Latest / The Noble Dram / The Noble Dram | Smoke in the Air (Season 3 | Ep. 4)

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The Noble Dram | Smoke in the Air (Season 3 | Ep. 4) · The Noble Dram

• 0:00
  Aaron: Is there anything better than the smell of a campfire on a cold day?
• 0:07
  Gavin: What if it was in barbecue?
• 0:09
  Aaron: Hey, what if we put it in the glass.
• 0:57
  Aaron: The Grand Champion Trophy, the mag daddy of all barbecue trophies.
• 1:03
  Gavin: And I think you even won this trophy.
• 1:05
  Aaron: Yeah, I wasn't gonna, I wasn't gonna say that.
• 1:07
  Aaron: I was like, I've I've I've since retired.
• 1:09
  Aaron: I'm I'm I'm here to enjoy myself.
• 1:11
  Aaron: You hung your hat up.
• 1:12
  Aaron: I did.
• 1:13
  Aaron: I did, I did.
• 1:14
  Aaron: I did, I did.
• 1:15
  Aaron: So this week we said, what goes better with barbecue than whiskey?
• 1:21
  Aaron: So I gave Gavin the challenge.
• 1:23
  Aaron: While we're here, let's come up with barbecue whiskey barbecue fiend bottles for today's tasting.
• 1:33
  Aaron: So with that, Gavin, when faced with the challenge of how do you put barbecue into a bottle.
• 1:39
  Aaron: Hi, yes.
• 1:41
  Aaron: What did you come up with?
• 1:42
  Gavin: I chose us this nice brisk morning in Texas, the smoke wagon, uncut, unfiltered.
• 1:52
  Aaron: You go big right out of the gate.
• 1:53
  Gavin: Right off the right out of the gate, man.
• 1:55
  Gavin: Batch number 45.
• 1:58
  Aaron: So bear with us today.
• 1:59
  Aaron: Obviously, we're on location.
• 2:01
  Aaron: It's windy.
• 2:02
  Aaron: It's dare I say cold out here?
• 2:06
  Gavin: It's it's a bit nippy.
• 2:07
  Aaron: I'm thinking I'm thinking the whiskey's going to help.
• 2:10
  Aaron: Yes.
• 2:11
  Aaron: This morning, for sure.
• 2:12
  Aaron: All right, so tell us a little bit more about this real quick.
• 2:15
  Aaron: This is an oldie.
• 2:16
  Gavin: Yes, this is uh, I believe 2021.
• 2:19
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 2:19
  Aaron: No, this one's this one's been sitting on the cabinet for or in the cabinet for quite some time.
• 2:24
  Gavin: So you may not be able to pick this up in a store anymore.
• 2:28
  Aaron: You can still get uncut unfiltered.
• 2:30
  Gavin: Yes, but this batch number.
• 2:32
  Aaron: This batch number is small.
• 2:33
  Gavin: I don't even know what batch we're on uh currently, but it's
• 2:37
  Aaron: yeah, this one is 40 something.
• 2:40
  Gavin: 40, uh uh 45, 45.
• 2:42
  Gavin: That's number 45.
• 2:43
  Aaron: Yeah, no, this is this one goes way back there.
• 2:46
  Gavin: Yes.
• 2:46
  Gavin: So uh Smoke Wagon is produced by HC Distillico out of Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 2:54
  Gavin: Yep.
• 2:55
  Gavin: Guaranteed winner every time you pull.
• 2:57
  Gavin: I did not say distilled by, it is produced by, because this is distilled in Indiana, and one could assume MGP.
• 3:10
  Aaron: Yeah.
• 3:11
  Gavin: Uh so this one uh we're sitting at, I believe, 60% corn.
• 3:15
  Gavin: Uh I believe we're at 36% rye and 4% our favorites, malted barley.
• 3:23
  Aaron: What is the proof point on this?
• 3:24
  Gavin: This one ranges depending on the batch number, but somewhere around 114 to probably 118.
• 3:32
  Gavin: Okay.
• 3:33
  Gavin: Uh, so we're starting off with a tummy warmer.
• 3:38
  Aaron: Uh, considering the sheer volume we drank yesterday, uh yeah.
• 3:42
  Aaron: The fact that we're up early in the morning to drink more is a little bit silly.
• 3:48
  Aaron: Let's just be honest.
• 3:49
  Aaron: All right, so we find ourselves here to cook off, and that got me thinking barbecue.
• 3:55
  Aaron: So the question I have is when you close your eyes and think about barbecue, are you a brisket guy?
• 4:05
  Aaron: Are you a ribs guy?
• 4:07
  Aaron: Are you a chicken guy?
• 4:09
  Aaron: Are you a sausage?
• 4:10
  Aaron: Pulled pork?
• 4:11
  Aaron: Like, where does the Gavin palate lie?
• 4:14
  Aaron: So, the challenge I want to give you for this first bottle.
• 4:18
  Aaron: Well, we sit here, sip, sniff, sip, and savor.
• 4:22
  Aaron: Is what is your Mount Rushmore of proteins?
• 4:28
  Aaron: Not side dishes, not desserts.
• 4:31
  Aaron: I'm talking the meat, not the potatoes.
• 4:35
  Gavin: All right.
• 4:35
  Gavin: So we're going all meat.
• 4:37
  Aaron: Yep.
• 4:37
  Aaron: Mount Rushmore.
• 4:38
  Gavin: Mount Rushmore meat.
• 4:40
  Aaron: so for those who don't know this game, Mount Rushmore is you have to pick four in no particular order, but the four best.
• 4:47
  Gavin: Yes.
• 4:48
  Gavin: I love this challenge.
• 4:50
  Gavin: So I am a pulled pork fiend.
• 4:53
  Gavin: I love me some pulled pork.
• 4:55
  Gavin: Um, there's just nothing better for me than a nice chilly day, a nice hot day, a nice evening snack, a nice brisk morning snack than pulled pork sandwich with some yummy barbecue sauce.
• 5:12
  Gavin: Um, so I'm gonna say pulled pork uh beats everything, even though we're not ranking.
• 5:18
  Aaron: We're not ranking,
• 5:18
  Gavin: We're not ranking, but it beats everything.
• 5:20
  Gavin: Um and then I'm a brisket guy too.
• 5:23
  Gavin: I love it.
