The Noble Dram | Stars, Stripes & Single Malts (Season 2 | Ep. 15)

America is turning 250 years old, and we're raising a glass to celebrate the only way we know how, with great whisky and even better company.

In this special America 250 episode of The Noble Dram, Aaron and Gavin go head-to-head as Team America and Team England, celebrating two nations forever connected by history... and now by exceptional single malts.

On the table:
 🥃 Westland Garryana – American Single Malt
 🥃 Cotswolds English Single Malt – Peated Cask 

Along the way, we'll dive into:
 The fascinating role whiskey played in America's founding
 👑 George Washington vs. King George III
 🎉 Fun America 250 trivia and surprising historical facts
  ⚔️ A friendly (and completely unbiased) battle between Team England and Team America

Whether you're celebrating Independence Day, America's 250th Birthday, or you're simply looking for your next great pour, pull up a chair and join us.

Because history is always better with a dram.

🥃 Good Whiskey. Great Company.

👍 If You Enjoyed This Episode
✔️ Like the video
 ✔️ Subscribe to The Noble Dram
 ✔️ Share your favorite "George" in the comments
 ✔️ Tell us: Team America or Team England? Which whisk[e]y wins?

New episodes drop every Thursday.🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio
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Transcript

Aaron 0:00

Two nations, two whiskeys, and one very questionable pair of judges.

Gavin 0:07

In honor of Independence Day, we're celebrating by inviting England back for one more fight. This time with single malt whiskey.

Aaron 0:15

Will the colonies come out on top yet again? Or will the mother country remind us where it all began?

Gavin 0:21

Welcome to Stars, Stripes, and Single Malts. I'm especially excited. Uh we have a birthday to celebrate.

Aaron 1:05

Not mine. I know everybody's like, he's so old, he must have birthdays all the time.

Gavin 1:09

Yeah. But no. Tonight we are celebrating 250 years. The Big 250. Big 250. I mean, I think you're finally eligible for Social Security. Probably. I mean, does Uncle Sam still require a certain amount of taxation at 250?

Aaron 1:29

Yeah, no, I'm as I'm assuming they're never gonna let you out the hook. I'll be honest. If we lived at 250, they're gonna tax you to 251. Your inheritance tax. No, you still get it. Still get it.

Gavin 1:39

So, first and foremost, thank you everyone for being here with us. Uh, we're so excited that we get to celebrate together uh in preparation for 250 years.

Aaron 1:49

It's a big deal. Episodes come out on Thursday. I think the vast majority of us probably have Friday off. Yeah. So kick back, relax, throw a couple extra pack because you got nowhere to be in the morning.

Gavin 2:05

Speaking of that, I would love a glass of whiskey because again, we started without anything in our hand.

Aaron 2:11

Yeah, I think it gives us a place to start. It's kind of like the security blanket that makes things better. Oh, okay. All right. So tell what while I start pouring, I want you to tell them the theme of tonight, and then I'll tell a little bit about the bottom. Why we picked this bottle.

Gavin 2:27

Okay, so the theme of tonight is obviously, I mean, how can you not do a whiskey episode of American and English whiskies? So it's the rematch. The Battle Royale. The Battle Royale. What are we 007 over here? Maybe. Maybe.

Aaron 2:46

Uh so tonight we're gonna be not the only time that comes up today, but we'll we'll play them.

Gavin 2:52

So we're gonna venture into American single malt whiskey and English single malt whiskey.

Aaron 3:00

Yeah, I I think it makes sense to do American single malt and English single malt as opposed to putting a single malt against a bourbon. I know it is more commonly understood as that is America's whiskey, but we're trying to level the playing field. Um, give everyone uh, I'll say a puncher's chance.

Gavin 3:23

A puncher's chance. Are you punching up or punching down?

Aaron 3:25

Um, well, I mean, we are bigger.

Gavin 3:30

Oh man.

Aaron 3:32

That oh so the premise tonight is we needed an American single malt to go against our English single malt. So we're gonna start. Raining champ throws first, right? Raining champ. Yeah, now it was a guy. Just like just like golf and darts and everything else, right? Like you won, you won the first round, you go first in the second round, right? So tonight we are sipping out of a Westland distillery out in the great state of Washington. Uh, ironically, towards the end of statehood, right? In the in the in the grand scheme of things.

Gavin 4:12

And on that side of the country.

Aaron 4:15

I mean, not the farthest away from England, but it's out there, right?

Gavin 4:19

It's getting pretty far.

Aaron 4:20

All right, so this happens to be the Gariana release, part of their outpost range. This one happens to be the ninth edition, and we'll talk a little bit about that. Okay. This one clocks in at 100 proof. That's 50% ABV for all the Brits who are listening. Um, and clocks in at an MSRP of $150. Now, good news, I managed to get a much better deal than that on this one. Good for you. You know what? Good for you. I found this one actually on a discount shelf. And I went over and asked somebody, I was like, hey, wait a second. I'm not sure that's supposed to be over here. And he said, You're right, but you did find it there, so I'll let you have it at a discount. So I guess you left, they went in and I'm sure they moved, they moved the rest of this off of the shelf. Um, so the reason I say I don't think this was intended to be discounted, Gariana from Westland edition eight, won third best whiskey in the world in 23, I believe. Wow. Uh, by whiskey advocates. So highly rated. All of the releases, uh all the various editions have have um gotten quite a bit of fanfare and and accolades. So this is aged five years in a combination of first fill ex bourbon, first fill ex oloroso sherry, and Virgin Pacific Northwest Gariana oak. Um, so it's a specific variety of oak that grows um in the Pacific Northwest. So I mentioned this being part of the Outpost Range. The Outpost Range is a whole series that they have put together of various specialty releases where they talk or they focus on, I'll say, on trying to get a bit of the local agriculture, the local terroir, local ingredients that are all kind of native to the Pacific Northwest. So that defines a little bit of what's here, but one of the like we always do our research and we start finding these fun little anecdotes. Um the Westland Distillery started back in 2010, relatively new. We've mentioned their name on previous episodes. Yep. We talked a lot about American single malts. They were one of the first ones to really come out and jump fully into um that entire style of whiskey.

Gavin 6:54

We even, I mean, our what Super Bowl episode was a Wesland whiskey.

Aaron 7:00

So where their fun little nugget of knowledge is that we actually mentioned them in an unrelated uh reference on a couple episodes ago, uh, because they are the big whiskey heist in America. That's right. So, yeah, back in like just not too long ago, um, a warehouse in Burlington, Washington, truck pulls up, they've got paperwork says we're here to pick up um a significant amount of whiskey. 12,000 bottles, uh mixture of the Gariana Edition 10 and some of their standard releases, all of it supposedly heading to New Jersey. And several days later, New Jersey calls and said, We didn't get any of the whiskey, why didn't you guys ship it? And they said, What are you talking about? We put it on the truck. Yeah, and so somebody ran off with just shy of a million dollars. I feel obligated to do it, one million dollars. Um, yeah, and it still unsolved to date.

