Whiskies of the World

Alright all, I'm back. Another typical weekend here in zany California, which involved various elements of snow, whiskey, and cruising through 80-degree wine country in a BMW. Not bad for three days work.

But, you didn't come here to read about all that crap. This post is dedicated to the hootch. Saturday night was the Whiskies of the World Expo held at the San Francisco Hilton in Union Square. People traveled from all over the world for this event (for some strange reason there were a lot of Scots)--I traveled 14-blocks...downhill.

My good friend Kyle over at "From the Still", being the smarty pants that he is, assumed that I would call him up the next day and have the following conversation with him:

Time: 3:30 AM MST. Sunday, March 6th

TF6S: Maybe now you'll agree, drinking has it's benefits.
FTS: Perhaps.
TF6S: Maybe now you'll agree, drinking has it's benefits.
FTS: You just said that.
TF6S: Now it's time for the alcohol to take affect. BBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Whaaaa...? Do you think that we San Franciscans have no bourbon-drinking etiquette? Are we nothing to you but a bunch of lushes who fulfill every decadent desire that stirs in our loins? Do we not have the proper sophistication that is demanded from an elite society within the fabric that is America? Phooey! I befoul myself in the grain of your Single-Barrel Jack Daniels.

Let me throw my biases onto the table for all to see: I drink and enjoy Scotch, but I much prefer bourbon. Rye Whiskey is for good for nothing other than keeping Canadians warm during the winter. God Bless you guys, but we prefer the hootch that is made from grain that is fertilized by pig feces in the Kentucky and Tennessee hills.

Here is my top 3 of the night:

Old Rip Van Winkle 12-Year: I just bought a bottle of this stuff before I posted this. This may be one of the smootest and most flavorful whiskeys I have ever had. It's only 90-proof, so it's not the firewater of Bookers, however what it "lacks" in punch, it more than makes up for with it's vanilla and caramelish finish.

George T. Stagg: This was the American Whiskey of the Year in 2003. Distilled by Buffalo Trace, this rare beauty weights in at a powerful 131-proof, however, it pulls its punch with a spicier and creamier taste that calms its obsenely high alcohol content. It actually tastes great with a drop or two of water, as the oxygen brings out a lot of it's flavor.

Eagle Rare 17-Year Single Barrel: Buffalo Trace has the honor of donning two of the top three spots. This bourbon is relatively straight foward. Again, with my theme of the evening, very smooth vanilla taste. A few of the "sophisticated" tasters around me were dogging it, but I will enjoy this lovely, simple bourbon-next-door.

Lowlights:

The Jefferson Reserve clowns: Listen, I'm for having a good time just like the rest of everyone, but I paid $95 to drink what I wanted to drink and with about an hour left in the trade show, the goons behind the Jefferson counter were all out of booze and completely trashed. The main guy behind the table had served himself a triple while we stood looking at all the empty bottles laying across their table. It was more indicative of my apartment after a night of boozin', but I usually don't charge people $95 to drink with me.

Lastly, I can't remember the name of this Whiskey, and I tried Googling it without any luck, but it was a whiskey that was a mixture of bourbon and rye. Their "premium" Whiskies were "vanilla" and "cherry" flavoring. My trusty companion commented that if there is a Zima of bourbon than this is it. They do get extra points for the smokin' hot chica behind the table. That's the only thing that could sell that bourbonic, Boone's Farm catastrophe.

All in all a great night. We rounded out the evening by getting a couple of cigars with some Bookers at "Occidental" in the Financial District. I introduced my friends to Bookers that night, and all were pleased as their hair folicles returned to their resting position.

UPDATE:

Ok, I found the name of that aweful "bourbon" listed above: Phillips Union. The domain name of their website is revolutionsmooth.com; it displays a communist era first poking into the sky. ::cough::: lame :::cough::: In their brochure they describe this "revolution":

The flavor of Kentucky Bourbon is a national treasure. The smoothness of Canadian Whiskey is legendary. Now, for the first time, they share the same bottle. This luxurious blend gives Philip Union Whiskey its distinctive, exceptional flavor and unprecedented velvety glide across the palate.

Two word review from Whiskey Magazine: Shit Sandwich.

Posted by 10 fingers 6 strings at March 7, 2005 06:40 PM | TrackBack