Summer imbibing(yes Ron, I need your input)

[Phog Allen]

Phog- Are you a Jayhawk???

Yes sir. I drive by Dr. Allen's statue every day at work. It's not every fan who gets to boast of having the coach who invented basketball andthe coach who perfected the game. We scored both. http://tinyurl.com/m6z3k

Regards, Todd

 

[Phog Allen]

For sheer mystique, nothing beats vintage port, but talk about a wine that is most decidedly not summer friendly. To me, it's the only good thing about winter.

Even though they've gone up quite a bit in the last few years, they're still pretty reasonable compared to first growths. The late bottled vintage ports, which can go for around $15, may be the best value in all of wine.

Now if I could only get a shaving cream that smells like '70 Taylor.

I would agree that port is not a sumertime drink. To be quite honest, I seem to lke the tawny's more and more. That buttery smoothness is quite addictive. I would also agree that LBV is the way to go for affordable port rather than the true vintages. I do not have a discerning enough palate to really get into the vintage stuff. At least not yet.

Regards, Todd

 

[jer]

The wife and I love G N Ts in the summer, usually made with Beefeaters. Tanquery works too, and Hendricks or Plymouth is a gourmet treat. Lots of fresh lime is requisite.

We're also fans of the vodka gimlet:

2 oz Grey Goose, or Ketel One if you want to save pennies
2 oz Roses's lime juice
Half a fresh lime
Stir and serve in a chilled glass with plenty of ice

Yum

 

[Tito]

Modelo Especial, goes to the beach with me every weekend.
Then at night when the sun goes down I'll crack a Negro Modelo from time to time.

 

[Dispatch]

http://wine.woot.com/

every sunday night at 1am Est. they put up a new wine deal for a week.

just putting it out there

 

[rikrdo]

Saw the Sangria post and had to send my "traditional" version.
========================================================
White Sangria

1 can Kerns Peach Nectar
1 Can sweet white wine (I like Franzia "Crisp White" in-the-box)
1/2 can Brandy
Blend all 3 together in a pitcher.

Fill glass with ice and make 50/50 mix of 7-up + Peach-wine-brandy brew.
========================================================

Very tasty and refreshing during the summertime.

 

[phishkabob]

Yes sir. I drive by Dr. Allen's statue every day at work. It's not every fan who gets to boast of having the coach who invented basketball andthe coach who perfected the game. We scored both. http://tinyurl.com/m6z3k

Regards, Todd

Lucky you!!! Although I am not a Jayhawk (I am a Fort Hays State Tiger alumni), I have two siblings that are. Being originally from Kansas, K.U. is my favorite college basketball team. Lawrence is a very nice place.

Sam

 

[Andre]

OK, so my first post on B&B has nothing to do with shaving...

I want to talk about whisk[e]y and Vodka, since most people I know are a bit in the dark about this stuff, you might also find it helpful for your understanding:

ALL spirits are made the same way (for the most part). Some grain are mixed together in water (perhaps after full or partial malting) and fermented. This is then distilled in some way to make a spirit. The ONLY difference is the details of the method of distillation and the grains used. Scotch whisky is distilled in one type of vessel, usually three times, while another spirit might be made in a different vessel and distilled a different number of times. But in the end, you get a grain spirit at some level of proof. The type of alcohol in it is exactly the same, as it is for all alcoholic beverages. Nasty rotgut and a fine Bordeaux (and beer, tequilla, rum, etc.) have exactly the same alcohol in them and will affect you the same way (alcohol-wise).

