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Post by Diego the toe clipper on Oct 17, 2020 18:44:18 GMT
Got offered a pretty good new job yesterday, so decided to crack open the old brandy. Seems that it really was my lucky day. The cork stopper broke as soon as I touched it, it was so dry. I scraped out the broken dry cork dust and it looked like the last bit was just going to drop down into what I assumed would be vinegar in the bottle. But no! The last few millimeters of cork were moist and sealing the bottle! I got that out with a cork-screw and a delicious celebration was had! Cheers! Congratulations on the job. How was the brandy? Thanks! The brandy is a Cardenal Mendoza Gran Reserva. It's not dated, but from the duty seal value it seems to be from the late 1990s, so between 20 and 25 years old. It's much darker and more full bodied than the more delicate French brandy which I usually prefer, but it's so smooth, like drinking velvet. Lovely warming effect which is what you'd expect from a quality brandy. Certainly the best Spanish brandy I have ever tried. Maybe a bit sweet though. I don't think I'm going to struggle to finish the bottle! I won't be using it for the Christmas trifle either! |
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Oct 17, 2020 19:06:18 GMT
Sounds smashing ClipClop. I'd quite like to have a go at a decent brandy/cognac but I have no idea where to start or what's decent.
I'm dipping my toe into Aldi wines. Don't think they're quite as good as some cunts seem to think but I've had a couple around the £8 mark that have been very good value for money. Their beers are decent too.
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Jun 26, 2021 21:29:25 GMT
So, flavour of the month seems to be red wine cask finishes. Every cunt and his dug appears to have been in a race to get them on the shelves and there are quite a few options available. I've tried several and I have to admit, I'm a big fan of the concept. Obviously, as in all whisky maturation, quality cask selection is key but you can expect sweet strawberry-ish notes to be added to your drinking experience.
Of the ones I've tried, the Glen Scotia 10yo Campbelltown festival 2021 limited edition is absolutely stunning if you can still find one. It's cask strength so really needs a little drop of water to open up but the red berry flavours are very intense and it has a nice, long tongue-tingly finish where the complex flavours vie for attention.
If you're a curious tourist and want to explore the world of red wine cask finishes without chucking £50 at a bottle, Asda are currently punting the Jura effort for £24. It ticks all the boxes and is a very pleasant dram. My only criticism of it is that, in reducing the abv to 40%, they have also diluted the intense berry flavours somewhat. Having said that, it's an absolute bargain at this price and an excellent introduction to this style of whisky.
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 18, 2021 22:03:26 GMT
I was in Brora this week for work. Managed to knock off early on Thursday so went to the distillery. It had been closed for 2 years for renovations, better be good after all that time.
To put it in perspective, last time I was in the distillery shop, it was fucking rubbish. A shitey wee shop with fuck all on sale that I couldn't buy in a Glasgow shop. I left empty handed.
The new shop is one of the finest I have seen. Full of limited editions, distillery exclusives, fill your own bottle and everything you might expect from a quality distillery shop.
But they've built an upstairs. It hosts a tasting bar and it has a terrace looking over a fucking joyous Highland coastal vista with eagles and hawks swooping about while you work your way through your tasting selection. Not exaggerating. It's absolutely incredible. My only criticism is the 5pm closing time but otherwise it's whisky perfection.
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Post by neilf on Sept 19, 2021 10:35:30 GMT
I was in Brora this week for work. Managed to knock off early on Thursday so went to the distillery. Is that now the Clynelish Distillery? |
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Sept 19, 2021 10:52:52 GMT
I was in Brora this week for work. Managed to knock off early on Thursday so went to the distillery. Is that now the Clynelish Distillery? Aye, Clynelish. The old Brora distillery is right next to the newer Clynelish distillery. The original distillery was recently reopened however there seems to have been some issues with the old equipment breaking down. |
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Post by elnoodle the reasonable on Oct 13, 2021 8:27:21 GMT
I've been working in Campbeltown for a couple of days and so visited both the Glen Scotia and Springbank distilleries.
Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of Scotland and boasted over 30 distilleries in the 19th century. These started to decline around the early 1900s and there remain only 3 now.
Springbank in particular has a very traditional feel. It's hidden up a small lane and the entire process from malting the barley right through to bottling is carried out on site in the same buildings they've used for 2 centuries. It really is a thing of great beauty. And because of this, output is very limited so a non-core range bottle of Springbank tends to be a very special item. It also remains family owned which is quite rare in these days of multinational conglomerates buying up distilleries.
Next time I'm up I'll try and book a tour.
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