145. Peerless Rye Aged in Absinthe Barrels

Welcome to another trip down the Bourbon Road with your hosts, Jim and Mike. So grab a glass of your favorite bourbon and kick back.

We would like to thank our friends at Premium Bar Products for sponsoring this episode. If you're ready to step up your game at your home bar, check out premiumbarproducts.com to choose from their wide selection of glassware, all of which can be custom engraved with your personal message or logo. And there's no minimum order. So after the episode, head over to premiumbarproducts.com and check out everything they have to offer. Now let's get on with the show. Hello everybody. I'm Jim Shannon and I'm Mike Hyatt and this is the bourbon road and we're coming from all parts of the internet. Right, Mike? I mean, I'm, I'm at my place. You're at yours. We're over stream yard. We've been talking lately, how we kind of want to get back out there, but tonight the schedules just didn't quite work. Did they?

Yeah, I mean, we both got full-time jobs. It's springtime. So, you know, both of us have farms. I actually stopped by your house and there was a plethora of stuff going on over there, right? Some barn works going on. Your dogs are digging holes in the yard and you can't figure out why they're digging that hole there. We talked about that for a while. I've just pruned my orchard and actually thinking about planting more fruit trees. Plums, right? Plum trees, yeah. I actually looked at some plum trees today. But just a plethora of work going on and then we got our full-time jobs. But yeah, just the schedules are, it's tough.

But anyway, so today you have brought, you actually drove it to my house. You brought a bottle. It's pretty exciting. It's something I've never tried before. It's a flavor that, well, it's a combination of flavors that I've never tried before. I would say that's probably true for many bourbon drinkers out there. This is a finished rye that really steps out of the box, right?

Yeah. Whenever I got told about this, I kind of got excited and I knew that you would be very interested in being a real rye drinker and a classic spirit that not a lot of people know that much about, right? It was outlawed for several years. It's just in the nineties and the two thousands has been, the ban has been lifted on it and it's people are starting to produce it. So peerless, you know, I went down and visited them and that's going to be the show on Wednesday with Corky. and Cordell from Peerless, well, they offered up a bottle of it. So they take this home and try it out. And I said, you know what? Me and Jim should do a review on this. So this would be our highest dollar bottle, I think, ever reviewed. $129 to him.

So this is the highest dollar bottle ever reviewed on a craft distillery Monday episode.

I'm pretty positive. I don't think we did anything more expensive than this.

I think you're probably right. I think you're right. So Wednesday we're going to have peerless on. You went down, you spent the day with Corky. You guys had a great time. You recorded an episode. You got to drink, uh, the standard expressions from peerless and talk to Corky who's an amazing person. Really look forward to hear that episode. I haven't heard it yet. You were there. I didn't get to go this time.

I took a roadie in your place. And Steve Johnson, if you're out there listening to this, I hope you had a great day. You got to see the insides of a podcast and how we set up and how we record. He got to meet Corky and he's a big Almond Brothers fan. And for people that I don't know. Corky was roommates with Almond Brothers and Al Gore in a prep school, military prep school. So you're going to want to catch that episode for sure.

Oh, that'll be interesting. I can't wait. So tell us about what's in our glass today.

So this is Peerless's rye whiskey, the standard expression, finished in an absence barrel from Copper and Kings here in Louisville, Kentucky.

So if you're coming to Kentucky, definitely want to visit Peerless. Definitely want to go to Copper and Kings, both great places in downtown Louisville. But Absinthe, Absinthe has got this mystique around it, right? I mean, for so many years it was banned in the US. It's this mystical drink that has this mystical potion, this magical content that's supposed to have mind blowing effects. And that was all disproven quite a time ago, right? I mean, but it's it's something that's got a lot of history, right?

Yeah, the Swiss kind of embraced it and they were drinking it. And then the French started drinking it. And, you know, all of a sudden all these famous artists are drinking it. Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, Van Gogh. I could go down that list and you're going like, man, all these people with these just talented minds.

are drinking this stuff what's wrong with it and people call it the green fairy so it to me it's very intriguing so absence can be it is green normally but it can also be clear but i mean in a nutshell what's absent absent is an anus flavored spirit

Well, I think when you start nosing this, you're going to tell right away it is kind of licorice, which anise is kind of a licorice, black licorice. Some people would think this is a liqueur, but it's not. There's no sugar added to it. Traditionally, people usually have like a little drop of pure water to put in it. very high-proofed. I've seen people drink it before. We've actually had a bottle at the house. It was a little bit different. And that bottle was brought over from Europe. So I'm interested in this thing, Jim. I think it's something different I gotta say hats off to Copper and King and Peerless for doing a collaboration. A lot of people out there are doing that with beer and rum and wine. Why not? Why not with something else?

