Tasty Delivery

[moosemilk]

you mentioned haste...are you sure you didn't spoon off a jar of feints accidentally? that is actually my closest guess. it actually tastes like a mix of heads and tails.
(sry.. ..you brought it out here on the www to kick around a bit )

No need to apologize. Input bad or good is welcome. I have no idea! But at least the others were ok, and keep the jar of course. I grabbed a few for my own also lol. I'm thinking of finding a source to buy by the case, they mak great giveaways.

[HDNB]

i'd love to see wooteck come up with a moosemilk label for those old milk jugs! that would be over the top...those are the same jugs that milk hit the doorstep in when i was a kid.

(damn, i'm old.)

[bearriver]

I'll get some pics up tomorrow. Got a tasty delivery myself in the form of a box filled with hand rolled cigars made by HDNB. Thanks HDNB, you made a happy Bear! I've smoke 2 so far and those strong ones you rolled are just that. Spicy, leathery, deep. I had to take a break after awhile. I had an issue keeping thee first stick lit, but the second one burned clean to the nub. Very tasty and goes well with the afternoon whiskey.

[HDNB]

cool! glad they made it.
no promises on quality of roll, they are within my first 50 attempts, give or take.
i been working on pressure and such.

[HDNB]

the Fed ex truck pulled in, powered by eight tiny reindeer.

special thanks to the PNW guys for putting together the care package, and to the contributors...whose names appear on the bottles.

There was one name absent from the samples...the sender! I'll post some reviews in a bit if you want.

[moosemilk]

the Fed ex truck pulled in, powered by eight tiny reindeer.

That same reindeer powered cart dropped by my house today unexpectedly, but very welcomed! I only had time for a quick sample before having to jump along to work. Even at that, HDNB, you have really outdone yourself! I'll give a full go later, but quickly:

The first thing that hit my nose was a subtle fruity, almost apple aroma (but definitely not the aroma of heads), followed by what I can only describe as almost eggnog (the creamy spice that you get from it). Of course I just had to grab my glencairn and taste a drop...creamy, sweet, hint of pepper and even a little lingering tobacco. I can't wait to be off work and give it the true attention it deserves! My hat is off to you, HDNB. This is easily the best damn drop I have ever had!

I was very pleasantly surprised and touched by this gift, thank you HDNB. It will be sipped on slowly a it well deserves.

[HDNB]

you are making me blush.

i did a special blend of the latest COB + a wee smidge of jimbo's all malt (2row) that has been heavily oaked for over a year. I like it too!

the all malt is almost a bit over the top flavour wise. there is a lot going on. the COB is only a couple months old now and a bit one dimensional, but the two together...almost like chocolate and peanut butter!

it's also around 60%, so some good water will open it up. (didn't want to waste shipping weight on water, figured you could find some)

[woodshed]

HDNB, that S3 is just over 60% abv.

[HDNB]

no one asked...but here's intial (quick, back to back) tasting notes on my bounty:

Woodshed Smoke Shine. I would buy some of this if i could. sadly not available here. The intial nose is much like what Moosemilk describes of mine...fruity/creamy/eggnog?/spice... In my brain this is the heavy% malt smell. the palate first hits with a quick smoke that immediately gives way to CORN and butter...any more butter you could take the corn to the movies.
This buttered corn quickly gives way to a second distinct sweet note that makes your mouth water and finishes with a warm satisfying glow, deep into your senses. easily the most complex of the samples. there is more to be said...but i moved on

S3- strong (scorch?) smoke burnt flavour , unfortunately i did not find this particularly appealing. sorry. maybe because it was so far out of place after the outstandingness of the smokeshine. I'll try it with a clear palate next time.

BR vodka. outstanding neutral. hint of vanilla on the nose (was the bottle maybe vanilla previous?) hands down the best vodka i have sipped. no idea the proof, it was so smooth it disappeared. could have been azeo, could have been water. i dunno.

GAF labelled blackbeard...i think it is blackberry. comes across as a very light rum with a gentle hint of blackberries that is soft, delightful and enticing... i want more.

GAF Muckalee creek water. another delight. light, noticable floral nose and palate. not enough ooo's in smooooth to describe this one. need to know more about this whiskey too, but alas a small sample that will be treasured in as many small drops as i can.

