Made Tom and Jerry (Audrey Saunder's adaptation) last night, hopefully starting a new Christmas Eve tradition. The seasoned drinkers in the crowd found them delicious as is, but I had to dial the booze back a good bit for the occasional wine/beer folks. Everyone thought they were a great addition to the holiday cheer.

kl1191 wrote:Made Tom and Jerry (Audrey Saunder's adaptation) last night, hopefully starting a new Christmas Eve tradition. The seasoned drinkers in the crowd found them delicious as is, but I had to dial the booze back a good bit for the occasional wine/beer folks. Everyone thought they were a great addition to the holiday cheer.

Ah, Tom and Jerry, long time no see! One of us siblings inherited the Tom and Jerry glasses; could have been me; I'll have to check the boxes. Wish I'd seen this reminder a few days earlier. Ah well, maybe we'll toast the New Year with Tom and Jerry.

My own riff on an irish coffee/flip/alexander idea

As Yet Unnamed
1 and 1/4 oz Powers Irish Whiskey
3/4oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum
1 ounce Coffee Syrup
1 Egg White
1oz Heavy Cream
Nutmeg grated on top

Coffee Syrup
2oz blackstrap molasses
1 cup turbinado sugar
1 cup aeropress 'espresso' (Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso Beans)
1/4 tsp of Medaglia del'Oro instant espresso

5:00, time for the first drink of the day, I believe a bottle of Mickey's and a shot of Buffalo Trace to start. High Life, Jim Beam, more Buffalo trace, and perhaps some Mezcal to follow.

jimswside wrote:5:00, time for the first drink of the day, I believe a bottle of Mickey's and a shot of Buffalo Trace to start. High Life, Jim Beam, more Buffalo trace, and perhaps some Mezcal to follow.

Why wait? It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!

I'm about to go to the cabinet and pull a few bottles of whiskey to take to our friends' house tonight. But first, I'm enjoying a Martinez, a la The Whistler:

2 ounces Ransom Old Tom
3/4 ounce Carpano AF
1/2 ounce Luxardo maraschino
stir, strain, 1 drop Angostura, 1 home-made cognac'd cherry, serve up

Happy new year!

=R=

Waiting for my friend to get here so that we can drink a 5 year Bourbon County Stout vertical. 2006-2010

Very excited to see how the '06 has held up over another year. Last year when we did the vertical it was the best one.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

jimswside wrote:5:00, time for the first drink of the day, I believe a bottle of Mickey's and a shot of Buffalo Trace to start. High Life, Jim Beam, more Buffalo trace, and perhaps some Mezcal to follow.

Why wait? It's always 5 o'clock somewhere!

lol my brother,

I need to make it to at least 11:00...

Happy new year to my lth friends.

A few things tonight. Had a Hitachino's Nest Espresso Stout while I grilled, some Nobile de Montepulciano during dinner followed up with some hot buttered rum made with Mount Gay Old Rum. Ending the night with a nice prosecco. After that I'm sure zombie me will dig something out of the cellar which will be neither good for me or remembered.

headcase wrote:Another quarter over, and opening a bottle of something special ....



SSDD

I just joined the club, but it was the 25 year that they had at Binny's...not sure what the differences entail. Any thoughts on yours?

This is probably the most Scotch-like Rye I've tasted. Still, plenty of sweet wood notes, pecan or walnut. Butterscotch, too. Just had a bit straight and then mixed into an Improved Whiskey Cocktail.

2 oz Rittenhouse 25 Year Rye
1 tsp Rich Demerara Syrup
1/2 tsp Luxardo Maraschino
12 Drops St. George Absinthe
12 Drops Bittercube Bolivar Bitters

Stir, strain, lemon twist.

Yeah, that's about as improved as a whiskey cocktail is going to get in my book.

kl1191 wrote:I just joined the club, but it was the 25 year that they had at Binny's...not sure what the differences entail. Any thoughts on yours?

I have both the Rittenhouse 23-year and the 25-year in my cabinet but have never tasted them side-by-side. I'll try to remedy that sometime this week.

The rye I've really been loving lately is the 23-year Black Maple Hill. I bought 3 bottles and am now down to 1.

Earlier tonight I had couple pours of Pappy Van Winkle 15-year. As much as I enjoy the 23-year, the 15 has been my favorite Van Winkle bourbon for quite some time.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

kl1191 wrote:I just joined the club, but it was the 25 year that they had at Binny's...not sure what the differences entail. Any thoughts on yours?

I have both the Rittenhouse 23-year and the 25-year in my cabinet but have never tasted them side-by-side. I'll try to remedy that sometime this week.

