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The Finer Things In Life


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QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 24, 2011 -> 04:24 PM)
Funky cave aged cheddar? Check

Rodenbach Flemish Red? Check

Happy G&T? check

 

Oh and my dog loves funky cheese. Gotta be the smell.

 

Belgian beer and good cheese. . . There's hardly a better combination out there.

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So I brought back about 11 Belgian beers from Holland, guess I'll be having a Belgian Beer tasting with my dad and friends.

 

Oh, and also brought back a bottle of absinthe, interested to see how that goes at the apartment next year.

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Ive been avoiding beer here on campus because I know its gonna suck, and Im also trying to get in better shape. But I went to a really good BBQ place in Urbana that had a good collection of beers and had a Two Brothers Domain Dupage, not the best Ale Ive had but still really enjoyed it.

 

Im going to have a hard time not drinking micro beers this summer :/

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I was cruising a liquour store today and stumbled on the Laird's Apple Brandy 7.5 year old. The real stuff. I know there is a 12 year old as well. The 7.5 year old was $25 so I passed (there was plenty sitting on the shelf and I have a bottle of Calvados that I need to get through).

 

I was curious to try but I hate buying on impulse.

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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 10:24 AM)
Ive been avoiding beer here on campus because I know its gonna suck, and Im also trying to get in better shape. But I went to a really good BBQ place in Urbana that had a good collection of beers and had a Two Brothers Domain Dupage, not the best Ale Ive had but still really enjoyed it.

 

Im going to have a hard time not drinking micro beers this summer :/

 

Two Brothers is a good brewery. The Domain Dupage I had was oxidized and tasted like a fine card board. Other stuff was good though.

 

And don't be a beer snob in college. Too expensive. Drink the garbage in college when your body can handle it. Enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

In other news, El Dorado 12 year is simple amazing. Rich caramel and molasses with a perfect warmth. Mix it, drink it straight, have it with a nice dessert. I found the 15 and 21 year old as well, but that's way too expensive for my blood. The 21 year was like $80+. Yikes.

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QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 11:47 AM)
I was cruising a liquour store today and stumbled on the Laird's Apple Brandy 7.5 year old. The real stuff. I know there is a 12 year old as well. The 7.5 year old was $25 so I passed (there was plenty sitting on the shelf and I have a bottle of Calvados that I need to get through).

 

I was curious to try but I hate buying on impulse.

 

I'm jealous, stuck here with nothing but plain Laird's 80 proof. What I really want is a bottle of Laird's Straight Bonded 100 proof. What was the proof on the 7.5 year?

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QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 11:54 AM)
In other news, El Dorado 12 year is simple amazing. Rich caramel and molasses with a perfect warmth. Mix it, drink it straight, have it with a nice dessert. I found the 15 and 21 year old as well, but that's way too expensive for my blood. The 21 year was like $80+. Yikes.

 

Totally agreed on the awesomeness of ED12 — and for just a couple of dollars more the ED15 is even better! I have never had it but the 21 year at $80 is a steal. I know the 23 year old will set you beck more than $300.

 

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QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 12:28 PM)
I'm jealous, stuck here with nothing but plain Laird's 80 proof. What I really want is a bottle of Laird's Straight Bonded 100 proof. What was the proof on the 7.5 year?

 

80 proof.

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QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 12:30 PM)
Totally agreed on the awesomeness of ED12 — and for just a couple of dollars more the ED15 is even better! I have never had it but the 21 year at $80 is a steal. I know the 23 year old will set you beck more than $300.

 

I think the 15 year old was $40 or so. The 12 year was about $25.

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QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 12:59 PM)
I think the 15 year old was $40 or so. The 12 year was about $25.

 

Here, that would be a great price for the $12 and a lousy price for the 15. The ED12 here usually runs at right around $30 and the ED15 is around $33-34.

 

I prefer the ED15 for sipping unless I want to make a really decadent mai tai, and usually mix more with the ED12 though I agree with you that it is also a fine sipper. It's not the couple dollar price difference playing a factor here either, the ED12 lust seems to be the one that rises to the occasion best in mixed drinks, and for me the somewhat deeper molasses and spice notes in the ED15 make it one of my favorite sippers. ED15 was actually the very first dark sipping rum I fell in love with. For an every mixing dark demerara, I still think it's tough to beat good old ED5.

