New year. Same rules: we don’t do a Top 10. We barely do a Top 5.
We do a Top 3 because we’re grown and tired.

In Part 1 of our “Bourbons of the Year” special, Fingers Malloy lays out his list — built on one sacred principle: keep it under $50… because we live in a world where “affordability crisis” is a real phrase people say with a straight face.

We’re also smoking an all-time favorite: Oliva Master Blends 3 (Churchill, 7x50) — Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder/filler — and breaking down the flavors (with the official Eat Drink Smoke Notebook Method).

Fingers’ Top 3 (Under $50):


#3: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (Costco) — $27


#2: 2XO American Oak — $49


#1: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye — $35

Tony also explains why he’s still mad at Vegas… even though he can’t wait to go back.

Part 2 drops next: Tony’s Top 3.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

The Podcast is Free! Click Below!

Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Stitcher 
Spotify

New year. Same rules: we don&rsquo;t do a Top 10. We barely do a Top 5. We do a Top 3 because we&rsquo;re grown and tired.
In Part 1 of our &ldquo;Bourbons of the Year&rdquo; special, Fingers Malloy lays out his list &mdash; built on one sacred principle: keep it under $50&hellip; because we live in a world where &ldquo;affordability crisis&rdquo; is a real phrase people say with a straight face.
We&rsquo;re also smoking an all-time favorite: Oliva Master Blends 3 (Churchill, 7x50) &mdash; Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder/filler &mdash; and breaking down the flavors (with the official Eat Drink Smoke Notebook Method).
Fingers&rsquo; Top 3 (Under $50):
<ul data-start="911" data-end="1054">
<li data-start="911" data-end="964">
#3: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (Costco) &mdash; $27
</li>
<li data-start="965" data-end="1001">
#2: 2XO American Oak &mdash; $49
</li>
<li data-start="1002" data-end="1054">
#1: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye &mdash; $35
</li>
</ul>
Tony also explains why he&rsquo;s still mad at Vegas&hellip; even though he can&rsquo;t wait to go back.
Part 2 drops next: Tony&rsquo;s Top 3.
Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!
X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast
The Podcast is Free! Click Below!
Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Stitcher&nbsp; Spotify

Eat Drink Smoke is the bourbon and cigar review show for everyone!
You'll get reviews you can use, in a way you can understand them. There's also great takes on the stories dominating the week, but without the anger of social media. Eat Drink Smoke is the podcast that fits into your life because it's just like you - interested in new things, good people and honest, funny conversation.
Eat Drink Smoke is hosted by long-time radio host and entertainer Tony Katz, with co-host Fingers Malloy.

Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy talk amazing spirits, brilliant cigars and great food.

Eat Drink Smoke

Happy Hour — Bourbons of the Year (Part 1)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/cdd95b10-c8d7-4116-9ec8-b3c8002b5665/transcript

A new year is here, and Eat Drink Smoke does it the only way that makes sense — by waiting until the calendar actually turns.

In this episode, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reveal their Top Three Bourbons of the Year, based not on hype or releases, but on everything they actually reviewed on the show in 2025. No Top 10 lists. No arguments about rankings. Just the bottles that stayed with them.

Fingers lays out his value-driven list, keeping every pick under $50, including:


Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond from Costco


2XO American Oak


And his top pick: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye

Tony counters with a memory-based list that ignores price entirely, featuring:


Espy House George 1794


Keeper’s Heart Irish & American Whiskey (110 proof)


And a surprise number one that isn’t a bourbon or a rye: Bacoo 12-Year Rum

Along the way, they discuss:


Why 2025 was a strange year for bourbon


How palate changes affect what sticks with you


The difference between “good” and “memorable”


Why value still matters — even when it doesn’t


And whether calling it “Bourbons of the Year” still makes sense

They’re also smoking the Oliva Master Blends 3 Churchill, breaking down flavor, strength, construction, and pairing as the conversation moves from reflection to anticipation.

