Saturday 31 December 2011

Long time no see

So I havn't posted in a long time, it started with summer, when I didn't drink any whisky, I didn't drink because it didn't seem very summery, it was to warm and I didn't want anything strong, I spend the summer having a few beers in the park, which was very nice.

I didn't actualy drink whisky again until october, when i finnaly got around to it. so it was basicly a 6 month dry spell of no whisky. Then in nowember came Oslo Whisky festival, again I went with my dad, while it was still great fun, it was not a fun as last year, some of the whiskies I tasted last year wasn't even there, including my favories, bushmill 16 and hakusu 10.

My had was a total peat head and almost exlusivly stayed with the peat whiskies, he very much enjoyed ardbeg, and tried sevral from them, we did get to smell norwegian whisky, which I hope will be in stores in a few years. But there wasn't any seriously big highlights like last year. Good fun, good drink.

I then had a friend over for a whisky evening, we tried all my whiskies, he wasn't a big knower of whiskies, so I had fun guiding him through them, particular fun was my laphroaig, as he had never trid smokey whisky before.

So whats next, well I'm as we speak trying to learn how to drink wine. Well not how to drink, but how to actualy survive it. Having grown up on cola and sutch. I have always found wine to be horrible poison. I have tried to learn to like it before, but never got through a single glass.

So I bought a random chardonay, didn't much care for it, but i did drink the whole glass, which was a first, and to my suprise it was not the sourness that put me off, but the taste it self. It had this off taste I didn't care for.

But I didn't give up, I asked around on TMP of all places and got sevral replies, I was recomended a risling, which I bought, and I also bought a random red I was recomened at the store.

I put the red in the fridge an hour before dinner, just to cool it sligtly to "wine cellar" temprature. I tired to drink it to my steak but found it was not thrist quenching enough, with my potato boats with salt on them, i needed something to really cool my tung, so I through out the glass(gasp) and went over to coke. But not discuraged, the next day I poured myself another glass of red, not to food this time, but next to some dark chocolate.
And to my supirse it was very good, the wine Pedro Del Castillio was very good, I found the taking small sips was not a good idea, as the tip of the tung tasted the sourness, if I took a propper gulp, filling them moth letting the wine cover the whole of my tung, it was a lot less sour, and more importantly I got lots of new tastes, I got dark berries, plum, wood, stuff like that.

Before I knew it the bottle was empty and I had a nice buzz.

So I bought another bottle, another red also recomeded at the store, It's still at home, right now I'm doggy sitting for my parents during new years, I had nice turkey dinner, and a red alamos next to it, having learned from the prevous time I had wine with dinner, I also had a glass of water next to it, to quanch the thirst.

It was a little more sour then my pedro, but it was very good to food, the wine complimted the dinner very niecly.

Wine does give the dinner a higher taste class, coke is coke, it makes you unthirsty, but thats it, wine taste actuakly inhances the dinner experience.

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Sake?

So I'm in this japanese mood lately, painting samurais, playing shogun total war, watching Japanese movies ect.

I allready have tested Japanese whisky and it's very good. so it was about time to try sake.
I got two bottles today, a Nøgne Ø sake, which is something as "exotic" Norwegian Sake.
And a bottle of Masumi Sake.

I tried the Masumi today, and I was quite suprised by what I've found, for some very odd reason the first taste is almost exactly like Martini Vermouth, which I don't understand. Vermouth is wine, and while sake is often called rice wine, it's actualy rice beer, it's made like beer, and it's made of cerials like beer, not fruits like wine. But the taste is there, and I don't much care for vermouth, so after the first taste I dumpted the rest of the glass into the sink, but then when I sat down again. I got a really nice after taste. It was fresh apples kind a thing.

So I drank like half the bottle, having to fight the vermouth taste to get to the after taste.

It's very strange, it will be intersting to see if this vermouth taste is standard in sake or if it was just this one.

Sunday 20 March 2011

Dive into blends

So about a year ago I bought a bunch (well two bottles) of blended sctoch, Ballantine's and J&B,When I started on them I had no idea about whisky ect. I shottet them like cowboys of old.
When I actually tried to drink them I couldn’t and they ended up being given to my stepfather, who can drink just about anything.

I have since kept to Single malt, and American stuff, but on Saturday I was at my parents and my step dad had two blended scotch. Upper Ten and Ballantine's Finest, the Ballantine’s came in a nice metal box, with ice cube tray, seems a bit fancy for a cheap blend.

