COOLinary New Orleans: Superior Seafood

Oysters Superior: Four Ways to Deliciousness

During the entire month of August the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau partnered up with a multitude of local restaurants to offer a special COOLinary dining experience.  Locals and tourists alike were treated to special prefix menus at a small price tag of $20 for lunch and $35 for dinner.  With that kind of price tag at some of NOLA's newest as well as most legendary restaurants, there's no reason not to eat out!

The New Orleans CVB invited me to experience a few of the COOLinary meals for myself.  Since I was in town anyway for the Louisiana Cookin' Magazine Chefs to Watch dinner, I figured it couldn't hurt to grab a couple lunches as well.  My first stop brought me a newer restaurant on St. Charles Avenue called Superior Seafood.  The restaurant has the same ownership as Superior Grill in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and Superior Steak in Shreveport.  The latest concept, a truly supreme seafood restaurant and oyster bar, is captained in the kitchen by Chef Justin Ferguson.  Chef Ferguson is a graduate of the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge and has worked at several Red Stick restaurants.

Fried Green Tomato topped with Crab Meat and Hollandaise

Strawberry Basil Mojito

While I came to Superior Seafood to enjoy the three-course COOLinary menu, there were a couple dishes that Michele and I just couldn't pass up.  Since Superior Seafood also dubs themselves as an oyster bar, I couldn't resist the Oysters Superior which came with four preparations: Bienville, Rockefeller, Char-grilled, and Angels on Horseback.  The Bienville, which contains bacon and shrimp in a creamy stuffing, were my favorite. The Angels on Horseback also featured bacon, but it was wrapped around the oyster then battered and deep fried!  Another appetizer came out before our sensation salads.  The crispy fried green tomato beautifully topped with crab meat and hollandaise tasted every bit as appetizing as it looked.  I'm a fan of fried green tomatoes so I knew I'd like it, and this dish did not let me down one bit.  I also managed to add a strawberry basil mojito to my lunch.  With rum, fresh strawberries, fresh basil, and lemon juice, the fruity cocktail refused to be overly sweet so I rather enjoyed it.

Glazed Salmon Entree from the COOLinary Menu

Summer Upside Down Cake

While Michele went with the Shrimp Vieux Carre for her entree, I stuck to the prefix COOLinary menu and had the glazed salmon.  I'm typically not a fan of salmon any way other than raw, but Superior Seafood proved me wrong.  The pan seared salmon had a honey and balsamic glaze that freakin' rocked.  This dish easily wound up being my favorite salmon preparation of all time.  The grilled asparagus also impressed me.  It remained rigid while being tender enough to eat with a fork and it partnered wonderfully with the salt and balsamic drizzle.  I made a happy plate in no time, enjoyed another cocktail, and prepared for dessert.  The summer upside down cake capped off the delightful three course COOLinary meal.  The captivating cake came topped with cooked down cherries and dollop of cream.  The cake provided a lovely ending to a damn good lunch.  I'll definitely be down to go back to Superior Seafood again to check out more of their excellent menu!

George Dickel 12 Year: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

George Dickel might be the little cousin the Tennessee whiskey world, but for my money he gets my vote every day.  George Dickel Original Finest Quality Sippin' Whisky No. 12 is a fantastic spirit for the price tag, and it is time that it gets more recognition.  The charcoal filtered corn-based whisky is pleasing to the palate even when consumed straight.  With a charred wood yet sweet nose, Dickel 12 masks its 90 proof potency well.  A bouquet of spices hits the tongue mellowed out by sweet maple and corn that tastes as nature intended.  Dickel 12 finishes mellow with a smooth and easy sip.  The whisky has an excellent degree of balance and complexity as it caries notes of sweetness, spiciness, and smokiness in a very nice harmony.  This should be a Tennessee whiskey in everyone's collection.  If you don't know Dickel, you don't know dick.

George Dickel No. 12

78.0 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Hurricane Preparedness from Bite and Booze

With Isaac coming quickly, I wanted to make sure to reinforce the essential hurricane preparedness tactics for those of you who might be trying to bunker down during and after the storm.  Please follow these steps if you are not evacuating.  Obviously, if you are in the evacuation zone, I don't recommend following this.  Turn your computer off and get the heck out.

1) Beer

Beer is essential to survive any hurricane.  For centuries it was safer to drink than water, and will be again during a hurricane.  Back in the day, beers like Guinness were seen as being extremely healthy as they provided essential nutrients.  Grab a six pack of something good because you don't want to be drinking bad beer during the hurricane.  I've got a mixed six pack of Left Hand Milk Stout and Milk Stout Nitro in the fridge!

