Still retain this perspective, Russell? ;-)

Tis a pity they pour so much of their malt into blends.

The notes with the unpeated Caol says they have been making it for decades and selling it for blending. So perhaps their attitude has changed. Anyway it is a different wrinkle, we have un or lightly…

but at the office? in the artificial quiet and the air conditioning? almost possible to concentrate.
the $3.50 is money well-spend.

You got it! I do my best writing by far surrounded by people. Also the fact that I cannot procrastinate easily – no "polishing the goldfish" is possible…

"Keep your eyes peeled for the unpeated Caol Isla and Ardbegs then."

Yes, there's this amazing whisky pub in Bowmore on islay with a huge range of islay whiskies by the dram. I had a (rather expensive) dram of a Cadenhead 13 y/o sherry finish Caol Isla,…

The winners are Paul Rose

You mean Paul doesn't get a ticket by rights? After his bloody contribution to NZ music over the years....a wee bit shocking that is.

16 yo that I got duty-free in Singapore last year, which is smooth but shows the way some of these whiskies can lose their zest with age.

Hmm I have the distillery bottling of the 18yo Talisker and I don't recognise that comment. Sure the fire…

@ Islander As for Lagavulin, yes, yes, yes. It is my 2nd favourite after the inimitable Talisker but the…

with your current setup you will never be able to get espresso as good as what a cafe can make.

I had realised that. Home coffee is restricted to "working from home need caffeine hit urgently" time. My niece is more than happy wiht the quality of the fluffies though.…

Peter – Lagavulin?
When I get a royalty cheque, I buy Lagavulins I havent yet tried...my extreme indulgence...
Mark Harris – you can get cask-strength Laphroaig from Whisky Galore in Christchurch & Meehams in Dunedin-

If you ever run out of Lagavullins to sample, can I recommend two Talisker private…

And I see Mr. Slater is now trying to bully poneke, the hubris of him and his offsiders is truly astonishing to behold.

Quite:

"Let me tell you one thing though Poneke, get anything wrong and I’m going to gun for you on the blog."

What a dick.

And Russell since you are still up I am really looking forward to your spin of the Palin Biden debate outcome. Obama was nice and won the people, McCain was right but lost. Palin-Biden seems to be reversed.

How so? The CBS and CNN snap polls gave it to Biden…

Phil Kitchen may have looked at this, and he should have. It's his job. But did you see a series of teaser articles in the DomPost?…

Got any good pointers (or links) on home roasting? I've thought about it (creating marvelous new blends etc) but I'm nervous about wasting the beans by making them undrinkable.

A couple of good starting points:

Coffee Snobs
Sweet Maria's

Green beans are between $10 and $15 per kg, so it's…

Slater obviously more intelligent than given credit for.

interestingly, that still makes him an idiot.

Ater reading many/most "news articles", I find myself feeling that I've gained absolutely nothing in doing so and consumed a collasal waste of time.

Well played Media 7…

Lagavulin's nice as well.

And now I find that Wilson's Lammerlaw is reborn as Milford, I might give that a try as well. IMHO Lammerlaw was a fne drop, and up there with many I've…

I'm a coffee afficionado, but my small serious espresso machine lives in my van. For everyday…

Like a forgettable brewing experience from the past. (I've never seen so many bottles explode...)

Nice neologism, I may steal it!

its like turning up to a wine tasting with Marque Vue.

Kind of. But if you really like Marque Vue, and those poor saps are paying $100 a bottle, who's getting value for money?

I am a ferocious coffee snob but I freely acknowledge I'm taking it past reasonable levels.…

Now I wonder whether Russell has subtly but deliberately outed Clinton Smith as the initiator. If so, ups to you sir.

If not, actually. Way to conspiracise though!

joke that went too far

I jumped on the outrage wagon at first reading that headline.

Now I wonder whether Russell has subtly but deliberately outed Clinton Smith as the initiator. If so, ups to you sir. It was a nasty attempt to scam Slater, hoping he would post the…

Cultivating connoisseurship beyond what you already like is making a rod for your own back.

Wise words. As a connoisseur of fine single malt whisky the only Speysiders I have are for culinary purposes. It is isn't that I don't like them, just that they don't do anything for me.…

you will never be able to get espresso as good as what a cafe can make.

