The Campaign Builder's Guild

Beer, good for so many things.  What are your favorites?

At the moment, I am partial to Magic Hat #9.  A nice bitter brew.

Gulden Draak gives Guiness a run for its money as the beer that you can eat with a spoon, and pricey enough to keep one from swilling it like so much Coors.

Old Thumper is middle of the road good, but what a great name.

Bud. Bad.

in my opinion, beer tastes like week-old donkey urine. of course, that's an assumption on what week-old donkey urine tastes like, but i imagine that if one were to actually taste it, they would think "a little heavy on the hops, but overall not too bad". then they would get locked up.

edit- gimme something with some rum in it. failing on that, white russians are good....

I like to get whatever is the current seasonal beer from New Belgium.

And Fat Tire when I want something a little more ordinary.

But mostly I tend to prefer wine and Sapphire martinis these days.

Quote from: sdragon1984in my opinion, beer tastes like week-old donkey urine. of course, that's an assumption on what week-old donkey urine tastes like, but i imagine that if one were to actually taste it, they would think "a little heavy on the hops, but overall not too bad". then they would get locked up.

edit- gimme something with some rum in it. failing on that, white russians are good....

I agree with this, but not just cause i don't like the taste. I believe that i am also allergic to hops, so i steer clear of beer. As for other stuff though, i mostly drink vodka - specifically Finlandia (i love the Finnish), Schnapps - specifically peach and Goldschlager (that stuff is awesome), and tequila (Cuervo is good).
Not a big fan of rum, but i am all about the white russians (vodka+kahlua+milk=amazing beyond belief).

as far as beer goes, though, my friends tell me that London Porter is one of the best that you can get.

Quote from: Captain Obviousvodka+kahlua+milk=amazing beyond belief

i agree. i'm told it isn't a "manly" drink, but i'm not convinced. besides, either way, it just tastes too good to wave off.

Quote from: sdragon1984

Quote from: Captain Obviousvodka+kahlua+milk=amazing beyond belief

i agree. i'm told it isn't a "manly" drink, but i'm not convinced. besides, either way, it just tastes too good to wave off.

If i'm not allowed to drink white russians and be a man at the same time, then sign me up to be a lesbian.  :D

besides, what about the dude from big lebowski?

QuoteGoldschlager (that stuff is awesome)

Truly.

Quoteand tequila (Cuervo is good).

 :ill:

I'd tend to agree that white russian isn't really a manly drink. But then, who wants to be that kind of man?

I also like to drink a sort of modified Manhattan of my own devising. 3 parts rye whiskey, 1 part Italian vermouth, 1 part licor 43 (or grand marnier), a few drops orange bitters. Stir well with copious ice. Optionally top with a cherry.

Not exactly manly either.

Moosehead, you are my one true love...

I've always loved most kinds of beer. The main exception is Alexander Keith's, who I've had many bad nights with. My absolute favorite beers are Moosehead, Corona, and Schooner.

I don't like most hard stuff, probably because I've either been extremely sick off it (bacardi rum, fireball, wiser's) or I just couldn't stand the taste regardless of mix or not (vodka). Wine and wine coolers = also gross.

Quote from: Captain Obvious

Quote from: sdragon1984

Quote from: Captain Obviousvodka+kahlua+milk=amazing beyond belief

i agree. i'm told it isn't a "manly" drink, but i'm not convinced. besides, either way, it just tastes too good to wave off.

If i'm not allowed to drink white russians and be a man at the same time, then sign me up to be a lesbian.  :D

besides, what about the dude from big lebowski?

before you mentioned liking them, the dude would've been my biggest argument of them being a man's drink. unfortunately, "well this fictional character that you've never heard of drinks it" doesn't really stand that well. i just can't wait until the day i discover a bartender named jackie, so i can tell him he "mixes a mean caucasian"....

that said, i'm willing to try becoming a lesbian.....

There's this ale called Golden Glory, I think its brewed with honey or something.

The first taste, just like a pretty decent ale.

The aftertaste... peaches.

It rocks.

Mostly though I'm a weakling and go for the old commercial lagers :P
They are cheap, and not too bad (well, the ones I go for aren't too bad... Fosters, Carlsberg, occasionaly something else if someone offers, but I steer WELL clear of Carling, that stuff is horrible)

There's also a German beer called DAB which is pretty good and stupidly cheap relative to its quality.

As for other alcohols... well, spirits are good, in a self-destructive kind of way. Cider is not. Nor is wine. Both make me want to vomit.

Quotebefore you mentioned liking them, the dude would've been my biggest argument of them being a man's drink. unfortunately, "well this fictional character that you've never heard of drinks it" doesn't really stand that well. i just can't wait until the day i discover a bartender named jackie, so i can tell him he "mixes a mean caucasian"....

Wasn't the bartender's name "Gary"? i could be wrong. it' has been like a few years since i last watched it.

You need to try some microbrews sometime... my town has plenty of awesome bars that make their own beer; in particular, Natty Greene's, which makes about 10 different flavors, all of which make domestic beers (such as Budweiser and Coors, etc) taste exactly like the week-old donkey urine you describe them to be.

Quote from: Captain Obvious

Quote from: mean caucasianvodka
kahlua
milk
qualuudes

(this lead to the bowling valkyrie scene)[/spoiler]

it'll knock you off your feet, it will.

Gulden Draak? Is that what I think it is? A Dutch beer with a fantasy (-ish) name that I have never heard of? It's an outrage!

Hm, apparently it's Belgian, but still. It's now on top of my must-try-this-once list (at least as far as drinks are concerned).

Other than that, I mostly keep to Dutch and Belgian beers. And when I say Dutch beer, I do NOT, I repeat, I do NOT mean Heineken. Seriously, there's so many better kinds of beer to be had even in our little country. Belgians are often slightly better though, especially when you're into the darker kinds of beer (ooh, triples!).

I'm not opposed to drinking something stronger, though I'm pretty new to that area, and I haven't tried too many of those yet.

Túrin

Yeah, New Belgium brewery (Fort Collins, Colorado) makes a quite nice Trippel. Unfortunately, most of the actual Belgian ales you get here aren't really very fresh by the time you get them.

Heineken is a joke. A bad joke. Played on poor benighted snobs who just want to drink something that tastes something like Budweiser but is "imported". Blah.

red beers (killians etc.) and guinness, Irish to the core. Hard liquor is my personal preference, more drunk for you're dollar. Rumpleminz, Goldschlager Jagermeister and the three wise men (Jim, Jack and Johnny) hold me up nice (not all at once though). White Russians are a man drink, kahlua + Milk is a pussy drink (the vodka makes all the difference).
Can't stand piss beers (corona included, sorry)I like a rich flavor rather than bitter beers that you piss out faster than you can drink.

I can't legally buy alchohol for another thirty days, and whenever I want to get hold of a good brew, I have to ask an older friend, and I don't actually know what's good.

Baaad idea.

Do not allow an eighteen year-old to dictate the pleasures of your palate!  The swill they drink was distilled from the effluvium that cakes in the corners of communal urinals.  Of course, I could be falsely assuming that some alchohol doesn't taste like that...

Quote from: NeverthelessI can't legally buy alchohol for another thirty days, and whenever I want to get hold of a good brew, I have to ask an older friend, and I don't actually know what's good.

Do not allow an eighteen year-old to dictate the pleasures of your palate!  The swill they drink was distilled from the effluvium that cakes in the corners of communal urinals.  Of course, I could be falsely assuming that some alchohol doesn't taste like that...

the proper name for that "swill" is beer. it isn't a false assumption that not all alcohol tastes like that, but it can certainly seem that way when you first start drinking.

try a white russian and join the newly founded manly men for white russians brigade. or, if you'd prefer to start off with weaker stuff, try wine coolers and those fruit-flavored smirnoffs. but if you want to start off in the deep end, try downing a long island ice tea.

Quote from: sdragon1984

Quote from: NeverthelessI can't legally buy alchohol for another thirty days, and whenever I want to get hold of a good brew, I have to ask an older friend, and I don't actually know what's good.

Do not allow an eighteen year-old to dictate the pleasures of your palate!  The swill they drink was distilled from the effluvium that cakes in the corners of communal urinals.  Of course, I could be falsely assuming that some alchohol doesn't taste like that...

the proper name for that "swill" is beer. it isn't a false assumption that not all alcohol tastes like that, but it can certainly seem that way when you first start drinking.

try a white russian and join the newly founded manly men for white russians brigade. or, if you'd prefer to start off with weaker stuff, try wine coolers and those fruit-flavored smirnoffs. but if you want to start off in the deep end, try downing a long island ice tea.

Good lord! Are you trying to get him beat up? This kid's an Aussie...white russian and Australia are two things that do not belong in the same sentence (even Aussie lasses will call him a wuss!). Cymro's suggestions however, will serve him well in the Pub (excellent choices BTW Cymro, but don't forget Schwarzbier...Germans make good dark beers too ya know).

Now on to my personal favorites. I drink almost anything (sad but true), but I am partial to Irish Car Bombs, Sammies in practically any variety, Suffering Bastards, Scorpion Bowls (when out with the ladies), Martinis, extremely dry red Italian table wines, Boilermakers (these'll put hair on your chest), and Salty Dogs. I also have recently become quite partial to hot saki (which I used to hate), though that seems to be an aquired taste.

When just hanging with the guys, I usually drink whatever domestic brew happens to be on tap, though this is less a matter of personal taste and more a matter of resigning myself to a less expensive pitcher that everyone will drink.

I hate Southern Comfort and Tequilla. SoCo is possibly the worst tasting stuff on Earth (sorta like NyQuil, licorice, and maple syrup mixed together), and Tequilla has given me soooo many bad hang-overs that the smell alone seems to turn my stomach.

Oh wait, was this supposed to just be about beer? Why limit yourself I say?

-Peace-

Quote from: Soup NaziGood lord! Are you trying to get him beat up? This kid's an Aussie...white russian and Australia are two things that do not belong in the same sentence (even Aussie lasses will call him a wuss!). Cymro's suggestions however, will serve him well in the Pub (excellent choices BTW Cymro, but don't forget Schwarzbier...Germans make good dark beers too ya know).

