Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for Whiskey Face
ComedyComedy Interviews

Whiskey Face

Thorn and Talon, Ltd

Whiskey brother Thom introduces a new whisk(e)y each episode — then invites his sister Patsy to taste it. Patsy can't stand whiskey.

Her reaction is rated on the Whiskey Face Scale: five levels of suffering, from Manageable to Not Happening.

Tasting notes, Patsy's unscripted reaction, and a Redemption Round designed to bring her back from the edge. It may not work.

Part education, part family experiment, entirely Patsy's problem.

New episodes every week. Season 1 starts April 25th.

Play
Open in
  • 13 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 16 min
  • English

Episodes 13

NewestOldestLongest
All13Unplayed13In progress0Played0
  • S2 · E3
    Saturday · 13 min

    Ep. 2-3: The Big Apple: Leopold Bros NY Apple Whiskey

    It’s Halloween week at Whiskey Face, so we dressed up and poured something that sounds suspiciously like a treat: Leopold Bros’ New York Apple Whiskey. Thom gets into what makes Leopold Bros different. They distill their rye whiskey in a three-chamber still, they run a sustainable operation, and they source local Abruzzi rye, which matches perfectly with the three-chamber still. Their barley comes from the San Luis Valley, and they malt it themselves on a traditional malting floor, using more malted barley than many modern distilleries. (Want to see what that malting process looks like? Check out our Short Pour on malting here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gA0LRCyjZ20.) Patsy, who isn’t a whiskey fan, gets to taste the apple whiskey neat. And this time, we mean "gets to"! We rate her reaction on the Whiskey Face Scale. Then comes the Redemption Round: an Apple Whiskey Cider, a mug of apple cider with the whiskey, finished with a burnt cinnamon stick and fresh-grated nutmeg. It’s basically fall in a mug.Dressed up for Halloween? Join in: post a photo of yourself in costume with an apple whiskey cider and tag us (@whiskeyface) on Facebook.~~~~~~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale. Grab merch at whiskeyface.live, and follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy’s ongoing suffering.Want to listen to Patsy’s radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire’s Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1–4pm Mountain Time.#WhiskeyFace #LeopoldBros #AppleWhiskey #AppleWhiskeyCider #ColoradoWhiskey #Halloween #WhiskeyPodcast #WhiskeyFaceScale

  • S2 · E2
    October 24 · 18 min

    Ep. 2-2: Skål or Scowl

    Skål! That’s the Norwegian toast, and it’s also a pretty good prediction of the face Patsy is about to make.This week we’re back at the Thorn & Talon, our home bar, for Season 2, Episode 2. Thom brings out Axe and the Oak’s Cask Strength Aquavit Cask Finish Rye, the first Colorado distillery he ever visited after moving here. The whiskey is finished in casks that previously held aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit, and it’s bottled at cask strength with nothing taken out.Thom likes it, and Patsy, who isn’t a whiskey fan, has to taste it neat. We rate her reaction on the Whiskey Face Scale.Then comes the Redemption Round: an old fashioned made with the same whiskey, a touch of maple syrup, tobacco bitters, and a lemon peel. Can a little sweetness and a lot of bitters turn her scowl into a skål? Did we mention tobacco bitters?!Watch to find out.~~~~~~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale. Grab merch at whiskeyface.live, and follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy’s ongoing suffering.Want to listen to Patsy’s radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire’s Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1–4pm Mountain Time.#WhiskeyFace #SkalOrScowl #AxeAndTheOak #ColoradoWhiskey #AquavitCask #CaskStrength #OldFashioned #WhiskeyPodcast #WhiskeyFaceScale #Season2

  • S2 · E1
    October 17 · 15 min

    Ep. 2-1: Back to the Beginning

    Season 2 starts where Whiskey Face started: a bar, a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label, and a cocktail called the Smoke Show.Before we hit the road to visit Colorado distilleries this season, we’re going back to the beginning, at Atmosphere Gastropub in Colorado Springs. This is where Thom first tried the Smoke Show, the drink that started this whole thing. Bartender Adam makes it for us on camera.The whisky is Johnnie Walker Black Label, a 12-year-old blended Scotch built from a big family of single malts. It’s one Thom likes and Patsy, who isn’t a whisky fan, "gets" to taste. It's a sweet blend of vanilla and toffee notes followed by smoky peat. It's something even Patsy may be able to love. Or not.Then comes the Redemption Round. The Smoke Show leans into the smokiness already in the Scotch and adds tobacco bitters for more of it. No smoking gun, no theatrics, just a darn good cocktail.Watch to see whether the drink that started it all can win her over.__________Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale. Grab merch at whiskeyface.live, and follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering.Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1–4pm Mountain Time.#WhiskeyFace #JohnnieWalkerBlack #SmokeShow #ScotchWhisky #WhiskeyPodcast #WhiskeyFaceScale #AtmosphereGastropub