@Stephen Judd: Now I have my Domobar Super and Masser Mini I reckon I get a better coffee at home than 95% of cafes in AKL – working from home got all that much…

(Yorkshire, Earl Grey, Irish or English breakfast, caravan, gunpowder, green – we offer the lot) ...

Leopold (or any other tea afficiondo): I haven't been able to get Twinings Darjeeling tea for ages. It used to be available intermittently from local supermarkets. Any idea where I might find it these…

I was working for PostBank at the time and travelling from Wellington to…

Cultivating connoisseurship beyond what you already like is making a rod for your own back.

Zigackly!

you know, i think it's actually *more* of an insult to cameron that no-one gives a shit what he's up to?

You know, I had scrolled back half a page to see who you were referring to before it struck me? Rly.

But basically don't skimp on the grinder.

Dare I ask, but if you don't feel like shelling out $500 for a perfect burr grinder, and you've currently got a basic spice grinder thingie and standard home espresso machine (not plumbed in to anything!) then:

Which is best:
Basic el cheapo grinder (less than $100) or…

Ah! I could get behind that! How much did it set you back?

It was about $80. But immediately afterwards I discovered while in Moore Wilsons that the price from a non-specialist retailer should be something more like $60.

I'm not aware of a manual grinder that will do a…

Could it possibly be that all PA-ers are watching the Biden/Palin debate?

Karl or McManus?

How about option c) none of the above? :)

It set me back USD 60 about 6 years ago, not sure what the price is these days. The grind coarseness can be set, and it makes an excellent plunger coffee.

wannabe Roves either

Karl or McManus?

Boom boom!

Broadband through TelstraClear.

Mine's via Vodafone — so they're both wholesaled DSL connections ...

wannabe Roves either

Karl or McManus?

Craig, I am well aware that Labour, etc, are no saints. But I was refering specifically to the likes of Whaleoil and co, not National or the right in general.

Thanks for that, Grant. Sincerely. One nice this about PAS is that it attracts a nice crowd, who don't deserve…

I'm just trying out the new Google Chrome Browser. Not Mac ready yet , or linux, but I like it. very snappy an full of tricky tweaks

Yep. I had a go with Google Chrome as well and was also impressed with its snappy performance.
However one thing…

Hi Russell. If I try to watch the TVNZ on demand, I get the soundtrack but no visual. Just says, "sorry this content is not available to view". What am I doing wrong? It has worked for me in the past

It's not you!

I've been trying to help them…

I'm just trying out the new Google Chrome Browser. Not Mac ready yet , or linux, but I like it. very snappy an full of tricky tweaks

That sort of thinking leads, almost inevitably, to the home Cocktail Bar.

Nah, it leads to home distilling. And that can be a dangerously fun place to be lead to.

Hey, can you tell where one can buy a decent coffee grinder at an economical price Mr. Brown?

Consumer org recommend a particular model available from... Starbucks!

Clinton Smith is a bright young man. Under his blogging name, Steve Pierson, he's often sharp and energetic, and he does good graphs. He could be a serious commentator — if he can develop some impulse control.

Clinton was part of the team that produced kiwiblogblog – an experiement that…

Nah, I use a manual grinder.

No doubt fashioned from a refurbished bicycle but with rimu trim (it adds to the flavour, you see).

Banks will still lend on espresso machines, won't they?

Sure will – they'll bundle the grinder loans with more stable Kitchenaid mixer loans and risky derivatives of automated handheld garlic crushers and sell them to Italian dog walkers.

__I think I've tried a similar CDO joke here before actually. I…

I have a 1970s Braun coffee grinder but it's now a bit long in the tooth and tends to make things a bit coarse. It's a great shade of orange, though

My parents have a gorgeous old ceramic blue and white wall-mounted manual grinder that deposits the coffee in a…

Nah, I use a manual grinder. Not only am I thinking of my carbon footprint, but I'll still be drinking coffee after the impending global economic collapse sends the world a bit Mad Max.

