I think I found the perfect pen

January 10, 2017 Drew Fleisher

Daga's Pen・Vise feels great in the hand and looks great doing it

I write a lot, and like most writers I have favorite writing utensils. I have a favorite pencil (Black Wing Palomino) that I carry everywhere in a bullet pencil. That pencil is always in my pocket, and a second one is always in my planner. When it comes to pens my tastes change sometimes because sometimes there are variables that make one pen better for a project than another. Sometimes I need a fine point for delicate script so I use a Pilot rollerball V2 or V5. Sometimes I need something that will dry really quickly so I need something like a Fisher Space Pen or Sharpie Liquid Pencil. I've spent a long time looking for the perfect everyday pen. I like a pen with a decent sized barrel so my fingers don't cramp if I'm writing for a long time. Something with some weight, but not too heavy. The problem has always been that I would find a pen I liked the feel of but the refills it held were ink that I hated; it would take too long to dry, or be an off color (not all black pens are created equal my friends), or would feel weird on the paper. This week I think I finally found the perfect pen.

New Product Review: Cow WOW Cereal Milk

September 29, 2013 Drew Fleisher

Fruity Trudy is just one of the great flavors of milk headed your way!

In this months Goodie box from Goodies Co. was the above box of milk. Yes, a milk box. Like the ever present juice boxes, this product is trying to appeal to your children as a drink to be chanted for and screamed over at soccer games and meals. Unlike those other drink choices, as long as your child does not have allergies that make it otherwise, this is an amazingly healthy choice for them, and you as well. If you are not on a non-dairy health food kick, read on.

Whiskey Tasting: Dark Corner Distillery's Lewis Redmond Carolina Hand Mash Bourbon

November 30, 2012 Drew Fleisher

Dark Corner Distillery in Greenville, SC is new to the whiskey world. An Artisanal micro distillery focused on hand-spirited small batches of whiskey and other libations, Dark Corner started in 2010. That recent start hasn't stopped them from some rapid expansion, however. They have quite a wide range of offerings, but as of November 16th they can say something no one else in South Carolina can say: they now make bourbon.

Dark Corner had a big party to comemorate their first bottling, and I got ahold of two bottles from their first batch. First, you need to understand that whiskey mellows the longer it is in the barrel. Distilled the 3rd quarter of 2010 and barrelled on halloween night 2011, Lewis Redmond Carolina Hand Mash Bourbon was aged for 14 months on charred new american oak 5 gallon barrels. This means it is going to be a bit more raw than some longer running brands, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great bourbon. For new-make bourbon this is as smooth as it comes. They replace a lot of the rye normally used in bourbon with red wheat, giving it a sweeter top note, quickly resolving to carmel and vanilla. Its young age leaves a nice sour apple finish that is crisp and refreshing.

They currently barrel 30 gallons of bourbon per month, and are now using 15 gallon barrels. This years barreling won't be tapped until late next year at the earliest. I'm hoping to some day see how well this bourbon holds up to 6-12 years in a barrel, if their first batch is any indication it will quickly become a classic. It will likely be a while before many of my readers get a chance to taste this whiskey, but if you run across it you owe it to yourself to give it a try.