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MeramJert posted:What's up with port + walnuts? It tastes like magic. How does that work? The same principles I just laid out! This is a pairing based on matching the richness of both the wine and the nuts, and nutty, oxidative aromas that both have in common.
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Mar 31, 2014 01:35
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Does Canada have strict "label approval" for all alcoholic products like the US does? From what I've learned the label approval process in the US is a nightmare in terms of the criteria that need to be met.
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Mar 31, 2014 02:41
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20ozMonkey posted:Does Canada have strict "label approval" for all alcoholic products like the US does? From what I've learned the label approval process in the US is a nightmare in terms of the criteria that need to be met. Yeah, I think the laws are nearly identical in order to ease trade.
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Mar 31, 2014 02:53
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20ozMonkey posted:Does Canada have strict "label approval" for all alcoholic products like the US does? From what I've learned the label approval process in the US is a nightmare in terms of the criteria that need to be met. Ours are probably more stringent if anything. It's usually more difficult to find an ABV on an American container than in Canada, for example (perhaps it's just selection bias, though). We allow stick-on labels for legally-required info on wine bottles, at least in Alberta. Sadly, those are often applied over the original labels, which is a pain in the rear end. Without knowing what the label approval process is in the US it's hard to say.
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Mar 31, 2014 06:30
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This is an interesting thread, I'm a little surprised it isn't longer already. Anyway, here's my question / contribution: I've become a fan of bourbon in a big way. Not necessarily having the funds right now to do much in the way of trying expensive varieties, I've been sticking to the relatively low end of things, around $23 - 30 / bottle. This leaves me a relatively small selection, but I've found that I very much enjoy Buffalo Trace and Bulleit (both the regular and the rye for the latter). Now that I've finished my degree program and will be earning a regular paycheck, I may venture a bit further into the $30+ range once in a while. I know wine is really your thing, but do you have any suggestions for decent $30+ bottle of bourbon? Anyone else feel free to chime in, too. Also... I've read previously that bourbon is relatively "easy" to get into in the sense that it's not particularly sophisticated or complex in terms of flavor. Having not really explored much into its cousins (i.e., scotch) because I've not had the disposable income, I don't know if this is true or not. Any comment on that?
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Mar 31, 2014 11:06
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If you like Buffalo Trace you will love Elmer T. Lee, which is made by the Buffalo Trace distillery and is only slightly pricier but IMO much better, it's one of my favorite bourbons ever. Also I definitely recommend Blanton's if you are looking to spend a bit more, it's wonderful. quote:Also... I've read previously that bourbon is relatively "easy" to get into in the sense that it's not particularly sophisticated or complex in terms of flavor. Having not really explored much into its cousins (i.e., scotch) because I've not had the disposable income, I don't know if this is true or not. Well I'd say some Scotch or Irish whisky is just as accessible as bourbon, the Macallan for example is a single malt Scotch but it has a bourbon-like sweetness and is easily drinkable for anyone who likes any kind of whisky. But some of kinds of Scotch are more smoky or leathery or "peaty" like Laphroaig, which I think is more of an acquired taste because that peat flavor is very strong and a little weird if you aren't used to it. I think bourbons can be complex though, I had a bottle of some limited run of Willet that was very good and quite complex. Earwicker fucked around with this message at 15:26 on Mar 31, 2014 |
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Mar 31, 2014 15:19
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Kasumeat posted:There are a lot of wines that fall into that light, dry, floral, mineral driven camp. I would suggest trying any of: chablis, dry Rieslings, Sardinian vermentino, muscadet, Vouvray sec. Sure it's an old post, but I just want to say that during our Disney trip in February we tried a €2 Muscadet. It was great. Since then we've been buying Muscadet (for more like £5-£10) in the UK. We've also grabbed a bottle of Sancerre. The Loire valley has won us over. Chablis is the next on our list, but it's hard to find a cheap bottle. Is Petit Chablis the same thing? I understand it's grown in the areas surrounding where proper Chablis is, but is the soil and grape variety still close enough to result in a similar wine? We've not spotted a vermentino yet, and most Rieslings we've seen have been way up the sweetness scale, rather than dry.