• 5:23
  Gavin: Love me some brisket.
• 5:25
  Aaron: Are you a just just so the people at home can know you better?
• 5:28
  Aaron: Are you a lean or moist brisket guy?
• 5:32
  Gavin: I'm a moist brisket guy.
• 5:34
  Aaron: Get it fatty.
• 5:34
  Gavin: Yes.
• 5:35
  Gavin: Get it fatty.
• 5:36
  Gavin: I can't stand the the just toughness of something that's dryer.
• 5:41
  Gavin: Give me the moist.
• 5:42
  Gavin: Um, and then I'm gonna go sausage.
• 5:45
  Gavin: I love me.
• 5:47
  Aaron: Is there a particular type of sausage though?
• 5:50
  Gavin: Like a jalapeno cheddar.
• 5:52
  Aaron: Yeah, I can't argue with that.
• 5:54
  Gavin: Pretty darn good, right?
• 5:55
  Gavin: And then I feel like you gotta add in chicken.
• 6:01
  Gavin: You just you just I mean, there's just so much other meat on the table.
• 6:07
  Gavin: I'm gonna choose some chicken.
• 6:08
  Gavin: Go something light.
• 6:10
  Aaron: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:10
  Aaron: So, I mean, with the exception of obviously the sausage, every barbecue competition is about your ability to cook chicken, brisket, and pork ribs did not make your Mount Rushmore, though.
• 6:26
  Aaron: I'm surprised by that.
• 6:27
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 6:28
  Gavin: Um I'll I I'll enjoy a pork rib.
• 6:31
  Gavin: It might be my number one.
• 6:33
  Gavin: Yeah, of course it can.
• 6:34
  Aaron: Yeah, no, I'm a I'm a rib guy.
• 6:36
  Aaron: All right.
• 6:36
  Aaron: So, in fact, for years I was the the chicken cooker, right?
• 6:40
  Aaron: So I got I got pretty good at making chicken.
• 6:43
  Aaron: Um, but no, if I if I'm going to a restaurant and I want to know how good their barbecue is, I start with a pork rib for sure.
• 6:50
  Gavin: Oh, well, I know what we're gonna have for a snack here in just a little bit.
• 6:54
  Aaron: We're gonna find us a rib.
• 6:55
  Aaron: Uh I plan on eating until somebody has to roll me to the truck this afternoon.
• 7:01
  Aaron: That's my goal.
• 7:02
  Aaron: Uh I drank until somebody had to roll me to the truck last night.
• 7:06
  Aaron: And today I'm eating until I get to the same spot.
• 7:10
  Gavin: But we gotta be noble and be responsible, right?
• 7:12
  Aaron: So no, we Ubered.
• 7:13
  Aaron: Yep, we Ubered.
• 7:15
  Gavin: For sure.
• 7:16
  Gavin: Uh all right.
• 7:18
  Gavin: Well, that is my Mount Rushmore.
• 7:21
  Gavin: All right.
• 7:21
  Gavin: We want to talk a little bit.
• 7:23
  Aaron: Let's talk about what's in this glass.
• 7:24
  Aaron: All right.
• 7:25
  Aaron: So, right off the bat, I mean, obviously, proof shows up right on the nose, right?
• 7:31
  Aaron: But there is a great deal of sweetness in this.
• 7:35
  Aaron: I mean, this is um caramel.
• 7:38
  Aaron: Yep.
• 7:39
  Aaron: Uh like sometimes you get like a sugary sweetness, but this feels more cooked in.
• 7:45
  Aaron: Like this is the Brach's like clear cellophane-wrapped caramel chews.
• 7:51
  Aaron: Oh, yeah.
• 7:52
  Aaron: Yeah, absolutely.
• 7:53
  Aaron: All over this one.
• 7:55
  Gavin: I can't disagree with that.
• 7:56
  Gavin: I think um caramel, uh, vanilla sweetness shows up.
• 8:01
  Gavin: I even get a little bit of spice.
• 8:03
  Gavin: I think that high rye really starts showing up, and there's a bit of a licorice mint almost.
• 8:11
  Aaron: As we move towards the palate and finish, I absolutely agree with you.
• 8:15
  Aaron: The the the amount of spice, and I think part of that is proof.
• 8:18
  Gavin: Yes, right?
• 8:20
  Aaron: Um, this is hot on the palate for sure.
• 8:24
  Aaron: Um, but I I will say, um while taking the sip, the the heat isn't as pronounced.
• 8:33
  Aaron: The heat really shows up to me on the finish.
• 8:35
  Gavin: Agreed.
• 8:36
  Aaron: Yeah.
• 8:36
  Aaron: Um, it's kind of a fun one, the fact that I don't I don't think the heat shows up quite as much on the nose or the palate, but screams throughout the finish.
• 8:47
  Aaron: Um, whereas some of the sweetness really starts early on the nose and on the palate for sure.
• 8:53
  Aaron: Um, I get I like I like your reference to vanilla.
• 8:58
  Aaron: It kind of reminds me of a vanilla custard.
• 9:00
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 9:01
  Aaron: Um, there's a lot of similarities in creme brule to this, right?
• 9:05
  Aaron: Between the custard and the burnt sugar and that kind of stuff.
• 9:08
  Aaron: Like I get a lot of those flavors for sure.
• 9:11
  Gavin: I I agree with that.
• 9:12
  Gavin: Uh, this is to me a vanilla bomb um in a lot of ways.
• 9:18
  Gavin: I think also on the finish, uh, it's long, it's lingering, it it's screaming, uh, deliciousness to me.
• 9:26
  Aaron: It goes for days.
• 9:27
  Aaron: Yeah, it really does.
• 9:29
  Gavin: Um, there's something about a smoke wagon um that I find really intriguing.
• 9:35
  Aaron: Uh it feels like a term of endearment for a lady, but I'm afraid my wife wouldn't take it right.
• 9:41
  Gavin: I think you're I think you're thinking smoke show.
• 9:43
  Aaron: Smoke show for sure.
• 9:45
  Aaron: For sure.
• 9:46
  Aaron: But a smoke wagon.
• 9:47
  Aaron: Smoke wagon.
• 9:49
  Aaron: I think she'd smack me for that.
• 9:50
  Aaron: Yeah, probably.
• 9:51
  Aaron: I'll give it a shot.
