Sunday Afternoon Waste

Summer Rose!

2009-05-28T12:02:00.003-05:00

Ok, Quick note as I'm at work trying the

Capercaille 2005 Hunter Valley Rose

Glass: Dark Ruby
Nose: Strawberry, light red fruit
Taste: Smooth, creamy, slightly sweet and delicious!

Overall: Excellent!

Later!

June off of drinkin'

2009-05-27T11:50:00.002-05:00

The great D. Rangers in Winnipeg here wrote a song on their last album ('The Paw-Paw Patch') called June Off of Drinkin'. It's awesome! All about a guy who meets a girl at the vendor and they embark on a five-month bender, until he feels his liver start to shut down on 'im. So, he takes June off of drinkin' and she eventually leaves him, goes on more benders of her own and steals all of his shit when he's not home. Sad story really, but it's kinda how I feel. I've been rippin' it up for the last several months and I think it's time to give the old liver a rest. I as well am taking June off of drinkin', for monetary and health reasons. Which can suck because I'm going to go see Fogarty at MTS on Monday. June 1st. Bah! And there's so much good music happening this month that it's hard not to have a beer at. It also dosen't help that I work in a wine store too, so we'll see how that goes.
I do have notes of some wines that at a later date I will post in my non-drinking time so it'll seem like I'm still drinkin', even when I'm not.
I wonder how good O'Doules tastes?

Northward Bound!

2009-05-10T21:07:00.002-05:00

Ok, I'm going to be quick about this since it's taken me 20 minutes to get to this since I'm up in Yellowknife and tasting good wine and food and connection is an issue sometimes...
I just fried up some panko-covered cambonzola with some raspberry coulis and it was phenomenal! As we're waiting for the second appetizer to get itself going (we're all in a state of deliciousness here) we are drinking the

Mission Hill S.L.C Chardonnay 2004

Since this has had 5 years to age, it has shown some incerdible promise! The original bottle that I had purchaced in 2008 had unfourtinately been corked, so I had to change the bottle for another one, and I didn't get a chance to try it until I brought it up to visit my friends.

Nose: soft, oily, beeswax, clover and vanilla.
Taste: thick soft toastyness that coats the mouth, creamy oak and light grassyness, rich and honey-like. Long rich and warm aftertaste with the mellow oak standing out.

This is an unbelivable wine! I'd reccomend purchacing this wine if you ever find this vintage as it's drinking really well rigt now!
Mission Hill apparently knows what it's doing with VQA wines. It's base-line Propritior's Selection on the other-hand can be best decribed as something that can be used for hand-to-hand combat.

I'll see if I can make some more notes on this trip for the remainder of the wines that I brought up for tasting. No promises though. We go through the good ones too fast to make a note of...

Only once a year...

2009-03-09T21:57:00.004-05:00

Will I only drink that much whiskey in one sitting.
Well, I had a great time on Friday night, trying some good whiskey, seeing good friends, and good music [after I left the King's Head and went to Times Change(d)]. I tried some good stuff and then I tried some great stuff, not out of the glasses that I would have preferred, but they did the trick:

(If you'd like to read more on the making of Scotch Whiskey, go here or here)

Compass Box Oak Cross Single Malt

was the first scotch of the evening. This had some nice golden colour that had a warm, soft beeswax nose with lingering hints of vanilla. This was a nice start to the evening as it was a little soft and spicy with honey and malt flavour with a long finish. This is an excellent scotch for people who want to get into scotch but don't want heady, peaty iodiney punches in the mouth. I'd read more about it here on their unique aging process.

Highland Park 12yr

Highland Park has the process during the malting phase to add heather to the peat as they dry the grain which they say gives it that edge in flavour. I found that pretty interesting, but still didn't make me like this one as much as the Oak Cross.
The nose was pretty astringent to me and it felt like it was just ripe with alcohol and a bit of saltiness. The wicked nose was overshadowed by the flavour though. I'll definitely give it that it was smooth and had a nice creamy mild peatyness to it, but was a little too strong in my opinion. An average drink to have with a short aftertaste.
And yes, to those who are gonna say "Meh, why didn't you put a bit of water in it?" Well I did and sure, that made it a bit nicer, but my point for whiskey is to enjoy straight from the pour without adding anything to it. Water makes anything easier to take. Look what a bath can do for hobos.

Next up:
Glenkinche 12yr

This nice bright gold whiskey was pretty mild on the nose with a bit of honey, cinnamon and a bit of lemon. The pleasant mouthfilling sensation filled me with a light spicyness and a warm creamy note in my gob after I filled it with oatcakes after the Highland Park. I'd buy a bottle of this more often in the winter just for its warming effect. (Yeah, I know most booze gives you that sensation, but this one really had it for me...)

