Wakey Whiskey: Ole Smoky Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By Eric Ducote

Good morning Tiger fans and welcome to an undefeated week 2 and a huge jump in the polls following an ass whipping of Miami.  I'll admit, I didn't see that coming, I expected a good game and wouldn't have been shocked with a win or a loss, but going out to a 30-point lead on a top 10 team was unforeseen.  So I guess the question really is, was Miami overrated, was LSU underrated, or was it some combination of both?  I'm not a genius prognosticator, but with Southeastern Louisiana University (SELU) coming into Tiger Stadium this week, I feel like 2-0 is a strong possibility.  On a side note, Baton Rouge's Tin Roof Brewing and Hammond's Gnarly Barley Brewing put out a collaboration brew to commemorate the meeting of the two teams.  Tin Roof brews an official LSU licensed beer, and Gnarly Barley brews one licensed by SELU, so the collaboration makes perfect sense.  Look for that one out now and coming soon as a Feature Beer Friday?

Back to the wakey whiskey (#wakeywhiskey) though... last weekend I was in Knoxville for the game, and of course I hit up a local liquor store to buy a few local bottles.  I had already picked up a few directly from Postmodern Spirits in Knoxville proper, but I saw this bottle from Gatlinburg that caught my eye.  It's the Ole Smoky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the term "straight" means that in addition to all the qualifications for a bourbon, this one has been aged for at least two years. Ole Smoky primarily makes mooonshine, although more of the flavored variety as opposed to the illegal variety, but they also produce some flavored whiskeys and a few unflavored bourbons.   

Ole Smoky Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Now, the whiskey itself, because that's the important part, right?  The color is a little darker than caramel with a bit of an orange hint to it.  The smell is fairly muted, with hints of vanilla and oak but nothing too overpowering. The taste is a little on the harsh side at first, but once it settles down the typical bourbon flavors come out like corn sweetness, a bit of a mineral quality, a little vanilla, and the oak char comes out even stronger.  After a few sips neat to work out the palate, I added an ice sphere to see what opens up, and found first that the oak flavors on the aroma come through stronger than before.  On the tongue the initial harsh notes are reduced and then the whiskey flavors emerge with vanilla on the strong side.  I feel like this one benefits from the ice to open up the flavors.  

Not a bad pour, not the best I've ever had, but I'm all about trying new whiskeys and this one definitely has a place on my shelf.  Now, time for LSU to get to work and make it a 2-0 start.  Geaux Tigers!  

Feature Beer Friday: Pretentious Brewing IPA Flight

By Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone!  I recently returned to Baton Rouge from a long weekend trip to Knoxville, TN with Mandi and Brooks, and definitely took the opportunity to check out a handful of breweries, brewpubs, beer bars, and even a distillery that will be featured on an upcoming Wakey Whiskey post.   Knoxville, for being about the same size metro area as Baton Rouge, is killing us in the craft beer department, and we only made it to about half of the breweries in the area.  One of the best that we did get to try, my favorite was Pretentious Beer Company in the Old City neighborhood just to the North of downtown.  

Upon arrival I was impressed to see an array of beers on tap including multiple NEIPAs, so a flight was in order.  After careful consideration I opted for the #trendyAF, Waka Flocca Flame, Floc The Line, and the #supertrendyAF.  

A flight of NEIPAs at Pretentious Beer Co. 

All four of my selections are variants of NEIPA, with the "Floc" names being a play on the term flocculation, which is the suspension of the yeast in the beer that contributes to the haziness of the unfiltered NEIPA style.  Even though I wrotet hem down in one order, the bartender recommended a drinking order for me which happened to be the exact reverse of my selections, so I took her suggestion and started drinking right to left.  

