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Review: CAO Cx2 Cigar

Ghostshark — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:30:17 +0000

I had one of these this evening, and I enjoyed it. I've always been a CAO fan and I've come to expect a lot from their cigars. This one didn't wow me, but it was a nice solid smoke. Good taste, nice slow burn, and solid all the way around. If you were looking for a good cigar that just about everyone would like, this would be a great choice. For me it held a middle ground in just about everything I look for in a cigar.

Here's a bit about it from the Famous Smoke Shop site:

CAO CX2 cigars (Cameroon times two) present a rich-tasting, medium-bodied cigar brimming with velvety-smooth flavor and a seductive aroma. Now made expressly for Famous Smoke Shop, these cigars have a perfectly-balanced blend of robust Nicaraguan and Colombian longfiller tobaccos surrounded by TWO rare, Grade-1 African Cameroon binder and wrapper leaves. The smoke is laden with earthy-woody flavors underscored by sweet tobacco notes. One of CAO's BEST cigars.

You can grab one for $5.70, which I think is a solid price for this cigar, or a 5-pack for $26, over at the site here: CAO CX2

Baxter of California Double Edge Safety Razor

Ghostshark — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 13:30:41 +0000

If you shave daily, I would really recommend getting one of these. I picked one up last year (not this specific one though) and I've been really happy with it.

I have to shave daily for work, and I only get about three or four morning shaves from something like a Mach 3. I saw an add for a safety razor and thought I would give it a shot. It gave me just as good of a shave as what I had been using. Plus, I can still get three shaves out of each blade. The huge bonus to all of this? You can pick up a box of 100 blades off of Amazon for about $25. That's close to a year of shaving, and not having to remember to pick up blades at the store once or twice a month.

This Baxter shaver is a little more expensive than you really need to spend, at $60. It's a nice one though, and you do get some blades to test it out. You can pick one up HERE.

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Ghostshark — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:00:19 +0000

Johnnie Walker is a power house in the blended scotch whisky world with Black Label leading the way. This is a blend of about 40 whisky's all for which are 12 years old. This makes for a very complex scotch that is also accessible. The nose is deep with a slight sweet peat sent. It has slightly smokey intense flavor with a short finish but not overpowering. If you are a first time scotch drinker and want to start exploring 12 year old blended or single malt, this is a very good place to start and to measure the others by. This is one that can be served on the rocks and neat in a sniffer. Because of the blended complexity it will taste different both ways. I prefer on the rocks because it seems to have a little more flavor. The water from the ice opens up and separates the flavors a little more. Neat is very good but it is harder, in my opinion, to separate the notes. This is opposite of what happens when ice is added to traditional single malts. However, adding water, not ice, in single malts can add flavor.

I like Johnnie Walker Black Label but it is not my favorite. To the credit, or discredit, of the blenders it is a little too smooth for me as a scotch. I like a little more character. Another factor is the price. At the liquor store Black Label is around $50 for $750ml or $25 for 375ml. For a few dollars more an outstanding single malt can be purchased. However, this is not true at your local bar. Nearly every bar has Johnnie Walker Black Label. In some bars, sad to say, this is the only scotch that they have. At least they picked a good one. Because of the commonality of Black Label at bars, the price of this Scotch can vary drastically. I have seen $5 (yes I said $5) to as high as $14 per glass. Because of this I find myself drinking this at the bar and not buying at the liquor store.

Ask for this one the next time you are out. It will most likely be cheaper than the mixed drink you just bought your girlfriend or the over priced Martini's on the drink menu and much better.

Enjoy

-D

Review: Jameson Irish Whiskey

Ghostshark — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:00:05 +0000

It is St. Patrick's day and this is a great time to review an Irish classic. Outside of Scotland, the Irish make the best whiskey in the world. The Irish invented whiskey and Jameson is an example of one of the best. Like most other Irish Whiskey, Jameson is very easy to drink. Light flavor with a slightly sweet carmel middle and smooth finish. This refinement comes from triple distillation and a blending of malted and unmalted barley to create a consistent straight forward flavor. This triple distilled whiskey is then aged in a Sherry barrel. Some might say this is a boring whiskey but I disagree. This is a very high quality whiskey.

Personally I prefer triple distilled whiskey. Most Irish whiskey is triple distilled. It makes for a much smoother consistent taste. They have a narrow range of characters but that is made up for in drinkablilty. Scotch whisky is traditionally double distilled. This allows for more character but, if not properly made, makes for a less drinkable whisky. The greatest Scotch whisky labels are able to take all of the character produced by double distillation and age the product so that is easy to drink and is full of character American Bourbon is traditionally only single distilled then relys on charcoal to filter out the unwanted flavors. This is my least favor type of whiskey since the harshness of single distillation is can't easy be overcome by the charcoal filtering. In my opinion this is why great American Bourbon's are few and far between.

Jameson is very affordable. 750ml is $30 to $35. 375ml is around $20. Jameson is a staple at most bars. It ranges from $7 to $9 per glass. This is a whisky that can be consumed neat or in a rocks glass. Unlike scotch, adding ice to Jameson does not significantly dull the flavor.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for Irish Whiskey. I will cover more in the future. I encourage you to try this one and others as well.

Enjoy
-D

Review: Talisker 10 Year

Ghostshark — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:00:42 +0000

This is one of my all time favorites. One of my favorite four, the other three I will cover in later reviews.

Talisker 10 Year is one of the best scotches in the world at any price. It is the only single malt scotch from the Isle of Skye. Talisker has been in production since 1830 with a few rough patches in the middle. They also offer other editions as high as 30 years. Those other offerings are hard to find and rather expensive. The 10 year offering is the most common and possibly the best.

Talisker 10 year is extremely smooth and easy to drink, very light to the nose. It has a light smell of peat, sweetness, and blackberry. Very light taste with a peat start, barely sweet hint of pear dissolving into a slightly spicy middle, and a short dry finish.

Talisker 10 year is around $68 for 750ml. 45.8% alcohol. Bar prices range from $14 to $20. Order this one neat in a rocks glass or in a sniffer. Most higher end bars will have this one. Easy to find at any liquor store.

For your next special occasion or looking for a new to scotch and not sure what to try, Talisker 10 year is well worth exploring.

Enjoy,

Review: Hendrick’s Gin

Ghostshark — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:00:57 +0000

Ok, I am not a gin lover. I very rarely have a gin martini. However, I have found a gin that according to the Hendrick's people only 0.1% will like and that is ok with them. I must fall into that 0.1% because this is a fantastic gin. It is a relatively new comer to the gin world and it's claim to fame is the hint of cucumber in it's flavor along with Bulgarian Rose and other traditional gin flavors. I like it because it tastes like something other than juniper berries and alcohol. It extremely dry just like other gins. Serve it up in a martini with with a cucumber spear, olives, lime wedge, or lemon peal. Also try on the rocks or with a Tonic water.

I do not like vermouth in my martini's. Most bartenders put too much in. If you have ever had a vodka or gin martini and hated it, that is most likely why. I order my martini's dry which means the bartender puts no vermouth in it or just a few drops of the dry vermouth. The best bartenders, if they do add vermouth, pour a 1/2 ounce in the martini glass, swirl it, then pour it all out. What is left is the perfect amount.

Most bars do not carry Hendrick's gin. You may have to hunt for it in your local area. If they do have it, a martini will be around $9 to $12. A 750ml bottle will cost around $32.

If you haven't found a gin that you like or you are gin lover that is looking for something new, this worth it.

Enjoy.
D