• 9:52
  Gavin: She'd probably pull a smoke wagon.
• 9:53
  Aaron: I'll report back on how well that goes.
• 9:56
  Gavin: Uh it reminds me of um um Tombstone.
• 10:01
  Gavin: Yeah, yeah.
• 10:02
  Aaron: I I everything about it, the the six shooters on the label, the the fun bottle.
• 10:09
  Aaron: I don't think they do embossed bottles anymore.
• 10:13
  Aaron: I think it's now a printed bottle that's got the pattern.
• 10:15
  Aaron: This was back when they were actually pressing it into the glass.
• 10:19
  Aaron: Um, everything about it feels old Wild West-ish.
• 10:22
  Aaron: Add on top of it that it's from Vegas.
• 10:26
  Aaron: Like everything about this feels like the Wild West.
• 10:29
  Gavin: Like, do you think of Vegas when you think of Wild West cowboys and those things?
• 10:36
  Aaron: So no, but only because I know Vegas as the metropolis of gambling and debauchery, right?
• 10:41
  Aaron: Um you step outside of Vegas a short distance, and everything about it is the Wild West, right?
• 10:47
  Gavin: That's a good point.
• 10:48
  Aaron: Yeah, I I think we get caught up in what the strip is in Vegas, and I don't think it's a fair uh statement about the general area for sure.
• 10:58
  Aaron: All right.
• 10:59
  Aaron: All right, do we gotta put numbers to it?
• 11:00
  Gavin: I think we gotta put numbers to it.
• 11:02
  Aaron: All right, so I'll say this bottle is held a special place in my heart because this one was bottled on my anniversary.
• 11:14
  Aaron: Um and so it's kind of been one that I've kept for a while.
• 11:17
  Aaron: But I think that helps my score, for sure.
• 11:21
  Aaron: Probably.
• 11:22
  Aaron: Um I'm I'm at an 88 on this one.
• 11:26
  Aaron: I think it's a good one.
• 11:26
  Gavin: We're going 88 miles per hour.
• 11:28
  Aaron: I think this is tasty stuff.
• 11:30
  Gavin: I I mean, I'm smelling barbecue behind me, and maybe that's influencing a little bit of this.
• 11:37
  Gavin: I'm a little hungry, I need a little snack.
• 11:40
  Aaron: I I I think the smell of barbecue in the air and the sweetness of the bourbon go really, really well again.
• 11:48
  Aaron: This was a this was a quality pick on my cap.
• 11:50
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 11:51
  Gavin: Um, I'm gonna go.
• 11:54
  Gavin: I'm gonna agree with you.
• 11:56
  Gavin: I think 88 is a solid number.
• 11:59
  Aaron: I'm I'm actually trying to think if we've ever both given a bottle of the same score.
• 12:03
  Aaron: I'm gonna have to go back and do some research and find out if Gavin ever agreed, because he's you're normally a one more guy.
• 12:10
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 12:11
  Gavin: 88 was kind of what I had in my head, and then when you said it, I was like, yeah, that that's it.
• 12:17
  Gavin: Like, I think it's it's something that is uh approachable, in my opinion.
• 12:23
  Gavin: It is it is warm.
• 12:24
  Aaron: Um we'll get that later.
• 12:26
  Gavin: It is it is warm.
• 12:28
  Gavin: Uh, but on a day like today, this is the exact one.
• 12:31
  Aaron: No, you need it.
• 12:31
  Gavin: This is the exact pour that I'm on.
• 12:33
  Aaron: I got up, but I was so excited to get to wear my brisket shirt because we're here, and then I realized I've got to put something long sleeve on underneath it because I'm never gonna make it through the day with just a short sleeve.
• 12:45
  Gavin: Yeah, I guess I got three layers on.
• 12:47
  Aaron: It is a chilly day here in Houston, Texas, and this goes beautifully with the atmosphere, and it's a delicious part.
• 12:54
  Aaron: Absolutely.
• 12:55
  Aaron: I will say excellent job.
• 12:56
  Aaron: So we're gonna cut away for just a bit.
• 12:59
  Aaron: Um, and we're gonna give you guys a little bit of the sights and the sounds of the barbecue competition.
• 13:05
  Gavin: Let you drool a little.
• 13:06
  Aaron: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 13:06
  Aaron: I go get you, go get you your own plate.
• 13:09
  Aaron: Swing by your favorite barbecue place.
• 13:12
  Aaron: Um and then we'll catch you guys for bottle number two here in just a second.
• 13:53
  Gavin: We are here still at the Coursey Cook Off in Houston, Texas.
• 13:58
  Gavin: And again, it is still a little chilly.
• 14:01
  Aaron: This time I'm ready for bottle two.
• 14:02
  Aaron: It has not gotten warmer.
• 14:03
  Aaron: No.
• 14:04
  Aaron: Oh, we took a break.
• 14:05
  Aaron: No.
• 14:05
  Aaron: It is still cold.
• 14:06
  Aaron: We are in dire need of some sunlight.
• 14:09
  Aaron: So it kind of warmed the soul.
• 14:11
  Aaron: The whiskey helped.
• 14:12
  Gavin: Yes.
• 14:13
  Aaron: The whiskey helped.
• 14:14
  Aaron: Uh, the hand that holds the glass is still chilly.
• 14:17
  Gavin: Yeah, that's the one hand that's a little chilly.
• 14:19
  Gavin: All right.
• 14:19
  Gavin: So, uh, what what do you like to say?
• 14:23
  Gavin: Uh, the second bottle is your favorite?
• 14:25
  Gavin: Or something like that?
• 14:27
  Aaron: I can't argue with that.
• 14:28
  Gavin: All right.
• 14:28
  Gavin: Can you give us a pour?
• 14:29
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 14:30
  Gavin: What do we got?
• 14:31
  Aaron: So I said if you're gonna go to a barbecue competition, you need a smoky whiskey to go with your smoky meats.
• 14:41
  Aaron: Oh.
• 14:41
  Aaron: And so I did some, I did some pondering, if you will, and I came across this bottle, and I thought it was an absolute perfect fit.
• 14:50
  Aaron: This is Ardbeg's Bizarre BQ.
• 14:54
  Aaron: I thought what a better, what a better way to start this.
• 14:58
  Aaron: All right, give me your glass, Chief.
