What's in your glass today?

[JohnS]

The cocktail that possibly inspired the martini, the Martinez. It's not an official IBA (International Bartenders Association) Cocktail, and no-one seems to have a definite recipe, especially in relation to parts. The ingredients are also specific and harder to source, but it made one nice, sweet refreshing drink! 2 oz Old Tom Gin, 3/4 oz Rosso Vermouth, 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur and 2-3 dashes of Orange Bitters. Garnish with a lemon peel.

[sengjc]

Tasted a couple more today at the local bottleshop:

Colkegan Single Malt American Whiskey, Batch #5 by Santa Fe Spirits. Quite an unusual bottling, in lieu of peat smoke, they used a proportion of mesquite smoked barley.

Smoked ham on the nose, burning embers of a campfire. Rather interesting and quite unique. Complex, savoury-salty tang, just a tad too mild and a little muted on the palate - parallels are drawn with my experiences with Canadian rye or New Zealand whiskey. Has a bit of bite to the finish while being smooth and warming. Would love to try this at barrel strength - I am sure it would be delightful.

Kilchoman 100% Islay, 4th Edition. An impressive offering from this fledgling Islay distillery. The nose reminds a little of tequila. Clean as a whistle, pure and unadulterated Islay profile with emphasis on the quality of the spirit and expert wood handling that is complementary rather than dominating. Ardbeg beware.

[Orator]

Powers Gold Label tonight...

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[sengjc]

Got invited to another Diageo 2015 Special Release tasting event, albeit a scaled down version and hosted by a larger retail chain.

For some reason, the Dailuaine and Dalwhinnie really opened up for me today and the Port Ellen just pips the Brora this time round.

The Caol Ila still represents great value.

[TM-US]

Tasted a couple more today at the local bottleshop:

Colkegan Single Malt American Whiskey, Batch #5 by Santa Fe Spirits. Quite an unusual bottling, in lieu of peat smoke, they used a proportion of mesquite smoked barley.

Smoked ham on the nose, burning embers of a campfire. Rather interesting and quite unique. Complex, savoury-salty tang, just a tad too mild and a little muted on the palate - parallels are drawn with my experiences with Canadian rye or New Zealand whiskey. Has a bit of bite to the finish while being smooth and warming. Would love to try this at barrel strength - I am sure it would be delightful.

Kilchoman 100% Islay, 4th Edition. An impressive offering from this fledgling Islay distillery. The nose reminds a little of tequila. Clean as a whistle, pure and unadulterated Islay profile with emphasis on the quality of the spirit and expert wood handling that is complementary rather than dominating. Ardbeg beware.

Kilchoman has nothing on Ardbeg.

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[TM-US]

Got invited to another Diageo 2015 Special Release tasting event, albeit a scaled down version and hosted by a larger retail chain.

For some reason, the Dailuaine and Dalwhinnie really opened up for me today and the Port Ellen just pips the Brora this time round.

The Caol Ila still represents great value.

Is the Caol Ila 17 unpeated?

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[sengjc]

Kilchoman has nothing on Ardbeg.

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Haha - ok, I won't go there.

[sengjc]

Is the Caol Ila 17 unpeated?

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Yep, albeit there is a hint of peat.

[sengjc]

Is the Caol Ila 17 unpeated?

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Yep, albeit there is a hint of peat.

[cooper669]

Workin' on my second Bloody Mary while watching "The Revenant"

[Blazer]

Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet blend.

[potpest]

Two Hands Sexy Beast Cabernet blend.

Love this stuff

[westg]

Had to try some after the last Sancho review Rob and Ken did . Have to say I really enjoyed it with a Bolivar 2014 EL

[Mr.T]

When in Brazil, have a caipirinha..

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[Colt45]

Chateau d'Oupia AC Minervois 2012.......

For me, another $10 superstar. Carignan, syrah, grenache - if you like fruit bombs....... skip this one. If you like dark, earthy, slightly funky reds ( I do ) - give it a try.

[scap99]

Three fingers of Bellemeade Single Barrel.

[sengjc]

The last of the Laphroaig 18 Year Old.

Something to warm me up this cold and windy night.

[Rye]

Finished off a beloved bottle of what friends and I are calling the "misprint" Bowmore.

Very happy to have more.

[Lant63]

an amazing peach and vanilla finish I wish I didn't wait so long to buy this one. I would've bought two.

The new Nadurra release really enjoy this as well but of course the smws is much better.

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[Colt45]

La Bastide Blanche Rouge 2012 - fantastic.

[dangolf18]

Ton of different stuff in my glass tonight. Some old Willets and old Weller bottles.

Couple takeaways. The old stuff blew away anything made today. Four Roses store picks are fantastic values. Michter's 10 Rye, ***** Taketsuru 17, and ***** Coffey are so not worth it. Solid whiskeys but so overrated. The Coffey was so average and the Michter's Rye is not worth anywhere over $100. Willett 11, 12, and 14 year old bourbons were good but not worth secondary prices either. Favorite bottles of the night were a Weller Special Reserve and Parker's Heritage No.9. Also, man I'm starting to see that ryes are just not worth the money. So many taste the same.

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[dangolf18]

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[demer]

Drinking a Rare Barrel Supermassive right now and it is fantastic.

[JohnS]

I had fun recently experimenting (again!) with some cocktails...

1) Daiquiri

Made with 45 ml Bacardi white rum, 15 ml sugar syrup and 25 ml lime juice, it's hard to believe how a cocktail with so few ingredients can be so good. That citrus and sweetness combines so well in this drink!

2) Tuxedo Cocktail

I gave this a try as it's a recent addition to the IBA (International Bartenders Association) official cocktail list. 30 ml Old Tom gin, 30 ml Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth, 3 ml Maraschino Liqueur, 1 1/2 ml Absinthe and 3 dashes of Orange Bitters. How was it? Well, really weird first, but not bad as I sipped the drink and contrasting flavours settled on my palate.

3) Martini

A very low ratio, yes, I agree but I'm using Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth and 1:3 is what they say on the back of their bottle! Anyway, 20 ml Noilly Prat, 40 ml Tanqueray Gin and 2-3 dashes of Orange Bitters, garnished with 3 Spanish Olives. What can I say? Glorious!

4) Manhattan

I'm still experimenting with this drink. Today I used 20 ml Dolin Rouge Vermouth, 50 ml Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon and 2-3 dashes of Angostura Bitters. Add a Maraschino Cherry and really, you can't complain!

[Onelove]

Really enjoying this Glenlivet 15 I just picked up