Kings County Bourbon: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Kings County Bourbon

Eric and Jeremy, who are two of the people who help score my Whisk(e)y Wednesday posts, recently took a trip to New York and came back with a bottle of bourbon from the Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn. This place has gotten a lot of media attention as one of the darlings of the artisan distilling movement so I anxiously awaited our tasting! Unfortunately, the Kings County failed to live up the hype. The nose had a strong mineral aroma in addition to the corn ethanol. It smelled like a freshly opened sack of deer corn to me. More corn came through on the taste, which is to be expected in a bourbon, but not like this. It had a flavor of roasted corn in the husk but with more of a savory bite than sweetness. Jeremy noted that the bourbon's flavor proved to be all corn with no complexity. On the finish the there was a bit of spice but no oak at all other than some charcoal bitterness. Eric called the bourbon simple and pretentious. Jeremy may have summed it up best when he said it "tastes like Brooklyn." Indeed, the whiskey reeks of hipster skinny jeans, colorful shoes, and American Spirits.

Kings County Bourbon

Average Score 52.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Best of 225 Part II

If you missed last week's radio show podcast, you might want to go back and listen to it before tuning in to this one. Last week we discussed how the Best of 225 survey works and it is required pre-listening to this week's ongoing discussion of the flaws and bright spots in the Best of 225 dining section. Again this week, I'm joined by Chuck P., J. Slater McKay, Jeremy White, and Chef Eusebio Gongora as we continue with Part II of our Best of 225 dismantling. Enjoy!

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Peameal Bacon for the Win

St. Lawrence Market in Toronto

While in Toronto with Visit Baton Rouge a little while back I had a golden opportunity to go to the St. Lawrence Market, one of the largest and highest rated food and farmers markets in the world. I took a walk down construction-riddled Front Street until I arrived at my destination. Passing a Starbucks, Lonestar Grill, Quizno’s, and Chipotle, I felt right in the middle of Anywhere, USA. However, once I got to the St. Lawrence Market, I knew I had arrived somewhere at least a little different. The market is full of vendors slinging fresh seafood, meats, produce, cheeses, and much more. My sources told me to keep an eye out for the famous Peameal Bacon on a Bun, the real true Canadian bacon. I found what I had been looking for at the Carousel Bakery booth but noticed that they seemed to be operating under a cash-only policy. Not having exchanged my dollars for… dollars, I found an ATM and withdrew some Queens. I got my peameal bacon and a sense of Canadian pride overwhelmed me.

Carousel Bakery

This bacon was unlike anything I've ever eaten before. It is not the same bacon that we put on our pizza and call Canadian bacon. This bacon, the peameal bacon from Carousel Bakery at the St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto, is legit. Salty, fatty, and ever so porky, the layers of swine melted in my mouth as I devoured the sandwich on my way out the market with a fresh brew of fair trade coffee in my hand. The bread held the layers of bacon together until the entire sandwich filled my stomach and I licked my fingers to savor every morsel of flavor that I could.

Peameal Bacon Sandwich

Toronto's Skyline from the CN Tower

Amazing Freakin' Tacos: Bob's Taco Station

Bob's Taco Station in Rosenberg, TX

Tacos in Texas are better. I admit it. It is a food group that we don't do extremely well  in Baton Rouge. Sure, Taco de Paco slings some tasty tacos from their truck, and yes you can now find some pretty decent breakfast tacos at Kolache Kitchen, but they still just aren't quite the same. And for anybody truly wondering, go check out the tacos at La Morenita on Florida or La Tiendita on Siegen. But then again, take a trip to some taco stands in Texas and you'll really understand. One such joint is Bob's Taco Station in Rosenberg outside of Houston. It has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives for good reason. It is an authentic taco joint with no frills, bells, or whistles. Just tacos. Really. Good. Tacos.