Next week: Cigars of the Year.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

The Podcast is Free! Click Below!

Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Stitcher 
Spotify

A new year is here, and Eat Drink Smoke does it the only way that makes sense &mdash; by waiting until the calendar actually turns.
In this episode, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy reveal their Top Three Bourbons of the Year, based not on hype or releases, but on everything they actually reviewed on the show in 2025. No Top 10 lists. No arguments about rankings. Just the bottles that stayed with them.
Fingers lays out his value-driven list, keeping every pick under $50, including:
<ul data-start="915" data-end="1041">
<li data-start="915" data-end="959">
Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond from Costco
</li>
<li data-start="960" data-end="984">
2XO American Oak
</li>
<li data-start="985" data-end="1041">
And his top pick: Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye
</li>
</ul>
Tony counters with a memory-based list that ignores price entirely, featuring:
<ul data-start="1122" data-end="1293">
<li data-start="1122" data-end="1152">
Espy House George 1794
</li>
<li data-start="1153" data-end="1212">
Keeper&rsquo;s Heart Irish &amp; American Whiskey (110 proof)
</li>
<li data-start="1213" data-end="1293">
And a surprise number one that isn&rsquo;t a bourbon or a rye: Bacoo 12-Year Rum
</li>
</ul>
Along the way, they discuss:
<ul data-start="1324" data-end="1585">
<li data-start="1324" data-end="1367">
Why 2025 was a strange year for bourbon
</li>
<li data-start="1368" data-end="1418">
How palate changes affect what sticks with you
</li>
<li data-start="1419" data-end="1468">
The difference between &ldquo;good&rdquo; and &ldquo;memorable&rdquo;
</li>
<li data-start="1469" data-end="1519">
Why value still matters &mdash; even when it doesn&rsquo;t
</li>
<li data-start="1520" data-end="1585">
And whether calling it &ldquo;Bourbons of the Year&rdquo; still makes sense
</li>
</ul>
They&rsquo;re also smoking the Oliva Master Blends 3 Churchill, breaking down flavor, strength, construction, and pairing as the conversation moves from reflection to anticipation.
Next week: Cigars of the Year.
Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!
X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast
The Podcast is Free! Click Below!
Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Stitcher&nbsp; Spotify

Bourbons of the Year: Top Picks, Value Plays, and a Surprise Rum for 2025

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/379bfaab-a98b-4325-9e0d-b3c800212d31/transcript

Christmas week calls for something familiar.

So Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy go back to the well with Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye (Voyage 26, Double Barrel, 96 proof) — sweet, lush, easy-drinking, and absolutely the kind of pour you reach for when you’re fighting off a cold and trying to pretend you’re “fine.”

Also in this Happy Hour:


The IRS finally bumps the jackpot reporting threshold (about time)


Why Vegas keeps charging more while giving less


Costco’s possible redesign… including scanning your membership card for the food court (hot dog security is real now)


And a story so weird it has to be true: an Amazon driver allegedly petting a porch cat… and then walking off with it

This is Eat Drink Smoke in peak form: cigars, bourbon, food, travel complaints, retail therapy, and a little “what is wrong with people?”

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

The Podcast is Free! Click Below!

Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Stitcher 
Spotify

Christmas week calls for something familiar.
So Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy go back to the well with Jefferson&rsquo;s Ocean Aged at Sea Rye (Voyage 26, Double Barrel, 96 proof) &mdash; sweet, lush, easy-drinking, and absolutely the kind of pour you reach for when you&rsquo;re fighting off a cold and trying to pretend you&rsquo;re &ldquo;fine.&rdquo;
Also in this Happy Hour:
<ul data-start="1887" data-end="2262">
<li data-start="1887" data-end="1961">
The IRS finally bumps the jackpot reporting threshold (about time)
</li>
<li data-start="1962" data-end="2013">
Why Vegas keeps charging more while giving less
</li>
<li data-start="2014" data-end="2139">
Costco&rsquo;s possible redesign&hellip; including scanning your membership card for the food court (hot dog security is real now)
</li>
<li data-start="2140" data-end="2262">
And a story so weird it has to be true: an Amazon driver allegedly petting a porch cat&hellip; and then walking off with it
</li>
</ul>
This is Eat Drink Smoke in peak form: cigars, bourbon, food, travel complaints, retail therapy, and a little &ldquo;what is wrong with people?&rdquo;
Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!
X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast
The Podcast is Free! Click Below!
Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Stitcher&nbsp; Spotify

