A Quick Update

Sorry for the delay in posting. Beaker and Flask is now up and running, and thats definitely impacted my writing schedule somewhat. I do have to say that I am incredibly lucky to be working with Kevin Ludwig, Tim Davey, Elizabeth Markham and Doug Paquin behind the bar and Ben Bettinger in the kitchen. Its humbling to work with so much talent, and not only are they all great restaurant people, they are great people as well. If you haven't been in yet stop in soon and say hi.

In other news;

I'm working on some beer based cocktails for Beaker. One thought is to cocktailize (is that a word?) one of my favorite drinks in Mexico, the Michelada. Right now, I'm infusing some chipotle peppers into 1800 Silver Select Tequila to use as a base. It should be ready in a day or two.

I'm falling madly in love with Laphroaig. Now that I've tasted my way through the 10 year, 15 year, Quarter Cask and 25 year offerings, I think top to bottom that this might be the strongest offering of single malts by any one distillery. All are delicious, but what is really interesting to me is that each offering is definitely Laphroaig but has a unique character all its own. I hate to pick my favorite, but the Quarter Cask is the one I'm really into for the moment. I'll be putting up the results of the side by side tasting that my research assistant (and favorite father in law) Wayne and I did soon. Oh, and the 25 year Laphroaig is simply amazing. If you get a chance to taste the 25, don't pass it up.

In the past, if you'd asked me my favorite Highland malt, I might have told you Highland Park. Its always a tough decision, and there are so many great Highland malts that choosing one might be a bit ridiculous anyway, but now I've sampled Ardmore and its a big, smoky, well balanced single malt that will always have a spot in my liquor cabinet. Speaking of my liquor cabinet, things are running almost exclusively to brown liquors these days. I still have a bit of gin, but I'm acquiring bourbons, scotch, rye, rums and tequilas at a much faster pace.

I also have recently acquired some Balblair. I'm quite excited about trying this single malt, but probably won't get the opportunity until Sunday. As it is, I'm a big fan of everything that I've had from Gordon and Macphail so I'm looking forward to this offering.

I've got quite a bit on rum coming soon too. I recently tasted the Tommy Bahama lineup. I liked the White Sun as a mixed drink (I was fond of it and ginger ale) and the Golden Sun is also on the market.

I recently received two minis of Mt. Gay Extra Old rum. To be honest, when I review a product, I find it a bit hard to review a small sample as I like to drink a product neat, on the rocks, mix it in cocktails, etc. That said, I really got into the Mt. Gay Extra Old rum, to the point where I went out and purchased a full bottle the same day. I really enjoy it neat, but it mixes well and its a great value for the quality of the rum you get. This is clearly one of the best rums on the market and the entire Mount Gay lineup is an excellent choice for your summertime rum drinks.

Also quite enjoyable is Cruzan Rum. From St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Cruzan range offers up everything from an aged white rum to single barrel offerings to their unique Blackstrap rum which we feature in one of Beaker's current cocktails, the Boston Massacre. I think its the 5 column distillation that makes these rums so unique and flavorful. The Cruzan range of rums may be the best value on the market for in terms of cost to quality and the entire range of Cruzan rums are excellent.

Most recently, I've discovered Ron Abuelo Anejo rum. While Mount Gay is a Barbados rum, Ron Abuelo is made in Panama and its a mellow, smooth rum that both mixes well and works quite well sipped on its own. I'm quite eager to try some of the other offerings from Ron Abuelo including their 7 Anos, Seco Herranao and Rum Jumbie.

Lastly, Tim Davey at Beaker has turned me on to Flor De Cana's 4 year Extra Dry rum, an amazing Nicaraguan product that has a very pronounced vanilla and caramel profile. We feature it in some of our signature rum drinks at Beaker and I'm consistently amazed at how well it mixes.

Well, I've written a bit more than I intended but I guess that's better than nothing. Hang in there with me because I have a lot coming over the next few weeks.

The Whiskies I'm Drinking Right Now

Of course, not all at once, but here is what I'm enjoying right now. To be completely honest, I've been on more of a single malt scotch and Canadian whisky run recently although I love my bourbon. Here is what is getting consumed in my liquor cabinet right now. This is not a complete listing of my whiskies, just the ones that I'm into for the moment.

