Bourbon and Cigars at the Louisville Country Club

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Bourbon and Cigars at the Louisville Country Club

Unread postby bourbonv » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:29 pm

Last Friday I had the honor of being invited by Julian Van Winkle to a Bourbon and Cigar Dinner that he was hosting at the Louisville Country Club. Iwas told to bring a guest so I invited Brenda to come along. I knew her birthday was the next day I thought this would make a nice birthday present and so did she. After the normal questions (what should I wear?) from Brenda we accepted the invitation and went to the club as Julian's guests. It was promising to be a very interesting evening. The Louisville Country Club is drenched in Bourbon History and it was fun to sit in a room and look out at the place where Pappy Van Winkle played golf and posed for publicity shots with his dog as a caddy.

The turn out was fairly light because they were competing with the first round NCAA tournement game with U of K playing that night at 9:30. Even so there were many interesting people who showed up and enjoyed Van Winkle bourbon and excellent food. After having a cocktail before dinner (Brenda and I both enjoted a 12yo Van Winkle neat), we sat down for dinner. The first course was Bourbon cured salmon, Barrel roasted and glazed with apricot and honey served atop acorn squash puree and crispy shallots paired with Old Rip Van Winkle 10yo 90 proof. The salmon was excellent with a slightly woody flavor due to the fact that the chef, Patrick Colley, finished it on a bourbon barrel head in the oven. The bourbon was slightly fruity with apples and caramel and complimented the fish wiothout over powering it.

The second course was Baby spinach salad - bourbon apple cider poached pears, toasted hazelnuts, pumpkin seed and golden raisin melange with blue chees and mustard vinaigrette paired with the Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 yo. The pears in the salad brought out the flavor of the fruit in the bourbon that had some wood notes and caramel that also went well with the hazelnuts.

The third course was Espresso cocoa dusted breast of duck with multi-grain pilaf with acho-toasted pecans, baby vegetables and a dried cherry demi-glaze paired with Pappy 15 yo. The duck was juicy without being greasy and the drier woodiness of the 15 yo went well with the slightly sweet glaze on the duck.

The dessert was Bananas Foster, a crisp Belgium waffle topped with bananas, black pepper maple caramel sauce with ginger ice cream paired with Pappy 20 yo. The dessert was very sweet but the Papy 20 was rich with caramel and oak and held its own with all of that sweetness of the dessert.

The night ended with Pappy 23yo and an Olivia cigar while the crowd mingled and also watched the first half of the game with U of K pulling ahead of Nova. On the whole it was a very nice night. Good food and bourbon with interesting people in a historical setting. Life does not get better than that. Julian always puts on a good , class event and you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself at one of his dinners.

We left at about 11:00 and I think I saw a tear in Brenda's eye when she realised that she was going to have to leave the Louisville Country Club. It was a great night.
Last edited by bourbonv on Fri Mar 23, 2007 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mike Veach
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Unread postby Brewer » Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:44 pm

You'se guys have all the fun! :D
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Unread postby Bourbon HQ » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:03 pm




Well, that's one of the advantages of living in Louisville, KY. Home of all that FINE bourbon. If your are in the area, PLEASE call and join us.


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Unread postby bourbonv » Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:52 pm

Bob,
It was a lot of fun and Brenda was a big hit. She made me look good and even earned a nickname from Julian's wife Cissy!
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Unread postby gillmang » Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:20 pm

Great report, Mike. This shows (were proof needed) that spirits can be consumed neat with food with enjoyment. If you have any pictures, please show them. Anything connected with Van Winkle bourbon is always a class act.

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Unread postby Bourbon Joe » Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:10 pm

I'm extremely jealous, but I'm glad for you and Brenda. I just wish I lived closer.
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Unread postby bourbonv » Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:46 pm

I did not take any pictures, but Brenda did take a couple with her camera phone. Maybe she can post them.

It was a great experience. Maybe if you came down more often or, Joe, if you did decide to move down here, you could come to some of our events with the Bourbon Society. You need to talk to Julian if you want to go to the Country Club - I obviously am not a member.
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Unread postby Brendi » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:20 pm

Mike,
Brenda did take a couple with her camera phone. Maybe she can post them.

Yes I did. Please let me apologize for taking so long answering here. I have been on the road, and have had a password/email issue (no one's fault but my own... :roll: ) on my laptop. In my infinite wisdom, I managed to also extend those issues to my home machine. So, for now I'm going to be Brendi... :wink:

Here's a lobby shot, and a shot of the fireplace in the intimate little room we were in. The facilities couldn't have been more beautiful. Please remember, I shot the following photos as we enjoyed the evening, trying not to look like a hayseed on vacation... :P
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Uncle Fred fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days...
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Unread postby Brendi » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:30 pm

I thought this would make a nice birthday present and so did she...and I think I saw a tear in Brenda's eye when she realised that she was going to have to leave the Louisville Country Club. It was a great night.

And you were so right. :bounce: It was a most wonderful birthday! I can't thank you and Julian enough. I especially enjoyed meeting all the folks at the table. No mistake, I am a Stitzel kinda girl. So, I knew any Bourbon served would be superb. Well, the company was every bit as good. I learned two very valuable life lessons...I learned that the bread plate is always on the left (I'm such a rube... :roll: ) and I learned that if your pony dies, you should should always measure your pony before you dig the hole...
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Uncle Fred fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days...
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Unread postby bunghole » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:16 pm

:wave: :welcome2: BRENDI ! :wave:

cameraphone photos???? :roll: :oops:

Just where the hell was your Nikon when you needed it?! :scratch:

With your passwords perhaps? :think:

:angel7:
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Unread postby Brendi » Sun Apr 01, 2007 4:40 pm

Hey Linn,
Just where the hell was your Nikon when you needed it?!

Well, actually I had left it home on purpose. I was trying to behave myself really (there's a hoot, huh... :? ). Since Julian was kind enough to include us in this intimate little gathering (we sat at his family's table) I didn't want to draw attention to myself by firing my flash like a hillbilly tourist...As it turned out, I 'spose the flash thing couldn't have been any worse than eating half of Mr. Campbell's roll... :roll: Lucky for me, he is an extraordinary southern gentleman.
Despite my dumbassedness, I had a wonderful time.
Bj


P.S. I've shelved the Nikon for anything but snapshots. I bought it chasing their glass, and was disappointed. My Sis (God Bless Her) did me a solid for my birthday. I'm shooting Canons again. Two bodies, one film and one digi, two lenses (the 100-400mm really rocks!) and a big ass chip... :wink:
Uncle Fred fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days...
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Unread postby bourbonv » Sun Apr 01, 2007 4:43 pm

Brenda,
If you did not save a menu, you can have mine to scan. It too is a work of art signed by the chef and Julian.

Mike
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Unread postby brendaj » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:42 am

Mike,
Sorry, our conversation in another thread reminded me that I meant to post this. This menu was indeed a work of art, on several levels.
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As a Kentuckian, I consider it my civic duty to drink Bourbon, smoke and bet the ponies. Its a tuff job, but someone has to do it...
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Unread postby Mike » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:44 pm

I loved the pictures and commentary Brendaj............I enjoyed the occasion without even being there!
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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