1
00:00:00,010 --> 00:00:05,890
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, these craft distilleries are lowering prices on high-proof,
2
00:00:06,070 --> 00:00:11,630
high-age bottles. From Copper & Cask, to Starlight, to Whiskey Craft's First Light.
3
00:00:11,990 --> 00:00:15,390
Then I review Penelope's new Cigar Sessions Chapter 2.
4
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:33,320
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast. I'm your host Clifton and this
5
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:39,520
is the week of October 8th, 2026. I know we're getting to the fall months, but it is a heat wave
6
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,540
here in Southern California. The past couple of weeks have been over 90 degrees and I'm by the
7
00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:48,700
coast, but luckily I have a little bit of a ocean breeze coming in on my part of town.
8
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,160
So still enjoyable enough to have a glass of bourbon, but for those of you out here,
9
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,160
hopefully you are surviving. I feel like California is closer to the sun than ever.
10
00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,300
I saw a cute little gif of like the earth rotating and then it had like a little dot
11
00:01:01,300 --> 00:01:05,520
of California that was like halfway between the sun and earth. That's what it feels like right now,
12
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:11,200
I swear. But that doesn't stop the fact that there is always new bourbon news to talk about,
13
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,400
especially this time of year we are in release season and we have a lot to talk about. The cool
14
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,220
thing about today though is a lot of these releases are being put out at great prices
15
00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:28,140
for what we typically see cask strength and highly aged bourbons or scotches be at. So I thought that
16
00:01:28,140 --> 00:01:33,640
would be kind of the theme today about lower prices on better bourbon. So I've highlighted a
17
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,440
few stories that I wanted to talk about as well as a review of one of my favorite bottles for the
18
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:43,980
price. So stick around. It's going to be a fun one. First off, we have a new release from Copper
19
00:01:43,980 --> 00:01:50,640
and Cask and it is called their X Bourbon. It is a 10 year barrel proof bourbon being released at
20
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,920
just $69.99. And it's going to be a permanent offering from their lineup. And I'll
21
00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,520
be honest, I really haven't heard much about Copper and Cask before, but they have a really
22
00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,920
cool single barrel program. And now they're introducing a permanent blend to their lineup
23
00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:11,320
called X. And this is going to be made up of 10 to 12 year old bourbon from Indiana. That's been
24
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,420
aged at different locations, including Kentucky, Indiana, and their headquarters in Rhode Island.
25
00:02:16,420 --> 00:02:20,640
Now this is a blend of both the low rye and the high rye bourbon mash bills from Indiana,
26
00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:25,960
but it's being put together under the direction of barrel master, Stephen Corrigan. He said with
27
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,680
this first ongoing release, they wanted to make a statement. We did this by going deep into our
28
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,220
inventory to find mature distinctive barrels that together create a bourbon with real depth,
29
00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,140
complexity, and character that truly shines at barrel proof. And like I said, this is coming
30
00:02:40,140 --> 00:02:46,720
at just under $70 for a 10 year age dated barrel proof bourbon. I think that competes with some of
31
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,360
the best bourbons on the market with that age statement and that proof. I'd be really curious
32
00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:56,740
to see how this does. It's going to be available later this month at select retailers nationwide,
33
00:02:56,980 --> 00:03:02,840
as well as online on their website at copperandcaskspirits.com. I've said it before, but MGP at
34
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,180
the eight to 10 year age statement is just incredible to me. And it's really hard to find
35
00:03:07,180 --> 00:03:12,460
below $80. So with this being a permanent addition at $70, I'm going to seek out a bottle or
36
00:03:12,460 --> 00:03:17,760
two. All right, well, next up we have a release from Starlight that is in the same general price
37
00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,440
range, but has a completely different story behind where the whiskey comes from. So this was
38
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:29,040
actually just announced and released last week, but this is a seven year old 110.8 proof bourbon.
39
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,460
And while this is technically an Indiana bourbon, this has grown entirely grain to glass on the
40
00:03:34,460 --> 00:03:39,160
Huber Family Estate at the Starlight Distillery in Indiana. So don't be turned off immediately
41
00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:45,160
when you see a bottle that says Indiana bourbon, it's not all just MGP, but the label on this bottle
42
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,780
is beautiful. It reminds me of some of the wine bottles I've seen across like Napa region. It's a
43
00:03:49,780 --> 00:03:54,780
watercolor type painting of three different rick houses. Um, it says Starlight Distillery, 2026.
44
00:03:55,020 --> 00:03:59,000
This wouldn't immediately catch my eye as something from Starlight. So you got to look
45
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,260
closely. The first thing on this label I see is Indiana straight bourbon whiskey. I would have
46
00:04:03,260 --> 00:04:07,700
never known that it was not MGP, but I'm glad I looked a little closer. So this is going to be
47
00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:13,120
a new annual expression produced in collaboration with the Estate Whiskey Alliance. And they say
48
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:18,640
every step from milling, cooking, to fermentation, distillation, barreling, aging, and bottling
49
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:24,040
takes place on the estate. I love these new estate whiskeys that are popping up all over the world.
50
00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,640
I just did an interview with an incredible brand. That's putting out great estate stuff,
51
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,800
Menden Mill out of Nevada. Check out my YouTube channel, youtube.com/bourbonbytes.
52
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:37,840
If you missed that interview was really cool to talk about what an estate whiskey is. And now
53
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:42,040
that they're the new trend in whiskey, what they believe in bringing to the market. So
54
00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,640
definitely check that out. But this new Starlight release says it was carefully selected from some
55
00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:51,860
of their finest bourbon. Um, it's using this distillery's signature three grain mash bill
56
00:04:51,860 --> 00:04:57,360
built on rare heirloom corn and Indiana rye. They say each barrel was sweet mash fermented,
57
00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,560
double pot distilled, and then entered into the barrels at a low proof and then aged slowly for
58
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:07,160
seven years. And as with the Copper and Cask release, we just talked about this one is coming
59
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:13,560
in at an incredibly low price for a limited edition release. This one's going to be $59.99.
60
00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,100
It does say it's going to be in very limited quantities, so not quite as available as that
61
00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:24,180
other release, but again, another well-aged bourbon at a high proof coming in at a low price
62
00:05:24,180 --> 00:05:29,840
of just under $60. I am here for it. But it's not just bourbon that's been coming in at lower
63
00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:34,320
prices for higher age statements. This next was a Scotch, but I think the bourbon drinkers are
64
00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:39,900
going to want to hear about it too. This is a newly launched 21 year old Highland single malt.
65
00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:44,500
Um, it's launching in the UK. So that's the first thing I want to point out. Um, it's not available
66
00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:49,600
as of yet in the U.S. but these things somehow eventually make their ways here, whether you're
67
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,140
buying them through auctions or getting them shipped from international retailers. But this
68
00:05:54,140 --> 00:05:59,020
is a really cool release. It's from Whiskey Craft. It's their first permanent core expression.