Gavin 8:08

Um, there hold on, hold on. You said you got this on discount. Yeah, no, I mean what's just that was that this is edition nine, not edition ten. Oh, all right, all right, all right.

Aaron 8:17

I had nothing to do with the heist. Um although I I do have 11,000 other bottles I would be interested in selling you if you want some. No, it it's it was kind of one of these like everyone knows of the of the the bourbon heist that occurred in Kentucky um years ago, but this is kind of the the the latest big story to hit the bourbon world, or the whiskey world, I should say. Um yeah, and as of as of today, the the time of filming, I'll say, um, still unsolved. They don't know who has it. Uh there's question over whether or not they're going to be able to resell it here in the States. Um, it's a it's a difficult amount of whiskey to move, especially something like the Gariana 10. Um just because that one was an extra rare. This is a five-year-old. That one actually is 10-year-old. Um and they ran off with I think 48% of all of the Gariana 10 that was ever made, right? So it's it's not just that they sold something that's really rare. They sold they stole a lot of it. So it's gonna be really obvious when you show up and say, I've got a couple cases of this. I'm trying to move.

Gavin 9:34

People are like, wait a second, that's a well, we may have to do the Noble Dram Unsolved Mysteries. And we really start digging into this.

Aaron 9:46

We do love a good television show themed episode. Yeah, we could do an Unsolved Mysteries. I love it. I'd have to go back and re-watch some old episodes of Unsolved Mysteries just to remember what the show was all about.

Gavin 9:58

I can just I just remember Dumb and Dumber, right? Where they're talking about uh like, well, in the in the movie, they're like watching Unsolved Mysteries or something. I can't remember. I have to go back and watch it, but I just think of us being the dumb and dumber trying to solve this.

Aaron 10:16

Yeah, I I think bumbling idiots would probably classify our detective strategy.

Gavin 10:22

Maybe, maybe. Okay, I I think I want to play a game tonight. All right. You okay with that?

Aaron 10:29

It's a holiday weekend. I think games and festivities make sense.

Gavin 10:34

Okay, all right. Let's do it. So uh the game that I'd like to play is the Battle of the Georgias.

Aaron 10:45

So I think I know why you did this.

Gavin 10:49

Why is that? I'm just telling you or you want to guess? No, you tell. In case I'm wrong, that means then I don't have to admit it. So about somewhere around 250 years ago, there were a couple Georgias that had a maybe disagreement. A beef, if you will. Ooh, that's a good one. Uh so we would say King George from England, and maybe somebody called George Washington. Should I be digging notes all about you, right? This time, you may want to King George and George Washington. I mean, out of all the history that I learned in school, no one really ever equated that there were two Georges that went head to head. Yeah, at the same time.

Aaron 11:31

The fact that we keep calling it the Revolutionary War and not like the Battle of the Georges is bizarre to me. It is so bizarre. I think it was a marketing opportunity. Just got missed. Just got missed.

Gavin 11:42

Uh, and and everything that was going on, they were like the marketing.

Aaron 11:47

I it it worked out really well that George Washington happened to be a good general and ended up being a pretty decent president. Um, since they just picked him because his name was George, right?

Gavin 11:59

Like it was a bit of a crap sheet. That's right. So we're gonna talk, we're gonna talk and play a game uh called Battle of the Georges. I got five Georges that I'm gonna talk through, okay, about, give you options for. Five Georges out of no particular order. I want you to rank them though. Right?

Aaron 12:23

Is there is there a premise by which I need to rank, or is it completely up to me?

Gavin 12:28

Completely up to you. All right. Um I am gonna have to take notes. In in any and all of your experience of living on this earth, I would like for you to rank these Georges. It's a lot. It's not 250 years, but it's a lot. I mean, could be. But all right. No particular order. All right, you ready? Give me George number one. George number one. George Clooney. Okay. Let's talk a little about a little bit about ER. Right? George Clooney. I was introduced to George Clooney from watching ER, the television show.

Aaron 13:04

I'm gonna put down ER, but I'll be honest with you, that is not what I thought of George Clooney. Like when you said George Clooney, I did not think ER first. What'd you think? Uh Oceans 11. Yeah, of course. Um I mean, also, I happen to have grown up in the era in which George Clooney was popular. And every girl thought George Clooney was about as dreamy as you could get. So, like in your head, you're like, oh, George Clooney, the really handsome guy from Ocean's 11, right? That's where your head goes.

Gavin 13:34

Or Batman. He was a Batman. He was a Batman. Was he the best Batman, though? That's a whole nother debate. Yeah, we need a Batman episode now. Yeah. All right. To be continued on the Batman. So that's George number one. George number one. In no particular order, George number two. George number two. George number two, George Strait. Ooh. I mean, God. That's a good George. I mean, good.

Aaron 13:58

When you said five Georges, I'll be honest. George Clooney wasn't in the list. I was running in the head bag. But George Strait absolutely was.

Gavin 14:06

I mean, we are in Texas.

Aaron 14:08

Yeah, I mean, I don't think you can be a country music fan and and not just absolutely adore George Strait.

Gavin 14:15

Right. So, I don't know about you, but George Strait was also a phenomenal actor. Pure country.

Aaron 14:25

I mean You can't start with George Clooney, who's known for his acting ability, and then say George Strait was the good actor.

Gavin 14:34

I'm not saying he was the best actor.

Aaron 14:36

No, I'm saying I appreciate your desire to sway my opinion. Like, I but but me and the people at home know that of the two so far, George Clooney is the actor.

Gavin 14:49

All right. Well, we may have a few more of those on the list. Let's go through it. Um George Lucas. Not an actor, though. Not an actor, but created one of the most celebrated and famous franchises in the entire world. I mean You're talking about the Avengers? Yeah, that was. Got it. Yeah.

Aaron 15:15

No. Someone's gonna comment. You guys are idiots. Yeah. We're talking about Star Wars. Oh, Star Wars. Okay, yeah, that's different than what I wrote. Yeah, let me write that. Star Trek.

Gavin 15:27

I know the difference. Oh right. All right. So we had George Clooney, George Trait, George, George Lucas. Got it. And then George Costanza. Oh, good lord. Can you reach back into your pocket and then you can see that? Oh, I remember George Costanza. Okay. It's a little Seinfeld here.

Aaron 15:48

Now, the question is, what was George Costanza's real name? Like that's that was his character name, right? Uh-huh. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Yeah. Now who's the smart against? It's easy when you've already got it written down, isn't it? It is. It is. I don't know his name either.

Gavin 16:10

I knew it, but you put me on the spot.

Aaron 16:13

Um, all right. You'll think of it like 45 minutes ago. I just scream the name out. And then I give you free reign to interject the name any moment to read it.

Gavin 16:27

This guy. I got it. All right. So we had George Clooney, George Straight, George Lucas, George Costanza, and George Jetson. Oh my lord. That's right. George Jetson. Yes. Do you remember George Jetsons?