  • June 27 · 21 min

    Ep. 10: The Man Who Taught Jack | Uncle Nearest 1856

    It's our season finale, so we decided to learn some history. Before there was Jack Daniel's, there was Nearest Green.Nathan "Nearest" Green was enslaved on a farm near Lynchburg, Tennessee, where a young Jack Daniel learned to distill whiskey — from him. For over 150 years, Nearest received no credit. Fawn Weaver researched the story and in 2017 founded Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey to correct the historical record. The 1856 expression is their premium tier, named for the year Green is believed to have first started distilling.This may be the most historically significant whiskey we've featured on the show — and not just because we changed the intro graphic to celebrate America's 250th year. Which means Patsy is about to make a face at American history. Then we put her in a chocolate sauce-lined coupe with The Patsy — a riff on Tennessee Milk Punch made with Uncle Nearest 1856, Buffalo Trace Bourbon Crème, Kahlua, cherry bitters, and fresh-grated nutmeg. It's basically dessert in a glass. She had no excuses.Watch to find out if she found one anyway.~~~~~🥃 THE PATSY (Redemption Round Recipe)1.5 oz Uncle Nearest 18561 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon Crème½ oz Kahlúa3 dashes cherry bittersFresh-grated nutmeg (garnish)Served up in a coupe decorated with chocolate sauce~~~~~This is the Season 1 finale. We'll be back with Season 2 this fall — more whiskey, more suffering, more Patsy. Until then, enjoy the summer and have some more whiskey.~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering.Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1–4pm Mountain Time.#WhiskeyFace #UncleNearest #UncleNearest1856 #TennesseeWhiskey #NearestGreen #ThePatsy #MilkPunch #WhiskeyPodcast #WhiskeyFaceScale #SeasonFinale #America250

  • June 20 · 20 min

    Ep. 9: We Went to Ireland, too! | Redbreast 12 y/o

    This week on Whiskey Face, we pour Redbreast 12 y/o — a Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey from Midleton Distillery in Cork, Ireland, and perhaps the most interesting glass of the season so far. Single pot still is the most traditional Irish style, and it's genuinely different from anything else on the show: a mix of malted and unmalted barley in the same mash, triple distilled, with a spicy, creamy, fruit-forward character that doesn't behave like bourbon, doesn't behave like Scotch, and doesn't particularly care what either of them is doing. There's also a personal angle here. Last year, Thom took Patsy and their mom on a British Isles cruise that stopped in Ireland and Northern Ireland. She was standing on Irish soil and still wouldn't drink Irish whiskey. Today we fix that. Thom pulls out his "Certified whiskey taster" credential to get Patsy to try a third taste. But does it work... The Redemption Round is not a cocktail this time — it's a comparison. Jameson Cold Brew puts Jameson Irish Whiskey alongside cold brew Arabica coffee from Brazil and Colombia. Same country. Same distillery. Very different glass. The question is whether Ireland tastes better after it's had some coffee.Patsy has opinions. She always does.Where does Redbreast land on the Whiskey Face Scale? Pour a dram and find out alongside us. ~~~~~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time. #Redbreast #IrishWhiskey #WhiskeyFace #WhiskeyFaceScale #SinglePotStill #JamesonColdBrew #whiskeypodcast

  • June 13 · 16 min

    Ep. 8: Barbecue Scotch | Colkegan Single Malt

    What if someone smoked whiskey with mesquite instead of peat? That's exactly what Santa Fe Spirits did with Colkegan Single Malt — an American single malt that drinks like a Scotch but smells like a Texas brisket. Thom breaks down the 70/30 smoked-to-unsmoked malt ratio and what high desert aging does to a barrel, then Patsy finds out what BBQ whiskey tastes like whether she wants to or not. The Redemption Round involves a Maple Old Fashioned — because smoky + maple is either genius or suspicious, and Patsy's the guinea pig. How does she rate it on the Whiskey Face Scale? Grab a dram and find out. ~~~~~ Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time. #WhiskeyFace #ColkeganSingleMalt #AmericanSingleMalt #WhiskeyReview #SmokyWhiskey #Scotch #WhiskeyTasting #BBQWhiskey #SantaFeSpirits

