Running, biking, scotch

Over the weekend, my running buddy came home for a few days.

She and I went and did a couple of workouts. First was a 2+ mile run with some good sized hills... We did mix in some walking in addition to the 2 miles, so it was a pretty lengthy excursion. The knee felt pretty OK, but I wouldn't want to do too much more than that.

The next day, we went for a nice little bike ride, a little over 5 miles. Thankfully, I didn't have any incidents and come home with any broken bones, unlike the last time she and I rode together. This was the first time I pulled out my bike after I got it tuned up, and I was really pleased with how well it rode. The tune-up was definitely worth the money. (Plus, I have brakes now!)

I must say, I really missed working out with her. While I do like the solitude when working out, I really do enjoy her company, and the time really flies by. So, if I had to choose, I'd certainly choose having her around for the workouts. Plus, it's really good having someone that will drag your butt outside and make sure you work out on those days where you really just want to phone it in.


And now... Today's alcohol Tuesday entry is....



Glenmorange's 12 year 'Port Wood Finish' scotch. It's a single malt scotch that during its final years of maturation, is put into port containers for aging. This allows it to pick up some of the characteristics and flavors of a port, while retaining its scotch-ness. (What else would you call scotch-ness?)

In an effort for full disclosure, this is the scotch that got me into scotch drinking. It was a Christmas party with a very kind and generous host, a drinking buddy, and a bottle of this. (Unfortunately, the host only had about a single glass, and there was confusion the next day on how my buddy and I got home. Props to Mrs. Raul here for not killing me, as it was really a party for her and her co-workers)

Anyway..... The scotch has a somewhat rose tint to its golden color. The smell is slightly fruit-like, in the vein of cherries. A first sip is pretty dry. As you taste it, you start noticing more and more flavor. There's a very faint underlying smoke taste, but there is also the port taste. In some ways the port taste reminds me of Courvoisier cognac. (I'm no cognac expert, though. Nor a scotch expert for that matter)

The scotch itself is... pricey. So, it's definitely designed for sipping, and for special occasions. One could argue that it's not for a newbie scotch drinker, due to its price and complexity. However, I'll argue the opposite, saying it's a good way to get into scotch.. a 'gateway scotch', if you will. It worked for me.. (Of course, there are very few drinks I'll turn away from)

Hmm.. After doing a bit of research this morning, it appears that this scotch is discontinued, and has been replaced by the 'Quinta Ruban' variety (of which, people seem to prefer the Port Wood Finish version). Oh, this is disappointing. Plus, I robbed you all of a good review, because this is discontinued.. I guess I'd rush out and get a bottle if you are at all interested. lol. I'll have to do something else later on this week to make up for this.

Alright everyone, keep on rockin!

Beer collection, plus scotch

I've been lax on posting up the new (to me) beers that I've tried recently.

I had a Roxy Rolles from Magic Hat. There was a picture of it, but it magically (har har) disappeared from my phone. I may have taken it from my wife's phone, but she deleted it, not knowing the significance of having research photos. I've got to say, this was fabulous. It was a wintery style of beer in the base, but it was far hoppier than you would expect in a winter beer. Almost an IPA amount of hops. This was my favorite beer from Magic Hat (even better than #9 on draft). A splendid beer.

I also had Winter Warmer from Harpoon. This was a very spicy winter ale. The first one I had, I was so-so on it, but it really grows on you. Certainly, not hoppy, but a good mix of spices. They claim it has a pumpkin pie flavor, but I'll beg to differ on that. You can certainly sense the cinnamon, though. I bet it would be good on draft.

I also went to Outback the other night (first time in a couple of years!) and had two beers from Coopers Brewery. First up was the Premium Lager. Not a bad beer. A little malty compared to what I was expecting, but tolerable. I think I prefer Foster's, though. Well, no. I know I prefer it.

The second Coopers beer I had was the Sparkling Ale. This had a lot of sediment in the beer (which I do like). The taste.. well.. not so good. This was a definite "glad I had it once, but that's about it for me" beer. Can't put my finger on it, why I didn't care for it too much.

Lastly, for the scotch lovers among you, I finally got around to trying Laphroaig scotch. (Pronounced: "La-froyg"). I had the basic 10 year old single malt, and it was amazing. I think I liked it better than the Lagavulin I previously tried. (The problem with trying these things 6 months apart is it's so damn hard to really compare). The Laphroaig was very smokey, and gentle going down. Not as smooth as the Oban I had tried, but it certainly didn't burn or feel rough at all. This is a great scotch if you like the smokey Islay style.

