Scotch Tasting

Last night we had our Scotch Tasting at Grand Cru. A good time was had by all.

Glenn and I arrived early, and knew it was going to be a long night when the waiter remembered both me and Debi (Blueberry Cha?) from the last time we were there.

I opened with a classic Laphroig (Neat) because I knew we were dealing with Speysides tonight and I wanted to get my "Peat Bomb" in early.

Glenn went with a Gimlet based on my past Gin Article, and I recommended Hendrick's Gin. He seemed to like it, and the next round I ordered the same while he sampled a different Gin, Old Raj from Cadenhead. He immediately said he like Hendrix better, so we swapped.

Old Raj was interesting, more of a traditional style of Dry Gin vs the crystal clear stuff you see today (like Bombay). The color reminded me of Gordon's and it had a very unique (spicy)taste, which I learned is due to a unique ingredient...saffron. The addition of the saffron is undertaken personally by the Company Chairman, in order to ensure a consistency in flavor and color each time Old Raj is bottled. Another interesting thing about Old Raj, it is bottled 55% ABV vs the 40% ABV or less of regular gins...so you know it packs a punch.

Debi, Jennifer and Jason showed up and we had another round (I have to do something about Jason always drinking Jack and Coke) before the tasting.

What stood out from this tasting was the fact that it wasn't put on by a distributor , but instead by a representative of William Grant & Sons. Impressive.

Tim Burckhart walked everyone through the basics of scotch and had interesting tidbits of information through the night. He was very knowledgeable (I told you Debi they were all Speysides) and willing to take a few minutes to talk about the various brands. If you see him out and about, buy him a drink.

We actually tasted 5 Scotchs, although the 5th addition was a last minute and I missed the name/year. I think it was the Glenfiddich 21 year old and if Tim happens to lurk into the blog, perhaps he will share what it was.

Here are my notes and thoughts of the others:

Balvenie 12 year old double wood - This Scotch had a very creamy texture and you could really distinguish the Barley and Vanilla flavors. Initially the nose smelled of Almonds, but when I added water I was reminded of those chocolate oranges you get at Christmas.

Balvenie 17 year old Madeira finish - The oaky nose left me totally off guard for the sweetness of this one. Sugary is what I deciphered from my notes, and I could definitely see this one being part of a dessert service.
Glenfiddich 15 year old - Smooth coat of whisky on swirling. Not many legs forming, although Debi taunted me for doing it....saying all drinks have legs. Medium-to-light peat smoke taste and water brought out the honey flavors and a citrusy nose. This would probably be the one I would pair with a cigar at the end of an evening.
Glenfiddich 18 year old - A darker color than I expected from a Glenfiddich, the Oak flavor really comes out in this 18 Year Old, probably due to the aging process...20% of which is done in Spanish Oloroso wood casks and the remaining time in the traditional American oak casks. The taste was good, a Spiced Apple with a cinnamon finish, but was a little lacking in peatyness for me.

Overall, I came away with a great liking for the Balvenies, particularly the 17. It's a little pricey, at $125, but well within my drinking budget. It was noted around our table that Balvenies seemed almost "Personal" while the Glenfiddich had a mass produced feel. I know it seems odd to say about a Scotch, but it's the only way to describe it. I will add that I had become accustomed to Glenfiddich 12 (the Green Bottle), so this was an eyeopener with regards to the rest in their range and will definitely be looking at 21 Year Old.

The night was a great success....I want to thank Grand Cru and Tim for a great production.

I cant wait for the next one :)

Hung over Saturday

Uuuugh, why am I hungover and have the worst gas in forever? Three words - Family Game Night.

It all started innocently enough, last night was the night we taught our son James to play Monopoly. Now, James is a math wiz and even though he is younger than the suggested age, we didn't think that would be a problem.

Overall, the game went well....both Debi and I decided we wouldn't play cutthroat with him, but we didn't baby him either. The problem was, while we were playing nice with James....we were Monopoly Busting each other. So that translates to James having the only Monopolies, only houses and only hotels.....ie, the winner.

He was ecstatic.

Throughout the game, I was drinking Gimlets. Lately, I have been on a Gin kick....and Debi was to tired to make martinis, so I went with the old standard. The problem with that, I was mixing them myself. Ask anyone who I bar tend for, I am an enabler and make super strong drinks. If I am by myself, I am 20 times worse.

So, by the time FGN was over and I was watching Boise State survive the scare from LaTech , I was just doing a cursory wave of the lime juice at gin in the glass. My Gimlet had turned into Gin on the Rocks.

By now I'm sure you are saying "But Ed, Gin doesn't give you gas....it's not even carbonated". You are right, it doesn't....BUT, I have been on the Nutrisystem Diet (Don't ask) and my new shipment came in yesterday. Inside was my favorite lunch meal, Black Beans and Rice (with Sausage), and yes.....I ate three of them. So much for the diet, and boy does it stink the next day.

What is the moral of this story? Well, I can't think of one....other than diets suck.

On to the review -

THE GIMLET

I use the traditional mix as follows:

# 2 oz. gin
# 1/2 ounce Rose's lime juice

Pretty simple huh. Not a lot to remember. Even Glenn couldn't forget this one. I do stick with Rose's Lime Juice no matter what though, just because it's the best.

Generic Lime Juice mixed with Bombay Gin is like a $2 Hooker in your Ferrari.

Gimlets are not something I would pay for in a bar either.

First I don't think I could bring myself to say the name. I would feel like I was asking the Bartender to share a bathroom stall with me or something.

Secondly, if I'm in a bar...there are so many other things to choose from, why waste the opportunity on such a simple drink.

All this being said though, Gimlets are a pretty simple (yet tasty) drink when at home and I recommend everyone to try one...you might find that you have a new nightcap.

Cheers.