Long a fan of F. Paul...
...who like Dave Broom approaches spirits with independence and skill. His "Kindred Spirits 2" is a must, must buy. In searching for reviews for Tanduay (back in the news) I ran across a rare interview with F. Paul:
http://www.frodelius.com/goodspiritsnew ... acult.html
The highlights...
1. F. Paul tastes about 8 spirits a day, in the morning when his palate is fresh and "always of one category". Note: allows comparative or reference tasting.
2. He began his career in winemaking for ten years, and then writing about wine for another seven, before being asked by the NY Times to write an article about Scotch and thence to his well know Journal. He finds beer, wine and spirits as different as "chalk and cheese".
3. As for tasting, he is absolutely fanatical about "putting on my game (neutral) face", and following a very precise and repeated procedure (covered elsewhere here) stating "My tasting routine never varies, thereby lending a sense of foundation.".
4. Unlike The Project and although he keeps a "library" of great spirits, he does not use them as reference standards but instead relies on his memory and experience.
5. His top 3 spirits of all time? Highland 18, Contreau ("the finest liqueur ever made") and Partida Reposado Tequila which he believes defines the category of tequilla. His book covers his then Top 111 spirits (of several thousand reviews), yet another reason to buy this tome.
6. As far as what makes a spirit great? "Harmony; seamless integration where no one element dominates over the other elements.". This should be what we all are after.
Flat Ass Bottom LIne...
Part of becoming a connoisseur in recognizing and learning from the handful of true, accessible, independent and credible experts. When one of these identifies a truly great spirit we should be obligated to understand why. The Chinese put it so well in noting that while teachers have the obligation to teach, students have the obligation to give themselves to the process. To question, yes. But at least for a time to suspend disbelief.
In good time we will then develop our own body of knowledge and experience on which to rely while recognizing that few if any of us will reach those levels of perception. To me the real magic is how a truly great reviewer can capture and communicate the essence of a spirit in so few words, and to then place upon it single rating - not of the bottle or any element of the tasting - but expressing the success or failure of that spirit to display F. Pauls "harmony and seamless integration.
And so it goes...
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Citation:
Behind the Stick Interviews:
http://www.frodelius.com/goodspiritsnew ... acult.html
For more great interviews of the greats...
http://goodspiritsnews.wordpress.com/
(listed on the right side of the page)
Real Reviewer: F. Paul Pacult
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- Location: Paradise: Fort Lauderdale of course...
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Real Reviewer: F. Paul Pacult
Last edited by Capn Jimbo on Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
You lost me at Cointreau. Yes, in its category it's best, but he must never have tried the original green Chartreuse (let alone the VEP)!
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Capn's Log: Hass, FWIW Pacult's publishes his top spirits of the world every year, adding one each time. Thus to appear in his Top 111 (and remember this is out of thousands) is saying something. In that year Contreau came in at #17 and he did rate your Chartreause Green VEP, at #84.
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Capn's Log: Hass, FWIW Pacult's publishes his top spirits of the world every year, adding one each time. Thus to appear in his Top 111 (and remember this is out of thousands) is saying something. In that year Contreau came in at #17 and he did rate your Chartreause Green VEP, at #84.