http://laist.com/2012/03/06/24-hour_sprinkles_atm_starts_servin.php
http://laist.com/2012/03/09/sprinkles_cupcake_atm_has_been_disp.php
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/06/sprinkles-cupcake-atm-see_n_1324305.html
Sprinkles Beverly Hills:
Apparently the New York shop is getting the next ATM.
My brain completely short-circuited watching this video.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
IMPORTANT RECIPE: Hot Whiskey
It is Day Ten of what has turned out to be some double-respiratory-infection hotness. I'm finally feeling better, but Kristen is beginning to fall under the weather.
So now is the best time to impart the recipe for one of the great medicines! Think of it as the Irish Chicken Soup. A remedy for all your ills.*
[*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, but is very delicious.]
I discovered Hot Whiskey on a cold rainy October night in Doolin, Ireland back in 2003. Nothing warms the cockles of one's cockles like a proper hot whiskey. It tastes better than tea, feels great on a cold evening, and temporarily soothes an aching throat. For some time, I've been trying to reverse engineer the most accurate recipe on my own. This is it.
Note: It is of the utmost importance that Powers Whiskey ($15-$20!) be used. It's what the locals use. Its flavors combine best with the ingredients. And it's a mighty fine Irish blend at that. Using Jamesons or Tullamore Dew or Paddy's or Michael Collins or any fancy whiskies will not taste the same. Believe me, I've tried.
HOT WHISKEY
Ingredients for two serving sizes:
Mug (approx 8oz.)
__Boiled Water (at least 2 mugs worth just to be safe)
__1/4 of a lemon (peel and all, seeds removed) - 1 slice
__4 whole cloves
__1 tsp brown (or demerara) sugar
__3 tbl (1.5oz) Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
OR
Glass (approx 12-16oz.)
__Boiled Water (at least 2 glasses worth just to be safe)
__1/2 of a lemon (peel and all, seeds removed) - 2 slices
__8 whole cloves (4 for each lemon slice)
__1 heaping tsp of brown (or demerara) sugar
__5 tbl (2.5oz) Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
Instructions:
1. First, boil that water.
2. Second, pour a little of the hot water into the mug/glass and swirl it around. Don't burn yourself! Spill it out. Now you have a properly heated receptacle.
3. Put the brown sugar in the mug/glass, then add the whiskey on top. Give it a little stir so that the sugar dissolves a bit.
4. Stick the cloves into the lemon slice(s). Try to poke them into the white part (the pith!). If that doesn't work, press them into the pulp.
5. Carefully (to avoid losing whiskey) slide the lemon slice(s) into the mug/glass with the whiskey and sugar.
6. Pour the insanely hot water into the mug/glass until filled.
7. Give it a couple of stirs to make sure the sugar has fully dissolved. Wait a moment or three to let the flavors combine, and also to avoid scalding your face.
8. Savour slowly.
That's "Savour" with a U. Y'all.
Here's a link to another good and similar Hot Whiskey recipe.
Here's Powers' recipe for Hot Whiskey.
Mugs hold the heat longer and approximate the size of the serving you'd get in a pub. Glasses show off the lovely colour and make it easier to see if the sugar has dissolved. So if you have a Irish Coffee Glass (8oz), that makes for the best drinkware here.
On a responsible note: If you are sick, please do not consume more than 3 ounces of whiskey. Overconsumption of alcohol can lower one's zinc levels, in turn risking further sickness.
If you're not sick, who am I to tell you how to run your life? There are 25 ounces of whiskey in that bottle!
So now is the best time to impart the recipe for one of the great medicines! Think of it as the Irish Chicken Soup. A remedy for all your ills.*
[*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, but is very delicious.]
I discovered Hot Whiskey on a cold rainy October night in Doolin, Ireland back in 2003. Nothing warms the cockles of one's cockles like a proper hot whiskey. It tastes better than tea, feels great on a cold evening, and temporarily soothes an aching throat. For some time, I've been trying to reverse engineer the most accurate recipe on my own. This is it.
Note: It is of the utmost importance that Powers Whiskey ($15-$20!) be used. It's what the locals use. Its flavors combine best with the ingredients. And it's a mighty fine Irish blend at that. Using Jamesons or Tullamore Dew or Paddy's or Michael Collins or any fancy whiskies will not taste the same. Believe me, I've tried.
