Beer, Books & Booze

Three really fun things I got for Christmas last week were beer, books and booze. Three of my favourite things.

First, the beer: Hobgoblin beer.

This traditionally crafted legendary full bodied ruby red coloured beer from Wychwood Brewery is strong in roasted malt with a moderate hoppy bitterness, a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour and slight fruity character. But, most importantly it's the unofficial beer of Halloween. Cool. I enjoyed a glass of it last night with supper. Quite enjoyable.

Next, the books:

Linwood Barclay - Too Close To Home
Michael Connelly - The Brass Verdict
Stephen King - Just After Sunset
J.K. Rowling - The Tales of Beedle the Bard



I started with Barclay's latest thriller, which I finished on New Year's Day. It was incredible. Yes, Barclay, who used to be a columnist for The Toronto Star wrote hilarious satirical essays, but man can he even pen a fantastic thriller. This is his sixth mystery/thriller and they just keep getting better. I've moved on to Connelly's novel now and am about 100 pages into it. Harry Bosch meets the Lincoln Lawyer. So far, excellent.

And now, the booze: Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch



Renowned for its perfect balance, this well rounded and velvety smooth scotch with a startlingly complex finish comes in individually numbered bottles. While it is a blend rather than a single malt scotch, it is truly the finest blend I have ever tasted, made from a blend of Johnnie Walker's rarest whiskies. And you can tell this is one of the more treasured scotches available not just from the taste, the individually serial number on the bottle, or the fact my brother in law said is was locked up at the LCBO and had to be walked to the front cash. No, you can tell because it comes cradled in a satin-lined box that is absolutely gorgeous and likely far more luxurious than the casket I end up being buried in.