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Doc Swinson’s Kiona Cask Bourbon Review & New Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Trailer Recap
May 13, 2026
I'm reviewing a whiskey sent to me by Patreon supporter Patrick (@Bourbon_newb), Doc Swinson's Exploratory Series Kiona Cask Bourbon finished in Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Kiona Vineyards in Washington. Plus, I'm talking about many new whiskeys coming out this month - including Dixon Dedman's 2XO 'The Phoenix', and two new Doc Swinson's Exploratory Cask whiskeys. Finally, I'm sharing the highlights from the new Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Trailer that just dropped this week, including which new Legendary Pokémon I plan to catch this generation. Cheers, and Game On!
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Today on the Bourbon Bites Podcast, I'm reviewing Doc Swinson's experimental cast, Kiona Bourbon
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and recapping the new trailer for Pokemon Violet and Scarlet. Hello everyone and welcome to the Bourbon Bites Podcast
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This is the first episode of June, so you know what that means. We're going to be not only reviewing a brand new whiskey to the podcast
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but also highlighting some new whiskeys and video games that were announced this month
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So let's kick it off with a review of a new-to-me whiskey
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This is Doc Swinton's Kiona Cask Bourbon, and this was sent to me by TheBourbonNoob over on Instagram
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Patrick and Heather, thank you so much for sending this sample over. This is new to me, like I said
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I'm actually having Doc Swinton's on my channel for this week's live stream
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so if you missed that, make sure to go watch the replay. youtube.com slash bourbon bites we tried not only their main lineup and their alter ego
1:02
bourbon and rye but a couple of other experimental casks from their collection so those are the rye
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experiments this is a bourbon experiment and i'm so excited to dive into it tonight so this straight
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bourbon whiskey was finished in kiona vineyards cabernet casks which is a washington state vineyard
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that was founded in the early 70s. And this is from their old block section of their vineyard
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So Doc Swinson's, of course, took those barrels, put a bourbon whiskey from Indiana into those barrels
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finished it. We do know it was finished for over a year. And the final age of this whiskey was six years and three months
1:41
So interestingly enough, they actually only did two barrels worth of this release
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So it's a very, very limited release to come out. I'm not entirely sure if it was distillery only
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Like I said, my friend Patrick lives in Washington state. So not sure if he got this, you know, locally or this was a more wide release
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But again, there was only two barrels that they used. By the way, the mash bill on this is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley
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And this whiskey comes in at 114.2 proof, which is cast strength
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So this was actually one of the first experimental casks from Doc Swenson's
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They say each year, Doc Swenson's head blender, Jesse Parker, who I had on the show this week
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drives around the state and finds barrels from wineries around the area to feature for his
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finishing. And this was actually the first one ever done. Price wise, I'm not finding too much
2:29
information. I believe it may be about $85 when it came out. And that's solely based on the Doc
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Swenson's website. They have it listed for $84.99. Of course, it's out of stock now because this was
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a previous release. But so I'm not sure exactly how available this was. But again, I'm super
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thankful for Patrick and Heather for sitting this over. So let's go and get that poured
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Oh, that's really nice. It has all of the great, rich elements of an Indiana bourbon
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which we know, of course, is MGP. But it has a lot going on in the fruity category
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and that's almost definitely coming from the Cabernet casks. Now, I'm just learning that this
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release was actually entered into the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for 2022
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and actually ended up being a finalist. I'm not sure if it's won anything yet
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Again, this was an article posted one day ago. So if they did win this particular category that they're entered in
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I will update the description below this podcast episode and definitely recognize that because that would be a big deal
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if they did win with this release. Now, like I said, this is one of their very first Exploratory Cask series
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And they've since released several expressions of this. This is dated back to 2018
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Um, so I'm not sure if this is the exact batch that was entered into the competition this year
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Um, but needless to say, it's probably a very similar expression to it. So, um, I've just texted our friend Patrick to find out when he bought it to maybe give us a clue as to when, uh, this release was from
