General- A broken down Virgin

That’s it. My plans for a good drink in Preston with Dave tonight look shagged. I’m stuck in Rugby on a broken down virgin crate. Still, the London Pride is flowing, sandwiches were more than acceptable New York Deli stake the order of the evening, and I’m just about to tuck in to some stilton tartlets.

I had a most splendid weekend on the south coast with Clare, topped off with a psycho on the train burbling away to himself. I’m sure the guy required help, maybe another victim of a shoddily run care in the community program?

Blogging shall commence with more updates tonight when I’m at daves.

Bugger, we've just moved a few yards.
L8R

Whisky tasting - Auld Blended 35 year old 46 ALC

Well, blends. Not really been a blend fan to be honest, but Duncon Taylor’s Auld Blended 35YO is exceptional. Graine and malt in harmony? Very old? Sprightly and young tasting with maturity? Yes, all these and more. This whisky even has a good story behind it. Matured in the 1960’s, skilfully blended during the early 1980’s and married together for nearly 20 years in sherry butts at an Islay distillery, this blend takes its heritage from the unique Peerless Collection of single casks laid down during the 1960s. Every malt and grain contained within this blend is a minimum of 35 years old. At £45 a bottle with no chilfiltration ETC it’s amazing value. It’s made up of 4 Spey sides, one highland, an islay grain whiskys. Nose: cherries and custard with the custard dominating. In time the cherry turns to raisins and salty air. Smells a little like the bunnahabhain 1967 I have from Duncan Taylor, but much more complex and with a beautiful zestyness. One of the best snuffles in a glass I’ve had for a long time. Oh, and toffee covered rasens. Palette: very mouth coding, first the wood, not tired, just tasty oak flavours, then it zings in to life. Nice sweetness coupled with the sharp pink grapefruit note. Beautiful, and so smooth at 46, no burn at all. Then the oak comes back slightly spicy and begging to be drank. Gentle grainy bourbon and sherry. I love it. Finnish: a little pepper and salt on a bole of cherries. Reasonably long with spice, not strong spiciness like the Glenmorangie 15 year old, but just pleasant. Charcoal to? Comments: as good as the Ardbeg Uigeadail and a thrill to drink yet amazingly different. Definitely up there for me. In fact I’ve just purchased another 4 bottles. A winner and the greatest whisky I’ve had malt or blend all year. The Islay component? I’d bet it’s bunnahabhain, if not Bruichladdich, but I'd put a little cash on the Bunna.
Score: 94%!!

General - an update

This weeks just frolicking past. I’ve worked myself very hard, had to really as I was a bit fed up over the weekend. Not sure why, but never mind. Things are cool now. Clare’s coming over this evening and we’re going to have a Chinese meal from a very good takeaway in Epsom. Hmm, hungry just thinking about it.

Starting to get to grips with the Trekker at last!! It’s a good piece of kit actually and was handy yesterday in London. It’s fine having the eloquence synthesiser on a GPS system as I rather like it.

I’ve taken to sitting out the back of an evening when I’m at home. Once the traffic has gone and it’s quiet the place is beautiful on the large laun with the flowers and birds nattering away. Best thing I did this month to nick the old bench from across the way and stick it in front of my flat. Only bad part of today was paying the old council tax, but never mind.

To this weekend. Clare and I are off on a little jaunt to the south coast to meat up with some old acquaintances. I want to get some GPS practice in with Trekker as I’m doing an exerbition at the science museum next Tuesday. After that it’s Lancashire on Wednesday both east and west lancs, Yorkshire on Thursday and then back across to Preston on Friday.

Clare's just arrived, so I'm off!!

�135 a week 'cupboard'

Ananova - �135 a week 'cupboard'

I thought prices were going up in the south, but this s just fecking stupid.

A store cupboard is being rented out for £135 a week as a "tiny but trendy" flat in London's Notting Hill. The 7ft 6in by 3ft flat comprises a kitchenette, shower and wardrobe with a bed on
a raised platform which is reached by a ladder.

