What did you buy at the liquor store today? (2016 - )

[EvergreenDan]

@Smokeydoke Crema de Mezcal is a liqueur. It may throw the sugar balance off is used for mezcal in recipes without adjustment. I'd suggest you try their Vida next time, which is a straight spirit. It is their least expensive mezcal, and is perfect for mixing.

[Smokeydoke]

1 hour ago, EvergreenDan said:

@Smokeydoke Crema de Mezcal is a liqueur. It may throw the sugar balance off is used for mezcal in recipes without adjustment. I'd suggest you try their Vida next time, which is a straight spirit. It is their least expensive mezcal, and is perfect for mixing.

 

 It was fine. There's no hard and fast rule that I can't use Crema de Mezcal, which was what the store carried. It's still a Mezcal.

 

But since you're being nit-picky, the Death & Co book calls for Del Maguey San Luis Del Rio, which is what 90% of what Crema is made of.

[mukki]

Novo Fogo's Chameleon cachaca. I normally buy the Silver; the Chameleon is aged in oak for a year and I was worried I was getting the "worst of both worlds", but it's turned out to be fantastic in caipirinhas. This is my third bottle!

[curls]

While picking up this sampler of items for a friend...

 

 

I happened to see these items for sale and couldn't resist.

[FrogPrincesse]

 

On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 7:41 PM, Hassouni said:

Two James Doctor Bird Jamaican rum (Worthy Park, good, 50% ABV).

 

I bought a bottle yesterday. I cannot wait to use it in a cocktail!

[Hassouni]

7 hours ago, FrogPrincesse said:

 

I bought a bottle yesterday. I cannot wait to use it in a cocktail!

 

It's very nice, and a good addition to the market, but the funk isn't quite up there with Smith & Cross (same price). That said, I think it has a place when the hogo-in-your-face of S&C might be too much

[FrogPrincesse]

1 hour ago, Hassouni said:

 

It's very nice, and a good addition to the market, but the funk isn't quite up there with Smith & Cross (same price). That said, I think it has a place when the hogo-in-your-face of S&C might be too much

I was hoping for S&C-level hogo given the level of excitement around this new product... oh well. At least for me it was $5 cheaper, and having different options is always a good thing!

 

[Hassouni]

I should also note that at 50%, it might be welcome when navy strength is too much

[FrogPrincesse]

1 hour ago, Hassouni said:

I should also note that at 50%, it might be welcome when navy strength is too much

Agreed. It is actually quite nice for sipping; rounder edges compared to the S&C. I like it and don’t regret my purchase!

 

[EvergreenDan]

On 4/19/2018 at 12:48 AM, Smokeydoke said:

But since you're being nit-picky...

Gotcha. Lice ova be free!

[PassionateAmateur]

Edited May 4, 2018 by PassionateAmateur (log)

[EvergreenDan]

@PassionateAmateur Those are some great looking bottles, none of which I've tried except the Zacapa Solara. It is highly sweetened. Treat it like rum liqueur, or like a rum Old Fashioned -- just add bitters. When you try the Vino Amaro, I'd be curious to know what it is like. I bet it makes a great Manhattan.

Edited May 5, 2018 by EvergreenDan (log)

[sbumgarner]

49 minutes ago, EvergreenDan said:

@PassionateAmateur Those are some great looking bottles, not of which I've tried except the Zacapa Solara. It is highly sweetened. Treat it like rum liqueur, or like a rum Old Fashioned -- just add bitters. When you try the Vino Amaro, I'd be curious to know what it is like. I bet it makes a great Manhattan.

 

The Pasubio is really interesting, a little menthol mixed with some dark, earthy notes in the background (not Novasalus dark by any stretch, but you are subtly reminded it's made by the same people), but still very "fresh" tasting, with some fruitier notes up front. I have not tried it in a Manhattan, but it added a really nice element to a Negroni when I split the vermouth portion 50:50 vermouth/Pasubio.

[Hassouni]

On 4/23/2018 at 10:34 PM, FrogPrincesse said:

Agreed. It is actually quite nice for sipping; rounder edges compared to the S&C. I like it and don’t regret my purchase!