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But like I said, it is 114.2 proof. So, uh, there's that
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Oh yeah, that's got that really rich note that I really love about, uh, MGP bourbon
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It smells so much older than you would expect for, you know, a five to six year old release
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There just so much rich oak there but that fruitiness that I think is coming from the wine cask really does elevate it and take it to the next level It kind of a unique blend between like what I first getting is like strawberry kind of like a chocolate covered strawberry on the nose but it kind of gets a
4:31
little tart and tangy and kind of like almost like an orange zest as well. It's really fruity
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and I can't really distinguish which fruits are popping out just on the nose alone. So
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I'm gonna have to give this a taste. Cheers guys. Oh wow. That cask really has such an
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amazing influence on that bourbon. I'm getting so much more fruitiness than I've ever gotten on
4:53
an Indiana bourbon. To me, it almost goes like cherry on the palate. On the nose, it was more
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bright, you know, like strawberry and orange. But man, on palate, that gets dark, like dark stone
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fruits, some cherries, maybe a bit of plum there as well. But it doesn't overshadow the base whiskey
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that's in this. I mean, y'all know I'm a huge fan of Indiana bourbon. So whatever you can do to it
5:15
to enhance it, I'm going to be a fan of, and this is no exception. And the way that it kind of
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expressed as a chocolate covered strawberry on the nose, on the palate, it's more of that vanilla
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you know, the vanilla bourbon, typical notes, of course, from, you know, Indiana bourbon
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But the way that vanilla is playing with that, that fruitiness is almost like a, like a cherries
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and cream or strawberries and cream, something very, very fruity and decadent and definitely
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deserty. By the way, I just heard back from our friend Patrick and he said that this is
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the release 21-004. So I believe this is the 2021 release. So I'm not sure if that's the exact one
5:54
that was entered into the spirits competition for this year. But this is the photo that's used in
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the Uproxx article that's talking about being entered in. So there's a very good chance this
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is the one that was entered. So I can't wait to see how it does in the competition. But based on
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my first impressions it's gonna do very very well finish wise i mean that it's exactly what you
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expect for something that that high proof from indiana there's a lot of depth and richness on it
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um i still think that vanilla follows it down it's like a vanilla coated almost like a
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um don't want to say like yogurt almost like a yogurt do y'all remember that cereal i think it
6:29
was like a special case cereal it was like strawberries and yogurt and had like the little yogurt balls in it it's literally that on the finish it's like the sweet vanilla yogurt mixed
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with those red berries and of course a little bit of the cereal grain to wash it all down
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But man, this is a winner. This is absolutely delicious for $85. Highly recommend this one
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I'm actually really surprised because a lot of times I feel like red wine casks take on
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better to rye whiskey, especially Indiana rye whiskey. But this being a bourbon, man
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it enhances that bourbon so much and gives it, like I said, so much more depth and so much more
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richness and vanilla creaminess. Man, that's an absolute winner. So if you guys see this
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you know, whether it's this batch or maybe some of the previous batches, definitely pick it up
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Highly, highly recommend this one. So before we get into the video game news to talk about the
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new Pokemon trailer that just came out this week, I know y'all are so excited. I hope you are
7:22
because I'm really excited for it. But before we get into that, let's talk about a few new TTB
7:27
labels that have come out since my last podcast. And some of these I think y'all will be really
7:32
interested in knowing about. One of these that I've been hearing a ton of buzz about is the new
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2XO The Phoenix Blend Kentucky Straight Bourbon. This is from none other than Dixon Dedman. This
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is kind of his return to the world of whiskey after Kentucky Owl. And, you know, Kentucky Owl
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has made such a name for itself in, you know, being a very high-end brand, a very exquisite
7:55
blend. And I think a lot of people really loved what Dixon was doing with the brand. So now that
8:00
he's, you know, parted ways with it. I can't wait to see what he's going to do next. And just based
8:06
on the looks of this label, I mean, this looks really, really great. So this is a two times
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oaked blenders series. And he says he's using select stocks of his finest barrels and crafted
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using his unique double barreling process. Each blend is blended, one of a kind, and has its own