Now with Vodka, the spirit is distilled to a point where it is defined as having no distinctive taste or characteristics (190 proof+). This state is what's called Grain Neutral Spirits, or GNS. This GNS is used as filler for blended whisk[e]y, and is what Vodka starts as. To make the Vodka that you buy at the store, this GNS is dilluted with water to a drinkable proof. The IMPORTANT thing to note is that Vodka starts as a neutral spirit with no characteristics whatsoever, so the differences some perceive as being in Vodka are really nothing more that differences in the water used to dilute them (or perhaps ADDED flavoring). So when you pay $35 for a top shelf Vodka over a $12 Vodka, you are paying 23 extra bucks for the water and fancy bottle. Diehard Vodka drinkers like to argue this point, or outright don't believe it, but this is what Vodka is. It's little more than pure grain alchohol diluted with water enough to be drinkable. As such it is simply an alcohol delivery device and IMHO should be used for mixed drinks only. Otherwise its only point is to make you drunk - unless you derive pleasure from the comparison of different waters!

Whisk[e]y on the other hand, is distilled to maybe about 140 proof (so it still contains characteristics of the original mash grains). It comes out of the final still as a clear spirit (looks just like Vodka), but then is placed into oak barrels for ageing. As the spirit ages in the bbls, it takes on a browner color and picks up more flavor characteristics from the wood. American Whiskey uses new oak bbls, and as such picks up more overt flavors and color in a shorter amount of time. Scotch Whisky uses (mostly) old American bbls and takes a longer time to age and pick up characteristics from the used wood.

Normally, the cask strength whisk[e]y is dilluted down to somewhere between 80 and 101 proof for bottling (though you can often find higher and "cask strength" whiskey).

American Whiskey is normally a mix of corn, rye and barley (and sometimes wheat replaces the rye, as in Maker's Mark). It is all fermented and distilled the same way (meaning that none of the grains is turned into GNS for filler and no filler, besides water for dilution, is added).

Single Malt Scotch is 100% Barley, distilled at a single distillery.

Blended Scotch is Single malt Scotch[es] mixed with filler GNS. (That said, unless you actually prefer the taste, why drink blends that essentially water down the single malt whisky taste with the neautral taste of GNS when they are roughly the same price as a decent single malt like Aberlour?).

I'll stay out of the mixed drink thing, except to say that if you think a fine whiskey should be appreciated for what it is as a drink that was made in a certain way, has certain characteristics, and can be appreciated as such (like fine wine), then treat them like a fine wine and DON'T mix good whiskey, you don't add ice to it, and you don't dillute it overly with more water, and you certainly don't drink blended whisky like Johnny Walker by itself. Johnny Walker is for people who throw in a bunch of ice and water - which begs the question of why you'd pay so much for some expressions of it?...but I digress. (a small amount of water can be added top a fine whisk[e]y, not so much for dillution's sake, but it can help release more flavors and aroma's from the whiskey). If, on the other hand, you are making a mixed drink, use the cheaper stuff, or the blends. Only Vodka ONLY to ADD alcohol to something that doesn't have it otherwise, like Cranberry juice.

I hope this was helpful in some way,
Andre

 

[rikrdo]

Alright Andre...!!$#W

Where should I start??
1st: You need to post your info in the Hall of Fame. Give us an idea of who / what you are all about.

2: You mean to tell me that Grey Goose tastes the same as Old Rotgut??

and
C: JOHNNIE BLACK is awesome tasting whisky !! I could not care less if it is blended or Single Malt. I have sampled some very fine whiskies in my day and JWBlack is STILL one of the best ever.


Just my 2c...FWIW.......YMMV....YADA YADA YADA.

and BTW, Welcome to B&B!!

 

[Andre]

Thanks rikrdo - done.

No Greygoose will not taste the same as Old Rotgut, but I think it's important for Vodka drinkers to understand the making of their spirit so they can make informed choices about what it actually is and how it's made. The DIFFERENCE bettwen GG and OR (as Vodkas) will NOT be the alcohol, or how it's made, but just the liquid used to dilute it back down to drinkable strength. High-End Vodkas sometimes make claims that may not be entirely to the point of why they might be better than brand X. High-end Vodkas are largely "better" because they remain more neutral, by the addition of a purer dilutant. The wind up with less taste at bottle proof, so are "better." It's ALL in how they have been diluted. When you buy GG, you are paying NOT for the distillation, but for the better ingrediants used in the redilution.

