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builder051 · 2 years ago

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Seasons change

Chasing Ghosts.

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Steve leans back in his kitchen chair and puts his hands behind his head. His shoulderblades spread to the backrest's maximum width, and when he tips his head back to stretch his neck as well, he has to clench his abdominal muscles and plant his feet firmly against the floor to keep it from tipping completely backward.

If the topple did happen, Steve would've been fine. His hair may have brushed across the paint on the wall, but his broad shoulders, made extry bulky with his consistent swimmers' workouts, would've kept his body from making contact with the poorly insulated stretch of neutral bamboo-colored wallpaper.

He could've caught the chair, too. On instinct. Not because he's celebrity fit and follows etiquette to Downton Abbey standard. And certainly not because the chair is a swooning girl (though it may as well be, given the feminized article placed before it in the romance language Steve knows, and several more he can guess.)

He just doesn't want to wake his roommates. That's, what, general respect? Keeping harm from coming to things that aren't exactly his? The rent is split down to the penny. The kitchen set, sturdy and stained into character, ended up in the back of their borrowed pickup after he and James had both produced a few sweaty bills from their pockets. The seller had given back their last $20 bill when the boys said they'd load themselves. Heaving the table into the truck bed hadn't been too bad, but tying the chairs together with masking tape and hefting off the ground was another story.

With James in the truck and Steve on the pavement, they couldn't seem to synchronize grips. Steve eventually threw his end of the chair bundle into the truck bed, which not only gave James a nice sock in the stomach with the sharp spindle of a leg, but bounced the opposite edge, the taped-up backrest off of James's sunglasses. They hurriedly got in the truck's cab, and Steve, unfamiliar with the controls on this make and model, coasted them two blocks down the street before parking again so James could get out and vomit into the trash bin beside a bus stop. James had clutched his head like it was going to explode, and he'd put down the ultimatum that still stands to this day. "This whole thing is your fucking problem."

Steve had stuck to his word. Perhaps he should rearrange his study area, though, so he wouldn't be in danger of making awful noises or destroying awfully nice, underpriced kitchen sets.

He tucks his open math text under his arm, then tools around the kitchen for a moment. Good athletes and good roommates don't eat out the cupboards for midnight snacks. Or... Steve checks the burning bright digital clock set above the microwave. 10:39 PM snacks.

It's not that late. Some of Steve's sports classes run till 9:50. He'd barely be heading home at 10:39, jogging first the stairs, then the parking lot, overly-reflective with its many signs designating who may park where during what hours.

Steve mentally retraces his evening, because he doesn't think being up, alone, in the dark, with a keen interest in the array of cereal boxes in the pantry is quite the standard for a weekday evening.

After picking up the box of frosted mini wheats he's fairly sure no one will miss, Steve hefts his math book and starts toward the living room. The moonlight through the window falls on a flash of amber, though, and Steve's distracted.

He'd left it out of the fridge, in case he could poke James or Tasha into trying one with him, even though that would probably be a bust. A lecture about it "not even being October yet" would probably come flying his way. As well as some other teasing that was ok at home but demasculinizing and therefore rude coming from elsewhere.

"It's just a six pack," Steve mutters out loud. And a variety pack, at that. No vodka or bourbon or whiskey; no full-sized bottles to add to his little liquor cabinet collection. Just some beers. Kitschy, sure. But a seasonal mix, to support local breweries? It's not like he walked down University and Washington like the kids on college-search tours, or old people impressing their out-of-state visitors. He'd grabbed it at Walmart. With some toothpaste. And graph paper.

Graph paper. Steve needs to look back at the assignment and see if the teacher expects to see hand-done graph work as proof he actually sat down to tackle his word problems properly, like a 10-year-old, all set up at the kitchen table. Steve's competent enough to solve the equations derived from the little nonsensical paragraphs with a hasty diagram scrawled on the back of a cocktail napkin. And he's currently not speaking to the kitchen table... Living room floor's as good as anything else.

Steve hooks a beer bottle between two fingers without even glancing at the label. Then, rounding the couch, he wonders briefly if doing homework in half-elbow plank counts as exercise, or just posing in a spot that's easier to hold than it used to be.

Set up now, with papers spread and the blanket under the coffee table cushioning his elbows, Steve makes to open his beer. "Shit."

It's not a screw-top. Most seasonals are. Maybe that's something to be said in the beer's favor. In its flavor?

Steve laughs silently at his own joke, then leans back to his knees to see if he has anything in his pockets, A key ring? A coin?

"You're stuck, huh?" Someone laughs. Charitably, but with an uncontained snort on the end.

"What?" Steve hopes his jump of alarm is lost in his quick-yet-thorough visual search. Is he defense? Offense?

Fast is what matters. That's why he swims.

That's why he only made it through one game of tackle football. The junior league seemed more about eating grass than scoring goals, Nobody stuck to their assigned positions. They were all too rambunctious to take a knee when somebody's helmet came off. And the pure inequality of body size distribution amongst the 11s through 13s...

Tasha sits up from where she'd been drowsing on the couch. She gives Steve a sleepy smile. "You're stuck." She points to his beer. "'S usually a dumb trick the big guys play on the dweebs."

Follows, though the context is lost. His mind provides a suitable substitute, a Jonah Hill-like partygoer with a flatly happy face receiving faux acceptance from tall dark and handsome, then left with an impossible puzzle of dexterity and strength.

Steve's never been to a frat party. He supposes if he's going to test out hazing techniques on himself, he may as well do so in his own living room. Not that he would choose to in the first place. Especially with an audience.

"Oh," Steve says, trying his best to remain calm. "I guess so."

Tasha gives Steve a good once-over. "Let me guess..." She taps a finger to her lips. "Saxophone?"

"Excuse me?"

"You never went to a high school party because you were in marching band," Tasha expounds, seeming a little irritated that Steve isn't able to read her mind.

"Huh." Steve sets the beer down atop his math homework. "That's actually not a bad guess."

"Shit." Tasha scrunches one side of her mouth. "What'd I miss?"

"Asthma." Steve is actually interested now. The two of them don't usually -if ever- talk about their formative years. This game is getting to be fun.

"Color guard?"

"You think I'd wear tights to show off for my high school?" Steve gives a snuff of laughter. It wasn't a very good joke. Ok, it was a terrible joke. He'd been a little more sensitive when it came to skintight stuff back then, but he's grown out of it. Jammers in the pool, no problem. But the baton throwing...the running between careful lines of the band. It reminded him of the stories where trained monkeys picked through the showmen and spectators alike picking pockets and dancing like distracting little idiots. Which is... Color guard isn't idiotic. It's just not for Steve.

"Guess again," he encourages Tasha. "You get 3, right? That's how it works?"

"Sure." Tasha adjusts her position again, sweeping her hair over one shoulder and leaning a little forward to read both the flavor of the beer and the title of Steve's homework assignment.

"That's, like, advanced geometry or something, right?"

"What?" Steve has to claw himself back into the right context. "Oh. Yeah. Story problems that wind up requiring a sheet of paper and a straightedge for each one."

"It's triangulation," Tasha agrees. "Three points established forms a--"

"Yeah, a triangle," Steve cuts her off, not keen on being schooled in math after having already been teased about his beer.

"Forms a range," Tasha continues calmly. "So that's where you send the police. To the center. So they can fix whatever the calls are all about."

"You should probably write the word problems, then," Steve says, a little unsure if she's being flagrantly over-the-top about her upbringing and its obvious difference from his. "I think this one, at least," Steve runs his finger under one of the questions. "Is about a boat race."

"And they all topple into each other, I imagine." Tasha gets to her feet, stretches, and leans sideways just enough to steal James's keys from the set of hooks hung in the small entryway between the living room and kitchen. "The paramedic boat has to come from another direction entirely, but the distress signal will provide the coordinates of the collision. Helpful, if you feel like letting your engine combust in the oil fire. Half a kilo out in the direction of the current? There's a better chance of picking up survivors clinging to the wreckage."

Fully satisfied with Tasha's competence in, if not math, then at least equitable streetwise substitutions, Steve doesn't have anything left to say. Except about the keys.

"You going somewhere?" Steve asks.

"No." Tasha rolls her eyes. She jingles them in Steve's face to show, as Steve had already observed, that they are James's keys.

"But, what--?"

Tasha drops to her knees at Steve's side. She grins, then puts a finger to her lips. "Do not tell him I showed you."

"Ok, yeah," Steve agrees, though he's still not sure what is about to happen. "Of course."

Tasha flips all of James's keys to one side of the split ring, leaving a scuffed and much-loved millenium falcon alone on the opposite end. Tasha pushes down on one side of the ship with her thumb until a tiny slit opens, and, with the grip of her fingernails and and a solid couple of hard yanks, a gap, roughly the width of a bottle cap, appears between the top of the ship and its underbelly.

"There you go." Tasha holds out the makeshift bottle opener.

"Is it... supposed to do that?" Steve asks.

Tasha shrugs. "I... observe. Experiment."

"But, James--?"

"Has had that keychain since he was 14," Tasha giggles. "I mean, he knows what it does now, but at that point..." she shrugs.

"Yeah. Huh." Steve shakes his head. The difference between being a kid and a teenager and a college student and a damn near college graduate... All the same, but all separate, and some of them separated by the tiniest things going right or wrong or...

"Drum major," Steve says, looking firmly at Tasha. "The suit, the hat, the shoes. All the shit. Even the gloves. Then waiting for your parents to come pick you up from the school at midnight, because legally, under 18's can't be released into their own custody. Even if on non-game nights, they let you walk out by yourself at final bell, and you go to your building across the street and do your homework and lay the table for breakfast when it's time for Ma to wake up and get ready to work the night shift..."

Tasha opens the beer. A little vapor escapes around the crinkled cap, familiarly hoppy and crisp, but with a high note of sour--maybe fruit, and an earthy spice in direct opposition. Steve supposes it has potential.

"I don't even know what this is." Steve quickly defends himself. "I bought a mixed pack at Walmart."

"Oh." Tasha stops sniffing fumes and looks down at the bottle. "Cheap filler beer. Thanks for the warning."

"No, look." Steve points to the tiny logo and mark of the brewery. He isn't sure if Tasha is paying attention, though, because most of the rest of the label is given over to a drawing of a zombified Snow White, her mostly-skeletal hand pinching the stem of a half-eaten Granny Smith coated in caramel and being attacked by a cinnamon stick-wielding raven using its feet as a spice grinder. To be fair, the illustration is distracting.

