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! Friday, January 20 2006
The first time I was introduced to Jameson was the first time I was ever introduced to Whisky. About three years ago now--- oh dear, how time flies--- I was suddenly possessed with the desire to try Whisky and discover for myself whether it was as good as the poets (and most especially my good friend Rabby Burns) claimed. With this purpose in mind, I set forth to the SAQ, being what the liquor stores are called in Montreal, and looked at the myriads of bottles with labels either more evocative or cheesier than the next. Being in an Irish mood, I asked, "Do you have any Irish Whisky?' Sure they did, they had, well, Jameson, which is what I bought. The choice of Whiskies in Montreal, as I was destined to find out subsequently, isn't the most impressive, particularly where Irish Whisky is concerned. In any case, it is difficult for me to crack open a bottle of Jameson without feeling a certain nostalgia seize me, and for me to remember how horrible a time I had, trying to mix the stuff with water or ice, figuring that was the way to drink it… Revisiting this Whisky today, I find it quite disappointing: its smell is very harsh, rendered only slightly more interesting by a certain meatiness. The taste is somewhat better, with a very slight hint of the Irish fruitiness in the nose and some flowers at the back of the tongue along with a little bit of malt and plenty of oak. The taste isn't so bad, but two points are sticky: the first is the harshness on the tongue, which keeps reminding you that this was most likely blended with plenty of grain spirits, and the sweetness at the end, somewhat reminiscent of caramel (could they be using a bit of sugar for colouring?), which lingers a little too long for comfort. This said, it isn't as horrible as all that: I myself have enjoyed several bottles of this and liked it quite a bit; it also has its place for mixes, I think, especially boiler makers. The problem with Jameson is that there are several good alternatives in the same price bracket--- Tullamore Dew, Powers, and most especially Paddy's, come to mind. If I could take a time jump and advise myself in matters of Whiskies, I certainly would direct myself to something a little lighter for a Well, Jameson can't be that bad, since it did not turn me away from Whiskies, but only made me more curious: I went from this to scotch and have never stopped since. So, if you offer me a dram of Jameson some time, don't expect me to turn it down, but expect me to go misty-eyed, perhaps, as I think back to that fateful day in my life when I became a Whisky-lover, and a shameless one at that. [/Whisky/Irish] permanent link |
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