Happy New Year

I have been absent from this space for a few weeks. I travelled through Albania, was busy watching Twilight Zone marathons and was often drunk in a failed quest to find a Bourbon or Rye which doesn't stink of heavily charred new oak.

2007 was a bad year for me and I expect 2008 to be even worse.

Happy New Year to All of You!

My good friend and mentor André Iché from the Minervois died in late November. A year earlier my father had died and the loss of André and Sam are great losses for me. The appreciation of André which was on this site has now moved to the official and legitimate Louis/Dressner site.

On a brighter side, Christian Chaussard is coming to New York and I had lunch with Lyle Fass today!


- Joe Dressner 1-02-2008 10:30 pm


Happy New Year, Joe! Happy 2008! Stay away from Bourbon!
- anonymous (guest) 1-03-2008 12:09 am


Joe, I hope 2008 is better for both of us.



- anonymous (guest) 1-03-2008 12:40 am


Thanks anonymous. I know what you've been through!
- Joe Dressner 1-03-2008 2:55 am


My lunch of the year so far! I had a creosote sandwich! yum!
- anonymous (guest) 1-03-2008 1:50 pm


try the sazerac rye...available at chambers st wines. it's got much more earth tone and an almost herbal palate, not nearly as heavy on the oak as others i've tried. Or for bourbon, try the old rip van winkle 10yr. also available at chambers st.
- anonymous (guest) 1-03-2008 9:50 pm


Well, Joe, at least Bourbon is honest about its oak addiction. By law, it must be placed straight from the still into charred oak barrels....Van Winkle wriggles around this by rectifying before barrel aging rather than after, thereby diluting what has contact with the toast...
But Scotch, Cognac, or Armagnac it will never be....
Also, the flux in humidity in the Eastern Hills of the US add extra oak to any aged spirit....
American terroir......
- anonymous (guest) 1-04-2008 1:40 pm


Bonne Année 2008!...
- anonymous (guest) 1-06-2008 4:59 pm