That's all for now.. Saturday is the winter beer tasting festival up in Syracuse, so I'll be hitting that, weather permitting. So, hopefully more tasting notes to come..

So much for a rest day

My running buddy sent me a txt yesterday asking if I wanted to run.. I had previously said I was taking the day off, but hey.. Why not?

Besides, I think the last time we exercised together was my great bike accident, so it was good to spend some time with her.

We wound up doing 2.75 miles in a decent rain. It wasn't raining when we started, but at about the furthest distance from the start/end point, the sky opened up. Figures. It wasn't too bad, though. I do like running in the rain. Wore my 'fall' running gear (track pants and a long sleeve running shirt) for the first time this year. My only problem with my fall gear is that I only have one set. So, it's either run sketchy/skeevy or wash laundry every day.

I think the run was 26-27 minutes.. something like that. A monster hill to start (downhill), ending on a glorious monster uphill. Not too bad. Today's a rest day, though. For real.

After the run, what else to do? Try a new libation, of course!




What we've got here is Bunnahabhain 12 year single islay malt. My local scotch go-to guy recommended it in my initial inquiry to him, and I've finally got around to trying it. He indicated it was one of the best values for the dollar around. I must say that I agree. The bottle was about $40.

Inside the bottle was the scotch itself, a little informational booklet, and a registration card to become a friend of the distillery.

The scotch itself had a subtle smoky smell and taste to it. The liquor did not have as velvety of a feel as the Oban scotch did, but it was smooth. I tried it both neat, and opened up with a bit of water. A nice, sophisticated taste, both ways. I think I preferred it neat, but opened up had a few more scents to it.

I do like the smoky/peaty scotch, as Islay malts often are. This one isn't as strong, and may be a good introduction to the style.

I really did enjoy it, and went back for seconds at the end of the night.

Oban Scotch

Went out for dinner last night (well, we go out most nights). What made this night different is that we went somewhere that had decent drinks. The restaurant has recently expanded, and has a number of good single malts available. What a great way to try new things!



Last night's drink was Oban 14 year single malt.

The feel of the drink in the mouth was just so smooth. It was like velvet. Needless to say, when swallowed, the smoothness was obvious as well.

The scotch itself had almost a fruity taste to it.. There was very little smoke in the smell. I drank it neat, and just never felt the need to add a bit of water or ice to open up the nose.

The price wasn't unreasonable, as far as scotches out go. It was $7 for a 2oz pour. A bottle on the web seems to run anywhere from $50-$77.

If you're looking for a smooth drink, and you don't feel like a really smoky scotch, this is an excellent choice.

Weekend Libations

On a wedding weekend with a couple of open bars, I had a few tasty beverages.

I started with 'some sort of good scotch, neat'. The waitress brought back the request in an appropriate sniffer glass. No idea what brand it was, but it was nice. Not very smoky, though.

I also had a 'Grand Martini', which was a vodka martini with Grand Marnier. Not bad at all. Unsure as to the type of vodka. It was smooth, though.

That was all at the "classy" joint.

The next day, we went to the "not as classy" joint, so finding neat things like that just doesn't happen. However, I was able to make do.

I sampled "Duggan's Dew" scotch, which is a blended scotch. It's similar to Dewar's. Not a bad buy for the money, which would fit in the way this joint would roll. Never had it before, so that was neat.

I also had a number of 7&7s, vodka&7s, etc. Nothing too noteworthy, though.

To throw you off, here's something new:



A Montecristo cigar. I'm not sure what size it is.. I'm guessing a No. 1. I'm not really a cigar smoker, so I don't know too much about them. (The last cigar I had was probably 10-12 years ago).

Anyway, the cigar was smooth. I couldn't really tell you what sort of flavor it had. Tasted like a cigar. Must be how my wife views beer. Hah. One of the best cigars I had in my life, though. (Again, not that I have had many).

On Sunday, I had this:



This is Wolaver's (Otter Creek) "Will Stevens' Pumpkin Ale".

The Wolaver beers are all organic. Kind of an interesting twist on beer. Both the 'Otter Creek' and 'Wolaver' brand are very good. They are typically very drinkable microbrews.