Glencadam 15yr

This highland malt runs at about a hundred buck a bottle here at the local MLCC since I guess the actual distillery had been mothballed in 2000 due to an overproduction but opened up again in 2003 when it was bought by Angus Dundee Distillers Plc which uses most of the production in Ballantine's and Stewart's Cream of the Barley blends, so I was pretty happy that I was able to try this one.
Light astringent nose with smokey tea-like hints that didn't burn the old honker off. I caught some spearmint hints and spice on the very smooth, easy body while I drank this one. What a treat!

Many people at my table when they sniffed the
Talisker 10yr
went bananas.
Such a huge and thick but mild nose (a contradiction, I know) with peat, cinnamon and spice and iodine with a bit of saltiness hung in my honker for a bit. I was expecting to get a kick in the teeth when this one hit my lips, but I was pleasantly surprised with some honeycomb sweetness, soft peat and smokey hints that leveled off into a long and spicy aftertaste. Beautiful, as my taste-buds were quickly dying due to all the whiskey I had been drinking and this sweet, peaty treat saved them from a bland death.

I really enjoyed the way the presenter laid out the tasting. All from geographical regions in Scotland and I really enjoyed the contrast of flavours, so I was really looking forward to trying the

Yamazaki 12yr

by Suntory. When I was in Japan in 2000, I drank a lot of Suntory whiskey and loved it. (Being young and dumb, I cut it with alot of coke. I regret that.) So when there was a Japanese whiskey on the table, I was looking forward to trying this with a vengance. However, trying this right after the Talkisker might have been a bad idea. The nose was still great with caramel and ginger hints that made it a bit sweet, but the pallet was almost obliterated by the previous. Nice smooth hints that were very, very mild, but a short and ghostly aftertaste that was still dominated by Talisker. I would really give this one a shot again, but not after drinking something so strong.

That ended the tasting. Gorged on oat cakes, water, scotch and beer, I headed off to the Pipe Band table where I did many poor choices that night. But that's not for here!

Later!

Ticking away, the moments that make up a dull day...

2009-03-04T23:28:00.001-06:00

Well, almost 3 years and no postings. Which I guess isn't any surprise since life goes on, and busy schedules get in the way of doing anything. Facebook has certainly occupied more time that I'd like to admit, but it's a far better tool to keep in touch with old friends and post photos of various trips I've been on than this Blogger account and MySpace.
After some consideration, I've decided for the tens of people out there that read my stuff, to continue with some wine and liquor reviews with sporadic updates. First up will be after this weekend after I've gone to the St. Andrew's Society New Members / Whiskey Tasting night on Friday.
Included in the review will be some of the local brew from Half-Pints, And some tasty Scotches.
More later...

Waitin' for the weekend

2006-11-17T18:45:00.000-06:00

Ok,
Waitin' for my roomate to pick me up to head out to the cabin and I'm still sittin' at work. But, while I'm doing said sitting, I'm drinking the:

Chumeia Merlot 2004

Oh man, this stuff is good. The nose on it just ebbs cozy and warm merlot feeling. (I know that dosen't make any sence, but I'm sure if you have it you'll have total understanding of what I'm talking about.) Nice fruit and toasty, vanilla-like oak hit the tounge like a velvet waterfall. I know some of my cohorts that have had this didn't really like it that much paired with some food, but I think on it's own it makes for a great mid-heavy bodied light tannic sipper meant for the end of the night. If you did pair this with some food, I'd reccomend actually a nice flame roasted steak or a delicious cut of prime rib with all the trimmings. Ohh man. Now I'm getting hungry for the bison ribs that I'm going to do on the BBQ tomorrow night.
That said and done,

I'M OFF! HUZZA!

More posts on beer later...

Month later, still at work.

2006-10-04T17:53:00.000-05:00

Quick tasting note:

Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Cabernet Merlot 1999

Had this at a tasting on Monday night. Has a little pepper on the nose with a bit of vegital smell and a little age showing. Normally I don't talk about colour, but this one's a deep, inky purple with a little deep brick red on the edge. Taste: Thick and still tannic with a bunch of earthy fruit and a short finish. The cab really comes through on this one but since it's showing a bit of age it's damaging the rest of the flavour in the glass.
All in all, nice, but drink it now 'cuz in a year or two, it'll be over the edge.

Working on my Massive Flurry of Booze part Two night for November.

If I'm more with it, I might even post some more reviews once I get some time later in the month!

Ciao!

Gotta be quick! I'm still at work!

2006-08-30T14:07:00.000-05:00

Ok, for lunch, I had leftovers from my awesome dinner last night and with lunch I had the:

J. Lohr Painter Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon

This just came in at work here so we decided to give it a sample to see what it was like. Little earthy nose with hints of plum and cherry with a little alcolhol burn on the nose. For taste, well, it's not a huge cab like some of the others that I've had, but for a cheap California, it's not too bad. A little sharp on the tounge with moderate tannin, little oakage and earthy fruit make this more of a food wine that would pair well with grilled meats and beg red meat dishes. The finish wasn't clean and still had a heavy and tanic mouthfeel, which I'm not fond of, but I'm sure others will like alot.
All in all, nice, but not really my cup of tea, or wine for that matter.

