Booze reviews: Michael Collins and Ironic False Cognate

First I'd like to share my two cents on Michael Collins blended Irish whiskey.  It was on sale for 20 bucks, so I bit.  If you are familiar with The Tyrconnel or Irish Manor then the flavors in Michael Collins will be familiar.  The same barley profile and lemony sweetness.  It is very similar to Irish Manor.  But it is not identical.  The difference is in the finish, which has a large almost chocolately toffee flavor.  It is, by my tongue, a rather long finish.  If you find it for 20 bucks I'd consider that a buy.  Also, they repackaged it in the traditional Cooley blend bottle, so it will now fit in your shelf where you store your booze.

Next up is Soberano.  You see the word sober immediately, but it is a false cognate.  Pan in Spanish is not a metal cooking thing, it is bread.  False cognate.  Likewise Soberano is not a sober dude, it is a Sovereign.  And how does it taste?  Surprisingly good, actually.  It is smooth and sweet.  I would rank the flavor profile close to the legendary Veterano.  The price point was good as well, 13 dollars.  Definitely a buy.  Much better in both price and taste than Terry Centenario.  Sad, because I wanted to like Terry.  Happy because I have a new go-to Spanish Brandy.  That bottle with the wacky netting...

Post Script:  Posting is infrequent and will probably continue to be so.  Life happens.

Smokey and the Bandit

Right now my life is the plot of Smokey and the Bandit.  I'm stocking up on liquor to take over state lines.



Eastbound and down!  Right now I have five bottles of Osborne's Magno, two bottles of Osborne's Veterano, one bottle of the ironic false cognate Soberano, and one bottle of Terry Centenario.









The boys are thirsty in Grand Rapids!  And there's beer in Texarcana.  No, wait, there's brandy in Logan's Square?  Help me out here...

Also this:

Phases

As May lumbers on, the Northlands heats up. Today is an exception; it is cold and rainy, but mostly warmer days are ahead. Now some people like to resist the seasons. Some people listen to tropical music during the cold dark days of winter and listen to some arctic music to cool down during the dog days of summ- no, they just turn on the air conditioner. Still, I can't abide tropical music in the winter, and I prefer to avoid outright cold music during the summer. Sorry Darkthrone and Ulver, you'll have to leave the ipod.

So what then? Heitor Villa-Lobos.



Now you have a few choices for what to drink with Villa-Lobos. Obviously, he knew how to live like a man. Shooting pool, smoking cigars, living large. You might immediately think rum, and for that I suggest you start with Rhum Barbancourt. Distilled in a pot still, aged in oak for 4 years, and still in the Captain Morgan pricerange. No cartoon character on the bottle, but very drinkable on its own. There are older vintages should you find yourself with the means and the thirst.

Now fine brandies are a delight, and if you can find it in a liquor store stateside, Osborne's Veterano is a very good brandy for the price. Quite frankly I have yet to find a New World brandy that is its equal and even remotely in the same price range.

I still can't recommend a true tropical whisky yet, as I have not yet had the pleasure of sampling. But I can tell you that Kentucky gets quite hot in the summer and stays fairly mild in the winter, and I'll stand by OGD against many premium brands.

Yes, I stay with the brown liquors. Honestly if you've ever smoked a good cigar you'll know why.

As for the music, I'll recommend all the Bachianas Brazilieras. They are a delight, even if some of them are less Bach than others. The string quartets are a mixed bag for me. Some of the later quartets are quite cerebral, a few seem to borrow melodies from each other, but I still give them a thumbs up overall.



Perhaps it is colored by my experience reading Old Man and the Sea with this playing, but I tend to see blue waters with this



It seems carefree, like a summer afternoon, but thick like the air in July.

As a tangential anecdote, I had a transcendental experience on a hot August night drinking Boonesfarm. I've never been so comfortable with the heat and humidity as with a refreshing drink and wearing a loose fitting rayon shirt. With this recipe I have learned to avoid the air conditioner all summer long. Maybe you'll find it beneficial as well?