Aaron 16:45

His son Elroy?

Gavin 16:46

Yeah.

Aaron 16:48

Um, his wife Judy. Uh. Oh my god, now I can't think of it. What was the robot maid's name? Rosie?

Gavin 16:57

Is that what it was?

Aaron 16:58

In my head, that's what it is.

Gavin 17:00

I honestly don't know the rest. Could you sing the song? No.

Aaron 17:03

I mean, if you started Please don't, please don't. I probably could. I have to listen to that kind of nonsense idea all the time.

Gavin 17:11

But the people that know they shouldn't have to. If you didn't know, I wanted to be a rock star at one point in my life.

Aaron 17:16

What do you mean used to be? I still want to be a rock star. I've settled for a whiskey podcast. If you need a guy to sing shitty backup vocals in a rock band, I'm quitting my job tomorrow. I'm ready to go.

Gavin 17:32

Let's do it. We'll create it. I keep a pair of leather pants in the closet at all times just in case. He doesn't just keep them in there. Let's just say they get broken down.

Aaron 17:42

Alright, so these are these are these are my five I have to work from.

Gavin 17:48

You have to work from those five. George Clooney, George Strait, George Lucas, George Costanza, and George Jetson. In no particular order, I want you to rank them.

Aaron 18:02

Um well, okay. I feel like it's gonna be easier to start at the bottom and work my way up. Okay, so we're gonna start at number five. Number five. I think inherently you have to go with the fictitious people. Do you and a cartoon is more fictitious than a character on a TV show. Because he's doubly fictitious. He's a character and made up uh version. So I'm I'm putting George Jetson at number five. I will say George Jetson was kind of at the end of when like dad was still the good guy on cartoons. Right? Like sometime after the Jetsons, like Dad became the bumbling fool on all television shows. And so I I I will say I appreciate the fact that George Jetson wasn't a buffoon. Um although he could never figure out how to use anything on like technology-wise, which is pretty indicative of everyone's.

Gavin 19:02

Especially, especially dad your age.

Aaron 19:04

Number five, George Jetson. All right. Number four, it gets a whole lot tougher. I will say, George Costanza always holds a special place in my heart because of his desire to be an architect in Vandalay industries, right? Um, that somehow has created this stigma that being an architect makes you cool. Maybe not so much.

Gavin 19:31

Certain people might think so.

Aaron 19:33

No, no, no, no, no, no. Architects absolutely think they are cool. Uh with their pipes and vest jacket, sweaters. Yeah, I get it. I get it, right?

Gavin 19:43

Drinking whiskey, whiskey clubs, all those things.

Aaron 19:45

Yeah, I they're I think architects personified this idea of what a college professor would want to be like. I feel like it kind of feels like the same group. I feel like the trifecta or a college professor in architecture. I mean that's pretty good. That's pretty good. Can't argue with that. I but here's what I'll say George Castan's also not a real person, so I think real Georges have to win over faux Georges, fake Georges, if you will. But but I will say he comes in at number four. All right. Uh him and the entire team at Vandalay Industries. Right. All right. This is where it gets on a more personal level. Okay. This is where it really starts to hit. You mentioned George Clooney, and the first thing that came up was a TV show. I really didn't care one way or another for it. Like I lived in a house in which the ladies all watched ER, like get together. Um, that that was still a show when my sister lived here in town and she would come over and they would watch ER. That was, I mean, way back when.

Gavin 20:54

When you used to get together to watch a TV show?

Aaron 20:56

Yeah, because you had to, right? It was either that or you had to pay for Ti-Vo. Right. Right? Back in the day. Um, so I'm I'm putting George Clooney at number three. Okay. Mostly because I think the things that everyone seems to love about George Clooney, they don't ring for me. Oh. Right? All right. Okay. I don't swoon at George Clooney.

Gavin 21:17

I'll let him know. The next time I talk to him, I'll let him know.

Aaron 21:20

Okay that's fair. All right. So this comes down to the real question. George Lucas, from a popular culture standpoint, is a bigger deal than George Strait. What he created was is more broadsweeping than George Strait. But what I'll say is George Strait and what he did was a better at what he did than I think George Lucas was. Ultimately, it comes down to one thing. Lucas sold out to Disney. And that that's a that's a ding. I get it. Everybody wants to get something started and get the big Paycheck and get out. But it leaves everybody behind who you kind of feel like you sold them out. So sorry. All right. The sellout George Lucas comes in at number two and the George Lucas. The countryman, George Strait. Um, he and I are gonna be in Amarillo tomorrow morning. Coming up from St. Town. I'm trying to be trying to think about ways to put lines from songs where the sidewalk ends and the road begins. Oh, it I'll just say this. He released an like a greatest hits composition of albums, not one, because there was more than would fit on one CD. And it was 50 number one hits. That is insane. When you talk about the absolute pinnacle of your craft, it's way better than that Vandalay Industries architect guy. I mean, he he was horrible compared to George.

Gavin 22:59

There's a reason why his nickname is King George in the country music industry.

Aaron 23:04

Yeah, not in a bad way. Not in a bad way, right? Like I we live in America, right? Like the King George part of this episode probably is a bit of a negative connotation. Um not not in this instance. Yeah, George Strait's number one. Number one.

Gavin 23:18

Number one, the king of country music, George Strait. You know, um, I like your lineup. You should. But I would disagree. Well, of course you would. I would disagree. You're gonna put Clooney first, aren't you? No, I would not put Clooney first. I would say the stand's a number one, you weirdo. No, no. I'm shocked at the Georges that aren't on the list. I decided to go a little different tonight, and I didn't want certain Georges on there.

Aaron 23:52

I wanted to throw in a little bit of in the game I created for you, I specifically avoided George's because I thought it was too easy of play of the George versus George to begin with. I like the fact that you leaned into it with this game. But I so first off, you you picked a cartoon George that wasn't curious. Right? I of the two cartoon Georges, Curious George is better than George Jetson.

Gavin 24:21

I kind of thought it would be curious if we didn't go that route, because most people, at least when I was thinking about this, like that's if you're gonna go a cartoon, that's what most people would probably go towards. So I was like, let's tend to go to something, and I had totally forgotten about George Jetson. And then started thinking about it. I was like, all right, most people would probably go curious, George, if they were gonna go cartoon-wise.

Aaron 24:46

So absolutely and and I'll say one to be a little different. The George that probably makes one of the top two, if not for sure the top three, but maybe top two. George Foreman and the George Foreman Grill, he named like seven of his kids George Foreman. I mean, you can't get more George than that. It's a little Georgia.

Gavin 25:10

A little too Georgie for me. Let me say. No, um, that was that was also didn't put any George's on here.

Aaron 25:18

Could have been, could have gone the lady route with Georges.

Gavin 25:21

Yep.

Aaron 25:22

Could have put the state of Georgia on here.