• 14:59
  Gavin: All right.
• 15:01
  Aaron: All right, so Ardbeg's Bizarre BQ is a limited release that came out in 2023.
• 15:08
  Aaron: So again, we're we're digging deep into the into the vault, if you will.
• 15:12
  Aaron: Yes.
• 15:13
  Aaron: The the proof point on this one comes in at 50.9 for those people who are doing the math at home.
• 15:25
  Aaron: That's 101.8 here in the US.
• 15:29
  Aaron: Um, so it is it was it was made in a collaboration between Dr.
• 15:36
  Aaron: Bill Lumsden uh uh from Ardbeg and Christian Stevenson, aka DJ Barbecue.
• 15:43
  Aaron: They put this together, it's been aged in in double charred oak, so extra heavy, way beyond, they've gone beyond a typical number four alligator char, charred it a second time.
• 15:58
  Aaron: Also, they drew him in a sherry, and then what they refer to as the Ardbeg's barbecue casks.
• 16:04
  Aaron: So it's a separate set of casts that had a little bit extra char on them, and then they have run smoke through the casts to impart even more smoky flavor.
• 16:13
  Aaron: Now, we've talked about Ardbeg before.
• 16:15
  Aaron: They tend to run just a little bit higher peat level than a lot of the other places.
• 16:21
  Aaron: This one does not actually divulge either an age statement or a peat level.
• 16:29
  Aaron: But I'll be honest, this isn't the first time I've had a pour out of this bottle.
• 16:33
  Aaron: This one's peaty.
• 16:34
  Aaron: This one's absolutely peaty.
• 16:36
  Aaron: This one, in my estimation, should be barbecue in a glass.
• 16:42
  Aaron: Oh man.
• 16:44
  Aaron: The wind's getting us today.
• 16:45
  Aaron: Yeah.
• 16:46
  Aaron: If we flinch all of a sudden, it's because our freak stuff's gonna fall over.
• 16:50
  Gavin: We are on stage
• 16:51
  Aaron: stay with us.
• 16:52
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 16:52
  Gavin: We are on stage, so we're up a little higher than uh our friends out there cooking.
• 16:57
  Gavin: So um
• 16:58
  Aaron: sorry, I got to nosing and I got to loving.
• 17:01
  Gavin: All right.
• 17:01
  Gavin: Well, shall we go to our next little game?
• 17:06
  Gavin: Are you ready?
• 17:07
  Aaron: This is this is a game for me.
• 17:08
  Gavin: This is a game for you.
• 17:09
  Aaron: I got to give Gavin game in round one, and I knew I knew he was gonna come back with something.
• 17:16
  Gavin: So this is a game I'm affectionately calling the Noble Dram barbecue, This or That.
• 17:22
  Aaron: This or That?
• 17:23
  Aaron: This we're gonna have to come up with a graphic for this or that.
• 17:25
  Aaron: It'll be a new game.
• 17:26
  Aaron: I liked it.
• 17:27
  Aaron: Okay, so so tell everybody at home the premise and rules for This or That.
• 17:31
  Gavin: So, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give him a statement, something like "Would you rather have refried beans or baked beans?" So you have to pick This or That.
• 17:44
  Gavin: Okay, no explanations.
• 17:46
  Gavin: Just
• 17:47
  Aaron: No explanations?
• 17:48
  Gavin: No explanations.
• 17:49
  Gavin: Just this or that.
• 17:51
  Aaron: My ability to give an answer without elaborating.
• 17:54
  Gavin: I know.
• 17:55
  Gavin: This is like it's kind of two challenges in one.
• 17:58
  Aaron: I'm gonna tell you, I'm gonna tell you now, I'm gonna elaborate.
• 17:59
  Aaron: I can't I can't promise to follow the rules.
• 18:03
  Gavin: All right.
• 18:03
  Gavin: So, this or that.
• 18:05
  Gavin: This or that barbecue edition.
• 18:06
  Gavin: Barbecue edition.
• 18:07
  Gavin: All right, all right, are we ready on it?
• 18:09
  Gavin: All right, brisket or beef ribs.
• 18:18
  Aaron: Beef ribs, they come with a handle.
• 18:20
  Gavin: Alright.
• 18:20
  Gavin: Burnt ends or pulled pork.
• 18:24
  Aaron: Burnt ends.
• 18:25
  Gavin: Alright.
• 18:26
  Gavin: Burnt ends.
• 18:26
  Gavin: Mac and cheese or potato salad?
• 18:29
  Aaron: Oh no, no, no.
• 18:30
  Aaron: A good mac and cheese beats a great potato salad.
• 18:33
  Gavin: Alright.
• 18:34
  Gavin: Um offset or pellet smoker?
• 18:41
  Aaron: The purist in me wants it to say offset, but I think the reality is from a convenience and ability to make it at home, I run a pellet at the house, I compete on an offset, I got I got it.
• 18:53
  Gavin: He's elaborating now.
• 18:54
  Aaron: No, no.
• 18:54
  Aaron: I'll say I'll say pellet smoker because it's just so much more accessible to the average cook.
• 19:01
  Gavin: Alright.
• 19:02
  Gavin: Dry rub or marinade?
• 19:04
  Aaron: Oh no, no, dry rub.
• 19:06
  Gavin: Low and slow or fast and hot?
• 19:11
  Aaron: So as a guy who cooked chicken, that was my thing.
• 19:13
  Aaron: Fast and hot is a better way to cook chicken.
• 19:16
  Aaron: Everything else low and slow.
• 19:18
  Gavin: Alright.
• 19:18
  Gavin: Bourbon or scotch with barbecue.
• 19:23
  Aaron: Whoa! That's a twist.
• 19:24
  Aaron: I did not see that kind of thing.
• 19:26
  Aaron: It's a question of paralleling or countering.
• 19:33
  Aaron: Bourbon, if you're having spicy barbecue, because you need the sweetness.
• 19:40
  Aaron: If your barbecue has sweetness in it, you gotta go smoke these guys.
• 19:45
  Aaron: I say counter what you're eating.
• 19:49
  Gavin: Okay, alright, we'll take it.
• 19:50
  Gavin: High proof or easy sipper.
• 19:54
  Aaron: I think if you're eating if you're eating barbecue with running off the premise from the floor, I think you gotta go easy sipper over high proof.