I was not really looking forward to trying these, as last time I tried blends it didn’t go to well.First up was the upper ten, in past years it was almost the only whisky you could get in Norway.I let it breath for a few minutes, and nosed it, first impressions were not that good, it had whisky nose, but also a distinct nose of raw grain alcohol, almost vodka like. Luckily the raw alcohol nose did not bleed over to the taste; the taste was typical whisky, not a high or a low.

Next up was the Ballantine's it had even stronger raw alcohol nose, it was overwhelming I didn’t even smell the whisky, only raw vodka like nose. But again the nose did not run over to the taste, the taste was again distinct whisky.

In the end this was perfectly palatable, but blends are so expensive in Norway I don’t see why you would spend £35-40 on blends, when a single malt only cost £45-50.

Saturday 25 December 2010

Getting burned as a heretic

A Whisky with triple purpose. I’m a little drunk so sorry for the crappy spelling even in words

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Now having been into proper whisky for about a year now, I enjoy finding a proper fine single malt, and truly enjoying it. But lets face it, I’m 25, and some time I WANT to get drunk, I’m not saying I’m gonna by raving around town when I’m 75, but some time you want the effect of alcohol to effect you, now getting drunk 4 times a week will mean you have a problem, but once in a while you want to affect yourself with alcohol, it’s accepted that with gin, vodka, rum, you sometime want the effect of alcohol, don’t tell me you drink Bacardi white rum for its taste, I buy that you might drink high quality rum for its taste, but not Bacardi, same with vodka, some time you want it to just relax you, some time you want to get into a good mood. But with whisky you got something holy, whisky is aqua vita, water of live, and I agree that you don’t drink a 16 year old single malt with cola. But sometimes you want to relax, sometimes you want to get into a good mood fast.


Now drinking whisky the proper way, that is, in a nosing glass, nosing it and tasting it, you can drink almost all day without getting drunk, I’m not saying you aren’t affected, when I went to the Oslo whisky festival you could feel the noise getting lowder as the day went by, nobody is immune to alcohol. But you don’t get drunk. But getting drunk it’s always bad, once in a blue moon it’s nice. And they number of days you get drunk gets farther and farther between as you get older, unless you got a problem. So All this brings me to the Rittenhouse 100 proof, this whisky serves 3 purposes .

1. As a proper whisky, in a good whisky glass, it’s not as complex as a single malt, but it still got lots to offer, this is the preferred way of enjoying it. You got it in a good glass and nose it and think about it.
2. Mix it with cola, it got more taste then a bourbon or a blend, it can be enjoyed quite a bit with cola, this will relax you, nice after a hectic day like Christmas with the packages and family ect.

3. Get drunk, I would never get drunk on a single malt, but this whisky works on all 3 levels.
You get a shot glass and you will get a great ride to party town, it’s not spoken off, but sometimes you want to get into the party mood, and this is a great way of getting there, a 50 abv you get there fast, and it’s more than a shot of vodka, it’s smooth, it’s tasty. 50 abv has never been smoother. My excuse for this Is that I’m 25 and I’m suppose to get drunk some times.
What started all this is this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DSyHk-KFt4

It’s a wonderful drinking song, so I decided to get drunk while listing to this song, as I have social angst it’s hard to get drunk with other people, I can do it sometimes but not often, so about twice a year I get drunk on my own, just for the fun of it. Ok, call my childish stupid, drunk or whatever, but if you ever said you never get/got drunk for the fun of it, you either are a right wing religious nut or you started to drink at 56, again I don’t condone drunk driving or fighting or whatever, but if you want to get drunk every 3 months with you r friends and spend two hours on the toilet throwing up, then do it!

It’s part of growing up and it’s fun. I’m a liberal if you want to get drunk at 14, that’s your choice( I started at 16) I don’t believe that anybody is born an alcoholic, some people can’t handle their alcohol/weed/coke but that shouldn’t stop the rest of us(I’ve never use weed or any drug, alcohol is were I put a stop to it, but won’t stop others from trying stuff. I’m a libertarian when it comes to stuff like that.

Well I guess my point is, that whisky conquers shouldn’t take them self to serous. Yes a 12 year old single malt is something special, that shouldn’t be shotted , but whisky isn’t holy it’s not divine(I don’t believe anything is divine), and just because it’s made from grain and distilled doesn’t mean it’s untouchable. Whisky is as diverse as the universe, sometimes it’s as beautiful sunset sometimes it’s a violent supernova. I forget my point, but I think it’s about whisky havening several ways of enjoyment.