"I mean," Steve says, "Some locals suck too, but, I can at least tell you that this wasn't mass manufactured out of country."

"You want me to taste it?" Tasha asks, her face turning to an expression between disgusted and doubtful.

"Well, you've gone and sniffed it for bombs..." Steve gives a smile with his shrug.

"Ok." Tasha raises the bottle to her lips. "'S your funeral. My funeral?" Her brow furrows. Then she points to the label on the bottle. "That lady. Her funeral."

"Makes sense," steve says with a nod.

Tasha takes a tentative sip. The beer's warm, so she shouldn't encounter anything like a shock of cold froth. Steve watches her face intently.

Tasha swallows. She catches a bubble on her lip with the edge of the bottle. She seems to be moving her tongue around in her mouth. Then she hands the bottle to Steve.

"You, uh, got a verdict?" Steve asks gently.

"Mm..." Tasha blinks, then chooses words carefully. "It's not sickening. You have to know what it is."

"So, that's a..." Steve pauses. "Pass?"

"Well, it's not a fail," Tasha says. "Not in my book." She seems to crumple a little under Steve's gaze.

"We don't have to play taste-test," Steve says quickly. "Not if you don't want--"

"No, it's fine." Tasha puts up her hand. She pulls off a wan smile and takes a breath, like she's about to make an important declaration.

Steve hunches his shoulders a bit. He doesn't mean to be intimidating, no matter what his body seems to want to do.

"Did you have, like, a "my first beer" story?" Tasha starts. "I don't want to be intrusive, and I'm not making fun, but, just, did you have a, you know. Dad or someone gives you a cold one in the barn or whatever...?"

This isn't at all what Steve was expecting. He isn't sure how to react. He isn't sure how he feels. Attacked, a little, by the demand for personal information. Annoyed, a bit, by the probable setup of a 'you were well-off and I wasn't' scenario. Insecure, since there were obvious gaps in what she knew about his childhood. He decides to make the shortest truthful answer he can. Give the least information for her to pull out into more mistaken conclusions.

"Uh," Steve starts. "It was my uncle Rick. And it was a minifridge in his garage."

Tasha nods. "The system actually requires foster parents to keep alcoholic beverages under lock and key." She laughs. "D'you want to know how many of them actually do it?"

No, Steve doesn't. Not really. But he says, "Not so many, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, I think in my whole time there was...one? And it was the kind of lock that's pretty much universal. So when you buy a 'secret journal' or whatever at the book fair and it comes with a little lock and key set, you're buying access to way more than just some shitty notepaper."

"That's..." Steve starts, without knowing how he intends to finish. "Industrious."

"Then, it was the 90s, so everybody had those little disposable paper cups in their bathrooms, so..." Tasha shrugs. "Access, vessel, poison, all check. All that's left is a mixer." Tasha makes bubbling motions with her fingers under her chin. "Are Pixie Stix still a thing?"

"Um, probably," Steve replies. He'd always shied away from candy like that for fear of inhaling it instead of swallowing it as intended.

"Anyway, it looks like neon blue Sprite, and when you're, like 10..." Tasha's grin turns evil. "There's just enough time to put everything back and destroy the evidence and run to bed before you're fucking drunk off your ass."

Tasha speaks with the same slant of embarrassed guilt that Steve would if he were confessing a not-quite-within-rules childhood pastime. Like the fact that his favorite playground game was tag, and it continued to be so even when he and his friends had outgrown the playground. Playing tag through an agreed-upon set of blocks and alleys, moving by foot, bicycle, or rollerskate, and only once having to call off the game as no contest when there was actually milk in the milk crate that was knocked over, resulting in a milk waterfall, and most definitely a milk deficit come morning.

"You didn't, like...party." Tasha lays it down. An accusation? Not really. Because, by now, it's just a fact.

"I... don't think it ever seemed like something I could do," Steve tries explaining, while avoiding the characterization of any individuals involved as 'good' or 'bad'. "My dad was gone before I hit high school. Then my mom was always working nights, till she got sick, and, you know."

Tasha nods.

"So, I went to school and went home and took care of the house. Walked back to school if there was a football game or a concert or whatever. Hate my mom for having a summer pregnancy and giving me a stupid July birthday, so I'd be stuck 17 for my whole senior year." Steve lets out a breath. "I'm not a prude. I've taken a hit of weed. Then had a fucking asthma attack. I dated...people." Yes, he opened the doors of the borrowed car so the random girl he'd asked to the movies would think he was a nice guy. He made up for as much as he could in the social department to make up for the hasty fail or hasty no they'd wind up with if Steve couldn't shake them off before they got to the bedroom.

Then he'd walk whoever-she-was down the stairs. Offer to drive her home. But honestly be eager to go back up to his bed and cry. Then wish he was 13 again and they'd make the trek up to Schoharie County again and visit Uncle Rick so Steve might slip into the garage from the side door and discover the differences between Bud and Heineken and Guinness.

"Sometimes the only way to escape is to party." It's not articulate in the slightest, but Tasha's done it, made all the connections the other way round to meet Steve back in the middle.

"Hm." Steve isn't ready for more words yet. From him, at least.

"So, when you go to somebody's house, and they have this big punch bowl, it probably started out as something decent. Like, I don't know, Rum and Lemonade. But then Everybody brings a bottle of something else and hands you a shot and tells you you need a top off, or taste their whatever the hell it is mixed drink... " Tasha makes a face as if she's bitten into a lime. "It goes in." She shrugs. "But, out...nobody curates the gentle balance of bile to beer to Captain Morgan.

"Oh, wow." Steve's as caught off guard as he is disgusted. "I never thought of that. That's, just..."

"I didn't mean it like that," Tasha backtracks. "Your weird holiday beer isn't, like, vomit flavored. That's not what I'm saying."

Steve furrows his brow.

Tasha sighs. I don't know. "People being all proud of their fancy mixy drinks? Famous people advertising them? Local breweries, I mean, good for them, but... isn't it kind of...a joke? Like party punch is alcohol trash? Wine coolers? Flavored spritzer, or whatever? It's for, like, little girls?"

"Well," Steve shifts his posture again, but try as he might, there's nothing he can to to make himself look more gay. "Genderdness is largely language driven." He's fairly sure Tasha doesn't have her foreign language credits yet. Or possibly what's required in the realms of sociology.

Steve thinks he gets it, though. It's a juxtaposition. Why does he, the "better off" roommate buy holiday mixers as a treat when she, the "lesser" one has only experienced mixers as party drinks, party drinks blurred with so many line crosses and bad memories that she's made the whole visceral association. Mind and body.

"It's ok if you don't get what I jive with." Steve wonders how often Tasha's self-esteem has been checked. Her ferocious independence doesn't necessarily include feelings of confidence or self-respect.

Steve finally takes the opportunity to take a gulp of the beer himself. It's ok, he decides. He tastes each flavor-the apple, the caramel, the cinnamon- on its own before they combine into a mildly pleasant swallow. He's reminded somewhat of soda machines, like those at the movie theaters, where drops of coca cola syrup go into the cup along with a rush of carbonated water, creating a soda mix that magically tastes just like what comes out of the can.

"Do you like it?" Tasha asks him.

Steve nods slowly. "Yeah. It's ok."

Tasha keeps looking at him as Steve takes another sip.

"What?" he finally says. "You're planning something, aren't you."

Tasha grins, then covers her mouth to hide a laugh. "Can we do this again tomorrow?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you said it was a 6-pack, and each was a different flavor," Tasha reminds him.

"Oh." He's caught. Definitely caught. "You mean, you judge, then I get to drink it?"

"Yeah," Tasha agrees. "Something like that."

"Ok, well, as long as you're awake and, uh, sociable," Steve says.

"I will be," Tasha replies. "I'll make sure of it."

#marvel #mcu #chasing ghosts #steve rogers #captain america #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #starbucks sunday #fanfic #fanfiction #sickfic #alcohol

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blagro · 3 years ago

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List Of Top 5 FMCG Companies in India with Their Brands

https://blagro.org/Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) are consumer packaged goods that play a vital role in providing our basic needs for our day-to-day lives. The daily beverages we drink, the cosmetics we use, the toiletries, the packaged foods etc. all come under the FMCG. The FMCG market in India is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 14.9% to reach USD 220 billion by 2025. It is the fourth-largest sector of the Indian economy. Here I present a list of the top 5 FMCG companies in India with their brands.

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)

Be it Surf Excel, Lux, Red Label or Vim, these daily products by Hindustan Unilever limited have been a household name for decades now. It was established in 1933 and is headquartered in Mumbai. It is a subsidiary of Unilever, a British-Dutch company. They have over 35 brands under their umbrella that include products across 20 categories. It is the oldest and the largest FMCG brand in India and is known for its top FMCG products in India. A few of its product categories include tea, detergent, skin care, toothpaste, soap, cosmetics…, etc.

Some famous FMCG product brands under HUL are Boost, Horlicks, Bru, Brooke Bond, Knorr, Lipton among drinks; Axe, Breeze(soap), Citra, Clear, Clinic Plus, Close Up, Dove, Glow and Handsome, Glow and Lovely, Hamam, Lakme, Indulekha, Lifebuoy, Liril, Lux, Pears, Pepsodent, Pond’s, Rexona, Sunsilk... etc among beauty products; Activa Wheel, Cif, Comfort, Domex, Love & Care, Nature Protect, Pureit, Rin, Sunlight, Surf Excel, Vim among Home Care.

ITC

ITC stands for Imperial Tobacco Company which was later renamed Tobacco Company Limited and later, ITC limited. It was established in 1910. With a market cap of around 77 thousand crores, it is the second-largest FMCG company in India. They deal in Foods, Personal care, Cigarettes and Cigars, Education and Stationery Products, Incense Sticks and Safety matches, Hotels, Paperboards, Agribusiness and IT, and packaging. Besides, they have a 77% monopoly in the cigars and cigarettes industry in India.

Some famous brands under ITC are Bingo, Aashirvaad, Fiama Di Wills, Vivel, Savlon, Gold Flake Super Star, Gold Flake Premium Lights, Classic Menthol, etc.

Nestle

Nestle is the world’s largest food and beverage company. It is headquartered in Switzerland and has been in business for around 150 years. It entered the imperial Indian market back in 1912. We know Nestle for Maggi noodles and Nescafe coffee, two of the top FMCG products in India.