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story. The Phoenix blend is his re-entry into the world of bourbon. This is just the beginning
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now I'm not just you know riffing on that that's actually on the label I love it I love the the
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hype that it builds I really hope this is his comeback story I know a lot of Kentucky Out
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releases since his his departure have been a bit you know hit or miss but man this this looks great I can wait to see this on a bottle on the shelves And I hope it goes well for him
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I hope this isn't going to be overpriced or underaged or some of the other issues people have had with Kentucky Owl
8:59
I'm not going to place any judgments until I try it. But I got to say, that's one sexy label
9:04
Hey, since we're talking about Docs Quintons, there are a couple new labels from them I see here
9:09
Maybe I will get some info of this on our upcoming live streams
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I'm not sure. We'll see. But this is another exploratory cask. This one is called Dos Padres
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Now, this one is listed as a straight bourbon whiskey finished in tequila cask
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I've yet to try one of these. I hear a lot about this happening with other brands
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I have not yet had the opportunity to try it. But it says, Most aged tequilas spend some time aging in barrels previously used to age tequila
9:37
imparting notes of vanilla and oak while also aiding in its smoothness
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But you never hear a bourbon finish in tequila cask, and in the pursuit of unique flavors, we thought we'd give it a go
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We selected some exceptional cask used to age extra Anejo tequilas, then finished our blenders cut straight bourbon whiskey in them over winter
9:56
and found notes of melon, tangerine, oak, white pepper, and soft leather
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Dos Padres is an ode to two of our favorite spirits. Wow, that sounds really interesting
10:06
Like I said, I just had the bourbon finished in the wine cask
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I can't imagine tequila cask, but color me very, very intrigued. And there's yet another Doc Swinson's label on the TTV here
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This is their Blender's Cut series. It's called 9551. This is a five-year-old cast-strength straight rye whiskey, 115 proof
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and is a rye whiskey finished in rum casks. That's a blend of two distinctly different rye whiskeys as its base spirit
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Now, I'm guessing the 95.51 is an ode to the Mashville, you know, a 95.5 rye and then maybe a 51% rye, so like a low rye rye
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But needless to say, this is really intriguing because I do love their Alter Ego rye whiskey that I believe is just a 95.5 rye
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Like I said, we're going to be drinking that on this week's live stream, so I'll get clarification on that as well
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Um, but this, this really sounds great. I love Indiana rye and the previous Doc Swenson's releases I've had of it have been exceptional
11:07
So keep an eye out. You guys, like, I know it sounds like I'm swooning a bit over Doc Swenson's, but they've
11:12
been putting out some incredible finished, um, whiskey. Um, you know, there was the big 15 year one that came out a couple of years ago, um, that
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got some press. I tried it, you know, I thought it was pretty good. It was expensive, most importantly
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Um, but man, their finished stuff is where it's at. I love their finished rye, and I'm excited to try more of their finished bourbon according to these labels
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Now, like I said, we're trying a few more other expressions of their finished rye on this week's live stream
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So, haven't tasted them. I promise not to, like, spoil it. It's going to be, you know, first impressions on the live stream
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But if this is any indication of how good those are going to be, I cannot wait
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And I hope you guys enjoy the show. But enough about whiskey. Let's talk about the brand new Pokemon Scarlet and Violet games coming out in November of this year
11:56
So a new trailer dropped this Wednesday that gave us a good insight into not only the additional Pokemon that are being added this generation, but also a little bit about the trainers, a little bit about the gym leaders, and even the legendary Pokemon
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There was so much in this trailer, I'm going to try to keep it short and concise, but I'm so, so excited about this release
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so we'd previously seen the three starters for this game i actually talked about them on a
12:23
previous podcast um we're getting a look at some new pokemon here i absolutely love the names of
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these um one of them i'll tell just let's talk about the pokemon first you know we'll talk about
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the game later let's talk about the new pokemon because they're so adorable so one of them is
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called lechonk so this is a pig pokemon um so this game is based in of course the iberian region you
12:44
know, Spain. So it's kind of a play on words with, you know, pigs. Lechon is the Spanish word for a
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suckling pig. Chonk is, you know, like a, like a chunky, chunky baby. So it's a very chubby little
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cute little pig. Kind of looks like a little piggy bank. Speaking of play on words, let's talk about