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Mar 31, 2014 17:43
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Masonity posted:Chablis is the next on our list, but it's hard to find a cheap bottle. Is Petit Chablis the same thing? I understand it's grown in the areas surrounding where proper Chablis is, but is the soil and grape variety still close enough to result in a similar wine? Petit Chablis consists of areas just outside and pretty much immediately adjacent to Chablis proper. The wines are produced with the same grape as Chablis, and tend to be of the same style, but the soil geology is slightly different, so the wines are not thought to be quite as good.
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Mar 31, 2014 19:00
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Kasumeat posted:-Wisdom-  Do you recommend any books on the subject? I know the best way to learn would be tasting, but I don't have the time/budget to try all the crazy variety of wines out there.
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Mar 31, 2014 22:45
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Walter posted:This is an interesting thread, I'm a little surprised it isn't longer already. It's not actually more than $30, but I've said time and again that Elijah Craig 12-year (running around $25 a bottle, give or take) is the prototypical example of everything a bourbon should be - rich, sweet (but not cloying in the way that many younger bourbons can be), and carries it's alcohol very well. Eagle Rare is another around that price point that I really enjoy as a sipping bourbon - it has a velvety, almost oily mouthfeel that is both uncommon and rather enjoyable if you like your spirit neat. You also mentioned bulleit rye - if you enjoy rye, it's worth your while to track down a bottle of Sazerac rye (also from the buffalo trace distillery) which has the same sort of muted spice that's made the Bulleit so popular in recent years. For a daily drinker, Rittenhouse bottled-in-bond rye is a fantastic deal at the price point. I wouldn't agree that bourbon isn't sophisticated or complex - I'd be much more inclined to affix that label to (most) Canadian whisky, which is by and large tasteless caramel-colored ethanol in my opinion. Cheap bourbon tends to be overwhelmingly sweet, which I suppose could make it more approachable to some. One of the nice things about bourbon is that, thanks to the regulations surrounding its production, even cheap bourbon is made to a certain standard of quality that you won't find in other bottom-shelf whiskies - pick up a bottle of Evan Williams for a great example of this. That said, I'd definitely say that great scotch is much more complex and, well, interesting than great bourbon - but it comes with a price tag to match.
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Apr 1, 2014 00:57
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So Bourbon to me is way more flavorful than any Canadian. However, if your going to start drinking whiskey on ice or with bit of water start with Canadian. By law Canadian whisk(e)y can contain up to 9.9% sherry which allows for a sweeter taste. Also with a plethora of different finishing barrels (Ports/Sherrys/Sauternes) can bring some fun and enjoyment to the party. Bourbon/Tennessee whiskey/American ryes. I would start with a Rye then take your pick of a TW or Bourbon. My daily is Makers Mark but there a lot of great small production ones that have unique qualities. The there is Scotch Wisky a beast of its own. Blend to Single malt Lowland to a Skye there is a lot of difference here, it would need to have its own thread to do it justice. Timbo fucked around with this message at 03:51 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 03:37
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Walter posted:This is an interesting thread, I'm a little surprised it isn't longer already. I'm afraid I can't offer much advice. Bourbon was the first spirit I really got into, but once I was exposed to (and had money for) more premium spirits, I gravitated there. Especially once you consider that those "$23-30" bottles cost here about almost as much as the best entry-level single malt Scotches, there isn't much incentive to drink Bourbon outside of cocktails. As for its complexity, it's fair to say that Bourbon is generally less complex than other aged spirits. With few exceptions, it's made from intentionally neutral distillate, and the entire flavour profile comes from oak.