Up first, the #trendyAF, which is a milkshake NEIPA (typically indicating the inclusion of lactose) with mosaic hops and pomegranate.  A deliciously hoppy and smooth beer, and the flight was off to a great start.  Up next was the Waka Flocca Flame, 7.1% and triple dry hopped with mosaic, giving a dank slightly onion-y bitterness.  Third on the lineup was the Floc The Line, 6.4% and triple dry hopped with galaxy, mosaic, and citra cryo hops, giving it a much more balanced and complex hop character than the Waka Flocca Flame.  Last up is the #supertrendyAF, which obviously is a variant of their #trendyAF milkshake NEIPA.  This variant features blood orange and vanilla, and is described as "taking creamsicle to the next level."  I found it a little on the sweet side, but also bitter and delicious, and it really reminded me (in a humbling way) of the Peach Hoppler Milkshake IPA that my team put together for the canceled Iron Brewer event.  We used peaches, cinnamon, and vanilla, and the sweet flavors worked extremely well with the hops, just like they do in this #supertrendyAF from Pretentious Beer Co.  

In the end I left extremely impressed, and I didn't even get past the NEIPA list before it was time to make our way to the next stop.  Next time you get the chance to swing through Knoxville, make this a stop on your tour, you won't be disappointed!  

Wakey Whiskey: Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

By Eric Ducote

Good morning all and HAPPY M'F'IN' GAMEDAY to you all!  We wait all off-season for this day with a bit of hope that this season is going to be the one.  This season LSU is going to beat Alabama, win the SEC, go to the playoffs, and win the WHOLE DAMN THING.  We also all know that this isn't likely, but hey, for now, I'm saying there's a chance.  LSU is starting off the season with the University of Miami, which is a tough test right out the gate, both for the Tigers and for my wakey whiskey selection.  I try to tie what I'm drinking in to who the team is playing, or where they are, or just something that makes a connection.  

Well, I don't have any Miami whiskey.  I don't even have any whiskey from the state of Florida.  Do they even make whiskey in Florida?  What's "Florida Man" up to these days anyway?  In the absence of a Miami connection, I had to go with the backup plan, base my selection off of where I am at the time.  Well it turns out for this Labor Day weekend I'm on vacation in Knoxville, Tennessee, and in the Bite and Booze collection just happened to be a bottle of Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey from the Sugarlands Distilling Company in nearby Gatlinburg.  

Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey

This is a blend of three barrels from the same batch that were all barreled at 118.42 proof back on May 29th, 2015, then aged for two years and five months prior to bottling at barrel strength.  The final proof on this whiskey is a robust 120.98 for 60.49% alcohol by volume.  As mentioned before, this is a straight rye whiskey, with a grain bill of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley.  All of that information is right on the bottle (plus more) which is phenomenal for a whiskey geek like me.  

Now, the whiskey, this was aged in 25 gallon barrels so even though it's only around 2.5 years aged that increased surface area per volume will augment the aging process.  This sped up process leaves a rich copper colored whiskey with hints of red and orange.  The nose is potent with alcohol but also some cinnamon and vanilla notes.  The taste is strong with a pronounced alcohol burn (to be expected!) then the oak and vanilla comes through from the barrel char as well as more cinnamon notes which is very typical for rye-heavy whiskeys.  This is definitely a sipper that will probably benefit from an ice cube of a splash of water (maybe next pour) but it's a good sip just served neat and room temperature.

I'm glad to have tried this one, now I need to look for some other Sugarlands products while I'm up in Knoxville.  Cheers! and GEAUX TIGERS! 

Eating Nashville - A "Research" Trip

by Jay Ducote

These days I am fortunate to get to travel to some pretty awesome culinary destinations. It's the part of my job that I've always loved, and all the more reason that I'm hoping that my pilot for Deep Fried America gets picked up by the Travel Channel. I'm hoping to hear something in the next month or so, but TV takes time, that's for sure!

While I wait for the call, I have plenty of research to do in the mean time and not just in the name of fried foods. In about a year's time, I'll be opening up my first restaurant, a taco stand in Baton Rouge's White Star Market, Gov't Taco.

I can't wait to hit the road to find taco nirvana, but If I'm going to show people where to find the best fried food in America, I need to start eating. Nashville Hot Chicken is one of the most quintessential fried foods out there, so I had to taste it first hand. When I travel, I love to eat and drink locally, so you know beer and some other southern eateries definitely had to be on the menu.

Biscuit Love

I met my friend Tabitha, a food blogger turned culinary marketing mogul, at the Nashville hot spot. They have a rather large "Nashville" that lots of people take their picture with it. So, when in Biscuit Love...

