Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)! This week, Cole and Bryan return to the Emerald Isle to pour an allocated gem: the Gold Spot 13-Year "Generations Edition" Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (92 Proof)! (Huge shoutout to Rob A. for hooking up the pour, with assists from Lance and Bryan along the way!) Before diving into the glass, Bryan shares the heartfelt passing of his hilarious Uncle Eric (prompting a ceremonial "pants pour"), Cole reveals plans to head to Colorado with his daughter Grey to visit family and reunite with old buddies for "Brosgiving" at Buffalo Wild Wings (featuring a framed photo of Jackie Chan), and Bryan shares a hilarious mishap where Google Photos confused Gold Spot with cat barf. 📜 History Deep Dive: Single Pot Still, The British Malt Tax & The Midleton Miracle In this week's history segment, Cole breaks down the defining heritage of Irish Single Pot Still whiskey: The British Malt Tax of 1785: How an aggressive Crown tax on malted barley led frugal Irish distillers to blend raw, unmalted "green" barley into the mash to legally evade taxes—accidentally inventing Ireland's signature creamy mouthfeel and spicy "pot still prickle." The Midleton Sanctuary: How a catastrophic collapse took the Irish whiskey industry from over 100 distilleries down to just two, leaving County Cork's New Midleton Distillery as the sole guardian of Single Pot Still whiskey for decades. The Recioto Cask Finish: How Mitchell & Son collaborated with the Tedeschi family of Veneto, Italy, giving this 13-year pot still whiskey an unprecedented 16-month secondary maturation in sweet, dried-grape Recioto della Valpolicella wine casks. 📰 Whiskey World News: Old Forester 1930 Wheated Bourbon Revealed The 1930 Medicinal Homage: A surprise TTB label approval reveals Old Forester’s first-ever wheated bourbon! Bottled at 107 proof, the label pays homage to 1930 when Brown-Forman was granted a federal medicinal permit during Prohibition and contracted the historic A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (helmed by Master Distiller Elmo Beam) to produce wheated stocks. The guys debate whether pricing will land at everyday retail or follow the premium allocated path of 1924. The Vintage Unicorn Market: Breaking down the skyrocketing collector market for vintage Parker’s Heritage releases, from signed Batch 1s to the 27-Year and Golden Anniversary. ❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose? Last Week’s Results ($2,000 Secondary Card): Eagle Rare 17 doubled up Parker’s Heritage Promise of Hope (68% to 32%), with great listener write-ins from Ben (Pappy 20 vs. Russell's 15), Mingo, Off Topic Whiskey, and Kody Clark. This Week’s Legacy Dilemma: What is a bottle you currently own that you plan to NEVER open yourself, specifically saving it for your kids to have one day? Cole: Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel (especially date-specific bottles). Bryan: Found North First Flight releases (specifically Peregrine, purchased on their New York babymoon before daughter Emma was born). 📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict Gold Spot 13-Year "Generations Edition" (92 Proof) Bryan's Score: A- (Dense red grape skins, rich butteriness, and a velvety viscosity that opens up into an exceptionally memorable pour with water or ice) Cole's Score: B / 8.81 (Starts with an unexpected malty punch before blossoming into bright tropical mango, pear, and pineapple; a stellar pour, especially over an ice cube) Support the show, join our monthly Drink-Alongs, and get exclusive barrel pick access on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chillfiltered
Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)! This week, Cole and Bryan keep the Baltimore rye double-header rolling after yesterday’s Patreon Drink-Along by cracking into an absolute unicorn from Sagamore Spirit’s finishing lab: the Sagamore Spirit Kingston Cider Cask Finish! (Huge shoutout to JPEG for helping secure this bottle!) Before diving into the pour, the guys celebrate Bryan’s 3-year "YouTube-iversary" on the show, share funny stories from parenthood (from toddler library dates and Laurie Berkner bops to broken children's book rhyming meter), and get deeply real about family, health, and treasuring every moment with our fathers. 📜 History Deep Dive: Maryland Rye & The 4-Year Cider Maturation Cole breaks down the historical and technical backstory behind this unique pour: • Colonial Crossover: How 18th-century Maryland farmers balanced rye grain harvests with apple orchards, distilling rye whiskey and pressing hard cider side-by-side on colonial homesteads. • The Holy Grail Apple: Why the English heritage Kingston Black apple is considered the gold standard "bittersharp" cider apple, providing natural tannins and acidity that ordinary table apples lack. • True Double Maturation: Why this isn't a quick 3-to-6 month finish—Sagamore aged their signature Maryland-style straight rye for 5 years in new oak, followed by an unprecedented 4 full years in Kingston Black cider casks, bottling it at an elevated 98.6 proof. 