69
00:05:59,020 --> 00:06:05,320
It is fully matured in first-fill bourbon casks and bottled at 92 proof. So while it's not quite
70
00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:10,020
as high of proof as we've seen these other releases, it's still pretty above average for a
71
00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:15,560
Scotch whiskey release. But what's incredibly not average is the fact that this is a 21 year old
72
00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:24,700
release being released at 85 pounds. That's roughly $112 for a 21 year old Scotch whiskey. Now me
73
00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:29,140
personally, I'm not the biggest fan of Highland Scotches. It's just not my favorite region,
74
00:06:29,300 --> 00:06:35,320
but if you are, this would be a great entry point into some of their higher aged products. So if
75
00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,720
you're not familiar with Whiskey Craft, they were just founded back in 2025 and their goal is to
76
00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:44,980
share distinctive Scotch whiskey from all five regions carefully selected for taste character
77
00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:50,060
and purpose in mind. So I have a good feeling the reason that this price is so affordable for
78
00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:54,320
this bottle is they're not disclosing which Highland distillery it actually came from.
79
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,140
Like I said, it's the first core expression of their lineup and they probably have a contract
80
00:06:59,140 --> 00:07:03,900
in place where they can't tell you where it's from. But again, being able to get a 21 year old
81
00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:09,680
Scotch for $115, $120 is pretty incredible. So if you are a fan of Highland Scotches,
82
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,040
definitely check this one out. I think they might be a new competitor for some of my favorite
83
00:07:14,460 --> 00:07:19,100
single barrel selects or blending houses in Scotland, whether it be Douglas Laing or Compass
84
00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:23,480
Box. Whiskey Craft is a newcomer in the mix, but they seem to have their stuff figured out being
85
00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:29,000
able to offer something so special at such a low price. So before we move on to another new
86
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,000
bottle, I did want to spend a minute talking about the fire that happened at Glenns Creek
87
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,960
Distillery last week. If you didn't hear, there was a fire that started on September 30th in the
88
00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:43,100
afternoon at the former Old Crow property. Three buildings were completely destroyed,
89
00:07:43,220 --> 00:07:48,320
including two historic brick rick houses. Now the good news is there were no injuries reported
90
00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:53,580
and there were not actually any barrels being stored in these rick houses. So one, we didn't
91
00:07:53,580 --> 00:07:59,300
lose any precious whiskey, but we also didn't have it blow up into a massive catastrophe that
92
00:07:59,300 --> 00:08:04,160
it could have happened if these rick houses were full of bourbon. We've seen so many distillery
93
00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:09,680
fires and just seeing how quickly that spreads when these highly flammable barrels are just
94
00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:15,580
stored with, you know, pure fuel with the bourbon inside. So that's really, really positive. It is
95
00:08:15,580 --> 00:08:21,080
unfortunate that we did lose those historic rick houses, but again, no injuries and they're back
96
00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,920
open for business as of October 2nd. Huge shout out to the fire departments that fought that fire,
97
00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:31,340
including fire marshal, Matthew Marshall, clever name, but I do want to say a special thank you
98
00:08:31,340 --> 00:08:36,320
and shout out to those first responders who tamed that fire and really made sure everyone was safe.
99
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:41,580
So glad to hear it. I'm glad to see that they are back open. All right. Well, for our last whiskey
100
00:08:41,580 --> 00:08:47,580
story, Dalmore has something that ties in really closely with today's byte-sized review. So they've
101
00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:53,720
just announced their Cigar Malt Signature Reserve, and this one's coming in at 18 years old. This is
102
00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,580
going to be a new permanent addition to their lineup at about 299 pounds, which equates to
103
00:08:58,580 --> 00:09:04,440
almost 400 U.S. dollars. So definitely a huge jump in price. Now this was going to be 92 proof,
104
00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:10,500
and it's going to be using ex-bourbon casks for the maturation along with Oloroso Sherry, Marsala,
105
00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:16,860
Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc barrels. So this was being marketed for cigar pairing and
106
00:09:16,860 --> 00:09:22,180
drinking on its own, and it's going to be released on October 19th. Again, Dalmore is not a brand
107
00:09:22,180 --> 00:09:26,640
that I'm super familiar with. I really haven't had many of their expressions, but I am curious
108
00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:32,420
to see this new cigar trend making its way over to international whiskey. You know, we see a lot
109
00:09:32,420 --> 00:09:38,320
of cigar blends, bourbons and rise, but I don't think I've ever seen a cigar blend scotch. The
110
00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:45,720
Dalmore Cigar Malt was actually introduced back in 1999. So it was discontinued in 2009, but came back out
111
00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:50,400
on the market without an age statement in 2012. So this is the first time we're seeing it return
112
00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,800
with an age statement, which is really exciting. So they've been doing it for a while. I just feel
113
00:09:54,800 --> 00:10:00,700
like this is the only cigar malt or cigar cask influence I've seen in the world of scotch. I
114
00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:04,920
usually just see it on American whiskey. So really cool to see it come back out with an age statement.
115
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:11,160
And of course it's a very premium product, but it does lead in nicely to this week's Byte-Sized
116
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:24,230
review. All right. Well, today I'm reviewing the new Cigar Sessions #2 from Penelope.
117
00:10:24,530 --> 00:10:28,850
I want to give a huge shout out to the folks over at Penelope who sent me this bottle for review,
118
00:10:28,850 --> 00:10:34,210
but this year's release is special because it was crafted in collaboration with renowned cigar
119
00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:38,930
makers, Alec Bradley. If you've been around whiskeytube for a while, you know, Alec Bradley
120
00:10:38,930 --> 00:10:43,830
partners with a lot of channels from Bourbon Junkies to a few other smaller channels as well.
