Latest / Aussie Bourbon Lovers / Elijah Craig Barrel Select 'Grenade': Tiny Bottle, Big Bourbon

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Elijah Craig Barrel Select 'Grenade': Tiny Bottle, Big Bourbon · Aussie Bourbon Lovers

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  Incredible flavours, even better stories. One pour, 10 minutes. Aussie bourbon lovers,
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  sharing bourbon with Australia.
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  That's a very satisfactory sound.
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  Oh, it's a twist top. No pop.
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  I talked over it as well, actually. That's embarrassing that I would interrupt the folly
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  recording.
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  You interrupted the introduction to this very cute, look how tiny that bottle is.
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  It's really cute and little.
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  What are we drinking tonight, Dave?
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  All right, so Elijah Craig Barrel Select. And for those of you playing along at home,
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  the bottle that H is holding resembles a hand grenade. And in fact,
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  it's nicknamed the Elijah Craig Grenade. That's what they call these little bottles.
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  It's so tiny. But is it like a tiny barrel?
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  I think that looks like a barrel, don't you?
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  Yeah.
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  I'm sure the bottle shape wasn't made after the idea of a hand grenade.
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  I feel like that would be a bit too wild and violent.
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  No.
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  It's a little bottle with a little-
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  It's a little barrel. It's a mini barrel.
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  Yeah.
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  But it's the right size to fit in your hand. Right size to put in your handbag?
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  Hmm.
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  It's like, why do you need a glass?
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  I just need to make one of those screw top bottles.
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  Seeing as it's screw top, do you know the bottles are open here?
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  And there would just be a glass.
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  Like a jar?
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  Yeah.
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  That's a nice idea. Or you could just serve it in like a pro-mite jar.
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  No, but like, imagine that top being able to be screwed off like the water drop bottles.
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  And you just sip it.
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  And you just sip it. Anyway.
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  Dear folk at Heaven Hill who have the bottle design.
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  Yeah.
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  I think they would chase those for the actual bottle shape, but anyway.
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  Cheers.
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  Cheers.
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  Ooh.
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  Little, little bottle.
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  Little bottle.
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  It packs a punch. It's 125 proof.
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  It is.
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  Now, I get in trouble for asking you too many questions you don't know the answers to.
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  So we've turned the tables.
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  You're allowed to ask me whatever questions you like about this.
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  And there's a pretty good chance I won't know the answers, but I'll have a go.
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  Tell me two things that are different about this bottle, Dave.
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  All right. That's an easy one.
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  Look how little it is.
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  That's a 200 mil, so very small.
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  Tiny.
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  And the shape of the barrel.
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  Like literally the barrel, like barrel staves and stuff are marked on it.
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  So that's the one, that's the first thing.
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  Second one is it's just a little screw cap, little tiny screw cap.
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  I know.
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  Tiny, tiny.
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  And because it's so small, there's not much space for information.
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  So even though, as you're about to find out,
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  this bottle is extraordinarily sought after, very, very sought after,
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  you don't know much about it.
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  Can you tell me a bit about it, Dave?
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  Is that the next question?
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  Yes.
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  Can I tell you a bit about it?
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  All right, sure.
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  What makes this liquid so special?
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  Can we do a quick nose and palate first and then we'll get into that bit?
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  Yeah, yeah.
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  Well, tell me what you're getting on the nose.
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  Oh, okay.
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  Good one.
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  I think that's like plums.
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  Have you had this before?
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  Spicy, spicy plums.
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  Never, never, never.
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  No?
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  No, no, no.
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  This is the first time I've ever had a chance to try this.
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  This is great.
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  And you brought this one back from your last trip, didn't you?
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  I did, I did.
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  Oh, I'm excited to try this one.
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  Elijah Craig, they make such good stuff.
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  Mmm.
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  They do.
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  Oh.
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  Actually, that is-
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  Did you sample this when you were there?
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  No, no, you can't sample this.
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  Oh, so this is like a legit first try.
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  The only way you can experience this is to-
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  Buy a bottle.
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  Be there when they've got the little bottles and get one.
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  So is it a single barrel?
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  Well-
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  Or is it just like a-
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  Yeah, I believe it is a single barrel, yeah.
