Spirits

    ๐Ÿฅƒ We did a little pre-made egg nog blind taste test:

    • Christian Brothers Holiday Nog: good authentic taste, a little runny
    • Evan Williams Egg nog: super creamy, but flavor is just cream then alcohol bite
    • the two mixed together: nice blend, tastes the most like adding bourbon/brandy to egg nog

    ๐Ÿ”’๐Ÿฅƒ 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 itโ€™s empty.

    GlenDronach port wood bottle. โ€œThanks for everything. Good luck!โ€ signed by 10 people in silver marker.

    Gouden Carolus: ๐Ÿบ & ๐Ÿฅƒ.

    2017 Cuvรฉe 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 โ€œNew Americanโ€ restaurant.)

    ๐Ÿฅƒ 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

    ๐Ÿฅƒ I wish alcohol labels had ingredients, if not nutrition information. Sometimes I canโ€™t tell if sweetened or just naturally sweet.

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

    ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿฅƒ My people know me.

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

    ๐Ÿฅƒ Cool Toddy with a traverse city cherry garnish.

    ๐Ÿฅƒ opened for Christmas:

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

    Very tasty and has legs for days.

    ๐Ÿฅƒ 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!

    ๐Ÿฅƒ 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 โ€œnext 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. ๐Ÿฅƒ

    Laphroaig Cร irdeas 2020 ๐Ÿฅƒ:

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

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

    โ€œwhiskey & sodaโ€ ๐Ÿฅƒ is the Americano of beer ๐Ÿบ

    Finally opening my bottle of Gouden Carolus single malt Belgian whiskey. ๐Ÿฅƒ 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 ๐Ÿฅƒ

    Glenmorangie Bacalta ๐Ÿฅƒ, lake, fire, sunset, family, friends. ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘

    ๐Ÿฅƒ Toddhattan: traverse city cherry bourbon, tawny port, luxardo cherry

    (Other community-suggested names: Mantodden, Manhuis)