December 17, 2008
We have to say, we've been digging on the latest series of ads for Canadian Club (y'know, the ones about your dad). On top of the cool campaign, they've also released a limited-edition 30 year old version of their whisky to celebrate their 150th anniversary. We usually pick on the Canadians, but we'd give our right arms to try this one. Just don't make us play hockey or watch Trailer Park Boys.
Canadian Club [via Acquire]
October 29, 2008
We've had a moderate obsession with rye whiskey lately. Our current favorite is Rittenhouse followed closely by Jim Beam's yellow-labeled rye offering, but let's say we're open to suggestions. That's why we're excited to hear about (rī)1 from Beam Spirits. Well, we're not sure about the nigh-untypable name (why someone would try to market an un-Googleable name in this day and age is beyond us), but the booze sounds like good stuff. Here's what they have to say about their hooch:
Bottled at 92 proof, (rī)1 features a light, slightly spicy flavor and a long, luxurious finish. Straight, the nose offers a gentle, peppery nod to its rye heritage. Cut with water, the scents of dried fruit and cinnamon push to the front, providing a rich palate experience.
Sounds great, but as an ultra-premium rye, it's a fair price point over our less-than $20 current faves, clocking in at close to $50. They make some mean bourbons so color us curious, and we hope we get to try it out sooner than later.
more at the (ri)1 website
August 21, 2008
We've never made a secret out of the fact we love Bourbon. To paraphrase Beerfest, we wish it were winter so we could freeze it into ice blocks and skate on it and melt it in the spring time and drink it. But one thing we never thought of doing was using it for furniture.
Luckily, the folks at Uhuru Design in NYC took care of that thinking for us - their Kupe (as in Dutch for "cooper," or barrel maker) is made of old bourbon aging barrels, and some of the pieces are pretty striking.
While many people have repurposed barrels for other uses, our intent is to work with the material in striking new ways. We begin by dismantling the barrels into to individual pieces, the staves, metal bands, and circular heads. We explore how these parts can work together to create a simple functional design while retaining the individual characteristics and natural colors of the aged wood from the original barrels, thus creating a new vernacular. We even hoped to impart some sense of the added quality of working with the barrel parts In our Red Hook shop where the sweet scent of bourbon permeates the process.
We like the sweet scent of bourbon! Do you think they'll let us swing by and sniff their shop? We promise not to lick...too much.
more at Uhuru Design
Picture via Apartment Therapy
August 18, 2008
We just got an email containing this image and nothing else. This picture makes us want to drink a gallon of Maker's Mark, like we didn't want to do that anyway. It's sexy and alluring, without making us feel like we're in a Girls Gone Wild video (not that that would be all that horrible, we suppose). Well played, Maker's Mark people...well played.
May 21, 2008
We've been thinking a lot about DIY booze lately. We have friends big into homebrew beer, and we've even toyed with making our own wine, but what if we could make our own whiskey? It turns out, there's a big subculture of whiskey geeks who do just that, and OK, maybe it's still cheaper (and more legal) to buy a bottle of Jim off the shelf, but how freakin' cool would it be to say you have your own still?
There are all sorts of whiskey geeks out there who are doing just that, and they've been featured recently in an article in Wired.
Today's home distillers are more likely to build a small reflux still and hide it in the garage. Unlike a pot still, the vapors rise through a column packed with copper wool or another high-surface-area material before being directed into the condenser. A beer keg makes a good boiler, and a homemade column and condenser are within the reach of anyone with basic welding and soldering skills and access to copper pipe.
Awesome. For more information on how you could theoretically make your own still if you didn't fear blindness and/or incarceration, check out the links below.
at Instructables [via Drink of the Week]
May 12, 2008
We just found a posting over at The Scotch Blog about a new Swedish malt whisky distillery, that goes by the name of Hven. Sounds interesting - we've had whisk(e)ys from all over the world, but never from the land of Vikings. We wonder if a dram will make us want to pillage?
The state-of-the-art distillery, which will thrive on local cultivated barley and water, is built on a small island in the middle of the strait which separate Denmark from Sweden. The island is the former home of the medieval Scandinavian astronomer Tycho Brahe, but was also a stronghold for Vikings.
from
The Scotch Blog
November 29, 2007
Corner Creek Reserve Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky Whiskey made with corn, wheat, and rye
8 Years Old
88 Proof (44% ABV)
Typical Price: Mid-$20 range
The Company Line: A selection of the distillery's finest barrels. Smoothed to perfection with pure Kentucky limestone water. Full-bodied, but without any harshness.
Website
Available at Internet Wines & Spirits
Our Thoughts: The first thing that struck us about Corner Creek was the fact that everyone who saw the bottle initially thought it was a wine bottle. We thought this was interesting because the round-shouldered bottle definitely stands out from other whiskey packaging we've seen, plus we didn't mind the idea of being able to hide our bourbon in the wine rack.
When we got the bottle open, the nose was sweet and sultry with no harshness. When we tasted it straight, that sweetness carried through and we were blown away by how smooth this bourbon was. There was no hint of that harshness you get from a lot of rye in the blend, and while we usually take a drop of water in our whiskey we were fully able to enjoy Corner Creek straight.
Corner Creek had a light to medium body that fits with its deep amber color, and a sweet and smoky taste that kept us coming back for more. The finish was long and dare we say sexy, like a nice deep kiss from that special someone you didn't think was interested in you. We were immediately in love, and struck by the fact this was a refined bourbon we would recommend to any of our whiskey snobbish friends.
The Verdict: Corner Creek is a diamond in the rough, and we would expect to pay far more than the $25 or so dollars it costs for a bourbon of this quality and taste. At 88 proof and with that sweet tinge it won't burn off your tongue, and if you're anything like us you'll continually want to wrap your tongue around it. Great value, distinctive bottle, exciting taste - highly recommended for anyone looking to dip their toe into the bourbon world without spending too much.
September 25, 2007
We've been thinking lately it's been a while since we sunk our teeth into a bottle of bourbon, and lo and behold what should arrive on our doorstep? A bottle of Corner Creek, that's what. For those of you who, like us, hadn't previously heard of the stuff, it's an 8 year old reserve bottling that's bottled at 88 proof.
The funny thing is everyone who saw the bottle quickly thought it was wine, an easy mistake to make based on the slope-shouldered shape of the bottle. We pulled the cork and took a whiff and we can confirm it's definitely not vino, and we're really looking forward to tasting it.
Learn more at CornerCreekBourbon.com
September 4, 2007
If there are two things we love, they're drinking whiskey and riding bikes. Thinking about combining the two gets us giddy with anticipation...even if that combination involves a 90 mile ride through the Deep South.
If you're wondering what in tarnation we're talking about, see the details on the three-day bicycle tour of multiple Bourbon distilleries below...and don't forget to bring your helmet and padded britches.
Continue reading: "Raise Your Kentucky Spirits...on a Bike"
August 31, 2007
We can't think of a better name for a bottle of Irish Whiskey than Feckin. Ever since we stumbled across it on the Web, we can't stop saying "I could go for some Feckin' whiskey!" and the like. Makes us feel like we're in Ireland all over again.
It doesn't seem to be available here in the states, but next time you're on the Emerald Isle, make sure you ask for it by name.
at FECKiN Irish Whiskey
Canadian Club 30 Year Old Limited Edition Whisky
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