Author: The Tipsy Nerd

Buddhacello

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This is not something from another world, but is a citrus called Buddha’s Hand. It is incredibly aromatic. There is a smell of lemony fruit that fills the room. The peel and pith aren’t bitter, but there is no juice to be found.

I’m trying a little experiment, but I’m by no means the first. I peeled and cubed a portion of the Buddha’s Hand and placed it into a glass jar. In went enough vodka to cover. A good shake, and into the back of a cool dry cabinet. About once a week, I ‘ll give it a shake, and in 6 weeks, I’ll strain it into another jar and add simple syrup to taste. Back in the cabinet for another week and then another taste. The goal? Buddhacello!

I like Limoncello. Will I like Buddhacello? Check back in a couple of months and see…

Don Pompero Aniversario

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I ran across Don Pompero Aniversario at an ABC store across the county. I had read great things about it and had never seen it anywhere in my area. It comes in a leather pouch, has a real cork, and it is rum, so there.

This not a bottom shelf rum, and has the price to prove it. The aroma is molasses, a hint of cinnamon, with very little alcohol. Tasting it, I get a subtle sweetness, molasses, cinnamon, caramel, oak. The alcohol hits harder here than  in the aroma! I also get subtle banana after a couple of minutes. After comparing it at a later time, the sweetness is more intense than the Mount Gay XO, and there is a slight bitterness, possibly from the oak.

We are a long way here from a Bacardi light rum! This is no Captain Morgan sugar bomb. It is far more more sophisticated than I’m used to, so it might be an acquired taste.

Age: Thought to be a blend of rum 4-6 years old.

Added Sugar: 12g/l

Proof: 80% (40% ABV)

Price: $32

Buy Again: Yes (price aside)

Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond

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With the Evan Williams 1783 getting low, and my mini bottle comparison proving that I don’t know beans about bourbon, I went to Reddit and a few other sites looking for low cost, much appreciated bottom shelf (or bottom adjacent) bourbons.

Repeatedly, Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond (White Label) kept coming up. And guess what? It was on sale! So 750ml made the trip back to the lair.

You know what I smell? Corn! Imagine that! Given it’s 100 proof, I expected to have my nose burst into flame, but the alcohol wasn’t overwhelming. I can also get some oak.

Tasting it gave me sweetness, corn, and oak. And there is the alcohol! Surprisingly, it might have been less imposing than the lower proof 1783. I added ice and this helped quite a bit. I have read of people saying that they taste peanut of all things. Over ice, I swear I can taste peanut!

Hmm. So far, drinking any base spirit straight isn’t my favorite thing to do, although I keep trying! So what to do? I added it to Coke in a 1:3 ratio (1 part bourbon, 3 parts Coke). The survey says: Oak! Vanilla. Pepper. So much oak. I think I shall call it Oak-a Cola. I don’t dislike it, but the oak is very prominent. And I get a peppery heat, almost more so than an alcohol burn.

So, even if I can’t drink it straight, there are always cocktails.

Age: At least four years (a requirement for bottled-in-bond bourbons)

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Price: $13 for 750ml (on sale)

Buy Again: Probably (or similar)

 

Sip Bourbon? You can do that?

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After a little progress trying to sip rums neat, I thought I’d revisit Bourbon. Now, mind you, I NEVER thought I’d be traveling towards this crossroads again, waiting for the devil to appear at midnight.

But dark rum and I are now friends and dark rum has some of the same characteristics of my mortal enemy of old, whiskey.

After one too many YouTube videos proclaiming how sweet and smooth various bourbons were, I decided to make a great sacrifice and try some.

I already have one, Evan Williams 1783, that I bought for mixing. But the purpose of this endeavor was to find something I could sip straight or over ice. To be fair, I hadn’t tried the Evan Williams straight. I also had a miniature of Larceny that was attached to a full size bottle of something else.

At my last visit to the ABC store, I asked the manager what he recommended. Without hesitation he said, “Maker’s Mark“.

I had learned that Maker’s was a wheated bourbon and that was supposed to yield a sweeter spirit.

