Brandy

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Re: Brandy

Postby Kurt » Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:50 pm

SRR wrote:Finally nabbed a decent priced bottle of Chartreuse at a local supermarché of all places.... 2 glasses included, and a cocktail recipe list. Upon first sniff it seemed familiar, and the familiarity was gin, definitely. But it's more than gin, it's got this sweet side to it, and other aspects. It's an interesting drink. Worth having in your cabinet to wow the ladeez with. Or the guyz, you know, 'cuz those "fancy" guys wouldn't mind a French drink and all. But what the hell dun I know.


I bought a bottle of it today (pricey...$54) and it is quite interesting. I do like the "herbal drinks made by monks" tradition and oddly I was able to pick out another spice in Chartreuse and that was Grain of Paradise. Obscure as hell now but not in the era that monks would have been brewing it. I know this because before I got the bottle I had bought some G.O.P in Seattle and pulverised and sampled some (put it on eggs...not bad but black pepper is better).

I am going to the fancy white people store up on the hill and see if I cannot get some kind of yuppified tonic water to drink with it.
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Re: Brandy

Postby SRR » Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:19 am

Good on ya Kurt for nabbing a bottle - and choosing to support those men who have sworn off sex in the pursuit of drinking. The other good thing about Chartreuse is that it's not extremely difficult to find. However its close brothers, yellow and the 70% version, seem to be quite scarce. Good luck with the mixers.
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Re: Brandy

Postby Kurt » Sun Apr 04, 2010 4:09 pm

The two versions I saw were a 40% and a 55% version.

I got the 55% but now I will have to have a new hobby to go with my scotch/brandy/calvados one.

I just looked it up..the 40% is yellow...which is great since it is a white people wine store and I joined a "bottle club" where I get 10% off and invites to "tastings". My whiteness is giddy with anticipation.
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;-)

Postby el3so » Sun Apr 04, 2010 7:58 pm

Kurt wrote: I joined a "bottle club" where I get 10% off and invites to "tastings".
Look at all those yuppies (...), drinking up all the good hooch (...) Makes ya wanna be commie, don’t it?
skynet prompt: witty line, a bit offensive, medium levels of spelling error, Rastafy by 10 % or so
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Re: Brandy

Postby SRR » Tue Apr 06, 2010 8:42 pm

Ah, you're a step ahead of me then Mr. Kurt, I have yet to find the yellow Chartreuse within eyeshot. It's indubitably available somewhere in this slug-eating town, but has yet to reveal itself.

Now since you're building your liquor cabinet up into a thing of monstrous beauty, might I suggest learning the ancient practice of sabrage, and purchasing the liquor-sword that dun go'ed with it:

Image

That, sir, will make a significant impact at your dinner parties.
"May these times be the stone that sharpens our steel." - السيد الحصاد
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Re: Brandy

Postby redharen » Wed Apr 07, 2010 7:04 pm

Kurt wrote:...Grain of Paradise. Obscure as hell now but not in the era that monks would have been brewing it. I know this because before I got the bottle I had bought some G.O.P in Seattle and pulverised and sampled some (put it on eggs...not bad but black pepper is better).


JSYK, Sam Adams claims to use Grains of Paradise in its Summer Ale. I like it.
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Re: Brandy

Postby Kurt » Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:34 am

I found a use for the Oregon brandy and it is a good one. My friend's inlaws have a sugarbush in Vermont and he keeps me supplied in maple syrup.

So I mixed about 3 tablespoons of syrup with 1 big shot of brandy and filled it with ice.

Quite a good nightcap. The burniness of this kind of brandy goes great with the maple syrup.

I call this drink "The Gay Lumberjack" ...gay meaning 1890's kind of gay of course (I am trying to reclaim the word without getting punched in the face)
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Re: Brandy

Postby SRR » Tue Apr 20, 2010 9:03 pm

Speaking of gay, I finally found a place in Paréeeeeee that sells all the differerent Chartreusess... (as they say)

Bought a bottle of the "elixir", it comes in a small wooden case and isn't too pricey. Generally advised to be used as "droplets" à-la eye-dropper method in your favourite drink. I recommend trying a few drops in G&T, it's quite fantastic.

