Episodes
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep12, the Final Episode: And the runner up is.... WTH???
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep11: A hint of whore?
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep10: Ringers Be Gone!
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep9: Elite Eight
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep8: The B-Roll, Bourbon, Baptist, Baseball...
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep7: White Out
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep6: Post Summer Vacation Sips
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep5: Don't Kick It Out of Bed for Eating Cookies
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasting project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In out fourth episode of the series you'll learn...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep4: The Olfactory Sack
n 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasing project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In our second episode of this series you'll learn...
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Off the shelf: Pre-Batched Cocktails - OTR, Knob Creek Old Fashioned
In this episode the Baron and baroness begin a new on and off again series of products that come off the shelf ready to drink, or mixes ready to just add spirits. For this one we're going to taste a relatively new segment of the market, upscale pre-batch cocktails made with named spirits. In this...
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep3: Cashews and Cocktails
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasing project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In our second episode of this series you'll learn...
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EPCOT Odyssey Tasting - Citrus Blossom
The Baron, Baroness, and Princess all savor different beverages during the Flower and Garden Festival at Walt Disney Worlds Epcot.
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep2: Boozy Americanos
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasing project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In our second episode of this series you'll learn...
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Dry January Take: Dos Equis Lime & Salt Zero
Join the Baron & Baroness as they taste and review Dos Equis non-alcoholic beer and celebrate Taco Tuesday.
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Dry January Take: Guinness Draught vs Guinness NA Draught
Continuing to celebrate the season of Dry January the Baron and Baroness enjoy a side by side tasting of Guiness Draught with its non-alcoholic counterpoint.
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Dry January Take: SoBour Rye Style (Whiskey Alternative)
Embracing the season of Dry January the Baron and Baroness taste a non-alcoholic whiskey alternative from Spirits of Virtue (based in Scotland) - SoBour Rye Style.
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Bourbons: 20 < $20 Ep1: Intro and our first matchups
In 2024 the Baron and two of his friends, Chris & Randall, embark on a new tasing project - tasting 20 bourbons each costing less than $20 (per 750ml) in blind, head-to-head, bracket style matchups over the course of the year to find a 'champion'. In our opening episode of this series you'll…
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High Wire Distilling
In this episode the Baroness and I still by the High Wire Distilling, Co in Charleston, SC and taste most of their current whiskey offerings.
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Sparkling cider with the kids
Bring the holiday season it's not just the adults that get to have all the beverage fun. So I sat down for a taste test side by side by side by side of several different sparkling siders regularly available with my nieces nephew and daughter for their important decisions.
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Eggnog - Yes, Booze Please
The Baron and Baroness revisit eggnog, this time taking their favorite from the prior episode and testing it out with different traditional spirits for the cocktail.
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Eggnog - No Booze
The Baron and Baroness sit down and taste six commercially available non-alcoholic eggnogs. Join us and find out which ones are our favorites.
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Old Fitzgerald - Then & Now
Baron had a unique opportunity to bring together a bottle of Old Fitzgerald 101 from the original Sitzel Weller Distillery and taste alongside current release of 17-year-old Old Fitzgerald. A special tasting such as this deserved some special people to taste alongside me, my father - "El Jefe"…
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Holiday Beers - Westbrook Santa Claw
Holiday beers are always fun and a great way to mix things up for your seasonal merriment. Thanksgiving morning the Baron tastes a juicy Hazy IPA from Westbrook Brewing, My. Pleasant, SC with his morning coffee.
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Michaleda - Go Navy!
As we prepare to relaunch in December, the the baroness and I find ourselves at a Navy tailgate enjoying one of my my favorite brunch beverage.
