Spirit of the Month Suggestion Thread

[Nanker/Phelge]

The Balvenie Doublewood 12yr is very nice...How about the Talisker DE?

[stobes21]

LAST CALL FOR DOTM SUGGESTIONS FOR MARCH 2012

Anyone have any other considerations to throw into the ring?


Right now we're looking at: A) Hine VSOP Cognac
B) Chartreuse
C) Balvenie Doublewood 12yr,


Anyone have a nice wine they like or a specific, but widely available beer to throw out here? Let the suggestions roll! We'll pick something appropriate for the season and have at it!!

I know it's late, but I'll vote for A or C. Chartreuse seems a bit too esoteric and limited for the price. I have a bottle of the doublewood and it is truly excellent. And I know very little about cognac and welcome the opportunity to try some reasonably priced good stuff.

[Kazeryu]

Bumpalump! Need some suggestions!

[Walter Sobchak]

Bumpalump! Need some suggestions!

Good on you Kazeryu. I was going to bump this thread recently, but didn't want to keep harping on it. I was going to do Balvenie and Bulleit next, but the last five or six weeks have seen me drowning in work.

What say you guys? Send me a pick and I'll get it written up before the end of the week even if it's a dram I'm unfamiliar with and even if I have to stay up til 3AM to research, taste, re-taste, and write. Just remember, it has to be something 'affordable' and accessible. We want people to be able to go out and sample these DOTMs without breaking the bank on something they may not like.

[thatsilverguy]

Something affordable? What's Costco got this month?

[Walter Sobchak]

Something affordable? What's Costco got this month?

Affordable meaning < $65 bottle for the sake of our discussion. I wish I had a Costco anywhere close to me, I miss that place.

One of the reasons I was going to do Bulleit is that it's a great price for a pretty decent bourbon, IMO. Not my favorite, but it's not bad and it's cheap enough so that it might encourage more people to try the DOTM.

[whavens]

It actually was already 135 years old by 1740. Started distilling it in 1605. My favorite liqueur. A friend that owns a restaurant here in town keeps it in stock. I have one after every meal. Sometimes one before. The great thing is they never show up on my check. I highly recommend Green Chartreuse, extremely complex, clean and a great sip.

I would have to vote for the Liquor called "Chartreuse"..

It has been made by the Carthusian Monks in France since the 1740s (meaning it survived not only the french revolution, but the Napolionic wars, and the two world wars..). It is composed of distilled alcohol aged with 130 herbal extracts. The liqueur is named after the Monks' monastery, located in the Chartreuse mountains in the general region of Grenoble in France (a heck of a tour if you are in the area). The liqueur is produced in a factory in the nearby town of Voiron and has a terribly interesting story..

At any time, 2 monks make all the Chartreuse... A senior and a junior monk... They are given their task for 20 years (10 as the junior and 10 as the Senior)... They are the only ones that know the recipe and the rest of the workers act to babysit the booze and to bottle it.. Once the Senior has done the job for 20 years he retires to the monestary and the junior gets promoted (and a new junior is appointed..).

The colour of the liquor actually has created the colour "chartreuse"...

There are several types (the main being yellow and green label), but if you are brave try the Elixir Végétal de la Grande-Chartreuse which is 142 proof or 71% alcohol!! (The same base of about 130 medicinal and aromatic plants and flowers but far stronger). It is claimed to be a medical tonic and it is sold in small wooden-covered bottles.

Chartreuse has a very strong and characteristic (and clean) taste.. It is very sweet, but the aftertaste is very spicy, hot and pungent...

If you haven't tried it I suggest you give it a shot (or 5)... You won't regret it!!!

