Whisky Nosing & Tasting at the Aqua Zoo

Hello, friends! Here's a short post about Saturday night's Whisky Nosing & Tasting at the Aqua Zoo in Leerdam. The theme was 'Whiskies around the world', so next to a couple of Scottish drams, I've also tasted one from The Netherlands, Ireland, the United States of America, Japan and even one from India!

It has been such a wonderful evening that I forgot to use my camera. Too bad, because the place was astonishing pretty! We were surrounded by many beautiful fishes, frogs, and turtles. I'll definitely return to this place together with my lovely wife and son to check out all the fish tanks, poludaria and its inhabitants (and then I will use my camera!).

The pictures below are made by Martin Romijn, who has organized this nosing & tasting together with Paul Martens from Whisky Info Plus (check it out). I already knew Paul and his presentation was as expected: lots of interesting information brought in a clear and refreshing way. He included some whisky-myths and tore them apart with facts. I've learned, for example, that whisky aged on sherry casks doesn't get its brown colour from the sherry, but from the European oak and that the major part of all Scottish whisky isn't aged close to the sea like many distilleries wants us to believe, but inland in warehouses.

Each presented whisky was accompanied with a special appetizer, made by Martin's wife, Marion, and his son Tigo. They all matched the aromas of each whisky perfectly. These snacks actually helped me a couple of times to name the aromas while I was tasting.

I'm just going to give a very short review and my personal note on each whisky that I've tasted yesterday. Keep in mind that my knowledge and capability to recognize all the different aromas is still limited and that I still think of myself as a beginner.

Whisky Nosing & Tasting at the Aqua Zoo in Leerdam. Photo by Martin Romijn

Whisky line-up part I. Photo by Martin Romijn

• Hakushu 12 yo: (Japan) Fresh, sour, grassy, almonds. Not my favorite type of whisky (although I do like almonds). This is a personal note, so if this is your type of dram, you might like it. 7.5
• Bulleit 95 Rye (small batch): (USA) My first rye whiskey ever. Soft, chocolate, lightly bitter, rich taste. I just might buy myself a bottle of this one! (added to my wishlist) 8.5
• Tyrconnell 10 yo: (Ireland) A strong, rich and complex taste, raisins, lightly bitter, long finish. After a few drops of water the taste became less bitter, fewer raisins, but more complex overall, softer, warm sweet (?). I'll definitely buy a bottle! (added to my wishlist) 8.7
• Glengoyne 10 yo: (Scotland) Tastes young, slightly sharp in the mouth, soft sherry taste (not overwhelming at all), dates, very obviously dates. It's a decent whisky, but I won't buy an entire bottle. 8.5

Whisky line-up part II. Photo by Martin Romijn

• Glengoyne 21 yo: (Scotland) just loved this dram! Very complex, soft, dark chocolate (not too strong) and something that reminds of the zoo. The strong odor of gorillas/lions/crocodiles. This might seem a little crazy, but it's exactly that odor that I'm tasting. Very different from anything else I've ever tasted. WANTED! (added to my wishlist) 8.9
• Amrut Kadhambam: (India) Of course this is my personal opinion. Lightly bitter, exotic spices, a little sharp and burning in the throat and there is something else that I don´t like. Some weak taste in the background that makes a little bit nauseous. I´ve had this dram during a nosing & tasting and everyone else loved it, so you might as well forget what I´ve just written down. ;-) 7.6
• Millstone Lightly Peated 2005: (The Netherlands) A nicely peated whisky. The fact that its distillery is located in the Netherlands surprised me! The quality of this whisky isn't less than the average Scottish dram. I taste vanilla, peat, and some spicy aromas in the background. I've had this one at a whisky nosing & tasting and almost everyone else loved it, but I have to be honest: it's just not my thing. 8.2
• Bunnahabhain 1997 vW: (Scotland) This was my first Bunnahabhain ever and it has made me very curious! Full taste, complex, peat (not heavily), sweet, vanilla and much more. I still find it a little hard to name what I taste in general, but I love the overall taste of this dram! I know that Bunnahabhain isn't peated normally, but I'll definitely check out more of this brand! 8.8
• Octomore Edition 07.2: (Scotland) Lots of peat (of course), very overwhelming, but still complex. I love peated whiskys, but I don't know if I'd buy a bottle of Octomore. Maybe I will, just to understand the complexity that is hidden behind the peat. 8.6

What I've bought home. Photo by... Me

And on the photo above you can see what I've brought home:

• The Balvenie 15 yo sample
• The Macallan Fine Oak 12 yo sample
• Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength sample
• Nosing & Tasting glass
• Pipette
• Whisky Info Plus pen and notebook

All I can say is that it was a wonderful evening and that I'll attend these sort of events more often! I would also like to thank Martin for the great location, Marion and Tigo for the appetizers, Paul for the Nosing & Tasting and everyone the great time that I've had!