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Smallive So Smallive is an olive shaped Pokemon It actually expels an olive oil type substance to use against its enemies Now it says this is not edible so don eat your small lives But it just another cute play on words you know small S
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Like, oh, he's so cute. He also looks a bit anxious, which I relate to heavily
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So I think small live is definitely going to have a place on my team
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And, of course, the new legendary Pokemon. These are Maradon and Coradon
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I could be mispronouncing them. Again, it showed the spelling of it on the trailer, but it didn't say it out loud
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It may be Moridon, it may be Koridon, but it's spelled M-I-R-A-I-D-O-N and K-O-R-A-I-D-O-N
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So these are two legendaries that come from the Japanese words for future and ancient perspectives
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And it mirrors the overall past and future theme of the two games
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So this is one thing I noticed. So if you look at the two, you know, gym leaders, you know, because of course there's always two releases
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you know there's the you know ruby and sapphire you know blue and red in this case it is scarlet
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and violet but it seems there's a bit more than just the typical you know different legendaries
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there seems to be a theming thing going on so with pokemon scarlet the legendary is korydon and this
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is a red fire type it looks very very traditional it looks very ancient um whereas pokemon violets
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miradon miradon miradon i don't know how to pronounce it y'all i'm i'm just watching the
14:27
trailer this is a psychic type um and it looks really really cool it's super futuristic it kind
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of has like a little jet pack kind of thing for its its back wheels people say they're they're
14:38
motorbike themed which i definitely saw with um coridon um but i didn't really get that cue
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originally with moraydon um but there's definitely some kind of like mobility kind of wheel theme
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there um but like i said earlier the the gym leaders that we're actually battling with pokemon
14:53
Violet it looks very futuristic their outfit looks futuristic whereas with Pokemon Scarlet
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they look like they're wearing kind of like you know Fred Flintstone type clothes so I'm really
15:03
curious to see if there's more of a difference in these games than just the legendaries you know
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maybe is there a different track you know is it based on a different time period I don't know and
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I cannot wait to find out and you know how I'll find out because this game is also co-op friendly
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which is super exciting so last time my husband and i got a combo pack of both generations or
15:25
both releases so we are definitely planning on getting both new games both pokemon scarlet and
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violet now they announced that there will be some non-linear exploration so it's going to be a bit
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open world but like i said there is co-op opportunities in this game they say it will
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allow multiplayer gameplay with up to four players along with the staples of course you know trading
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and battling, you'll be able to explore various locations of the region in the game with other
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players. You can discover new Pokemon and explore unfamiliar areas with your friends and family
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opening the door to an adventure more precious and fun than ever. So this is kind of questionable
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you know, is the whole game co-op? I don't necessarily think so, but it seems there's
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definitely going to be some co-op aspects of it. And I can't wait to kind of try that out and see
16:10
how it works. You know, there was a little bit of that with the last Pokemon game, but it was kind
16:14
of glitchy and it really wasn't co-op true experience. This time though it looks like you
16:18
can actually walk alongside each other, battle wild Pokemon alongside each other and it looks so
16:23
much fun to play with a friend or a family member. But I do encourage you guys to go check out the
16:27
trailer for yourself. There's a lot of information in there that I probably missed. I just kind of
16:32
got the highlights, the first things that stood out to me about this game and based on conversations
16:36
with my husband who is equally as excited for this game. So make sure you guys follow me on
16:41
Twitch when that game comes out we will absolutely be streaming it twitch.tv slash bourbon bites
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um not sure which one I'm going to play yet I don't know I'm kind of leaning towards uh Violet
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because I love the futuristic look of the legendary Pokemon but um you know debatable we'll find out
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let me know what you guys are thinking of picking up yourselves after you watch the trailer which
17:00
legendary appeals the most to you and you know which theme seems to be more what you want to go
17:05
for you know do you want to go for the ancient or the future I'm leaning towards future but that's
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just that's just my style but thank you all so much for listening this has been the bourbon
17:14
podcast a whiskey podcast with a gaming twist cheers and i'll talk to you guys next episode
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