We have a round-up of Bits and Pieces for you.
We start off with the Rantandwhisky Tasting journal, now back in limited stock ready for Dramfest.
There’s a whisky (Glayva) sauce recipe to brighten up your eating, some tasting notes from Pat, and a bit of a laugh to finish.
RantandWhisky Tasting Journal
With Dramfest 2023 just around the corner (less than six drinking weeks to go!), rantandwhiky.com has released the latest version of its Whisky Tasting Journal. The Journal proved very popular at the last Dramfest (if you can remember back that far!)
The A5-sized journal is designed to fit conveniently into your carry bag at the event. Good space is there to record all the details you could ever want about what you’ve tasted.
There is provision for the usual Nose, Palette and Finish notes. We also have place for details of ABV, Age, Year Distilled and Year Bottled, the Colour, whether it’s been filtered or not, and your score.
Each journal has space to record 20 whiskies – about a day’s tasting for the average whisky fan, two days’ tasting for some, and half a day for the truly dedicated!
But no matter how many whiskies you taste, the Journal has one great added extra advantage – it will help you to recall your tastings in the days and weeks after the event.
A limited run of the Whisky Tasting Journal will be available, so it will pay to be in quick if you want to score a couple.
You can order the Journal via the form on the Contact Me tab on this website. Just tell me your name and address and how many copies you would like. Alternatively, if you know my details, please phone or text me. Or ask me, if we pass on the street!
There is no asking price for the Tasting Journal, although a koha would be greatly appreciated. Please note that I will have to charge you cartage if you need me to post them around the country or elsewhere.
Geoff’s Sauce
My mate, Geoff, is a dab hand in the kitchen. He’s also an export from Glasgow with a taste for things whisky.
He was telling me the other day about spicing up his Whisky Sauce with a smidge of Glayva.
It sounded so good I just had to pass his recipe on …..
Things you’ll need to make Whisky Sauce
- A frying pan or large pot
- A lighter (ideally the kind with a long handle) or a long match
Ingredients for Whisky Sauce
The recipe serves two. Increase the ingredients proportionally if you need to make for greater numbers.
- 3-4 tbsp whisky
- 100ml Double cream
- 50ml stock – you can use a quarter of an OXO cube dissolved in hot water (veggie but chicken works just as well).
- Knob of butter
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Construction
Heat the fry pan/pot to medium, add the knob of butter and melt.
Add 3 tbsp of your choice of whisky then light the whisky with the lighter and allow it to burn off the alcohol. This makes the sauce less bitter. Be careful at this stage, the flame can be quite aggressive but will burn out quickly.
Add the cream, stock, and mustard to the pan once the flame is out.
Allow to thicken and reduce on a low heat while continuing to stir then add salt and pepper to taste
If you like a stronger whisky taste then add another tablespoon of whisky or Glayva at the end! As this won’t have the alcohol burned off it will be a much stronger taste.
IT Takes about 10 minutes to make (possibly longer, depending on your consumption of the ingredients during the construction process!)
Tastings from Pat
Sadly, I’m still not able to taste whiskies (please let this be over before Dramfest!), so I have substituted some sent from Pat. These are his words ….
Well, I finally got through the samples that I was given at the Best of the Best. Here are the results, and many thanks to all who made my tasting at home amazing
Jack Daniels single Barrel Rye 47% (from Matt)
Nose: smooth, vegetal.
Palette: smooth as silk, caramel and chocolate.
Comment: very fine Rye almost gave it a 9, even compared to a SMWS.
Score: 8.7
Dalmore 2011 SWMS 13.91 62.5% (from Richard)
Nose: Golden Syrup, Sherry ?, cocoa,
Palette: mouthfeel, oily, high alcohol.
Comment: I reduced it, but still alcohol driven got citrus
Score: 7.5
Regards, Pat
It’s a viewpoint
I know it’s a bit naughty to copy stuff off the interweb without attribution, but I came across this the other day.
I thought it was rather good but I don’t know who made it originally, so I’m going to share it and hope that whoever built it in the first place recognises and accepts my thanks for it!
Looking greatly to seeing you in Christchurch at Dramfest!
Slainte
John