saturday dinner at Gallia in the South End.
i had the duck.
and an apple sidecar.
and the table shared a wonderful bottle of st. emilion
but i cannot for the life of me remember the ch.
rats.

although, to be fair, i would have loved to have tried the
Ch. Pavie 2000 St. Emilion
but sadly, it was not available at the restaurant
WA gave it a 100 rating, WS a 96
with a maturity 2012-2050.
and at $350, i don't know how much i would have been able to drink
without having to take out a personal loan.

sunday night was a rye sampling:
sazerac 18 yr old versus the hirsch 13 yr old rye.

the sazerac: Amber chestnut color. Huge, spicy aroma. Very mature, with notes of oak, leather, and molasses. Enormous in every respect, from its thick, chewy texture to its unbelievably spicy and very powerful flavors. The long, warm finish is preceded by notes of mint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, vanilla, molasses, oak, leather, and lingering pepper.

the hirsch: Sweet. Powerful. More caramel than the sazerac. And doesn't quite put the hair on your chest the way the sazerac can. Less oak but still a very nice mouthfeel. Hints of bitter chocolate and coffee.