On the first day of Christmas….A gift suggestion
Posted on | November 30, 2011 | No Comments
My true love gave to me …… a bee-eee-eee-eeee-eeeer! Or maybe a pouring spoon to make black and tans. Now, I do not receive anything for this post, have never gotten a free spoon, but I think this a great item, very cool, and from a small operation trying to make it. So, buy one, give it to those you love who need one for their home bar, and also watch the Bob and Doug Video!
Buy it. Buy it! BUY IT!
You can go here to purchase it for a very reasonable $10.99. Black and tans are great to drink and impressive if you can pour them.
And now, for your brewing – I mean viewing – pleasure, The Great White North.
Tormore Single Malt Scotch – The Review
Posted on | November 25, 2011 | No Comments
Tormore 12 Year Aged Single Speyside Malt
Thanksgiving brings us many things to be thankful for, family, friends, the good food we have, and our lives in general, which are fairly good. Most of all, though, we give thanks that on the way to the in-laws we have to drive by a very good liquor store. This time my better half, The Palate, she who must be obeyed as it were, had us pick up a bottle of Scotch. She is a fan of the Speyside district Scotches, so she grabbed a bottle of the Tormore 12 year old. From the Speyside, plus in a lovely blue box.
Amazingly, it is almost drinkable – high praise from me for a Scotch;
Color – a light amber
Nose – Light and sweet. Not much alcohol on the nose but exhale into the glass and it makes your eyes water. (A good sign although this is only an 80 Proof Scotch).
Taste – Very sweet on the front of the tongue. Plenty of vanilla and honey. The tasting notes supplied with the bottle mention a touch of smoke and a citrus tang. We don’t find that. A spicy finish with a little bite might give some that impression.
This is Scotch we would place in the dessert Scotch category, rather than the appertif Scotch category. It would pair well with cheese, or a cigar, or a cigar shaped cheese. Hey, who are we kidding, what doesn’t go well with a cigar? Or a cigar-shaped cheese for that matter.
We would rate this as a very drinkable Scotch, although at $50.00 or more per bottle, you may find things you like better at that price point (See our review on Glen Rothes Alba Reserve)
Drink neat or with just a touch of water. This Scotch is not bold enough to win the fight with a lot of ice.
The Tormore Distillery is a very recent distillery, built in 1958. It was the first new distillery built in the 20th Century in Scotland and the beautiful building was designed by architect Sir Albert Richardson, a fellow and past president of the Royal Academy.
Drink in this beautiful distillery.
Give Thanks for Bourbon -Bourbon Pairings For Thanksgiving
Posted on | November 23, 2011 | 2 Comments
In the difficult and busy run-up to Thanksgiving, many people forget one of the most important considerations – What bourbons to serve? Oh, everyone discusses what type of green beans to have, should you brine the turkey or not, what pies are we having? But who, who I say, asks the most important question – What bourbon are we serving? Well, let me tell you, very few people are so enlightened.
Let the wussified masses debate whether Chardonnay or Fume Blanc should be served. You spit on them. You are made of sterner stuff. The blood of Carrie Nation flows in your veins (the dark, hidden blood that she never let out of it’s box – but now it runs free in your generation!)
Should you, though, be wondering, here is my suggestion. These are all readily available bourbons so no problem in finding them.
Always a good start.
First for the appetizer course – I would suggest Woodford Reserve. Sweet, elegant and delicious. Not a ton of complexity, but enough to give you something to think about as your Aunt Edna tells you stories about when she was a “hellion.” It has a long finish with hints of vanilla on the nose and fades in to oak and a bit of spice and ends in sweetness. It would go well with the Onion Dip that hipsters have “rediscovered.” Drink it neat or on the rocks.
For the Turkey Course – Wild Turkey, of course. Ha, just kidding. I was thinking Knob Creek (Although Wild Turkey Rye would also go extremely well). At 100 Proof, Knob Creek has enough alcohol bite to help cut through the Turkey coma, the lumpy mashed potatoes, and the cranberry sauce. While others swill wine, drink it neat with a water back. The sweetness is an undertone, while there is a strong flavor of roasted nuts and a hint of honey. The finish is reasonably long, but what makes it work for the main course is the full body and the alcohol level. A word of warning, though – make sure you drink a lot of water with it, and not just the bourbon or you will not make the dessert round.