📰 Whiskey World News: India's "Blue Gold" Agave Boom • Move over Tequila and Mezcal—India's Deccan Plateau is emerging as a global agave hotspot! The guys examine the explosive rise of Indian agave spirits (growing at ~31% annually) produced from wild Agave Americana by craft pioneers like DesmondNazareth and Maya Pistola Agavepura. Could Indian agave spirits take the American market by storm? ❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose? • Last Week’s Results ($2,000 Secondary Gift Card): Abraham Bowman 11-Year Rye took the crown with 47% of the vote, narrowly edging out Jack Daniel's Coy Hill (42%), while Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project Barrel 80 trailed at 11%. • This Week’s Question: When you're NOT drinking whiskey, what are you reaching for? Are you a beer fan, wine lover, or cocktail sipper? ◦ Cole: Leaning into cocktails—specifically margaritas and rum old fashioneds. ◦ Bryan: Cocktails, heavily favoring funky, high-ester Jamaican rums (talking dunder, muck pits, and hogo funk!). 📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict • Sagamore Spirit Kingston Cider Cask Finish (98.6 Proof / 9 Years Total Age) ◦ Cole's Score: A- (9.1 / 10) (A delicious, refreshing pour with baked orchard apple, honey, and cinnamon pastry that transitions beautifully into a bold, spicy Maryland rye finish) ◦ Bryan's Score: B+ (Rich viscosity and apple pie sweetness on the landing that keeps the herbal rye notes in check—an exemplary barrel finish done right) 🔮 Coming Up Next on Chill Filtered Tune in next week as the guys return to Ireland to review the highly anticipated Gold Spot 13-Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey! Support the show, join our monthly Drink-Alongs, and get exclusive barrel pick access on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chillfiltered (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.patreon.com/chillfiltered&utm_source=gemini)
Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)! This week, Cole and Bryan crack into one of the most anticipated releases of 2026: Jack Daniel's 14-Year Tennessee Whiskey (Batch 2), bottled at an uncut 117.6 proof! (Huge thank-you to Brian Duncan for hooking up the bottle!) Before getting to the pour, Bryan sends his empty bottle of Batch 1 out in style with a literal blowtorch, the guys celebrate Bryan’s 3-year anniversary on the show, and Cole looks back at his origin story in the whiskey world—from starting a blog in 2015 hunting Eagle Rare 17 to bartending with 1,000 bottles on the wall. Plus: British import Skittles, Virginia ABC drop drama during date night batting cages, and Bryan sharing a wild personal update on his bionic eye lenses! 📜 History Deep Dive: The Charcoal Mellowing Longevity Test Does dripping new-make spirit through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal help or hurt a whiskey once it spends nearly a decade and a half in oak? Cole breaks down: The Great Charcoal Debate: The longstanding industry critique that charcoal filtration strips out the essential long-chain fatty acids needed for prolonged aging. The Rickhouse Floor Shift: How Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Master Blender Lexie Phillips beat the Tennessee heat by aging barrels on the blistering upper floors for 7–8 years, then physically relocating them to cooler, high-humidity lower floors to prevent the liquid from turning into bitter "oak tea." Batch 1 vs. Batch 2: How Batch 2 backs off the dry, astringent wood tannins of Batch 1 in favor of dense dark berries, pipe tobacco, and cocoa at 117.6 proof. 📰 Whiskey World News Pappy Van Winkle 2026 Price Increases: Buffalo Trace officially bumps MSRP across the Van Winkle lineup—Old Rip 10 hits $170, Lot B hits $200, the 13-Year Rye jumps to $300, and Pappy 15 climbs to $300. The guys react to how much retail pricing has shifted over the last decade. Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Barrel Proof: Buffalo Trace announces the first-ever uncut, unfiltered expression of Elmer T. Lee! Cole and Bryan place their bets on where secondary market prices will settle ($600 vs. $1,200+). ❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose? Last Week’s Results: The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) routed the lifetime supply of standard Buffalo Trace with 95% of the vote (shoutout to Robbie Deadlow for repping the 5%!). This Week’s Dilemma: You just won a $2,000 gift card that can ONLY be spent on secondary market bourbon. What bottle from your wishlist are you buying? Cole's Pick: 2013 Eagle Rare 17. Bryan's Pick: Parker’s Heritage Collection "Promise of Hope." 📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict Jack Daniel’s 14-Year Tennessee Whiskey (Batch 2 — 117.6 Proof) Cole's Score: A / A- (9.38 / 10) (Exceptional balance, rich maple syrup viscosity, blackberry, and oak; a few drops of water unlock sweet vanilla and caramel without losing proof punch) Bryan's Score: A+ (Officially enters "Hubba-da-WHAT" territory! Massive fruit, rich pastry sweetness, and controlled oak that edges out Batch 1 and trades blows with 20+ year ultra-agers) 🔮 Coming Up Next on Chill Filtered Join us next week for a double-header of Sagamore Spirit! We’re tasting the Sagamore Amontillado Finish on our Sunday Patreon Drink-Along, followed immediately by Sagamore Cider Cask Finish on Episode 430! Support the show, join our monthly Drink-Alongs, and get exclusive barrel pick access on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/chillfiltered
Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)! This week, Cole and Bryan crack into one of the most talked-about allocated returns of the year: the brand-new Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak Bourbon (2026 Release) (massive shoutout to Brian Duncan for sharing the bottle!). Before diving into the pour, the guys reflect on the original 2015 release from Episode 36, recap Bryan’s epic weekend bottle share (tasting Booker’s Apple Brandy/Cinnamon Rye, hazmat Barton, and King of Kentucky), talk Dungeon Crawler Carl, and nerd out on predator-prey mathematical models to explain the bourbon boom-and-bust cycle. Plus, huge updates for the Phoenix Meetup—including potentially hosting our Found North barrel pick inside a WWII airplane hangar! 📜 History Deep Dive: The Wood Chemistry of 13-Month Stave Curing In this week's history segment, Cole breaks down the cooperage science behind Cured Oak: 6 Months vs. 13 Months Outdoors: Why standard commercial staves only get 6 months of open-air seasoning, and how leaving white oak staves in the elements for 13 full months triggers rain leaching and fungal enzymatic digestion (laccases and peroxidases) to break down rigid wood lignins into sweet aromatic aldehydes like vanillin. The Age Statement Pivot: Comparing the 2015 original (17-year age statement) to the 2026 release (10-year age statement), and whether pulling the barrels at 10 years prevented the cured staves from over-extracting into dry wood tannins. 📰 Whiskey World News Pōkeno x Lord of the Rings 25th Anniversary Whisky: New Zealand distillery Pōkeno teams up with the Tolkien Estate to release an official 25th-anniversary single malt finished in first-fill bourbon, virgin oak, Muscat wine, and native Manuka honey casks. Parker’s Heritage Collection 20th Edition (2026): Heaven Hill unveils a 14-year Kentucky straight bourbon crafted using a "Rye Backset" (stillage from a previous rye run added to a bourbon mash to spike acidity and grain spice without altering mash bill ratios). Old Forester Birthday Bourbon & Alpha Industries Distiller's Jacket: The 11-year, 97-proof 2026 release drops alongside a $150+ waxed canvas distiller's jacket, sparking a debate on wearing branded whiskey merch in public. ❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose? Helldiver Lottery Recap: 56% of listeners sat out the lottery while 44% took the plunge (shoutout to Miles for scoring a bottle!). Meanwhile, Four Roses Honey blew out Booker’s Cinnamon Rye by more than 2 to 1 in the experimental finish showdown. This Week’s Bottle Share Scenario: You’re invited to a bourbon bottle share where you want to bring something unique and impressive from your own shelf without going totally over the top. What are you grabbing? Bryan: Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series High Angel’s Share (Coy Hill). Cole: Single Oak Project (Barrel 80 Redo) for a fun conversation starter, or an open bottle of A. Smith Bowman Straight Rye. 📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Cured Oak Bourbon (2026 / 10-Year, 100 Proof) Cole's Score: B+ / 9.0 (Prominent oak and cedar notes neat; adding a splash of water transforms the pour, rounding off the bite and bringing forward sweet fruit and rich vanilla that edges out Eagle Rare 10) Bryan's Score: B- (Solid, wood-forward pour with nice spice on the finish, but missing the rich fruit complexity of top-tier Taylor releases) 🔮 Next Week on Chill Filtered Tune in next week for the Loser's Bracket Face-Off: Jack Daniel's 14-Year (Batch 2) vs. Star Hill Farm (2026)! Enjoying the show? Subscribe on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and join our Patreon community for exclusive meetup access and barrel picks!