Amazing Tacos at Bob's Taco Station

They have other plates to choose from, but I opted for an assortment of three tacos to really get a taste of the namesake dish. I began with the Bacon, Egg, and Potato taco (right). While nothing revolutionary with ingredients, the fresh tortilla marvelously wrapped up the filling and I scarfed it down like a bear on the salmon run. The Chorizo and Egg taco (left) equally impressed me. The spanish flavors of paprika and other spices filled up the flour tortilla and I soon entered breakfast taco heaven. Fortunately, all of Bob's tacos were served all day long, so I also ordered the Barbacoa taco. Along with cilantro and chopped onions, the cooked down beef highlighted my favorite taco of the afternoon. The superb flavor matched the character of the joint and the authenticity I expected. This, my friends, is a taco spot worth visiting.

National Tequila Day: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Good Tequila

1) Tequila is not whiskey. Or whisky. I know. But some of it is barrel aged!
2) Today, July 24th, is National Tequila Day.
3) Since Wednesdays are usually reserved for my Whisk(e)y Wednesday posts, I decided to make an exception today to celebrate a different spirit.
4) Drink good tequila.
5) Try a paloma. Another recipe is below.

Tequila really ought to be celebrated. Agave is the plant that tequila is distilled from. It is mostly grown in a select area of Mexico, with one of the most famous regions being the state of Jalisco. Contrary to popular belief, agave is not a cactus. It is actually a member of the lily family, and only blue agave may be used to produce tequila. Any other variety of agave makes mezcal, which is tequila's cousin that is prepared differently and has a smoky bite in its flavor. Tequila is made from the juices of the pineapple-like core of the blue agave plant. After roasting or steaming the massive (up to 300 lbs.) cores, or "pinas," they are pressed to release the juices or aguamiel (honey water). The aguamiel is then fermented and at least double distilled before being bottled and sent to your shot glasses. If you're drinking tequila that is "100% de agave," then that's exactly what you are getting. If it is not 100%, it has to at least be 51% made from agave, with water and sugars taking up the rest, to still be considered tequila. Most commercially available tequilas are 80 proof or in that range, though some can go up to 100 proof. A few other words you might see on tequila bottles are:

Blanco ("white") or plata ("silver"): white spirit, un-aged and bottled or stored immediately after distillation, or aged less than two months in stainless steel or neutral oak barrels;
Joven ("young") or oro ("gold"): is the result of blending Silver Tequila with Reposado and/or Añejo and/or extra Añejo Tequila;
Reposado ("rested"): aged a minimum of two months, but less than a year in oak barrels;
Añejo ("aged" or "vintage"): aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years in oak barrels;
Extra Añejo ("extra aged" or "ultra aged"): aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels.

Maestro Dobel Perfect Paloma

In case you want a tequila beverage today, here's a recipe for the "Perfect Paloma!"

2 Parts Maestro Dobel Tequila (pictured above)
4 Parts Grapefruit Soda
Splash Lime Juice
Shake and strain into a rocks glass
Lime Wedge garnish




Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Best of 225 Part I

The July issue of 225 Magazine is their most popular issue of the year. People all over Baton Rouge rush to the newsstands to grab a copy of the annual "Best of 225" issue. Unfortunately, year after year, they are generally disappointed with the results. It seems like the aggregate voter is moronic. Places like Five Guys win the category of best burger. Hilarity ensues with the rest of the list. Well, most of it. I recently got together with Chuck P., J. Slater McKay, Jeremy White, and Chef Eusebio Gongora to go over the dining section of this year's issue. For whatever reason, the magazine still does not ask for local picks in dining like they do for shopping, fashion, or personalities. That leads to voters' choice which leave a lot to be argued about. Enjoy the discussion.

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Bite and Booze Awards: Restaurant Week Baton Rouge

Local Products List and Pork Rinds at Beausoleil

Restaurant Week Baton Rouge has come and gone, but the memories remain for those of us who dined out last week.  I took the liberty of compiling a rundown of the RW highlights. Take a look, and let me know what you think by commenting below or posting on Twitter or Facebook! These picks are my opinion alone and I'd love to hear what you think.

Best deals:

$15 - Chelsea's Cafe - Cheese fries, the stellar chicken mojo poboy with fries, and French silk cake for $15... yeah, that's a good deal despite it all being on the normal menu.

$20 - The Londoner - Just a slight step up from Chelsea's, at the Londoner you could get a grilled chicken, strawberry, and walnut salad, a steak and ale pie, and finish it with their amazing sticky toffee bread pudding for nothing but a Jackson.

