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Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

September 27, 2023 America

Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

It is that time of year again. It comes every year to the North Eastern Region of the United States. The weather cools down, the sweaters come out, the leaves start to change, and every American Corporation that produces a product that can be eaten, smelled, or tasted has Pumpkin Spice in it. It is in coffee, creamers, beer, ice cream, pasta dished, dry food, candy, candles, lotions, oils, air freshers and so on. I get it, who doesn’t like gets chemicals added into their food. It is so American!

Pumpkin spice fucking sucks. Does anyone think of maybe, just maybe, getting a fresh pumpkin and cooking it yourself? Make our own pie? Make your own risotto?

Do you know what is used to create Pumpkin Flavoring? Me neither, but I know is chemicals and not pumpkin. So, I looked it up for you.

Cinnamaldehyde: Gives the cinnamon flavoring. It is also used in natural mosquito repellant and can cause skin and eye irritation.
Sabinene: Gives the nutmeg flavoring. It is also used in perfume and drugs because it smells nice.
Zingiberene: Gives the ginger flavoring. This one might actually be good for you.
Eugenol: Gives the clove or allspice flavoring. This one appears to occur in nature, and use perfumes.

Can you explain to me why it is called “Pumpkin Spice” when there is no pumpkin in it? Better yet, can you pronounce any of these items? I can not, but don’t worry, these are FDA approved. Everyone still trusts the FDA, right?

In my opinion everyone should stop consuming this shit. Drink whiskey outdoors by a fire pit and eat pumpkin pie.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Clyde May’s Straight Rye

September 21, 2023 America

Name: Clyde May’s Straight Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, spices, white pepper, orange, wood

Taste: Rye, baking spices, orange, wood

Clyde May is named after the man and historical moonshiner from Alabama has a long history of backwoods whiskey production. Clyde passed away in 1990 and his son took over the business and made it legal. The whiskey is sourced from Indiana or possibly Kentucky and bottled in Florida. As of January 2022 they broken ground in Troy, Alabama with construction to complete in 2023 and first released production in 2027. The history of the May Family is one of good old fashion American grit. Most new distilleries are just kids playing with daddy’s money.

The bottle is Receipt #003 and is 47% abv. It has a light rye nose and is “ok” compared to the Straight Bourbon and Alabama, however, the nose equals the taste which is never a good sign in my experience. Straight Rye is the best out of the three I sampled and could work in a cocktail, but the proof it too low to mix. This expression reminds me of Bulliet Rye, but not as good.

Other expressions: Straight Rye, Straight Bourbon, Alabama Style Whiskey, Clyde May’s Cask Strength, Alabama Style Whiskey, and Clyde May’s Special Reserve Alabama Style Whiskey.

Priced around $45 and I will not be trying any more of Clyde May’s expression. They are what they are, slugging whiskey in a flashy labeled bottle.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

My Father Cigar – La Promesa

September 20, 2023 Cigars

Name: My Father Cigar – La Promesa

Size: Varies

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

My Father is a brand that I discovered in the last couple of years and have grown to enjoy and become a default purchase when I am looking for a stick. The La Promesa series is identified by the pink/orange wrapper. The cigar is a medium smoke with a nutty and light chocolate flavor. It has a nice draw with an even burn and lasted about 45 minutes.

I bullet cut the cigar and it started off a little dry tasting but then it went away. I think this was because my humidor was under 72% RH. The outdoor temperature was 80F with slightly high humidity which I think helped cigar. The draw was smooth and even, and appeared to be well wrapped.

Other La Promesa’s to sample: Petite 4.5 x 50, Corona Gorda 5.5 x 48, Robusto Grande 5.5 x 54, Toro 6 x 52, and Lancero 7.5 x 38.

Priced around $12-15 per cigar and worth the price for the quality.