 

 

I can now confirm it makes a banging Jungle Bird, per Bar 5 Day specs:

 

1.5 JA rum

1.5 pineapple juice (4 oz if freshly juiced)

.75 Campari

.5 lime

.5 or less simple (I used Petite Canne)

[scubadoo97]

Bought a bunch of 12 and 5 yr Real McCoy rums from TW that they were moving out at a big discount.   Lucky me.  Foursquare rum marked down    I guess it didn’t please the average rum palate, lucky me 

[PassionateAmateur]

On 5/5/2018 at 12:37 PM, EvergreenDan said:

@PassionateAmateur Those are some great looking bottles, none of which I've tried except the Zacapa Solara. It is highly sweetened. Treat it like rum liqueur, or like a rum Old Fashioned -- just add bitters. When you try the Vino Amaro, I'd be curious to know what it is like. I bet it makes a great Manhattan.

 

The Solara is nice enough (and yeah, super sweet), but I really just stocked it for an incoming houseguest who's a fan. Will find a use for the remains after he heads out.  The Herencia anejo is roll-around-on-the-floor-hugging-yourself-in-glee good.  Uber smooth and rich, doesn't kill you with oak though it's definitely there. And the El Jolgorio is just crazy  -- Astor was having a sale on agave spirits or I'd never have splurged so much, but I'm soooo glad I did.  It's so herbal it makes me think someone made a light-on-the-juniper gin out of agave.  Never tasted anything like it.  The Pasubio is great -- I was pleased to come across a bottle after trying it at a bar -- spent significant time with the bartender trying to decide where to place it in a line-up of amari -- it's not wildly bitter, but strongly herbal/root-y/bark-y, medium sweet as amari go - I'll have to give your Manhattan idea a try!

[PassionateAmateur]

More oddities I'm rather eager to try.... 

[Craig E]

Supplies for a couple of graduation party punches. 

The Papa's Pilar is a sub for Ron Zacapa 23, which seems like an absurdly expensive ingredient to put in a punch. (Though the oloroso I did buy was almost as pricy.)

[scubadoo97]

Some recent malt and rum purchases.  Followed by online purchase of Wild Turkey Master's Keep and Old Forester1920

 

Edited June 2, 2018 by scubadoo97 (log)

[scubadoo97]

Just picked up a delivery of  bottles of private barrel selected Willett rye and Copper and Kings Apple Brandy

[tanstaafl2]

Not a purchase, at least not by me, but a gift from a friend who knows I like odd spirits. This one does indeed fit that category. It was apparently sourced from Uzbekistan and I presume made there as well. But that is about all I know.

 

 

Cork broke as soon as I tried to remove it so it has been transferred to a new bottle. But it makes an interesting enough display on its own. Spirit inside is a dark brown spirit with a rich herbal , earthy, mild to moderate bitter character but very hard to pin down exactly what. Pretty sure it is not a brandy so I presume it to be a neutral grain/vodka base. The person who bought it had no clue what it was and the label is of little help to me! What little of the words I can read is of no help and my Cyrillic is a little rusty...

 

Anybody here have any idea exactly what this might be?

Edited July 6, 2018 by tanstaafl2 (log)

[EvergreenDan]

Balsams? As in Riga Black Balsams sort of thing?

[tanstaafl2]

14 hours ago, EvergreenDan said:

Balsams? As in Riga Black Balsams sort of thing?

 

That's it! A Samarkand Balsam. That led me to this link. Serge was intrigued if ultimately not in favor. I could at least swallow it but otherwise his description seems pretty spot on. OK, not the best thing ever by any stretch of the imagination (although I would choose it over Malort!) but certainly unusual an interesting.

[Tri2Cook]

1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

That led me to this link.

Sometimes if I wonder if the cocktail world has reached that point where it's just digging up anything it can find from somewhere in the world strictly in the interest of having something different. I'm not saying you specifically, I realize this was a gift, but just in general. I'm picturing a bartender tasting some bottle from a remote village that's only open to traffic two days out of the year and only produces 7 bottles a year, 3 of which they keep for themselves, and saying "Man, this is awful. Has to be the worst tasting thing in existence. I wouldn't drink this if the winning lottery number was at the bottom of the glass. We HAVE to find a way to use it on our menu." 

[scubadoo97]

Have several bottles of Foursquare Premise and Zin cask in route