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Apr 1, 2014 04:47
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Thanks for this thread Kasumeat! In particular, I appreciate someone so invested in the wine industry saying it all comes down to what you like. No pretension. You mentioned Mission Hill deserving their good reputation. I won't argue that they make some good wines, but they sure do come across as unwelcoming to the average Joe at their fancy-pants winery. I've always got the feeling they were looking down their nose at me and anyone I brought in there for a tasting, like they thought they were better than us. When I moved out of West Kelowna 3 years ago, there were something like five or six other wineries within a five minute drive, and at all of them we were made to feel very welcome. I also felt like they all made some tasty wines, and would not hesitate buying from them. In particular I really enjoy the Mt. Boucherie Ehrenfelser. Do you know of any other Ehrenfelsers available on the market in Canada? I seem to remember finding one other winery that makes one at a wine fest a few years back, but can't remember who it was. This style really stands out to my unrefined palate. Sweet, but with a definite citrus bite to it. Really a hot summer day kind of wine. On another topic, it is kind of misleading discussing pricing here. What I can find for 9Euros visiting relatives in France, might be a $40 bottle at home, and might go for half that, just over the border in Washington. There's a lot of variation in transport costs and liquor taxes across different locales. 15 quid in Gibraltar got me a bottle of single malt that I can't even begin to consider affording at home. And finally a bit about brand image, and how it can vary from one part of the world to another. An example: Stella Artois is marketed here as a premium imported lager. A lot of people buy into this image, believing it's some of the finest beer money can buy. But, when I first started working abroad with a bunch of Brits, I discovered their local nickname for Stella was "wifebeater". It had the image of being a "pish lager". How can that be? Truth is, it's like many other lagers around the world. Fairly bland, inoffensive, and designed to be as palatable as possible to the widest number of people possible. Same as Bud, Canadian, Blue, Lucky, Old Milwaukee, Heineken, Kokanee, Carlsberg, etc. This all goes to reinforce what Kasumeat said about drinking what you enjoy. That's what I tend to do. Ignore the marketing and image, try as many different drinks as possible, and pick out what I like to drink. CHEERS! e: Oh, and to the poster asking about sipping rums, I highly recommend Appleton's 20 year old. It's super smooth and delicious. B33rChiller fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 06:02
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Masonity posted:Sure it's an old post, but I just want to say that during our Disney trip in February we tried a €2 Muscadet. It was great. Since then we've been buying Muscadet (for more like £5-£10) in the UK. We've also grabbed a bottle of Sancerre. The Loire valley has won us over. If you're enjoying those mineral wines, don't give up on Riesling. Try to find German Rieslings labeled Kabinett, those will tend to be dryish (or those labeled GG will be totally dry - if you can find them). I would also definitely include Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley on your shopping list, it's my favourite grape of the region. It produces wines in a wide variety of styles, from the lusciously sweet wines of Bonnezeaux; to the complex, powerful, bone-dry styles of Savennieres; to the various delicious sparklers of many different appellations. It's a bit tricky knowing exactly what you're getting (Vouvray, probably the most commonly-seen appellation, produces wines in a variety of sweetness levels and both still and sparkling), but they're all delicious! PT6A posted:Petit Chablis consists of areas just outside and pretty much immediately adjacent to Chablis proper. The wines are produced with the same grape as Chablis, and tend to be of the same style, but the soil geology is slightly different, so the wines are not thought to be quite as good. I'm not sure about the soil to be honest. I've certainly heard the claim, but it's mostly come from people who have an interest in promoting the superiority of more prestigious vineyards. Chablis' quality levels are actually divided almost entirely on exposure, which translates into warmth. Petit Chablis vineyards almost exclusively face north, which receives none of the afternoon sun, and bares the brunt of the cold, bitter winds from farther north. What this means is that in most vintages, you're not going to get sufficient ripeness for good wine, especially in a cool region like Chablis. However, in very warm years, it can achieve good ripeness. HOWEVER, I still wouldn't recognise buying most Petit Chablis, even in warmer vintages. Why? Because Chardonnay wine is made primarily in the winery, not the vineyard, and there's no incentive for winemakers to spend money on what makes Chardonnay interesting - lees contact, batonnage, oak, etc., on Petit Chablis, which they can't sell for nearly as much as their other wines.
