Prediction? Pain.
12-27-2018, 05:14 PM
Seems like we did this last year and had some fun with it.
Didn't get any trail gear this year, though I don't really need any at this point (other than a new left knee . . . .). On the grilling/cooking front, I got a 14" wooden pizza peel for the green egg that I've eyeing for awhile and a Joule sous vide device. Stoked about trying both of those out.
For the booze . . . .
First, the advent calendar mini-bottles.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OwL6BZIu7RbJX-xEwP7bogyYXz6Hfs3Mdu-0itsZ2BVCtB29eV2l3mJ7knw7GP4V5hK9ObAzqs0cJY2XzL_Nd M_O59WW_Trh_uEdJl40O2ObqtW6T28lpLdvdmIiXYpw2WhbLv0 ZmN-4HHWauetrQt631H-Z_j2-zMauOAbu1KFaQubrB6fAtprOxIBnaSIu0vDIsBHZrK9Em6qZWH zhoZfkHL-DJRN9MwuSb-1XKhLw7hIRzeXI1n3HfkCKLDJRQFg9Ybixzk7j7wmprPZjnyD2 vfSeL-sWiS3SYkoKHVE20WiT9Wh8Skfc4jBvh5dhxMrGMOcGxp5nDZLN GoQv91ZZwqRy0AQoY7pRwGkc_GdMKLvRXW8W6sI1LsY9QZlHii ncdphZlAs7UsnN2jf84ZyP6RlstgYRGF5UrUhiwtdHwdDXiawG IJdceaU9KWJ1Xqnfv1mWYyvLgcDYmThJjLO31iVSwOCzmbrJIn KbplF_9LnRGBTFVHN0RccC8leXU89j2Px3QlFgYmcYgNFyYDxH VrwhoOR7CVDBsHd4S_QJNoK6DVxWAkuKp_szy7rLNtR0is3fMJ rq49_ThWRwhiojXB9GLgZ7TbrfhoktTWW_NwyNrfK95gXDVZ6R aXBu-ov1ARMkn9vUb5dD4urMY0vTLg=w1826-h938-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5I2AlpWceoHV-B9uTukjlyaETP7YSk_k202ZDEZO_9k-sndMDmNhd3G5S-KaeMqc0penphDkAhEyG_kV10WpAaQjD_ELCPaY-kt-7PEJRmzwrksRBqKIZxkiseGBkpVnygGxXwrHtcU2Y9LFUFesrj mkDXGrC7yJ599Es_fj4N0POlp3IO-On7xZOlGgD01QlerIR1dbCkgsxDR02YCaAEcBFwJM0Oo4EQrqs vQtJLq8VhtLGDsZB_ZfKxY16DVMZtlEAlu6u1uYwAhhEccQ1du roA6RLde-d6uGl2iYBByqmN3QGEl0aqDcXDVOM0OZgAmE56PgcOySrY-rhM_FeLfRre5TZ42wI9Ee4R5Yla1IUHb543b6iyXOtgtWEC1Oj ZnduIjoG8dq6Ezex_RvPOpQi-rfibYJvlG8OKeuIPzm0496a0JwdvUEohxcl2aMP2oBBugFxvmg zLJ9cRgvbbQ1j8fxAP_f7-kqncD26RFNRmuxaHIN737XV28YV5O9NuQzV-Kgzj8s3QkUuxOyBeut0coltX_N-KQsJaEhBojLE1pU-s_gPqPH8zccCufK7gU8DOOgTjlZinQHc_v7itWbgXxQYunw7P5 _VAB9maStd5p995d6HbbQ4v6gKjZfRmyQBiBASz6ZPjnn6ulI7 neiIA=w704-h938-no
So far I've had the Chivas 12 year, the Bushmills, and Rock 'n Rye. I rarely drink Bushmills and was reminded of why, but the other two were pleasant surprises. The Chivas seemed very much to be a nice, middle-of-the-road scotch that would be worth having again sometime (I'm very much a scotch novice) and the Rock 'n Rye was a surprisingly good old fashioned in a can. In fact, I'd say the Rock 'n Rye is on par with the average old fashioned that I can get at local bars. Not the best, but certainly better than the worst.
Especially excited about the Whistlepig 10 Year Rye and the Jonnie Walker Blue Label. The rest of them (other than the Cooper's Craft) are things that I've had before.