Besides these, popular brands under Nestle include Milky Bar, Kit Kat, Bar One, Milkmaid, Nestea, Nestlé Milk, Nestlé Slim Milk, Nestle Dahi and Nestle Jeera Raita. Total sales of Nestle India in Q2 of 2021 stands at 3462 Crores INR.

Britannia

Established in 1892, Britannia is one of the oldest and the most trusted food companies in India. More than 50% of Indian households use Britannia products. It is known for its Biscuits, cakes, bread, rusks and dairy products. It was the first zero-trans-fat business in the country and is presently one of the best FMCG companies in India.

Some famous brands under Britannia’s banner include Good Day, Tiger, Milk Bikis, Marie Gold, Crackers, Tiger, Jim Jam+Treat, Bourbon, Little Hearts, Pure Magic and Nice Time among biscuits; Whole wheat bread, White Sandwich Bread, Bread assortment, Daily bread among bread; Cheese, Fresh Dairy, Everyday Goodness among dairy; Gobbles, Tiffin Fun, Nut and Raisin, Muffills, Layerz, Rollyo, Fudgeit among cakes; and, Toastea as Rusk, Treat Crème Wafer and Treat Croissant as croissant.

Marico

Marico started with coconut and refined edible oil and later expanded to various other kinds of consumer goods. Its serves in areas including health, beauty and wellness, in 25 countries across Asia and Africa. One in every three Indians uses Marico making it one of the largest FMCG brands.

Various brands under Marico includes Parachute hair oil, Saffola, Set Wet, Hair & care, Livon, Nihar, Coco soul, True Roots, Pure Sense, Travel Protect, Saffole Fittify Gourmet, Kaya Youth, Parachute Advanced Crème Oil, Saffola Honey, Saffola Arogyam Chyawan Amrut etc.

Visit on: https://blagro.org/

#top 5 FMCG companies in India #top FMCG products in India #FMCG company #best FMCG companies in India

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thebourbontruth · 5 years ago

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2019 Fathers Day Bourbon Buying Guide/List

Here is my 2019 Fathers Day Bourbon Buying Guide/List. It’s somewhat an “evergreen list” though that should hold up for a bit. Its also a “Reality List”. Its my belief that a Whiskey favorites buying list is worthless if you can’t buy it. For this reason, I’m leaving off things that are too limited to buy at a reasonable price, poor value, over rated or unfortunately not distributed to enough places to make it easy to find.

1792 Barton Small Batch, Single Barrel and Full Proof Bourbon’s are all good buys for their respective taste and price of $30-$50

Angels Envy Bourbon I’m not a big fan of wine barrel finishes but this is a rare exception. The Port is well balanced and doesn’t try to compete with the Whiskey. It’s especially nice for a before/after dinner sip and for the novice as it’s not an “in your face” high proofer. At $50-$60 it’s a fair value and makes a nice gift.

Barrell Bourbon These have been coming out regularly the past few years. Alternating or blending Dickel and MGP barrels these are well aged and range from good to great. Currently up to around Batch 20. Bottled at barrel proof. They have been experimenting with various barrel finishes but I’m happy to stick with their regular Straight Bourbon. Gift one or bring it to a party to look like an expert since this isn’t a common bottle. $80-$90

Basil Hayden Bourbon Its weakness is its strength. It’s one of the only low proof (80) true premium brands. My recommendation for the novices and beginners. This is not however something you want to mix or put ice cubes in. It’s from the higher rye recipe so it will be a bit spicier but not hot. It will get easily diluted and lost. $40-$50

Blanton’s This is really a Mirage and not a recommendation but a explanation. Too hard to find, hefty price increases and slipping quality put this once list contender off the island.

Bookers Bourbon This one can at times be “batchy” in good or bad ways. On average it’s a great whiskey that’s the original mass marketed almost barrel proof. Best to read up on some of the highly rated batches and look for those. When it’s a good one, its good but when its average or worse it can be nasty and bitter. Its high proof holds up to water and ice well but too strong for most cocktails. Some batches will blast you out of your seat while others can be so smooth the actual proof will shock you. Again, IS NOT for a novice or a beginner. It’s a lot to handle if you’re not prepared and it WILL fuck you up quickly if you treat it like Kool-aide. $60-$80 this one has a “Price Creep” and is going up little by little. Beam sees it at $100 a bottle in the not to distant future. If you find a good batch at the lower price, stocking up isn’t a bad idea.

As a side note speaking of barrel proof/high proof whiskey. I avoid gifting or bringing over 100 proof to people that aren’t used to it. It can easily sneak up on them. Same goes for people newer to Bourbon. I’m puzzled when I see newbies go for high proof and things like barrel proof Willett that is not only way past their capability to taste and enjoy but it is jumping off the deep end of the whiskey pool before they can swim. Same goes for starting the journey with expensive and rare things they haven’t learned to taste or appreciate. Work up to them eventually. I’m not a happy camper when friends are over that are Jack drinkers and go right for the Van Winkle because they saw it on TV. Same thought process goes for gifting at Fathers Day etc. Don’t over do it, most likely you’ll waste your money and they won’t enjoy it.

Buffalo Trace Bourbon the same mash bill as so many more expensive and limited options from the distillery. Good value for the price. One note of caution is that this one seems like its getting batched and bottled younger than it has been. It can show up like Pee Wee Herman, a bit light and wimpy. Younger Whiskey also has more flaws too. Short or bitter finishes and chemical notes. I wouldn’t call these common but more so than what they had been. $25

Cleveland Whiskey --Just kidding! Buy this only to disinfect toilets at the train station, NOT your own as it might strip off the enamel. Good for keeping Coyotes away from campsites and vermin out of your garden. ONLY bring this to a home you never want to be invited back to! ONLY regift it to someone actually sitting in a good Emergency Room. As for Straight Up gifting for Fathers Day, I guess there are Fathers that deserve this stuff but chances are they haven’t been seen in 40 years or they are in jail where they cant have toxic chemicals. $30-$40 (if you hate money).

Eagle Rare no longer single barrel but still 10 years old. A very good buy for this standard Buffalo Trace Mash Bill. Pretty consistent and makes a nice gift. $30-$35

EH Taylor Small Batch and Single Barrel Solid choices although the Single Barrels can be off at times. Makes a nice gift due to presentation but the quality can back this up which I cant say with many cool looking bottles. This is the standard familiar Buffalo Trace Mash Bill. $40 for Small Batch, $60 for Single Barrel.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Until recently this one had an age statement of 12 years. With the age statement now gone its still up there in the perfect age range of 8-12 years. This has been one of my long time ultimate favorites due to its consistent quality and being underpriced. It’s my first recommendation for a Bourbon and a great option at a bar when your watching your pennies. A very respectable 94 Proof. It’s a shame its Cask Strength brother isn’t something you can easily find at the retail price in a store. Wishing for the day they make the Barrel Proof available as a private pick. Until then this is a best buy at $25-$35 depending what state and if it’s on sale.

Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond ---Possibly the best Bourbon out there when your broke. Its 100 proof and at least 4 years old. Ice and Coke is its friend and good for a party without Whiskey snobs. At $15-$20 you won’t find anything better.

Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage Bourbon Historically a good buy year after year. Although it has gotten younger, still a solid single barrel at the price point. $26-$35

Four Roses Small Batch one of the best small batches for the price. Some prime barrels go into this one. $30

Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond Single Barrel this has been scooping lots of awards in blind tasting competitions. At 10 years and 100 proof you won’t find a better bottle with such a good mix of what you want in a bourbon. My two concerns however are the price increases by brand and stores and some inconsistency in some bad and average barrels getting to the shelf in bottles. $30-$40

IW Harper 15 Year one of the few decent older options at a fair price. Consistent quality and makes a nice gift. Fair warning that the price of this keeps going up. I’ve seen it around $100 which is too much and $65 which is a steal. I still have a hard time recommending a Diageo Bourbon implying something is made at the long-closed Stitzel Weller Distillery. Dishonesty aside, this one is still a good buy.

Larceny Small Batch Bourbon Its always nice to have an accessible Wheated Bourbon at a great price and good quality. 92 proof helps this one too. $22-$28

Makers Mark Cask Strength Another Wheated Bourbon that is more often then not a good pour. Can get batchy which stands out more at high proof. I wish the brand stopped the nonsense about not believing in overaging its Bourbon. Makers is around six years old and with another 2-4 years it could be really good. In the meantime you’ll usually get a good batch and a nice bourbon. A tad pricey at around $60.

Noahs Mill The Flagship of Willett’s regular offerings. At or near barrel proof this has lots in common with Bookers at a much better price. The high proof and longer aging make this a good value for the Whiskey Veteran. Holds up well to ice and a splash of water but can be over powering in a cocktail. $50

Old Forester Signature 100 A solid buy with good consistency at 100 proof. Little brother of Woodford at half the cost. $20-$25

Old Forester 1920 one of my favorites. Good consistency and very tasty. Seems stronger than its 115 proof so this is not for the faint of heart or the beginner. A nice ice ball will help. Priced on the high end of being fair at $55-$60.

Old Grand Dad 114 This is a higher rye recipe Bourbon which will be a bit spicier less sweet. Long time bargain best buy of many. This heritage brand wont let you down at near barrel proof. A good bottle to bring to a party with people that can handle high proof. Even with the price inching up to around $30, it’s still a bargain.

Rowens Creek little sister to Noah’s Mill from Willett. At 101 proof still holds up well to just about anything and a bit younger than Noah’s. At around $35 its priced right as a nice gift.

Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Bourbon very solid and a great price for a 10 year old from Wild Turkey and the Father and Son Master Distiller Team at Wild Turkey. This one is a hidden gem that should get much more attention than it does. $30-$35

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Pretty much everything I wrote above at 115 proof non-chill filtered. $55- $65 on the cusp of being over priced.

