Yum.
A few new tipples. One from memory since I didn’t find all of these at the same time. Also, the tasting notes won’t be all that in-depth since I’m not in a terribly contemplative mood.
Teal deer: Rye is good. Even cheap rye is good.
Saratoga in the Rye: This is something that is probably not at your liquor store, and you don’t need to be sad about that. Not that this is bad — it’s actually good. However, it’s not any better than less expensive options. I was really looking forward to this one since most ryes are distilled at the same facility and then finished by the eventual bottler. This was (supposedly) a complete localvore product, with NY-grown rye and Saratoga spring* water, distilled here in town. That may be true, but there was nothing terroir-y about this, and at $40/bottle, I can’t recommend it. You may notice that the bottle is empty in the picture. That means it was good enough for me to drink, but not unique enough to add to the collection of whisky(ie)s that I keep on hand either for visitors, or for myself when I want that one particular taste/experience. Really great and/or hard to get bottles are never finished until I have a replacement in hand. Is it good enough to drink? Absolutely? Good enough to buy? Nope.
Now the next two could be used for a practical lesson in a tasting class.
Confession time: I like candy. Which also means I like booze that’s been sitting in charred barrels soaking up all that pyrolyzed cellulose, getting all that caramel and vanillin into the hooch. This effect is perfectly illustrated by these — the first being much more about the flavors of the barrel than the second.
James E. Pepper 1776 Straight Rye Whiskey: Sweet, peppery, finishes a bit ashy. Unlike most, a little water cuts the sweetness way back. The ashy finish is part and parcel of the process that gets that sweetness and color going. However, beyond that, this isn’t the most terribly interesting drink. Even though it’s relatively cheap, there are much better values out there. This one is not going into the collection, but will probably be used for whiskey sodas in the summer.
Hotel Tango Rye, ready-to-drink: The label says this is the only distillery run by disabled vets. People are for the most part, people. And large groups of people are generally also people. Neither better nor worse. There are a few groups that do seem to be worse than the general population (teachers, politicians, cops) but veterans seem to not be among those. Having said all of that, between Black Rifle Coffee Company and William Gordon Gaylor Jr., I am totally over the vetbro thing. The proof of the whiskey is in the drinking. Almost completely lacking a nose. Oh, now this one is good. This one is much more about the spirit as opposed to the barrel – it lacks the candy notes as the ash, and it’s lighter overall. This one is going into the collection. I’m not sure exactly what kind of mood it’s most suited for, but it’s tasty.
*The various springs in Saratoga Springs have radically differing levels of carbonation, sulfur, and /or other more-or-less tasty minerals. So when someone claims “made with famous Saratoga Springs water!” you really so need to consider which spring they used. Now if they mean “water purchased from the Saratoga Spring Water Company,” yeah that stuff is fairly delish. But when I finally get one of you to visit, we’ll take a springs tasting tour and you can experience Hathorn Spring in all its effervescent stench glory.
I remember back when people would order “rye and ginger”, and we would just pour Canadian.
Since this week is St Patrick’s day week: Whiskey You’re The Devil
Excellent version of that song.
I like the squat bottle too.
Yes! You can pack more square bottles in a cabinet, and you don’t need to adjust the shelf height up when they’re low form-factor like that.
** pours Macallan **
Macallan is a family name in the way back when.
Love their whisky but wasn’t prepared for the price jump. It’s about $100 a fifth here.
Thanks for the info on the ryes. Will definitely give them a try.
Mmm…. it doesn’t really work as coil cleaner, but it is a good Drano substitute.
Effervescent Stench Glory was my debut single. It didn’t do too well.
That’s what happens when your band name is the song title.
Icehouse, They Might Be Giants, and Talk Talk – among others – hardest hit.
I haven’t thanked you for bringing Basil Hayden Dark Rye to my attention, so *thank you* in extremis!
It’s now my sipping whiskey of choice, being considerably easier to find than my old standby Sazerac.
Lovely stuff.
*adds to list*
Thanks for doing these, NA. Not seeing the Hotel Tango locally. The Pepper interests me, I’ll have to keep an eye out.
Rye is good. Even cheap rye is good.
🙂
These guys had a one-off maple flavored rye. I have a bottle somewhere. It is tasty.
Do you even First, bro?
I already know the answer with you people.
What do you mean you people?
I mean you, the inferior race of subhuman seconders.