121
00:10:44,090 --> 00:10:48,930
They're really big in the Whiskeytube community. So again, thank you to those folks who sent me
122
00:10:48,930 --> 00:10:54,910
this sample to review along with some Alec Bradley cigars. So it makes this particular cigar blend
123
00:10:54,910 --> 00:11:00,470
interesting is rather than pairing an existing whiskey with a cigar. After the fact, the teams
124
00:11:00,470 --> 00:11:06,150
work together to develop a whiskey with the depth and intensity to stand alongside medium to full
125
00:11:06,150 --> 00:11:13,350
cigars. So this one's being bottled at 117.4 proof and aged six years old, and it's out now for a
126
00:11:13,350 --> 00:11:19,750
price of $79.99. Now this particular release has a unique mash bill of 69% corn,
127
00:11:19,890 --> 00:11:25,770
19% rye, and 12% malted barley, and it's being made in small batches. So I will say that this
128
00:11:25,770 --> 00:11:33,710
is not a first impression review. I actually had this last night out on my patio with one of the Alec Bradley cigars. In particular I had the
129
00:11:33,710 --> 00:11:38,730
Black Market, which is a four out of five in terms of fullness on their scale. Now,
130
00:11:38,730 --> 00:11:43,910
these are Honduras cigars. And as someone that has only really smoked cigars on occasion,
131
00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:50,410
I'm really not a pro and giving a full cigar review, but I am a fan of good pairing. So I
132
00:11:50,410 --> 00:11:54,970
went out last night just after sunset. Yes, it was still incredibly warm, but you got to do what
133
00:11:54,970 --> 00:12:01,910
you got to do, right? And I poured myself a pretty tall glass of this Penelope Chapter Two, lit up the cigar
134
00:12:01,910 --> 00:12:07,910
and just enjoyed myself some quiet time winding down after a long day. And I will say it was very
135
00:12:07,910 --> 00:12:12,990
nice. The cigar smoked on par with some of the best cigars I've had. And like I said, I'm not
136
00:12:12,990 --> 00:12:17,530
a cigar expert, so I'm really not the best person to be reviewing it. But based on everything I've
137
00:12:17,530 --> 00:12:22,430
heard about Alec Bradley and just the one that I happen to have, I see why there's so much hype
138
00:12:22,430 --> 00:12:27,830
around it. It's really good quality and nothing beats a good quality cigar, like a good bourbon
139
00:12:27,830 --> 00:12:33,210
pairing. So when I drank the Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter Two alongside it, it actually
140
00:12:33,210 --> 00:12:37,530
was incredibly complimentary. You know, sometimes when you have a cigar pairing or any kind of
141
00:12:37,530 --> 00:12:41,770
pairing, really, whether it's like a wine and food pairing or a chocolate and wine pairing,
142
00:12:42,010 --> 00:12:45,570
you don't want the flavors to distract from each other, but you also don't want the flavors to be
143
00:12:45,570 --> 00:12:50,210
so similar. And that's what I love about this particular release. It's almost like they are
144
00:12:50,210 --> 00:12:55,230
meant to be together. The bourbon itself isn't as rich and dark as you might think it would be
145
00:12:55,230 --> 00:13:00,970
based on some other cigar blend or cigar cask bourbons. To me, this one actually drank quite
146
00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:07,490
a bit brighter and it was complimentary to those dark tobacco notes from the cigar. So I really
147
00:13:07,490 --> 00:13:11,310
enjoyed going back and forth from the bourbon to the cigar, you know, back to the bourbon.
148
00:13:11,630 --> 00:13:16,030
It was really an enjoyable experience. And as someone that only usually smokes cigars when I'm
149
00:13:16,030 --> 00:13:20,790
with my other whiskey friends at a meetup or, you know, just over at their houses, I rarely smoke
150
00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:26,390
alone at my place, but I got to say it was a really nice relaxing time. So cheers to the folks
151
00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:31,730
at Alec Bradley for sending these cigars. If you are curious about these and their other releases,
152
00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:37,210
you can go to alecbradley.com. Like I said, the one I had last night was their Black Market release.
153
00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:41,670
They have a Find Alec Bradley link on their website where you can type in your zip code
154
00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:48,710
and find the nearest location to pick those up. But you know how we do a Byte-Sized review. I'm
155
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:52,730
going to break down the nose palette and finish for you guys. By the way, if you've not watched
156
00:13:52,730 --> 00:13:56,930
my YouTube channel, I've interviewed the folks from Penelope at least two times. They've come
157
00:13:56,930 --> 00:14:01,410
on the channel and been such incredible guests. I think both of those times were before they were
158
00:14:01,410 --> 00:14:07,850
owned by MGP at the time they were just, you know, sourcing from them. So definitely check those out.
159
00:14:07,910 --> 00:14:13,190
They are such a cool group of people and I just love their passion behind the brand. So let's go
160
00:14:13,190 --> 00:14:20,370
ahead and give a nose to the Cigar Sessions Chapter 2. Huh, it's interesting on its own because when I
161
00:14:20,370 --> 00:14:25,630
was pairing it with the cigar, I got a lot of brighter, fruitier notes, at least maybe on the
162
00:14:25,630 --> 00:14:30,350
palette. Maybe that'll come a bit later. It's still very sweet like I imagined it that night.
163
00:14:30,610 --> 00:14:35,330
It's not super dark on the oak. It's definitely spicy. That high rye in that mash bill is
164
00:14:35,330 --> 00:14:40,570
definitely showing up on the nose. It's got some cinnamon, some cardamom, almost a little bit of
165
00:14:40,570 --> 00:14:47,370
a fennel kind of note as well. It's giving holiday spice on its own, but mixed with a really nice
166
00:14:47,370 --> 00:14:52,350
sweet brown sugar note. I think that sweetness will carry through on its own as well as with
167
00:14:52,350 --> 00:14:59,460
that cigar the other night. So let's go ahead and give it a taste. Cheers. Oh yeah, that's what I
168
00:14:59,460 --> 00:15:06,040
remember. It's so sweet and creamy on the mouthfeel, but it's not heavy. You know, sometimes we think
169
00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:11,080
of creamy and like full mouthfeel, kind of the same thing, but this is more of like a vanilla cream,
170
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,580
like a vanilla cream icing on a cake, a little bit of strawberry there as well. That's what I was
171
00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:20,340
picking up while I was smoking a cigar. There's some really great red fruitiness on this. And
172
00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:24,920
while on its own, it's not as apparent, but when you're doing that pairing, it's just fantastic.
173
00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:30,460
It explodes out of this whiskey. I'm also getting a little bit of like frosted corn flakes. I don't
174
00:15:30,460 --> 00:15:34,180
know if that's a specific note, but it's definitely kind of reminding of like a morning breakfast
175
00:15:34,180 --> 00:15:40,060
cereal. That grain is really there, but it's not in a way that I see as a downside on some scotches.
176
00:15:40,060 --> 00:15:44,700
It's not coming across as like a young grain, but more of just, I'm tasting the grain and I'm
177
00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:51,260
tasting that combined with a sweet sugary coating that actually works really, really well. I would
178
00:15:51,260 --> 00:15:55,260
say on its own, it kind of drinks like a dessert whiskey. And that's kind of a good thing because
179
00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:59,080
I don't know about, you know, you guys, but usually I think smoking cigars is something
180
00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,220
you do after dinner, just as a way to wind down. I think this would be a great pairing with that
181
00:16:03,220 --> 00:16:06,800
because it's like, you're getting your dessert, you have your cigar and you're just really winding
182
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:13,120
down from a good day or a bad day. And with that, I mean the finish, it's still brown sugar,
183
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:18,060
a little bit chocolatey as well. That creaminess kind of goes from like a milk chocolate on the
184
00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:22,980
mid palette to like a darker chocolate on the finish. I think the oak is really showing up on
185
00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:26,360
the back end there. You know, I don't get it too much on the nose or the palette itself,
186
00:16:26,940 --> 00:16:32,760
but really on the finish, you can tell that this has been really nuanced and targeted with those
187
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:37,980
profiles. They don't want to overwhelm you with like the tobacco or the leather, things like that,
188
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,880
that you would get on some older bourbons because this is meant to be paired with cigars. It's not
189
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,580
meant to replicate the flavor of cigars. And I think that's what makes this different. I think
190
00:16:45,580 --> 00:16:51,180
some brands go for trying to replicate those cigar notes, whether it be the tobacco, the old library
191
00:16:51,180 --> 00:16:56,720
note that I sometimes say, or even just, you know, leather, things like that, that I associate with a
192
00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,420
cigar. This doesn't necessarily have those, but I think that's intentional. I really think this is
193
00:17:01,420 --> 00:17:05,859
meant to be paired with that cigar. That way you're not duplicating up on those flavors because,
194
00:17:05,980 --> 00:17:09,060
I mean, you don't want a wine that tastes like the food you're eating, right? You want something
195
00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:15,140
that's complimentary. And to me, this works as an exceptional pairing to whatever cigar you're
196
00:17:15,140 --> 00:17:19,480
smoking out there, particularly Alec Bradley cigars, hashtag not sponsored, but they did
197
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:25,339
send some. So, you know, I got to mention it, but yeah, overall really nice release. I've always been
198
00:17:25,339 --> 00:17:30,000
a fan of Penelope. I don't think that they've put out a release that I I've hated. I know some of
199
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,660
their cask finishing, like the rum cask were a little bit, you know, not my favorite. They weren't
200
00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:39,760
bad, but they weren't my favorite, but I think this gets back to the roots of what I love about them.