 

Here's a recipe using the ED12 that Booze Blogger ColonelTiki posted for this past week's Mixolodseum Thursday Drink Night online event. He had just mixed up a batch of Jasper's Mix to make the drink I had posted and then put this one up for the group to try. I already know your a fellow Jasper's Mix lover, and when you mix it with the ED12 I'm thinking you're going to like it

 

Forbidden Bloom:

 

• 2oz ED 12yr

• 3/4oz grapefruit (white preferably, but use fresh for sure)

• 3/4oz pineapple

• 1/2oz Jasper's Mix

• 1d absinthe or other pastis (I used 8 drops of Pernod ala' a Don the Beachcomber )

 

Shake on ice and strain over crushed ice.

 

I actually just finished off the last of my ED12 and ED15 bottles within the last couple of weeks and haven't had the financial wherewithal to replace them, so for the Forbidden Bloom on Thursday I subbed 1 oz. each of Matusalem Gran Reserva 18 Year and good old ED5. Probably a good substitution because it gave some wood and some age but also gave the full demerara richness the drink is asking for. At any rate it tasted really good to me on thursday. if you try it let me know what you think.

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QUOTE (G&T @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 10:54 AM)
Two Brothers is a good brewery. The Domain Dupage I had was oxidized and tasted like a fine card board. Other stuff was good though.

 

And don't be a beer snob in college. Too expensive. Drink the garbage in college when your body can handle it. Enjoy it!

The one I had was quite good, but like I said not the best ale.

 

I can easily drink cheap beer, in fact I love drinking it at parties. But Im out of shape and this summer I want to give up beer so that I can cut those calories out, but I'll be drinking quite a bit again next year.

 

What are some low calorie drinks that I can get at bars for not too much? I was slugging down double rum and diet cokes, but those aren't always $2 (I lvoe Thursday nights haha).

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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Apr 30, 2011 -> 04:16 PM)
The one I had was quite good, but like I said not the best ale.

 

I can easily drink cheap beer, in fact I love drinking it at parties. But Im out of shape and this summer I want to give up beer so that I can cut those calories out, but I'll be drinking quite a bit again next year.

 

What are some low calorie drinks that I can get at bars for not too much? I was slugging down double rum and diet cokes, but those aren't always $2 (I lvoe Thursday nights haha).

 

Scotch and Soda is a bit less in calories than a Gin and Tonic (tonic water has more calories than club soda), but I much prefer the latter. The desire to shed a few pounds here as well has put the calorie-conscious Gin and Tonic int regular rotation of late.

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Went to Binny's just now, and they had my favorite Belgian Strong Ale onsale in 750ml bottles, picked up a few as gifts for friends who appreciate great beer. Also bought a few handles of my favorite cheap tequila and bourbon (Sauza Silver and Evan Williams, respectively). I love the prices of liquor in the states compared to in Europe, so much cheaper.

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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ May 2, 2011 -> 06:16 PM)
Went to Binny's just now, and they had my favorite Belgian Strong Ale onsale in 750ml bottles, picked up a few as gifts for friends who appreciate great beer. Also bought a few handles of my favorite cheap tequila and bourbon (Sauza Silver and Evan Williams, respectively). I love the prices of liquor in the states compared to in Europe, so much cheaper.

 

I have nothing bad to say about Evan Williams as a mixing bourbon (my personal preference is Four Roses yellow label or Old Forrester if I can't find Four Roses). But for MAYBE $2 more you can do a lot better than a cruddy mixto tequila like Sauza Silver. ANY 100% de agave would be better, and you can find several right at $20. Give El Jimador a shot. It is now once again a 100% de agave and it is the number 1 selling blanco tequila in Mexico so it certainly is authentic enough.

 

At least try a mixto side by side with a 100% de agave one evening at a bar so you can taste the difference.

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QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 2, 2011 -> 11:34 PM)
I have nothing bad to say about Evan Williams as a mixing bourbon (my personal preference is Four Roses yellow label or Old Forrester if I can't find Four Roses). But for MAYBE $2 more you can do a lot better than a cruddy mixto tequila like Sauza Silver. ANY 100% de agave would be better, and you can find several right at $20. Give El Jimador a shot. It is now once again a 100% de agave and it is the number 1 selling blanco tequila in Mexico so it certainly is authentic enough.

