Soon to be Simchat Torah and I am Chatan Bereshit. So - lots and lots.
Grossgrain,
Do you drink this at all ?
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/sorry-palwin-lives-flay-your-palate-another-day
Domaine de la Solitude 1995 (claret). Surprisingly lively for a minor wine of a minor year. Still deep coloured. Completely mature and 12%! Fortunately I have another case an a half - ahhh.
Simchat Torah - an inordinate amount of spirits. The Singleton; Laphroaig single cask; Jamesons green label; Jack Daniels; Morgan's spiced Rum; Smirnoff Blue (after being in the freezer for 24 hours); peach schnapps (after having taken the rest my tastebuds had quit); some Cointreau and a small glass of advocaat.
The day after Simchat Torah: coffee x 2. About 3 litres of water.
Can't stand that Laphroiag quarter cask! About the only whisky, other than Organic Whisky bottled at three years old with some kind of athlete's foot yeast, that I cannot drink under any circumstances.
More Lidl wine for me tonight, a South African cabernet sauvignon, 2009 vintage at a delicate 14%. A definite acceptable wine for under three euros.
Badger's Fursty Ferret ale.
"Parallele 45", Cote du Rhone, 2005, Paul Jaboulet Aîné. Got it as a young wine at £4 a bottle in Calais. It was “OK” then but with 3 years extra bottle age it’s turned into a very decent Cote du Rhone. Will shortly be trying the 2006.
Kay Brothers Amery Vineyards Shiraz 2001. For the first time for a very long while I am bowled over. This is Aussie Shiraz so it checks in at 14%. But the balance between fruit, alcohol and restraint is perfect. It is well weighted but every thing is in harmony. I got it in a silent auction, at well under the odds and I am looking forward to the next 11 bottles already. Happy days.
Black Maple Hill Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Bought this on an overnight trip to Bowling Green last month. Took a single ice cube in this one, as the alcohol, although moderate (86 proof) seems to have a touch too much heat for my liking..
More Fursty Ferret tonight. It's on offer at Waitrose at £8 for 8x500ml cans, less than a third of the local pub price.
Badger's a half decent brewery, summers ales in my opinion. My grandfather, who was a gentleman, use to really like their beers.
The good ales are a lot cheaper than when I was back living in Blighty.
A cheap Spanish red.
Itaipava lager beer. Remember that, Hep Cat? you drink a dozen and then you feel that you'd like a proper drink...Before you know where you are, you're toasting the health and wealth and general happiness of Chenners...Probably time for bed.
just water... maybe I will try some tequila soon
It seems easier to get hold of a decent ale than it does a decent lager, although unfortunately it's lager I like. Wells Banana Bread Beer is my favourite bottle, but Honey Dew is great too. I've had Honey Dew on draft, actually, and it was even better. The Polish beer Tyskie (difficult to pronounce correctly) is ridiculously good but more and more non-Poles are beginning to cotton on round my way and it sells out easily. Asahi (Japanese) does quality lager. I've run into the occassional wheat beer on draft, and that also tends to be top stuff.
That Wells Banana Bread Beer is something else, actually the concept tells you its probably not a good idea and will be sickly and sweet. Instead is mellow and satisfying.
That Tyski is good lager, the Russian Baltika lagers and beers are very good too.
Baltika you say? I'll see if I can source some this week!
Lustau Palo Cortado Peninsula sherry