HOT WHISKEY
Ingredients for two serving sizes:
Mug (approx 8oz.)
__Boiled Water (at least 2 mugs worth just to be safe)
__1/4 of a lemon (peel and all, seeds removed) - 1 slice
__4 whole cloves
__1 tsp brown (or demerara) sugar
__3 tbl (1.5oz) Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
OR
Glass (approx 12-16oz.)
__Boiled Water (at least 2 glasses worth just to be safe)
__1/2 of a lemon (peel and all, seeds removed) - 2 slices
__8 whole cloves (4 for each lemon slice)
__1 heaping tsp of brown (or demerara) sugar
__5 tbl (2.5oz) Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey
Instructions:
1. First, boil that water.
2. Second, pour a little of the hot water into the mug/glass and swirl it around. Don't burn yourself! Spill it out. Now you have a properly heated receptacle.
3. Put the brown sugar in the mug/glass, then add the whiskey on top. Give it a little stir so that the sugar dissolves a bit.
4. Stick the cloves into the lemon slice(s). Try to poke them into the white part (the pith!). If that doesn't work, press them into the pulp.
5. Carefully (to avoid losing whiskey) slide the lemon slice(s) into the mug/glass with the whiskey and sugar.
6. Pour the insanely hot water into the mug/glass until filled.
7. Give it a couple of stirs to make sure the sugar has fully dissolved. Wait a moment or three to let the flavors combine, and also to avoid scalding your face.
8. Savour slowly.
That's "Savour" with a U. Y'all.
Here's a link to another good and similar Hot Whiskey recipe.
Here's Powers' recipe for Hot Whiskey.
Mugs hold the heat longer and approximate the size of the serving you'd get in a pub. Glasses show off the lovely colour and make it easier to see if the sugar has dissolved. So if you have a Irish Coffee Glass (8oz), that makes for the best drinkware here.
On a responsible note: If you are sick, please do not consume more than 3 ounces of whiskey. Overconsumption of alcohol can lower one's zinc levels, in turn risking further sickness.
If you're not sick, who am I to tell you how to run your life? There are 25 ounces of whiskey in that bottle!
Sláinte mhaith!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 4 of 4)
The triumphant conclusion of the Vegas 2012 edition of the Single Malt Report.
The Whisky Attic tasting in its entirety (links fixed!):
Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Part 4 - Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Part 4 - Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Part 4 - Tomintoul 27yr
In Part 3, I tried peaty, muscular, demanding whiskies. In Part 4, my whisky walls tumble asunder.
ARDBEG CORRYVRECKAN
The Corryvreckan, just off the coast of Islay, is the third largest whirlpool in the world. It's a powerful audible force, described as "very violent and dangerous" by sailing manuals. It has drawn artists and mystics throughout the years. It almost killed Orwell when he was in the midst of writing Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is the washtub of the Gaelic goddess of winter. It pulled an ancient Norse king to his death.
Per Arcade Fire:
"Nothing lasts forever that's the way it’s gotta be
There's a great black wave in the middle of the sea"
Distillery: Ardbeg
Age: millennia?
Maturation: the planet's molten core
Region: Islay (natch)
Alcohol by Volume: 57.1%
'Twas very pleasing to see this placed in front of me. I am an Ardbeg 10 fan and deeply desire all of Ardbeg's drams. I brought the Corryvreckan glass to my lips to begin The Method and the ride began.
Whatever involuntary expression crossed my face made Adam laugh. "That's what we like to call a bouquet," he said.
I said, "I um."
The whisky had expanded inside of my mind and lit up my skull, like only great absinthes (The Grand Mistress) do when they've arrived at their mark. I don't know where the nose, palate, and finish borders began or ended.
I was like David in Henry Roth's Call it Sleep. I had touched the electric rail.
The Whisky Attic tasting in its entirety (links fixed!):
Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Part 4 - Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Part 4 - Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Part 4 - Tomintoul 27yr
In Part 3, I tried peaty, muscular, demanding whiskies. In Part 4, my whisky walls tumble asunder.
ARDBEG CORRYVRECKAN
The great black wave.
The Corryvreckan, just off the coast of Islay, is the third largest whirlpool in the world. It's a powerful audible force, described as "very violent and dangerous" by sailing manuals. It has drawn artists and mystics throughout the years. It almost killed Orwell when he was in the midst of writing Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is the washtub of the Gaelic goddess of winter. It pulled an ancient Norse king to his death.
