Posts Tagged Gin
More Liquor reviews!
Posted by Zeno in Wine & Liquor on July 23, 2009
Wine – Liberty Creek – Merlot (Unknown Year)
This was some Dirt cheap wine I found basically in the “bargain bin” corner of the shop the other day, and anyone that has been reading my reviews know I usually go for the cheaper side of the spirits 
This wine unfortunately isn’t as good as the Crane Lake which is actually cheaper on average for the same amount, but since this wine came in 1.5L sizes and I had a couple of people to drink on it, I figured to give it a shot. However, even for a cheap wine this one hits lower marks. Strong bite, almost like a fortified wine, and almost no lingering finish whatsoever, which isn’t great considering even though it isn’t listed on the bottle, this wines alcohol content is very low, which even after 750ml I could probably have finished the liter and a half and barely blown an illegal limit for driving! I couldn’t list the year of make either since that is also missing from the bottle, the only thing missing from this cheap wine is a box or a screw on lid! 2/10 ($7.99 avg – 1.5L)
Liqueur – Chambord
This was purchased for a friend of mine, who doesn’t drink much and “liked the look of the bottle”. I only purchased the mini-bar sized serving as this liquor is very expensive and she drinks Very little, (although she found she loved the “Exotic Fruit” White Zinfandel wine I purchased, but since I haven’t tried it, I haven’t reviewed it, maybe at another time.
This is a relatively expensive liqueur out of France, and the best way both of us could find to describe it was like Jägermeister mixed with a fruity red wine, almost cough syrupy, but sweeter. I personally don’t fancy this drink at all, couldn’t think of anything I would want to mix it with, and for it’s price it would be a waste to mix it with anything anyways. If you like Jägermeister and red wines, especially the almost cough syrup and thick run of Jägermeister, you will probably enjoy this, however neither me or my friend enjoyed it much, and far as I am aware, not even half of the mini-bar sized bottle was finished. 2-9/10 (matter of taste) – $4.69 avg – 50ml.
Gin – New Amsterdam
I don’t drink gin much, but had just enough vermouth to make a martini or two and just picked up a mini-bar sized bottle of gin, of which this was the last one of this brand, and was only .50 cents. Even for it’s price though, considering the gins I have tried, this was quite good, very sharp juniper taste, and a nice aroma, which any gin lover should enjoy immediately. Considering that I am far from a professional taster, and usually steer clear of gin anyways, this gin to me tasted almost as good as the Bombay Sapphire which is supposed to be one of the best gin brands on the market. If you are only making martini’s for yourself sitting around the house, I highly recommend giving this brand a try. 7.5/10 – $50 cents – 50ml.
More Wine and Spirits this week
Posted by Zeno in Wine & Liquor on June 19, 2009
Martini’s I have attempted…
While browsing the liquor store this week, I realized I had never in fact tried a martini, in fact I had never even tried gin! Yes, yes, I know, sad right? So, I grabbed some of my usual vodka (Pinnacle), some Bombay Sapphire gin (supposed to be the top end of the gin areas), and some Martini & Rossi vermouth. Right off, I tried some or other recipe using the “shaken not stirred” vodka martini using a 2 oz vodka to a bit under 1 oz of vermouth mix. I either had too little ice in the shaker or something, because it was rather nasty and watered down, and in fact I ended up dumping half this one in the sink. I think it was a combination of to little ice, and too much shaking (the site I found this recipe on said to “Shake it like mad for 2 mins” which I’m sure is great if you like watered down nasty shit, but around 30 seconds is actually what you should be doing I’ve found.
The next go was a bit better, going with 2 oz vodka and 1/2 oz of vermouth, shaken for 30 seconds and strained of course, with an olive for garnish. While much better than my first attempt, I really just wasn’t going for the vodka/vermouth blend. I’m sure there are thousands that love this mix but it just isn’t me.
Next up was the gin/vermouth (traditional) martini. I’d already found I liked less vermouth than almost every recipe of traditionalism suggested, but you will find recipes going from “dump it in” to “just wave the vermouth over the top of the gin” to “swirl it around the inside of the glass and dump the rest out”. I found a 2 oz gin to 1/4 to 1/3 oz vermouth to be a good compromise (while still keeping it a martini). Sorry guys, waving your bottle of vermouth over the glass isn’t a cocktail, it’s gin in a glass.
The last was definitely my favorite blend, and while I can’t yet say that the martini is my favorite mixed drink, it’s not bad, as long as it’s made with gin. If you like me, have never had a martini, gin, or vermouth at all. Buy some of the mini-bar or similar sized bottles and give it a try. After trying the Bombay Sapphire gin listed above, I have since switched to a much cheaper Pinnacle gin. It’s by far not as good as the Bombay, but if your like me and stuck on a budget, it will do the trick! On gin Bombay is the recommended (but expensive) variety. Bombay Sapphire gin 50ml 9.5/10 – $4.99/avg, Pinnacle gin 275ml 7/10 – $3.59/avg, Martini & Rossi vermouth 375ml 8/10 – $5.69/avg
Wine – Fetzer – Merlot (Vintage 2006)
This is easily the best low end price range merlot I have tried to date. In fact it is my new favorite, having the taste of much more expensive brands, while still running the under $10 price-range. I ran across this one by accident, because it wasn’t stacked with the other merlot, and I’ve already purchased three or four bottles in just the past five days. Try this wine if your on a budget or not. For those with money to spare, this might just be the great wine to break out when the in-laws come over! 9/10 (Avg $9 – Standard Bottle)