Not much has happened on the web site lately. Meanwhile the real world has seen change like never before. I am going to leave that change aside and just mention there are two new cats here at AGTF. Maybe one of these days I will post some pictures. They are great cats that more or less like people. Well, they like people as much as cats do.

Oh, the alphageek is now a licensed amateur radio operator too. That is another change.

Enough about other change, how about a quick bourbon review?

I selected this bourbon for two reasons. One was I have read about it being a good value and the second reason is that the ABC store actually had it in stock.

Nose I get a grain and ethanol note, and overall the nose is mild.

Pop I don’t get much on the initial intake.

Body Fire like and pepper notes dominate.

Finish It finishes with a biscuit like flavor, lingering quietly.

The above was at room temperature. I then had it my favorite way, over ice. It makes a great sipping bourbon. I tried making a mint julep with the bourbon, and can recommend it without hesitation. I must admit the finish is not my favorite, but neither are there harsh flavors. The finish is single note, and I just happen to not be thrilled with the finish. Don’t take that too negatively, this is a bourbon I would purchase again.

I seem to be noticing that I am writing about mild bourbons more often. I wonder if this is a trend?

There have been many whiskey related posts lately. So many whiskey posts that one might forget that this was once the #1 rated food site in Virginia. Times have changed and we are down to a couple of readers. A couple of readers is ok, it is still more than many web sites have. After all, we still promise original content.

Today is a product review for something I came across by accident: Forto Coffee Shots. I am sure the good people at Forto don’t want to hear this, but the shots were on closeout at my local Publix. I was interested because of the “caffeine only” approach to a drink. Drinks with stimulants other than caffeine are not something we indulge in. We picked a few up with the thought of trying one at work instead of the ho-hum Keurig coffee on morning.

The next day I drank my impulse purchase down and was immediately impressed with the strong coffee taste. I like coffee best with limited accessories like sugar and cream and other flavors, so this simple coffee shot appealed to me.

I went back to Publix get some more Forto, but Publix was already sold out. Disappointed, I did what any geek does: I looked on Amazon instead and sure enough I could get a six pack sent right to the house using Prime. I did a little careful reading and found out that Forto makes many varieties. I settled on the 100 mg caffeine Pure Black, Hersheys and Vanilla Latte.

Each flavor is just what it promises: a small shot of delicious coffee that helps pick up the brain when needed. I love these for several reasons.

Forto Shot has only 100 mg of caffeine. Some drinks these days have considerably more but at some point caffeine works or it does not.
The caffeine is a consistent quantity, unlike stopping for “truck stop” coffee.
This variety of Forto Shot has no other stimulants but some others do.
Forto shots are easily packed. I like to put them in my backpack for a shot when the day gets long when hiking or simply being somewhere short of quality coffee. These days, that includes driving. Some drives have great coffee along the way and some drives don’t.

Forto is something that has quickly made it’s way into the backpack permanently. We love the simplicity of just coffee. If you want more caffeine, Forto sells 200 mg and varieties that are closer to energy drinks. You can check them out and write your own review or leave a comment.