Indulgence of the Night 11/20 - 11/26

[Scotto]

Share that great meal, smoke, drink, etc. here. It's Thanksgiving Week in the US!

[jduffy]

Getting there.....

[rikrdo]

Sam Gawith Best Brown flake in my
Rad Davis scoop.

Kessler rocks at home....

..............(dont you judge me !!):18:

[ouch]

Man, is it hard to keep that stuff burning.:cursing:

[rikrdo]

Man, is it hard to keep that stuff burning.:cursing:

You mean it shouldnt take a book of matches to get thru a bowl !!
I was hoping the voice of reason had some tips for me...
Still waiting for your next offering, BTW

[ouch]

I'm not sure, but I may have called the Best Brown Flake sticky enough to plug a radiator leak in a review. Once it gets going (if ever) it's very nice stuff.

Looking for anything in particular?

[rikrdo]

I'm not sure, but I may have called the Best Brown Flake sticky enough to plug a radiator leak in a review. Once it gets going (if ever) it's very nice stuff.

Looking for anything in particular?


Yes.
Yummy and Tasty, Please.

[ouch]

Yummy and Tasty? Sounds like a MacBarens blend. :drool:

[rikrdo]

Do Ya think aged Plumcake tastes any better / different than fresh ??

Still liking the LBB quite a bit... :wink:

[Jim]

Getting there.....
Jim,That is a nice neat job! :biggrin:

[jduffy]

Thanks man!

It's a wrestle but worth it and fun too. Learning a lot along the way.

I just hope that I don't electrocute myself or start a fire. Now that would suck! :eek:

[Mottern Man]

Thanks man!

It's a wrestle but worth it and fun too. Learning a lot along the way.

I just hope that I don't electrocute myself or start a fire. Now that would suck! :eek:

Paramedics standing by

[jduffy]

It's alive....

[ouch]

Is it a machine that goes "ping"?

[PeteT]

Valve amp Jim?

[Jim]

Valve amp Jim?

Valves or as we Yanks say Tubes!

Looks good Jim! What about the case?

[jduffy]

First I have to do some debugging! It's not quite like buying something in the store and merely plugging it in. There's like actual work involved.

I'll get it sorted out eventually. :biggrin:

[TimmyBoston]

Chicken Creole. I absolutely adore creole and cajun food! Yummy!!:biggrin:

[Mottern Man]

Wednesday day before TG is a big booze night

And tonight I plan on it

Going for Whiskey (cold in MD today) run after work any suggestions or should I just go for the Crown?

[rikrdo]

Wednesday day before TG is a big booze night

And tonight I plan on it

Going for Whiskey (cold in MD today) run after work any suggestions or should I just go for the Crown?


Hey Doc !
Try some Makers Mark or some Jim Beam BLACK !!
and BTW....THANKS FOR SERVING !!
GO NAVY
=========================================



IOTD 4 ME...

McClelland 2015 (VaPer) in my
Castello Sea Rock Yachtsman.
======================================

Happy Happy Thanksgiving EvryBuddy !

[Mottern Man]

Hey Doc !
Try some Makers Mark or some Jim Beam BLACK !!
======================================



IOTD 4 ME...

McClelland 2015 (VaPer) in my
Castello Sea Rock Yachtsman.
======================================

Happy Happy Thanksgiving EvryBuddy !

M&M doesn’t sit well with me Jim B black eh? Sounds delish thank you

[Ben]

I'm not sure, but I may have called the Best Brown Flake sticky enough to plug a radiator leak in a review. Once it gets going (if ever) it's very nice stuff.

I tend to smoke such flakes on the dry side. Doing so really prevents a lot of problems. I find Gawith's Balkan Flake (even though it's Latakia/Virginia and therefore not really a Balkan mixture at all) to be that house's finest offering. Balkan Flake is a regular in my cellar. Amazing stuff.

[NMMB]

Lunch:

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=4677

That's a soft shell (i.e. wrap) chicken taco with lots of hot sauce.

[moses]

M&M doesn’t sit well with me Jim B black eh? Sounds delish thank you

Never tried JB Black. I'll have to some time. I'd suggest Knob Creek, actually. Good stuff, since it looks like your are headed in the bourbon direction....

-Mo

[ouch]

I tend to smoke such flakes on the dry side. Doing so really prevents a lot of problems. I find Gawith's Balkan Flake (even though it's Latakia/Virginia and therefore not really a Balkan mixture at all) to be that house's finest offering. Balkan Flake is a regular in my cellar. Amazing stuff.