Now on to my personal favorites. I drink almost anything (sad but true), but I am partial to Irish Car Bombs, Sammies in practically any variety, Suffering Bastards, Scorpion Bowls (when out with the ladies), Martinis, extremely dry red Italian table wines, Boilermakers (these'll put hair on your chest), and Salty Dogs. I also have recently become quite partial to hot saki (which I used to hate), though that seems to be an aquired taste.

When just hanging with the guys, I usually drink whatever domestic brew happens to be on tap, though this is less a matter of personal taste and more a matter of resigning myself to a less expensive pitcher that everyone will drink.

I hate Southern Comfort and Tequilla. SoCo is possibly the worst tasting stuff on Earth (sorta like NyQuil, licorice, and maple syrup mixed together), and Tequilla has given me soooo many bad hang-overs that the smell alone seems to turn my stomach.

Oh wait, was this supposed to just be about beer? Why limit yourself I say?

-Peace-

Totally agree on both Tequila and Southern Comfort.  

Jagermeister is disgusting.  Goldschlager is great.

Dalwhinnie Single Malt is the finest of fine Scotches.

Many bad memories of Jagermeister. *brrr*

can never function after jager but i still love it.

Left Boston Lager outta my favorites.

Aussies don't like the Dude? come on, while a white russian may actually be kind of a wuss drink (hell i'll admit it), theres still nothing better if you got people pissing on your carpet. Long island ice teas are good, but i'm a fan of the burn, you gotta feel how much you're drinkin' or you end up a weeping mess by the end of the night (vision of chappelle's show: dudes' night out)

If you are just starting out and think all alcohol tastes like swill, i suggest peach schnapps (i drink McGillicuddie's). It not only doesn't taste bad, but tastes prettty good though. be careful though. even though it not as strong as some other things (it's 25% instead of 40), it goes down very smooth and you can easily down many shots before you realise how much you've had.

Never got the attraction of it.

And I'm from Finland.

picked up a 6-pack of shipyard winter ale for christmas.

more fun for the holidays!

picked up some shampagne and schnapps for christmas. so, what it it's not the traditional festive drink of choice - i'm not the traditional festive person of choice.

Seeing Double IPA. Definitely deserving of an honorable mention.  


Speaking of Schnapps, I love Firewater, though our House Raspberry is pretty smooth.

aaaannndd.........

now ive had well over half a bottle of homemade wine. li'l oversweet, but it's still very nice.....

and i just know i'm going to end up looking at this post in a few days thinking "i had how much?" lol

Had a few over here... and this will be my last message for the night... beer...

its been about 2/3 pf the bottle. and this is more for future self-reference then tell tell the rest of you....

by the way, (again, future self-reference) i plan on finishing the bottle myself. yum.

I love New Year's Eve. We had a great party at one my friends' place. Beer, champagne and vodka made my evening (together with the people that were present, of course).

Happy New Year everyone!

Túrin

well i didn't finish the bottle (came close, though! probably would've if i didn't decide that drinking past midnight wouldve been cheating)...

i just had a taste of my blueberry wine (first time using a recipe; my own recipe, at that), and i didn't really care for it. don't think i had enough berries in the mix. that said, it definately seems like it has potential to be a great recipe!

*BUMP*


Anybody ever try Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter? I did yesterday, and wow, all I have to say about it is....

[spoiler=To those who have never drank before]Wow is this stuff great! Best booze ever! As soon as you're legally able to drink, pick up a six-pack of this and down it all as fast as you can. You'll never find any alcohol that tastes better then this![/spoiler]
[spoiler=to those who have drank before]Good god is this awful! I had to strain to finish one bottle, and now I'm worried about what to do with the other five. Steer as far clear of this as humanly possible! Stick to rum instead.

or join The Manly Men For White Russians Brigade. All the cool guys are doing it, and it certainly beats this porter![/spoiler]

Porter's take some getting used to.  Otter Creek is a good example.

Right now, Summer ales, blondes, and hefewiezen are good are the best seasonal picks, Sam Adam's makes a really nice summer that is readily available, Gritty Mcduff's from Portland Maine is also really a winner.

For summer Vino, surprise the other gamers with a Moscato di Asti ( an italian, inexpensive sparkler), reislings are probably the best value in the world, and a spanish rioja is great summer red drinking.

Of course, to spoil yourself beyond belief, 1990 Chateau d'Yquem and Cos Desterournel 1994 will do fine.
I consider myself spoiled....

I'm a fan of anything with vodka in it, and dark beers -- porter and stouts.

Guinness doesn't have enough taste for me, but luckily there's a big liquor store near by that has a full assortment of dark beers. Terrapin and Highland have good dark beers. If anyone's interested in the dark side, I have a spreadsheet where I've rated the dark beers I've drunk. I can give you my favs.

Vodka wise, I've been enjoying Tito's recently. It is a very tasty "micro-liquor." I've tried many a variety and I think its one of the best.  

Bumping this only because my wife and little brother (he's a builder) actually built a little room (5' x 6') in my basement, insulated it, and put in a tempurature control system.  
My wine fridges were all full, and I had actually been forced to store some of the good stuff in uncontrolled areas.
Now I have storage space for up to probably 500 bottles, and since I only have about 150, I have room to grow.  
Understand I had worked in wine for years, and this was the most thoughtful gift I could have ever gotten.

Give me women, wine and snuff
Until I cry out 'hold, enough!'
You may do so san objection
Till the day of resurrection;
For bless my beard then aye shall be
My beloved Trinity.
John Keats
Women, Wine and Snuff

I particularly partial to Harp (a beer) and Strongbow (a cider).

Sadly, I am working 10pm-4:30 New Years Eve. I get to ring in the New Year making cheap, bad mexican food.

If anybody ever offers you a large glass of an odd-looking mixed drink called "Litta Bitta", don't accept it!!!

It'll have you on your ass faster then the taste would suggest. Especially if it has cola added to it....

sage advice...

Hmm, where to start..?

Summer beers:

Stella's.  Pricey but oh, so good.  Crisp, clean and light without being tame.

Pyramid Curveball.  A Kolsch style perfect for the long afternoons with the baseball game on the radio.

Elysian Brewing's Jasmine IPA.  Trust me.  Had this at a beer tasting festival last summer.  It takes three or four swallows before you really notice the jasmine and it is quite refreshing.  (Is this more or less wuss-y than a White Russian..?  Don't even care!)

Winter beers:

Alaskan's Smoked Porter.  Sweetish and smoky flavored.  Great by the fire with a cigar.

Elysian Brewing (again) Bifrost Ale.  A potent potable to be sure.  About the same alcohol content in a 22oz bottle as your average 6-pack of Bud Light.  Seriously.

Barleywine in general.  A beer style that is as potent as wine, hence the name.

I'll have to compile a list of favorites and try to winnow it down to 30.  I feel truly blessed that I live in Seattle.  There are almost as many brew pubs in this fair city as espresso stands and each has something to recommend it.  Hale's Nitro Cream Ale, McMenamins Stout, Pyramid's Longhammer (Pyramid is across form Safeco Field- 48 days until Spring Training!!!) all wonderful choices.

Stella's is broadly avaliable and I believe Alaskan Smoked Porter is too.

Alaskan Smoked Porter....MMMmmmmmmmmm

I too love Magic Hat #9.  I am also a fan of Sam Adam's Winter ale, Old Heathen Ale, and Legend Brown.

There was one beer I had once... I forget it's name (Something like Hefenweiser, I think?), but it was incredibly delicious, tasted almost like cream soda, and, ironically, was apparently made by Pabst. If I could only have one kind of beer for the rest of my life, that would be it. Granted, I'd still have my rum and white Russians, but those aren't beers :)

Foster's - because you wouldn't want a warm beer would ya! Etc.

Hefewiesen is a style of beer.  Generally unfiltered so it has a thickness to it.

To expand my list...

Further winter beer:

Full Sail from Hood River OR has a great line including but not limited to their barleywine.

Dick's Bottleworks, an independant retailer here in Seattle has a line of barleywine that is to die for.

Hale's Rudyard Rare 2005 is a limited edition barleywine that will have a special place in my heart forever.

Rogue, out of Newport OR has a couple that I'd recommend to anybody.  Arrogant Bastard Ale ("you can't handle a beer this good" says the bottle) and the Chocolate Stout.  Both fine choices.

Snoqualmie Brewing from Snoqualmie WA has an incredible porter called Steamtrain.  Try it, you'll know why.  In the Fall they have a Harvest Moon ale that is a great transition from summer to winter and is a delightful seasonal tasty.

Sam Smith out of Tadcaster UK has a few that are highly recommendable.  The Winter Ale and the Oatmeal Stout will make a man out of you.  Their Nut Brown ale is another Fall tasty and they even have an Organic ale that, as one might expect, just a little different each batch but consistently excellent.

Something lighter I'd suggest Ayinger's Ur-Weisse (GER.), Kirin Ichiban (JAP.) especially with sushi, Piraat ale (BEL.) or Pilsner Urquell from The Czech Republic.

Gotta look for Magic Hat #9.  Sam Adam's Winter ale, Old Heathen Ale (love the name!), and Legend Brown.  Is Magic Hat a Sam Adams?

Mmmm... research.

Magic hat is it's own microbrewery.  http://www.magichat.net/

Quote from: EorlaMagic hat is it's own microbrewery.  http://www.magichat.net/

I visited it up in Burlington a few months ago.  Amazing the amount of tasting they let go on...and they will fill up growlers right there at the taps...and few beers taste as good as that!

Had a hefenweisen up in Portland, Maine, in the Sebago Brewing Company that was really amazing, last summer.  smooth and cold, light brown, hint of summer spice and maybe  (believe it or not) a hinto of banana...very unusual, but incredibly drinkable...(and I'm normally a wine guy...)

Thank you Eorla.  I'll find a way to get some #9 shipped.

Tonight, the ex-sommelier is trying some 'Red Rex' o4 from Deerfield Ranch.  Big and brawny.  Good stuff.  Stands up well to the bourbon-fire steaktips and lemon spinach I made for dinner.
 Last night, St. Francis 'Red' (yes, just 'Red') was a nice drinkable mellow red that was not too forward but stayed on the palette a long time.

these are both pretty inexpensive (22 and 15 bucks) and are 'drinkers' in the wine cellar, as opposed to holders.  I spent years building wine lists.  No wonder that Tybalt the Unquenchable notated, after seeing the booze list of Igbar, that it would be a hell of a place for a pub crawl! booze of Igbar (http://celtricia.pbwiki.com/What+to+Drink)

(http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/1482/picture26dk8.jpg)

Nuff said.