Ok, Ciao!

Must be something wrong...

2006-08-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

If I'm doing another post within the same week.

Anyway, I'm in the process of trying the

Royal Bitch Chardonnay

Kinda grassy and oaky on the nose, with a little age showing through. I'm not sure if it's because the bottle might have been opened for a couple of days, or if it's actually hitting it's aged peak. This one has a little bit of over-oakage for the wine in my opinion and not enough balance between fruit and wood. I'm starting to think about this being a good food wine, but the Chicken Marsala I had it with didn't really work out well with it. The finish, however, is really nice. Smooth and creamy, with slight hints of grass and vanilla.
Not my first pick, but good to have if there's nothing else around...

Hi-ya!

been busy, still drinkin'

2006-08-08T15:16:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've been busy as my header suggests, mainly with Folk Fest which happened last month and various projects involving music, friends and doin' nothing.
And I've been 'sampling' a fair amount of tasty products, like:

Kokanee Gold Amber Lager

Wow. I don't usually go for Kokanee after I had a bad experience with it after a frisbee game, but I had heard that the gold was really good off of the tap so why not try it in a bottle. Well they were right. Even in the bottle it had a nice caramely hint to it and had a nice full body, which is what I look for in a good lager, and a great finish that was clean and refreshing.

For dinner last Saturday, I had some delicous steaks with some kick-ass sauce that my brother picked up in Morris at the stampeed and with it I had:

Edwards and Chaffey Section 353 Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

I went to the website last week before I pulled this out of the cellar to take to the lake, and it was mentioning that 2005 was the prime drinking time for that vintage. So, I thought, may as well pull it out if they're sayin' that it might be gettin' done.
There is no reason that this is going bad at all. I cracked this open and it hit me in the nose like a hammer! Big fruit and blackberry filled the glass and the taste! Unreal! Really full-bodied and smooth, I wish I had had more of this, but alas! From what I hear, E&C dosen't make this anymore, so if you can find some somewhere, pick some up!

Whoops, gotta get back to work!

Angry moustaches

2006-06-23T18:39:00.000-05:00

Ok people,
It's time I decerted away from the reviews, although I can do one, but first thing's first.

Ganstars and their 2b pencil thin moustashes.
I don't usuall rave about things of this nature, unless I've had a couple of drinks and that's where the review comes in later. I was flipping through the channels that I have provided for me and I caught some rapper on Much Music and his dippy moustashe really irked me. I can't really say what it is, but idiots that take that much time to put in an apperance while using manicured facial hair... I don't know. (insert shaking head here) Just seems pointless really. Either have sideburns, goatee, beard or some combination of all, but leave it au natural! You look like an idiot otherwise...

Ok, on to the review:

Val de Loire Vouvray Brut

Has a very tinny nose to it with notes of some Spanish Cava. Light sweetness and little bits of mucaty fruit on the pallet with enjoyable small bubbles was present. Finish was a little dissapointing with the steeley, tinny notes coming back, but otherwise from that it was a very delicious bubbly, possibly well suited for deserts and after dinner drinking.

Ok, off to the Toad...

Ciao

Playing lots, fingers bleeding...

2006-06-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

Gudentag all,

I have been on a plethora of good jamming benders in the past little while and at those benders, I've tried a great quaffing wine like:

Carlo Rossi Red Something-or-other 3L Jug

Ok, I'll admit that I should have remembered which type of wine I was drinking, but in my defence, it was really dark and not too much light, and I was playing with the band at the time and I had already had a couple of glasses of Pasiano before I got there. So, anyway, it's not too bad. I remember it to be like the Paisnao, but not as fruity, with a little bit of suck put in there for good measure. As quaffing wines so, I'd put this under Paisano about two notches. But, I was still drinking it later on in the night, so it wasn't all that bad.

Well, gotta go and get some stiches ripped out of my head by my Father.

Woah, it's really raining out there.

Been away, drinkin' lots...

2006-05-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

So it's been a busy month and a bit over at work and just in general.
House sittin' now with a smelly, arthiritic, 15 year-old dog with cataracts (not the boat) until the first, which is good since it's almost over. So I haven't been drinking much wine, except for:

J. Lohr Bramblewood Zinfandel

(Don't remember the vintage on this one) Had a really nice open nose with lots of fruit and dried roses. It also had some really nice mouthfeel when sipped with some delicious fruit and a clean finish.
Tasty!

Labatt 50

Don't discount 50 at all. It may be the beer your old man drinks, but I know why he drinks it. Good body, not like some thin beers like Bud or some some of those pail Belgiams (which I do like, but don't love) and great taste like good beer should. 1st place Summer beer.

Yup, short an' sweet!

Late, but better than never...

2006-03-26T12:28:00.000-06:00

Hey All,

Ok, I know that I said the I'd do some reviews soon in my last post, but what can you do?