Till next post. Sláinte!

Winter is coming...

Good day and welcome back on my Blog!

Here in Holland it's autumn at the moment. The temperatures are dropping, it's raining a lot and leafs are covering the streets. Love it! Most people get cranky in this period, but I like it. Autumn has a great influence on all my hobbies and also on my day-by-day life.

I remember that one day I was heading home from work and it was cold, raining like hell and I was soaking wet. I felt so sorry for myself! I think that everyone has already lived this type of terror, so it won't be hard to imagine in what kind of gutter I was riding my bicycle. Then I looked to the right and saw about 10 ducks playing in the mud, having the time of their lives! Motherfuckers! And then I realized how silly I was and smiled. Since that day I don't take this type of weather that serious anymore. Of course I still prefer to sit somewhere warm and dry, but the contrast between this depressing weather and coming home, pour myself a nice dram of whisky and lit my pipe is what makes me appreciate these days.

This is why I love autumn:

Drinks

Herfstbock, my favorite seasonal beer! This beer is sold in the Netherlands from autumn till the end of winter. Every year they taste different and every year I have another favorite. This year I'm a huge fan of La Trappe, which is also a Trappist (brewed in a monastery by monks or under their supervision). I like the bitter and lightly sweet taste.

La Trappe - Trapist - Bockbier

Next to Bock, these dark days also invite me to drink other special and stronger beers and again: La Trappe is my favorite brand until now, especially the Tripel and the Quadrupel.

Whisky! And I'm talking about a nice, peaty single malt whisky. I'm always in for a heavy peated whisky, but the colder it gets, the more I like them.

Earlier this week I've received a present from my lovely wife: the Laphroaig's Quarter Cask! I've had this whisky before and with the few years experience I have in Whisky-Land, I can say this is a good-quality whisky for a very decent price: € 39,95. Last year it was cheaper: € 32,50.

Laphroaig - Quarter Cask

I'm not an expert yet and I don't know if I'll ever be, but let me just tell you what I know about this dram. Now what makes this Quarter Cask so special and why is it named "Quarter Cask"? It has to do with the last 9 months of the maturation process, which is completed on smaller casks (125 liter). Theses smaller casks date from many years back when they needed to carry (do you see the smugglers?!) the casks by hand. Less whisky in contact with more wood means more taste adaption from the wood (correct me if I'm wrong, whisky-experts!). I won't name 10 types of fruit or other stuff that I taste, because I can't... It's just a damn good dram! A good amount of peat and more complex than the regular peated whisky.

Smoke

Latakia: Dark evenings ask for dark leafs. Nowadays mainly produced in Cyprus, but named after the Syrian port-city Latakia. This tobacco is first sun cured and then further cured over an oak or pinewood fire, which gives this tobacco its typical taste. If you smell the tin of a Latakia tobacco, you get scared of the burned old-tire smell and probably think it's a huge nicotine bomb that will make you crap your pants! The good news is that it doesn't contain much more nicotine than a regular tobacco and that the burned old-tire smell from the tin turns into a very tasteful, but smooth taste. The taste is strong, but you won't fall off your chair.

I only smoke once (sometimes twice) a week, so there's not enough time to try all the tobaccos in the world. I'm still searching, but for now I only have a few favorites. Let me show you one of them:

Peterson's Old Dublin in a Parker Bent Bulldog

Peterson's Old Dublin. I think this is a very underrated blend and many people will tell you there's much more on the market that's even better, but till now this is my number 1. It contains Latakia, Oriental and Virginia tobacco. Strong taste, smooth, spicy, but no tongue-bite. And about the "Smoking kills" sticker... They should also put it on alcohol, fast-food, sugar, salt and all the albums of the Doors! Kind of hypocrite, don't you think?!