201
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,400
I'll also note that when I was drinking it with the cigar, I feel like it drank even lower proof.
202
00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:48,340
I think it's because my palate was already being overwhelmed by all the flavors of the cigar, but
203
00:17:48,340 --> 00:17:52,680
drinking on its own, you can really feel that proof. But last night, I honestly, I thought it
204
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:59,980
was really an easy sipper and it still is, but I mean, you can tell it's 117 plus proof. So now it's
205
00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:04,360
time to give it a score. Like I said, here on the Byte-Sized Review, we keep it simple. We just give
206
00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:10,560
one score overall considering price, availability, proof, palate finish, all those things. This one
207
00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:16,940
coming in at $79.99. It is a six year release, but it is a high proof release. That doesn't mean that
208
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:23,100
it's not good by any means. Actually for it being only a six year bourbon, it has a lot more flavor
209
00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:28,600
and character than other six year MGP expressions I've had. It really does stand out. And I think
210
00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:33,420
the cigar pairing is a bonus. I don't think you need the cigar pairing. You don't need to be a
211
00:18:33,420 --> 00:18:37,700
cigar smoker to enjoy this. Just know that if you're not having it with a cigar, you're not
212
00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:42,160
going to find those specific cigar flavor notes on the whiskey itself. Like I said, I think it's
213
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,980
meant to be a pairing, not to be a dupe of a cigar. So this is going to be a little weird.
214
00:18:47,060 --> 00:18:51,500
I'm going to give it two scores, one on its own and one as a pairing. I'm just going to feel like
215
00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:55,460
it's fair to do it that way because I did it as a pairing. I don't always do this, but for this
216
00:18:55,460 --> 00:18:59,980
special release, we're going to give it a try on its own. I do quite enjoy this. I love the flavor
217
00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:06,200
profile. Does it taste to me like an $80 bourbon? That's a little hard to justify on its own.
218
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,980
I think there's some other bourbons you could get for quite a bit cheaper than that. That'll give
219
00:19:09,980 --> 00:19:16,060
you a similar experience, even some from Penelope's own lineup. So with that being said, the bourbon
220
00:19:16,060 --> 00:19:22,160
itself, I'm going to give it a six out of 10. I think it's solid. It's enjoyable. It's one that
221
00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:27,540
I absolutely love drinking. I've already been enjoying the bottle quite a bit, but I think
222
00:19:27,540 --> 00:19:32,180
this really shines when you do it as a pairing. When you combine it with a good cigar and you're
223
00:19:32,180 --> 00:19:37,700
having it as a companion to that cigar, they've nailed that pairing. I would bump this up to an
224
00:19:37,700 --> 00:19:42,720
eight out of 10 with the cigar pairing. I think it just works really well. And even though it's,
225
00:19:42,820 --> 00:19:47,520
you know, a six-year-old bourbon, I think that that does even better than an older bourbon
226
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,160
because once you get older, you start duplicating some of those notes you find in cigars and
227
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,860
you really, I don't see the point of smoking something and tasting something that are the
228
00:19:55,860 --> 00:20:00,480
same flavor profile. So to me, that's actually a win with it being, you know, a little bit younger,
229
00:20:00,860 --> 00:20:05,540
a little bit brighter, fruitier. The price still is what's holding its back there. I think, you
230
00:20:05,540 --> 00:20:10,660
know, there might be other cigar blends that you want to try otherwise, but those are even more
231
00:20:10,660 --> 00:20:15,640
pricey. So I think as a cigar pairing, I think eight out of 10 is solid. It's definitely one
232
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,860
that you want to try, but if you are not a cigar smoker or you just want to pick this up based on
233
00:20:19,860 --> 00:20:24,900
whiskey alone, it's going to be a six out of 10 for me. Really good, but a bit overpriced for what
234
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:29,720
I'm getting out of the whiskey experience alone. But again, thank you to the folks at Penelope
235
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:34,300
and Alec Bradley for sending this over for review. It's the first time I've done a pairing like this
236
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:40,000
on the channel. If you want me to do more of them, just let me know, whether it be cigars or snacks
237
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:46,260
or food or wine, you know, I I'm open to the possibility of pairings. I'm not an expert by any
238
00:20:46,260 --> 00:20:50,180
means at anything other than whiskey, not that I'm even a whiskey expert, but I'm just saying
239
00:20:50,740 --> 00:20:55,320
my knowledge of whiskey is a lot deeper than it is or things even, even wine. You know,
240
00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:00,220
I live in Southern California. I've really grown such an appreciation for wine, particularly red
241
00:21:00,220 --> 00:21:05,480
wine, but my skill level is, uh, very much. I wouldn't say beginner, but maybe intermediate,
242
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:10,000
I would say for wine. But if you want me to do more pairings, let me know. I'm always open to
243
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,580
suggestions here on the channel. Speaking of which you can leave a comment on YouTube or come hang
244
00:21:14,580 --> 00:21:19,360
out with us on discord. You can go to bourbonbytes.com for those links, the merch and
245
00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:25,060
information on joining the Byte Club to support the channel for as little as $2 a month. If you've
246
00:21:25,060 --> 00:21:29,320
happened to try the Cigar Sessions Chapter Two, let me know what you think. And if you're a cigar
247
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:34,780
smoker, I'd be curious what your ideal whiskey and cigar pairing is. That about does it for today.
248
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:39,100
Thank you all for supporting the show and coming back week to week. This has been the Bourbon Bytes
249
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:44,600
Podcast, a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist. Cheers. And I'll talk to you next episode.
00:00:00,010 --> 00:00:05,890
Today on the Bourbon Bytes Podcast, these craft distilleries are lowering prices on high-proof,
2
00:00:06,070 --> 00:00:11,630
high-age bottles. From Copper & Cask, to Starlight, to Whiskey Craft's First Light.
3
00:00:11,990 --> 00:00:15,390
Then I review Penelope's new Cigar Sessions Chapter 2.
4
00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:33,320
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Bourbon Bytes Podcast. I'm your host Clifton and this
5
00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:39,520
is the week of October 8th, 2026. I know we're getting to the fall months, but it is a heat wave
6
00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:44,540
here in Southern California. The past couple of weeks have been over 90 degrees and I'm by the
7
00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:48,700
coast, but luckily I have a little bit of a ocean breeze coming in on my part of town.