Posing at Biscuit Love in Nashville

One of many great things about Tabitha is that she gets me. I couldn't decide what I wanted to try, other than obviously something with a biscuit, so she ordered nearly everything on the menu. Here's the lineup:

Classic biscuit with jam.

Nashville Hot Chicken biscuit with pickles and mustard.

Bonuts: fried biscuit dough with lemon mascarpone and blueberry compote.

The Lindstrom: shaved Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, Parmesan, lemon vinaigrette and poached eggs.

Eat Nasty: fried, boneless chicken thigh, aged cheddar and sausage gravy.

One of everything, please! Biscuit Love goes hard.

The Eat Nasty, Biscuit Love's signature dish is as remarkably southern and just as delicious as it sounds; as is the entire menu. I need more on my taste buds, stat!

Hattie B's

Nashville Hot Chicken at Hattie B's

My next hot-spot stop in Nashville was to none other than Hattie B's. I had to get a taste of that famous Nashville Hot Chicken! I'll chalk this up under research for Deep Fried America. I mean, how else would I know if it is worthy for prime time TV, right? 

In case you're wondering- yes, I tried the Shut Da Cluck Up, Hattie B's hottest flavor and yes, I pretty much regret it. A part of me is glad I tried it once, but I'll definitely never do it again. That Hell fire is just not worth the feverish memories. 

The hot chicken, though, which sits in the middle of the spice spectrum, is pretty darn amazing. It has the right heat while still packing plenty of other flavor. The burn is a slightly painful, but in the pleasure to burn kind of way. The idea of hot chicken as a whole is quite crave-able. I know I'll be back. My mouth waters just looking at the picture.

Husk Nashville

Confession: I've never been on a culinary adventure to Charleston, SC. It is a shame, I know. In the last year I've been lucky enough to cross Portland, Austin and Nashville off my bucket list. I'm hoping Charleston and Savannah join that list soon.

I've been itching to get to Husk in Charleston. Chef Sean Brock is the man behind the legendary Charleston restaurant, but now with a location in Nashville I chomped at the chance to grab a taste.

A group of friends and I went for brunch. There were so many stellar options on the brunch menu that I had a difficult time deciding. Our waiter could see it in my eyes, though. He knew what I was thinking: burger time!

The Burger at Husk Nashville

The HUSK Cheeseburger with Bear Creek Farms beef and potato wedges is about as true to the textbook definition of cheeseburger as it gets. Juicy, borderline greasy (in all the right ways) beef patties are layered with cheddar. Everything else is optional. Dress to your liking and dig in. Simple, but magical. 

The party didn't stop there! Some more traditional brunch dishes were ordered, but the show stopper was the "plate of souther vegetables." A symphony of flavor, these seasonal vegetables are dynamite. I don't understand why more restaurants aren't celebrating local produce more.

Southern Veggies at Husk

Jackalope Brewing

My trip to Nashville couldn't be all food, after all, this is Bite and Booze. I met up with my buddy Kurt Strickmaker, owner of local craft beer distributor Bounty Bev. He took me to Jackalope Brewing where we met up with owner Bailey Spaulding and enjoyed a couple beers as she showed us around the microbrewery.

Kurt Strickmaker from Bounty Bev, Bailey Spaulding from Jackalope Brewing and I pose at Jackalope

Jackalope is a pretty rad spot. They use a mobile canning line to come in and can their beer so they don't have to warehouse all the cans or invest in the expensive equipment. The tap room is inviting and the brewery itself is small but efficient. It's definitely worthy of a stop on a beer run through Nashville.

Mas Tacos Por Favor

Having completed my other research obligations, it was time to turn my attention to tacos. Mas Tacos Por Favor in East Nashville provided a perfect place to do some tortilla-wrapped homework. The style of this taco shop is simple, authentic and inspiring. It's straightforward, but well thought out; unique, but not pretentious. They make tacos, and they are damn good.

Mas Tacos, always

I opted for the pulled pork taco braised down with tomatillos topped with cabbage, onions and spicy yogurt. Along side that I got he rotating special: a fried tilapia taco with cabbage, onion and a dill yogurt. Both tacos displayed simple flavors in a way that made them fantastic. They weren't revolutionary or modern, they were just good.


