The Mystery Whisky of Caesarea

"Labels" generally have a negative connotation attached to them. We tell ourselves not to judge books by the cover yet we always, and usually negatively, seem make snap assumptions at first sight.

A great study at the University of Bordeaux had students who were majoring in Oenology (the study of wine tasting and making) taste two wines: a red and a white. The "red" was the same white wine just with added food coloring. Despite this, the students vividly described the "berries and various tannins" that they tasted in the red. Who said "labels" are only found OUTSIDE of the bottle?

The label on this particular Whisky found in Caesarea, Israel, was its pristine crystal decanter and the rumor that it hailed from the UK and was over 20 years old.

It was delicious. The sensory exploration prior to sipping was nearly as exciting as the first dram.

Whisky tasters are known as "nosers" as a Whisky is almost entirely evaluated by the sense of smell before being sipped.

The color was somewhere between burnished and deep copper.

Swishing the Whisky around the glass produced medium tears on the side of the glass indicating a mid level (40-45%) alcohol percentage.

It lacked the musky barber-shop smell that I usually find off-putting when I uncork a special mystery bottle.

Rather, it was floral scented and had a distinctive grassy aroma with a subtle hint of sage which is characteristic of Lowland Malts .

The taste lived up to its scent with the sweet taste buds at the tip of my tongue activated with the smooth flavor of this mystery Whisky.

Life IS better without labels.

Cinco Bizarre Drinkos De Mayo

You asked for it, and just like most greasy spoon pizza joints WE DELIVER! 5 weird drinks to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. These drinks are so bizarre that they make the weirdest choices on gastro-giants Delish.com, WeirdWorm.com, Skyscanner.net and last but certainly not least BarsAndNightClubs.com! If this is not enough bizarre boozy reading to put the mojo in your Mayo, read about our recent tequila follies!

Here is our rundown:

1. Taking the Number 5 Spot on SkyScanner.net 's 9 Weirdest Alcoholic Drinks list is a frightening Vietnamese Snake Wine! This creepy concoction is produced by infusing whole snakes in grain or rice alcohol. The fermentation process de-fangs the venom, so to speak, as it is no longer toxic. If this is not creepy enough, many bottles are topped off with scorpions. Double shot? We think not! 

2. While not Number 1 on BarsAndNightlubs.com Top 5 Weirdest Alcoholic Drinks List, we agree with Jenna Boister when she calls Baby Mouse Wine the, "most gag-worthy," that she encountered while doing this somewhat reviling research. This bizarre beverage is considered to be a "Health Tonic" by some Koreans and Chinese. Baby mice are put inside the bottle and left to ferment in rice wine. This may be the drink of choice for Garfield to wash down his lasagna, but NO THANKS!

3. Topping that Spirits that Surprise chart at Delish.com we have Bakon Vodka! We have seen bacon chap stick, mayonnaise and nearly every other condiment combination imaginable in the wake of the Epic Meal Time's Epic Success! We have no doubt that this award winning vodka will impress Ceaser dinkers en mass, but don't expect to see this at your next Bar Mitzvah as it has real bacon! Its website proclaims: "Pure. Refreshing. Bacon," and all of the Bakon Vodka awards attest its success!

4. What goes with Beer? Pizza! Right.... well yes, usually. WeirdWorm.com leaves us slightly grossed out, yet slightly curious with their Number 1 spot on their 7 Weird Alcoholic Beverages List: Pizza Beer! This radically brewed ale was created by Tom Athena Seefurth in 2006 with the goal in mind to create the world's first "culinary beer." While no doubt much more delicious than having the piece of crust floating in our playoff pint, we need more research to determine if this beer is, as the its website proclaims, "...so good it deserves a wineglass!"

5. We want the weirdest drink that YOU have heard of! Newfoundland Screech? The mythical toe-shot from Alaska? Send us your entry in the comments section, or tweet us at @WhiskyandWings , we want to hear! Happy Cinco De Mayo

Victorian Rum Diary

It has been a historic, and eventful, trip to British Columbia's sleepy capitol Victoria for this half of the Whisky and Wings team (the other busy depleting Puerto Vallarta's tequila supply).

To kick off this adventure we ignited our BBQ experience with some of the finest limestone water filtered bourbon from Kentucky: 12 year old Elijah Craig. This fierce firewater came from none other than Rael Katz, another whisky enthusiast who knows a how to separate the drams from the dregs.

In Rael's words: "

I found the bottle of 12yr old Elijah Craig in Seattle several weeks ago. I am well aware of the limited selection of Bourbons we have in Canada and knew I should take advantage of my stay in Seattle.