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Apr 1, 2014 06:24
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rj54x posted:It's not actually more than $30, but I've said time and again that Elijah Craig 12-year (running around $25 a bottle, give or take) is the prototypical example of everything a bourbon should be - rich, sweet (but not cloying in the way that many younger bourbons can be), and carries it's alcohol very well. Eagle Rare is another around that price point that I really enjoy as a sipping bourbon - it has a velvety, almost oily mouthfeel that is both uncommon and rather enjoyable if you like your spirit neat. If I had to characterise it, I'd say bourbon suffers from the fact that it "tops-out" before other spirits do. Again, with it being primarily neutral corn distillate, you're just not going to get as much flavour there as you will in say, Armagnac or rye, the latter of which I think is a lot more interesting. I will agree with you that Bourbon is great choice in the $30 or under category, in North America anyways. Or maybe I'm just not giving it a fair chance. I admit, I don't drink much of it anymore. B33rChiller posted:Thanks for this thread Kasumeat! In particular, I appreciate someone so invested in the wine industry saying it all comes down to what you like. No pretension. You mentioned Mission Hill deserving their good reputation. I won't argue that they make some good wines, but they sure do come across as unwelcoming to the average Joe at their fancy-pants winery. I've always got the feeling they were looking down their nose at me and anyone I brought in there for a tasting, like they thought they were better than us. When I moved out of West Kelowna 3 years ago, there were something like five or six other wineries within a five minute drive, and at all of them we were made to feel very welcome. I also felt like they all made some tasty wines, and would not hesitate buying from them. In particular I really enjoy the Mt. Boucherie Ehrenfelser. Do you know of any other Ehrenfelsers available on the market in Canada? I seem to remember finding one other winery that makes one at a wine fest a few years back, but can't remember who it was. This style really stands out to my unrefined palate. Sweet, but with a definite citrus bite to it. Really a hot summer day kind of wine. My pleasure, I'm glad you'r enjoying it! That's too bad about Mission Hill. I guess you can get away with that once you're as acclaimed as they are. I've never had a varietal Ehrenfelser, but from what I've heard there's not much reason to drink it over Riesling. I know a handful of BC wineries grow it, but it doesn't make much sense to me for BC to grow a Riesling scion developed for superior hardiness in cold weather. Google tells me some winery I've never heard of is making Ehrenfelser icewine in Niagara, but other than that I've never heard of any being available east of the prairies. I'm lucky to have the opportunity to blind taste a lot of wine, and you quickly learn that money doesn't necessary buy quality. Oak and concentration, sure, but not quality. As for Stella, it's always tasted like a pish lager to me, whereas most of those others just taste like lagers, which is a slight improvement I guess. . . . Kasumeat fucked around with this message at 06:57 on Apr 1, 2014 |
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Apr 1, 2014 06:55
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Kasumeat posted:I know a handful of BC wineries grow it, but it doesn't make much sense to me for BC to grow a Riesling scion developed for superior hardiness in cold weather. I'm sorry, could you elaborate on this a bit? I don't think I understand what you're saying here. Are you saying that the grapes used to make Ehrenfelser are some sub-type of the grapes used to make Riesling? Are you saying that Ehrenfelser grapes are more hardy than Riesling grapes? Wouldn't that mean they are more suited to the cold weather? Or maybe I have that backwards. I don't know what you mean by "scion" either. I honestly had no clue that Ehrenfelser and Riesling had anything in common other than they were both white wines, and both seem to be sweet. I just happened to fall head over heals for the Ehrenfelser when I tried it at the closest winery to my house. Never tried it before, and to me it didn't taste anything like any Rieslings I've tried. I don't know much about wines at all, other than I generally like a lot of them, apart from Chardonnays.
