rogue

rogue double mocha porter - 750ml - 8.2%abv

ingredients - c120, c150, kiln coffee, chocolate and rogue microbarley farm risk malts; summit, and rogue micro hopyard wilamette hops; free range coastal water, and pacman yeast

the deepest brown

nose: coffee, walnuts, more coffee

mouthed: coffee, almonds, bright in the mouth, cacao...deeep chocolate, espresso beans....french roast too!....more coffee...no cream and sugar in sight...

this would be good with bloodred meat....!

this is something i would buy again..

beerz

rogue brewing company rogue xs imperial red ale - 7 oz. 19.4 plato - 58 ibu - 76 aa - 47 lovibond - 9%

nse: ruby sugared malt, a little bit of saison must.....

mouthed: very bright, hoppy in the upper mouth...roasted cacao, earthy hops, bold, a bit of almonds...

omnom

 strathisla (lonach bottling) 42 yr - bottled 2009 - 41.1% - ~$260

rich honeyed straw to the eye...

nose: butter and asparagus, peaches and cherries, grass, wet earth, sea spray...a bit of tire rubber

mouth:  peaches and peat, wood and butterscotch candies, a lemon tang after the first burst, settling into a small sourdoughness which makes the cheeks water...a metallic comfort...this has more alcohol body than one would expect on a 41.4 %er




murray mcdavid bottling of auchroisk - bourbon/syrah casks - ace'd in guigal cotes roti syrah casks - 46% bottled 1992 - 15yr

this looks like dark cranberry juice, rich ruby red...

nose: dark plums, tobacco, cherries, peat

mouthwise: rich plums, alcohol is brave in this one, red wine, tart cherries...fading slowly to tobacco, a copper taste....

dogfish head worldwide stout

18% abv....70 ibu..no wonder this is fucking my shit....

so i just got back from a gay bar and had 4 budweisers but before that my college drinking buddy and i went to bourbon and branch....had buncha drinks but that is for another entry....

as dark as a cow's touchus on a night without the moon....nose....barleywineish..malty..brown sugar....coffee and some cacao...

in the mouth .......sweeeeeeeeeeeet..real sweet..some figs...choco.....too sweet for my taste really....drinking this one 12 oz will put a normal person to bed....

i will never drink this again....

it is a wednesday, my day off and i am starting it with some new craft moonshine..



junior johnson's midnight moon carolina moonshine - 80 proof - 99cents for a mini!

http://www.piedmontdistillers.com/verification.php


nosers - hooooooooooo--alkieeeeeeholll..and a tiny bit of vanilla in there somewhere...fucking ethyl alcohol..

mouth - yep.....alcohol....like rubbing alcohol....propane, pool water (chlorine)....

not much else to say..this needs to be mixer......nothing gentle about it....try it with a shot of frangelico..or 2 shots....or with some regan's orange bitters and grapefruit juice and club soda, a half shot of simple syrup....

today after work i went to hi times and bought some beers

the new lagunitas wilco tango foxtrot imperial brown ale

21st amend/stone/ firestone walker collabo ale w peppercorn/fennel seeds/ mission figs/chia seed. 9.5%

port hi tide fresh hop ipa

st feuillen saison

dogfish head red and white a big, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice...

and now some friends are coming over for a bbq

omnom whisky notes

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www.scapamalt.com

scapa 14 yr old island (non islay - orkney) single malt whisky - about 45 bucks

nose - sweet wine, peat, sultanas, nectarines, plums

mouth - mmm..tobacco and cherries, peat and vanilla caramels, plums, eucalyptus in the cheeks, corn husks, a wee bit of peppermint as an afterthought...grass...some of the ocean is in here...

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http://www.malts.com/index.php/Gateway-en

http://www.murray-mcdavid.com/


murray mcdavid independent bottling of caol ila - 14 yr old islay (port askaig) single malt scotch whisky sherry finish- 14 yr - bottled 1993 - about 80 bucks

nose - tar (pitch), listerine?....pear....honey

mouthed - `cinnamon, pitch, chestnuts, nutmeg, peat...