Wild Turkey Rare Breed at Barrel Proof this is another hidden gem and perhaps the most under appreciated American Whiskey in existence. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of Bourbon for the veteran whiskey people. Great whiskey, Yes. Great gift, yes. Made by the most experienced Master Distillers in America, Yes. Holds up to ice, water, strong cocktails and blind tastings, Yes Yes Yes Yes. 6-12 years. As past barrel entry proof of this brand has gone up the bottling proof has also risen over the last several years. Keep an eye out for older bottlings with old labels 108.2 proof, 112.8 proof, newest is 116.8 proof. The older bottlings might be dusty, but they are around, often with old price tags and I prefer the older softer ones. $45-$50

Woodford Reserve The extensions of this brand are getting a bit out of hand, confusing and too pricy. I like the good old original. Very well blended for consistency year after year. You’ll get what you expect. I’m not sure what some Whiskey geeks see wrong with this one as its one of the most easy drinking pleasant pours going. Easy to find at stores and bars for a decent price. Makes a nice gift, works as well by the glass as it does in a cocktail. $32-$38

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beyerblack27-blog · 6 years ago

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How To Find A Actual Estate Agent

Calgary's housing industry continues to contend with extra supply than demand and in 2018 saw the lowest sales numbers in over 20 years, according to a local actual estate agent. Industrial Row Distillery , Portland, OR. This distillery plans to make both aged and unaged whiskey. These properties are owned by a bank or a lender who took ownership by way of foreclosure proceedings. If the part of the standard real estate agent decreases outdoors of the luxury marketplace, agents not representing higher-end clientele have a lot of room to specialize in individual parts of the real estate transaction, from guidance in buying for a mortgage to advertising and marketing fixer-upper properties or facilitating the closing course of action. What a wonderful list and insights - as a fellow actual estate agent I really appreciate the information. For example, if your research is telling you your residence is worth $310,000 and the housing market place is slow, with couple of buyers searching at homes, you may well want to list your property to sell at $299,500 to attract buyers who set $300,000 as their upper limit in their home search. You could put a cost-free ad up on Craigslist or pay for an ad in the newspaper, but one more terrific way is by asking a actual estate agent to give you a list of all houses inside a 20 mile radius that have been money sales.” This information is uncomplicated and swift for them to get to you. First-time buyers can anticipate a lot of education on the method to aid them have an understanding of every single step along the way. In March 1894, 34 years just after opening his company, Atwater sold the leasehold to the house to Hampton Marsh for $5,000. When you are promoting your dwelling, factors such as competition, interest prices and the status of the economy will all have a substantial impact on the sale of your house. John Ireland: The Hollywood actor had an very big 11 to 12 inch long uncut cock and enjoyed blow jobs. Depending on market it may make sense to wait until prime selling time to get a greater valuation which indicates much more $$ returned to you. The Gen-X houses then turn into obtainable for the first-time buyers in the Millennial group. Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery , Louisville, KY. Old Rip Van Winkle is the whiskey corporation of Julian Van Winkle whose household owned the old Stitzel-Weller distillery which closed in 1991. They are also preparing to release a wheated bourbon and Old Line Single Malt, distilled at Golden Distillery in Washington. I have no love of actual estate agents or purchasers as I am positive they have no appreciate of sellers. Your real estate agent has a powerful financial incentive to make sure that the negotiations result in a signed agreement to sell your household, regardless of the final value agreed to, due to the fact they will only get paid their commission if the dwelling is sold. Your suitable, this is a purchasers market and it would be great for me(being in construction) if men and women started acquiring and remodeling and Flip this House was an inspiring show for the entrepreneurial spirit, if they economy recovers there will be some who produced some significant time dough off these times. These are the most well-known Florida Keys actual estate searches. Nowadays, the seller has more of an affirmative duty to disclose any and all elements that may possibly influence the buyer's decision to purchase. Leiper's Fork Distillery , Franklin, TN. This distillery plans to release Old Natchez Trace White Tennessee Whiskey and White Rye. Take your time and find houses for sale in Ocala FL. AppStraw Brandies , Branford, CT. This distillery plans to make Branford Bourbon under the Branford Distillery label. The lawsuits filed with the court also claim that Wyndham does not disclose that timeshare points are an illiquid asset with no aftermarket, generating it difficult if not not possible for people to resell their Wyndham timeshares. But wait, you may understand at this point it would put the property effectively above market price, and you would be suitable. Custom application options development corporation. I've attempted to flag properties when this happens, particularly with a couple of agents in my location who do this every time, and zillow informed me I can't right inaccuracies unless I am the agent or owner. homes for sale in ocala fl built to the 2015 Power Code is practically 50% far more power effective than 1 constructed to the 2009 Code. Realtors also cited the low promoting prices of dwellings as aspects behind elevated shopping for activities in the metro area. Each shows follow actual estate agents as they negotiate sales of houses from each sides of the deal, often at the same time. One more Private Lender- Ultimately, I could use a further private lender and borrow the $12,000 secured with a 2nd mortgage on the home. In today's Sarasota Real Estate market place, if a seller's current property is in a coveted location, is in fantastic condition, and a fair price is set, they are in a healthier bargaining position. This is a "sell your residence rapidly" service, not to be compared with frequent estate agents. In addition to supplying extra than the asking price tag or a fast closing, some purchasers agree to waive inspections. For sale by owner Is viewed as as the most effective choice nowadays to sell your home by way of MLS which we is popularly known as FSBO. For residential properties of 1 to four units, numerous states now need that sellers deliver to the purchaser a written disclosure about specific circumstances about the house. I was lucky adequate to discover an exclusively off-marketplace brokerage immediately after about two years of dealing with unmotivated listing agents.

Best Realtors in Ocala FL

Local Realty Service - Ocala Real Estate !2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x0%3A0x80d1de776538fe11!2sLocal+Realty+Service%3A+Ocala+Real+Estate+Agents!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1548125384590" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen>Top Ocala Realtors

Local Realty Service: Ocala Real Estate Agents

1910 SW 18th Ct

Ocala, FL 34471

352-591-3350

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johnboothus · 3 years ago

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10 Things You Should Know About 1792 Bourbon

1792 is a premium bourbon owned by the Sazerac Company, a global beverage alcohol giant that took over the brand and its distillery in 2009. Formerly known as Ridgewood Reserve, the 1792 brand is produced at Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Ky.

Although the distillery was established in 1879, founder Thomas S. Moore aimed to honor a special event in bourbon history when he named the distillery after something that happened nearly a century before.

So, what’s the deal with 1792? Let’s turn back time and learn 10 more things about 1792 Bourbon.

1792 is named for an important year in bourbon.

June 15, 1792 is a really important date in Kentucky history. No, seriously: It was the first day Kentucky was legally recognized as a state. In fact, Kentucky is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of bourbon. Although not a legal requirement, Kentucky remains the unofficial home of “America’s spirit” to this day.

Its statehood didn’t stay Kentucky’s claim to fame for long: The region began a renaissance in producing high-end premium bourbon. In the 1780s, a distinct style of corn-based whiskey was distilled in the Bluegrass State. Whiskey’s popularity skyrocketed after the American Revolution, once the production of rum began to dwindle.

Enter Barton 1792 Distillery…

It helped set the scene for the “Bourbon Capital of the World.”

Barton 1792 Distillery was established in 1879, which makes it the oldest fully operating distillery in Bardstown. Boasting a 196-acre facility, the distillery houses 29 barrel-aging warehouses, and a still house.

Here’s the tale of the tape.

OK, it’s time to talk about this lineup. First is a limited expression of 1792’s Sweet Wheat Bourbon that is produced using soft wheat. Sure, we have to mention the Aged Twelve Years Bourbon. This spirit is a recent recipient of the Silver Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Now, I can’t go on without highlighting the Port Finish — the whiskey in this bottling was briefly aged in a barrel that once held port wine. This combo oozes a rich aroma of apple and vanilla. But, sometimes…

The best things come in small batches.

1792 Small Batch is the brand’s signature bourbon, bottled at 93.7 proof. In a 2020 review, VinePair staff writer Tim McKirdy describes the small batch as having “lively, baked blueberry flavors and a seasoning of black pepper.” Further, VinePair featured 1792 Small Batch as one of the Best Bourbon Whiskeys Under $50. VinePair also named 1792 Sweet Wheat bourbon as a worthy alternative to the famous Pappy Van Winkle whiskey. And this label is also a recent recipient of the Double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

1792 Distillery released its first ultra-premium whiskey.

In December 2020, Barton 1792 Distillery released its first ultra-premium whiskey with Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This limited-edition release builds upon the extended cask finish similar to 1792’s Port Finish. Thomas S. Moore Whiskey is finished in port, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon casks. The suggested retail price for this spirit is around $70.

The distillery also produces arguably one of the worst bourbons.

Have you heard of the Military Special? It’s OK if you haven’t — it’s one that has been produced at Barton 1792 Distillery since 2013, but is only available to the U.S. military, and is reportedly not very good.

1792 is accident prone, or possibly cursed.

1792 has suffered a lot of weird accidents. In March 2019, the distillery lost 120,000 gallons of would-be bourbon after an equipment failure. The accident came after one of the legs of a 55,000-gallon beer well spilled over. Two employees were taken to Flaget Memorial Hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries. And this wasn’t the distillery’s first rodeo…

In June 2018, the distillery suffered another freak accident, this time, involving hundreds of dead fish. A partial warehouse collapse caused a large-scale alcohol leak that spilled into Withrow Creek in Bardstown. The leak sparked water contamination leading to the death of hundreds of fish.

What caused the collapse still remains a mystery.

On the bright side, it pairs well with cheese.

Cheese pro Steve Marko, senior director of R&D of Tillamook, says he leans on 1792’s Sweet Wheat to pair with light cheeses. Marko believes that the vanilla from the oak aging intensifies the flavor of the cheese. “These styles tend to not overpower the cheese, rather complement it,” he says.

1792 wants to be an influencer.

1792 has a section on its website titled 1792 Style, a blog that pairs the brand with lifestyle outlets. The blog features articles for those interested in accessories to pair with their bourbon. There is a style guide for those looking to pair a cigar with your 1792. Of course, there are myriad food recipes. Finally, there is a section dedicated to fashion: For example, “Upgrade Cocktail Hour With Killer Kicks” is an article suggesting what type of footwear to rock on a Saturday night.

Another (bottle) edition of ‘The Price is Right’…

1792 knows money is the great equalizer, and often price can make or break the purchase of a spirit. Well, in the case of 1792, you can expect a fair price range: On average, 1792’s Small Batch Bourbon in a 750-milliliter bottle will cost around $30 in most states, according to Wine Searcher. It is a value buy compared to other premium bourbons that average above $50.

The article 10 Things You Should Know About 1792 Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-1792-bourbon-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-1792-bourbon

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delfinamaggiousa · 4 years ago

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We Asked 15 Bartenders: Which Cask-Strength Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck?