Gavin 25:24

I'm one of the original 13 colonies. I am partial to Georgia. I spent a lot of time in Georgia. Shout out to Lake Lanier for folks out there. Oh, you're you're you're on the state. Sorry. I was very thinking of the country.

Aaron 25:40

Um I was actually thinking the lady, but that's neither here nor there. All right, all right. That got out of hand. I apologize. I mean, I really did. That guy, sorry. Um well that was fun. So so so we'll we'll figure out a way to put the Georges listed somewhere on the screen. I'll I'll lean this lean this way, and we'll put them right over here.

Gavin 26:02

Maybe a graphic of some kind.

Aaron 26:04

Yeah, just the word George great big across the bottom. I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. I want to talk about what's in the whiskey, though. All right. I I feel like this would have been more fitting if I knew there was a guy named George that worked at Westland.

Gavin 26:16

Hey, Westland, give us a call. We'd love to know.

Aaron 26:19

Only give us a call if you have a George. If you don't have a George, or if you know a George. No, that's too broad. Too broad. All right. Sorry.

Gavin 26:28

Your itch made me itch. I don't know if you noticed that. Yeah, it's like a yawn.

Aaron 26:32

Yeah, no, I get you. All right, I want to talk about what's in the glass, though. So good times. Good times. Uh this is dynamite. We're just gonna throw in all the most obscure references to television shows we've ever seen. All right, tell me what you get on the nose.

Gavin 26:50

On the nose. Um been sipping, sniffing, sipping, savoring this a little bit. Um I wrote down like a traditional breakfast. Like, I think there's a little bit of syrupiness that I got from it. There's a um baking spice that I got off the nose. I even wrote down like a syruped waffle with some fruit on it.

Aaron 27:22

Oh, see, I I'm not too far off from me on the breakfast idea. Okay, but I actually went um raisin cinnamon bagel.

Gavin 27:30

Ah, yes. Right? Yes.

Aaron 27:32

Um, like especially if you've got some of that like honey whipped cream cheese sort of deal. And maybe a cup of coffee going with it, right? Kind of in the background. Yes. Um, yeah, it's it's it's got that kind of delicious-y kind of cookie baked bread thing going on. It's 100% cinnamon, it's got a little raisin. Um, I mean, it's clearly got sherry on the nose, right? Like, I mean, I think that's where you're getting some of that.

Gavin 27:59

Yes. And in fact, on the palate, if we want to go ahead and get into the palate, I think it was very like that's where the sherry really showed up for me. I think um there's a bit of a like a baking spice. Um I wrote down um caramel chew, even not like straight caramel, but like the candied caramel that's uh um are you talking about like the Brock's soft cubes? Yes.

Aaron 28:29

Okay, I get that.

Gavin 28:30

I got a lot of that on the palette.

Aaron 28:34

Yeah, I I mean I think I think classic basing baking spices still show up, right? I get a little clove, a little nutmeg, cinnamon, that kind of stuff. Um, I I I agree with you. I think the raisin flavor becomes probably a little bit more dominant on the palate than the rest. Um but I I still think there's a bit of that gooey bread kind of thing. Like, is this now I'm a guy who likes raisins in my bread pudding, right? Like I get it, not everybody does, but I to me, like raising raisins in bread pudding with a little bit of that kind of caramel drizzle over the like all that thing, all the stuff you're talking about, I get all that.

Gavin 29:18

I think you accidentally said it. Um but when you said it raisin raisin brand or yeah, I raise I I was saying raisin bread, right?

Aaron 29:28

But like when we were like the raisin brand muffins, yes like mom used to make. Yes. Oh god. Next time I see mom, I want her to make raisin bread muffins. Next time I see your mom, yeah. Yeah, for sure. Mom sent us a box. You should have the address somewhere. Um, but but on the finish, I I think it changes, but I want I want to hear your thoughts on on where the finish goes.

Gavin 29:53

On the finish, I think that it is um medium to long. I think it lingers a bit. I think there's a slight spice that shows up, and maybe that's the baking spice. Um but I think there's a little spiciness to it. Um and then dare I say it, there's a little, maybe that spice turns into a little bit more of a smokiness to it. So I think there's a not that it's heavily smoky by any means, but I think there's a little that spice might turn into a little toasted, um almost like a campfire-y, but not like not a true campfire, but just like you're on the 10 feet away edge of a campfire.

Aaron 30:40

Yeah, I I think I'm hesitant to say smoke. I think I get more oak char. Right? It's um there is a distinct oaky kind of spike that hits right after you finish the sip and right at the beginning of the finish. And I'll say, for me, it dries things, and then and then the baking spice kind of comes back, and then there's a little bit of a sweetness that lingers. I'm gonna say medium finish. When you say medium long, I think it's probably a little shorter. Um but who's comparing certainly, certainly not a quick finish, right? It just it all of the things that happen happen pretty quickly, and then it kind of lingers.

Gavin 31:24

Yeah.

Aaron 31:25

Um so yeah. I don't I don't want to sway your number, so I'm gonna cover mine. I wrote my number down. Um give it a number. Alright, I got a number. Tell them your number. 86. 86.

Gavin 31:47

Dang!

Aaron 31:47

Yeah, I I I mean, I think for me, this is a solid zipper. I mean, I if you like a space eyed Highland Sherried Scotch, this has got a lot of those things. What I liked though, is it's actually got a little bit of stuff you typically see more in bourbons.

Gavin 32:06

Yep.

Aaron 32:07

Um, I'm assuming that's that virgin oak, right, showing up just a little bit. It's got a little bit of that kind of charcoal char. It's got a little bit of that honey, it's got a lot like those things that sometimes tend to be a little more subdued in Scott's single molts. This has still got going on. And I I I like that a lot.

Gavin 32:28

What I liked a lot about it is for an American single molt, there is some differences to it. It it kind of stand up stands on its own, which I really enjoy. Um, I think it's a solid zipper, it's something that I really want on the shelf, and so if you know somebody that has the 10th edition out there and would like to sell a bottle, or a guy who has several thousand bottles and he might be trying to offload a dozen or so, right?

Aaron 33:06

Um, we'd be going, be we'd go 50 50 cents on the dollar. Yeah. Right.

Gavin 33:12

Just just let us know. Like I'd I'd love to have this.

Aaron 33:16

The next noble drink barrel pick is like a couple thousand bottles of Gariana edition 10. We'll we'll move that pretty fast. Oh, I'm sorry.

Gavin 33:24

I got it. Um no, but what I would say is I'd like to taste this versity against the other versions of it, the other editions, to really see the nuances between all of them or at least another one. I think that would be fun.

Aaron 33:39

I I will say, I think it's pretty obvious why these guys have been winning awards with this release. Um, it is a fun twist. I like the heavy bourbon influence. I have like the heavy sherry influence, I like this kind of char that shows up from the from the uh Virgin Gariana oak. I everything about it seems to just come together really nicely. Especially for a five-year-old whiskey. There was nothing youthful about this.

