna put that right there. Try not to catch it on fire. I think that actually went in front of my face, so let's go put it more right there. Let's see if that works. I want to turn it that way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:41

I can't see it on my screen.

SPEAKER_00 21:43

Yeah, I must have got it out of there. Let's put it over here first.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Over by the William Dalton.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

There you go. Over here. All right. So you can see it. Yes. All right. So the scale, our old Louisville whiskey company barrel bottle breakdown scale is consists of four categories: nose, body, taste, and finish. For the nose and the body, you can give up to four bangs on the barrel. And for the taste and the finish, you can give up to five. But if there's a category that you're tasting that's exceptional, you can give it a butt up up. So if you want to do the butt up up, you can give it a 19 out of 18 as a perfect whiskey or bourbon. All right, so here we go. We got a couple okay. Mr. Sniffle says hi.

SPEAKER_01 22:42

Hi, Mr. Sniffle. Walker, will you keep track of the numbers for us? I don't have a pen and paper on me.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

Thomas Anderson says cheers. And the one guy, Barrel Proof Veteran, he said, I'm so confused. There's so many questions to what's happening. It's so funny. Mezcal. Guilty. One guy says Mezcal is drinking. Let's see.

unknown 23:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:54

I love it when they ask me how many I have, and I haven't even had anything. It just shows you that the average consumer of YouTube videos has no clue realistically. They have all preconceived notions of what goes on. It's kind of funny, but yes. No, zero. Had none. We're just doing a podcast. I guess maybe I'll do this. I'll take these off right now. I think Metis helped me out. You're drinking some Earl Grey tea. There you go. And then ballot cleanser.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

Cheers, Amin. How are you? Amine's in? Uh looks like it. Walker just said cheers to him, so I'm assuming. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:45

Yeah, because we are doing the old Louisville whiskey company barrel bottle breakdown right now. All right, Amin.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

That's the perfect time to pop in.

SPEAKER_00 24:55

Another time to tell everybody hours and if when you're going to be in your new location. Matt Albert, say hi to him. Uh say hi to him. And then there's also John says that Lebanon was Christian many years ago. Yeah. For my information. And it has obviously changed. All right.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

So there are still a lot of Christians in Lebanon. I've got a friend who's Lebanese who's Christian. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:21

All right. Let's let's see about this. Let's give this. I mean the nose on this. What are you thinking? What are the so I get, I mean, I love this, but I get like a toasted. Sometimes it's chocolate. Like a toasted coconut chocolate. And then I get like sometimes it's like I put toasted coconut cream in my coffee. And it goes back and forth. Sometimes it's coffee and sometimes it's chocolate.

SPEAKER_01 26:09

But a dark chocolate covered coffee bean.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

Espresso or coffee?

SPEAKER_01 26:20

I say coffee in this case.

SPEAKER_00 26:23

I never ate a coffee bean. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

You never have one. They did they give them to you sometimes at distilleries to help cleanse your palate?

Dark Malt Style: Coffee, Chocolate, Smoke

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Usually it's an espresso bean. Okay. Well, I'm cheap. I get coffee beans. It's wonderful. As far as I know, I think it's the single best scotch I've ever known. A single malt. I love this dark malt. So do you got anything on the mash bill? Do you got anything?

SPEAKER_01 26:57

It's 100% malted barley.

SPEAKER_00 27:00

That is the mash bill. Dark malted barley.

SPEAKER_01 27:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

What did they do to make it dark malt? Do you know what did they do to make it dark malt?

SPEAKER_01 27:11

It's an imperial barley and they roast it.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Until it's really.

SPEAKER_01 27:15

I don't know what else makes it dark, though, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 27:18

Okay, so it's imperial. So what's the proof on this? Because I know a lot of scotches.

SPEAKER_01 27:24

My bottle says that it's 86 proof. Says 43% ALC slash VOL alpha by volume. It doesn't say ABV. But online I saw that some of them were 94. So I'm going to trust what the label says, which is 86.