Who else would I have meant?
Why are you talking to yourself?
Honestly, most of the time I’m left wondering if I wouldn’t be better off exclusively talking to myself. Only a Firster of my caliber can truly appreciate the greatness of my Firsts, and there’s only one Firster of my caliber.
Tonight’s feature is Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura in a quasi rip-off of The Terminator.
This is news I can use.
Rye and Irish are my two whiskys, don’t see the need for much else at my age.
Rye, Irish, Scotch, and Bourbon are my four whiskies. I agree with you – I don’t see any need either for much else at my age.
Just watched the first episode of “The Peter Gun Show”:
https://youtu.be/LTMVMRJtF68
The only mystery is how such a boring show got such an awesome theme song.
Murray Slaughter is the bad guy.
I got confused by the police guy telling Gunn what is going on. Is Gunn officially with the police? If so, is he the guy who played the organ?
I mean, no, he’s a P.I., so why is the police guy giving him info, like he expects Gunn to go after the bad guy?
That’s fairly common in old PI stories, The Continental Op worked very closely with the police even giving uniformed cops orders at times, It seems odd to those oif us that grew up with Jim Rockford but that’s apparently how it used to be.
Several Continental Op stories are available free of charge on LibriVox.
I just finished binge-reading all seven “Philip Marlowe” novels (plus most of his pulp stories) by Raymond Chandler. Very entertaining.
I just finished a collection of Fredric Browns detective stories, for a Sci-fi guy he writes a pretty good detective story, maybe not as hard boiled as Chandler or Hammett but fun.
Check out Browns Fabulous Clipjoint. It is one of the better hard-boiled novels, and he was a pulp writer, so wrote pretty much everything.
I read that one, I meant to look for the rest of the series ( I think there’s a series) but never got around to it.
Huh. I knew that was the Theme to something but never knew what.
The video game Spy Hunter. The tv show ripped it off.
No, they ripped it off from Art of Noise.
https://youtu.be/nY-V0PISRyk
Best game ever
Odd way to spell Galaga
Galaga isn’t far off.
Point blank range and they had to empty both barrels?
Speaking of awesome theme songs: https://youtu.be/GVgmLY9XEMs
It’s so dramatic
That was really boring, except for the laugh out loud moment at the end.
I think I’ll watch episode 2: https://youtu.be/UcjU9e6iaI8
Black Col. Sanders is in the house!
“They loved your act!”
“Yeah, but the only problem is that I can only do it once!”
I wonder if every episode’s post-credit scene is a funeral
I am enjoying the Dixieland music in this episode
Gunn adheres to the fine tradition of P.I.’s getting beat up and knocked out.
I’ve seen mention several times lately on this site about people getting on a plane going to the wrong place. One that has been mentioned quite a few times was a guy who thought he was flying to Oakland, CA but flew to Auckland, NZ. I had read these in dead threads so I never got to point out, that was a gag done on Full House. Based on something that did happen in 1985.
That does sound like something any of the bright lights on Full House might do.
Watching a pretty good movie right now – Emily the Criminal. Stars Aubrey Plaza in a serious role.
Also, there is a charactor named Yousef!
It’s not a pure rye, but my absolute favorite sippin’ whiskey is the Copper Fox Rye out of Virginia.
Distilled from a unique blend of thoroughbred grains from the Northern Neck of Virginia; 2/3 rye, 1/3 barley, hand-malted and kiln-dried with applewood and cherrywood smoke.
The sweetness of a Speyside malt with the spiciness of rye, along with a touch of hardwood smoke. It’s not for everyone, but it’s damn sure for me.
This is quite good but probably hard to find outside of New England
http://tamworthdistilling.com/spirits/chorocura-straight-rye/
I’m wondering if the James E. Pepper was one of their new homegrown ryes, or one that was sourced from MGP.
For those not in the know, Midwest Grain Products is a distillery in Indiana that makes a 95% rye, 5% corn whiskey that’s pretty damn good. A whole lot of brands (Dickel, Buillet) just bottle the stuff and sell it under their own label, while others (High West, WhistlePig) do some masterful ageing and blending to create an even better product.
My tastes are circling the drain. Old Forrester and Teacher’s are my go to these days.
Rip Dick Fosbury, the most successful flop ever
Well… a guy whose entire career was a flop has passed on.
/Looks upthread, realized he’s the only flop around there here parts.