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Apr 1, 2014 08:41
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Is there wine in Aleppo soap? I would assume no, as Aleppo is a majority Muslim city, and Islam rightly forbids the consumption of alcohol. But I am trying to produce Aleppo soap, so if there is wine in Aleppo soap: What kind should I get, and where do I get it? How much should I expect to spend on enough wine to make a year's supply of Aleppo soap?
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Apr 1, 2014 08:49
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strong bird posted:Is there wine in Aleppo soap? I would assume no, as Aleppo is a majority Muslim city, and Islam rightly forbids the consumption of alcohol. But I am trying to produce Aleppo soap, so if there is wine in Aleppo soap: What kind should I get, and where do I get it? How much should I expect to spend on enough wine to make a year's supply of Aleppo soap? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo_soap Seems like "no". If you are going to make it, look up the proper measurements for the cold process -- it makes a much nicer soap. If you felt wine would add to the soap, you could probably get away with adding 1-5% to the mix. I'd probably err on the lower side, just for color. That way you can buy all the wine you want, for  soap of course!
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Apr 1, 2014 09:24
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Kasumeat posted:
Fair enough, that makes good sense.
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Apr 1, 2014 17:21
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Kasumeat posted:Grocery stores aren't permitted to sell alcohol here, so I haven't tried them. If you enjoy them, excellent. Personally, I get enough exposure to wine through tastings and work that if I'm buying a bottle for casual drinking, I'm generally going to spend a bit more to get something more unusual that'll be informative, or something classic that I might expect to encounter in blind tasting. Or Mosel Riesling, because it's the most delicious wine in the world. I have a question about whiskey, Rye in particular. For some reason Whiskey with a high corn content just makes me want to puke, but I have discovered that I like whiskey with a very high (as in 100%) rye content. Can you recomend some for me to try or other whiskeys that might interest me knowing my preference? I have pretty much stuck to Alberta Premium
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Apr 1, 2014 18:32
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Can sake and shochu be paired with things that aren't Japanese? I know people are starting to pair wines and beers with Asian foods (read a lot about Rieslings going with Indian, and Belgian dark beers with Sichuan food), but I haven't heard much about things going the other way.
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Apr 1, 2014 18:45
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slidebite posted:I have a question about whiskey, Rye in particular. Try Alberta Premium Dark Horse if you're looking for something similar but distinct. It's casked in rum barrels, which lends it a nice bit of sweetness, but it's not as overly sweet as I find most corn whiskeys. I've also had very good experiences with any of High West's products. They aren't all 100% rye, but nonetheless they have the rye spiciness that you're probably after. I can't remember if you're in Calgary, but if you are, I know you can find some of their products at Vine Arts on 1st Street (great store, if you've never been). I'm by no means a bourbon expert or anything, but if you're willing to give it a try again, I'd recommend Four Roses Small Batch. It was the first bourbon I ever drank where I finally understood why people could actually like it.
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Apr 1, 2014 18:47
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Thanks for the tips, I've never seen Alberta Premium dark horse but I'll look for it. I am actually down in Lethbridge, but we have a few really well stocked specialty shops so I should be able to track it down. It would take a real leap of faith for me to knowingly buy a bourbon, but I'm not against trying. Neat I assume?
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Apr 1, 2014 19:04
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slidebite posted:Thanks for the tips, I've never seen Alberta Premium dark horse but I'll look for it. I am actually down in Lethbridge, but we have a few really well stocked specialty shops so I should be able to track it down. I prefer all my whisk(e)ys with varying degrees of ice (scotch with only one or two cubes, rye with a full glass of ice, bourbon in the middle). Try it neat and on the rocks, and see which you prefer. It's 45% ABV I think, so dilution isn't the worst thing for it.
