Indicators of Wealth?

[NW-Bound]

You made me go out and look in the back of my cabinet.

I counted 4, yes, 4 unopened bottles of XO, of 4 different brands and still in gift boxes.

Heh heh heh...

PS. No Courvoisier XO, but other brands like Camus XO, Remy Martin XO, and Otard XO... Otard XO? Never had this brand, and did not even know about it. Who gave that to me? It's been so long I forget.

PPS. In the process, I also found the half-finished single-malt my children gave me 2 birthdays ago. Been going crazy looking for it. I put it back in its round box each time I poured a shot, but forgot what color the box was. Darn old age. There goes my "superior" memory. Somehow in my memory, it was a green box, but it is really beige. It's this Oban 14-year old, as shown on the Web. My bottle is 1/2 empty. Arghh! Someone drank it without me knowing.

 

[W2R]

Try some Paddlefish to sample the "luxury" at a low cost. It's about $20/oz and the flavor is very good. So good that I'll always buy a tin even if I'm also buying the $70/oz stuff.

I just might do that. I love caviar and I'm not too picky about the type.

 

[NW-Bound]

Had caviar once, and I had a tough time swallowing it. Too fishy for my taste, although I eat fish. You can have all the sturgeon's egg, I just eat the sturgeon itself (most excellent firm and mild fish).

One of these days, I may try caviar again but it is not high on my priority list. I'd rather spend the money on some good pâté, something I am sure my wife and I both enjoy. Hmmm... Delicious. And sipping a bit of Cognac, which they also use in the making of such pâté.

 

[RobbieB]

If you had the stuff at the grocery store (pasturized, non-refrigerated) 4 oz for around $10, I would agree. It's not good.

The good stuff has a very mild flavor, very rich tasting and makes me smile a lot -

 

[NW-Bound]

I don't know how much it was. It was served on a cruise ship, in a special midnight event. Could be the $10 variety.

 

[RobbieB]

Interesting. Who knows?

Good caviar is smooth and rich like good pate. It has some "fish" flavor, but it shouldn't be too strong. It will keep for a few days as long as it is not opened and exposed to air. The tins are packed to the top and more, some "oily residue" will be outside as the top is pressed down over the fill and a rubber band seals the seam. Once opened the clock starts ticking fast and I would suggest the purchase of (2) 4 oz tins over one 8 oz if you want to enjoy over days...ie once opened you would do best to eat it all. The suggested serving size is one oz per person, but I find that 2 oz is what I like to eat for appetizers, so there is my reason for 4 oz tins for the 2 of us -

 

[NW-Bound]

I think I would not be able to persuade my wife to share a tin with me. So, would have to look for smallest container.

 

[NW-Bound]

On 2nd thought, I don't think caviar is for me. I just remember the reason I do not like sushi being the taste and smell of the seaweed Nori. I also remember the caviar I sampled had that taste.

I can eat good fish all day, but find Nori very difficult to eat.

 

[RobbieB]

You could be right about that.

I regularly buy those "seaweed snacks" at cost plus -

 

[NW-Bound]

And by surfing the Web, I just found out that they make vegetarian fake caviar from seaweed. Arghhh!

OK, that settles that. I can strike off caviar just as with sushi, and never have to wonder about it again.

 

[RobbieB]

Can I get a soy burger topped with seaweed caviar?

And smear some tofu sauce on the bun?

 

[NW-Bound]

Surely you can make that at home. And post photos of it here too.

 

[haha]

Come on guys, where are the threads about foraging for grubs and fiddlehead ferns?

This Cognac and caviar stuff is not the lbym that I have learned to know and love, and to expect in the pages of ER.org

Ha

 

[RobbieB]

I am living below my means. Well below. I've got more dough now than I ever had.

I haven't worked in over 2 years...

Gotta...blow...more dough!

 

[NW-Bound]

As for me, all this fancy booze was gifted, and some I have had for a while (I am a slow drinker).

About the booze that I buy myself, did anybody miss the story about my son sharing his discovery of the cheap but good American brandy? After tasting it once more tonight at his dinner to be sure, I may go out to buy a case. Heh heh heh...

 

[clobber]

And by surfing the Web, I just found out that they make vegetarian fake caviar from seaweed. Arghhh!

OK, that settles that. I can strike off caviar just as with sushi, and never have to wonder about it again.

The internet can be a dangerous place my friend!

 

[Koogie]

...After tasting it once more tonight at his dinner to be sure, I may go out to buy a case. Heh heh heh...

I don't know if this is forethought, decadence or an "indicator of wealth" but the liquor store is delisting my favourite "everday" rum, so I had to go buy a case of it. Proud as punch I was, at the checkout till (most out of character )

 

[NW-Bound]

Interesting bottle. Never heard of it.

Actually, I never bought a case of anything, other than wine which I drink more of. I like to sample different things, and do not want to make such a commitment. Just joking about buying a case of that brandy.

PS. Just check the local Total Wine store. They do not have this rum. However, all kinds of interesting rum bottles show up in the search. See what I mean about there are a lot of things out there to sample?

 

[MichaelB]

Come on guys, where are the threads about foraging for grubs and fiddlehead ferns?

This Cognac and caviar stuff is not the lbym that I have learned to know and love, and to expect in the pages of ER.org

Ha

Perhaps this is a sign of an equities bubble?

 

[NW-Bound]

Heck, where youse guys have been?

There have been so much activity in the Travel forum for the last two years. European travel, month-long river cruises, business class seats...

Compared to those, caviar, foie gras, and Cognac are for the poorer posters here.

 

[Danmar]

You may be asking for indicators of wealth but all I see posted are indicators of spending.

Whether a private jet, Maserati or a mansion, they don't indicate wealth. They could indicate wealth, but everyone on this forum has stories about the 'rich' guy down the street who was really $1MM in the hole.

I'm not sure there is a true physical indicator although there may be intangible ones. An intangible indicator might be waking up every morning knowing that you can do whatever you want to do and not worry about how to pay for it.

I get your point, but I think most people are assuming these people can afford what they buy. Otherwise, of course, they wouldn't be "rich".

Some other indicators for me would be buying dinner for family and friends without hesitation, taking family and friends on exotic trips where they never have to pull their wallets out, paying for a private school education for daughter, etc. Lots of "classy" ways to spend money that wouldn't be viewed as conspicuous consumption.

 

[kcowan]

I find treating friends is a touchy subject. Sure they will accept on dinner on us if we have stayed with them. Sometimes they will accept us picking up the wine if we picked an extra pricey one. Otherwise, it is pretty balanced in terms of payment.

Family can be very different though.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yes, a sign of wealth is if you have enough to share with others, first with family, then friends, and the public. However, Ebenezer Scrooge did not share, and yet one cannot say he is not rich.

Anyway, because we somehow got into the parallel track of "booze wealth", I decided to pull the bottles out of one cabinet to see what I stashed away. And I took a photo.

This is 1 of my 3 stash locations. And I have some bottles up in the 2nd home, but less than this. I have significantly more in wine bottles.

Well, is this wealth? It may look like a lot of booze, but in dollar sense, no. I can replace all my bottles, the XO's included, for a couple of $K, and who does not have a few $K? It's all about what one chooses to do with his money.

 

[RobbieB]

Nice collection! What's in the black bottle with the gold Asian script?

 

[NW-Bound]

Sake. So is the blue bottle next to it. Gifts from my beloved children.

One year, they asked what liquor I'd like to sample, and I told them.