connoisseur’ing

Hello world!!

While my attempts to keep this blog coherent, up-to-date, and interesting are piss-poor at best (the audience zooms out to see me lecturing to an enormous wall in the middle of a war-torn and abandoned desert town), I’ve decided that I might as well put in some themed installations. this week: booze!

Two particular spirits I want to review today; each of them amazing, and therefore each deserving of a paragraph at least, so here we go:

#1 Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

I had the privilege of sampling this for the very first time free of charge, compliments of Benjamin Katz (not the animated psychiatrist) almost half a year ago. I have not since been able to find a pinch of it anywhere else, despite actively searching for it at every outing…every twist and turn. (How’s “whiskey Dick Tracy” for a before and after puzzle on wheel of fortune?).

Luckily, my newest favorite downtown haunt had it (it should be noted that it also has - approximately - every bourbon and whiskey I’d have accidentally stumbled upon during my earthly existence) and I jumped for joy when I saw it on their shelves.  (Those who know me well enough immediately recognize that I would and did - in fact - jump with the giddy excitement of a little schoolboy…arms all tight to my chest, all shakin’ both fists).  Here’s what I experienced and what you should look forward to upon taking a sip of this - the best (essentially because it is the only) Colorado-made whiskey:

Richer and slightly more viscous than most rye, Stranahan’s hits the nose immediately with vanilla, cigars and barley (its mashbill is 100% malted barley, supplied by Colorado’s own Flying Dog Brewery).  Extremely characteristic on the palate; close to being a cordial, with hints of orange, chocolate but with an almost overwhelming overtone of coffee in the finish, which lingers long afterward. ($60/0.75L)

If watered down, the barley and roasted coffee flavor is brought entirely to the forefront; sipping almost like a scotch.

#2 Anchor Steam Genevieve (Geneva) Gin

The first time I read about this I was surprised for 2 reasons: a) “Anchor makes liquor!?” and b) the website specifically states, “not for martinis!” as it was specifically made to the specifications of ye olde tymes…which can also be read as, “I’m not privvy to the history of gin yet.”  If ONLY my AP American history class had a supplemental “Spirits of Colonial America” section to every chapter.

In any case: you have peaked my curiosity, Anchor. sold.

I got my first (and only sample, so far) at the much-anticipated Father’s Office in Culver city (Bikeable!!!).  I had it on the rocks, which along with being shaken over ice and served up was suggested on their website.  I can now attest that it is certainly NOT the gin for a martini or mixer.

Even during the pour, the gin picked up a slightly tinted, yellow opaqueness to it.  Not necessarily cloudy, but certainly not clear like any other distilled gin would have been.  Remember, this was being POURED, not shaken. the nose was almost like that of grappa, which is not surprising, as the mash of herbs, barley and juniper in geneva are initially fermented in oak casks in a similar fashion to the grape and fruit resins from wine.  The taste itself is a bit harder to characterize.  Much earthier and less acidic than any Old Tom’s or Plymouth; neither the barley NOR the juniper come to the foreground to take control; very much an amalgam of both gin, whiskey and a crisp ale or heavy lager, where honey, pine nuts and a light dusting of pear, juniper and cassis round out the malty body.  This is - without a doubt - my current favorite of ANY sipping spirit.  Perfect to whet the appetite or as a digestif, as the harsh citrusy overtones of normal gins are almost nulled completely. ($31/0.75L)

Unfortuantely, it’s been incredibly hard to come by 2/3 of these products (Stranahan’s has only just started shipping outside of Colorado within the last year and Genevieve are only made in very small batches, so is quite rare - though luckily not that pricey - even in it’s home town of San Francisco).  I’m going to be going to K&L in Hollywood this weekend as they advertise themselves as carrying everything I mention here.   This will be the first and most expensive booze run I’ve made since senior year of college.

Please don’t quote me on that.

alma [mutter]

i’m going to give you two different opinions from two different sources as to why john mccain decided to use my old middle school as the backdrop to his acceptance speech at the 2008 republican national convention, seen here:

reason #1:

“McCain messed up. He was talking about Walter Reed hospital, and he used our picture by mistake,”

-Joshua, 11-year-old student currently at Walter Reed Middle School

reason #2:

“[it was]…a way of illustrating the candidate’s call ‘for public education reforms that empower parents and students before bureaucrats and labor unions,’”

-GOP spokesman, Tucker Bounds (LA Times)

….

this is difficult:

on the one hand; we have the speculation of a pretty astute prepubescent kid in jr. high…

on the other hand, we have the man whose sole job it is to represent the republican campaign.

huh.