Whiskey tastings and life

WHISKEY TASTINGS AND LIFE

Hello again dear readers! The last two days have been quite extraordinary indeed as I had two tastings with completely different styles of whiskies! The true beauty of these is doing it with friends and eventually, the whole process of a tasting turns out into a long get-together. I really like that. 

This "two-part" tasting started on Tuesday at the bar I work at, where I met two of my good friends and a friend of my friend, an Italian exchange student...

:D

Jokes aside, he was a really cool guy. He drank beer with us and wasn't afraid of anything.

So what was the first tasting all about? The peat bomb Ardbeg - series hailing from Islay! As far as I was concerned, I've never been a true fan of heavily smoked/peaty whiskies. But with maturity comes great respon...taste bud development and lately I can appreciate a good smoked whisky. I would still prefer a sherry-like malt over any Islay whisky, though. But as I want to finish my project (New Year's Resolution 2014), I knew this day would eventually come.

The tasting included:

• Ardbeg 10yo
• Ardbeg Uigeadail (matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks)
• Ardbog (matured in ex-manzanilla sherry casks for at least 10 years)
• Ardbeg Corryveckan (previously a Committee-only bottling, it is intended as a replacement for Airigh Nam Beist in the core range)

For me these were difficult to evaluate properly. Yes, they were really peaty and all of them had an incredibly long finish. I kid you not when I say the flavors lingered in the mouth for a long, long time after tasting them. Corryveckan had peppery notes and out of these four I enjoyed the Uigeadail the best. Overall these whiskies were genuinely soft.

The evening continued with beers and alike with a soft touch of schnapps. But this was just the beginning...

The following day (one of my friends stayed over for the night) I conducted a Bourbon tasting with three products! I held this tasting twice today; once at noon and a second time when one friend got here from school.

For this tasting I initially had in mind to order the whole range of Jim Beam (they have over a dozen of different styles of bottling) and truly evaluate the differences (age and effect of wood respectively). But while writing a letter to a friend of mine a few weeks back and explaining this, I had a doubt. "Would I really want this? Can I really afford this?" I ended up ordering only two different ones along with the "basic" one I already had:

• Jim Beam White (4yo)
• Jim Beam Black (6yo)
• Jim Beam Signature Craft (12yo)

One really distinctive difference with these products was the effect of age and thus color; the 12yo has a copper-ish color whereas the youngest (white/4yo) possesses a light golden (slightly shifting to green) color. Woody notes were present , perfume and wax. With age the flavor becomes apparent smoother. I did enjoy the Signature Craft's smoothness but taste-wise the Black was a tad better.

As we sampled these bourbons as their own, I then had the same amount of said whiskies in glasses with a fixed amount of soft drink (pepsi) added to it. A big thanks to a friend of mine, who gave me whisky stones the weekend before; these became extremely handy! So what I did was put about 2 cl (~½ fl oz) of bourbon, add two whisky stones and 5 cl of pepsi (1½ fl oz) to "reanimate" a bourbon&coke and perhaps taste how they differ. Had I used regular ice the drink would've eventually watered down altering the results of this "scientific" experiment.

As a joker I then introduced a fourth bourbon i.e. Maker's Mark, which we sipped but didn't really evaluate. This was kind of a "hey now that you've tasted these Jim Beams have a sip of this!"

Tasting in progress

Before the other friend got here we popped open the Highland Park 12yo (or HP when feeling rad). I have to admit, this whisky was a purchase truly based on comments/reviews. I must concur with the rest; this is a good whisky! The remarkable aspect of this is how I couldn't nose the subtle smokiness but in the mouth it is present. It also has a long finish, which I appreciate.

The evening ended with a game of hearts. 

It was a really nice two days with good drink and better company!

Mango Pineapple Vodka (infused vodka)

MANGO PINEAPPLE VODKA

Howdy ho you cocktail loving creatures of the night! As part of my infused vodka series I am hereby proceeding with my second bottling! Forget everything I mentioned about the "Plum Pudding Vodka" behind the link! Instead, I did a rather fruity mix! A Mango Pineapple Vodka! Before we proceed to the basics, here's a rather "style-ish" picture of my earlier Spiced Pear Vodka infusion I strained into my Loki bottle:

Oh yea check out that scrub!

So to make some Mango Pineapple Vodka you will naturally need:

A good sized, ripe-ish pineapple...

