mickblueeyes

LOL! Okay, I should pay more attention to detail!

You are correct about the Anejo Reserva, but HC7 sure does make some great Mojitos! I find the HC7 to be oakier and drier--anyone else get that?

Just tasted this dandy for the second time the other day. For the price ($20) it wasn't bad. Here's the entry into my tasting journal on it. Westerhall plantation rum is true small batch rum from Grenada, British West Indies. Each batch of ingredients is blended in varying proportions to achieve an end result that only the master distiller has in mind. Produced from 100% sugar cane, it is then double distilled in copper pot stills. After distillation, it is matured for 6 years in American bourbon oak. Only three barrels a day are produced from this distillery and each bottle has its batch number handwritten on the bottle. This rum is a pale gold color and has a nose of light banana, dry oakiness and the slightest vanilla. The body is medium and the palate is one of the most distinct I have ever tasted. On the fore-palate, nothing appears to be going on outside of the ordinary, light oak, subtle spice and lots of vanilla, but, when it hits the mid- and after-palate, it explodes with banana and long, caramely oak. It tastes like bananas foster. This rum is truly in its own class as far as taste is concerned. This is a perfect aperitif or digestif with very dessert-like qualities Talk amongst yourselves

Actually beer really is good for you. "Approximately four out of five kidney-stone sufferers are men. Good thing we like beer. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Finnish researchers evaluated the eating habits of about 27,000 men and found that drinking one beer a day was associated with a 40 percent lower risk of developing kidney stones. One explanation: The hops in beer help to keep calcium from leaching out of bones and taking up residence in your kidneys. Or maybe it's all those bathroom visits. Either way, we're not going to argue with 27,000 Nordic beer drinkers."--men's health

LOL! Thanks!

Thanks. I liked their selection of Belgian ales, but they were missing a few key ones I was looking for, specifically Hoegaarden.

BPC, you must be Jeff Davis As far as the impoverished Cuban people go, I wouldn't let it bother you. Batista was no picnic and Castro is not all that people make him out to be. The Cuban people, on the whole, have better education than 90% of the rest of the world and they have better healthcare (while I don't subscribe to socialized medicine, the truth is the truth). The Cuban people are some of the most kind, friendly and honest people on the planet. They DO speak candidly--they love Castro. Those that don't have fled the country. I have many friends who routinely visit Cuba (monthly) and they find that the Cuban people honestly do like Castro. Many of the best jobs for Cubans are working in the tourist industry, that and cigar rolling. There would be no reason to keep them from the tourists.

I agree. I rarely ever order wine while dining out unless it is by the glass, which severely limits my options. I usually end up going with inexpensive Californians with a per glass cost equal to half the bottle cost. Might as well buy a pork tenderloin, some veggies and nice wine and sit at home.

Cousino-Macoul Antiquas Reserva Bayview Sauv Blanc or Chard Calama Chard or Sauv Blanc Bourgeois Cru Bordeaux Indigo Hills Cab Beaulieu Vineyards (BV)

It would be seriously difficult to narrow beer down to a favorite top ten! I have had several on his list that I don't think are worthy of top ten status. He is missing some of the best beers in the world like: Chimay, Guinness, Traquair House ale, Thomas Hardy Ale, etc, etc.

I haven't tried the Mojito rum yet, but have been anxious to see if it is worth the hype. I will tell you this though, for what it is worth, no one in the liquor industry was excited to see Ciclon come out. Most liquor stores can barely keep thier premium products on the top shelf because they just don't sell en masse. Ciclon is yet another addition demanding premium space because Bacardi owns them. The only reason most small to medium liquor stores bothered is because Bacardi has spent 15 million in advertising for Ciclon. You are correct, it is definintly a love or hate drink. As far as Bacardi 8 goes, it is pretty good, but there are better rums in that price range, I agree. I was simply trying to give a price comparison for value. IMO, people's money would be better spent on either rum or tequila in the 20 buck price range than it would be on Ciclon.

You got a killer deal then. In TN, Patron ranges from 45 to almost 60 for the Anejo. Even the better online retailers sell Patron for 44 for the blanco and 52 for the Anejo. There are just too many better tequilas than Patron in that price range. If it was a 40 dollar bottle of Anejo, it would be great. The only thing it really has going for it is superior product placement in many movies and tons of advertising.

I will occasionally make some mixed drinks with less expensive rum, but I normally drink "top-shelf" (not necessarily top priced) rums, so neat is the only way to fly.