2) Gas and Ice

If you're lucky enough to have a generator, you'll need extra gas for it as well.  That's a nice thing to have.  Even if you aren't powering a window unit on gasoline, having some extra for your car can't hurt.  Also, if your power goes out your refrigerator will stop working.  Better have some ice on hand for that beer!

3) More Beer

Since you got an ice chest with some ice, you might as well get some more beer.  There's no reason to let the ice go to waste.  Again grab something tasty that you can drink a lot of... you may be hunkered down for a while.  I picked up a couple flats of locally brewed Tin Roof Perfect Tin Amber Ale.  And I already drank a couple.  Oops.

4) Whiskey

You'll be glad to have some whiskey during a hurricane as well.  If you don't have a fridge and all your ice melts, you probably won't want to drink hot beer.  However, if you have a decent whiskey collection, you can always just pour a glass and drink it neat.  Whiskey also helps you forget that it's storming much faster.  Fortunately for me, I have a pretty decent stash already.

5) Charcoal

When there's no electricity in your house and your freezer isn't running, the only logical thing to do with everything that's thawing is to cook it before it spoils.  But you can't cook inside, so fire up the grill and have a party.  I have about 60 pounds of Kingsford at the house.  That'll run my Big Green Egg for several days!

6) A Whole Pig

While you're at it... you might as well pull that whole wild piglet out of the freezer and let it thaw faster.  You've already been drinking and now you have the coals lit.  The pig will feed all the people you have coming over.  Plus, what's better in a post-hurricane environment than to feast on a little cochon de lait?!

7) Screw It... Kegs of Beer

Now you're having a good old hurricane party and grilling for the neighborhood while cooking a suckling pig and cleaning out everyone's freezers... you'll need more beer!  Good thing you thought ahead and bought a couple kegs! I prefer drinking local yet again.  A keg of Tin Roof Bandit Blonde and Parish Canebrake ought to do the trick!
  

Seriously though, be safe out there.  Best of luck to everyone with Isaac.

Rock Town Arkansas Young Bourbon: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Rock Town Arkansas Young Bourbon

With a slightly metallic and grainy nose, the Rock Town Distillery's Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey did not get off to an impressive start with our Raise a Glass judges.  It tasted of corn, and lots of it, with little refinement.  The whiskey had immature characteristics and Jeremy was led to write down tasting notes such as Wheat Thins, charcoal, and vegan poop.  I likened it to deer corn memories from my South Texas hunting days.  Leaving burning, lingering sensation on the tongue, it became clear that this whiskey is not ready for the big time.  Perhaps with more aging or better cuts with the distilling, it could get somewhere.  But as-is, Rock Town needs some work.

Rock Town Arkansas Young Bourbon

49.5 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Gold Medal Winners for the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics

Raise a Glass, a show I host on WHYR 96.9 FM Baton Rouge Community Radio, recently completed a 14 episode run of the "Beer Olympics."  The program is about the history, traditions, culture, production, and, of course, consumption of alcoholic beverages.  We dedicated our entire 4th season of the show to beer in an event called the Beer Olympics.  Each beer style served as a separate event for the Olympics in which only one beer from each country could enter.  Fortunately for us, The Cove has over 660 beers available from all over the world, so finding a selection to please our palates didn't prove to be too difficult.  Just for kicks, we also threw in some random categories that were not matched by the style of the beer.  Each category had an average of around 8 beers to sample.  All in all we had 16 countries medal in 18 events.  No beer could ever be entered twice.  Judging was done by myself, Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene, James Lawson, and Jeremy Spikes.  Here are the medal winners from the Raise a Glass Beer Olympics.  You can also listen to all of the archived episodes including the medal ceremony right here the Raise a Glass page or you can subscribe through iTunes.  New episodes of the show air Fridays at 6 PM and replay Sundays at 4 PM.

Listen to the Medal Ceremony Episode of Raise a Glass:

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Best Sellers from Around the World (Top seller from each country)
Gold - Guinness, Ireland
Silver - Carlsberg, Denmark
Bronze - Stella Artois, Belgium

Session Beers (Under 5% ABV)
Gold - Mikkeler Dream, Denmark
Silver - Engels Bitter, Netherlands
Bronze - 80 Shillings Scottish Heavy, Scotland


Strong Beers (10% ABV or stronger)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Heaven and Hell, Netherlands
Silver - JW Lee's Harvest Calvados, England
Bronze - North Coast Old Stock, USA

Name that Beer (Best tasting beers with crazy names or stories behind the names)
Gold - Brouwerij De Molen Cease & Desist, Netherlands
Silver - Mikkeler IBeatU, Denmark
Bronze- DeDulle Dulle Teve (Mad Bitch), Belgium