Malt tasting - Mortlach 13year old sherry Unchilfiltered - Signatory 46 ALC

Nose: wet matches, burned sherry maybe a little rummy but full of interest. Water brings out a chemically smell maybe like nail polish remover, but far more appetising obviously, sounds malevolent but it isn’t.

Pallet: heat on the tip.. Sulpha bananas. It’s quite oily and relatively thick. Water smoothes it out but kills some of the banana and replaces it with smoke. You can really taste the true character of the malt with out too much cask contribution.

Finnish spicy and not too long. I bet this wasn’t a first fill cask.


Comments: nice I’ve got one more bottle of this in my collection, but I won’t get another. It’s a nice drop of stuff and morr attention-grabbing than the average young Spey side. I should drink more whiskys outside. cracking.

Score: 81%

Single Malt Tasting - Springbank 1989 port wood finish, 14 years old.

This Springbank was matured in sherry buts for 12 years then transferred to port pipes to finish. I normally love springbank 10 year old, so this one should be interesting.

Nose: sweetness and sweat. I can’t say I like it that much. After adding a good splash of water not much else, maybe gone off fruits.

Pallet: sweet and grapy, not too good.
With water, more of the same. A bit of brine comes through.
Finnish, salt and boring.

Comments: why bother. Another fuck up by finishing. That’s if the sherry casks weren’t just bad and it’s an attempted cover up job. I really didn’t like this as a malt, but it’s better than drinking many blends. I could nock it back with plenty of water and ice I guess. Anyone want to come over and help?


Score: 53

Malt Tasting - Dalmore 12 Year old

The Dalmore 12 ear 40 ABV is relatively in expensive. In fact I got this bottle last year on new years in Ipswich while on a tesco booz run with Dave.

This is made up of around 30 percent sherry buts and the rest Bourbon matured.

Nose: Oranges and coconuts marmalade, water brins out nose prickle for some reason. This one’s maybe nicer without it?

Pallet, maybe a little thin but plenty of flavours. Citrus fruits, but bitter, maybe a cross between an orange and lemon flavour? Very smooth to drink.

Finnish, spicy, dark chocolate and citric. Nice, maybe a little salt and pretty long actually.

Comments: wish it had a bit more mouth feel, but its very relaxing and I wouldn’t turn one down in a hurry.

Score: 80%

General - Clares birthday and beyond

It was Clare’s Birthday last weekend, so after meeting up with her friends Mark and Lisa in Felixstowe for a few hours, we headed off to Epsom to find Dave W parked in my flat, brew and phone in hand. I won’t go in to detail about the weekend as Dave’s blog entry around the proceedings does a rather good job of laying out the events. It would be remiss of me not to mention the BBQ which went well. In fact, better than I thought it was going to. The fodder and drink were plentiful, and Paul and Dan did an amazing job of the cooking. I think Clare enjoyed herself too. I wish the Weather had held off a little as it was slightly chilly, but never mind.

Dave left on Sunday afternoon as did Dan and Jody, so we just relaxed and cleaned up a little. The Darling Buds of May was the order of the evening and we both enjoyed it very much while lazing around.

Monday was spent working from home, and once again was quiet with us both working on our respective endeavours.

Graham Page came over on Tuesday to have a talk about some of our latest HumanhWare Technology, and we took the opportunity to go out for a curry after our business was complete. As usual the big man was in fine fettle, and he appeared to enjoy the grub that was pretty well cooked at the Sava in Epsom.

Skipping Wednesday which is of little consequence apart from that I now have a new phone from Orange because of there Wildfire cannibalism and the exciting package of a new Maestro and Trekker system from work which I’ll be going in to in more detail later on this month, nothing really happened.

Today I’m travelling back from Tunbridge Wells on a remarkably quiet and air-conditioned South Eastern train. I wish they were all like this.