$25 - Beausoleil - Starting off a meal with a dish called "General Tso's Cheeks" always gets the imagination running. Following that up with a Creole cane syrup grilled pork chop and ending with a fresh fruit cobbler with toasted pecan crust for only a hundred quarters... that's just plain silly good.

Le Creole's Lobster Wontons

$30 - Juban's - The stuffed crab cake with avocado aioli showed what new Executive Chef Joey Daigle is capable of, and that only got me through the appetizer. As one of Baton Rouge's most historic fine dining restaurant, a three course menu like this is something that should be unheard of... though they actually offer a $29.99 prefix all the time! Moving on to a medium-rare steak frites and a cinnamon raisin bread pudding, it's hard to argue about the Restaurant Week deal at Juban's.

$35 - Le Creole - I began my meal with the lobster wontons. Lobster knuckle and claw meat and truffle cream filled crispy fried wontons accompanied with pepper jelly. They were delightful. Next came the gulf red grouper topped with crab meat sitting on a bed of Napa cabbage in a ginger-citrus sauce. I finished the meal with flaming bananas foster. I won.

Best off menu dishes:

Appetizer - Allow me to rant here: While a Restaurant Week is amazing and I'm extremely happy that Baton Rouge has one, it does also seem that perhaps part of the spirit is not understood. I could find ZERO restaurants that went off of their ordinary menu for the first course of their restaurant week menu. They recycled their appetizers, soups, and salads. They showed a lack of creativity, imagination, and desire to use the week to showcase their chef or something new rather than let people just order something that would be on the menu anyway. Next Restaurant Week, I encourage all restaurants and their chefs to allow their passion to shine and create some restaurant week specials as small plates and first courses. Fortunately, there were a few second and third courses that went off-menu.

Entree - Bin 77: Stuffed Mississippi Quail - As if the bird wouldn't be enough for the entree in a $25 three course menu, the folks at Bin 77 rounded the dish out with foie gras, oyster ragu, three potato pave, and red-eye gravy. What a dish! And it can't be found on their regular dinner menu!

Dessert - Blend: Warm Chocolate Torte - Complete with salted caramel gelato and roasted peanuts, this dessert cried out to be eaten! While there is a chocolate torte on Blend's dessert menu, it doesn't come with salted caramel gelato and roasted peanuts, so if you didn't get to try this version, you may have missed out!

Special Mentions:

Most Creative Menu - Nino's Italian: Forget dessert... you can order that on your own. Nino's bucked the "three courses = appetizer, entree, dessert" mentality and decided instead to offer a slew of incredible appetizers like mussels or gnocchi followed by a soup or salad and then an amazing entree including their homemade grilled vegetable and goat cheese cannelloni!

The filet at Doe's, an option I could have had for Restaurant Week

Sad I Missed It - Doe's Eat Place: They had a pound-and-a-half T-bone on their Restaurant Week menu
and I missed it. That steak costs over $35 by itself, but they served it with three tamales, fries, biscuits, and then eclair cake. While I can go back to Doe's and eat tamales, prime steak, and eclair cake any time, I'm still sad I missed this deal.

Welcome to the Show - Le Bon Temps: Although they just recently opened, Le Bon Temps Bar & Grill wasted no time joining in on Restaurant Week Baton Rouge. That's what I like to see from a new restaurant! And for $20, their menu that featured combinations like duck and andouille egg rolls, a cochon de lait platter, and lemon icebox pie could not have steered anybody wrong!

Corporate Love - Fleming's: While I'm not a promoter of chain or corporate restaurants, there were several that participated in Restaurant Week and I'm sure there were many happy diners. The menu at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, for example, should not have been overlooked. Listed as four courses on their menu, you could start with a lobster bisque, follow that up with a petite filet, include some Fleming's potatoes, and wrap it all up with a huge slice of carrot cake. Whether they are corporate or not, their Chef is a Louisiana boy, and it is hard to beat a meal like that for $35!