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Social Distance Me, I’m Irish
It’s been a while, but with the swift onset of closures, cancellations, etc the Baron, Baroness, and friends suddenly found time on their hands. And with the St. Patrick’s DAy holiday it seemed the perfect time to grab a different bottle of Irish whiskey and share a dram with them – outside…
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Manhattan Project: Sweet Vermouth – Martini & Rossi Rosso
For those who enjoyed our BTWOE* series** Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I return with our **Manhattan Project Series – Manhattan Project: Sweet Vermouth (MH:SV). In this project we will be tasting 10 different Sweet Vermouths and then also taste both a Bourbon and a Rye based...
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All in the Family: A barrel aged gift from one of my brothers
In September my youngest brother gave me a lovely gift of a custom logo-ed barrel for aging custom cocktails [Bitner Brothers Cocktails!], along with similarly branded double old-fashioned glasses – and a bottle of one of his own barrel-aged cocktails, a Sauternes-finished Italian American (Basil...
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Prelude to our Manhattan Project: Sweet Vermouth – Woodford Reserve Rye
For those who enjoyed our BTWOE* series** Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I return with a prelude to our first Manhattan Project Series – Manhattan Project: Sweet Vermouth (MH:SV). Given in this project we will be tasting both Bourbon and Rye based Manhattans, we felt it only fair...
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Tis the Season – Pappy Season!
It’s been a while since Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I have sat down and recorded a podcast – but sometime life takes precedence. This time of year is definitely know for Thanksgiving cheer (and some celebrate Christmas early now too) – but for bourbon lovers/aficionados, this…
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BTWOE* – Part 10 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
Drum roll please…. Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I have finally reached the ‘top’ of the list, ending our BTWOE* series**. Given the trends in whiskey over the past decade it comes as no surprise that the #1 whiskey is a bourbon – specifically Woodford Reserve. At #1, Woodford...
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BTWOE* – Part 9 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
As Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I near the end of our BTWOE* series** we turn our attention to the first Irish Whiskey of the series – Jameson. We cover some o At #2, Jameson is far and away the best selling Irish Whiskey on the planet. The two most popular ways are either with...
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Cooper & Thief – Labor Day Weekend
As the Baroness & I reminisce about our trip to Quebec City last year (and the discovery of The Lost Fingers) we take the time to open and taste a Bourbon Barrel Aged bottle of wine – Cooper & Thief. We found this to be a big, bold and quite enjoyable red blend from Lodi. Clearly the aging in...
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Ponysaurus Bière de Garde- Kicking Off Your Labor Day Weekend
Back in July our cousins brought us two tasty beverage gifts (you may recall our Krupnikas tasting) and we finally got around to tasting the second one this evening as we look towards Labor Day weekend – Ponysaurus‘s Bière de Garde. For those unfamiliar with this style of beer, Bière de Garde...
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Tastes from the airport
On our return trip from viewing the solar eclipse, Page (the Baroness) and I had a few hours at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport. As many of our nation’s airports get upgrades and makeovers, one element consistently being attended to is the food and beverage options. This recent trend...
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BTWOE* – Part 8 of 10 with The Whiskey Room – Addendum
Right after wrapping up #4 in the BTWOE* series** – Maker’s Mark with Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) he mentioned he just made some fresh Mint Simple Syrup. Which begged for a brief follow-up podcast with Maker’s Mark Mint Julep (though not the Maker’s Mark produced version). We...
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BTWOE* – Part 8 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
While it may have seemed like 24 hours, it was closer to 48 when Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and met to taste and discuss #4 in the BTWOE* series** – Maker’s Mark. We cover some of Maker’s Mark’s history, what a wheated boubon is, and its connection to one of the most coveted (at...
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BTWOE* – Part 7 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
When Christopher Rhodovi (from The Whiskey Room) and I planned our meeting this weekend for #4 in the BTWOE* series** – The Macallan 12 – we both presumed it was to taste and review The Macallan 12 Sherry Cask. However a last minute observation by Chris about the original post brought into…
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Whisky Collecting – a conversation with Pat Pyles
This past weekend I had an opportunity to sit down with Pat Pyles, who has been a whisky collector (primarily Scotch Whisky) for roughly 40 years. Our discussion ranged from his favorite region – Islay, from which the Caol Ila 12 we were enjoying during our chat hails – to how his collection grew...
