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We face off two 2025 Booker’s batches—By The Pond and Phantom Pipes—using our barrel bottle breakdown to score nose, body, taste, and finish, and crown our Bourbon of the Year. Along the way we share holiday chaos, AI artwork laughs, and a few road-warrior stories from Ohio and Kentucky.

• sponsor shout to Middle West Spirits and Michelone Reserve
• housekeeping on platforms, reviews, and merch
• recap of Christmas party at Gervasi and community support
• AI cartoon art reveal and behind-the-scenes banter
• details on proofs, ages, and batch stories for both releases
• structured nose, palate, body, and finish comparisons
• scoring rubric and tie-break decisions
• why oxygen time changed Phantom Pipes dramatically
• declaring Phantom Pipes the Scotchy Bourbon Boys’ Booker’s of the Year
• giveaways, membership perks, and holiday episode plans

Become members and write reviews. If you want to get in on this sample thing, the 12 days of samples… follow us on the Scotchy Bourbon Boys, scroll back through the 12 days of sample giveaways, complete the challenges and comment done. Next Tuesday night will be the randomizing of all the names for the 12 winners.

Two Booker’s, one crown, and a whole lot of flavor. We lined up By The Pond and Phantom Pipes—near-twin proofs, different backstories—and ran them through our barrel bottle breakdown to see which pour truly delivers. By The Pond brings a friendly vanilla nose, sweet brown sugar entry, and a classic Kentucky finish that drifts dry with clove and anise. Phantom Pipes starts hotter on the nose but opens into buttery brown sugar, cinnamon-toast vibes, and a toffee-rich finish that just won’t quit. The twist: Phantom gets better the longer it sits, turning a good sip into a great one once it breathes.

We dig into the batch stories—the backyard refuge that became a place of peace and the ceiling of “pipes to nowhere” that fueled relentless tinkering—and talk about how narrative influences expectations. Then we let the whiskey do the talking. Using a simple rubric (nose and body out of four, taste and finish out of five), we score both pours across multiple passes. By The Pond shines early and stays steady; Phantom Pipes evolves in real time, gaining depth, sweetness, and a longer, cleaner finish. It’s a photo finish, but the edge goes to Phantom Pipes as our Scotchy Bourbon Boys Booker’s of the Year.

If you’re a Booker’s fan searching for tasting notes, bourbon reviews, and which 2025 batch to buy, this breakdown has you covered. We also share trip highlights from Ohio and Kentucky, laugh through some AI artwork of the crew, and preview our holiday plans. Pour a glass, give it a minute, and taste along with us. If you enjoy the show, tap follow, leave a five-star review, and share this episode with a friend who loves barrel-proof bourbon—then tell us which batch wins your glass.

voice over Whiskey Thief

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