tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38960140147768769302024-03-12T21:37:48.471-06:00Talking Simian ReviewsTalking Simian is a journal that reviews food, wine, beer, spirits, music, art, films, theater, concerts, sporting events, festivals, comedians and everything else that makes this big ball of dirt we're riding on so great.Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-71492476192539337612016-06-12T12:00:00.004-06:002016-06-12T12:00:25.799-06:00Texas Roadhouse - Joplin, MO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday I tried a new to me restaurant. It was the Texas
Roadhouse in Joplin. Let me start by saying that I’m not a huge fan of national
chain restaurants. There are a few around that I enjoy what they have to offer,
but for the most part, I like Mom & Pop places or regional restaurants with
a handful of locations. Texas Roadhouse is nationwide but I wasn’t going to
hold that against them if I haven’t been to eat there. I’ll try anything at
least once. Plus, my mom and dad like it and wanted to eat there. We were
seated and I began perusing the menu. As I was headed to our booth, I espied
the beer taps and saw that they had Shiner Bock so I ordered one when Alyssa
came to take our order. A side note here: I lived in South Texas for a long
time. I had a lot of friends that were Mexicans and some of them had thick
accents. They pronounce Shiner as ‘Chiner’. That will forever be stuck in my
head so I had to be careful when I ordered by pint of Shiner with an S-H. Back
to the menu. They had meat and lots of what you might expect and a steak joint.
I settled on the sirloin cooked medium of course and grilled spicy shrimp. Our
waitress and all the wait staff around us were really professional. They were
courteous, knowledgeable about their menu, prompt, accurate, and appeared to be
glad to be there. I’ve been in retail and worked in restaurants for almost
three decades. I know sometimes work sucks. I don’t let it deter me from giving
the best customer service I possibly can. These men and women all seemed to be
at that high standard level that I hold myself to when I deal with the public.
I knew if the food was good, I would be a devout customer. We all got our
plates and, as I quickly discovered, the food was very good. The steak was
perfectly cooked. The skewered shrimp were spicy and delicious. The Caesar’s
salad was good. The bread and butter were super tasty. The beer was cold. The
Cubs were playing on a television by the bar. I couldn’t find a single thing to
complain about. In a world full of mediocre restaurants, Texas Roadhouse will
surpass your expectations. Although I didn’t see to many things that
vegetarians would eat, you can be sure that if you’re a carnivore, you’ll find
something good. Come to think of it, why would a vegetarian go into a steak
house in the first place? Go to M&M Bistro downtown! It’s delicious too. I
can honestly say that the Texas Roadhouse will be at the top of my list of
national chains I won’t mind going to visit when the hunger pangs strike.
Thanks to Alyssa and the crew in the kitchen. Go see if there’s one near you at
their website <a href="https://www.texasroadhouse.com/" target="_blank">www.texasroadhouse.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-35242577782541389702016-02-25T19:42:00.001-06:002016-02-25T19:42:19.748-06:00Rocca delle Macie - Sasyr 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the past, I have been called an oddball. It used to make
me very self-conscious but as the years went by, I realized that the people
calling me that were so boring that it made me glad I wasn’t like them. Better
to be an interesting oddball than a stick in the mud plain old human. Being an
off center guy, I found that all the things in life that I enjoy tend to be a
bit out of the ordinary. This brings me to the wine that I discovered for
myself. It’s called Sasyr. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Rocca delle Macie is a pretty cool Italian winery that has
produced some really great wines over the years. The winery is actually one
year younger than I am. You’ll have to look that up yourself! It was established
the Chianti Classico zone by Italo Zingarelli who produced some wildly popular
Italian films. The winery and its traditions were passed down to Italo’s kids.
His son Sergio took the helm and made RdM a worldwide wine brand. Among their non-traditional
wine collection is what I took home with me last night; Sasyr.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sasyr is a blend of
Sangiovese and Syrah. Yeah. That sounds kind of weird, right? It’s not. These guys
had the innovative thought to blend one of Italy’s favorites with one of France’s
favorites. The result is Euro-riffic. On first taste, it was a waterfall of cherry
flavor typical of a nice Chianti. The second mouthful showed the other side of
the wine, the 40% helping of Syrah. This opened the wine up to flavors of other
dark berries, white pepper, and the faintest hint of clove. I would imagine the
clove is undetectable, but the smell of cloves is one of my favorite things and
I happened to pick up on it. Overall, the wine was fruity and juicy. It had
medium tannins which means it didn’t make my face pucker. Smooth and fruity,
relaxed and easy to drink, this wine is a no-brainer. If you’re looking for an
oddball in the wine department, I’ll be there and so will Rocca delle Macie’s
Sasyr. Enjoy it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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See what else Rocca delle Macie is doing at <a href="http://www.roccadellemacie.com/en/index.php" target="_blank">www.roccadellemacie.com</a></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-51703485934497206752016-01-17T20:36:00.002-06:002016-01-18T17:36:58.672-06:00Philbrook Museum of Art and the Andy Warhol Exhibit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don’t get to visit museums as often as I would like to do.
When I lived in San Antonio, I would go to the McNay Museum quite often. It was
a fifteen minute drive from my house, it held the largest collection of Impressionist
works outside of France, and it was free. I always made a donation when I went
but it was nice to know if I was short on cash, I could still go see some of
the most beautiful art in the world. The McNay was a mansion that was turned
into a museum when the matron of the house passed away. This is much the same
story as the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even though Tulsa is about an hour and thirty minutes away,
I go there as often as time allows. It doesn’t hurt that I can stop by my
favorite sushi spot or Irish pub after meandering through the halls of the
Philbrook. This museum is similar to most well curated museums in that, in
addition to the wonderful permanent collection, they have a gallery that hosts
a rotating cavalcade of visiting exhibits. One such exhibit that I recently wandered
through was the Andy Warhol exhibit <i>In
Living Color</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andy was one of those artists that was referenced in every
art book that mentioned the 19<sup>th</sup> century at all. I saw the soup cans
and the Marilyns but he seemed like a novelty to me when I first started
getting in to art. What I didn’t know and what I would eventually learn was
Andy Warhol was a mad genius. He was a master of repetition and slightly
altered repetition. If you have ever seen an entire series of his screen
prints, you would see the exact same image repeated over and over but with each
next print being a different set of colors. The Philbrook gathered multiple
prints of the same piece and displayed them together. It gave patrons a close
look at the play of colors that Warhol reveled in. The museum had some of the
Marilyn pieces, the camouflage works, Chairman Mao, and Big Electric Chair among
others. Each one was different colors which made them all look very different
even though the image itself was the same. This alone proved that Andy was an
avid experimentalist. And the results were fantastic. But the Philbrook didn’t
just display the Warhol pieces, they also displayed the pop art and op-art works
that influenced Warhol’s decision to do these color adventures. Seeing them
side by side with the Warhol works was eye opening and important. I applaud the
museum for their level of creativity with this exhibit. It was well worth the
trip to Tulsa. Of course, when the next new show hits the changing gallery, I’ll
be there. Entrance to the museum is $9 for adults and $7 for students and
senior citizens. There was also an extra $6 charge for the Warhol exhibit,
which I was happy to fork over. How often do you get to see works of art that
you would normally only see in books or on-line. And honestly, that is no
comparison to seeing the real thing in person in living color.</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See more of what the Philbrook has to offer at <a href="http://philbrook.org/" target="_blank">philbrook.org</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-73925081412112607692016-01-17T13:46:00.003-06:002016-01-18T17:38:44.064-06:00Cline's Cashmere Red 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When you think of cashmere, the memory of that sweater that
your sister borrowed and never returned might come to mind. It was soft and
light weight but strong and comfy. Well, you could easily use those same
adjectives to describe Cline’s Cashmere Red. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sometimes when I’m watching a movie, I see someone pour a
glass of wine and I think to myself, “That looks like a great idea!” So, I pause
the show and go grab a bottle of wine out of the cabinet. I have a wide range
of wines in the lock up, from the C.A.T. (Cheap And Tasty) wines to midrange to
special occasion wines. Since it was a Saturday night and I hadn’t had any wine
all week, I decided to go midrange which, to me is between $15 and $30.
