Beer
To:Øl Black Malts & Body Salts (Imperial Black India Pale Ale brewed with coffee) - ABV 9.9%, Denmark
The brew is popped and poured into a Riedel Cola glass. Very fine clingy lacing around the rim with a good amount of malty head. Pitch black - almost like a stout, in color. On the nose, intense roasted malts of caramel, coffee, orange rind, and bourbon. On the palate, the brew is silky with a slight kick from the abnormally high alcohol percentage. It almost tastes like a stout too, with copious amounts of coffee, oatmeal, brown sugar, caramel and bourbon. What is surprising is the hoppy kick at the end that reminds you that this is actually an IPA. Finish is strong with a melange of sweetness and smokiness tied together with the flavor of hops. Beautiful stuff, in fact, almost reminds me of the Yin & Yang (Black and Tan - Stout and Double IPA) from Evil Twin. 92
Mikkeller Big Worster (American Barleywine) - ABV 17.3%, Denmark
This beer pours a bronze, auburn color (somewhat hazy) with minimal head, probably due to the insanely high alcohol content. It almost looks like a Belgian tripel. On the nose, the beer has intense fruits - apricots, bananas and canned pineapples are most apparent. There is also a distinct malty note and spice to it as well. On the palate, the first thing that hits is also copious amounts of tropical fruits, followed by some light toffee, bread and molasses. It is almost like a dessert wine which is rich and decadent, that is, until the heat and sting from the high alcohol content. The body is quite thick with low carbonation. All in all, a very impressive brew with a pronounced richness that masks the strength of the alcohol. 94
Sake
Daishichi Masakura 【大七：真櫻】- (ABV 15%, Seimai-buai Unknown, Brewed 2012), Fukushima Prefecture
The sake pours a slightly off-white color with long, clingy legs. As the brewer is famous for, this ginjo sake is made using the kimoto style which is a traditional technique (since the Edo period) used in creating the moto, or the yeast starter mash. Needless to say, although this process is more laborious and time-consuming than commercially available cultivated yeast, it produces a sake that is purer, more concentrated yet ethereal. And surely enough, on the nose, this sake has a concentrated bouquet of cantaloupe, strawberies, butter, muscats and minerals. On the palate, the alcohol does not bite. Rather, the mineral backbone delineates structure amongst the viscous body. An concentrated explosion of umami, tropical fruits, marshmallows follows. The finish is very long and complex with a sweet note to round things out. This brew is very drinkable and undoubtedly a very impressive effort from Daishichi. 89
Wine
1998 Bouchard Pere et Fils Beaune 1er Cru Greves Vigne de L'Enfant Jesus, Beaune, Burgundy
First one of the night, and quite an interesting one as the back label says the wine "slips down the throat as easily as the infant Jesus in velvet trousers". Hilarious description indeed. Jokes aside, the wine is popped and let aired for 30 minutes before drinking. It pours a cherry red color with somewhat long legs. The nose is quite floral here with a good concentration. The core is dominated by smoked meats, red fruits in particular strawberries, and burnished leather. On the palate, the wine has some bite to it thanks to the tannins. The wine has tastes of cranberries, strawberries, cigar smoke, and some earthiness to it. Towards the end, the wine turns slightly sweet before yielding moderate acidity. An astringent but complex finish. Quite good, but definitely not what I imagine "velvety trousers" to be. 90
2004 Domaine du Clos de Tart, Morey St. Denis, Burgundy
Second one of the night. This Morey St. Denis pours a dark red color, almost deep ruby, with good legs. Despite the 2004 being a vintage beset by hail, the extraction levels on this wine is still impressive. On first whiff, the nose is pungent and smoky. The core is quite concentrated and is dominated by macerated cherries, blackberries, tobacco and tar, with tertiary notes of earth and mushrooms. On the palate, the wine is smooth with the tannins well-resolved. The wine glides down effortlessly without much astringency. A very racy and refined structure. There are flavors of blackberries, kirsch, spice, leather and tobacco smoke. Acidity is at quite a minimum but the finish is still long and lingering. A wine driven by black fruits as much as smoke. Superb, and probably my favorite of the night, slightly edging past Domaine Leroy NSG Aux Allots just because I prefer the smoky undertone. 93
1995 Domaine Leroy Nuits St. Georges Aux Allots, Nuits-St-Georges, Burgundy
Third bottle of the night. Popped and let aired for a bit. The wine pours very long legs, with a maroon color and some bricking. This is showing up quite well. Nose a little muted at first but soon develops into a floral, concentrated and earthy bouquet of smoked meats, tobacco, copious amounts of cherries, strawberries and preserved plums. On the palate, the wine is silky with the tannins well resolved and providing a good structure. The flavor profile is driven by red fruits - strawberries in particular. Tertiary notes of smoked fish, tobacco, sous bois, and preserved plums. Acidity is minimal here but the finish is very long and complex. Very awesome Burgundy with quite a bit of age to it. 93