Damilano Barolo '01 tonight.  A little softer and 'smaller' than most barolos, but aged better at '01 because of this.  Ready to drink and able to go up against most heavt res sauces, it has a tad of the the rone minerality normally absent in the bigger, age-worthy Vino's.  Very much a 'new' Barolo, as opposed to the slower aging tradicional ones, it nonetheless is a strong Nebbiolo, with a decent finish.

Time to type...despite the broken finger...

Not a beer, but I had a great Scotch last night - if any of you drink the hard stuff, check out Yamazaki - it's a Japanese single malt that was better than most of the Scottish I've had recently.

Back on the subject of beer, since moving out of Greensboro and closer to Winston, I've had some of the core beers from Foothills Brewing, and they're wonderful.  I've heard they're going national soon, so if you guys get into your grocery store and see anything from Foothills Brewing, I highly recommend checking it out.

Foothills it is.  Looking forward to it.

Pio Cesare '99 Magnum during Sunday night's session.  Magnificent bottle/  just starting to hit the stride, though a little young.  This link should give good advice to anyone who wants to solidify vintivculture in their setting.
http://www.thewinenews.com/octnov02/cover.html

Foundation Shiraz tonight, 1997 vintage.  A little thick and possibly just past it's prime, but it is still opening up.  I swear there is some mint in there, or a eucalyptus taste, whcih is a little different.

Dewars with a splash of extra ginger reed's, topped with a cherry and orange slice.... niiiiiice

Ishy, that one always works.

http://deerfieldranch.com/
Deerfield Ranch Red Rex tonight, the 04 vinatge.  Yummy and very rasberry/flinty/with a hint of olive at the end.  Very hard to find, but not super expensive, about 25 bucks a bottle.
 (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_images/emotes/archivedSmilies/wine.gif)

had Costa di Bussia Barolo 2000 2 nights ago during the last Miston session.
Definitely a nice barolo from a good year at a decent price (for a barolo, that is)  a lot in the front and very dry at the end, a little more floral than expected in the bouquet.

If you are looking for a good wine to go with a cut of red meat or red sauce (red soz, as a few Manray friends and I would call it), this one wine will not embaress you.

Nice, I'm never really sure which wines are good - I'm not super familiar with most wines.  I'll make sure to give that one a try.

Quote from: IshmaylNice, I'm never really sure which wines are good - I'm not super familiar with most wines.  I'll make sure to give that one a try.

half the reason I post these.  Not everyone likes to drink, but I have people telling me all the time that they don;t have ideas one what is good wine to try.  
and also becasue both pf my main gaming groups could be called wine-tasting sessions with some gaming thrown in...(well, not really, but it feels that way some times...)

In honor of that certain day of the year, make sure to have a Guinness Draught, Stout, or Extra Stout tonight... for you health ;).

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! or whatever holiday put this lovely glass of rum & coke in my hands.....

(yes, hands, plural. I can't hold it one-handed.)

I was really hoping for guiness or whiskey, though....

Oriel's 2003 'les paves' chateaunuef du pape tonight.  Very sharp on openning, almost thought it had turned at first.  After breathing fo 45 minutes, starting to open, but that 'barnyard earth' taste is a little too on the 'barnyard' side.  Nice pencil lead and tight fruit afterwards, but that initial taste is somewhat off-putting.  

Peter Lehman's 'Clancy's Red' 2004, very smooth and mellow mewritage.  Easy and good with steak tips.  Not too tannic, so not that good for cellaring.  Great for drinking now.

Tonight, I had Lucid (http://www.drinklucid.com/), a traditional French-made absinthe verte.

For absinthe's reputed strength, it was surprisingly smooth, and had only a tiny kick, which wasn't at all expecting.  That being said, I was feeling it even with half a shot of diluted absinthe; it is strong stuff.  I experienced none of hallucinogenic effects that have been attributed to absinthe made with wormwood.  Lucid is one of the very few brands of absinthe now actually legal in the United States, and is well worth the $60 to $90 (depending on where you buy it from) if you've never had it before.

Diluted in the classical method, with sugar and cold water, it smells and tastes a lot like Good & Plenties.

I have had good and bad.

(//../../e107_files/public/1206806777_392_FT21866_absintheglass.jpg)

We had an absinthe party back when it was still illegal about 9 years ago, which became known also as the 'Taste's like Ass' party.  

Since the recent legalization, I have had a lot more good stuff.  I don't remember if I have had Lucid, but I will make it a point to get some for the next gaming session.  I might have to add theat picture above to my setting thread.

My thanks, Limetom.

I'm with you Ishy. I haven't ever had a wine I really cared for; I like how wines smell, but I'm more of a hard liquor, bear, and mixed drink kind of person. There are far too many wines for me to get a good feel of what I like (I know that I really dislike the acidity in some wines, as it reminds me of drinking vinegar and it makes my saliva glands go crazy).

It was sad, because I worked for 3 months backstage at Disney's California Adventure's wine bar. I talked to two of the bar tenders about wine a lot, but I still didn't taste anything that particularly jumped out at me as amazing.

I had plenty of Absinthe in the Czech Republic a few years back.  I don't remember the specific varieties but I thought it was all rather lousy.

96 Whitehall Lane Cab reserve (floral bottle).
The joys of having a cellar, I tell you now.  Dark, needed about 45 minutes before even openning a little.  hour and ahalf later, jammy earth, pencil lead, and a eucalyptus end note, with a currant/berry taste that went on about 30-45 seconds.  
Made it with a horseradish and garlic beef tournedos with garlic potatoes.  For those who are yet to really discover wine, it is with food that the stuff shows best.

I would love to try absinthe sometime. I don't expect it to quite live up to its reputation, but it might still be nice. Too bad it's so expensive, though.

D'arenberg 'Dead Arm' Shiraz.  Dark and very strong, the taste of berry and flint lingers on your tongue for a long time.  Tons of tannins, it is still mellow.  Goes great with Chocolate...

http://www.darenberg.com.au/default2.php

Almost anything from this Vineyard is slightly different, but always decent or better.

As far as dark, try a chocolate stout (if you like beer).  I made some a while ago and it was STRONG (as stouts tend to be).  Strong, but good.  I also saw a stout with like, coco, cofee, and some other things in it.  However, I didn't have the chance to try it (it was a seasonal beer at a local brewery/restaurant).

There is a coffee stiout at the Watch City Brewer in Waltham, Mass, on Moody street.  The service was deplorable...but the beer was stellar.  Hap, make an Espresso Stout, and I might have to visit....

Unfortunately the stout was a massive pain in the ass to make because I had to boil all five gallons of water at the same time (which took FOREVER).  Also, hops are getting really expensive because most farmers are growing corn intead (more money in corn than hops).  So, I'm moving more to mead.  Good if you like white wines.  However, I do hope to make another stout some day.

I had a sassafrass mead (I've something of everything, if you haven't noticed...truly sad for my kidneys) and a lemoncrass mead that were truly fnatastic.  Sara W made the Sassafrass Mead, and I held it for about 8 years, and it was truly mighty and powerful.

Quote from: Lord Vreeg(I've something of everything, if you haven't noticed...truly sad for my kidneys)

If you really wanna hear your kidneys and liver cry try drinking whiskey straight from the bottle as though it were water.  Lesson learned, let me tell you.

ah, guiness, ale of the gods.^^
if that's not available, i'll settle for something local like Distelhäuer Landbier or Becks, in a pinch.^^
apart from that, i really like mead, but the good stuff is mighty expensive and the cheap stuff is too sweet.

Guinness isn't an ale. </nitpick>

The other day my friend was drinking Red Stripe.  It's a Jamaican Lager.  I wanted to taste some, but by the time I realized he had it he had drank it all.

Antica Hirpinia Aglianico 2004
Irpinia, Taurasi, Italy

Aglianico seems to be a trasnplant grape from the ancient greeks to southern italy (or at least, that is a strong theory), at one time , before WW2, one of the most widely planted grapes in italy, until everonr bombed and landed on it.

Inexpensive for such a tasty, tannic, and ageworthy wine, it is just now coming back into popularity.

Also, since it cannot be stressed enough:

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/GaeilgeGuinness.jpg)

More on the Aglianico grape, for those history buffs...it is actually a good lesson for those who create worlds, in that you can see that countries and amenities are poorly insulated from the rest of the world.

The vine was believed to have first been cultivated in Greece by the Phoenicians from an ancestral vine that ampelographers have not yet identified. From Greece it was brought to Italy by settlers to Cumae near modern day Pozzuoli, and from there spread to various points in the regions of Campania and Basilicata. While it is still grown in Italy, the original Greek plantings seem to have disappeared.[2] In Ancient Rome the grape was the principal component of the world's earliest First Growth wine, Falernian.[1] Along with a white grape known as Greco (today grown as Greco di Tufo), the grape was commented on by Pliny the Elder, the maker of some of the highest-ranked wines in Roman times.[3]

Traces of the vine have been found in Molise, Puglia and on the island of Procida near Naples, though it is no longer widely cultivated in those places. The grape was called Ellenico (the Italian word for "Greek") till the 15th century when it got its current name Aglianico.[4]


[edit] Wine regions
 
The Laghi di Monticchio frazione area on Mount Vulture.In Basilicata, Aglianico forms the basis for the region's only DOC wine, Aglianico del Vulture, and is concentrated around the areas of Matera and Potenza.The most sought-after productions of Aglianico del Vulture come from the vineyards located in and around the extinct volcano Mount Vulture. In Campania the area in and around the village of Taurasi Aglianico's only DOCG wine is produced, also called Taurasi. More Aglianico can be found in the province of Benevento.[2] In Campania it is also the principal grape of Aglianico del Taburno and Falerno del Massico DOCs.[5]


[edit] Other regions
The grape has also recently been planted in Australia and California, as it thrives in a predominantly sunny climates. In Australia it is being introduced in the Murray Darling region with some success.[6] Producers in McLaren Vale, Margaret River and Riverland are also experimenting with plantings.[2]


[edit] Viticulture
The vine buds early and grows best in dry climates with generous amounts of sunshine. It has good resistance to outbreaks of oidium, but can be very susceptible to peronospera. It also has low resistance to botrytis, but since it is much too tannic to make a worthwhile dessert wine, the presence of this noble rot in the vineyard is more of a viticultural hazard than an advantage.[1]

The grape has a tendency to ripen late, with harvests happening as late as November in some parts of southern Italy. If the grape is picked too early, or with too high yields, the grape can be excessively tannic. The vine seems to thrive in particularly volcanic soils.[4]


[edit] Wine styles
Wines produced from Aglianico tend to be full bodied with firm tannins and high acidity, making this a wine that has aging potential. The rich flavors of the wine make it appropriate for matching with rich meats such as lamb. In Campania, the grape has been blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the production of some Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines.[7]

In its youth the wine is very tannic and concentrated, with need of a few years of aging before it can be approachable. As it ages the fruit becomes more pronounced and the tannins more balanced with the rest of the wine. The trademark coloring of the wine is a deep garnet.[1] In well made examples of the wine, it can have chocolate and plum aromas.[4]

Quote from: HaphazzardThe other day my friend was drinking Red Stripe.  It's a Jamaican Lager.  I wanted to taste some, but by the time I realized he had it he had drank it all.