Cashmere Red clocks in at around $18 depending on your wine shop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cashmere Red is a GSM or Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend.
Technically, it’s really an MSG wine but that sounds more like that gross
flavor enhancer than a tasty wine. This blend is of wine is a little over half
Mourvedre and close to equal parts of Syrah and Grenache. This has been a
successful blend for quite a few wineries including some of the houses that
make Chateauneuf du Pape. It works well because it combines the dark berry and
plum flavors and higher tannins of Mourvedre, the bright red berry and lower
tannins of Grenache, and the Syrah adds all the complex flavors like all-spice,
clove, chocolate and mint to name a few. Combined in the right amounts, these
wines can be truly satisfying for even hard to please wine lovers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cashmere Red is all of the above descriptors, soft,
comfortable, rich fruit, mid-tannin, complex and yet easy to drink, and not
super expensive. Even though I was just sitting on my sofa watching a super
hero film and not drinking it with food, I know this wine can pair well with
steaks, chops, grilled winter veggies, or chocolate cake…or all of those together.
Well, I need to go plan my next dinner with steaks, squash, chocolate cake and
Cashmere. It’s gonna be good!</span><o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go check out more from Cline at <a href="http://clinecellars.com/" target="_blank">clinecellars.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-44194605331096592632015-12-06T21:06:00.001-06:002015-12-06T21:35:49.867-06:00The Prisoner Red Blend 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have never been to prison. I’ve had my fingerprints taken
a couple of times, but that’s neither here nor there. Honestly, I’m older and
wiser now so I avoid activities that could get me pinched. Now, the closest
thing I ever want to be to iron bars is The Prisoner Red Blend from The
Prisoner Wine Company.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winemaker Jen Beloz has taken the time to traverse the hills
of California to meet and buy grapes from some outstanding vineyard owners. She
found great producers in Calistoga, St. Helena, and Yountville that take great
pride in growing some of Cali’s best. For The Prisoner, she has gathered
Zinfandel, Cabernet, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and a grape you don’t hear about very
much, Charbano. Also known as Bonardo in Italy where it originated, Charbano is
the second most grown grape in South America, but it’s presence in the U.S. isn’t
very well known. Just FYI, this grape is mostly used for blending. It adds a
deep purple hue and some mid-level tannins. It’s a good grape to soften wines
like Cabernet and Petite Sirah without thinning them out or detracting from the
flavors they bring to a blend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Prisoner is a fairly bold wine but overly so. I popped the cork and
had half a glass straight away. I decanted the rest and let it hang out for
about a half hour. The difference between my first glass and the aired out glass
was obvious and wonderful. The tannins were tight and the alcohol bite was
sharp until it had a chance to relax in the decanter. What emerged from my duck-shaped
decanter was smooth and silky. It was one of those wines that tasted so good I forgot
to figure out what the taste profile was. I just enjoyed it. A lot! Upon closer
inspection, I got a whole lot of bright cherry and twangy raspberry. There were
also some weird hints of dark coffee and vanilla in the background that
highlighted rather than distracted from the fruit. The finish on it was kind of
a cherry, pomegranate zing and the faintest air of a fresh fig. I know all of
this sounds like it was a bright and shiny wine, but it was super dark red with
a lot of happy character, like a prisoner who’s about to be let out on parole.
He was dark and brooding on the outside, joyous and mirthful on the inside. It
will set you back a few sawbucks retailing for about $40, so if you’re like me,
it’s a “once in a while wine”. Nothing wrong with that. If you’re out looking
for a nice bottle of vino, pick up a prisoner…I mean pick up THE Prisoner.
Cheers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Visit them at <a href="http://www.theprisonerwinecompany.com/" target="_blank">www.theprisonerwinecompany.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See what else is going on at </span><a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-59609102011904973782015-11-11T11:33:00.001-06:002015-11-11T12:08:01.728-06:00Black Mesa ES-ESB Beer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the United States, there seems to be a competition over
who can cram the most hops into a bottle of beer. While that’s perfect for all
of my IPA loving friends, it leaves folks who enjoy more traditional brews
searching for something that fits their tastes. Something I was lucky enough to
have discovered for myself was Black Mesa Brewing Company. Those lads know how
to brew good beer that doesn’t make your whole face pucker.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brad Stumph the science guy and Chris Sanders the brewmaster
guy started Black Mesa Brewery in Oklahoma City in 2012. As with any new
business they had high hopes, a clear vision, and untapped potential. (Pun
intended.) They were cranking out some great beers and sending them to local
bars and package stores. Then in May of 2013, a tornado bent them over the beer
barrel and demolished their facility. At the time I read the article, I hadn’t heard of the
brewery, but I still shed a little tear for them. Since I am a business owner
and a beer lover, I felt heartbroken for them. But after the initial shock of
the event, they undauntedly started looking for a new place to brew. They
looked at a few larger sized breweries in the Midwest and decided to contract
brew with the really cool guys at O’Fallon Brewery that is in a suburb of St.
Louis, Missouri. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most people, who have had a terrible event happen to them
like a tornado, choose to rebuild. The disruption or devastation of their lives
is a battle cry to overcome it. But Brad and Chris did what I would have done.
They thought about it and weighed their options. Here comes my soapbox rant
about my home state. Oklahoma has some of the worst bullshit laws pertaining to
alcohol in the entire country. We still have 3.2% ABV beer that is sold in
grocery stores and convenience stores. It can be stored and sold cold. Liquor
stores can carry regular strength beer like the rest of the country, but it has
to remain room temperature. That is just one out of dozens of inane laws that people in
the alcohol business have to deal with. The law that Black Mesa faced was they
were not allowed to have a tasting room in their brewery if they didn’t offer
3.2% ABV versions of their beers. They weren’t about to ruin beer just to
appease laws that were passed in 1959 and haven’t changed since. They decided
they would not rebuild in Oklahoma until that law changes. I wholeheartedly applaud
them for that. Brad said in an interview, “We are one of the remaining 3.2%
states. A change in this law would give us the confidence that a physical
brewery could be a viable business in our home state.” Once again, Oklahoma
loses out on a wonderful business because it won’t progress. But luckily for
you and me, they continue to brew and sell. They’ve even started distributing
in Kansas City. Hooray for them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve tried all but one of their beers, and last night I had one that
was new to me. It was their ES-ESB. That stands for Extra Special-Endless
Skyway Bitter. Holy moly, it was delicious. They have said in the past that they are going for
more of an Old World style of brewing beer and this one hit it right on the nose.