• 20:01
  Gavin: Alright.
• 20:02
  Aaron: You need to be able to drink, not sip it.
• 20:07
  Gavin: I agree with that.
• 20:08
  Gavin: Uh so after it's all over, cigar or going back for a second.
• 20:18
  Aaron: I'm gonna be the guy who finds you're gonna think this is weird.
• 20:21
  Aaron: I actually like a cigar before my meal than after my meal.
• 20:25
  Gavin: Oh yeah, that's weird.
• 20:27
  Aaron: Because um it's much easier on your palate in the morning if you eat after your cigar than if you don't.
• 20:34
  Aaron: Um I'm gonna say go back for seconds.
• 20:37
  Gavin: Alright.
• 20:38
  Gavin: Sauce or no sauce?
• 20:42
  Aaron: This is probably a debate over whether or not the sauce is good.
• 20:46
  Aaron: If the sauce is good, absolutely sauce.
• 20:48
  Aaron: If the sauce is garbage, get it away from my meat.
• 20:52
  Aaron: Which is better?
• 20:54
  Gavin: All right.
• 20:55
  Gavin: One expensive bottle of whiskey or three under $50.
• 21:06
  Aaron: If you're drinking it with barbecue, I'm probably leaning the three under 50.
• 21:09
  Aaron: If it's just going in the collection at home, one expensive bottle.
• 21:13
  Gavin: All right.
• 21:13
  Gavin: Um gas or charcoal?
• 21:17
  Aaron: Oh no, no, no, charcoal.
• 21:18
  Aaron: I mean, of all the questions you've asked, that's the easy one.
• 21:22
  Aaron: I can't come up with a scenario where like gas is better.
• 21:26
  Gavin: Cornbread or Texas toasts?
• 21:29
  Aaron: Well, cornbread.
• 21:30
  Aaron: A good cornbread, and I'm not talking dry, crumbly bullshit.
• 21:33
  Aaron: I mean, good cornbread is almost unbeatable as a side dish.
• 21:38
  Gavin: I agree.
• 21:38
  Gavin: All right, this is the next one.
• 21:40
  Gavin: I led you into this a little bit Texas barbecue or Kansas barbecue?
• 21:46
  Aaron: All right, so this is a debate that has been going for years, especially around me, because I grew up in Kansas City, which touts itself the barbecue capital of the world.
• 21:56
  Aaron: And then I moved to Texas, which says if it's It's not from Texas, it's crap.
• 22:01
  Gavin: Um, I don't think that's what they say.
• 22:03
  Aaron: No, no.
• 22:04
  Aaron: It's exactly what they say.
• 22:05
  Aaron: It's under the words they use, but that's absolutely, absolutely the meaning behind everything they say.
• 22:15
  Aaron: I listen, they're both good in different ways.
• 22:20
  Aaron: I will say the thing that I love most about Texas barbecue is I think sliced brisket in Texas is better.
• 22:27
  Aaron: I like the heavy pepper.
• 22:30
  Aaron: I like that flavor profile.
• 22:33
  Aaron: Um, I will say if you're a pork rib guy like me, Kansas City style is absolutely the best.
• 22:39
  Aaron: I think the differentiator for me is in the full plate.
• 22:46
  Aaron: I think they each do a protein really, really well and do it differently.
• 22:51
  Aaron: I've yet to go to a Kansas City barbecue place that didn't put as much love and care into the coleslaw and the potato salad and the beans and the mac and cheese.
• 23:04
  Aaron: Like the side dishes in Kansas are better.
• 23:07
  Aaron: Cornbread in Texas is better than toast.
• 23:11
  Aaron: I got I know I'm splitting the fence here.
• 23:14
  Aaron: If you told me I could eat one and only one barbecue restaurant ever for the rest of my life, it is Joe's in Kansas City winning by the slightest of margins.
• 23:25
  Aaron: My top five is back and forth the whole way down the list.
• 23:28
  Aaron: So yeah.
• 23:29
  Aaron: Uh I gotta stay true to my roots.
• 23:32
  Aaron: For those people in Texas, go try it.
• 23:35
  Aaron: It's good stuff.
• 23:36
  Aaron: Kansas City makes great barbecue.
• 23:38
  Gavin: Well, there's Kansas Joe's, and there's Oklahoma Joe's.
• 23:44
  Gavin: So yeah, like back in the day it was Oklahoma Joe's.
• 23:47
  Gavin: And it still is in Oklahoma because they came back.
• 23:50
  Aaron: I don't know if it's the same.
• 23:51
  Aaron: I've never been to Oklahoma Joe's in Oklahoma.
• 23:54
  Aaron: So there were I believe it's a road trip.
• 23:56
  Gavin: I believe there's two owners at one point, and then they split.
• 23:59
  Gavin: And one moved, I think they moved it all to Kansas and then some.
• 24:05
  Aaron: So the original, the original Joe's in Kansas City is half of a Shamrock gas station.
• 24:10
  Aaron: If you want a beer with your barbecue, you got to go over to the gas station and buy a beer and bring it back over.
• 24:16
  Aaron: Um, it is the kind of place that the line forms first thing in the morning.
• 24:21
  Aaron: People stand in line for hours to get in and get a Z-Man sandwich.
• 24:26
  Aaron: Uh you know, it's fabulous.
• 24:29
  Aaron: I will say, if you if you're in town for one night and one night only, Joe's doesn't isn't always make everyone's schedule.
• 24:37
  Aaron: It's gonna take hours to get through there, right?
• 24:40
  Aaron: I think there, in that instance, one night only, I go to Jack Stack.
• 24:45
  Aaron: And I I'm a Jack Stack on the plaza, sit down at a table.
• 24:51
  Aaron: Like it's a nice restaurant that serves get your hands dirty barbecue, which I think is such a wonderful juxtaposition of things, right?
• 25:01
  Aaron: I I'm gonna tell you if your barbecue restaurant has cloth napkins, you're at a bougie barbecue restaurant for sure.
• 25:10
  Aaron: Uh, you know, I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of my favorite Texas barbecue places.
• 25:17
  Aaron: Uh, we we live here in Houston.
• 25:19
  Aaron: I will say uh absolute shout out to the guys at the Pit Room.
• 25:27
  Aaron: I think they make excellent barbecue.
