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Time to talk gin again bit this time with both a Belgian and beer twist to it as Lindemans, known for their sweeter fruited lambics and some harder to find distinctly Belgian beers also has a gin! And it is made from Old Kriek distillate!
You know that I will be seeing how I can get myself some.
I have been intrigued by barrel-aged gins and even have bought a couple but both were lightly aged and on not pungent wood, as it were. That changes with the new releases from The Botanist.
One is Islay Cask Aged and the second is Islay Cask Rested Gin. The latter “has been matured in cask for a minimum of 6 months, and Aged has been matured for a minimum of 3 years.”
The Botanist has a big selection of botanicals that just might meld with an Islay cask.
I am known to be ambi-beverage-ous so I was happy to receive two mega meads from Nectar Creek. Both Super. Mure and Cyser.
Starting with the Super Cyser, which looks a bit like honey in my glencairn. The aroma is apple-y and not sweet. The honey comes on strong in the first sip. But the apple is not far behind at all. A bit slick on the tongue but not in a cloying way. For something that is 14%, it is not super bitey.
The SM with blackberry has a more pronounced aroma. Berry comes through for sure. This one tastes way sweeter to me. I get sugar, then blackberry, then a smidge of honey. I do like the berry, it tastes natural and fresh. But this is the one for the sweet tooths.
Which one the casual mead appreciator would like comes down to sweetness tolerance. If you prefer dry then the Super Cyser is the choice, if you are looking for a dessert partner, the Super Mure is the pick.
Starting the year with a Gin book that I heard about on the Food Programme podcast, The Gin Tasting Course by Anthony Gladman.
Two big reasons why I liked this book. One – it was British and world-centric. The U.S. gets a couple mentions but this book took me around Europe to Australia and South America too. Second – the book is centered on flavors. So instead of a section on Scottish gins or Spanish gins, you got classic gins, umami gins, citrus gins. Much easier way into the spirit in my opinion.
I also like the illustrations used. Bright and colorful without losing helpfulness in the mix. The cocktail list was tightly curated and actually seem doable for a gin enthusiast. On the downside, some font size choices made the book a little hard to read.
Gladman also accomplishes the feat of being opinionated while not being off putting about it or pedantic. To borrow the I would like to have a drink with him construct, I would like to have a G&T with him.
Books like these invariably rise or fall on the featured gins chosen. Here is where Gladman shines. His descriptions have repetition but it is due to the main required ingredients and less to adjectives used. I came away with a goodly long list of gins to be on the lookout for.
Readers of the blog will know that I have attempted to enjoy many a Non-Alcoholic beverage. Was quite the fan of both Shirley Temples when out for a fancy dinner with my parents and Lime Rickeys at the now lost to time, Frederick & Nelson department store in Portland.
Preamble over, what would to RTD mocktails from Craftwell Cocktails taste like?
Starting with the Peach Mojito: peachy on the nose, like juice which is a good sign. The mint comes through right after the stonefruit. Has a really tart sparkle to it. A little puckery which I was not expecting. It is very tasty and I would say could be a good mixer start if you wanted to rum it up.
The Margarita has a pineapple chunks from a can taste. Glad it was not candy pineapple. Past that though, there is not much else going on. This one is way more of a mixer candidate. The other flavor notes are too far in the background and the lack of agave is really noticeable here.
Neither are unworthy of drinking as is but both seem more a starting point than an end one. That being said, I would pick the Peach Mojito first.
Instead of going dry this month, I am widening my beverages. Not only N/A but ciders and now highlighting meads. Super meads from Nectar Creek Meadery.
Super Cyser: “Back by popular demand, Nectar Creek Meadery and 2 Towns Ciderhouse are proud to reintroduce Super Cyser, a regal mead from 10 years ago, breathing new life into this time honored masterpiece. This warm, rich cyser is made with Pacific Northwest apples and local blackberry honey. Fermented and aged in white wine barrels, Super Cyser boasts a rich, aromatic profile, perfectly balancing the acidity of crisp apples with the sweetness of honey.”
Super Mure: “With a respectful nod to tradition, Super Mure revives the classic melomel style reminiscent of Medieval times. This royal nectar combines blackberries and blackberry honey fermented in oak barrels. It delivers just the right balance of tannin, oak character and warm honey sweetness. At a commanding 14% alcohol by volume (ABV), this indulgent creation offers a sensory journey that is nothing short of extraordinary.”
Reviews to follow later this month!
Got some C’s for you today. Cranberries and currants from 2 Towns Ciderhouse.
Bliss pours the requisite red, would have been weird otherwise. I like that the aroma is still primarily apple. It needs to be cider with flavors, not just flavors. There is a really nice tartness here. I get the currants more than cranberry but I have a feeling that each drinker will perceive the two in different amounts. Very zippy with a nice hit of carbonation. I can see this paired with a salad with blue cheese very easily.
Disney has been slowly moving into liquor from their California Adventure park to EPCOT to cocktails at in the Star Wars universe. But the one attraction that I thought could really capitalize on drinks has been missing, Haunted Mansion.
I am not going to ever recommend a cruise but I will be looking out for more information about the The Haunted Mansion Parlor styled to “resemble a first-class drawing room of a classic cruise liner from the golden age, invoking inspiration from the original Haunted Mansion with a nautical twist.”
If the floating parlor is successful, maybe it will come to the parks and who knows with the Disneyland Haunted Mansion slated for refurbishment all of 2024, maybe a ghoulish cocktail will be a possibility in Anaheim.
I generally don’t cool whiskey. Sometimes a splash of water but that is about it. But since the Nesh Whiskey Chiller can take a liquid from room temperature to 36 degrees in 15 seconds, It just might solve the issue of recently purchased beer that has warmed up on the way home from purchasing.
The science is that “the area around the coils is frozen solid – exposing your whiskey to 3 feet of ice as it pours through while remaining isolated in a stainless steel tube. This significantly reduces the temperature of the spirit without directly exposing it to ice or water.”
Might be interesting to experiment with.
I love me a hotel bar. Something about the charging of a drink to your room gives me a charge. And the Inn at the Mission in San Juan Capistrano has a really nice one. This year there was even nightly free hot cocoa with marshmallows.
This year my goal was to splurge on a smoked cocktail….
I will circle back to it at the end but first I had to try their signature Mediterranean Old Fashioned with Old Forester bourbon and a sprig of burnt rosemary for a touch extra. I could order these by the case. That initial whiff of flame and herbs is great.
I also partook of two selections from their Heritage Classics section of the cocktail menu and I will start with what could be a new favorite drink for me, The Aviation (not the Deadpool gin) with a combination of gin, maraschino liquor and creme de violette. Soft and floral and each flavor component got a turn but none wore out their welcome. I sipped from coupe next to a Christmas tree while watching guests check in.
The other classic was my first ever Brooklyn which is rye whiskey, maraschino liquor and dry vermouth. It was just fine but far too close to a Manhattan in my limited cocktail experience book.
As promised, the smoke. I went the Gin route. The presentation was great. Smoke piped into an empty tequila bottle, then the drink was mixed separately and then added into the smoke. Wait for the two to meld, then poured. Mine tasted of, you guessed it, smoke. Nothing but smoke. I smelled smoke all night, it was on my pillow in the morning. Yikes. The rye drink was better but still the balance was tilted to the smoke.
Despite that, I was glad to have tried it because now I know a bit more about my tastes and what will be more successful choices in the future.