I’m in Cricklewood tomorrow for a Braillenote demo, then it’s a dash to the offices of AbilityNet in Angel to do a comprehensive demonstration of Window-Eyes 5.0.

General - On the trainTraveling to Ipswich

What a shocker, another 4 years of Teflon Tony and his crew. I can’t say I’m surprised, and I’d rather him than Howard. What was unforeseen was the seat taken by George Galloway’s Respect party, that should send a few shockwaves through parliament. Alas nothing for the Monster Raving Loony Party, but bless them, they keep Screaming Lord Such’s memory alive and give us all a smile. My third election that was, the first I was at RNCB in Hereford, the second in Lai’s mum’s house in Worcester, and last night in Epsom How things change.

I’m on my way to Clare’s place for the weekend. Getting to see lots of her these days, life’s good. I’ll be in before she gets in to Ipswich, so I’m going to have a few pints in the Station pub, hope the sun holds then we can have them outside. We, that is \Robin and I.

god these One railway trains are just too hot. I don’t think they’ve ever seen a glimmer of air-conditioning in these old crates.

I’m looking forward to having a drop of the Dalmore 12 year old I have in Ipswich, it’s a sherried but orangey whisky from the northern highlands. I’ll report on that this weekend sometime. I do love it and remember the first time I tasted it in Jim’s pub in Preston. Was just like oranges. Saying that, I’d had a few before, so my enthusiasm from that time may be tempered a little now.

Single Malt - Ardbeg Uigeadail

Ardbeg Uigeadail is a vatting of ardbegs from 1990 1993 and a sherry cask from the 1970s to give the package more depth than the average cask strength malt. No chillfiltering or colouring, and it’s under £35. the strength is around 54.5% so I’ll try it with out water first, then add a small amount.

Nose: Earthy, smoky not much prickle for the strength. A sweetness emerges with time, like slightly burned fudge chocolate emerges, but dark chocolate.
With water just more of everything. What prickle there was goes and it’s amazing.

Palette: very smooth and oily, starts to kill the taste buds after 20 seconds or so in the mouth because of the strength. Smoky and peaty. But maybe lemony too. Very complex and interesting.
With water more sweetness and less chewing because it’s not so thick. Becomes a little more like the Ardbeg 10 year but much more complex and enjoyable.

Finnish: long with smoke bitter chocolate and earthy notes. I’ll be tasting this tomorrow!!

Comments: Ardbeg has got to be in my top 5 distilleries if not in the top 2. I love it, it’s one of the whiskeys that got me hooked on malts. I’ve had this bottle opened now for a few months but haven’t tried it really since the day I popped it. It reminds me just how good whisky can be and why I got in to it in the first place. This is actually my favourite whisky apart from the Ardbeg 1977, it’s amazing value for money.

Whisky - Restaurant boss blends curries with malt whisky - Evening Times

Restaurant boss blends curries with malt whisky - Evening Times

General - Update

Thought I’d just catch up on what I’ve been up to over the last week or so. I had a fantastic weekend with Clare and my parents. It was very relaxing and we got time to spend some quality time together. The sun was out all weekend too, so maybe the start of the top weather? We went to a splendid bbq on Sunday evening with friends in Epsom. I’ve been away the rest of the week, but won’t be going to Yorkshire as I thought as the client I was going to be training has cancelled the order on us. It’s a shame as I was looking forward to seeing Seann. I had a good night last night in Bournemouth, quiet, but after a day in Bristol that’s what I wanted. I stayed at the Quality Hotel which is the place Tony Hancock grew up. Friendly staff and a nice bar, beer’s none too good though.

I’ve opened a cracking 35 year old Glen Grant whisky, will have to blog about it later. The election today, so my vote would be for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party if they were standing in my area. Vote for insanity, you know it makes sense!!

I’m travelling home from Bournemouth at the moment, I could do with a few beers tonight, ad a nightmare day what with one thing and another. Can’t wait to get home though. I’ve employed a cleaner, so it should be top fettle when I arrive.
Tired now, nothing left to scribble at the mo.