• 25:29
  Aaron: I think Pinkerton's might be some of the best brisket I've ever eaten in my life.
• 25:34
  Aaron: And and a huge nod to the guys up in Tomball at Tejas.
• 25:37
  Aaron: I think those guys make excellent barbecue.
• 25:40
  Aaron: Um, you get out beyond.
• 25:43
  Aaron: I'm a big fan of Luling's.
• 25:46
  Aaron: I'm a big fan of Franklin's barbecue in Austin.
• 25:50
  Aaron: Um, the original Terry Black's is another excellent one.
• 25:54
  Aaron: I think the problem, the problem that most people have is that Texas is so big, you have so many options.
• 26:03
  Aaron: Yeah, you can have great barbecue almost anywhere in this state.
• 26:07
  Aaron: Um in Kansas City, tons of great barbecue.
• 26:11
  Aaron: You get outside of Kansas City and it drops off pretty abruptly.
• 26:15
  Aaron: The the little town I'm from don't have a decent barbecue restaurant at all.
• 26:20
  Aaron: Right?
• 26:20
  Aaron: You got to got to go, got to go where the good spots are in Kansas City for sure.
• 26:27
  Aaron: For sure.
• 26:28
  Gavin: Uh I'm gonna shout out to a few of my favorites.
• 26:30
  Gavin: You're an Oklahoma guy.
• 26:32
  Gavin: Is there is there a place that if if somebody's driving through red dirt, where do they have to stop?
• 26:38
  Gavin: Oklahoma Joe's.
• 26:40
  Gavin: Uh, shout out to uh my buddy Ollie, who has uh Killer Whale barbecue and Tulsa.
• 26:46
  Gavin: Um, those are two of my favorites.
• 26:49
  Gavin: Uh, but if we're in Houston, I'm going to J Bar M barbecue.
• 26:54
  Aaron: Oh, yeah, for sure.
• 26:55
  Aaron: Like that is that it's actually one of the places that we go to fairly often.
• 26:58
  Aaron: One of the things I really like about those guys is you can always go in and get barbecued.
• 27:02
  Aaron: Yeah.
• 27:02
  Aaron: Like they've got a big enough operation.
• 27:04
  Aaron: There is no by one o'clock, they're out.
• 27:08
  Aaron: Like those guys are turning out massive volumes of delicious barbecue.
• 27:12
  Gavin: And a Michelin star!
• 27:15
  Aaron: I mean, it's that's a pinkies out kind of award, right?
• 27:19
  Gavin: Yeah, like I love a good uh traditional barbecue joint uh with a bunch of uh things up on the wall and all that stuff.
• 27:27
  Aaron: If if you don't have a dead animal's head on the wall, I'm not eating at your barbecue restaurant.
• 27:32
  Aaron: Like for sure.
• 27:33
  Gavin: It's it's such a fun experience to go there.
• 27:35
  Gavin: Shout out to those guys, those guys are awesome.
• 27:38
  Gavin: Um, I'd also say Gatlin's uh in Houston is another favorite of mine.
• 27:43
  Aaron: You know, here's the problem.
• 27:46
  Aaron: There are places that you're like, I'll go stand in line for three hours to get that barbecue.
• 27:52
  Aaron: To one to say I've been, one to experience what it's all about.
• 27:57
  Aaron: And then there's the local mom and pop barbecue place.
• 28:00
  Aaron: You're like, I'd go there for lunch once every other week.
• 28:03
  Aaron: Yeah, right?
• 28:04
  Aaron: Like those are it's not saying one's good and one's bad.
• 28:07
  Aaron: Like they're different targets that you're going for.
• 28:10
  Aaron: So I appreciate that.
• 28:12
  Gavin: I'm I'm an instant gratification kind of guy.
• 28:14
  Gavin: Like, there's sometimes where like standing in line, yeah, I could do that.
• 28:18
  Gavin: But man, I want to go in, I want to have just a fantastic meal, and I don't want to have to wait four hours for my meal.
• 28:26
  Aaron: I will say, I will say one of my one of my favorite memories was uh my dad and I and my brother-in-law stood in line for Franklin's barbecue one morning, and we were in line for three hours to get in.
• 28:40
  Aaron: But they they had somebody came out and was selling beers out of a cooler, they had lawn chairs for you to sit in, and I mean, we were a block and a half away, and it was a tailgate party for three hours until we got in that barbecue, which, let's be honest, probably helped me love the barbecue even more, right?
• 28:59
  Aaron: I the idea that I've spent three hours drinking beers in the parking lot.
• 29:02
  Aaron: That'll be barbecue every time for sure.
• 29:05
  Aaron: For sure.
• 29:06
  Aaron: All right, hold on.
• 29:06
  Aaron: We need to talk about the whiskey in the glass because I'm running out of whiskey in my glass as we sit here, chat.
• 29:13
  Aaron: Um, I
• 29:14
  Gavin: Don't you fret.
• 29:16
  Gavin: That's more whiskey to be had.
• 29:17
  Aaron: I don't I don't want to sway your decision and your ratings and your comments, but man, this is delicious stuff.
• 29:24
  Aaron: Right?
• 29:25
  Gavin: It is.
• 29:25
  Gavin: Like, I I do need a piece of barbecue right about here.
• 29:28
  Aaron: No, this needs a floppy piece of brisket to go with it.
• 29:31
  Gavin: Like we we we need uh we need to button this up so we can go grab some food.
• 29:35
  Aaron: Hurry up.
• 29:36
  Gavin: Let's do it.
• 29:36
  Gavin: So on the nose, uh, I think there, I mean smoke right away.
• 29:41
  Gavin: Like, there is no denying absolutely the is full of smoke.
• 29:47
  Gavin: It's almost got like an ashy type uh smoke to it.
• 29:51
  Gavin: Um I think
• 29:54
  Aaron: It's soot.
• 29:55
  Aaron: Yeah, it's like if you've if you've ever gone to get the fireplace ready for winter, the smell of the old fireplace like absolutely has that.
• 30:06
  Aaron: Yeah, yeah, for sure.
• 30:09
  Gavin: I think um there's a bit of a a sweet, almost toffee note to it.
• 30:14
  Gavin: Um and then I wrote down like a dirty chai.
• 30:19
  Aaron: Dirty chai?