  • June 6 · 15 min

    Ep. 7: The Man Who Changed Whiskey

    Before collectors were hunting bottles, before allocated releases became a contact sport, before the phrase "single barrel" meant anything to anyone — Elmer T. Lee made it mean something. This week on Whiskey Face, we pour the bourbon that bears his name. Elmer T. Lee spent decades at what is now Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, rising to Master Distiller and eventually helping create something that didn't exist before he thought of it: a bourbon bottled from a single barrel, with no blending, no averaging out the rough edges, no safety net. Just one barrel, start to finish. That bourbon — Blanton's Single Barrel — launched in 1984, and it changed what people believed American whiskey could be. The Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is Buffalo Trace Distillery's way of saying thank you. It's also, as Thom will mention several times, a highly-sought-after bottle. That's the context. Here's the episode: Thom pours a whiskey with a backstory as big as its reputation, walks through what makes single barrel bourbon different, and how the Elmer T. Lee is the same, and yet different, from Blanton's. Then he hands a glass to Patsy — who, bless her heart, remains unmoved by legacy. The Redemption Round this week is the Tribute Old Fashioned — a cocktail designed to honor Elmer T. Lee and the single barrel tradition he built. It is, structurally, an act of respect, even if it hurts Thom's soul to mix it. Whether Patsy sees it that way is another matter. Where does this one land on the Whiskey Face Scale? Grab your own glass and find out. ~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time. #ElmerTLee #WhiskeyFace #bourbonpodcast #buffalotracedistillery #WhiskeyFaceScale #TributeOldFashioned

  • May 30 · 20 min

    Ep. 6: The Bottle Looks Like the Problem

    The Willett Pot Still Reserve comes in a bottle shaped like a pot still. It's distinctive. It's elegant. It represents the craft of batch-making bourbon in a copper pot still. It also looks exactly like the kind of thing Patsy is going to be suspicious of before she even smells it. Thom gets buttered biscuits and honey on the nose, cinnamon and honey butter on the palate, with a creamy finish. Patsy gets a feeling. You'll see what kind. For the Redemption Round, we made her a Gold Rush — bourbon, honey syrup, fresh lemon juice. A modern classic, and honestly not an unfair follow-up given what just came out of that bottle. Find out where both land on the Whiskey Face Scale. ~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1–4pm Mountain Time. #WhiskeyFace #WillettDistillery #WillettPotStillReserve #GoldRush #BourbonCocktail #WhiskeyPodcast #BourbonPodcast #SmallBatchBourbon

  • S1 · E5
    May 23 · 13 min

    Ep. 5: We're Going to Scotland

    Scotland did not ask to be involved in this. The Macallan 12 is aged twelve years in sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain — which, yes, means Scotland went all the way to Spain to teach its barrels how to taste more Scottish. The result is one of the most recognized Scotch whiskies on the planet: rich and dark, layered with dried fruit, orange peel, and chocolate. None of the peat. None of the smoke. By every conceivable measure, this is the Scotch that is supposed to win people over. This week, Thom brings one of his favorite Scotches to Patsy — and Patsy brings her face. The Whiskey Face Scale will be consulted. For the Redemption Round, we turned the Macallan into a Rob Roy: Scotch, sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters, stirred cold and served up with a cherry. It's what a Manhattan orders when it's feeling sophisticated. The Rob Roy has been on cocktail menus since 1894, named after the Scottish opera that opened in New York City the same year — which means this drink has been trying to make Scotch approachable for longer than most of our grandparents have been alive. The question is whether 132 years of effort is enough for Patsy. ~~~~~Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time.#WhiskeyFace #Macallan #ScotchWhisky #RobRoy #SingleMalt #WhiskeyPodcast #ScotchPodcast #Speyside