Baton Rouge's Best Bartender Competition

Bulleit Proof by George Kraus - photo credit to NOLA.com's Chelsea Brasted

You still have two days to experience Restaurant Week Baton Rouge! Make sure you get out and eat. And also let me know the best deals or favorite dishes you've found all week! Feel free to send me a tweet @biteandbooze, post it on my Facebook page, or just comment on this blog post!

In addition to the RW festivities, last week DIG and Barmetrix presented the Best Bartender of Restaurant Week contest. The top nominated restaurants went through internal competitions to highlight the best bartender to represent their establishment. Barmetrix judged contestants on the hard skills of bartending while myself and some representatives from Diagio and Dig rounded out the vote for the creative use of sponsor brands. The event, held at the Renaissance Hotel, proved that these competitions can be extremely successful in Baton Rouge. The crowd came ready to enjoy themselves and the competition. Launch Media showed up to live-stream the event, which was also shown on TV screens around the bar area. I had a blast judging the competition and the bartenders really outdid themselves. I'm looking forward to more bartending events like this to bring Baton Rouge personalities and cocktails forward!

Judges, organizers, and winning contestants: photo credit to DIG's Sean Richardson

The overall champion with the best combined score of tastiest cocktail as well as expert bartending was Doe's Eat Place's George Krause (pictured in the center above). His winning cocktail presented George's interpretation of a root beer float  with no root beer or ice cream. Here's the recipe:

Bulleit Proof
2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz Pure Maple Syrup
1/8 tsp Vanilla Extract
12 drops Herbsaint
12 drops Disaronno
12 drops Hot Cinnamon Schnapps
8 drops Maraschino Cherry Juice

Shake hard and strain over fresh ice
Top with 2 bar spoon sized quenelles of vanilla whipped cream
Garnish with split vanilla bean.

Other winners included Trey Roth (pictured above to the left of George) from Tsunami who took home the best cocktail prize as well as Garland Shurden (pictured above to the right of George) from Rock-n-Sake who won Barmetrix competition.

Yellow Rose Blended Whiskey: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Yellow Rose Blended Bourbon

Yellow Rose, an artisan distillery out of Texas, sent me a couple bottles of their handcrafted whiskeys to sample for Whisk(e)y Wednesday judging. The blended whiskey presented a bouquet of candy on the nose with whiffs of butterscotch and toffee. As the whiskey entered the mouth it continued the sweet onslaught of Werther's Original butterscotch with a hint of Halloween candy corn. A little bit of oak bitterness came through on the back of the tongue but the whiskey presented very little spice. Yellow Rose drank sweet and smooth with a touch of bite on the back. The balance certainly was respectable though the complexity could have been more assertive. Overall, the whiskey presented an extremely drinkable flavor profile and is definitely worthy of checking out.

Yellow Rose Blended Whiskey

Average Score 65.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Vanessa Gomes, Craft Beer, and Hot Dogs

This past week Vanessa Gomes, the Craft Brands Manager for Champagne Beverage on the Northshore, joined me on the Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket. After congratulating Chris Courtney, my producer, on his victory at the Frankie's 4th of July Hot Dog Eating Contest, Vanessa and I talked craft beer, upcoming events on the Northshore, and much more. Give it a listen!

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Restaurant Week Baton Rouge is Upon Us

Today marks the beginning of the second Restaurant Week Baton Rouge. The event, created by DIG Magazine, allows diners to experience over 40 of the Red Stick's best restaurants at a fraction of the normal cost. From July 15-20 diners can enjoy 3-course meals at fixed prices from $15-$35 per person depending on the menu from each restaurant.

Of course, I think it is also important give everyone a few reminders about Restaurant Week:

1) Be grateful that these restaurants are participating. They don't have to do it, but the idea of all these Baton Rouge restaurants coming together twice a year to support a worthy event is exciting. Thank them for offering a restaurant week menu and encourage non-participating restaurants to join in.

2) Since the menus being offered are at an extreme discount, make sure you help out your favorite restaurants and order a little booze as well. Grab a craft beer you've never had or splurge on a bottle of wine. You can afford it since the food is priced so well!

3) Don't drink and drive. Make sure Restaurant Week is safe for everyone. While I do encourage extra boozing, make sure you have a safe ride home afterwards.

