Posts from What are you drinking right now? Auto-translated

Some people even play board games with him.

Oh, you...

Actually, the first half-grain that I tried a month ago at a bar, and now I bought a full bottle. The smell is mild, the bread is successfully complemented by honey and pepper. If you sniff closely, you might imagine floral and candy notes, possibly even onion, but that's really just imagination — don't expect miracles like from whiskey. The taste is very smooth, slightly sweet, with hot pepper and black bread at the forefront. After a sip, the drink spreads warmly down the throat, leaving a slightly sharp aftertaste that warms you from within for a long time.
I rate it 9/10. A very good thing, suitable for any season and any company (or lack thereof, as is usually the case). It's perfect for pouring yourself a couple of glasses on a cold evening (a great feature of it is that it's not picky about the glassware — it drinks excellently from a wine glass) and sitting in an armchair with a volume of, say, Turgenev, imagining yourself a Russian nobleman... And then sobbing like a bitch, remembering who you are, what century you live in, and how long you've been saving up for this bottle.
Taking this opportunity, I want to announce that "Krepkiy Mir" in Moscow is not far off — the festival will take place on November 10th. It will be like at "Whisky Live" — you pay, drink as much as you want (and can), and then go write reviews on HVshka. Only less cozy, more crowded, and even a bit cheaper. Maybe someone will still want and be able to come, you never know. They promised beer and wine there too, apparently.
https://www.krepkymir.ru

Oh, I can't remember where I was yesterday – even if my life depended on it... Anyway, the festival wasn’t great. Too many people, not enough whiskey, no comfortable tables, and just a generally “off” atmosphere. A confusing situation – and what usually happens when there’s a confusing situation combined with unlimited access to alcohol? Of course, I got completely drunk, spent some time in the VIP area marked with a red cross, and ended up losing my glass, headphones, and notebook, so I’m writing this from memory. "Tsokur" by Yuvk, dry red wine Nose: burnt sugar (they all seem to smell like burnt sugar), blackcurrant, cherry, something else. Taste: moderately rich, tannic, dark berries, smokiness, tobacco. Rating: 90/100. I haven’t had wine in a long time – at least a year. The festival started with wines from the Southern Wine Company. The white wines weren’t particularly impressive: they lacked flavor intensity, although I wouldn’t call them bad. And most of the reds were also… or maybe I’ve just gotten used to something else? But this one is excellent. Just as "Jura Seven Woods" is a whisky for wine lovers, "Tsokur" is a wine for whisky lovers. Very tasty and unusual. I wouldn't put it on the table, but I would definitely buy it for personal use. Glenlivet 12 Color: golden Nose: creaminess, peach, sweet berries, dried plum, cinnamon(?) Taste: cream, fruity-berry notes, slight spiciness Finish: short, creamy Rating: 81/100. The first Speyside that was actually decent. Well, not really my style, but drinkable. It would be good for beginners – simple and smooth. Philbert, various cognacs I attended their masterclass, but I can’t even remember which release tasted like what anymore – especially since they are very similar. In general, it was exactly what I expected. Various dried fruits, berries, vanilla, grapes, nuts; the taste is the same. Everything is quite good – about 85 points. Smooth, rich – but cognac still isn’t my thing. I don’t like the grape distillate flavor base, unfortunately. But, as I said, the drink itself is worthy; this is nothing like Armenian “moonshine.” Only their XO disappointed me – if you remember what Hennessy's XO tastes like, there’s a world of difference. Glen Scotia 15 The same Glen Scotia Double Cask, but slightly more complex, with nuts and a hint of tobacco. At the same time, it seemed less intense and slightly less easy to drink. I’d give it 84/100.

So, Alex. Every time you come to Moscow for the festival, something happens to you. I'm starting to suspect something...

What’s going on?

For example, you might need an ambulance, I don't know. You like adventures.

Adventures love me.

Sometimes it seems like I could drink for days and nights... But no, I can't bring myself to do it.

Oneginplease
Everything is so balanced that it's almost bland; only the ginger provides a slight kick. It's just okay, 5/10

Added after 28 minutes
Between sheets/sails/leaves/blankets...
Top-notch. Strong – around forty, but feels like ten. Freshness, exotic fruits, and a light bitterness in the taste. Somehow reminds me of the south and the sea. Perhaps this would be good for seducing a girl on a summer evening... Although getting drunk alone on the last day before returning to civilian life on a cold autumn evening is also fine. Over time, the alcoholic notes become more pronounced; the brandy makes itself known. 9/10

Added after 4 hours 48 minutes
Ardbeg 10

Appearance: dry hay, cloudy. The body is oily.
Nose: slightly alcoholic. In the distance: sweetness, hay, fallen autumn leaves. As you get closer, it reveals almond, the inevitable peat, and creosote, black plum.
Taste: slightly sweet and harsh, peat, salt, smoke, fish, dark chocolate, cinnamon. Blindly, I thought it was aged in sherry barrels.
Finish: long, slightly burning, peat and pear sweetness.
Rating: 89/100
At first, it's a bit harsh, but after about 30 grams, it goes down like home. Although even that isn't quite right; from the very first sip, the whiskey takes a firm place in your heart.
Ardbeg... lures with its sweetness and fresh summer colors. It greets you with heavy smoke and the peat of autumn bonfires mixed with salt and the fresh wind of cold seas, and leaves you with the burning bitterness of approaching winter in your mouth, but a discerning person will certainly sense the sweet echoes of future spring. Ardbeg is the cycle of your life, and you eagerly repeat it again and again until the vessel is empty to the bottom. In a passionate surge, not wanting to let go of what has passed, you drink the last, most fragrant drop, in which there remains neither bitterness nor cruelty. And then peace comes, albeit tinged with a light longing for lost grace.
Actually, this is my first CB (presumably "Comparative Blind" tasting). Long ago, when I first tried Ardbeg (hmm, was it the 10 or another one? Now it seems so different...), I forever changed my attitude towards whiskey. Skepticism turned into passion. There have been many, many good moments, and much whiskey has been drunk, but Ardbeg... Let it not be perfect. Let it seem too young now. Perhaps it lacks richness and, subjectively, phenols, but this is – first love. Therefore, I will probably end with lines from the great Russian bard, Bulat Okudzhava:
And like first love,
It burns the heart.
And second love,
Clings to the first...

I'm drinking cola with eighth-graders.

Like many of us.

Hawthorn and grape tea.

Tea with apples and grapes.

Tea with green (in color) and black grapes.

While Alex is enjoying his time in the army, I'll revive the tradition of sharing my beer experiences. So, there's a small beer shop near my new home. They claim to sell 200 different types of beer. Of course, I couldn't just walk by, so I'll be checking if they really have that many, as advertised on their sign, or if it's all just a lie and a marketing ploy.
The day before yesterday, we tried two draft beers, but my husband bought them, so I don't know their exact names. Let's just call them "light" and "dark." Both were tasty and didn't cause a hangover. But overall, they didn't really impress me.
Yesterday, I had half a liter of tomato beer. It was quite good. I never would have thought that beer with tomato juice could be so delicious. But it was. So, I'll definitely buy it again if I get the chance.
Today, my husband brought home a "flying squirrel" beer to try. It's a light beer, but overall, it's not bad. I especially want to note the pleasant aftertaste. It's slightly bitter, but in a really good way. It's enjoyable to sip on it slowly.



If I don't forget, I'll keep posting about the different beers I try.