That's a pretty funny story.
In other news, Bourbon Bros are outraged that Elijah Craig, the 12-yr-old bourbon that can usually be had for under $25 is about to lose its age statement. This is a bit of a bummer because there really is no better deal for a 12 year old, very good-tasting bourbon, than EC. Some are arguing that just because it will lose its "12 Years Old" statement doesn't mean it won't be similarly aged. But EC's entire business proposition is based on it being a cheap but well-aged drink. Personally, I don't think this is terrible news, but I might have a couple years ago when I was all about the bourbon.
I'm still on the daily Irish whiskey tip. The one thing about Irish, as opposed to scotch and bourbon, is that there's limited amounts to try out. You can always discover a new bourbon or scotch that you haven't had and enjoy some sexy exploration. But it feels to me like there's only around 25 different iterations under maybe a dozen different brands of Irish around. Which lends itself to finding the one you like and sticking with it. And I have! But it's not Green Spot. I still really like Green Spot a lot, and I will always have a bottle or two of it around. If someone comes over and says "so let's try out this Irish whiskey you're always prattling on about" I will pull out the Spot.
But I've now settled on my daily drank. It's not sexy, it's not rare, it's not hip. But at ~$30 to $35 a bottle, and a blend of 12 year old pot still whiskey (which is basically what Redbreast is, but at twice the price), it is a really excellent drink that I strongly recommend:
Jameson Black Barrel. Light and crisp, with just the right amount of playful depth and wisdom. Eminently drinkable, but at 80 proof, you won't run into trouble if you venture into 3rd and 4th drink territory. Mixes perfectly with ginger beer but also satisfies sublimely with some ice or all on its naked own. Jameson Black Barrel is the best Irish whiskey deal on the market. It runs around $40 at liquor stores, but just today I received a shipment of four bottles, each attractively priced at $29.95 each, with a shipping fee of $22 (which is par for the course -- and they really do package it up nicely), from Amity Wines, located at
http://www.amitywines.com/ And THAT is my recommendation for today. [dies]