I think we should check it out.

Let's do it. All right. Man, you get those notes of licorice, right?

Oh my gosh. That's, that's not just a little bit. That's like, that takes over the whiskey. I mean, it's, it's definitely all about the absence and that nose.

Yeah, it's, uh, something amazing there. I can get some caramels and sugars in there, but mainly that licorice, um, almost those licorice jelly beans, you know, you would have on your grandma's table and everybody would eat all the other ones. And only thing would be left in that bowl would be the black ones. Why do people do that?

I think I've nailed this nose. I know exactly what it is. Have you ever had spring release? No, I've never had that before. So they're, they're small German cookies. They're usually kind of have some embossed, um, picture or what they do is they roll them, they roll out the dough of the cookie and then they, they impress a, uh, like a, a figurine on it or something, they let it dry and then they bake it. And that way the impression of the figurine stays true in it. But they're springerlies. My grandmother used to have them when I was younger. And this smells just like a springerly cookie from Germany.

I bet Vivian knows what that is. She probably does for everybody that don't know out there that Vivian, my wife, she is a half German. Her mom was born in Germany and she grew up most of her life in Germany with her dad being in the Air Force. So she speaks fluent German and she can read German and she dang sure knows how to cook German. So I'm glad that she has all that. The other half of her is Venezuelan. Yeah. What a mix. I got a spicy woman.

Yeah. That's all about spring early cookies. I'll have to grab a box of those sometime and treat you to them. I'm sure Viv's had them though.

I was trying to see what else I get in there, but that, that licorice just takes us over. Like you said, takes us rye whiskey over. Um, almost that candy note in there.

Very sweet. So the three ingredients, in addition to the alcohol, the three ingredients that sort of make Absinthe are anise, wormwood, and fennel, right? Yeah. So most of us have had anise and fennel. Wormwood's the other one that we're not too familiar with, I'm sure. But the three of those combined with a high alcohol content basically makes absent.

Well, let's taste this thing, Jim. I know you're dying to taste it. I'm ready. Let's do it.

All right. Well, on the palate, that's no spring early cookie.

Super sweet. Yeah. What you expect almost like a, uh, black licorice, the core, um, just a tad bit of spice rolling down, but not a whole lot.

Reminds me a lot of Uzo. Now Uzo is another one of those drinks that not everybody has tried, but it's, it's definitely a Nannis. It's a, it's a Greek drink. I think where they all go, Oh, they're holding, they're holding up the Uzo.

I think you ever had any Yeager master? Yes. This is like a whiskey Yeager master. Almost a man very sweet on the palette. You know, that, that licorice black licorice is just taking this over. Um, spice long finish on this. It is sticking with me, Jim. I don't know about you, but, um, very viscous. What's the proof on this gym 111.8.

So that's, that's pretty respectable proof. Yeah. Yeah. Now, typically the absence or anywhere between 50 and 90% alcohol. So they're pretty high proof anyway. And you normally don't drink those straight. You know, you kind of an absence you'll take and put a little bit in a glass and then they've got this little spoon you put over the glass and you set your sugar cube on it. And then you pour chilled water over the sugar cube and it kind of clouds up the absence and makes that green fairy you were talking about.

Well, I could see seeing some green fairies if you drink a whole bottle of this. You'd be dancing around the campfire down this summer. We should put this back, Jim, and drink it around the campfire this summer and see how many people like it. This would be a good campfire sipper. It's only available at the distillery and at Copper and King, but I'll tell you this. Kentucky changed some laws here recently, just recently, right? And so they can ship their whiskey out of there now and they are shipping.

And the distillers are coming on one at a time as they start to figure out how to make this work. But Peerless is one of the first to adopt shipping out of their gift shop, right?

Yeah, it's pretty awesome. I belong to Alaska Bourbon Society. And because I got a bunch of friends up there and they were excited that they could get peerless. Now it cost them in Alaska a little bit more because, you know, they're in Alaska. It's almost like being in another country over there. Everything usually comes in either by air or by container ship. So they do got to pay that extra dollar for there. but I'm glad that Peerless embraced that. They figured it out really quick. You'll hear some talk about some of that on this episode coming up. Do you get anything else out of this, Jim?