• 30:21
  Gavin: Yeah, like a like a it sounds like it'll cost you extra.
• 30:24
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 30:24
  Gavin: In Thailand.
• 30:25
  Gavin: Yeah, that's the way you that's the way we like it.
• 30:27
  Gavin: Um there's a bit of a like a coffee uh espresso note that I get on the back end of it.
• 30:34
  Aaron: Absolutely, absolutely.
• 30:35
  Aaron: I you know, to me, the nose scream smoke and peat.
• 30:39
  Aaron: It's got that sweet kind of peatiness, though.
• 30:43
  Aaron: Um I pick up the Pedro Jimenez on the nose.
• 30:48
  Aaron: Yeah, yeah.
• 30:49
  Aaron: Like it's it's got this sweetness, but it's not sugary, it's not caramel, it is like dark fruit sweetness, right?
• 30:59
  Aaron: Um, this is not peach cobbler, this is like blackberry cobbler, kind of on the nose.
• 31:06
  Aaron: I like that smoky, like if you cook your blackberry cobbler on a smoker, that's what I'm getting.
• 31:14
  Aaron: That's what I'm putting.
• 31:16
  Gavin: You could you could bake your cobbler and then put it in a smoker and just let it smoke for a little bit.
• 31:23
  Aaron: Um the palate, where does it go?
• 31:25
  Gavin: On the palate, um, you're gonna hate me for saying this, but I think there's like a barbecue sauce kind of.
• 31:31
  Aaron: I don't hate you.
• 31:32
  Aaron: I could disagree with you.
• 31:33
  Aaron: I don't have to hate you.
• 31:35
  Aaron: I think stop dividing the world, Gavin.
• 31:37
  Gavin: I think, I think uh there's almost like a viscosity to this um oily, like uh almost uh when you're almost done with your barbecue and you're sopping up that last little bit of sauce with your bread.
• 31:55
  Aaron: But it's so we're in Texas, vinegary, yeah, kind of tart barbecue sauces rule here.
• 32:04
  Aaron: Kansas City, it is much more of a tomato brown sugar, molasses kind of thick sauce.
• 32:11
  Aaron: This is this is that flavor profile.
• 32:15
  Gavin: Agree.
• 32:15
  Aaron: Um, yeah, I'm with you.
• 32:17
  Aaron: There is there's an oiliness to the palate.
• 32:20
  Aaron: Um, I like I like how much the fruit carries through onto the palate, right?
• 32:26
  Aaron: I'm a sherry guy.
• 32:28
  Aaron: I like sherry as a as kind of a base platform, uh-huh, right?
• 32:33
  Aaron: When I cook barbecue, I actually like fruit-flavored sauces and rubs and stuff.
• 32:41
  Aaron: Um, because I think that gives you a nice platform to build upon.
• 32:45
  Aaron: Very similar to how I enjoy whiskeys.
• 32:48
  Aaron: But yeah, on the palate, I get that dark fruitiness for sure.
• 32:54
  Aaron: The the nose hinted at it, and then the palate brings it in full force.
• 32:59
  Gavin: Uh, yeah.
• 33:00
  Gavin: And then on the finish, I think the ash shows back up, and there's a very drying note that I get.
• 33:08
  Aaron: It's it's weird.
• 33:10
  Aaron: The very beginning of the palate doesn't dry, and then as soon as the kind of the sweet fruitiness plummets, and this roaring kind of you said ashy.
• 33:22
  Aaron: I I'm with you, it's ashy.
• 33:24
  Aaron: Like it's it's downwind of the campfire out at the hunt ranch, right?
• 33:30
  Aaron: Where you're like, it's been a great day.
• 33:32
  Aaron: You've had a ton of fun.
• 33:34
  Aaron: Let's sit around the fire and try to get warm.
• 33:36
  Aaron: And no matter where you sit, the the wind blows at you.
• 33:39
  Aaron: Yeah, that is exactly how the finish is on this one.
• 33:43
  Gavin: Man, this is tasty.
• 33:44
  Aaron: No, it is, it is, and I we've talked a little bit about this, about how like the scoring of bourbons and the scoring of scotches, they're different, right?
• 33:54
  Aaron: An 80 of bourbon and an 80 of scotch, they're they're not the same 80.
• 34:02
  Aaron: I'm struggling where to put my number on this one.
• 34:06
  Gavin: I hate to say it, but I agree with you.
• 34:08
  Gavin: This is one of those, this is one of those I hate to say it.
• 34:12
  Aaron: It's like I hate that I agree with you.
• 34:15
  Gavin: No, I really and truly, like I don't like it.
• 34:17
  Gavin: I don't want to write my number down.
• 34:18
  Gavin: Um to me, this is one of those scotches that is out of the I mean, it's not out of the norm for like a big bold peaty scotch, but it is in a lot of ways.
• 34:29
  Gavin: And so it is it's hard to nail this one down.
• 34:32
  Gavin: I will say to the precursor to where my number's coming in, this is a very high number.
• 34:40
  Gavin: Very high.
• 34:41
  Gavin: All right.
• 34:42
  Aaron: This is excellent.
• 34:43
  Aaron: No, my bottle, you have to give your numbers first.
• 34:46
  Gavin: All right.
• 34:47
  Gavin: So I'm gonna come in at an 89 on this guy.
• 34:51
  Aaron: Oh, that's a solid score.
• 34:53
  Aaron: Here's the problem.
• 34:56
  Aaron: This is a 2023 limited release.
• 35:00
  Aaron: Finding a bottle of this is going to be hard, and I apologize for anybody at home who doesn't have one.
• 35:06
  Aaron: Call me, come by the house, I'll let you have a set.
• 35:08
  Aaron: Right?
• 35:09
  Aaron: I'm with you.
• 35:11
  Aaron: 89's a great score.
• 35:13
  Aaron: It's too low.
• 35:15
  Aaron: It is too low for sure.
• 35:19
  Aaron: This is a 92 all day long.
• 35:25
  Gavin: What?
• 35:26
  Aaron: This is excellent.
• 35:27
  Aaron: It is smoky, it is peaty.
• 35:29
  Aaron: It scratches the peat itch.
• 35:33
  Aaron: This is fruity and rich, it scratches the sherry itch.
• 35:38
  Aaron: Keep playing that.
• 35:40
  Aaron: In a room or in a space, I shouldn't say room, right?
