What's in your glass?

Tour and Stammtisch, Revisited

The only in-person time I have spent with anyone, for over a year, has been the weekly stammtisch I have with my best friend. Saturday afternoons and evenings, we meet outdoors, at an 8 foot distance from each other, under one of the gazebos that my wife likes to build in our back yard. I set up my Klipsch The One II, and pipe music to it, via bluetooth transmitter, from my lab rig. We enjoy good tunes, pipe/cigar smoke, and excellent spirits, while we solve the problems of the world.

This week, I am once again planning something a bit special. Since Saturday is still within the holiday week which presents some dietary restrictions, including no wheat products except matzah, we cannot do our regular Scotch tasting. So, this week, we shall explore Polish potato vodkas.

First, we shall enjoy sampling one I had not tried before this week: Lyna. I have been using this as a mixer but have not tried it on its own yet. Next, a well-established entree, Luksusowa. I really enjoy this one, and had to stop and move on to the Lyna, or I would have had none for this week's tasting. Finally, the best of the best, Chopin's, which I have never had and have refrained from opening until our tasting. This one has great reviews, so I am really looking forward to trying it out.

In my Jandrew briar, I shall enjoy something very special, which a friend sent to me, after finding out about my weekly stammtisch. This tobacco is a vacuum sealed tin of Ashton Original Oldchurch, which is a blend of matured Virginia, spiced with Carolina and jet-black Cavendish. The especially cool part of this deal is that the tin is dated 10/2/00. I have no experience with aged tobacco, so this should be spectacular. My friend shall have his choice of a Perdomo Ilabano, or a Padron Damaso.

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Enjoy,
Rich P
 
Shorts Brewing ~ Treefer Madness

Not to be confused with their other reefer-themed beers, Laughing Grass, Sticky Icky, or Psychedelic Cat Grass.

Shorts sure brew a bunch of beers on the dank side, this is one of the better ones I have triedScreen Shot 2021-04-15 at 5.21.24 PM.png.
 
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The beer fairy made another visit and replenished the supply in my refrigerator. I am however going to have to talk to her about variety. I love this porter but I like to try new things. I have to be tactful though. The beer fairy is very sensitive and if she takes the suggestion as criticism, she may stop visiting.

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The beer fairy made another visit and replenished the supply in my refrigerator. I am however going to have to talk to her about variety. I love this porter but I like to try new things. I have to be tactful though. The beer fairy is very sensitive and if she takes the suggestion as criticism, she may stop visiting.

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Funny, the Founders Folks left a supply of Panther Cub Barrel Aged Porter on draft at one of our local Plymouth Mi watering holes, and I have not been able to get over there to sample one yet. Driven by eight times, stopped zero times.
 
I've got some Chopin, Belvedere, Haku, and Stoli in the freezer. Stoli is my go-to vodka. Hard to beat $15.99/bottle.

But, for relaxing, nothing beats a good whiskey or whisky for me. I like Scotch, but I especially like bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey.
 
I've got some Chopin, Belvedere, Haku, and Stoli in the freezer. Stoli is my go-to vodka. Hard to beat $15.99/bottle.

But, for relaxing, nothing beats a good whiskey or whisky for me. I like Scotch, but I especially like bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey.

I'm not a whiskey connoisseur by any means, and because of financial considerations I only dabble in the budget realm, but I am partial to Buffalo Trace bourbon. Hard to beat at about $25 a bottle (750ml). Still trying other budget whiskeys. Next on the list to try is Four Roses Bourbon that somebody in this thread recommended. It also is about $25 (750ml).
 
I'm not a whiskey connoisseur by any means, and because of financial considerations I only dabble in the budget realm, but I am partial to Buffalo Trace bourbon. Hard to beat at about $25 a bottle (750ml). Still trying other budget whiskeys. Next on the list to try is Four Roses Bourbon that somebody in this thread recommended. It also is about $25 (750ml).
Buffalo Trace is an incredible value and quality product. That, plus Maker’s Mark and George Dickel make a fine shelf at a reasonable price.
 
Mmmmmm.... Belgian Amber. A fine looking beer.
It really is very nice. Over the past year or so Chapter Two has shifted from making more fo the "trendy" beers to some really fine product in more traditional styles. I'm very happy with that and now have two great breweries within a stone's throw of my house.

Your Atwater looks fine as well. I do like their product! (I almost typed "Atwater Kent" thinking of the old radios...).
 
Buffalo Trace is an incredible value and quality product. That, plus Maker’s Mark and George Dickel make a fine shelf at a reasonable price.
Have had Maker’s Mark. also very good.
I’ll have to add George Dickel to my try list. Good time to try others as Buffalo Trace has all but disappeared from my area. Supply problems due to exploding popularity from what I’ve gathered.
 
It really is very nice. Over the past year or so Chapter Two has shifted from making more fo the "trendy" beers to some really fine product in more traditional styles. I'm very happy with that and now have two great breweries within a stone's throw of my house.

Your Atwater looks fine as well. I do like their product! (I almost typed "Atwater Kent" thinking of the old radios...).
Yes! I’m not a big fan of much of the “trendy “ brews. It’s like almost every brewery jumped on that bandwagon in an effort to stand out, and in doing so added more and more crazy ingredients that just don’t belong in beer. Much prefer traditional styles myself.
 
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Yes! I’m not a big fan of much of the “trendy “ brews. It’s like almost every brewery jumped on that bandwagon in an effort to stand out, and in doing so added more and more crazy ingredients that just don’t belong in beer. Much prefer traditional styles myself.
Locally we have one brewery that still tends to the "trendy", but most of the others have shifted back to more traditional recipes with some interesting variants. Even the IPAs aren't cartoonishly citrusy like some of them were becoming for awhile. Thank goodness.
 
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