Toys R' Us Exclusive War Within Titanium Grimlock

I have three Grimlocks: this is the first and perhaps my least favorite. Albeit having a stunning, poseable and detailed robot mode, the vehicle mode is extremely lacking...there isn't even much of a transformation to it. Woe to the designers, they could've made a marvel out of this one, but instead chose take the smooth road. This Grimlock, in his Cybertronian mode, is also based on Dreamwave Comics' Transformers Generation 1 series (now acquired by IDW publishing). He appears, as a ruthless, intelligent but language-processor damaged warrior in the prequel "War Within", a series which primarily narrates Optimus Prime's ascendance to the rank of Autobot Leader during the early days of Cybertron's civil war. On the opposite end, stands of course the lovely Decepticons.

Zoku Satsuriku no Jango Donne Aninome by Alter

One of my favorite PVC's. Just look at the dynamics! As if designed by the famous adult gaming company Nitro+ wasn't enough, our brilliant engineers at Alter gave her a pair of soft, squeezable cisterns of love. Sure brings up the Otaku factor, but doesn't serve much practical or aesthetic purpose (cough).

Knob Creek 9yo

Knob Creek 9yo, 50 %, 750ml

Package: The theme of this bourbon is “pre-prohibition” and “hand-crafted”, so we have a bottle resembling a bootlegger’s flask, with a black wax sealed top, complete with a cork. To be honest I think it’s absolutely adorable. It looks slightly evocative of nostalgia yet modern enough with its newspaper-like lettering on the label. On the back label, it says “Distilled at Knob Creek Distillery, Clermont, Kentucky”. Why this is problematic I shall elaborate later.

Color: Golden amber, slightly lighter than most bourbons.

Tasting Notes: The nose emits a pleasant, tickling aroma of anise, vanilla, oak and rye spices, with woodiness most prominently presented; very well-integrated and civilized. The bourbon is light-bodied yet incredibly firm, with plenty of mellow flavors: there’s a thick swath of all elements present in the nosing, namely vanilla, oak, spice and a heady undertone of cocoa rising in the nostrils. The spices are slightly citrusy and tangy, and corn sweetness interacts beautifully with the bitter cocoa. Knob creek finishes surprisingly clean, with the warmth of a solid 100 proof bourbon; tiny traces of all flavors on the palate remain on the tongue; once again, subtle and well-balanced indeed.

Bang for Buck Meter: BBB

Comment: Another higher-end (small batch), rock solid bourbon from the Jim Beam distillery. Knob Creek shines in its pitch-perfect balance of various flavor elements available to American Whiskies, with a compelling streak of cocoa to truly distinguish itself form the rest of the pack. It is perhaps less conspicuous than the nutty, silky Baker’s, yet more multifaceted and representative of a decent bourbon. I remember an old friend telling me about how Knob Creek is the true soul-mate of Coca-Cola; how it “marries” and “intercourses” with Coke seamlessly, even better than Jack Daniels. Well, for a straight-drinker like me, the recipe does not arouse much interest, but for those who are looking for a stronger Whiskey Coke (Jack Daniel’s Old No.7 is bottled at 40%), and has the cash to burn, why not try a Knob Coke? So much for the jolly, now for the sully: lets deal with the “problem” I proposed in the package section. Frankly, I have qualms with how Jim Beam markets these premium products. The back label’s “Knob Creek Distillery” is effectively the Jim Beam distillery. Coupled with the tagline “small-batch”, this creates an illusion that this whisky was made in a small operation, which it isn’t. Despite how good the spirit is, I feel some insincerity from the manufacturers, or perhaps – insecurity? Everyone knows Jim Beam as the standard bourbon, it’s not the best nor the worst, yet with a slightly “mass-produced”, “cheap” impression (don’t even ask Scotch snobs). With outstanding bourbons like this, the folks at Jim Beam perhaps should feel more confident in brandishing their true origins.

Old Overholt Straight Rye

Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey, 4yo, 40%, 1 Liter

Color: 麥桿似的，較一般波本淺的金色，但仍帶一絲橘褐色。

Tasting Notes: 香氣上，這支酒具備美國威士忌素有的濃郁香草氣息，但多了顯著的青草、皮革、胡椒和薄荷！不仔細聞還真有幾分像汽油。這些無庸置疑這是裸麥(Rye)產出的特殊氣味。酒體偏輕，但以四歲的酒齡而言，已經出奇地厚實且有點黏度 (viscosity)。可惜palate沒有nose豐富：有玉米甜、以胡椒和薄荷為主，香草為副的口味，皮革狂野地在鼻腔四竄。除此外還有一絲柑橘類的酸味。最後收尾的是溫和的dryness，散佈在舌兩側。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBB, more expensive than Evan Williams but perhaps the cheapest straight rye lying around.