• 35:43
  Aaron: Where I mean, look at this.
• 35:45
  Aaron: In a space where barbecue smoke is wafting over us while we talk.
• 35:51
  Aaron: I can't think of a better whiskey.
• 35:54
  Aaron: And I know that sounds a little bit arrogant because I picked this with.
• 35:58
  Aaron: I mean, I crushed it.
• 36:00
  Aaron: Absolutely crushed it.
• 36:02
  Aaron: Gavin's bottle was good.
• 36:03
  Aaron: Mine is great.
• 36:05
  Gavin: Yours literally has
• 36:07
  Aaron: Mine is grand champion level whiskey selection.
• 36:11
  Aaron: Not even close.
• 36:13
  Aaron: Not even close.
• 36:14
  Aaron: This is a better one.
• 36:16
  Aaron: Well.
• 36:16
  Aaron: All right, I'm gonna write down your sad 89.
• 36:19
  Gavin: Sad 89.
• 36:20
  Gavin: That's the first time I think you ever said sad 89.
• 36:22
  Aaron: I think you need to call Ardbeg tomorrow and apologize for that.
• 36:25
  Gavin: I'll call David and we'll we'll have a conversation.
• 36:29
  Aaron: So you need to send an email to Bill and be like, I'm terribly sorry.
• 36:33
  Aaron: I was horribly wrong when I said 89.
• 36:36
  Aaron: No, that is one of the better whiskeys I think we've had on this show.
• 36:41
  Gavin: Wow.
• 36:41
  Gavin: Yeah.
• 36:42
  Gavin: You heard it first here on stage at the Coursey Cook Off.
• 36:46
  Aaron: You actually heard it second because we're recording now and it won't air till next week.
• 36:50
  Aaron: But if you're not already here, shame on you.
• 36:54
  Aaron: Today is going to be a day filled with deliciousness, which is the best description of any Saturday I've ever had.
• 37:06
  Aaron: A day filled with deliciousness.
• 37:08
  Aaron: So I want to thank, I want to thank both Smoke Wagon and Ardbeg for making fabulous whiskeys for today.
• 37:17
  Gavin: Agreed with that.
• 37:18
  Aaron: I want to thank the guys at Bell and McCoy for putting this thing on.
• 37:23
  Aaron: I mean, this is incredible.
• 37:25
  Aaron: Getting to be a part of this, both from a podcast standpoint and for years of slinging meats, as they say, um, has been a lot, a lot of fun for me.
• 37:37
  Aaron: Uh, I I started my barbecue competition being the guy who washed cutting boards and tables, and I scooped mac and cheese.
• 37:48
  Aaron: That was where I started years ago, worked all the way up till they let me cook, and ultimately walked away a champion at the top.
• 37:58
  Aaron: I cannot ask for a better journey.
• 38:00
  Aaron: I was what Tom Brady wanted to be in the world of barbecue.
• 38:04
  Gavin: Oh, geez,
• 38:07
  Aaron: It's ridiculous.
• 38:08
  Aaron: That's ridiculous.
• 38:09
  Aaron: No, seriously.
• 38:10
  Aaron: Great whiskey, great friends, great barbecue.
• 38:14
  Aaron: That is an equation for a great Saturday.
• 38:17
  Gavin: And I think there's some good football or great football that's about to be play had today.
• 38:22
  Gavin: I uh I don't know about I don't know about your wildcats, but my pokes.
• 38:27
  Aaron: I I'm afraid about next week for sure.
• 38:31
  Aaron: Uh uh, this tomorrow.
• 38:34
  Aaron: Well, today, sorry, today, uh, K-State plays KU.
• 38:38
  Aaron: 17 years we have hoisted the Sunflower trophy and walked away with the governor's trophy.
• 38:45
  Aaron: I we we have owned KU for years.
• 38:50
  Aaron: I'm nervous.
• 38:52
  Aaron: I've been nervous before, but we've always won.
• 38:54
  Aaron: I'm nervous again this year.
• 38:56
  Aaron: But I think we're gonna prevail.
• 38:58
  Aaron: Who do you guys have played this week?
• 39:01
  Aaron: Do you know?
• 39:01
  Gavin: Uh yeah.
• 39:02
  Gavin: Oklahoma State plays University of Houston.
• 39:08
  Aaron: Oh, schnike!
• 39:09
  Gavin: So this is gonna be a rumble.
• 39:12
  Aaron: Cowboys and the Wildcats.
• 39:14
  Aaron: Or cougars, sorry.
• 39:15
  Aaron: Cougars.
• 39:16
  Aaron: It's on mascot alone.
• 39:20
  Aaron: I have to lean cowboys.
• 39:22
  Aaron: I have to lean cowboys.
• 39:23
  Gavin: You should!
• 39:24
  Aaron: Six shooter beats fangs every day.
• 39:26
  Aaron: Yeah.
• 39:27
  Aaron: Well, should.
• 39:28
  Aaron: If you're a good enough shot, it does.
• 39:29
  Aaron: Hey, so thank you all for being here.
• 39:32
  Aaron: I hope you guys get a chance to come out to a barbecue competition.
• 39:38
  Aaron: So much fun, so much camaraderie that happens.
• 39:41
  Aaron: Um, if you didn't make it out to this one, we do this every year.
• 39:45
  Aaron: Find us next year, whether we whether we do an episode live from the stage or not.
• 39:52
  Aaron: We are here every year, and we would love for you to be a part of it.
• 39:56
  Aaron: We love hoist in the glass.
• 39:58
  Aaron: Cheers, y'all.
• 40:00
  Aaron: And Slante Mhath!
• 40:04
  The Noble Dram: We want to thank you, our noble listener, for joining us.
• 40:06
  The Noble Dram: We believe each whiskey has a story, and so do you.
• 40:09
  The Noble Dram: So give us your thoughts by leaving a comment.
• 40:11
  The Noble Dram: And if you have a whiskey you'd like to see us share, let us know.
• 40:13
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• 40:15
  The Noble Dram: So subscribe to our YouTube channel.
• 40:17
  The Noble Dram: And make sure to like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date on the Noble Dram.
• 40:22
  The Noble Dram: If you find watching us difficult, you can always listen to each episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• 40:27
  The Noble Dram: As always, be noble and enjoy your dram responsibly.