Post #180599 by Rum Numb Davey on Thu, Aug 18, 2005 11:25 AM

Jab: Have to agree with you on the Woodford Reserve Manhattan. Yet again, a Brown-Forman product, which Lincoln Henderson makes. Part of the absolute richness and depth of the Woodford is the copper pot stills used in its production.

I love the term boy-men, Jab. Can I use it please, as Candy Ass is a little dated and redneck. The problem with this country is the "sheeple" are afraid of taste. Why do you think Vodka, who know one drank before the early 7O's became the phenomenon it has marketwise because it can be integrated with everything. Sure, we love sugar, fat and salt so it has become the staples of our fast food culture creating cow children of prodigious size. There are 400 pound lineman in the NFL, and competitive eating IS now a sport like baseball and featured on ESPN. We are afraid of BOLD flavors like whisky, sea urchin, and fish sauce. Asians relish these flavors. The same can be said for hot and spicy foods. Many Americans eat vinegar jalepenos in goopey nachos, but who eats Yucatan Habeneros, by the handfuls? A few chileheads and frat boys on dares certainly do. The problem is intensity in flavor. A Jalepeno has 5,000 Scoville units of heat, whereas a habenero has up ward's of 300,000!

Before Prohibition, Americans drank Baltimore Rye, Bourbon, and Gin. All boldly flavored and textured spirits. After the failed political mistake of Prohibition ended, we've slipped into a candy fetish fascination in beverage imbibing. I love Tropical cocktails like everyone else on this site, but I have broad interest in taste and what I constitute as "delicious." I like the Tony Bordain model of eating everything, everywhere, all the time. If I really enjoy it, I go back for seconds. As a member of the Court of Master Sommelier, I have people constantly ask me what is my favorite wine. I always reply "all of them..it depends on what I am eating." This is true, as I like all wines from Burgundy to Greek Retsina to Lodi Zinfandel. I like all Rums, Whiskeys, and Brandies. Sure, i have preferences, but I want to experience it all.

By the way, a note on the hot and spicy thing..use your head. I overdid a extreme hot sauce called, "Blair's 4 AM" (which makes Dave's Insanity taste like Tabasco). It has a whopping 2 million Scoville units, and I was in intense stomach discomfort for two days. So to experience it does not mean to abuse it either. To often, we equate quantity with quality. Now, does anybody want to join me for lunch at Hometown Buffet, I could really go for 10 plates of bland meatloaf and 1/4 pound of corn out of a can.