Xtreme Tasting League: Scotch

Fearless Comedy Productions member David “Captain America” Traylor joins us for the first of his two podcasts and we talk about the local Fringe Festival, which started yesterday and runs through August 10 (visit www.fringefestival.org for more details). The pours this round are Knockdu’s Ancnoc 16yr and Glengoyne 1996, a 14yr limited edition.

It’s another mid-month episode! Dan Schlissel returns and drinks Bunnahabhain 12yr and Benrinnes Stronachie 12yr with us.

This month, we are happy to be joined by the owner and founder of Stand-Up Records, Dan Schlissel, who talks about how the label came about while we drink the Balvenie 12yr Double Wood and Glendronach 12yr.

Paul returns and we drink The Dalmore 12yr and Talisker Storm.

It’s another first for us here at Xtreme Tasting League: Scotch, as we are joined by our first referral guest, Paul von Stoetzel, who was suggested to us by previous guest Charles Hubbell, and we’re very glad he did. We had a great time talking about various projects of Paul’s while we tasted our two drams–the Bruichladdich Peat and the Aberfeldy 21yr.

In a predictable display of our usual pattern, Brianne Bilyeu, winner of the Die Laughing silent auction to record with us, makes her triumphant return. The drams up for discussion this go-around are the Isle of Jura Prophecy and the Glen Grant 10yr.

Brianne Bilyeu, winner of our donation of a guest spot to be auctioned at Die Laughing 2014, joins us for the first of her two shows. Not only that, but she brought us a present, the Deanston Virgin Oak, which we taste along side the Glen Scotia, our first trip to the Campbeltown region on the podcast. As it was the end of April, we again recorded at OmegaSpring, the relax-a-con where we drink, play board games, and lounge in the hot tub.

Eric Knight returns to time-travel into the past to start a running gag and drink some scotch with us, including one of his go-to drams.

“Pedantic Eric” Knight and Windy “Bossy Nova” Bowlsby join us for some podcast time traveling to discuss our mutual new job as the Fearless Comedy Productions‘ Board of Directors (only Cetius is on the Board from XTL, just to be clear) and to promote the company’s fundraiser, Die Laughing, which happens this weekend, April 4-6, 2014. We also discuss Fifth of Fringe, juicy lucies, the North Star Roller Girls, and rape jokes that are actually funny. As if that weren’t enough (although it does explain the runtime), we also drink some scotch…go figure, right? This time, we sample the Caol Ila and Lagavulin Distillers Editions. This is a long one, folks, but well worth the listen. And seriously, if you’re local to the Twin Cities area and are free at all this weekend, come check out Die Laughing at the Airport Hilton–Cetius will be there all weekend.

In keeping with the St. Patrick’s Day tradition we started last year, this show has us again tasting Irish distilleries’ single malt expressions. This year, we taste the Tullamore Dew 10yr and Bushmills 16yr. Returning guest Charles Hubbell asks us why these can’t be called scotch, talks about TVTV a bit as well as his recent projects of Fritz’s Funporium and Walking With The Enemy, we all mock Avatar a bit, and Perrin has us recount how we all got into malt whiskey.

We are pleased to be joined by Charles Hubbell–actor, puppeteer, and all-around great guy. He and I reminisce about how we met and the show we worked on together (two shows, if you count shouting callbacks during the Rocky Horror Show) and discuss a bunch of random things while we taste the Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin and Balblair 91. Charles also has a Kickstarter running for a new puppet-related comedy project that will be live for a couple days after this goes live; here’s the link. Also to note, I pimp a few shows in the post-script: Former guest of the show Jena Young’s “Memoirs of a Welfare Queen” will run March 7-8 at 7pm at the Bryant Lake Bowl. Fearless Comedy Productions “Big Fun Radio Funtime” will run March 7 at 10pm (after Jena’s show–I’m doing the double feature). Finally, I will be performing stand-up at Fearless Lab at Honey on March 11 at 7:30pm.

Do atheists believe in alcohol? Well, that depends on the pour, as we find out in this, the second show with the crew of the Geeks Without God podcast. Perrin and I (Dave was still out due to injury) taste the Glenmorangie and Laphroaig cask strength pours with our guests and no one was thrilled with either one.

Welcome to Season 2! In this episode, we introduce our third permanent co-host, previous guest Perrin Klump. Joining us are the hosts of the Geeks Without God podcast–Nick Glover, Molly Glover, and Tim Wick (who takes a unique approach to score the scotch, as he’s not a drinker). Sadly, Dave’s injury from his ski trip keeps him from enjoying the Aberlour A’bunadh and The Arran Limited Edition Cognac Single Cask, both of which are cask strengths.

Guest: Bill Young Drams: Scotch on the Cheap, Part 2 Speyburn 10yr Glen Moray Classic

Guest: Bill Young Drams: Scotch on the Cheap, Part 1 Speyside’s Drumguish Lismore (no age statement or distillery listed)

Lana’s back! I’m going to apologize yet again for the lack of show notes and editing. No one’s commented to complain about the lack of either, but I feel I’ve been slacking off, and not just with the podcast. My New Year’s Resolution for you folks–I’ll start editing the show again, which will improve the show notes as well. We’ll also be having a contest in the first show of Season 2 of the podcast, so keep your ears open for details in the next couple of episodes.

Our friend Lana joins us for our episodes tastings.

Aaron joins us for another two drams. [more show notes pending]

OmegaCon 2013 was this last weekend and I was actually able to record a show with a number of new and returning guests. The show runs surprisingly fast considering the number of voices we have discussing the two bottles we tasted: the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and, in honor of Thor 2’s opening weekend, the Highland Park Loki. My thanks to returning guest Perrin Klumpp, who stepped in for Dave as he was unable to attend the convention, for reading the tasting notes so wonderfully.

We have a great Halloween-themed episode for you, both in the guests and the scotch. Practicing witches (members of the local Blue Star coven) Aaron and Jean-Robert join us while we taste the Isle of Jura Superstition and Bruichladdich Black Art 2. As mentioned in the episode, there will be a single malt scotch-tasting at Top Valu Liquor at 50th and Central in Columbia Heights, MN on November 6, from 5-8pm. I will be present from 6:15pm on and Dave will try to make it. From that day until the 30th, that store will have 15% off on scotch, so do make a point to stop in and say we sent you. Also, I will be doing some stand-up comedy with our friends at Fearless Comedy Productions at their Lab show on November 12 at Honey in Minneapolis. This is only the second time I’ve done stand-up and should prove to be entertaining.