Oldest Breweries (Beers from the oldest breweries in each country)
Gold - Gouden Carolus Tripel, Belgium
Silver - Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, Germany
Bronze - Belhaven Wee Heavy, Scotland

21st Century Breweries (Beers from breweries started in the 2000s)
Gold - Parish Canebrake, USA
Silver - To ol/Mikkeler Ovral IPA, Denmark
Bronze - Meantime IPA, England

Top 100 Beers in the World (Showdown of brews that appear in "top 100 beers in the world lists")
Co-Gold - Rochefort 10, Belgium
Co-Gold - Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Canada
Silver - Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, England
Bronze - Weihenstephaner Hefe, Germany

Stouts
Gold - Sweet Horizon, Norway
Silver - Nils Oscar, Sweden
Bronze, NOLA Irish Channel, USA

Farmhouse Ales/Saisons
Gold - Anchorage Love Buzz, USA
Silver - Gavroche, France
Bronze - Kissmeyer Denied Entry, Denmark

German Style Lagers
Gold - Ayinger Celebrator, Germany
Silver - Abita Andygator, USA
Bronze - Moa, New Zealand

Amber/Red/Scottish
Gold - Duchesse De Bourgogne, Belgium
Silver - Stone Levitation Ale, USA
Co-Bronze - O'Hara's Irish Red, Ireland
Co-Bronze - Belhaven Scottish, Scotland

Barleywines
Gold - JW Lee's Lagavulin Harvest, England
Silver - Bommen & Grenaten, Netherlands
Co-Bronze - BrewDog/Mikkeller Collab Devine Rebel, Scotland
Co-Bronze - Nils Oscar, Sweden

Porters
Gold - Renaissance Elemental, New Zealand
Silver - Sinebreychoff, Finland
Co-Bronze - Rogue Mocha, USA
Co-Bronze - Carlsberg Carnegie, Sweden

Pale Ales
Gold - Orval Trappist Ale, Belgium
Silver - Belzebuth, France
Bronze - Re Ale Extra, Italy

Brown Ales
Gold - Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale, England
Silver - 8 Wired Brown, New Zealand
Bronze - Baird Angry Boy Brown, Japan

White/Wheat/Wit
Gold - Ommegang Witte, USA
Silver - Hitachino Nest Weizen, Japan
Bronze - St. Bernardus Wit, Belgium

Trappist Style
Gold - Le Trappe Quad, Netherlands
Silver - Chimay Blue, Belgium
Bronze - Unibreu Maudite, Canada

IPAs
Gold - Mikkeler 19, Denmark
Silver - Piraat, Belgium
Bronze - Stone IPA, USA

Lineup of Gold Medal Winning Beers

Beer Olympics Medal Count:

Points Gold=3 Silver=2 Bronze=1, (Total #)

Belgium 19 pts (9)
USA 17 pts (9)
Denmark 13 pts (6)
Netherlands 13 pts (5)
England 11 pts (5)
New Zealand 6 pts (3)
Germany 6 pts (3)
Scotland 4 pts (4)
Sweden 4 pts (3) 
Ireland 4 pts (2)
France 4 pts (2)
Canada 4 pts (2)
Japan 3 pts (2)
Norway 3 pts (1)
Finland 2 pts (1)
Italy 1 pt (1)

National Rum Day Now Means Something in Louisiana

August 16th may not mean much to you, but somebody somewhere made today National Rum Day.  A few years ago, this really wouldn't have mattered much to me.  Sure, I enjoy a nice rum-based cocktail every now and then, but I certainly don't consume rum on the same level that I enjoy whiskey, whisky, and beer.  Or even wine, for that matter.  Despite Louisiana producing an astonishing amount of sugar cane, we left it to the Caribbean nations (and the territory of Puerto Rico) to distill spirits from the crop.  The trade of rum played a large role in American independence.  While our texts books in history classes focused on taxation of tea and "parties" where Americans threw British tea into the ocean, we now know as adults that tea taxes would not cause the same revolutions that booze taxes would.  Rum has been recognized as official currency in some places throughout history, and is responsible for much of the triangular trade that brought slaves from Africa to plantations in Louisiana, sent molasses to the Caribbean, and rum to the colonies.  If England wouldn't have tried to pass the Sugar Act in 1764, there may not have ever been a revolution.

So now, nearly 250 years after the Sugar Act, Louisiana finds itself at the dawn of a new day when it comes to rum.  All of that sugar cane which is still grown here is finally also being distilled here.  Actually, to be fair, artist James Michalopolous started the Celebration Distillation Corporation in New Orleans in 1995.  The products under the Old New Orleans brand have been gaining a lot of traction lately, and that rum is available all over Southern Louisiana right now.