There are manual espresso machines that'll let you pull a pretty good shot, but I'm not…

Tom: If you really want to go there, sleazing around the Press Gallery (on a…

But Kyle, once you've got the best coffee ever happening at home, why would you want to

I sometimes feel shame over it — it's just a drink — but we're going to upgrade the five year-old Domobar machine too. It's part of the budget for the long-overdue house extension.…

The cost of one or two espressos per day at cafe prices easily pays for a nice machine + grinder over a couple of years...

That sort of thinking leads, almost inevitably, to the home Cocktail Bar.

And remember that we folks who go out for our coffee never have to…

I'd be interested to know what Russell ended up with.

A Mazzer Mini from the nice people at Espresso Engineers. They gave me a very good trade-in on our old Anfim, given that it's very hard to get parts for them now.

I'll probably spend the rest of the day…

Entrapment of dodgy commentators in this way is just the same thing as the liquor licensing people do when they tart up 17-year olds and send them into bottle shops, isn't it? Or…

a manual grinder

Ah! I could get behind that! How much did it set you back?

I have a 1970s Braun coffee grinder but it's now a bit long in the tooth and tends to make things a bit coarse. It's a great shade of orange, though!

Surely true caffeinistas make homemade coffee grinders from old vacuum cleaners and industrial parts purchased from T&E?

Nah, I use a manual grinder. Not only am I thinking of my carbon footprint, but I'll still be drinking coffee after the impending global economic collapse sends the world a bit Mad…

Seriously. Get out more. That's scary.

But Kyle, once you've got the best coffee ever happening at home, why would you want to?

it's sad for the media when truth gets in the way of a good story

Yeah, I thought the editorial spin in the DomPost was a bit off too.

No No. Not "foul". They say:"Labour is using our money to dig the dirt on us good folk"

And I'm speaking as one who's recently plumbed a second hand commercial espresso machine into the kitchen. The results, however, are worth it!

Seriously. Get out more. That's scary.

FIVE HUNDRED NOTES????? Can't I just, you know, sidle up to the cheap Breville one at Briscoes and get them to put it in a brown paper bag?

Otherwise I'm going to have to…

Lets cut the outraged virgin routine? Gleefully re-telling the latest rumour over some beers is human nature. It is NOT the same as constructing a careful laundering process for spreading rumours full of depraved filth.

Tom: If you really want to go there, sleazing around the Press Gallery (on a…

Re grinders: if it's for espresso Tom everyone seems to say burr or nothing. And they seem to start at $400ish... I got a "cheaper" machine to get the…

If you're making plunger or filter coffee the sub $100…

In particular, to me its at least prima facie evidence of how those who like to spread whispering hate campaigns against (in particular) Helen Clark use people like Slater to launder their filthy rumours out via the likes of David Farrar, Matthew Hooten and Bridget Saunders

Can't speak about the…

I saw one I liked for like $149, and I was "To hell with that!"

But maybe that is what you have to pay.

It really is like saying global warming is real/not real because this years…

I gave to go out in a moment to buy a new coffee grinder.

This is quite exciting (no, really), but it would all be spoiled if someone were to, say, utter defamations or distasteful statements in my absence.

So, er, careful out there ...

What's the bet that should someone reveal something skoddy about a National MP Whaleoil, Hooten, et al, will hypocritically cry foul.

Oh, you mean like the rumours being gleefully pushed around the Press Gallery that Don Brash was fucking Dianne Foreman for a long time before Mallard's little blurt in…

What's the bet that should someone reveal something skoddy about a National MP Whaleoil, Hooten, et al, will hypocritically cry foul.

It also beggars belief that the gossip…

Fair enough, but if the person concerned really wanted to "set things right", I'd sure welcome a (signed) guest post that offered some insight into what – if anything – s/he was thinking.

And with all due respect, Russell, "the hoaxer" doesn't deserve confidentiality ... While I'm no fan of Slater, what "the hoaxer" did was beyond dumb.

I think "she" (I can't confirm actual gender) knows that well enough now.

I'm not extending confidentiality as such — all I have is a…

If that person happens to be Cameron Slater or Clinton Smith, I'd like to pledge a hundred bucks towards the plaintiff's legal costs.

Having said that, I'd like to place one condition on the pledge: If the person concerned is an MP, let's just make sure it is declared regardless…

If that person happens to be Cameron Slater or Clinton Smith, I'd like to pledge a hundred bucks towards the plaintiff's legal costs.…