Tastes
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A Tropical Breakfast 39.150 (SMWS)
Single Malt — Speyside , Scotland
Reviewed February 14, 2020 (edited February 18, 2021)Ah damn this app sucks. Latest bug..randomly and then repeated crashing because it doesn't like certain photos when creating a new entry....aaaaanyway..got there in the end...just like the 'Aromatherapy' package to VA just about has..few nervous moments on hold in customs but just about there! This one is from @cascode. Initially I was like..hmm..then hmmmmm...then hmmmmmm.. that translating to 'is this good?'...'I think it might be'.. and yes it definitely is. Needs a hefty dose of water then time but once that is sorted it really shines. Lovely biscuity vanilla. Thanks @cascode! -
1919 PINEAPPLE LUMP GIN
Flavored Gin — New Zealand
Reviewed February 6, 2020 (edited February 8, 2020)I was chatting to the guy in my local liquor store about gins and he asked if I'd tried a Pineapple Lump one. Now Pineapple lumps are these iconic NZ chocolate covered Pineapple chewy type lolly. And Interestingly 1919 was the year NZ voted on prohibition and it was about to pass when 40,000 special votes from soldiers still overseas, aboard ships, or in camps or hospitals in New Zealand from WWI were counted. Prohibition was beaten 264,189 votes to 253,827 (yes NZ is a small country!). Yet another thing we can thank our brave service people for. This was the first – and last – time that the question would be decided by a simple majority in a nationwide poll. A second referendum held alongside the December 1919 general election included a third option: state purchase and control of the sale of alcohol. This time prohibition came within 1600 votes of victory. Although the prohibitionist cause remained strong until the 1930s, New Zealand would never again come as near to banning the bottle as it did in the twin referendums of 1919. Anyhow four things struck me with this gin when I was drinking it: 1) It really shouldn't be the mantle /poster child for celebrating such a momentous event (although to be fair it's the distillery which is named 1919 not the actual gin version) 2) Despite being informed it was going to be a lot better than it sounded...it wasn't 3) Are we reaching peak gin when we see stuff like this come out 4) How much more crazier are the gin flavors going to get! I won't rate it out of kindness to the person who gave me a taste but as you can guess it's nowhere near 5 stars. -
Cenote Reposado Tequila
Tequila Reposado — Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed February 6, 2020 (edited February 7, 2020)Not a lot going on -
Tequila Arette Artesanal Suave Añejo
Tequila Añejo — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed February 6, 2020 (edited December 22, 2020)Quick hit review. Nice but preferred it's younger brother. -
Tequila Arette Reposado
Tequila Reposado — Tequila Valley, Jalisco, Mexico
Reviewed February 6, 2020 (edited June 4, 2020)Popped into my local to pick up a bottle of the Benriach 13 yr Single cask which was my favorite and won the Benriach CS tasting (@cascode you'll now get to taste one of the two you missed). I thought it was the mystery $220USD whisky but no it was $100 Benriach PX. Score! Anyhow this one and it's brethren were up for a tasting when I popped in. This is aged in JD barrels and has a lovely sweetness to it. Worth a buy. -
Benromach Peat Smoke Sherry Cask Matured 2010
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed February 5, 2020 (edited May 2, 2020)Very rarely I buy a bottle without tasting first these days. This one I took a punt on as it came 2nd in 2019 out of around 70 - 80 whiskies in one of our local whiskey retailers formal tasting sessions. How the format works is every month they do a tasting. Last month they did a single cask Benriach selection which I went to. This month i'm attending a single cask Glendronach session. Each session they crown a winner and at the end they have a 'Best of the year' session where they take the top whiskey from each session and taste all together. Now this whiskey came top of its round and then 2nd in the 'Best of the year' session, 1st being a 27 yr single cask Glendronach literally 5 times the price. Now it sold out like lightning and I only found a bottle as one retailers entry didn't appear on google (I've found a few hard to get crackers by direct searching on the site rather than relying on google). Anyhow I got literally the last bottle in NZ most likely. https://www.regionalwines.co.nz/blogs/news/big-whiskies-battle-it-out-at-best-of-the-best Fast forward a couple of months and to commemorate a Distiller legend reentering the tasting ring aka @LeeEvolved. I cracked open the bottle and included it in an 18 flight lot currently winging it's way to VA, USA with a partial on-forwarding to NY to another Distiller giant @PBMichiganWolverine. Once