scott's ravings: Birthday Fun

Well, I'm one year older. Seems like it's getting harder to get excited about birthdays these days. Thirty nine is such a blah year. At least I'm not forty... yet.

We had a nice time last night. Jim and Lisa met us at Del Rio, which is probably some of the best Mexican food in Leesburg since Casa Gonzales closed. I had a wonderful bistec a la parrilla (which is Spanish for grilled steak).

During dinner, Becky and the Alvii brought out a few presents for me. Becky gave me a really nice shirt and a book on the Civil War history of Loudoun County. But the very coolest presents she gave me were two bottles of liquor. One was a Scottish gin (yes, Scots make gin!) called Hendricks. This gin distinguishes itself from other gins in that they have used herby and floral elements beyond simple juniper infusions. The gin has notes of rose, citrus, cucumber, and the taste is very smooth and earthy. A very delicious gin that boasts, "Loved by a tiny handful of people all the world over."

She also gave me a bottle of Laird's 7½ year old apple brandy. This is a very nice brandy. The nose is not particularly appley, nor is the first taste. In fact, the very first experience with this brandy is that it tastes very much like a grape brandy. However, when you swallow the brandy, and the liquor coats your esophagus and rear palate, the aftertaste is remarkably strong of apples. It is as if you just finished eating a crisp Granny Smith. I've never experienced a spirit with such a sharp aftertaste! It is really quite delicious!

After dinner, we headed over to Jim and Lisa's to enjoy some Pepperidge Farm Coconut Cake. This cake has remained unchanged since I started eating it in the seventies! It is wholly terrible stuff, but I love it! It is the only food I eat with actual trans fat still in it! One package will last indefinitely, even if opened. Yes, it's basically a Twinkie with coconut icing. Good thing I only eat it once a year. Yum!