Form doesn’t matter as long as you get it over the bar.
Welcome to the cool kids club. We’ve all been there.
I saw about Short Round winning an Oscar, but missed the others. I haven’t seen either movie that they were in, but good on all of them. Seems weird to think of Brendan Fraser as an academy award winner now. Same for Sarah Polley.
What the Fuck?
Good evening, Crazy crackers!
Last time I checked in to Glibs, early this Saturday morn, I thought I was going to have to head to the ER. Fever 102.7, cough, SpO2 of 91%, but 24 hours later I was right as rain. No idea what that crap was about.
Anyhoo, I have had a busy but fruitful couple of days. Got the keys to my new apartment, made a Target run for essentials (kitchenware, inflatable Intex mattress for me now, guests later, towels, sheets, trashcans, etc). My fantastic coworker and partner in crime who is midway through a 2 week stay up here insisted on helping me, so he did all the heavy lifting. Phew.
Then today at work I felt really good because i was able to contribute immediately in ways that not just anyone could, so even though many challenges remain, we are making progress and the team is awesome to work with.
Thanks for all the words of encouragement etc. Hope to Zoom with you guys on Wednesday, but with some of my social calendar now being taken up with work folks, might not be until Friday.
Until then, take care all!
Glad you’re feeling better!
I am now so cynical about pandemics I think you should take a blood sample and store it in your freezer and later you will discover you had the New Dread H2N787 back in March 2023.
Attagirl! Glad to see that you’re back on your feet.
Good to hear that you told death “Back off Jack!” and are on the mend.
I trust that you’ll continue to contribute to your job and I’d bet you’ll have numerous flashes if insight that will lift up your team.
I hope you purchased no pastels at Target, you don’t want to let Morticia down.
Huzzah!
Good morning Glibs.
😋☕
Morning.
Mornin’
How goes?
Meh. Cold in my apartment, vaguely cranky and not even out of bed yet.
OTOH, the snow has stopped and it’s supposed to be mostly sunny today. I like getting solar heat for free 😉
Being able to turn up the heat without having to get out of bed is one of the great joys of modern life.
I’d settle for being able to turn up the heat. This building has a hydro ice system so basically all I get is on/off, with different set points my only control. It doesn’t keep up with outdoor ambient variations at all well. Space heater helps (electric included in rent, tg), but not enough to satisfy my inner lizard on cold mornings like today. Oh, well. The place is cheap;you get what you pay for ;-\
Effing autocorrect — hydronics not hydro ice.
That sounds less cool.
Mornin’
Apparently I’m now one of those “wake up at 05:30 for no reason” Glibs.
At least WFH means I can catch a 30 minute nap later.
I woke up at 2am because the acetominophen wore off and my headache and fever came back. I never really got back to sleep, despite my best efforts (and a new dose)
Oof, hope you shake what’s ailing you.
I’m not sure what it is yet. So I don’t know whether to expect it to get worse or fade.
No other symptoms, I hope?
I don’t know if the fatigue is due to the ilness or from the interrupted sleep.
We’ll chalk that up to lack of sleep until evidence indicates otherwise.
Yuck. My sympathies. Hope you recover soon.
😟
Ouch. Hope you feel better soon.
I take a siesta after lunch every day. Don’t tell my boss.
I take my naps during meetings. When I am called on to respond to something, I ask the speaker to repeat the question. The team thinks I am hard of hearing: old age has its privileges.
Morning!
Where’s mah snomageddon?
suh’ fam
whats goody
Good morning homey, slummy, U, Shirley, and Sean!
I got up on time this morning, so Little Black Kitty got his cuddle… and then I had to pry one of his claws out of my hoodie when the coffee was ready. 😕
…and I just pulled up the local traffic map. There are crashes all over the place. So far none listed along my commute route, but it’s probably just a matter of time. 😒
Ouch. Icy, or just bad drivers?
“Heavy snow showers.” And bad drivers are, of course, a given.
Mornin’ GT. LBK must have forgiven you for yesterday 🙂
Or he thinks I’m performing penance. 🙄🐱👤
Mornin’, GT.
and then I had to pry one of his claws out of my hoodie
Oh no! What will you wear to the drive-by?
Riddle: What goes clop clop clop BANG BANG BANG clop clop clop?
Amish drive-by?
👏🏼👏🏼
👏🏼 👏🏼
👏🏼👏🏼
[round of applause]
[It was a lot rounder before I hit “Reply.”]
