We are all familiar with the “best of” awards that happen every year. Its nice to see what is best in town, but usually those results are extremely subjective and do not rely on any objective information. For that, cVillain has created the “Ultimate” list for wining and dining in town, and The Upstairs is the first on our list to take the “Ultimate Spirit Selection In Town”.
We attended what we thought would be a whiskey/bourbon tasting that turned into an all out spirit tasting earlier this week, and all we can say is….nothing; we are still speechless. That staff at The Upstairs is so knowledgeable about spirits, of every kind, we were in awe and at the same time intimidated….no one told us beforehand we were enrolling in Spirits 101. We sampled extremely tiny pours of the best the old and modern world has to offer. We wish we had read Highland Park Distillery’s “How to Nose and Taste” document beforehand. Created by Highland Park’s Brand Ambassador Gerry Tosh, its a step by step on how to taste what you drink. It would be great if The Upstairs had laminated copies of this available with the drink menu.
Round 1: Kentucky Bourbon- The Legend of Pappy Van Winkle
What sat before us was described as the “Rolls Royce” of bourbon. We were looking at the Pappy Van Winkle 23, 20 and 15 year aged Bourbon. This is the most rare and desired of all Kentucky Bourbons. How is it that The Upstairs finagled its stash? Owner Mark Brown went to high school with one of the Van Winkle boys and well, lets just say its a friendship that keeps on giving. We began with the 20 year old bourbon ($25/2 oz pour, $133/bottle retail). This batch is also the #1 rated bourbon in the world according to the Beverage Tasting Institute. Sitting in a tiny low-ball glass in front of us, maybe 2 feet away, its sweet aroma tickled our noses. The next thing you notice is its color. What distinguishes one bourbon’s color from another? Its all in the aging process. Pappy makes his bourbon in charred mountain oak barrels. In the summertime the wood expands due to heat and humidity and absorbs the bourbon in process. In the winter it expels the bourbon. This process continues on for a long time. In this case, 20 years. The more controlled the temperature fluctuation throughout the fermentation process the better.
Taste: hints of butter, almond and cinnamon which were well balanced with a smooth aftertaste.
Round 2: Scotch Whiskey: Highland Park Single Cask, Aged 31 years
Yes that’s right kids, 31 years. At $100/2oz pour and $438/bottle retail, we were expecting something very intense. We were not disappointed. Upon landing in the glass you are hit with a deep woody/cedar note. You will taste the peat along with some apple, orange, tart citrus.
Round 3: Grand Marnier Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire
While not the only place in town to enjoy this (Ventana uses this in their famed $100 margarita), I would say The Upstairs does it with more style. At $55/2 oz pour, think of this as a very sophisticated dessert. This is definitely a drink meant to be sipped. I think mixing this with anything else is a shame…the bartenders at The Upstairs agree. Grand Marnier is a blend of true cognacs and the distilled essence of bitter orange. Apparently Grand Marnier caused quite the controversy when it was first launched in France because very few people had ever tasted an orange. This special blend is made with 50 year old cognacs. This is Grand Marnier’s official tasting profile:
- Colour: Beautiful, reddish-gold with light amber on the rim
- Aroma: Rich nose of aged cognac with background notes of cocoa, cinnamon and other spices
- Flavour: Macerated bitter orange flavours enriched by notes of coffee, honey, bitter almonds and spices. The finish is long and complex
When you put your nose into the glass, you’re immediately reminded of peeling a clementine or a navel orange in your hand and the fine orange spray mixed with slight orange rind shoots in the air. It almost reminds you of being a kid again. The taste that follows once you swallow is altogether unforgettable. Put simply, it tastes like candied orange peel. The kind that has been blanched 4 times to remove its genetic bitterness and then boiled in sugar twice, and then rolled in sugar. I don’t want to know what it would be like to accompany this with a dark chocolate truffle. Sinful.
Break: My Bottle Is Bigger Than Yours
cocoNUT thought Fleurie’s wine list was ridiculous. The Upstairs’ wine list takes Fleurie’s and makes it cry uncle. We were shown three bottles that we would love to try upon corking.
- 1983 Chateau Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classe ($2,400/bottle)
- 1976 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac 1.5L Magnum ($2,250/bottle)
- 2004 Domaine de la Romance-Conti Richebourg ($2,000/bottle)
When we asked for a sample we were threatened with pain of death.