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signatory cask strength collection brora 24 year highland (closed distillery 1983)- dec 81 distillation - bottled in april 06 - cask 06/656 - bottle 28/255 - 60% - matured in an oloroso sherry cask - about $290 (thus far the most 'spensive bottle i have bought)

http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/EI_Signatory_EN.shtml

nose - lemon, grass, cereal, pineapple, spearmint, musty oaky grigio...

mouth - buttery lemons, heather and peat, salt and tootsie rolls!, the alcohol is brave with this one but well balanced, old paperback books, a tiny bit of bananas as an afterthought...banana umm..strand things?.....7-up?

i would like to have another bottle

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http://www.laphroaig.com/

laphroaig quarter cask 10 yr islay single malt - 48% nas (no age statement) but rumored to be 5-7 yrs - about 50 bux

nose - iodine, peat and vegetal earth, smoke, coconut meat

mouth - peat and sea, wet earth, bit of pitch, some sort of nut, there is a beginning creaminess to this that baffles me...corn and tingly stuff..kinda bacony long after

i want another bottle, this one has about one 6th left

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laphroaig 15 yr single malt islay about 70 bux...43%

nose - honey, peach juice, green grapes, wtf is this really laphroaig?..green apples?

mouthed - applegrapes, peat and minerals, tangy minerals, a small peach sweetness, a sort of chocolate to the finish...


15 year old is being replaced by the new 18 year old so buy a few bottles to store, this is worth it

whisky!

tyrconnell 10 year madeira finish irish single malt - about $70 for a 750

http://www.tyrconnellwhiskey.com/_whiskey/whiskey.asp

nose - sauterne....chewy grapes, a bit of sherry, sultanas, some sweet citrus..kind of like candied orange peel..

mouthwise - hmm...alcohol..then the orange peel, some wood...ginger...some pepper, a meaty taste, mineral...

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http://www.isleofjura.com/


isle of jura superstition non islay island single malt whisky $40

nose - toffee, prunes, peat, some smoke,

mouth: grass and peat, heather....a smidge of brown sugar, oak...salt...moss

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dalmore gran reserva highland single malt whisky - $60

www.thedalmore.com

noze - tobacco, malbec, sourdough!, sour candies!...

mouthed: oak and grass, a bit of sherry....orange peel, tobacco..

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mystery dram number one...i wrote on the sample glass in sharpie which of course disappears after handling....it has several malts listed..kinda sorta..let us see..

smell-----sweet...ok...i have about 30 bottles open at home...and out of those only two that are this sweet on the nose...winey..a bit of grass....i would say it is glenlivet nadurra..

glenlivet nadurra speyside single malt $50

http://www.theglenlivet.com/



in the mouth - sweet grass, a bit of pitch, some lemon, spearmint after a while, peppery...

my bottle of this is about 5 fingers left..i may not renew...

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aberlour a'bunadh batch 15 speyside single malt whisky - 59.6 - 2005

http://www.aberlour.com/

this is a bottling i bought a few moons ago...one of the better ones if you ask me....

nose - yeast, honeycomb, oats, m&m's, cherries..?..

mouth - yep..cherries...lime, pitch, grass..tobacco...

my bottle of this is gone..i may buy a new batch..they are on # 28 or so...
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more tastings

http://www.artintheage.com/spirits-aita/

root liqueur - about $40 -

distilled from sugarcane and based on an old "root tea" recipe, this is not necessarily what you think of when you think root beer ..root beer was actually made from this with the alcohol removed...long agooooo...the aim of Art In the Age brewers was to exact a pre-temperance alcoholic root tea...

oooh.....who says this isn't root beer?..the first thing that comes to mind when nosing....then i smell more wintergreen...then butter..then allspice...

not nearly as sweet in the mouth as on the nose...wintergreen, cinnamon, a bit of pine...and strangely enough ..water...then eucalyptus, wood...cloves...

this i would drink alone, neat

i would buy a bottle of this

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green chartreuse - french liqueur - 110 proof

http://www.chartreuse.fr/

flavored with 130 herbal extracts, its coloring comes from chlorophyll.

