Elliott C. Back: Internet & Technology

I bought three young coconuts from Whole Foods on 14th Street, two of which turned out to be bad. How do you know that a young coconut is bad? There are a few obvious signs:

• The meat is purple or lavender, and runny and goopy. It should be pearly white, and firm.
• The water is cloudy. It should be clear.
• It smells alcoholic. It should smell delicious.

Just to give a visual aid, here are some photographs of a young coconut you definitely do not want to eat:

Note the spider-like veins of decomposition and infection.

The water is cloudy.

This one isn’t as bad, but it’s well on its way to oblivion.

I’ve just had the opportunity to try the Talisker Distiller’s Edition single malt scotch (~$60). I essentially believe it to be a 10 year Talisker finished for an extra year of aging in Oloroso sherry casks from the label, which reads “bottled in 2009, distilled in 1998″. Their website offers the following description:

The Distillers Edition is unique: after its usual aging process in American oak casks, the whisky undergoes a second maturation in casks previously holding sherry. The result is older, sweeter and richer than the regular bottlings.

The reviews on for Peat’s Sake rate the Talisker Distiller’s Edition at 93 points, slightly above the 25 and 18 year varieties. To the taste, while the 18 year Talisker is a much more mellow, blended taste than the peaty rich phenols of their 10 year scotch, the distillers edition is even sweeter than the 18 year old, and smoother to boot. It’s perfectly drinkable in any mood, somewhere between a typical single malt Talisker and brandy.

If you find peaty Islay scotches to fiery for your taste, be sure to give this one a try. It will definitely go down smoother, while retaining some of the classic Talisker taste.

The ingredients in a B-52 are pretty simple: three liquors of different densities so that they float above each other, and look asthetically different hues and tones. To get started, make sure you have a tall shot glass, and the following (or substitutes) handy:

1. 1/3 shot – Kahlua
2. 1/3 shot – Baileys Cream Liquor
3. 1/3 shot – Grand Marnier

You can substitute Starbux Coffee Liquor for Bailey’s depending on your stock.

Now, the first step is pouring a generous third shot of the Kahlua into the shot glass. As the densest of the three liquors, it will hug nicely to the bottom:

The second step is to pour ontop of this another 1/3 shot of Baileys. The trick here is to pour very slowly and tilt the shot glass sideways at a 45 degree angle, like you do when pouring draft beer to avoid foam. This should let your Baileys layer float on top of the Kahlua:

The third step is to do the same, but with the Grand Marnier. As it’s the lightest layer, pour it even more slowly, and let it gently gloss ontop of the cream liquor. If you want to finish the shot by lighting it on fire with a lighter, it’s best to pour the Grand Marnier all the way to the top leaving no space, otherwise it will be hard to light:

As a finishing touch, flambeé and drink with a straw, or in a single hair-singing gulp: