Boulevardier???

It's been a while since I really used this blog mainly because I've been working a lot on the whiskySheffield blog after the mantle had been passed to me. However, as it's meant to be just about whisky it's kind of restrictive if I want to talk about other kind of drinks - which I frequently do and sometimes I just want to post up a few items without really proofing them and making them at all presentable. Also I feel that the WhiskySheffield site should be fairly impersonal and not really my own opinion of things - after all the wonderful thing about whisky is that everyone likes different stuff and no one ever agrees with any one else about what they really like. By the by what I really have been getting into today is a cocktail that I've never really considered before until (I belive it was boozedancing on twitter) posted up an option of either Negroni or Whisky. I love Negroni's - simply equal measures of Campari, Gin and sweet Vermouth (usually Red). I love Campari you see. And anything where it's a constituent component of a cocktail will always get me interested. The Campari and Gin work so well together - as does Campari and Vemouth AND as we all know Gin and Vermouth (to make a Martini) It's like the holy trinity coming together. What I didn't twig (and it's obvious if you think about it) is that if you take out the gin and replace it with whisky - Bourbon - then it becomes a Boulevardier! Or a bourbon negroni. Or a camparied up version of a Manhattan!

Here's a fairly interesting article - have a read...

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/case-study-the-boulevardier/

So what I'm left with is Campari - Sweet Vermouth (Martini Rosso) and then the whisky. But what whisky???

My natural instinct is to go through the types of bourbon and their mashbill - corn dominated ones don't seem right - perhaps too oily although they may have the sweetness, wheat dominated ones like Maker's Mark may just be too subtle and not stand up to the punishment of the bitter orange of Campari. So rye seems a good choice. So why not just a rye whisky. You get the spice - spice and bitter orange but maybe not the sweetness to act as a balance. But then if you look at it as a whisky based Negroni then spice is going to be a better bed-fella. A high proof rye will help get the flavour across but then would you want to be wasting someting like a Stagg in such an experiment?? I had a couple of ryes kicking around - the first a Bulleit 95. 95% Rye mashbill so a full on rye experience. This really did stand up to the Campari - giving it a massive bear hug and both seemed to enjoy each others company. For a first time experiment it seemed a perfect fit. The second choice was Templeton. Now this is a lot more subtle and at first the balance seemed not so good. But after a little dilution after a tiny bit of ice melt it seemed to work a little better. So round one to Bulleit. There's a Copper Fox kicking around that I think won't work at all but I'm willing to give it a go. Also the younger Sazerac, Pikesville I don't think will have the guts but I'm hoping that Rittenhouse 100 proof may give it the killer blow I'm looking for.

Will let you know.

J

Corralillo Malbec/Merlot 2005

Matetic
Corralillo
Merlot/Malbec
2005
14.5%
Chile

Had this kicking around the cellar for the last half a decade and for no good reason other than a bit thirsty decided to crack it open. This one was from 2005 when it used to be imported by Oddbins, when I used to work there, back then. Obvs that's a bit of time ago and even I can't remember the complete percentages. However, you can pick up the Winemakers blend which I believe replaced this bottle.

The 2006 is 67% Merlot, 17% Cab Franc, 10% Merlot and 6% Pinot Noir.
The 2009 is 40% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 20% Cab Franc, 12% Malbec.

I just got that off the internet - you can grab the Winemakers Blend in Majestic these days.

Now I'm pretty sure this vintage ain't any of them combos but it is a beaut. There's a wonderful depth to it as it's opened up over the evening. The balance is sublime. Full bodied and rather rich with lashings of deep dark chocolate, morello cherry and berry fruit, a subtle lick of vanilla and warm integrated spice that all arrives in a very orderly fashion. Like the best guests at a house party. The Malbec adding the floral notes, the Merlot giving it the fruity edge. The finish is long and drying and the tannins are firm but friendly. It's very soft but the structure is tip top. I seem to remember that this was a biodynamic/organic winery if memory serves.

The cellaring seems to have improved the integration of the elements - it is a long time ago back before I ever bothered with tasting notes but I vaguely remember the Malbec being more dominant and the overall vibe being a bit youthful and stalky. However, that may just have been a memory of another Matetic offering - so that's a completely reliable assessment! Whatever, this is a very lovely wine, with such a smooth and more-ish finish. I'm going to have to snap up a bottle of the Winemakers blend and see how that compares.

Cocktail 1

Recently I worked up some cocktails for a hen-do. After a little fact finding I found out that the bride-to-be really liked cherry and was a fan of Italian cooking. There's a whole load of extra info that necessitated the need to use some jam jars too. This one was intended to be clean and fresh, to be drunk in the warm outside in the early afternoon. I'll post the other ones later.

Christina's Basil and Lemon Fizz.

Serves 2.

1/2 Orange
1/2 Lemon
Basil
4 Vodka
2 Limoncello
2 Blood Orange Juice.
Soda Water
Jam Jar

Half orange and lemon and cut to a couple of segments. Add 6-8 Basil leafs. Muddle them all in a large glass or shaker.
Add Vodka and Limoncello and Orange Juice.
Add a few cubes of ice and shake.
Taste and adjust the balance as needed.

Fill jam jar half with ice. Add 3-4 Basil leafs. Top up with ice.
Screw on lid and quick shake to bruise the basil but not to pulverise it.
Double strain the liquid and half fill the jam jars.
Top up with soda water.
Quick stir to mingle the drink.
Garnish with lemon and orange slice with fresh basil leaf in between.

There's a slight variation where you can add some triple-sec if the balance isn't to your liking but that's up to you guys.

Here's a picture of me during some intense research.

Plantation Panama 2000

Nose - Sweet fudge and toffee. Thick and chunky. Herby. Thyme. Touch of bbq fish or more like Paprika crisps. Young pineapple.
Taste - Continues the same themes as the nose. Light dusting of spice. Eucalyptus (as stated on the label) shines through. A touch toasty. Slightly wooded vanilla. A hint of bitter. A lick of smoke.

Finish - Mellow with glistening sugars. Spices continue and fade slowly. In all something quite lovely with enough body and sweet/spice/savoury/bitterness combo to keep it interesting and moreish.

Recently

I quite like the fact that the last few posts I made were when slightly under the influence. I guess it is called Jeffdrinks for a reason. Obviously they are a complete mess - the Smith and Cross one lacks capital letters and any reasonable punctuation for a start. I suspect that it was just a draft I decided to publish. And why not. The Blair Athol I certainly did consume with my friend Alex last night. And I do remember it being a lot more sherried than the last time I had it. But then maybe the last time I had it was at the distillery, and that was a wee while ago now. Certainly very tasty though. I've been thinking about restructuring the blog anyway. Now I'm involved in helping out the whisky sheffield peeps http://whiskysheffield.wordpress.com/ then maybe this should be more about what I drink and also used  to tell what has been going on in the tastings that I run. Also some more pictures too. Now that I've learnt to steal them off the internet!

smith and cross

instant and unmistakable aroma of unripe and then rotting bananas says that this is a jamican rum through and through. and then you know full well that there is probaby only one distillery that could produce this and that is the pots at hampden. longpond may have the column stills to give your rum a certain lightness but the dunder and the depths mean that it has to hampden. it's almost sickly in it's approach, it's like a rum on steroids. too beefy too concentrated. it's a classic example where it's not about the abv strenght but about the esters. about the long fermentation that;s built in the the flavours. about the pot still that makes it oh-so heavy. like the jap doom rockers. sustined deep distort chord

there;s the sweetness and the pungency

it's been described as camabert which in the scheme ofd things isn't that really far off the mark
its a lot-it of loathe it rum (although I'm personally not convinced that the second categoryt exists for this rum) - ok it's full bodied and if you hate strong flavours then this is not for you. but it's esters mean that it can pretty much resist anything flavour wise - bbq smoke and chilli yeah this rum will beat it down and then give it a warm hug before seeing it on it's way. It smells amazing but it smacks you around the mouth quite considerably. That's the beauty.

 it's always going to come over the top, this one. the alchol is pretty on top too. but no matter what you've eaten or what you've drank this is going to wade through your palate. now i

thick treacle, and huge custard.

it's

Blair Athol

Well apparently this is the 12 YO F&F.
But it's so dark.
So much more sherry than I remember it to be.
There's a lot going on, on the nose we decide.
Sherry. Xmas Cake, Nuts and lots and lots and lots of dried fruit.
Hazelnuts, Frangepan, Dates.
On the palate it's a lot more subtle.
Gentle waves with no real spice kicking in.
Mocha, coffee.
We've been given this blind and so we can chalk out what it's not.
Well it's deeply, deeply sherry for a start and it doesn't have anywhere near the body of a Glenfarclas. Nor the spritely layers of an Aberlour.
It doesn't begin with a glen or start with a "m".
So slightly tumbled when it's a Blair Athol.
Now this is a distillery I've visited before but, as above, I so don't remember this profile. At all. Nowhere near like the ones I've got stashed away.
In any case, the nose is sumptuous. Deep, complex, inviting and layered. Maybe the palate fails to live up to that nose but it's steady and holds no surprises. Perhaps a tad short but everything that is there is worth the money. I would have thought more a Mortlach than a Blair Athol personally but then I didn't pour it. A great, possibly classic nose that doesn't live up to it's promise on the palate.
I'll go find out if it's a F&F. But I'm still not so sure.
J