nosewise i get vanilla, pine, chocolate malt, spearmint

mmm..pepper, cloves, rosemary, fucking basil!, spearmint, something i do not know what that hurts the back of my throat..this is a strong pungent one...the sweetness holds it but does not contain it, flavors burst from it instantaneously into the mouth..on the tongue...mustard...peppercorns...oregano...and a vegetal potato and a bit of leafy spinach...thyme.....the flavors keep giving long after you have swallowed it...

this is great by itself, high enough in alcohol that an ice cube would not kill it but allow it to flower..maybe a few drops of water...i hear this is great in mixed drinks but i am not a mixologist and this is damned complex....maybe with st germain elderflower liqueur and some soda water...?

i would love to have a bottle of this

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catdaddy carolina moonshine - about $20 for a 750 - 80 proof

http://www.piedmontdistillers.com/verification.php

not what you think of when moonshine comes to mind, this is most wonderful and i have been a fan of it for a while now.

nose - lemony magnolia flowers!!...meringue, butter...

mouth: soft lemon curd, you can taste what magnolias smell like...a touch of cinnamon, so lively...a tiny bit of grass....buttered toast..

this is great by itself, on the rocks....i have tried it with a dash of regans orange bitters on the rocks with some grey goose..also with some gin and fee brothers grapefruit bitters..

i have a lot of mini bottles of this but need to get a 750

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and of course thank you forrest for all of the wonderful samples...!!

night tasting deserves a quiet night...

latenight and i need to get some of my tasting online....some notes to remember...



Prichard's Sweet Georgia Belle Rum Liqueur - about $27 for a 750 - a peach mango rum liqueur..

http://www.prichardsdistillery.com/

the nose is more like apricots than peaches...a bit more musty than bright...the alcohol seems behind the dominant stone fruit smell..there is a hint of fruit skins that comes around afterwards..this is where the mangos come in, after it sits a while

buttery maple syrup is the first note...then the sweet peach flavor...not real peach but kind of a jolly rancher one...the alcohol comes up behind the simple syrup taste and bites a bit.....this would be good on the rocks with club soda....

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sapling maple liqueur - brewed using vermont grade A maple syrup
- about $32 for a 750

http://www.saplingliqueur.com/

such a tremendously yummy nose...buttery brown sugar...reminds me of pancakes..maybe that memory puts the taste of yeasty dough in my mind or there could be notes of it already in the liqueur...caramel...madeleines.....

in the mouth..warm butter..a bit of macadamia flavor..maple syrup..brown sugar..the alcohol bite is low. this is a great sipper...an ice cube may ruin it if drinking unmixed....this would go great mixed however with frangelico and a good vodka like belvedere on the rocks...hell this would be great in a shake with coffee and ice cream!!!!

this is a bottle i would like to have

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strega - italian herbal liqueur -

http://www.strega.it/index.php

strega means "witch" in italian...and this is some kind of witch. it gets its yellow tint from saffron used in the process.

on the nose i first get juniper berries, some bitter sort of tree bark, some wintergreen and pine and something savory i cannot put my nose on...

in the mouth...wow...sweet then quick pepper and wintergreen followed by some floral sort of perfume, wood, a bit of bubble gum....gentian...cardamom (green)...a tiny bit of cinnamon, and so many other things i do not know yet.... great neat...maybe with one ice cube......i cannot see mixing it with anything..i may try it with a few dashes of soda water up to a half.....

this is a bottle i would like to have.

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kraken spiced rum - 94 proof - about $20 a 750

http://www.krakenrum.com/

a darker reddish brown color

on the nose vanilla and nutmeg, playdoh (yes i know, lolworthy but it is there..to me at least)

not as sweet as it smelled, a dark rum flavor with vanilla following but not a sweet vanilla and not your ordinary vanilla....madagascar i would say...some wood..and more vanilla

i would drink this neat, or with an ice cube or on the rocks with an elderflower presse or a real good ginger ale or hot buttered even...this would be interesting to try with the right kind of bitters too, say fee brothers chocolate bitters.....

