Whiskey War Double Oaked and Cigar Blend, with Maker's Mark 2026 Steward's Release; Ep. 43

Daniel AI: Welcome to Bourbon Brass and Beyond. Tonight, Dan's nephew Noah joins Bob and Dan on the podcast. Noah brought Whiskey War, Double Oaked, and Cigar Blend. Dan breaks out the new 2026 Makers Mark Steward's release. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight. Thanks for watching. Please leave a review or comment. Your feedback means a lot to us. Please subscribe and follow. Thank you to Noah for the birthday present. Seems like yesterday he was sitting on my lap for an airplane ride. Have a great night.

Dan, Noah, And Bob: Good evening. Long time no see. Yeah. you been? I'm good. How was, how was, listen, you did vacation. did vacation. The trips are just, we it. Washington DC is a very European city. a lot of it is very walkable. we got to do parades. We got to do ⁓ lots of cool My kids were enthralled through it. My 12 year old, seven year old were engaged to the entire thing. I think they'd go back. So at the end of the day, I got no complaints. So it's fun when your son's excited to see the Declaration of Independence. Thank you, Nicolas Cage. Yeah, so yeah. So it was he thought it was the best because he was in the same place as the movie and everything else. So yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. Oh, great. No, we had a great time. had we talked about it, but I mean, it's Carnival Cruise. So it's yeah. Little bit of a party. Little bit of a party. But it was a lot of fun. The kids had a lot of fun. You looked like you guys were busy too. Like you guys. Well, I mean, we had a couple of days that we just, you know, just hung out and on the beach. That's the way it should be. But it was moving. There was. Yeah, that's the way I like my vacations. Seeing everything, doing everything. It was something else. It really was. By the way, this is my nephew, Noah. And Noah brought tonight's beverages, whiskey war. Yes, based out of Ohio here, down in Columbus. Nice. Sure. With whiskey, you get to be on a podcast. It's the only way in. Got to show them the bottle. I've been showing up with bottles for years at this point. Yeah. Noah got me this for my upcoming birthday. Yeah. About a week and a early. Yeah, early. The Whiskey Ward double oaked. So do that first. Alright. Hundred proof. Maybe, there it goes. Yeah, now we haven't tried too much from them. I've had their barrel proof. Pretty good. Pretty good. Have not had anything. Well, I guess I should say I haven't had anything. I tried that cigar cast last night. Couldn't try that one. Yeah, saw it sitting there and got thirsty. Yeah, that's Wow. think I ⁓ like the Double Oak stuff. That's I figured. At the distillery, I didn't end up making it. They have a Double Double single barrel. What's the proof on it, T.O.? I think it was 110-ish. None of their gets too high. think the barrel proof that cigar cast are pretty much the same. Right around 118, something like that. ⁓ So they might not go all the way in. On barrel proofs. On entry barrel. Yeah. I think all their stuff kind of sits pretty close to similar from what I can tell. Great legs on that. Even for a hundred proofer, legs on that. Nice and dark. feel like that nose just keeps getting better. Yeah, I agree with that. I mean, you get a little bit of oak each hour on it, just right oaked of the gate. A little bit of vanilla too. Yeah. yeah. It's always the part that we did when I was down in Kentucky, we did the tour of Independence Dave. And it's always surprising to me that when you set something on fire like oak, you'd expect it, like in my head, it should smell like campfire. It never does. It's caramelizing. It's unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah, I think you can do the same thing if you head over towards Liberty Pole over in Pittsburgh. Okay. Which is right oaked over by rivers. Okay. I think when you do that tour, if you have the right time, can catch some lifts over there. Fig Newton. feel like that's a weird one to pull oaked. I don't smell Fig. No, but I smell the cookie. yeah. not the inside. get a little bit of fruit. Yeah, yeah, it's it's fruity on the it's all on the back end for me. I'm getting the fruit on the sides, going back. I get the vanilla on the front and on the very back. It's not as sweet as I thought it was going to be. It's really pleasant. thought, I thought, ⁓ this is going to be really, really sweet. Yeah. This is good. for an age statement. I don't see one. I don't see one. ⁓ tried looking it up a couple of times and I can't get a solid answer for any of their stuff. They do put a batch number on there, which is nice. Yeah. So I just haven't been able to, ⁓ nailed down. Like everyone knows wild turkey stuff in the seven to eight years. ⁓ man. I'm really getting that. The fig. The fig. ⁓ I'm getting. Bunch of citrus, you know, it's like an orangey citrus to me. Yeah, that's that's what I catch. But on the nose, I think that's what you're talking about. I'm very vanilla bomb on the nose. might be the steroids. Yeah. Go do five pushups. Come back. See if you smell something different. I think it's got a little bit of a bite for a hundred proof. Yeah, a little bit. I don't think it's, I don't think it drinks crazy higher. Maybe like 105, 106 ish. Yeah, that's fair. I don't know, but Whiskey War, I don't know how long they've been around. this