SPEAKER_00 27:41

86. We're 86 in it. Well, a lot of times what happens when it comes to America, what we get is different than what other people get, especially it's the same thing with bourbon. I mean, for God's sakes, I believe in Australia they knock it down to like 72. They don't even have it as bourbon because bourbon is supposed to be at least 80-proof. In a lot of places, they don't drink 80-proof. They drink 72. And for marketing purposes, you're still going to say it was bourbon, and but we made it for you guys. So it's the same thing.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

So because he gets kind of a heavy toasted pistachio. Walker says he gets more of a cereal smell, not any coffee, really. He says, but you just roast it longer for a dark malt, according to Alan. Is Alan here? Walker, you heard that question. I don't know the answer to that, but Walker will tell us in a second. I haven't seen Alan's name go across the screen with a comment.

SPEAKER_00 28:41

I haven't seen any super chats yet. I need a super chat for somebody on YouTube.

SPEAKER_01 28:48

I don't know if you've looked at this, but this thing does not have legs. You you switch it around and it just sits up there.

SPEAKER_00 28:57

Well, a lot of times it drips down like molasses, not like Yeah, but a lot of times what happens it'll stick, okay? Okay, I'm getting I'm getting legs. I'm getting legs. I hope you can see. I'll hold it right up. I'm getting some legs in there.

SPEAKER_01 29:15

I'm trying to catch it so you can get I'm getting something when I swish it a lot. Well, it takes several, and they're just sticking.

SPEAKER_00 29:22

Yeah, some are some are smaller. Yeah, it definitely's got a nice viscosity as far as a whiskey. Yeah, and I think that comes from the dark, the dark malt. It's not just like most single malts are very thin. And also remember, this has legs as I'm sorry. Most people who drink scotch in America like that 80 proof. You know, you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 29:49

Yeah, when I'm looking at these legs now, they remind me, as I've said, about one other thing I've had. This has the legs of Jessica Rabbit. They just keep going. Yeah, there's Walker says he was remembering what Alan said at our initial tour of Old Homestead. Okay. Or y'all's initial tour of Old Homestead.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

All right. I did invite Alan tonight if he wanted to come, but you know, he is a busy man. Yes. All right. So there you go on the nose. I'm gonna take a little sip.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

I would give that nose four, a non-bourbon, I would give that a four. You know, it's got lots of stuff going on.

SPEAKER_00 30:42

You're supposed to not non-bourbon it. You know. Well, it's just it's just whiskey's whiskey.

SPEAKER_01 30:50

For world whiskey, I would give it a four.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

You give the nose a four.

SPEAKER_01 30:58

Could you hear that? Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

Thank you, Nobs. Still to this day. What was it, the first three months you couldn't hear it? I will give it a I will give it a four, too, because like I said, for a single malt whiskey, it has the different things. I I think honestly, honestly, it's the strongest part of it, right?

SPEAKER_01 31:29

Well, there is one part that I think I remember being stronger, but we're not there yet. Do we want John and Walker to give theirs too?

SPEAKER_00 31:45

They can give theirs too if they would like.

SPEAKER_01 31:47

Well, Nob says you're welcome for the for the bang.

Proof, Legs, And Tasting Setup

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Nob's is on, which is crazy. All of a sudden, there it is. All right, let's give it a taste. My the palette shock was crazy for me. Because I I that's the first sip of whiskey I have had since last Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

John Ritz says four for sure. Matt Leisen can't count. He says 3.75. How does Matt Leisen jump in? Don't ask me. I guess it's a free open podcast.

SPEAKER_00 32:29

No, but does he have it? Does he have the 11 hikes? He may have. Matt, you got some.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

Matt says you need a gong. It's much cooler. No, I don't. Walker says, Walker says he gives it a two on the nose, but he's biased.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

What does biased mean?

SPEAKER_01 32:55

Let me rephrase that question. What does bias mean in this case, Walker?