And then there were these two:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YpJcYS--iAQFoigjcuBC2ZjAa2Vhxa9TzM4PYqIMEN5a0BvQ3ZkS6jbqJy 9_kaXfn1rBKwHqVQZV1X3gASMbZiHU-0wfd-L7nDFqtnZPqYpaks0u1jPJRkVpXw231KDt8HhXvxu5Obq_CdQ8 7Q87y5kW-Jt0I5sR2uOQrZU7W3s6FJbx-vCkMKZamA9DZISsAkJQStd-il3-Ut1HF0q__NP4Zl4YeMPEJjmGwf-hWAQc_s9-c0OUUNwSosmCKQx9Bzj7V-nVcbqvlmy4aNxkrTIGYK8_736aOzSQPVidQBaaCpRiuJbF7l04 AlN2SZH3jrIV3Trf1PYn70HeQgVbTcBIv782F8WGQ9K4F2VJwR h_Nat_cyAZkJlMnUjPuHgbFjbVuwYguji_t0291zET5qdZj2gD BTulZdm_gU3IugOrSZhz7no-CNsEyoUUCEjhOndlmh4mj51pNC57W57tT08bVQy7heXZeNR1qT QHycCzabFIQUQtpxqz_3iSULduTxWltK66TG6yyIFBmCVOuZ44 S-riaUl-0onM9SRju3MRR8H9Zb9sfP8ZLNfQ45qYodDqzzAXF9_sqd7D8M xQy7osxoqvR3lVdrlFVgVZ_7PeX2onHLqFgf905ee2_hAdfm27 hxsBgZly5_5R9hvqrmFIWg=w704-h938-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OAggO7KSiqB9bUo5rwaLYdBRhzawWKIhOpyOKlHa92BYRTmN4a 5dbn1yX7qMjbhZjc2sRfn34MDWLvfP__FDXcgWwNaSRkGWvxI5 Cso66BnYy3RKaatmfGuVd7iaNbgZO51_0Bm9Uc5PmooqJ7B8MF lMc1ssIPJ3q43mf9j9rkqKeQeToqz0h8D4cerlWRErmIhMiIQf jWQpFbNSR0SHFsX6XIDxpaP0zrFR4zSOZgDKDuDUmxM3AwB-Z0dDb5tK6uWcqH_fAFew8qfJkTmcg2gofBbFhI9cmumXcvj80U yv7e_xcLZLSXXz_Vu2fGPJMrMD8KO5YJlUQ1OGsGY8vSiK_tUs rafgyK7UXBQ0N7UToDzB7pPJWHmtAieESRc1i-swUqTTU7TobtRtOugbdSdXk4HpvJUhCl8H8W2_q0UvkJBJp_Id Bn3s9I-AET9kGRTGhmFVYIx0ewOXguKLUC1opnNL4Ati_22IApYRwBOWg c2Xq2sZ7Hiyt8u1V3BPq29YfLv-ZJSJ6DIK9fYtzrEcns9ChhGGZm41kD683lU0N70DfoZfMVgHFD VF0JuAQ2Fh-8eRmaDn66I3MQre8vuT0VR2Y55AyVx4Oc6aLDgAxl2gPFb-VEFOotDvT9TBUzZeXzQiMbBkoVVsE2PLsU9H8g=w704-h938-no
So the JD Single Barrel is always nice (think the same family member gave me a bottle last year). But the Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength was completely unexpected. Again, I'm a scotch novice. In my very, very limited dabbling, I've only found one distillery whose stuff has stuck with me, and that one's a Lowland producer that makes classic, fairly user-friendly whisky. (Auchentoshan. I've dug on both the youngish American Oak single malt and the 12-year single malt. The next steps up are out of my price range.)
Laphroaig, on the other hand, is at the deep, deep end of the pool that I've only glanced at from a distance. I've had a glass or two of Laphroaig's Quarter Cask and found it interesting but pretty heavy on the smoke. And now here I am with the distillery's unfiltered, un-cut, 116 proof cask strength behemoth to wrap my head around. I mean, the back of the bottle recommends cutting the whisky with water with a ratio of 1 part booze to 2 parts water. WTF?!
Had maybe 1/3 of an ounce last night without water. It was like a peat soaked smoke bomb went off inside my mouth, coating every surface with a briney, smokey elixir from the bowels of the earth.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a total turnoff. Not at all what I'd drink all the time. But something I'm interested in tackling bit by bit.
Ok, that's way more rambling than I intended. Sorry.
