Do you like big Italian dramas? Do you enjoy Machiavelian style politics? How do you about the occasional eye gouging? Do you have any thoughts on vague, subtley applied mystical themes? How about generally forbidden love? What's that? You like all of it, you sick twisted puppy? Then we have the book for you! On this episode, we explore the deeply nuanced grimdark epic of "Navola" by Paolo Bacigalupi. Really, this one is rich and complex. So much so that we need an equally rich and complex bourbon to pair with it. For this book, we picked Emerald Giant Rye from Redwood Empire as the perfect bottle to go with this story.

Windupstories.com - Fiction by Paolo Bacigalupi

EMERALD GIANT - Craft Rye Whiskey - Redwood Empire Whiskey

This is one of those oopsisodes where it's not so much that we forgot, but rather that there's just too much to say. This week, we revisit The Life of Chuck by Stephen King. While we discuss the power of opportunities taken, we take the opportunity to revisit a previous expression. Basil Hayden Subtle Smoke.

Stephen King | The Life of Chuck

Subtle Smoke Bourbon | Basil Hayden®

Stephen King has a habit of putting his strongest messages into his shortest of works. Stand By Me (The Body), Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and The Life of Chuck is no exception. First of all, read it. No. Really. READ IT. Then go and watch the movie. No no. Really. WATCH THE MOVIE.

The Life of Chuck is the affirmation of life that we need in the world we live in today. It doesn't assure us that all will be well, or even that everything will work out just the way we want or hope or think we deserve. No, but it does affirm to us all this. Each of us, every single one of us, are more than we suppose. Not just that, but additionally, who we are, what we experience, what we dream and hope and imagine, absolutely all of it, is important in some way and to some one.

Our pairing on this episode is Ryes of the Robots by Filmland Spirits. We felt it was appropriate. This is a fantastic rye whiskey, and we're looking forward to telling you all about it.

Stephen King | The Life of Chuck

Ryes of the Robots Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey

BODYBALL!!!! In this Oopsisode, the boys discuss one of the more horrific/grossest/hilarious parts of "From Below" by Darcy Coates. To keep themselves sane, the boys revisit an old friend, Thomas S. Moore Bourbon finished in sherry casks.

Darcy Coates – Horror and Suspense Author

NOTE There is no official website for Thomas S Moore anymore that we can find. It is a product of the Barton 1792 Distillery. If you can find it still on the retail market or other venues, don't miss the chance to pick up a bottle.

On this episode of BBB, Stephen and Mark review a book from Darcy Coates, an author known for her prolific collection of haunted house stories. In From Below, Darcy Coates turns the haunted house story on its head, and takes us on an adventure deep into the ocean and the past.

To keep them afloat, Stephen and Mark will be sampling Old Elk Cigar Cut, Islander Blend.

Darcy Coates – Horror and Suspense Author

Specialty Products — Old Elk

On this episode, Stephen and Mark talk about forbidden relationships in the story. Hilarious and tragic, the boys will make everything better by revisiting Penelope Toasted Bourbon Whiskey.

Home - Joe Abercrombie

Toasted Bourbon – Penelope Bourbon

On this epsisode of BBB, the boys explore a beloved author who they somehow haven't managed to review until now. Mr. Joe Abercrombie's alternate history/fantasy tale "The Devils" is the subject this time around. Hilarious, gory, and unrepentantly grim and sardonic, Stephen and Mark dive into a world of curses, werewolves, elves, Popes, and, of course, truly flawed and damaged characters. It is a world where the scariest things aren't the summoned Dukes of Hell, but the people doing the summoning.

To guard against any lingering traumas from this darkly funny and brutal story, Stephen and Mark will be sampling a new bourbon whiskey from a local distillery, Geneva Lakes Bourbon Whiskey by Geneva Lakes Distilling & Studio Winery in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Home - Joe Abercrombie

Studio Winery

In the oopsisode following the interview, Shannon, Eddie, Stephen, and Mark all sit down for one last addendum to the interview they did on The Chimera Snare by writing team S & E Black. In this unique oopsisode, the group samples not one, but two bourbons they've had before. Stephen and Shannon try In Lieu of Flowers while Mark and Eddie sample Redwood Empire's Emerald Giant.

Welcome to The Chimera Snare - The Chimera Snare series by S&E Black

Dancing Goat Presents — Dancing Goat Distillery

EMERALD GIANT - Craft Rye Whiskey - Redwood Empire Whiskey