Tag: Alec Bradley

An Evening with Erich Sattler & Alec Bradley

 

The thunderstorms have passed and we are taking advantage of the mild warm temperature of 88 degrees fahrenheit.  For the past few days, temperatures reached 100 – 114 degrees fahrenheit with the heat index. The tiki torches are lit and the cicadas and frogs are keeping us company. 

The wine and cigar selections for the evening are Erich Sattler, St. Laurent 2015 and Alec Bradley Sanctum and Maxx.

We were introduced to Erich Sattler, St. Laurent 2015 doing a wine flight at Trummer’s Coffee and Wine bar in Gainesville, VA. Check out my first blog on Trummer’s . 

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Erich Sattler, St, Laurent 2015 is an Australian red wine; an offspring of the Pinot Noir grape. The color is so deep and rich, it looks like I’m pouring a glass of Welch’s grape juice.  Fruit-forward, plummy and cherry flavors with firm tannins coat my palate.  Mmmm… it was a great idea to purchase 3 bottles. 

Erich pairs very well this big bazooka Alec Bradley Sanctum that is producing rich earthy and chocolate notes with a slight spice on the finish.

My husband is having the Alec Bradley Maxx with Erich, which has rich earthy flavors with little hoppy on the finish. Paired with Erich, the wine and cigar does not compete with each other. Eric brings out Maxx’s nutty flavors.

When we purchased the cigars, we thought it was for novelty purposes only. Due to my passion for Alec Bradley cigars, I could not pass plus the cost was under $10.00.

We both are please with our selections. The aromas in the night-humid air are intoxicating. By the way, we are more than half-way through with the cigars and the flavors are evolving very nicely. If you are wondering, it took us approximately 3.5 hours to finish the cigars. 

(background; Fear of the Walking Dead and the sound of cicadas) 

SALUTE!

 

That’s MurLarkey! MurLarkey Distilled Spirits and Cigar Tasting 

 

“That’s MurLarkey!”

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This blog is way overdue. Even though our visit to MurLarkey Distilled Spirits, LLC occurred late last year, the experience is still worth writing about. I will add that this was my first spirit tasting and I’m too excited. I’m going to jump straight to my rating. My overall rating is MurLarkey Distilled Spirits, LLC, Bristow, VA is FANTASTIC and a MUST VISIT and here’s why:

BACKGROUND

Two Irish-American cousins, friends and professionals utilized their knowledge, skills and heritage and turned a dream, a concept, into a legacy and created a Certified Craft Distillery.

Paying homage to their Irish heritage, the name Murlarkey was derived from cousins, Murray and Larken incorporating their maternal grandparents names: Murray, Larking and Kelly. They realized the family names (Mur-Lar-Key) resembled the Irish word “malarkey”, which means fun; thus Murlarkey was established.

“MurLarkey vodka is distilled 16 times and “polished” for 24 hours over activated carbon of for the smoothest finish. Each of our flavored whiskeys are slow infused with all natural fruit and spices in white oak barrels for weeks at a time. Our gin is a proprietary recipe of 12 unique, all natural botanicals, culminating in a spirit that appeals to non gin drinkers.”

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TASTING

Divine Clarity – Pure potato vodka, natural and gluten-free, smooth, and soft; adding one ice cube opens the vodka. I am not a vodka drinker, but this is pleasant. We were made a mixer of Clarity and ginger beer with lime – VERY TASTY!

Justice – Our Ultimate Favorite! white whiskey with a blend of Virginia corn and barley. Clean, soft, nutty with a grassy finish. Great on the rocks, which created salty margarita aromas and subtle nutty flavors.

Clemoncy – a whiskey that is poured over lemon peels and left to infuse in white oak barrels. Clemoncy mixed with Simple Lemonade makes a refreshing adult lemonade, perfect for a brunch or wedding cocktail. Reminds me of gin with a hint of lemon.

Cincerity – “Fall in a Glass”, is whiskey infused with cinnamon sticks; possessing vanilla aromas and explosions of apple, cinnamon and fall spices. This, by far, is NOT “Fireball”. VERY NICE SURPRISE!

* We were served a Cinnamule made with Cincerity, DELICIOUS!
* Cincerity with cream soda tasted like I bit into a “Cinnabon” with a hint of vanilla. OH MY GOODNESS!