Initially what attracted me to the Bourbon was the bottle and it's eloquent look. I also wanted a bottle that was fairly reasonably priced and Elijah Craig was just this. At approximately $30USD (which is a great price for a Canadian!) EC was a smooth and very flavourful glass of Bourbon.

Call it personal biases or not but the drink went down mch better with a few rocks in the bottom of the glass. But even neat, this is a fine drink.
As most drinks go, the 18yr old batch is said to be slightly better than their 12yr old batch, but this claim is still to be tested by our team of experts. Until then, stick with the 12yr old bottle and you won't regret it!"

China and India: Culinary Forces for the Wing Win!

An absolutely delicious chicken wing is the product of careful culinary calculation. When the taste is as good as it gets, the wing experience is enhanced when an interesting story feeds the mind while the crispy flavor explosion seduces your taste buds.

The story? Two of the worlds most populated cultures (widely covered on our blog) colliding and colluding to produce a delicious chicken wing.

This is the case with the incredible Garlic Chili wings at the Green Lettuce Indian Style Chinese Restaurant in Vancouver.

The Theory of Verges states that: creativity is unleashed at points where multiple cultures converge. Creativity, in the sense of culinary brilliance, is unleashed at this Indian Chinese fusion restaurant in the same capacity as the energy released at the of a Saturn V rocket's initial earth-rattling blast off.

Located at Victoria and Kingsway in the heartland of delicious and competitive Vietnamese Restaurants, Green Lettuce has stood out since 1999. Where else can you eat General Tao Chicken while snacking on the perfect pakora?

These wings are adorned with just enough chili to wake up your tastebuds without completely unloading a full Bombay of napalm. They come swimming in a Yellow Sea of diced garlic that makes this dish so tasty, you will be left eating the savory morsels of garlic and chili as you await your main dish-we HIGHLY recommend the tangerine beef!

The three thumbs up on the menu represent our three senses that were wowed as we sampled these heavenly wings: taste, smell and feel as we crunched our way their fantastic finale.

$5.75 for a half dozen, and just as the menu proclaims: the taste will have us coming back!

Exclusive ! The Best Wings in Mexico

Upon entering Wings Army in Guadalajara Mexico, one is hit with possibly the best atmospheric fusion a wing lover could want: army decorations, imported beer and psychedelic music from the 60's. Heck, the decor seems so authentic that it doesn't take much imagination to think that perhaps Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando would have shaken hands here if it were downtown Saigon.

Beginning with the decor, the lamps are made of army helmets while the ceiling is essentially a very large parachute stretched above them. Full-size army figures stand menacingly with their loaded guns amidst camouflage netting and real army equipment.




The wings are delicious. They have a variety that will meet the taste of nearly anyone. We ordered three flavours on our particular expedition: Bomba, Xplosion and Barbecue Hot. These wings were amazing! They were extra crispy and perfectly sauced.

There was an impressive selection of imported beers ranging from Cuba to Belgium. For those of you who want to eat the best wings in Mexico along side amazing imported beer and the best tracks of The Doors, this place is for you! For more reviews follow our blog @ whiskyandwings.blogspot.ca

Risky Whisky: Can YOU Stomach this $250,000 Dalmore '62 ?

In a very informative article highlighting nearly everything one needs to know about unopened bottles of whisky and their values, Darcy O'Neil distills in the reader some interesting points. Later we discuss the momentous sale of the Dalmore '62 bottle!

You Will Love Canada's New Best Whisky

For Canadians and others around the world, enacting the luxury of their whisky indulgence has often led them to look outside of Canada. But today this reality is quickly changing in the wake of a new whisky known as Forty Creek, John’s Private Cask No. 1. This particular brand of whisky has one this astounding number of awards:

Gold Medal, Beverage Testing Institute, 2012
Canadian Whisky of the Year, Canadian Whisky Awards, 2011
Best New Whisky, Canadian Whisky Awards, 2011
Connoisseur Whisky of the Year - Domestic Market, Canadian Whisky Awards, 2011
Gold Medal, Canadian Whisky Awards, 2011

CanadianWhisky.org rated this whisky as:

"Very fruity and rich, the nose is immediately reminiscent of those old fruity lumber smells of whiskies like Canadian Club 30-year old with its prunes and dry figs and sweet wood and lushness. Bursting blasts of candied ginger quickly overpower a huge surging creamy butterscotch. The finish is very long; it never really disappears. Spicy and refreshingly citric with lots of ginger and grapefruit pith."


A spicy Thai or teriyaki wings sauce would complement this whisky excellently.


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