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Apr 1, 2014 19:07
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B33rChiller posted:I'm sorry, could you elaborate on this a bit? I don't think I understand what you're saying here. Are you saying that the grapes used to make Ehrenfelser are some sub-type of the grapes used to make Riesling? Are you saying that Ehrenfelser grapes are more hardy than Riesling grapes? Wouldn't that mean they are more suited to the cold weather? Or maybe I have that backwards. I don't know what you mean by "scion" either. I honestly had no clue that Ehrenfelser and Riesling had anything in common other than they were both white wines, and both seem to be sweet. I just happened to fall head over heals for the Ehrenfelser when I tried it at the closest winery to my house. Never tried it before, and to me it didn't taste anything like any Rieslings I've tried. I don't know much about wines at all, other than I generally like a lot of them, apart from Chardonnays. In the late 1800s, there were a number of grapes developed by crossing Riesling with other varieties. The idea made sense: you get the deliciousness of Riesling with the hardiness/productivity/disease-resistance/whatever of whatever you were crossing it with. Unfortunately, they never quite seemed to produce much quality wine, and their plantings are slowly disappearing as the vines die and are not replanted. The most famous of these is Müller-Thurgau. Ehrenfelser is another Riesling cross, this time with a table grape which lends Ehrenfelser its high productivity and frost resistance. It's entirely possible that it can make good wine. However, I'm dubious due to the low quality of every other grape produced in this way. I'll say one thing, I'll be sure to try some Ehrenfelser next time I come across it!
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Apr 2, 2014 05:28
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ookuwagata posted:Can sake and shochu be paired with things that aren't Japanese? I know people are starting to pair wines and beers with Asian foods (read a lot about Rieslings going with Indian, and Belgian dark beers with Sichuan food), but I haven't heard much about things going the other way. Absolutely. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of incentive for restaurants to do this because there are a lot more people interested in buying a $200 bottle of wine for their steak than a $200 bottle of sake. Sake is an interesting choice because it offers something very full bodied with a fairly delicate flavour profile, so it's a good choice for someone who wants something powerful to go with their whitefish. Soju on the other hand is not taken seriously at all in the West, and just about all I can tell you about it nobody here is importing any worth drinking.
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Apr 2, 2014 05:39
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Kasumeat posted:If I had to characterise it, I'd say bourbon suffers from the fact that it "tops-out" before other spirits do. Again, with it being primarily neutral corn distillate, you're just not going to get as much flavour there as you will in say, Armagnac or rye, the latter of which I think is a lot more interesting. I will agree with you that Bourbon is great choice in the $30 or under category, in North America anyways. Or maybe I'm just not giving it a fair chance. I admit, I don't drink much of it anymore. I wouldn't say that Bourbon's distillate is strictly neutral. Typically it enters the barrel around 60% ABV. Scotch distillate often enters the barrel at that proof, or even higher. Even vodkas which are distilled into the mid 90% range still carry some trace of their ingredients. Also a Bourbon isn't 100% corn spirits. A Bourbon mashbill is commonly around 70% corn. Straight Bourbon by definition is just required to be 51%. The remainder is made up of other cereal grains that make significant contributions to the flavor. Wheat adds some citrus and acidity. Rye gives you more warmth and black pepper. Blanton's is a good example of a wheated Bourbon. Booker's shows more Rye influence. You seem to find more Rye in Bourbons bottled at over 100 proof. I'd say the biggest limiting factor of traditional Bourbon is it being limited to new charred-oak barrels. That's mainly to adhere to the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey definition, which is stricter than the legal definition of the simple term Bourbon(Tennessee Whiskey is even technically Bourbon, but saying that in certain circles is a bad idea). Every other whiskey category has a host of different barrels and combinations of barrels to create different impressions with. Just the variation in peat and barrels used, in addition to aging, gives single malt Scotch its wide range of flavors. Distillation is really starting to boom in the US, and as more distilleries outside of Kentucky start to market their whiskey as Bourbon under the federal definition, we'll probably see that category become much more varied. Currently you have things like Angel's Envy being finished in Port Casks, and smaller outfits trying new things. Ranger Creek in Texas has a Mesquite aged Bourbon that I enjoyed. If I had to give one Bourbon recommendation that isn't mentioned a lot, it would be Belle Meade out of Tennessee. It's got dark fruit, soft spice, and it's matured to a point where it all weaves together nicely. You can probably find it for $30-40, depending on what state you're in.
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May 15, 2014 13:14
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Right, but all those bourbons you mentioned are $70 or more outside of the US. For that money, I can get great scotch, world-class rum, fantastic Armagnac, etc. Perhaps it's worth buying at the prices it goes for in the States, but for the other seven billion of us, the quality just doesn't justify the cost as a serious sipping spirit.
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May 15, 2014 16:50
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Kasumeat posted:Right, but all those bourbons you mentioned are $70 or more outside of the US. For that money, I can get great scotch, world-class rum, fantastic Armagnac, etc. Perhaps it's worth buying at the prices it goes for in the States, but for the other seven billion of us, the quality just doesn't justify the cost as a serious sipping spirit. It's sounds like the majority of the problem you have booze is Canada's liquor tax.
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May 15, 2014 17:07
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Kasumeat posted:Right, but all those bourbons you mentioned are $70 or more outside of the US. For that money, I can get great scotch, world-class rum, fantastic Armagnac, etc. Perhaps it's worth buying at the prices it goes for in the States, but for the other seven billion of us, the quality just doesn't justify the cost as a serious sipping spirit. Welcome to the world of international excise taxes? If you're not a Bourbon guy, you're not. Fair enough. If it's not a spirit you value for the money, fair enough. I just disagree with handwaving based on a wrong assumption about its quality.
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May 15, 2014 18:49
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What do you think of Spanish brandies? I was in Spain last week and I drank a few glasses of 1866 Gran Reserva, which was really good for the price I was paying. The flavour reminded me a little bit of a tawny Port, but it's still very obviously brandy. I had some Torres 10 as well, which I didn't care for as much. Can you recommend me a Spanish brandy I have a decent chance of finding in Alberta?
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May 15, 2014 20:53
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Dusseldorf posted:It's sounds like the majority of the problem you have booze is Canada's liquor tax. I wish it was that simple, but my issue is its quality relative to other premium spirits. The tax is the same across the board. Clitch posted:Welcome to the world of international excise taxes? If you're not a Bourbon guy, you're not. Fair enough. If it's not a spirit you value for the money, fair enough. I just disagree with handwaving based on a wrong assumption about its quality. Again, the taxes are paid on every import. I'm comparing bourbon to Scotch, Armagnac, etc., not Canadian whisky. But I think we agree on my major issues with it. Bourbon is handcuffed by requiring it to be a majority corn, and requiring 100% new oak barrels. Corn makes very uninteresting distillate, and American oak is a sledgehammer of an aromatizing agent. You very rarely get the same complexity as in comparably priced spirits.
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May 15, 2014 21:13
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PT6A posted:What do you think of Spanish brandies? I was in Spain last week and I drank a few glasses of 1866 Gran Reserva, which was really good for the price I was paying. The flavour reminded me a little bit of a tawny Port, but it's still very obviously brandy. I had some Torres 10 as well, which I didn't care for as much. Can you recommend me a Spanish brandy I have a decent chance of finding in Alberta? Not familiar with them, sorry!
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May 15, 2014 21:13
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Spanish brandies are generally regarded as the best in the world. So, as long as you aren't buying the cheapest one, you are in for a treat! They are usually drier than French brandies, so which one you like more depends slightly on taste. Lepanto, Don Pedro, Gran Duque and Senor Lustao 1940 are all absolutely outstanding brandies.