Cacti & other succulents

Now that it's becoming colder, it's recommendable to give less to no water at all (do it gradually! Do not suddenly stop watering them) to cacti and many other succulents. Depending on the species, it's also important to lower the temperature, so that the plants can enter their winter rest. This might give them the extra kick they need to flower next year. The growth will also be prettier, because the sun is much weaker in the winter and won't give them what they need to grow strong.

Balcony-greenhouse

My balcony-greenhouse is just perfect to keep them on the right temperature. I've also prepared the heater and time-clock so that I can control the temperature a bit and it won't drop below 5°C. I should buy a thermostat, but these are kind of expensive and I rather buy one when I have a bigger green-house installed.

Winter-hardy

Winter is coming; another chance to test the winter-hardiness of some cacti. I won't type down the info I've got from other sites, so this will all be based on my own experience with the species. (keep in mind that besides the species, DNA is also a factor) All my plants are standing in pots and in pot-culture, you have 100% control over the drainage. If I would have a garden, I would build a drainage well to have more or less the same effect.

Opuntia humisa - Eastern prickly pear (Canada and the USA)
Outside on my balcony for 3 years already. First covered by the balcony above and since last winter in the open.

Opuntia humifusa

Maihueniopsis darwinii (Argentina and Chile)
This species has already survived one winter (-17ºC) outside in the open.

Maihueniopsis darwinii

Cylindropuntia imbricata - Cane/Tree cholla (USA: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico: Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza)
I have one plant, a cutting that I've got from someone of the Cactiguide.com forum:

Cylindropuntia imbricata, growing cutting

I've also already taken one cutting of it for my brother in law. It still has to develop a root-system, but I guess it'll be ready in spring next year:

Cylindropuntia imbricata cutting for my brother in law

I also grow one Cylindropuntia imbricata outside on the balcony .This plant I've bought earlier this year on the National Cacti Show in Kudelstaart and has been grown from the seed:

Cylindropuntia imbricata, grown from the seed

Escobaria missouriensis - Fox-tail cactus (USA: Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota and Mexico: Coahuila de Zaragoza, Nuevo Leon)
The ones I have are seedlings from earlier this year. They're all in one tray and I don't feel like re-potting them yet. I also won't put them all outside in the cold to test their hardiness, because I might lose them all at once.

Escobaria missouriensis seedlings, 6 months old

Poll

As I've mentioned in my last article: there is an amazing Poll on my Blog right now! I'm having a little doubt about what I should sow next year and I want YOU to help me with that! I've named 4 species (photos included) and you can choose one. The winning species is the one I'll sow. If I know you, you'll win one of the sown species in the future! (for the Poll: scroll down!)

The end

That's about it! Thank you for reading and till next time!

Single malt whisky, Falcon pipes & a self-pollinating Brighamia insignis

A little late, but I would like to wish you all a happy Yuletide! I'm not a fanatic Pagan or something, but these old ways make much more sense than those Abrahamistic relegions. Lots of boundaries for people who seem to need them and mostly can't even live them. I don't say that my way of living is better and I expect relegious people to also not say that about their. And that... is mostly a problem for them, because they're already instructed that their way is THE way to live and believe. If you are relegious, reading this and think I'm talking crap. If you don't believe that your way is the best and only way to live... I respect you for that.

Before feeling yourself insulted, you should ask yourself if you respect someone that doesn't believe what you believe. Mutual respect or no respect at all!

Now it's time to write about some new stuff I've bought/received! Like every year, I've bought myself a new pipe. I say every year, but actually I've started with this last year and I'm planning to continue and buy myself a new one each year in December.

It wasn't only a pipe that has entered Castle Wonnebald this year... Also a nice, pretty bottle!

Lagavulin 16yo,  Straight Falcon with rusticated Apple & Hunter Dover Bowl

As you probably can imagine, I'm a happy man at the moment and I'm enjoying my peated whisky right now. The strange thing is that I've always hated whisky and other strong drinks... But in 2010 on a PRF-pipe-smokers-meeting, there was a whisky nosing & tasting, organized by one of the members. He offered my a single malt whisky and I thought; why not! And that was attempt number ??? No idea.... But I hated it again. Then he asked me why and I explained him that I don't like the soft and nauseous taste of it. Then he gave me another glass of whisky, this time with some peat! I thought I could just give it one more try, but to be honest; I didn't expected much of it. Holy Pork! This stuff ROCKS! The taste reminded me of something smokey and I could taste something like leather also. A little bit salty.... Some weeks later I've bought myself a bottle of Talisker 10yo and I've enjoyed it a lot!