 

At least try a mixto side by side with a 100% de agave one evening at a bar so you can taste the difference.

Evan Williams is a definite mixer, sometimes a shooter if the pregame needs to get rowdy.

 

I guess I loved Sauza Silver because I was comparing it to Cuervo which is absolutely disgusting IMO, but I'll give that a try next time, thanks for the recommendation!

 

Speaking of cheap liquor, when I was in Holland I saw this bottle of scotch on sale so I picked it up for a pregame drink for when my brother was meeting up with me. It was called Glen Talloch, was described only as "very old, and rare" with no actual year on it. Considering the price, it was actually a hell of a cheap scotch, I was surprised by how smooth it was and the flavor was decent. My brother, who is pretty big into whiskeys, was blown away that it was actually a decent drink. We kept joking before opening it how bad it was going to be haha.

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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ May 3, 2011 -> 11:43 AM)
Evan Williams is a definite mixer, sometimes a shooter if the pregame needs to get rowdy.

 

I guess I loved Sauza Silver because I was comparing it to Cuervo which is absolutely disgusting IMO, but I'll give that a try next time, thanks for the recommendation!

 

Speaking of cheap liquor, when I was in Holland I saw this bottle of scotch on sale so I picked it up for a pregame drink for when my brother was meeting up with me. It was called Glen Talloch, was described only as "very old, and rare" with no actual year on it. Considering the price, it was actually a hell of a cheap scotch, I was surprised by how smooth it was and the flavor was decent. My brother, who is pretty big into whiskeys, was blown away that it was actually a decent drink. We kept joking before opening it how bad it was going to be haha.

 

Glen Talloch is owned by Boomsma and is the number one blended scotch whisky in the Netherlands. I don't think I've ever seen it stateside but I could be wrong. From the online description and reviews it sounds like a low-smoke, innocuous blend.

 

I neglected to ask if you had a chance to try any jenever while you were in Holland and if so what you thought of them.

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QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 3, 2011 -> 01:28 PM)
Glen Talloch is owned by Boomsma and is the number one blended scotch whisky in the Netherlands. I don't think I've ever seen it stateside but I could be wrong. From the online description and reviews it sounds like a low-smoke, innocuous blend.

 

I neglected to ask if you had a chance to try any jenever while you were in Holland and if so what you thought of them.

I actually did get a chance, I tried it once at a pregame with friends and it was delicious, not at all like gin in the states (gin has never been a go to drink for me, had a bad experience back in the day where it was just the worst taste). And I also got some when on a pubcrawl once.

 

The taste was much more mild than gin I have had here, and it was very smooth. The one I had at the pregame actually didn't taste strong at all, but it was right around 40% still.

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QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ May 3, 2011 -> 01:43 PM)
Going to longman and eagle for my birthday dinner today, so excited!! Anyone care to recommend me a beer from this menu? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and consumed :)

 

http://longmanandeagle.com/wp-content/uplo...2/beer_menu.pdf

Saison Dupont, you won't be disappointed.

 

Awesome thing is, that is only the 3rd best beer from that brewery that I've had. I still have a bottle of their Moinette Brune that I need to try.

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QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ May 3, 2011 -> 01:28 PM)
Glen Talloch is owned by Boomsma and is the number one blended scotch whisky in the Netherlands. I don't think I've ever seen it stateside but I could be wrong. From the online description and reviews it sounds like a low-smoke, innocuous blend.

 

I neglected to ask if you had a chance to try any jenever while you were in Holland and if so what you thought of them.

Oh and interesting research about Glen Talloch, it was so cheap (for Holland standards) that it really surprised me.

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QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ May 3, 2011 -> 02:43 PM)
Going to longman and eagle for my birthday dinner today, so excited!! Anyone care to recommend me a beer from this menu? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated and consumed :)

 

http://longmanandeagle.com/wp-content/uplo...2/beer_menu.pdf

 

One of everything. Do you have a style you enjoy?

 

If it were me, I might take a Robert the Bruce (about as good a scotch ale as there is).

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QUOTE (Leonard Zelig @ May 3, 2011 -> 02:41 PM)
Jim, when I read your posts I can't help but think of this song by band I am a big fan of. No offense, I mean this in the nicest possible way.

 

 

Catchy tune. . . and downer lyrics.

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