Diary
My personal, real, secret diary ... is only for me to read. But since I still want to share my experiences with you, here's my online diary.
Thursday 21st December 2019
Notes from Glass of Bubbly.
“Genius Is Found In Simplicity” they are the words that you will find on every page on the website of Black Bottle Distillery, they create English Gin at a smart level, IQ Gin produce from a wash base, that they ferment from malted barley, this is a longer and more labour intense process that they believe creates a finer more unique Gin.
Tasting Notes – ” White pepper, juniper and coriander, it’s very punchy, very expressive and positively memorable.”
https://glassofbubbly.com/the-english-75-cocktail/
Thursday 21st November 2019
Notes from Master of Malt.
Check out this Oxford single malt from the same folks who brought you IQ Oxford Gin! Don't be fooled by the 'e' in 'whiskey', it's distilled just outside of Oxford (and aged in small barrels), but the team behind it wanted to differentiate the spirit from Scotch whisky. Oh, and Oscar Wilde attended Oxford University back in 1874, so there's a fun fact for you to impress people with - and a quote from the Irish poet himself on the label, too!
Thursday 21st July 2019
Another gin product on its way. Oak barrel rested for 6 months.
Master of Malt
IQ Oxford Gin Oak Rested Bottling Note
The folks behind IQ Oxford Gin have given their spirit a rest in oak casks, resulting in this sweet, creamy tipple. Ought to be good for gin cocktails that could benefit from a helping of vanilla-y sweetness.
Thursday 26th May 2018
May & a Hot Night
Coming soon Oxford Blue Vodka. Meet us on Twitter to win a bottle.
Thursday 25th April 2018
Cold Night & Wandering Hands
Come back from Amazon. I miss a Gin and Clarkson. BBC just not the same.
Thursday 18th February2018
Cold Night Flaming Drink
Very cold night, staying in with a hot toddy and the television.
Saturday 1st January 2018
Happy New Year
To everyone I wish you the very best for 2018. Its going to be a great year.
Saturday 30th December 2017
Happy Holidays
I have to try and keep my feet on the ground in 2018. To many long term plans and not enough action.
Have a wonderful holiday and a great New Year.
Monday 25th December 2017
Happy Christmas
I was wondering why Santa did not deliver the Bentley?.
Have a wonderful holiday and a great New Year.
Sunday 24th December 2017
Maybe something for 2018
A message on a company walll near Doncaster. Would the world be a better place, if this was the way we lived through out working life.
Thursday 21th December 2017
Shortest Day of the Year
Day by day, its all heading for summer now and Christmas is almost upon us.
Friday 15th December 2017
Dealing with Tech
Day on the Lap Top. I sometimes wonder if its taking me over one key at a time.
Saturday 9th December 2017
Saturday in Oxford (Bitch for the Week)
The difference between been Intelligent and been smart is something Oxford really cannot get a hold of. So expect to see this city find itself downgraded as a place of excellence.
Wednesday 1 December 2017
Saturday and anther day on line?
Come and see us at Havan House
https://www.havanahouse.co.uk/product/iq-oxford-gin-70cl/https://www.havanahouse.co.uk/product/iq-oxford-gin-70cl/
Wednesday 1 November 2017
New Bottle and Label.
We have been working hard to get this to market. IQ can now be found at https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/38943/iq-oxford-gin
Friday 28th April 2017
Buyers and testing the Market
Samples have been sent to three distributors from the first batch and waiting feedback.
Fingers and the rest crossed.
Sunday 16th April 2017
Easter
A time of renewal and not just a bank holiday dominated by Easter bunnies and cholate eggs.
Sunday 2st April 2017
Now on Line
The first day of real sales on line. Not that we sold anything but just been on line with a product is something to rejoice.
Saturday 1st April 2017
Happy Saturday
Happy April fools day for those like me, who feel this is a natural state to be in.
Friday 17th March 2017
Saint Patricks
A good day to start a long weekend. We are now ready to bottle our Gin and put it on the market after a 3 month wait for it to mature.
“Enjoy a Great Weekend"
Sunday 26th February 2017
A new start and the bitch of the day.