Per Arcade Fire:
"Nothing lasts forever that's the way it’s gotta be
There's a great black wave in the middle of the sea"
Distillery: Ardbeg
Age: millennia?
Maturation: the planet's molten core
Region: Islay (natch)
Alcohol by Volume: 57.1%
'Twas very pleasing to see this placed in front of me. I am an Ardbeg 10 fan and deeply desire all of Ardbeg's drams. I brought the Corryvreckan glass to my lips to begin The Method and the ride began.
Whatever involuntary expression crossed my face made Adam laugh. "That's what we like to call a bouquet," he said.
I said, "I um."
The whisky had expanded inside of my mind and lit up my skull, like only great absinthes (The Grand Mistress) do when they've arrived at their mark. I don't know where the nose, palate, and finish borders began or ended.
I was like David in Henry Roth's Call it Sleep. I had touched the electric rail.
thick tar! bitter
tea and black coffee and
decay-
-ed seaweed
mentholated tire fires
the anise
& sugar
of black
of black
licorice
smoldering
petrol
petrol
all held together by the sweet bloom of some great unknown dark flower
"I don't even know what it is." "Fantastic, huh?" I answered him by staring at the glass for two minutes.
This one will sit in second place in the Rankings because I can't quite believe that it is real. I require a second tasting to prove that I didn't dream it. And maybe a comparison with its brother Uigeadail. [Ed. note: Yes, it's bloody real. Here's the followup report.]
Pricing - Bargain at $70-$80
Rating - 96
BALLYLARKIN IRISH WHISKY LIQUEUR
Distillery: Ballylarkin Abbey?
Age: minimum 3 years
Maturation: unknown
Region: Ireland (Kilkenny)
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
This dram proved that whisky tastings aren't totally devoid of humor.
After dropping me into the dark sun of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, what did Adam give me next? Whisky candy! He brought me back into the light with syrupy, rich, and fruity Ballylarkin Irish Whisky Liqueur.
I've searched far and wide (on the Intertubes) to find anything about Ballylarkin Liqueur. The only place with statistics was a report from Washington State's Liquor Control Board. Otherwise, not much in the way of facts. It does appear that the liqueur was created by the monks at Ballylarkin Abbey.
Dang. Monks are always onto the good sh**.
The Ballylarkin company (and abbey) are in County Kilkenny, a beautiful spot I visited almost nine years ago. I highly recommend visiting the beautiful town of Kilkenny as well.
So, if whiskey is already a liquor, what is whiskey liqueur? A liquor producer takes some already-matured whiskey stock (that's often not of single malt, pot still, or, even blend quality) then sweetens it with honey, fruit juices and extracts, spices, and sugars. The result is something extra-desserty, like Drambuie, Irish Mist, Jeremiah Weed, and...
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Nose: mmm desserty, candied peaches, lychee juice, vanilla
Palate: thickly textured, lots of lychee fruit, canned peach and pear syrup, and a bourbony Irish whiskey
Finish: strong enough to clear away all previous whisky, but NOT sickly sweet
If you can find Ballylarkin at a bar or restaurant and those tasting notes appeal to you, I do recommend giving it a try. It shouldn't be that expensive, probably cheaper than Drambuie. But if those notes gross you out, then stick to a Glenfarclas-flavored dessert.
BALLYLARKIN IRISH WHISKY LIQUEUR
 |
| I can't find a decent pic of the bottle, so here's a happy Wiki pic of lychees. |
Age: minimum 3 years
Maturation: unknown
Region: Ireland (Kilkenny)
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
This dram proved that whisky tastings aren't totally devoid of humor.
After dropping me into the dark sun of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, what did Adam give me next? Whisky candy! He brought me back into the light with syrupy, rich, and fruity Ballylarkin Irish Whisky Liqueur.
I've searched far and wide (on the Intertubes) to find anything about Ballylarkin Liqueur. The only place with statistics was a report from Washington State's Liquor Control Board. Otherwise, not much in the way of facts. It does appear that the liqueur was created by the monks at Ballylarkin Abbey.
Dang. Monks are always onto the good sh**.
The Ballylarkin company (and abbey) are in County Kilkenny, a beautiful spot I visited almost nine years ago. I highly recommend visiting the beautiful town of Kilkenny as well.
