Tasting Note Challenge: You taste. I donate.

[Brad_B_a_l_l_i_n_g_e_r]

Game on. I have a bottle of 20/20 I received as a gag for my 30th bithday. That was 23 years ago. I think it’s had enough cellar time. Stay tuned…

[CFu]

@Merrill Lindquist

I don’t get this. Anything about it. And anyone who talks about putting a cigarette in his mouth, knowing what we do today about the direct link with cancer, is just nuts.

it’s a joke merrill. You typically associate these “wines” with trashy people drinking them and having a cig hanging out of their mouth. That’s why he said a combo.

he probably should have explained it since not everyone is in on the joke of the stereotype it seems

[Merrill_Lindquist]

@C Fu

@Merrill Lindquist

I don’t get this. Anything about it. And anyone who talks about putting a cigarette in his mouth, knowing what we do today about the direct link with cancer, is just nuts.

it’s a joke merrill. You typically associate these “wines” with trashy people drinking them and having a cig hanging out of their mouth. That’s why he said a combo.

he probably should have explained it since not everyone is in on the joke of the stereotype it seems

You are correct, Charlie, according to my PM box since I posted. I think I’ll even use “this”:

[BobH]

@Mark J. Boldizsar

@b hudak

Is this serious or are you jerking around? Someone gave me a bottle of mad dog as a joke last year. If you were serious about donating to the medical charity of which I serve on the board, I’ll try it and post a note.

100% serious. A genuine pic and tasting note nets a $20 donation to a charity of your choosing. I will also post pics of the receipts so you’ll know they’re legit.

Well, I’ll have to figure out how to post pics, but I’ll open my Mad Dog tomorrow, take a pic of the bottle, and post a TN. I have never had any of those junkie wines before, so this should be an experience.
I sit on the board of a medical charity with a shoestring budget, and even a $20 donation is much appreciated. I’d rather not post the name on the BB, but many of my friends know which one I am talking about.

[BobH]

OK, so here we go. As I said, I received a bottle of Mad Dog as a gag gift at Xmas last year. I have never had one of these junkie wines before. The closest I have ever come was a taste of that Taylor Burgundy that comes in the gallon jugs from New York about 10 years ago. But, I spoke with the president of out 501(3)c who agreed that with our tiny budget, a $20 donation was worth it. Too bad I don’t have all of these wines at home, as a $100 donation gets your name printed on our race T-shirt- and a $200 donation gets your name +logo (yes, I am fishing but this is a nice mental health charity, so if anyone sees fit…)

Anyway, I opened the Mad Dog. It was grape, not green as in your picture. I assume you’ll still count it anyway. I had no idea what to expect. It wasn’t as bad as a I thought, although admittedly I was assuming it would taste like paint thinner. It basically tasted like Welch’s Grape juice, but alcoholic. There was a really odd chemical flavor to it. I couldn’t place it. Not paint thinner, but something along that line. It wasn’t strong, but it was an underlying flavor. As bad as this was, here’s what was interesting, the lack of body, tannin, and structure amounted to a finish of zero seconds. I spit because there’s no way I am swallowing this shit. As a result, it was easier to wash the taste out of my mouth than I thought. A little water, then I open a 2010 Skewis pinot. Now that hits the spot! Real wine- and real good wine!
I am not sure how to score this, but somewhere in the low 60’s would be my guess.
I’ll PM the website, you can donate via PayPal, and when we get the $20 donation, I’ll post back to let everyone know you are good on your charity endeavor. And TIA!

[BobH]

As a funny aside, I had to buy a Taylor Burgundy gallon jug for my FIL from the local store, Vinnon in Boston. While I was there, I saw a nice price on a 98 Mouton Rothschild on the shelf, so I decided to buy that as well. The owner/manager saw me ring out, and said that was a record: he had never seen any single person buy two bottles, and have such a disparity in quality of those bottles before.

[Mark_B]

Congrats b hudak, you’re the first brave soul to have successfully completed The Tasting Note Challenge™.

[BobH]

Thank you Mark. I got confirmation- the donation came through. I really do appreciate it. And it is tax deductable, so please remember that.

[Bill_Tex_Landreth]

Well done , Bob. I will do this tomorrow.

[Daniel_McIntosh]

@Brad B a l l i n g e r

Game on. I have a bottle of 20/20 I received as a gag for my 30th bithday. That was 23 years ago. I think it’s had enough cellar time. Stay tuned…

I’d love to taste that bottle!

[Brent_C_l_a_y_t_o_n]

I’d be happy to put some Balls in my mouth…

[J_McCluskey]

We have done a “40 Tasting” with the interns for the past couple years. Miller has won both times. Perhaps we’ll have to do “Wino Wine” tasting this year. Would you count everyone in the group?

[mike_pobega]

Interesting thread. Made me look into the Pobega archives as my grandpa Vic mentioned a similar challenge he was part of way back when. The first pic is him catching a ride to an offline.
The second is the winner of WOTN and the third shows an early outing to Vegas. This was a time when the saying was “What happens in Vegas usually has anti-freeze in it”.

[Mark_B]

@mike pobega

Interesting thread. Made me look into the Pobega archives as my grandpa Vic mentioned a similar challenge he was part of way back when. The first pic is him catching a ride to an offline.
The second is the winner of WOTN and the third shows an early outing to Vegas. This was a time when the saying was “What happens in Vegas usually has anti-freeze in it”.

Ha, truth be told, I actually stole the idea from your “old world/new world” virtual tasting thread. I had fun participating and thought the donation factor was really cool.

[Brad_B_a_l_l_i_n_g_e_r]

TN: NV MD 20/20 Red Grape.

This bottle was gifted to me for my 30th birthday, 23 years ago. It has been stored upright on the floor of the wine cellar ever since. Screwtop closure. A transcription of the tiny label is appropriate before getting to the actual note: “Grape wine with citrus spirits. Alc. 18% by vol. Serve cold.” That last bit explains the condensation you see on the wine glass below. Color: dark brick. It’s not quite fully brown, there is enough red to the color yet.

Nose: Pruney, raisiny. Leathery. But do I also detect citrus? It definitely smells alcoholic.

Taste: Booze-y, raisiny, harsh. It’s a dental enamel solvent. Finish: Glad it’s over and done with.

Mark, the charity is Artsage (http://www.artsagemn.org). I’m the board chair of this organization. Thanks for offering this challenge.

[Tran_Bronstein]

First of all, mad props to Mark for coming up with such a humorous and appropriate twist for the members of this board on the ALS ice bucket challenge.

Second, props to Bob Hudak and Brad Bollinger for actually going through with the challenge.

Third, “Citrus Spirits”? There is actually such a thing as spirit or brandy made purely from citrus, not grapes, grains or potatoes? If this is in fact the case, why are not more legitimate fortified wines, liqueurs and spirits made with this?

[Mark_B]

Brad, I’m still laughing at the “dental enamel solvent”. Congrats on braving what has quite possibly been the world’s oldest bottle of Mad Dog 20/20!

[ToddFrench]

Bravo, Brad! Vintage 20/20!

[Frank_H_Herfjord]

There’s a nice web site for these fantastic expressions of the rarified gutter terroir http://www.bumwine.com/

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

What? No Boones Farm! No Ripple! I am meeting with a bunch of Berserkers this afternoon. If I can find a bottle, it will cost you big time.