If you like it, drink it (or smoke it)! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Ardbeg 10

September 14, 2023 Scotland

Name: Ardbeg 10

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Peat, coal, smoke

Taste: Smokey peat, spices

Ardbeg 10 is a Highland scotch from the Islay region in Scotland that I like to put into a category I call “Big Boy Scotch”. Ardbeg is considered by some people in the whisky world to be the peatiest of all the scotches. I can think of a few other scotches out there that can compete for that title but with heavily peated scotch is truly a matter of individual taste. The name “Ardbeg” is Scottish Gaelic for a “small promontory”. A promontory is defined as “a point of high land that juts out into a large body of water”. See map below.

As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I like to start my tasting experiences with 10 to 12-year-old scotches so I can get a feel for the baseline flavor profile. Plus, and this is an important point since I self-fund this operation, they more affordable! Some people just like to jump to the much older and aged scotches. I never found this helpful in the learning process of tasting. It is hard to graduate upwards and gain appreciation for what you are drinking if you start with the best first. Also, many people are uneducated shits that want to look cool in the company of others. When it comes to heavily peated scotches I do not see the need to go to the oldest or most expensive bottle you are learning or developing a taste for peated whisky.

Ardbeg produces other expressions that range in price and quality. These expressions are, but not limited to the following; An Oa, Blasda, Corryvreckan, Supernova, Uigeadail, Rollercoaster, Alligator, Ardbeg Day, Kelpie, and Grooves. Some of the prices of these are very high and I look forward to the Rabbie Burns Tasting in 2019 to sample some of these expressions.

Price around $55 and a very good scotch if you like peated whisky. It is also a great scotch to warm you in cold winter weather.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnny Drum Bourbon

September 13, 2023 America

Name: Johnny Drum Bourbon

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn mash vanilla, oak, white pepper

Taste: Corn mash vanilla, oak, white pepper, cream finish

Johnny Drum Bourbon is produced by Johnny Drum Distilling Company which is owned by the Willett Distillery so we are off to a good start. It is named after a drummer boy who served in the Civil War in 1861 and returned home to Kentucky….Oh fuck me, here we go again making a historical story to give some age to a new product. This whiskey is named after the Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Patrick Gilmore in 1863, not some little boy from Kentucky.

The bourbon is bottled at 50.5% abv (101 proof) and is non-aged stated. It has a nice flavor, good balance, and has a sweeter cream finish. It is surprisingly not too hot for the proof and is smoother than I would have expected. It works well neat or on ice, but I do not think it would well in a cocktail due to cream notes. The source of bourbon is not public, but it tastes of quality.

Other expressions: Johnny Drum Private Stock, Johnny Drum Black Label, and Johnny Drum Green Label.

It is a drinkable bourbon but nothing that impressive. I believe it is just another product to put on a shelf to make money. It is not a bourbon made with a lot of heart, just dollar signs.

Priced around $45 and drinkable but not impressive. I have not seen in on shelves in the NYC area.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Hendrick’s Gin

September 7, 2023 Scotland

Name: Hendrick’s Gin

Color: Clear

Nose: Juniper, cucumber, flowers

Taste: Juniper, cucumber, rose flowers, fresh tasting finish

Hendrick’s Gin is known as the “Cucumber Gin” and is manufactured by William Grant & Sons at the Girvan Distillery in Scotland. It was released in 1999 and is bottled at 44% abv. The are 11 botanicals in the gin; chamomile, elderflower, juniper, lemon peel, orange peel, caraway, coriander, cubeb berries, angelica root, yarrow root, and orris root. After the gin is distilled it is then infused with rose and cucumber. The taste is very different than the usual suspects like Bombay or Tanqueray.

I have only enjoyed this gin in two ways. In a martini or with tonic water. Below are my thoughts base on the photo in the review.

