Hello everyone,
Maredsous, Chimay, Moose Drool, Caol Ila? Serious tastes indeed.
I like to keep Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Pilsner Urquell in the 'fridge, for
myself or guests.
While I agree that mass produced American lager is amazingly consistent
and of high quality (technical sense only), so is Wonder Bread white and
I don't make any sandwiches with that. The lagers I lust for include the
dunkel doppelbock served at Kloster Andechs in the Bavarian countryside,
Pilsissimus and St. Jakobus at the Forschungs brewpub in Perlach (Munich
suburb), and the soft smooth rich tasting beer in the shade of the chestnut
trees at the Augustiner beer garden in Salzburg, Austria.
As to ales, there are many that I like but I particularly enjoy cask conditioned
bitter as served in the Hung Drawn and Quartered (a Fullers pub near the Tower
of London) or The Lamb (a Young's pub in Bloomsbury). Oh yeah, I can't forget
the Timothy Taylor's Landlord bitter (a great beer from Yorkshire) that I savored
in the Bow Bar in Edinburgh.
In malt whisky, a Highland Park 18yr. is probably my overall favorite. If I'm after
straightforward isla, the basic Laphroaig 10yr. mostly gets the nod. (I hoard my Caol Ila,
Bruichladdich, and Port Ellen.) And when I want something massive I've got a Distiller's Edition
Lagavulin matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry wood.
Let's see, how can I stir the pot? Drinking beer that needs to be ice cold to be enjoyed and
putting ice into single malt whisky are heinous crimes akin to cooking a fine steak past medium
rare. Yep, that ought to do it! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Slainte!
Dave