Cask-strength, also known as barrel-proof or barrel-strength bourbon, is high-proof whiskey — and it’s not for the faint of heart. Straight from the barrel, these bourbons are uncut and typically unfiltered, with no water added, resulting in intense, concentrated flavors — and high alcohol content, upwards of 55 percent ABV, and climbing as high as 80. But their appeal is not all about high-octane booze. Whiskey lovers seek out these bottles for their purity, which allows the ability to customize the proof by adding water or ice.

VinePair asked bartenders from coast to coast which well-priced whiskies they turn to when looking for bottles that pack a punch. Cost is relative when it comes to cask-strength, as this undiluted expression often demands a premium price. But, as these experts can attest, some bottles are worth springing for.

“Right now, I’d say the best ‘bang-for-your-buck’ cask-strength bourbon would be the Four Roses Private Selection Single Barrel. Four Roses releases a yearly cask-strength edition of their Small Batch, which can run you a pretty penny, but the Private Selection Single Barrel is an exclusive release for BevMo, personally selected by Jim Rutledge, master distiller for Four Roses Bourbon. At 56.1 percent ABV and right around $100 for a 750-milliliter bottle, it’s definitely one to snag while it lasts!” — Stephanie Reading, Bar Manager, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, Calif.

“I think Stagg Jr. is the best bang for your buck for cask-strength. It’s a little more pricey than Knob Creek or Elijah Craig or Maker’s [Mark] Cask Strength, but it is so much better. It is well-balanced, has a beautiful finish, and packs just the right amount of heat. This bottle is for the connoisseur, either to use in high-end, at-home cocktails, or to sip on a cold night by the fire.” — Hannah Brunner, Bartender, Lost Lake, Chicago

“I am a big fan of Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It has a special place in my heart from when I managed a whiskey bar, and often drank pours while cleaning up the bar. It has such a creamy mouthfeel without being too hot or heavy.” — Tim Wiggins, Co-owner/Bar Manager, Yellowbelly and Retreat Gastropub, St. Louis

“Barrell Craft Spirits are in the ‘cask-strength’ business. It’s what they do. All of their limited-edition bourbons are totally pure, without chill filtration and at barrel strength, to bring you as close as possible to the experience of drinking from the cask. There’s an array to choose from, and all come in under $100, so you can pick one that hits all your preferences, or get a little adventurous!” — Maureen Shannon, Head Bartender, In the Valley, Philadelphia

“Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrels have been popping up all over. The older, 10-plus-year-old single barrels are incredible, and the newer, 5-ish-year barrel-strength picks have been calling my name when I get home from a shift lately. [They’re] easy drinking for being high proof, and incredibly affordable, usually around $50 to $55.” — Zach Cable, Bar Manager, Leon’s Full Service, Decatur, Ga.

“Most of my favorite cask-strength bourbons are a bit pricey, so it’s hard to pin down a great ‘deal.’ That said, the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is pretty hard to turn down. It’s relatively easy to find, and despite the high proof, it’s actually remarkably balanced. Oftentimes, a high-proof bourbon just ends up tasting like ethanol, especially cheaper options, but this one maintains the aromatic complexity that I want in a bourbon, and has quite a nice palate. It does pack quite a punch, though!” — Gavin Humes, Bartender, Scratch | Bar & Kitchen, Los Angeles

“Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is one of my favorite bang-for-your-buck, cask-strength bourbons. I like that the roundness of the wheated base of Maker’s is given more complexity by enhancing the oak and spice notes with its increased proof. I also love that Maker’s unique bottle design, with its hand-dipped wax top, was designed by a woman of whiskey, Margie Samuels, its co-founder. It’s reasonably priced, delicious, and has a wonderful story behind it.” — Crystal Chasse, Beverage Director, Talk Story Rooftop, McCarren Hotel, Brooklyn

“If you can find it, Weller Full Proof has been my favorite cask-strength release of the past several years. When you take the typical Weller flavor profile of green apple or honey and concentrate it, it begins to take on these delightful cherry and medicinal notes [of] anise or mint. The wheat content makes this far softer than most cask-strength releases on the market, so this is a delight to sip straight out of the bottle. Add ice if you please, but only a few drops of water are necessary.” — Andrew Nichols, Head of Mixology, Atlas Restaurant Group, Baltimore

“Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of my absolute favorite bourbons, regardless of price. It has a robust nose of caramel and oak, and the finish is spicy and sweet. It also has the unique ability to be cask-strength [without] letting the ethanol shine through — I think mostly due to aging it 12 years.” — Sean Umstead, Owner, Kingfisher and QueenBurger, Durham, N.C.

“If I’m going to pick a bang-for-your-buck, barrel-strength bourbon, I would say Larceny’s Barrel Proof. It’s wheated and offers toasty bready notes with some cinnamon on the nose. On the tongue, it won’t dry you out and has cherry [and] vanilla hints. It drinks easy for a barrel-proof.” — Gregory Huston, Lead Bartender, Elm & Good, Dallas

“Cask-strength bourbons wear their hearts on their sleeves, leaving no flavor to the imagination. I keep going back to Kings County Barrel Strength Bourbon for its truly powerful and seemingly endless string of palate-tickling deliciousness. Dried cherry, dried cranberry, and roasted chestnuts on the nose melt into a palate of ripe fig, black plum, walnut, and Madagascar vanilla. The price is under $100, but they offer multiple bottle sizes, so you can adjust to your budget and snag it for a tasting.” — Jeremy Fowler, Wine and Beverage Director, Zuma, NYC

“I’m going to fudge the rules a little bit on this question, but I think it’ll be OK. My favorite cask-strength bourbon is the Angel’s Envy Cask Strength, which is finished in lovely port barrels and comes in a gorgeous wooden box but sets you back a couple hundred bucks. So while I love it, I don’t suppose it qualifies for the ‘bang-for-your-buck’ category. Not many great cask-strength bourbons do. But one that I love for its high-rye mash bill and have utilized behind the bar for years is Old Grand-Dad 114 — technically not cask-strength, as it is slightly diluted for consistency’s sake, but it’s very high-proof nonetheless and clocks in at around $30. You really can’t beat that in the high-proof category.” — Kristel Poole, General Manager, Corpse Reviver Cocktail Bar, Durham, N.C.

“Personally, I choose Laws as my favorite bang for your buck cask-strength bourbon. Why? Well, it’s delicious, with wonderful notes of vanilla, leather, caramel, and so many other flavors and aromas I search for in a great bourbon. But what you can’t find in most other bourbon is the care and effort the team at Laws puts in. [They’re] a team of dedicated people, doing things the right way, with the right ingredients, making something that is one of my favorite bourbons around. You can replicate flavor, but you can’t replicate hard work and the time it takes to make something special.” — Joseph Shirghio, General Manager and Master Mixologist, Bowen House, Dallas

“Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. I love the pronounced fruit and caramel flavors with a nutty finish that lend themselves nicely to stirred classics. This is a must-have for someone who is looking for a full-flavored, rounder bourbon. It’s rare to see an unallocated bourbon with over 10 years of age at an everyday, mid-shelf price.” — Pete Stanton, Head Bartender, Ai Fiori at The Langham, NYC

“For barrel-proof bourbon, I really like Wild Turkey Rare Breed. It’s got some really complex notes on the nose — anise, burnt sugar, and rye spice — and the higher proof really lengthens and extends the complex palate.” — Laura Newman, Owner, Queen’s Park, Birmingham, Ala.

The article We Asked 15 Bartenders: Which Cask-Strength Bourbon Offers the Best Bang for Your Buck? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/15-best-quality-cask-strength-bourbon-brands-price/

source https://vinology1.wordpress.com/2020/09/23/we-asked-15-bartenders-which-cask-strength-bourbon-offers-the-best-bang-for-your-buck/

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dramstreet · 4 years ago

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Memphis, TN – July 30th, 2020 – Storied Past. Spirited Future. Old Dominick will introduce a Straight Wheat Whiskey and a Blend of Straight Whiskeys to the Huling Station lineup beginning August 1st, 2020. “Old Dominick continues to innovate and evolve,” says Chris Canale, President of Old Dominick Distillery, “and I am very humbled to be part of a family business with such a rich history. The Huling Station warehouse was our company’s home for more than a century and today stands as a reminder that there is no substitute for quality.” Canale’s great-great grandfather, Domenico Canale, began selling whiskey under the Old Dominick label from the storied warehouse in 1866. “These new releases under our Huling Station line are two very exciting developments in what has already been a successful year launching the Old Dominick Gin.” “Huling Station from Old Dominick is about balancing tradition with innovation- the highest rye content bourbon on the market, now a wheat whiskey, and a blend of the two,” says Alex Castle, Master Distiller and Senior Vice President of Old Dominick Distillery. The wheat whiskey project began in 2014, according to Alex Castle. “We knew we wanted Old Dominick to have a well-rounded whiskey portfolio, so it made sense to us to develop a wheat whiskey in addition to our Huling Station high-rye bourbon.” The Old Dominick team worked with MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN, developing the final mash bill and the barrel entry proof. Huling Station Straight Wheat Whiskey is bottled at 90 proof. “The first few years of aging were a bit nerve-wracking for me because wheat whiskey seems to age slower and it wasn’t progressing at the same rate as our bourbon; however, after the winter of 2018, the wheat turned a big corner and suddenly we had a very pleasant, flavorful whiskey,” says Castle. “For me, this product is a great introductory whiskey, it has a much lighter flavor and is bottled at a lower proof than the Huling Station Straight Bourbon, so it is more approachable.” Huling Station Blend of Straight Whiskeys is “unique,” describes Castle. “While we see whiskeys that are a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey, there isn’t a whiskey that combines bourbon with wheat whiskey.” According to Castle, “Huling Station Blend has the best of both worlds – the rye spice of the bourbon and the light grassy notes of the wheat whiskey.” The Huling Station Blend is 50% high-rye bourbon and 50% wheat whiskey. Huling Station Straight Wheat Whiskey Mash Bill: 83% Wheat, 12% Corn, 5% Malted Barley Proof: 90 proof Huling Station Straight Wheat opens with a light, sweet honey, and delicate grassy indication on the nose. The palate carries a hay-forward lightness with hints of the same pale honey featured in the nose, bookended by a surprising flash of smoked oak before settling into a medium, lightly sweet finish. Huling Station Blend of Straight Whiskeys Blend of 50% Straight Bourbon and 50% Straight Wheat Whiskey Proof: 100 proof Huling Station Straight Blend of Whiskeys features a slight wisp of warm baking spices on the nose, complemented by a hint of smoky oak. The palate offers up a creamy, warmed honey sweetness with short bursts of a pleasant grassy note that tapers into a rye warmth to go with its slightly higher proof. The finish is lingering and peppery with another appearance by the smoked oak to close it out. Huling Station Wheat and Blend Whiskeys, both very limited releases, will be available in select states beginning August 1st, 2020 and will range in price from $44.99-$49.99.