Some years ago, I proclaimed Red Stripe to be the official "Louis Beer" (my name being Louis)

Since then I have heard many, many people slating it... In fact, a stranger once came up to me in a club just to ask "Why are you drinking that, when they sell good beer as well?"

However, I remain a supporter of the drink. I won't claim it's the nicest beer in the world, but it's a damn sight better than most commercial lagers, and it tends to be my default choice, when it's available.

It is a lager, and therefore is a very light beer, compared to ales, bitters and so forth, but at the same time it has an earthiness and "natural"-ness to the flavour which I find is missing in most of the more commonly available lagers (at least, here in the UK)

Not to mention, it's Jamaican.

All in all, I recommend it :D

Quote from: KindlingIt is a lager, and therefore is a very light beer...

flavor[/i] when I drink my beer. [/rant]

All is right with the world, Pyramid's Cure Ball Kolsch is out!  Huzzah!

Have any of you guys tried Maudite, or Trois Pistoles (sp?) beers, by a maker called Unibroue?  It is utterly fantastic - they're both very dark, very heavy (and very alcoholic) beers that are great if you're really into the flavors and aromas of the beer you drink.  They're also organic (yay!), so if you have a Wholefoods or Earthfare around, you can get them there.  I highly recommend. A+++

Quote from: SlapzillaAll is right with the world, Pyramid's Cure Ball Kolsch is out!  Huzzah!

Made where?

Pyramid's brewery is across the street from Safeco field, the Seattle Mariners home stadium.

Unibroue is a great brewery.  Good stuff.

Quote from: HaphazzardHave you tried any American lagers?  Here's a tip, don't.  Instead, collect your dish water once the dishwasher has run, and drink that.  Guarantee it'll taste better.  Ales and stouts are more my thing.  No offense, but I enjoy flavor when I drink my beer. [/rant]

I agree with you on all counts except, oddly enough, Budweiser. Sure, it used to be generic pisswater, but a year or two back they changed the recipe... now made with "all natural ingredients" whatever that means, it's actually become a fairly decent, although not exceptional, lager.

I like a good ale or bitter as much as the next man, but I can't help but find they do sit very heavily on the palette and in in the stomach, so I drink lagers just as often, especially when the weather's sunny... it just doesn't feel right drinking anything but a light beer in the summer.

I still don't like Bud all that much, really.

If you've never tried American beers, and want a sample of what they have to offer, try Pabst Blue Ribbon. I think it's very telling of almost every American beer I've ever had, save for a few microbrews.

Quote from: KindlingI agree with you on all counts except, oddly enough, Budweiser. Sure, it used to be generic pisswater, but a year or two back they changed the recipe... now made with "all natural ingredients" whatever that means, it's actually become a fairly decent, although not exceptional, lager.

I like a good ale or bitter as much as the next man, but I can't help but find they do sit very heavily on the palette and in in the stomach, so I drink lagers just as often, especially when the weather's sunny... it just doesn't feel right drinking anything but a light beer in the summer.

I'm not saying lagers don't have their place, but many of the lagers I've had just don't have flavor, the worst part is that those are the popular ones.  I've made lagers with more flavor than them.  As far as budweiser, it depends on what your talking about.  Bud light tastes like dishwater, but Budweiser Select isn't half bad.

Quote from: Sdragon1984If you've never tried American beers, and want a sample of what they have to offer, try Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I've found that people either swear by Pabst, or hate it.  I choose to describe it as though a really really really drunk man peed in a can and made me drink it.

On a further note, not half an hour ago my roomate's friend just said that "Beer is beer."  After resisting the urge to tar and feather her I continued to listen, and even after my roomate said that there's a difference between types of beers she asked "Really, you think so?"  I wanted to turn around and say "Well, considering it's a KNOWN FACT, I would have to go with a pounding and resounding YES."  I managed to save her life by focusing on Neverwinter Nights 2.  Nothing relieves stress quite as well as blowing away 10 people with a fireball.

D'arenberg 'Dead Arm' '03.  Yummy, heavy, jammy.

Chateau D'agassac '98, thin at first, grows, adds berry and a wheaty lead taste, more smokey at the end.

Quote from: HaphazzardI'm not saying lagers don't have their place, but many of the lagers I've had just don't have flavor, the worst part is that those are the popular ones.  I've made lagers with more flavor than them.  As far as budweiser, it depends on what your talking about.  Bud light tastes like dishwater, but Budweiser Select isn't half bad.

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. At least 90% of commercially-widespread lagers taste like metal, yeast, onions, vomit, urine or any combination of the above.

Pio Cesare 97 tonight,  One of the best Barolo vintages in trhe last 20 years.  Stellar, smooth, deep, with a thickness and acidity that sneaks up on you like Thomas Dolby's 'Velvet gauntlet in Vaseline'...

Beringer Alluvium '98 tonight.  Has a little spice before the dark velvet crushes in.  very yummy.  Very good with the rib eye done on thre grill with garlic and volcanic salt.

Personally I prefer a good stewart's

(http://www.beveragesdirect.com/images/productpix/large/2400322.jpg)

mmm root beer. Now that is the beer of champions ;)

ROOT beer? are you CRAZY?

THIS is a beer:

(//../../e107_files/public/1209423568_4_FT21866_foodstewartsgingbeer15.jpg)

Maybe I should keep my wine reporets to myself.

No, no, no, don't be silly.

yes please no wine-ing

(http://www.sonofthesouth.net/uncle-sam/images/stop-whining_small.jpg)

</horrible pun>

Quote from: IshmaylNo, no, no, don't be silly.

Agreed. I've actually been waiting for the chance to happen across one of the wines you've reviewed, so I can try it out myself.

Quote from: LordVreegMaybe I should keep my wine reporets to myself.

Then what fun is there in life?  I happen to enjoy the discussions we have here, your wine reports included.  Though, the thread is titled just BEER.  So, I don't see why we should wine and other spirits and not Root beer.

For beers my favorite at the moment is Blanche de Chambly, a nice Belgium style white ale made in Quebec.  I also recommend Maudite and La Fin de Monde, both by the same brewery, Unibroue.  I'm also a big fan of lambics.

For American beers, Three Floyds out of Indiana has some of the best consumer rated beers in the country!  (Check out www.beeradvocate.com)  Goose Island also makes some good beers here in Chicago.  If you are going to buy American I would suggest micro-breweries.  For those in central New York State I would suggest Middle Ages Brewery in Syracuse.  They make some very nice beers, especially their Kilt Lifter and Druid Fluid.

Please keep the discussion open to wine!  In fact, let's open it up to all alcoholic beverages, especially scotch and mead.

Quote from: LordVreeghalf the reason I post these.  Not everyone likes to drink, but I have people telling me all the time that they don;t have ideas one what is good wine to try.  
and also becasue both pf my main gaming groups could be called wine-tasting sessions with some gaming thrown in...(well, not really, but it feels that way some times...)

Kind of like my D&D group.  We don't use miniatures when we play because my coffee table (we play in my living room) is almost always loaded up with food and drink.  The food almost always has artisan cheeses and various meats (I am lucky to live near a butcher shop with their own smoke house and they cure a lot of their own meats).  And there is almost always a bottle of wine, or I'll break out a new scotch.  When deserts are brought we sometimes break out a nice desert wine or maybe even a nice port.  In my group three of us are foodies and one of the foodies is also a trained chef.  Needless to say we love our food and we love to share what we like.

I am not a drinker (for several reasons) but from what I have heard microbrewery beer is very good. Where I live right now (central oregon) apparently has several extremely good microbreweries.

Both of my live groups are very into Wine.  I think 4 of the PLayers and my self all have decent sized (100 bottles+) in the cellar, some a lot more.  

I do not mean to demean the gaming end of the experience at all, but as one's life grows busier, adding career (not work...there is a difference), property, and children to the mix, it becomes harder to maintain friends.  Gaming is the social outlet that has allowed me to stay in touch and actually keep getting together with my friends for decades.

Which is to say that the social experience of the game becomes just as important as the game: or that the game that was once at the heart of it is partially the excuse to get together.  The reason the computer can't take over for this is that at it's heart, gaming is a social phenomena.  An interactive, participatory, storytelling session.

So the wine is generally quite good for the sessions.  We had a 98' Pio Cesare and 00' Barolo (I don't remember which) last Miston session, and the Igbarians drank a 03' D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz and a 99' Cos D'estournel Bordeaux.
I also got dry-aged rib eye that I marinated in an 18 yr old balsamic vinegar and black volcanic salt, cooked on the grill with asparagus, also grilled.

Quote from: LordVreegBoth of my live groups are very into Wine.  I think 4 of the PLayers and my self all have decent sized (100 bottles+) in the cellar, some a lot more.  

I do not mean to demean the gaming end of the experience at all, but as one's life grows busier, adding career (not work...there is a difference), property, and children to the mix, it becomes harder to maintain friends.  Gaming is the social outlet that has allowed me to stay in touch and actually keep getting together with my friends for decades.

Which is to say that the social experience of the game becomes just as important as the game: or that the game that was once at the heart of it is partially the excuse to get together.  The reason the computer can't take over for this is that at it's heart, gaming is a social phenomena.  An interactive, participatory, storytelling session.

