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Harry’s Bar – Venice, Italy

February 19, 2025 NYC

Name: Harry’s Bar

Location: Venice, Italy

Website: Cipriani | Harry’s Bar Venice | Venezia, Italy

Harry’s Bar is located around the corner from St. Mark’s Plaza in Venice, Italy and was founded in 1931 by Giuseppe Cipriani. If the name “Cipriani” sounds familiar, it’s because it is hotel/restaurant worldwide company that has many properties and few locations in NYC. The history of Harry’s Bar is very interesting and I recommend you look it up.

My first visit was about 15 years ago in October and my second visit was 2 years ago in July. I suggest you visit for an afternoon drink from 2:00-5:00pm. I recommend their Bellini, Martini, or a Negroni along with some small snacks. HOWEVER, buyer beware, this place is very expensive. Even the late Anthony Bourdain was quoted saying “Harry’s Bar costs a fuck lot”. He is not wrong.

If Harry’s Bar is out of your price range, you can opt to go to St. Mark’s Plaza and sit outside for a drink, but it’s really just a little cheaper. If St. Mark’s is not going to work for your budget, I recommend you walk 10-15 minutes away from St. Mark’s up the canal. You will find several outdoor cafes on the water that have great views and reasonably priced drink and food.

Tip for first time travelers to Venice:

Summer is ridiculously busy and can be brutally hot. The city is all stone so it holds and radiates the heat at the same time regardless of being on the water. Most places do not have ice cold air conditioning so you can feel exhausted walking around no matter how much water you drink. I recommend to everyone to see Venice in the early Fall. There are less people, cooler weather, and it is easier to get seat at Harry’s Bar.

Harry’s Bar is absolutely worth a visit if you are in Venice and it fits your budget.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Laphroaig Oak Select

February 12, 2025 Scotland

Name: Laphroaig Oak Select

Color: Gold

Nose: Oak, peat, iodine, white flowers and fruit

Taste: Oak, peat, iodine, white flowers and fruit

Laphroaig Oak Select is (and I am quoting from their site) the “most laid-back expression lets our signature flavors of medicinal peat smoke and seaweed shine, leaving plenty of room for notes of red fruit, lime and a floral finish”. I would call it the “Bud Light of Laphroaig” as it is just a light version of Laphroaig 10.

This expression is non aged stated, but is matured in Oloroso sherry butts, ex-Bourbon quarter casks and Pedro Ximenez sherry hogsheads and then finished in virgin American oak barrels. It is botted at 40% and has the appearance of the classic green bottle with a white label.

Laphroaig Oak Select is fine but it is a just a light version of the 10 year old. Less peat and bite on it. Whisky like Laphroaig is not for everyone, this expression would be a good way to easy someone into what I refer to as “Big Boy Scotch”. It works nicely in a hot toddy and I am going to try it in a cocktail.

Priced around $50 and worth it if you like Laphroaig.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Oban 14

February 5, 2025 Scotland

Name: Oban 14

Color: Brown

Nose: Malt, honey, flowers, light oak, honey

Taste: Malt, dry wood, honey, flowers

The Oban distillery is located in the West Coast of Scotland in the port of Oban. It was established in 1794 and is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. I have not had Oban in years, and I received this bottle from my good friend Sam for the birth on my son. I will admit, I need a drink now and then during that first month of fatherhood.

Oban 14 flavor profile is very nice and well balanced, but it falls a little flat for me. I am not overly impressed with it for the age. At 14 years I was expected a little more richer tasting flavor profile for a single malt that is medium light in body. Oban is a smooth drinker but come as at a higher price point. This price is likely due to the small size of the distillery and the low volume production.

Oban Expressions: 14, 18, 32, Little Bay, Distiller’s Edition, and The Soul of Calypso.