could be younger juice. Established 2017. So yeah, I don't know. So I mean, the juice itself might be just a little younger, flavor wise, think they're. Oh, that's good. That's really good. They're hitting all the, uh, it's got a nice finish on it. It's got a nice lasting. And I don't think the Kentucky hug is, you tend to put it is like overwhelming. think it's kind of, it's nice. Like it's nice. It's soft. It doesn't overwhelm you. Yeah. It's a good little sip. I'm getting a little bit of the citrus now. but I still, it's like that, it's probably the rye, you know, that I'm getting the, that big Newton cookie. It's weird. don't know if I've had that before. I mean, you're a little, I mean, I can hear you, you're a little scratchy. My voice is still a little scratchy. I still have a little bit of water in my ears. Nothing better than bring back vacation. Yeah. So, I actually went in the next day on the cruise ship and they gave me that swimmer's ear solution to try to dry out the ears. And that seemed to work for a day or two. then we home Saturday night. In the up, I could feel like water in my And then Monday morning, thing I to the urgent care and they gave me the antibiotic and steroid drops. And then had to turn around and leave for Indianapolis to go out for meetings and it was not. It was getting worse as we had. So I called Tuesday morning. They called in an antibiotic. Shipped it out there. Yeah. And I've been on that. Then still getting better. Saturday morning I ended up going in and they gave me a steroid Did he try and drain in or anything? No. Cause he an ear, nose and throat special or something. Yeah. Did throw any peroxide or anything in it? No. See if you can help that. You got the drops. Yeah. Yeah. But they gave me a steroid shot and a toradal shot. Yeah. Said keep taking the antibiotic. I'm like, all right. to trust the process. It a really nice nose on this though. Very nice. Mmm. Yeah. And is this the one with the Ambarana barrels? No, that's the cigar cast. So I've heard very mixed things about Ambarana. mixed. So I was kind of scared to buy it. MSRP on this is, I think, ⁓ Wars highest bottle. So it made me worrisome. That being said, like I said, I got thirsty last night and... Was it worth it? Was it worth it? We'll try it. Yeah. Yeah, I was mad. I got on the OHLQ app afterwards. Columbus is about the only place to get it. Well, that's the thing. I don't think I've seen it here. Yeah, I saw it. Distribution. It's they posted about it on their Facebook or their Instagram or something. I saw it and immediately jumped on OHLQ to kind of get some more. am I going to go? Yeah. Yeah. And I already knew I was going to Columbus for the Ohio State Spring Game. OK. And I'm like, I'm buying the bottle. can't help myself. The whiskey or bourbon I've had made in modern time that you've been able to just go down to the store get was Penelope's Cigar Blend. Whatever they to that bottle. ⁓ Is it Havana Blend? No, it was Cigar Sessions Chapter One. And they're supposed be dropping more of that, so hopefully they do. But it was incredible. It was incredible. Well, do the honors. okay, okay. Don't tempt me with a good time. So one thing I didn't talk about earlier when we were talking about the Jeffersons 18 was that when we got home Saturday night. was later that night that like, all right, we'll empty some of these bags, take them down to the basement. And that we had two feet of water in our basement. a little swimming, you? Luckily, I had those tall, you know, risers. yeah. So was able to get the pump pipes, the junctions. that were, you know, like, yeah. It came apart. Jeez. ⁓ man. They was probably working overtime and just recirculated. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you had a fountain in the basement, basically at one point. Yeah. Get a pet fish or something down there. And I couldn't get down to the one pump because the one pump came loose down at the bottom. Yeah. The other one came loose at the top. So on top you got two feet of water plus the depth of the sump. Yeah, so I was able to get the one reattached and run the one pump because they both had back flows on both sides. But that forever to down. But when it got low enough, then I was able to get the other one. then I took needed a snorkel to get that in. Yeah. And then I took our destroyed dehumidifier that was under the ⁓ that's right. And placed it on top of the pipes to hold them down because the clamp was broke. I couldn't. OK. ⁓ And so that sat there and then the rest of it pumped oaked. Turned into scuba Steve to clear oaked the basement. ⁓ well and Steph worked her butt off. Len Glavin's here doing some work for us, ⁓ know, with the ceiling. He worked his butt off cleaning down there. So, I everybody's stuff. It's project a project. Yeah. Always fun to come home to it. Oh, yeah of all things. Yeah, that's the worst Well, that's always what you want to come home to right to keep you going this no I want to come home and relax after This smells like It's like sweet peanut buttery bubble gum. I toasted marshmallow. I got one even better for you Carnuba wax. Oh Yeah. Oh, you know what? You're exactly right carnuba wax likely like that old Yeah You're exactly right. Yeah. That's crazy. Yeah. I didn't think of that at all. I smell. it's not bad in any way. Yeah. The first time I smelled it, I mainly went toasted marshmallow. Like