You know. A suprising number of people really like JW (obviously). Personally, I like BIG wines and BIG whisky. I find blended Scotch to be more tame than I like, but I'm a Islay man and prefer big, peaty, monsters. You can do far worse than JW Black, I just question why someone would buy the low-end JW (like the red), when a very fine Single Malt can be gotten for the same price or less, and it will have a more distinct flavor. A matter of what you want, I guess.

But I still would never drink Vodka, except as part of a mixed drink. It serves no purpose otherwise, IM[not so]HO!

Andre

 

[moses]

Andre,

Welcome. What's your take on Laphroaig? (10 or 15).

 

[Andre]

I actually like both about equally, though they are a bit different from eachother. I usually find myself drinking the 10, simply because it's a bit cheaper. I'd like to try their new quarter cask (or even their cask strength), but I have yet to see it in my neck of the woods.

Along with Ardbeg, Laphroaig is my favorite dram.

For American, I usually drink Wild Turkey Rye or Bourbon in the 101 proof (easily the best really-mass-produced stuff). I've got a reasonable stash of the now-discontinued 101 proof Russell's Reserve (though the newer 90 proof isn't all that bad). Van Winkle Family Reserve 13yo Rye, or the 10yo 107 proof bourbon works for me as well.

To say nothing of my 400+ bottle wine cellar.

Andre

 

[Kyle]

Andre,
Welcome to B&B and thank you for the very informative posts. This will certainly change the way that I look at Whiskey/s.

 

[Andre]

It's SO yummy, a CAVEMAN could drink it!

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Ken]

In an earlier post I speculated that Seagrams might no longer be a yellow gin. I checked today and it still is. It has a slight yellow color and the label indicates that it has been aged in wood. At least one tradition lives on.

Ken

 

[boboakalfb]

What Kyle really wants to know is what pairs well with the Roast Duck and Mango Salsa...

Good call on the Laphroaig 10 year. One of my favorites...

 

[Nick]

Andre,

I thought the universal rule was bourbons are distilled once, Scotches are distilled twice, and Irish Whiskies are distilled three times.

Secondly, with regards to no ice or water in whisky, Fred Noe recommends a little water in whisky especially for the higher octanes. Not something I do often, but it's not entirely a bastardization of the spirit (as you mentioned, it can help open up the boquet and various flavors). While on the subject, as the story goes, with meals, Booker would routinely drink a glass of water with a splash of whiskey which he referred to as "Tennessee Tea". Point being, however you drink it, if it tastes great to you, then more power to you.

Other than that, we're in complete agreement, especially with Walker!

A few more tidbits on whiskies...

Scotch Whisky picks up its unique peaty taste from the way the germinated barley is dried. Once the barley is malted, it is dried over tiles with holes in it. The heat comes from a fire fed with peat. That peat smoke rises through the floor above the fire with the malted barley, and dries the barley while at the same time imparting that peaty flavor. Irish Whiskey by contrast, has the barley dried over closed tiles and definitely no peat, so as a result, the barley is dried with no smoke permeating it. That's why your Irish Whiskies are really smooth, and your Scotch Whiskies can get really smokey. Another difference is Irish Whiskies are usually distilled three times, and Scotch whiskies are distilled twice. The more times an alcohol is distilled (to a point), the more impurities are removed. If you want a good starter whiskey, look into Irish Whiskies. If you're adventuresome, explore the single malt Scotches.

There are four distinct Whisky producing regions in Scotland. The Lowlands, the Highlands, Speyside, and the Islays. The Lowlands provide your mildest Scotches, and the Islays produce the peatiest. The variations largely come from the differences in water and peat in the various regions.

Something to note, Peat is a depletable resource, so it's reasonable to expect that some time in the future, there will be no more Scotch produced.

Something else to note, whiskey doesn't age in the bottle, so a 50 year old bottle of 3 year old Scotch is still just a 3 year old Scotch.