SPEAKER_00 33:00

He's biased to bourbon. Is that what it is?

SPEAKER_01 33:03

Well, that's what he'll he'll answer you in a half second.

SPEAKER_00 33:06

He did a two.

SPEAKER_01 33:07

Yes, he did it too.

SPEAKER_00 33:10

What about John? Did we lose? Oh, four. Did I already do his four?

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Yes. Okay. Walker's writing them down, so you can bang as much as you want to. Walker's keeping track of it. The bangs are important.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

If I don't give it the bang, if it doesn't get banged, it doesn't go down. And no, the gong is not. See, see, Nobbs is not, he was not around for the gong show. Anyway.

SPEAKER_01 33:47

Nobbs probably don't even remember the gong show. I know. Walker says he has a positive bias in favor of bourbon style notes.

SPEAKER_00 33:59

Anyways, let's do the body. So this is always my problem with the body of any kind of single model or scotch. I mean, Basil Hayden, who everybody talks about at 80 proof being it's got more body than this. Bourbon just has more body. And it's not a cut. I don't think anybody's into scotch for the body. I think they're into scotch because of the easiness of the drinking. And this drinks like what Scotch should drink. There's a little hint of stuff and things going on and whatever, but everything is so calm and easy, and just the road has no bumps.

SPEAKER_01 35:03

It just I get I get a hug from your grandmother on it. It's got just a touch of a hug, but it's soft. Do I get a hug? Sleep just a little bit. Not much, but just a touch.

SPEAKER_00 35:18

I mean, I it has the potency of apple juice. I mean, there's no, there's no, I mean, it basically gives you flavor. I don't get any in my cheeks, and I get a little bit. Where I get the flavor and the body is the my the back of my throat is the and it's not bitter. Normally the the sweetness, but there's a nutty roasted kind of thing. It's not peanut. It's there's a little bit, just a little bit of smokiness. Just a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

I'm getting almost a s'more.

Old Louisville Barrel Bottle Breakdown Rules

SPEAKER_00 36:06

I get a little bit of chalky, smoky, a burnt s'more. Maybe a little. Not not sweet. I don't know. I don't get the vanilla. But I will say on the body, that you're you were dealing with taste right there and finish and all that. I will say on the body. It's between a two and a one. I'm trying to think. It's a one. It's not a zero, but it's a one.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

As far as body goes, I would give it a three because I like Scottish. Like you said, this is something you could sit and drink all night long without it hurting you.

SPEAKER_00 37:02

I'll give him, I will give John burnt graham cracker. That was a good one. What is John and Walker? What are they giving it?

SPEAKER_01 37:10

That's what I described. I can't fire more.

SPEAKER_00 37:14

Did Matt get, does he have a sample? Did we does it count if you're not wearing the glasses? He says, does it count if I'm not wearing the glasses? Yes, actually, definitely. I don't know. I think the glasses are probably cooler, right?

SPEAKER_01 37:32

Yeah, John gives him what on the body.

SPEAKER_00 37:36

And what's Walker giving it?

SPEAKER_01 37:39

I haven't seen Walker's over mentioned.

SPEAKER_00 37:42

Stop that. You do you still he doesn't have it. He can't. If you said if you're are you actually tasting? We're trying, folks. We are trying.

SPEAKER_01 37:56

He may have.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

John Ritt may have given him some when he was up there. I don't know. John, did you give him one? Because John barely remembers giving me one.

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Walker, I don't see what she gave it.

SPEAKER_00 38:10

I know. Walker's like gone.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

On the bottom. John says no halves to Matt.

SPEAKER_00 38:22

Matt gave a three-quarters and a half, and I just think he's messing with us because he knows there's no.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

I think he is too. And John, like you said, John can't remember whether you gave him eating or not.

SPEAKER_00 38:36

It's cool to have him.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

I think I let Matt try it when he was down here with me.

