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Upon opening the dull smash box I just received in the mail labeled: Bespokes Gin&Tonic a musty smell of pine and lemon creep their way up and to my nose. The smell is not initially pleasing and leaves one with an almost bland recollection of the smell. The pinch of it is only slightly less mediocre. A quick shot of lemon zest is quickly watered down with an almost tasteless tobacco. But as with so many fruits of the citrus nature there is a twist in this review. This is not a snuff for the snuff taker of scarce sights. It is instead created for the seeker of superbly crafted spirits. In other words. This snuff while not extraordinary recommends its self quite nicely to those with a fine taste for fine spirits. The snuff's apparent lackluster is its crowning jewl. Its ability to be unmemorable will allow it to compliment and enhance the memories of those sacred scotches, whimsical wines, and beautifully crafted brandies.
When the snuff tin is down
Bottoms up. -
Really a good and excellent comment Chris.
Pedro -
Thanks for the comment Pedro.
-Chris -
If you're bringing up our favorite scotches, then let's name them... Subject to criticism my favorite is The Dimple. What's your's?
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CommentAuthorcelticsnuffer
- CommentTimeSep 13th 2007
My favorite scotch has to be Edradour....Scotland's smallest distillery!! -
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As an oenology graduate with 20 years as a nose in the wine trade, I’m fairly loyal to the old vino.
However as a Scot I must admit a certain allegiance to whisky and have been known to occasionally partake of the uisge-beatha (water of life). My weekday whisky is ‘Black Bull’ (more malt than ordinary blends) weekends its ‘Talisker 18 Year Old’ and for special occasions ‘White Hart 27 Year Old Port Wood’. I suppose this can be linked to snuff as we are dealing with the senses and it’s all olfactory. ;<) -
Scotch is my favorite
My favorite Scotch though.. thats a hard one.
I do love Johny Walkers Green label... eve more then blue gold or the new King George
Green is a mixture of key (pure) malts.. its absolutely amazing sweet... with a scent of a subtlety pine forest. People have been known to use it as a cologne on the neck.
As for pure scotch (no mixture) I like d'wares white label
AND MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE WAY OF DRINKING SCOTCH is a High Ball this is an expcerpt from my blog:
Cocktail(s)
The Dewar's (Traditional) High Ball:
1.5 oz Dewar's Scotch Whiskey (White label)
4.5 ounces seltzer water
Lime Juice to Taste
Fill a glass with ice, pour the scotch and seltzer water in the glass, garnish with lime or spray lime juice in the drink to taste.
History
The origin of the High Ball is disputed but is rumored to come from the mid-west. Particularly, St. Louis. On rail lines in this area train conductors would use large posts as signals. If they saw a ball sitting high atop the post they knew to speed up. As the name implies this cocktail is a quick one to make. There have been numerous changes to the High Ball. Different types of Alcohol, juice, and even soda, have led to countless variations of this classic drink. The original recipe has not been as popular recently, in fact it has become almost buried beneath some of the newer "more sexy" cocktails.
-Chris
p.s you can find more cocktail reviews (like 4 or 5 of them) at my blog http://thebasicsarehardtobelieve.blogspot.com/
be sure to click on "winter series" if you want to just see the blogs that have to do with cocktails.
p.p.s if your lazy just using ginger ale can be very tasty and quick in the place of seltzer and lime -
- CommentAuthorfishonabike
- CommentTimeSep 14th 2007
Have to say I'd never add anything except a little water to a good (single malt) Scotch - ideally a spring water. Always vital to try a single malt both neat and with water, because the experiences are so distinct. I heard recently this is because the water releases the oils in the whiskey, which makes sense.
I recently had a lovely holiday in Scotland - Oban through Inverary through Loch Lomond to Stirling - during which I visited Oban and Deanston distilleries. Life is hell. Two very different and individual distilleries with several very different and characterful whiskies, of which the Deanston 17 year old currently holds the crown for me.
Must look out for Edradour on my next visit, though. Along with every other distillery in Scotland!
Adam -
I gave up the bottle about 4 years ago but Chris's review of a lemon and pine snuff made me place a couple of tins in my order from Mars a day or so ago. Those are two of my favorite scents. I'll add my comments to this snuff when it arrives. Thanks, Chris.
EW -
- CommentAuthorchampchamp
- CommentTimeSep 14th 2007
It's true that single scotch should ideally be drank neat with a splash of water (still water) to release the bouquet. I'm a fan of The Balvenie Single Cask but since I am new to scotch as well (started drinking it in April) I haven't had the opportunity or funds to buy more than 4 bottles.
Barry -
Omegapd... be sure to let me know how it is.. and how my review held up to your own opinion. I take pride in my accuracy but if you can find something i missed... or tell me how i can improve the review after you have sniffed it.. please do I eagerly await your parallel review.. or at leas thumbs up or down on my opinion of it. Thanks
-Chris -
I beg your pardons lads. White label is not a single malt. I made an error and listed it as my favorite single malt.. woops :) I actually haven't had enough experience with singles to know. I have only had 5 or so. I do know that of all the blended whiskeys i have tried the one i mentioned earlier the green label.. on of its most standing qualities is that while it is blended.. it is only malt (key) whiskey's so it retains the strong and lasting flavor of a single but with the sweetness I believe.. of a mix. I would not mix a single with anything its true... I believe it must have been me not paying attention when I was writing :) .
-Chris -
I just got my Mars order in today so tried this one out first. I picked up 15g of it.
