suponga que los puros cubanos no están disponibles

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JAS
Posts: 37
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Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:29 pm

Gentlemen - My very pedestrian Spanish aside, I would like to toss the following into the fall air: Let’s presume that Cuban cigars are not available. I have listed the offering of beverages from a local haunt where puffing on a fire stick is still allowed. I have not edited the list but have removed the $ because the paying too much bullet has already been bit. My current cigar of choice is the Oscuro wrapped efforts of Litto Gomez paired with either of the below names in bold. Any/all thoughts (pairings, ranking, avoid, bring your own flask of, etc) are welcome as Mr. Frost is soon to start nipping. Regards, JAS

Single Malt Scotches
Macallan 12 Year
Macallan 18 year
Lagavulin 16 year
Talisker 10 Year
Laphroaig 10 Year
Oban 14 Year
Balvenie 12 Year
Glenkinchie 10 Year
Glenlevit 12 Year
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Glenmorangie 10 Year
Glenmorangie 18 Year
Cragganmore 12 Year
Dalwhinnie 15 Year

Blended Scotches
Johnny Walker Red
Johnny Walker Black
Johnny Walker Blue
Dewars
Dewars 12 Year
Chivas Regal 12 Year
J & B

Bourbon Whiskey’s
Early Times
Wild Turkey
Knob Creek
Maker’s Mark
Jim Beam
1492
manton
Posts: 647
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Wed Oct 18, 2006 3:57 pm

Johnny Walker Black is, for me, the perfect scotch. It's noticably better than Red, yet Green, Gold, and Blue are not noticably better than it. Well, OK, Blue is, neat out of a snifter, but who the hell can afford to drink that regularly? Bespides, I prefer it on the rocks, and ice takes a lot of the fun out of Blue. But not Black.

I am too much of a philistine to appreciate the subtle variations of all the single malts. I go back to Black every time.
JAS
Posts: 37
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Wed Oct 18, 2006 6:35 pm

manton wrote:
I am too much of a philistine to appreciate the subtle variations of all the single malts. I go back to Black every time.
I find most of these - poured appropriately - can take the Jolly Drinker from Mendelssohn to Manilow in the course of one evening.

JAS
Parishow
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Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:35 pm

In watching the British Drama, House Of Card's the other evening, I noticed that Ian Richardson's character was drinking a Malt that I was not familar with...Bruichladdich (pronounced Brook-Laddie), has anyone tried it?

Many thanks,

H.E. Lewis
JAS
Posts: 37
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Wed Nov 15, 2006 5:11 pm

from a knowledgable source: Bruichladdich is an Islay Whiskey.The distillery was founded in 1881. I have been enjoying it for several years. It is available in numerous ages from 10 yr old to 26 yr old. I am sure it is available at Binny's. Binny's is a Chicago shop, a self proclaimed beverage depot. JAS
Jackson
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Wed Nov 15, 2006 11:52 pm

I had the pleasure of visiting Bruichladdich a couple of years ago when I took a few extra days on a trip to Glasgow to visit Islay. The distillery is one of the few that was originally built for that purpose and was not a converted farm house or barn as often is the case. It's situated the farthest west of the Islay distilleries, right on the shore, in the area called the Rinns of Islay. Quite picturesque.

As far as the whiskys themself, they tend to be lighter overall and quite a bit less peaty than an Ardbeg or a Laphroaig. I found there is some similarity to Bowmore, which makes sense since Bruichladdich's master distiller, Jim McEwan, was formerly employed there. Of the examples I've had, the noses tend to be subtle and sweetly aromatic with notes of almonds, dried fruits, vanilla, musk, the sea and the like. It's well worth the try.
Parishow
Posts: 55
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Fri Nov 17, 2006 4:51 pm

With many thanks to my fellow London Loungers, I have been
introduced into the delights of Single Malt Whiskies. In my taste for
foods, I love stronger flavors and well seasoned food, so I started to
drink the Scotch, neat. I was told, that if I add a few drops of water, it
would increase the taste and in fact it does. But then I was told that
the Scots in fact drink their Scotch, Half and half ( water to malt).

Can I ask, that seems to me to really dilute the flavor of the Scotch.

Am I wrong? What do my fellow Malt drinkers do?

And again, many thanks for introducing me to one of life’s great
pleasures.

As a side note, as a cigar smoker, I am going to be in Londonin December of this year ( at the Goring Hotel) to have one last hurrah, that is one last smoke in public
before the ban next year! Of course I will have my H. Upmann (Cuban)
with a malt!
dopey
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Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:33 pm

Parishow wrote:?

Can I ask, that seems to me to really dilute the flavor of the Scotch.

Am I wrong? What do my fellow Malt drinkers do?
I think a little dilution is always beneficial, if only because the alcohol content seems to sting the palate in a way that harms my ability to discern flavor (for some odd reason, I find water is needed less with bourbon and still less with rum). You will need to experiment yourself to find what you like, although I would never go to half water.

I always order brown drinks neat with a glass of water on the side and I do the dilution myself by eye. I would guess that I use somewhere between one and three sixteenths water, but I don’t measure and I adjust by mood, category and brand automatically.

This is one of those cases where you will find empirical research both productive and enjoyable.
uppercase
Posts: 1769
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:49 pm

Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:09 am

Diluting malt seems wrong.

But I was not aware that it enhances flavor. I will try it.

Perhaps 3/16 water is the optimum amount. Discerning 1/16 might be problematic in a bar.

Unless an atomizer of water is available much like some bars use to mist vermouth onto gin for a sublime martini.
whittaker
Posts: 335
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Sat Nov 18, 2006 5:40 pm

It depends on the single malt but I normally dilute by no more than a few drops. It really does help to open up the flavour. A good mineral water is infinitely preferable to tap water but distilled water works well also.
Jackson
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Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:16 pm

I agree with Dopey that of the brown liquors, Scotch benefits the most from dilution. It really allows the tongue to grasp some of the subtleties of the malt before the alcohol numbs the tastebuds. I was always taught to do so. However, I know some experts recommend a 50/50 mix of water to malt and this seems excessive to me. I dilute depending on maker and mood.
uppercase
Posts: 1769
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:49 pm

Fri Dec 01, 2006 6:03 pm

"In pre-World War I days, a hip flask and cigarette case were considered essential accessories for a generation that believed a drink before and cigarette after were two of the three best things in life. The demise of tobacco has stigmatized even the most stylish of smoking implements while the flask has gone the way of the swizzle stick."

-Flusser
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