Irish Whiskey
Michael Collin's Single Malt- All I can say is WOW. I really enjoy this with just a single cube of ice while I'm waiting for the bbq to heat up. I get a lot of honeysuckle out of this whiskey which just seems to match perfectly with a warm spring evening.

Kilbeggan- I want to thank Siobhan over at Imbibe Magazine for this recommendation. A beautiful example of a blended Irish whiskey for an exceptional price.

Redbreast Pot Still 12 year- Delicious stuff, I'm rationing this out pretty slowly as I'm afraid I'll run through it too quickly.

Canadian Whisky

Canadian Club- Much better than I remember it being. Perfect for mixing.

Canadian Club 12- More complex than the standard CC offering, I've started using this for some Manhattans.

Canadian Club 30 year- What can I say? One of the world's greatest spirits.

Crown Royal Special Reserve- As far as I'm concerned, this is the best offering from Crown Royal. Delicious.

Blended Scotch

Black Bottle- All the single malts of Islay in a blend? Consider me sold.

Dewars 12 year- An excellent blended scotch, especially considering the price. I'd really like to get my hands on a bottle of Aberfeldy, the single malt at the heart of Dewars to see what its like on its own.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label- I don't drink it often, but its terrific. And no, I won't share. This is my private stash.

Single Malts

Suntory Yamazaki 18- I'm truly amazed by the quality of this single malt. It has me ready to explore Japanese single malts much more in depth. One of my favorite drams.

Arran Single Barrel Bourbon Cask Finish- A very appealing dram from Scotland's newest distillery. I'm excited about Arran's future.

The entire Ardbeg line (except Supernova)- I have tried and tried but have yet to get my hands on the Supernova. As it is, Ardbeg is my favorite distillery in Scotland and top to bottom, I love all of their offerings.

Caol Ila 12 year- Another of my favorites, rather light for an Islay malt, but I just love the pepperiness on the palate. I love a bit of Caol Ila with food.

Laphroaig- Not for the faint of heart, a dram of Laphroaig is a perfect way to warm up after one of Portland's gray drizzly days. I'm dying to try their 25 year old release.

Ardmore 30 year- Amazing. Thats all I can say. I was worried that the wood might be too overpowering after 30 years, but this is simply one of the best spirits around. Worth every penny of its $450 price tag. Well balanced, complex and with a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel, I feel lucky to have this in the house.

The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander- A very sherried single malt. this is a rich unctuous dram thats perfect for an after dinner celebration. Don't be put off by its $200 price tag, you get what you pay for with this dram.

Highland Park 12 and 18- Highland Park is one of my favorite distilleries in Scotland. Have they ever produced even an average dram? Beautiful well balanced single malts.

Springbank 15- Another of my absolute favorites, this is an incredible single malt.

American Bourbons and Whiskies

George Dickel- Tennessee's best, this is a great session whiskey. Full of vanilla and caramel.

Hirsch 20 year- A special whiskey best savored with just a touch of water to open it up.

Buffalo Trace- Basically my house bourbon. I'm never out of Trace. Ever.

Four Roses- Another of my favorite bourbons, I'm particularly fond of their single barrel offering.

Bulleit bourbon- I love the rye content of this bourbon, it provides a wonderful spiciness that is very food friendly.

Rittenhouse rye- The 100 proof bottled in bond is my absolute favorite whiskey for making Manhattans. I've always got Rittenhouse in stock.

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey- What happens when you cross a single malt with bourbon? Stranahan's I guess. Possibly the most unique American whiskey on the market. I absolutely love Stranahan's.

I know this may look like quite a lot of whiskies for me to be enjoying right now, but remember, I am a working bartender, so I regularly sample new whiskies not only for my own edification but also to help my guests find the right spirit for them. I'm also a whiskey afficionado. If I could only choose one spirit to drink for the rest of my life, it would be whiskey. All spirits have their charms, but for me, whiskey reigns supreme.

