Whiskys (non-Irish or Scot) & Bourbons

[Drunk Monk]

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Among Starfleet’s legendary space explorers, it is Admiral James T. Kirk who most embodies the spirit of bold adventure.
Born in the great state of Iowa on planet Earth in 2233, Kirk spent part of his youth on planet Tarsus IV, where he narrowly escaped death at the hand of the infamous Kodos the Executioner. Admitted to Starfleet Academy in 2250, Kirk was the only cadet to beat the infamous “Kobayashi Maru” test of character. As an ensign, he served on the Starship Republic, and his first posting after graduation in 2254 was aboard the U.S.S. Farragut.
James Kirk took command of the Starship Enterprise in 2264 on a five-year voyage of deep-space exploration that made him a legend. During that time, he led one of the first missions beyond our galaxy, he averted a new war with the Romulan Empire, and he literally saved Earth history by going back in time to undo a temporal accident.
Intensely loyal to his crew, Kirk did not hesitate to risk his career to rescue Spock, his first officer and friend, who was believed dead on the Genesis Planet. In one of Kirk’s most celebrated missions, he defied Starfleet Command to commandeer a stolen Klingon ship to prevent an ecological catastrophe from devastating his home world. Kirk entered a temporal anomaly in 2293 while helping to save the Starship Enterprise-B on its maiden voyage. He emerged in the year 2371, where he was killed while protecting the inhabitants of the Veridian system. He is buried on a mountaintop on Veridian III.
Kirk explored strange, new worlds, led humanitarian missions, and brought peace to planets in conflict. He made first contact with new life and new civilizations, pushing outward the frontiers of knowledge as he explored boldly, where none had gone before. He represented humanity at its best, doing the things that humans do best.
James T. Kirk Straight Bourbon celebrates his bold spirit of adventure.

http://jamestkirkbourbon.com/

Should be Brandy.

Saurian Brandy.

[Greg]

I was thinking Romulan Ale.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Should be green.

[Drunk Monk]

I was thinking Romulan Ale.

That works too.  Just not bourbon.  Was there ever bourbon in Star Trek?  Klingon bourbon?  Andorian bourbon? Tellurite bourbon?

Should be green.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

#1: I am always in favor of Yvonne Craig. Always.

#2: This Sub-heading could have just been called “shite in a bottle that’s NOT SCOTCH!”

[Drunk Monk]

#1: I am always in favor of Yvonne Craig. Always.

Right?

#2: This Sub-heading could have just been called “shite in a bottle that’s NOT SCOTCH!”

Dammit. 

[The Queen]

Everybody knows the correct ST beverage is tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

No, I’m pretty sure it is green booze and punching Klingons. You must be thinking of some *lesser* ST, one without Yvonne Craig.

[Drunk Monk]

Everybody knows the correct ST beverage is tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

What!? No we’re talking Trek booze not teatotalers. 

You must be thinking of some *lesser* ST, one without Yvonne Craig.

From Trouble with tribbles:

When are you going to get off that milk diet, lad? - Scotty
This is Vodka! - Chekov
Where I come from, that’s soda pop. Now this is a drink for a man. - Scotty
Scotch!? - Chekov
Aye - Scotty
Was invented by a little old lady from Leningrad! - Chekov

---

Meanwhile, back on earth: 

