Blend and Notes on the K'dam

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Any past guests on the K'dam experience these two ? Comments?

 

dave

[InTheWASide]

Any past guests on the K'dam experience these two ? Comments?

 

dave

 

I saw Blend in action and it looks pretty cool. I didn't participate because for me personally it's not worth it. I already know a very significant amount about wine and Chateau Ste Michele is less than a mile from my work. Being the hometown winery the prices are so cheap I could get bottles of all 5 wines they use for less probably. I just wouldn't get the benefit. But it's a really cool concept I think a lot of people could really enjoy.

 

Notes on the other hand... I'm not a whisky drinker (I like the clear liquors) but we talked to Stan the Hotel Director about it in great detail and it's an awesome concept. 120+ whisky, scotch, bourbon etc to choose. A guide that can always help, tastings happening regularly, ipads that can help you decide what to try based on flavors, profiles, regions, etc. If they had one for vodkas, rums, tequilas, etc I would be super excited about everything involving this. The brown liquors though is where it loses me. Price range was $7.95-$200 though so a huge selection if you like them.

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Thanks Brad. So I take it at Notes, there is not a set package......say $49 for a select choice of single malt's for example? Obviously the $200 shot would not be included. But each shot is sold separately?

 

dave

[InTheWASide]

There may have been bundles. We saw tasting setups. Didn't see that level of detail. The $200 shot was I believe around 40 years old. Only 170 something bottles were EVER produced and HAL's cost on the bottle (they bought 4) was $4000

[Boytjie]

On the MSC Divina we did 'Virtual Winery at Sea' for a similar experience: you get to mix four red wines into different blends until you find one that you like and get one bottle mixed to your blend to take with you. IIRC it was quite a bit cheaper than the Koningsdam offering, perhaps it is better beer. I would definitely do it on the Koningsdam in February.

 

And I will be at Notes for some whiskey tasting too. :)

[chefestelle]

Now that whisky business looks very interesting!. I love a good scotch, Irish or rye!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Krazy Kruizers]

My DH would also be interested in the whiskey samples.

[kevingastreich]

The $200 shot was I believe around 40 years old. Only 170 something bottles were EVER produced and HAL's cost on the bottle (they bought 4) was $4000

 

WOW! Only four bottles though. I'm sure they will be gone before I get on. :(

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Obviously they have add'l single malt scotch's than is listed on Roger Jett's listing.

Looking forward to discovering this!

 

dave

[Dr. Cocktail]

As a Scotch drinker and cheapskate, I'm sooooooooooo disappointed that you can't pay the difference between what your beverage package allows and what a drink costs.

 

Isn't it time for HAL to be in line with the rest of the industry and allow you to pay the difference?

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

As a Scotch drinker and cheapskate, I'm sooooooooooo disappointed that you can't pay the difference between what your beverage package allows and what a drink costs.

 

Isn't it time for HAL to be in line with the rest of the industry and allow you to pay the difference?

 

wholeheartedly agree! I'll sip to that!

[visagrunt]

We did Blend on the Premiere voyage.

 

As a couple, we could both participate, taking one bottle for $179, instead of paying $129 each and taking two. So it's about $50 for the experience, and $79 for the bottle of wine.

 

That's fairly steep, to be sure. But it is a terrific learning experience. I wouldn't likely do it again, but I don't regret doing it once.

[SC_GAY_Cruiser]

Morning Visa - $179 for the experience and one blended bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle wine sounds quite high. I assume that of your choices for the blend, you are allowed/encouraged to taste? Are the tastings small or quite adequate?

Do you get a special bottle with label? White and Red options?

 

dave

[Boytjie]

I assume that of your choices for the blend, you are allowed/encouraged to taste? Are the tastings small or quite adequate?

Do you get a special bottle with label? White and Red options?

 

Here's how it worked on the MSC Divina:

 

We got four red wines to blend, a graduated cylinder and a pipette. You would take wine from each of the four with the pipette and add it to the cylinder. You'd keep track of the percentages of each you used: 40% Shiraz, 20% Zinfandel etc.

 

You'd taste it and write down comments; empty the contents of that blend into a container (NOT a spittoon) and repeat the process with different combinations. At the end you selected which one you liked best, gave it to them to blend a bottle of it and a label you customized.

 

 

At the end of the process and the tasting we were all quite happy. ;) We proceeded to drink the the wine in the disposal container (remember - NOT a spittoon). At that point that tasted like a great blend! :D

Edited April 22, 2016 by Boytjie