B.O.W.W.O.W.

Beer of the Week: "Bede's Chalice," a barley wine from durham brewery, weighing in at 9.0% ABV, is an amazing and complex beer with the flavors of rich thistle honey, toffee, prune, and (on the finish) orange bitters - sweet and heavy, but not nauseatingly so.

Whisky of the Week: "Ardbeg" 10-year is another smoky, medicinal whisky from Islay (resembling Laphroaig). Combining with the peaty, smoky, earthy qualities is a sweet smooth tobacco that evokes the spirit of grandpa's living room - pipe smoke, dessication, and home remedies.

B.O.W.W.O.W.

Whisky of the Week: There is no beer of the week (b.o.w.) this week as the elements have driven us to whisky night after night. In these cold, dark and damp times, we must focus our attention on whisky. Cragganmore 12-year immediately became one of my favorites - one I will surely return to as the Scottish sun sets at 4:30, then 4:00, then on the solstice - God help us - 3:30! Incredibly smooth and sweet malt with complex floral and honey flavors on the nose and tongue, finishing like a roaring wood stove in the throat and belly.

edit:
Beer of the Week: we have a belated beer of the week after all, "St. Cuthbert" IPA from Durham Brewery. Heavy all around with malt, yeast, hops, taking a quaff trajectory from honey to peach to wee orange citrus, on to a meaty, musty yeasty wit long dry throat puckerin finish. Bottle-conditioned certified real ale. The best IPA I've had in a while.