8
00:00:48,840 --> 00:00:53,160
So still enjoyable enough to have a glass of bourbon, but for those of you out here,
9
00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,160
hopefully you are surviving. I feel like California is closer to the sun than ever.
10
00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,300
I saw a cute little gif of like the earth rotating and then it had like a little dot
11
00:01:01,300 --> 00:01:05,520
of California that was like halfway between the sun and earth. That's what it feels like right now,
12
00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:11,200
I swear. But that doesn't stop the fact that there is always new bourbon news to talk about,
13
00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:16,400
especially this time of year we are in release season and we have a lot to talk about. The cool
14
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,220
thing about today though is a lot of these releases are being put out at great prices
15
00:01:21,220 --> 00:01:28,140
for what we typically see cask strength and highly aged bourbons or scotches be at. So I thought that
16
00:01:28,140 --> 00:01:33,640
would be kind of the theme today about lower prices on better bourbon. So I've highlighted a
17
00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:38,440
few stories that I wanted to talk about as well as a review of one of my favorite bottles for the
18
00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:43,980
price. So stick around. It's going to be a fun one. First off, we have a new release from Copper
19
00:01:43,980 --> 00:01:50,640
and Cask and it is called their X Bourbon. It is a 10 year barrel proof bourbon being released at
20
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,920
just $69.99. And it's going to be a permanent offering from their lineup. And I'll
21
00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,520
be honest, I really haven't heard much about Copper and Cask before, but they have a really
22
00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,920
cool single barrel program. And now they're introducing a permanent blend to their lineup
23
00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:11,320
called X. And this is going to be made up of 10 to 12 year old bourbon from Indiana. That's been
24
00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:16,420
aged at different locations, including Kentucky, Indiana, and their headquarters in Rhode Island.
25
00:02:16,420 --> 00:02:20,640
Now this is a blend of both the low rye and the high rye bourbon mash bills from Indiana,
26
00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:25,960
but it's being put together under the direction of barrel master, Stephen Corrigan. He said with
27
00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,680
this first ongoing release, they wanted to make a statement. We did this by going deep into our
28
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:35,220
inventory to find mature distinctive barrels that together create a bourbon with real depth,
29
00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:40,140
complexity, and character that truly shines at barrel proof. And like I said, this is coming
30
00:02:40,140 --> 00:02:46,720
at just under $70 for a 10 year age dated barrel proof bourbon. I think that competes with some of
31
00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:51,360
the best bourbons on the market with that age statement and that proof. I'd be really curious
32
00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:56,740
to see how this does. It's going to be available later this month at select retailers nationwide,
33
00:02:56,980 --> 00:03:02,840
as well as online on their website at copperandcaskspirits.com. I've said it before, but MGP at
34
00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,180
the eight to 10 year age statement is just incredible to me. And it's really hard to find
35
00:03:07,180 --> 00:03:12,460
below $80. So with this being a permanent addition at $70, I'm going to seek out a bottle or
36
00:03:12,460 --> 00:03:17,760
two. All right, well, next up we have a release from Starlight that is in the same general price
37
00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,440
range, but has a completely different story behind where the whiskey comes from. So this was
38
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:29,040
actually just announced and released last week, but this is a seven year old 110.8 proof bourbon.
39
00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:34,460
And while this is technically an Indiana bourbon, this has grown entirely grain to glass on the
40
00:03:34,460 --> 00:03:39,160
Huber Family Estate at the Starlight Distillery in Indiana. So don't be turned off immediately
41
00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:45,160
when you see a bottle that says Indiana bourbon, it's not all just MGP, but the label on this bottle
42
00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:49,780
is beautiful. It reminds me of some of the wine bottles I've seen across like Napa region. It's a
43
00:03:49,780 --> 00:03:54,780
watercolor type painting of three different rick houses. Um, it says Starlight Distillery, 2026.
44
00:03:55,020 --> 00:03:59,000
This wouldn't immediately catch my eye as something from Starlight. So you got to look
45
00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,260
closely. The first thing on this label I see is Indiana straight bourbon whiskey. I would have
46
00:04:03,260 --> 00:04:07,700
never known that it was not MGP, but I'm glad I looked a little closer. So this is going to be
47
00:04:07,700 --> 00:04:13,120
a new annual expression produced in collaboration with the Estate Whiskey Alliance. And they say
48
00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:18,640
every step from milling, cooking, to fermentation, distillation, barreling, aging, and bottling
49
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:24,040
takes place on the estate. I love these new estate whiskeys that are popping up all over the world.
50
00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,640
I just did an interview with an incredible brand. That's putting out great estate stuff,
51
00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,800
Menden Mill out of Nevada. Check out my YouTube channel, youtube.com/bourbonbytes.
52
00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:37,840
If you missed that interview was really cool to talk about what an estate whiskey is. And now
53
00:04:37,840 --> 00:04:42,040
that they're the new trend in whiskey, what they believe in bringing to the market. So
54
00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:46,640
definitely check that out. But this new Starlight release says it was carefully selected from some
55
00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:51,860
of their finest bourbon. Um, it's using this distillery's signature three grain mash bill
56
00:04:51,860 --> 00:04:57,360
built on rare heirloom corn and Indiana rye. They say each barrel was sweet mash fermented,
57
00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,560
double pot distilled, and then entered into the barrels at a low proof and then aged slowly for
58
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:07,160
seven years. And as with the Copper and Cask release, we just talked about this one is coming
59
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:13,560
in at an incredibly low price for a limited edition release. This one's going to be $59.99.
60
00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:18,100
It does say it's going to be in very limited quantities, so not quite as available as that
61
00:05:18,100 --> 00:05:24,180
other release, but again, another well-aged bourbon at a high proof coming in at a low price
62
00:05:24,180 --> 00:05:29,840
of just under $60. I am here for it. But it's not just bourbon that's been coming in at lower
63
00:05:29,840 --> 00:05:34,320
prices for higher age statements. This next was a Scotch, but I think the bourbon drinkers are
64
00:05:34,320 --> 00:05:39,900
going to want to hear about it too. This is a newly launched 21 year old Highland single malt.
65
00:05:40,300 --> 00:05:44,500
Um, it's launching in the UK. So that's the first thing I want to point out. Um, it's not available
66
00:05:44,500 --> 00:05:49,600
as of yet in the U.S. but these things somehow eventually make their ways here, whether you're
67
00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:54,140
buying them through auctions or getting them shipped from international retailers. But this
68
00:05:54,140 --> 00:05:59,020
is a really cool release. It's from Whiskey Craft. It's their first permanent core expression.
