This Blog Sucks. Who writes this crap, anyway?

Tomorrow is the 4th of July.  To celebrate a little early, I could not think of a better way than to partake in my favorite pastimes.  The fruit in the Cabernet franc comes through while smoking a medium bodied cigar from Perdomo.

My wife is the best.  She ordered an Advent calendar from Flaviar.  It contains a nice Glencairn dram glass and 24 whiskeys.  All tasting will be neat, without water, room temperature and then hand warmed to detect aromas.  I am a novice in describing what I taste.  I only know what I like and don't. The packaging is heavy weight cardboard printed with the "Galaxy of Whiskeys".  The booklet inside is a great reference to review after the first couple of sips.  I will write my reviews before reading the notes, so what I taste will differ slightly. #flaviar, #whiskey, #advent Dec 1st - Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon.  Lots of caramel and a nice alcohol burn.  The linger was a bit too short, but a lovely sipping whiskey. Dec 2nd - Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Distiller's Edition.  This one lags behind the previous day.  The marmalade comes through strong, but the linger leaves a bit of an unpleasant flavor on the tongue and throa...

Good bye old friend.  Finished my last dram of this bourbon.  What a lovely gift from a friend.  Final tasting, there were hints of maple on the nose and linger, a good solid alcohol hit from start to finish.  I've got to make my way to Washington State for another bottle.

The best thing from Calaveras County is a hard cider from Indigeny .

It is a sad day.  Today I opened the last of my GoT Scotch set.  My go-to order if Scotch is always Lagavulin.  I saved this bottle for last.  It is a big mouth Scotch.  While I understand what Lagavulin was trying, I will stick to their regular offerings.

Trying to decide if a cigar or pipe would pair better.  This is a well rounded Scotch.  It would pair well with a colorado Macanudo.  It would also pair well with Mac Baren Navy Flake.  This one is very smooth.

This is definitely the drink for the Queen of Thorns.  This Scotch has a mineral bite that is the first on the tongue.  Not a lot if smoke or pray.  A nice caramel balance after the mineral bite.

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This is very balanced double IPA.  It does not have the normal over-the-top hop punch that is found in other DIPAs.  It has no small amount of sweetness, and an apple cider-like finish.  This is a drink for a crisp winter day, or enjoying by a fire on a cold night.

I have had many whiskies over a long period of time.  I am not a total expert and my pallette is plain.  However, this whisky is #1 in anyone's book.  The is no smoke, a bit of candied orange, caramel, and sweet smoothness.  You will not find the burn on the tongue that is typical of Bottled in Bond 100 proof liquors.  The beautiful aroma that is tasted on the pallette and nose are heavenly.  I almost spend more time inhaling the bouquet than I do drinking it.  Thank you to my neighbor, Tracy, for this outstanding gift.

Get your hands on some Liquid IV.  For a hangover, I recommend diluting this into 32 ounces of water (not the 16oz. recommended on the package). 

This is a collaboration brew with Drake's Brewing.  Pairing the Bay Area Brewers from San Jose and San Leandro.  This DIPA is a very mellow brew for those who would like to try DIPAs, but can't take a full hops punch to the teeth. 

Brewed in San Jose, CA, they call the Fast Ball DIPA "hazy".  Brewed with oat and wheat to keep the good forward makes this brew a little different from traditional DIPAs.  There is very little citrus on the pallet, and the linger is short.  It is a nice drink, but not enough punch for a DIPA.  

I love Talisker; however, this is on another level.  Slightly spicy, a little iodine, and a smooth caramel finish.

This scotch is easy to drink neat.  Slightly sweet with light peat and smoke.  

This is a very nice IPA.  It tastes of Citra hops.  Good, clean, citrus flavor with the hoppyness of an IPA.

The bottle is nowhere near the tastiness of the original in Munich.  I sat in the cellar of Augustiner in Munich and drank this stuff from the tap.  What an excellent beer when poured from the tap.

Wow, this scotch caught me by surprise.  Very potent libation.  A heavy hit on the tongue and throat to start, and very nice mild almost-buttery finish.