You can leave some of their flakes out in the desert for months, and they'll still be too moist.
Overall, I've always preferred Gawith, Hoggarth, and Co., LTD to S. Gawith. Both make very nice stuff.

[ouch]

Hey Doc !
Try some Makers Mark or some Jim Beam BLACK !!
and BTW....THANKS FOR SERVING !!
GO NAVY
=========================================



IOTD 4 ME...

McClelland 2015 (VaPer) in my
Castello Sea Rock Yachtsman.
======================================

Happy Happy Thanksgiving EvryBuddy !

Now that's a company that knows how to make pipes.

[Ben]

You can leave some of their flakes out in the desert for months, and they'll still be too moist.
Overall, I've always preferred Gawith, Hoggarth, and Co., LTD to S. Gawith. Both make very nice stuff.

Too true. Really, the only Gawith tobaccos that keep me interested are Balkan Flake, St. James Flake, and Full Virginia Flake. I like Kendal Mixed from GH & Co, though I have a tin of GH & Co's Balkan Mixture that has yet to breathe.

I enjoyed Best Brown from Gawith, as well as Kendal Plug, but the offerings I mentioned above are the only ones from Gawith that keep my attention. GH & Co has a winner in its unscented Brown Flake, but it's just not that exciting to me. Curly Cut, however, is. GH's Bright CR and other such mixtures are just too light for me. On the other hand, I strongly dislike the ropes from both houses. The same holds true for Dark Flake and Dark Plug. Basically, if I had to list a top ten, I'd go with the following (in no particular order):

1. G.L. Pease Abingdon (Balkan mixture)
2. G.L. Pease Odyssey (Balkan mixture)
3. Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake (English mixture)
4. Samuel Gawith St. James Flake (Virginia/Perique mixture)
5. Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (Virginia)
6. Butera Kingfisher (Virginia/Perique/Burley mixture)
7. Esoterica Margate (English mixture)
8. Esoterica Stonehaven (Stoved Virginia/Burley mixture)
9. Escudo (Virginia/Perique) I have a stash of Cope's, but A&C Petersen is fine.
10. Semois (A very strong Burley variety only available from Belgium)

[ouch]

Too true. Really, the only Gawith tobaccos that keep me interested are Balkan Flake, St. James Flake, and Full Virginia Flake. I like Kendal Mixed from GH & Co, though I have a tin of GH & Co's Balkan Mixture that has yet to breathe.

I enjoyed Best Brown from Gawith, as well as Kendal Plug, but the offerings I mentioned above are the only ones from Gawith that keep my attention. GH & Co has a winner in its unscented Brown Flake, but it's just not that exciting to me. Curly Cut, however, is. GH's Bright CR and other such mixtures are just too light for me. On the other hand, I strongly dislike the ropes from both houses. The same holds true for Dark Flake and Dark Plug. Basically, if I had to list a top ten, I'd go with the following (in no particular order):

1. G.L. Pease Abingdon (Balkan mixture)
2. G.L. Pease Odyssey (Balkan mixture)
3. Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake (English mixture)
4. Samuel Gawith St. James Flake (Virginia/Perique mixture)
5. Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake (Virginia)
6. Butera Kingfisher (Virginia/Perique/Burley mixture)
7. Esoterica Margate (English mixture)
8. Esoterica Stonehaven (Stoved Virginia/Burley mixture)
9. Escudo (Virginia/Perique) I have a stash of Cope's, but A&C Petersen is fine.
10. Semois (A very strong Burley variety only available from Belgium)

That's a who's who of the tobacco world you've listed there. Pease has just so many terrific blends it's hard to keep count- Blackpoint, Caravan, Raven's Wing, Charing Cross, Ranaissance, Bohemian Scandal- this list goes on.
Esoterica is one of the best producers in the world. You mentioned two of my all time favorites (Stonehaven has no peer), and Peacehaven is a great VA, too. Surprisingly, one of my favorites from S. Gawith is their Squadron Leader.
I've pretty much cleaned out my old Escudo and Three Nun's, but GLP make a terrific alternative in Haddo's Delight. I hardly ever touch perique at this point.
With so many world class producers- Astleys, Dunhill, Rattray, CAO/Dan, Butera, McConnells, C&D, etc., it's hard to sample them all, but fun to try.