MCH wheat barley. a robust nutty drop. this was for sure made on a potstill, as there is much flavour at work here, so i suspect the barley was all malt, and possible the wheat was all malt too. there was some later oils adding to the flavours, and while very pleasant and complex (not taking away from the now enjoyment) i can see time/wood making this an even more outstandingly complex drop.

as mentioned this was quick back to back with a quick water in between. As i revisit them with an actual glass and some time, i may be back with more notes. (yes i was drinking out the bottle )

[woodshed]

I came to the same conclusion with the S3. It has become less prominent with time in the barrel. It's right at a year now.
I think it was the cottonwood smoked grain. And my use of it. Fun experiment though.

Glad you enjoyed the Smoke Shine. Cool that you picked up on the subtle complexity.

[moosemilk]

Even at 60%, that was SMOOTH. Hope ya kept a record of what you did there! I soon a I get to running again I definitely have to send some your way.

Btw, I figured out the bit of caramel flavor in my rum. I substituted a pound of turbinado for pure cane sugar. So many types of sugar and molasses to experiment with for rum!

[MichiganCornhusker]

MCH wheat barley. a robust nutty drop. this was for sure made on a potstill, as there is much flavour at work here, so i suspect the barley was all malt, and possible the wheat was all malt too. there was some later oils adding to the flavours, and while very pleasant and complex (not taking away from the now enjoyment) i can see time/wood making this an even more outstandingly complex drop.

Wow, crazy that my whiskey has made it cross-country and into your glass.
I will have to go dig that one out of the cellar, myself, and give it a taste to see how it's coming along.
Your impressions are spot on, it is potstilled, strip/spirit runs. I believe the grains were both malted, I would need to go back and try to determine if the wheat was store bought malt, or if is was something I malted myself.
I tend to collect and blend all the way down to about 80 proof when picking jars, stopping just before the cloudy oils set in. I do think that this gives me a more "rustic", "robust" character, heavy with grainy flavors.
Jimbo is able to get really nice fruity flavors from his wheat, I haven't been able to create that yet. Maybe being overpowered by the other malts.
With some new gear I'm working on, I will be able to experiment with making a cleaner profile, but for now I'm enjoying what comes off the ol' copper pot.

I've noticed some big changes in the flavors over time, good at 6 months, but really big changes after a year. I've read that if you wanna make good whiskey you "gotta put it up dirty", so I'm hoping "rustic" will become "sublime" given enough time.
Thanks for sharing your impressions!

[HDNB]

Cross country and then international! that whiskey has more miles on it than a '63 biscayne.

I'm guessing Jimbo's secret is the US05 ale yeast. Yeasts are next on my hit list of experiments, i think i'm getting my grainbill where i want it so time to throw in another variable.

MCH, thanks so much for producing a fine drop! it's an exciting pleasure to sample wares from members around north america.

Moose, your rum doesn't need fixing. it ain't broke! I had a wee drop of it last night, and i can confirm it is right there and better with the finest 70-100 $ bottles of sipping rum i have tried.

[cranky]

I just discovered this thread and I guess it needs some explaining. After the BRBBQ Bear and I divided up the remaining bottles into samples to send out to contributors who were there in spirit only. I took some to ship and Bear took the others. I have been extremely slow in shipping out those samples which I do apologize for. HDNB made it to Proof with a sample of his fine whiskey but was unable to make it to the barbecue the next day.

There was one name absent from the samples...the sender!

Did I really miss adding my own? The size of the box and weight was pretty critical due to the international shipping so I guess that's why I didn't add any more than I did. Guess I will have to correct that in the future, I can't believe I didn't put something of mine in there. Fortunately the cost of shipping Fedex to you is surprisingly reasonable so I will try to make that up to you sometime.

BR vodka. outstanding neutral. hint of vanilla on the nose (was the bottle maybe vanilla previous?) hands down the best vodka i have sipped. no idea the proof, it was so smooth it disappeared. could have been azeo, could have been water. i dunno.

I don't believe the bottle I put Bear's vodka in had ever been used before and I thoroughly cleaned it before adding the vodka. I just checked the small remaining sample I have and it does have just a hint of vanilla on the nose.

GAF labelled blackbeard...i think it is blackberry. comes across as a very light rum with a gentle hint of blackberries that is soft, delightful and enticing... i want more.

That would be GaFlatwood's Blackbeard's treasure whiskey viewtopic.php?f=11&t=41534" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[HDNB]

Wow.

I'm speechless. lucky i can still type. a while back this sample showed up in a brown box, i tucked it away and tonite, to celebrate the 6" dump of snow i thought it was time to rootle around the likker cabinet and find something special.

this is an outstanding achievement in craftsmanship. smooth and amazing mouthfeel, wonderful flavour nutty and cinnamon with a simply wonderful finish.

i'd ask for the recipe if i thought i could get my hands on some green walnuts to try to make more. (it is green walnuts right?)

