Random thoughts and observations

  • Tasted Bluecoat Gin again recently. I dropped Blue Coat out of my bar program quite a while ago because I was getting wildly inconsistent bottles. At its best, its one of the best gins going and this bottle reminded me how much I used to enjoy it. Still, I’m a bit trigger shy with this one until I know that their consistency issues are behind them.
  • The same people behind Bluecoat are now making Vieux Carre absinthe. I’ll be honest, I’m pretty over absinthe, but Vieux Carre is really excellent product. At some point, I expect a major contraction in the absinthe category. Will Vieux Carre be a survivor? If quality is the determing factor then yes, but we all know that the liquor biz is far more complex than that.
  • Rum, rum, rum. Why am I seeing the real rum enthusiast bars leaving out Puerto Rican rums? Sure the style is light, but if you are going to offer a real representation of the world of rum, shouldn’t Puerto Rico be represented? I’m just saying.
  • Tequila. Yuri Kato sent me some Corrido Extra Anejo the other day. As a whiskey drinker (although one who loves tequila but generally reaches for Cazadores), this was an amazing tequila, rich, caramel like and delicious. I’ve also got some of the blanco but haven’t tasted it yet. If its as good as the Extra Anejo I’m in trouble. I’ve tasted the whole range of Antiguo tequila from Herradura now. Great value and product for 100% blue agave at that price point.
  • Fernet. I know I describe it as tasting like fermented dead cats, but thats because I want it all to myself. I’d get a Fernet tattoo if I was still allowed to get tats but thats another story. Protip for you liquor reps- Bartenders pronounce it “fur-net”. I understand “fur-nay” may be the proper pronunciation, but if you want to have credibility with bartenders, try mispronouncing it sometime.
  • Have I mentioned that I love my little whiskey gig over at About.com? Blame About.com for my general lack of updates. Although I do have some cool things coming to this blog in the near future.
  • Lastly, is it me or does it look like MySpeedRail.com is a goner? Its really too bad. It could have been such a cool resource for the bartending community. As it is, it looks like a victim of Angostura’s troubles. Too bad.