"So true" meetings for the sake of meetings and launched by lack lust management, who feel safe within a committees. Nothing achieved, nothing done and nothing risked.
God I hope GIN will fix-it.
Sunday 1st January 2017
The only way to start the New Year
Happy and prosperous 2017 to everyone. Soon time to put your hand in your pocket and try a bottle of this years IQ.
The only New Year’s resolution you should keep.
Saturday 24th December 2016
New Year’s resolution
Christmas Eve and for a couple of days each year we all offer goodwill to all men. Pity there is another 363 days of climbing over mankind
Something to add to your New Year’s resolution.
Saturday 3th December 2016
Motivation
Motivation at the distillery has been taken to the next level but will this meet with health & safety regulations?
Monday 28th November 2016
Waiting for the Gin. Wonder will it out pace me to maturity
Please let me know what you think of the label, would this catch your eye and interest you?
Wednesday 15th November 2016
.Gin will have to wait.
Twickenham the home of British Ruby and tickets for the England v Fiji game on the 19th. This is the way to do it and not in front of the TV. Seat in the stand, mad cheering crowd and a beer or two inside me.
Monday 7th November 2016
Alcohol does not solve problems, but then again, neither does milk.
Spend Saturday watching the still operate and it is running sweetly. Produced 20 litres of 80% ABV not a bad test for a stripping run.
Reading a book by Sarah Knight called the Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K. Maybe my one regret is, I should have said that to more people.
Tuesday 2nd November 2016
Success or Failure "Who the hell cares."
Ran the still in production for the first time and was very happy with results, hope to have product on the market by January. HURAY.
If this is success, I can live with it.
Thursday 27th October 2016
The Art of been "HAPPY"
Final operational approval and registration received from HM Customs & Excise for the Distillery .
This is a happy day but now I have no one to stop me, so who can I blame?
Sunday 9th October 2016
The Art of Sitting On One’s Hands
The distillery is now finished and itching to press the button and get things started but have to wait for final approval from HM Customs & Excise.
I have a very low time tolerance; I believe I must have caught this from the wife.
Friday 7th October 2016
On Leadership, Shout, Shout & Shout Again.
When I got out of bed today and stepped on the child Lego brick. Shouted the usual words of parental encouragement and then with a fist in the air shouted again, "bring it on life I am ready". Wonder why the wife looked so worried?
Wednesday 5th October 2016
Don’t break anyone heart they only have one. “Break their bones as they have 206 of them”.
A day of talking to suppliers and feeling they have their hand firmly in my pocket. Someone called it partnering, I called it something else.
To overcome the feeling of irritation, I first started to counted to 10 before answering but now I have given up for the day, as the count has become endless.
So where is my Cunning Plan "Baldrick
Saturday 1st October 2016
“A Cunning Plan” (Required)
Hopefully Monday should conclude the visits from the HMCE and I will then wait for a final judgement. Now trying to plan marketing for IQ ahead of manufacture.
A little like putting the cart before the horse but HMRC has a very powerful cart & do not want to pass go and go straight to jail.
So for a Cunning Plan and I need my own Baldrick
Friday, 23 September 2016
"Happiness" comes with completion of all the HMCE documentation.
Finally, after many attempts and little progress a period of form filling has been finished, started back in April.
Hopefully in the next couple of months we can move forward as a registered Distillery and see some light at the end of a very long tunnel.
Must celebrate with the last of the monkey 47 the finest of Gins and one I hope to equal in future.
Tuesday, 20 September 2016
"One Drink" away from telling the world what I really think;
Still working through the paperwork. The Distillery is ready and Christmas is coming. I feel a apprehensive that I may never get things finished.
Wednesday, 7 September 2016
Still working through the registration;
Another day, another step on the way to having the distillery registered. Sometimes I feel it is one step forward and another back. So as usual I will carry on regardless.
Sunday, 4 September 2016
Today hopefully I will finish all documentation;
It has taken sometime to cover all the documentation required to register a distillery in the UK. I really hope this will be the end of it and I will be allowed to finally open for business.
I must however say that HMRC have been excellent to work with and it is just my inability to access some of the paper work that has caused many of the delays.
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