A mango, rinsed, brushed and towel-dried...

A vanilla pod! (I fu**ing looooooove vanilla!)

And finally a standard bottle of vodka (700ml). Again, don't spend your money on "top-tier" vodkas that have been filtered over a million times through who-knows-what but also don't make the mistake of buying the cheapest booze-like vodka out there. That said, my choice (Smirnoff) is a good and reliable choice for infusions.

So now that we have our ingredients ready, let's get to work! OH and don't forget your mason jar!

Cut your mango into chunks!

Split open the vanilla pod lengthwise and stick it right in there!

Add your chunks of pineapple!

Pour in the vodka! Avot!

Close the jar and let it rest for about ~2 weeks in a dry, dark place (pun intended). Give it a shake/stir every day or so and taste it after a few days. When you start to like the concoction, go ahead and strain/bottle it!

I shall bottle this into my "Thor" bottle as said, in a couple of weeks time. :)

A completely different story...

A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY

Taken today at my mother's urn burial spot

“Tears shed for another person are not a sign of weakness. They are a sign of a pure heart.”

― José N. Harris

Today I'll write a completely different story. A story not related to cocktails. On one hand it is a happy story but on the other a heart-breaking one.

In the past year so much has happened I sometimes have difficulties grasping all that really went on. Moreover, "ranking" these life events according to "importance" is utterly futile, since in the end it does not really matter. They have all happened and I have dealt with them in my own way.

Last year, on this exact date, my mother passed away. The day before that I quit my old job and was starting my career as a bartender. And the day before that I did my first ever tryout shift at said bar to see if I was "bartending material". It was "just like any weekend" except that my sister had called me on Saturday and told me our mother wasn't doing too good. We drove about 165km to my sister's place so "the next day we could see our mom."

We never got to do that as she passed away in her sleep.

I cried and I wept. I felt guilt for not visiting my mother, no, for not appreciating the time with my mother while she still lived nearer to me&wife. Back then, years ago, I felt as if I was obliged to do it every Sunday.

Also, as the youngest son I felt as if I had the "least time with her" in comparison with my older siblings. It's funny how you take such things for granted and when they're suddenly gone you realize how much you really had. It's ironic since I was the closest sibling for a few years when my mother still lived in Tampere. After her condition made her move to a town where my oldest sister lives, I never got around visiting her with the exception of Easter or some other "special events". When I now think of that time, it is really shameful how few a times I saw her during that time.

The last time I could reasonably talk with her was in fact 2013 Easter. Her condition collapsed a few months later and in July, 2013 she could barely talk but instead lie in bed. Just seeing her that time, I cried the whole visit while there.

The next and last time I saw her was at the funeral. As Orthodox, it was an open casket funeral and only a few relatives were attending. My oldest brother flew from Germany with his wife & oldest son to attend the ceremony.

I get comfort from my siblings with whom I stayed for almost a week in Kerava. I also got major support from my wife & her family. A few months later I invited close friends and relatives at my home where we ate, had coffee and read condolence cards sent by people who knew my mother.

That weekend was a big point in my life. I could say, where one life ends, another begins (as in my new career). Now, on this exact date in 2014, I'm ~one month away from being a father for my first born child. It's a mystery where life lays paths for one to follow. A path I have never walked before and sometimes the sole idea of fatherhood scares the s**t out of me. But I will prevail and raise one helluva kid.

A TOAST TO MY MOTHER!

A (wheat) beer tasting

A (WHEAT) BEER TASTING

A wonderful evening to each and everyone once again! As you might have noticed by the title, I planned a wheat beer tasting for me & my friend last weekend. The reason I put the "wheat" in parenthesis was I miserably failed at choosing beers! :D From the picture the second from the right is in fact not a wheat beer at all! I accidentally took it while browsing (wheat) beers at the local retailer so what we ended up was three wheat beers and one rosé bock (lager)!

Nonetheless, I pulled it off and with two friends abroad we tackled them like pros.

But first the "scientific" part. For the sake of this blog, let's pretend I never chose the lager for the collection :D. As we know, there are many types of wheat beers out there, Hefeweizens (unfiltered), Kristallweizens (filtered), dark wheat beers, Dutch witbier, Berliner Weisse, lambics and so forth. I could've chosen one type (un/filtered/dark/speciality) from one brewery (e.g. Franziskaner) but then realized how silly that would be in a world filled with different wheat beers! Instead I wanted to choose two unfiltered ones, one dark and one "specialty", which indeed turned out special (not a wheat beer at all!)

