What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2013–)

[Hassouni]

Tacit peer pressure?  That doesn't sound like us.

 

What's in it?  I dunno - some chocolate, a few bits of chopped up mole (with the dirt still on).

 

And there are heaps of things it's good for.  A modest sampling includes things like the Tres Sangres, Oaxaca Old Fashioned and Rafa's The Man Comes Around.  You have years of pleasure ahead of you.

 

I mean, nobody twisted my arm......too hard.

 

I think the chopped up, fuzzy, dirty mole must indeed be what gives it that bitterness, it makes gentian and cinchona seem like candy. As for drinks, I've singled out Rafa's Santana Abraxas (different brand of bitters specified, but whatevs), which looks marvelous. 

 

I'm sure The Man Comes Around is lovely, but I think Fernet is Satan's piss and refuse to buy a bottle (yes, sacrilege, I know)

[lesliec]

Santana Abraxas sounds good.  Added it to my list.

 

I'm sure The Man Comes Around is lovely, but I think Fernet is Satan's piss and refuse to buy a bottle (yes, sacrilege, I know)

 

You may have to work on that.  See here and, for the result, here.

[sbumgarner]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/aphonik/11746709673/

 

Based on the info on that page it must be a pre-1980 Lemon Hart 151.

 

I did find a few differences in mine:

1)In the Flickr version the 151 red label isn't there, on mine it is.

2)In the Flickr version the last part of the bottom line of text is "FA", mine is "BA". No idea what that means.

 

 

If anyone has any info about when they think this is from I'd be interested in hearing about it.

[Rafa]

Santana Abraxas sounds good.  Added it to my list.

 

For months after watching the Coen brothers' A Serious Man my friend and I would yell "SANTANA ABRAXAS!" at each other. The album itself is pretty good if you're into that sort of thing.

 

e: I think Batavia Arrack might be more appropriate than S&C for that one. Gonna have to try it.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Rafa (log)

[Hassouni]

I did find a few differences in mine:

1)In the Flickr version the 151 red label isn't there, on mine it is.

2)In the Flickr version the last part of the bottom line of text is "FA", mine is "BA". No idea what that means.

 

 

If anyone has any info about when they think this is from I'd be interested in hearing about it.

 

I can't tell you when it's from, but on most of the classic yellow label bottlings, the only difference between 151 is indicated with a red circle or triangle in the corner. Very odd that the one in flickr doesn't have one

[sbumgarner]

I can't tell you when it's from, but on most of the classic yellow label bottlings, the only difference between 151 is indicated with a red circle or triangle in the corner. Very odd that the one in flickr doesn't have one

 

I found that odd too, if I hadn't seen the "151" in the bottom line of text I would have assumed he mistakenly identified an 80 as a 151.

[EvergreenDan]

Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters. ... What the hell do they put in it??

 

If you like a Boulevardiere, try a 1794.

 

Fernet is Satan's piss

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[mkayahara]

Tacit peer pressure?  That doesn't sound like us.

 

What's in it?  I dunno - some chocolate, a few bits of chopped up mole (with the dirt still on).

Wow, someone's been reading their China Miéville!

 

Just back from my trip to England with my haul: a half-bottle of Sipsmith London dry, a full bottle of Blackwood's 60% gin, a 500 ml. bottle of Nikka "From the Barrel", a 100 ml. bottle of Élixir végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse and, my pride and joy, 500 precious millilitres of Perique tobacco liqueur. So far, the Perique is the only one I've tasted, and it's definitely unique! My experience with tobacco is pretty limited, so I can't really compare, but it will be challenging and interesting to work with this product.

[Hassouni]

 

 

If you like a Boulevardiere, try a 1794.

 

You say that like it's a bad thing.

 

 

Surely I've stated and defended that before...

[J_Ozzy]

Wow, someone's been reading their China Miéville!

 

Just back from my trip to England with my haul: a half-bottle of Sipsmith London dry, a full bottle of Blackwood's 60% gin, a 500 ml. bottle of Nikka "From the Barrel", a 100 ml. bottle of Élixir végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse and, my pride and joy, 500 precious millilitres of Perique tobacco liqueur. So far, the Perique is the only one I've tasted, and it's definitely unique! My experience with tobacco is pretty limited, so I can't really compare, but it will be challenging and interesting to work with this product.

 

Nice, I've wanted to get my hands on some Perique for years. 

I had a conversation, years ago, with Ted Breaux about the distribution situation for Jade products in Canada. He mentioned he had someone working towards getting his absinthes onto the LCBO private order list, but I don't know if anything every came of it.

 

Though I didn't buy it, a cousin brought me back a bottle of Santiago de Cuba Anejo from a recent vacation. 

I'd compare it to the 12yr old expression available at the SAQ, but $100 is a little bit steep.

[lesliec]

Today's collection:

 

 

The Appleton 12 and Ramazzotti were to replenish stocks after a couple of Tolkiens last night (yum).  Badger Applewood is the best English cider I've found here.  And the añejo tequila was a bonus at $50-something - it's usually twice that.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

The co-owner of the store here told me he finally gave up.  He and his sister are now stocking Appleton 12 on the shelf.