[Mottern Man]

Jim Beam Black and Beef Stew.

Wow thanks for the recommendation on the whiskey. Its cold outside but I'm pretty warm :cool:

[Xert]

New pipe, new beer, and a nice old tin of Murray's Nightcap.
http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=4689

Apparently this Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Ale was a big competition winner, and it tastes like it. This beverage is premium in every sense of the word. Incredibly complex flavour that didn't really come through at first - too chilled. There's just too much flavour there to drink it cold, just cool is perfect. If you enjoy scotch and red wine, this may very well be the best beer you've ever had, as long as you're prepared to sip it with the same respect.

[TimmyBoston]

M&M doesn’t sit well with me Jim B black eh? Sounds delish thank you

Doc,

JB Black is a solid bourbon. A very nice starter if you're voyaging into premium bourbons. It's miles from the white label. But there are other excellent reasonably priced pours that better IMO. Weller 12, a ninety proof wheated recipe sweet, almost nectar like, around $17. Old Forrester 100 around $13 a moderate rye mashbill and also very drinkable neat. IMO the best bourbon value is Evan Williams 1783, at $10 and the stuff is very good. I think I may have some right now in fact. It's heavy on the rye so if that doesn't fly with you I'd avoid it. There are also a few undercover bourbon experts here as well, not to mention names, but Joel :smile:
If you're looking to step it up a notch, Check out Wild Turkey Rare Breed, excellent, nice flavors of citrus and oak, $32. Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve, $30, preferably the 101 proof if you can find it, a great bourbon and the 90 proof isn't bad either, but much sweeter than the 101.
Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B is gorgeous, it ranges from $33 to $50 depending on your areas and one of my favorite pours of all time.
If you're really looking to go premium, I recommend George T. Stagg a 15 year old barrel proof, unfiltered bourbon the 2006 vintage is around 140 proof and is about $55 a bottle and is one of the best releases of the past few years. But at 140 you can add water if you like and the value improved greatly. Even neat this stuff is fantastic it's so well balanced you'd never know you're drinking something so high proof. Also 1/2 oz feels like a whole shot so the bottle will really last.

I hope I've given you some ideas, Doc.

PS I did go ahead and pour the EW 1783. At $10 you definately should pick up a bottle. Even if you don't like it; you can always offer it to company. :biggrin:

Doc - if you ever have any bourbon or Scotch questions, I'm always happy to try to answer them. Or you can starter a bourbon thread in the off-topic. Tim, known to many here as "Ratcheer" has an astounding amount of bourbon and whiskey knowledge as do some others here.

[TimmyBoston]

Tonight I had some loaded potato soup paired with an Original Flag Porter. If you're a fan of Porters and haven't tried this beer, without hesitation pick one up. It's a very interesting beer. It's actually brewed with yeast fom 1825 that was salvaged from a ship that wrecked off the English Channel. The nearly 200 year old yeast was cultivated and the beer is brewed with an authentic 19th Century recipe. An absolutely gorgeous beer.
I also had some Mitchner's American Whiskey, a very unique product, basically bourbon but it's aged in used bourbon barrels so it can't be classified technically as bourbon.
Now I'm sipping on Evan Williams 1783.

[Shay]

Apparently this Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Ale was a big competition winner, and it tastes like it. This beverage is premium in every sense of the word. Incredibly complex flavour that didn't really come through at first - too chilled. There's just too much flavour there to drink it cold, just cool is perfect. If you enjoy scotch and red wine, this may very well be the best beer you've ever had, as long as you're prepared to sip it with the same respect.

I had the opportunity to enjoy quite a bit of Innis & Gunn during my time in Edinburgh, Scotland. I cannot remember for sure but I seem to recall that it was brewed somewhere just outside of the city. It truly is a fantastic microbrew. I found it to be a little sweet for my own liking (I prefer bitter beers like Kronenbourg) but the quality is unquestionable. If you are looking for a flavourful beer, I will second Xert's recommendation without hesitation!

Where were you able to find it in Toronto?