Reminiscent of old British-Style Bitters, this beer has a lower hop content
that lets the malt shine bright. The guys also decided to age this beer in used Remy Martin Cognac barrels for about seven months. This added an oaky vanilla
taste to the already strong toasted grain, cream, and nut flavors. I probably
could have just had this hefty beer for dinner by itself, but I was glad to add
it to my meal. I was having some pork chops with sautéed onions and shrooms for
dinner and this beer tasted like it was meant for it. I’m honestly putting
Black Mesa ES-ESB on a short list of favorites brews. Nice work, fellas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Black Mesa ES-ESB is 9.6% ABV and I’m not sure about the IBUs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See more about them at <a href="http://www.blackmesabrewing.com/" target="_blank">www.blackmesabrewing.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you liked this review, please share it with a friend.</span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-9831473291929011632015-11-09T20:33:00.002-06:002015-11-09T20:57:44.408-06:00Castillo de Monseran Old Vine Garnacha 2009<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rain in Spain makes puddles in my brain…I don’t think
that’s how that old saying goes. At any rate, the rain in Spain DOES make the
wonderful Garnacha vines grow to produce some of the best table wines around.
One such wine that I tried recently was from Castillo de Monseran.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Monseran is part of a large organization called the Bodega
San Valero. San Valero was started in 1945 with a collection of 60 grape
growers and wine producers. Those 60 growers started the cooperative as a way
for everyone to benefit from everyone else’s knowledge. Imagine 60 small
businesses pooling their information to raise each other to a new level of
success. That’s what they did. Now San Valero is home to roughly 700 grape
growers all working to bring world class Spanish wines to you and me. In total,
they have 4,000 hectares of vineyards to oversee, maintain, and choose from
when it’s wine making time. That is nearly 10,000 acres of grapes. A great
number of these vines are grown in bush vines instead of trellised vines like
what you see in most viticultural areas. No long rows of continuous vines, just
big fat grape bushes. I’ll include a photo at the bottom so you can see what I’m
talking about. It looks so cool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the best growing grapes in this area is Garnacha. The
French picked up some of these vines, took them home, planted them, and called
them Grenache. They make Rhone wines and the famous Chateauneuf du Pape wines
from this grape. It was also thought to be the first grapes that were planted
in Australia when it was being colonized after the initial rush of convicts
were sent there. Castillo de Monseran is made by Hugh Ryman with the help of
Jesus Prieto from San Valero’s wine making crew. What they were going for with
this wine was Old World meets New World and they accomplished that quite
deftly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This Garnacha is harvested, fermented, and aged in small oak
barrels for a short period of time. The grape juice is bottled within a year of
its squish date, or maceration date for those that prefer proper terminology.
Doing this maintains a high level of freshness in the wine. That’s the New
World part of the wine. The Old World part is the flavor profile that this wine
exhibits. With the main flavors coming through as sloe, red currant, and a hint
of herbs, the wine stays true to its origins of the Spanish countryside. It has
a medium tannin level due to the addition of about 10% of Mazuela grape juice. It
gives the lighter Garnacha a little deeper color and heavier taste. Even with a
heavyweight in the mix, it is wonderfully easy to drink and it should be
consumed sooner rather than trying to cellar it for later. This Old Vine
Garnacha has enough complexity to not be a plain old table wine, but it’s
simple enough to pair with nearly any dish you would want to have it with. I
had mine with beef tips and au jus with chive laden mashed potatoes over sour
dough toast. It was perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go see more about their wine at <a href="http://www.monseran.com/" target="_blank">www.monseran.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1kos6sGgXo/VkFWsU0i0ZI/AAAAAAAABCk/i_wB-i2GdjA/s1600/garnacha-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i1kos6sGgXo/VkFWsU0i0ZI/AAAAAAAABCk/i_wB-i2GdjA/s320/garnacha-10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bush Vines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-86350260605740804512015-11-04T20:42:00.001-06:002015-11-04T22:08:17.885-06:00Boulevard's Smokestack: Sixth Glass Quadrupel Ale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Since
I’m constantly snooping through the inventory of beer, wine and liquor
distributors, I tend to find some things I’ve never tried. When the Boulevard
Brewery began releasing their Smokestack Series of beers, I jumped at the
chance to bring them into the store. Mostly because I wanted to try them, but
customers could try them too, I guess. Me first!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Boulevard
Brewery is located on the Missouri side of Kansas City. In 1988, a guy named
John McDonald found a cool old brick building and start installing a Bavarian
brew house inside of it. Production cranked up in ’89 and the first keg rolled
off the line in November of that year. John loaded up that first keg of Pale
Ale in his pickup and drove it to a restaurant a couple of blocks away. Flash
forward a bit to 2006 and the brewery jumped from the original plan of 6,000
Barrels per year to 600,000 Barrels per year. That’s a pretty hefty upgrade! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Down
the line, Boulevard delved into the super-premium beer category with their
Smokestack Series. There are six beers available year-round and a few other
special releases and seasonal brews. The all year beers are The Calling, Tank 7
Farmhouse, Tell Tale Tart, Dark Truth Stout, Long Strange Tripel, and Sixth
Glass Quadrupel. The last one is the topic of discussion this round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sixth
Glass is a typical Quadrupel in that it is dark brown, very malty, low hopped,
higher in alcohol, and a tinge sweet. What isn’t typical is that a beer so
outstanding is made three hours from my front door. I know there are great
brewers in the U.S. making great beers, but when I drink a Sixth Glass, I shudder a
bit and wonder how this isn’t made by Trappist monks in a Belgian monastery. The
name of the beer refers to the Hans Christian Anderson story <i>The Watchman of
the Tower</i>. The taste of the beer refers to heaven itself. It has the taste of
toasty barley blended with hints of cream, dark caramel, and that heavy artisanal
bread you get from a really good old world bakery. I enjoy this beer with
smoked ham and soft cheeses. I enjoy it sitting on my couch while I slouch. I
would drink it on a train with a crane in the rain… Okay, I’m getting a little too Seussical.
The long and short of it is, this beer is incredibly good and at 10.5% ABV, you
don’t need much of it to make you feel its effects. It is available in 12 ounce
4 packs and cork-topped 750s. It rates a 10.5% ABV and an IBU of 22. Love it.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Check out their cool website at <a href="https://www.boulevard.com/" target="_blank">www.boulevard.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-16610635937121065642015-10-30T08:56:00.001-06:002015-10-30T08:56:09.290-06:00Flirt Red Wine 2011<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love to flirt. Without a doubt, I’m no good at it. But,
that doesn’t keep me from leaning my shoulder against a wall, winking at a
lovely lady, and asking “How you doin’?” Honestly, I would fail at a women’s
prison on conjugal visit day. Luckily for us, Flirt Red Wine is better at seducing
than I am.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sourced from some vineyards in Mendocino, Flirt is a blend
of Syrah, Tempranillo, and Zinfandel. Some vintages in the past were made up
with different grapes, but the 2011 contains a tasty blend of those grapes I
listed. One of the things I enjoyed was that one varietal didn’t stand out far
above the others. It was a well-crafted blend that highlights each varietal
equally. Some of the tastes that came through were cherries and plums. I had to
double check to make sure there wasn’t any Sangiovese in this wine because that
was my initial thought. Nope. I was wrong, which only happens once a year. What
are you laughing at!? The cherries and plums give it a fruitiness that could be
misread as sweetness, but it isn’t. It’s just a big bowl of berries in a bottle.