Yikes! There are too many recommendations for Cuervo on this thread! If you are going to be spending your hard earned cash on good tequila, don't toss it away on Cuervo Family Reserve. There are so many good tequilas out there for under 50 bucks it isn't even funny. First of all, you need to decide if you want Silver/Plata, Resposado or Anejo. A Silver is unaged or aged up to 9 months. It will be spicy, very vegetal and have nice "tongue-fire." A resposado has spent up to 2 years in oak, so it will have less forepalate spiciness, but will still have some pepper on the finish. The agave will be present on the palate an nose, but influence of tannins and vanillins will sweeten and soften it a bit, so you may start to pick up floral and tropical fruit nuances. An Anejo has spent up to 5 years in oak (rarely ever longer) and will be much softer, smoother and have more complexities in it. The peppery element will all but have disappeared and you will get cocoa, tropical fruit and agave on the palate. Once you have chosen a tequila style to suit your palate, choose from these brands: El Tesoro de Don Felipe Don Julio Herradura Don Eduardo El Mayor Reserve El Grito Corazon Ceasar Monterrey Cabrito Chimayo Chinaco Hussong's Casta Avoid: Cabo Wabo Porfidio Patron is okay, but I feel it is overpriced and no match for others in its price range. Hope this helps.

I tend to like my beer a few degrees off room temperature. So about 15 minutes in the fridge is good for me. I hate going to the pub and having to wait for my Guinness to warm up.

Aventinus! German wheat doppelbock! Mmmmmm.....goood!

After reading all of the above posts (should have done that first LOL) I have to disagree with some of them. Vodka quality is directly proportionate to its ingredient quality. There is a catch-22 in vodka distillation however--purity vs. flavor. Filtration and multiple distillation removes any cogeners (which most often refers to oak imparted flavor, but can also refer to unwanted flavor as a byproduct of distillation) So, the more it is filtered and distilled, the less flavor it will have. That being said, I will offer this, I have worked in the liquor business for several years and I have tasted many vodkas. I guarantee you I could tell the difference between Smirnoff and Chopin with one sniff, even in most mixed drinks. There is a putrid smell that goes along with cheap vodka that even the most untrained palate can't ignore. As far as in Bloody Marys, there is no way they could tell the difference with worschershire sauce in the mix.

What vodka you choose is based on what classification you want. Mixed Grain: Grey Goose--viscous, full bodied, medium complexity Hammer and Guts: Stolichnaya Gold--robust, full bodied, high complexity and flavor All Rye: Belvedere--Robust, full flavored and spicy. All Wheat: Vox--smooth, clean, soft palate Single varietal potato: Chopin--100% strobrowa potatoes, viscous, starchy components, very tasty IMO Generic Potato: Glacier or Luksusowa

One of the best books I own regarding Home Brewing is "CloneBrews." You will find recipes for many of your favorite beers in this book. I brew every 2 weeks and have about 3-4 hundred bottles currently bottled. Typically I prefer heavier ales (taste and alcohol content) so I go with belgian style ales and scotch ales. I have brewed clones of Chimay Grand Reserve, Old Jock Ale, Skull Splitter, Traquair House Ale, Guinness and Old Flag Porter. When dealing with beers that are bottle conditioned, you can actually reculture yeast from a purchased bottle, so you are using the same yeast strain as the brewer. All About Beer has tons of information regarding home brewing.

Expand your bourbon experience beyond Jim Beam's Small Batch and Wild Turkey. Try any of the following, which are fantastic: W.L. Weller Rebel Yell Eagle Rare Rip Van Winkle 10 yr, 10 yr 107, 12 yr Rye, 15 yr Wild Turkey Russel's Reserve Old Charter 12 yr or 13 yr Old Granddad 114 Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Elijah Craig Single Barrel Ezra Brooks Single Barrel Jefferson's Reserve Hancock's Reserve Black Maple Hill Classic Cask

I am looking for some Absinthe glasses. They don't have to be fancy or originals, but I have searched everywhere and can't seem to find them. The spoons are amazingly easy to find, but the glasses aren't. TIA for any help.

Call me a purist, but I work in the liquor business and was given several samples of Ciclon--I didn't like it at all. For the price, buy Bacardi's 8 year old (or some Ceasar Monterrey Gold for your margaritas). Don't waste your money, IMHO.

I am in search of Hoegaarden. None of my local retailers carry it or any other Belgian whites. Does anyone know any good online retailers for beer? I have found a couple, but they were overseas and shipping was way too high. TIA for any help.