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Josh's Blog

Life & Stuff

Busking at the Leyton Super Store Center

By platypusone November 5, 2022

Busking at the Leyton Super Store Center

Had a really nice time today busking with my new friend Lilly in the gritty area of Leyton. The area was a busy shopping center – where, to liken to something similar in the US – would be one of those large shopping centers scattered across the nation where both a Walmart and Home Depot would be within the same proximity. This was s first time busking for me in a couple of years. The last time I busked proper with someone else was with a Scottish Ukelele player named Graeme, who has long since moved to Australia. Anyways, Lilly and I had a great time. As a first time jam with one another, it was a great exposure to one another’s playing style and I think we will only get better over time. It was also a lot of fun, and, we each made a cool 2.50GBP – just enough for a budget pint of swill at the local Whetherspoons.

Life & Stuff

Halloween!

By platypusone October 28, 2022

Halloween Carving Party

Yesterday the boys and I made some Jack’o’Lanterns in preparation for Halloween . One of the kiddos went above and beyond with his pumpkin interpretation of Captain Jack Sparrow. We needed a beard so we cut my hemp bracelet in half to complete the look, using magnets for the beads. In all it was a lot of work and a lot of fun. We played Halloween music on my phone as we carved. \m/

Btw, the random etch’a’sketch photo is of Davy Jones form Pirates of the Caribbean. I drew it for the kiddos and was so damned impressed with myself I had to snap a pic!

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Croucher & Co Periodical / Suntory Whisky Toki

By platypusone July 8, 2022

An unlikely pairing of a Scottish lowland single malt and middle Japan blended whisky yields an interesting voyage into famiiar flavours.

Periodical – Oloroso Barrel
Nose: Pronounced banana, honey, orange rind, hints of apricot, vanilla, and mixed fruit
Age: 14 years
Region: Lowlands (Loch Lomand)
ABV: 50%
Pallate: Spicey vanilla, boiled fruits, watercress, sea salt
Finish: Long, with very little bitterness. Doesnt dry the mouth, shallow depth of melon flavors.
Source: Purchased form Valhalla’s Goat in Glasgow<

I am learning that whiskys I initially dont like tend to grow on me as I make my way through the bottle. I am the same way with music, actually. I recall that many a favorite song today was a tune I initially cared very little for until I ‘got it’. I think some aspect of that plays into my still juvenile journey of appreciating good drams… but there is no doubt something else going on. Oxygen i reckon. The venom like potency of this Periodical spirit softens over time. The more air that replaces the liquid in the bottle, the more tame it becomes. I suppose this is why a tasting legend like Ralfy always articulates that patience is the master key toward enjoying a good whisky, going as far as to recommend that one should wait at least one minute for each year listed on a bottle’s age statement prior to tasting. So 21 year Balvenie should sit in its glass for 21 minutes before it is experienced. Periodical benefits greatly from some time with the windows down. However, at 50% ABV it is still a handful after using Ralfy’s formula. Indeed, it is a very hot drink out the gate. Enter a second technique, the controlled introduction of water. Interestingly, Periodical has a glass jaw when it comes to water. A drop too many and you instantly get a hazy bathtub of worn, stretched flavours of no value. Get the balance right however, and you’ll break through the fire and into a corner of delightfully rewarding flavors. Periodical’s flavor profile does not contain much depth. however, it is the voyage to get there that makes the experience worthwhile. At 50% ABV, Periodical is the strongest bottle of Scottish whisky I’ve had yet. It is a unique dram, and one that seems geared entirely for those who’ve been through the introductions already. For the rest of us, it might take a few jams on the headphones before we can actually ‘get it’.

Rating: 6.5/10

Suntory Whisky Toki
Nose: Citrus flavors, vanilla extract, ripe cantelope, hint of lemon drop
Age: No age statement (Blended whisky)
ABV: 43%
Palate: Floral, Hints of fig, honey, pear, vanilla
Finish: coasting finish of diminshing flavours, a bit dry towards the end, but overall pleasing through its course.

A smooth blend that is extremely welcoming, both in its flavor profile and its smooth delivery. At 43% it is a cut above most blends Ive had in its price range, and it is simple to enjoy. At its heart is a soothing sweet charm that that somehow manages to be almost perfectly balanced. At 43 percent it retainsa nip out of the cask, and allows for a bit of water to assit in accessibility. It really is almost too easy. to enjoy. Its only shortcoming is that there is very little depth of flavor for me. It says what it says at the beginning (very sweet , affable whatnots) then sits down shly until the next sip. This was a very nice bottle to enjoy along with the Periodical. They both have similar characteristics, but deliver them defferently. One with the fire of a short tempered Spanish brunette (that wants you in the sack), and the other with a much more courteous approach. But almost so much as to they become invisible amongst the rest of the crowd.