At least a couple new distilleries have obtained Federal licensing and are coming our way.  Louisiana Spirits in Lacassine is under construction with their new 18,000 square foot facility right off of I-10.  The stills will be put in place by September and we should have rum being produced by a distillery that is farther West in our state than any currently operational brewery by the end of the year.  “Our vision for a world class rum distillery in Louisiana is a natural fit for the Lacassine area.  Our Louisiana rum will represent the best the state has to offer in the way of local sugar cane, molasses and raw sugar. We’re committed to delivering products that honor Cajun heritage and are worthy of the ‘Made in Louisiana’ label,” said Trey Litel, President of Louisiana Spirits LLC in a press release earlier this year.

Meanwhile in Thibodaux, Donner-Peltier’s plans include the production of a premium vodka distilled from Louisiana long grain rice and various types of rum distilled from sugarcane farmed in Lafourche Parish. President Beth Donner said “We are looking forward to getting started and are excited about having local people from this area working with us to distill, market, and sell premium spirits made from Louisiana grown products. We have received so much help from our local and state officials throughout this process and are thankful for their assistance and support. Now we want to give back to the state of Louisiana and hope that our venture will encourage others to invest in our state and it's people”.    


National Rum Day means a whole lot more to Louisiana these days.  The potential for economic development through rum and other artisinal spirits is significant, and I'm excited to see what the future holds for rum in Louisiana.  These first few distilleries will be paving the way for future micro-distillers, and will be the first to take advantage of the new law that passed from SB 64 in May allowing distilleries the same privileges as wineries to sell directly to the public.  Each individual will be permitted to purchase up to a case (12 bottles) per month from the distillery.  Of course, any bars or other retails outlets will have to acquire spirits through a distributor, but that's not a bad thing.  So happy National Rum Day!  Enjoy your Louisiana-grown and Louisiana-made beverages responsibly!

Knappogue Castle 1995: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey

Knappogue Castle 1995, a single malt whiskey out of Ireland, had perhaps the largest variance in scoring of any whiskey so far with James giving it a lofty 82 and Eric shooting it down with a 51.  Jeremy and I, the other two voices of Raise a Glass, gave it a 68 and 66 respectively.  The average comes out to an acceptable score of 66.75, but that doesn't tell the story of this whiskey.  The chardonnay color presents faint light fruit on the nose with a honeysuckle sweetness.  The taste is reasonably fresh as well with slight oak and biscuit notes.  The whiskey presents a clean getaway with a very mild burn and an above average balance.  Certainly not a bad whiskey to have in your collection, but not something to rush out and acquire either.

Knappogue Castle 1995

66.75 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Louisiana Cookin' Chefs to Watch Dinner

For my birthday, August 20, I'm having the pleasure of attending the Louisiana Cookin' Chefs to Watch 2012 Awards Dinner at the Theatre at Harrah's New Orleans.  This annual dinner features superb dishes from five Louisiana chefs who have been named as that year's "chefs to watch" by Louisiana Cookin' Magazine.  This year, I'm proud to know a couple of the honorees.  Chef Ryan Andre from Le Creole in Baton Rouge is a graduate of the Louisiana Culinary Institute and has been on both of my radio shows before.  Manny Augello at Jolie's Bistro in Lafayette cooked at the James Beard House earlier this summer and I got a preview of that meal before he left for New York.  I'm excited to meet the rest of the chefs while I'm in New Orleans.  Here's the menu with wine pairings that they'll be cooking up:

Passed Hors D'oeuvres

Cochon de Lait - Fried Hog's Head Cheese with Black Eye Pea and Sweet Potato Vinegar Caviar
Chef Manny Augello, Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro, Lafayette

Roasted Gulf Oyster Crostini with Bruleed Parmesan and Applewood Bacon
Chef Ryan Andre, Le Creolé, Baton Rouge

Fried Wild Mushroom Springroll with Asparagus Tips and Tarragon Aioli Sauce
Chef Zac Watters, Zachary’s Restaurant, Mandeville

Watermelon with Cherry Tomato Filet and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Chef Brad McGehee, Ye Olde College Inn, New Orleans

Fish and Chips - Fresh Yellow Fin Tuna with Micro Cilantro, Lime and Spicy Chili Sauce atop House Made Potato Chips
Chef Lindsay Mason, Cristiano Ristorante, Houma

Seated Dinner

Shrimp and Andouille Beignets with a Louisiana Crawfish Corn Maque Choux
Chef Zac Watters, Zachary’s Restaurant, Mandeville
Conundrum “California” 2010 (by Caymus Vineyards)