So, if whiskey is already a liquor, what is whiskey liqueur? A liquor producer takes some already-matured whiskey stock (that's often not of single malt, pot still, or, even blend quality) then sweetens it with honey, fruit juices and extracts, spices, and sugars. The result is something extra-desserty, like Drambuie, Irish Mist, Jeremiah Weed, and...
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Nose: mmm desserty, candied peaches, lychee juice, vanilla
Palate: thickly textured, lots of lychee fruit, canned peach and pear syrup, and a bourbony Irish whiskey
Finish: strong enough to clear away all previous whisky, but NOT sickly sweet
If you can find Ballylarkin at a bar or restaurant and those tasting notes appeal to you, I do recommend giving it a try. It shouldn't be that expensive, probably cheaper than Drambuie. But if those notes gross you out, then stick to a Glenfarclas-flavored dessert.
Pricing - Good at $30-$35
Rating - 77
TOMINTOUL 27 YEAR OLD
Distillery: Tomintoul
Age: minimum 27 years old
Maturation: Bourbon casks
Region: Speyside
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
I reviewed the Tomintoul 33 year old last year after I'd sampled it on my 33rd birthday. And found it to be so easy-going that its character was difficult to suss out. I'd enjoyed the 16 year considerably more.
The 27-year is being phased out, with the 33-year replacing it on the official Tomintioul range. Or so, I've been reading. The thing is, the 27 year is easier to find than its replacement via online US whisky sellers. And that's not a bad thing, since I enjoyed the 27 year much more.
Now, the Ballylarkin was supposed to be the closer on the tasting. But Adam was incredibly generous and allowed me a bonus partial dram of this 27.
Tomintoul 27 year old
Nose: Light vanilla, fruit sugary but not sweetish, pears!
Palate: More pears, fresh ones though, not canned; a little nutty and malty with a peep of the vanilla
Finish: Medium, a little bit fruit, a little bit of malt
Quite good. If it was a third of the price, I'd make this a regular in my whisky stash. But it is 27 years old and priced very competitively with others in that age range.
Pricing - Acceptable at $180-$200
Rating - 87
I have now expended thousands of words on this tasting and still feel as if that hasn't done it justice. It was a pivotal whisky experience for me. Not just for learning a new tasting method. Not just for getting a chance to view and drink so many great spirits. Not just for having the opportunity to talk to a whisky expert like Adam Carmer.
Things have been a little rocky in my personal life, so having this chance to deeply explore the grand whisky world without judgement, without second thought, luxuriating in the moment, was valuable beyond price.
Thanks for giving this particular whisky voyage a read. I look forward to reporting on the many voyages to come.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Single Malt Report: Vegas 2012 edition (Part 3 of 4)
Happy Monday! Time for Part Three in the Vegas 2012 edition of the Single Malt report.
Here's The Whisky Attic drink list:
Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Ardbeg Corryvrecken
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Tomintoul 27yr
Adam had told me, before the tasting had begun, that due to my palate preferences we would be heading towards the extremes of the whisky world.
Now we were at the midpoint of whiskies. There had been great finishes: madeira on Irish, rum on Scottish; and there had been a massive spicy rye. But what about the single malt's spirit itself, what journeys awaited?
LEDAIG 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT
Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Age: minimum 15 years
Maturation: likely bourbon casks
Region: Island (Mull)
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
The Island of Mull sits south of Syke and north of Islay. A single distillery has operated on this rocky island, on and off, since 1798. It's been known as Tobermory for the majority of its existence, but also went by the name Ledaig for twenty years.
Currently Tobermory produces its namesake unpeated malt as well as "Ledaig", a considerably peated malt modelled after the whisky that had been produced on the island many years before. Ledaig is a bit of a curio since it's not hot and peppery like Talisker to the north, nor is it medicinal like the distilleries to the south.
The good news is that Ledaig 15 is wonderful, strong in character and significantly different than any other malt that I've had...
Ledaig 15yr
Nose: Fresh peat: the mosses and grasses that later ended their days as the smoke that dried the Mull malted barley; a bit of soap, some citrus
Palate: That lovely fresh vegetal peat element, new cigar smoke, a little dusty, malty, a smidge of spice
Finish: Very extensive for its ABV, lovely in fact, a little dusty and vegetal
...The bad news? Ledaig 15 was produced in limited amounts for a limited time and no longer for sale anywhere, except at swollen auction prices. It was a great pleasure to have had this opportunity to taste it.