What'd everyone else nab?
Didn't get any trail gear this year, though I don't really need any at this point (other than a new left knee . . . .). On the grilling/cooking front, I got a 14" wooden pizza peel for the green egg that I've eyeing for awhile and a Joule sous vide device. Stoked about trying both of those out.
For the booze . . . .
First, the advent calendar mini-bottles.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OwL6BZIu7RbJX-xEwP7bogyYXz6Hfs3Mdu-0itsZ2BVCtB29eV2l3mJ7knw7GP4V5hK9ObAzqs0cJY2XzL_Nd M_O59WW_Trh_uEdJl40O2ObqtW6T28lpLdvdmIiXYpw2WhbLv0 ZmN-4HHWauetrQt631H-Z_j2-zMauOAbu1KFaQubrB6fAtprOxIBnaSIu0vDIsBHZrK9Em6qZWH zhoZfkHL-DJRN9MwuSb-1XKhLw7hIRzeXI1n3HfkCKLDJRQFg9Ybixzk7j7wmprPZjnyD2 vfSeL-sWiS3SYkoKHVE20WiT9Wh8Skfc4jBvh5dhxMrGMOcGxp5nDZLN GoQv91ZZwqRy0AQoY7pRwGkc_GdMKLvRXW8W6sI1LsY9QZlHii ncdphZlAs7UsnN2jf84ZyP6RlstgYRGF5UrUhiwtdHwdDXiawG IJdceaU9KWJ1Xqnfv1mWYyvLgcDYmThJjLO31iVSwOCzmbrJIn KbplF_9LnRGBTFVHN0RccC8leXU89j2Px3QlFgYmcYgNFyYDxH VrwhoOR7CVDBsHd4S_QJNoK6DVxWAkuKp_szy7rLNtR0is3fMJ rq49_ThWRwhiojXB9GLgZ7TbrfhoktTWW_NwyNrfK95gXDVZ6R aXBu-ov1ARMkn9vUb5dD4urMY0vTLg=w1826-h938-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5I2AlpWceoHV-B9uTukjlyaETP7YSk_k202ZDEZO_9k-sndMDmNhd3G5S-KaeMqc0penphDkAhEyG_kV10WpAaQjD_ELCPaY-kt-7PEJRmzwrksRBqKIZxkiseGBkpVnygGxXwrHtcU2Y9LFUFesrj mkDXGrC7yJ599Es_fj4N0POlp3IO-On7xZOlGgD01QlerIR1dbCkgsxDR02YCaAEcBFwJM0Oo4EQrqs vQtJLq8VhtLGDsZB_ZfKxY16DVMZtlEAlu6u1uYwAhhEccQ1du roA6RLde-d6uGl2iYBByqmN3QGEl0aqDcXDVOM0OZgAmE56PgcOySrY-rhM_FeLfRre5TZ42wI9Ee4R5Yla1IUHb543b6iyXOtgtWEC1Oj ZnduIjoG8dq6Ezex_RvPOpQi-rfibYJvlG8OKeuIPzm0496a0JwdvUEohxcl2aMP2oBBugFxvmg zLJ9cRgvbbQ1j8fxAP_f7-kqncD26RFNRmuxaHIN737XV28YV5O9NuQzV-Kgzj8s3QkUuxOyBeut0coltX_N-KQsJaEhBojLE1pU-s_gPqPH8zccCufK7gU8DOOgTjlZinQHc_v7itWbgXxQYunw7P5 _VAB9maStd5p995d6HbbQ4v6gKjZfRmyQBiBASz6ZPjnn6ulI7 neiIA=w704-h938-no
So far I've had the Chivas 12 year, the Bushmills, and Rock 'n Rye. I rarely drink Bushmills and was reminded of why, but the other two were pleasant surprises. The Chivas seemed very much to be a nice, middle-of-the-road scotch that would be worth having again sometime (I'm very much a scotch novice) and the Rock 'n Rye was a surprisingly good old fashioned in a can. In fact, I'd say the Rock 'n Rye is on par with the average old fashioned that I can get at local bars. Not the best, but certainly better than the worst.
Especially excited about the Whistlepig 10 Year Rye and the Jonnie Walker Blue Label. The rest of them (other than the Cooper's Craft) are things that I've had before.