Finally, for the dessert course – and here there can be some debate – I would suggest Angel’s Envy. One of the very smoothest of bourbons, it dances on your tongue like 18,948 angels on the head of a pin (Yes, that is the answer). Angel’s Envy has a subtle nose, bringing to mind caramel and pecan pie and a hint of ketone’s that I just can’t nail down in my head.. It has a rich mouth feel, but rides lightly on the tongue. If you take the time you realize it has a hidden complexity about it with tastes of vanilla, caramel, oak and orange, a very subtle orange (At least that is what my brain is telling me now). This is definitely a bourbon you can enjoy easily on the end of the dinner and would go well with coffee and pie.
And there you have it. While others worry about the mashed potatoes, you keep your eyes on the important things – What bourbons are we serving?
Happy Guy Fawkes Day! The Occupy Wall Street Cocktail to celebrate!
Posted on | November 5, 2011 | No Comments
As noted in last year’s post, I love Guy Fawkes Day. Celebrating the day a man tried to blow up his government. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, I say.
Which brings us to the Occupy Wall Street protests. Something everyone can get behind (or at least 99% of everyone, lol). Who among us does not feel that the government and big business and many institutions are merely they to serve the political elite as well as their minions the bureaucrats? Of course we all do. Now, when it gets down to specifics, that is when the whole thing falls apart.
However, on this happy day, let us put aside the details. After all, that is where the Devil resides. So, to celebrate Guy Fawkes, let us quaff the Occupy Wall Street Cocktail.
THE OCCUPY WALL STREET COCKTAIL
Ingredients:
12 oz. of Budweiser in an extra large glass. (What better beer to represent the 99%. Pabst would also be perfectly acceptable)
1 shot of Goldschlager. (The perfect example of the hedonistic excesses of the 1%. Shameful flaunting of excessive consumption)
Take the shot glass of Goldschlager and drop it into the glass of beer. Yell “Power to the People”, pump your fist into the air twice and drink it down. Bonus points if you have a hand lettered sign or cocktail napkin with some bizarre or obscure political demand. Additional bonus points if it mentions the Illuminati (is this post still here?) or the Bilderberg Group.
Vote Guy Fawkes — The Only Man Ever To Enter Parliament With Honest Intentions .
For a little historical context: (From the British Concise Encyclopedia)
born 1570, York, Eng. — died Jan. 31, 1606, London) British conspirator. A convert to Roman Catholicism and a religious zealot, Fawkes joined the Spanish army in the Netherlands in 1593 and became noted for his military skill. In 1604 he returned to England and joined a group of Catholic zealots intent on blowing up the Parliament building. When details of this Gunpowder Plot were discovered — Fawkes had planted and camouflaged at least 20 barrels of gunpowder in a cellar under the Parliament building — Fawkes was arrested on Nov. 4, 1605. After being tortured to reveal the names of his accomplices, he was tried and executed opposite the Parliament building. England celebrates Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 with fireworks, masked children begging “a penny for the guy,” and the burning of Fawkes in effigy.
Jim Beam’s Go to Mardis Gras – Unless you live in a Stupid State (Yes, California, I am speaking to you) – News You Can Booze
Posted on | October 26, 2011 | No Comments
Jim Beam is hosting a Devil’s Cut Unleash Your Spirit Contest that will send 5 lucky winners for 3 days and 2 nights to Mardis Gras in New Orleans in 2012. You must enter here by December 3, 2011 to be eligible. There are also 2nd and 3 prizes that are not so awesome and you can also enter by some kind of text thingy but to do that you have to read all the details here:
Oh, yeah, you get to ride in a float, too, with girls like these.
Also, if you are stupid enough or unlucky enough to live in California (And God only knows why you would, but I also do, so I guess I fall in the stupid category) you cannot enter. I am not sure why, but given how our legislature spares no effort to screw the ordinary citizen, I am sure that they put in some stupid law to take away this tiny chance of winning a brief respite from California. Perhaps they were afraid we might find out that other states exist and don’t suck quite as much (except for weather, scenery and restaurants). If you want to know details there is lots of tiny print I can’t be bothered to read here.
Oh well. Enter and win and tell me how coo it is.
Yeah, the weather.
TRAGEDY! (when the feeling’s gone and you can’t go on…..)
Posted on | October 21, 2011 | No Comments
Some things are too sad and tragic for words. For some are lost young, before their destiny can be fulfilled.
Unlucky In Drinking, unlucky in Love?
Posted on | October 6, 2011 | No Comments
Just put the love thing in there because I like the way it sounds.