Beautiful, beautiful, beer

As I reserved way more beer than originally meant to be drunk, here's the list of what we used in drinking order (left to right):

• Paulaner Hefe-Weissbier (Munich) 5.5%
• Kloster Andechs Weizen (Andechs) 5.5%
• Schmucker Rosé Bock (Mossautal) 8.0% (not a wheat beer at all but a lager!)
• Schneider Weisse Aventinus (Kelheim) 8.2%

All of these beers hail from Germany. As with the weizens, they all had their unique "banana" flavor to it. A positive note on Aventinus, even with the 8.2% ABV it didn't taste strong. On the contrary, the Rosé Bock was not only bitter as f**k, the alcohol level was way to potent, at least for me. (the reason why I'm not a big fan of Belgian Trappist beers; their alcohol level is too much for me to enjoy them thoroughly)

I liked the Andechs beer the most. Its taste was fresh and less malty in comparison to Paulaner and Aventinus. The Aventinus had surprising, sweet (honey) notes to it. The lager was...well, bitter in all aspects. As we can clearly see, the Paulaner was maltier as well, its caramel-color when compared to its cousin the Andechs.

Since we only needed to pop one bottle/three drinkers, we saved the rest for the glorious movies Expendables I and II, which we watched before going to town to see the third. Truth to be told, the trilogy got worse after each movie but heck, these were meant to be seen! 

One HEAVENLY combo to be enjoyed!

After the third movie, one of my friends headed home but the other one stayed for a drink at the pub next door:

'

Of course I had to order a Weizen and their local noisette/nut schnapps!

The night "ended" at my place for an after party and sauna. Was good, so good!

Spiced Pear Vodka (infused vodka)

SPICED PEAR VODKA

Ahh, the serenity! Today a lovely package came from abroad bringing me all kinds of goodies!

The bottles of vodka are 75% for infused use, as mentioned in my earlier post regarding those vodka infusions. Jim Beam Black (I now have the white one, black one and signature craft) for another tasting, some mixing cognac (Hennessy VS), tequila (Silver Patrón), The Duke Organic Gin from Munich, El Dorado 15yo, Highland Park 12yo and with the few extra euros in my PayPal account one "Oktoberfest" beer. Alas the packaging of the rum came up torn and the gift package supposed to come with the Hennessy didn't come at all. I mentioned these in my review. Not that I really care (because these two are not intended for gifts), but I expect getting whole products and not torn apart/missing packaging when ordering stuff online.

Anyhow, so after the work meeting in the morning, I met up with my friend and had lunch. He had errands to run after that and I went to the store and fetched a few selected items for today's project I didn't have waiting for me at home already. I got home anxiously waiting for the box above. Yay!

I looked up the recipe for the Spiced Pear Vodka. So what I needed was...

Cloves, cinnamon sticks and some star anise...

A few pears and a vanilla pod.

...and of course some vodka. A whole 700ml bottle of it (editor's note: and a little bit of extra).

As seen in the little pictures, first wash the pears and cut them into slices. Add the cloves (5) and cinnamon stick (1). Instead of just putting the vanilla pod in, I scraped the vanilla essence out of it and put it in there as well. Lasty put the ½ star anise in as the editor of the original recipe mentioned the strong flavor it had.

Add the vodka and avot! I shall strain and bottle this beauty in the Thor bottle I have in about 4-5 days. I shall report more when the job is "officially" done. By the way a big thanks to one of my good friends who provided me with a big o' mason jar!

Cosmopolitan

COSMOPOLITAN

A good and jolly evening to each and everyone! Tonight I made a classic I should've done ages ago! I introduce you to the Cosmopolitan. But before we got to the core basics of this classic, a bit of history if you don't mind.

I've post-poned the making of this cocktail for a long time. Probably the biggest reason being the fact that I have actually made this before, a few years back but wasn't really satisfied with the result. It could've been the lack of my artisanship, poor recipe (I get to that soon) or both. Moreover, this cocktail uses a very small amount of cranberry juice in it and a whole carton of it for the sake of an amount less of a standard type shot, I felt justified of "not-making-this" cocktail.

