Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:44 pm

Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve - Wife got this for me for my birthday last month, and is it ever a lovely dram, very smooth, vanilla butter with a hint of smoke, but I can't help but wonder what it would be like at cask strength

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Wed Sep 24, 2014 10:14 pm

^ "...cask strength" - I had no idea most bottled whiskeys were watered down to 40 per cent from an original 60-65% out of the cask! Read something new every day, thanks internet...

Though it seems surprisingly arbitrary that the exact ABV target (for regulations) should take priority over the ideal water content / ABV that would provide the optimal finished result.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:16 am

Belgian wrote:^ "...cask strength" - I had no idea most bottled whiskeys were watered down to 40 per cent from an original 60-65% out of the cask! Read something new every day, thanks internet...

Though it seems surprisingly arbitrary that the exact ABV target (for regulations) should take priority over the ideal water content / ABV that would provide the optimal finished result.

I don't think it's a regulations thing. You can get cask strength Scotch all over the place.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Sep 25, 2014 10:54 pm

^ Good there's Cask Strength in Ontario - I had read many countries are either max 40% -or- min 40%, which makes this dilution convenient for international product.

2009 Dufouleur RULLY - nice solid summery Pinot Noir, pretty aromatics, some tart cherry. Okay Burgundy for the price. With some grilled Toulouse sausage from Sanigans in TKM.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 9:25 pm

JC Vizcarra 2010 a Tempranillo from Spain (Temp is the dominant 'noble' grape of the famed Rioja region and wine) - this is interesting, it hits me as both structured and round like an easy-going Bordeaux (w/spice notes, vanilla) but has added residual fruity sweetness like a young Moulin-A-Vent. Can't say it's my favorite style of wine I'd re-buy for 30.95 personally but it's a very good wine I am glad to try once. Yeah... it's a bit fruity, dense and young, so if you like "new world"-ish wines with a little balancing dryness/acidity this one might really grab you.

With a gas grill-seared strip loin from The Chopping Block, Queen and Beach. Know what even a great cut of beef is nice with a dab of Kozlik's Dijon on the side, not to overwhelm it but just a hint to accent the fatty, sanguine flavors.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Thu Oct 23, 2014 10:32 pm

When I drink reds from Spain, which is incresingly common, I tend to gravitate to 20-25 dollar bottles of 04 or 05 Rioja. Sometimes I think I should try something else from Spain, but those were good years and there doesn't seem to be a price break for going young, so I can never bring myself to do it.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 6:18 pm

CASCINA DARDI BUSSIA BAROLO 2007 not an exceptional Nebbiolo IMLE but has some structure, fruit and rusticity. I want to try some of the Ascheri wines from Piedmont including the Barolos and the (typically gratifying for the price) Barbera D'Asti.

With grilled Toulouse sausage from The Meat Dept. Salud!

sofakingdrunk · Post by **sofakingdrunk** » Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:51 pm

^^^I had a beautiful Barbera d'Asti down in Vegas at a great italian restaurant. I wish I could remember the name because the price-point on it was fantastic value. Went really well with Lambs tongue salad and smoked sweat breads.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:29 am

sofakingdrunk wrote:^^^I had a beautiful Barbera d'Asti down in Vegas at a great italian restaurant. I wish I could remember the name because the price-point on it was fantastic value. Went really well with Lambs tongue salad and smoked sweet breads.

^ That's pretty f-cking Hannibal Lechter, are you messing with me?

I would try those foods in a heart beat. With a nice Chianti - *thupthupthup*

And Barbera IS a pretty amazing grape for the price, usually from near Asti or Alba ('Piedmont' section in a real wine store like Premier.)

Barbera is for me somehow better than cheap and cheerful stuff like Sangiovese, Valpolicella and Primitivo, it's a notch above but not always much more expensive (OK Farnese is pretty inexpensive and some are OK.) There's a sweet spot for value that is rare, my first one was a Barbera del Monferrato, happened to be a great one on sale. I have to re-investigate these...

dale cannon · Post by **dale cannon** » Tue Nov 04, 2014 11:41 am

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/new-ho ... FkBamdAQaI

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Tue Nov 04, 2014 1:26 pm

dale cannon wrote:http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/new-ho ... FkBamdAQaI

http://whiskeydetectives.blogspot.ca/20 ... urbon.html

Whiskey Detectives enjoyed this little experiment from New Holland Artisan Spirits. For us, the more playing around and discovering new methods of distilling or aging and thus more flavors, the better. This full-flavored and syrupy sweet bourbon might not be for everyone, but we found it to be delicious. We might not imbibe it straight again and again, but Whiskey Detectives could see ourselves wrapping up a great meal with Beer Barrel Bourbon as the desert. Definitely worth a try for bourbon fans and those who may not think they can drink bourbon neat, as the sweetness and smoothness make this a very accessible spirit.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:36 pm

Belgian wrote:2012 Latour Pinot Noir Bourgogne - a decent-value, archetypal Burgundy...

^ Now two dollars more. Used most of a bottle in a Beef Bourgogne, it's not bad!! But for the next one I'm looking out for a cheaper Burgundy- or Rhône-style red to cook with.

Oh here's one...Leyda Reserva from Chilé. And even a bit of a sale, such as it is...
^^^ update, I find this Pinot to be undeveloped and flabby-sweet, I prefer Cono Sur Pinot to this.

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 10:02 am

I'm definitely going to pick up one or two of these:

http://foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/lcbo/pr ... ber=976662

As much as we can all agree that scores aren't the be-all end-all, getting a 100 and wine of the year is pretty impressive at that price point.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 8:29 pm

Craig wrote:I'm definitely going to pick up one or two of these:

http://foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/lcbo/pr ... ber=976662

As much as we can all agree that scores aren't the be-all end-all, getting a 100 and wine of the year is pretty impressive at that price point.

Right you can't taste numbers nearly as much as you can palate preferences. But if it's ever in stock I'd get one, maybe... constant research!

Craig · Post by **Craig** » Thu Nov 13, 2014 9:26 pm

Belgian wrote:
Craig wrote:I'm definitely going to pick up one or two of these:

http://foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/lcbo/pr ... ber=976662

As much as we can all agree that scores aren't the be-all end-all, getting a 100 and wine of the year is pretty impressive at that price point.
Right you can't taste numbers nearly as much as you can palate preferences. But if it's ever in stock I'd get one, maybe... constant research!

I only noticed it in the last LCBO mailing because it was a style/region I always look out for. The number just makes me a little more interested than I already was.

Besides, if the hype tricks me into enjoying it more, I'm still enjoying it, aren't I?

The Bar Towel

Uncorked-Wine and Spirits Appreciation

New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon

Re: New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon

If the shelf tag says 19.95 they will discount override