Sonoma Creek Chardonnay

I didn't get the vintage on this one since I was rushin' to sample as many as I could before the Fair closed for the early evening, regardless, this Chard was excellent! Nice fruit and subtle oakage makes this one of the better Chards that I've tries from California. Very smooth on the palate make this a nice one to go with cream sauces and some delicious bacon-wrapped bbq chicken.

J. Lohr Painter Bridge Chardonnay

This Chard isn't really fully Chard, but it has some Muscat Canelli and Viognier mixed into it and that makes for a really nice blend with vibrant fruit and honey notes. This wine is available in Winnipeg, and I've had it before, but I still had fun trying it at the Wine Fair for the newest vintage. I heart drinking.

Sebastiani Merlot

I have no idea what vintage is available in the 'Peg but when I had this, I fell in love with it and wished I only had enough cash to buy a case. Cedar, chocolate, pepper and berries filled the glass and made it on to my palate with gusto! I really wnjoy good merlots and this is one of 'em. I think this one'll be good just on it's own or with a good helping of roast wild duck with wild rice and garlic potatos.

And that's all I had time for!

Ciao.

California Tastin'!

2006-03-16T19:48:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Yeah, yeah, no posts. I know, but this is just a quick note to tell you that I was (breifly) at the California Wine Fair yesterday and I tried some really good wines and one that I didn't like. I don't have the notes with me right now, but when I get then I'll post right away.

Ciao!

Coffee and French Fries for Breakfast

2006-02-26T12:34:00.000-06:00

Well, one month later, and I haven't really tried too much in the way of wines and nothing much has really happened. However, I can give you one wine review.

First up:

Chateau La Presidente Coteaux Varois 2003

This is one of the few organic wines that I've tried in my time, the other being the Cono Sur Cabernet/Carmenere bicycle wine (I can't even find it on their website, but there are many references to it around the web). The nose is nice, well-balanced and holds alot of fruit. The taste is something quite groovy! Grenache, Mouvedre and Syrah make up the content and it shows with the rich spiciness, smooth fruit and moderate tannin. This would go great with some really great red meats and some nice mushroom dishes. Nice stuff all-'round.

That's all. Nothing much really new here...

Oh,
Murphy,
I've noticed that you have some green plants growing in your bathtub that look alot like you. Does this have something to do with that meteor that landed on you mum's farm?

Burns Day!

2006-01-26T07:39:00.000-06:00

Quick note,
The 25th was Robbie Burns Day. I hope somebosy else besides me had some Haggis, scotch and McEwans.

Casillero del Diablo Chardonnay - Concha y Toro

Beautiful nose, has lots of fruit and vanilla. When drinking, this will go well with any type of creamy sauces with garlic or even tomato-based chicken recipies. It's got some more delicious tropical fruit on the tounge with soft and well balanced oak aging. Excelent with meals.

Pacific Bay Merlot - Fetzer

I was pretty happy with this pick. I remember it having a nice soft nose with plum-ish hints. Smooth on the palate with cherry and plum flavours and little tannin if any at all. Very nice and well worth the price.

Well, that's all for now...

Murphy,
I haven't heard from you since New Years. What happened to you?

Good Morning 2006

2006-01-03T00:04:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

Wow. I had a really great New Year's. All thanks to:

Chamdeville Blanc de Blanc N/V

This stuff is great! Made in Bordeaux, France (I think, I don't recall right now) so it's a true French bubbly, but it is not Champagne. But really, who cares? Oui? This bubbly's got some nice sparkle to the tounge and has some definite pinot noir characteristics with the usual blend of musky barnyard and delicious rotting cabbage. Ok, there's no cabbage smell there. That's a lie, but the barnyard flavour is actually really nice and refreshing as it's sipped on through the day. Although the little tinny aftertaste can put some off, it was a great reminder of my childhood drinking stuff out of tin cans. All in all, great stuff! Started the day off right!

Freixenet Carta Nevada Brut N/V

This was a refreshing Spanish bubbly was had some really nice fruit on the tounge that lended itself to make working on New Year's Eve all that much more bearable. Tiny Bubbles went straight to being a great day from a better day all in one glass flat (the time, not how the wine was...) . Anyway, I had reservations about this one since I've heard varying reviews that it tasted close to peaches with nails in it to some of best stuff on Earth. While I couldn't really agree of the latter since that was held for Ambrosia, the former sounded like the most favoured of the lot. So, imagine my suprise when it turs out to be better than I expected!