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foodtheywrote · 5 years ago

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food+drink from IT’S NOT ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE by Terry McMillan

(these are all Kindle highlights. please let me know in the comments if you have other mentions of food and/ or drink in this book.)

1. buffet of fried chicken, BBQ ribs, baked beans, au gratin potatoes, some kind of salad, collard greens, and cornbread.

2. chocolate cake

3. angel hair pasta with prawns, some garlic bread, and a good salad

4. We could have some raspberry sorbet and not too many glasses of wine so that we still have energy...

5. glass of water with a slice of cucumber resting between tiny ice cubes.

6. ...a large plate of figs, squares of dark and white chocolate, green grapes, and four or five different types of cheese. Beige crackers are spread out like cards on a blackjack table.

7. ...all kinds of casseroles and bowls of fried chicken and a honey-baked ham and macaroni and cheese on the table, and all four burners had pots with steam bursting out of the tops of them. I saw squares of yellow cornbread and collard greens and sweet potatoes in chafing dishes.

8. ...two glass pitchers of lemonade and iced tea.

9. We both laughed, and I remember throwing a piece of French bread at him and missing. B. B. King—who still was very quick at the time—grabbed it in his mouth and took off. Carl was lucky I didn’t grab a handful of my delicious spaghetti and meatballs, or he’d have been covered in it!

10. ...candied yam.

11. ... fried chicken and collard greens. Lucky also had macaroni and cheese, which I passed on.

12. She then bit off a big piece of honey cornbread. “Neither one of us should even be in here,” I said as I looked down at my plate. The chicken was fried. I could see the ham in the collard greens. The candied yams had brown sugar and butter oozing out of them. And then there was my beautiful cornbread. Did I really need to eat all this?

13. ...double cheeseburger, some soft fries, a diet Coke, and three farewell Twizzlers.

14. “I made lasagna and a salad and as you can see, French bread and steamed asparagus.”

15. When I went to put my registration back inside the glove compartment, staring at me was a brand-new package of Twizzlers.

16. “I’ll have the pizza with ground beef, but with no beans, no sour cream, and no avocado.” “Anything else?” “I would like to try the fried ice cream.” “To drink?” “I’ll have a virgin margarita.” “What kind, sir?” “A normal one.” I winked at her, so she knew I wanted my regular: combination chicken tacos and chicken enchiladas with sour cream. All the combos come with beans and rice and I almost always end up taking something home. I ate guacamole and chips and Kwame drank what was really just lemonade...

17. I grabbed the tasteless granola, some raspberries, and low-fat milk...

18. ...string beans and that stuff with the scrambled eggs in it again?”

19. ...pot stickers and various types of chow fun

20. ...the white boxes that we knew were pot stickers and brown and white rice, and the fortune cookies, at least ten of them.

21. But I ordered a low-fat mocha latte with no sugar instead.

22. I just made a strong pot of Peet’s Sumatra and I baked a delicious apple pie for Joe.

23. I could hardly eat the stroganoff, which was terrible, and also because I had snuck a hamburger (not cheeseburger) with small fries before I came over...

24. “I got lasagna and sourdough bread, and a Caesar salad and asparagus for you...

25. Kwame lifted the wide lasagna noodles and let them fall back on top of the red meat sauce. Then he pulled on the cheese to form a string...

26. ...from about eight different salads, we chose four and a bowl of chunky homemade vegetable soup.

27. ...red miso short ribs, Thai chicken meatballs, and shredded jerk chicken floating in thick golden sauce...

28. We had to order the seasoned rice and bread. At checkout, we decided to get the salad and soup to go and bought two of those little round macaroon cookies that come from France. I ordered watermelon mint lemonade...

29. ....finest halibut for you along with baked sweet potatoes and a salad and brown rice.

30. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have a drumstick and a wing on hand for a late-night snack.

31. ...last two kosher hot dogs and a few French fries and a half hour later, I scraped the vanilla out of the ice cream sandwich and put it on a saucer...

32. ...sweet potato pies, peach cobbler, bread pudding, and apple pies—

33. ...I sliced apples. I opened ten cans of peaches. I boiled sweet potatoes and mashed them with cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, eggs, vanilla flavor, and a drop of bourbon. I made bread pudding that was so fluffy it almost floated out of the little baking dishes I bought. The peach juice boiled onto the aluminum foil I knew to put under the cobbler because it happens every year.

34. lobster tails with butter and baked potatoes with chives, sour cream, and butter and a salad and sourdough bread

35. I did not want to go out for cake and ice cream.

36. I was overdue for a cheeseburger and fries. I had been good. I could count how many I’d had since I got back from Las Vegas, which was almost two months ago: five. I could also count how many times I went to Carol’s and had their French toast with bacon: three.

37. ...once she had it, she would have to pretend fried chicken and candied yams and honey cornbread would kill her.

38. “Yes, I would like to have a double cheeseburger with a purple onion and a small order of fries.” “What kind of cheese would you like on that burger?” the voice said. “Cheddar. Oh, and can you also put pickles on it?” “You got it. Any of our delicious desserts strike your eye? Our apple pie is killer and our ice cream sundaes are made with the best chocolate syrup. And there’s a new flavor of ice cream to choose: strawberry cheesecake.”

39. ...two thick pieces of French toast with butter, drenched with maple syrup, two strips of bacon, a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee. With two packets of Splenda.

40. We’re having marinated rib-eyes, steamed brown rice, no bread, a salad with oil and vinegar, and sparkling water for me and Loretha, right, Lo?”

41. “And for dessert?” Sadie asked suspiciously. “Fruit salad. Take it or leave it.”

42. ...bought a slice of pepperoni pizza, a salad, a Diet Coke, and a chocolate chip cookie.

43. ...cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, a small piece of chicken breast, and a peach that she was already cutting.

44. I took a long sip of my detoxifying apple-cucumber-celery-spinach-cranberry-pomegranate drink, and then stared at my steel-cut oatmeal with no raisins and definitely no brown sugar.

45. ...that Hawaiian French toast with the rum-battered Kona-coffee whipped cream and pineapple marmalade

46. I ate an apple. And half of a whole wheat English muffin that I toasted and spread this stuff called ghee that Jonas told me to buy instead of butter. It tasted like butter but better. I wanted a glass of orange juice so bad

47. ...chocolate chip cookie or a juicy cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla shake.

48. ...did not put any sugar in my coffee but I did put in cream. I was starting to get used to it. And instead of eating French toast or pancakes topped with bananas and hot syrup or waffles with hot syrup or eggs and bacon with hash browns and toast with butter and jelly, I had plain yogurt with berries and whole wheat toast.

49. ...salad with a thousand different vegetables and cooked prawns and then chunks of chicken and oil and vinegar dressing. I did eat a breadstick.

50. ...baked chicken. Brown rice. A salad. Steamed vegetables. I passed on the sourdough bread and butter.

51. Jonas has made an amazing tofu stir-fry if you’d like to have dinner with us.” “No thanks.” “It’s also got ginger, carrots, string beans, and garlic, and a little soy sauce. You won’t even know it’s good for you.”

52. ...chipotle grilled pork tenderloin with strawberry-avocado salsa. And this is spicy brown rice. That’s spinach and onion couscous. Those are salmon fishcakes. And the salad is spinach, feta, and goat cheese.

53. ...triangle turkey sandwich...

54. ...eat the savory teriyaki beef I ordered along with a cup of hot water and lemon

55. purple sweet potato, almond milk, and ginger smoothies

#e-book #library book #It's Not All Downhill From Here by Terry McMillan #Terry McMillan #Food in Books #Drinks in Books #Food and Drink

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greatdrams · 7 years ago

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Top 5 Best Whiskies Under £50

There’s no need to break the bank if you’re looking for an amazing dram. these expressions are all fantastic and each comes with a price tag under £50, the perfect bang for your buck!

Glenfarclas 105

Hailing from Speyside, the Glenfarclas 105 is legendary; this is a cask strength dram that is full of sherried goodness. The nose opens with nuts and spice. Hazelnuts, almonds, pecans and peanuts all covered in a light dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. The spice is warming and goes perfectly with the dried fruits that start to come in. On the palate these flavours come together to create a moist Christmas cake, filled with fruit and nuts and doused in sherry. The nuts really make themselves known and are strong I flavour, with a lovely chewy texture. The finish is bold and spicy, with some raisins and apricots thrown in for good measure.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

This expression has been matured for five years before being finished in a quarter casks. The small size of this cask means maturation does not take long as the Whisky is able to interact with the wood over a smaller surface area. The results are amazing. The nose is smooth and creamy with butter and nuts coming through at first. This is then joined by a hard toffee that is full of sweetness and has a good bite. There is a slightly alkaline note that adds to the smoothness. The palate is big and bold, with lots of sweet nuts and caramel. There is a lovely warming sensation from cinnamon and allspice that gives it depth. The caramel is mouth watering and thick, with a texture like the butter on the nose. This dram also has a slightly medicinal quality to it. The finish is not overly long but leaves a good linger of caramel and nuts.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban

The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has been created using port pipes specially brought over from Portugal. The nose is full of oak wood and has a dry port note. Cranberries and lingon berries add a slight tang and crispness that helps to sharpen the oak. On the palate these are mashed down and become juicy and soft. The oak also softens and takes on a malt flavour full of barley and wheat. The berries and fruits burst with ripeness and fill the oak barrels, bringing together the wooded and fruity notes. The finish is long and sweet, with the berries making a final appearance.

Compass Box Spice Tree

Compass Box have created this blend from a range of Highland Whiskies and matured them in casks with French oak heads. It has impressed around the world and won Best Blended Malt Scotch at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The nose is complex, filled with oak and vanilla alongside rich herbs and spices. Cinnamon and cardamom come through to give it a nice warmth. The herbs also have a slightly warming thing with basil and thyme really appearing. The palate is slightly sweeter, with the oak and vanilla becoming more like caramel and biscuits. The spices also become slightly more peppered on the palate but are bold and strong throughout. The finish is also quite warm and brings back the herbs and spices from the nose to end on a big note.