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Whiskey wars: Trade tariffs hit hard in Trump country
The new whiskey tariffs are hitting states like Tennessee and Kentucky, solid red states, the hardest. Trump carried Kentucky by 62.5 percent and Tennessee by 60.7 percent in 2016.
For whiskey giants like public Brown Forman, which owns Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels and Old Forester, China is important to future growth.
American spirits exported to China grew by almost 1,200 percent between 2001 and 2017, according to the Distilled Spirits Council.
China’s new 25 percent tariff on U.S whiskies took effect Friday, and America's bourbon industry is already starting to feel the squeeze.
The Chinese tariffs — retaliation for the Trump administration’s tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese goods — come on top those levied by Europe, Mexico and Canada. The new whiskey tariffs are hitting states like Tennessee and Kentucky, solid red states, the hardest. Trump carried Kentucky by 62.5 percent and Tennessee by 60.7 percent in 2016. Almost all, 95 percent, of the world's bourbon is made in Kentucky. Jack Daniels, however, is made in Tennessee and is the most popular American whiskey in the world.
Bourbon is the last true signature industry for this state, Fred Minnick, the author of ‘Bourbon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of American Whiskey,' told CNBC.
“When someone comes to Kentucky, they’re not thinking about fried chicken anymore, they’re thinking about bourbon,” said Minnick.
“And when you start tariffing it, when you start taking away jobs and hurting it from being exported to Spain’s, UK, Mexico, Canada, to wherever, you’re essentially gut-punching the state of Kentucky," he added.
American spirits exported to China grew by almost 1,200 percent between 2001 and 2017, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Whiskey made up the majority of U.S. spirits exported to China, accounting for $8.9 million of liquor exports to the country last year. American whiskey, in fact, accounted for more than $1 billion of the $1.6 billion in total U.S.-made spirits sold overseas last year, according to the council.
“Imposing 25 percent tariffs on U.S. whiskeys could put the brakes on an American export success story,” said Christine LoCascio, senior vice president of international trade for the council.
American whiskies have been chipping away at Scotch’s dominance in China, and had 9 percent of the Chinese whiskey market in 2017, according to industry tracker International Wine and Spirits Inc. (Scotch accounted for 87 percent, down from 94 percent in 2012.) Bourbon and Scotch are technically both whiskies, but their names are based on where they're distilled, among other subtle differences. Bourbon is only made in America while Scotch is made in Scotland.
For whiskey giants like public Brown Forman, which owns Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels and Old Forester, China is important to future growth.
“We are proud to be building our brands with Chinese consumers,” the company said in a statement. “Accordingly, we welcome the continued efforts of the Administration and the Chinese government to find solutions to the broader trade issues between them.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. — a 5th-generation, family-owned distillery in Louisville, Kentucky — also has big plans for international growth.
President Carson Taylor said the company plans to expand its exports to up to seven countries in a few years, but there's a lot of uncertainty.
“I have two boys, hopefully, they are going to want to be distillers and be sixth-generation,” said Taylor. “We're not just building this as the next place to sell out to one of the big players so what we do and how we export and how we build this business now, definitely affects our future.”
The new tariffs are throwing a wrench in the works for Taylor's and other small businesses in Kentucky, as well as their investors.
“There's more than a billion dollars of investment in Kentucky bourbon,” said Minnick. “A lot of that investment has been coming to Kentucky because people are very excited about exports.”
Tariffs won't just affect the distillers and their investors: The whiskey industry supports 17,500 jobs in Kentucky, according to a report from the Kentucky Distillers Association. They include grain farmers, manufacturers of the glasses and the oak barrels, the coopers who make the barrels and entrepreneurs building bourbon tourism businesses.
“Bourbon is at a critical moment right now,” said Kaitlyn Soligan, co-founder of Matson & Gilman, a company that runs high end tours of bourbon distilleries.
They worry about the trickle-down effect of tariffs- forcing the big bourbon businesses to contract- and potentially putting the small craft distillers out of business.
“Damaging bourbon's ability to reach a global audience is immediately going to damage businesses like ours, trying to attract those tourists,” said Matson & Gilman co-founder Nicole Stipp.
Kentucky businesses — large and small — are bracing for whatever hangover a lengthy trade war brings.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

A lot of them what distills that sugary shite voted for Trump. Drink up, idiots!

[Drunk Monk]

Japanese Whisky Sells for Record $343,000


BY BLOUIN ARTINFO | AUGUST 23, 2018
   



“YAMAZAKI-50 YEAR OLD"
(Courtesy: Bonhams)


A 50-year-old rare first edition of Yamazaki whisky sold for a record $343,000 in the Bonhams Whisky Sale in Hong Kong on August 17, 2018. The cost for the whiskey was estimated at HK$1,800,000-2,400,000/£175,000-235,000. Previously, an expression of Karuizawa 1960 52-year-old 'The Dragon’ fetched HK$2.45 million at Bonhams in Hong Kong. Yamazaki single malt aged 50 years sold for HK$2.337 million at a Sotheby's auction in January in Hong Kong too.
"The oldest expression from the famous Japanese distillery, the whisky was matured in casks made from mizunara (Japanese Oak) before being bottled and released in 2005. Only 50 bottles were produced, making it one of the scarcest Japanese whiskies,” saidBonhams.com/press_release/26301/"> Bonhams.
The sale presented the finest of Japanese whiskies along with some of the most sought-after names in Scotch whisky such as Macallan, Port Ellen, and Ardbeg. In more than 620 bottles offered, there were 40 bottles of Yamazaki — which included the Yamazaki-35 year old priced at (HK$350,000-500,000/£34,200-48,400) and the Suntory-Rolling Stone 50th Anniversary (HK$280,000-360,000/£27,300-35,200). A bottle of Hibiki-Arita-35 year old, produced to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Japanese porcelain production was also offered for sale. Apparently only 150 bottles of the same were released.
Other selections included the finest Macallans — a Macallan Fine & Rare-1937-37 year old that cost HK$260,000-320,000/£25,400-31,200, and Macallan Fine & Rare-1946-56 year old that costs about HK$250,000-300,000/£24,400-29,300.
There was also a vertical collection of Port Ellen Annual Release, 17 bottles from 2001-2017 costing HK$280,000-360,000/£27,300-35,200. Besides these, on the block were pre-prohibition and medicinal bourbon whiskies from the early 20th century, including a bottle of Antique Whiskey-1912 costing HK$15,000-18,000/£1,400-1,700.
http://www.blouinartinfo.com
Founder: Louise Blouin    

[The Queen]

I just tried Jura for the first time, and loved it! Delicious!

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

Jura = Good. Agreed.

[Greg]

Dammit. I was just telling the Queen you hate everything that doesn't have a hunk of peat floating in it.

[Dr. Ivor Yeti]

The Jura is not without The Holy Dirt. It just contains less. It is not one of those boooooring Highland drams.