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  Yep.
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  Because by putting it in a little bottle, there's more to go around, which is kind of
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  nice.
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  But also sad if you get a little bottle, there's not many pours in it.
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  Not many pours in it, yeah.
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  Do you happen to be there on the right day?
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  On the right day.
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  On the palate, that's got a lot of heat.
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  It's quite spicy.
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  It's kind of like-
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  Ooh.
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  Got a lot of-
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  The nose is very-
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  Cloves and baking spices maybe, but then like-
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  I was going to say it's like some kind of grandma's dessert.
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  I was expecting something different from that.
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  I was expecting that to be more Elijah Craig-y.
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  Is that a-
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  Is that a description, Elijah Craig-y?
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  It's a slur that I would say something like that.
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  Elijah Craig-y.
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  I'm not that-
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  I was hoping for more joy.
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  More joy?
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  Oh.
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  You've got to give it more than one taste, though.
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  Yeah, okay.
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  It smells rich.
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  I think it's rich.
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  It's like a-
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  I want more caramel.
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  Christmas pudding soaked in-
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  I feel like I'm eating a-
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  Burnt butter?
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  Slightly dry, spicy Christmas cake, where I want to have a little bit more ice cream with it.
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  Like the vanilla.
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  I want more vanilla and caramel.
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  Ooh, yeah.
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  You know, sometimes-
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  You know, your bourbon salad's got some things that I really want the key ingredients for.
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  I feel like this one just misses out a bit.
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  The nose really matches the palate.
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  Because I got Christmas cake on the nose, and then as soon as you drink it, you're right.
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  It's that-
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  You're getting all those really rich fruits and spice of a Christmas cake soaked in whiskey.
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  Nuts, almost.
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  Maybe this is a bit weird that we're doing a single-barrel review that you can-
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  You won't be able to come out and buy that again, but-
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  Yeah, but you can go out and get it on Elijah Craig.
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  That will be a little bit more Elijah Craig-y.
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  Maybe a little bit more Elijah Craig-y.
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  Hang on.
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  Explain that a little bit more.
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  On the nose there, I'm getting a little bit more stone fruit and stuff as well.
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  Really fruity, like a lot of interesting fruit notes.
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  So like dried fruits and those Christmas spices, and then like maybe stone fruits, apricots, that kind of thing.
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  And then that comes all the way through.
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  Yeah, it's like you've opened it.
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  But I'm missing the custard or something I want in this dessert.
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  You just want the sweets, Dave.
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  Sorry about this.
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  I've been given a fruit salad and I wanted some calories.
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  I think your analogy before was really good.
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  It's the Christmas.
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  You've got that really rich Christmas pudding or Christmas cake, you know, with all the fruit and everything.
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  Am I missing some structure?
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  Sorry, go on.
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  It's puzzled, Dave.
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  No, it's not one I would call sweet.
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  Yeah.
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  It's like real.
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  I like it.
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  It's really fruity and it's like that's a good Christmas pudding whiskey bourbon.
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  I also wonder if the structure isn't sitting the way I want it to sit either.
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  It's all sitting right on top of my tongue and not filling my palate in the way that sometimes like a well-balanced bourbon kind of wraps around your whole mouth or something.
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  Anyway, sorry, go on.
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  You were going to ask that question.
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  I can't remember.
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  Why do I have it?
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  Why do you have it?
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  No.
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  Go on.
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  All right.
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  Well, good question.
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  There's a story about why I have it.
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  I've been to the Heaven Hill Experience I think maybe three times in total.
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  The second time was that time where I noticed – I wasn't even doing a tour and I noticed that the guys were – had rushed over and were queuing up.
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  Oh, yes.
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  And they got the B923.
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  I remember.
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  You called me afterwards because you were like, I wish you were here.
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  C923.
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  C923.
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  Sorry.
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  C923.
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  Let's be clear.
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  It was the C.
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  Is that September C?
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  Yeah.
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  Yeah, yeah.
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  This is when I need help with this.
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  I should have grabbed a rando.
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  Yep.
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  Make a friend and buy a bottle.
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  We've still got the rest of it up there.
