Jim Beam Red Stag Black Cherry Bourbon

I don't really live a life full of vice, but one of my kryptonites is cherry-flavoured beverages. Cherry Coke, Wild Cherry Pepsi and for the love of God, the best of the best, Cherry Dr Pepper.

Unfortunately I live in Canada, whose importing authorities see cherry-flavoured drinks as a sort of deadly violation of the Canada Food Guide and avoid it.

When a friend told me the LCBO was carrying Jim Beam Red Stag, I jumped on it. Why? Red Stag is Jim Beam's Black Cherry flavoured Kentucky bourbon, aged four years. Not only did I get one, but I got it on sale: $25. (It was a limited offering in 2011 and is currently not available at the LCBO.)

I like bourbon and adding cherry flavour to it would only deepen our bond, I was sure. Did my fingers tremble as I cracked it open? Maybe a little.

The nose was strong. Alcohol, medicinal cherry and bourbony. Not so promising.

There's a tired line I've avoided all my life. It's so effortless to say something "tastes like cherry cough syrup!" I tend to really like cherry cough syrup, so this descriptor doesn't work for me. But the taste was so medicinal that I couldn't help but think, "Now I know what people are talking about when they say cherry cough syrup!"

My wife gave it a try and to my surprise thoroughly enjoyed it. Based on this I gave it a second chance. And a third. Fourth. Fifth. Nope. It was awful. It tasted like two separate drinks in my mouth, one being some sort of Robitussin product which came close to overwhelming the second, bourbon.

Did I get a bad bottle? I'll never know.

I would liken Red Stag to a DeLorean barn-find. It's exciting to discover it, but there are just no redeeming qualities about a DeLorean with a rusted frame, dented stainless panels and gummed up fuel injectors.

LCBO sale: $25
750 ml
40% (80 proof)

www.JimBeam.com
www.JimBeam.com/Red-Stag

Throwback Sody Pop

Wow, I feel like I'm power-blogging with my pretty regular and absolutely whopping one-post-a-week schedule. You'd almost think it was 2007 or something!

I know Throwback Pepsi and the other retro beverages are old news. I'm not trying to be some soda hipster breaking the news or bragging that I'd bought it X many years ago.

There are two types of people in this world: Soda pop connoisseurs, people who're indifferent, and people who can't count. A friend, a self-proclaimed pop connoisseur, always offered me a Throwback version of Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Dr Pepper. And I always accepted. After all, they contain less sugar than their high fructose corn syrup counterparts, yet taste better. It's like magic!

Ah, if only we could infuse the retro magic of the 80s into everything we eat, drink, touch and drive. I'm about to go off on a small tangent about how cars today have the most uncomfortable fake "sporty" suspension and the numbest steering in history, so if you don't want to read about why I love my iconic 1980's sports car more than anything any manufacturer is putting out today, you can skip to the next paragraph.

Too late.

Oh I nearly forgot. I'm also mad. My Throwback supply is nearly diminished and there have been no reinforcements sent to Canada from PepsiCo.

A press release I read somewhere indicated PepsiCo applied for and was granted permission from the FDA to add Throwback soda pop to its permanent product line. So they'd better make haste and ship those bitches up here soon. I need a premium product to mix my musty Maker's Mark with.