[Nick]

Went to one of my all time favorite restaurants last night, Fresh Cream in Monterey, and had some Lobster Raviolis, Lobster Bisque, White Veal with a Sherry Cream Sauce and a Demi Glace in a puff pastry shell, and the topper, Fresh Cream's signature, Glazé Strawberries. Mmmm mmm mmm mmm mmm. :001_wub:

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=4708

-Nick

[Xert]

I had the opportunity to enjoy quite a bit of Innis & Gunn during my time in Edinburgh, Scotland. I cannot remember for sure but I seem to recall that it was brewed somewhere just outside of the city. It truly is a fantastic microbrew. I found it to be a little sweet for my own liking (I prefer bitter beers like Kronenbourg) but the quality is unquestionable. If you are looking for a flavourful beer, I will second Xert's recommendation without hesitation!

Where were you able to find it in Toronto?

Toronto, ha! In fact, I happen to be currently at Queen's, so I picked it up in your other location at the Barrack St. LCBO.

I too prefer a more bitter beer (and darker and hoppier as well, for that matter), but the complexity of the flavour is so exceptional that I think I'll have to stock up on some for certain occasions when that's what I'm looking for.

[joel]

Went to one of my all time favorite restaurants last night, Fresh Cream in Monterey, and had some Lobster Raviolis, Lobster Bisque, White Veal with a Sherry Cream Sauce and a Demi Glace in a puff pastry shell, and the topper, Fresh Cream's signature, Glazé Strawberries. Mmmm mmm mmm mmm mmm. :001_wub:

http://badgerandblade.com/gallery/displayimage.php?imageid=4708

-Nick

Man those are good....

[Nick]

Man those are good....

You, my friend, would perhaps be sorely disappointed to learn that the Peculiar Martini is no longer on the menu, although they did recreate it just fine after some explanation regarding the Cucumber garnish.. The 2003 Darioush Cab was nice however, and the Blanton's Manhattan was as always, beyond spectacular.

-Nick

[TimmyBoston]

Lots of Old Forester 100 for me tonight.

[Mottern Man]

Doc,

JB Black is a solid bourbon. A very nice starter if you're voyaging into premium bourbons. It's miles from the white label. But there are other excellent reasonably priced pours that better IMO. Weller 12, a ninety proof wheated recipe sweet, almost nectar like, around $17. Old Forrester 100 around $13 a moderate rye mashbill and also very drinkable neat. IMO the best bourbon value is Evan Williams 1783, at $10 and the stuff is very good. I think I may have some right now in fact. It's heavy on the rye so if that doesn't fly with you I'd avoid it. There are also a few undercover bourbon experts here as well, not to mention names, but Joel :smile:
If you're looking to step it up a notch, Check out Wild Turkey Rare Breed, excellent, nice flavors of citrus and oak, $32. Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve, $30, preferably the 101 proof if you can find it, a great bourbon and the 90 proof isn't bad either, but much sweeter than the 101.
Van Winkle Special Reserve Lot B is gorgeous, it ranges from $33 to $50 depending on your areas and one of my favorite pours of all time.
If you're really looking to go premium, I recommend George T. Stagg a 15 year old barrel proof, unfiltered bourbon the 2006 vintage is around 140 proof and is about $55 a bottle and is one of the best releases of the past few years. But at 140 you can add water if you like and the value improved greatly. Even neat this stuff is fantastic it's so well balanced you'd never know you're drinking something so high proof. Also 1/2 oz feels like a whole shot so the bottle will really last.

I hope I've given you some ideas, Doc.

PS I did go ahead and pour the EW 1783. At $10 you definately should pick up a bottle. Even if you don't like it; you can always offer it to company. :biggrin:

Doc - if you ever have any bourbon or Scotch questions, I'm always happy to try to answer them. Or you can starter a bourbon thread in the off-topic. Tim, known to many here as "Ratcheer" has an astounding amount of bourbon and whiskey knowledge as do some others here.

:thumbup1: Thanks for the help.

[Lyrt]

Bordeaux. Médoc. Life is good. A friendly cheers from France. :biggrin:

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/3079/dsc0008jl0.jpg

[Dinder1]

A good reason for staying home tonight.:biggrin:
2001 R&J Edicion Limitada Robusto (Habanos)

[Kyle]

This evening we revisited Thanksgiving South Texas Style. I dumped a bunch of turkey, dressing, and green bean casserole in a skillet with 4 eggs, cheese, a freshly ground up chipotle pepper and a diced habanero. After frying all of this up, I dumped it into some homemade tortillas with a little pico gallo, and MAN was it tasty.

As a finale on the evening, I am now enjoying a cheap but good glass of Yellow Tail Shiraz-Cabernet.