Hats and Drinks - A Match Made in Heaven

[BobHufford]

Closing in on another lap around the sun...starting the celebration early with this stingy Dobbs I picked up recently

Happy Birthday and enjoy your trip Dale.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Long Saturday and when I finally got home I mucked about outside sipping a Founders Breakfast Stout. It is rich and complex, sweet and bitter thick and of course the taste heightens as it warms-up. I have sipped it out of snifter before and I thought it enhanced the aromas. A Stout that is consistently excellent, readily available and becomes a benchmark for me to measure all others against.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Scooterz]

Stetson with 12 yr Loch Lomand and a camacho on a breezy autumn evening.

 

[dh66]

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday and enjoy your trip Dale.

Thanks guys. It was a good trip.

Polished off the Makers Mark in a Cavanagh while sitting on top of Lookout Mountain. Also a few Warsteiners and some Stellas. No TV. No internet. No phone service. As good a birthday as you could ask for.

 

[Rumad]

Thanks guys. It was a good trip.

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Polished off the Makers Mark in a Cavanagh while sitting on top of Lookout Mountain. Also a few Warsteiners and some Stellas. No TV. No internet. No phone service. As good a birthday as you could ask for.

A happy belated birthday sir, somehow I missed reading that. Hope you had a great time, that’s a spectacular view.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

No TV. No internet. No phone service. As good a birthday as you could ask for.

One of my best birthdays was about 12-15 yrs ago. We had a good job in TX I was working there & my birthday fell on a Friday, so I headed out driving for home that morning, to be home that night. Before I crossed the Red River I ran into a hell of a blizzard, drove on thru Oklahoma City to just SW of Tulsa somewhere & got off the road for the night. Rented an old knottypine cabin at some lake resort with no amenities but I had plenty to drink with me, working out of town & all. As the blizzard passed the snow slowed up to a gentle snowfall with some of the biggest flakes I've ever seen. Never made it home. Went back to the jobsite in TX on Monday morning.

 

[dh66]

A happy belated birthday sir, somehow I missed reading that. Hope you had a great time, that’s a spectacular view.

Thanks, man!

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Home this late evening enjoying a Surley IPA and the new fallen snow.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Shopping sales wearing a Stetson 7X NOR. New Belgium Brewing products on sale & one of my favorite IPA's is their Voodoo Ranger. @ 7% ABV & very much like Dogfish Head 90 Min IPA. I also bought a 12'ver of Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA @ 9% ABV.

Also took advantage of a Flash Sale for a bottle of Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Sherry Cask to be here before Thanksgiving.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Wearing my 2016 BSHW 1920's - 1930's Stetson clone 3x6 in blue heather scorched short nap with Halo+one brim trim, for the first time in this fall season. This brim is so soft & thin it needs iron & flange work with each seasonal unboxing.

Happy Hour came early this Sat with some Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA. I haven't yet compared the hops that goes into each but at 9% ABV the Imperial is not as hoppy tasting as Voodoo Ranger, & has a bit of a naturally sweet & nutty flavor. To my liking I would give Imperial a slight edge over Ranger. YMMV.

Imperial might only be slightly darker in color over Ranger.

Ranger Imperial

Ranger

 

[1967Cougar390]

I’m in the holiday spirit so I enjoyed a glass of Evan Williams Original Southern Eggnog and my Bluegrass Stylemaster.

Steven

 

[Desert dog]

Wearing my 2016 BSHW 1920's - 1930's Stetson clone 3x6 in blue heather scorched short nap with Halo+one brim trim, for the first time in this fall season. This brim is so soft & thin it needs iron & flange work with each seasonal unboxing.

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Happy Hour came early this Sat with some Voodoo Ranger Imperial IPA. I haven't yet compared the hops that goes into each but at 9% ABV the Imperial is not as hoppy tasting as Voodoo Ranger, & has a bit of a naturally sweet & nutty flavor. To my liking I would give Imperial a slight edge over Ranger. YMMV.

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Imperial might only be slightly darker in color over Ranger.

Ranger Imperial
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Ranger
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I am in agreement Jack! The Imperial is my choice also. A full balanced flavor.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

The meteor showers are very showy this evening. It is an outburst of alpha Monocerotids. I just googled this and read thedefinition. I will not bore you other than to say the outcome is being able to see a different meteor every minute for the past 30 minutes. Just plain cool!

I have been watching the showers this cold and clear evening wearing a Cordova (Fox Brothers wool) cap and sipping a Ballast Point Sculpin IPA.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Hurricane Jack]

NBD! Ardbeg's Wee Beastie is a 5 yr old Islay Single Malt that just hit the market back in April. It has been getting good reviews for a young Scotch & has been in short supply. I got my first bottle in a recent order del today.

Wearing my 1910's Stetson BRE with Fray sweat during HH tonight.

It's smoky as an Islay should be, young & medicinal but a couple drops of water took care of that, some mint flavor but no iodine taste. I think it's deserving of the ratings & great at its price point.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

NBD! Ardbeg's Wee Beastie is a 5 yr old Islay Single Malt that just hit the market back in April. It has been getting good reviews for a young Scotch & has been in short supply. I got my first bottle in a recent order del today.

Wearing my 1910's Stetson BRE with Fray sweat during HH tonight.

It's smoky as an Islay should be, young & medicinal but a couple drops of water took care of that, some mint flavor but no iodine taste. I think it's deserving of the ratings & great at its price point.

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Thanks for the review on Wee Beastie. Great price is right.