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May 16, 2014 21:18
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Shbobdb posted:Spanish brandies are generally regarded as the best in the world. So, as long as you aren't buying the cheapest one, you are in for a treat! They are usually drier than French brandies, so which one you like more depends slightly on taste. Lepanto, Don Pedro, Gran Duque and Senor Lustao 1940 are all absolutely outstanding brandies. I thought Cognacs and Armagnacs were usually considered the best in the world? Or are they just more well-known and available?
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May 16, 2014 22:04
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I'm here in vancouver bc and how can I get drunk for the least amount of money.
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May 18, 2014 04:21
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Kasumeat posted:Absolutely. Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of incentive for restaurants to do this because there are a lot more people interested in buying a $200 bottle of wine for their steak than a $200 bottle of sake. Sake is an interesting choice because it offers something very full bodied with a fairly delicate flavour profile, so it's a good choice for someone who wants something powerful to go with their whitefish. Soju on the other hand is not taken seriously at all in the West, and just about all I can tell you about it nobody here is importing any worth drinking. In parts of the U.S., soju had a boom in popularity due to a quirk of the law. Establishments could serve soju on a beer/wine licence due to legislators thinking "Soju, eh? That must be just like sake..." Thus arose various awful variations on cocktails using strong soju in place of the spirits. On another note, have you much experience with Baltic liqueurs? I recently got a bottle of Black Balsam, which I liked better than Suktinis, but neither was really sip-able without grimacing. Where do I go from here? Baloogan posted:I'm here in vancouver bc and how can I get drunk for the least amount of money. Take the bus to Seattle?
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May 19, 2014 04:15
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Baloogan posted:I'm here in vancouver bc and how can I get drunk for the least amount of money. Based on my time in Edmonton spent studying the behaviors of the homeless, sherry appears to offer the best bang for your buck. Canadian Whisky comes in at a close second. Though Vancouver may have a slightly different scene.
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May 19, 2014 18:32
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I really like ice wine (used to live in France where it was much more available). Now I live in California, and can't find any in stores for the life of me. Maybe the whole "it's never winter" thing has something to do with it. So, I was wondering if you either had suggestions for relatively inexpensive ice wine, or if all bottles are going to be $25+, suggestions for ones that are particularly good and worth the price. I like the fact that they're sweet, but wouldn't want something that's closer to a liqueur. Also, in a month I'm going to Vancouver, which I figure might be closer to the source, and would love any recommendations for varieties to try over there. Last off, thanks for the thread! I think on some level I always thought of sommelier as a made up job from teh 50's/Parks & Rec, so it's really cool to get some insight.
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May 19, 2014 23:07
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RIP ZEEZ
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foutre posted:I really like ice wine (used to live in France where it was much more available). There's no such thing as inexpensive icewine, it's very expensive to produce: tiny yields, manual harvesting, incredible risk of crop loss due to late harvest, and only grown in high-labor-cost areas. However, there are plenty of other great (IMO vastly superior) dessert wines out there. I've already written about them in more detail earlier in the thread, but my favorites are the chenin blanc based wines of the Loire valley and the sweeter styles of German Riesling, especially beerenauslese. For specific ice wine recs, I really like Strewn's Riesling, but I don't know if they export. Tawse is a very good producer, especially their reds.Royal de Maria is good but often overpriced. Chateau des Charmes' Vidal is good. Inniskillin is mediocre and I would recommend other producers if you can find them. Frozen Horse posted:In parts of the U.S., soju had a boom in popularity due to a quirk of the law. Establishments could serve soju on a beer/wine licence due to legislators thinking "Soju, eh? That must be just like sake..." Thus arose various awful variations on cocktails using strong soju in place of the spirits. Afraid not, but I know a man who would. I'll ask next chance I get. Kasumeat fucked around with this message at 23:37 on May 19, 2014 |
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May 19, 2014 23:28
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