M. Chapoutier Les Vignes de Bila-Haut Côtes de Roussillon 2014
A very fine $15.95 wine, so a tad easier on the wallet than the (also) consistently excellent & more ageable Occultum Lapidem also available from Bila-Haut. Round and full and structured with nice dark fruit, dark florals and spice.
Carignan has particular herbals. This med-full-bodied red opens up nicely with a bit of short-term aeration, it's mostly a pour-and-go wine but a little air does it good. Nice bit of tannins and acidity to go with Beretta AAA strip loin. Cin cin!
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Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation
In Beerum Veritas
My wine cellar is starting to pay dividends, as I now feel like there are enough bottles in there of a reasonable age that I can start pulling things out whenever I want a glass.
Tonight I'm having a Lan Rioja from 2005. It's a single vineyard varietal and quite nice. Still has some tannins kicking around, but it's mostly mellowed into a deep, rich, fruity glass with a nice chocolate note on the end. I'm glad I opened it when I did. My notes tell me I got this bottle for 29 bucks a few years back.
Lan, in general, is a winner for me. The Crianza is a good value wine at 16$ and the reserva is worth the extra money at a 25$ bottle.
Tonight I'm having a Lan Rioja from 2005. It's a single vineyard varietal and quite nice. Still has some tannins kicking around, but it's mostly mellowed into a deep, rich, fruity glass with a nice chocolate note on the end. I'm glad I opened it when I did. My notes tell me I got this bottle for 29 bucks a few years back.
Lan, in general, is a winner for me. The Crianza is a good value wine at 16$ and the reserva is worth the extra money at a 25$ bottle.
Does anyone have any bourbon recommendations?
I just combed through the thread and saw Bulleit 10YO, Booker's, and Blanton's are ones to look at, but just wondering if there's anything new I should look out for at the LCBO.
I just combed through the thread and saw Bulleit 10YO, Booker's, and Blanton's are ones to look at, but just wondering if there's anything new I should look out for at the LCBO.
A few times a year the LCBO gets "special" bourbons in and release them in an auction. Normally the lists include things like Pappy, WL Weller (pappy for half the price), and special offerings from big distilleries. If you want great bourbon in Ontario, I think that's the best way to go about it. To find out about it, subscribe to their newsletter.
Otherwise, Weller comes through every now and then. It's about perfect for me, so that's always what I look for.
Otherwise, Weller comes through every now and then. It's about perfect for me, so that's always what I look for.
Obviously the selection in ON isn't great but there is still plenty of good to great Bourbon on the shelves without having to wait for lotteries (the special releases you speak of are not sold by auction). What the lottery provides is an opportunity to acquire collectible (trophy case) whiskey but many of them are now over-hyped and their quality is currently not what made them great years ago.Craig wrote:If you want great bourbon in Ontario, I think that's the best way to go about it. To find out about it, subscribe to their newsletter.
Otherwise, Weller comes through every now and then. It's about perfect for me, so that's always what I look for.
Until last year or so, Diageo sourced whiskey for the Bulleit brand from Four Roses. So, I'd rather buy a Four Roses than any Bulleit. I would also stay away from BRANDS like Bib & Tucker, Michter's, Pritchard's, Whistlepig, etc. They all present interesting packaging and fake back stories but the whiskey in the bottle all comes from MGP in Indiana - and in some cases Alberta Distillers. Yes, AD sells whisky in bulk to Americans, they repackage it, add fake stories, mark it up 3-5 times and voila - premium American errr Canadian whiskey.
Booker's and Blanton's (get "the original single barrel" when available) are sold out so I'll suggest currently available good to great:
- Elijah Craig 12 year old (they removed the age statement a while ago but for some reason the stock at lcbo is still age stated)
- Jack Daniel's single barrel (yeah, the regular Jack is crap but this one punches above the brand's weight)
- FOUR ROSES small batch or single barrel
- Knob Creek small batch or single barrel (if you find one with a 9 year age statement on it)
- Wild Turkey 101
If you like something spicier than Bourbon go for one of these Straight Ryes
- PIKESVILLE
- Rittenhouse
- Sazerac
(both Ritt and Saz are referred to as barely legal. Meaning they are made using barely more than the legally required 51% rye grain to qualify as "straight". Bourbon is made using more than 51% corn. the other grains used being barley, rye - and in some cases wheat replaces the rye)
Not Straight Rye (actually Canadian) but drink similar to it:
LOT 40
Wiser's Last Barrels
Wiser's Legacy
(my 1st picks are in bold)
and yes, Weller (a Bourbon made using wheat as the secondary grain instead of rye) is really good, but becoming virtually impossible to find. Back in Oct they released Old Weller Antique to stores - it could be had off the shelf for about a week. They re-released more of it in January included in the lottery. Apparently they didn't sell all of it and made the rest online this week - gone in hours. So, if you have the time/patience/desire, by all means hunt down some Weller. Otherwise stick to one of the suggestions above.