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  So that was that one.
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  This time I'd just done a tour.
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  Oh.
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  And without even trying to notice it, the other bourbon nerds – this is one of the great tours I've ever done by the way.
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  This is this wonderful tour of the Springs, the new Springs distillery.
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  And if you're thinking about going to Heaven Hill and you haven't booked anything yet, do that distillery tour.
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  That is a really, really good one.
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  I had a great tour guide.
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  I had a great experience and the group I was with was great as well.
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  Yeah.
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  Really recommend that tour.
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  It's a really good one.
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  We get back.
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  It's a bus.
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  You've got to take a bus from the main Heaven Hill where everyone goes and it's got the old car at the front.
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  You take the bus.
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  The bus brings you back to the gift shop.
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  Yeah.
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  And these guys like do the equivalent of the Olympic walking technique to get to the – and so I do a quick –
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  They knew.
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  They knew something was happening and I was like, all right, well, I'll walk behind them.
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  And they went straight to the counter.
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  They weren't looking at the aprons or the barrel stains or anything in the gift shop.
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  They were there for one thing and they had seen something.
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  And I looked at the back of the counter.
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  I hadn't seen anything.
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  And then they got those and I was like, all right, well, yeah, I stood behind them.
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  I was like, yeah, I'll have one of them as well.
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  Anyway, I've definitely seen them online and this is what I –
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  I'm glad you did because it tastes delicious.
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  I do have a question though.
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  Go on then.
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  When you say it's an Elijah Craigie, what is Elijah Craigie?
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  Give us –
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  Do we have some glasses?
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  Can we pour some Elijah Craigie to see side by side?
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  No, no.
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  No, no.
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  I'm just like what is it about the Elijah Craigie that you feel is not in that?
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  Is it the sweetness or is it the like whole mouth feel that an Elijah Craigie will give you?
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  Like often I find they'll sit there and the flavour will change in your mouth.
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  I really want to drink Elijah Craigie right now.
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  I think it's like –
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  Yeah, we're drinking Elijah Craigie right now.
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  Yeah, we are drinking Elijah Craigie.
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  But not the Craigie ones.
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  But it's like I reckon – and this is like the absolute joy of a single barrel, right?
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  Elijah Craigie, what you get in a blended expression of Elijah Craigie is the balance
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  where they've gotten – they've picked all the single barrels or not single barrels,
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  but they've picked all the barrels they want and they've created a blend where they've
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  gotten all the things together to create what Elijah Craigie is.
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  And I think that flavour is in there.
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  But there's not – for me, it's missing vanilla, caramel and structure that rounds
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  out a really complete bourbon.
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  Oftentimes I think you taste single barrels and you get a single barrel that has a lot
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  of the elements you want in that one barrel.
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  And I just feel like – and I don't know anything about this barrel – like how they
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  do this, how they choose these can grenades.
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  But for me, that is not – it doesn't have the completeness of the flavour profile.
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  Yeah, but it has – I like the uniqueness of it.
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  I like that you've got – you've really honed in on that fruitiness and that you're
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  drinking that fruitiness and that it's not then your butterscotches and your vanillas
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  and your caramels and your – like all the stuff that makes it delicious.
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  Yeah.
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  It's kind of like you've picked out one of those flavours and you're drinking it.
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  It's interesting to me.
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  The information on the label is really sparse.
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  It's 125 proof.
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  So they must proof it to 125 proof, I think, to get it to what they call their barrel select
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  product.
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  Yeah.
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  But I think it is a single barrel product.
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  It says barrel select.
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  I think it is single barrel.
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  But interestingly, I'm now – the tannins that I'm getting, the way my tongue feels,
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  is not dissimilar to the way my tongue feels after drinking the 18-year-old.
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  Oh, yeah.
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  Yeah.
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  And I'm not saying that in a way that I love.
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  I don't – like the 18-year-old, I would prefer to have a traditional expression of
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  Elijah Craig than the 18-year-old, which is the way I – that's my personal preference.
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  Yeah.
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  And I know a lot of people think I'm crazy.
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  So you reckon this one might be aged a lot.
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  Well, actually, this week, people have been camping out at Heaven Hill, like literally
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  this week, to get Elijah Craig 21-year-old.