OBG Scotch tasting with Stuart Ramsay

What is the best way to spend a rainy Tuesday in Portland Oregon? If you said listening to a Scotsman teach a fascinating course on the history and lore of Scotch whisky, I think you'd be right. This was the OBG's first "bartenders only" event, our chance to give back to the community of bartenders in this state, share some good cheer, and for everyone to increase their knowledge of one of the most fascinating distilling regions in the world, Scotland. Hosted by world Scotch expert, Stuart Ramsay. Bartenders from the greater Portland area and around the state wandered in a little after noon (note to self- always leave plenty of time after the "official" start time for bartenders to show up. We're not a punctual lot), and Stuart had a table set with samples of different elements of flavors that could be contained within Scotch. For instance, one bottle contained a hand written label saying merely, "catty", which should have better been described as "cat piss". Obviously, that bottle pointed out a defect rather than a strength, but it was eye opening to see and smell samples that pinpointed a particular element that can be contained within the distillate. The peat sample was eye opening as well, being able to smell it as a singular component versus as part of a whole bouquet helped me understand what undertones that the peat may contribute to an overall product.

We eventually all took our seats and Stuart brought out the first surprise of the day. A 3 day old Scotch from the Milton Duff distillery. Young and fiery, it was delicious, but as Stuart pointed out to us, only 1/2 of the flavor in Scotch comes from the distillate. The other 1/2 comes from the wood that the Scotch is stored in, and by tasting a raw Scotch, it was apparent as we moved into aged Scotches what flavors that the different woods added to a particular product.

Next up was one of my favorites of the tasting, Benroamach. A light, Speyside Scotch, I got a lot of fruit and spice on my palate with some smoke, but not an overpowering peaty/smoky flavor. I just needed some smoked salmon with this Scotch and I would have been in heaven,

We then moved into blended scotches, as a reference point for our palates. We tasted Chivas Regal, which, as Stuart pointed out, would be perfect in a Scotch and soda, but lacked real any real complexity on the palate. The Chivas 18, which was next up, was fuller bodied and clearly the better made product. I could enjoy a glass of Chivas 18, its not something that I would necessarily seek out, but I definitely found it enjoyable and well made.

Auchentoshan 10 brought us back into the single malts. This whisky was loaded with caramel and vanilla notes, and it was light bodied (probably the result of a triple distillation) and smooth. Stuart referred to this as a "breakfast scotch" due to its light nature and agreeable style. We followed the Auchentoshan 10 with Auchentoshan Three Wood. Matured in bourbon, oloroso sherry casks and pedro ximinez barrels, this was a sweet whisky. I found it redolent of honey and apricots and it had a long, complex nutty (walnuts particularly) finish that lasted 5 over 5 minutes. The triple wood was a hit with the bartenders attending as well, as I could see a buzz start to move through the crowd as people started comparing tasting notes.

Glenlivet Nadurra came next, offering a sweet whisky packed with honeyed vanilla, orange peel, and cinnamon. At 59.2% alcohol (cask strength), I expected this to be hot, and needing a little water or an ice cube to open it up, but I really enjoyed drinking it neat. Its finished in 100% American oak, unusual to be sure for a 16 yr old Scotch, but I think that was what contributed the heavy vanilla overtones to this whisky. Another bottle to add to my shopping list.

Aberlour's a'bunadh came next, finished in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at cask strength at 59.6%. Another interesting Speyside, it was a fun scotch to taste, but it may have been hurt by being consumed right after the Nadurra.

Next, Stuart took is to Islay to finish off the tasting. He opened and poured us Bowmore, again bottled at cask strength, that I found big, salty, herbal and slightly medicinal, but in a good way. This was a Scotch that I would have hated even a few years ago, but I guess tastes keep changing even into middle age.

Finally, we tasted Lagavulin 16, a hugely complex, smoky and briny scotch, and a perfect cap to a wonderful educational experience on yet another wet Oregon day. Lagavulin is a classic Islay scotch, though not one for the faint of heart. This is complex and not something that everyone would enjoy. In fact, while I'll enjoy this on occasion, when I'm behind the bar, I'll really feel people out before I recommend Lagavulin to them. No point in turning anyone off of Scotch, especially when some of the products like we tasted are already on the market.

Unfortunately, even the most perfect things come to an end, and this was one of them. At least we were well prepared to face the cold rigors of the wet day when we finally did have to leave.