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A second experimental from Glenfiddich – XX
Some of you may recall our second podcast where we tasted the first in Glenfiddch‘s new Experimental Series: Glenfiddich – India Pale Ale Finish. Well, I was fortunate enough to be given a wee dram of the second single malt in this series. This time Brian Kinsman, Malt Master at Glenfiddich, set...
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Boylan Birch Beer – Special Guest!
Recently I had a chance to turn my attention to a regional soda – Boylan Bottling’s Original Birch Beer. My fourteen year old nephew was visiting us from France and inquired what Birch Beer was. And instead of settling for just describing it as ‘similar to root beer’ we decided to sit down and...
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The man, the myth, the legend – David Stewart, MBE, malt master of The Balvenie
While there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who’ve been in the ‘family’ of distilling and making single malt Scotches (as well as blends), there is really only a handful of people (or arguably none) who have had as much influence as David Stewart, Malt Master at The Balvenie for over 50...
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Krupnikas! Sveiks!*
Almost two weeks ago (sorry to just be catching up on posting so many recordings ‘in the can’) Page & I had the pleasure of having her cousins, Claire & Aris, visit for the weekend – primarily to watch the Cubs-Orioles weekend series. They brought us some lovely housewarming gifts – the first of...
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BTWOE* – Part 6 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
We’re now past the halfway point of this series and have returned to Scotland and Single Malts. Christopher Rhodovi from The Whiskey Room & I were able to sit down, taste and talk about #5 in the BTWOE* series** – The Glenlivet 12. #5 on the list is The Glenlivet 12, which was the first legal...
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Three Blind Wines – #3 and the Reveal
Though a busy end of the week and jam packed weekend prevented me from posting, the Baroness and I were able to conclude our ‘Three Blind Wines’ crossover series with my other podcast – Wine, Women, & Song last week. [If you are starting here – stop and go back to the first in this series.] We...
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Three Blind Wines – #2
The Baroness and I continue our ‘Three Blind Wines’ crossover series with my other podcast – Wine, Women, & Song. As you may recall the 3 provided wines to taste – all of which were wrapped in opaque paper and stripped of any identifying materials, and labeled simply #1, #2, #3 – are on the theme...
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Three Blind Wines – #1
I should admit from time to time my friends in the industry drop off some items to taste and review.* In fact, the respect they have for my palate, thoughtful care in tasting, and creativity in reviewing helped to fertilize the seed of my podcast ideas. I never feel the pressure to ‘go positive’…
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BTWOE* – Part 5 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
You didn’t think we’d let another month pass before Christopher Rhodovi from The Whiskey Room & I were able to sit down, taste and talk about #6 in the BTWOE* series** – Knob Creek did you? #6 on the is is Knob Creek, one of four ‘small batch’ bourbons put out by Beam Suntory (often referred to,...
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Road Trip to NYC – The Imbible: A Spirited History of Drinking
I’ve been to New York City many a number of times through auditions and to see operas primarily. As of late my trips to NYC have almost exclusively been in my role as a National Officer in my union, AGMA. These trips usually take up all my time and leave no time for ‘fun’ – something I was…
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BTWOE* – Part 4 of 10 with The Whiskey Room
It seems like it took all month, and it practically has, to find a time to sit back down with Christopher Rhodovi from The Whiskey Room. So just a couple of days after the ‘summer solstice we were able to sit down, taste and talk about #7 in the BTWOE* series** – Crown Royal (Fine De Luxe). Each…
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Jameson Black Barrel with Charles Tappan
There are few more natural things to do on a Friday night after a long week than to belly up to the bar and enjoy a beverage. Last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting up with Charles Tappan, Mixologist with Pernod Ricard at Looney’s in Bel Air to taste Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey and...