I honestly forget my point, my question is should I wait with publishing this or wait, fuck it, I’m drunk and I’m gonna publish it. Happy holydays, marry Christmas and a happy new years.

Monday 6 December 2010

Rittenhouse rye 100 proof

So I have now tasted or owned almost all types of whisk(e)y Scotch, blended, vatted and single.
I tried Japanese Whisky, irish whiskey, Bourbon, tennessee whiskey, the only ones missing is Indian but then it's not real whisky since it's not made of grain, so whats left?
Rye!!! the one I really wanted to get was Alberta Premium, but you can only get it in canada so I'm shit out of luck, but this one ait that bad, it dosn't say if it is or isn't 100% rye, dosn't say on the bottle, and havn't found the info on it online either.




This one as about as cheap as whisky gets in Norway, it cost exactly 400kr or about £42
And you get alot of taste for the money.

Nose
It's actualy quite strange, it's very spicy yet sweet, it reminds me of aberlour but with a hint of bourbon it got the sweet bourbon nose yet the deeper more complex nose of a scotch at 50% abv it bites your nose, it got wood, sirrup and pepper in the nose.

Taste
STRONG, again you have the mix of a spicy scotch and sweet bourbon, the taste is very much like the nose, wood, sirrup and pepper.

Finnish, it realy has a zing to it, very spicy finnish, and it coats your mouth with toffee that lingers and lingers.

The whole thing feels thicker more suggary then scotch it feels like a bourbon but somehow it feels like more then just bourbon.

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Hakushu Single Malt Whisky 10 y.O.


Nectar from heaven, I bought this right after Oslo Whisky festival, but saved it for good day.
Well I have just watched The pacific, so a series about a war againt japan and japanese whisky seemed like a good excuse(ok bad excuse but couldn't wait any longer)

At first I thouht I smelled red apples, and a wrote that in the blog when I tasted it at Oslo whisky festival, but it's actualy more acidic like green apples, infact the nose is very fresh acidic.
There is a faint hint of peat, but realy the fresh apple nose really knocks that peat out.

In the taste that apples are still there, but they have almost been exchanged for green grapes, and by grapes I don't mean brandy or wine, but the fruit, this is really fresh stuff, now the Bladnoch is frensh but it's still very typical spirit, the bladnoch taste like brandy, which is grape based spirits,( or apple ect.) but it dosn't taste like grape or apples, this one actualy taste like the spesific fruits, when you drink it, you want to go out and by green apples and green grapes.
There is also a stronger peat in the taste then in the nose.

There is very little peat in finish, infact it's very hard to find much taste in the finish, the alcohol kinda takes over and you just get this strong alcohol taste not pure alcohol but undiffined spirit taste, if there is any taste it has to be called floral, not much of it, but a small hint of it.

This is quickly getting to be my favorite, I'll drink more of it come weekend, and see if the love at first sight lasts.

Friday 19 November 2010

A light beer with a light whisky.

By light I don’t mean low alcohol volume, but the body and type of beverage.

In my continuing attempt to mix beer and whisky I’ve tested Nøgne Ø Wit and bladnoch whisky.

I was quite happy when I learned I liked dark beer, and was quite satifised by that, by I had to try the Nøgne Ø wit, it is made in the Belgian style wit beer, made from wheat as well as other grains. It is very light and cloudy, it very frothing and refreshing, really something that fit into the summer and barbeque, so why I’m I drinking it with Christmas on the door step, well it’s a very good beer, and since I can’t afford to buy a whisky every month to post it on the blog I have to find other things to talk about, and it’s easier to talk about beer/whisky mix then finding something ells to talk about.

So I took out my bladnoch it’s a very delicate fine light whisky, I’ve talked about it before. I kinda hate to take it out because it’s less than a 5th left in the bottle, and I don’t have access to more bladnoch, as you might know, it only makes about 100 000 liters a year, and that’s next to nothing compared to the big distilleries, the bottles are expensive and you have to snipe them when you got the option. I got this 16 year old in spring and it was the last of two bottles left in all of the Oslo area, and right now there is no bladnoch available in Norway. But I thought hey I got this very light refreshing beer and this very light and delicate whisky they might go together.
And they do, the bladnoch is as close to refreshing a whisky can get, it is sweet and light and the wit IS refreshing. Very good, not the seasons, both the beer and whisky really should be enjoyed in the spring or summer I also think this would be quite good with a refreshing apple on the porch during the first hot spring day.