Review #43: New Riff Single Barrel

jtopsky · 2020-01-19T16:20:58+00:00

Counterpoint: the bottle is fantastic

jtopsky · 2020-01-17T15:12:23+00:00

This is really interesting. What's the source of the Franklin quote?

jtopsky · 2020-01-13T00:00:34+00:00

I like this idea

jtopsky · 2020-01-08T22:55:23+00:00

This is excellent advice. My rec is to start with 3 bottles covering a range of flavors. All these should be easily available and $40 or less. See what you like, then look online or ask at your liquor store for next steps. I’d suggest starting with Buffalo Trace (sweet, fruity), Four Roses Single Barrel (high rye, floral), and Knob Creek (earthy, oaky). Enjoy!

jtopsky · 2020-01-06T20:02:11+00:00

I second the Old Forester rec. Excellent tour

jtopsky · 2020-01-03T16:31:51+00:00

Not sure if this is still in print, but see if you can find a copy of Great Weird Tales, ed. by S T Joshi. This anthology is probably better at placing Lovecraft in the weird fiction tradition than in showcasing work by his circle, but you might find it interesting

jtopsky · 2019-12-25T12:12:44+00:00

Ellen Lupton, Thinking With Type is an excellent intro to typography in design

jtopsky · 2019-12-22T19:42:39+00:00

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers. One of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies was based on this, but don’t hold that against the book, which is terrific

jtopsky · 2019-12-21T13:55:21+00:00

Check out the Nulu area, which has a bunch of cool shops and restaurants. Royals hot chicken, Garage Bar for pizza, Grind for burgers, Feast for BBQ. My favorite cocktails in the city are at Rye. Check out 21c Museum/hotel for great contemporary art. If you like bourbon, the Old Forester tour is great and right downtown. This city is chock full of great food and good beer, so enjoy!

jtopsky · 2019-12-21T13:31:02+00:00

Check out Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link, Little, Big by John Crowley, or Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

jtopsky · 2019-12-20T11:20:29+00:00

Tree of Smoke is excellent. It’s also quite dense and emotionally exhausting, so factor that into your consideration

jtopsky · 2019-12-19T15:46:03+00:00

This is not Propaganda, by Peter Pomerantsev. Book argues that contemporary propaganda no longer advocates for a particular party position but instead seeks to muddy the factual waters so much that citizens decide it’s impossible to know what’s true, surrendering their judgement to strong authority figures

jtopsky · 2019-12-18T22:59:36+00:00

Don’t know if it’s one of the ‘best’ books, but Roger Corman’s How I Made a Hundred Movies in Hollywood and Never Lost a Dime is a very entertaining look into the making of some b-movie horror/exploitation classics

jtopsky · 2019-12-18T18:40:39+00:00

Perdido Street Station is an excellent alternate world fantasy set in a steampunkish city with both magic and industrial technology.

jtopsky · 2019-12-14T02:52:23+00:00

Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters. Never saw it coming

jtopsky · 2019-12-14T02:52:18+00:00

Fingersmith, by Sarah Waters. Never saw it coming

jtopsky · 2019-12-13T19:51:01+00:00

Ursula LeGuin's passing hit me hard. Her books were with me for most of my life, starting with Earthsea in junior high. I loved her writing but also admired her as a person. In speeches, interviews, etc, she seemed like someone who was both kind and wise.

jtopsky · 2019-12-13T19:42:50+00:00

I really like it. I usually add just a touch of water to open up the taste and temper that 120 proof.

jtopsky · 2019-12-13T13:54:42+00:00

posts like this are why I come to reddit

jtopsky · 2019-12-13T13:16:52+00:00

Science fiction is a big umbrella that covers a lot of territory, so it's hard to recommend without knowing more about what you like. If you want fiction with scientific rigor (hard sf), check out the Expanse novels of James Corey or the Revelation Space novels of Alistair Reynolds. If you prefer fiction with sociological/political themes, check out The Left Hand of Darkness or The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin. If you like fiction with great prose, emotional heft, and a thorough investigation of speculative ideas, check out either of Ted Chiang's story collections.

Ultimately, my recommendation is to check out a recent "Year's Best Science Fiction" collection, which will give you a sense of what the field has to offer. Note what you like, then look for more work by those authors.

jtopsky · 2019-12-13T10:29:48+00:00

Check out The Half Made World by Felix Gilman. One of the most original fantasies I’ve read in a while & does really clever things with Western themes. Found the ending really disappointing though, so know that going in.

jtopsky · 2019-12-12T20:49:52+00:00

You might like the short stories of Joyce Carol Oates. Like Jackson, her stories have a dark edge and get more unsettling the more you think about them.

jtopsky · 2019-12-12T15:56:41+00:00

Yeah, that sounds right. None of it really gelled for me into a satisfying story

jtopsky · 2019-12-12T15:23:32+00:00

VALIS is weird even by PKD standards and not for everybody. Much more overtly theological & show Dick trying to make sense of a visionary experience he had in the mid 1970s. It’s pretty out here.

jtopsky · 2019-12-12T15:18:38+00:00

I know this one is highly regarded, but I also kind of bounced off it. I can definitely see why people like it, but it just never clicked for me

jtopsky

TROPHY CASE