Gavin 34:05

I I couldn't disagree with any of that. Like I think when you look at single malts just in general, you know, we mostly think about other countries, say Scotland or thereabouts, and their single malts range from I mean, most age statements on say Scotch are above five years.

Aaron 34:31

And so this one this would be an extremely young Scotch, and at this age, I think it's doing an excellent job. Agreed. So if if you haven't had a chance, go out. I'm gonna try to I'm gonna try to make it so everybody can see this because the the label wraps three quarters of the vanna white. Yeah, no, um, go out and get you one. And if you can find it on a discount rack, absolutely buy this one.

Gavin 34:57

And if you find edition 10, let us know.

unknown 35:00

Yep.

Gavin 35:02

We'd like a potter.

Aaron 35:04

All right. My favorite time. What's that? We should recap a little bit. America came out with a really solid volley there, right? Big swings. In in in the slug fest that I'm expecting this to be, America landed a pretty solid blow to start the episode. Uppercut to the jaw. Oh, yeah. No, cracked them good.

Gavin 35:26

Yeah.

Aaron 35:26

Um, all right, so I think it's only fair. Uh we turn the floor over to the Brits and let them have the rebo.

Gavin 35:34

Yes, are we ready?

Aaron 35:36

I'm ready.

Gavin 35:37

Are we ready?

Aaron 35:38

I'm ready. All right. Are we ready to rumble? Is that what you're asking? Rumble we get in trouble. That's probably trademarked. We're ready to pour. Don't tell anybody we said that.

Gavin 35:48

Ready to pour. All right, let's do it. So the heavy hitter for England, one of the originals.

Aaron 35:58

Oh, we're going old school. We're going to very new school here. I like that we're going old school. We're going old school. Uh in the relative ages of the country, I think it it all winds.

Gavin 36:09

Well, I hate to tell you. Old school for English single molts. Isn't that old? Starting around 2014. Ooh. So they're newer than us. Yeah, that's right. But that's alright. Because we're going Cotswolds. Cotswolds.

Aaron 36:31

Yes. Plural. Because there's more than one of them. Well, I don't know if there's more than one, but um, this is say what you want about what we've done to the English language, but I'm pretty sure the S at the end means plural. This is Oh my lord, I can smell this one already.

Gavin 36:51

This comes from, you guess it, the Cotswolds area of England. Now, if you've never been or seen or heard of the Cotswolds, it is one of the most picturesque um areas of England. If you've seen or thought about a country side in England, most chances are it's from the Cotswolds. Um, I have traveled in and through it, and it is absolutely amazing. What do they call the people from Cotswold? Are they Cotswoldsians? Walzians. Cotswalders? That's a good question. I don't really know. I didn't live there, but I did travel quite. You can bring it over here.

Aaron 37:42

You know, it won't hurt anything.

Gavin 37:46

Leave it right there.

Aaron 37:47

I like the fact that you picked a green shirt to go with a green label. That was really touchy. I picked a red, white, and blue shirt to go with my red, white, and blue label. You know what? Cheers to that. Cheers. Not pretty hard attack. You guys at home think we're just going willy-nilly up here. And the truth is, we dumb luck into this stuff from time to time. All right. Um tell me a little bit about this whiskey because I've already started sipping and it is not like the first bottle.

Gavin 38:14

It is not like the first bottle. So this is um grains grown in the cotswold. So it's kind of that grain to glass whiskey.

Aaron 38:26

Yep. Not too dissimilar to the mindset that goes on over at Westland. I like it.

Gavin 38:31

This is matured in X peated barrels. So I'm expecting.

Aaron 38:39

Yeah, that that actually kind of computes a bit. Um, so it's not peated grains, right, but been aged in an X peated. I'm assuming scotch. Do we know? That is true.

Gavin 38:54

Um, it is scotch, and for our knowledge, it's probably an XILO barrel. That would make the most sense. Makes the most sense. Okay. Um, I don't know that for sure. Uh some research leaned that direction, and some didn't quite say. So um, so yes, X Peted quarter casts. So in a future episode, content coming up soon. Um actually, would have been last week, I think.

Aaron 39:28

No, no, no. Well, barrel is last week. Yep. Pete is next week. I mean, this is beautifully sandwiched between the two tops.

Gavin 39:37

Right there. So you'll find a little bit about more about Pete, and you'll find a little bit about Barrel if you check out uh those two episodes. Uh this is clogging in at 59.6%.

Aaron 39:52

Yep, no, it's got it's got that for sure.

Gavin 39:54

Um, aka in the American world, 119.2 proof. So we went from was this 100 proof? Yep, dead on 1 honey. 1 honey to 1019.2 on this one.

Aaron 40:12

So to talk a little bit about I feel like you should have given that in the English proof, which was the times 1.73 something or others.

Gavin 40:21

I'm not an engineer. I mean, I'm engineered. Math is hard. Math is hard for people like me, all right? We like things pretty.

Aaron 40:29

We rely on the engineers to listen. Listen, I'm an engineer, and times two is way better than times one point seven, something or others.

Gavin 40:37

I'd like to make it easy. Obviously, uh, this is located in England. Uh, check out your English maps, or maybe we'll put one up here somewhere.

Aaron 40:47

Lena, Lena a little bit so I can put the map up. Got it.

Gavin 40:50

Um the Coxwalds are absolutely amazing. Couldn't couldn't recommend it anymore for now.

Aaron 40:55

Now I want to visit the distillery, to be honest. Yeah. I I'll I'll say both of these distilleries probably in beautiful countryside.

Gavin 41:03

Yes.

Aaron 41:04

100%. In the grand scheme of things, I could absolutely find myself in either location enjoying whiskey.

Gavin 41:12

What's interesting about this distillery was it was founded by an American who happened to spend 30 years in London doing finance. And then once he got out of that, um decided to do something a little different, which is what I hope and what I dream to do once I get to that point, is to go into whiskey. This is as close to whiskey as I can get currently, and uh hopefully at some point we venture into something more tangible, but to be continued on that.

Aaron 41:55

I'll be honest, I'm at the age now where if I started making whiskey, I wouldn't get to enjoy it anymore, anyways. So I'm just gonna enjoy somebody else's whiskey. I mean, you do live in Texas, so you could it's true. We could we could distill whiskey today and in three weeks have brown liquor for sure.

Gavin 42:15

Um so it's funny to me that we're we're pinning England against the United States.

Aaron 42:22

Why is that funny? This is literally the premise of the Revolutionary War.

Gavin 42:27

Except for the English whiskey was started by an American.

Aaron 42:32

Hell, America was started by the English. I feel like I feel like it's a fair trade. I mean I feel like it's a fair trade.