KilchomanMachir Bay

Kilchoman’sMachir Bay has been matured in Oloroso sherry casks and ex-Bourbon barrels, making it incredibly sweet and spicy. The nose presents both of these flavours, with thick caramel and citrus alongside cinnamon and nutmeg. There is also a distinctly malted note that is sweet and slightly like biscuits. This all complements the waft of peat smoke that runs throughout. The palate is well defined, with malt and cereals taking the lead at the start. These then melt into a stream of caramel and cream that leads to a bowl of tropical fruit such as pineapples and mangoes. The finish ends on this, with lots of sherry spice and a good dose of peat.

The post Top 5 Best Whiskies Under £50 appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://ift.tt/2yC97k9 Greg

#whisky #GreatDrams

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marblefeet08-blog · 6 years ago

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What I Ate Wednesday

What’s up, wonderful pals?

It’s that busy season again! I’m spending loooots of time working at our first Alchemy location these days along with overseeing some different catering events. The business ebbs and flows month to month and it can be tough to juggle it all; but these crazy times always make me grateful for slower, more quiet mornings and weeks where I have a little more time. No rain, no flowers!

Life update: Yesterday I went to get a can of beans where I keep extra food in our coat closet and found a MOUSE that had eaten its way (and pooped its way) through all the dry food I’d stored in there. It was horrifying!! And the worst part is we didn’t even catch it. Anyone else dealing with crazy bugs and mice lately? Holler at me.

Before we get into the food, don’t forget about $50 off your first two weeks of Blue Apron! It’s a rad deal, especially for when you’re in a cooking rut.

Breakfast

Breakfast lately has been toast. It’s quick and easy. We ran out of oats for Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal so Van’s multigrain waffles or Trader Joe’s sprouted wheat berry bread have been my best friend (I keep several loaves of that and sourdough in the freezer at all times). I ate at Alchemy so I had all the yummy toppings at my fingertips. One slice was piled high with avocado, beet kraut, za’atar, and micro greens. The other had almond butter, banana, coconut bacon, smoked sea salt, and raw local honey. With coffee, of course. Divine!

Lunch

Lunch was leftovers from a big catering event we had for TRISM. I took home a ton of our maple tamari tofu, sauteed greens, herbed rice (there’s actually very little nutritional difference between brown and white rice), chipotle sweet potato hummus, and cabbage slaw. I’ve been eating it for days!

Snacks

Afterward lunch I was craving something sweet. Brownie bites to the rescue! I whipped up a batch of these over the weekend by first blending 1/2 cup almonds and 1 cup walnuts in the food processor. Then I added a cup of pitted Medjool dates, 5 tbsp cacao powder, 1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, and a splash of almond milk until a dough ball formed. I rolled them in cacao and froze them and they taste like amazing little brownies!

A couple hours later I noshed on my favorite crackers with Hope Foods’ spicy avocado hummus.

Dinner

Dinner was bean balls with fusili noodles and Kirkland’s organic marinara plus roasted zucchini and summer squash from our CSA box. I doubled the recipe, used one can of chickpeas and one can of black beans, used a heaping cup oats instead of breadcrumbs, and added Worcestershire sauce and some marinara. Recipes are meant to be messed with!

I’m really into this ancient grains pasta we found at Costco (notice the hole which I now realize is from the mouse, OMG). Sometimes people think it’s weird I shop there because it’s just the two of us, but I can’t tell you how fast we fly through giant bags of pasta, marinara sauce, nut butter, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and coffee.

For dessert, we enjoyed these Pumpkin Muffins because I’m craving all things fall! I used one cup unbleached all purpose flour and 3/4 cup white whole wheat flour. I also doubled the cinnamon, cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup, used avocado oil, swapped soy milk for almond milk, and used blackstrap molasses. Soooo yummy! Also, if you’re craving chili like I’ve been, Isa’s Chipotle Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Brussels is hands down my favorite along with her simple cornbread.

Oh and then Jeff and I split one of these amazing ice cream sammies because they were on sale at Kroger and I couldn’t not try one!

Workout

This was a nice and sweaty one but didn’t feel too mentally exhausting. I love making up random circuits like this when I don’t make it in time for a group class like yesterday. If you’re not a stair stepper fan, you can also do a mix of treadmill, rower, elliptical, or bike. I write them down in the notes section of my phone. You can find other ideas in the workout highlights of my instagram page!

Style Inspiration

Still obsessing over these jeans that I told you about last week. I love that I can dress them up at night with a floral lace trim cami (on sale for $16.99, this one has more sizes) and cute earrings! Also very into these pointed toe nude flats and these Franco Sarto ones (most comfy ever) for a heeled version.

As fall slowly approaches, I’m having a moment with jackets. How cute is this lush drapey open trench and this camo shirt jacket? I just ordered this faux fur hooded bomber in green because it’s a whopping 80% off. If you’re looking for winter stuff early, there’s a couple sizes of these black Uggs for under $100. I ordered these tan ones with a bow because, look at them. Lastly, here’s a cute black rain boot for under $30? I’ve never had rain boots so excited to see how these fit!

Have a fab day! And remember, enjoy where you are now.

Source: https://www.hummusapien.com/what-i-ate-wednesday-104/

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thebourbontruth · 8 years ago

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Whiskey Zoo, what's a brand to do?

I’ve said this before in other posts (especially the post on Bookers Rye paying $300), Im not a fan of higher prices, who would be? BUT, at the same time I’ve always felt I would be fair on both sides and say it as it is. The current whiskey climate is fickle. A good quality AND available Barrel Proof bottle can be counted on one hand. Really folks, it can! There are just a few ways a brand can adjust to what’s going on. First–reduce quality (maybe by putting your barrels that would normally go into lesser brands) into your more expensive and better brands. Second, you can and get younger in addition to/or instead of the first. Either option isn’t good. Third, just go with a shortage solution keeping them sporadically on the shelf, risking losing shelf territory, and now, have the store artificially raise the price on their own anyway.

Lastly, you can throw yourself under the bus knowing that it won’t hurt much (if at all) and raise prices. You’ll come out better then when the prices were lower. That is until the glut hits in a few years. This last option is where I see the new Bookers pricing at $100 at even though you can still find it in many places still at $50 and certainly under $60. If a brand made $20 on a $60 bottle they make maybe $40-$50 on $100 one. Even if sales are down making 2x-3x the money makes up lots for any sales decrease and has got to improve the overall profit. Bookers was the first of the Beam Small Batch collection started in the early 1990’s. It sort of started it all. Blanton’s came along and it all went from there. Beam is no stranger to the experiments in price and barrels having done the Distillers Masterpiece Bourbon with a Cognac and then Port finish Barrel (around 18 and 16 years ago) for $200. For about 12 years it seemed like a white elephant failure but now they are selling on the secondary market for $1000. It now seems they might have just been a sign of things to come. The chicken and egg argument can be made if price drives what’s going on or is it true/implied rarity. In either case, just 5 years ago $100 bottles was acceptably unheard of except for Pappy. $100 now barely brings pause if not being the actual buying trigger to many.

As a bit of late breaking news as I post this it’s reported Beam back tracked to a Bookers increase of $70-80-ish now that shelves stock is depleted. Not sure what to think on that now. http://www.fredminnick.com/2017/01/02/beam-suntory-backtracks-bookers-pricing/

I’ve been saying for a long time that Beam’s Small Batch collection’s been ignorantly under marketed but it seems like they’ve caught on. This leads me to if Beam’s Old Grand Dad 114 is going away. I say that from paying attention, the rumors, and usual empty shelf slots where it used. There’s a real good chance it is. The only high Rye bourbon brands of Beam are Basil Hayden (he’s the inspiration on the Old Grand Dad Label and the actual “Old Grand Dad”). High Rye is cool and hot right now. Elmer T. Lee (made by Buffalo Trace) is another example of a favorite that’s gotten harder to find. I’ve noticed lots of movement in the marketing of the sleepy Basil Hayden line. Where does the excess supply come from as they sell more of the relatively the same juice watered down from 114 to 80 Proof? Maybe it doesn’t go away in the manner that Weller 12 year, now a shelf ghost, comes out in tiny releases a couple times a year. Maybe it doesn’t go away like Old Fitzgerald and only released in a few states. In both cases Sazerac uses the Weller for Pappy, the Antique Collection WLW and Heaven Hill uses the Old Fitzgerald for the Larceny line and its distribution expansion. I asked Beam about Old Grand Dad 114 Proof going away. They wouldn’t say it was or not and under discussion. I pointed out if the item was ordered by a store and told there wasn’t any, it was gone. They had no answer for it being unavailable and out of stock now. They also would not confirm it was going to be used for increasing the Basil Hayden Brand. Chuck Cowdery says its “official”. I remember this article from three a bit over two years ago. http://whiskyadvocate.com/2014/04/18/burning-down-the-rumor-mill/ Tough to believe anything now.

This trend in the industry is clear to me. It started in 2012 when Heaven Hill pulled the $30-$40 Elijah Craig 18 year due to shortage only for it to reemerge a couple years latter at 3x that price as a Limited Edition. I asked Beam if Old Grand Dad would be released at a high proof again as a rebranded ultra premium. As expected, I was told it was possible as it is for anything but they don’t comment on such things. I asked what percentage of overall Beam Bourbon production was of the limited High Rye Mashbill (used by only OGD and Basil) but they were tight lipped.

I wondered if they caught wind of the current resurgence of the older National Distillers Frankfort Kentucky bottles. Its common to see a 1960’s-1970’s bottle (that sold for $5 when released) on the secondary market a couple years ago for $200 now at $800. This is mainly the Bottled in Bond but still, from something no one cared about a couple years ago to jump to $800 a bottle? I have to wonder if Beam is that smart and pay that close of attention to see the value and resurgence of the brand? I happen to know the story of where this seemingly started. A very well-known chef was at his good friends restaurant when they pulled a sealed bottle of 1970s Old Granddad bottled in Bond (OGD BiB) from the shelf and started drinking it. It blew their minds and at that point the chef started to buy every possible bottle he could popping up on the secondary market. Prices have since gone through the roof where they have stayed. This was about a year ago and I have a hard time believing in such coincidences.