SPEAKER_00 38:42

Walker gives it a two.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

All right, now we're on to taste.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

John said Walker says he's busy taking notes, leave him alone.

SPEAKER_00 39:07

John says Matt Prob doesn't even have a sample. Oh my God.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

I think Noble.

SPEAKER_00 39:15

Yeah, Nobs, Nobs jo yeah, he definitely don't have a sample, but one, three, five, four. So the more I taste this, I don't know why. It just keeps getting smokier.

SPEAKER_01 39:31

I opened it the other night, and that's all I got was smoke. I'm getting other stuff tonight, but the other night I had some of the only thing I tasted was smoke.

SPEAKER_00 39:43

C. What so we can go up to five on the taste.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

Yeah, Walker says Teddy Graham, but I think he's asking a question.

SPEAKER_00 39:57

No, Teddy Graham is a form of graham crackers. For kids.

SPEAKER_01 40:04

But I think based on what I'm seeing, he's talking to Matt Lisen about it, if that's what Matt's just talking about. Matt says he did not get one, but he's drinking an E.H. Taylor single. Yeah, the E.H. Taylor single banner does taste just like this, Matt.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

No, uh Walker's asking if you get a flavor of teddy gram. It's graham cracker. It's a graham cracker for kids.

SPEAKER_01 40:28

Yeah, oh I know what they are.

SPEAKER_00 40:30

I used to I gave them to Stefan, and then and then they they got a bad rap.

SPEAKER_01 40:39

Oh, he said he thought maybe Matt might get that, even though Matt's drinking.

unknown 40:44

G.

SPEAKER_00 40:44

H. Taylor. There's a nice sweetness. It's a good tasting. I mean, I'm not, I wouldn't, there's no turning it down. We tasted it. We tasted it at dinner.

SPEAKER_01 41:04

With sugar in it. It's not quite that strong, and not quite as strong as the espresso at this point.

SPEAKER_00 41:12

It's so weird because honestly, it's really close to almost being astringent, but it's not.

SPEAKER_01 41:22

So John Ritt says Burt Graham Cracker blended with oval teen chocolate. No, maybe a maybe a dark gadai, but not oval team.

Nosing Notes: Toasted Coconut To Espresso

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Oh, I know. Oh my God. You know what it is? And he said it, and it's I know I was trying to figure out it's chocolate maltomeal. Sick. Okay. That's what it is. It's chocolate maltomeal. That is what it is. And with that, out of five, chocolate maltomeal. All right, I gotta think. Three or four. I will actually up it to as far as taste. You're talking chocolate maltomeal in a whiskey, so I'm gonna go four. Thank you, John, because oval teen put me right to Malto Meal, which then that I mean that is it. It's definitely chocolate maltomal. That is the flavor.

SPEAKER_01 42:27

Seth is jealous because you tell us to drink our own thing. So he's jealous. Seth, I'll get you some. I've got plenty left.

SPEAKER_00 42:43

It's shareable, that's for sure. Actually, it would be really cool to put in your chocolate malto meal. Get some chocolate malto meal and then get some. Damn, I these glasses are cool. Oh, let's see. Hey Meta. Do they still make chocolate malto meal? She's not responding. Let's see if I can get her to respond. There we go.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

You're frozen. Can you do something?

SPEAKER_00 43:18

What? I just lost. Did I lose you? No, you're back.

SPEAKER_01 43:23

We froze up for a minute. We're back. Is everybody else back?

SPEAKER_00 43:29

You were gone. You kind of then you're back. I was always there.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

But no, you were gone on my stream.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

I know, but but on Facebook you left. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

So well I was wild. Of course, the Facebook drags behind. Yeah, I was frozen. I'm frozen on Facebook right now.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

Alright. So what is everybody else? Did I what did I give it? A four, right?

SPEAKER_01 43:52

You gave it a four.

SPEAKER_00 43:54

Who's next?

SPEAKER_01 43:56

Walker, you're next.

unknown 43:57

Hey Meta.

