Old Raj

The name feels a bit inappropriate but it is a damn fine gin.  I had never seen it before today when I picked it up at a rather dumpy little store north of Charleston.  It has a slightly unpleasant yellow tint but the flavor has all the good parts of Hendricks and Plymouth which is to say that it is flavorful but subtle and not over-powering.  It is expensive though, $60 a bottle.

Holiday Gift Idea #1

I think that this is a george nelson design.  There are about a 30 variations.  It is pretty frequently ripped-off but the originals are fairly well-made and classic. (The little vinyl foot caps are annoyingly lame in every version.)  The IKEA version is especially weak and sure to fall apart in a year or so but I can see why people go for it because the real deal is around $325.  I think this form is called cigar.