Can't thank you enough for a most wonderful treat! made my whole day!

[rgreen2002]

This is a great thread.... sharing among friends.... and a great review of your drink from someone you can trust. I mean I fully believe in the idea that if I like it it must be great, but I may want to do this as a retirement job and why not get the reviews early!

I would love to organize a "Taster's club". Maybe there would be a bunch of local "chapters" that get together to share and compare....

Then compete for the prize at S3.... sorry...got carried away there. Just the chapters for now.

(This is also why we need legalization... but don't get me started there)

[Bigbob]

That walnut is a tasty drop isn't it? I've had three different samples now and all have been excellent. I'm waiting for May or June to come so I can make my own. What's the matter HDNB? No walnut trees in Canada?

[moosemilk]

This is a great thread.... sharing among friends.... and a great review of your drink from someone you can trust. I mean I fully believe in the idea that if I like it it must be great, but I may want to do this as a retirement job and why not get the reviews early!

I would love to organize a "Taster's club". Maybe there would be a bunch of local "chapters" that get together to share and compare....

Then compete for the prize at S3.... sorry...got carried away there. Just the chapters for now.

(This is also why we need legalization... but don't get me started there)

I'm sure glad this thread has taken this direction! Originally, I wanted to post on what I received, but this development of the thread sure has worked. It's nice to have all in one thread many sharing, commenting, and making suggestions. Just goes to show the great "family" we have here.

Now . . . if i could just get off my ass to get some rum done so it's ready for Christmas . . . If I do so soon, it should be an ok drop by that time.

[bitter]

Nice thread! Sounds like lots of sharing going on that is perfect!

B

[MichiganCornhusker]

i'd ask for the recipe if i thought i could get my hands on some green walnuts to try to make more. (it is green walnuts right?)

Straight up Dio Palinka from the recipe Odin posted.
It's a year old now and the flavors have mellowed and blended beautifully.

Glad it made its way to you safely, it sure is a unique spirit. Cheers!

[MichiganCornhusker]

Had to put this out here...
Just enjoyed a half finger of a wonderful apple (+pear?) brandy that Cranky sent me a while back.
This is truly an amazing and unique drop, never had anything like it and it is pure Cranky so when it's gone it's gone.

Extremely fruit forward, not sure what all is in this but I sure am going to savor it.

We all know Cranky's maniacal manifesto with fruity goodness and I can confirm that he is creating juicy artwork in a bottle.

Thank you for sending, Cranky, this is a real standout that will hold high ground in my palate rolodex!

(And I won't even mention the bottle(s) of barrel aged cider...)

[cranky]

Thank you for the kind words MCH.
I'm really terrible about not keeping notes, Most of what I did is probably chronicled in the fruity goodness thread but would be difficult to untangle. I do remember I accidentally added about 1/10 Japanese pear brandy into that. The Japanese pear didn't taste like European pear brandy, it tasted strongly of little white flowers and by itself was overpowering but that little bit brought something special to the apple. Unfortunately I can't remember the wood used, I think it was once used toasted and very lightly charred apple, but it may have been oak,and a 3 inch domino of twice used Japanese maple for close to a year on a heater vent.

My hope is to come close to duplicating that one with the brandy I have in the barrel at the moment. In another year or so I hope to be able to send out a sample of that to You, HDNB and Medstiller

[The Baker]

cranky, any difficulty sending the samples?

What do you do? I have it in mind to send a sample or two, to get the opinion of more experienced distillers; I am not much of a judge of my own work..... Thanks.

Geoff

[cranky]

cranky, any difficulty sending the samples?

What do you do? I have it in mind to send a sample or two, to get the opinion of more experienced distillers; I am not much of a judge of my own work..... Thanks.

Geoff

I've never had any problems shipping samples of my special "Home made BBQ marinades" What I do is pack them very carefully. I place each bottle in a sealed bag in case it leaks, then I wrap it in bubble wrap... or maybe I wrap them in bubble wrap then bag either way I make sure each bottle is bagged. Then I tape all the bottles tightly together so they cant clink around. Then I put all the bottles in a garbage bag, in case one gets broken. Then I use peanuts or Styrofoam or in this case I got these cool foam packs that are used for shipping but it needs lots of packing space just in case it gets run over by a truck ( which by the way, happened back when I sold antiques. I actually had a box arrive at a customers with tire tracks across it )

Once it is securely packed it is ready to ship. DO NOT SEND ALCOHOL USPS!!!! It is against postal regulations. DO NOT SHIP ALCOHOL BY AIR!!! It gets the FAA and NTSB all in a dither. Last time I checked FedEx was OK shipping alcohol by ground but they have certain rules about it. BBQ marinades don't really have many rules Often they don't ask whats in the package but if they do I tell them BBQ marinade, it helps to have some Berriver BBQ labels or something like that and include a note about samples to try from the marinade competition just in case someone opens the package I can't help it if MCH likes to marinade his BBQ after eating it, He's pretty odd that way

[RedwoodHillBilly]

I've been known to marinade a few ice cubes myself.

