[Vacances de Noel] 18/Dec/16 Conan Doyle bar

The second day,

I went to Conan Doyle bar for late lunch.

The one of very good things in Scotland  (and England) is that you can have late lunch almost everywhere.

In France, most of restaurants stop serving lunch around 14h 30. Therefore if you're late, you should take only snacks like McDonald's.

Here, in United Kingdom, there are a lot of bars (pubs) which provide you of snaks.

Fortunately the snacks have big quantity and good quality like meal.

So, I went to "Conan Doyle bar" which is the birthplace of writer Canan Doyle.

This bar is located close to Calton hill.

I asked 'Ale'. Before, I have never tasted 'Ale', so it was really excited experience.

Ale is similar to beer but it is less sparkling and the texture of drink is more creamy.

Sometimes it has more alcohol or mixed with Whisky.

My first Ale was 'Dark Ale'. It was very good!

Also, I asked 'Haggis', the traditional scotch food!!!

I've heard that it is like boudin (French) or Sundae (Korean), however, it was different. Anyway, it was definitely better than what I heard.

And the companies (potato and... something I don't know) were also very very good. You will be offered barbecue sauce on your dish. 

Conan Doyle bar has a gorgeous mood. Even though you're not interested in Sherlock Homes and Conan Doyle, it is good for you to have little drink or snack over there.

Then, see you soon :-)

[Vacances de Noel] 18/Dec/16 Glenkinchie Wiskey

On the second day, I visited distillery "Glenkinchie" in Lowland.

This distillery is quite far from Edinburgh city center, however, you can reserve 'transport+tour package'. 

The price of transport+tour (1 glass of whisky) was 20 pounds.

And if you taste more, you can pay only 4 pounds more. 

I strongly recommend this second one. 

You can take a small bus in front of Calton hill at the reserved time. 

In the distillery, photography is forbidden.

Therefore I have only a few photos of whiskeys. 

First of all, we tasted 12 years old Glenkinchie.

It has quite nice fruity and honey aromas. 

Also the guide let you taste with a little water to make whisky soft. 

 

If you chose 20 pounds course, this is the end of tasting.

But if you choose 24 pounds tour, you can get 3 more glasses!!!!!!  

So, this was my second whisky; 14 yeards old Glenkinchie. 

It was little bit softer than 12 yrs.

The really good thing is that you can choose whatever you want to taste on the shelf!!!!

I chose a whisky suggested by the guide. 

It has really good coffe aromas. Mocha and chocolate as well. 

Fortunately, I could share my glass with my company. 

The forth whisky is definitely my life whisky!!!! 

The name of whisky is LAGAVULIN and it has really good smoky aromas!!!!! 

Even I finished my glass, I smelled the inside of glass several times more. 

I believe that 8 years is the best. 

Fortunately I was able to taste 16 years at a restaurant after this visit. 

16 years has soft smoky aromas, and it is quite mild to drink. 

I prefer strong smoky flavour!!!!! 

And the price is also actually 8 years is more expensive than 16 years. 

In addition, if you want to buy this whisky, you should buy it at Edinburgh airport. 

I have checked the price in Glenkinchie shop, a bottle shop in Edinburgh city centre, Edinburgh airport and London Luton airport. 

In Edinburgh airport, the price was the least expensive (around 46 pounds something like that).

The last one was a special Glenkinchie which was matured in Sherry cask. 

That's why it has really good fruity and floral aromas like wine. 

It was also very nice. 

And as you know, when you like something, I'm sure that you don't like the price. It was the same..... :-).... 

Sadly I had to go back without my life whisky... it is too expensive for me.... :'(

The visit of Glenkinchie distillery was so nice. 

I was able to learn about scotch malt whiskey. 

If you have enough time and car in Scotland, you can visit more distilleries. 

There are 12 distilleries and you can visit there in free if you have visited Glenkinchie. 

(I'm not sure about it, anyway, they normally belong to the same company Diageo, so you could get some benefits. 

Visit there! 

Visit there twice!

[Vacances de Noel] 17/Dec/16 First dinner

This Chirstmas holiday is quite big.

I prepared to visite Scotland (Edinburgh), England (London) and the Netherlands during 16 days.

The first day, I have arrived in the beginning of evening, so I went to have a dinner directly.

Most of the restaurants are already booked.

On Saturday, even it's not Saturday, it is better to reserve your table at restaurant before you go in Edinburgh.

I had no choice, therefore I went to a nearby restaurant. 

I didn't know at the first, however, the restaurant was a french restaurant!!

Omg, I was in France 

Even it is a big chain restaurant!!! I've seen other same restaurants in London!!!!

If you don't eat a lot, you should take only main dish or 2 courses. And some fine restaurants make you to pay 20% tax and 12.5% tips. So be careful for calculating the price.

Anyway, the foods were very nice and had big quantity.

Beer (french) 

The price of a single bread basket is 2.40 pounds.....

Squid ring

Steak

As it is rare for me to have steak, I was very happy.

Vanilla Ice cream? Pudding??

Anyway it was very good. 

My travel mate Mouteok♡♡

[Visiting] Chateau Lascombes 2nd Grand cru

~ Chateau Lascombes ~

(Margaux AOC)

(2nd Grand Cru Classe)

Whenever you go to Margaux town, you can see a castle like witch's castle or Dragon's tower.