There is no doubt in my mind we will be seeing a High Rye Mashbill Ultra Premium regular or limited version in the near future for much much more. They did it for Bookers at $100 and and the formally none existent Bookers Rye at $300. Its logical something “special” or “limited” with the Old Grand Dad or Bookers High Rye Bourbon moniker and a $300 price tag can be far away. Will I buy the regular Bookers at $100 a bottle? I’m not sure, but a lot of people will buy it now that might not have before. As crazy as it sounds, it becomes more attractive at a higher price. I recently spent about an hour in a very popular liquor store in their whiskey aisle and droves of people (that had no clue what they were doing) wanted to buy gifts for people. I didn’t work at the store but helped lots of people and very few we’re going for a low price for gifts, most were going for something closer to $100. When you consider that Whistle Pig, some Jefferson and many others are approaching the hundred dollar range, paying that for a Bookers suddenly becomes an option and reality. Consider at $100, people still don’t know for sure where the Pig, Jefferson and 10 year Chatham (aka Michters) is coming from. With the Bookers you know where it’s coming from, what you’re getting, and that it’s a high-quality solid product that you won’t be embarrassed to buy or gift. It’s also a genius move to raise the price now and clear the shelves before the end of the year especially during gift giving time. Then having large orders come in at a higher price after the new year ain’t dumb. Blanton’s has been running short also and the very popular Straight From the Barrel version at Barrel Proof is import only. I can easily see it at about a current USD equivalent of $80 be brought Barrel Proof to the USA at $150 and sell very well. ABV goes up 10% and potentially can double in price. No brainer right? Nice way for Age International (that owns this High Rye mashbill brand) to do what was done with Bookers’s. The similarity in the two can’t be lost on Beam or Age International (aka Takara Holdings) as they are both Japanese companies owning very similar Bourbon Brands.

One last thing that I find very interesting. Unless you’re on an in-depth tour of Beam your not likely to know they change distillation for specific brands. As far as I know, they are the only major distillery doing this. This means that when they make the mash and it’s distilled, stills are specifically adjusted for a brand such as Bookers. Unlike other brands, its not distilled then proofed down (water added) going in the barrel but rather comes off right from the still and in the barrel at the same 125 proof. “Barrel Proof” isn’t when it goes in, its when it comes out. Beam thinks this is a big advantage over other brands. It then goes into a barrel that is stamped “Bookers” and it’s stored/treated as a Bookers until bottled. For this reason, it’s much easier to control the quality and that the quality was designed into the product from the very beginning. This process is opposed to taking something like Buffalo Trace’s regular Wheated Mashbill and designating it as Van Winkle or WLW Antique Collection (as supply demands after the fact). All things aren’t this rosy at Beam however. Even with the special treatment, Bookers reuses around 40% of their mash in the next batch (Back set, Sour Mash) considerably higher than other distilleries. With only around 60% new grain I wonder how good it could be if Bookers used only a typical of around 20 % old Mash. This used 40% is inclusive of all Beam Bourbon brands. How would your coffee taste with 40% vs 20% of the grounds reused? We shall see what happens in 2017 but it’s going to cost us folks, I hope we get more for our money than just the price increases smacking our wallets.

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youneedknowblog · 5 years ago

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Buffalo Trace's Next Whiskey Is an Experimental Wheated Bourbon

Buffalo Trace’s Next Whiskey Is an Experimental Wheated Bourbon

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Buffalo Trace’s newest whiskey is going to turn a lot of heads when it drops next month, because they’ve taken the beloved recipe for Weller and Van Winkle bourbons and tweaked a major part of the aging process in the name of science.

The 10 Best Bourbons Under $50 You Should Add to Your Must-try List

The 2020 iteration of the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, Experiment 23…

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delfinamaggiousa · 4 years ago

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The 20 Best Vodka Brands of 2020

Once upon a time, the quality of a vodka was largely determined by what it didn’t have, rather than what it did. In other words: the more neutral the profile, the better. In fact, up until very recently, the TTB officially defined vodka as “neutral spirits distilled or treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials so as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste or color.”

That definition was finally updated in May 2020, with the part about no “distinctive character, aroma, taste or color” dropped. This is a good thing, because all the bottles featured in this list might otherwise technically be deemed illegal — or at least not legally vodka.

Following a tasting of dozens of brands, VinePair found that the vodka landscape is rich in options, with each showing its own subtle character. None of the bottles that made this year’s list burned when sipped — at room temperature, no less — and combined, they highlight the diversity of the category.

From unusual base ingredients (natural whey protein, anyone?) to bottles that double as bespoke decanters, here are the best vodkas for every budget.

Under $25

Smithworks American Made Vodka

Made in Arkansas using corn from Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, this vodka is triple-distilled and charcoal- filtered prior to bottling. It’s a similar formula to America’s best-selling vodka, Tito’s, but for our money, this bottle offers a lot better value. It has a silky mouthfeel and refreshingly clean profile. It also comes in at more than five bucks cheaper than Tito’s on average. Average price: $14.

Wheatley Vodka

Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery is best known for producing some of the world’s leading bourbons, but it also offers this wonderfully priced craft vodka. Bottled at 42 percent ABV, following a whopping 10 runs in the still and three rounds of filtration, this wheat-based vodka has grainy aromas, and a faint peppery kick to the palate. Average price: $17

Prairie Organic Vodka

This organic corn vodka is not only kind to the environment, it arrives in an attractive “craft”- style bottle, costs less than $20, and, best of all, tastes great. The nose leads with rich toasted-barley aromas, while the palate is crisp and remarkably smooth. Average price: $17.

Reyka Vodka

Distilled in Borgarnes, Iceland, Reyka makes use of the country’s supply of glacial spring water and volcanic rocks (for filtration) to craft impeccably clean vodka. The nose and palate feature mineral notes and an almost mentholated profile. Average price: $19.

Humboldt Distillery Organic Vodka

Sugarcane provides the base for this organic California vodka. Quadruple- distilled in small batches, its character is light and easygoing. The nose gives off subtle hints of lemon peel and a seasoning of wet stone. The palate is clean with a complete lack of alcoholic burn — even when sipped at room temperature. Average price: $21.

Ketel One

Produced using both column and pot stills — the latter uncommon for making vodka — this spirit has a noticeably smooth, balanced texture. A crack of pepper leads the nose, while the palate enjoys an almost botanical finish. Average price: $23

Under $50

Broken Shed

This New Zealand vodka is made from an unusual base ingredient: natural whey protein (part of the liquid that separates from milk during cheese production). Lithe and fresh, Broken Shed smells like glacial mineral water and has a well-rounded mouthfeel and slightly sweet finish. Average price: $26.

King St. Vodka

Founded by American actress Kate Hudson, this vodka was reportedly designed with Dirty Martinis in mind. It certainly fits the bill: King St. has a clean, almost odorless nose, and a similarly neutral palate, providing an ideal base for vermouth and olive brine to shine. Average price: $26.

Tattersall Distilling Small Batch Vodka

The organic corn that provides the base for this vodka is grown and harvested at the head distiller’s family farm in Rochester, Minn. This bottling is a great example of the character vodka can display. The nose mixes toasted grains and dried banana, giving a profile of freshly baked banana bread. The palate is full-bodied and velvety. Average price: $27.

St. George Spirits All Purpose

While character is key, texture is also an important part of judging a vodka’s quality. This bottle from historic California distiller St. George Spirits excels in the latter field: It feels luxurious on the palate and promises to add body and depth to cocktails. (You could also sip this neat, if you so desire.) Average price: $27.

Grey Goose

Another vodka that shows the importance of texture, Grey Goose provides exceptionally clean, smooth-finishing sips. Made with wheat specially grown in Picardy, France, this is as close as it comes to drinking straight, boozy water. Average price: $29.

Hanson of Sonoma Organic Vodka

Made using a grape base, this California vodka is seven times distilled and five times filtered. It exudes a strong aroma of violet-flavored candy, and has a silky palate with a sweet finish. This is one of the most flavored “unflavored” vodkas on the market. Average price: $29.

Neft Black Barrel

Don’t be fooled by the unconventional packaging, there’s nothing gimmicky about this vodka. An Austrian rye-based spirit, it has a great concentration to the nose, delivering rich sourdough aromas. The palate is incredibly well balanced, with a smooth, lengthy finish. Average price: $29.

You & Yours Distilling Co.

A blend of corn, potato, and grape distillates, this California vodka has a peppery, vegetal nose, with a streak of citrus fruit. The palate has a good mouthfeel and a neutral profile, making it a great supporting actor and perfect for cocktails. Average price: $29.

Haku

From Beam Suntory, this 100 percent rice vodka serves citrus and violet aromas; light, floral flavors; and a fruity finish. With its crisp, delicate profile, this vodka is perfect for dry Martinis with a lemon twist garnish or a refreshing vodka soda. Average price: $29.

Vdka 6100

Another New Zealand offering, this vodka is also distilled from whey. Its aromas are clean and mineral-rich, with just a hint of citrus. The whey protein emerges on the palate, serving well-rounded sips and a slightly spicy finish but no hint of alcoholic burn. Average price: $30.

Slovenia XOXO

The packaging for this vodka is slightly absurd, with the overall appearance of an oversized perfume or a fancy water bottle, and not one but two closures. The spirit inside has intense aromas of wet stones and black pepper. The palate has rich viscosity and a lively finish. Average price: $31.

Chase Original Potato Vodka

A versatile, neutral vodka, this is perfect for every type of Martini. It’s zesty and citrus-driven, making it the ideal candidate for a lemon twist. But there’s also a subtle salinity, which pairs perfectly with olive brine and calls out for a juicy Castelvetrano or three. Average price: $37.

Under $100

Barr Hill

Distilled from raw Vermont honey, this vodka has a distinctive nose: It’s floral but not sweet, with a surprisingly salty undertone. The palate has great body and texture, but still feels lively. With so much character, all this vodka needs is a splash of soda, a handful of ice cubes, and a juicy lemon or lime wedge. Average price: $57.

Crystal Head Aurora

A prickly, peppery nose leads to a fruity, unctuous palate on this Canadian vodka. It’s smooth-sipping and there’s no hint of alcoholic afterburn. But let’s be honest, when you’re spending this amount on a bottle of vodka, you want something more than just great liquor — and this distinctive bottle delivers. Once the vodka inside is finished, it doubles as a bespoke decanter. Average price: $66.

The article The 20 Best Vodka Brands of 2020 appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/20-best-vodka-brands-2020/

source https://vinology1.wordpress.com/2020/05/15/the-20-best-vodka-brands-of-2020/

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