• Dandelion and Apricot Wine – ended up more Apricoty than a very Apricoty thing.  I only have one bottle out of 6 left.  It was pretty good for a first attempt at wine-making.
• Mulberry Mead – just keeps getting better and better.  The Mulberry flavour has come out a lot, almost competing with the heather now.  Wonderfully drinkable considering how dry it is.
• Sorb, Orange & Ginger Wine – bitter yet sweet, and hard to drink…a sipper.  Still balanced and pretty yum, despite the malty aftertaste dropping off a bit.  Smells like Pink Grapefruit.  Could do with a bit more roundedness, hopefully another 4-6 months aging should do it.
• Elderberry and Mulberry Wine – FINALLY bordering on drinkable, although still tastes like a young red wine.  This one may need another year before it’s good; I wonder if this is because it was made from 100% juice?
• Rowan and Spiced Plum Wine – The overly sweet pre-mulled christmas delight is still overly sweet, and still tastes like a mulled wine should.  I think the plum might be coming out a bit more, which is nice.  Should be really good when it starts to get properly cold – assuming we don’t have a horrible mild and wet winter like most years these days.
• Rosehip, Blood Orange & Hibiscus Wine – I took forever to get this one going, for one reason and another.  It’s fully fermented now and somehow really rather drinkable; I thought this was meant to take 2 years?  Anyway it can wait at least a year; my patience scares me sometimes
• Elderflower and Rhubarb Wine – Again, just finished and strangely drinkable.  Very weird, although this one should only be 6-8 months before it’s properly tasty.
• Dandelion, Green Raisin & Ginger Wine – On the way to fermentation, I just need to get some bottles to free up a demijon and more sugar.

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So, here are my favourite albums of 2009 – as of now.  It is in vague order of appreciation, although don’t pay too much attention to the order as they are all fantastic.

1. Blut aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue With the Stars
2. Nautic Depths – Siberian winter
3. Mathias Grassow & Tomas Weiss – Quiet Calling II
4. Arktau Eos – Ai Ma Ra
5. Mathias Grassow – Transpersonal
6. Steve Roach – Afterlight
7. Troum – Eald-Ge-Stréon / Abhijňâ
8. The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation – Succubus
9. Wardruna – Runaljod – gap var Ginnunga
10. Isis – Wavering Radiant
11. Fall of Efrafa – Inlé
12. Steve Roach – Immersion: Four
13. Kylesa – Static Tensions
14. Raison d’être – The Stains of the Embodied Sacrifice
15. The Ruins of Beverast – Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
16. Zu – Carboniferous
17. Yhdarl – Drone Nightmares, Part II: Buried Burnt Earth
18. Devin Townsend – Addicted
19. dredg – The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion
20. Tombs – Winter Hours
21. Cobalt – Gin
22. Urfaust – Einsiedler
23. Steve Roach – Dynamic Stillness
24. Skagos – Ást
25. Sun of the Blind – Skullreader

I tried a lot of fantastic beers in 2009, so here are my favourite bottled beers that were new to me:

1. Thornbridge St Petersburg Highland Whisky Reserve
2. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
3. Nøgne Ø Dark Horizon First Edition
4. Thornbridge St Petersburg Speyside Whisky Reserve
5. Thornbridge Alliance PX Reserve
6. Thornbridge Alliance Madeira Reserve
7. Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter
8. Rochefort Trappistes 8
9. Ayinger Weizen-Bock
10. Struisse Pannepot
11. Spire Xtinguisher
12. Moor Old Freddy Walker
13. Thornbridge St Petersburg Imperial Russian Stout Islay Whisky Reserve
14. Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
15. Anchor Old Foghorn Ale

…ditto for Cask Beers:

1. Thornbridge Handel
2. Marble Ginger
3. Brewdog Paradox Isle of Arran
4. Crown Ring Of Fire
5. Spire The Wall
6. Thornbridge Cherry St. Petersburg
7. Crown Wood Street Porter
8. Thornbridge Alliance
9. Fugelestou Sledgehammer Stout
10. Thornbridge Halcyon

…and again for Ciders:

1. Dunkertons Black Fox Organic
2. Sheppys Dabinett
3. Newton Court Medium Dry

I was tempted to carry on with a list of spirits and one of honeys…but I think that’s quite enough for one day.

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• Rum (any type) – 1 measure
• Benedictine – 1 measure
• Grenadine – a good splash
• Angostura Bitters – a few drops
• Tonic – add to taste

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