SPEAKER_01 43:58

Did he give it? I haven't done mine yet. Hey Meta. What are you giving it next?

SPEAKER_00 44:03

Nope, the meta glasses don't want to work at the moment. You gave yours? You already gave yours?

SPEAKER_01 44:15

No, I was waiting on Walker, but he's not getting there. I would say a three.

SPEAKER_00 44:22

A three?

SPEAKER_01 44:24

Yeah. I like I love seven six five if I'm mad. Walker says a one. So I know what he's not getting for Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 44:41

A one? He said it's not his jam?

SPEAKER_01 44:44

Yeah, a one, it's not his jam.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

We should just not count him.

SPEAKER_01 44:50

Because it's throwing skewing everything off.

SPEAKER_00 44:52

No, he can know. He's there. He doesn't have to.

SPEAKER_01 44:56

We asked him to do it, so yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:58

We're not gonna skew nothing. John's volume isn't working.

SPEAKER_01 45:11

Is there anything that you might have done to make well Walker? Can you hear us?

SPEAKER_00 45:19

All right. Whiskey Doctor. Well John says he'll give it a two.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

Yeah, I see that now. Good.

SPEAKER_00 45:29

Obviously, it's starting to work. Matt's giving a six, seven.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Yes, Matt.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

Six, seven. What are you giving it, Mr. Whiskey Doctor?

SPEAKER_01 45:42

Well, I'll give it a three. And you already docked it.

SPEAKER_00 45:44

Okay, so we got one, three, one, two, three, four. There you go.

SPEAKER_01 45:49

And six, seven.

SPEAKER_00 45:50

All right. One, two. We were missing a five.

SPEAKER_01 45:54

Seth will give it a five.

SPEAKER_00 45:57

He gives it a six, seven.

SPEAKER_01 45:59

Yeah, he can, yeah. Alright. Yeah, I poured a second one because I used a mini gland.

SPEAKER_00 46:06

There's no such thing as a second for me.

SPEAKER_01 46:09

I understand because you're not using a mini gland.

SPEAKER_00 46:11

Yeah, but then that's it for you, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 46:14

Yeah, that's it. Because I'm going back to my Earl Grey. Steve told Matt to type that.

Body And Mouthfeel: Easy-Drinking Debate

SPEAKER_00 46:25

All right. So let's go on finish. Now, finish, this is the weirdest. The body is. It's really weird. The body is oily on the finish. I mean, it's the weirdest thing. There's no front palate body. But then on the back, right, after drinking the two one and three-quarter ounces that I had left of this, the finish is medium. It's long, but if you if you go by thin, it's a thin. Right. And and anytime you kind of swallow or kind of in your mouth, it comes back. But it's smoky. There's a little bit of char.

SPEAKER_01 47:18

Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 47:19

Not as pleasant as the taste.

SPEAKER_01 47:23

No, but it's not. I mean, you know, it's it's one of those things that reminds me, probably reminds Walker of our scouting days. Just reminds you of a campfire.

SPEAKER_00 47:34

Well, I will tell you that it's an average to me finish. So I have to do based off of our scale of five, I have to decide two or three, right? Whether it's a slightly below average or a slightly above, but I would give it a 2.5. But I can't.

SPEAKER_01 48:03

So that would support you give it a 2.5.

SPEAKER_00 48:06

Yeah, of course you would, but there's no no halves. So based off that.

SPEAKER_01 48:15

You give it a two, I'll give it a three. We both will get the 2.5 that we want. Because that's actually where I think it is, too. I think it's just a moderate.

SPEAKER_00 48:27

I'll give it I will give it, I'll give it the three because I think most of the taste that I enjoy happens at the back of my throat. It's way in the back of your throat where you're tasting it, and then it goes to a little char. And it it's like a lot of the taste is in the finish. And usually the finish is the finish. You know what I mean? Not the taste.

