Moto

Anyone who is interested in a range of rums should visit K&L. They just reduced several including their El Dorado single casks and the Nicolas Palazzi Sherry Cask aged rum. If only they delivered to my state!

Does the Hemingway daiquiri work best with Rhum Agricole or molasses based rum?

Thanks for reporting back on the Caroni. Sounds quite interesting. Let us know your thoughts once you have more time and let us know if you would buy it again.

I've finally been diagnosed...I rarely feel pressure to finish a bottle but I score 80% on Yojimbo's second list

Picked up a few things the last few weeks. I went to the beach in Maryland a few weeks ago and picked up the Green Hat. Had a sip or two. Not overly impressed with the profile but I have yet to try it in a cocktail which may make a big difference. A restock of Plantation Rum one of my favorites. I was in DC this weekend and on a visit to Ace I picked up the Hayman sloe, Castarede Armangac, El Dorado over proof and Lost Spirits navy Strength. I'm interested to see how the Hayman differs from the wonderful Plymouth Sloe. I have tried the Armangac and the navy Strength. The navy Strength has a nose and a half. I poured some then came back in the room and the entire space smelled like molasses. It tastes like wray and nephew with a little wood essence mixed in. A little water changes the nose remarkably. after the addition it smells like yeasty and sweet, almost like pancakes with some good maple syrup. Not a sipper but I would like to try it in a cocktail. The armangac was a pleasant surprise. I bought some armangac(another brand) several years ago and it was nondescript character-less brown liquor. This actually tasted pretty good. It wasn't as rustic/rough as I imagined but was light and yet full of flavor. Congrats on picking up the Rattray, Hassouni

Hassouni - is the Caroni on sale in DC? If so which store? I will be in DC this weekend. I thought the Caribbean was very scotch-like. Slighlty medicinal with hints of menthol/eucalyptus if I remember right. Currently the Plantation Guadeloupe and the Hamilton 9 year from St. Lucia are the first sipping rums I reach for these days.

Maybe I'm to old to care if my drink seems girly I but would love both drinks. In, fact the Blunderbuss looks like a riff on a Mai Tai. I will have to try this weekend since I have most ingredients

I also would love to try some aged cachaca. I always hear about hundreds if not thousands of distilleries in Brazil but even a web search doesn't yield much. I would love to give friends visiting Brazil four or five brands to bring back. Really seems to be an unexplored world. I like Leblon but I have even more affection for Velho Barriero. Not for sipping but I think they make a great Caipirinha. The spirit is rougher(in a good way) than Leblon and at $13.00/liter about 1/4 the price. I would be surprised if it is not available to you in Atlanta. While Agricooles and cachaca may follow the same recipe on paper I think their respective funkiness is quite different. I will have to experiment side by side with cachaca in a daquiri(or agricole in a caipirinha) to truly compare them.

I use one of the oxo double rod strainersa three incher I believe. good capacity and the mesh seem sturdy. Much better than any tea strainer and I think I got it for under $10.00.

Has anyone used pyrex beakers? I'm thinking of a 500ml or greater low form beaker. I've used erhlenmeyer flasks to decant wine and spirits and hold syrups etc. and thought the beaker would be a good inexpensive failry sturdy stand in for the Yarai mixing glass

Ah the 1.75. I did the math with what is most easily attainable for me ... 750 ml bottles at a price of about $22 including tax and it was $5896. $3800 is much easier to swallow. Maybe a good long term project...

A few weeks ago I ran the numbers of filling a full size barrel with W&N at retail prices in pursuit of making my own W&N 17 and almost passed out. If you want each of us to paypal funds for a bottle just let us know. I get to DC about twice a year to visit friends and Ace beverage so pick up should be no problem.

If you need or desire a bottle of W&N or its cash equivalent contributed to the cause just say the word. I am all for experimentation! Do you know what it held before? Maybe fill it with W&N and see how it does then toast it and fill it again. Your in the DC area so maybe a craft distiller can toast it for you?

If they're shooting for the 17 years only 12 or so more years left to know! Actually I got the Fidencio in NC. A rare find here. I've seen several Fidencio selections at Ace, I usually let any spare cash go to Rums when I'm there.