  • May 16 · 17 min

    Ep. 4: The Good Stuff

    The grenade bottle. The horse and jockey stopper. The collectors' shelves. Blanton's Single Barrel is one of the most coveted, most photographed, most allocated bottles in American whiskey. It's the original single barrel. By every measure whiskey people care about, it is the good stuff. This week, Thom pours Patsy a glass of bourbon royalty and asks the only question that actually matters: does the good stuff hold up when the person tasting it would rather be drinking literally anything else? Spoiler alert: the bottle did not save itself. Let's just say Patsy is quietly... sometimes loudly... reviewing her life choices. For the Redemption Round, we built a Boulevardier —and if anything was going to redeem Blanton's (like it should need redemption!) for a bourbon-hater, this was the cocktail to do it. Born in 1920s Paris and first written down in Harry McElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails, the Boulevardier is what happens when the Negroni grows up, moves to Kentucky, and trades its gin for bourbon. Whiskey, Campari, sweet vermouth, stirred and served up with an orange peel. Bitter. Aromatic. Slightly red. The grown-up cousin of every cocktail Patsy should like. ~~~~ Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time. #WhiskeyFace #Blantons #BourbonReview #Boulevardier #SingleBarrel #WhiskeyPodcast #BourbonPodcast #BuffaloTrace

  • S1 · E3
    May 9 · 17 min

    Ep. 3: Rye Was a Mistake

    After two episodes easing Patsy into the world of American whiskey — a gentle wheated bourbon, a Derby Day classic — Episode 3 takes a different turn. This week: New Riff Distilling's Single Barrel Rye from Newport, Kentucky. It's a 100% rye mash bill — 95% rye, 5% malted rye — non-chill filtered, no coloring added, pulled directly from a single barrel. What came out of that barrel is exactly what goes in the glass. Before Patsy touches it, Thom covers the story of New Riff: a distillery built in the parking lot of its founder's former liquor store, and New Riff's then-head distiller's philosophy that a well-made whiskey's taste and aroma can be described with just three notes. If you know what you're doing, three is enough. Patsy listens. Patsy nods. Patsy picks up the glass. It does not go well. We close with a Black Manhattan —Amaro Averna in place of sweet vermouth, designed to give the rye somewhere to go. Bourbon makes a good Manhattan. Rye makes the correct one. Whether that argument lands with Patsy is another matter entirely. The Whiskey Face Scale is rated. This may be our most consequential score yet. New episodes every week. Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michele in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time.

  • S1 · E2
    May 2 · 12 min

    Ep. 2: Off to the Races

    It's Kentucky Derby weekend, and Thom is bringing out something special — Woodford Reserve's 2023 Distillery Series Release, a Toasted Oak Four Grain Whiskey selected by Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall. Woodford is the official whiskey of the Derby, and this bottle, like the Derby, is special. Patsy might agree--but probably not with the same meaning as Thom. Thom walks through what makes this limited release worth seeking out — four grains, toasted oak influence, and McCall's fingerprints all over it — then hands Patsy the glass. She has opinions. Loud ones. The Whiskey Face Scale gets tested again. Then comes the Redemption Round: a proper Mint Julep. Does dressing it up in mint and crushed ice change things? Somewhat. Maybe? It's complicated. Part education, part family experiment, entirely Patsy's problem. Whiskey Face is the show where a whiskey lover and his whiskey-averse sister taste their way through the world of whisk(e)y — one grimace at a time. Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michelle in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time.

  • S1 · E1
    April 18 · 12 min

    Ep. 1: Can She Survive Bourbon?

    She doesn't like whiskey. She's never liked whiskey. And yet here we are. In our very first episode, host Thom walks his sister Patsy through a bottle of Maker's Mark — one of the most approachable wheated bourbons on the market, and the bourbon that lives inside one of the most beautiful distilleries in the world, thanks to a stunning Chihuly glass installation on the grounds. Patsy loves Chihuly. Does that goodwill transfer to what's in the bottle? Spoiler: not exactly. Thom breaks down what makes Maker's a great gateway bourbon — soft wheat mash bill, vanilla and caramel on the nose, a finish that doesn't fight back — and then hands Patsy the glass. What happens next? Let's just say the Whiskey Face Scale gets its first workout. Then, the Redemption Round: a traditional Maker's Old Fashioned. Do things get a little more survivable? Whiskey Face is the show where a whiskey lover and his whiskey-averse sister taste their way through the world of whisk(e)y — one grimace at a time. Find your spirit glass on the Whiskey Face Scale — grab merch at whiskeyface.live. Follow us on Facebook for updates and Patsy's ongoing suffering. Want to listen to Patsy's radio show on gratitude? Listen on Syndicate Empire's Michelle in the Middle the 4th Wednesday of every month from 1-4pm Mountain Time.

Showing 1–13 of 13 episodes