69
00:05:59,020 --> 00:06:05,320
It is fully matured in first-fill bourbon casks and bottled at 92 proof. So while it's not quite
70
00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:10,020
as high of proof as we've seen these other releases, it's still pretty above average for a
71
00:06:10,020 --> 00:06:15,560
Scotch whiskey release. But what's incredibly not average is the fact that this is a 21 year old
72
00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:24,700
release being released at 85 pounds. That's roughly $112 for a 21 year old Scotch whiskey. Now me
73
00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:29,140
personally, I'm not the biggest fan of Highland Scotches. It's just not my favorite region,
74
00:06:29,300 --> 00:06:35,320
but if you are, this would be a great entry point into some of their higher aged products. So if
75
00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,720
you're not familiar with Whiskey Craft, they were just founded back in 2025 and their goal is to
76
00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:44,980
share distinctive Scotch whiskey from all five regions carefully selected for taste character
77
00:06:44,980 --> 00:06:50,060
and purpose in mind. So I have a good feeling the reason that this price is so affordable for
78
00:06:50,060 --> 00:06:54,320
this bottle is they're not disclosing which Highland distillery it actually came from.
79
00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,140
Like I said, it's the first core expression of their lineup and they probably have a contract
80
00:06:59,140 --> 00:07:03,900
in place where they can't tell you where it's from. But again, being able to get a 21 year old
81
00:07:03,900 --> 00:07:09,680
Scotch for $115, $120 is pretty incredible. So if you are a fan of Highland Scotches,
82
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:14,040
definitely check this one out. I think they might be a new competitor for some of my favorite
83
00:07:14,460 --> 00:07:19,100
single barrel selects or blending houses in Scotland, whether it be Douglas Laing or Compass
84
00:07:19,100 --> 00:07:23,480
Box. Whiskey Craft is a newcomer in the mix, but they seem to have their stuff figured out being
85
00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:29,000
able to offer something so special at such a low price. So before we move on to another new
86
00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,000
bottle, I did want to spend a minute talking about the fire that happened at Glenns Creek
87
00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,960
Distillery last week. If you didn't hear, there was a fire that started on September 30th in the
88
00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:43,100
afternoon at the former Old Crow property. Three buildings were completely destroyed,
89
00:07:43,220 --> 00:07:48,320
including two historic brick rick houses. Now the good news is there were no injuries reported
90
00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:53,580
and there were not actually any barrels being stored in these rick houses. So one, we didn't
91
00:07:53,580 --> 00:07:59,300
lose any precious whiskey, but we also didn't have it blow up into a massive catastrophe that
92
00:07:59,300 --> 00:08:04,160
it could have happened if these rick houses were full of bourbon. We've seen so many distillery
93
00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:09,680
fires and just seeing how quickly that spreads when these highly flammable barrels are just
94
00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:15,580
stored with, you know, pure fuel with the bourbon inside. So that's really, really positive. It is
95
00:08:15,580 --> 00:08:21,080
unfortunate that we did lose those historic rick houses, but again, no injuries and they're back
96
00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,920
open for business as of October 2nd. Huge shout out to the fire departments that fought that fire,
97
00:08:26,020 --> 00:08:31,340
including fire marshal, Matthew Marshall, clever name, but I do want to say a special thank you
98
00:08:31,340 --> 00:08:36,320
and shout out to those first responders who tamed that fire and really made sure everyone was safe.
99
00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:41,580
So glad to hear it. I'm glad to see that they are back open. All right. Well, for our last whiskey
100
00:08:41,580 --> 00:08:47,580
story, Dalmore has something that ties in really closely with today's byte-sized review. So they've
101
00:08:47,580 --> 00:08:53,720
just announced their Cigar Malt Signature Reserve, and this one's coming in at 18 years old. This is
102
00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:58,580
going to be a new permanent addition to their lineup at about 299 pounds, which equates to
103
00:08:58,580 --> 00:09:04,440
almost 400 U.S. dollars. So definitely a huge jump in price. Now this was going to be 92 proof,
104
00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:10,500
and it's going to be using ex-bourbon casks for the maturation along with Oloroso Sherry, Marsala,
105
00:09:10,500 --> 00:09:16,860
Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc barrels. So this was being marketed for cigar pairing and
106
00:09:16,860 --> 00:09:22,180
drinking on its own, and it's going to be released on October 19th. Again, Dalmore is not a brand
107
00:09:22,180 --> 00:09:26,640
that I'm super familiar with. I really haven't had many of their expressions, but I am curious
108
00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:32,420
to see this new cigar trend making its way over to international whiskey. You know, we see a lot
109
00:09:32,420 --> 00:09:38,320
of cigar blends, bourbons and rise, but I don't think I've ever seen a cigar blend scotch. The
110
00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:45,720
Dalmore Cigar Malt was actually introduced back in 1999. So it was discontinued in 2009, but came back out
111
00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:50,400
on the market without an age statement in 2012. So this is the first time we're seeing it return
112
00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:54,800
with an age statement, which is really exciting. So they've been doing it for a while. I just feel
113
00:09:54,800 --> 00:10:00,700
like this is the only cigar malt or cigar cask influence I've seen in the world of scotch. I
114
00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:04,920
usually just see it on American whiskey. So really cool to see it come back out with an age statement.
115
00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:11,160
And of course it's a very premium product, but it does lead in nicely to this week's Byte-Sized
116
00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:24,230
review. All right. Well, today I'm reviewing the new Cigar Sessions #2 from Penelope.
117
00:10:24,530 --> 00:10:28,850
I want to give a huge shout out to the folks over at Penelope who sent me this bottle for review,
118
00:10:28,850 --> 00:10:34,210
but this year's release is special because it was crafted in collaboration with renowned cigar
119
00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:38,930
makers, Alec Bradley. If you've been around whiskeytube for a while, you know, Alec Bradley
120
00:10:38,930 --> 00:10:43,830
partners with a lot of channels from Bourbon Junkies to a few other smaller channels as well.