I read up on this a bit last night, and the 21/23/25 year Rittenhouses all came from the same 95 barrel stock distilled in 1984. They were bottled in 2005, '07 and '09 respectively. They are all single-barrel, and so there is a decent amount of variation both between and within the various offerings. The 25 year was the largest and last bottling from this stock, 38 barrels and about 3,000 bottles. Unless some unknown cache of old rye is discovered at the back of a warehouse, there will be no more "Very Rare" Rittenhouse...for at least 15 years, I would imagine.

ronnie_suburban wrote:The rye I've really been loving lately is the 23-year Black Maple Hill. I bought 3 bottles and am now down to 1.

I recently received a bottle of their bourbon as a gift for being in a wedding party, fantastic stuff...I can only imagine the rye is spectacular.

the wimperoo wrote:Waiting for my friend to get here so that we can drink a 5 year Bourbon County Stout vertical. 2006-2010

Very excited to see how the '06 has held up over another year. Last year when we did the vertical it was the best one.

How did the tasting go? The oldest bottle I have left is from '07 and I'm looking forward to trying alongside the 2011 BCS next fall.

FYI, Goose put out their 'beer calendar' for 2011 and it looks like the coffee BCS got pushed back to the fall. Also, Fleur and Pepe Nero (a black saison, and one of my favorites from them) are getting the 650ml/4-pack treatment, and a new beer called Big John is due in April, a cacao nib imperial stout.

And if anyone is still hunting for the Rare, Vas Foremost on Milwaukee at California had 10 bottles on the shelf (not the cooler) on Saturday afternoon. Price was $49.99.

ronnie_suburban wrote:The rye I've really been loving lately is the 23-year Black Maple Hill. I bought 3 bottles and am now down to 1.

When I was at Bangers & Lace, tasting the PVW23, they actually recommended one of the Black Maple Hill ryes but I'm not sure of the age on that one.

Earlier tonight I had couple pours of Pappy Van Winkle 15-year. As much as I enjoy the 23-year, the 15 has been my favorite Van Winkle bourbon for quite some time.

=R=

I haven't had the 15, but I think I do actually prefer the 10 to the 23.

SSDD

kl1191 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:

kl1191 wrote:I just joined the club, but it was the 25 year that they had at Binny's...not sure what the differences entail. Any thoughts on yours?

I have both the Rittenhouse 23-year and the 25-year in my cabinet but have never tasted them side-by-side. I'll try to remedy that sometime this week.

I read up on this a bit last night, and the 21/23/25 year Rittenhouses all came from the same 95 barrel stock distilled in 1984. They were bottled in 2005, '07 and '09 respectively. They are all single-barrel, and so there is a decent amount of variation both between and within the various offerings. The 25 year was the largest and last bottling from this stock, 38 barrels and about 3,000 bottles. Unless some unknown cache of old rye is discovered at the back of a warehouse, there will be no more "Very Rare" Rittenhouse...for at least 15 years, I would imagine.

I think that is the key point, variation between years/bottles is going to be too great for any direct comparisons to stand up.

SSDD

NYE beers in CT

danimalarkey wrote:

the wimperoo wrote:Waiting for my friend to get here so that we can drink a 5 year Bourbon County Stout vertical. 2006-2010

Very excited to see how the '06 has held up over another year. Last year when we did the vertical it was the best one.

How did the tasting go? The oldest bottle I have left is from '07 and I'm looking forward to trying alongside the 2011 BCS next fall.

FYI, Goose put out their 'beer calendar' for 2011 and it looks like the coffee BCS got pushed back to the fall. Also, Fleur and Pepe Nero (a black saison, and one of my favorites from them) are getting the 650ml/4-pack treatment, and a new beer called Big John is due in April, a cacao nib imperial stout.

And if anyone is still hunting for the Rare, Vas Foremost on Milwaukee at California had 10 bottles on the shelf (not the cooler) on Saturday afternoon. Price was $49.99.

It was good times. I would probably rank them as this '07, '08, '06, '09, '10

'07 - Pretty much perfect. Tons of chocolate, creamy and smooth.
'08 - Still a bit hot, but flavors are really coming together. Another 6-12 months and it will be phenomenal.
'06 - Thinned out quite a bit compared to '07, barely any carbination. Minimal heat, very smooth.
'09 - Heat has died down a little bit compared to the freshest version, pretty tasty.
'10 - Hot, but not as bad as some of the previous version have been when fresh. It probably wouldn't have even been as noticeable if not for drinking side by side with the older vintages.

My wife and I ate at Mercadito last night, and while the food and service was fine, I did drink something pretty special.


Casa Noble Añejo single barrel -- Now I should have asked if this was the Añejo single or the Extra Añejo single, I have a feeling it is the former, the latter is extremely rare.

It doesn't really matter, it was excellent, fairly dry with excellent vanilla notes, with a little burn on the end to remind you that it is an adult beverage.

Truely a worthy sipping beverage.

Also had a el Charro blanco, which while completely different, was also excellent, and at nearly a third of the cost, a much better value.