Rating: 6.5/10

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Four on the floor

By platypusone May 30, 2022

Tonight I am polishing off 4 bottles of dram. A Clynelish 14 year, a Mortlach Rare Old, a Chivas Regal XV Balmain, and an Arran Barrel Reserve.

Mortlach Old Rare – big hat for the cattle.
Type: Single Malt
Age: No Age Statement
Region: Highlands/Speyside (east coast)
ABV: 43.4%
Pros: All rounder, allows for quick acclimation to its character, lovely bottle
Cons: No age statement, colour likely added, chill filtered, short finish, shallow depth
Nose: Scent of lemon, salt, vanilla spice, passion fruit
Taste: Dates, a bit of raisin and vanilla, overripened fruits, chocolate, a bit of peatiness, and nippy for 40% abv
Finish: Leaves the mouth dry but physically watery
Comments: While it does deliver on some nice overall flavours, none of them quite possess the depth needed to impart a lasting impression. However, this lovely little bottle was a suprise gift from my Father in Law for my 47th birthday, which propels this to an all time fav. 6/10 + 4 in sentimental value

Chivas Regal XV Balmain – a notable blend after some time.
Type: Single Malt
Age: 15
Region: Highlands/Speyside
ABV: 40%
Pros: A decent bttle of dram for the price point
Cons: Colour likely added, chill filtered, nice flavours but fade very quickly, plastic bottle cap
Nose: Scent of lemon, salt, vanilla spice, passion fruit
Taste: Dates, a bit of raisin and vanilla, figs, melon, cool on the bite
Finish: A nice lingering of the same flavours that seems to develop into a faint floral sweetness
Comments: A medley of sweet flavours that culminate into a satisfying experience. No water necessary but a small taster spoon also doesnt take away from it. 6/10

Arran Barrel Reserve – not nearly to my fancy as the 10 year, but still chum-worthy
Type: Single Malt
Age: No Age Statement
Region: Highlands/Lowland divide/Isle
ABV: 43%
Pros: A peaty addition to the Arran collection, natural color, smooth and mildly complex
Cons: No chill filter statement, seems a bit young, not quite on the maturity mark
Nose: sea salt, passion fruit, apple, vanilla spice, mango and pear
Taste: A nice echo of the nose, with the vanilla ripened fruit bcoming more pronounced as it develops, a bit of peach and a taste of peat.
Finish: Best finish of the bunch so far, with a gradual fade into subtle vanilla and maple creaminess.
Comments: While not as mature or a impressionable as the legendary 10 year Arran, this bottle stand on its own as a quality bottle for its low price point. 6/10

Clynelish 14 – the Alpha of the bunch
Type: Single Malt
Age: 14
Region: Highlands
ABV: 46%
Pros: The most quaiity for price I have had in recent memory.
Cons: No chill filter statement, no colour statement
Nose: Wonderful aroma of butterscotch, sea salt, caramel, and mixed fruits, apricot melon, and orange specifically.
Taste: Rich, sweet notes compared to the other spirits in this list.It just covers the tongue in floral notes, butter, faint toffee, hints of cocao, and more.
Finish: Apple peach, apricot, banana,
Comments: This little tasting adventure truly ended on the best note that it could have. The Clynelish dwarves the other drams in just about every facet of its expression.A long smooth finish a beautilful balance of alcohol and flavour, a wonderful nose. An absolute joy of an experience. 8.5/10

Beverages Review

RedBreast 12 Year

By platypusone April 29, 2022

Fruity, zesty, bright and light, easy to drink with little bite.

Purchased from the House of Malt onn the 27th of September of 2021. Finished this evening, on the 29th of April 2022. Price was 42.40 GBP.

Region: Ireland ABV: 4o%

Expressions also enjoyed during this time were Arran 10 year, Glengoyne 18, Arran Barrel Reserve, Chivas Regal XV Balmain, and Arran Cream Liquor.

Pros: Tropical overtones. Easy on the tongur with just enough heat. Few flavors to unpack make this a terrific bottle to devlop a palate with.
Cons: Was not the same dram at the end of the bottle as it was at the beginning. First pull was not impressive, yet last pull was stellar. This was over six months, Not sure which flavrou RedBreast was going for.

Nose: Lemony candy, seasalt, fresh fruit
Taste: Orange peel, ripe melon, peach, tiny bit of butterscotch. No need to add water to its 40 percent ABV.
Finish: A nice long finish that moves from the citrusy tang to very faint, yet perfectly satisfying cholocate creamy coconut.