Pricing - Unbloodyknown :(
Rating - 92
AMRUT CASK STRENGTH INDIAN SINGLE MALT
Distillery: Amrut
Age: unknown but definitely young
Maturation: bourbon casks
Region: India (Bangalore)
Alcohol by Volume: 61.8%
LAPHROAIG 10 YEAR OLD CASK STRENGTH (Batch 002)
This may or may not be the right bottle pic. There are others with greener labels and the ABV stamped largely on the front.
Distillery: Laphroaig
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: seasoned oak
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 56.3%
Adam and I chatted about Laphroaig's malts after I'd sampled this one. He helped diagnose my issue with the 18 year -- it's designed with a subtler palate range in mind. He's also a fan of the Quarter Cask. "Best nose in the range, but this has the best finish by far." This being the 10yr Cask Strength.
Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Nose: Coal and wood smoke, no bandaids, salty, and moderate peating
Palate: More of the coal and wood smoke, smoked fish, salty Atlantic, balanced by a mellow brown sugar sweetness, nice oily texture
Finish: One of the greatest ever. ENORMOUS. I swear there were three climbing tiers of finish. It was boom, then BOom, then boOM. Cigars, bonfires, woodstoves, coastal Irish evenings
I'll agree with him, this finish was unbelievable. It kept transforming as time went on. Looks like the Quarter Cask has a competitor here.
Here's The Whisky Attic drink list:
Part 1 - Dalmore Gran Reserva
Part 1 - Tyrconnell 10yr Irish Single Malt, Madeira Finish
Part 1 - Big Bottom Bourbon
Part 2 - Balvenie 14yr Caribbean Cask
Part 2 - Rowan's Creek Bourbon
Part 2 - Willett Straight Rye
Part 3 - Ledaig 15yr
Part 3 - Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Part 3 - Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Ardbeg Corryvrecken
Ballylarkin Irish Whiskey Liqueur
Tomintoul 27yr
Adam had told me, before the tasting had begun, that due to my palate preferences we would be heading towards the extremes of the whisky world.
Now we were at the midpoint of whiskies. There had been great finishes: madeira on Irish, rum on Scottish; and there had been a massive spicy rye. But what about the single malt's spirit itself, what journeys awaited?
LEDAIG 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT
Brand: Ledaig
Age: minimum 15 years
Maturation: likely bourbon casks
Region: Island (Mull)
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
The Island of Mull sits south of Syke and north of Islay. A single distillery has operated on this rocky island, on and off, since 1798. It's been known as Tobermory for the majority of its existence, but also went by the name Ledaig for twenty years.
Currently Tobermory produces its namesake unpeated malt as well as "Ledaig", a considerably peated malt modelled after the whisky that had been produced on the island many years before. Ledaig is a bit of a curio since it's not hot and peppery like Talisker to the north, nor is it medicinal like the distilleries to the south.
The good news is that Ledaig 15 is wonderful, strong in character and significantly different than any other malt that I've had...
Ledaig 15yr
Nose: Fresh peat: the mosses and grasses that later ended their days as the smoke that dried the Mull malted barley; a bit of soap, some citrus
Palate: That lovely fresh vegetal peat element, new cigar smoke, a little dusty, malty, a smidge of spice
Finish: Very extensive for its ABV, lovely in fact, a little dusty and vegetal
...The bad news? Ledaig 15 was produced in limited amounts for a limited time and no longer for sale anywhere, except at swollen auction prices. It was a great pleasure to have had this opportunity to taste it.
Pricing - Unbloodyknown :(
Rating - 92
AMRUT CASK STRENGTH INDIAN SINGLE MALT
Distillery: Amrut
Age: unknown but definitely young
Maturation: bourbon casks
Region: India (Bangalore)
Alcohol by Volume: 61.8%
Then it was a quick gear shift into a hefty Cask Strength from...
India.
India? India. India has a massive whisky market, dominated by their own brands of blends. Much of what they bottle as "whisky" is actually an inexpensive distillation of molasses. BUT, Amrut Distilleries (est. 1948) now produces their malts according to the Scottish Whisky Association's standards.