Mike, I'm having a hard time getting anything else, but the, the absence finish on it. I think, um, for me, this is an after dinner drink. This is something that I would sip on after a meal. Uh, I would finish like, uh, a cognac or a grappa. This would be perfect for that. I think you can't really drink it with food because it's so overpowering. You probably can't have it as a before dinner drink. This is probably an after dinner drink for me. Or just not eating, just sipping by the fire would be good as well, I think.

Yeah, I'm right there with you, Jim. This is definitely a almost a dessert whiskey to me. And I know people say that deserves it whiskey. That's not even a thing. But to me, like you said, that is a thing. And you kind of want that sweetness instead of eating a dessert. kind of drinking your dessert, right? And you can set this and just kind of sip it, enjoy it for what it is. Very special expression from Peerless. I got to say hats off to you guys over there at Peerless for doing something like this. Something a little bit magical. I do get a little bit of citrus on this, Jim, just a tad bit, like a tangerine zest or something. When I first take that sip and that bite, that's where I'm getting that spice from. Because usually licorice isn't spicy, right? Right. It's just sweet. But other than that, man, this thing just sticks with you. Such a long lingering finish. Beautiful.

Um, yeah, the finishes, the finishes forever on this. I mean, forever. I think I'll go to, I'll go to bed tonight. I'll wake up tomorrow morning and I'll still be tasting this in the morning. And it's, it's, it's a pleasant taste.

I mean, I like, are you going to, are you going to gargle with it after you brush your teeth? Might as well. Yeah. One of the things I've been noticing, Jim, lately on social media is all these other podcasts out there, YouTube channels, TikTok, you name it. People that don't live here in Kentucky, they get real excited when they get to come to Kentucky and make a trip and they make these posts about it. And I started thinking about that and I was like, man, why don't me and Jim ever make those posts like that? Well, that's cause we're here in Kentucky. We don't, we don't get excited about coming to Kentucky daily.

Well, I mean, I'm excited to live here. I mean, I'm, I'm glad I live here. I'm very excited that I can go out, hop in my car and be at any number of major distilleries within 20 minutes.

Yeah, I think that's something awesome. Really mean you can be at a distillery in about less than 10 minutes because we've got two right in our backyard, Bullet and Jep the Creed, which is super nice to have. But even for me to drive downtown for work all the time, you know, it's easy for me to stop by I could stop by angels, envy for old Forrester and um, mickers and peerless all probably in the afternoon right before I go to work.

Now you'd literally work about what? Five blocks from peerless.

I'd say it's five blocks from Peerless down by the river. So really, Michter's and Peerless are right there. And then, you know, Evan Williams, all those distilleries are just right there at my pickings if I want to stop by there. Sometimes I forget about it, you know, but hats off to those guys that live out of state here and they have to make trips down here. I can tell the Bourbon Trail is about to be booming. with people making that bourbon pilgrimage to the bluegrass state.

Well, cheers to Peerless, Corky, Caleb, the crew down there at Peerless. Also our friends over at Copper and Kings. I think this collaboration on this bottle has been amazing. Those are two places to definitely visit when you come to town. Now, Copper and Kings, they don't really do bourbon there. They don't do whiskeys there, but they do brandies. Obviously they do absinthe, right?

Yeah, you could get a bottle of that there and, uh, take it home and try to see if you can find that green fairy, um, chase it around a campfire like I do.

Love it when we have peerless on definitely, uh, encourage everyone to stop by on Wednesday, listen to the bourbon road, listen to Mike's interview with Corky. I think it's going to be pretty amazing. Uh, it's always a great time when we get to visit with the folks at peerless.

Most definitely.

So for this bottle, Mike, it is, it is pricey. So, um, $129 you said, right? Yup. Um, for me, a great zipper, an interesting pour, something that you've probably not had before. For the price, kind of expensive. You may want to grab a pour as part of a tour at Peerless. You might want to pick up a bottle there if you get a chance. If you're not planning on coming to the Bourbon Trail, maybe order a bottle. But again, price is a little restrictive there, isn't it, Mike?

Yeah, I think you're right, Jim. On all those points, here's something that I see a lot of friends doing lately with those high-price bottles and they can't afford it themselves or they don't want to pull that trigger is find three other buddies, three other girlfriends and, uh, go ahead and purchase a bottle and share it amongst your team there. A lot of people are doing that. That's a good way to afford a bottle like this, but a very special bottle. You might want to try it. Like you said, at the gift shop, they actually have a tasting bar in there. After you do the tour, you can go in there and taste it. You're not going to find this on a lot of bars, but at $129 for a higher proof. I like that, that they went ahead and made it 111. Where some other people would prove that down to 80 or something and take that magic out of the whiskey. It's definitely magical. Not going to be for everybody, but something to try.