Bilyara Sparkling Brut by Wolf Blass N/V
I had this after work after a little nap that recharged my batteries for a night of mischef and mayhem. I've recently been impressed with Wolf Blass products, like their Grey Label Shiraz and Cab, although I still think that the Yellow Label Cab leaves something to be desired in it's heavily manufactured glory. Bilyara is one of Blass' value lines that actually impressed me in it's cheap price and decent quality. The bubbly was really good, with nice fruit and light oakage that finished clean and left me wanting more. Well, in the span of an hour, I finished it off and moved on to:

Centennial 10 yr Rye Whiskey

I've had this Rye Whiskey before, but decided not to do a review on it, since I was looking at Wines for reviews. However it was involded in my New Year's, so here's a review: Burning nose! Mix with coffee and cream, little bit of sugar. Sweet and delicious! Very smooth! Man I needed that coffee. Now I'll be able to stay up later and not fade away like I did last year. Should I have more? Nah, better not. Might get the caffene shakes, and mixing is really bad for you. What? Time to go to John's? Ok, let's stop off at my parents place so I can pick up my:

Penfolds Club Tawny Port N/V
This non-vintage tawny is a staple in my ever-declining budget since it's cheap, and very, very good. While it's thicker than other tawny ports, it still hold the same characteristics with the walnut, vanilla, gingerbread and cinnamon flavours that you'd almost expect from tawnys. I had this and was reminded of the cabin and roaring fires. While playing Cranium, I had a goodly amount of this and then realized that it was almost midnight. So we all piled into John's kitchen and as we counted down, I popped the top off of:

Lindeman's Sparkling Brut N/V

This is almost exactly like the Bilyara. Hints of oak and vanilla and nice fruit made this a refreshing end to 2005 and a welcome taste of 2006. It all goes blurry after that, except that I remember playing the piano for ages and then played my bass untill my thumb couldn't take it anymore (2 hours?) and walking home with my bass case on my shoulder.

Man, what a good night!

Holiday Cheer...

2005-12-21T09:32:00.000-06:00

To all my friends, past and present, happy holidays to you all. I hope wherever you are, you find what you want, you drink yourself into happy obliivion and have much happiness in the coming year ahead.

On to the news:

Had a X-mas/Drinking excuse on Saturday at my parents house and all went extreemly well! Did up a 5 Kilo roast on the BBQ that turned out beautifully! There was lots of execellent food that was raveged and many great friends turned up. Some jamming in the sunroom with a future member of Hotel Whiskey's upcoming blues project happened, and friends from Mise... resturant showed up after they closed up the shop and had a great time!

On Hotel Whiskey's front, I've asked a friend named John Forbes to stand in for our friend Jared to help with a blues project to get our focus going while Jared's away. This will establish a base for our repoitore and will help with out style of playing.
I watched 'Lightning in a Bottle' last night and Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown said it right: "Sticking with what you know is one thing, but don't stay with it the rest of your life, go to something else. Then add that to your repotoire. That's how you develope style." And I agree. Many awesome and influential bands from the 60's and 70's all started out this way like Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Cream and the Allman Brothers and they all created their own diffrent style that became distinct and damn great to listen to with some of them doing extensive jamming while having a background in blues.
I hope in doing this, we'll start making a name for ourselves when we start playing.

Well, that's all for now. Happy Holiays!

Murphy, what were you thinking when you set your Christmas Tree on fire?
Damnit man, you're insane!

B.B. King knows the blues...

2005-12-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

Hey all,
Saw B.B. King at the Concert Hall last night and man, what a show! Even though he's 80 years old, B.B. was rockin' out on the stage all diggin' and jigglin' in his chair, smilin' and tellin' stories with his band playing in the background. And wow, still has a smooth and rich voice that carries the weight of everything he's done over the years. Amazing! His fingers too! Still quick and nimble on the fret board and his wit was sharper than holding the high strings and making it hurt so loud.

DAMN! Awesome show!

On a side note, there's a quick wine that I can review.

Carlo Rossi Paisano (non vintage)

Even though this awesome 1.5 Litre jug (yeah, a jug!) is called Paisano, and it's really cheap, it harkens to what My Turn 2 Wine was saying in one of his posts. This wine tastes great with friends and good times. Don't be afraid of the '100% Grape Wine' marked on the label. It's probally there to put US Government officals at ease for something that I don't want to know. Clean drinking, light forest fruit and berry flavours with little fruit jelly aftertaste make this an excellent crowd pleaser, especially in the summer for bbq's or for all around drunken enjoyment.
Try it slightly chilled during the warmer days of our short summers, or at Folk Fest where I happily consumed this wine under the stars screaming "EH, PAISANO!!" and playing my Bass.

Anyway, I've got to get ready for work and stop drinking Paisano so early in the morning. *sigh* The Christmas rush is upon us... Damn consumerism.

Murphy,
You sent me some very odd pictures. Did you really mean to send those to me, or were you trying to send them to the White House?