4) Make sure to tip your wait staff appropriately. Enjoying discounted menu prices does not mean you should try to get out of a restaurant as cheap as possible. While these incredible deals are there for the customer, the service staff is also there for you. This is a big week for them with a lot of volume coming through the restaurant. Make sure to pass some of the cost savings from your meal over to your waiter or waitress. They work hard to ensure a successful Restaurant Week!

In its first year with 41 restaurants and 20,000 expected diners, Restaurant Week Baton Rouge is hoping that the success of this week will translate into great revenue for all participating restaurants. This bi-annual event offers more than delicious food and prices. In 2013, $10,000 will have been donated to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank on behalf of the diners, sponsors and participating restaurants. The donations will equal to 35,000 meals for those in need by year's end. Reservations are highly recommended as restaurants are expected to book up quickly. Diners are encouraged to view menus, make reservations and enter to win free dinners at EatBR.com.

Evan Williams Sour Mash: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Evan Williams Sour Mash

In a return to the world of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, we recently tried the Evan Williams Sour Mash. This charcoal filtered corn elixir put off aromas of charred oak, vanilla, and toasted nuts. Jeremy noticed the corn sweetness and Eric observed some grassy notes to go along with the typical bourbon scent. On taste the whiskey definitely had a grainy and spicy profile with a good burn but nothing too impressive. The strong oak flavors gave the bourbon a stout mouthfeel with a fiery finish. Peppery flavors lingered as the Evan Williams Sour Mash delivered some complexity, but in the end not quite enough of the notes were outstanding. It is a mixable, drinkable whiskey but nothing to be too excited about.

Evan Williams Sour Mash Bourbon

Average Score 53.3

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Donner-Peltier Distillers

Back in February I had the chance to interview Beth Donner and Connie Couchot from the Donner-Peltier Distillers in Thibodaux, Louisiana. We talked about the new artisan distillery movement and the emergency of rum distilleries in Louisiana. We even getting into some specifics about how distilling is done.  Oh, and we ate some King Cake from Calandro's Supermarket, because it was February and we could.  Additionally, Lenny Eckstein called into the radio show to talk about the Deerhammer Downtime Whiskey that he makes in Colorado.

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.

Celebrate the 4th of July with a Food Louisiana Video!

First, happy 4th of July! Gotta love Indepence Day. But rather than supply you with some patriotic nonsense, I figured I'd share this video that just hit YouTube from Food Louisiana on Cox Channel 4. Nils Breckoff produced the feature on the very first The Truck, the Brewer, and the Blogger pop-up dinner with myself, Taco de Paco, and Tin Roof. Check it out, and enjoy your fireworks!

Collingwood: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Finally Whisk(e)y Wednesday returns to Canada with a look at Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky. This seems fitting since I traveled to Toronto recently and part one of my blog post recently hit Visit Baton Rouge's Red Stick Blog. Of course, Canada Day was July 1st, and tomorrow is July 4th and perhaps we should be celebrating American whiskey, but that's alright. Unfortunately, Collingwood did not impress me like the peameal bacon sandwich from the Carousel Bakery at the St. Lawrence Market. The nose carried plenty of maple syrup flavors with hints of sawdust or wood pulp, as Taco Bell would call it. On the lips, you taste the stank. The whisky is smooth, but it is far from good. Jeremy described the taste as a terrible medicinal nightmare. To me it had an essence of a sweet and sour sauce that went wrong. On the finish to continues to be pretty lackluster. There might be some complexity in the variety of off-putting flavors, but the balance certainly is not there. If you bought this whisky expecting some Canadian gold, I hope you kept the receipt. This one, aside from the decently cool bottle, is not even worth having in the collection.

Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky

Average Score 42.33

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary 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 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 90 is rather extraordinary.

Bite and Booze Radio Show: Seasoned Smoke

The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket turned its attention to barbecue this week with the help of Darryl Holliday from Seasoned Smoke.  I recently tried one of his products on a brisket and it worked out so well that I wanted to have him on the show.  Join in the fun as Darryl and I talk a little about the science of barbecue and offer some tips for those summer cookouts!

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The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge.  It is also available on iTunes.  The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, and the Louisiana Culinary Institute.