Seasonal Spirits.

[Tony.Williams]

A few weeks ago I came in from the cold (not spying, I merely arrived home) feeling under the weather and in need of a warming pick-me-up. So I tried something new (to me, anyway) - purists look away now - I put the kettle on and added hot water to some bourbon.

The result was delicious - the heat really brought out the rich flavour (why do people chill such drinks?) and I felt much better afterwards

[Matt]

A few weeks ago I came in from the cold (not spying, I merely arrived home) feeling under the weather and in need of a warming pick-me-up. So I tried something new (to me, anyway) - purists look away now - I put the kettle on and added hot water to some bourbon.

The result was delicious - the heat really brought out the rich flavour (why do people chill such drinks?) and I felt much better afterwards

The devil's hot toddy, two parts ginger wine to one part dark rum. a dash of lemon and a few cloves. Heat in a microwave just short of boiling. It's part drink, part anaesthetic.

[chaggle]

Take care when making toddies. You can put yourself in a dangerous position - there will be no alcohol left if the mixture goes above 80C.

[polomint38]

It sounds grouse and fowl, but who is game enough to try try grouse flavo(u)red gin

[bindeweede]

I don't think I'll bother. Or indeed with this -

The Cambridge Distillery have created the worlds first gin infused with the 'essense' of ants.

£200 a bottle too.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink ... d-gin.html

[polomint38]

The gin is the first in the world to be made using insects

There is probably a reason for that.

Anty Gins bad pun

[Tony.Williams]

For some reason unicorns seem to be all the rage, along with gin, so why not put them together?

[Tony.Williams]

Here's a new word for you to amaze your friends: sgriob, a Gaelic word to describe the itchiness felt on the upper lip in anticipation of a sip of whisky.

[bindeweede]

Oh dear. I think Santa must think I am something of a "drouthy". 3 bottles of malt whisky came my way, though one was for the BD on the 24th.
In ascending order...

"Scapa - The Orcadian". One of the "no-age-specified" single malts available in many supermarkets. Perfectly acceptable, far more interesting, and costing only a few pounds more than one of the standard blended whiskies. Much better value, imo. Standard strength.

Then we have "The Yamazaki - Distiller's Reserve", a very fine Japanese whisky. Again, no age specified, but a very smooth, fruity, aromatic drop which at 43% abv needs a drop of water.

Finally Lagavullin 16yo. I haven't tasted it for a few years, and I'd forgotten how intense the aroma and taste are. Stunning...almost overwhelming. It won the Independent's "Ten Best single Malts" in November, but not everyone likes peaty Islay malts, so that isn't so significant. http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/ind ... 33601.html

Just sipping it now, as it happens. Just the 43%, but gives the impression of being much stronger. Amazing stuff.

[Tony.Williams]

After decades of drinking single malts (mostly Islay or Skye) undiluted and unadulterated, I now find that I prefer drinking them 50/50 with water. Must be getting soft in my old age.

[bindeweede]

A few weeks ago, I ordered a bottle of Somerset 10yo Cider Brandy - basically English Calvados, I suppose. Intended as a Christmas treat, but being unable to resist any sort of temptation, I decided to try it this evening. Bottled at 42%, which isn't that strong, I decided to add a teaspoon of water. On first impressions, that was not a good idea. Apparently, it has been matured in small oak barrels, and is certainly smooth and rounded. Trying it neat, confirms that view, but for me, it lacks the depth of flavour I'd be expecting from a 10yo spirit.

Nothing wrong with it, of course, but next time, I'll probably return to a relatively mature genuine Calvados.

[Tony.Williams]

There was a time when I was a Calvados fan, although I haven't had any for a long time (nowadays I rarely drink cider, which is the prequel to a Calvados for me). What I do recall is that the quality is highly variable; the stuff varies from the rough to the sublime, even more than other spirits do. Age is the main determinant of course, but it's not just that.

I don't know if it's still there, but a few years ago there was a cider bar which sold excellent Calvados by the glass, at the Euston Road bus entrance to Euston Station, in one of the old stone buildings which flank the access road (the right-hand one as you face the station - the left-hand one has an ordinary bar).

[Tony.Williams]

From: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... s-46566703

More than a third of vintage Scotch whiskies tested at a specialist laboratory have been found to be fake, BBC Scotland has learned. Twenty-one out of 55 bottles of rare Scotch were deemed to be outright fakes or whiskies not distilled in the year declared.

The tests were conducted at the East Kilbride-based Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC). It used advanced radiocarbon dating techniques to reach its conclusions. SUERC measured residual concentrations of a radioactive isotope of carbon present in the alcohol contained in each bottle in order to establish the ages of the whiskies. The samples had been sent for analysis by whisky broker Rare Whisky 101 (RW101), which said it was responding to "growing concern surrounding the proliferation of fake whisky" in the secondary market. The bottles had been selected at random from auctions, private collections and retailers.

[bindeweede]

And now for something a bit different. I've just sampled a 14yo Single Grain whisky......from Belgium. Named "Goldlys", it is produced by the Filliers distillery, and according to the back label, it is matured for at least 14 years in bourbon casks, and finished for a further year in burgundy casks. Bottled at 43%. I stumbled across it on one of those huge online spirit retailers, and as it was reduced by about £15, I thought why not. Since ordering on Tuesday evening, the price has gone back up by £15.

Just a first impression, but I found it very smooth and rounded. Also fruity with spicy and vegetable flavours. Actually tastes closer to brandy. Definitely different.

[polomint38]

It does what it says on the label