Comment: 這位Old Overholt Rye相當有趣，可視為裸麥威士忌的入門款，話說 至此，再給它2~3年的熟成的話，肯定可觀。Rye Whiskey是美國最早的威士忌，在禁酒時期結束後沉寂了好一陣子，近年來重出江湖，獲得許多行家的賞識。Rye甚至有「美國艾雷」的雅號。但這也代表其性格出眾，擁有並非一般酒徒所能輕易接受的風味。若你有機會同時得到裸麥麵包和任何一支Straight Rye Whiskey，可以試著搭配兩者─很快就會發現許多共通點。裸麥麵包亦有其蒸餾產品的野性，那股蠻橫的薄荷、皮革加上濃厚的酸味，吃慣白麵包的人肯定燕不下。不過還挺合我口味的。

10/25/08

Revoltech Megatron

變形金剛第二部電影再過11天就要上映了，筆者甚是期待！在第一部電影於07年上映前，變形金剛系列可說是岌岌可危，動畫Armada - Energon - Cybertron 沒啥人看，玩具銷路也不好 ─ 個人認為此三部的角色設計太過傾向日系勇者機器人，沒有在華麗、鮮艷和G1的質樸間找到平衡點。反之，2003年目前已停業的Dreamwave Comics出版的一系列變形金剛漫畫，卻做到了：漫畫家Pat Lee成功地將替80年代誕生的金剛們注入00年的丰采。這隻不能變形，由日本海洋堂製作的MEGATRON，正是根據Pat Lee的狂派領袖設計的。它恐怕是以 Walter P38 (槍) 為造形的Megatron之中，比例最完美的成品。

Baker's 7yo

Baker’s 7yo, 53.5 %, 750ml

Antother great offering from the Jim Beam "small batch" collection. Remember kids, the "Baker's distillery" doesn't exist in any corner of Kentucky...perhaps in the hallucinations of some uninformed, delusional marketing agents. Just maybe.

Color: 深琥珀色，帶些紅褐色。

Nose: 首先是橡木味，香吉士柳橙皮，中段充滿厚實的香草，最後是稍稍烤焦的香蕉蛋糕氣味。單純但十分有力的香氣。

Body: 口感絲滑柔順，酒液包覆著舌頭。

Palate: 剛開始是一股椪柑般的酸甜，接下來烘烤過的花生皮、腰果與核果濃香在舌上炸裂，緊接著湧上濃烈的香草甜味和厚實的香蕉蛋糕。

Finish: 各式烘烤果子的濃郁香氣在舌間、喉頭繚繞，溫暖且飽滿。

Bang for Buck Meter: BBBB

1/24/08

Anchor Bock

Anchor Bock Beer (Season Limited), 5.50 % ABV, 12 oz

Color: The beer pours an extremely frothy, silky and textile head; it must have been awhile since I’ve had a LAGER (make no mistake, this is a lager). It is milk-chocolate colored, and the beer resembles a brown ale but just a tad darker.

Tasting Notes: On the nose, Anchor brewery’s distinct fresh yeast flavors come barging through, coupled with generous, citrusy-hops, thick malt and raisin-bread like sweetness, as well as some decadent plum. Overall the nose reminds me of a less assertive Ommegang abbey ale (and I didn’t particularly like it back then, perhaps I’m not knowledgeable enough in Belgian style ales). Despite the multifaceted and almost flamboyant aromas, on the palate, this bock develops the aforementioned flavors in a very integrated, well-knit manner. The thick, slightly roasted yet refreshing malt is there, but not as prominent as a brown ale; sweetness and slight bitterness balance each other out nimbly, though hop bitterness is minimal. The body is exceptionally smooth, being a lager. The fruity flavors are less prominent when drank, but a grape/raisin sweetness gives the overall impression of this bock as wine-like, and the combination of flavors give rise to a dairy-like pungency. The finish is mid-long, with malt, wine and cheese reverberating. Very interesting, very idiosyncratic.

Comment: The more one explores a brewery/distillery’s products, the more one gets closer to shaping an idea (however subjective) of a brewery/distillery profile, or in blunter terms, “style”. For whiskies it was easy, since I’ve gotten a-plenty of training and burnt bundles of cash on them already: say, Laphroaig’s iodine, Ardbeg’s earthy peat, the honey tones of The Balvenie, George Dickel’s vitamin-c tablets, Talisker’s pepper and Highland Park’s heather etc. Beer for me is much more difficult. Personally I notice that flavors stay shorter on one’s palate, they dissipate rapidly, and poses a much larger challenge. However, after eight months of cutting teeth, I can begin to claim a few characteristics concerning my favorite breweries. For example, after getting familiar with three of their beers, I can point out that a conspicuous, fresh yeast flavor is one of Anchor’s definitive traits, without a doubt. To me at least, the brews by Anchor generally emit a bready, tempting-one-to-bite in deliciousness. This seasonal bock, first brewed only in 2005, is highly interesting, with its malt-wine-and-cheese impression. Perhaps it’s the goat on their label playing psychological tricks on me (reminds me of Taiwan’s goat-milk powder whose brand name I cannot recall), but one can never know. One thing I know is that I’m becoming a bigger and bigger fan of Anchor.

3/23/09