So the wine is generally quite good for the sessions.  We had a 98' Pio Cesare and 00' Barolo (I don't remember which) last Miston session, and the Igbarians drank a 03' D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz and a 99' Cos D'estournel Bordeaux.
I also got dry-aged rib eye that I marinated in an 18 yr old balsamic vinegar and black volcanic salt, cooked on the grill with asparagus, also grilled.

I feel the same way about my group.  We're all adults, two of them are over 40, 3 of us are in our late 30's, and one is fastly approaching 30.  We all work full time and one of my players is raising two kids on his own.  We schedule a game every other week but with life and all that we sometimes will go 6 weeks without playing.  So, when we get together we want to make sure it is a good time, and as we all love good food we make sure to eat lots of good food when we do meet.

Now, here's a question for you LordVreeg.  What wine goes good with a hard dungeon crawl that has hoards and hoards of crafty, mean, nasty kobolds slowing grinding down the characters?  

Quote from: Mock26

Quote from: LordVreegBoth of my live groups are very into Wine.  I think 4 of the PLayers and my self all have decent sized (100 bottles+) in the cellar, some a lot more.  

I do not mean to demean the gaming end of the experience at all, but as one's life grows busier, adding career (not work...there is a difference), property, and children to the mix, it becomes harder to maintain friends.  Gaming is the social outlet that has allowed me to stay in touch and actually keep getting together with my friends for decades.

Which is to say that the social experience of the game becomes just as important as the game: or that the game that was once at the heart of it is partially the excuse to get together.  The reason the computer can't take over for this is that at it's heart, gaming is a social phenomena.  An interactive, participatory, storytelling session.

So the wine is generally quite good for the sessions.  We had a 98' Pio Cesare and 00' Barolo (I don't remember which) last Miston session, and the Igbarians drank a 03' D'arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz and a 99' Cos D'estournel Bordeaux.
I also got dry-aged rib eye that I marinated in an 18 yr old balsamic vinegar and black volcanic salt, cooked on the grill with asparagus, also grilled.

I feel the same way about my group.  We're all adults, two of them are over 40, 3 of us are in our late 30's, and one is fastly approaching 30.  We all work full time and one of my players is raising two kids on his own.  We schedule a game every other week but with life and all that we sometimes will go 6 weeks without playing.  So, when we get together we want to make sure it is a good time, and as we all love good food we make sure to eat lots of good food when we do meet.

Now, here's a question for you LordVreeg.  What wine goes good with a hard dungeon crawl that has hoards and hoards of crafty, mean, nasty kobolds slowing grinding down the characters?  

As long as you keep some crafty kobolsd.  I give out no info for stupid Kobolds.

We drink almost everything, starting light and moving to dark, evil stuff later on.  I plan music based on the session, wine is based on food.  

(but for the situation you are discussing, I'd cook Chili, served with Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

Best Wine Deal Ever.
Copertino Riserva 2001.

From Puglia, the heel of the boot of Italy.
I thought there was nothing good here, I genaerally drink Nebbiolos or Aglianicos, but this Negromaro has already aged well in 7 years, and has great flavor and finish.  Dark and Tannic, but with a hint of Vanilla and cedar at the end.  
Damn bottle cost me 15 bucks, I went back and bought a case for 12 bucks a bottle, as it tastes better than many 30 dollar bottles, and better than many more expensice wines that are not ready to drink yet.

Negromaro's generally don't age that well, but it might be the Malvasia Nera grapes that are fortifying it.


(//../../e107_files/public/1209765510_392_FT21866_copertino.jpg)

I drink some wine almost every night (hence my self-directed recenet damnation of wine-drinking elitists), and this was a real surprise.  This defines the proper aging of average wines making them very good versus drinking better wines that are not ready yet.

Priorat wines from Spain, like many european wines, are the desgnation given to the region, not the grape being used in making the wine.
Priorat is one of 2 DOCG recognized regions in Spain, and they grow a prodigious variety of grapes.

Los800 2003 tonight, 50% grenache, 30% Carignan, 10% canb Sauv, and 10% syrah.  mellow, smooth, maybe a little simple, but good with pizza or light pasta.

Does anybody know the rules on minibars in hotels? I'm planning a vacation, and while I won't serve any minors (<21), I do expect to have at least one visiting me in my room.

whose name is the room uner?  That is all they need to know, unless someone does something completely idiotic.

Oh, okay. Everything should be fine, then :)

For the cookout after the baby shower, last Sunday, when I was officially as inebriated as I have been in years...
Sterling Reserve Cabernet SVR 1995---ready to drink and very dark.
Cos D'estournel 2000---A little young, but shows great promise.  Berry and a little fig note, and openned up well.  Stuck on the palate for over a minute.  
Beringer Reserve cab, 1998---Very jammy, heavy, and massive.

That's what I remember drinking.  It was nice and sunny, So there was also Gritty Mcduff's best brown ale, Sam Adams Summer Ale, Wachuset Bluebeerry ale as well.

Sarah Wendell brought Homemade Mead.

I drank all of this and more I don't remember.

Quote from: LordVreegSarah Wendell brought Homemade Mead.

I know this was homemade, and thus, we can't buy it in stores, but would you mind giving a review on it? If it sounds interesting enough, I might ask to see if you can get the recipe.

Sarah's Mead I have ahd in many forms.
She made a Sassafrass mead that I cellared for 8 years before openning at our yearly Wassail party.  That was magnificent.

This was cinnamon mead, sweet and chilled a bit, with a very grassy, herbal overtone.  It was thinner (thus younger) than many of the others she has brewed, but that was good for the summer heat.

I have a few bottles of the Cos D'Estournel 2000 in the cellar, now I don't have to open one up to see how it is progressing. Those 2000 Bordeaux have some years to go, I think. The one I opened up this summer had good promise, but still very tight.

Can't really get into mead that much. It seems to take a deft touch on the seasonings - unlike wine, honey doesn't seem develop much complexity on its own. So you have to manage the flavors very delicately, and in my limited experience I haven't been overly impressed.

I knew I liked you...
I have a vertical of Cos stretching back to 1993.  Probably my favorite Bordeaux.  We must share more notes.....

Zero Manipulation is the name of a nice Mendocino wine, this year (the 05) being mainly Mourvedre and syrah.
Spicy and a little thin, it has a nice smokiness that goes well with the kind of salsa and pesto pizza i have been making a lot of.  Not complex, it goes well with some stronger flavors of food.

I also like the bunny with antlers on the front.

That sounds really good. If I can't find it locally, is there anywhere online that I could get it?

(By the way, the bunny is called a jackalope-- part jackrabbit, part antelope.)

http://smellslikegrape.blogspot.com/2008/01/zero-manipulation-red-table-wine-2005.html

This might help...it was inexpensive and decent.

Thanks! I'll be sure to give it a try when I can!

Guinness all the way! *shakes fist at the sky and mumbles a curse at the universe because of his recent diagnosis of diabetes and new low carb, no sugar diet*  

Oh, dude, the Diabetes curse...where the fuck are the clerics when we need them?

Don Diego reserve Shiraz 04.
Pretty inexpensive, not that thick or chewy, good drinking wine though a little thinner than some shiraz, some mineral notes that were unusual.

Over all, a good wine to be online biting players with.

And indeed he does bite his players (in the butt).

Marcarini Barolo 1998 tonight, ready to drink, openned with a little thinness and the color was almost too browned, but after 1/2 an hout, fruit and tannins started kicking in, followed by slate notes and an almost leathery astringency.

fusilii arrabiata with sausage going with it.  Ols style arrabiata, with more meat broth and peppers than todays full-on red sauces.

The Barolo's tannins were able to stand up to both the spice and the sausage.  Think I'll go pour myself some more to go with the dark chocolate.

Chateau Leoville Barton 1997.
Just turning ready to drink, a little young, needed about 90 minutes to start to open, racy approach and tobacco/good barnyard nose.  Still tight, but some very fine fruit, nearly tasting fortified as it exits, sits on the tongue for a good 2 minutes.
No complaints.  I'll finish the dman bottle, after opening it with dinner.

Penfolds Grange 1997 last night.
With icelandic extra bitter chocolate.

Openned slow, with leather and graphite notes, with plums then a chocolate finish (which went quite well with the yummy chocolate)  Still a little young, but drinking well.  Really took 40 minutes bfore we really got a hint of the layers of taste, so I recommend openning an hour uncorking before really drinking this grandadddy of all shiraz.
http://www.frontierwines.com.au/INFO_wine.cfm?WINECODE=576

It's funny how a thread on beer has turned into our own personal wine show hosted by LV hehe.

Cymro: If you like dark beers, give Storm King a try. It's so black that when you hold it to a lamp, you can't see through it! Also, where is Gulden Draak from? I have a great beer store near me and would like to try it out.

Captain Obvious: Never had London porter, but London Pride is pretty nice.

Joker: How can you drink Corona? I...I think I've lost respect for you /cry
   I've heard Moosehead is brilliant though I've never had the chance to try it.

Ishmayl: Microbrews have a very unique taste. I've only had one or two though. Could you suggest a few good ones?

Turin: Mmm I love Belgian Abbey Ale, if that's what you're talking about when it comes to Belgian beers that is.

Furor: Ah! My favorite is red ales!!!!! I'm glad someone else agrees with me. My friends all think I'm insane. Killian's is definitely an American beer though...I couldn't find it anywhere in Ireland. If you get a chance try Beamish Red, not Beamish, but the red ale by the same company. It's pure genius. Also, try Guinness with a little blackcurrant juice in it. It takes away any bitterness from the bottle or can and makes it taste grand.

Okay not reading through five more pages of that...yet.

Beer is my favorite hobby ever. Even over making campaign settings or writing or law! We typically go down to the shop and pick up 3-4 six packs of new beers every weekend to try out. My favorites are Beamish Red, but only from the draft. It just doesn't taste the same unless you're in Cork. Out of the bottle: Storm King, Bella Rossi and Lagunitas Lucky Thirteen all have very different and brilliant flavors. I like anything that has a hint of chocolate and coffee.

Edit: LordVreeg--Shiraz is easily my favorite red wine. I love some of the Australian Shiraz's cheap and fruity!

Quote from: NomadicIt's funny how a thread on beer has turned into our own personal wine show hosted by LV hehe.

A WINE THREAD!!!!!!!!   OOOHHHHHHHH!

 :muffy:

Last Night: 2001 Amon-Ra Shiraz from Australia.