Today I've bought myself a bottle Lagavulin 16yo. Of course I've asked for advise on the Dutch Pipe Smokers Forum (PRF) and our whisky-specialist (who is also writing a book about single malt whisky's by the way) answered me the same day and gave me enough information for me to think a lot. And I've thought a lot! I don't buy a bottle every week (and also not every day!). I'm not a drunk, but I like to enjoy my drink. After thinking a lot, I almost decided to buy this pretty bottle, but I thought; let's first check the store and talk to the specialists there. And so I did. That place is amazingly cool and the experienced people there can tell you everything you would like to know! I like places like that... Nowadays there are too much stores without true knowledge about their products. It's sad, but it's also a little bit our fault, because we like to buy everything in one store and we prefer cheap products from China above expensive products made here. Not that China only produce crap... It's more that we only buy their crap! But okay... I'm also a bit guilty on this one...

About the Lagavulin 16yo; I won't write a huge review, because I'm still new to the world of single malt. I'll just tell you this; after being matured on bourbon casks, this whisky was further matured on sherry casks and this has given a much more complex taste to it. When I've opened the bottle, I could smell the peat and as you can imagine, this was kind of pleasant to me. From the glass I could smell it more concentrated and after my first nip, I thought; 'nice! Interesting!'. Then I added a drip of water to it and DAMN! An explosion of aroma and then the taste... Much more stronger and overwhelming , but very good! Very tasty! I can't describe it after only one glass... Maybe I'll write a little more about it later...

The other 'present'; a Straight Falcon pipe with rusticated Apple bowl and extra Hunter Dover bowl!

Straight Falcon with Hunter Dover bowl attached

  Most people don't call this pipe pretty... They often call it very ugly and... Ahh... Everyone has the right to have an opinion and to be honest; when I first saw a Falcon-pipe, I didn't like it at all.

On the Dutch Pipe Smokers Forum (PRF) was a topic about Falcon and I started to read it. More and more I realized  that this pipe was designed almost perfectly. Everything has a reason and a function! Starting with multiple bowls you can use one after the other (normally you have to give at least 1 day rest to a pipe after smoking, so that it can dry). The pan below the attached bowl is there to catch all the liquid from the tobacco while smoking. This gives you a very dry smoke, which means more pleasure. The stem is designed for not getting hot.

After reading all this, I started to like Falcon more and more. And after some months I even thought them pretty! Then I've decided to buy one! They smoke amazingly great! Very easy to clean also. As you can see, this pipe is very compact. I'll take it with me on travels and when I visit a festival or something. Maybe also on a zombi apocalypse... Very handy!

A blog without plants?! Nope!

My Brighamia insignis has flowered! This succulent was a present from my mom some years ago and it's actually kind of young for having flowers.

Brighamia insignis flowering

And here's something interesting; all over the internet they say this plant can't self-pollinate. In the wild this plant is almost extinct, because the special moth that causes the pollination isn't around anymore. Okay... Can Brighamia insignis self-pollinate? I say; YES! Check out the pics below!

Brighamia insignis with seed-pod after self-pollination

I've had to help the plant a little with a small brush, but I could accomplish it! I have only 1 plant (which is kind of a proof of its self-pollination). Weehhoooo! By the way; this is the first time I have a seed-pod on a plant and I'm kind of happy with it! 

Brighamia insignis seed-pod tea-bag method

 Some time later, the seed-pod started to crack a bit... Then I used the special-Tea-bag-method I've invented last weak... Uhuhm.... Empty a tea-bag, put it around the pod and close it up with the tiny rope. Tadaa! Done. Now I'm waiting for further instructions on the Cactiguide forum, because I really have no idea of what to do!

The cacti are all asleep right now.... It's winter and there's not much to do! Within some months I'll order the seeds for spring next year and then I'll probably feel the need of writing about it again.

Uhmm.. What more? Not much that I feel like sharing. My life still fascinates me and I'm a very happy man. My wife's getting prettier each day and I can't wait to have a little family here! Well... That's it. Nothing more to say.... Well.. I've won some competition in Boxmeer today! First place! Gold! Hmm...

Here are some links to stuff that I've written about in this article:

-My whisky-basement at Whiskybase.com;

-The Forum on Cactiguide.com;

-The place where I've bought my Falcon Pipes;

-The Dutch Pipe Smokers Forum (PRF).

Cheers my friends!