Priced around $75 to $100 and priced a little on the high side for the flavor profile

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Campari

January 29, 2025 NYC

Name: Campari

Color: Candy Red

Nose: Herbs, floral, sugar notes

Taste: Herbs, medicinal, sugar, orange peels

Campari an Italian liqueur infused with herbs, fruit, alcohol and water. It was invented in 1860 and is used primarily as a mixer in cocktails, but it is a type of bitters and is considered an aperitif. It is best known to be mixed with soda water, citrus juice, and in Negroni, American, Boulevardier, and a few other less known cocktails.

When I started traveling to Italy many years ago, I used to treat myself to a “Campri on the Rock’s” on each visit. It was more like punishing myself. I look back and laugh on my younger self for trying to enjoy such an unpleasant drink in a beautiful country. However, today in wiser years, I keep a bottle on my bar for my favorite summer cocktail the “Anthony Bourdain Big Ass Negroni”.

This year I will be expanding my cocktail reviews to add a few Italian cocktails and I will be doing some bar reviews in Italy for any readers heading over this summer for a vacation.

Priced around $40 and a necessity on your bar for certain cocktails.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

January 22, 2025 Cigars

Name: Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

Size: 3.9” x 60

Shape: Perfecto

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf, Oscuro

Binder: Brazil

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Liga Privada No. 9 “Flying Pig” is made by Drew Estate and is considered one of their better expressions. This cigar is rich, oily, and has a chocolate coffee nut flavor to it. The draw is very smooth, but it hits hard with the strong Brazilian tobacco.

I like cigars like this when I want a “kick”, but I do not want to spend an hour smoking. It is very good smoke, but a little on the high side in price.

Priced around $25 per stick and worth it if you like the flavor and it fits your budget.

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

If you like it, drink it!

Highland Park 12

January 15, 2025 Scotland

Name: Highland Park 12

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Malt, sugar orange, light smoke

Taste: Malt, white fruit, honey-spices, orange, light smoke

Highland Park distillery is located in Kirkwall on the Orkney Islands in Scotland. The distillery was founded in 1798 and has changed ownership several times. This expression appears to be part of their Viking or Valhalla Series. If you did not know, the Scottish & Irish descent from Vikings.

Highland Park 12 is a highland single malt, aged for 12 years, and bottled at 43% abv. The bottle design is their “Viking Honour” which is park of their Viking themed whisky expressions Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freya.

This whisky is a medium-light drinker with honey orange flavors on the front of the profile. It is very easy to knock back a few of these on ice. I drank it during the wintertime, but it strikes me as more of a summer whisky. It is very drinkable and priced well.

Other expressions: Highland Park 12, 18, 21, 24, 54 Cask Strength Release No. 5, and Cask No. 1494.

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

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

January 8, 2025 Canada

Name: Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Light malt, light oak, vanilla, flowers

Taste: Light malt, light oak, white fruit

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky is produced by Wild Life Distillery and comes from Alberta, Canada. The distillery was established in 2017 and from my research it takes its inspiration from Scottish Single Malts while sourcing local products.

Wide Life Single Malt uses 100% Alberta barley, is non-chilled filtered, natural colored, aged five years ex-bourbon and white America oak barrels, and is bottled at 47.5% abv. This whisky is medium bodied, light, and is clean tasting summer styled whisky. It is easy to drink, but it does not have any rich flavor or depth. It is not a bad whisky, it is just to light for my taste profile. It reminds me of Dewar’s in the sense that it is drinkable, but not impressive. However, I would like to try more expression from the distiller but I think a few more years of development will help the taste profile.

Other expressions: Rye Whisky, Single Malt, Peated Single Malt, Wheat Whisky, Sherry Cask Single Malt, Rundle gin Aged Gin, Classic Gin, Blackberry Gin, Rhubarb Gin, Botanical, Vodka, & Amaro.

Priced around $90 and too expensive (probably due to import taxes) for the taste profile for me. It is worth a try to experience a new Canadian whisky.

Thanks to Sam for bring me a sample back from Canada!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

January 1, 2025 America, Japan

Name: Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Color: Brown

Nose: Corn/malt, oak, vanilla, cherry

Taste: Corn/malt, vanilla, spices, light oak

Discretion Single Barrel Select is produced by Tarnished Truth Distillery in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The distillery is located in the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach and states that it is “the first and only distillery in a hotel in the United States…” . They have been in operation since 2013 and was founded by Andrew Yancey and Bruce Thompson.