It was a little watery at first, but it was quite tasty.  It had odd licorice notes amidst the deep plum-y fruits.  The tannins were well-aged and smooth to the point of unnoticeability.  THe nose was surprisingly grape-y.

94 points, on half a bottle.

And as for beers... I'm a creature of habit.  Having tried many, many beers, I always seem to come back to the same three.

#1 - the greatest beer of all time, Boddington's.

#2 - Gordon Biersch Marzen.  

#3 - Sam Adams Octoberfest.

Honorable mention to Guiness and Negro Modelo.

Quote from: LordVreegPenfolds Grange 1997 last night.
With icelandic extra bitter chocolate.

Openned slow, with leather and graphite notes, with plums then a chocolate finish (which went quite well with the yummy chocolate)  Still a little young, but drinking well.  Really took 40 minutes bfore we really got a hint of the layers of taste, so I recommend openning an hour uncorking before really drinking this grandadddy of all shiraz.
http://www.frontierwines.com.au/INFO_wine.cfm?WINECODE=576

yES, i'M QUOTING MYSElf (again), but if anyone thinks shiraz is always cheap, then go try to buy this one.

I'm not much of a beer drinker, and this may have already been mentioned, but I have heard nothing but good thinkgs about 'Fat Tire'

1999 Pio Cesare Barolo Ornato reserve.
Took about an hour to open up in the North End of Boston, but licorice and current notes tying into the tannins ansd berry notes once it finally opened.  Ending with a nearly sour fruity note mixed with a hint of coffee.  If anyone offers you a bottle to share, kill him and drink it all.

Quote from: LordVreegIf anyone offers you a bottle to share, kill him and drink it all.

Rofl!

Vreeg-  that Barolo sounds really good.  

My wife and I had one of our favourite Italian wines the other night: 1997 Arigolas Turriga from Sardinia.  It was our last bottle of the '97, just a few months past absolute prime, I think, but well-balanced.  The fruits started bright and sweet in the front of the mouth, and turned dark and luscious by the time you got to the back.  Tannins were almost completely integrated, giving it a really nice, velvety body.  Floral notes on the nose, with hints of pepper.  Cherry-Raspberry fading to Plum-Blueberry on the palate, with custardy notes that I usually associate with viognier.

Delicious, at any rate.  Now we have to drink the vastly inferior 1999's that we have.  But they're still tasty.

Quote from: AcrimoneVreeg-  that Barolo sounds really good.  

My wife and I had one of our favourite Italian wines the other night: 1997 Arigolas Turriga from Sardinia.  It was our last bottle of the '97, just a few months past absolute prime, I think, but well-balanced.  The fruits started bright and sweet in the front of the mouth, and turned dark and luscious by the time you got to the back.  Tannins were almost completely integrated, giving it a really nice, velvety body.  Floral notes on the nose, with hints of pepper.  Cherry-Raspberry fading to Plum-Blueberry on the palate, with custardy notes that I usually associate with viognier.

Delicious, at any rate.  Now we have to drink the vastly inferior 1999's that we have.  But they're still tasty.

97 vintage in italy will go down as one of the best ever.  Mark my words.
Acrimone, try some Umbrian Sagrantino.  KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF and the world is yet to discover it.

Kansas City has an excellent microbrewery that is on the verge of mainstream called Boulevard Brewery. The Boulevard Wheat, and a number of other seasonal beers they brew, are effing excellent.

We puyrposefully adapted a ponykeg refrigerator and tap through our granite countertops whenever we did our kitchen remodel to have Boulevard on tap between the lady and I.

[blockquote=Moniker]We puyrposefully adapted a ponykeg refrigerator and tap through our granite countertops whenever we did our kitchen remodel to have Boulevard on tap between the lady and I.[/blockquote]
That's classic.  Really.
Someday I will figure out why the Beer at the RockBottom Brewery in Denver tastes better that the Boston version.  Maybe the altitude???

Goose Island brewery is great, for those visiting Chicago.

Cantine del Notaio, Aglianico del Vulture (Basilicata, Italy) 'La Firma' 2003...Aglianico, as I have notated before, is one of the great unknown values in the world.  Spicy, sometimes complex, but worth twice what you pay generally.

Paradigm Cabernet 01.
Still a little young, very red ruby color with no browning yet,
missing leather and pepper taste I look for, so started off on the wrong foot for me.
Niced nose and decent legs, has a bit of an unexpected floral scent.
Current and a nice oky finish saved this, but something of a disapointment.

I thank all that is good in the world that I live in Seattle where you can't turn around without hitting a coffee joint, a Thai resaurant or a 'micro' brewery.  I live just two short blocks from Hale's brewery.  15 blocks from Jolly Roger.  A 20 minute drive takes me to Pyramid brewery across the street from Safeco field-the home of the Seattle Mariners (my true temple of worship).  Got a place about 20 minute walk/stumble from home called Brouwer's.  A pub that serves somewhere around 45-50 belgian beers on tap (including Gulden Draak, Mr Tales).

I wish I could develop a real taste for wine though.  I like it but I have a hard time telling the difference between 3 Buck Chuck Cab and the Paradigm Cabernet 01.  I can tell you the island in Indonesia our coffee was grown and how far up which slope Kilimanjaro that coffee was nurtured into delectable perfection, but I'm jealous of you wine guys, man.  I've tried to be taught with an open mind and a patient teacher but dammit... I guess I'll just have to settle for Elysian brewing's Dragonstooth Stout.

Quote from: SlapzillaI thank all that is good in the world that I live in Seattle where you can't turn around without hitting a coffee joint, a Thai resaurant or a 'micro' brewery.  I live just two short blocks from Hale's brewery.  15 blocks from Jolly Roger.  A 20 minute drive takes me to Pyramid brewery across the street from Safeco field-the home of the Seattle Mariners (my true temple of worship).  Got a place about 20 minute walk/stumble from home called Brouwer's.  A pub that serves somewhere around 45-50 belgian beers on tap (including Gulden Draak, Mr Tales).

I wish I could develop a real taste for wine though.  I like it but I have a hard time telling the difference between 3 Buck Chuck Cab and the Paradigm Cabernet 01.  I can tell you the island in Indonesia our coffee was grown and how far up which slope Kilimanjaro that coffee was nurtured into delectable perfection, but I'm jealous of you wine guys, man.  I've tried to be taught with an open mind and a patient teacher but dammit... I guess I'll just have to settle for Elysian brewing's Dragonstooth Stout.

A---Beer is cool.
B---All things in their time.  There are tens of thousands of differnt wines made yearly, and thousands of Vintage wines that change every year.  
I have to say that creating wines and a wine system in Celtricia really was fun and helpful in learning about it.  I have a whole wine culure, including grape varietals and wine areas etc.  I make sure that these proffessions are in every town.

Cooper: Someone who makes wooden barrels, casks, and other similar wooden objects.

Garagiste: One who makes wine in a garage (or basement, or home, etc.)'"in other words, an amateur wine maker. Also used in a derogatory way when speaking of small scale operations of recent inception, usually without pedigree (and typically located in Bordeaux).

Négociant: A wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells them under their own name. Sometimes, this term is just a synonym for wine merchant.

Oenologist: Wine scientist or wine chemist; a student of oenology. A winemaker may be trained as oenologist, but often hires a consultant instead.

Sommelier: A person in a restaurant who specializes in wine. He or she is usually in charge of assembling the wine list, educating the staff about wine, and assisting customers with their wine selections.

Vintner: A wine merchant or producer.

Viticulturist: A person who specializes in the science of the grapevines themselves. Can also be someone who manages a vineyard, which includes making decisions about pruning, irrigation, and pest control.

Bleh. Just had my first Old Fashioned. Don't get me wrong, it was decent, but is all that fruit really necessary?

hey, something has got to keep the bitters on the shelf...

I actually like an Old Fashioned every now and then, but it's got to be made right.  I prefer to make it a little differently from the typical recipe of orange slice, tons of sugar, packets of bitters, and a few ounces of whiskey.  Try it with 2 parts whiskey, 1 part Reed's Extra Ginger Ale (spicy), and a tiny bit of grenadine (like at most, an ounce).  It's got a bit of a kick if you have the right amount of Reed's.

level 5 alchemy, by ISh...

2000 Leoville Las Cases really not ready to drink yet.  I am really dissapointed in that I should have waited to open this beauty.  It shows great promise, and for the rating I got 2 bottles for great pricing, but I can tell that I got a hint of what is yet to come.

Very Tannic, and unbalanced, even after being open an hour.  Fruity, but almost a little sour with newness.  A little of the earthy taste mixed with a dark chocalte tase showed up midway through each taste after a whjile, but I had to go looking for these flavors.

Sagrantino Di Montefalco Fratelli Pardi 2001.  Very excellent, heavy for a sagrantino, almost barolo-esque, staryed tight, unwrapping onto green olive amd leather undertones.  Started getting a grpahite taste after about an hour.

Normally I'll take Tequila/Rum straight, if I can't (or won't because 6$ shots at the bar suck) I will drink Richards White or Canadian.

Quote from: LlumNormally I'll take Tequila/Rum straight, if I can't (or won't because 6$ shots at the bar suck) I will drink Richards White or Canadian.

Another rum lover!

On a related note, the good Captain Morgan is now making a 100 proof variety of his famous rum.

Quote from: Halfling FritosOn a related note, the good Captain Morgan is now making a 100 proof variety of his famous rum.

No thanks, after taking a double shot of Bacardi 151, I'm good with normal 80 proof.

Don't think I've ever had 151. Strongest I think I've ever had was Sailor Jerry Navy Spice rum, at 92 proof. Really good stuff, but a little hard to come by at times.

I had a really bad night with 151.  Really bad.  
"WHo are you and where are my pants?"-bad.

Was she hot?

... It was a 'she', right? ... Right..?

Well, to answer properly will sound somewhat sexist and crass...
But she was really hot from the neck down.  This goes back to High School, and I woke up in a field (private school), and literally had to find ny pants...