During the maturation process, each barrel loses approximately 2% of their volume a year. This is known as the "Angel's Take".

Andre covered the Scotch Whiskies, as for Irish Whiskies, some to check out are Middleton Very Rare (and very expensive), Red Breast, some of the older Jameson and Bushmill's, Paddy's, John Power & Sons (the last two are very inexpensive, but they're favorites in Ireland). Power is a little peppery and as such goes great with coffee.

That's it for the British Isles. The southern United States is a whole different ballgame.

-Nick

 

[piperc]

For my money's worth:

Straight up dry martini: Bombay Saphire or Plymouth, two olives (blue cheese stuffed?)

or

Power's Irish whiskey. A good scotch isn't bad (cigar time? Feunte Chateau?), maybe Glenfiddich Solera.

Whoops...... My drink is empty.


Chris

 

[rikrdo]

I used to drink Black Bush on occassion but was usually to embarrassed to ask for it by name at a bar.

What are your thoughts on the Dewars 12 yr old??
I find it to be delightful.

I'm witcha on the Laphroaig. Good stuff.
Looking to try the Ardbeg next time I see it around.

Ive been straying lately towards the bourbon, tho.
Makers Mark and Jim Beam Black have a home in my pantry.


.........Since it seems we have a few wine lovers in the crowd, can anyone recommend a Pinot Noir and/or Viognier that is decent for around $10 a bottle ? Maybe Ill need to start a new thread....

 

[Andre]

On Distillation:

Any whiskey, American, Scottish, or otherwise, will be distilled at least twice. The first distillation produces something called the low wines which has a proof too low (80 or so, and it is still too impure). It's the second, or sometimes third distillation that produces the spirit that can be aged in a bbl to make whiskey.

As I noted in my discussion of Vodka, however, the more you distill it, the purer it gets and the less original character it maintains (there is actually a maximun distillation proof for a spirit to be legally made into Whiskey - putting GNS into oak bbls does not a whiskey make!).

On Ice:
A lot of guys who drink their whiskey pretty much straight will put an ice cube into it. The idea being that it cools it down a little bit (and cool drinks are more refreshing) while adding a little bit of water at the same time. That's one way of doing it. However, one should keep in mind that ice will dull the tastebuds as quickly as high proof.

I think that if one wants to experience fine whiskey in all its glory (and it is every bit as complex as fine wine), you need to strike a balance between what is good for the whiskey and what is good for you. IMO the best way to start drinking whiskey is to add a small amount of ROOM TEMP bottled spring water. Assuming you are drinking the usual 80-90 proof stuff, just add a small amount (like maybe a capful). This will act in the whiskey and open it up a little bit. In higher proof whiskeys (like my beloved Old Rip Van Winkle 107 proof, or the formidable George T. Stagg @ 142.5 Proof), you may want to add a bit more water to get the alcohol down to a level that you find acceptable - at least until you get used to it. I don't abide the ice thing, simply because I don't want the whiskey cooled down and I don't want my taste buds numbed at all. I drink my whiskey with no ice, and normally undilluted if possible, in order to experience it as unadulterated as possible.

I agree though, that you should do what you are comfortable with doing - and maybe that's loading it down with water and ice, or even skipping it alltogether. I only want to say that a really fine whiskey is meant to be appreciated and has every bit the complexity as any wine. So if you appreciate the fact that adult beverages can give pleasure and a quality experience, and not just serve as a delivery mechanism for alcohol, you might want to seek out a fine whiskey and see what you think.

I would add one more fact:
A shot of whiskey has about the same amount of alcohol as a bottle of beer, or a large glass of wine. You shouldn't overdo it any more than you would anything else, but you also shouldn't feel like a dirty lush on your way to the Lost Weekend if you have a nice civilized glass of Highland Park 12yo Single Malt Scotch, while your wife has a glass of wine. Everything in moderation.

(I would do a nice Pinot Noir with roast duck and mango salsa)

Andre