[HDNB]

Membership has it's privileges!

the history of today's post goes back to 2015, you can read the backstory in this thread.

Today I was the recipient of this work of art, you can see from the labels almost 5 years in the making! a 2018 and 2019 vintage, in nothing less than monkey shoulder bottles, and a hand crafted bird's eye maple gift box.

needless to say, i'm over the moon!

[30xs]

you mentioned haste...are you sure you didn't spoon off a jar of feints accidentally? that is actually my closest guess. it actually tastes like a mix of heads and tails.
(sry.. ..you brought it out here on the www to kick around a bit )

No need to apologize. Input bad or good is welcome. I have no idea! But at least the others were ok, and keep the jar of course. I grabbed a few for my own also lol. I'm thinking of finding a source to buy by the case, they mak great giveaways.

I know it’s an older post, but since it was renewed I figured I’d help with the bottle search.

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/libbey ... 92129.html

[Dougmatt]

I know it’s an older post, but since it was renewed I figured I’d help with the bottle search.

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/libbey ... 92129.html

That’s a good price for the size. Lids are separate. For US folks, I found these and was planning to use for shipping some this year. They are smaller, but include a metal lid.

[cranky]

Membership has it's privileges!

the history of today's post goes back to 2015, you can read the backstory in this thread.

Today I was the recipient of this work of art, you can see from the labels almost 5 years in the making! a 2018 and 2019 vintage, in nothing less than monkey shoulder bottles, and a hand crafted bird's eye maple gift box.

needless to say, i'm over the moon!

In truth is it was actually 7 years in the making

If you look through the above posts I told HDNB back in 2015 that I would send him a bottle and you know that old saying "If a man says he will do something he will, there is no need to remind him every 6 months"...well it may have taken me 7 years but I did deliver

I like to think what I make is special so it should look special so I may have gone a little over the top with this little Christmas gift to HDNB.

I would like to thank HDNB for the gift he sent me of his 100% malt rye and cream liquor which was also over the top and Mrs Cranky and I are enjoying very much.

[cranky]

I thought I might post some of the pictures I took of the box of marinade I sent HDNB just because I'm really proud of it

The way this whole thing started was in 2015 I met HDNB but failed to send him a sample of my own product. So I promised to some day send him a bottle. I tend to have a real problem with time getting away from me and before I knew it a number of years had passed and the only aging stock I had needed years to come together.

Earlier this year...or maybe late last year I finally decided the 2018 & 2019 apple brandies were more or less ready for prime time so I bottled them.

There are very few people I share my brandy with, mostly because I don't make that much in a year. The 2018 brandy is actually the 2017 and 2018 combined which filled my 5 gallon barrel and in the end it was more like 4 gallons after tempering which may seem like a lot but it's only 20 or so bottles but I have shared it with OVZ (I think) and MCH...actually what I did with MCH inspired what HDNB got and that all started when I found 2 Monkey Shoulder bottles in my local bottle dumpster. If you don't know, monkey shoulder bottles have 3 bronze/brass monkeys on the shoulder of the bottle which inspired me to make a back label for the bottles of the see/ hear/ speak no evil monkeys as a nod to S3. I sent those 2 bottles to MCH and he said something about me "really upping the bottle game" or something to that effect.

At some point I told HDNB that when I found another Monkey Shoulder bottle I'd send him a sample of brandy. Then I found 2 and I decided to turn it up a notch for HDNB since it had taken me 7 years to get around to sending him a sample. I made special labels and actually bought some sealing wax, even though I have been collecting wax from Makers Mark bottles for a year or so. So Fancy labels and sealed with wax was good but then I tore down my shed and found some wood that I thought would be perfect to make a box out of. I have only ever tried to make one box before but after it nearly cost me 3 fingers I gave up on the idea, but I always wanted to make nice boxes and figured this would be a nice way to send these bottles.

So I learned how to make a box with wooden hinges, fitted the bottles with foam and found a piece of cloth to act as a liner. I used some really strong little magnets and pieces of Euro nickles for catches.

So, now on to the pictures.