Oral-B inflation

2005-11-17T10:28:00.000-06:00

I don't really watch that much TV. I try not to at least since it's awful and there's nohing on usually. But as I watched Mythbusters last night, I saw an Oral-B commercial defy logic. My old man's a Endodontist (root canals, restoritive dentistry, that sort of thing) and he has a bunch of letters beside his name that I'll usually never understand except for DDSc, and he's never seen a group of dentists in the Oral-B setting.
What's the Oral-B settng you ask?
Well, it's a bunch of highly professional people working in what looks like the Matrix /Jedi Academy to create a better toothbrush. Using a bunch of highly sophisticated machines that look like something you'd find in a Si-Fi movie with a huge budget, the 'scientists' experiment and create a toothbrush that will remove all of your plaque from your teeth with using the minimum amount of effort and make you pick up all the chicks/hot guys with your dazzling smile.
Man, if dentistry was really like that, I'd be one in a second and try to work there.

Yup, ok that's all....

Murphy,
I don't understand why you covered your car in snow. After you shoveled it out. What's wrong with you?

SNOW DAY!

2005-11-15T12:53:00.000-06:00

Oh, this is great!
The 'Peg is covered with snow and I got the call to stay home from work! Could this day get any better?
Yeah, I could have a bunch of hot sexy mamas hop out of my closet....

.....

(waiting)....

Damn...

A Massive Flurry of Booze!

2005-11-13T00:27:00.000-06:00

Hey all,
Well, as I'm workin' on some tunes here under the happy gaze of a frigid bottle of Carlsberg, I figured that I should give you the list of the ports and dessert wines that I've tasted recently and what I thought of 'em:
(I negelect to talk about colour here since the host's house was in a relaxing mode and the lights were dimmed. So sue me...)

(Black Keys - Countdown)
Banyuls 1990

This was the start of many delicious, ports for the evening and I was not dissapointed. A cracked pepper nose with some rose petal introudces the same pepper taste with light fruit and coffee. Very smooth and plesant. Not my favorite, but a sure winner for a starter. (NB: As I got to work the weekend after I posted this, I was informed that the Banyuls was not a port but some French sounding name of a port or dessert style wine. Augh! Tasted delicious anyway!)

(Black Keys - Heavy Soul)
Grhams 1994 LBV

A strangely skunky, earthy with leather hints was had on this nose. But out of the glass it had a huge bite with some nice tanic structure and earthy, mossy flavours and nice fruit. Gettin' to really like this!

(Black Keys - Run me Down)
Quinta de Infantando 1996 LBV

This one was a little strange with a closed, young berry nose. A little dissapointing in the glass as it was still closed in flavours. You could tell that there was a bunch of things going on, but couldn't tell what they are since the finish was short. This one could definitly use 5, 10, 15 years at least.

(Black Keys - I'll Be Your Man)
Quinta de Vargallas 1995 Taylor Fladgate

Uh-oh. I was worried. This was my bottle that I brought that I know was in the 90 point rating in Wine Spectator. And it had a really closed nose like the Infantando. Damn! Was it too young?
Hell no...
This was huge! My notes say 'Monster, Monster Port!' and was it ever. Still had sharp alcohol bite, but also had solid structered fruit with black cherries and chocolate. Long finish. This one will become a even better port in 20 years or even as long as 50.

(Black Keys - Set You Free)
Smith Woodhouse 1995 Madalena

After the Fladgate, I was happy. I could die a moderately happy, mildly drunk man. I didn't think anything could knock me off the rocker. The Woodhouse almost did. This nose was a little closed too, but you could tell that it could have the potential with some cherry hints and chocolate nose, almost like the Fladgate. All's I can say is that it was very smooth and delicious with only a little burn on the tounge and very nice structured cherry and light earth.

(Stan Rogers - Bluenose)
Taylor Fladgate 20yr Tawny

Well, I like Tawny port alot, but don't have the means to support my lingering habit of drinking it right out of the bottle. And, the 10 year Fladgate has been out of stock in the provence for months so I've been waiting for it come back like a monkey in heat. So, when our host pulled this out, I almost went crazy. Soft gingerbread dough and caramel were just touching my nose in the glass and when sipped, was it ever smooth! More caramel and vanilla and a lingering finish made this a delicious tawny.

(Pink Floyd - Brain Damage/Eclipse)
Quinta do Crasto 1997 LBV

At this point, my notes are becoming illegible. And I think that somewhere inbetween the Fladgate 20 yr and the Woodhouse, we tried the Fladgate Chip White Dry Port that I reviewed earlier, so that's why it's not on here. Anyway, the Crasto had a warm and inviting nose with butterscotch, creme brulee and brown sugar. Which was strange since it was a ruby port and we were all craving some baking. Out of the glass this had some really interesting creamy texture with the same vanilla/brown sugarish flavours and a nice finish.

(Tequila Mockingbird - Goldrush)
Carmes de Rieusses Sauternes 2003

So, we decided to switch it up. We had some other dessert wines on the table so we thougt it would be a good idea to have a little palate change and was this ever a welcome change. Golden nectar this was! Oranges, lemons, limes, marmalade and straw jump out of the glass, which became difficult to manouver since the fruits began piling up on the table. At least I think it did. Anyway, this was awesome! Tart marmalade and honey filled the mouth with a looooooong finish. I was in awe and a little buzzed. My Pop has a sauterne from 1977 in the basement cellar at his place and if a fresh, young sauterne can make me wig out, I wonder what a 28 year-old will taste like. Funny, that phrase isn't new to me at all.... A-OH!