:drunk:

Usually, when I drink, I have one of three goals in mind.  I am drinking with food because it tastes good (typically with beer or wine).  I am drinking as a social thing (typically beer or shorts).  I would like to get pissed (usually hard alcohol, typically vodka or whiskey),

Bad times I've had:

At a friend's apartment, decided to get drunk.  Did a couple Estonian Forest Fires (for those in the dark, 1 shot vodka with Tabasco sauce to taste; nowhere near as horrible as it sounds) to warm up.  Did a Chocolate Cake shot a little later on.  Waited a while, was only buzzed.  Had three shots of straight vodka in quick succession.  It was pretty late at that point, almost everyone was buzzed or drunk.  One friend reminded me I had a Screwdriver they made for me still sitting on the table.  I am good and drunk at this point, and decide the best course of action is to down it.  Quickly.  

Where did I go wrong?  I hadn't noticed that when my friend made it, it contained 3 shots of vodka.

In all, I consumed 5 (essentially) straight shots of vodka, 1/2 a shot vodka with 1/2 a shot of Frangelico, ~14 oz. orange juice mixed with 3 shots of vodka.

After becoming intimately acquainted with my friend's toilet, I had learned my limit.  In retrospect, I probably would have been fine if I spread the shots out at a more even interval, but I am not going to try that again any time soon.

Also, I have learned my friends don't have a very good taste for whiskeys.  Something that disappoints a mooch like me terribly.

Had an interesting drink the other night.  If you like your way-too-frakkin-sweet stuff, it was called a Butter-something-or-another.

1 part Butterscotch Schnapps (DeKuypers, we used, I think)
1 part Honey Liqueur (Barenjager)
1 part Bailey's

not bad, something neat for the holiday season

After that, Glen Livet on ice.

1996 whitehall lane reserve (floral Bottle)
My last bottle of this reserve.  :cry:
Made a ribeye with volcanic sea-salt encrusting with a chipolte barbecue sauce.  
Nice when I can say it was ungodly good (or unplanarly good, for those who have read through Celtricia)
Lots of CherrY AND CURRANT ON THE TIP, BUT evolved to add in vanilla snd sandalwood.

Quote from: IshmaylHad an interesting drink the other night.  If you like your way-too-frakkin-sweet stuff, it was called a Butter-something-or-another.

1 part Butterscotch Schnapps (DeKuypers, we used, I think)
1 part Honey Liqueur (Barenjager)
1 part Bailey's

not bad, something neat for the holiday season

After that, Glen Livet on ice.

Am I wrong in assuming that Glen Livet is some person, and "on ice" is some mafia slang?

Pssh a Glen Livet is obviously a type of penguin

Glen Livet is a type of single malt scotch. There's like 10 bottles of the stuff at my place.

If your scottish people buy you scotch, even if you don't drink it.

Quote from: LlumGlen Livet is a type of single malt scotch. There's like 10 bottles of the stuff at my place.

If your scottish people buy you scotch, even if you don't drink it.

Possibly because when you're drunk, "Scots" comes out as "scotch". Just a guess, here.

Wow, it's been forever since I've gotten this buzzed on only two beers...

For the record, I got Festival of Fools, the Magic Hat sampler, which (supposedly) comes with three each of #9, Circus Boy, Odd Notion, and... something else. This box came with six Circus Boys, and no #9s, but I decided I like Circus Boy, so it works out.

Edit-- and I just realized my friend only took a swig or two of his beer before deciding he didn't like it. Since he's gone, I guess it's my duty to make sure that beer doesn't go to waste...

Of course its your duty! Thats what good friends do!

As an english/scot/irish mutt, i always fing it way too expensive to get drunk at bars. if i an going too, though, i will usually choose days with cheaper pitchers and suplement it with tequila shots (god bless tequila).
If drinking elsewhere though,
beer (Sam Adams, Brick, Upper Canada Lager, London Porter, and Brahma), wine (reds and rosays)
and as for stronger booze,
Cuervo Gold, Glenmorangie, and Talisker are my things of choice (tequila, scotch, scotch respectively).
This is my holiday list (although not just for holidays)

Oh, also La Fin Du Monde (trans: The End of the World) is a really nice beer too. French Canadian i believe. Little hard to get outside of Quebec, though.

all yummy stuff!

it's nice to have such a good palette... (http://top100.winespectator.com/wine-6-08.html)

Roxy Rolles was the thing I couldn't think of. It's a "hoppy amber ale" that doesn't exactly suit my taste, but isn't too bad if it goes down quick. That's what my friend didn't finish.

To celebrate the historic signifigance of today, I bought myself a bottle of wine.

[spoiler=Don't hurt me Vreeg]
Arbor Mist Blackberry Merlot.[/spoiler]

boy was it fun when two beer made you woozy...

try this:
2cl ice cold vodka + 10 drops of tabasco in a shot glass.

I've been drinking a lot of Black Sheep lately... it's the most Yorkshire drink ever, Lol. I love it. The label proclaims "brewed at the Black Sheep brewery in Masham, North Yorkshire, and nowhere else"

Ale. It wins. Especially in the winter. I don't understand all these pubs still selling nothing but chilled lagers when it's pissing down outside. Lager is for sunshine. For everything else, there's ale.

EDIT: Having seen the tone of some people's posts... I feel compelled to mention that personally, I rarely drink with the intention of getting drunk (although that often happens, I can hold my drink, but it doesn't take much to affect me), but rather out of social habit and because I just like beer.

Also, on a non-beery note, Weston's Old Rosie is the most lethal scrumpy ever. On the rare occasions that my sole intent is to get as drunk as possible, Old Rosie is my poison... and it literally may as well be a poison... after two pints of that I'm a mess, and that's not just due to my low inebriation threshold... I've not know anyone to drink more than a single pint of that stuff without getting PROPERLY drunk, and even a single pint's enough to get most half-cut.

Hop Wallop, as the name suggests it is overwhelmingly hoppy and damn good, two or three are all you need to get lightheaded and ridiculous.

Warsteiner's Dunkel is pretty good as well, good german beer

For wine...I'm a port fan, i love His Eminence's Choice, but to be honest, any good port will do

Corona. Dos Equis. I suppose you could accuse me of being partial toward Mexican beers.

Quote from: Scholarboy was it fun when two beer made you woozy...

try this:
2cl ice cold vodka + 10 drops of tabasco in a shot glass.

Wow, those shots gave me the worst night of my life a in December.

I like the sound of Hop Wallop quite a bit, I wonder where I could get some.

[/quote]

Wow, those shots gave me the worst night of my life a in December.

I like the sound of Hop Wallop quite a bit, I wonder where I could get some.
[/quote]

Its by Victory Brewing Co., I think they got a map of where they sell on the site

As of yesterday, I can now legally buy alcohol...and still have no desire to do so.

Quote from: Ninja D!As of yesterday, I can now legally buy alcohol...and still have no desire to do so.

Dude, don't be put off by the unwashed masses. I hate drunk people, I really do. They annoy twelve shades of hell out of me. I hate it when they use their drunkenness as an excuse for unacceptable behaviour (Well if you get like this when you drink, then you presumably knew you would get like this, and still decided to drink. So, yes, it is still your fault)

But. Beer is very nice. Or, good beer is, anyway. Bad beer is... well... it can taste like a mixture of the following: urine, tin, onion, deoderant, yeast... et cetera. BUT.... Nice beer is very nice, and there's no reason you need to drink enough to get wasted, just try having a single bottle of nice beer with a meal sometime. Please. As a personal favour to me.

Been experimenting with Campari lately. Someone got me a bottle, and it has been flaunting its voluptuous redness and rumored undrinkability for far too long.

After some trials, I can say that it is, in fact, horribly, awfully bitter. Nasty, vile stuff. Yet strangely addictive. One of the mysteries of the universe.

Now THAT is interesting

D'arenberg Dead Arm 00 last night,
since the wife and I were doing the V-day thing a night early.

Opened it around 4:30 and decanted (I swear, this  vineyard pours in extra sediment or something) to get it breathing properly.  Initial nose very tight but strong, strong, strong (this is one of the biggest Shiraz' around, flavor-wise).  So tough when I go out to dinner and try to drink something that should have been opened hours before.

Then I went and made a rub for the filets (Vocanic Black Salt, Proudhommes, and a little diced chocolate), pounded the rub into the filet's lightly, poured a little wine on top, and let marinate.

After we put MiniVreeg (Or V, as my Igbarians like to call him) to bed, I washed some spinach and put on some water for couscous.  Always add a little actual margerine (or canoleo, in my case) to the oil in the couscouse water.  It was around 6:50 by now, which matters for both the marinade and the wine.  Now the Rubber hits the road, so to speak, as we preheat the grill and put a tad of Colonna olive oil onto the meat and toss it on the grill.
I patted the spinach dry, and then cut up a lemon.  Light about 50 zillion candles and start a fire in the fireplace.  Couscous goes in the water, then pour about 2 fingers of the wine into big bordeaux glasses ('cause this thing historically drinks this way...I've had Dead Arm from 95 through 01, and have bottles of 99-05 in the cellar now).  Moving it around the big-bowled glass to check the legs, The smell of rich earth and leather wafts out mixed with the pure, dark grape smell.

Go out to the grill, flip the filets.  The rub is crusting a bit, so I back down the flame a bit (the olive oil can do that if put right onto a rub...creates a bit of a crust, not a bad thing, but too much and it tastes burnt).  
Set the table, turn down the lights, then squeeze the lemon into a wide pan (like an omelet pan) with a little canoleo spread, creating a lemon-butter.  Throw the spinach on that, and go rescue the now-medium-rare Filets.  Cut up french baguette, and get a small bowl out for the Colonna Olive oil with 14 yr old balsamic vinegar drizzled on it, for the bread.  Plate the flet's, the spinach, and the couscous in careful triad, and it hits the table.

Wine was NOT a dissapointment, strong, strong, strong (as this bottle normally is), with a lot of earth and strong leather and an interesting eucalyptus undertone.  Not as dry as I remember, but very kick ass, stood up to the rub well.  

I forgot to mention, for my birthday, back in January, the wife and I went to Biltmore.  The higher quality Biltmore Estates wines, especially the Limited Release Syrah and the Sangiovese were exceptionally good.

I also went to a wine-tasting there, and they had the Limited Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Cardinal's Crest; both to me were a bit too woody.  I think they used the French Oak barrels on those, which I didn't like as much.

Tonight I broke out the bottle of Bushmills Original I got for a (very) belated birthday present. I also got a bottle of Jameson on my birthday.

Had the Bushmills with some local, organic pineapple I mooched off of a party the other night. This ended up being a very nice contrast. Some people like to mix whiskey, but I (almost) always drink it straight up.

