Black Dog Improv Evenings in Hyderabad

Black dog is a great luxury whiskey brand and available in Centenary, Deluxe (12 year), Reserve (18 years) and Luintessence (21 years). I have wanted to taste it always and the other day at the invitation of Ashish from Team GingerClasps, I gulped down my first round of 18 year old Black Down at Taj Krishna, Hyderabad as part of Black Dog Improv Evenings.

The Improv Evenings is an attempt to add comedy, theatre and loads of fun to a mans life. Hyderabad hosted Improv Evenings at Taj Krishna on the 11/12/2012. Performances by Colin Mochrie, Brad Sherwood and their team really helped me unwind, enjoy and have fun.  Awesome party with loads of wine, whiskey, mouth watering snacks, great comedy in a plush and beautiful venue. 

The comedy was great. Every scene enacted was thrown at random by the audience on the team and yet, they could manage it really really well.  Only regrets is I couldn't take many pics of the event (My seat was far away from the dias for a nice pic). Here we go with all that I have:

Have you visited an event like this? Your opinion on Black Dog?

Abhishek

Black Dog -- Scotch Whiskey

Black Dog

      The other day, Ashish a friend of mine was speaking about Black Dog which in his words was a great luxury whiskey brand. Curious always, in such matters, here is what I learned about it.

Black Dog:
A 125 year old Scotch Whiskey brand launched by James MacKinlay under the original name of Milard Black Dog is still quite famous in India. Available from United Spirits in four variants viz Centenary, Deluxe (12 year), Reserve (18 years) and Luintessence (Aged 21 years).


Availability N Price:
Available in most parts of India with a price of Rs. 1400 to Rs. 2000 (for 600ml) based on the state of purchase, while the price of 18 years old can go upto Rs. 5000.

Tasting Notes
Colour :       Amber with golden highlights.
Aroma :       Matured wood, toasted malt, mild honey sweetness, delicate butterscotch bordering on cream, with floral nuances that emerges at the end.
Palate:       Robust body, pronounced rich malt and oak and sherry sweetness, spreads warmly in the mouth like silent sea waves.
Finish :       Balanced, long, intense and bright.

Reviews:
So, pour in 60 ml, add 3-4 ice cubes, swirl it slightly and you are ready. The poison goes down pretty smoothly and does not ’pinch’ your throat. It has a slightly metallic kind of taste, and you won’t know when you are already 2 pegs down. Tastes best with not-so-spicy snacks. Read more here

Black Dog Aged 18 Years

The first 2-3 pegs will make your mind flying deeper in your dreams.you will presume that you cant handle it anymore.But with the next 1 or 2 or 3 pegs, u will become more of a master and  just feel the taste and the smoothness running  through your whole body. Read more here

Suggestions: 

• No Spicy Treats
• No excess water (or soda)
• Drink On the Rocks or Neat.

Tried Black Dog already? Do let me know how you feel about it.

with regards
Abhishek Boinapalli

Updates -- August Is Here

Hello All,

New Leaf

 This is Abhishek again. I wasn't very active on this blog from the time I created it for various reasons. Well, I guess it is going to change from today. I am turning into a new-leaf today. Here are some guiding principles I shall follow from today on this blog

• Post at-least twice a week in this blog
• Develop great community around the blog
• Post no ads, sponsored posts untill I reach 250 unique visitors per day
• Sincerely follow the above

Hoping that I can counsel myself and  stick to the regime above. What are your plans for this August? Do let me know.

with warm regards
Abhishek Bionapalli

Theme based months

Grape Wine

Hello All,

  This is a quick short post, to inform all the readers that we shall have theme based months *and posts* on Finest-Spirits from now on.

   From 26th to 30th of a month, I shall think of a theme *taking your suggestions into consideration* and from 1st of the next month, we shall post only on the theme.  Whiskey can be a theme and so do Beer, Brandy, Mock-tails, ... 

 Kindly help me choose a theme for this week.

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Caesar Genuine Grape Brandy

Caesar Brandy

         Caesar Genuine Grape Brandy  is a premium brandy available in India from United Spirits Limited (USL) *earlier  McDowell and Company Limited* is well known for its dark gold colour, balanced aroma of rich grapes, honey and vanilla, woody characters and spicy taste which is complemented by rich oak.


         Considered an excellent brandy by brandy lovers. The bottle is quite stylish and the fragrance is quite cool. The taste is the same till you go for the bottom sip.

Mc Dowells Brandy

         Brandy is usually drunk neat *i.e. a single, unmixed liquor served without being cooled and without any water / ice / mixer.* at room temperature from a snifter of a tulip glass. You can of-course drink it *on the rocks* i.e. throw a few cubes of ice into the drink to cool it down a little and make it more pleasant.      

   In case you wanna check out alternatives in this segment, you can try Bejois Brandy by Amrut Distilleries          Wanna check it out? Do let me know how you feel about it!! Already enjoying this premium brand of Brandy? Do help me out by giving a proper review of this drink.