Yeah. But if you're somebody that likes to explore a little bit, try something new. Um, this is definitely something that will take you by surprise. And, uh, I think it's well-crafted.

Yeah. Caleb over there, I got to give it to them and their team. Um, they kind of do blending by a team over there and, um, they put some magic in the bottle. Is there green fairy in there? I definitely think there's a green fairy inside that bottle roaming around. Pick up a bottle today online from Peerless. Check out our episode on Wednesday. Speaking of that, Jim, where can we be found on social media?

Well, we are at the Bourbon Road on all the social media outlets. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. You find us on YouTube. We actually have some videos on there now. You can also find us on tick tock. We've got a couple of videos going up this week.

You can also find us on our website, the bourbon road.com. You can find our episodes on there. You can find our swag on there. Um, go in there and check it out. We actually have a 10% off or our private. Bourbon Group, the Bourbon Roadies. I'll talk about that in a minute. But also on our website, you can see articles we write on there, our reviews, some photos. There's actually a comment section on there where you can tell us what you want to hear on the episode, what we can do better. You want to reach out to us, you can reach out to us on there. As I was saying, Jim, we have a private Facebook group, right?

Yeah, we do have a private Facebook group, the Bourbon Roadies. In order to join the group, And first of all, let me tell you, we've got like 1600 like-minded people in there. I call them family. I think they're like family, right, Mike?

Oh, most definitely. The nicest people you could associate with. And that mainly that's because we have a couple of rules in there that we try to follow. We want everybody else to follow. Are you a 21? Do you like bourbon? And do you agree to play nice? Meaning we don't tolerate any rudeness. If somebody wants to put in a bottle like this from Peerless, that's a finished rye whiskey, We want you to appreciate them for that if they want to put a bottle of Jim Beam in there or let's say a bottle of Rebel Yale. Whatever they want to put in there, let them put it in there. Let them tell you about their experience. Whether they're just starting out on the Bourbon Road or several miles down it like me and Jim.

It's way okay to say, not my jam. It's way okay to say, yeah, tried it, didn't like it. Don't come down, don't smother somebody, don't rain on their parade is probably the best way to put it. So Mike, we do two shows a week. We do a short episode every Monday, like today's episode, where we talk about a craft distillery or a big boy or somebody doing something a little bit out of the box. Today was definitely out of the box.

No doubt about it.

On every Wednesday, we do a full-length episode where we have a guest on. Sometimes it's just Mike and I, but sometimes we'll have a guest on and we'll deep dive into who they are and what makes them interesting to our listeners.

But you know, we always want to hear from people. Sure. We want to hear from you. We want you first to subscribe to our podcast. So go up there and hit that subscribe button and scroll on down and leave us a review. Hopefully it's a five star. You know, we like those five star reviews makes my head swell up, but go ahead and leave us a one star. If you have to just tell us how we can do better, what we can do better on the podcast, what you want to hear, who you want to be a guest on the show. Um, me and Jim will try to make it happen.

That's right. And you can always reach out to us. I'm available on Instagram at J Shannon 63. I'm one big chief and we will see you down. You know you can't drink whiskey without glassware and Mike and I are extremely pleased to have a sponsor like Premium Bar Products. Premium Bar Products offers direct to consumer the finest whiskey glasses, cocktail glasses, and bar tools with your own personal engraving. I mean, you can write anything you want on these glasses, anything from a company logo to a personal statement. And there are no minimum orders. Their direct consumer platform offers you the opportunity to purchase small quantities of your favorite glass shapes that enhance the pleasure of enjoyment and drinking a whiskey and make it all very positive. They offer the absolute finest trending and handmade classes as well as a comprehensive range of styles and all of their items have been designed with purpose, practicality and longevity in mind. So if you're a bourbon or whiskey group and you need custom logos, you need to reach out to premium bar products. If you're an individual, you just want a few for your bar to impress your friends, to give out as gifts, you need to call Premium Bar Products. They need to be your one and only source for custom glassware. I can tell you right now, the Bourbon Road, that's who we use. Janie and Carson and the team there at Premium Bar Products will take care of you. They'll treat you like family and they'll take care of you with every order.