121
00:10:44,090 --> 00:10:48,930
They're really big in the Whiskeytube community. So again, thank you to those folks who sent me
122
00:10:48,930 --> 00:10:54,910
this sample to review along with some Alec Bradley cigars. So it makes this particular cigar blend
123
00:10:54,910 --> 00:11:00,470
interesting is rather than pairing an existing whiskey with a cigar. After the fact, the teams
124
00:11:00,470 --> 00:11:06,150
work together to develop a whiskey with the depth and intensity to stand alongside medium to full
125
00:11:06,150 --> 00:11:13,350
cigars. So this one's being bottled at 117.4 proof and aged six years old, and it's out now for a
126
00:11:13,350 --> 00:11:19,750
price of $79.99. Now this particular release has a unique mash bill of 69% corn,
127
00:11:19,890 --> 00:11:25,770
19% rye, and 12% malted barley, and it's being made in small batches. So I will say that this
128
00:11:25,770 --> 00:11:33,710
is not a first impression review. I actually had this last night out on my patio with one of the Alec Bradley cigars. In particular I had the
129
00:11:33,710 --> 00:11:38,730
Black Market, which is a four out of five in terms of fullness on their scale. Now,
130
00:11:38,730 --> 00:11:43,910
these are Honduras cigars. And as someone that has only really smoked cigars on occasion,
131
00:11:44,170 --> 00:11:50,410
I'm really not a pro and giving a full cigar review, but I am a fan of good pairing. So I
132
00:11:50,410 --> 00:11:54,970
went out last night just after sunset. Yes, it was still incredibly warm, but you got to do what
133
00:11:54,970 --> 00:12:01,910
you got to do, right? And I poured myself a pretty tall glass of this Penelope Chapter Two, lit up the cigar
134
00:12:01,910 --> 00:12:07,910
and just enjoyed myself some quiet time winding down after a long day. And I will say it was very
135
00:12:07,910 --> 00:12:12,990
nice. The cigar smoked on par with some of the best cigars I've had. And like I said, I'm not
136
00:12:12,990 --> 00:12:17,530
a cigar expert, so I'm really not the best person to be reviewing it. But based on everything I've
137
00:12:17,530 --> 00:12:22,430
heard about Alec Bradley and just the one that I happen to have, I see why there's so much hype
138
00:12:22,430 --> 00:12:27,830
around it. It's really good quality and nothing beats a good quality cigar, like a good bourbon
139
00:12:27,830 --> 00:12:33,210
pairing. So when I drank the Penelope Cigar Sessions Chapter Two alongside it, it actually
140
00:12:33,210 --> 00:12:37,530
was incredibly complimentary. You know, sometimes when you have a cigar pairing or any kind of
141
00:12:37,530 --> 00:12:41,770
pairing, really, whether it's like a wine and food pairing or a chocolate and wine pairing,
142
00:12:42,010 --> 00:12:45,570
you don't want the flavors to distract from each other, but you also don't want the flavors to be
143
00:12:45,570 --> 00:12:50,210
so similar. And that's what I love about this particular release. It's almost like they are
144
00:12:50,210 --> 00:12:55,230
meant to be together. The bourbon itself isn't as rich and dark as you might think it would be
145
00:12:55,230 --> 00:13:00,970
based on some other cigar blend or cigar cask bourbons. To me, this one actually drank quite
146
00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:07,490
a bit brighter and it was complimentary to those dark tobacco notes from the cigar. So I really
147
00:13:07,490 --> 00:13:11,310
enjoyed going back and forth from the bourbon to the cigar, you know, back to the bourbon.
148
00:13:11,630 --> 00:13:16,030
It was really an enjoyable experience. And as someone that only usually smokes cigars when I'm
149
00:13:16,030 --> 00:13:20,790
with my other whiskey friends at a meetup or, you know, just over at their houses, I rarely smoke
150
00:13:20,790 --> 00:13:26,390
alone at my place, but I got to say it was a really nice relaxing time. So cheers to the folks
151
00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:31,730
at Alec Bradley for sending these cigars. If you are curious about these and their other releases,
152
00:13:31,870 --> 00:13:37,210
you can go to alecbradley.com. Like I said, the one I had last night was their Black Market release.
153
00:13:37,530 --> 00:13:41,670
They have a Find Alec Bradley link on their website where you can type in your zip code
154
00:13:41,670 --> 00:13:48,710
and find the nearest location to pick those up. But you know how we do a Byte-Sized review. I'm
155
00:13:48,710 --> 00:13:52,730
going to break down the nose palette and finish for you guys. By the way, if you've not watched
156
00:13:52,730 --> 00:13:56,930
my YouTube channel, I've interviewed the folks from Penelope at least two times. They've come
157
00:13:56,930 --> 00:14:01,410
on the channel and been such incredible guests. I think both of those times were before they were
158
00:14:01,410 --> 00:14:07,850
owned by MGP at the time they were just, you know, sourcing from them. So definitely check those out.
159
00:14:07,910 --> 00:14:13,190
They are such a cool group of people and I just love their passion behind the brand. So let's go
160
00:14:13,190 --> 00:14:20,370
ahead and give a nose to the Cigar Sessions Chapter 2. Huh, it's interesting on its own because when I
161
00:14:20,370 --> 00:14:25,630
was pairing it with the cigar, I got a lot of brighter, fruitier notes, at least maybe on the
162
00:14:25,630 --> 00:14:30,350
palette. Maybe that'll come a bit later. It's still very sweet like I imagined it that night.
163
00:14:30,610 --> 00:14:35,330
It's not super dark on the oak. It's definitely spicy. That high rye in that mash bill is
164
00:14:35,330 --> 00:14:40,570
definitely showing up on the nose. It's got some cinnamon, some cardamom, almost a little bit of
165
00:14:40,570 --> 00:14:47,370
a fennel kind of note as well. It's giving holiday spice on its own, but mixed with a really nice
166
00:14:47,370 --> 00:14:52,350
sweet brown sugar note. I think that sweetness will carry through on its own as well as with
167
00:14:52,350 --> 00:14:59,460
that cigar the other night. So let's go ahead and give it a taste. Cheers. Oh yeah, that's what I
168
00:14:59,460 --> 00:15:06,040
remember. It's so sweet and creamy on the mouthfeel, but it's not heavy. You know, sometimes we think
169
00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:11,080
of creamy and like full mouthfeel, kind of the same thing, but this is more of like a vanilla cream,
170
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,580
like a vanilla cream icing on a cake, a little bit of strawberry there as well. That's what I was
171
00:15:15,580 --> 00:15:20,340
picking up while I was smoking a cigar. There's some really great red fruitiness on this. And
172
00:15:20,340 --> 00:15:24,920
while on its own, it's not as apparent, but when you're doing that pairing, it's just fantastic.
173
00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:30,460
It explodes out of this whiskey. I'm also getting a little bit of like frosted corn flakes. I don't
174
00:15:30,460 --> 00:15:34,180
know if that's a specific note, but it's definitely kind of reminding of like a morning breakfast
175
00:15:34,180 --> 00:15:40,060
cereal. That grain is really there, but it's not in a way that I see as a downside on some scotches.
176
00:15:40,060 --> 00:15:44,700
It's not coming across as like a young grain, but more of just, I'm tasting the grain and I'm
177
00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:51,260
tasting that combined with a sweet sugary coating that actually works really, really well. I would
178
00:15:51,260 --> 00:15:55,260
say on its own, it kind of drinks like a dessert whiskey. And that's kind of a good thing because
179
00:15:55,260 --> 00:15:59,080
I don't know about, you know, you guys, but usually I think smoking cigars is something
180
00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,220
you do after dinner, just as a way to wind down. I think this would be a great pairing with that
181
00:16:03,220 --> 00:16:06,800
because it's like, you're getting your dessert, you have your cigar and you're just really winding
182
00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:13,120
down from a good day or a bad day. And with that, I mean the finish, it's still brown sugar,
183
00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:18,060
a little bit chocolatey as well. That creaminess kind of goes from like a milk chocolate on the
184
00:16:18,060 --> 00:16:22,980
mid palette to like a darker chocolate on the finish. I think the oak is really showing up on
185
00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:26,360
the back end there. You know, I don't get it too much on the nose or the palette itself,
186
00:16:26,940 --> 00:16:32,760
but really on the finish, you can tell that this has been really nuanced and targeted with those
187
00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:37,980
profiles. They don't want to overwhelm you with like the tobacco or the leather, things like that,
188
00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:41,880
that you would get on some older bourbons because this is meant to be paired with cigars. It's not
189
00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:45,580
meant to replicate the flavor of cigars. And I think that's what makes this different. I think
190
00:16:45,580 --> 00:16:51,180
some brands go for trying to replicate those cigar notes, whether it be the tobacco, the old library
191
00:16:51,180 --> 00:16:56,720
note that I sometimes say, or even just, you know, leather, things like that, that I associate with a
192
00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,420
cigar. This doesn't necessarily have those, but I think that's intentional. I really think this is
193
00:17:01,420 --> 00:17:05,859
meant to be paired with that cigar. That way you're not duplicating up on those flavors because,
194
00:17:05,980 --> 00:17:09,060
I mean, you don't want a wine that tastes like the food you're eating, right? You want something
195
00:17:09,060 --> 00:17:15,140
that's complimentary. And to me, this works as an exceptional pairing to whatever cigar you're
196
00:17:15,140 --> 00:17:19,480
smoking out there, particularly Alec Bradley cigars, hashtag not sponsored, but they did
197
00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:25,339
send some. So, you know, I got to mention it, but yeah, overall really nice release. I've always been
198
00:17:25,339 --> 00:17:30,000
a fan of Penelope. I don't think that they've put out a release that I I've hated. I know some of
199
00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:35,660
their cask finishing, like the rum cask were a little bit, you know, not my favorite. They weren't
200
00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:39,760
bad, but they weren't my favorite, but I think this gets back to the roots of what I love about them.