And then there were these two:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YpJcYS--iAQFoigjcuBC2ZjAa2Vhxa9TzM4PYqIMEN5a0BvQ3ZkS6jbqJy 9_kaXfn1rBKwHqVQZV1X3gASMbZiHU-0wfd-L7nDFqtnZPqYpaks0u1jPJRkVpXw231KDt8HhXvxu5Obq_CdQ8 7Q87y5kW-Jt0I5sR2uOQrZU7W3s6FJbx-vCkMKZamA9DZISsAkJQStd-il3-Ut1HF0q__NP4Zl4YeMPEJjmGwf-hWAQc_s9-c0OUUNwSosmCKQx9Bzj7V-nVcbqvlmy4aNxkrTIGYK8_736aOzSQPVidQBaaCpRiuJbF7l04 AlN2SZH3jrIV3Trf1PYn70HeQgVbTcBIv782F8WGQ9K4F2VJwR h_Nat_cyAZkJlMnUjPuHgbFjbVuwYguji_t0291zET5qdZj2gD BTulZdm_gU3IugOrSZhz7no-CNsEyoUUCEjhOndlmh4mj51pNC57W57tT08bVQy7heXZeNR1qT QHycCzabFIQUQtpxqz_3iSULduTxWltK66TG6yyIFBmCVOuZ44 S-riaUl-0onM9SRju3MRR8H9Zb9sfP8ZLNfQ45qYodDqzzAXF9_sqd7D8M xQy7osxoqvR3lVdrlFVgVZ_7PeX2onHLqFgf905ee2_hAdfm27 hxsBgZly5_5R9hvqrmFIWg=w704-h938-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/OAggO7KSiqB9bUo5rwaLYdBRhzawWKIhOpyOKlHa92BYRTmN4a 5dbn1yX7qMjbhZjc2sRfn34MDWLvfP__FDXcgWwNaSRkGWvxI5 Cso66BnYy3RKaatmfGuVd7iaNbgZO51_0Bm9Uc5PmooqJ7B8MF lMc1ssIPJ3q43mf9j9rkqKeQeToqz0h8D4cerlWRErmIhMiIQf jWQpFbNSR0SHFsX6XIDxpaP0zrFR4zSOZgDKDuDUmxM3AwB-Z0dDb5tK6uWcqH_fAFew8qfJkTmcg2gofBbFhI9cmumXcvj80U yv7e_xcLZLSXXz_Vu2fGPJMrMD8KO5YJlUQ1OGsGY8vSiK_tUs rafgyK7UXBQ0N7UToDzB7pPJWHmtAieESRc1i-swUqTTU7TobtRtOugbdSdXk4HpvJUhCl8H8W2_q0UvkJBJp_Id Bn3s9I-AET9kGRTGhmFVYIx0ewOXguKLUC1opnNL4Ati_22IApYRwBOWg c2Xq2sZ7Hiyt8u1V3BPq29YfLv-ZJSJ6DIK9fYtzrEcns9ChhGGZm41kD683lU0N70DfoZfMVgHFD VF0JuAQ2Fh-8eRmaDn66I3MQre8vuT0VR2Y55AyVx4Oc6aLDgAxl2gPFb-VEFOotDvT9TBUzZeXzQiMbBkoVVsE2PLsU9H8g=w704-h938-no
So the JD Single Barrel is always nice (think the same family member gave me a bottle last year). But the Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength was completely unexpected. Again, I'm a scotch novice. In my very, very limited dabbling, I've only found one distillery whose stuff has stuck with me, and that one's a Lowland producer that makes classic, fairly user-friendly whisky. (Auchentoshan. I've dug on both the youngish American Oak single malt and the 12-year single malt. The next steps up are out of my price range.)
Laphroaig, on the other hand, is at the deep, deep end of the pool that I've only glanced at from a distance. I've had a glass or two of Laphroaig's Quarter Cask and found it interesting but pretty heavy on the smoke. And now here I am with the distillery's unfiltered, un-cut, 116 proof cask strength behemoth to wrap my head around. I mean, the back of the bottle recommends cutting the whisky with water with a ratio of 1 part booze to 2 parts water. WTF?!
Had maybe 1/3 of an ounce last night without water. It was like a peat soaked smoke bomb went off inside my mouth, coating every surface with a briney, smokey elixir from the bowels of the earth.
Surprisingly, it wasn't a total turnoff. Not at all what I'd drink all the time. But something I'm interested in tackling bit by bit.
Ok, that's way more rambling than I intended. Sorry.
What'd everyone else nab?