Welcome back to Chill Filtered, the podcast where we drink whiskey so you don't have to (but you probably should)! This week, Cole and Bryan dive into a bottle with one of the most unbelievable backstories in spirits history: the brand-new Bruichladdich 14-Year "Yellow Submarine [Reclassified]" (2026 Release)! Before getting to the glass, the guys talk Scotland vacation planning, Cole’s love of Paris, his recent trip to the home office in Ohio (featuring half-off whiskey night in Wadsworth), a top-secret family Disney trip in the works, and huge updates for the Phoenix Meetup—including hopefully hosting the Found North private barrel pick with Nick Taylor inside an authentic WWII airplane hangar! 📜 History Deep Dive: The Pentagon, The Spy Drone & The Yellow Submarine Cole breaks down the legendary folklore behind Bruichladdich’s Yellow Submarine series: Part 1 (2003): How the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency flagged Bruichladdich's stillhouse webcams for looking like a chemical weapons factory, prompting Jim McEwan to release WMD I: Whisky of Mass Distinction ("Big Brother is Watching You"). Part 2 (2005): Local Islay fishermen snagging a literal military autonomous yellow submarine drone in their fishing nets off the coast. Part 3: The British Royal Navy retrieving their lost spy sub in exchange for single malt, leading to the birth of the Yellow Submarine bottling. The 2026 Return: Adam Hannett resurrecting the bottle for Bruichladdich's 25th anniversary of reopening, bumping it to 108.4 proof with 25% Bordeaux wine cask maturation. Bonus debate: Cole and Bryan break down the mechanics of Scottish pot stills versus column stills (and whether tall, slender pot stills count as "tall and slender"). 📰 Whiskey World News Woodford Reserve "Super Seasoned Oak": Brown-Forman kicks off Bourbon Heritage Month with a new Master’s Collection release ($180–$200). The guys examine the "Super Seasoned" marketing and wonder if it can redeem last year’s polarizing Barrel Strength Rye. Michter's US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Rye (2026): Dan McKee and Andrea Wilson drop the latest 109.1-proof allocated toasted rye ($120 MSRP) finished in custom uncharred toasted barrels. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon & The Alpha Industries Distiller's Jacket: Old Forester announces its 11-year, 97-proof Birthday Bourbon ($200) alongside a $150+ waxed canvas distiller's jacket. Would you wear branded whiskey apparel out in public? ❓ What Whiskey Would You Choose? Fast Food Burger Results: Five Guys crushes Burger King with 80% of the vote despite costing 50% more! (Plus write-in love for Culver’s, In-N-Out, Runza, and Freddy’s). This Week’s Whiskey Lottery Dilemma: You won the grand prize! Which one are you taking home? Option A: All 6 bottles of the 2026 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). Option B: A lifetime supply of standard Buffalo Trace Bourbon (free replacement bottle every time you finish one). Cole & Bryan's Verdict: Both choose the 6 bottles of BTAC without hesitation—quality and sharing over quantity every day of the week. 📊 Episode Ratings & Final Verdict Bruichladdich 14-Year "Yellow Submarine [Reclassified]" (108.4 Proof) Cole's Score: A-- / 9.0 (Unique notes of Welch's white grape juice, rich malt, and an unmistakable gunpowder/firework smoke finish; adding water completely rounds off the bite) Bryan's Score: A+ (Officially dubbed "The Bryan Scotch"—neat had big malt and grip, but adding a splash of water unlocks a stunning, buttery fruit and wine-cask masterpiece that outperforms bottles twice the price) 🔮 Next Week on Chill Filtered Tune in next week as the guys tackle the newly released E.H. Taylor Cured Oak (2026) Enjoying the show? Subscribe on YouTube, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and join our Patreon community for exclusive meetup access and barrel picks!