All reviews on this blog are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
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Hi, this is a blog I put together quickly so that my girlfriend and I could post our thoughts on some of the things we drink. Right now, this is heavily centred around alcoholic beverages, but it might some day even encompass other beverages we enjoy, such as tea and coffee. Of course, the opinions expressed here are our own and may very significantly differ from yours (it's all a matter of taste, isn't it?), but, whether you agree or disagree with us, I hope it will be useful in some way, if only to introduce you to drinks or brands you didn't know existed. If you should have any comment on what you read here, please feel free to drop me a note at smassy at sdf dot lonestar dot org. For context's sake, know that we are currently living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where we arrived from Montreal in August 2005; hence, when we refer to something as local, it more or less means NS or, at its broadest, the Atlantic provinces. It also means that all prices reported here are in Canadian currency, unless otherwise specified. Price are also non-inclusive of taxes (15% in Canada), once again, unless otherwise specified. But that's boring stuff… Click on any category or subcategory to read entries more relevant to your interests and tastes. Happy drinking! Tuesday, November 22 2005
Deluxe Black Velvet Canadian Whisky
This Rye, I picked up in the liquor store the other day, being in search of both Rye (I get urges for a specific type of Whisky sometimes) and mystery, and all of it on a budget. This one certainly fit the bill. Although I have come to think that mystery Ryes can often yield extreme surprises, sometimes good, sometimes bad, but always extreme, this one has proven me somewhat wrong in that it is highly drinkable without being altogether amazing. The texture is good, almost keeping up with the boastful name, but I found the taste at the front of the palate somewhat reminiscent of cheap rum (a problem I've noticed in some Ryes). Thankfully, however, the sweetness is not too overpowering and is swiftly counterbalanced by the bitterness of the oak. The taste appears simple at first, but can prove unexpectedly subtle at times, with overtones of vanilla and fruits. The nose is very pleasant, with sweet, floral hints, but the aftertaste is fairly straightforward, mostly resolving into oakenness. This is a good, highly drinkable Rye, but it did not leave a lasting impression upon my sensorial memory the way many Whiskies do, and so, I would rather recommend it for casual drinking than for a deep drinking experience.
One of the reasons rum became famous is due to the afinity sailors, of many kinds, of many lands, had for it, and their rum, navy rum, as far as I have heard, is in its own category, so I think it's funny that I've never tried it, although it wasn't until I moved to Halifax that I had the chance (I have to tell you, the rum selections can compete easily with the whisky and rye selections!); really though, I think I was a bit chicken, I feared it would be too sweet for me. Well, I finally gained the courage to try it, though I'll be honest: the volume of that courage was only about 50mL. Down the hatch, here goes: I had no problem drinking this, but that doesn't mean it lacked sweetness; it was there, that's for sure, only it was balanced because it didn't just taste or smell like cane; along with the usual scents of rum, there was black licoris. This was present in everything, from the smell, to the taste, to the nose; it rounded everything out making this a very drinkable rum, one to have as delicious dessert. This has been a great introduction to navy rums, and I won't fear it anymore; I'll be having lots of this in the future, perhaps too much, only a liter or so… |
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