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  And to me, it's just not my thing.
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  I love that people love it.
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  Yeah.
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  But there's lots of other bourbons that I know aren't my thing.
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  I love Elijah Craig.
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  Yeah.
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  I love a lot of the different other expressions, but the older stuff is less of my thing.
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  The more it ages, though, like in your palate, you're getting a lot more of that oak and
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  the wood.
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  Yeah.
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  I love that flavour, and others prefer the almost younger version.
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  There's this thing that some brands are able to do.
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  Like, if you think about a Mictas 20, a Mictas 20 definitely has – a Mictas 10 even – definitely
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  has wood notes on it.
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  Yeah.
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  I think about a Mictas 10 that there's a note that I call a chocolate wood, which is so
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  stupid.
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  That's such a stupid note.
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  No.
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  But that's what I think of it as.
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  Yeah.
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  I could probably pick it in a blind line-up because I don't know many other bourbons that
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  have this particular note.
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  Yeah.
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  But there's this oakiness to it, but it's so dialed back or it's so approachable that
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  I really like it.
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  But then there's other bourbons, and just the 18 is just one that I know off the top
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  of my head.
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  Yeah.
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  The Elijah Craig 18 is one that I know.
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  It's just not for me.
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  I don't know why.
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  Yeah.
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  Some people really like this.
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  Some people don't.
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  Like I said, it's that palette, whether your palette likes that age and that oakiness,
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  I suppose, and that barrel.
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  And it leaves you with a different aftertaste, the aged, like the older ones.
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  And in Australia, because we drink a lot of wine, people talk about whether they love
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  tannins or not.
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  Yeah.
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  And there's often a lot of tannins with this oakiness.
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  Yeah.
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  If you really like tannins, well, this would be for you if you could get your hands on
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  that.
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  Yeah.
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  It's beautiful fruitiness, this one.
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  Yeah.
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  And kind of the grippy texture on your tongue.
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  Are you getting that?
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  The grippy texture on your tongue?
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  No.
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  Maybe I'm just having one of these days.
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  All right.
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  Well.
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  You don't like old things, Dave.
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  Should I take offence to that?
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  No.
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  It's not about old things.
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  This is only eight years old.
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  That's about the same age as a normal Elijah Craig.
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  Yeah.
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  But do you reckon, like, oh, this is eight.
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  You reckon it's eight years old?
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  Oh, I'd read somewhere that I think it's about eight.
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  It's not age-stated, but that's kind of what I think it's about.
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  Yeah.
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  But I think there's an art to getting a bourbon aged.
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  That's a good comment.
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  And delicious.
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  And they must taste it, like, really regularly once it gets to quite old.
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  Because you don't want those, you know, you don't want to have a 21-year-old
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  or an 18-year-old that you've just left in the barrel too long
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  and it's gone too barrel-y.
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  I just don't know.
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  I don't know about exactly that part of the process.
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  But, like, lots of the distilleries will pick them when they're ready.
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  It's like...
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  One of my favourite things about this bourbon journey
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  is that the more we do, the more we get to try
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  and experience so many different things.
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  And as much as I find so many new things that I like,
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  I also find things that I'm like, I'm okay with the fact that I don't like that.
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  Sometimes it takes a little while for me to come to terms with that.
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  You want to be excited about certain things that lots of people
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  in the bourbon world are and you're like, no, I like this.
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  And I've had a bit of a time of trying to come to terms with the fact
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  that I really wanted to be excited about something
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  and then I just didn't like it as much as I wanted to like it.
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  And I feel sad about that.
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  But then it's okay.
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  It's all right.
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  I prefer other things.
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  Someone else will get some enjoyment out of it.
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  And it just comes back to that classic bourbon thing, right?
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  Enjoy it how you like it.
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  Yeah.
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  Even if it comes out of a tiny little bottle.
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  Tiny little bottle.
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  Well, guess what, H?
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  You love this one.
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  Yeah.
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  If you want to.
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  I'll be drinking lots of that tiny little bottle.
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  It can be yours.
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  I'll be drinking it.
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  Cheers.
• 14:20
  Cheers.