#185: Picking Old Elk Barrels w/ Brandon from Whiskey Weather

In this episode, Chris sits down with Brandon (Whiskey Weather) to talk about the barrel of Old Elk 10yr Wheated Bourbon that they picked together, with the help of Patreon members, at Middle West Spirits in Columbus Ohio! They also touch on barrel picking philosophies, the impact of weather on whiskey aging, and more! You won't want to miss this one. Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew to be first in line for this pick: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs Alternatively, checkout the Whiskey Weather Patreon to support Brandon and access the pick through his group: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeyweather Find all of Brandon's social channels through his main website: https://whiskeywx.com/  

Town Branch Distillery, which is part of the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, was one of the first 7 distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon trail. From bourbon, to rye, to single malts, and even barrel aged beers, they have their hand in a lot of product categories. In this episode, Chris walks through his recent trip to the distillery and recounts all that he tasted, including some VERY old American single malt.  Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for a monthly bonus episode, free merch, and more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs 

Double oaked bourbons have been a staple in the world of whiskey for years now. You take a bourbon, aged in an unused barrel as always, you dump it out, and then you put it into yet another unused barrel to get even more of that oaky flavor. It's a really popular finishing method, but what does it actually change about the flavor? In this episode, Chris does a blind tasting of four different whiskeys in order to find out. Listen along to discover the real, unbiased way that double oaking changes flavor. Whiskeys tasted in this episode: -Barrell Foundation -Barrell Foundation Double Barrel -Woodford Reserve -Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for a monthly bonus episode, free merch, and more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs Try Woodford Reserve: https://noobswhiskey.com/products/woodford-reserve?_pos=1&_psq=woodfo&_ss=e&_v=1.0 Try Woodford Reserve Double Oaked: https://noobswhiskey.com/products/woodford-reserve-double-oaked?_pos=2&_psq=woodf&_ss=e&_v=1.0

When you're reviewing a few bottles of whiskey every week, it is easy for everything to start to taste "meh." The bright side is, when something really surprises you, it sticks with you. In this episode, Chris walks through three bottles that were really pleasant surprises this year, and what it was about them that made them stand out. Featured in this episode: - Bulleit Bottled In Bond Bourbon - Loch Lomond 12yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky - JT Meleck Louisiana Rice Whiskey   Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for a monthly bonus episode, free merch, and more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs

In this double blind tasting, Chris walks through a bottle without any clue what it is, giving a score out of 100 and taking some guesses along the way - this is your warning, if you don't want to know what it is, stop reading now!   This episode features Courage and Conviction Cuvee Cask! This is an American Single Malt from the Virginia Distillery Company. For more info on the distiller, check out episode 125!   Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for a monthly bonus episode, free merch, and more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs

In this double blind tasting, Chris walks through Hard Truth's Chocolate Malt release from 2023, but (in case you are new to "double blinds") it could be any bottle from the shelf! For pure, unbiased, unadulterated views about this release, listen to the full episode! Also, any time there is a review of a special release from a brand, it is worth noting that the opinion of that release (good or bad) does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the whole brand. Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs

In this continuation of episode 178, Chris blinds through three MORE potential replacements for Eagle Rare in order to find the best one. In this blind, we put Eagle Rare 10yr against Middle West Spirits Bourbon, Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve, and Evan Williams Single Barrel.   Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs

Eagle Rare is an exceptional bourbon with one really big problem: it's hard to find anywhere! In this episode, Chris walks through a blind tasting of three similar bourbons vs Eagle Rare with Guest Noob Bryce. Is there a good, cheaper replacement? Listen to find out! Whiskeys Tasted with Eagle Rare: - Evan Williams 1783 (American Hero Edition) - Russell's Reserve 10yr - Wilderness Trail High Rye Bourbon (Bottled in Bond) Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs

As with any topic in pop culture, whiskey is subject to a LOT of myths and stereotypes that cause confusion in the hobby. In this episode, Chris breaks down some of the biggest myths in the whiskey world as well as the underlying truths that have led to their popularity. Are women wired to naturally dislike whiskey? Does ice make your whiskey smoother? Is older whiskey better? These are the questions we will tackle in this episode. Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs NPR article referenced in the episode about women having better tasting ability: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/31/427735692/are-women-better-tasters-than-men 

Join the Whiskey Noobs Crew for more: http://patreon.com/whiskeynoobs Green River Wheated Bourbon we recently crowned the best bourbon in the world by the New York World Spirits Competition. In this episode, Chris breaks down the competition, how it works, and how you should look at the different "medals" you see advertised on whiskey bottles. Finally, the episode finishes with an honest review of Green River Wheated Bourbon and a couple of Q&As from the Whiskey Noobs Crew (Patreon).    Winner Announcement on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradjaphe/2025/10/19/the-worlds-best-bourbon-according-to-the-2025-new-york-world-spirits-competition/   Homebar Article: https://homebar.io/whats-up-with-the-san-francisco-world-spirits-competition/#:~:text=They%20also%20state%20that%20%E2%80%9Cwhile%20tasting%2C%20judges,a%20panel%20earn%20a%20Double%20Gold%20award.%E2%80%9D   The Tasting Alliance: https://thetastingalliance.com/