Round 4: Crown Royal’s Best of the Best
Some of you might have had shots of Crown Royal to the beats of hard hip hop or techno music partying in a thriving metropolis, but it most likely was not Crown Royal’s XR (Extra Rare) or their Cask No. 16. Definitely not. The XR ($40/2 oz pour) was definitely the smoothest (least burning) whiskey we had all evening. It is part of the last batch that came out of the original distillery in Waterloo that burned down in 1995. That is a definite perk for whiskey noobs. Cask No. 16 ($25/2 oz pour) was nutty, almost cashew-like with a very smooth, rich finish.
Round 5: Angostura 1824 Rum
[wow the only picture we forgot to take]
Rum is usually associated with mojitos and coke. Angostura 1824, like the aforementioned Grand Marnier, should not be mixed. Its character and nose goes beyond anything that a Bacardi can make. This my friends is what you sip on. At $16/2 oz pour you can sip on this like Lionel Richie would, all night long. They say real rum isn’t clear. This rum had hints of dates, raisins and molasses. It was incredible.
Round 6: Hennessy Richard Cognac
Our evening ended at round 6, and for good reason to. There is nothing that can top this cognac. More than 200 years old and $300/2 oz pour, it simply out does everything else. Prices online range from $1,500 to $3,000/bottle retail. Lets start with aesthetics. This cognac is packed in a Baccarat Crystal bottle with a sterling silver hand engraved neck. Moving on to age. Dating back to the 1800’s, this is a seriously old cognac. Jefferson was in his presidency when this stuff was put in barrels. It has been through two world wars (how is it the Nazis didn’t steal this?). One wonders if the ground shaking from mortar vibrations had anything to do with shaping its flavors.
And they did. It’s old, so the flavor lingers in your mouth for a long, LONG time. It’s so old I would hate to describe it and be wrong, but it’s not like anything I’ve ever tasted before.
Conclusion: The Upstairs is the ULTIMATE Spirits Bar in Charlottesville if Not the DC Metro Area
Considering this was a limited tasting (The Upstairs also offers an amazing selection of gin and tequila), we were completely blown away. This setup is more fitting for the Oak Room Bar at the Fairmont Copley Hotel in Boston. Yet here we are in Charlottesville, our own little metropolis. If you have an occasion to celebrate or wish to see the recession off with the rest of your 401K, The Upstairs is the perfect place to do it. Not only will you have the opportunity to experience an amazing spirit selection, you will be educated about those spirits at the same time. They do have the commoner spirits available as well (Makers Mark, Johnny Walker, etc…) they are just hidden underneath the bar in hopes no one will order them. Take your buddies/hubby here for a treat.
While the drink menu is insane, their food options are appropriately priced for the city of Charlottesville and more recently, the current recession. As of March 26 until Mother’s Day, The Upstairs now offers $18 twelve ounce USDA Prime steaks and on Tuesday’s a $25 4-course tasting menu. The Upstairs is the only steakhouse in Charlottesville that offers Prime beef. You could follow these inexpensive options with a spirit tasting flight as well.
Enjoy!
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Tagged as: Charlottesville, kentucky bourbon, scotch, tasting, top shelf, Upstairs, whiskey
we wondered how long it was going to take you to get around to giving mark a good review in exchange for that lovingston wine dinner back in the fall.
We have had a few wonderful gastronomic moments at the Upstairs and pared with some amazing wines. Try the Old Raj, gin. Its like nothing you have ever had! Our hope that the economy downturn does not steer people away. It is truly a special occasion.
Is this what you’d call a Yuppie post? That said the Cinquantenaire is truly fabulous. And if you wanna try some locally made whisky, ask for Wasmund’s next time you’re at X.
@2: they did show us the Old Raj Gin…as a huge Gin fan, I was ecstatic to discover a Gin infused with saffron…who knew
@3: not sure what a yuppie post is. http://www.copperfox.biz/history/ just checked out the Wasmund Whiskey site….looks like I know what to order the next time I am at X.
I also like this place, but fear it may not be long-lived. Amazing cocktails, nice space, nice folks behind the bar, but damn, it’s just not the time to be serving up ultra-luxe spirits.
So. What was your final bar tab? You gonna make me do the math?
Or did you not have to pay, thus calling the whole review into question?
/fess up.
@4: Too bad it looks like pee!
@4: Yuppies= young urban professionals who talk about the fancy and pricey spirits they got to drink
@6, close to $600/person if i’m glancing over this correctly.
Fuck. Talk about ballin’ outrageous.