My friend Sam brought this bottle to me to try and to be honest, I was not expecting much from this whiskey. I thought the name sounded goofy. It reminded me of Larceny or 10^th Mountain Man, but I ended up being very surprised. The balance was good, the flavors were nice, and at 60.3% abv I was surprised it all came together when I tasted it. The mash bill is 70% corn, 18% wheat, and 12% malted barley; however, the malt was more forward than the corn or wheat to my palate. It was smoother than I expected for the proof and I would have liked to try it in an Old Fashioned. If I am every in the Virginia Beach area, I will make it a point to stop by the Cavalier Hotel and order one.

Other expressions: Discretion, Discretion Bottle In-bond, Single Barrel, Tarnished Truth, High Rye Single Barrel, AVA Vodka, Moonshine, Old Cavalier, Fourth Handle Gin, and Old Cavalier Bourbon Cream.

Priced around $50 and a good whiskey. I look forward to trying more of their expressions.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

December 26, 2024 America

Name: Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

Color: Brown

Nose: Carmel, toffee, vanilla

Taste: Smooth, vanilla, toffee, easy finish with little burn

I visited the Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery in Warwick, NY over the weekend to pick apples and sample their wine and beer. Upon my arrival, and to my great delight I discovered they also served their own whiskey. The bar adjacent to the gift shop inside serves and sells beer, wine and whiskey by the glass or bottle. I ordered the Bourbon #011 and received a “healthy” pour for $8. I was very surprised how smooth it tasted for its age.

The Black Dirt Bourbon Batch #011 is aged 3 years and 4 months in new American Oak barrels charred to levels 3 and 4. The mash bill is 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye. The whiskey is 45% abv and the name “Black Dirt” refers to the fertile soil in the farming area. I would not have gone with “black dirt” from a marketing standpoint, but to each their own. The Warwick Distillery produces several different types of spirit in various size bottles. Other products produced; single barrel bourbon, crown maple bourbon, apple jack brandy, gin, wines (white and red), cider beers, and dessert wines.

Let me be clear, the whiskey was not “amazingly good”, but for a 3 year old bourbon styled whiskey it was a lot better than I was expecting. When it comes to small craft distilleries there has been a massive boom in the last decade. There are 65 distilleries in New York State (not all whiskey) and over 1,100 in America and growing. Personally, I like to support local businesses in a world full of corporate conglomerate controlled products.

Priced at $40 per bottle, it could be considered a bit expensive for a 3-year-old bourbon styled whiskey. However, I liked it, I enjoyed it so I bought it. And now I will now drink it!

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

Taconic Rye

November 28, 2024 NYC

Name: Taconic Rye

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Rye, wood, caramel, light spices

Taste: Rye, wood, caramel, light spices, orange/citrus zest

Taconic Founder’s Straight Rye Whiskey is from the Taconic Distillery which was formally the “Millbrook Distillery”. This expression is bottle number 4/143 and is at 45% abv. The mash bill is 95% rye, 5% malted barley, and it is aged 3 for years in virgin American oak barrels. Taconic distillery states that their whiskey is good for sipping and/or cocktails

This rye is smoother than I expected and can be drank neat or on the rocks. I think an improvement would be a higher abv so it would hold its flavor profile better in a cocktail.

I picked this expression up the 14th Street Green Market a while back and got a chance to meet one of the owners and we had a nice chat. I hope to get up to the distillery soon now the world seems to have returned to normal.

Priced around $45 and worth the money for the taste and to support a New York State distillery.

If you like it, drink it! – Chris

If you like it, drink it!

christopher.dias.nyc@gmail.com

Harry’s Bar – Venice, Italy

Laphroaig Oak Select

Oban 14

Campari

Liga Privada No. 9 Flying Pig

Highland Park 12

Wild Life Single Malt Whisky

Discretion Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Black Dirt Bourbon – Batch #011

Taconic Rye

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