Christmas booze and gear hauls

Don't we usually have a thread where we gloat/whine about our holiday loot?

No? Well, we're doing it now!

Here's my Christmas booze:

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The Knob Creek Single Barrel is solid stuff. Not near the heat I'd expect for a 120-proof whiskey but with the super long finish and massive amount of flavor I was hoping for. Also, I had no idea before getting this that they age it for 14.5 years. Good for them for keeping the price reasonable.

I haven't cracked the JD Single Barrel or Auchentoshan Three Wood but I've had both. The JD has become a yearly holiday tradition from my sister and that's fine by me. It's not among my favorites but it's great to have around. In my lone experience with the Auchentoshan Three Wood I was blown away. I'm a fan of all their stuff and this one deserves to be at the top end of their line. (The American Oak was my first ever single malt and I still enjoy it. The 12-year is great, too, and is a nice, middle-of-the-road introduction to sherry-influenced scotch.) The Three Wood is out of my price range so this was a definite win.

The Compass Box sampler is very cool. I think I've dug everything I've ever had of theirs, though most of it is a little pricey for me. So far, I've had the Spice Tree and the Spaniard out of the three pack. The Spainard is all about wine barrel influence though it's not overdone. Not unlike the Auchentoshan 12 year but with a better finish. The Spice Tree was freaking awesome. Hard to describe. Tons of oak and wood spice going on and flavor for days on the finish. (If you are a scotch fan but are unfamiliar with Compass Box's blending alchemy, you should investigate. Plus, I like the cut of their jib. No added colors (most scotch has caramel color added before bottling) and they are totally transparent on sourcing.)

And that's pretty much it. No hiking or outdoorsy gear aside from a Life Straw water filter for backpacking, which I only do in my mind at this point. But that's cool -- something to keep around just in case. On the cooking front, we got a 7.5 qt. Lodge enameled dutch oven, so that's pretty cool. Already used it to make a big batch of an amazing Indian dish (karahai chicken).

Nice haul for sure. I also got a new enameled Dutch oven for Christmas. Already made a gumbo in it and will be using it a ton. Outdoor/cooking wise, I also got a set of bayou classic cast iron and a nice set of merino wool base layers.

That Knobb Creek is solid bourbon. I have a store pick and it’s fantastic.

Woodford Dbl Oaked, Basil Hayden Caribbean Reserve Rye, Kurayoshi 8, and Pritchard’s Sweet Lucy. As I’ve gotten more in to bass fishing I used a bunch of gift cards to overhaul my gear. 4 new setups: 2 curados, 2 concepts, and all on 13 rods (3 omen black & 1 fate). Also a rod making kit with a spinning blank.

I’m going to do a thread with a gear review from the stuff I used last year and I’ll follow that up with the initial thoughts of the new stuff in the same thread.

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Originally Posted by SpeckleDawg

Nice haul for sure. I also got a new enameled Dutch oven for Christmas. Already made a gumbo in it and will be using it a ton. Outdoor/cooking wise, I also got a set of bayou classic cast iron and a nice set of merino wool base layers.

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Dude, merino base layers are legit. I wore a pair on my last hike when it was in the mid-30s on the road before I even got into the forest and they almost completely negated the effect of the cold air on my legs.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DownwardDawg

That Knobb Creek is solid bourbon. I have a store pick and it’s fantastic.

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Yeah, mine's a store pick, too. I didn't realize that the store picks seem to be aged longer. Looks like the standard single barrel is the same high proof but is a 9-year bourbon (like the old Knob Creek standard stuff used to be). I bet it's still solid, too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BeastMan

Woodford Dbl Oaked, Basil Hayden Caribbean Reserve Rye, Kurayoshi 8, and Pritchard’s Sweet Lucy. As I’ve gotten more in to bass fishing I used a bunch of gift cards to overhaul my gear. 4 new setups: 2 curados, 2 concepts, and all on 13 rods (3 omen black & 1 fate). Also a rod making kit with a spinning blank.

I’m going to do a thread with a gear review from the stuff I used last year and I’ll follow that up with the initial thoughts of the new stuff in the same thread.

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Woodford Doubled Oaked is one of my current favorites. It's just awesome any which way you slice it. I need to try more twice-barreled bourbons to see if they pick up some of the same toasty mojo that the Woodford has. Old Forrester 1910 is the only other one I've had and it indeed has a similar profile (though I didn't think the finish was quite as nice).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Prediction? Pain.

Dude, merino base layers are legit. I wore a pair on my last hike when it was in the mid-30s on the road before I even got into the forest and they almost completely negated the effect of the cold air on my legs

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This past year was the first that I used any merino layers and I'm now switching all of mine over to merino. It's just so much better than the poly/cotton stuff I've always used. It's more expensive for sure, but worth it to me.