Regular Tonic: Clean and smooth tasting. Lighter than cheaper tonics.
Cucumber Tonic: Fresh tasting with medium strong cucumber flavors. Lighter than the regular tonic water.
Hendricks & Tonic w/ lime wedge: Gross. Lime does not mix well with the gin flavors.
Hendricks & Regular Tonic w/ cucumber slice: Fresh and clean nose, very light and summery. The quinine seems to overpower the finish. Tastes good.
Hendricks & Cucumber Tonic w/ cucumber slice: Very cucumber nose and taste. Not much quinine taste, little too syrupy for me but not bad. Tastes good, but very strong cucumber taste.
Martini Up w/ cucumber slice: Light and refreshing with clean cucumber taste. Easy to drink but comes off as a one and done cocktail. Not a repeat drink like a Bombay Sapphire.

Other expressions: Obrium, Midsummer Solstice, Absinthe, Amazonia, Lunar, and Neptunia.

Priced around $50 and worth the money if you like the cucumber taste or to experiment in summer cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

September 6, 2023 America

Name: Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Bourbon, bitters, citrus, smells like an old fashion

Taste: Bourbon, vanilla, honey, light sugar

I saw this can on the shelf and I figured I should give it a try just to be fair. Everyone younger than me are drinking all these soda water cocktail cans by the pool these days. From what I experienced with tasting some of them they are terrible. Cutwater has numerous types of canned cocktails. I would list them all, but I don’t really want to waste my time and my readers.

I first saw canned cocktails about 15 years ago on train rides from London to Glasgow. I saw some people drinking them, usually businesspeople having a wee drink. The proper drinkers on a 4.5-hour train ride bring bottles of wine with corkscrews or bottles of whisky with plastic cups. I quickly learned how expensive drinks are in the bar cart and started bringing lunch and a couple of beers for the ride.

This cocktail can is20% abv, 40 proof in a 200 ml and tastes like a regular plain Old Fashioned made by a very average bartender. So, for it coming out of a can that is not that bad to be honest. It’s not good, it is just not bad

I was surprised that it was not too chemically tasting but it clearly has stabilizing chemicals in it as there is a slight chemical taste. I started neat and then added ice to it and it drinkable either way. Little too much sugar in it for my taste but if you added some more bourbon to it would kill the sugar.

These types of drinks are fine picnic, train trip, or pool party. The small can so be easy to hide if you need to but Old Fashions are a bad idea in hot weather. Don’t believe me, drink a few on a hot day.

Priced around $5 for a single can. I would drink one on a train ride if there was no other choice.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

September 2, 2023 Opinions Vary

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

Frequently I get asked, “What is a good whisky to give to someone as a gift?”

I never know the correct answer because I do not know the person who is receiving the gift. This leads me to ask more questions such as, “What is their preferred type of whisky? Do they like it strong or light? How much do you want to spend? Is it for making cocktails?” etc. This ends up confusing the asker and I realize I have not helped that much. So I thought I would offer my opinion, which varies, on what whisky’s to give as a gift.

My gift recommendations are as follows:

Scotch: Johnnie Walker Black at $35. Always works even for non-whisky drinkers. You can drink it, cook with it, and re-gift it. Upgrade would be any 12-14 year old Single Malt around $50-60.

Bourbon: Woodford Reserve at $35. Same as JW Black. Upgrade would be Michters or FEW at around $50.

Rye: Bulliet Rye at $35. Same as JW Black. Upgrade would be Sagamore Rye at $50

For cocktails: Knob Creek 9 (100 proof) at $40. Upgrade would be Sagamore Cask Strength Rye at $65+

Special Occasions: Johnnie Walker Blue ($200+) or Johnnie Walker 18 ($125).

My final thought is do not give whisky as a gift unless you know what the person likes or at least the brand they enjoy. But if in doubt, follow the ones above.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Blade and Bow

August 31, 2023 America

Name: Blade and Bow

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Corn, cedar oak, spice rye

Taste: Corn, wood, vanilla, spices, sweet finish

Blade & Bow Bourbon is produced by Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, KY. The distillery was founded by Van Winkle, Farnsley, and Weller. These three have produced some well known bourbons in the last 100 years. Bottled at 45.5% abv and with one key attached neck which represents the five keys that were on the door of the distillery and five steps of production. The steps are; made in the USA, aged in new charred oak, 51% corn mash, cannot enter barrel higher than 125 proof, and nothing can be added except water.