Now, as you can imagine, the weather in India is slightly different than that of Scotland. So the whisky matures differently. For instance the heavy heat causes the spirit to shed alcohol much faster than its Scotch counterparts. Thus the bottlings must be much younger.
So, what we have here is a young cask-strengthed Amrut, with a big ABV:
India.
India? India. India has a massive whisky market, dominated by their own brands of blends. Much of what they bottle as "whisky" is actually an inexpensive distillation of molasses. BUT, Amrut Distilleries (est. 1948) now produces their malts according to the Scottish Whisky Association's standards.
Now, as you can imagine, the weather in India is slightly different than that of Scotland. So the whisky matures differently. For instance the heavy heat causes the spirit to shed alcohol much faster than its Scotch counterparts. Thus the bottlings must be much younger.
So, what we have here is a young cask-strengthed Amrut, with a big ABV:
Amrut Cask Strength Indian Single Malt
Nose: Malty and oaky, but surprisingly little ethyl for an ABV like this
Palate: Thick, oily, malty, a little bit of salt, very fatty, again relatively little of that ethyl
Finish: Here's the Heat, along with some spice.
Perhaps it was the new tasting method, but the alcohol (62% of the drink) was not as obtrusive as other lighter cask strength whiskies I've had. It was very good. Blindfolded I wouldn't have known that it wasn't Scottish.
ALSO, I have a my own mini bottle of this. So we'll explore this further, along with other world whiskies, next month.
Perhaps it was the new tasting method, but the alcohol (62% of the drink) was not as obtrusive as other lighter cask strength whiskies I've had. It was very good. Blindfolded I wouldn't have known that it wasn't Scottish.
ALSO, I have a my own mini bottle of this. So we'll explore this further, along with other world whiskies, next month.
(to be examined again in April...)
LAPHROAIG 10 YEAR OLD CASK STRENGTH (Batch 002)
Distillery: Laphroaig
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: seasoned oak
Region: Islay
Alcohol by Volume: 56.3%
Adam and I chatted about Laphroaig's malts after I'd sampled this one. He helped diagnose my issue with the 18 year -- it's designed with a subtler palate range in mind. He's also a fan of the Quarter Cask. "Best nose in the range, but this has the best finish by far." This being the 10yr Cask Strength.
Laphroaig 10yr Cask Strength
Nose: Coal and wood smoke, no bandaids, salty, and moderate peating
Palate: More of the coal and wood smoke, smoked fish, salty Atlantic, balanced by a mellow brown sugar sweetness, nice oily texture
Finish: One of the greatest ever. ENORMOUS. I swear there were three climbing tiers of finish. It was boom, then BOom, then boOM. Cigars, bonfires, woodstoves, coastal Irish evenings
I'll agree with him, this finish was unbelievable. It kept transforming as time went on. Looks like the Quarter Cask has a competitor here.
Pricing - Good at $60; Less Good at $75
Rating - 89
These were all big individualist whiskies adorned with clomping steel-toed boot-style characteristics.
Could we go any larger? What in the world would that be like?
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Alex Rodriguez responds to my blog post in acceptable fashion
The first pitch Alex sees this spring training, courtesy of Roy Halladay:
That's okay with me.
UPDATE: Because mlb.com can't get their video working correctly, I'll spoil the suspense.
He hits a homerun.
That's okay with me.
UPDATE: Because mlb.com can't get their video working correctly, I'll spoil the suspense.
He hits a homerun.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Alex Rodriguez, I'll bet you think this post is about you
Is there nothing that you do, publicly, that doesn't photograph weird?
I guess that's why I love you, man.
No, not that way.
In more of a straight male warrior centaur kind of way.
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
You need to be healthy this year, bro. Haters gon' hate, but a three year clean ARodaissance would be swell for beisbol, New York, and (even bigger!) you.
Afterwards, you'd be in around 7th place in Runs, 12th in Hits, 2nd in Total Bases, 3rd in RBI, 5th in Extra Base Hits, you'd pass Babe Ruth on the home run list, and (for the statheads) you'd be 8th in Offensive WAR. And you'd still be only 38 years old. Three years left on your contract to coast on into the top of the record books in almost every major offensive category.
I know you've said that you don't pay any attention to your own stats, but look at those pictures above. Dude. You do pay attention to your own stats.
So, if not for the fans, if not for the game, if not for the Yankees, do it for ARod.
Think about it for a sec...
The photo opportunities will be endless.
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