This might have to join the Christmas list for my brother in law. He has been intrigued by my interest in whiskey. I have picked him up a bottle each of Redbreast 12, Speybourn 10, MacCallan 12 and a Four Roses Single Barrel as a starter set. This might have to be the smokey taste "starter."

Tonight I got home and my wife opened a bottle of Porter she had picked up. I was excited to sample as she was excited and said she was really enjoying her glass. The beer is a Founders Red Luscious. It is a robust dessert beer. The raspberries up front and dark chocolate are prominent and balanced. I agree with my wife that as an after Thanksgiving dessert beer option it is a good pick. Tonight I am not really into this dessert beer and gave the balance of mine to my appreciate wife and opened a bottle of Surley Axe Man IPA.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[Hurricane Jack]

This might have to join the Christmas list for my brother in law. He has been intrigued by my interest in whiskey. I have picked him up a bottle each of Redbreast 12, Speybourn 10, MacCallan 12 and a Four Roses Single Barrel as a starter set. This might have to be the smokey taste "starter."

You're a great Brother-in-Law Eric! I don't care what he says about you.

Our friends in Hopkins are still running the best price I can find for Lagavulin 16, & a couple bottles are what I went after with my order about 3 wks ago. I wanted another bottle of Strathisla & she told me she thought she could get me one but would be a couple of wks before she could ship. I added the Wee Beastie to fill out a 4 bottle case.

I was comparing the Strathisla with my open bottle & they both came from the same Cask of 275 bottles.

If her prices hold I may go back with an order of 3 of the 4 & add something else, around the first of Dec before the holiday rush.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

You're a great Brother-in-Law Eric! I don't care what he says about you.

Our friends in Hopkins are still running the best price I can find for Lagavulin 16, & a couple bottles are what I went after with my order about 3 wks ago. I wanted another bottle of Strathisla & she told me she thought she could get me one but would be a couple of wks before she could ship. I added the Wee Beastie to fill out a 4 bottle case.

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I was comparing the Strathisla with my open bottle & they both came from the same Cask of 275 bottles.

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If her prices hold I may go back with an order of 3 of the 4 & add something else, around the first of Dec before the holiday rush.

Thanks Jack. I do like my brother in law.

Jack by the look of it you have a well stocked whiskey shelf. It does remind me of a question I was pondering; Why would a whiskey distillery add colour to whiskey? Is this to give the impression to the consumer of the cask it was aged in? Seems like a bit of "tomfoolery". When purchasing on the shelves filled with lots of unknown whiskeys I read about the cask aging, dates and other on the label. You do not have to colour it up for me at least. On this side note, I do love the colour of Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve . It pours into crystal glass in a pink hue. With backlite it glows. How could you not like that!

After being discouraged with having to turn around before entering their parking lot with some protesters beginning to stage some shenanigans nearby, I have ordered on-line. I am not more than 25 miles away and yet the delivery I find worth it. Post pandemic this will be require personal visits.

Eric -

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Why would a whiskey distillery add colour to whiskey?

When color is added it is usually a caramel color added to darken the whiskey (or whisky) for consistency & uniformity in differences from Cask to Cask. It is done more often with blends that Single Malts. Blenders definitely want that consistency which can be harder to get without adding color.

I'm not a fan of chill filtering of Whisky either; it removes oils that add to the nose, taste & mouth feel, & the chill filtering is only done for cosmetic reasons. Some drinkers won't buy a bottle of cloudy whiskey. (Think what a hazy beer looks like in a glass). Non chill filtering can leave particulates floating in a bottle & a bottle can sometimes turn cloudy if stored in cooler temps. The particulates & oils add to the taste & the cloudiness takes nothing away from it. So to be Non chill filtering is a benefit I like.

 

[Blare]

Thanks for the review on Wee Beastie. Great price is right.

This might have to join the Christmas list for my brother in law. He has been intrigued by my interest in whiskey. I have picked him up a bottle each of Redbreast 12, Speybourn 10, MacCallan 12 and a Four Roses Single Barrel as a starter set. This might have to be the smokey taste "starter."

Tonight I got home and my wife opened a bottle of Porter she had picked up. I was excited to sample as she was excited and said she was really enjoying her glass. The beer is a Founders Red Luscious. It is a robust dessert beer. The raspberries up front and dark chocolate are prominent and balanced. I agree with my wife that as an after Thanksgiving dessert beer option it is a good pick. Tonight I am not really into this dessert beer and gave the balance of mine to my appreciate wife and opened a bottle of Surley Axe Man IPA.

Cheers, Eric -

That Big Luscious sounds fantastic. I will keep an eye out for it.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

I am saddened today as our governor has had to issue new partial shutdown edicts due to the Covid pandemic. Saddened for our business employees, athletes, families and the local communities. The full extent ( for my business and industry) it is still to be determined. I have a meeting with my business attorney in the morning to sort out the nuances. Not shocking, but still a sad moment.

Refreshing my energies with a walkabout sipping a Founders Unrivaled IPA. It is a new for me and seasonal beer offering from Founders. Many IPA's that I sample taste the same and do not really excite me and my palate. This one has a great balance of hoppy pine taste, citrus and bitterness. It pleasantly suprises me this evening. At 6.6' ABV it is very drinkable. The Founders All Day IPA my go to IPA everyday beer is not as hoppy flavorful and more muted in all manner of tastes. It's 4.6' ABV makes it an easy beverage for life's simple pleasures.

Cheers this evening from Minnesota, Eric -