Nashville certainly didn't disappoint me. I found some great food, tasty beers and amazing company. I know I'll be back again to try to find some different spots to conduct my research. Feel free to offer up any suggestions to @jayducote on Twitter!

Prichard's Double Barreled Bourbon: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Prichard's Double Barrel Bourbon

Prichard's Double Barreled Bourbon out of Tennessee scored extremely well with our judges, though there were some differing opinions.  Eric scored it a 90 while James had it at 72. Jeremy and I were in the middle with 82 and 81, respectively.  The nose is a delightful bouquet.  Jeremy caught whiffs of green gummy bears, Eric notice vanilla ice cream with caramel syrup, and I thought it smelled like a sweet corn pudding.  The corn definitely came through on the palate as a spicy corn bread balanced with honeysuckle.  The bourbon is complex with lots of flavors that stand out including an excellent marriage of smoke and sweet.  It hits all over the tongue, lingers with spice, and the dissipates with nice astringency.  Prichard's Double Barreled Bourbon is definitely one to look out for when thinking about adding some artisan bourbons to your collection, and it is available in Louisiana!

Prichard's Double Barreled Bourbon

Average Score: 80.75

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Gentleman Jack: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Gentleman Jack

Our Raise a Glass crew recently scored a Tennessee Whiskey from the Jack Daniels distillery: Gentleman Jack.  Claiming to be a "rare" Tennessee Whiskey, this 80 proof elixir is most definitely palatable.  The nose is mellow with aromas of honey and maple.  The taste presents itself with very smooth tones of oak and vanilla.  It is pleasant, easy drinking, and ultimately rather boring.  Especially on the finish where, being a gentleman, the whiskey departs without lingering at the door for a kiss.  As far as balance and complexity goes, the charcoal filtering took too much away as the whiskey lacks any interesting mix of flavors.  It is boring... smooth and simple, but boring.  If you're looking for a cross between a bourbon and a Canadian whiskey, maybe you'll really enjoy it.  If you're looking for complex and intriguing whiskies, look elsewhere.

Gentleman Jack

67.5 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning

As the first white whiskey to make a Whisk(e)y Wednesday appearance, Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning certainly wasn't a bad offering.  White whiskey, or "white lightning," was the name given to un-aged whiskeys that were for the most part all prohibition-era moonshines.  After any distillation process, the resulting distillate will be clear in color.  Whiskey gets it shades from aging in wooden barrels.  In bourbon's case, that barrel must be made of charred, never-before-used, American oak.  Since the Lincoln County Lightning has never been aged, its flavor has not been mellowed out nor has character from the wood been added.  The result is a reasonably harsh and strongly corn flavored spirit.  Prichard's began with a metallic nose that came across as sterile in a medicinal way.  It's taste had various flavors but nothing profound and it finished rather smooth for a white lightning.  At 90 proof, the whiskey certainly has some kick, but it went down reasonably well.  Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning, made in Tennessee, is certainly not a bad white whiskey to get your hands on if you'd like some in your collection.  However, it is still an un-aged whiskey and leaves a lot to be desired.    

Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning

50.75 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. WW is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

George Dickel 12 Year: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

George Dickel might be the little cousin the Tennessee whiskey world, but for my money he gets my vote every day.  George Dickel Original Finest Quality Sippin' Whisky No. 12 is a fantastic spirit for the price tag, and it is time that it gets more recognition.  The charcoal filtered corn-based whisky is pleasing to the palate even when consumed straight.  With a charred wood yet sweet nose, Dickel 12 masks its 90 proof potency well.  A bouquet of spices hits the tongue mellowed out by sweet maple and corn that tastes as nature intended.  Dickel 12 finishes mellow with a smooth and easy sip.  The whisky has an excellent degree of balance and complexity as it caries notes of sweetness, spiciness, and smokiness in a very nice harmony.  This should be a Tennessee whiskey in everyone's collection.  If you don't know Dickel, you don't know dick.

George Dickel No. 12

78.0 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.