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Old Grand Dad BIB

A blending oi four non-Cognac brandies. Two are French, one Italian and one Spanish. These are inexpensive, southern European brandies, retailing for around $23.00. It's interesting how you can get a balanced, complex taste, not Cognac-like but valid on its own terms.

One of the French ones was very raw, had it not said grape brandy on the label, I'd have thought it was applejack. The second French one was better, sweetish with grappa-like notes. The Spanish brandy was sweet and sherried, perhaps a little flabby and dull. The Italian one was very aromatic and a bit oily.

It's hard to describe the blend but it is very nice, I much prefer it to each on its own.

It's fun to try these blendings, I'll review a Jack Daniels one soon.

Gary

Four Roses Single Barrel - Merry Xmas all!

A small amount of Louis XIII Cognac, it is available for tasting ($27.00 for a quarter-ounce, but I think a bit more came out) at LCBO's tasting counter in Toronto.

It was good, with evident complexity and layers, but not as good as I thought it would be and didn't notably taste extra-aged to me although I know some very old brandy is tipped in. A little spirity too, I thought. (But still excellent to be sure).

Gary

In your honor, Gary, I am sipping some 1970 vintage Pierre Ferrand Cognac......... highly floral and delicate........ just exceptional brandy. I have not ventured into the territory of blending brandies...... and I do hope that your example has no influence upon me whatsoever.

Sounds like you've trumped my two brandy experiences recently described, Mike!

There was a slight floral lychee quality to the Louis 13th, which I've since read may denote rancio, a famous quality in good Cognac. It was good, but not good enough for the price asked, IMO.

Gary

Gary, I have tried a nice few Cognacs, and unlike with Bourbon, I decided that, even though it ain't cheap, Pierre Ferrand is the best bang for the buck, so I keep some on hand and sip it a couple of times a month. Not always what I want, but sometimes it is just great!

I will look for it Mike, I know you've mentioned it before.

Finished up tonight with regular Four Roses and it is excellent, the best 80-proofer by far and then some.

Gary

This evening, a wee touch of Four Roses '08 Mariage Barrel Strength (107.8 proof) with a splash of das wasser........ rarely is bourbon better. And then, to keep the dealer honest, a sip of Russell's Reserve 10 YO (101 proof)......... which, actually is, a bit better. Life does not stop when whiskey goes dear, but it sure does slow down. The RR 10 YO 101 grows dear.........

I have been drinking one of my favorite cocktails lately. A Manhattan. But I make mine with Canadian whiskey which I prefer over bourbon. This is one of the RARE times I do not reach for the bourbon bottle.
Joe

Joe, you might also want to try Canadian whisky in a Sazerac (although you might still prefer deeper-flavored rye, as I do). Because the Sazerac company owns Buffalo Trace, and therefore the Handy and Sazerac rye brands, it seems natural that the original Sazerac cocktails were made with rye. After all, the original Manhattans were. But the fact is that the drink originally served in New Orleans at the Sazerac House was mainly a vehicle for the sale of Peychaud's Bitters, which they also own, and which the distinctive feature of the cocktail today, as well (no comment on whether today's Peychaud's is any more like the original from the 1850s than today's James E. Pepper is like the original of THAT name). Anyway, until Thomas Handy changed it to rye whiskey in the 1870s, the base liquor in a Sazerac cocktail was Cognac. Even Handy often mixed Cognac with rye, and even though one would never mistake one for the other sipping neat, today's decent Canadian "rye" whiskies make a damn good substitute in a cocktail that looks for a more subtle contribution from that ingredient.

That said, I prefer the strongest-flavored Pennsylvania- or Maryland-style rye whiskey available for Sazeracs. Then again, I don't dump out the absinthe after swirling the glass, either, so it probably NEEDS it. And, while a TRUE Manhattan should never use whiskey that can't walk out of its own bottle and climb into the mixing glass all by itself, I, too, prefer them made with milder bourbon (a Maker's Manhattan is especially good). I've certainly enjoyed Manhattans prepared by our friend Gary, and I know those were made with Canadian whiskey. Although, with Vatman Gary you have to realize you'll be getting Canadian far improved from whatever one bottle you might buy.

Still, Gary left me with a bottle of fine old Wiser last time we were together, and there's just enough of it left to mix up a few Christmas Manhattans tomorrow. I'll raise one to Gary, and another to you. And couple more to all the rest of youse American whiskey freaks!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, y'ole PA coot, from another one!

Thanks John, same to you and all the crew here.

That Wiser's was actually a blending of Canadians and bourbons (and probably some straight rye). I fully agree with you that a stiff rye is best in a Sazerac, but a Manhattan shouldn't take too strong or tannic a bourbon unless the vermouth is very forward in taste. Ditto for rye 'hattans, IMO. But anyway if it is not right, just add this or that to fix it (more mild bourbon, more oily bourbon, more old bourbon, more or a different vermouth, and then there are all the bitters option). Go by taste, like in cooking.

Gary

Looks like fighting cock. I'm back to old faithful after trying many others at up to twice the price. Picked up two bottles for $31 bucks. Don't know why I like Fighting Cock so well, maybe I got use to it, or maybe its just plain good. High proof, alot of flavor and thick finish. Prefer it on the rocks, in moderation.

I think it's just plain good.

Evan Williams Master Distiller's Select from my Bourbon Trail trip of 2011. I think only available from Bourbon Heritage gift shop.
Heavy Rye flavors and spiciness, sweetness and .. pickling spices. It's all gone now wish I had more it is pretty interesting.