SPEAKER_01 48:56

So I'll give it a weights with taste buds up in your oropharynx.

SPEAKER_00 49:04

I'll give it a three.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

Next. You know, I'm gonna have to go with a three, too, just because of the reminiscence that I get from it. You got a three? Yeah. I'm picking up a little chocolate now at the end, too.

SPEAKER_00 49:30

Two was for John. And all we got left is Walker.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Matt says Joe wants to give it a 2.25 for the light smokiness. Yeah, well, it's it's it's not a Cuban cigar, guys, so it's not gonna be that smoky. It's it's a Prince Albert and a canteen.

SPEAKER_00 50:00

What did Walker give it? I gotta hit C more.

SPEAKER_01 50:07

Walker says two. Walker gave it a two.

SPEAKER_00 50:10

Alright.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

So Walker's got got you with a four-one-four-three, me with a four-three-three-three, John with a four-one-two-two, Matt with a four-three-zero-two, and Walker with a two-two-one-two. Walker's definitely the outlier, but that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 50:31

So you gave I gave it a 12, you gave it a 13.

SPEAKER_01 50:36

John gave it a 9. Walker gave it a 7.

SPEAKER_00 50:43

9 and 7 is 16. 28, 30, 41 divided by 4, which would be a 10.25. So it pulled out out of 18, it pulled out a 10.25.

SPEAKER_01 51:04

And if we're pulling, if statistics we throw walker out as an outlier, although technically it's we don't have enough sample size to do that. But if we took Walker out, we're getting uh I don't know, between you and maybe we're getting a 12 and a half.

SPEAKER_00 51:19

Well, we're 12 and 13, which is 25, and then you put John in at nine, which would be 34 divided by four or three would be 11.1. Well, 11.3333.

SPEAKER_01 51:38

Yeah.

Flavor Callouts: Burnt Graham And Malt-O-Meal

SPEAKER_00 51:39

So 10.25, 11.33, that's fine. It's just like I would say, yeah. Oh, well, slightly above nine is nine is an average, so 10.25 is above average. Anytime you're trying, you know, when you got at an 18 scale, there was I would say it's a very drinkable whiskey. It's on the level of your Jim Beams or your Jack Daniels, just a standard um rail bar, maybe 86 Old Forester, all those kind of things. What was the price on it when you guys bought it?

SPEAKER_01 52:20

It's I think MSRP on it's about$41 from what I saw.

SPEAKER_00 52:24

So there you go. It's a totally reasonable, it was shipped from Lebanon. So, you know, it's funny because you know, people don't realize that when you're talking about scotch and and you know, Irish whiskey, it's got to be shipped over. And if you just when you order something and you think about how it costs eight bucks more to get it here, you know, at your house, I mean it's the same kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 52:50

So yeah, John made a really good point. In his mind, he said it's a total dessert after dinner sipper. Walker says I respect that. I think y'all and John are on it, and I know that I'm an outlier. You know, to me it's it's an occasion whiskey. You have to, there's an occasion that you want to have that particular flavor.

SPEAKER_00 53:14

So put your bottle right up front, the Leviant Heights Dark Malt, right now, and then right here we got the old Louisville Whiskey Company's uh barrel bottle breakdown of what is it, Mount Levant Heights, Mount Hermann. Herman Levant Heights, dark malt, single malt whiskey. And does it say transverse? We lift it up a higher. Okay, what does that say? I'm looking. Right? Lebanese single malt whiskey, dark malt, Lebanese single malt whiskey. So there you go. So and we and the old Louisville right there, that's the best I can hold it. Yep, perfect. And that is our barrel bottle breakdown of 10.25 between the four of us. So wonderful breakdown. Thanks, Amin, for sponsoring us. And that kind of does it. We've got a couple. You you might want to we might want to pick for the next time what you want to do. You have the other three, which you're familiar with.

SPEAKER_01 54:31

Yeah, I am not sure. Tell me which three that I you have, and then I'll tell you which one I think we ought to do next.