Color: Light Brown
Texture: Medium and clumps easily
Moisture: Wet
Tin Aroma: Citrus/Mildew
Chris' review of a musty smell in the tin was dead on. I didn't detect too much pine scent but it's in there along with the lemon and another spice- maybe cardamom? It smells very much like a Orange Spice tea bag. Like Chris, I found this fairly uninteresting and save the lemon flavor, very bland. Nicotine content was mild and the tobacco is not harsh at all. I'll probably use this as a "morning snuff" to get started in the day before breakfast. I doubt I would buy it again.
EW -
P.S.- I just looked up a profile on cardamom and this is what it says:
Cardamom has a grapefruit - like, floral, soapy flavor containing some green/woody notes. It has a menthol undertone and is similar to Ginger.
What do you think, Chris? Sounds like it in my book, especially the undertone of menthol.
EW -
Chris,
Can you tell me what seltzer water is? A little embarrassing as I used to live in the States and had a high ball in New York which I remember as great, My excuse is I’m Scottish. I tried your cocktail with Perrier and was a bit disappointed. Being a Scot I disapprove of abusing good whisky in cocktails, but don’t have a problem with cheap blended whisky.
Roderick -
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CommentAuthorTroutstroker
- CommentTimeSep 17th 2007
Seltzer water is just carbonated water or soda water. I would have to agree that if your going to drink a good whisky, drink it for what it is. Don't add anything fancy to it other than water. About as fancy as I will go is adding ice cubes to 3 fingers worth. But I am mainly a Kentucky Bourbon man. Give me Makers Mark, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Booker's or Basil Hayden any day. The best cheap Bourbon is Rebel Yell, level as a table and smooth as silk.
There are 2 Scotch's I do enjoy though and keep on hand, Chivas Regal 18 year and Glenfarclas 105 Cask out of the Region of Speyside.
I enjoy an occasional Gin (Junipero by Anchor Brewing Co.) as well as Rum on the Holidays, mainly Appletons Rum. -
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Omegapd,
I was happy to see that my nose is as trustworthy as I'd had hoped it was. Thank you for your parallel review but i am sorry you didn't like it and thus may have wasted money on it because of my review. Live and learn though ;)
Roderick,
Seltzer water is like soda water .. don't forget the lemon :) . but you might want to try using Ginger Ale instead of seltzer water and lemon .. and make sure to add ice!!
-Chris -
p.s .
Roderick,
You may have had a highball using a different whiskey like bourbon or something else. Unfortunately today.. there are many cocktails who have lost their names to different versions and no one even remembers the original. This leads to constant confusion on just what you might be drinking. Another example of this is the change from gin to vodka as the main ingredient in a martini. If you ask for a martini it is vodka not gin you are served with unless you make the distinction. How you can call a cocktail by the same name that changes its core ingredient is beyond me.
-Chris -
Chris wrote:I was happy to see that my nose is as trustworthy as I'd had hoped it was. Thank you for your parallel review but i am sorry you didn't like it and thus may have wasted money on it because of my review. Live and learn though ;)
No regrets. BTW- my kid wanted to sniff the can and hit "nose" on what the tin aroma smells like. He scrunched up his face and said it smells like dirt. He's right. LOL.
EW -
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CommentAuthorTroutstroker
- CommentTimeSep 18th 2007
Its amazing what aromas other peoples noses pick up when smelling the same thing. In my opinion I love the smell of the G&T. I pick up a couple different botanicals such as dried lemon and orange peels, angelica- which has a dill pickle scent, orrisroot powder, juniper berries which have a piney scent and coriander seeds (another name for cilantro) which I think gives it that slight basement smell and is finished off with a hint of the sea.
But like everything else in the world, people smell things differently. Like an old friend from childhood who actually liked the smell of a skunk. And my cousin who seems to enjoy the smell of gasoline. And me who loves the smell of a pungent cheese. -
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I get my order of G&T tins soon... I am so enjoying the wonderful reviews... I used to fancy a good gin and tonic that I find it hard to believe that I will find this one any less then totally satisfying... but we shall see. I find the idea of mingling this one with some Ozona Orange very appealing.
I like that these forums have a very polite way of sharing conflicting views. Keep up the good will towards thy fellow snuffers, and keep the reviews coming!
- Dapalma -
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CommentAuthorsprangalang
- CommentTimeSep 19th 2007
I like this snuff quite a bit. I find it refreshing, clean tasting. -
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Good for you Dapalma blending is all part of the fun. A friend of mine has taken some of our new Toque Chocolate and blended it with Snus Ice, it's really quite good and he's calling it 'After Eight' unfortunatley that name is taken otherwise I might have used it myself. Of course that hasn't stopped 'Red Bull'!
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Thank you sir, I much agree. Chocolate and Ice? OOH THAT DOES SOUND GOOD.
- Dapalma -
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CommentAuthorTroutstroker
- CommentTimeSep 19th 2007
Peppermint & Chocolate, that would be like one of those Peppermint Patties or a Jr. Mint. Sounds good. Who doesn't love a Jr. Mint? -
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I love Jr Mints!!!
Speaking of chocolate, Does anyone else like to ad cacao to there snuffs? MMM CHOCOLATE!!!
- Dapalma -
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CommentAuthorTroutstroker
- CommentTimeSep 20th 2007
Not bad with McChrystals Raspberry. Reminds me of a truffle. But only small amounts or you'll have chocholate snot -
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VERY SMALL AMOUNTS... LOL!!!
- Dapalma -
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CommentAuthorcelticsnuffer
- CommentTimeSep 21st 2007
To make a good chocolate snuff takes some dried "Bobs Chocolate Flake" pipe tobacco from Gawith Hoggarth and grind it up and use that as snuff work wonderfully with a nice under tone of tobacco!! -
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Ive never used Bobs Chocolate Flake... Now that you mention it I can't amagine why I haven't. Lord willing I will get some in my next order. Thanks.
- Dapalma