------

Gran

[Montempeaux]

Cool thread

As a Scotsman my first inclination has to be to promote my local whiskey - Glen Garioch (pronounced Geery) 12 and 15 Y.O. are the easiest to locate. Distilled in Old Meldrum in Aberdeenshire


However, I was slightly surprised at the absence of cachaça from the list so far. For the un-initiated, cachaça is Brazilian sugar cane rum, but it is often cask aged in a similar manner to whiskey. As a result there is a massive selection of different flavours to try. The downside is that (certainly in the UK) it is quite difficult to locate. Often only a single brand will be available. If you do have a choice, try to go for something from Minas Gerais state in Brazil. As an added bonus, cachaça is the constituent spirit in Brazil's popular cocktail - the Caiparinha (meaning bumpkin / hillbilly). This is a shot of cachaça, over ice with a whole lime (chopped and bashed to release the juice) and sugar to taste. This is not considered a girly drink in Brazil - they put hairs on your chest. Seriously worth trying!

So as a recommendation, pop down to your local off-licence or liquor store and see what they have - give it a try, it will open a whole new world of liver abuse......


M

[Kazeryu]

We've let the Spirit of the Month lapse for a while, and that just won't do! Therefore...


Time to pick the Spirit of the Month for June!

Some suggestions which are already on the table:

> Bulleit ( a Bourbon)
> Green Chartreuse ( an herbal liqueur )
> Some form of cachaça ( Brazil's unofficial national beverage )
> Balvenie Signature and/or Doublewood (Scotch)

Reply with a vote!

[OldAF]

I vote Cachaca. It seems interesting, reasonable price and the Caipirinha seems like a summertime drink.

[stobes21]

I vote Doublewood or cachaca.

[Walter Sobchak]

Suggestions and votes noted. Will check out some liquor stores for Cachaca in the meantime.

[Kazeryu]

I also think cachaca would be interesting. If a widely available brand can be suggested, that would be even better.

[OldAF]

Honestly, I already bought and tried Ypioca Cachaca because it is the only brand available within 50 miles. This is a clear (unaged) cachaca and it reminds me of tequila more than rum. I find the Caipirinha quite tasty. Maybe if you live in a fairly large city you can find a better selection. Not around here.

[Walter Sobchak]

Honestly, I already bought and tried Ypioca Cachaca because it is the only brand available within 50 miles. This is a clear (unaged) cachaca and it reminds me of tequila more than rum. I find the Caipirinha quite tasty. Maybe if you live in a fairly large city you can find a better selection. Not around here.

No dice with my searches so far, but I've only checked the stores near my rural town. I anticipate being in Hartford tomorrow, hopefully I'll have a chance to look there.

[travy4911]

Sholi Vodka....enough said.

[Montempeaux]

My experience in the UK is that only one brand of cachaça will be available in a shop - if it has any at all. If you are going to make caiparinhas - aim for a white cachaça. If you like it neat, go for a yellow. My personal favourite is Germana (yellow) - the bottle is wrapped in a banana leaf to keep the light of the drink. In the UK, Sainsbury's supermarket sells Sagitiba (spelling?) - it can be found near the other rums in a tall thin bottle. It is white, and makes nice caiparinha.

Caipariha is an excellent summer drink. Take a good shot of cachaça and pour over ice (crushed if you have it) in a tall glass. Chop a whole lime and add to the glass with sugar to taste. Mash the lime in the glass to get the juice out.

My wife does a cheats version. Add cachaça and ice cubes to tall glass. Add sugar syrup (half amount of cachaça - but whatever you prefer). Chop lime in two and squeeze juice into glass/use reamer/extract juice using whichever method your kitchen toolbox allows. Stir, enjoy, repeat.

Happy hunting!

M

[pdillon]

I think the French liqueur Pastis would make a great drink for July. It is an excellent warm-weather drink. If you haven't tried it, it is very similar to ouzo. You just pour some water over it and it becomes cloudy. It is anise (licorice) flavored, and is very refreshing.

I'm not sure, it may be hard to find. My liquor store has three kinds, but they are very good. Even if it's not selected as SOTM, I highly recommend it, along with some French rose (not sure how to make an accent mark) for the warmer months!

[OldAF]

Well, there was no drink of the month for August. How about September? Need those suggestions...

[Walter Sobchak]

Didn't do August or September because of a lack of interest, but I suspect some of that is just the time of year. Things die down a bit in the summer. I'm thinking we'll pick it up again in October. But, YES!, send in those suggestions.