Back to the web. I ended up with a list, and on the next trip, picked up miniatures of Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve. To be clear, Knob Creek and Woodford aren’t wheated, but they are popular bourbons in their price range.

Did I mention that bourbons seem to be pricey? A 750ml bottle of anything above the bottom shelf goes for $30 and up! Even the three miniatures ran me $12 and change!

My goal was to only sample each, so I poured 1/4 oz of each into separate glasses. I let them sit for a couple of minutes. I took in the aroma from each and tried to see what I could take away.

The aroma of all of the samples was sweet. Not surprisingly, corn. And some alcohol. Maybe a bit of oak. I’m not one who can start listing all of the fruits and spices. I get corn and some oak.

So, let the sipping begin! Again I find that the alcohol overwhelms my taste buds before I can get much. I had read to add a few drops of water and to let it sit. Doing so does  allow me to taste more than the alcohol, but I’m back to some sweetness, some corn and some oak. Not bad, since corn and oak should be in a bourbon.

I also read that being careful not to breath in helps with the alcohol burn. True, but even with these steps, I can only take a couple of sips before my tongue is numb. A few minutes later, try, try again.

With Evan Williams 1783 in the comparison, I learned some good news about my lack of sophistication. I can buy cheap bourbon and it tastes the same to me as something twice the price!

Along the same lines as my rum, I tried each with Coca Cola.

Makers, more burn, even with the cola. 1783 was quite good, with the oak forward. The Knob Creek and Woodford both added a peppery spice kick.

No Problem!

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One of the patrons of the Lair, commented on this and other recipes with fruit juice as primary components, saying “This must be healthy!” and “We are getting our vitamin C!“. While the latter could be true, I’m pretty sure the former is not.

The No Problem! does consist of quite a few juices, and is relative low in alcohol.

0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Fruit Juice of your choice (I’ve used cranberry or grape)
1.0 oz Pineapple Juice
1.0 oz Grapefruit Juice
1.0 oz Orange Juice
1.0 oz Coconut Rum
0.75 oz Creme de Banana

I added 0.5 oz of simple syrup to the original recipe.

Mix all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass.

Sippers

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I have mentioned, in more than one post, that I’ve never been able to drink alcohol straight.

It could be the cold, or it could be the products, but I’m sitting here sampling Appleton Estate Signature Blend and Plantation Grande Reserve 5 Year. I’m able to sip both, although the Appleton is a bit harsher.

I’m quite surprised. This gives me hope that some higher end bottles might actually be good when sipped straight!

Halekulani Cocktail

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Today I tried another Bourbon cocktail. Despite the list of ingredients, it is not my usual sugary, fruity cocktail. The bourbon and the bitters give this one a more grown up flavor. I’m not quite ready for savory cocktails, but this could be a step in that direction.

0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Orange Juice
0.5 oz Pineapple Juice
0.25 oz Demerara Syrup
0.5 tsp Grenadine
1.5 oz Bourbon Whiskey
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Favorite Rums – November 2018

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So, as I’ve had some time to try more rums, mostly in cocktails, and occasionally on the rocks, a few favorites have risen to the top.

Dark Rums
Plantation Original Double Aged Dark. To me, this is one really good, funky rum. It is sweet, so that might work for some people.

Gold or Aged Rum
Both Appleton Estate Signature Blend and Plantation Grande Reserve 5Y are really good in cocktails. I’m going to give them another go over ice. Update: I’m actually able to drink (sip) the Plantation 5Y and it is rather pleasant!

Spiced Rums
As always, it depends on what you’re looking for. For me, Bacardi Oakheart is my favorite spiced rum. Captain Morgan Private Stock is very good, but is much sweeter and that, in some cocktails will lead to an overly sweet drink.

Light Rums
Let’s face it, light rums are almost always going to be mixed. I’ve tried Bacardi Superior, Cruzan Light, and The Naked Turtle. So far, I like them starting with the Turtle, then Cruzan, then Bacardi.

Drink what you like, like what you drink…