Big Bottom

September 05, 2013 by Alphageek

Okay, stop laughing. This is a real bourbon. No, I did not make this name up. Here, take a look at the picture below.

The decision to purchase this was really easy. I was at one of my favorite places to purchase bourbon, Green's Liquor in Greenville, SC. Yes, Green's in Greenville. Green's carries several interesting bourbons that don't seem to be available many other places. I decided to try something that was non-traditional, so I went with bourbon not from Kentucky.

Big Bottom is an interesting drink. On the back, it says that it is named after someplace in Oregon, which is where the label said this was made. It also said that Big Bottom has a considerable amount of rye in the mix. Usually, I am not a fan of rye, but i dove right in.

This bourbon has a mild nose. I decided to just try it neat, and I have to say after many more drinks, I am not sure what to make of Big Bottom. At first, I did not like Big Bottom, but I warmed up a little. I did find that the taste was good, but mild. A little ice caused the flavor to become almost weak.

Some other observations. It does not make a very good Manhattan. The bitters totally clobbered the taste of the bourbon and destroyed that balance I like in my Manhattans. So much for rye in a Manhattan. I think this bourbon would make a great drink where the strong flavor of some bourbons is not called for, like a Mint Julep for my Wahoo friend.

We made some other purchases at Green's, so check back for more reviews. Until next time.

36TH Vote Barreled Manhattan

May 30, 2013 by Neil Jablonski

Manhattans? While the alphageek sometimes drinks a Manhattan, it is not usually something that the alphageek seeks out. The drink just does not usually excite the alphageek, and certainly does not inspire excitement.

That feeling has changed.

Enter 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan. This bottle contains an already made Manhattan concoction. To top things off, it is made with rye whiskey rather than bourbon. The alphageek has tried rye before and did not like rye. This new drink is something you should seek out. It was so good, one of the rules was broken, and I researched the drink online. Short version: they mix the Manhattan and age it in an oak barrel.

The first sip exploded with sweet and delicious flavor. To say that this drink is smooth is more than an understatement, smooth would not be far enough. There are more flavors here than I have the words to describe.

I used to say I was not a Manhattan kind of guy.

I used to say I was not a rye kind of guy.

I might be a 36TH Vote Barreled Manhattan kind of guy.

Below, is the person who said I could try this incredible drink with him, Big Dick. Its okay, he said I can call him Big Dick. I think his picture pretty much sums everything up.

Hey, leave a comment. Those comments still work, right?

Bourbon from Virginia?

April 28, 2013 by Alphageek

This site has undergone a move. We are here on our new web address and getting things going. Perhaps a little catching up is in order.

Google has started to shut down some of their services, such as the rss reader. This has caused the alphageek to become concerned that google could shut down something like blogger, which the alphageek has been using to host this and other blogs for years. Do a search on google graveyard if you doubt your alphageek. This concern made now the right time to just go and grab a new web site, that is actually under control of the alphageek. You might notice that there are multiple tabs up top there for multiple blogs. Guess what? There will be even more changes to come. After all, you can't use omnigeek with only two blogs.

Some things will remain the same. The import function was not perfect, and there are still some problems with this site. We have decided to just live with the quirks and move on. You can always find the old content on the old web site, if you feel so inclined. Having trouble finding something? Go ahead and leave a comment anywhere, and someone will get back to you right away.

Bowman Brothers Pioneer Spirit (Click for entire image) — Bowman Brothers *Pioneer Spirit* (Click for entire image)

The hardest thing to get right is the title of this stuff. Rather than try and make another mistake, how about you just click on the image and see for yourself? Really, you should click and see the cool background on the label too.

Maybe the alphageek has a bias against Bowman products because Bowmans makes Virginia Gentleman as well. The alphageek hears that wahoos drink Virginia Gentleman, and that might be reason enough to avoid these guys. However, the alphageek also lives just a few miles away, and feels he should not deny himself the rare opportunity to sample and enjoy a local product. After all, almost all bourbon is made in Kentucky, and not the fine Commonwealth of Virginia. After a trip to ABC store, the alphageek holds the bottle that you see in the picture, and the bottle is really cool.

So, I started with a little pour. The aroma is pretty good, dare I say excellent? While mrs. ag felt it smelled like any bourbon, the hint of oak was intriguing. I quickly found that the aroma of this bourbon is simply intoxicating. I took a little sip, and decided right away that the bias against Bowmans would have to end right away. The bourbon is very smooth with a hint of oak. While some people may not like that oak hint, the alphageek finds it nearly intoxicating. The usual sampling method of one ice cube, yields flavors that are more subtle than usual for bourbon. A little of everything that makes bourbon great is in there. Sure, I could say things like vanilla and so forth, but if you don't know your basic bourbon, you probably stopped reading after the third sentence.

alphageek's bottom line: although the wahoo bias may continue, any bias against Bownans has to end now. Run out and get some of this great bourbon today.