it's just, it's sweet. It's not shy about it. ⁓ that you say that, it's like you're never gonna forget it. Yeah. I'm not going to be able to drink this to save it anymore. wow. It's different. Yeah, when I worked on a Napa, we had one explode on us and it's the entire shop smell like that for a week. Palate doesn't match the nose. No. I think. I can taste this, ⁓ carnauba wax though. mean, I do. But you get. Like a marshmallow? Yeah. and, ⁓ honey. ⁓ thought honey and, ⁓ vanilla bean, like ⁓ actual vanilla is ⁓ I thought was most pronounced on, on the palette. And not shy about being sweet. And I don't know if ⁓ that's it's called a cigar cast. Like you it with a cigar. It's overly sweet. A cigar ⁓ kind of down your taste buds. So it stays good through the cigar. I didn't realize there was a whole method to choosing the cigar the match the bourbon. Yeah. So I read it and but yeah, there's whole thing on that. I wonder if bourbon like have a thing like Pappy, obviously they make their own cigars. I wonder if like you're supposed to buy a specific bourbon for their cigars. Weller has the relationship with the Coquiba as well. Like, I mean. But are you supposed to ⁓ smoke the Weller cigar. Yeah, that's a great question. Well, it's like which goes with which bottle. Like Makers makes a cigar, which ⁓ has got a billion different flavor runs out there. Is one of those better? ⁓ I know. It almost just needs to be a point that once weather finally breaks and we get nice days, just pick ⁓ three, different bourbons and pick three, four different cigars. So I us some cigars too. Okay. Did you? I was about to say I do not need an excuse to go buy cigars. Well, we went to a store in Jamaica and ended buying rum there, but ⁓ they had a selection of Cuban cigars. They had some Uppman cigars that are Cuban. There is an American affiliate, but this one is the Cuban. They were the limited edition cigars from 2015. Started a negotiations war. That's too much down there. They did all right. Haven't opened the box yet, but brought home a box. Nice. Sounds like a podcast. On location out the back door. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I was actually thinking about like, we're going to have to do it outside. So we have to the camera out Yeah. Have to move lighting out it down by the pond. There you go. you go. That's sort of the campfire in the backyard, the fire. They wouldn't get the basement done. to. I poked my head around the corner just to see you that wall in there. Yeah. So that'll be all shelves. You see through on both sides. Pretty about that. That'll be once it's We'll have seating. ⁓ Yeah. Have start chartering the mission down there. ⁓ Yeah. ⁓ Then you can start telling people it's recording from a live studio audience. Yeah. That's right. I'm assuming that that is the Ambarana in that. And I've heard very mixed things on it. Some people say Ambarana overpowers everything. But if you're smoking a cigar, that makes sense. Yes. You need something to battle with. I think that would go very well. Yeah. And From everything I hear, you either like it you don't. I haven't heard too many people go, and Burano's okay. just kind of says yes or no to it. I think I'm on the yes boat. I don't know if I love it. The nose is crazy good on it. I'll agree with that, but. I do like the nose. I really, I like carnuba wax. You know, reminds me of waxing cars with my dad when I was a That's the type of, but I never thought that I would ever say, you know what that bourbon smells like? Carnuba wax. Brings me back to my childhood. Makes me want to find that wood and smell it and see if. Yeah, what it is. Yeah. I feel the same way about French oak. It's different enough, like how, I mean guess it's an entire different continent, whatever that thing is, but I just am always surprised that it's that much of a difference. Yeah, I've been that way. I haven't loved any French oaks that I've tried. I feel like I like them more. Really? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, it's just, it's weird how you could take that in just a straight bourbon and they're so drastically different. Like if you take a Maker's and a Maker's French Oaked, wildly different. I think it's sweeter or something. don't know how else to describe it when it comes oaked of there. I don't know what it is. Yeah, it is a little sweeter. I always say when I have a French oak, I don't get the vanilla. I get on a straight. Okay. And I don't know if it's just me personally. Yeah. I like that vanilla. That's like if I have a vanilla bourbon or a bourbon that has that vanilla up front. I'm a very happy man. I found the same thing out if it's a brown sugar front end. That same way. reorganized all this, didn't you? Well, I'm running out of space in some places. Yeah, running out of space. You're gonna have to go three deep on these shelves before you do it. Well, hopefully we can blow it downstairs and start moving stuff down. Well, you could always just these walls back a little bit. You'll have a little bit of room before you get into the stairwell. It's enough, ⁓ See how much time Len's got on his hands? now it's going on. You got more projects for me anyways. Two bathrooms and another floor to fix over here. Is it any ⁓ yeah. Our door's shut now. good. there was a big dip there. Yeah, it's good. It's awesome. It's great news. Okay. That's good. Yeah, I was worried