The Wine & Whisky Thread

[Marco]

Hi Spod,

Not many people these days follow it strictly to the letter; normally it's just a case of doing without something you really enjoy (in my case nice wine - I'm less of a beer fan) or simply going to church and praying more! As I'm a nice, shy, quiet boy and never sin that would be pointless



Marco.

[Beechwoods]

It's why they invented Purgatory, Marco

[Spod]

Just got back from Newcastle Beer Festival, so excuse any typos. Can I just say, for anyone who judges beer by the stink, aka bouquet, St George brewery's "Friar Tuck".

Worra utter gorgeous smell. Pint of caramel, yes please.

[Marco]

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later!



Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

[Haselsh1]

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later!



Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

Animals...!!!

[Spod]

Let's hope it doesn't turn into a pint of caramel and diced carrots on the carpet later!



Glad you had a good day out!

Marco.

One of the few advantages of age - experience, not only is my bed made but I have the "puking bucket" next to it along with with paper towels and a large glass of water. Oh yes, been there, done that, more than once!!!!

(p.s how come there's abusive and drinking smillies but no pukey smilies??)

[Barry]

Having mentioned wine as one of my interests in my introductory posting to the AOS forum, I notice that you already have a thread going that caters for this interest and other matters alcoholic, so I’ll add my contribution.

Like a lot of things, I know what I like, rather than why I like, so don’t expect any in-depth tasting notes (or any notes at all).


Beer

The following is a list, in no particular order, of the beers that I like:

Bass
Wadworth ‘6X’
Fuller’s ‘London Pride’ and ‘ESB’
Marston’s ‘Pedigree’
Burton IPA
Theakston’s 'Olde Peculiar’
Courage ‘Director’s’ (Don’t laugh, I was weaned on Courage)
Sharp’s ‘Doon Bar’
SA Brain’s ‘Reverend James’
Green King ‘Speckled Hen’
Ruddles ‘County’

When the Bass is on top form, it is ‘nectar’ and then my favourite beer.

I don’t know too much about Belgian beers, apart from thoroughly enjoying a couple of bottles of ‘Leffe’ a few months ago.

One beer that has become a particular favourite of mine over the last couple of years is
Conwy ‘Honey Fayre’.
This is a live bottled beer, 4.5% ABV, brewed along with a couple of other recipes by a microbrewery just outside Conwy, see www.conwybrewery.co.uk for details.

As for lagers, I like Czech Budwar and Italian Nastro Azzuro. I do tend only to drink lager in the summer.


Whisky

Laphroiagh (my favourite)
Aberlour
Lagavulin
Auchentoshan (not that I can afford it)

Whiskey (spot the pedant)

Bushmills

Armagiac

Janneau XO Royal

Most of the time I enjoy Tesco Armagnac VSOP 40%. At around £16 for a 70cl bottle this is a remarkably smooth brandy and good value for money.

Wine

I prefer red wine and tend to go for French wines. This is not out of any sense of snobbery; rather I have just drunk more of them, so know what I like.

Rhone region:

Chateauneuf du Pape
Cotes du Rhone

Burgundy region:

Nuits St George

Bordeaux region (my main interest):

St Emilion
Margeaux

Of these I have recently enjoyed, inter alia, the following:

Chateau Grand Saint-Andre, 2003, Bordeaux AOC
Chateau Gachon Cuvee Saint-Georges, 2004, Montagne Saint- Emilion AOC
Chateau la Fleur Blanchon, 2005, Lussac Saint-Emilion AOC.

I have half a case of the Chateau Castelbruck, 2004, Margeaux AOC and a whole case of the 2005 to look forward to.

Other reds that I like are Spanish Rioja, and Italian Barolo.

Of white wine, I like Chablis, white Burgundy and Pouilly Fumee from the Loire valley. One of my favourites (readily obtainable in Tesco) is the Italian Castel de Jesu Verdicchio.


All this is making me feel thirsty – I think I’ll go and open a bottle of the Conwy Honey beer.

Cheers

Barry

[Haselsh1]

I love whisky with my first choice being Port Ellen and my second choice being Ardbeg of around 1978 vintage. Then I like whiskey with my favourite being Woodford Reserve.

If I have to choose a good wine it would have to be a South East Australian Shiraz along the lines of a Hardy's or a good reserve Chardonnay from Hardy's also.

For beer it's gotta be a fab pint of Timothy Taylors Landlord served at the White Swan Hotel in Pickering, North Yorkshire.

Food to accompany these delights would be nothing with whisky apart from a seriously good music/hi-fi session on vinyl but some form of Tapas or Greek Salad with a white wine whilst sitting in the garden on a summers day. Red wine would be a rather nice cheese whilst enjoying the company of close friends. Beer...? A nice lunchtime session...!!!

[Marco]

...and after 6 weeks without alcohol I can enjoy some nice red wine!

Currently slurping a rather lovely Haut-Médoc (Chateau Lanessan 2004) along with some roast Guinea Fowl wrapped in Serrano ham in a mushroom and Madeira sauce with Dauphinoise potatoes, asparagus and baby carrots...



Marco.

[Beechwoods]

I always feel sorry for the baby carrots...