SSDD

I was going to drink this glass of Goose Island Matilda


But my lightsource busted the glass

Rare Bourbon County Stout. Luscious! Distinct maple flavor, with caramels, some coffee notes, and chocolate. This is definitely one to age. I can't help but compare it to Dark Lord, and it seems less complex and beguiling. Still, even at $35 per bottle that I paid, perhaps easier to get your hands on.

MincyBits wrote:Rare Bourbon County Stout. Luscious! Distinct maple flavor, with caramels, some coffee notes, and chocolate. This is definitely one to age. I can't help but compare it to Dark Lord, and it seems less complex and beguiling. Still, even at $35 per bottle that I paid, perhaps easier to get your hands on.

Interesting, I find even the "standard" BCS more interesting and complex than DL, the Rare Just find much easier to drink than BCS.

SSDD

I dunno...we did Rare BCS and an '08 Dark Lord in succession the night before New Year's Eve, and they were both incredibly dynamic brews. I couldn't pick a superior one.

Revolution recently tapped two pretty big beers -- their first stab (I think) at a Russian Imperial Stout, Baracus, as well as a triple pale ale, Triple First. Baracus was a very easy drinker, rich without being cloying (and refreshing to see a normal RIS, rather than barrel-this, vanilla-that, etc.) -- the Triple Fist was also very easy to drink with a strong citrus flavor complimented with a touch of pine on the nose. The cask IPA was also a real treat - much smoother than I expected, almost creamy. I understand, too, that they have just found a space to install a production brewery... Chicago's thirst for local craft beer remains un-quenched!

It's no longer on the menu, but their barrel-aged milk stout (BA Mad Cow) was phenomenal. I look forward to trying the BA Baracus (zing!) in a few months.

From their website:
Baracus
This Russian Imperial Stout is full bodied and complex with aromas of coffee, bakers chocolate, caramel and maple syrup, while Warrior and Fuggle hops add enough bitterness to balance out this formidable ale.
$8 (9oz) snifter (11% ABV)

Triple Fist
BATCH #100 is one seriously hoppy triple pale ale! A beautiful burnt orange hue and a underlying caramel flavor to balance out the hop bitterness. Aromas of fresh cut tangerines and mango from citra and simcoe hops. The rest is up to your imagionation [sp].
$7 snifter (9.6% ABV, 95 IBUs)

We did BCS Rare, Cigar City's Marshal Zhukov Imperial Stout, BCS Vanilla, and Dark Lord 2010 on Saturday night. The BCS Rare was easily the best of the bunch. I have multiple bottles of the Rare and I'm glad I drank one of them right away. I'll probably "cellar" the other one for a while but I'm not convinced it wants much aging. It did spend 2 years in the PVW 23yr barrels so it has a bit of a head start already. There was a big boozy flavor that will likely settle after some time in the bottle but I liked it and I'm not sure I want it to go away.

As always, after the fact I wish I had taken tasting notes. After the BCS Rare, the Marshal Zhukov came across a bit one-note, big burnt malt bitterness, but it did have a huge body and would likely be a remarkable beer in other company. The Vanilla was sweeter than the BCS and had more of a straightforward Vanilla flavor, as opposed to the vanilla/caramel/oak/fruit/booze of the Rare. The Dark Lord 2010 I remember being very good, but I'm not sure I can provide details as to why I thought it was good (though I could venture a guess).

Trying to take the chill off with an Island inspired old fashioned.

2 1/2 oz Inner Circle Blue Dot (90 Proof) Rum
1/2 oz (scant) Piloncillo Syrup (2:1 panela/water)
12 Drops Bittercube Jamaican Bitters
12 Drops Bittercube Orange Bitters

Stirred and poured over large ice, garnished with a big swath of orange peel and 4 more drops of orange bitters.

The Inner Circle is a terrific pot distilled product of Australian origin. I don't think the Blue is in production any longer, but the Green & Black are certainly worth picking up (or sending me a PM with details). They are all rather unique. The Blue has great brown sugar and cinnamon character, which makes it perfect for mixing with the rough, earthy Piloncillo syrup. It's not a sugar bomb, though. There's plenty of wood & smoke that even a dedicated Scotch drinker would enjoy.

Kirkland port with Spaten Optimator as a chaser, needless to say I'm outside by a fire. (not really sure "chaser" is the best term, more of a companion).

Ommegang Three Philosophers. Poured into a Westin water glass in my hotel room. The life of the frequent business traveler leads to many disappointing moments, although the beer isn't bad.

A friend gave me a bottle of Bell's 25th Anniversary Ale. That was one fine beer. I thought it was very smooth for what was described by Bell's as "crisp, assertive bitterness and hop flavors ranging from citrus, floral, and piney notes." I was sad I only had one.

Hopslam from Bell's. It's actually really good, and captures the many non-bitter flavors of hops quite well.

had a few nice beers in Switzerland last week

NOLA is off the hook.....started last night @ cochon. Moonshine flight, and a couple abita ambers. On to the french q for music, more beer, jim beam, jack, and tooters shots.....