201
00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:44,400
I'll also note that when I was drinking it with the cigar, I feel like it drank even lower proof.
202
00:17:44,500 --> 00:17:48,340
I think it's because my palate was already being overwhelmed by all the flavors of the cigar, but
203
00:17:48,340 --> 00:17:52,680
drinking on its own, you can really feel that proof. But last night, I honestly, I thought it
204
00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:59,980
was really an easy sipper and it still is, but I mean, you can tell it's 117 plus proof. So now it's
205
00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:04,360
time to give it a score. Like I said, here on the Byte-Sized Review, we keep it simple. We just give
206
00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:10,560
one score overall considering price, availability, proof, palate finish, all those things. This one
207
00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:16,940
coming in at $79.99. It is a six year release, but it is a high proof release. That doesn't mean that
208
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:23,100
it's not good by any means. Actually for it being only a six year bourbon, it has a lot more flavor
209
00:18:23,100 --> 00:18:28,600
and character than other six year MGP expressions I've had. It really does stand out. And I think
210
00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:33,420
the cigar pairing is a bonus. I don't think you need the cigar pairing. You don't need to be a
211
00:18:33,420 --> 00:18:37,700
cigar smoker to enjoy this. Just know that if you're not having it with a cigar, you're not
212
00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:42,160
going to find those specific cigar flavor notes on the whiskey itself. Like I said, I think it's
213
00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:46,980
meant to be a pairing, not to be a dupe of a cigar. So this is going to be a little weird.
214
00:18:47,060 --> 00:18:51,500
I'm going to give it two scores, one on its own and one as a pairing. I'm just going to feel like
215
00:18:51,500 --> 00:18:55,460
it's fair to do it that way because I did it as a pairing. I don't always do this, but for this
216
00:18:55,460 --> 00:18:59,980
special release, we're going to give it a try on its own. I do quite enjoy this. I love the flavor
217
00:18:59,980 --> 00:19:06,200
profile. Does it taste to me like an $80 bourbon? That's a little hard to justify on its own.
218
00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:09,980
I think there's some other bourbons you could get for quite a bit cheaper than that. That'll give
219
00:19:09,980 --> 00:19:16,060
you a similar experience, even some from Penelope's own lineup. So with that being said, the bourbon
220
00:19:16,060 --> 00:19:22,160
itself, I'm going to give it a six out of 10. I think it's solid. It's enjoyable. It's one that
221
00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:27,540
I absolutely love drinking. I've already been enjoying the bottle quite a bit, but I think
222
00:19:27,540 --> 00:19:32,180
this really shines when you do it as a pairing. When you combine it with a good cigar and you're
223
00:19:32,180 --> 00:19:37,700
having it as a companion to that cigar, they've nailed that pairing. I would bump this up to an
224
00:19:37,700 --> 00:19:42,720
eight out of 10 with the cigar pairing. I think it just works really well. And even though it's,
225
00:19:42,820 --> 00:19:47,520
you know, a six-year-old bourbon, I think that that does even better than an older bourbon
226
00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:51,160
because once you get older, you start duplicating some of those notes you find in cigars and
227
00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,860
you really, I don't see the point of smoking something and tasting something that are the
228
00:19:55,860 --> 00:20:00,480
same flavor profile. So to me, that's actually a win with it being, you know, a little bit younger,
229
00:20:00,860 --> 00:20:05,540
a little bit brighter, fruitier. The price still is what's holding its back there. I think, you
230
00:20:05,540 --> 00:20:10,660
know, there might be other cigar blends that you want to try otherwise, but those are even more
231
00:20:10,660 --> 00:20:15,640
pricey. So I think as a cigar pairing, I think eight out of 10 is solid. It's definitely one
232
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,860
that you want to try, but if you are not a cigar smoker or you just want to pick this up based on
233
00:20:19,860 --> 00:20:24,900
whiskey alone, it's going to be a six out of 10 for me. Really good, but a bit overpriced for what
234
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:29,720
I'm getting out of the whiskey experience alone. But again, thank you to the folks at Penelope
235
00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:34,300
and Alec Bradley for sending this over for review. It's the first time I've done a pairing like this
236
00:20:34,300 --> 00:20:40,000
on the channel. If you want me to do more of them, just let me know, whether it be cigars or snacks
237
00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:46,260
or food or wine, you know, I I'm open to the possibility of pairings. I'm not an expert by any
238
00:20:46,260 --> 00:20:50,180
means at anything other than whiskey, not that I'm even a whiskey expert, but I'm just saying
239
00:20:50,740 --> 00:20:55,320
my knowledge of whiskey is a lot deeper than it is or things even, even wine. You know,
240
00:20:55,320 --> 00:21:00,220
I live in Southern California. I've really grown such an appreciation for wine, particularly red
241
00:21:00,220 --> 00:21:05,480
wine, but my skill level is, uh, very much. I wouldn't say beginner, but maybe intermediate,
242
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:10,000
I would say for wine. But if you want me to do more pairings, let me know. I'm always open to
243
00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,580
suggestions here on the channel. Speaking of which you can leave a comment on YouTube or come hang
244
00:21:14,580 --> 00:21:19,360
out with us on discord. You can go to bourbonbytes.com for those links, the merch and
245
00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:25,060
information on joining the Byte Club to support the channel for as little as $2 a month. If you've
246
00:21:25,060 --> 00:21:29,320
happened to try the Cigar Sessions Chapter Two, let me know what you think. And if you're a cigar
247
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:34,780
smoker, I'd be curious what your ideal whiskey and cigar pairing is. That about does it for today.
248
00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:39,100
Thank you all for supporting the show and coming back week to week. This has been the Bourbon Bytes
249
00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:44,600
Podcast, a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist. Cheers. And I'll talk to you next episode.
