StabtheDragon

This is the 2nd Match-up of rye whiskeys in the Texas Rye Whiskey Tournament by StabtheDragon featuring Lockwood Rye Whiskey (90 proof) from Lockwood Distillery, Ft. Worth, TX and Oak&Eden Rye&Spire (90 proof) from Bridgeport/Lewisville TX. Can I identify which is which? Will I be able to pick a winner? Which one wins and why?

The Conversion of Scandinavia: Vikings, Merchants, and Missionaries in the Remaking of Northern Europe, Anders Winroth, New Haven: Yale Univ. Press 2012 (238pp.) This outstanding book tells the story of how the Vikings chose to accept Christianity for their own purposes. This book is a strong, readable history of Medieval Scandinavia that has implications and applications for our own time.

Acre Texas Rye 80 proof competes against Blackland Rye 83 proof in the Rye Whiskey bracket in the Texas Whiskey Tournament which will be a double elimination competition so that StabtheDragon can find out his favorite Texas whiskeys. Acre Texas Rye has some of the famous Texas char while Blackland Rye is made with 20% Triticale and does Not have the Texas char. Blackland can be purchased at Total Wine, Specs and Goody Goody in Fort Worth for less than Acre which is only available at the Acre Distillery.

Treaty Oak Day Drinker Bourbon Review#54 along with a preview of the Texas Whiskey Tournament. This bourbon has a good price around $25-$29, and is available at all my big Ft. Worth stores. It tastes decent, but nothing to write home about. Worth giving it a try, good value for the money.- +

Balcones Lineage Texas Single Malt comes in at 94 proof for about $40 and is simply delicious and amazing. This may become my favorite Texas whiskey.

This is a review of a book that is about 40 years old, yet still relevant in the discussion of "Christian Nationalism".

This is a book review of Else Roesdahl's book The Vikings, Revised Edition, London: Penguin, 1998 (324pp.) I give the book an A- because of the nature of a survey, the difficulty of the material, and it is a translation from Danish to English. However, I highly recommend the book for the classroom, or for any who want a beginning book on the Vikings.

In the context of studying the history of Christmas, particularly in its American expressions, here is a very brief theology of Christmas. Merry Christmas 2022-12-10

This whiskey review compares 2 Bushmills whiskeys: The Original vs. Red Bush.

This is a review of Balcones Brimstone Corn Whiskey that has been infused with smoke from Texas scrub oak. This is 100% Blue Corn from New Mexico coming in at 106 proof. This is liquid Bar B Q and is strong but absolutely delicious! Controversial much? Absolutely! But this will be a favorite of mine, perfect for pairing with Bar B Q or grilled steaks and burgers. This 750ml bottle costs about $50.

This is a very brief look at some of the celebrations of Thanksgiving" that happened prior to Plymouth and the Pilgrims in 1621.

This is a review of Balcones Texas Rye 100 proof Rye Whiskey. Aged for over 24 months, this is a 100% Rye whiskey, but this is very different! This may be my favorite Texas Whiskey scoring a 97 on my scale, but this is not for everyone! Caution! The Texas funk is strong with this one! Unlike any other rye whiskey, but Amazing!

Long Island Spirits produces this Wonderful Straight Bourbon that is finished in wine casks. Coming in at 90 proof this bourbon has 35% rye which lends a spiciness that pairs well with the sweet fruit flavor coming from the second casking. Named for the famous Rough Riders, the First Volunteer Cavalry led by Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish American War of 1898. Highly Recommend!

This whisky is very delicious but there are serious problems here. No brand name is listed, but the address on the bottle is the address for the Balcones Distillery in Waco. The mashbill is totally changed from the first 2 editions of Tres Hombres as it now uses 2/3 bourbon from Indiana and 1/3 corn whisky from Texas. To add complexity to the issue, Balcones was just purchased by Diageo this past week.

This is a review of Matthew McD's Straight Malt Single Batch Whiskey from Acre Distillery in Fort Worth, Texas by StabtheDragon Productions. This is a Texas Single Malt made in an Irish fashion by my favorite distillery in Fort Worth.

Is Balcones True Blue 100 going away? I cannot find it on the Balcones website nor in any of the stores in Fort Worth. This is a review of a fantastic Texas Straight Corn Whiskey coming in at 100 proof for about $50...if you can find it. 2022-10-17

Since the 2020 elections I have thought that the 2022 Mid-Terms might be cancelled or altered because of the Red Wave that is inbound. I pray for peace and a smooth, honest election, but be prepared!

2022-10-15 This is a book review of Taylor Anderson's "Purgatory's Shore" a science fiction/alternate universe book that has plenty of historical fiction and, surprisingly, theological and political discussions that are very applicable to our day. I gave this book an A++ and consider this to be one of my all time favorite books.

This is a review of Balcones Baby Blue Cron Whiskey coming out of Waco, Texas. This was the first whiskey brought to market in Texas since Prohibition and it won double gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2010. Made from roasted blue corn, this is a great 92 proof corn whiskey for about $40.

This is a book review of the thriller by Jack Carr (US Navy SEAL, retired) The Terminal List, 2019. I gave this book a solid "A" as it comes close to the level of Brad Taylor's Pike Logan series and exceeds Lee Child's series, Jack Reacher. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series and Highly Recommend this book!

This is a review of Balcones Pot Still Bourbon.. This bourbon is aged for over 24 months in the extremes of the Texas climate and it is composed of Blue Corn, Wheat, Rye and Barley. Coming in at 92 Proof this is an amazing Texas whiskey that is a mouthfull of creamy, cinnamon, char, corn sweetness and spiciness.

This is a good, decent but weak bourbon, perhaps good for beginners. There is nothing offensive here, but at 40% ABV and probably aged less than 6 months, this bourbon lacks flavor and kick. Again, there is nothing bad here, it is smooth and gentle with mild sweetness and a touch of corn, but it is over priced at about $33 in Ft Worth. Coming out of Scissortail distillery in Moore, Oklahoma.

Herman Marshall Distilling is changing over to Dry County Distilling and will soon move from Garland, a suburb of Dallas, TX, to Wylie,TX. The switch over from one label to the other has seemed to hurt distribution and availability, but this is a fine blended bourbon. None of the Texas funk in this one.

My thoughts on the attack on America on 9/11/01, our response, our lack of unity and purpose, and what we can do about it.