Links:
Wikipedia on Brandy
Review on MouthShut




 with warm regards
 Abhishek Boinapalli

Beer In India

     Who on the earth don't know the fact that BEER is the worlds most widely consumed alcoholic beverage? Well Well, I even know the fact that water and tea are the only avialable beverages which beat BEER in popularity.

   Coming to beer in India, the industry is booming and the top beers available *listed below* are definitely worth a try.

Beer

 

Haywards: With its light bodied nature, watery tasting is my first preference. Haywards is famous for its brands Haywards 10000, Haywards 5000 and Haywards 2000. The Haywards premium black (strong, dark colored with a heavy malty taste) is available in select Indian markets and is for sure the first stout beer in India.

Kingfisher: (The king of good times) from the Vijay Mallya's United Breweries is most recognized and widely available beer. Light tasting, easy drinking with plenty of malt. Kingfisher ultra is a lifestyle choice. One thing for sure is, life is refreshing when you select the right King-Fisher beer.

Royal Challenge: is another mild beer with long brewing cycle, quite a full bodied nature and is quite tasty too.

Budweiser: A fresh, light tasting beer for those kids @college and for those men who are reminding themselves of college.

Other Distinctive beers available include:

Kalyani Black Label: famous across eastern India for its mellowed brew and extra bite

Kings Beer

Kings beer of Goa: *No luck yet. Only available in Goa*. A very tasty, pale coloured beer famous for its aroma of smoky malt.

Foster's: This Aussie beer is full-bodied, malty and enjoyable.

Links:
Wikipedia
Top 5 Beers In India
Best Beers In India

  Do let me know, what your favourite beer is? Which among the above beers have you enjoyed and what is the right time to enjoy beer?

with warm regards

Abhishek Boinapalli

Review Amrut Single Malt

Amrut Pleated Whiskey

       Amrut Single Malt whiskey by Amrut Distillery, Bangalore is one of famous brands of Whiskey made in India.

     AMRUT Single Malt Whisky is a product of many years research to produce whiskies matching world standards. This whisky is made from selected Indian barley grown at the feet of the Himalayas, nurtured by the waters flowing there and cultivated by old and traditional agricultural practices. It is carefully mashed and distilled in small batches to preserve the natural aroma and matured in oak barrels in a unique tropical condition,at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level at Bangalore, the garden city of India.

     Amrut presents this product as a humble tribute to the Indian farmer,who has grown this barley with care and affection with which he has tilled the soil.We hope as a connoisseur of all good things you will appreciate this fine product at your leisure.


Review1:

Amrut Fusion Whiskey

• Nose: Very peaty, with an earthy, clay-like scent. Not sweet, more umami – seaweed and soy. Deeper in there is a suggestion of kiwi, the everpresent Amrut banana, and black tea. A dash of water only draws out a note of cigarette smoke.
• Finish: Expectedly long, a bit of dark chocolate creeps in, along with spent tea leaves, cigar or cigarette ash, and a little vegetal bitterness at the tail end.

Review2:
Finish: Expectedly long, a bit of dark chocolate creeps in, along with spent tea leaves, cigar or cigarette ash, and a little vegetal bitterness at the tail end.


Final Verdict:
Recommended for those who love Whiskey and of-course is the right choice when it comes to gift someone a good bottle of whiskey.


Links:
Amrut Distillery -- Single Malt Whiskey
Review One
Review Two


with warm regards
Abhishek Boniapalli

Purpose of Blog -- Is Boozing A Sin?

Hello All,

     This is Abhishek Boinapalli from Hyderabad, India, the author and administrator of this wonderful blog *Yeah, it would become wonderful for sure*.

    Being born and brought up in a middle-class Indian family I was taught repeatedly that it is bad to booze or to have wine yet time and again every guest of importance was treated with finest of the available spirits with pleasure. I was told repeatedly by both the Bible and by people that to booze is a sin.

Fine Spirits

  Well Well, this opinion has now changed. After careful and much needed research of literature, of thoughts and of people, the conclusion I came to is very very simple:

        Any act / any practise that doesn't hurt people around, that does wish well for everyone around, that shows love care and affection to people around and is legal as per law of the land isn't a sin any more.

Wine Glass

     When something isn't a taboo and you wish to do it, you must give your best to it. You are supposed to work hard, earn the right to make true your wish and live your dream of boozing (or) of being rich (or) of being an Officer of Indian Army.

       There wouldn't be any fun in drinking the same toddy everyday right? So this blog is all about boozing, benefits of boozing, taboos in boozing, finest sprits every man dreams of and would soon have articles about everything from choosing right wine, giving right wine as gift, drinking the right beer, the myths to lore of the world of boozing. In simple words, this blog would be everything that a man needs to know about spirits (beer, whiskey, brandy, wine, gin, rum,.....) and the right approach to boozing *I at-least wish this blog becomes like that*. Hope everyone would love the blog and help me in making this quite successful.

Hoping to drink a toast for your health, wealth and success of this blog,

Abhishek Boinapalli