Bookster Sonoma Pinot Noir 2005

2005
Bookster Sonoma Pinot Noir 2005 (750ML)

Varietal: Pinot Noir
When first tasting this extremely exuberant 2005 someone said...”Now that’s what great Vosne Romanee smells like!,That's what I'm talking about!” With a fruit profile in the nose of wild raspberries and crushed flowers it draws you straight in to the glass. A dark and rich palate of juicy bing cherry and red plum flavors will make you an INSTANT fan of this Pinot, leaving you craving more due to the intense flavor profile!!

Australian Chardonnay 2005

2005
Trevor Jones Virgin Chardonnay 2005 (750ML)

Varietal: Chardonnay
Also we tried this wine the same evening and was extremely impressed with the consistency of one of the world’s best non-oaked, or “Virgin” Chardonnays, Trevor Jones’s offerings attain a laser-like precision without sacrificing any of their rich, white peach, pear, and honeyed citrus fruit. The medium to full-bodied, beautifully pure, charming, tasty 2005 Virgin Chardonnay will be very flexible with a variety of cuisines if drunk during its first several years of life...90" WA 11

California Chardonnay Foxglove 2005

2005
Foxglove

Varietal: Chardonnay
We had the chance during a wine tasting this past saturday to sample this new offering, the 2005 Foxglove is basically a second label. It is a combination of estate grown fruit blended with Edna Valley grapes. About 15% is barrel fermented in old oak. The result is an outstanding white wine possessing attractive aromas of lemon oil, white corn, crushed rocks, and white currants as well as a steely crispness reminiscent of a top-notch Chablis. Drink it over the next 1-3 years...90." WA 12/06

Talisker 10yr Single Malt Scotch

The nose was very richly sherried with plenty of wonderful organics. Dry roasted almonds. More like a Macallan 18yo than a Talisker 10yo . A fabulous experience. The taste was very sherried as well, with plenty of excellent wood. A real sherry monster that goes on and on and on. This is the battery bunny of single malts. I'd have to say this beats any Macallan 18yo or 25yo I've had so far. That's especially impressive when you consider that the bottle was freshly opened. I gave it 92 points

Some Select Gins

Value Brands:
Aristocrat- United States, 80 proof, $9
Barton London Extra Dry- United States, 80 proof, $9
Taaka Dry- United States, 80 proof, $9
Booth's London Dry- England, 90 proof, $10
Glenmore London Dry- United States, $10
McCormick Dry- United States, 80 proof, $10
Fleischmann Extra Dry- United States, $11
Gordon's London Dry- United States, 80 proof. $11
Seagram's Extra Dry- United States, 80 proof, $12
Burnett's London Dry- United States, 80 proof, $13
Premium Brands:
Broker's London Dry- England, 94 proof, $20
Boodles London Dry- England, 90.4 proof, $21
Beefeater- England, 94 proof, $22
Bombay Dry- England, 80 proof, $22
Tanqueray London Dry- England, 94.6 proof, $22
Beefeater Wet- England, 70 proof, $24
Tower of London- England, 80 proof, $26
Bombay Sapphire- England, 94 proof, $27
Hendrick's- Scotland, 88 proof, $28
Super-Premium Brands:
Bafferts- England, 80 proof, $27
Junipero- United States, 97 proof, $27
Tanqueray No. Ten- England, 94.6 proof, $28
Cascade Mountain- United States, 95 proof, $35
Mercury London Dry- England, 94 proof, $37
Van Gogh- Holland, 94 proof, $37
Zuidam- Holland, 89 proof, $38
Kensington London Dry- Scotland, 94.4 proof, $40
Magellan- France, 80 proof, $40
Old Raj- England, 110 proof, $60
The prices listed in this article are based on the average price of 750mL bottles found at various online retailers.

Gin Classifications ' Why don't you slip out of those wet clothes and into a dry martini? ' - Robert Benchley

London Dry Gin is the dominant English style of Gin. As a style it lends itself particularly well to mixing. London Dry Gin is the dominant Gin style in the United Kingdom, former British colonies, the United States, and Spain.
Plymouth Gin is relatively full-bodied (when compared to London Dry Gin). It is clear, slightly fruity, and very aromatic. Originally the local Gin style of the English Channel port of Plymouth, modern Plymouth Gin is nowadays made only by one distillery in Plymouth, Coates & Co., which also controls the right to the term Plymouth Gin.
Old Tom Gin is the last remaining example of the original lightly sweetened gins that were so popular in 18th-century England. The name comes from what may be the first example of a beverage vending machine. In the 1700s some pubs in England would have a wooden plaque shaped like a black cat (an "Old Tom") mounted on the outside wall. Thirsty passersby would deposit a penny in the cats mouth and place their lips around a small tube between the cats paws. The bartender inside would then pour a shot of Gin through the tube and into the customers waiting mouth. Until fairly recently limited quantities of Old Tom-style Gin were still being made by a few British distillers, but they were, at best, curiosity items.
Genever or Hollands is the Dutch style of Gin. Genever is distilled from a malted grain mash similar to that used for whisky. Oude ("old") Genever is the original style. It is straw-hued, relatively sweet and aromatic. Jonge ("young") Genever has a drier palate and lighter body. Some genevers are aged for one to three years in oak casks. Genevers tend to be lower proof than English gins (72-80 proof or 36-40% ABV is typical). They are usually served straight up and chilled. The classic accompaniment to a shot of Genever is a dried green herring. Genever is traditionally sold in a cylindrical stoneware crock. Genever-style gins are produced in Holland, Belgium, and Germany

Iceberg Vodka So Pure

Pollack first thought of extracting water from 12,000-year-old icebergs in 1990 but it wasn't until 1995 that the dangerous job of harvesting icebergs commenced. Pollack's Canadian Iceberg Vodka Corp. harvests masses of ice that are so pure pesticides, herbicides and other organic pollutants can't be detected even when measured by parts per billion.
This pure water is combined with triple-distilled, neutral-grain spirits produced from the highest-grade Ontario sweet corn. The vodka is then blended and bottled by the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation, which maintains the highest standard of product quality control.
A check with a local liquor store found that Iceberg Vodka is mid-priced at $16 for 750 ml, compared to Smirnoff, which retails at $11.99, and Grey Goose, distilled and bottled in France, at $29.99.
The average size of an iceberg is 100,000-200,000 tons — around the size of a 15-story building.
Icebergs are so pure that pesticides, herbicides and other organic pollutants can't be detected even when measured by parts per billion.
Sweet corn grain is shipped from Ontario, Canada and blended with the iceberg water.
A good vodka should taste soft, creamy and smooth. It shouldn't be bitter or burn your palate.
To enhance your vodka experience:
Put the vodka it in the freezer overnight, and pop your glass in the freezer for an hour.
Pour a healthy shot of frozen vodka.
Let the vodka warm up slightly by holding the glass in your hand, which will take off a bit of the freeze. If vodka is too cold, it will freeze your taste buds and you won't get a good tasting. If it is too warm, the flavor mix becomes too complex and the dominant flavor less discernible.
Taste the shot a couple of times, first just a sip that sits on your palate as you exhale through your nose.
Cleanse your palate with lukewarm water, and then take a shot straight down.
Compare the two experiences and the aftertaste--you'll be surprised at how complex vodka really is!