Nonetheless, I have grabbed the bull by its horn and here we are. No excuses, just cocktails!

Oh and regarding the recipe. Keep in mind that the one I just represents only one version of the Cosmo. There are literally countless amount of different versions of this cocktail (I went through a lot before going for this one) and let's be honest here. There are good ones and there are bad ones out there but there is no "right" one. But basically, this is a "pimped out" Kamikaze, if you so gently put it. I remember the first time I made this I used the rule "one shot of everything (2.5 cl / 1½ fl oz)."

• 4.5 cl (citron) vodka (I used absolut citron)
• 3 cl cointreau
• 1.5 cl fresh lime juice
• ~1.5 cl cranberry juice 

READ THE UPDATE WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE ORIGINAL TEXT

The cranberry juice is mainly used for the color but it has a tart taste to it as well. Vodka for the power and lime juice to even out the sweetness of cointreau. Again, where I work I would make it differently, with more cranberry juice and less liquor (silly laws).

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice, shake hard and double-strain into your chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with either a lime or if feeling "uuh adventurous", take a zest of orange, light it up and rim the glass with it/twist the essential oils of it into your drink & drop it in (as seen in the picture).

Result? A gorgeous cocktail with a lovely orange aroma to it. But...the unlimited versions of the Cosmo has made me doubt myself to the point that I ask myself "How should a Cosmo taste like?" I've tasted quite a few ones (the most horrible being in Estonia where they used booze instead of vodka oh my the memories!) and I'm still not convinced.

Feel free to comment a recipe you prefer and I might as well make it. I seriously feel torn here!

And now that we're at it, I had the opportunity to meet my god-daughter today and that KICKED ASS! CHEERS TO THAT! :)

UPDATE 26.01.2016

THIS is the shit!

So here's an update. A WELL-DESERVED update on this now-modern classic! FINALLY a recipe I can stand behind to! Robert Hess from Small Screen Network made this cocktail and given, with the recipe he provided...THIS is a good Cosmopolitan!

• 4.5 cl Absolut Citron (or any citron-flavored vodka)
• 1.5 cl Cointreau
• 3 cl cranberry juice
• 0.75 cl lime juice
• orange peel garnish

The Cosmopolitan. 'Nuff said.

Chimay 2009 VS Chimay 2014

Chimay 2009 VS Chimay 2014

Notice the new label (and my hands when I took the picture)

Hello everyone!

One day at work I noticed a bottle of Chimay Blue in the showcase. Nothing special, except for the fact it was brewed in 2009! Now at this point you might say "Eww Cele that's FIVE YEAR OLD BEER!" or "Put that f***ing thing away before I stick it up your ass!" BUT there's one thing you should know. These high ABV beers (in this case 9%) can be kept in cellars and "matured". Keep in mind, though, the 2009 version standing on the showcase has not quite met the requirements for proper (or any) "cellar"-conditions, so comparing it to the new version was just a fun experiment to make.

Thankfully a friend of mine managed to come along; drinking these alone would've been too much for me. But before tried out the Chimays I chatted a bit with two French tourists visiting Finland for a week, Inez and Jacques ("Jack"), with whom I talked before my friend showed up.

But let's get into business. As you can see in the following pictures, these two varied a massive amount; both in nose and palate. 

Left 2014, right 2009

First things first; the nose. Where as the 2014 had a fresh, malty aroma to it, the 2009 version smelt very yeasty to me, even spoilt. Also, the foam was weak and disappeared almost instantly. The amount of sediment (yeast) was crazy in the old bottling (as you can see in the pictures below).

2014

2009

2009

2014

Regarding taste, I have to admit the older Chimay had a distinctive taste to it. Fair enough, it wasn't a good one, but as if drinking cheap sparkling wine. I somehow got same kind of aromas from it! The 2014 bottle was so much sweeter (which makes sense since the yeast hasn't consumed all sugars) and maltier. Overall it was just better, no doubt about it. Sure, as mentioned before, the 2009 version wasn't cellar conditioned at any times, but still...phooie :D

I should've realized to decant the old bottle so all of the yeast had not gone in the glass, but well, too late now :D

Summa summarum, it was quite an experiment. After the Chimays we had a go at three gins sold at our bar (part of my NY-resolution and with a friend sampling products is WAY better); Gordon's, Bombay and Hendrick's. Out of these three, I ranked them as following:

Best nose: Hendrick's

Best taste: Gordon's

I got to say, Bombay gin had an awful peppery taste and was...quite bad to be honest.

