Orphan Barrel Lost Prophet Bourbon: Gimmick Drink or Great Dram?
Smoth’s Rating: 9.2/10 It’s a rare occasion that I come across a whiskey as rare as Orphan Barrel’s Lost Prophet, a 22 year-old bourbon. Some claim the Orphan Barrel lineup is more marketing gimmick than quality. With it’s extremely high price, snappy branding and questionable background,…
Date Night Dinner & Wine #3: Tasty Tartare With Valpolicella
A typical Saturday for me includes at least three beers, two bowls of boxed macaroni and cheese, a few hours of kittens laying on my face, and usually excludes pants. Yesterday, however, I had a hunger that could only be sated by one of my…
Hogtown Brewers are Creating a “Gateway” to Craft Beer
If you’re into the craft beer community, you probably have mixed feelings about contract brewers. Sure, they represent the entrepreneurial spirit that defines independent beer producers, but in a thriving market some question the veracity of their intentions — is it passion for the beer,…
Date Night Dinner & Wine #2: Great Meal, Good Wine, Bad Pairing
This week I tried something different. I had my favourite recipe guinea pig over, picked her favourite wine, then tried out a recipe I’d been kicking around my head over the course of my last three or four showers. The results were mixed: a big…
Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon: A Mature Whiskey
I’m a fan of Bulleit bourbon. It’s a straight forward, unabashed whiskey that’s perfectly suited for decent cocktails and sipping alike. So when I got the chance to try Bulleit 10 bourbon, the big brother of the Bulleit line, I was excited — would this bring additional refinement…
Actinolite Creates Contemporary Canadian Cuisine
Nestled away in a neighborhood more known for Portuguese chicken than fine dining lies one of Toronto’s – and arguably Canada’s – finest culinary (and imbibing) experiences, at Actinolite restaurant (971 Ossington Ave.) I had the pleasure of dining there with my partner for our…
Toronto — Ottawa Beer Exchange
In December, I had the opportunity to do a beer swap with Your Next Beer, a great blog for those who like a healthy dose of wit with their barley sandwiches. Dave, (Editor-in-Chief of YNB) published his review of Bellwoods beer on Sublime Imbibing, and I published…
Date Night Dinner & Wine #1: Chicken, Rapini and Pinot Grigio
I had a couple of friends over for dinner this week to thank them for taking care of my cats as I went to visit family in Toronto. Four long days straight of holiday festivities had really scrambled my food-brain so having them over the…
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye: World’s Best Whiskey?
Let me give you a quick summary of the questions I know you have about Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye: Yes, I actually found a bottle for myself, and no — it’s not the world’s best whiskey. But you know what? It is pretty damn good, and worth…
Pol Roger Brut Champagne: A New Treat for a New Year
Every New Year’s Eve I treat myself to a new Champagne (as good an excuse as any to spend far too much on a bottle of booze), and give it a review. This year, based on numerous recommendations, I opted for Pol Roger Reserve Brut…