Gavin 42:39

So on it. Um so it's just kind of a brief history of of really the overall um distillery. They've started in 2014. Obviously, um when you start a distillery, you're probably venturing into gins and other uh spirits before you really land the whiskey as it's aging. Um, some cool things about them. If you've ever thought about um crowdfunding distilleries or breweries, I've been a part of some of that um in a brewery uh in Scotland before. Uh I believe they've done some crowdfunding to expand. They have wait, we can own a little bit of the Cotswam. I don't know. I don't know if you should pluralize that. Yes, there's an S there. I don't know if you still can, but they did have some campaigns um in the past where you could um own a part of. I don't know what all of that entails, but essentially they they had started uh the distillery and they had quickly outgrown it. I mean, obviously being started in 2014. And then the original distillery, the original building, they outgrew that so fast that they then had to build a Whole separate distillery. And they decommissioned the original stills because they just weren't big enough. And so they were using those original stills for gin and other spirits.

Aaron 44:12

Nothing makes you feel more like you have made it as a distiller than your original still becoming your experimental still for try little projects on.

Gavin 44:21

Exactly, right. So what I would say is I think when they started this distillery, there was maybe one or two, correct me if I'm wrong, um whiskey distilleries in the area or in the Cotswolds or in England. Since the Cotswolds distillery started, I think there's like over 50.

Aaron 44:45

So they really propelled that that time frame also seems to align with the boom in which everyone's everyone opened a whiskey distillery about that time, right? Except for us. We're a bit late. Now the key is if we start opening, if we do if we do it now, then it'll be ready when the big boom comes back again.

Gavin 45:05

Exactly.

Aaron 45:05

Cyclical. All right. I won't say professor. I won't say professor Gavin because I don't think that's fair. I think it was an overview, and it is uh uh cliff notes, Gavin, if you will. Um Cliff Notes, I like that. Yeah.

Gavin 45:25

Just call me Cliff. Cliff Clavit. Sorry, Cliff. Now we can call the next one. I'm using your name.

Aaron 45:32

All right. So um Gavin gave me the task of coming up with a game. Yes. And I I always like going back and pulling a past game. You you pulled um a version of King of the Hill into uh Picker George, if you will. Um Battle of the George. Battle of the Georges. I should write that down so I can remember it later.

Gavin 45:56

Yeah. I mean, we are in a revolution. We gotta there's a battle. There was a battle that happened. So people lost their lives, the sadness, but at the end.

Aaron 46:07

Ultimately, greatness came from it. Right. All right, so I hold in my hand Gavin's game. What is this? It is Rapid Fire, the rematch of the revolution. So if you don't remember the rules of Rapid Fire, Rapid Fire is a multi-round game in which Gavin is not allowed to give this any deep thought. This is hard for Gavin. Gavin likes to pause and ponder and consider. And so I have to kind of prod him and push him along.

Gavin 46:45

I wish I would have had my pipe with me, and then we could just say.

Aaron 46:48

Oh, yeah, that'd be good. That'd be good. Like kind of your Sherlock Holmes look about you. Uh tying in the English again. No, no, no, no, no. Sherlock Holmes isn't on my list. All right, so here's the deal. Gavin has to pick which is better, England or America. Oh, good. I have picked 13. Why 13? There were 13 colonies that whooped George's ass. And so we're picking King George. I know you're like which George. I could see it in his eyes. All right, so I tried to pick ones that I felt was an even balance because if I only picked like obvious ones where America was better, this would be too easy. So, all right. 13 categories. I'll save you a little bit of concern. There is no serial killers on this list.

Gavin 47:41

Okay, good. The last time we did this. I had a good one though.

Aaron 47:45

Jack the Ripper. Um it was hard to find one that felt appropriately even on the other. None of the American serial killers were quite good enough to make that list. All right. Um, I'm gonna mark these as we go.

Gavin 48:00

All right, I'm not gonna keep score. I'm not writing it.

Aaron 48:02

All right. First off, you find yourself parched and you wash and you wish to drink a beer or a pint, as they say. Pint. On the other side of the pond. Are you going to an American sports bar or an English pub?

Gavin 48:21

I would go English pub.

Aaron 48:23

English pub. All right. In that English pub, you sit down to read a book from a classic author. Are you reading Mark Twain or William Shakespeare? Oh goodness. I know. That one's tired. I got some good ones in here. Um, Shakespeare. Shakespeare. 2-0 English. While you're reading this book, you find yourself peckish and decide to grab a bite. Are you having classic American cheeseburger and fries? Are you eating fish and chips?

Gavin 49:04

This is so unfair.

Aaron 49:05

Yeah, I know.

Gavin 49:05

They both have fries.

Aaron 49:06

So just the word on the same page. Chips, fries, same thing. Um beer-battered fish or greasy cheeseburger? Beer battered fish. Oh man, three. Oh. All right, you finished your cheeseburger. Or you finished your fish and chips in this sense, and you're like, man, that was tasty. I need just a little sweet to finish my meal. Okay. Are you asking for the apple pie or the sticky toffee pudding?

Gavin 49:33

Apple pie.

Aaron 49:34

Alright. What in three Americans?

Gavin 49:39

We're getting there.

Aaron 49:40

So afterwards you decide you're gonna go catch a flick, and you're thinking to yourself, I wish there was a secret agent movie. Oh are you looking for one with the infamous Ethan Hunt from the Mission Impossible series? Or are you looking for Mr. 007, James Bond?

Gavin 49:59

I am a 007 fan.

Aaron 50:02

Daniel Craig. One for the Brits so far. I mean, all right. So, but but to be fair, no, no, no, no. This is rapid fire. You don't get to explain this shit. He's Scottish, so here we go. All right. Afterwards, you find yourself walking the streets and you realize that there's a match on the telly. Oh, the telly. Yes. All right. So far, so far you're in England, not in America. Yep. And you're watching heavyweight boxing. Okay. Men at their prime, are you leaning towards Iron Mike Tyson or the lion Lennox Lewis? Give me the question is does he know boxing? Give me Mike. All right, Iron Mike Tyson. You know that those two actually faced off in Lennox Lewis won't just have one. All right. So you find yourself in need to get to the other side of a waterway. Okay. Do you wish you were crossing the London Bridge or the Golden Gate Bridge? I classic architectural icons.

Gavin 51:09

Well, the London Bridge is not even in London anymore, so there's a bit of that. I think it's in Arizona.

Aaron 51:15

It's in England. It's not in Arizona. I think it's in Arizona.

Gavin 51:19

Um I.

Aaron 51:25

I'm gonna go to London Bridge. Yeah, you're wrong. Golden Gate Bridge was the thing that made me love architecture. All right. On the other side of the bridge, you realize there's no road, and you need to go off-roading. Do you climb into the Jeep or the Land Rover?

Gavin 51:44

I own a Jeep, so I'm gonna go Jeep.

Aaron 51:46

Yeah, I figured I got him on that one. All right, we are three to five. It's it's tightened up. It's tightened up just a little bit. You get in a Jeep and you throw in. Well, I was gonna say put your tape or your CD in, but that's not the thing anymore. Right? You crank open Spotify or iTunes or whatever it is.

Gavin 52:05

Put on the Noble Dram. I get it.

Aaron 52:07

And you get to listen to classic iconic rock bands. Are you picking the Beatles and the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles?