@markhamwhisky
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Great summary directly above. I have been trying to sample them all recently (ie all that are available at LCBO at least, except maybe anything north of $60). My favourite is definitely Elijah Craig, with Four Roses SB a close second. I also really like Rittenhouse (not technically a bourbon as Portwood points out). "Regular" Four Roses is very solid too if you want to reduce cost by almost 50%.
Thanks for the info guys!
Sorry, I did mean lottery.
I agree with the rest of the post, all I'm saying is if you want in on rarer stuff in Ontario, that's the way to do it.
I agree with the rest of the post, all I'm saying is if you want in on rarer stuff in Ontario, that's the way to do it.
No worriesCraig wrote:Sorry, I did mean lottery.
I agree with the rest of the post, all I'm saying is if you want in on rarer stuff in Ontario, that's the way to do it.
Actually, if you want the rarer stuff in Ontario you find ways of bringing it in from elsewhere.
People are setting up multiple email accounts and asking every friend and family member to order for them, creating such high demand that you have a better chance of winning lotto max than the LCBO Bourbon lottery.
@markhamwhisky
Very informative. I'm not a Spirits guy much at all and I'm wishing I had grabbed some of that Weller - you guys DID mention it!
If there's a must-try tequila I can request brought up from Mexico let me know. A lot of Tequila is supposedly kinda crap. I want good stuff.
If there's a must-try tequila I can request brought up from Mexico let me know. A lot of Tequila is supposedly kinda crap. I want good stuff.
In Beerum Veritas
As it should be. And the Chapoutier CDR is still amazing on day 2, perhaps better. I read that a good wine maker sets itself apart by the quality of its 'second' wines, ie. the less expensive ones that still over-deliver on having a very finished and satisfying quality.Craig wrote:Lan, in general, is a winner for me. The Crianza is a good value wine at 16$ and the reserva is worth the extra money at a 25$ bottle.
In Beerum Veritas
If you really want a bottle of the OWA, let me know. We can probably swing a trade for some beer ...Belgian wrote:Very informative. I'm not a Spirits guy much at all and I'm wishing I had grabbed some of that Weller - you guys DID mention it!
@markhamwhisky
Appreciate it man! I'm checking if a friend has a bottle open to try...portwood wrote:If you really want a bottle of the OWA, let me know. We can probably swing a trade for some beer ...
In Beerum Veritas
Vignavecchia Odoardo Beccari Riserva Chianti Classico 2010
Holy wow. Far beyond my expectations. Fairly dense inky-ruby color, aroma black plum and dark-floral, cassis and tobacco; very engaging and layered flavors of blueberry, vanilla, peppery woody spice, leather and black cherry. Even some Bordeaux-like plummy tones and a persistent finish.
This is what I hope for in wine, character. I can't even say I'm the biggest Sangiovese grape fan (though spent an awestruck half a week in Tuscany trying regional Chiantis) but this shows my assumptions can be wrong... and here is a Chianti Classico Riserva that is really good with butter-glazed carrots with olives, EVO and herbed hummus, an unintentionally great pairing. I'd buy more. WA link.
Holy wow. Far beyond my expectations. Fairly dense inky-ruby color, aroma black plum and dark-floral, cassis and tobacco; very engaging and layered flavors of blueberry, vanilla, peppery woody spice, leather and black cherry. Even some Bordeaux-like plummy tones and a persistent finish.
This is what I hope for in wine, character. I can't even say I'm the biggest Sangiovese grape fan (though spent an awestruck half a week in Tuscany trying regional Chiantis) but this shows my assumptions can be wrong... and here is a Chianti Classico Riserva that is really good with butter-glazed carrots with olives, EVO and herbed hummus, an unintentionally great pairing. I'd buy more. WA link.
In Beerum Veritas
no worriesBelgian wrote:Appreciate it man! I'm checking if a friend has a bottle open to try...portwood wrote:If you really want a bottle of the OWA, let me know. We can probably swing a trade for some beer ...
@markhamwhisky