“The Upstairs: Where to go if you’re BALLIN’”
“The Upstairs: Where Spirits Change Your Savings”
@ 9 Thats about what Im getting too. I would kick a good review for $1,200 worth of liquor. Which is why I am waiting for an answer…
/didnt know there were so many duckets involved in tiny flash ads.4
@14: I know I would.
we definitely would not have been able to do this review on our own dime. Kyle sampled some of the amazing spirits at the wine tasting dinner Orchid commented on @ 1 and has been talking non stop since about drinkable whiskey/bourbon.
we approached the upstairs about putting together a formal review on their selection because it would be interesting to you all and they accommodated us. that said, no promises were made as to publishing a review, and if published what kind of content it would contain. with this kind of review, its hard not to appreciate high quality products. also, we did not receive anywhere near 2 oz pours. They were between .5 and 1 oz.
Forget the drinks and come in for $18 dollar prime steaks….
@16 So it’d just be a $300-$600 freebie then.
@6 Good question.
Sure is a helpful review; I’ve learned that if I start a local website and get some decent to good traffic for a while and a good core of regular posters I can eventually get hooked up at local restaurants and bars. Sweet.
Isn’t that the point? Don’t magazines get sent free samples of stuff all the time, in the hopes they will favorably review it?
@18 – I would suggest starting a website that reviews $100 bills or perhaps private jets?
Male or female?
Ok, my new blog is gonna be called Lip Gloss and Flip Flops. Send away.
@ 25 You completely missed my point. I have absolutely no concern with the ethics of this site or its reviews. Shit, I wont be drinking any 150.00 an ounce monk moonshine anytime soon, so I could care less whether or not it “tastes sinful with truffles”. As far as I am concerned all this conspicuous consumption is, and has always been, just one more facet of a boojy over privileged world that I don’t even exist in (although more and more folks are in my camp of late). The cults of wealth and fame have proven time and time again to be as empty as the snifters you are staring in as you realize you just drank 2 oz’s of rent money for most folks in this berg. If it fulfills ones soul to do so, well rock on, who am I to judge. I get my jollies elsewhere.
No, I was mere concerned with the nuts and bolts of obtaining free liquor, and thus demanded full disclosure. I was looking for a “hustlin how to” if you will.
I don’t think it was that big of a deal. More like a situation of two groups benefiting from each other.
Although I don’t intend to get too enthralled with alcoholic consumption, like some of you here, I thought this topic was fascinating! I had no idea how much spice, prep and time goes into these old standby liquors….thanks for sharing your experience! Now, how do i go about affording the same?
@28 – Mark said to start with Johnny Walker Green which is about $50 per bottle and is the “best value for a scotch whiskey.”
It is a bit tacky that the review itself doesn’t disclose the freebie/conflict .
Now, how do i go about affording the same?
Either spiritual or physical prostitution works – or so Im told.
@ 30 Yes, “a bit tacky” covers it nicely.
I don’t know why you guys take umbrage that the boys got to taste stuff for free and wrote about it. I figured you’d be more upset that they’re posting about their meals in fancy French restos and high-end bars that we can’t afford to go to.
/ let them eat cake
@ 32 Doesn’t even flicker on the old umbrage meter.
Nice review, that is quite a selection. I do wish you had talked about the food a little more since that is where half there sales come from but perhaps another time. I can’t imagine what you thought would happen when you put it up here.
@32: Change that to mild displeasure then
@35: would passive aggression cover it nicely?
Its strange that people are so upset we let them taste some stuff. We poured a half ounce jigger that was split amongst Kyle and Francesco and another person. Kyle and Francesco consumed (Cost of Inventory) $3.50 of Van Winkle, $5.80 of Highland Park, $3.30 of Grand Marnier, $4.62 of Crown Royal, $0.80 of Angostura, $26.40 of Hennessy for a grand total of $44.42 total inventory cost for both of them. It’s fun stuff to taste but it isn’t supposed to be for every day drinking no matter how much money you have. We do carry some very expensive things, times are hard and we can’t exactly pretend we don’t have them. Also we didn’t exactly start or plan on the recession or get bailed out by congress. We could have just as easily tasted the stuff that is a $6.00 pour but that isn’t as exciting. No one seems to have noticed but due to the recession we are selling 12 oz prime rib-eyes and ny strips for $18.00 every night until June. Hopefully this will enable people who are cash strapped to come out and eat a first rate meal at a price that most can still afford. Tuesday nights Jaison puts a lot of effort into a four course tasting menu for $25.00 in addition our entire wine inventory is half off until 9pm for the tasting night. I don’t think the vast majority of the menu is out of reach. We’d like to think we have something for every budget and taste.