[tanstaafl2]

Wow, someone's been reading their China Miéville!

 

Just back from my trip to England with my haul: a half-bottle of Sipsmith London dry, a full bottle of Blackwood's 60% gin, a 500 ml. bottle of Nikka "From the Barrel", a 100 ml. bottle of Élixir végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse and, my pride and joy, 500 precious millilitres of Perique tobacco liqueur. So far, the Perique is the only one I've tasted, and it's definitely unique! My experience with tobacco is pretty limited, so I can't really compare, but it will be challenging and interesting to work with this product.

 

I loaned my Perique to a couple of fairly accomplished mixologists but they didn't come up with anything that was better than just drinking it neat. I have therefore resolved to drink it that way at all times and have yet to regret that decision!

 

The Nikka from the barrel is on my short list and I believe I have a willing mule lined up by the end of the month to bring me some from London. I intend to add the 15yo Miyagikyo to that list as well. Might as well be greedy! I have seen the 12yo Miyagikyo here in the US but have yet to lay hands on one and with this opportunity coming up figured I might as well go for the 15.

[mkayahara]

I loaned my Perique to a couple of fairly accomplished mixologists but they didn't come up with anything that was better than just drinking it neat. I have therefore resolved to drink it that way at all times and have yet to regret that decision!

Interesting... I haven't had a chance to do anything with it, so I'm curious to see how it will play when mixed with spirits. I'm a bit worried that it will be easily overwhelmed; otherwise, I can certainly see it taking the place of the Benedictine in, say, a De La Louisiane.

[ChrisTaylor]

Maidenii's classic vermouth. A relatively new Australian vermouth. Priced at the premium end of the market, I guess, altho' any half way drinkable vermouth in Australia is costly. It was a blind buy. Slightly sweet but really herbal, complex, rich. I'm just drinking it straight at the moment, which I never do with vermouth. Curious to see how it'll stand up in a Negroni or Manhattan. A little suspicious the Campari and gin will totally dominate it.

[ChrisTaylor]

Del Maguey Chichicapa.

[tanstaafl2]

A couple of unexpected finds the past couple of days.

 

 

First is a Bushmills rum cask Single Malt Single Cask distilled in 1991. Not sure when it was bottled but some speculation that it is 19yo. Also not clear if it is a rum finish or a single malt that spent its entire life in a rum cask. Would have liked a bit more proof but didn't have much choice! I have emailed Bushmills in hopes they will provide some info but I don't know if I will get a response.

 

 

The second is the first bottle of Teeling whiskey available in the States. It was released last month but made it to Georgia this week (which may be a record as Georgia seems to be slow getting new items).

 

A NAS whiskey from Cooley stock that is alleged to be a high malt blend and then finished for 6 months in Flor de Cana barrels.

 

Hope to try them both over the coming weekend.

[Slimchandi]

Just £20 in Waitrose for this blanco! Total bargain, very sippable to my rookie pallate.

[Hassouni]

Ah Waitrose, best supermarket ever!

[FrogPrincesse]

Too much stuff, from Bar Keeper, a really cool store in Silverlake in LA, and Hi-Time in Costa Mesa (which doesn't need an introduction, but I am in awe at their inventory every time I go). Liquor cabinet(s) capacity far exceeded.

 

 

+ (not pictured) Cherry bark vanilla bitters from Bittercube, purchased last week.

 

The window display at Bar Keeper was fun and very fitting - It's all chemistry.

 

 

[Jamie212]

A bottle of The Gild blended whiskey. I've been dying to try a new New York Sour recipe.

[Hassouni]

While cruising through a rough part of DC today, I pulled over at a liquor store in the hope that they might have some ancient bottle of something interesting at a reasonable price. They had some old Aalborg Akvavit, ANCIENT DeKuyper Curaçao, but the only thing to really stand out was what I ended up buying:

 

 

 

Covered in dust, priced a buck or two more than a current bottle of the 8 year at normal market prices.

 

Obviously, I'm pretty excited, as I've heard Barbancourt has declined slightly in recent years. This looks to be ancient. Anybody know what era this label is from? I can't find one like it online, but the barcode would suggest late 70s at the earliest...

[Kerry Beal]

The bottle of Barbancourt coconut rum that I have looks similar - and I would have been given that in the early 80's.

[ChrisTaylor]

Eagle Rare 10. When I first tried this at a bar I wasn't overly impressed. Now I ... like it. A fair bit. I find just a drop--a literal drop--opens it up a lot. A bit surprising, given 45% isn't that high. It's lovely, yeah, but I can't help but wonder if really is that much better then the standard Buffalo Trace. I mean, it is better but it doesn't quite have the same bang-for-buck--diminishing returns and all that--as its younger sibling.

[lesliec]

Ilegal Reposado and Amer Picon from whiskyshop.co.nz, who have some exceptionally interesting and hard to get (in NZ) products.  Highly recommended, if you live here.  Service is good, too; I ordered on Friday afternoon, got a shipping notification on Saturday and the stuff arrived shortly after I got to work this morning.

 

Looking forward to playing with the Amer.  I've never had it before.