On May 21, Jesse Robinson either established or tied the unofficial world record for unluckiest underage drinker of all time when he was booked into the Hamilton County, Ohio, jail for underage consumption. According to booking records, Robinson’s date of birth is May 22, 1990. [HamiltonCountyJails.info, 5-23-2011]
People Who Throw Cigarette Butts-Why I Drink
Posted on | September 28, 2011 | No Comments
Driving behind a car. Nice car, not super nice, but nice. He comes to a full stop at the stop sign. Long full stop, no one coming. WUCK? I think. Oh well, some people just follow the rules even in California. Then, not 200 yards down the road, he flicks out a lit cigarette butt near dry grass. I was dumbfounded. What the hell kind of person comes to a full stop but throws cigarette butts? Did he stop because the cherry fell on his lap? Is he epileptic so he involuntarily threw it out? What the hell kind of person is that? I demand consistency from the local scum. I felt the sudden urge to run him off the road into the ditch, and almost did it, but realized that the ensuing delay or detour due to police chase was likely to delay the drink I had so suddenly come to need (not that that is a big surprise).
That Calls for a Carlsberg
Posted on | September 25, 2011 | No Comments
Officially on my list of the Top Ten Beer Commercials of All Time
Bourbon Heritage Month-What it Means to Me
Posted on | September 22, 2011 | No Comments
When I heard it was National Bourbon Heritage Month, I was astounded. Mostly astounded that they had actually passed some Senate resolution at one point in time for that. Or so interweb legend holds.
But I thought about it. Bourbon is my favorite hard liquor. I could pretty much drink it to the exclusion of all others. It has, however, been a long evolution.
I grew up in a brown liquor family. You can read my earlier post, The Whiskey Standard, about my grandmother’s bourbon stash.
Oh, there were lots of martini’s and tom collins’ around. The occasional Gin Fizz and whatnot. I was not even sure what the hell vodka was for as a child. There were bottles of it around, but I am not sure I ever saw anyone drink any of it. Mostly people drank bourbon and soda, manhattans, old fashioneds, scotch and soda. When I was 15 I bartended (if you could call it that) for my Grandmother’s 76th birthday. The old ladies, while not telling dirty jokes that made me turn red, were telling me not to go too lightly on the scotch.
At a funeral for a family member, after the service there was an open bar at the golf club where the wake was held. It was 6 deep at the bar. I was trying to get a scotch and soda for my great aunt, 88, but when she saw how long it was taking me to get through the press, she just got in there and elbowed through the younger people until she got to the bar and got her drink right away. Who is going to stop a little old lady, plus she looked pretty mean.
I remember when I was little taking sips of my parents drinks. I can still almost, but not quite, recapture the smell of the liquor in my mind. Later on a couple of magazines my parents took had little foil packets in them, they looked like little handi-wipes, that were “smelling wipes” that smelled of bourbon. I can’t remember the brand. I smelled those little pads for days. They made my mouth water. To this day, thinking about a good bourbon can make my mouth water.
In college, when I could actually start drinking, I went through a rebellious youth stage. I drank a lot of long island iced teas, rum and cokes, margaritas, etc. Salty Dogs. It was a rough time. I did not drink all that much bourbon or any kind of whiskey during those dark years. Finally, a light shown after college. I realized that my father had been right about a lot of things. Drinking was one of the major ones. So, I started drinking bourbon and seven’s, things like that. Or bourbon and coke, John Collins, and the like. Later I moved on to bourbon and soda. Then bourbon and water, bourbon splash of water, bourbon-water back. Now, if the bourbon is good, just bourbon. If it is hot, bourbon and soda is still awesome.
So, my bourbon heritage is pretty much my whole life. My kids even like the taste on the end of their finger. Now, I just have to recapture those smells/tastes of the bourbon of my own youth. I am thinking maybe that it was Ancient Age bourbon. The current Ancient Age does not seem quite like it, but it is quite possible that it has changed hands, changed distilling, etc. I have not researched that yet. The quest goes on.
National Bourbon Heritage month. How does bourbon fit into your life?
The right period in time. It is familiar.....Is it it?
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The Liquor Locusts
"The harsh, useful things of the world, from pulling teeth to digging potatoes, are best done by men who are as starkly sober as so many convicts in the death-house, but the lovely and useless things, the charming and exhilarating things, are best done by men with, as the phrase is, a few sheets in the wind." ~H.L. Mencken
The Dangers of Thirst
"Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need - a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing." ~Jerome K. Jerome
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The Jug of Empire!
"How solemn and beautiful is the thought that the earliest pioneer of civilization, the van-leader of civilization, is never the steamboat, never the railroad, never the newspaper, never the Sabbath-school, never the missionary -- but always whiskey!" ~Mark Twain