Was fun! :)

Project "Infused vodka" part 1

PROJECT "INFUSED VODKA"

Loki

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later."

- Og Mandino

Hello everyone! Working at a bar truly has its advantages. Two days ago a customer finished our Highland Park; Loki - bottle. I found the packaging so beautiful, I asked my manager if I could take the (now empty) bottle and its case with me home. She had no problem with it. But it gets better! Not only did I get this bottle but in our office there was another bottle of the "Valhalla" series Highland Park produced and namely Thor.

I crammed both in my backpack and headed home. First I thought using only the bottle in my role playing games BUT then realized the true beauty how I could use them; put my own infused vodka in them!

You might notice how there isn't any text on them. That's right, because I scraped them off! With a pair of scissors, the job was actually easier than I initially thought it would be. So now I got two extremely stunning looking bottles waiting for a content. I actually have two specific recipes in my mind. As soon as I make my online order (three bottles of smirnoff vodka [among others]), I start my work. But here are the recipes;

Spiced Pear Vodka

and

Plum Pudding Vodka

I found these two very interesting with lots of flavor.

I shall report more of this project as I get along with it. But now...we'll just wait.

Brandy Eggnog

BRANDY EGGNOG

Good late evening everyone!

Tonight I made a cocktail that incorporates an egg yolk. I introduce you to the Brandy Eggnog!

Winter is coming (chuckle) and soon we'll all be warming ourselves in front of fire places drinking fine drinks. Eggnogs in general a good choice for these kind of actions. The recipe I used goes as following:

• 5 cl milk (prefer whole milk)
• 4 cl brandy
• an egg yolk (you know, the yellow part :D)
• a dash of bitters
• (nutmeg for garnish)

Put everything in a cocktail shaker and (dry) shake. I must confess that with egg whites a dry shake is very recommended but I will have to look up the use of this method when dealing with egg yolks. Nonetheless, I dry shook the drink first, then added ice and shook again. Definitely double strain into a cocktail glass and (optionally) garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Opinions? I loved the silky smooth texture this cocktail had. Well-rounded cognac-y taste with a distinctive aroma from the nutmeg. BUT in my opinion the cocktail felt "thin and light", due to milk used. Fresh cream would've made a difference and made the overall drink feel better in the mouth. 

I'll give this cocktail a 3½ out of 5!

Editor's note: When dealing with fresh eggs (either whites or yolks), take good care of overall hygiene when dealing with these items.

Mint Julep

MINT JULEP

The official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby

Greetings everyone! Today I'll present you an old-time classic from the ancient times when Romans ruled the world. Well not quite, but nonetheless, this is one of the greatest cocktail I've had and I can easily recommend this drink for anyone. It's a stiff drink I admit but after the first sip I fell in love with it. I present you the Mint Julep.

To make a long story short, this is the cocktail served in the annual Kentucky Derby. It's a bourbon based cocktail and here's how you make one:

• 4-5 mint leaves or ~10 if they're smaller in size
• ~2 tea spoons of sugar
• 6 cl bourbon
• crushed ice
• a mint sprig for garnish

First, take the mint leaves, slam them against your palm and drop them in the glass. For perfectionists traditionalists out there, there's a Julep Cup that is traditionally used in this cocktail. Made out of pewter or if feeling rich and fancy, silver. But since I don't have one (yet), I shall use one of my fancier tumblers.

So the mint is in the glass, add your (granulated) sugar and gently press the sugar and the mint to release more of the essential oils/aromas of the mint. Don't shred the mint, press it.

Add your favorite bourbon, stir a couple of times and then keep scooping that crushed ice. What you want is to get the cocktail freezingly cold after which you add more ice. When the glass gives your frostbites, it's cold enough. Then add another scoop of crushed ice on top and garnish with a mint sprig and preferably at least one straw. Sip and enjoy slowly, since this drink only has alcohol in it. 

I have to tell you, this drink earned its place in my all time favorite top3 cocktails! It is super refreshing and has a great taste of bourbon/mint in it. I can't believe I haven't drunk one before!

Love at first sight (not to mention how visually beautiful the cocktail is), no doubt about it!