Smoked Tomato Soup with Gulf Crab Claw and Crème Fraiche
Chef Ryan Andre, Le Creolé, Baton Rouge
Mark West Pinot Noir “California”

Goat Cheese and Blueberry Salad - Panko Crusted Goat Cheese, Roasted Pistachios, Louisiana Blueberries and Mache Greens
Chef Lindsay Mason, Cristiano Ristorante, Houma
Campo Viejo Riserva (Rioja, Spain)

Zapp’s Crusted Cobia with Heirloom Potato, Garden Vegetable Hash, and Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce
Chef Brad McGehee, Ye Olde College Inn, New Orleans
Mer Soleil Chardonnay “Silver” (by Caymus Vineyards)

Bacon and Waffle - Toasted Grit Waffle with Buttermilk Ice Cream with Bacon Caramel
Chef Manny Augello, Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro, Lafayette
Sandeman Fine Tawny Port


The Chefs to Watch Awards Dinner raises money for Café Reconcile, a nonprofit organization that trains at-risk youths to lead productive lives through culinary education and job placement.  For more information or to purchase tickets so you can join me there, check out http://www.louisianacookin.com/

Four Roses Single Barrel: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Four Roses Single Barrel

We celebrate bourbon today with a pretty good one.  The Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey impressed the Raise a Glass bunch.  The nose had a mild sweetness to it like clovers and honeysuckle, a field of dreams that you just knew would yield good whiskey.  Some vanilla and caramel highlighted the tasting notes with a floral and oak balance that gave way to butterscotch.  The bourbon finished nearly ghostly with a tongue tingling harshness that Jeremy described as a "turd in his cereal" because everything worked until that point.  Certainly complex, but not strong finishing.  The bourbon impressed, but only so much and for so long.

Four Roses Single Barrel

78.0 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Sylvia's: Soul Food in NYC

Fried Chicken and Ribs Combo at Sylvia's in Harlem

During my most recent trip to NYC, I experienced by The Bronx and Harlem for the first time.  I recommend both areas to anybody who is trying to soak up some true culture while in the Big Apple.  Much like New Orleans where I advise visitors to get out of the French Quarter for at least a little while, when in New York you truly must escape from lower Manhattan at some point.

Harlem lays claim to one of the most popular soul food restaurants in New York: Sylvia's.  With national acclaim and quite a bit of press to back it up, the Queen of Soul Food is definitely on the map as a restaurant.  I decided that I ought to sample a few things while sitting in the breezy curbside dining area, so I ordered the Bar-B-Que Ribs and Fried Chicken Combo ($18.95).

The chicken leg quarter had a crispy crust but lacked significant flavor.  The ribs had been oven-roasted in a "barbecue" sauce that tasted more like sweet and sour to me.  While both items were quite tasty, they didn't really compare to soul food from the South.  I know many Louisiana kitchens where I would have gotten three times the food for the same price, and it would have all been amazing.  The greens and mac and cheese tasted fairly authentic and I enjoyed them with the meats.  I washed my meal down with a highly drinkable Sugar Hill Golden Ale from the Harlem Brewing Company.  In the end, Sylvia's presented edible food with a southern soul feel, but didn't live up to my lofty expectations.  It happens.  I'm yet to find a New York style pizza in the South that lives up to what you can actually find in NYC!

End of Olympics Beer Dinner at The Londoner

Join me at the Londoner as we celebrate the end of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with an around-the-world beer dinner!  I'll be there talking about the different beers, beer styles, and food pairings.  The four-course, eight-beer dinner should be a fantastic way to compare beer styles across countries as well as get a belly full of worldly cuisine.  There are only 40 seats available, so make your reservations now.  I hope to see you there!

Origine 10 Year: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by The Cove

Origine 10 Year

Whisk(e)y Wednesday gets back to Scotch with Origine, a single Islay malt that has been aged 10 years.  The Scotch is smoky and peaty and likened to a "poor man's Talisker."  The nose is rather neat with campfire aromas very present.  A little sea salt mixes in with the peat on the palate with hints of leather, pepper, and honey.  The finish comes back to the fire and smoke but in a non-aggressive way.  Certainly a nice Scotch to add to a collection at an affordable price, but nothing that will tremendously impress your friends become one of your automatic favorites.

Origine 10 Year

74.5 Average Score

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze presented by The Cove. Check out The Cove in Baton Rouge, LA to browse their selection of over 200 whiskeys (including bourbons) and 325+ Scotch whiskys. Whisk(e)y Wednesday is created and rated by the hosts of Raise a Glass. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own propriatary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y while anything below 10 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.