(Tequila Mockingbird - New Deniman View)
Quinta de Noval Raven Special Reserve N.V.

Well, my notes truthfully getting a little short and very illegible so here's what I can remember. The nose on the Raven (which I had been wanting to try since it came into the store, but couldn't justify paying thirty bucks for a 500ml bottle) had some chocolate and cloves and a little spice. Out of the glass, it was very smooth and delicious and that's all I can get. I remember really liking it, but that's about all. So, on that note....

(Buddy Guy - Baby Please Don't Leave Me)
Royal Tokaji - Tokaji Aszu 1995

At this point, we're all almost totally in the cups, and our teeth are killing us due to the sugar we've consumed. This Tokaji smelled like it was oxidized, but that's the process. Well, if you want to know more of the process, go here: Tokaji info.
Out of the glass it had sour crabapples, some acidity and lots of sweetness. Enjoyable, but maybe not the right thing to taste when the fillings in my teeth start to hurt.

(Beck - Sex Laws)
Muscat de Beaumes De Venise N.V.

To the end we were. Totally illegibe notes and a faint memory follow this one here. Light marmalade nose with Orange rind and honey out of the glass. Very smooth and delicious are what I can make out on my notes.

And that's about all. Not very informative, I know, but it's hard to keep the focus when you're slowly getting Zippered and sitting down for about three and a half hours eating stinky cheese, walnuts, almonds, fresh oven baked olive bread, tasty chocolates and some of Cathie's baking. A good night all in all.

Murphy, leaving Welsh's Grape Juice in your basement for fifteen years doesn't make it wine or port for that matter. Get rid of it man!

Sigh...

2005-11-07T23:16:00.000-06:00

Hey, sorry about the non-posts, but I did say that I'd update this anytime I felt like it.
Anyway, I've got a whole list of ports and dessert wines that I tastes on Saturday night that I'll post when I get a little more time. (There was over 11 ports and such and tonight I tried ten new wines that I have some notes on that I'll get down later.)
Back to my post of Sept. 29th, I ended up paying 60 bucks to pay off the damaged tire. There was no damage to the wheel frame, and we decided not to go throught Autopac, which I think was a good idea all around. No insurance to deal with, and no demerets for anybody. Huzza!
In other news, why is it so difficult to let go of feelings towards a girl that you want to love, but obviously shouldn't, since she dosen't hold the same for you?
Riddle me this: Is it better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?
Auggggh. My own fears negitively perpetuating my wants.
Puagh, off to bed. I'm drunk and ornery.

Murphy, I heard that some kids got razorblades in their candy this year.
Was that you?

BURN!

2005-10-31T17:42:00.000-06:00

You godless heathens!
No, I'm kidding. Happy Halloween everyone. I have some more Wines that I tasted that were awesome recently!

First up:

Wolf Blass Grey Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Hokey smokes! Soft, lush berry on the nose with delicious smooth fruit on the palate. Well balanced tannis and oak treatment give this wine a beautiful finish. Cellaring potential up to 10 years!

Frescobaldi Campo ai Sassi Rosso di Montalcino 2003

This was a great italian in disguise! Nice acidity on the body with some great earthy notes and long finish make this one great with food. Especially with Wild Boar and mushrooms!

Portlandien Bourgogne Chardonnay 1997

Picked up from the store I work at for a killer six bucks, I reasoned that if it was bad, it could be some great cooking wine. Well, it was stellar and I lucked out and got a good bottle! Rich and grassy, this chard showed great depth to it with cut hay, butter'y smoothness. Too bad I won't be able to find this around anymore.

Anyway, off to watch "Scars of Dracula" with Scotty and John.

Murphy, give the children candy this year. Not dried corn like you did before.

Travels and new Chapters

2005-10-13T10:40:00.000-05:00

So I'm packing to leave tomorrow to go to North Battleford, Sask. The old homestead of my Mum's side of the family for a funeral of one of my adopted aunts. Adelaide Dodds was her name and I feel kinda stupid in not knowing exactly how old she was, but I have comfort in knowing that she was old and had a good life over the many years that she was apart of our family. From what I remember, Adelaide met my grandfather and grandmother just after the Second Great War when they decided to settle in North Battleford. Her mother, Grandma Dodds was connected to the family in the same way and so began the long friendship and family connections that lasted all these years. Grandma Dodds passed on some time in the early '90's after living for over a hundred years and seeing many of her adopted children and grandchildren grow up. I was too young to remember Grandma Dodds except in fragments of memory but I remember Adelaide was like her. Kind-hearted and plesant, she took keen intrest in her adopted family and the successes and maladies that they all had through the years. When she developed cancer some time ago, we thought the worst. But, like many hearty Saskatchewan folk, she survived and and the cancer went into remission and she continued to live happily. Until recently when it came back in force, and we all knew that time was short. She drew her last breath peacefully on October 7th at 11.00 pm after being in the hospital for only a day and the rest of her time in her home cared for by her friends and family.
So, tomorrow I make the long treck with my Brother and Dad to North Battleford with a pit-stop to pick up my Mum and Sister in Saskatoon to help end this chapter of the Dodds family. It'll be a mixed feelings trip as it will be good to see all of my family that I haven't seen at all this year, but quite sad as all of us were linked to this great individual.
That's all for now.

