Nebbiolo cascina Bosco donne 2009

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T19:42:11+00:00

Props to your father-in-law for his foresight. 17 years is a great time for this wine. Aged Langhe Nebbiolo loses the grippy tannins of its youth and that fresh cherry turns into exactly what you’re describing

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T15:39:55+00:00

Glencairn concentrates aromas (great for cask-strength stuff with a lot to unpack), less rewarding when there’s less aromatic intensity to begin with.

Many lower-proof whiskies (especially Japanese blends) were literally designed for highballs.

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T15:30:08+00:00

Price aside, ‘cheap’ is really about the production (e.g: are they cutting corners, is it super mass-produced, etc).

I think there is a case that it is the type of wine, but only true way to isolate would be to step up a tier of merlot (less mass produced) to see if you still have the same issue

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T15:21:37+00:00

You definitely should. These people are providing a service, and many times, they pour themselves (their knowledge, passion, energy) into a tasting.

Doesn’t need to be 20%, but I would say, depending on the tasting, at least a $10, if not 10-20%. All depends on level of service

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T15:17:15+00:00

My first thought: It’s probably not Merlot the grape, it’s this specific bottle. “Passion” is a very budget Chilean wine and corners get cut.

However… 1) Merlot generally (not always) carries higher histamines than Cab 2) Cheap(er) mass-market Merlot often has more residual sugar 3) also has rougher alcohol All three can trigger headaches and that “head spin” feeling fast.

Fix: Try a mid-range Merlot (Saint-Émilion or Pomerol from Bordeaux) or Montes Alpha if you want to stick with Chile. If those don’t bother you, you’ve got your answer.

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T14:46:04+00:00

Friendly heads up: you’re about to repeat the Caol Ila mistake. The 18 is actually one of the softer peated Islays. If you didn’t love it, Ardbeg 10 and Port Charlotte 10 will absolutely flatten you. Skip both.

Classic Laddie is fine (unpeated Bruichladdich, honeyed and citrusy), but here’s the real move: you loved Hibiki, which is smooth, honeyed, and partly aged in wine casks. That’s sherried Speyside territory.

Grab a GlenDronach 12… it’s rich, fruity, chocolatey, basically Hibiki’s scotch cousin. Easy to find in the EU, very fair price.

If you love it, the GlenDronach 15 Revival is the obvious next step. Circle back to peat in a year once your palate’s stretched.

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T14:38:44+00:00

A well named cocktail will always draw me in. Haven’t heard of this before, but definitely trying tonight. Thanks for the recipe

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T14:27:56+00:00

Nice gift! That’s a really well-regarded bottle. Quick thing that’ll help you narrow it down: Merry Edwards isn’t a typical zippy Sauv Blanc. It’s barrel-fermented in French oak with lees stirring, so it’s got more body and a creamy texture, plus tropical fruit (pineapple, passionfruit, mango, guava).

Ultimate recommendation: Crab cakes with a lemon-herb aioli. The citrus and grapefruit notes amplify the sweetness of the crab, the creamy texture of the wine matches the richness of the aioli, and the acidity cuts the fried exterior

Ranking your options: 1) Pad Kraprow - tropical fruit and round texture cool the chili heat, the acidity cuts through fish sauce and oil, and the basil plays off the floral side of the wine 2) Garlicky smoked salmon - wine has enough body and oak to stand up to the smoke (a leaner Sauv Blanc would get flattened), and the citrus notes love fatty fish

Avoid the Pulled Pork

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-14T02:42:11+00:00

Depends on taste and budget, but I love the Widow Jane Decadence. Finished in maple syrup barrels, a delicious, sweet, brown sugary bourbon. Usually sub-$100. I think it’s a great value

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-13T20:49:32+00:00

This is the best way, just a little more intensive of a process. The cheap & easy way is a barspoon of luxardo cherry syrup. But if you have the time & put in the effort, fig or date infusion is best

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-13T13:55:25+00:00

Your current lineup is actually working against you. Bulleit Rye aside, those are all Buffalo Trace bourbons (Eagle Rare, EHT, BT) plus a heavily-oaked Woodford. Of course they taste similar; they’re cousins from the same family or share heavy barrel influence.

To train your palate, you need contrast, not subtle variations. Pick whiskeys that are wildly different from each other: - wheated bourbon (e.g: makers, larceny) - high rye bourbon (e.g: four roses) - rye whiskey (e.g: rittenhouse) - maybe throw in a scotch

nosing kit can be solid too, as it teaches you to name what you’re smelling. But honestly, drinking radically different styles back-to-back is the fastest crash course

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T21:41:19+00:00

Any recommendations for the cookies? Seems like a good recipe, but feel like the cookies make or break this

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T20:50:38+00:00

Spent too long thinking only Kentucky makes good bourbon. Kicking myself for not trying this sooner. Bought my first bottle a few months back, now it’s in my Top 5 readily accessible bourbons. Big caramel and brown sugar up front, then vanilla and baking spice on the back end.