Imagination – An all natural and gluten-free premium gin. A blend of 12 fresh cut natural botanical that can be drank as an aperitif, on the rocks or in a mixer. I do not like the taste of gin, but Murlarkey’s Gin was tasty!  

 

MurLarkey Spirits Recipes

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We purchased the Justice and Cincerity; now time to pair with some cigars.

CIGAR PAIRING WITH CINCERITY AND JUSTICE 

Tobaccology Mysterious Cigar and Justice was okay.  I had difficulty getting pass the taste of having a cigar with a margarita. Definitely need to pair Justice with another cigar. 

Joya de Nicaguara Black – the Cincerity enhance and compliment the spice, cedar and earthy flavors in the Joya Black. Overall: a nice pair that offers a BOLD experience.

Perdomo Vintage aged 12 years-2004 aged tobacco aged in Blanton barrels and Cincerity created a smooth and soft pairing, gentle on the palate while still offering a complex combination. VERY NICE!

Alec Brady Post Embargo and Cincerity – We have found the PERFECT cigar pairing for this whiskey. The blend of the two enhances the flavors producing a smooth flavorful combination. We recommend having Cincerity on the rocks. FANTASTIC PAIR!

I do not know if it is the time of year, but our favorite has shifted from the Justice to Cincerity. 

Below is a commission by my husband, Amoxes; a gift to Murlarkey Distillery Spirits, LLC.  

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Commission by Amoxes – MurLarkey’s Brutality

Grab a smoke and have your own spirit and cigar tasting!

Tobaccology
6710 Madison Street, Haymarket, Virginia 20169 and
11001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, VA

MurLarkey Distillery and Tasting Room
7961 Gainsford Court
Bristow, VA 20136

Salute! 

“No Water, Please!”

Annual Reminder

Anyone who has been wine tasting with me or casually enjoying a glass, okay, a BOTTLE of wine, knows my pet peeve is pouring water in between wines. Folks, this is a BIG NO-NO!

An experience tasting room clerk will know better and rinse your glass with a white wine, usually it is Chardonnay. If you are lucky your glass will be rinsed with Viognier :). If the tasting room clerk has not learned this taboo practice, KINDLY, place your hand over the glass and say, “I prefer a white wine rinse or a new glass.” If she gives you that “How dare you stare” or a bizarre look, further explain WITH A SMILE, “when you rinse with water, it always leaves remnants of water in the glass and I am left with diluted wine”. Depending on the vineyard’s wine inventory, the tasting room clerk may simply change your glass; make sure you say THANK YOU; even if she gives you the evil eye.

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I’ve been preaching “No Water Please” for years and I continue to observe tasting room clerks committing this blasphemy. Ok, not a blasphemy act, but close to it. Who wants to sip diluted wine? NOT MUAH! Unless… you are a wine novice, eagerly wanting to appreciate red wine. I observe this ritual at a party.

The host had a bowl of ice near the red and white wine. The white wine was being chilled in an ice bucket. For a quick moment, I became puzzled than discounted the thought. She had a nice selection of wines; the wines that caught my attention were Bogle Merlot, Yalumba Viognier, which I love, specifically their Organic Viognier, DELICIOUS! I, of course, poured a glass of the Yalumba Viognier.

Later, I witnessed a young woman placing ice cubes in her glass and pouring herself a glass of red wine. My lips were silent but my facial expression must have spoken a thousand words of distressed because I was asked by a gentleman, who was smiling, “You don’t like ice cubes?” I quickly replied, “Not at all!” This exchange caught the young woman’s attention, who proceeded to explain that she puts ice in ALL her drinks, not just wine. Based on her swift response, this was not the first time someone has questioned her practice. She just likes ice. I suggested frozen grapes for wine and ventured on my way.

Now, I know there are many wine drinkers who prefer ice in their wine, especially during the hot weather. To this day, I still do not understand this preference. How can you truly express you appreciate wine when it has been diluted? So to my diluted wine drinkers, instead of using ice cubes, may I offer a suggestion to replace your ice with frozen grapes: red wine = red grapes and white wine = white grapes. Grapes are in season the entire year, so they isn’t any reason try it.

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cigar: Alec Bradley American (medium bodied). cigar-holder: Tobaccology cigar shop & lounge located at Haymarket & Manasssas, VA

 

I hope you enjoyed this annual reminder of “NO WATER PLEASE!” Check out my original post on treevinos.com and search “water”.

Salute! Sante’!