Recently sample Hogo's(DC) version of the El Diablo. This prompted me to pick up the chateau Monet. I tried it at home and found it incredibly sweet and only vaquely alcoholic with nothing unique contributed by the tequila with the ratios described in PDT's book using Espolon(80 proof). I grabbed the 1800(100 proof) to experiment. I decided to try it with higher proof tequila and slightly less liqueur;it worked perfectly. I may sub in some of my newly found fidencio for a portion of the tequila. Just happened to find a bottle in a local liquor store. In my neck of the woods you have to grab a gift like this when it appears. On first taste it is quite close to the Del Maguey vida. Not a must have but no regrets. Speaking of smokiness does anyone have any experience with how consistent the level of smokiness across batches in distilled products?I have sampled other bottles Del maguey Vida that varied subutantially in the level of smoke. Is this just par for the course in a handmade product? I am not a big scotch fan but are whisky distillers able to keep the smokiness consistent. Is it even desirable to try to do so in whisky circles. Following up on the Hamilton Collection Jamaican black rum, I tasted it back to back with a range of Goslings, J Wray rums. It smells like a jar of molasses but the taste is closer to diluted J Wray with just a twinge of caramel/molasses added. The caramel brings a very slight bitterness to to it. It definitely does not taste aged(nor does it claim to be). It is definitely not a must have for any bar. It does not follow or improve upon the profile of any other black rum.

You may want to try Hitime. Most non ED Demeraras are pretty pricey in the US. BBR bottles at least one as does Samaroli. I have seen both online and in DC stores. If a total wine in your area sells liquor that is also a good place to look. They typically carry the BBR at around $90

The 8 and 9 years St Lucian Rums of the Hamilton line are supposed to be form the same distillery. I tasted the 8 year again last night and describning it as nasty may be a bit harsh; I just don't like the style. It is very much in the English style as it reminds me of the English Harbour 5 and the Doorly's XO. I bought both of these a few years ago, after ready many favorable reviews and don't like them at all, though I can appreciate that they are wll made. The 9 year old on the other hand brings to mid a mix of Demerara and English styles. The higher proof brings a nice amount of spiciness and it has the richness of a Demerara but is not as sweet. Even diluted I like it much better than the 8.

I will let you know how it is. I don't think it was ever claimed to have been aged, though. I looked at the site for the Jamaican and St. Lucian before buying. The St. Lucian is aged and Jamaicans are not. At least not for any considerable amount of time. The jamaicans get their color from caramel versus the barrel. Iv'e tried two St. Lucians so far. The 8 yr 46% and the 9 yr 63%. I love the 9 yr and can't stand the 8 year. Not sure what it is but after several tastings I just do not like the 8 year though even diluted I find the 9 year quite enjoyable.

Three new additions. The first, cocchi di Torino, from a local(NC) wine shop - Caviste, which has a budding assortment of vermouth and wine base amaro. Next up are the Royal Dock Gin and Hamilton Collection Jamaican Black Pot Still Rum from Ace beverage.

Lately I've been playing around with Rhum agricole. I did'nt have any lime juice and wanted something more complex than a daquiri anyway. 2 oz Rhum 1 oz lemon juice 1/4 oz maraschino 1/4 oz green chartreuse 1/2 oz creole shrubb 3 drops of tiki bitters I sweetened this with one barspoon of oleo sacchrum on the second drink i added some sloe gin for additional tartness since my lemon juice was several days old, I do wander ho this would taste with fresher lemon juice or lime juice. All in all a good drink. some more tinkering is needed though. next time I will try it with 1/2 oz chratreuse.

Where are you located. I have heard rumors of there being a Clement Blanc 100 proof option in the US but have never seen it locally and last time I checked (which has been awhile) couldn't find it among any internet stores that ship to my location. I'm located in NC. I bought a bottle several years ago that was 100 proof just finished it off this summer after discovering how wonderful it is in a daiquiri. I was in Atlanta this past week and saw it on the shelf in a new bottle. Did not notice if it was still 100 proof or not.

I ordered from HITime. I originally ordered about four weeks ago and they held the order until the cask strength came back in stock. They came back in stock Nov 21 and were delivered to me on 12/2

This week brought a few recent additions. Two bottles from the Ministry of RUm Collection - a 9 yr cask strength and 8 year at 46%. The 9 yr tastes wonderful, the 8 yr so far is rather meh. Also added Clear Creek apple brandy, Benedictin and Clement VSOP.

The Clement Blanc is definitey available at 100 proof in the US. Their aged products are not unfortunately but the Blanc is and makes a perfect daiquiri. I have had good success with the St James products in Mai Tai's. They are sold at 92 proof in the US and are great in a Mai Tai!

Most rums that I have tried, bar the Zacapa/Zaya type rums, have been less sweet than the average bourbon. I think the agricoles are on the far end of the rum spectrum and are quite dry.