Blade & Bow also uses the Solera Aging Method and is not cheap or time friendly in production. The barrels are filled from top down which creates a finished product that is a mix of aged whiskey in the various barrels. In the process the barrels are stacked and the barrels which the whiskey is bottled from bottom is never drained more than 50%. Since no container is ever drained, some of the earlier product remains in each container.

Blade & Bow is not a traditional “sweeter” bourbon like most in this price range. It has a bit of a rough edge and bite to it on the tongue with strong wood notes. If you add water or ice it will soften and the lighter cream and more of a expected taste profile will emerge. Personally, I find this profile more inline to my liking as I generally prefer Scotch over Bourbon, but I am half Scottish, so it is expected.

Blade & Bow reminded me a little of Blanton’s Bourbon in the sense of its different style. However, Blade is sweeter and a bit more complex than Blanton’s. It is also cheaper and easier to find on the market as of 2021.

Priced around $50 and worth the money if you like the flavor profile.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Hawksmoor Steakhouse NYC

August 23, 2023 NYC

Hawksmoor Steakhouse NYC opened in September 2021 and is part of a chain founded in East London in 2006. The restaurant is located at 109 East 22^nd (22^nd & Park) in the Gramercy Park. For readers not familiar with the layout of NYC, it is in the Midtown area and 20 blocks South of Grand Central down Park Ave.

The bar is on the left when you walk in the door and dining room is just behind it. The dining room has impressive antique and high ceilings. When I walked in, I assumed it used to be a bank due to grand space. I was told it was a meeting place for Noble Prize winners hosted by JP Morgan back in the 1890’s. So I was kind of right, it was a bank.

On Hawksmoor’s website it states: “Our menu revolves around all-natural beef from family-run farms, many based in upstate New York, Pennsylvania, and New England, simply seasoned with flaked sea salt and seared over live-fire charcoal.”

I would say this is an accurate description from what I experienced. The bar is set up well, has a nice vibe, and the bartender was very professional. We started night with Michters Old Fashions. The drinks were well made and poured in oversized rock glasses with a oversized clear single ice cube and lemon twist. A well-mixed and served cocktail, but as expected, $18+ drink. I prefer drinks at that price to come with a NYC skyline view but no one gives a shit what I think.

Hawksmoor Bar – NYC

We sat in a curve booth in the back right side of the dining room and share a couple of steaks (T-bone & Strip), along with some sides and wine. The menu is not very large when it comes to the choices of food or wine. This is nice to keep the selections simple and high quality but lends to higher prices. I recommend you check the menu ahead of you visit if cost is a concern. Reservations are strongly recommended and there is no stated dress code, but you should dress up a little bit to dine a Hawksmoor.

Hawksmoor Dinning Room – NYC

I have only one complaint, the noise level.

The high arched ceilings are hard plaster, the walls are hard wood, and the floor and table are solid wood. The chairs are wood with some soft cushioning on the back of the chairs. The interior designer did NOT do a good job with noise control. The space needs some soft panels on the walls or fabric art. Any column or odd low wall needs soft panels or cushioning to absorb noise. As the dinning room filled up the noise raised to a level where it became difficult to hear people at my table who were 2 feet from me. If someone from Hawksmoor reads this, do not rely on the interior decorator, get an acoustical engineer to look at this as well.

Overall, I was very impressed. I enjoyed the drinks, wine, food, and desert. I highly recommend Hawksmoor to anyone looking for a steakhouse styled dinner in NYC.

If you like it, drink it (or eat it)! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Opinions Vary: Pumpkin Spice Season

Clyde May’s Straight Rye

My Father Cigar – La Promesa

Ardbeg 10

Johnny Drum Bourbon

Hendrick’s Gin

Cut Water Bourbon Old Fashioned

Opinions Vary: Whisky as a Gift

Blade and Bow

Hawksmoor Steakhouse NYC

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