And furthermore, if you believe the literature à la Français included, it's good for the health.

Though I gotta tell ya, all these Chartreuse produits do give me some vivid dreams. Who'da thunk.
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Re: Brandy

Postby Kurt » Wed Apr 21, 2010 7:06 am

SRR wrote:Speaking of gay, I finally found a place in Paréeeeeee that sells all the differerent Chartreusess... (as they say)

Bought a bottle of the "elixir", it comes in a small wooden case and isn't too pricey. Generally advised to be used as "droplets" à-la eye-dropper method in your favourite drink. I recommend trying a few drops in G&T, it's quite fantastic.

And furthermore, if you believe the literature à la Français included, it's good for the health.

Though I gotta tell ya, all these Chartreuse produits do give me some vivid dreams. Who'da thunk.


I am having it with a G&T right now and it does add a bit of flavor.

I will see about the dreams soon..but it was originally made as the pinnacle of medieval science as a health elixir.
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Re: Brandy

Postby Kurt » Thu Apr 29, 2010 5:02 am

I got a bottle of the yellow stuff. It feels a bit more "spicey" and is a different flavor but you can tell it is from the same family.

Worth the $54? I'll say yes but if I had to have one bottle of it I would still pick the green.
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Re: Brandy

Postby SRR » Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:39 pm

Very cool Kurt, I'll have ta find this Chartro-shop in Le Marais again and nab a vial.

For what it's worth, you're not paying totally out the ass for the drink..... the green is €27 in the city of Light Gays, which translates to roughly 50 Yankee bucks these days. Inn'it?
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Re: Brandy

Postby DrakeS » Fri Apr 30, 2010 10:33 pm

Well this is as good as it gets.

Anyone ever tried PAARL brandy? Its both a brand name and place in South Africa.

Overlooked by the natural landmark for which it is named, this cellar dates back to 1856, when it was established by the De Villiers brothers. This is the only cellar in South Africa where brandy is still made by hand according to the De Villiers family tradition. The cellar uses wines mainly from the Paarl region, and its brandies undergo a double distillation process in traditional Woudberg copper pot stills before maturation in imported French oak vats. After maturation, the brandy is blended in accordance with the brothers’ original recipe
.

I couldnt even find a dedicated web site for them (mixed in with states wine producer though) but did find this bottle of private reserve sold for 450 rand.

INTERESTING FACTOIDS

(Nelson Mandela was Released from Victor Vester Prison in Paarl on 11 February 1990.)

("Paarl Rock". A huge granite rock is formed by three rounded outcrops that make up Paarl Mountain and have been compared in majesty to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) in Australia. ) Apparently it was here that the foundations of the Afrikaans language were laid . The "Afrikaanse Taalmonument" (monument to the Afrikaans language)pic here on the slopes of Paarl Mountain, the Language Museum and the Afrikaans Language Route through Dal Josaphat are memorials to this.

BRANDY ROUTE

In 1997, 325 years after the first brandy was distilled in South Africa, the South African Brandy Foundation launched the Brandy Route, the first of its kind in South Africa. Stretching from Stellenbosch through Paarl and Wellington to Worcester, it gives visitors an opportunity to learn about the many sides of the brandy industry, such as the different varieties of brandies and the various production methods

Thus, to see the actual brandy factory where the Parl brand is produced, you have to go to Worcester, SA.


And



Cheers.

As for the brand it self ...Me not in a long time. And hope not know when maybe someday.;)
nice choice of words Kurt. "damn shame" My arent we eloquent. Just wait till someone has a few "choice words " for you, too. Uhhh duhhh...hmmmmh
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Re: Brandy

Postby Sparky » Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:53 am

El Presidente ....Sold in Mexico and not a bad brandy for 7 bucks a bottle.
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