Haters gonna hate. Way of the world.
Me, I’m just jealous. And thirsty.
Oh, WHATEVER guys. I’m just jealous as all hell that I wasn’t there that night. 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle is SOOOOOOOOO good. Rock on K and F.
People are calling into question the credibility of this as a review. “The flavor lingers in your mouth for a long, LONG time. It’s so old I would hate to describe it and be wrong, but it’s not like anything I’ve ever tasted before” might actually mean “$1500 – $3000 a bottle? Really? Meh,” or it might not. But if I was them, after being so generously treated, I wouldn’t say anything negative – I think that’s what people are pointing out.
Also, people might be upset b/c they can’t afford to try these. A review of the cheaper whiskeys might not be as exciting to a connoisseur, but it’s much more interesting to people that actually drink dark spirits b/c it’s relevant.
That being said, that sounds like an awesome dinner deal and I will make a point to try out your restaurant in the next month.
So . . . Knob Creek, Blanton’s, Makers’s, or something I don’t know about? Any Cvillains want to put in their 2 cents regarding the best (affordable) whiskey/bourbon/scotch?
Blantons taste like candy whiskey, its my personal fav, aside from that. OLD CROW
I just washed a multivitamin down with a mouthful of wine. Do I need an intervention thingy?
@40–This is a good list of some less well known or carried brands that aren’t unimaginably expensive but are outstanding that we carry: Elmer T Lee Bourbon $9.00, Johnny Walker Green Label $17.00, Red Breast Irish Whiskey $14.00. All of these are very good and not nearly as expensive. (Scotch is expensive so the green label is relatively inexpensive)
If you’re looking for bourbons that are extraordinarily tasty and at a price that mere mortals can afford (not cheap, per se, but still attainable), here are a few of my favorites:
* Knob Creek (inexpensive, drinkable, better than Knob Creek at a similar price point)
*Van Winkle’s younger bourbons (or, for a different twist, Van Winkle Rye) are reasonably priced, assuming you’re looking for a slightly more upscale bourbon, but the quality is very high across the board.
* Black Maple Hill (craft bourbons, hand-written label info like batch #, year produced, etc.)
* Basil Hayden’s
* Booker’s
Again, I’m not suggesting that all of these are cheap, but if you’re willing to consider bottles in the sub-$100 range but more than $25, you could do far worse.
It’s nice that grain alcohol (and bourbon, especially) is getting some love on this site, but I do find it a bit tacky that so much emphasis is placed on price rather than on tasting notes. The only people who are going to be really impressed by the price tag are those for whom price and quality are considered synonymous.
Sorry…meant to say that Knob Creek is better than Maker’s.
We poured a half ounce jigger that was split amongst Kyle and Francesco and another person.
0.5 ounces is less than 3 teaspoons.
So we’re to accpet that their reviews are based on less than a teaspoon each? Really? This takes miserly tasting pours to a whole new level. Not enough to swirl around and coat the sensory organs. I question how credible the opinions can be if they actually were base on such tiny bird-sips.
Ignore the typos. Booze is the answer. I don’t remember the question.
Look at the photos above, taken by Francesco and Kyle. They show a lot more than 0.5 ounce in the glasses. Looks like at least 1.5 ounces. Yet @37 (The Upstairs) claims they are 0.5 ounce.
Jiggergate!
And no response to @46?
/The problem is not the original crime, it’s the cover-up.
@40 … Maker’s Mark is, IMHO, one of the best value bourbons. However, my new favorite and not costly bourbon is Old Forester.
I love me some bourbon and must head Upstairs at some point to check out their selection. However, I do wish that the review didn’t focus as much on the high dollar stuff. When I drink, I want to be able to be able to afford a few shots. That said, Kyle & Francesco had high praise for the staff, and that’s a thumbs up to me.
@30-31 i’m not jealous cause i don’t really like bourbon, but my problem here is that mark was all “you gave us a bad review” & kyle was all “thanks for the free dinner, i’ll give you a good review sometime.” echo & i loved the food, but we were all, damn, i wish i could get some free shit, cause, frankly, i paid, & it was expensive. the other time i ate here, yeah, the steak was really good (2nd best to fleurie?) but mark & our waitress combined to be really snooty to my date, e.g., when i asked what wine they recommended.
/”is it just me, or do the drinks taste better when they’re free?”