The tasty fruit was enveloped in a slight vanilla flavor which is a
characteristic of using good oak barrels or oak planks. It was a fantastic
finishing touch to this wine. And, speaking of finishing touches, the spiciness
of the Syrah showed itself in the aftertaste. It was like a little kiss at the
end of date. Y’know, so I’ve heard. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another great thing about Flirt Red Blend is that it doesn’t
cost that much. For under $15, you can get a crowd-pleasing red wine with a nice
label. So pick up a bottle of Flirt on the way to your next soiree. You’ll be the
hit of the party. I’m taking my own advice and bringing one to the next party I’m
invited to. So, if you want to invite me, just say so. Anybody? Anybody? Bueller?<o:p></o:p></div>
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See their site at <a href="http://flirtwinery.com/home.php" target="_blank">www.flirtwinery.com</a></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-10299485020906431552015-10-25T10:44:00.001-06:002015-10-25T13:12:36.200-06:00Okie Smokies BBQ - Grove, Oklahoma<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sometimes when I write a restaurant
review, I’m only in a town for a day or two, I find a place to eat, and if it’s
delicious, I’ll write about it straight away. Since it’s fresh on my mind and I
don’t want to forget the experience, I’ll make some quick notes and fire off a
story when I get back to my computer. When I find a good place in my own
hometown, however, I forget to write a review. My brain tells me, “You’ll
remember to write about this place since it’s right down the street. Don’t take
notes. You’ve eaten here dozens of times.” This has been the case for a
favorite haunt of mine, Okie Smokies BBQ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When I say
that I’ve eaten there dozens of times, that is no exaggeration. To say that I’ve
tried everything on the menu might be. Their menu is so big that I get a little
overwhelmed and excited each time I go in. I’m pretty sure I’m missing out on
something because my memory isn’t what it used to be. It doesn’t matter because
it’s all delicious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The other
night the family and I went in for some Q. Like always, I stand and stare at the chalk board menu for what seems like an eternity. People behind me fidget
and make comments under their breath. I don’t care. I want to get the exact
right thing. I should know by now that I could just say any barbecue related
word and the folks behind the counter would bring out something tasty. That
night I had the chopped brisket and hot links. I added some mac & cheese
and corn on the cob for my sides. I grabbed some pickles and a drink, sat down
and waited patiently. As usual, it came out pretty quickly. The brisket was
lean, the hot links were, well, hot and the sides tasted like I was at a
cookout. Home run again, Okie Smokies.</div>
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Since I’ve
been there a time or two…or thirty, I can assure you that brisket and links
aren’t the only good thing on their giant menu. They also have the best turkey
sandwich I’ve ever eaten. Also, I love the ribs, the pulled pork, the chicken,
the catfish, the fries both regular and sweet potato, the burgers and on and
on. If you’re in Grove, Oklahoma for any reason, make sure to swing by and see
the great folks at Okie Smokies BBQ. You’ll walk away happy and satisfied. There's also a pretty good chance that you'll see me in there stuffing my face.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Check them out here <a href="http://www.okiesmokiesbbq.com/">www.okiesmokiesbbq.com</a> and here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OkieSmokiesBbq?fref=ts">www.facebook.com/OkieSmokiesBbq</a></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-58420172445709758232015-10-13T19:09:00.000-06:002015-10-13T19:15:22.469-06:00Goose Island Sofie Farmhouse Ale<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A long time ago in the 1980’s, a guy named John Hall made a trip
across Europe. Along the way, he tried a lot of beers that he thought would be
great to have in the United States. As is too often the case, the story would probably
end there with the phrase, “Yeah, that’d be cool.” But with John, that was not
the case. He was trying to fly home and got stuck in Dallas as all travelers
have at one point or another. John picked up a magazine and started thumbing
through it. He happened upon an article about boutique beers gaining popularity
in the U.S. It changed him forever. John says, “I must be the only person in
history who made a major career change on the basis of a Delta Sky article.” We
should all thank the author of that article and be glad that John was stuck at
D/FW.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1988, John started Goose Island Brewery and began making
beer in Chicago. He made some, drank some, and shared some. Eventually, he
started inviting people to watch the process of beer making. He developed a
following with his beers and in 1995, expanded the brewery. A short time later,
he expanded again. His beer repertoire was growing. He pioneered the idea of aging beers in Bourbon Barrels. Thanks for that, brother! He now makes a lot of
different beers. Some are only available at certain times of the year, but
others, like the one I’ve been drinking lately, are available all year round. For
reference there is a beer calendar on their website. As usual, I listed it
below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John named the Sofie Farmhouse Ale after his granddaughter.
Something I would totally do too. Farmhouse Ale was originally made by farm
owners in Belgium as an easy drinking summer beer for when farm hands needed a
break in the middle of a hot day. Now you don’t have to bale hay and fix fence
line to enjoy a Farmhouse. All you need is a cool beer store. The beer is aged
in wine barrels with some fresh orange peels added. This gives the beer a
distinct citrusy taste without being a fruit beer. You taste all the toasty malt
and fresh hops and the orange is an afterthought. It is crisp and clean,
refreshing and smooth. What a beer! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sofie the beer is 6.5% ABV and 25 IBUs. Cheers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go see more about beers at <a href="http://www.gooseisland.com/" target="_blank">www.gooseisland.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-51340848182397237082015-10-13T13:32:00.001-06:002015-10-13T16:21:43.200-06:00Beran California Zinfandel 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something
old, something new, something borrowed…I can’t think of anything blue about
this wine. Oh! I’m blue because I only bought one bottle. Cue a sad Tom Waits
tune. On the bright side, my wine shop carries Beran Zinfandel so I am never
far from replenishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something
Old: They use some grapes from old vine plantings<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something
New: They use some grapes from new growth vines.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Something
Borrowed: A wealth of knowledge on how to produce wonderful Zin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
Red Zinfandel falls under the umbrella of Copper Cane Wines. That includes
Elouan Pinot Noir from Oregon and the California Red and White Blends of Carne
Humana. The third label is what I happily sampled the other night, Beran
Zinfandel. The winemakers have sourced Zin grapes from all the major
viticulture areas in California to make up this tasty wine. Using old and new growth vines automatically makes it complex since they each impart different flavors. Something else that is
characteristic of Zin grapes is that climate really affects what they taste like.
This, of course, affects how the wine will taste. Hot climates tend to give the
wines spiciness and dark fruit characteristics. Cooler climates give the wines
a soft, blackberry jam taste. This wine is a perfect blend of the all of those things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
you may well know, I’m impatient when it comes to opening a bottle of wine. I
have to drink some right away even though it’s usually a good idea to let reds
air out for a few minutes. It’s kind of like coffee. Take a sip right
away and it won’t taste like much and it will scald your uvula. But if you let
it sit for a few minutes, you can actually taste the flavors. Same with wine.
Letting it aerate for a little bit will open up the flavors and you can taste a
lot of subtle things you missed by gulping that first glass. What I tasted when
I jumped the gun and sipped the freshly poured juice was a strong hit of oaky
vanilla and dark berries with some pretty tight tannins. While it was good, I knew that if I was patient and waited, a whole world of smells and
flavors would present themselves. And they did. The oak influence settled down
and the fruit brightened up. There were all kinds of esters floating around
reminding me of boysenberries, a hint of cranberry, and a rich blackberry tart.
At the tail end of the mouthful, the typical peppery flavor showed itself. I
was eating some grilled bratwurst and hot links when I had this Zin and it was
quite enjoyable. If you like red wines at all, you should try Beran Zinfandel. It’s
subtly complex without being complicated. Easy to drink. Easy to love. Cheers!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit them at <a href="http://beranwines.com/" target="_blank">beranwines.com</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-78522602216174426872015-10-12T22:31:00.002-06:002015-10-13T14:03:53.568-06:00Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reinheitsgebot. I love to say it. I love what it means and
represents. It is the German word for the beer purity laws passed in Bavaria in
the year 1516. It is pronounced rine-HITES-gu-boat and I say it to myself in a
thick German accent far too often. One of my favorite beers follows the rules
of the beer laws by only having the three ingredients Water, Barley, and Hops.