2002 Michel-Colin-Deleger et Fils Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru en Remilly, Chassagne-Montrachet, Burgundy
At 13 years old, the wine is starting to show maturity and complexity. First is the color - it pours a saturated golden color with long, thick legs, a welcoming sign that points to ripe fruits. On the nose, the wine is concentrated with a pungent bouquet of banana flambee, comte, smoked vanilla, roasted pineapples, tangerine peel, honeysuckle, wet stones and lemon oil. This is great extraction right here. On the palate, the wine is rich and oaky with a deftness from moderate acidity and minerality. Very smoky flavors of toast, roasted pineapples, vanilla, brie and sugarcane. Finish is quite long with the citrus, smoke and tropical fruits intertwining together. Fabulous bottle that has the hallmarks of a well-made Napa/Sonoma chardonnay but is restrained in oak and balanced well by minerality. Great stuff here, especially for that price point. 92
2005 Chateau Talbot, St. Julien, Bordeaux
The wine is popped and poured a dark garnet color with decent legs. Quite excited to try this and see where the wine is at given this monumental vintage. On the nose, this is a classic left-bank Bordeaux - cabernet-dominated with a bouquet dominated by black fruits, tobacco smoke, cassis, sous bois and gravel. On the palate, the tannins in the wine are well-resolved, leaving behind a silky structure that fully bolsters the juice. Notes of cranberries, gravel, cigar box, pepper, kirsch and blackberries dominate the flavor profile. Acidity is moderate here and the greenness is discernible. While this is quite an enjoyable, textbook Bordeaux, the wine evolves linearly and lacks complexity in the finish. Drinking well now and I don't see how additional aging will benefit the wine. 90
2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese **, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
The wine is popped and poured, regrettably with a very crumbly cork that fell straight through. The juice possesses a beautiful golden maize color that is on the verge of turning brown, evidence of the beginning of the aging process of the wine. On the nose, the wine is floral, light but quite concentrated. The extraction here is fabulous - baked pineapples, graham crackers, sultanas, apple crumble and honeysuckle dominate the core with a hint of oak. On the palate, the wine is quite light (obviously, only 7.5% ABV) with a fruity body. Copious amounts of granny smith, vanilla, honey, petrol and lemon drops are present, all wound together with a moderately mineral backbone. The finish is quite long, rather complex too. A lot of cream soda in particular. It almost seems like there even is the slight kick of effervescence in the finish of a expertly crafted champagne. The wine is drinking fabulously now, but is certainly not in a hurry. Actually, think malolactic fermented apple and white grape juice. Quite remarkable and delicious indeed. 92
Whisky
Karuizawa (軽井沢) Cask 6207 Single Malt Whisky. Distilled 1981. Bottled 05.09.2011. 58.3%
This whisky is quite incredible, from concentration to power and balance. This whisky is of a dark amber color, no less thanks to the Sherry cask aging as well as the age. Incredibly long legs. The nose brought forth a concentrated bouquet of maple, oil, coconut butter, raisins, charred oak, vanilla, Christmas cake, dried apricots and nuts. With a few drops of water, the whisky opened up, revealing more floral notes of rose jam and honey. On the palate, the wine is very viscous, almost slightly oily. First comes an attack of spiciness balanced by a sweet undertone. Remarkably drinkable at this strength with flavors of cayenne, cinnamon, butter, lemon curd, dessicated coconut and stollen. The finish is very long and the whisky just glides down while maintaining its strength, power, finesse and balance. This nectar is simply incredible. 95
Caol Ila Signatory Vintage Cask 310044 Bottle 27/226 Bourbon Barrel. Distilled 09.11.1999. Bottled 18.01.2013. 58.4%.
Another cask strength whisky with remarkable potency and alcohol strength, as evinced by the long legs once again. At 14 years of age inside a bourbon barrel, this whisky is adopting a golden color with tinges of copper. On the nose, this dram brings forth notes of coconut, bacon, tobacco smoke, beurre noisette, fennel, anise and cinnamon. Quite a bit of spicy intermixed with barbecue sweetness. A few drops of water are added but that do not bring out any additional notes. On the palate, the whisky has an oily raciness and slight salinity (it is an Islay whisky after all right at the shore). Peanut oil, peat, banana chips and dried pears dominate the core of the flavor profile. The finish is clean with an overarching cigar smoke to round things out. Very beautiful and quite a powerful dram, and surprisingly drinkable at near-cask strength. 90
*The ratings are purely personal opinions. They are not universal across alcohol types as well. And thus, the criteria for scoring a 90 as a Burgundy is very different from that of beer.