Kyle and Francesco, great review. Am still non-employed, therefore won’t be partaking, but enjoyed the vicarious thrill nonetheless. Glad to hear about the steak special too.
The Upstairs would win my eternal love, however, if they would let some of us poorer folks have the less expensive teeny pours that the Spicy Bears received. I have $3.30 to spare for a moment in heaven. Or maybe just let us lick the inside of the bottle caps?
@50: Damn you right you paid bitch. Thanks for my meal now be a good girl and go make me some breakfast.
@50: That was probably the only time you paid, golddigger. “I’m blonde so I should get free shit!” Welcome to the real world mamacita.
Other thoughts:
Knob Creek is much better than Maker’s.
The Upstairs was cool to let them try their stuff. But seriously it’s kinda ridiculous to be talking about $300 per glass drinks in this economy.
And I <3 Wasmund’s because it’s local and local is gud.
Buffalo Trace will kick ass in a blind tasting of mid-premium bourbons. (Makers, Bookers, Knobby, Woodford, etc.).
/”Alcohol may not solve your problems, but neither will water or milk.”
Bad news: dinner for 4 here was over $300, and no one in our group had any legacy liquor.
Good news: that very impressive selection of spirits is made up of whiskys that took 20 or 30 years to develop. There’s a good chance they will taste even better 20 years from now, and by then, maybe luck will change for some of us, and we’ll be able to occasionally afford them.
In the meantime, there’s a question of how long the restaurant will survive, but take it from me that Jaison Burke is an outstanding chef!
As for the question about affordable quality bourbons, I have a few quick suggestions. Right now I have bottles of Woodford Reserve, Pappy Van Winkle 15, Eagle Rare 17, Eagle Rare 10, Buffalo Trace, Blanton’s, and Hancock Reserve at home. I’ve also sampled Pappy 12, 20, and 23, and had Bulleit at home recently. I think Eagle Rare 10 year would do well in a lot of blind taste tests, as well as Buffalo Trace. The Eagle Rare 17 is pretty amazing, but very hard to find (about $60 if you can find a bottle). I’m going to try to blind taste test with some friends, and I will be surprised if Eagle 10 or Buffalo Trace isn’t one of the top choices.
The Evan Williams Single Barrel is absolutely delicious and retails for about $22 per fifth.
@57: True dat. And for mixed drinks, Evan Williams Black Label is fine at $20-25 for 1.75L.
Try The Katharine Hepburn of Cocktails .
I should clarify: I don’t have any problem with anyone getting free stuff, drinking and eating things I can’t afford or mostly doing whatever the heck they please that doesn’t actually hurt someone else. I also don’t have a problem with “reviewing” a free meal or a free tasting or a free whatever…just write that it was free when you do so I know what I’m reading. Or at least don’t start your review by opining about the lack of objectivity in “best of lists” in town thus implying that you’re supplying some objectivity in what’s to follow.
@37. It is sad to think people really are overlooking the fact that in the review they mention that Upstairs IS offering an incredible deal on Prime steaks — may CVillian could put that in bold – as well as @37’s mentioning of how much they spent. That way people can just let go and stop nitpicking the review.
A review is written to give a broad range of perspectives on one location/restaurant. I really think this is one of the best write-ups Upstairs has gotten. I know my BF and I have wanted to go there for a while, but we had been waiting on someone to do a decent review of the place — and because of this article, and the restaurant’s recession-friendly cutbacks on a couple of good deals – we are definitely going in sometime in the next month. Because one drink sounds good to me, and another sounds excellent to the BF, we have an ample opportunity here for something in both of our tastes… thanks to the good review.
Lets cut them a break, and look at this at face value:
1. a really excellent review
2. a good-sounding restaurant
3. good deal going on as they mention for the next month +
4. supporting local, non-chain restaurants
5. booze offered in a variety of price ranges
Yay for Kyle and Fransesco having fun and such, but really…who in bloody hell can relate to this review?
Wonderful for those of you who can even afford @43’s inexpensive $9.00 serving of bourbon but I’ll be damned if most of us aren’t trying to figure out where the hell to even find a decent meal in this town for $9.00. I’m not so bleeding heart liberal that I feel because the majority suffers, all should suffer, but I am damn curious as to when our fucking priorities in this country, as a society even, will ever be straightened out.
Why drive a Mercedes when a Ford will get you the same place? Why buy the Silvers and True Religion when a $20 pair of Levi’s will last as long? Why spend $100 on alcohol for a night out at Escafe/X Lounge when you could get ten times more buying your own at the liquor store and still have money left over for groceries?
