27 February, 2018
16 February, 2018
Craft Gin Club - February
So some months ago, I joined Bubble Club, which was a subscription box for sparkling wine. I ended up receiving two boxes before I cancelled; Matt doesn't drink bubbles, and I just can't down an entire bottle on my own on a regular basis.
One of my Bubble Club boxes came with a tiny sampler of Haymans Old Tom gin. It sat on the shelf for a while, because I always thought that gin tastes like Christmas trees. Matt finally broke down and tried it one night, and I guess I hadn't tried good gin before, because we both really liked it. Since then, we've had fun trying different kinds, although Haymans is still very high on our list.
When I found out that the company that does Bubble Club has a gin subscription box, I knew we'd want to try it. We joined just in time for the February box (& luckily during a special offer), and here's a peek at what we received.
That is a whole bottle of gin (70 cl), a sample of tonic water, three snacks, and a magazine (not pictured). Of course, we popped open the gin and tried everything right away.
The gin
The tasting notes in the magazine, Ginned!, say the following about Salcombe Gin Start Point.
Citrusy and floral on the nose, on the palate the earthy, resinous notes of juniper combine with warming, spiced citrus. A fruity, peppery heat from cubeb pepper mingles with the warmth of cinnamon, descending into a finish lengthened by green cardamom.
Matt and I both really enjoyed this gin. It's very smooth, with a light citrus flavor. Neither of us like a heavy juniper flavor, and we were pleased at the clean flavor of Salcombe. Not quite as sophisticated as the notes above, but we're still new to the game.
The snacks
Tyrrell's Sweet and Salty Poshcorn
Honestly, I didn't think I'd like this at all. I like popcorn, but not kettle corn, which is what I expected this to taste like. In reality, they had combined regular salty popcorn with sort of a sweet glazed variety, in equal measure. And I think I'll give English sweet and salty popcorn another chance, because it was a very nice flavor.
Bahlsen Choco Moments (mint flavor)
This is a light butter biscuit with a thick layer of dark chocolate infused with mint. The mint flavor is very strong, a bit much for me on its own to be honest. But it pairs well with the gin, which mellows the flavor of the biscuit nicely.
The Devon Fudge Company Salcombe Gin Fudge with Pink Grapefruit
Yes, this fudge is actually made with the gin we received. The flavor is lovely, very creamy, and the sweetness of the fudge takes away any bitterness from the grapefruit flavor. I wouldn't mind trying more from this company.
The tonic
Luscombe Grapefruit Tonic Water
Matt likes his gin with tonic, and he's not picky about brand or anything. Tonic can be quite bitter to me, and I usually pair my gin with lemonade (here lemonade is a white soda, like Sprite). The Luscombe tonic was a bit more smooth than others I've tried, but the grapefruit flavor is not for me. I'll stick with lemonade for now.
Overall, Matt and I were both very pleased with our first gin of the month box. Of course, the thing we looked forward to most was the actual spirit, and we weren't disappointed. I can't wait to see what comes in March...
One of my Bubble Club boxes came with a tiny sampler of Haymans Old Tom gin. It sat on the shelf for a while, because I always thought that gin tastes like Christmas trees. Matt finally broke down and tried it one night, and I guess I hadn't tried good gin before, because we both really liked it. Since then, we've had fun trying different kinds, although Haymans is still very high on our list.
When I found out that the company that does Bubble Club has a gin subscription box, I knew we'd want to try it. We joined just in time for the February box (& luckily during a special offer), and here's a peek at what we received.
That is a whole bottle of gin (70 cl), a sample of tonic water, three snacks, and a magazine (not pictured). Of course, we popped open the gin and tried everything right away.
The gin
The tasting notes in the magazine, Ginned!, say the following about Salcombe Gin Start Point.
Citrusy and floral on the nose, on the palate the earthy, resinous notes of juniper combine with warming, spiced citrus. A fruity, peppery heat from cubeb pepper mingles with the warmth of cinnamon, descending into a finish lengthened by green cardamom.
Matt and I both really enjoyed this gin. It's very smooth, with a light citrus flavor. Neither of us like a heavy juniper flavor, and we were pleased at the clean flavor of Salcombe. Not quite as sophisticated as the notes above, but we're still new to the game.
The snacks
Tyrrell's Sweet and Salty Poshcorn
Honestly, I didn't think I'd like this at all. I like popcorn, but not kettle corn, which is what I expected this to taste like. In reality, they had combined regular salty popcorn with sort of a sweet glazed variety, in equal measure. And I think I'll give English sweet and salty popcorn another chance, because it was a very nice flavor.
Bahlsen Choco Moments (mint flavor)
This is a light butter biscuit with a thick layer of dark chocolate infused with mint. The mint flavor is very strong, a bit much for me on its own to be honest. But it pairs well with the gin, which mellows the flavor of the biscuit nicely.