SPEAKER_00 54:37

Well, then I actually gotta go get them.

SPEAKER_01 54:39

I know you gotta get up. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 54:41

Don't mind getting up, but you can hear me, right? Yeah, that's all we need to do.

SPEAKER_01 54:52

I mean, we really appreciate everything you do for us. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 55:00

Did I just unplug it? I'm I'm classic for unplugging. I did. Let's plug it back in.

SPEAKER_01 55:11

Matt Lysen said he's really sad he missed the pre-atomic bottle. The what bottle? Well, Matt, the thing about this, the dark, the super dark model that we're talking about, they use this the same grain to make stouts. And I know you don't like stouts. All right, we've got Matt says send a link. Steve wants to say hi.

SPEAKER_00 55:42

Nostville, Slovak Republic. Okay, King Car Whiskey, Taiwan. Okay, and Star Ward Star Ward Australia. Two Folo Australia.

SPEAKER_01 56:00

Right.

SPEAKER_00 56:01

Well let's do Star Ward.

SPEAKER_01 56:03

Okay. I was gonna say I like all three of those. I'll pick the Star Ward up this weekend.

SPEAKER_00 56:09

You don't have it?

SPEAKER_01 56:11

Three or four hundred other bottles or five.

SPEAKER_00 56:13

You don't have it anymore? Oh, pick it up from your house.

SPEAKER_01 56:16

Yeah, I'm going down for the weekend for my mother-in-law's 90th birthday.

SPEAKER_00 56:21

Wonderful. Yes, I got to meet the when we were at me and CT went to the Gleena Whiskey Festival. The guy who represented Star Wars was there, so we got to talk to him.

SPEAKER_01 56:37

Okay, well, good. All of the all three of those are very good. They're different again, but the Star Wars gonna be more like an Irish whiskey, if I remember right, than the others.

SPEAKER_00 56:55

Yeah, well, it's Australian, so we'll go to Australia the next time. So there you go, everybody. So let's finish this up. You know, it's funny because I gotta find out how to finish this up. Let's just go up like that.

SPEAKER_01 57:12

You may even invite the owner of Larrickin to join us for that one.

SPEAKER_00 57:18

Australian. Yeah, that would be kind of cool. We could cover that. That would be Greg Keeley. Yes. So we've had we he's been on before. He actually introduced their bottled in bond at Kentucky Bourbon Festival two years ago.

SPEAKER_02 57:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 57:37

So that was right on the podcast. All right, everybody. Thanks, uh, Whiskey Doctor, for coming on with for this segment of Doc Doctors with Whiskey Without Borders. Not Doctors Without Borders.

SPEAKER_01 57:49

Doctors Without Borders, different breeding.

Finish: Campfire Echo And Score Tally

SPEAKER_00 57:51

Yeah. Uh-huh. And but I think that went well. The Leviant picked up a 10.25. So there you go. Until next time, remember, we're the Scotchy Bourbon Boys, www.scotchybourbonboys.com for all things Scotchy Bourbon Boys, Glens, t-shirts, bourbon balls. Check us out. All the information. We will. I'm going to get the website updated within this month. So that is high on my list. So check out www.scotchybourbonboys.com for and then also check us out on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, and TikTok. And then also on the audio podcast, Apple iHeart Spotify, or anywhere anywhere else you listen, whether you listen to us or watch us, make sure that you leave good feedback, good reviews on Apple five star reviews. Please go do that if you haven't. And then also you can always super chat us on YouTube. We didn't get one this time, but hopefully next time. And then make sure that you know we also are on Patreon. So go check out the Patreon uh levels, those are pretty cool. And you can subscribe to us or become members. And when you become members, you get a lot of cool stuff. So check us out. So remember, good bourbon equals good times and good friends. Thank you, Randy, for coming on. Drink responsibly, don't drink and drive, and live your life uncut and unfiltered. And we will be taken out by our theme song.