Additional notes: This bottle has really suprised me over the several months of pulling off it. When I first popped it I thought it was a bit too ordinary, with a very average overall whisky tone. However, the time in the bottle has really opened this dram into a delightful experience, with all sorts of flavours having come out of the woodwork, and all of them very chummy with the taste buds. RedBreast is also a pot still whisky from Ireland.

Dram Rating:

Rated 6.5 out of 10

Beverages Review

GlenAllarchie 12 Single Malt

By platypusone April 27, 2022

Condensed medley of pleasing sweet, darker flavors that come into their own after a bit of water and rest.

Purchased from the House of Malt website in October of 2021 and opened about a month or so later. Finished this evening, on the 26th of April 2022. Price was 40.95 GBP.

Region: Speyside ABV: 46%

Expressions also enjoyed during this time were Arran 10 year, Glengoyne 18, Arran Barrel Reserve, Chivas Regal XV Balmain, and Arran Cream Liquor.

Pros: Pops with chocolatey depth at the forefront. Nonchill filtered, beautiful rich natural color. A flagship bottle at the price point.
Cons: Alcohol nip is just tad on the hot side. Finish isnt fully defined.

Nose: A deep prominance of fudgy chocolate, rum balls, tinges of caramel, vanilla, raisin, with an upper hint of Creme Brûlée.
Taste: Flora, chocolate and raisin, vanilla. Adding a bit of water brings about sugar cone, oily and rich. The proof let’s itself be known, with a stingy bite on the back of the tongue even with a few drops of water.
Finish: Overipened fruit with a biterness in the resolve, dry, lingering notes of banana after several minutes of breathing,

Additional notes: One of Ralfy’s whiskies of the year and purchased purely on that merit. A delightfully engaging intoduction into the speyside region of scotch whisky. When contrasted with Arran 10 year (another Ralfy favorite), the GlenAllarchie 12 has more bottom end to its flavour profile, where the Arran is more trebley on top.

Dram Rating:

Rated 6 out of 10

Beverages Review

Glengoyne 18 Single Malt

By platypusone April 25, 2022

A pleasurable experience on the front end, but falls a bit short in the rear.

Purchased at the Glengoyne distillery in August of 2021. Opened early 2022, and finished on the 25th of April 2022. Price was apx 140 GBP.

Expressions also enjoyed during this time were Arran 10 year, GlenAllarchie 15, Arran Barrel Reserve, Chivas Regal XV Balmain, and Arran Cream Liquor.

Pros: Festive and warm with friendly character.
Cons: Chill filtered, color added, pricey for what it delivers

Nose: Light vanilla, raisin, light citrus
Taste: Chocolate, christmas spices, sweet, a distant, slight peatiness, marangue
Finish: Bitter, dry, with a touch of oily lemon on the upper register, seems incomplete as it falls rapidly.

Additional notes: Located just outside of Glasgow, the beautiful Glengoyne distillery is small and intimate. The staff are lovely and the tour is informative and memorable. The drive to the distillery passes through beautiful scottish countryside and quaint chocolate box towns along the way. The distillery also sits right between the Highand/Lowland regions, with the road to get there dividing the two. In fact, the warehouse sits across the road from the distillery, making Glengoyne a scotch made in the highlands and aged in the lowlands.

Recent happenings

By platypusone March 25, 2022

Went to a free meditation session last night. I found elements of it to be very useful in levelling one’s keel through techniques, affirmations, visualisations, and concepts. The session however had a shrine set up for the woman who developed this meditation. We were also shown a 25 minute video of a speech she had presented many years ago. I found this bit to be oddly out of place from the rest of the session – a lazy buy-in effort with little effect. Maybe Im just not to the level required to gain something out of it, I dont know.

The overall issue I have though is that, the more a spiritual position is focused down to just one person, the more skeptical I become. This usually suggests an infallabiity of that one individual. Which we all know is bullshit.

It is the idea of spiritualism that is pure, it is the knowledge collected and delivered by many that gives it its power. Anyone who hits the podium without acknowledging this first always loses points in my book.

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Checking in

By platypusone March 22, 2022

It has been a bit. Lot has changed since my last post. New books read, new trips taken and planned. Be posting more about it all soon.

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The calling

By platypusone September 16, 2021

Been really missing home lately. I’ve found myself reliving old times…simple affairs, walking outside to the crisp, dry autumn air in Denton. DIY [projects, gardening, jamming with my mates. Eastside, the Denton square, busking, hanging with my neighbor John, my dogs, firepits, camping, my rock polishing. My family, going to Houston and stopping at Buccees somewhere in between. Seeing my Mom and step Dad, my Father, sisters, Aunts, geez…everyone and everything.

I don’t want to leave England until it is either unavoidable, or on my own terms. Those terms dictate that I reach a comfortable position to stay, and still feel the relentless call back. That is when I will know for sure, it is the right path.