A centaur knocker-upper waking his clients.
Hmmm… “knocker-upper” means something very different in my neighborhood, but the judges will accept it.
It’s an old profession predating the euphemism that got put out of business by alarm clocks.
HORSE SMITH?
Good morning, all you reprobates! Couldn’t fall asleep last night despite my best efforts, so I’m up early to drive-by NA’s another of fine articles on Rye.
My brother-in-law will only drink rye and I have to say, I find it “cleaner” and “lighter” than some of the other dark fermented liquids.
I’m going to get the HT on both recommendation and principle – but like you, NA, I’m over the vetbro thing.
(No, I don’t want a military or retired vet discount; I don’t want a ‘thank you for my service.’ I do want vets to stop acting like cops and nurses – i.e. like they’re owed something for picking that particular vocation)… now back to getting the kids off of my lawn.
Hope you’re all doing well. The fight against govt medical tyranny continues apace. Every time we get a small win, the govt changes the rules. Go figure.
Mornin’, Oz. You are fighting the good fight against the tyrants. Thanks for that.
My pleasure, ‘patzie. It appears to be how I’m wired, so it gives me something to do that at least has a certain nobility.
(It may be the same kind of nobility that Don Juan had, but whatever. To each his own windmills.)
Good morning, Ozy! Good luck in your ongoing battle with the Calvinball administration!
Good to see you around here again! You are missed, but as noted by others, you’re fighting the good fight. It’s much appreciated.
Mornin’, reprobates!
Good morning, ‘patzie! ☕
☕️🚬
Hot chocolate flails?
Surprised this 🚬 still exists.
Couldn’t find a pipe emoji.
GT be careful out there- our part of town is a sheet of ice. Ive been out in it already, and turned around.
Yeah, I’m getting that distinct impression. See how purty?
Apparently we got travel bans. First I’ve heard of it was an email saying the offices were closed but those of us telecommuting still had to work.
Today is a regularly scheduled remote day 🙁
We also have three interviews I’m totally unprepared for, and my foggy brain won’t help.
What are your plans in re the weather?
Just about to go try my luck.
Biden asked to give Carter’s Eulogy
It could be epic.
“Goober Pop was a bad dude…”
Good lord. You’re not kidding.
And who does this? I don’t believe Carter asked for Joe’s kind words at all.
Joe’s demented brain prolly does believe this was asked of him, just like he believes the lies he keeps telling even after the people managing him and really running the country into the ground told em to stop.
I wonder whether that really happened or if it’s just an artifact of Biden’s fevered brain.
Obviously, the Biden impersonator was asked to eulogize the Carter impersonator. All the real people are at Gitmo.
I am holding out hope that he actually does it… and then strokes out right in the middle of some long string of nonsense that sounds like it might be misquotes from Jabberwocky.
With the cameras catching Camel-Toe Harris doing that nervous cackle-thing after Biden drops dead on Carter’s coffin and she finally processes what that means. (It could take a while, but it’s my fantasy and I’ll dream it how I want it!!)
How awesome would that be?! Two of the worst presidents ever going into the ground together. I for one would stand up and salute.
I AM THE GUY THAT FINALLY MADE CARTER NOT THE WORST PRESIDENT EVEAH!
URGGHHHH..
/Keels over..
That would be awesome, and then we get to see the aftermath as they blame Trump and “extreme MAGA Republicans” for his death, because Trump weakened Obamacare or something.
https://nypost.com/2023/03/13/yankees-great-joe-pepitone-dead-at-82/
RIP, Joe Pepitone. An OK ballplayer, but I will always remember him for this incident reported by Jim Bouton in “Ball Four”:
“One day Joe Pepitone inserted a piece of popcorn under his foreskin
and went to the trainer claiming a new venereal disease”
They don’t make ’em like that any more.
“Corn pop was a bad VD…”
The drive to work was the slickest I’ve encountered. Must be some temperature thing.
I only got the driveway half-cleared before the snowblower got clogged on slush to the point the auger couldn’t proceed. Hopefully it doesn’t freeze while I’m at work.
The first thirty seconds of the Pitch Meeting for Cocaine Bear is the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8x6oyusAIE
I can’t wait for his next project: Meth Gator…
I wonder about that. I had a frat brother give some whiskey to a lizard and it died almost immediately.