Day 32 - Ginny did a lot of sorting today. We are still wallowing in the residue of 37 years in this house. She is doing a great job. We are continuing to send stuff permanently out the door which is a very good thing. In the course of the effort we will end up with the residual stuff much better organized and accounted for. One useful outcome of the garage restoration was the installation of good lighting in the attic. There is going to be quite a bit of stuff there eventually, and it will be much easier to maneuver around.

Over the years I have purchased and consumed quite a few bottles of spirits. For the last several months I have been working down my supply of bottles because there were just too many. The question then becomes,"If only so many bottles are allowed at the bar, which would they be?" This seems to be the answer.

The Glenlivet because it seems to be a good middle of the road Scotch. If someone would enquire about buying a Scotch for the first time, this would be it. There are so many very good Scotches to choose from. I will never be able to try them all. One thought is to rotate another Scotch into the lineup on occasion just for comparison sake. Remember, we are trained scientists and have a natural born urge to experiment. One variety that I do have on the side is the Glenmorangie Lasanta, a double casked Scotch finished in Sherry barrels. BTW, anybody visiting my house and asking for some ice with his Glenlivet will be handed a rum and coke and sent on his way.

Makers Mark has been a favorite for a very long time. Of the various Bourbons readily available, it seems to be amongst the smoothest. One reason for that smoothness is that it is a wheated Bourbon. That means that wheat (as opposed to rye) is in the mash bill. Although it is best consumed neat or with a splash of water, occasionally some ice is called for, especially on a hot summer day.

Four Roses is new to the line up this last year. On our tour of Bourbon country, we visited two Four Roses facilities. It has a checkered history in the United States. Many years ago it had a white label and was considered to be awful. It was actually a blended whisky. The actual good Four Roses was being exported Europe and Asia. It wasn't until about 2002 that the owners of the brand went back to marketing Four Roses straight bourbon, this time with a yellow label. It still has a connotation of poor whisky and a bottom shelf item. In reality it is a vey nice Bourbon which is a rye variety. It is only $30 for the 1.75 liter bottle. A good deal.

And, of course, there is Bombay Sapphire. This has always been a favorite of mine. It is a nice sipping gin with good spice flavor. It is quite similar to Hendrick's but at close to half the price. Hendricks is good gin, my daughter in law Christiane's favorite. This gin is nice straight and it is also nice with a few chunks of ice. It seems to hold up to the ice a lot better than bourbon.

Everybody has their preferences for distilled spirits. These are mine. If you don't agree, go drink flavored vodka.