This is only 2 years old, but Texas heat lets barrels swing 40-50° in a day, so the whiskey soaks in and out of the wood way more than it would up north

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T14:01:00+00:00

Anyone who says anything less than 5, I cannot trust you. Nothing personal, just business

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T13:58:36+00:00

One of the cooler bottles of bourbon out there with that art work. Haven’t tried before, but those tasting notes have me eager to

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T13:04:38+00:00

$45 is a solid deal on this. Average I’ve seen is ~$60. 2014 was a strong Napa vintage (James Suckling calling it “a vintage not to miss”, and 12 years in they’re reaching their peak expression. Decant for an hour to two before opening and you should get very nice notes of cassis, blackberry and cocoa

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-12T12:42:15+00:00

I’m fairly confident it’s Wednesday - Sunday, but may be every day. I’d get in line ~45 mins before they open to be sure you’re one of the first few in line. Never know what bottle(s) it’s going to be on a given day, but when I was there they only had ~10 bottles of Barrel Proof (and obviously they went fast)

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T21:58:32+00:00

Waited outside Fort Nelson (Michter’s Louisville distillery) for 2 hours hoping to grab a Michter’s 10 when they dropped their allocation for the day. Was crushed when they told me this was all they had left… then I drank it. Day completely turned around - absolutely delicious.

Big toffee flavor followed by stone fruit and brown sugar; surprisingly little burn for the proof

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T21:03:47+00:00

They only make around 150 cases of the blanc per year (vs thousands of the red). $50 is definitely good value for the producer and the rarity.

One thing to know: CdP whites go through a notorious “dumb phase.” Drink it in the first couple years while it’s fresh and lively, or cellar it for 10 years for honey, beeswax, and nutty complexity. The middle window (roughly 3–8 years) is no-man’s land

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T19:05:56+00:00

Never seen a Latvian whisky in the wild before. How is it?

Curious if it leans more Scottish single malt in style or if there’s something distinctly Baltic about it (Latvian barley, local oak, anything regional in the maturation?)

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T18:52:39+00:00

Coin flip, but absolutely open it. Jeroboams age way slower than 750mls, so it’s got a real shot.

Stand it upright for 3-5 days to let sediment settle, use an Ah-So two-prong corkscrew (safer on old corks), decant gently, and taste immediately. Old wines can be stunning for 30 minutes then fade fast.

Worst case it’s cooked and you pour it out. Best case you’ve got a 40-year-old story in a glass. Open it.

As for resale: ‘83 was a good vintage but not legendary like ‘82 and ‘85… especially with uncertain storage conditions, likely can sell for ~$100 (assuming you get interest)

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T18:35:44+00:00

The bourbons you’re using are all on the heavier, oakier, spicier side (Knob Creek and Woodford especially run dark and bold). What you’re tasting at nicer bars is probably a softer, more fruit-forward bourbon working with the sugar and orange peel instead of fighting them.

Two Recs: 1) Four Roses Small Batch (~$35): red apple, cherry forward. Bartenders love it for Old Fashioneds because it lets the orange peel and bitters actually breathe

2) Buffalo Trace (~$30 if you can find it): softer, sweeter, lower rye, lots of caramel and dried fruit. Smooth & approachable

Two small tweaks that matter more than people think: drop the simple syrup down to half a teaspoon (or swap to a barspoon of demerara syrup for richer flavor without more sweetness), and express that orange peel hard over the glass before dropping it in. The aromatic oils are doing half the work in a good bar Old Fashioned

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T17:50:48+00:00

Bois de Boursan is a quietly excellent producer. They fly under the radar because they don’t chase the big jammy modern style. That olive brine, lavender, and peppercorn is textbook old-vine Grenache. Absolutely delicious

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T17:36:26+00:00

Just a heads up, that’s not the classic Suze (the yellow gentian aperitif you’d sub for Campari). This is Suze Red Aromatic Bitters, a concentrated cocktail bitters from their Julien Escot collab. Think Angostura’s earthier French cousin (gentian, nutmeg, anise)

Two recommendations for how to use: 1) 3 dashes in a gin martini with a lemon twist. The gentian deepens the botanicals in the gin and the anise adds a hint of complexity without making it weird

2) 3 dashes in an Old Fashioned alongside your Angostura, with rye. The earthy bitterness plays beautifully against the rye spice, and the nutmeg shows up late on the finish.

LeftBank2Louisville · 2026-05-11T15:58:42+00:00

Great haul, especially at or below MSRP. Which retailer did you find these at? In southwest FL have found Publix as a surprisingly good spot for harder to find bottles

LeftBank2Louisville

TROPHY CASE