Of course yeast is part of the equation but it’s not a part of the actual law.
That beer is Hacker-Pschorr Munich Gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the late 1700’s, Joseph Pschorr bought a brewery from his
father-in-law and named it the Pschorr Brewery. They were doing pretty well so
they opened another brewery named the Hacker Brewery. They sold beers separately
up until the mid-1970’s. After that, they merged into what they are today. Back
when they were first getting things cranking up in the brewery, a young lad
named Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria asked a few local brewers to come up with a
special brew for his wedding. From that inquiry, Oktoberfest was born. Munich
brewers are the only beer makers that are allowed at the original celebration
in Germany and Hacker-Pschorr is one of them. But, like most other brewers,
they aren’t satisfied being a one trick pony. One of their other beers is the
Munich Gold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It tastes a little heavier than it looks. It has a slightly
pale yellow color but it is full of beery goodness. On the first drink, I
noticed a nice toasty grain flavor. It was crisp even though it had a touch of
malty sweetness. As it trailed off down the pipe, there was a grassy, happy,
hoppy ending. A tinge of spice from the low but flavorful hop content makes
this beer a terrific blend of all the things that make beer wonderful. It
clocks in at 5.5% ABV and has a 15 IBU. Grab a sixer and make a night of it!
Prost und Reinheitsgebot!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out their beers at <a href="http://www.hacker-pschorr.us/" target="_blank">www.hacker-pschorr.us</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-45017243594996974532015-10-11T21:01:00.001-06:002015-10-13T14:04:11.832-06:00Boundary Breaks 2013 Reserve Riesling No. 198<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am officially adding the Finger Lakes region of New York
to my list of wine areas that I need to visit. I have never been there and, up
until today, I have never even had a wine from that region. Holy Cow! I’ve been
missing out. What was it that made me put New York on my life’s itinerary? The
wine in the title: Boundary Breaks Reserve Riesling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boundary Breaks is close to Lodi, New York. The vineyard is
situated on a fertile plot of land that sits on the eastern shore of Seneca
Lake. A wicked long time ago, glaciers etched the landscape in that area
producing deep trenches that water still flows through today. The vineyard sits
in between a couple of these “breaks” that cut through the terrain. The cooler
climate in this area lends itself to growing flavor-packed Riesling grapes and
perfumed Gewurztraminer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The multi-generational crew at Boundary Breaks has taken
great pains to figure out which grapevines grow in which soils in the
vineyards. They have several Geisenheim clones from the Geisenheim Grape
Breeding Institute in Rheingau. The uber-smart people there have created some
wonderful hybrids and clones of vines from all over the place. The grapevines
that Boundary Breaks chose were from Neustadt in central Germany. The
accumulated knowledge of everyone’s trials and errors resulted in one of the
best Rieslings I’ve ever had; No. 198 Reserve Riesling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 198 is the clone from which this single vineyard
Riesling was made. Its color was pretty much like every other Riesling, a soft,
pale yellow. That’s where the similarities ran out. Unlike some of the
Rieslings I’ve tried in the past, this one didn’t have an oily feel or a
cloying sweetness. It was clean, slightly crisp and completely delicious. I
tasted mild fruits like passion fruit and Porter peach. It might sound weird,
but I tasted a honeyed tea on the finish. I haven’t tried all the Rieslings in
the world but I’ve tried a heckuva lot of them and this was as close to perfect
as I’ve tasted. I would drink this with spicy Thai food, sushi, Buffalo wings,
bagels with lox and cream cheese, or a fruit-based dessert like pie. This was truly
a world class wine from a hopefully up and coming wine region and vineyard.
Cheers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go see more of these folks at <a href="http://boundarybreaks.com/" target="_blank">boundarybreaks.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go see what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank">www.talkingsimian.com</a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-43706430218766933362015-09-30T18:35:00.000-06:002015-10-13T14:04:27.832-06:00Zolo Malbec 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Funny
story about Malbec. A long time ago when some French guys decided to plant
grapes in Argentina, there was a shipping mishap on the boat ride from France
to Argentina. All the labels on the cuttings that were being transported became
wet and the ink bled. The first Argentine vineyard with French vines was a
mish-mash because of a little leak. There was a row of Cabernet next to two
rows of Merlot, then one row of Malbec and another row of Cabernet. Eventually,
the vines grew and they figured out where the Cabernet was. With the Merlot and
Malbec, they had a tougher time discerning which was which since they were so
similar. New plantings take a few years to produce grapes so they waited and
waited. Finally, with some trial and error, they discovered the plants’ true identities and replanted them all so that all the like vines were next to each
other. That makes them easier to harvest. What they didn’t know back then was
how well Malbec would flourish in the foothills of the Andes Mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Malbec
in France was a blending grape in Bordeaux. The Americans thought that Malbec
would do well since they had a lot of sun and needed cheap grapes to make bulk
wine. It wasn’t until a guy named Zapata planted the vines in Mendoza and
started making kick ass wines from only Malbec that opinions changed. After
that, Argentina adopted it as an unofficial national wine. Zolo has done one
better and made their vineyards a sustainable growing region. That means they
don’t destroy the earth to bring you tasty wines. Thanks, Zolo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Zolo Malbec that I tried recently was great. There aren’t any easier words to
describe it. It just tasted great. It is in the medium body range so it was
smooth. It has a nice fruitiness that doesn’t come across as a jamosaurus or a fruit bomb. What it does have is a floral essence not often found in red wines.
It’s not a noticeable taste but rather a faint afterglow. It was intriguing and
fun to sense it. For me, the main component of this wine was currants. A little
plum and a little blackberry, but mostly currant notes. I loved it. I imagine
if you tried it, you would think the same. Also, this wine is a CATWA. (Cheap
And Tasty Wine Alert) Enthusiast, Spectator, and Robert Parker all said the same
thing. We can’t all be wrong! Cheers. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Visit Vino Del Sol's website and read about some of their other wines. <span style="background-color: white; color: blue;"><a href="http://www.vinodelsol.com/thewineries/" target="_blank">www.vinodelsol.com</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-75628575171325764602015-09-27T19:42:00.001-06:002015-10-13T14:05:00.996-06:00Instant Karma Gourmet Hot Dogs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s awesome. You should go there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess I could elaborate on that a little bit. My family
and I took a short trip to Joplin recently and wanted something different than
the usual things we find on Rangeline Road. There are only so many burgers,
Chinese buffets, and sandwiches you can eat and not go crazy. I heard about
Instant Karma from a friend who had eaten there a few months ago. I squared it
away with my wife and daughter and we headed downtown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instant Karma is in an old store front that has those
classic display windows and a front door that’s tucked back away from the
sidewalk. When I went in, the first things I saw were a foosball table, some
local art on the walls, about 15 tables, and a full bar. I would later learn
from our great waitress that it is stocked with 26 beers, 1 cider, and a wine all
on tap. We were told the specials of the day which sounded great but we all
wanted one of their standards from the menu. My daughter found her new favorite
food on the planet, the Grilled Cheese Burger. Picture if you will two grilled
cheese sandwiches. Now imagine those two sandwiches as the bottom and top buns
for a big juicy hamburger. She also added some sweet potato fries as her side. I
think my daughter shed a little tear of joy when it showed up. She said she might
need to move to Joplin because of it. My lovely wife ordered one of her
favorite things, a bratwurst with sour kraut and mustard. She said it was very
good, but the mustard was hot enough that her spirit left her body for a couple
of minutes. I tried it and it was pretty spicy but very tasty. Finally, I
ordered the Wiener Cristo. Imagine a Monte Cristo sandwich but with a hot dog.
It was served on a plate dusted with powdered sugar and some grape jelly which
I prefer above the usual raspberry jelly. To top it off, we ordered a basket
(which was actually a giant plate) of cheese fries to split between us. After
we had devoured most of what was in front of us, we sat back staring into space
because we were all a little food high. The grand total for all of us to eat
and drink was a little pricey at $50, but it was a great trip to a new place. We’ll
definitely go back to Instant Karma. I’ll just have to remember to schedule the
visit after payday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go like them on their Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Instant-Karma-Gourmet-Hot-Dogs/172552359449409?sk=photos_stream" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-12937419169218124352015-09-21T21:55:00.001-06:002015-10-13T14:05:12.281-06:00Bill Bryson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bill Bryson<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are quite a few authors that I really enjoy reading.
Most of the time, I like non-fiction. Any subject has the opportunity to grasp
my attention and keep me enthralled cover to cover. I knew from an early age
that I like biographies. It didn’t matter much who it was but most of the time
it was actors and musician since they were the only people I really knew about.
When I was unemployed for a bit, I spent a lot of time at the library. I still
do spend time there, but for this story, it was the time I was job hunting.
After I would scan the paper and internet for jobs, I would walk up and down
the aisles looking for books to occupy my time. I happened upon a book that
forever left an impression on me. It was A Walk In The Woods by Bill Byson.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the time, I was wishing for a different life. As many of
you know, the only thing worse than having a job is looking for a job. I wanted
to escape. I wanted to be somewhere else. I found out that I could do a little
escaping through the travels journals that Bill was thoughtful and talented
enough to write. It took me about a week to read through it. I always tell
people it’s because I have to sound out all the words. In truth, it’s because I
like to take my time and really get all there is out of the written word; the
humor, the seriousness, the sentence structure, the language and vocabulary. I
love it all. Bryson had been writing for quite some time before I discovered
him. That meant that I didn’t have to wait for him to write another book. He
already had six others waiting for me. All of which the library had on their
shelves. When I finally got a job, and paid off a few things to get me current,
I invested in hardcover copies of all of his books for my personal library.
These are the few books that I can read multiple times. They are packed full of
armchair philosophy, brilliant humor, daring adventure, heartfelt love, and
above all a complete story. There are no instances of unresolved tales. I
appreciate that since I’ve read far too many books that have holes in the story
line, time deleted from biographies, and intentional cliff hangers that never
get resolved. Bill’s travel journal books are the best. His other books are
fantastic. His Brief History of Nearly Everything was a vast undertaking for me
but I finished it. Remember, I had to sound out all the words. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See all of Bill’s authorship projects and other things at <a href="http://www.billbrysonbooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.billbrysonbooks.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-26570946147899064902015-09-21T13:28:00.002-06:002015-10-13T14:06:09.375-06:00Black Mass (2015)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday was payday for my wife. She was happy to get a little
extra cash so she asked if I wanted to go out on a date. I said, “Let me think…a
date with a beautiful woman. Yeah, I think I want to do that.” She said that
she drove by the theater and saw that Black Mass had just been released. We
agreed that a cinematic adventure would definitely be in the evening’s plans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black Mass is the story of James “Whitey” Bulger. He was the
head of the Irish mob in Boston for years. I had read a few books about Jimmy
and the Winter Hill Gang so I knew the players and what their fates were. That
didn’t stop me from thoroughly loving this movie. It was so well performed that
I forgot to think about who was who and what had happened. I’ve been a casual
fan of Johnny Depp for quite some time. I’ve seen all of his movie but I never
watched 21 Jump Street when it was on TV. I didn’t usually go specifically to
see him, but he was always involved in projects that I wanted to see. In Black
Mass, Johnny Depp disappeared into the character of Whitey Bulger. It proved to
me without a doubt that he has a wide acting range. Top notch, JD.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The story tells the ins and outs of the relationship between
the Irish mob and the FBI. It was a tangled mess to say the least. Since I did
know the stories, the film could have been another hour and a half long and I
still would have been enthralled by it. As it is, I know Hollywood likes to
keep people’s short attention spans in check so it told the meat of the story
and not much else. That’s okay. I was glad to have seen it even if it wasn’t
long enough. It’s a good movie to go see even if you don’t know who Jimmy
Bulger is.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-29761434763301907142015-09-20T22:00:00.001-06:002015-10-13T14:06:25.043-06:00Shiner - Ruby Redbird Beer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ve just been through a summer that wasn’t too terribly
bad as far as the weather goes. Don’t get me wrong, summertime in Oklahoma is
still hot, sticky humid, and sometimes tornadic. One thing that helped ease the
heat was beer. Mmmm…beeeer. One that I particularly enjoyed this year was
Shiner’s Ruby Redbird. It was refreshing. Or as I sometimes say ‘Wefweshing’!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shiner starts off with a golden colored lager that is light
weight, and very tasty. The Ruby in the name is a subtle hint to let you know
there is fresh Texas ruby red grapefruit juice in it. If that wasn’t enough of
a pick-me-up, they added a faint hint of ginger to give this beer a bit of a
zing at the end. When I first brought it home, I was a little apprehensive
since grapefruit isn’t one of my favorite fruits. But in the name of
experimentation, I grabbed one and put it in the beer fridge. I got it out the
next day and poured it into my favorite pint glass. It looked beautiful. It
smelled a little like citrus but not too much. I took my first drink and thought
twice about not liking grapefruit. It had a light grapefruit taste blended
amazingly with the malt. It has a low hop content so you could drink a few and
not tax your taste buds. I didn’t actually taste the ginger in the beer, but I
felt the twinge of it on the back of my tongue. If you like beers that are a
little different, this will pique your interest. I finished this Ruby Redbird
pretty quickly and I wanted another one. Alas, I only bought one bottle. I had
to wait a whole 24 hours before I could have another one. Don’t make the same
mistake I did. Get a sixer. Cheers. ABV - 4.01 / IBU - 13<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out more Shiner beers at <a href="http://www.shiner.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.Shiner.com</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-60855889641692217242015-09-15T22:49:00.000-06:002015-10-13T14:11:37.007-06:00Molly Dooker: The Boxer Shiraz 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A friend of mine used to come to my office when he wasn’t
out selling newspaper advertising or spending time with his lovely wife. I
always keep an acoustic guitar handy for those days when I need some music
therapy and one afternoon he came in, sat down, picked up the guitar and
started playing. He played the Simon and Garfunkel song “The Boxer” from
beginning to end. When the song was over he looked at me and said, “I’m sick.”
He passed away a year later and now that song doesn’t mean what it used to mean
to me. Now it’s an homage to a great man that I knew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Flash forward a couple of years and I was searching for new
wines to sample and write about, when up pops The Boxer Shiraz from Molly Dooker. My
friend instantly came to mind. It was high time to have a drink in his honor. I
knew Molly Dooker wines but I had never tried this one so into the cart it
went. When it arrived, the label made me chuckle a bit. It has a cartoon of a muscle bound pugilist
with a five o’clock shadow and an anchor tattoo on one side of the label and
the name, varietal, and vintage on the other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a couple of days, I was able to sit down, relax, and
open the wine. It has a nice looking screw cap, my preferred closure. No
possibility of cork taint! I bought some new Bordeaux style wine glasses so I
took one out and poured a half glass of Shiraz. The appearance was a wonderful
deep purple (insert Smoke on the Water riff here). The taste was NOT smoke on
the water. It was hints of tart red cherry at the beginning and a long finish of
blackberries and spices you might find in an aged rum like white pepper and all
spice. The tannins were a little softer than what I was expecting from a higher
end Australian Shiraz. It comes from McLaren Vale which happens to be one of my
favorite spots on the planet. I didn’t know that when I ordered it, but it was
a happy surprise. Overall, this wine was brilliantly put together. One of those
wines where everything happened exactly as it should have. It was well worth a
little higher price of abo</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ut US$25. I love this wine. It was the perfect way to honor Kip's memory. Cheers, mate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S. Aren’t you glad I didn’t say “this wine has a wicked
left hook” or “I could go three rounds with this wine anytime”. You’re welcome.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a link to the Molly Dooker website. It's a trip. <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.mollydookerwines.com/" target="_blank">www.mollydookerwines.com</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-13566141187271913122015-09-06T21:41:00.002-06:002015-10-13T14:12:17.205-06:00Grind Espresso Shot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love coffee. I don’t like more than one or two cups in the
morning. I’m also not one of those people that stands in line at a national
chain shop waiting for a half decaf mocha soy latte with caramel sauce and
extra foam. No, I’m much more of a guy that likes black coffee from my favorite
convenience store or diner. I’ll drop in a little French vanilla cream if I’m
feeling frisky but most of the time I like it strong and black. I’m sure I
could make an innuendo about my girl Serena Williams, but I would never stoop
to that level. Love ya' SW.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my favorite liquor reps was in town with a few things
for me to try. One of the bottles she brought was Grind Espresso Shot. It is
made with Arabica coffee from Columbia and Caribbean rum. There are a whole lot of
coffee liqueurs out on the market. People even make their own “homemade Kahlua”
as most of them call it. There are some good ones, there are some cheap ones,
but there is rarely one that fits both of those adjectives. Grind is that
liqueur. Hooray for us all. The taste of Grind is pretty straight forward on
the first shot. It tastes like sweet coffee. On the second shot…yes I had two!
I was doing research! On the second shot, I let it warm up a little then I took
a sip. As it swished on my tongue, I picked up all the great subtle flavors that
comes with a strong coffee from the hills of Columbia. I was able to pull the
taste of almonds and pecans, roasted cacao nibs, a faint hit of vanilla, and
cane sugar. Whether those were the actual flavors in the liqueur or not is
really irrelevant. The only thing you need to know is that it was super
delicious and half the price of Kahlua. Look for it, ask for it, buy it, and enjoy
the heck out of it. Cheers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-87814495855131082732015-09-06T15:50:00.002-06:002015-10-13T14:12:34.430-06:00Bogle Petite Sirah Port 2008<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you haven’t come to this conclusion yet, I’m a bit of an
oddball. I suppose I’m not special holding that title but I don’t like
mainstream things all that much. I like 1950’s jazz on LP, goth women,
expensive rum, fart jokes, and wines that not many people have heard of. While
I was snooping through my supplier’s website, I happened upon a wine that was a
new style from an old favorite. Bogle vineyards makes great affordable wines, Cab,
Chard, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauv Blanc, Riesling, Petite Sirah, Old Vine Zinfandel,
Essential Red, and the seasonal favorite Phantom. They’re all good. I know
because I’ve tried them all. The one that caught me off guard was their Petite
Sirah Port. I saw it and said out loud to no one, “I kinda need to get one of
those…for research.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve consumed a lot of Port wine. Most of it has been from
Portugal and made with grapes that I’ll never be able to pronounce. There are
about 80 different grapes that Portuguese winemakers can use in any one vintage
of Port. They don’t use that many, but they can if they wanted to. There are an
ever increasing number of wineries from all over the globe that are making Port
from grapes that grow in their area like Cabernet, Syrah, and Petite Sirah.
Those bolder wines tend to hold up to the process of turning good wine into
great Port. Geyser Peak has a fantastic Shiraz Tawny and Elyse has an equally
brilliant Cabernet Port. One that can easily keep up with those dessert wines
is Bogle’s Petite Syrah Port which is a ruby style Port as opposed to a tawny style.
Ruby is young and fresh, tawny is older, tanner, and more complex. (That’s the
way too overly simple explanation of Port.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I received the wine on a Thursday, took it home to my wine
cabinet and let it settle down for a few days. I’ve ridden on delivery trucks
so I know some of the things that drivers can do while on the road. Shaking up
good wine is one of them. Not on purpose, of course, but it happens. I let the
bottle rest on its side in the dark cabinet that used to be my grandfather’s
1950’s television cabinet. The black and white TV was removed and wine racks
were installed. It is my favorite piece of furniture. It was Sunday night
before I opened it and the aroma of old juice from fat grapes smelled quite
nice. Petite Sirah, or Durif as it is also known, has a plummy taste with heavy
tannins and some black pepper and spice notes to top it off. During the
fermentation process, brandy is added to halt the yeast from fully making it
table wine. This jacks up the alcohol while maintaining the wine’s young fresh
taste profile. This particular wine was the 2008 vintage that they released in
2011. It sat in a barrel for that long breathing the winery air in and out of
the American oak barrels. This let the characteristics of the wood blend with the
wine as it mellowed. The overall taste was truly enjoyable. The rich plum notes
found in Petite Sirah transformed into a black cherry, dark chocolate, and elderberry
heaven elixir. It had the faintest of spice notes, but the oak must have sucked
the spice out and replaced it with a hint of blonde tobacco. It might sound
like a weird combination to some, but I assure you that it made up a wonderful
dessert wine. Their website stated that this port could easily be cellared for
up to 20 years. I totally believe that. I think I’ll buy another bottle or two
and rest them in granddad's old TV cabinet for a decade or two. You can be sure
I’ll review this wine again when I pop each one open. Cheers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See more of their wines at <a href="http://boglewinery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://boglewinery.com/</span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a 500ml Bottle!</td></tr>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-62912556385758058822014-11-24T23:13:00.000-06:002015-10-13T14:12:48.179-06:00Elyse Winery - C’est Si Bon 2010<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every time I open a bottle of wine, I imagine that I’m going
to have a great time enjoying a little vino whether I’m with friends or alone,
out or at home, having dinner or sitting on the patio unwinding. Every bottle has
the potential to dazzle me. Some do and some don’t. One that has dazzle written
all over it is the Rhone style blend from Elyse Winery aptly named C’est Si Bon
which is French code for It’s So Good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was invited to dinner with friends at one of their houses
and the lovely hostess was gracious enough to tell me what she was preparing
for the evening meal. She knew I was a wine aficionado. Well, her exact words
were ‘wine nerd’, but I knew what she meant. She wanted me to bring something
that would go with pork loin with a tart cherry sauce, wild rice and braised
carrots. As soon as my mouth quit watering, I started going through the mental
Rolodex of wines I keep in my memory. Cab, no. Merlot, no. Malbec, no. OOH!