Gavin 52:20

Bruce Springsteen? Yeah. And the Eagles.

Aaron 52:24

All right, that's fair. All right, four, four or five. No, nope, we're not explaining. All right, all right, all right. So after a long night of driving, you find yourself again hungry, and you stop for breakfast. Are you sitting down for the classic English breakfast? Or have you stopped into a greasy spoon diner? AKA the Waffle House.

Gavin 52:50

I miss a good English breakfast.

Aaron 52:54

I'll be honest. The Brits know how to do breakfast.

Gavin 52:57

Yeah.

Aaron 52:58

Alright, so you have traveled afar and you wish to write home and you go get yourself a postcard. Okay. Iconic photos. Mm-hmm. One option is the Statue of Liberty. Okay. The other option is Parliament in Big Ben. Classic icon structures.

Gavin 53:22

Classic icon. I gotta go. I mean, I think the Statue of Liberty is more iconic.

Aaron 53:29

Okay. Statue of Liberty. We are now at five to six. Dang, we tightened up. Tightened. So you find yourself that uh as you're as you're as you're as you finish your breakfast here or and you've you've sent your postcard, you decide you're going to sit down and watch a TV show. Okay. But you want a TV show with a bad guy. I mean a bad guy. Are you watching fictitious villain Tony Soprano from The Sopranos? Or are you watching the fictitious villain Tommy Shelby from the Peaky Blinders?

Gavin 54:10

I, if you know me. You got the hat. You know I'm a Peaky.

Aaron 54:14

I get it. I get it. I get it. I I I felt that's where you were gonna go.

Gavin 54:18

I actually did not wear it tonight, but I have a peaky, like Peaky Blinders actual hat. All right.

Aaron 54:26

I feel I feel like we're I feel like we're fighting a losing battle, but that night you get the opportunity to spend the night in the royal home. Are you at the White House or Buckingham Palace?

Gavin 54:43

Give me that Buckingham Palace. God man. There is no doubt. If you've seen, if you've been to Buckingham Palace versus the size of the White House, it is insane how big Buckingham Palace is.

Aaron 54:56

What you're saying is size matters. Size matters. It's the only thing that matters.

Gavin 54:59

I mean.

Aaron 55:00

You can only sleep in one room at a time. I'm just saying. Jeez Louise. All right. Not the way I'd have split it. But Gavin says the mother country lets us have it in this round. Winning 8-5. Not even as close to the Super Bowl championship. I I expected a 7-6 split. Um, I I feared it would be England 7-6, but that is rematch of the revolution. That was fun. That was fun. That was fun. I'll be honest, I I started with that and I thought there are so many classic cliche kind of things. Drive on the left side, drive on the right side, drink coffee, drink tea. Um, I said I need to stay away from those. I felt compelled to put cheeseburger, fish, and chips, right? Like because there is there is very little that you would say is more quintessential in either world. Um yeah, that was a lot of fun. I'll be honest. I said let's do 13, and I probably had 22 when I was all said and done making my list, and I I had to pare down to those 13.

Gavin 56:12

Well, which is if you did 13, I did five. Like, I mean Yeah, no, I'm better. There's no argument. What I will say is you may have had more. I think mine were more. Yeah, but you said size matters. Ha ha! Got him. I mean, and that exactly.

Aaron 56:30

And and if you're gonna throw that around, USA, USA. Just saying.

Gavin 56:36

Fair. I mean, I mean, basically.

Aaron 56:39

Everyone says how huge. We're we're huge. Oh my god. The worst Donald Trump impression ever. All right, here we go. And in doing so, I spilled whiskey all over the counter. At least where God, it smells good. If you're gonna spill a mill, no, I've got it all over the place. All right. Shall we talk this whiskey? Yes. All right, let's talk. Here's where I stand. I will say the nose on this one is much softer than I thought. When you first cracked it, I picked up peat on in the air. I really did. Um, but as I put my nose into the glass, it actually got much softer. And the peat kind of disappeared on me. Um, I'll say more and I say I say light fruit, I'm thinking like pear. Like almost tough to smell, but there's just a hint of soup growth sweetness to it, right? And then absolutely getting that kind of malty shortbread kind of thing going on. Um yeah, I I will say between the two, one couldn't have been more potent of nose, and one couldn't have been more subtle of nose. Uh-huh. Right? How however you like it. However, you like it. You can score it differently, but but the truth of the matter is this one's light.

Gavin 58:01

This one, I think, on the nose is feels or feels, smells a bit lighter, right? But I think once you get it on the palate, yeah, it's hard to avoid the peat. Yes. Yep. No, then the peat becomes much more obvious. And I think that peated cask really starts coming out, um slight smokiness really starts showing up.

Aaron 58:29

I will say the part I found most amazing is that the the sm the nose didn't carry a ton of peat until after I'd taken the sip. And on the palate, the peat shows up in a very big way, right? Running all the way through the finish. And so, what I really was shocked by, although, yes, going back to the glass, you do get a bit of peat on the nose, as big as the peat is on the palate, the finish, the peat is still really soft on the nose. Yeah. Right? In a grand scheme of things. Yeah, I'll I'll say on the palate is where the proof hit for me.

Gavin 59:06

Yes, I I agree with that. Right.

Aaron 59:08

It it is on the nose, I would have had a hard time telling you which of the two was higher ABV. Right? On the palate, there is no question that this one comes in hotter than the Wesley. Gives you a little tongue-tingle. It's got that spicy kind of zing. Um I'll say also, and this is where those non-peat drinkers are going to go, uh there is a distinctly medicinal kind of sulfur-y note that shows up on the palate and at the beginning of the finish that first I like. I really like it. But I understand why some people don't. Um, but yeah, it sh the peat shows up in a very big way on the back half of the palate and into the finish. For sure.

Gavin 1:00:01

I think that peat for me shows up with like um almost like a grilled fruit note. I think that I think it's fruity, but it's grilled or smoked. Um it's not when you say medicinal, I tend to think like iodine. Oh my god. Yeah, band-aids. Band-aids. Yeah, I don't, I don't more on the finish than on the palate, but yeah. I don't get that quite so much. I get the I get the pea smokiness of it, but to me, it doesn't show up like a traditional um like PD scotch. There's a little bit of smokiness that shows up, but I think it's more of a. I know I said like campfire-ish on this one. That's more, I think, the line that I feel here. I think that there's a bit of a um almost a uh almost a campfire ash. Not like you're in the smoke of it right away. It's like it's lingered.

Aaron 1:01:13

It's almost more like you show up the next morning and you're taking a shovel to make sure the fire's out. And you're just picking up dust in the air and you can kind of taste it. Yeah, I'm with you there. Um I'll say, between the two, the peat screams out of this one compared to peated whiskey. This is a far cry from where that is, right? Um, this is very clearly a aged impeded barrels, not peated whiskey, right? Once you get it on the palate. Um it's funny because you do get distinct notes of peat, right? The things you expect in a peated whiskey. Right. But it's not so overwhelming. And I think that actually makes you notice the peat a little more. One of the things we we've kind of talked about this before is that you you drink a peated whiskey, and after like the third or fourth sip, you don't really notice the heavy peat smoke and the and the ash and the charcoal and all that kind of stuff. And so you start noticing the other things. But because this one's peat flavor isn't so over the top, every time I go back to it, I still notice it, right? Um, which is a fun dynamic.