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days of wine and wine

in the ultrasecret tasting room....this is such a bright whiskey...it tastes similar to the glenmo nectar d'or ..a tiny bit of sweet wine to it..odd in an american corn whisky..also there are flavors of corn hair...and a small amount of must from the husks...a decent amount of vegetal to it...$25.59 it says online but i haven't seen it anywheres local...



corzo reposado tequila....peppery with a nice bite to it..but smooth..this is a sipper or for those higher end cocktails that don't add the kitchen sink.....

mata hari absinthe...a good one..not too syrupy like some of the lower quality fad absinthes...this is one from Czechoslovakia..not bold on licorice which is also the downfall of others...louches handsomely and has an interesting pearl effect in the mouth...makes the cheels warm...tingly...




i have been drinking these lately...pickle shots..a tender at tony's place told me about them after i asked her for something not ordinary.....she keeps a jar of pickle juice in the fridge for another bartender and she poured me a shot..then three more..i loved it...the tequila she suggested - cazadores - works just perfect....i have tried others...not so much..and also...make sure the tender knows not to put the pickle juice and the tequila in the same glass..simple mistake but it tastes like shit...



a recent haul from hi times...berentzen pear schnapps...tart and very pearlike...i hate schnapps ..well regular schnapps but this is wonderful..not syrupy or overbearing...also 4 bottles of my new favorite cheap beer...ranger from new belgium, they make fat tire...only $3.40 for the tall ones...hoppy like a careful craft beer and well balanced also...this tastes like a west coast ipa should...

ardbeg rollercoaster single malt islay whisky ....a blend of the last ten years..apt name because each character from each year weaves in and out in your mouth and nose then goes then some come back..some come back on the long finish...tabasco peppers, carbolic soap, grass, heather and peat...even a hint of asparagus on the finish...lemon and wintergreen....sourdough...yumm..

ballast point big eye pale ale...another great cheap one...small hops, malt that you can taste..not overbearing...about $3.40 a bottle...probably about 4.5%...a nice beer for mowing the lawn...

port brewing midnight sessions lager...a light (but pitch in color) lager...smoky taste..wood...a bit floral....around 5%.....

rogue chatoe gyo first growth organic.....this one was very crisp...i tried it a few weeks ago and to be truthing...i do not remember much of it...

i'm drinking this so you don't have to

so yeah...i dared gus to drink this so of course i end up with it...but in the name of science or scientific wherewithal or umm...yeah...so four loko malt beverage watermelon flavored with guarana and caffeine?...12%....it reminded me of high school when i was thrilled about wine coolers and i thought bartles and jaymes were hy homies....this is reminiscent of a cross between md 20/20 and strawberry hill....but worse....

the watermelon flavor isn't even up to jolly rancher status....sure it gave me a buzz...it is after all 12% and 23.5 ozs....

so to get the nasty taste of this out of my mouth and to not have the whole night be a wash i am following it up with a mickey's tall can....

signatory un-chillfiltered collection bunnahabhain islay single malt whisky - 46%

distilled 1997, aged 9 yrs, distilled on 01/12/1997 - bottled 04/12/2006

matured in refill butt

cask no. 5268

bottle no. 526 of 707

eyewise it is the color of healthy cat urine and/or whisky pallete # 0.3 - pale gold...like straw with a tinge of gold...

noserly - peat, bit of salt...alcohol, now remember this is a peated independent bottling of a single malt that is usually know for its gentle less peatiness....of course the inevitable corn husk....that i seem to smell in everything these days.....dare i say there is something vegetal in there, i suppose hence the corn husk....which always comes with the proper amount of dirt and minerals....take your time..it is there....some kind of menthol or wintergreen....and some slight honey on the tail...

mouthwise (an obscure knut hamsun joke) : bright in the mouth with up hops and tiny sweetness from..could it be corn? a quick wine ness that never fruitions (fuck you) to a typical (expected) grigio sweetness..the dryness is there though...the wood comes through..oak of course...and a wee bit of plums....


http://www.bunnahabhain.com/index.php


http://www.whisky-distilleries.info/EI_Signatory_EN.shtml

meow