it was going to be hot. Being 18, yeah, at 118 plus it's finishing a different task. I thought it was going to be real hot. Now I don't think it is. I think it's what it is. So I'm trying to figure oaked what we're going to close with. We opened that Jefferson 18. Yeah, I saw that. That's really good. She like it. Yeah, good. Yeah, it's really good to have our bourbon drinker. No time. Yeah, I got the 2026 release of Makers Mark. Yeah, you said that I saw the pictures. I saw that stewards released down in Columbus at Kroger. Yeah, so I haven't opened that one yet. I also saw the knob, the knob Creek blenders edition down there. And I haven't seen that up around these parts just yet. Bob and I opened 2024 heart release and we liked We did a barrel pick of warehouse liquors ⁓ of mark. Yeah, that heart release is really good. And it's all French oak. Yeah. You know, so it's all 10 staves with French oak. And I think that's why we liked it. Now this one, vibrant, raw honey, stone fruit. That'll make them easy to do that. I it though. the wax, but yeah, I agree. Yeah, like ⁓ it's of those like. feels substantial. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, I feel like it'd be weird opening a maker's mark and not peeling wax. Yeah. It's like a rubbery wax. Yeah. You need more glass. So much glug for not a lot of it. It's such a good. Yeah. always afraid it's going to come shooting out or you almost need to record that making a ring to just. Mmm. Can you smell it? I have not yet. Now this is a true neck pour. Not ethanol. Not at all. ethanol-y it should have been. And that's not a light proof either. Yeah, ⁓ figured we'd get a little more ethanol on that. It smells really good. ⁓ wow. We got a ton of ittle in there. ⁓ yeah. ⁓ ton of ittle. I'm getting a little wheat too. So I almost get the honey more than the caramel. Mmm, I'm ready. Wow. I think I've said about some others, it's almost like it's soft. not a bite to it. It's just, and we talked about the ethanol neck pour out of this. It's not either of those things. It's very. It's I don't want to say watery, but like it's, like it doesn't stick on your lips when you take your sip. And again, it five points lower than one. It drinks way softer. I mean, the mash bill matters, but. Well, and I'm still getting. the aftertaste on it going back. nice. So it's a very mild stone fruit. ⁓ like that. I like the very forward stone fruit. But I, I really like this. I almost want to say it's mildly sweet. Like it's sweet, it's overwhelming. I like honey. I mean, I use honey sweet in my coffee. I do the same thing. figure. They've got something figured out with these special batches like this is my team. I've never had a bad one. Yeah. Yeah. Like I've had a couple where it's like, don't love the flavor, but they're not bad. Correct. I think they stay close enough to the standard To flavor profile to their yeah, you can do just little subtle changes and just enhance it so nicely. Yeah And originally wasn't really a maker. Yeah It's because these are enough different than their regular standard. But you talk about the French oak you talk about the I feel like these ones all have enough different that they make them special. It's like the Jack age-dated stuff. They're different enough than regular Jack they stand out. I say Makers is the greatest of all time. If you're having any sort of whiskey and Coke, just regular Makers Mark is what you grab. And I would mad if I watched somebody mix Coke in this. It's different enough you get mad about it. It's like the Russells and everything else. mean, it's not it's it is what it is, but it's somehow. Yeah, they're picking it from there. The match is no different. So they're picking from the right spot in the ring or whatever else. But they're different enough. That's nice. It is very nice. Yeah. It's a good ender. Yeah. Good ender. It's like we were on a roller coaster. We took it up the hill and this is bringing it right back down, calming us down. Yeah. That's a nice one. Yeah, I agree. This would be real nice just sitting around a fire. Yeah. Talking with some friends, relaxing. I like the nose. Yeah, I agree. Good choice. Thank you Noah. Appreciate it. Thanks for coming out. Yeah, always. Thanks for the... to see you. Thanks for watching out. Gotta find your way out of it. But hey, we're on track. That's all you can hope for. And back to school tomorrow morning. Back into the routine. Yeah, well, Wyatt doesn't it have to be that? Testing, yeah, I don't know what you're gonna say before you say that. It's like, well, alright, it's 26 minutes to the school and back to the school and 26 minutes back so. I think Wyatt and I will probably go to breakfast. Yeah, that's a good call. See, that's baloney. I never got to go to school late because of testing. No. Well, they do everything different now. Yeah, still to be there at 730. My daughter's in sixth grade and they're still doing, they go to school at the normal time, but they've got testing this week too. So I think they make them do prep before it or something. I don't know what they're doing. Yeah. Well, thank you. Thank you. for watching. Please like, share, subscribe, follow. We're ⁓ all the platforms, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts. We have our own website, bourbonbrassandbeyond.com. leave a review. We appreciate it. have a good night. Good night, now. Good night.