open and after a bourbon barrel aged ale and xmas pudding stout (hey it's a public holiday here so all good for a session!) I thought I really should try before part of its whole lands on USA shores. So here the story takes a plot twist. I poured a dram with a little water and....as the Distiller reviews say metallic...it really is..and thinner than compared to say the Benromach 10 or 15. You get an acidic type peat, the sherry all coming together but it's not really a dram for me. How could 100ish whiskey connoisseurs rate this so highly? Is it a whiskey which shines amongst others? Do you need food? More time? Now it's not bad I'd say 3.5 to 3.75 which I'll place hold for now...maybe time will temper its metallic characteristics. Ok update, having had an interlude of Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2019 and a Benriach single cask this is one that arises to the occasion when there's competition. After those two this improved a fair bit. I'd say imagine a cask strength sherried Ledaig crossed with a Mortlach and this is that. Now 3.75 to 4.....then 4..will it be the gift that keeps on giving (and improving)? Oh and this needs water to bring out its essence. Update 2: Up up it goes. This one needs a few more years and water but still beautiful stuff. It has an imbalance which needs to be remedied by water. It's quite sharp without and even slightly with but over look this and a beautiful sweet barbecue flavour envelopes the palate. The metallic flavour has gone. Due to its shortcomings it won't rise higher but for an $80 dram....nice work! Update 3: Ok more time and tasting and back down it goes. I think with these types of spirit you really need a few drams prior to mask the ethanol harshness. The flavour really hasn't stood the test of time. I ended up giving half the bottle away as part of a swap for an old GD 15 Revival..hope the current owner likes it. The only reason I could say my local club rated it so highly is it would have been been tasted in parallel with several other mostly high strength whiskies. Back down to 3.5 to 3.75 territory. -
Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Coffee Liqueurs — Australia
Reviewed January 31, 2020 (edited August 10, 2022)12 years ago somewhere in a rat hole eastern Peruvian town I celebrated New Years eve. I smoked my last packet of cigarettes and from that point cigarettes and coffee were gone from my life. Coffee wasn't to hard. Cigarettes the first year I craved one when I drank, year two craved one when I drank and someone else was smoking near me. After that no problems. I had a sip of coffee once in a blue moon from my wifes and randomly tried stuff such as cold brew coffee from Japanese vending machines (you name it if they could fit it in there they sold it) but by in large caffeinated drinks gone from my life. Anyhow I bought Dancing Sands chocolate gin and my wife was keen to make a cocktail (which I generally avoid like the plague as way to sweet) so I found a recipe using their stuff: 45mls Chocolate Gin 30mls expresso shot (expertly done by my wife) 30mls coffee liquor Few pieces of 90% dark lindt thrown in Now I went hunting for a good Coffee Liquor, Tia Maria nope, others nope nope and then the liquor store guy recommended this. He pulled out one from under the counter, I got stuck in and thought very good quality, still a bit sweet for my taste but great drop non the less. Afterwards I checked distiller and there was a glowing review from @PBMichiganWolverine..validation! Wind forward to tonight I made the cocktail and long story bought to an end, not sure if I'll sleep tonight but.damn nice! These guys do a single bean variety which I will hunt down sometime. -
It's gin day in godzone. I tried this after some punchy flavoured gins; Shiraz Barrel; Douglas Fir; Saffron and then Chocolate. So straight I struggled to extract all the subtle flavors as my palate was a bit stuffed but it made a great mix for my Gin and Grapefruit drink. As an aside East Imperial tonic is the way to go, big step up from Feverfew. They do a wicked Grapefruit Tonic and the std one I can just drink straight all day long https://eastimperial.com/ Anyhow thanks @cascode I'm definitely going to try this again when my palate is fresh (so won't rate this time round) and if you haven't already try the Dingle whiskey...man a dairy farmer by trade and bam awesome whiskey!
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Little Biddy Gin
Modern Gin — Reefton, New Zealand
Reviewed January 30, 2020 (edited January 31, 2020)Who knew a gin made with Douglas Fir (needles i'm guessing?) would be good. Heaps of other stuff in their but this is the overriding flavour. I love the pine and fir foliage smells so imagine juicing that adding other native NZ herbs and tree extracts and bam! Awesome gin time..lovely straight
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