Happy Hour -- Jefferson’s Ocean Rye, Costco Hot Dog Border Control, and an Amazon Cat Heist

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/9b54c8ad-1865-43d9-a8a3-b3c8000cdc65/transcript

As the calendar flips toward the end of the year, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy settle in for a Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke.

The guys light up the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich “Off Menu” TAA exclusive, a bold Pennsylvania Broadleaf box-press with unmistakable earthiness, bonfire notes, and serious heft. Fingers and Tony break down flavor, construction, pairing ideas, and whether this cigar earns a permanent spot in the humidor.

Along the way, they cover:


A surprising ice cream recall involving… small stones


What slowing bourbon consumption could mean for distilleries big and small


Why Beam is pausing production — and what that says about changing habits


The impact of Ozempic, mocktails, and generational shifts on drinking culture


Airports are allowing non-travelers past TSA for the first time in decades


And why airline security still feels like theater instead of protection

It’s cigars, drinks, food, travel, and culture — with plenty of side commentary — exactly the way Eat Drink Smoke does Happy Hour.

Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!

X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke
Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke
IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast

The Podcast is Free! Click Below!

Apple Podcasts
Amazon Music
Stitcher 
Spotify

As the calendar flips toward the end of the year, Tony Katz and Fingers Malloy settle in for a Happy Hour episode of Eat Drink Smoke.
The guys light up the Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich &ldquo;Off Menu&rdquo; TAA exclusive, a bold Pennsylvania Broadleaf box-press with unmistakable earthiness, bonfire notes, and serious heft. Fingers and Tony break down flavor, construction, pairing ideas, and whether this cigar earns a permanent spot in the humidor.
Along the way, they cover:
<ul data-start="989" data-end="1436">
<li data-start="989" data-end="1048">
A surprising ice cream recall involving&hellip; small stones
</li>
<li data-start="1049" data-end="1129">
What slowing bourbon consumption could mean for distilleries big and small
</li>
<li data-start="1130" data-end="1205">
Why Beam is pausing production &mdash; and what that says about changing habits
</li>
<li data-start="1206" data-end="1285">
The impact of Ozempic, mocktails, and generational shifts on drinking culture
</li>
<li data-start="1286" data-end="1362">
Airports are allowing&nbsp;non-travelers past TSA for the first time in decades
</li>
<li data-start="1363" data-end="1436">
And why airline security still feels like theater instead of protection
</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s cigars, drinks, food, travel, and culture &mdash; with plenty of side commentary &mdash; exactly the way Eat Drink Smoke does Happy Hour.
Follow Eat Drink Smoke on social media!
X (Formerly Twitter): @GoEatDrinkSmoke Facebook: @eatdrinksmoke IG: @EatDrinkSmokePodcast
The Podcast is Free! Click Below!
Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Stitcher&nbsp; Spotify

Happy Hour -- Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Off Menu, Ice Cream Recalls, Bourbon’s Slowdown & Airport Security Theater

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/78a347aa-3282-4ac5-837c-a72300032082/clips/b60c85d1-d75e-43b7-9466-b3c8000cb7cb/transcript

Happy Hour — Bourbons of the Year (Part 1)

Eat Drink Smoke

In 1 playlist(s)

Eat Drink Smoke

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips