Winter Wines and Spirits

[woodsroad]

Although I do not need a change in seasons to tempt me in the direction of rich alcoholic beverages, the recent snow here in Pennsylvania got me looking at the Port selection in the State Store yesterday. I don't know anything about port, except that my father drank it in the winter time. He bought the cheapest stuff available, and offered me a taste from time to time. So, of course, there is a certain nostalgia attached to it now. I still can't pick out the good from the bad, other than to buy in the mid price range, and look for a good balance of rich and not too sweet.
Brandy and Cognac is a different story. I favor Germain Robin when I can find it, but keep a bottle of St-Rémy Authentic on hand at all times. Marie Duffau Napoléon Armagnac is a favorite, but there are many VSOP's that also hit the joy buzzer better than most Cognac. Armagnac is greatly under-appreciated in the US. I appreciate it mostly having to do with memories of a ski trip, a hot tub, a new acquaintance and a life-long friendship that began late one night with this wondrous elixir.

Nowadays, a rich Balkan blend (Try 50% Anniversary Kake, 20% Prilep or P&C's Blended Turkish Ribbon and 30% Latakia) and a wide snifter of Armagnac in front of the fire is wonderful respite from the bite of Old Man Winter.
After a hard day in the wood lot, though, I prefer to sit around the burn barrel with a high-gravity beer, preferably with a lot of mouth-feel. I always have a few tucked in the wood pile. Free Will Brewery, located just south of me in Perkasie, PA offers a phenomenal "Hop Geek 2x IPA" that harkens back to my days as a whole-grain home brewer. I think that they are using the same Wyest strain that I was in love with back then, but either way, they are mashing geniuses, and know how to build a full-bodied brew that still has great hop balance.
What do you favor for the winter months?

 

[warren]

I do not make seasonal adjustments in either tobacco or adult beverages. Cognac or Port for a drink and the usual line up of tobaccos, "3 Star Blue" and "Balkan Supreme" are the regulars year round. For some damned reason I do find myself eating more ice cream in winter than in summer.

 

[mcitinner1]

I get a new bottle of Grand Marnier every fall. It's my first year with a pipe and a snifter of GM going right now. It's going well. ::
Ever since I was in Germany on a TDY during wine festival I've been partial to German Riesling of which there is very much variety. 8)

 

[daimyo]

I love a good port, some mulled wine and a Sezerac made the old way during the holidays. Woodsroad and Warren, try one if you haven't. The additions really bring out something special in the Cognac. I usually make them with Remy XO and Grande Absente.
Take two tumblers and fill one with ice and water. In the other place a sugar cube and add 3 dashes of Peychaud bitters and 3 dashes of Angostura bitters, then muddle with a jigger or two of Cognac. Dump the ice out of the second tumbler and pour around a half shot of absinthe into the glass, swirl and drain it (like you would the vermouth in a martini, but I usually empty it into my mouth... no need to waste good absinthe.) Pour the Cognac into the second tumbler, then rub the rim with a lemon peel twist and garnish the rim with it.

 

[johnnyreb]

This time of year I like a little Bailey's Irish Cream on the rocks or in my coffee of an evening. I stay with either original or coffee flavor; caramel is fine in coffee too. Never tried the mint flavor.

 

[mikestanley]

My Port of choice is Graham's Six Grape for a ruby Port. Coffee however is my preferred drink, I spend a lot of my time on call so alcohol isn't always an option.
Mike S.

 

[Perique]

Now that it's getting cold, I've been drinking Jack Daniel's Winter Jack heated up on the woodstove. Good stuff if you like cider. Another winter drink we enjoy at the Perique homestead is a hot toddy made with Jack Daniel's Honey and fresh local honey.

 

[johnnyreb]

Just a Sam Adam's Winter Lager is good also!

 

[agnosticpipe]

I guess I'm out of sync. I just finished a little glass of tequila with some lime wedges with salt, and some tortilla chips, while smoking some Grousemoor.
I guess I should get my act together and break out the rum... :lol:

 

[bulldogbriar89]

I was just opening a good vanilla porter as I was reading this post. I also like to drink this Nitro Milk Stout it has a espresso taste to it, or Sam Adams chocolate bock

 

[petes03]

I'm not real big on wine or the hard stuff. Give me a good Stout (Irish Dry, or Milk), Porter, or Brown Ale!

 

[woodsroad]

We should all get together after Christmas.....

 

[warren]

Do you have the room? Or are you speaking of the forum?
I'm betting there will be a forum full. Some will be crowing about the Dunhill Santa left under the tree. Others, will be bemoaning the fact that Santa left a poorly drilled Peterson with badly executed silver fittings, that also gurgles. Oh, and the stain sloughs off on their fingers.

 

[fishingandpipes]

purple drank, obviously

 

[fishingandpipes]

I've not had it yet - I think I did last year - but for high octane beers it's hard to beat 11%

I have some waiting in my beer fridge for later...

 

[lochinvar]

I love port, and drink it all year but up the frequency in winter. My everyday port (reserve level I guess) is Warre's Warrior Port, or if I can't find Warrior I like Grahams Six Grapes. For nicer occasions where LBVs or Crusted ports are called for I like Warre, Graham, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell and Niepoort.
In scotch, the big Islays get reached for almost exclusively, and Christmas week is the only time I open a bottle of Lagavulin. One friend serves a lot of Spanish Brandies now, and they are pretty good sippers. I also use a lot of Barbancourt Rum, often for buttered rums but (unfortunately) also for a mug of Grog when the multiple winter sniffles rear their head. A mug of hot water, brown sugar or molasses, cinnamon and ginger, lime lemon or orange juice, and a slug of rum, it clears the head and chest.

 

[dmcmtk]

Graham's Six Grapes is an excellent port. Also very much worth trying are the LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Ports from the different Port houses. Vintage wines, bottled at four years, vs two for regular vintage Ports.

 

[darthcider]

I make my own sloe gin most years, it goes lovely with a pipe on a cold day.

 

[blueeyedogre]

There is always a bottle of Warre's Warrior port and a bottle of Kraken black rum for sipping on during the winter months. During Christmas I'll crack a bottle of Irish Mist.