This pumpkin ale was very tasty. There's a medium head on it which disappeared fairly quickly. There was a clean pumpkin flavor. Really, the taste was like pumpkin pie. The beer also had an 'organic' taste to it. Almost like you knew you were getting nothing non-natural from the beverage. It's not an overpowering beer.. so, if you're in the mood for a beer-beer, this probably isn't right. If you want to mix it up, this is where it's at.

Off the grid Friday

So, Friday afternoon, I took a halfer. Blah. I needed some time away. Just had a lot on my mind. Turned my phone off for a bit and went out.

I went and got a massage, and it was good. Of course, how can a massage not be good?

I did a couple of errands that needed to be done, as well, so it wasn't all fun & games- it was minorly productive.

I had some time to kill before my wife got home, and I still needed to decompress. I wound up going out and had a couple of drinks in relative anonymity. One waitress/bartender knew me, but that was OK.

While out, I had the freshest Magic Hat #9 that I've ever had, hands down. It was on tap, so I'd figure I'd give it a shot. Wow. Must have been a fresh keg. It's an American Pale Ale style beer, with a bit of fruit flavor to it. (I think it's apricot?). Usually, after having 3 or so of these, my taste disappears for it. However, I suspect with a fresh batch, there might be a different ending to that story.

I also had the opportunity to try Glenlivet 12.


Let me tell you, for a single malt scotch that you're likely to find out at a chain restaurant, it's not too shabby. Good flavor, smooth. You'll pay more at a Ruby Tuesday's/Ground Round than you should, but if you're jonesin' for something like a scotch, it's really nice.
I didn't add any water, just had it neat. The color was golden, and it had many hints of wood and smoke.

Figured there was no need to get lit up at 5:00, so I thanked the bartender, and walked back home and got back on the grid.

All in all, not a bad afternoon.

Scotch & Beer

Over the weekend, I tried a couple of new beverages.

First off was Macallan 12 year scotch. Of all the scotches I've tried, this was probably my least favorite. It reminded me more of Hennessy VS cognac than anything. Not that it was bad, mind you. It had a very smooth finish.. The initial taste was harsher than I expected. I think I prefer scotches with a stronger smoke essence to them, as well. It's generally rated well, so it may have been an off-day on my part.


The other new beverage I tried was Blue Point's 'Hoptical Illusion'. I was at a pub and saw that you could try a bottle for a mere $3. I gave it a go, and it was an excellent IPA. Very hoppy. The color was darker than I expected, there might have been a caramel taste in there. Very nice, though.

Highland Park

Last night, I went and bought something I've never purchased before... a bottle of single malt scotch.


I asked a guy here at work for some recommendations, and have scoured the Internet for recommendations.

What I came up with was this:


Highland Park 12 year..


Before I go into my tasting review, let me disclose my prior scotch interactions. I've had a few blends here and there over the years.. nothing I can really remember, mainly because I wasn't paying attention at the time.

Since then, I've had 2 other single malts..

The first was Glenmorangie Port Wood finish. I had this at my wife's company Christmas party a few years ago. The host was kind enough to bring out a bottle of it. Poor guy.. He had a glass, and then a friend and I polished off the rest.
What I remember about it was that it was very very smooth, and I really enjoyed it.
And, I was really really drunk afterwards.

The second was Lagavulin 16 year.. I had this at a local upscale restaurant. It had a very smoky nose to it.. I enjoyed this as well.


Since having these, I've read that they aren't good starter scotches. Oops.

I'd prefer to try these things at a local bar, but the only bars in the area are either the T.G.I. Friday's type, or the local "old man" bars. I frequent both, but neither is good for finding scotch.
The upscale restaurants will have scotch, but one of them charges $17 for a single of Lagavulin. If I can go buy a bottle at $60 or something, it's almost more effective to just do that.

So, I went to go buy a bottle.. I won't get as much variety, not being able to buy single glasses, but hey.. nothing ventured, nothing gained.


You see my tasting glass there.. Not an official scotch tulip style glass or anything, but I can get my nose in there.


On to the scotch. This Highland Park is... straight forward. It's a good scotch.. good for beginners, certainly. I know I'm a beginner, and I can't really comment as well as a pro can.

The Highland Park is slightly smoky, not as much as the Lagavulin by any means. It's fairly smooth. Got a nice caramel looking color to it. I didn't add any water to it.. I figured I'd try that on the next tasting. Adding water can "open up" the taste and aromas, and you can notice new things, by doing that.

Not a bad first purchase, but I'll probably try a different scotch once this bottle is gone, just for variety's sake.