This is "Chateau Lascombes"!!!

If you look at it in front of the castle, the castle is just normal and beautiful chateau.

1. History

The name of "Lascombes" is caused from the first owner, Chevalier de Lascombes. (Knight Lascombes)

The first floor of chateau was built in 17th century. 

Other 2nd and 3rd floors were added in 19th century. 

The chateau shows an natural English style. 

In the early 19th century, Alexis Lichine was a proprietor of the chateau. 

His efforts gave a big influence of the prestige and world-wide fame to Chateau and wine. 

The biggest changes were happened in 2001.

They changed all the vine yard and wine cellars. 

At last, Chateau was purchased by MACSF(Mutuelle d'assurance des professionnels de la santé) in 2011.

🐇 🐇 🐇

2. Vineyard

Scale: 132 hactares

Grape vines: 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot

Soil: more clay

Harvest would be started at the end of September. 

It's all hand-picking by 150 people for 4 weeks.

Most of people who participated in harvest are Portuguese and Spanish.

Rose is a tradition to check some diseases of grape vine.

Today, it is just decoration. 

Grape vines are 35years or 60 years old.

The young vines and old vines are planted together. 

This mixed planting gives a competition among the grape vine to lead better quality of wine.

Once a week, they cut the leaves on the top of grape vine by tractors.

🐇 🐇 🐇

3. VAT house

There are 3 different types of VAT(tanks): Concrete, Stainless and wooden(oak).

Also they have an optical machine to sort berries. 

This optical machine sort berries according to colour and so on by laser. It's brand-new technology.

They use 2 ways to get wine: Free-run and Press wine. 

First of all, the wine is let out by gravity (Free-run wine) on the top, 

after that, the sediment in the tanks is pressed to get wine. (Press wine).

Finally, both of wines are mixed for final wine.

There are almost 40 tanks. 

Between wine cellar and Vat house, there are the pipes to transport wine.

a funny warning. I cannot understand.

🐇 🐇 🐇

4. Wine cellar

Today, the wine, vintage 2015, is keeping in oak barrels.

They produce 2 wines: Chateau Lascombes (Grand vin: First wine) and Chevalier de Lascombes (second line)

"Grand vin" needs 18 months of maturation in oak barrels (70% new oaks)

and the Second wine needs 16 months.

You can see the wheels among barrels.

This is for stirring inside (to move lees).

I have seen it last year in chateau Larrivet Haut-brion (Pessac-Leognan).

Whenever you open the oak barrels to stir inside, the wine must meet oxygen. 

This wheel system is considered to minimize bad impact of oxydation.

On the floor, you can see a cover. This is a concrete tank under the floor.

These concrete tanks were installed under the floor for blending. (after Malolactic fermentation)

I've never seen this kind of thing. I believe that it is really nice idea but it must be very expensive.

🐇 🐇 🐇

5. Private cellar

Chateau Lascombes also has a private cellar. 

I found the wines, vintage 1989(My birth year.LOL)

There were a lot of magnum size bottles. 

Even though it is same quantity, the impact of bottle aging is different depends on the bottle size.

🐇 🐇 🐇

6. Wine tasting

First of all, wine tasting room is very very beautiful.

This is nice place to taste wine!!!!! with natural light!!!!

(1) Chevalier de Lascombes (2012)

Margaux AOC

50% Merlot and 50% cabernet sauvignon

Clear / Deep / Ruby

Clean / Pronounced / Black currant, spices, prune

Dry / H Acidity / H tannin / F body / L Finish

Hot (Pimente), black pepper, + Fresh 

Easy to drink,

and definitely it is for MEAT!!!! I LOVE MEAT!!!

★★★

(2) Chateau Lascombes (2012)

Margaux AOC

2nd Grand Cru Classe

48% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot

Clear / Deep / Ruby (darker than chevalier)

Clean / Pronounced / 

lack currant, spices(Black pepper, Cinnamon, cloves, Liquorice...), moss, game ( a lot of aromas)

Dry / H Acidity / H tannin / F body / L Finish

Hot (Pimente), black pepper, Dried Prune, humidity, farm yard, mineral things like soil, metal 

It is hotter than chevalier de lascombes and "Delicious".

the colour of Chevalier Lascombes

🐇 🐇 🐇

6. short stories

Alpachi-Teok is happy. 

It knows that the reason why it is rainbow colour.

It loves wine, drinking and drunk.

Chateau Lascombes has a huge garden.  

It is really nice to take photos.

Pam-Teok became an evil again.

But it is NATURE that the rabbits love plants, shoots, and fruits!!!!

beautiful tower

The symbol of chateau Lascombe is "Lion".

Oh, such as "Lanisters" in Game of Throne.

The lion holds out its tongue, but it also seems like cigarette pipe.

Anyway, I like Tyrion Lanister, so I like Lion symbol.

~ Lannister always pays his debt ~

LOL

As usual, the visit and tasting in Chateau Lascombes was very instructive.

I have learned about Margaux appellation and the oak barrels as well.

I had many questions and the guide answered me very well. 

Thank you so much.

http://www.chateau-lascombes.com/