Gavin 1:02:25

Yes. I think when people see peated, at least, I mean, some people, right? They feel very um uh like they don't want to try it or they don't want to drink it because it says peated. To me, this is something that if you want to venture into that realm of whiskey, it's very approachable. It's not gonna, it's not the scotches that are just punch in the face, um, peted, which we both come from. We both enjoy those. Uh, but this is this is a kind of that peted cast that gets it hints to it, but it's not so punch in the face that it's off-putting for everyone that doesn't like that, if that makes sense.

Aaron 1:03:16

I I know I know we're starting to hint at numbers and that's where we are, but what I'll say is to me, I feel like it's got the things that tend to put people off of Pete without being all the things I love about Pete, right? Like it's it's peedy enough that if you don't like Pete, you're not gonna like it. But it's not peedy enough that if you love Pete, you love it. Right? Like it's it's playing this no man's land kind of in between. Um and so I I'll say to me that that forces me into a position of struggling as to how do you score this because there are aspects of the Pete that I actually enjoy. I'll say the other peated barrel releases I've tried tend to have a more pronounced other flavor that the peat counter plays to. In this instance, I just don't know if there's enough going on in the barrel overall before the peat hits you to counter that. So I I'm at a 79. I hadn't written it down. I was trying to decide where my number was. I'm at a 79. I and I don't I think it ultimately falls to the like, do I need this in the collection? We bought it, right? Like it's it's in the collection, right? Um but I actually am more interested now to go try a Cotswold unpeated barrel, right? Because I want to see what that tastes like if it just gets to be on its own without the peat influence, right? I'd also be curious what their peated whiskey actually tastes like, not their unpeated that's aged in peat barrels, right? I I'd be curious to see. I I don't know if they even do those releases, right? But like take this no man's land in the middle and go in either directions, and let me see what what happens, right? Um, so 79 for me.

Gavin 1:05:24

I I like that explanation of let's go one way or the other, stop fiddling in the middle. I like that idea. Um I scored this actually higher. Um I'm at an 88. And the reason why is because you love the Brits. I kind of do. I mean, I can trader.

Aaron 1:05:49

I mean, I lived in I'm the Aaron and you're the burr. I'm just saying.

Gavin 1:05:56

I mean, my name is Gavin, which I mean you know.

Aaron 1:06:00

Welsh, so yeah, that's part of that's part of the UK, or I don't know how the Britain, England, UK stuff breaks down, but it's part of the kingdom.

Gavin 1:06:11

British Empire. I'll tell you about it later. Um, but uh yeah, I'm in an idiot. I think because it is when I think about expeted barrels and whiskey, like this just for me, it's just different enough that I feel like it fulfills something different. Um, it puts it a little different than say this. Yeah.

Aaron 1:06:40

Um it distinctly defies categorization. Yes. Because it is different in every way. Yes. I I I'll concede that. I still think your number is way too stinkin' high. Of course you do. Of course you do.

Gavin 1:06:56

But I I think that it's something that I do want on my shelf. I think it is something that it flirts in the middle between a non-peted whiskey and a peated whiskey. It's kind of that middle ground. Uh, and I think when you think about having something on your shelf, and if you venture into bourbons and like that, and you venture into scotches and you like that, this is somewhere in the middle. And then, well, what I'd say is peted scotches, right? Because this is an expedit barrel. Um, so it's kind of that no man's land, I think that's what you mentioned. It it lies in that um something that I don't currently have on my shelf. Like I don't I don't have an expedited barrel that tastes like this. The curiosity of a bottle, I understand.

Aaron 1:07:51

So curious, George. So here's my question. Let's throw a different dynamic to this. Right. Knowing that the MSRP on this bottle was 150. I'll let a secret out. I paid about 75 for this bottle. I got a hell of a deal. Not arguing with that. Inversely, I don't know what the MSRP for the Cotswolds bottle is, but when I went in, I paid $48 for that bottle. Does that make you feel more confident in your answer? I don't know what the MSRP on the bottle is, right? Like I didn't go look up uh what the manufacturer says. I just know the store I bought it at. I think it's whether that was them trying to get rid of it or not.

Gavin 1:08:39

50 to 70. So I think you're right around right around there. Um what I would say for me, it doesn't sway my answer. I think that whiskey that is more economical, depending on the palate, can be what it is to you. And we've I mean, one of our first episodes was all about the best bang for the buck. And just because it's cheaper, doesn't mean that it tastes better. Maybe.

Aaron 1:09:10

I mean, you gave the cheaper of the two bottles a higher score, right? I said America's the best. Of course she did. Um, and you totally doubled down or tripled down, maybe would be the better way to put it, on uh on the Brits. So there's just something about it.

Gavin 1:09:28

There's something about knowing where you came from, right?

Aaron 1:09:32

Yeah, I mean, my my family limited lineage came from Scotland, but I'll be honest, I was born and bred right here in the US of A.

Gavin 1:09:39

Fair. I mean, me too.

Aaron 1:09:41

Oh my good lord. Going back now, it's just it's like a box of sun-made raisins. Like it's phenomenal. That is, actually. Well, so I mean all right, sir. Let's recap. We'll we'll do this bottle. Gavin was an 88 on the Cotswolds.

Gavin 1:10:02

1.21 gigawatts.

Aaron 1:10:04

79. No, no. I kept thinking at some point you're gonna yell the name of the guy who played George Castanza. Oh didn't happen.

Gavin 1:10:12

No, didn't happen.

Aaron 1:10:13

All right, Gavin and I were both at 86 on the Westlands Guardiana Edition 9. So, what I will say is uh set the firework down, light it on the ground. None of this nonsense where you hold it in your hand. I want every one of our listeners to come back next week and enjoy next week's episode with all ten fingers. All your digits. Yeah, hell, I want you to have all ten toes as well. Um, so until then, happy fourth. Enjoy your hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, whatever it is that you're whiskey. Enjoy your whiskey. I thought you were gonna say some sort of British nonsense. If you eat fish and chips on the 4th of July, you're a traitor. Cheers, everybody.

Gavin 1:11:04

And Slanjava.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:07

We want to thank you, our noble listener, for joining us. We believe each whiskey has a story, and so do you. So give us your thoughts by leaving a comment. And if you have a whiskey you'd like to see us share, let us know. You don't want to miss a single episode, so subscribe to our YouTube channel and make sure to like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to stay up to date on the Noble Dream.

Gavin 1:11:26

And if you find watching us difficult, you can always listen to each episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. As always, be noble and enjoy your dream responsibly.