Spirits

    🔒🥃 Hey, you know how security teams are the worst and nobody wants to work with them?

    Anyway, this is a signed going away present from the engineering platform and architecture leaders.

    Definitely a keeper, even after it’s empty.

    GlenDronach port wood bottle. “Thanks for everything. Good luck!” signed by 10 people in silver marker.

    Gouden Carolus: 🍺 & 🥃.

    2017 Cuvée Van De Keizer and the Single Malt

    Merry Christmas!

    As stated

    When I travel I like to try the most creative foods and drinks. (In the USA that usually means a “New American” restaurant.)

    🥃 This drink did not disappoint!

    FLIP IT AND REVERSE IT&10;amontillado, penny bun mushroom, house pick bourbon, italian&10;vermouth blend, cacao, savoy&10;bitters&10;make it a flip&10;w/ whole egg $3

    🥃 I wish alcohol labels had ingredients, if not nutrition information. Sometimes I can’t tell if sweetened or just naturally sweet.

    E.g. St Elmo’s cherry vanilla bourbon or old fashioned. They write it up as if unsweetened, but are not explicit.

    📚🥃 My people know me.

    Not pictured: awesome cutting boards that are still on the way and a meaningful family ornament.

    🥃 Cool Toddy with a traverse city cherry garnish.

    🥃 opened for Christmas:

    GlenDronach 12. Highland. Single malt. PX and Oloroso sherry casked.

    Very tasty and has legs for days.

    🥃 Amalga single malt peated American whiskey. 100% barley, new American oak, finished in rum casks.

    Peat is not super strong. Clearly distinct flavor profile compared to both Islay whisky and High West Campfire.

    Tasty!

    🥃 For those wondering, this is the “authentic” recipe for a “Cool Toddy”:

    • 2 fingers of Costco/Kirkland 12-yr big-bottle blended scotch
    • 1 finger of Brown County port
    • 2 large cubes of ice

    If you want to diverge a bit you can use different whiskys/whiskies and different ports (I prefer tawny if diverging), but part of the point is to keep it reasonably priced rather than buying rare sherry- or port-casked whisky.

    Pic from a friend who just stocked up.

    Looks like Ardbeg’s new distillery manager came from “next door" which likely means Lagavulin (or possibly Laphroaig). Anybody know which one?

    These are my three faves, anyway, so it will be interesting to see what the comingling means for the spirits. 🥃

    Laphroaig Càirdeas 2020 🥃:

    I like peaty whiskies and I like wine-finished whiskies and this is both.

    It’s their yearly special release, so the price point is not where I’d buy up a bunch. Very tasty, and even better with a splash of water to bring the ABV back to around 80.

    “whiskey & soda” 🥃 is the Americano of beer 🍺

    Finally opening my bottle of Gouden Carolus single malt Belgian whiskey. 🥃 First fill bourbon cask with Anker cask finish. Delicious. Now need to pair it with the beer this mash originates from!

    Made our own blend of Wemyss Spice King 🥃

    Glenmorangie Bacalta 🥃, lake, fire, sunset, family, friends. 👍👍👍

    🥃 Toddhattan: traverse city cherry bourbon, tawny port, luxardo cherry

    (Other community-suggested names: Mantodden, Manhuis)