I try not to judge, I really do but I will never, ever understand a person who can without conscience drop $100 for a glass of scotch or even $10 for a bloody single glass of wine.
/…and I’m spent. Ridiculous. I need a drink.
wah wahhhh… Loved the review, and am completely baffled by the haterz. Do these same people write in to food critic reviews of 5-star establishments and piss on about how unfair it is not to partake in the richesse of fine dining and swank booze? Ugh.
Why spend $100 on alcohol for a night out at Escafe/X Lounge when you could get ten times more buying your own at the liquor store and still have money left over for groceries?
You say this as though you have never heard of a flask. By a beer and byob on the down low. Jeeze.
@62: “haterz”? How cheap.
Google food critic or restaurant review plus ethics. You’ll find pantloads of articles saying “Never accept anything free from the house: booze, wines, coupons for discounted meals, or gifts of any nature.”
Uh – for some reason my browser won’t display the part where they reviewed the food, dangnabbit.
@65: LOL. Maybe it’s here, under “Payment.”
Someone needs to anonymously review the food at the Upstairs to bring some sense of closure to this thread.
Thanks to everyone for the whiskey (etc) recommendations – I made a list.
@67 – http://cvillain.com/2008/05/05/the-upstairs-restaurant-review/
@68 Good onya for taking the ethical high road. See at #14 of that thread.
How very Bill&Ted’s.
@69 well isn’t that inconvenient
Pardon me, but inconvenient for whom?
For some of the Thor’s
’nuff said?
to be sure The Upstairs is not for busmen’s holidays but can’t we all just dweam a little bit every now and then. i’m gonna tuck into one of those primes ASAP because as a large carnivore i can and well flaunt my position on the food chain. i didn’t get this far to eat tofu pups. drinks aside, it’s hard to swallow such premium choices when so many good lower tier choices exist. wasmund’s is awesome we serve it at MAS (try a tasting at 9.30 am sometime), but there are great new domestic gins and vodkas too. one we love is Leopold’s from the other coast, and Hendrick’s, from across the pond. i think the idea is experiment when possible, when not possible, come have a $4 pour @ MAS. we haven’t forgotten that poor folks like truffles too.
@19 – I used to work at a national women’s magazine and we’d get free stuff all the time to review. Know those makeup reviews? Companies would send FREE samples and we’d put them in a basket in the women’s bathroom. Those “reviewers” or “panel members” are the editors, writers, etc. who volunteered to try out the makeup and they’d send their thoughts to the author of the piece. Any slightly used makeup product were up for grabs after the survery. We’re not talking Cover Girl or Maybelline either.
@75: So you’re inviting us in for free scotch every morning? Sweet!
I ‘dweam’ about those amazing scallops with anise in the sauce.I would eat those off a sore leg. When is that going back on the menu Tomas? Pleeeeeeeease.
We have the Wasmunds, anyone tried the clear 160 proof stuff they make. we did a pairing dinner with him about 3 months ago. really neat stuff.
Old Weller Antique, 107 proof Bottled By Buffalo Trace Distillery Frankfort,KY . Last bottle I bought was $11.00 in NC. There is also just Weller at $7.50. I was listening to a Roy Clark, recording from an 80’s concert and so one yelled out what was in his cup.”Weller’s” was his reply. Its a good smooth bourbon with no hype. And if its good enough for a picker of Roys calaiber …….
Reading this thread reminds me how old I am — if you’re as old as That, there is No Way you are messing with any triple-digit-proof beverages.
But — I salute you guys. Get it while you can still hack it!
@78 dear floozy you make my scallops runneth over. they’re back, bigger and better than ever. come and get all saucey won’t you?
Tomas I luuuurve you!
Get a room you two.
I’d lick the sauce off his scallops anytime…
The Upstairs $18 buck steak is a deal considering. It is a great value for what you get especially if you are comparing against the DT Grill. I think that most would be able to tell the diff in prime beef. Its not as busy and entertaining as eating at the DT Grill, but will say the steak is better.
@81 hey old guy, it’s the only thing I can feel anymore, the 151.
@86 disagree. would rather pay $37 or whatever for the filet than $18+sides for the ny or the ribeye. and the service always sucks. the $18 steak deal got us in one last time, but enough is enough.
So apparently we didn’t have the world’s craziest whiskies….just saw this on Digg.com:
http://stylecrave.com/2009-04-03/most-expensive-whiskies-in-the-world/
We need to find a bar in town that serves $75,000/bottle whiskey…..