springbank 10 and 15 years

I’ve been fairly lazy blogging about my whisky-drinking experiences. Bottles have come and gone, and I’ve done a poor job of labeling, categorizing and penning my thoughts about them (huge concern I know). I recognize that I have a bit of a collector’s mentality in mind when I buy new bottles, and I’ve received a few notes in the husbandry suggestion box lately to tidy up all of the half open bottles that sit on our bar shelf. The edict comes at a good time; I've become increasingly interested in Japanese whiskys (both single malt and blends) and actively trying to create some real estate for my latest passion. Why Japanese? Well a few reasons actually - none of which are rational. After learning about single malt for the last few years, I'm looking to sustain the hobby by diving in a littler deeper into one speciality niche. Also, the vast majority of Japanese whiskys remain unavailable in the United States. Admittedly, I'm attracted to procuring objects that are not as easy as driving to the wine shop (it should be much harder, like punching in your credit card on an online whisky purveyor). Lastly, I like the labels. I'll write more as the collection grows but just say a few words here. The Japanese (whisky) invasion has already begun. My current (seemingly original amongst my peers) desire to learn more about this niche may very soon be viewed as commonplace. Each month, I feel like I'm reading about another distillery or specific expression ready to export to the US market. This will be interesting to watch in the next handful of years. Just two years ago, I could easily pick up a Yamazaki 12 at my favorite wine store for under $40. I can't find it consistently now. And even when I do, I can pretty well kiss that price goodbye. Anyway, the original intent of this blog post was to talk a little about Springbank - a great, great single malt. At a whisky event, I got to try the 10, 15 and 18 year expressions - all unique and all delicious. There was one additional expression I tried that I kept going back for that night but cannot recall now what it was exactly. And as a fan, I pretty immediately purchased the 10 and 15 year expressions. Additionally, the lovely Emmelle gave me a 14 year single cask bottling as well (unopened). Note that these were opened in 2011. I just didn’t drink these fast enough, so I’m combining these notes with ones from memory. Springbank 10: (46% ABV) This is definitely for fans of peat. Its pronounced on the nose and lasts through the experience. Unfortunately, the wonderful salt and brine that define this scotch have diminished since I first opened it. More on this in a second. The finish is satisfying as salty smoke fills your mouth and escapes through your nostrils. By comparison, this is most similar for me to Talisker 10, and I'd really have to do a side-by-side tasting to really compare. Both are great if you appreciate smoke and peat. Springbank 15: (46% ABV) Relatively speaking, much milder and more refined. The 100% sherry cask maturation fills this with vanilla, it coats your mouth a little more and gives you something to chew on. A lemon zest profile emerges. I like this as much as any single malt I've had in the last couple of years. But it's time to part ways, as you are not Japanese. I’ve read a lot of mixed notes about how long you can keep an open bottle of whisky. There are some blogs I follow that suggest that you need to drink up that bottle within six months. Furthermore, if you are at a bar and interested in a particular bottle that’s about a third or less full, you shouldn’t take your chances. Just assume that it’s been sitting on the shelf for a long time and elect to get something that’s at least half full. That’s playing it safe. But I’ve read in some places that as long as heat and sunlight exposure is minimal, your brown juice should keep for years. From my experience, the former is true. And it really puts a great deal of pressure to drink and drink when you open up a new bottle. You know what this means? I'll be buying rare and expensive Japanese whiskys without any intention of opening them. I'm just planning to stare and maybe run my fingers along the Japanese calligraphy. Thanks for stopping by!

beef braised short ribs

We've officially hit the one year mark on our condo investment out here in West Oakland. There’s something about owning your own place that encourages you to stay home on weekend nights. And to explain a bit further, the best off those times are spent in the kitchen slow cooking for long hours and drinking classy (expensive) booze. As we get older, I’ve certainly adopted the mantra to “eat and drink less, spend more”. That’s not a real phrase, but it’s not an unknown concept either (I’ll work on making it punchier). But that's essentially the best parts of our life these days. At least I think so. So the search for new (easy) and flavorful recipes and cooking techniques is a true pursuit. Recently, I stumbled upon this fantastic beef short rib recipe and have had great success with it. It’s basically a one pot meal and takes nothing more than a dutch oven and time (you might also consider some short ribs, aromatics, a bottle of cab and chicken stock). This particular recipe pairs the meat with a parsnip puree but the first time I tried it, I basically made a bowl of minty glue. I haven't made an attempt since.   Thanks for stopping by!

baby adeline's baptism

Baby Adeline celebrated her 100 days and baptism all in one momentous day this past Saturday. Congratulations to the Mustards on the blessed events. Nice touch by the parents matching tie and dress. These aren't my photos, but I took them. I rage with jealousy over my brother-in-law's camera equipment. Thanks for stopping by!