Stickshifts and safteybelts...

2005-09-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

So I almost got into an accident on monday. Well I didn't injure her, but I technially bust her tire. It's weird really.Tell me what you think.
I was coming out of La Grotta during rush hour and west-bound traffic was at a standstill. I went to go down Cambridge (since I was able to do since it was past 5.30), and I waited for a kind driver to let me through the intersection. Well, one stopped so I inched through waiving to the guy when from out of nowhere, a car blows by me, slams on the brakes, hits the curb and blows it's tire. Since I feel bad about it, I stop and check if she's ok. Yeah she's fine, but her tire's shot.
Who's fault is it?
Lemme know. Answer later...

Murphy. Why don't you answer the phone?
Asshole.

It's been a blur

2005-09-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

Wild World of Batwoman is a horrible, horible movie!
So, naturally, I loved it.
Especially with the MST3K crew doing the commentary.
Anyway, did the entire Lord of the Rings on Saturday and wasn't sober for one bit of it.
Huzza!
Had a wrestling match with tequila and lost 2-0 on Sunday.

Met with Murphy about the entire Earl Episode and he's entirely against it. Which is ok for Earl since he's insane. I signed on Murphy's behalf and Earl walked away happy with his fish-oil gun, smoke-cake and a peice of paper that says 'surry'. Good thing too that Earl's illeriate as well or there might have been trouble.

You're lucky Murphy. I might not be there next time.

Wines and Ports

2005-09-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

Augh,
So I've tried some new wines and ports in the past couple days that are really, really exceptional.
First up is:

Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz 2002

Wow. This shiraz was so inky-purple when it got poured into my glass I was expecting huge fruit on the nose and I was not dissapointed. Monster blackberry and dark chocolate filled the glass and the flavour was brilliant! Light tannins, good fruit and blanced oak gave it a lingering finish that made it absoultley delicious! Highly reccomended!

Cockburns Special Reserve Port

This port is good. A nice burgandy colour in the glass with a nice mild nose that dosen't burn the nostrils unlike Bright's 74 Port which peels paint off of walls and erases memory. Nice smooth fruit on the pallet with a light burn on the tounge makes this to be a nice quaffing port beside a fire or a nice lady.

Taylor Fladgate Chip White Dry Port

This is the best dry white port I have ever tried! Awsome golden colour in the glass with nice honeysuckle and yellow rose on the honker. Unlike ruby and tawny ports, this one is bone dry with really mello hints of honey. Especially good with fresh basil leaves with soda water on ice for a really refreshing apertif. Wicked good.

Uhh... more later. I'm off to watch MST3K's verson of "The Wild World of Batwoman". It looks awful!

Murrrrrphy....... I can hear you.

Hotel Whiskey

2005-09-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

So Pearl Jam played last night in Winnipeg. Unfortunately, I didn't go see the show since I'm not really a fan so I have no review. Although I head it was a really groovy show.

On the other hand, the jam band that I'm playing in with John, James and Jared finally settled on a name. Well, honestly, James dosen't know yet, but I did call him about it but he was at his brother's Dave 's wedding, so was unable to chat.
After going through 'The Dogar'; 'Open For Breakfast' and 'Weakest Buffalo' as possible names, 'Hotel Whiskey' was agreed on by John and Jared.
Huzza!

And in Dungeon Siege News, I'm a Lv. 22 Sharpshooter Ranger. I'm a looser too, if you hadn't noticed.

Oh, and Murphy, the old man you missed on the street is really pissed off that you almost hit him. I had him over for coffee yeasterday and Earl, that's his name, Earl would like an apology, a lemon cake with a pack of smokes baked into it and a water-pistol with fish oil in it. I didn't ask Murf. What he wants is what he wants. You, however, will have to do whatever.

Dungeon Siege II

2005-09-07T01:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I lied. I'm a horrible, horrible person. Maybe I'll update this whenever the hell I want to. Right, so I've been playing a whole lotta Dungeon Siege II, which is really, really good, but wickedly addictive. I can't believe how pathetic this is, but since I've gotten it I've blown at least 20 hours on playing it. 20 out of 72. I had it installed on Sunday.
This is why I have no girlfriend.
That, and I'm lazy.

If you liked Diablo, go out and buy it and see what I'm talking about.

Watch out for the old man on the street Murphy, You almost hit 'im that time.