The Devon Fudge Company Salcombe Gin Fudge with Pink Grapefruit
Yes, this fudge is actually made with the gin we received. The flavor is lovely, very creamy, and the sweetness of the fudge takes away any bitterness from the grapefruit flavor. I wouldn't mind trying more from this company.
The tonic
Luscombe Grapefruit Tonic Water
Matt likes his gin with tonic, and he's not picky about brand or anything. Tonic can be quite bitter to me, and I usually pair my gin with lemonade (here lemonade is a white soda, like Sprite). The Luscombe tonic was a bit more smooth than others I've tried, but the grapefruit flavor is not for me. I'll stick with lemonade for now.
Overall, Matt and I were both very pleased with our first gin of the month box. Of course, the thing we looked forward to most was the actual spirit, and we weren't disappointed. I can't wait to see what comes in March...
07 February, 2018
Holiday Wrap Up
Just a few bits and pieces to finish up our Christmas and New Year season.
Harlow Carr had a special Holiday Glow throughout December. We took the kids one evening during their school break, and luckily it was the day before we got a decent amount of snow. (I'm sure the lights looked beautiful in the snow, but it was cold enough without it!)
The kids were really excited to be in the gardens after dark, and they loved the lights.
It didn't take long for the cold to set in, though. And the cries of, "I'm hungry!" We gave them the few snacks we had brought, and those were gone in a flash.
So we quickly walked through the rest, and hurried back to the car so we could get home and get everyone fed. In all it was a good time, but we may wait to go back until the kids can handle it a bit better.
The next day, the kids were thrilled to wake up to a few inches of snow!
Of course we had to go out to play. We dressed the kids warmly, and said we were going to the park across the street. So much excitement caused us to linger outside the front door for a while.
Finally, we made it to the park. We let the kids set the pace, and slowly wandered, throwing snowballs along the way. Matt decided to see how big of a snowball he could make.
By now, we had spent about an hour playing outside, and my feet were freezing in my wellies. (I sold my snow boots before we left Colorado; I didn't think I'd get much use out of them!) So I took Miles and Clara home, while Matt and Lily walked into town to get Five Guys. We spent the rest of the day inside, and by the next day, much of the snow had melted.
Our New Years Eve was very low key. We stayed home, and had a festive dinner of appetizers (spring rolls, cheese sticks, Indian selection, and cheese toasties to name a few). The kids watched all of the countdowns that Netflix had to offer (in the morning), and were in bed at their normal time. I even went to bed just before midnight, so that's how exciting we are.
The remainder of the school break, we hung out and played with new toys and games. It was a nice break, but I was ready for the kids to go back to school by the end. And they were ready to see their friends and get back to their routines.
And with that, I think I'm caught up with real life again!
Harlow Carr had a special Holiday Glow throughout December. We took the kids one evening during their school break, and luckily it was the day before we got a decent amount of snow. (I'm sure the lights looked beautiful in the snow, but it was cold enough without it!)
The kids were really excited to be in the gardens after dark, and they loved the lights.
It didn't take long for the cold to set in, though. And the cries of, "I'm hungry!" We gave them the few snacks we had brought, and those were gone in a flash.
So we quickly walked through the rest, and hurried back to the car so we could get home and get everyone fed. In all it was a good time, but we may wait to go back until the kids can handle it a bit better.
The next day, the kids were thrilled to wake up to a few inches of snow!
Of course we had to go out to play. We dressed the kids warmly, and said we were going to the park across the street. So much excitement caused us to linger outside the front door for a while.
 |
| Tasting the snow |
 |
| Do you want to build a snowman? |
 |
| Rolling a ball down our hill |
 |
| He let the kids help until it wasn't very safe |
 |
| Taking a break |
 |
| Finished! A couple of teenagers rolled it just a bit further after we walked off. |
 |
| Snow angels! |
By now, we had spent about an hour playing outside, and my feet were freezing in my wellies. (I sold my snow boots before we left Colorado; I didn't think I'd get much use out of them!) So I took Miles and Clara home, while Matt and Lily walked into town to get Five Guys. We spent the rest of the day inside, and by the next day, much of the snow had melted.
Our New Years Eve was very low key. We stayed home, and had a festive dinner of appetizers (spring rolls, cheese sticks, Indian selection, and cheese toasties to name a few). The kids watched all of the countdowns that Netflix had to offer (in the morning), and were in bed at their normal time. I even went to bed just before midnight, so that's how exciting we are.
The remainder of the school break, we hung out and played with new toys and games. It was a nice break, but I was ready for the kids to go back to school by the end. And they were ready to see their friends and get back to their routines.
And with that, I think I'm caught up with real life again!
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