GSM! That would be perfect, but which one? There are some pretty tasty
Grenache/Syrah/Mourvedre blends out there, but I wanted something that would
live up to the meal that I was going to be dining on in the very near future. I
also wanted to retain my status as everyone’s resident wine ner…expert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C’est Si Bon is, as I said before, a GSM. Luckily for some
people, they provide the blend on their website. It is 43% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre, 10% Cinsault, 7% Counoise, and 3% Viognier. Do you know
what that means to the average wine drinker? Absolutely nothing. What does that
mean to vino geeks? Deliciousness! The Grenache gives the wine a great fruity
base, the Mourvedre adds depth with tannins and earthy flavors, and Syrah
provides a touch of spice. Overall this wonderful wine has the flavors of
plums, dark red berries, and hints of chocolate, pepper, and terroir/petrichor.
(Petrichor is the aroma of earth after it rains.) This wine has a medium tannin
presence, a wonderful bright acidity, and an even fruitiness which gives it a well-rounded,
magnificent flavor. As luck would have it, everyone at the table thought it was
the perfect wine to have with our glorious meal. Everyone agreed that the
master chef was the queen of the evening. And they also agreed that I am, in
fact, a wine nerd. As long as I keep finding wines like C’est Si Bon, I accept
that title with pride.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go see what else Elyse winery is up to. <a href="http://www.elysewinery.com/" target="_blank">http://www.elysewinery.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-29953272529699826812014-11-07T15:03:00.001-06:002015-10-13T14:13:40.045-06:00Banshee Pinot Noir 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">California. Dr. Dre and 2Pac said California knows how to party. It may know how to party but it didn't know how to make a decent Pinot Noir. For a long time, I had a problem with California Pinot Noirs. Mainly because I was a French wine snob and didn't like venturing outside of Burgundy to find a Pinot that suited my taste. As my ignorant prejudices about Pinot Noirs from the rest of the world have relaxed, I have started finding jewels from here and there that even satisfy my desire for a nice Bourgogne. Oregon has some outstanding Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. I'll review a few of those in the near future, but for now, I'm going to focus on my previous nemesis, California.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My main problem for so long with California Pinot Noir was what makes it difficult to grow; the climate. Pinot Noir are finicky grapes. They will certainly grow in the middle of California, but the quality of them tended to wane with even the slightest miscalculation in the growing process. A little too much rain, a little too little rain, or possibly even the wrong flock of ducks flying overhead would all have detrimental effects on Pinot grapes. This led to inconsistent and shallow wines which, for me, is a bigger turn off than name dropping. As growers learned how to better grow theses grapes in the climate they had, the better the wine became year after year. Sonoma County also let the learning process develop naturally rather than forcing the issue. Unlike its neighbor Napa Valley, Sonoma is a laid back farm area that happens to grow incredibly good grapes. To me, Napa is a bit like the white collar version of the wine business and Sonoma is the blue collar. Both have their place. Both produce great wines but Sonoma does it in a My Morning Jacket concert t-shirt and jeans. Believe it or not, this relaxed atmosphere can be apparent in the wines produced there and it can lead to a more natural wine experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Three friends started the Banshee Wine Company. Noah Dorrance, Baron Zeigler, and Steve Graf were all in places other than California, but each developed a love for wine. One day they all converged on San Francisco, met each other, and decided to get into the California wine business. I'm sure the events were a little more drawn out than that, but I don't have all day to give their life stories. They have it on their website. (Link Below) They pooled their money and released Banshee Pinot Noir with great acceptance from California wine drinkers. Jump forward a couple of years and they released another outstanding Pinot Noir, their 2012 which I sampled this evening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I love to eat turkey. A giant bird at Thanksgiving is certainly a thing I look forward to every year. As is my habit, I spend the entire month of November sampling wines that will perfectly fit my Turkey Day meal. More often than not, I'm dining with some people that won't drink red wine and some that won't drink white wine so I try to find one of each. The Banshee Pinot Noir will probably be my choice for red wine this year. It is a dark ruby hue like cranberry juice but the flavor is far from the tart cranberry. It has the wonderful aroma and flavor of a black cherry, a juicy Santa Rosa plum, and hints of kola nut and petrichor. It finishes clean and sharp with a slight tingle on the back of your tongue. Since I'm a turkey nerd, I had a breast on hand so I took a couple of slices and drizzled them with a special recipe of dark fruit puree before I baked it. What a combination! I loved it. The wine is rich and tasty, but it didn't overpower the soft flavors of the turkey or the fruit. Exactly what I was looking for in a Thanksgiving Day wine. Maybe it's exactly what you're looking for too. Cheers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit Banshee and see the rest of their story at <a href="http://www.bansheewines.com/index.cfm" target="_blank">http://www.bansheewines.com/index.cfm</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span><br />
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3896014014776876930.post-81411656627782082252014-10-26T19:54:00.002-06:002015-10-13T14:13:59.101-06:00Q Drinks Mixers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve never been one for settling into a food or drink
routine. I don’t eat the same thing even if I go to the same restaurant. I also
don’t like drinking the same drinks, whether it is a beer, cocktail or just a
soda. My need to try new things and expand my horizons has led me to a new
mixer, Q Drinks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have recently been introduced to these tasty beverages by
a friend of mine. I’ll keep her name a secret in case she’s embarrassed at the
thought of knowing me. In any case, she told me about them and I sought them
out. Unfortunately, I had to get them from a wholesaler because no one in my
area carried them. Fortunately, I have a party and cigar store that can buy
wholesale. Now that we carry them, I sampled the seven flavors that are
available to me and was incredibly pleased with all of them. They have eight
varieties; Tonic, Club Soda, Ginger Ale (Sweeter), Ginger Beer (Dry &
Spicy), Kola, Orange, Grapefruit, and Lemon. The only one I don’t have access
to is the Ginger Beer, but I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s probably
delicious too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Q Drinks are all made with Mexican agave nectar instead
of high fructose corn syrup. This automatically makes them a lighter, crisper
drink mixer. They enhance your drink rather than drag it down. Their <b>Tonic Water</b> is what tonic used to be
and still should be. They went to Peru to get the bark from the cinchona tree,
called in some experts, and made a truly great drink. The <b>Club Soda</b> is basically a sparkling mineral water. Again, it isn’t
heavy or salty like some club sodas I’ve had in the past. It is pleasant and
tastes good by itself or in a spirit of your choice. (Mine was Scotch this
time.) <b>Ginger Ale</b> is one of my
favorite drinks. I don’t particularly like it in cocktails, but that’s just me.
I prefer it alone and this one can fly solo any time. Q’s <b>Kola</b> is something in and of itself. Imagine the flavor of Coca-Cola
without the heaviness of corn syrup and the too sweet intensity of high
fructose corn syrup. It ain’t heavy, it’s my Kola! Unless I’m stranded in a bar
with no class, I will not use another cola to mix with. This was it for me. The
last three I can lump together even though their all great in their own way. <b>Orange, Lemon, and Grapefruit</b> all have
a slight sweetness to them, but the fruit flavor is the shining star in each of
these mixers. Orangy orange, lemony lemon…I sound like the Trix rabbit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One thing I took away from the tasting of all of these
little jewels is there are people out there that really care about quality and
taste. The fine folks at Q Drinks are among them. If you’re in the Grand Lake
area, swing by Main Street Party & Cigar and try a bottle of each. (Shameless
plug!) If you’re out at a bar or grocery
store, ask for it by name. If they have it, you’ll be well on your way to a
better drink. Cheers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go see some Q! <a href="http://qdrinks.com/" target="_blank">http://qdrinks.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See what else is going on at <a href="http://www.talkingsimian.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.talkingsimian.com</span></a></span></div>
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Jonathan Elmorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10951535502921832051noreply@blogger.com0