The color is, of course, a very light gold. This is of course due to the age of the whiskey (very young).  

The smell (or nose) reminds me of wood and cinnamon, with perhaps a hint of vanilla or chocolate (or both); can't place my finger on which one.  If I had to pick of one thing it really reminds me of, it is Christmas; I don't really know why.  Comparatively, if memory serves, Jameson has a bit more of a medicine-y nose (thought not at all unpleasant).  And don't quote me on that for Jameson; haven't had any in a while, so my opinion is likely to change.

The taste is actually much more subtle than I would have guessed, as it is a lower-end whiskey.  The fire is almost all in the mouth; it is pretty smooth going down.  It starts off a little sweet, but also has a bit of sourness after lingering a bit.  Comparing it to the pineapple, it is much less sweet and a little bit more sour.  The cinnamon is a lot stronger in the taste than it was in the nose.  Also a hint of roasted almond; took me a while to determine just what fit that.  Both the cinnamon and the almond flavors last on for a bit, but both fade quickly.

I opened a can of Coke at the very end (when I had ran out of pineapple), and a sip of the Bushmills followed by the Coke brought out a very chocolatey flavor I hadn't tasted before.  However, I only mix Canadian whiskys; I prefer to leave Bourbons, Irish whiskeys, and Sotches alone.

Regrettably, I ran out of pineapple before I could move on to the Jameson for a decent review. ;)

[spoiler=Oh hai]
(//../../e107_files/public/1234780619_14_FT21866_bushmills_and_the_cbg_small_.jpg) (//../../e107_files/public/1234780619_14_FT21866_bushmills_and_the_cbg_small.jpg)
[/spoiler]

Limetom, you make it all sound very, very appetizing.  ESpecially where you detect contrast.

Sounds like something that would go very well with some some Absolut Vanilla vodka! ;)

Quote from: IshmaylSounds like something that would go very well with some some Absolut Vanilla vodka! ;)

must[/i] stoop to mixing it, I supppose. :p

So I'm moving on from the Bushmills Original I reviewed earlier to my bottle of Jameson.  Just the plain-old unnamed Jameson.  Drinking it straight up, again.  It was raining, so I'm just having the whiskey.

Jameson is a bit on the dark side, color-wise.  The color reminds me of apple cider.  The color is a bit odd, considering it's a younger whiskey.  This means that they either colored it (not uncommon) or it was aged in a bourbon barrel (like other Jameson whiskeys).

The nose (or smell) reminds me of apple cider, with a hint of a citrus.  And the citrus is a lighter, sweeter fruit, more like a Mandarin orange or grapefruit than a lemon or a lime.  To continue the trend, if I had to pick one "thing" to describe it, I'd say Autumn.

The initial flavor is a bit sweet, but nothing really jumps out at me; somewhat of a distant fruitiness.  I think 'delicate' would probably be the word for the initial flavor.  As it sits on your tongue for a while, it takes on a bit of the taste of black pepper; this lingers as an aftertaste as well.  There is another later taste, somewhat bitter: I'll call it pine.  I've never actually gone and chewed on a piece pine, but that's what it reminds me of.  The pine taste also lingers on as an aftertaste for a while, but nowhere near as long as the pepper.  There's a bit of fire when you swallow that reminds me a lot of a dry wine.

Not a bad whiskey, especially in the nose, but it borders on being bland in the taste.  It is, after all, the cheapest stuff Jameson makes, and this shows (though only a little bit).  It probably would have been more pleasant having it with something.  I remember caving and mixing it with Coke a while ago; all the complexities were lost and the 'medicine-y' smell you get right from the bottle carried over into the taste.  Definitely better straight up.

Perhaps the pineapple (or maybe chocolate) would have helped.  Oh well... I still have half a bottle to find out with.

[spoiler=I Will Just Leave This Here]
(//../../e107_files/public/1235022674_14_FT21866_jameson_and_the_cbg_small_.jpg) (//../../e107_files/public/1235022674_14_FT21866_jameson_and_the_cbg_small.jpg)[/spoiler]

Alright I went out on the town last night, tried a variety of beers.

Steamwhistle: good canadian beer, didn't really stand out. Nice pilsner, very light but a little acidic.

Coffee Beer: exactly like it sounds, beer with coffee in it. Doesn't really taste like beer, more like black coffee with a bit of beer poured into it (and cold :P)

Baltika 3: Best beer I've ever had. It's from Russia, light-medium but incredibly smooth. Smoother than a babies bottom smooth. A little crip, great beer. Similar to Kilkenny but not as light and a lot smoother. Not as carbonated as most beers ether.

Had some other beers, but those were mostly widely available commercial stuff (that's what you get for drinking at a commercial pub). Alexander Keiths/Becks/Kilkenny/Carling

You intentionally drank Carling? Are you even human?

Quote from: KindlingYou intentionally drank Carling? Are you even human?

It was my friends, tried it. I'll agree its probably the worst beer on that I named :p We all decided it tasted pungent lol.

Their advertising slogan for a while was "The taste of England"

Maybe the part of England they sampled to get to that conclusion was a landfill site...

Quote from: KindlingTheir advertising slogan for a while was "The taste of England"

Maybe the part of England they sampled to get to that conclusion was a landfill site...

I'd go with the Thames.

Yes, to anyone who talks up imports as superior, there is always Carling to make liars of them.

I'm surprised anyone even had the nerve to export Carling. I'm pretty sure the only reason it's ever purchased here is because it's usually the cheapest beer on draught in whatever pub has stooped to serving it...

sounds like James Ready overhere...

Bad booze and cheap booze;  step-child to the fact that there are more people below the average IQ than above it...

Quote from: Vreeg's BordeauxYes, to anyone who talks up imports as superior, there is always Carling to make liars of them.

Even worse then PBR?

Quote from: Halfling Fritos

Quote from: Vreeg's BordeauxYes, to anyone who talks up imports as superior, there is always Carling to make liars of them.

Even worse then PBR?

well, it's different.  Carling tries to trick people...it's an import, therefor it is better, since they bothered to ship it over here.  While PBR is what it is.

Last Night's Igbar session

Home made lemon hummus

small game chicken oven roasted with sage and other herbs

sweet potato with cinnamon and butter

Arugala and cherry tomato salad with a dijon/lemon/jalepeno dressing

Chappelet 04 cab/Medusa Old Vine Lover's Lane Zin 04/st supery meritage 98

Game notes elsewhere but the Medusa is available now, and is very good, as is the Chappelet.  Medusa was really zippy and yummy.  
The St Supery, from my cellar, had super balance, jammy, and some coffee notes.  

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeauxstep-child to the fact that there are more people below the average IQ than above it...

Totally agreed.

Beaulieu Tapestry Reserve 01
still too tight, but after a few hours, I got it to open out (reminds me of some old dates)
Normal bordeaux earthy, but an intersting honey note as well.  

What would mix good with Gatorade?

vodka or another clear booze.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. I thought for a moment of making a variation of an old fashioned that replaces the water, sugar, and fruit with Gatorade, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Quote from: Halfling FritosYeah, that's what I was thinking, too. I thought for a moment of making a variation of an old fashioned that replaces the water, sugar, and fruit with Gatorade, but quickly dismissed the idea.

*MMphH!**
I think I just threw up in my mouth...

SOme ideas, like the bacon-nacho martini, need to be dismissed!

Hiding alcohol in Gatorade? Is someone going to a con this weekend? Eh? Eh?

Quote from: Vreeg's Bordeaux

Quote from: Halfling FritosYeah, that's what I was thinking, too. I thought for a moment of making a variation of an old fashioned that replaces the water, sugar, and fruit with Gatorade, but quickly dismissed the idea.

*MMphH!**
I think I just threw up in my mouth...

SOme ideas, like the bacon-nacho martini, need to be dismissed!

Yeah, exactly.

D, no, it's just that i have a lot of Gatorade just sitting around the house, and I'm quickly reaching that point of sobriety where I randomly start wondering "what would mix good with..?"

Dunn Cabernet 96.
Needed an hour to open, but very deep with a huge taste, a lot of leather and tannic berry.  Turned to a bitter-chocolate.  Very worthwhile.

By the way, did I tell you all that the Wine Dictator rated the Pio Cesare 04 the #6 wine of the year?  Kick ass...

Tasted 1 of my '00' Cos d'Estournel to see how the "Vintage of the century" was coming along, at least in what I have aquired so far.  Lots of balance and very smooth, not as massive as I was expecting, but the finish is already lengthening and the tannins, while still severe, are starting to mellow a bit.  Lots of smoke in the flavor, and a lack of oak.
After it had been openned for about an hour and a half, the flavors started to intensify a bit, and we got a bit more of an earthy taste to go along with the smoke.
Not even close to peak yet, I'd say it has another 3 years minimum (and probably more) until I should open another of these.

Good to know, I'll keep mine resting for a while then.

an excerpt from A Night With a Drunken ElDo:


<ElDo> honestly
<ElDo> it's from the henny
<ElDo> TOO MUCH HENNESY
<ElDo> or is it hennessey?
<ElDo> the point being
<ElDo> too much alcohol
<LizardKing> I know a compound word that would probably scare you right about now
<ElDo> go on
<LizardKing> hangover
<ElDo> OH GAWD
<ElDo> WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT

1999 EGLISE CLINET  
pomerol, a little on the palre side in terms of color, though quite tasty, not as big a finish as I wanted, but good balance and a lot of wood and earth to the meat of it.  
As with many bordeaux, though it was good, the question often remains..was it worth it???

Bud Light Lime... very very good beer. Sadly its mostly sold out anywhere within 500km of where I live :P

1994 Beringer reserve Cab.  Have kept this one i the cellar for over a decade.
Boy turns 1 today.

Very, very worthwhile  A lt of throw, so decanting, waiting, more decanting.  Apple Chipolte pepper Ribeye.
very, very wonderful..  needed about an hour to really open, but just incredibly balanced and deep.

Quote from: LlumBud Light Lime... very very good beer. Sadly its mostly sold out anywhere within 500km of where I live :P

NO! don't give into the dark side. Try Negra Modelo with a lime, or Tecate with salt and lime. That's what beer and lime's all about ma man.

Quote from: LlumBud Light Lime... very very good beer. Sadly its mostly sold out anywhere within 500km of where I live :P

Interesting, I'll see if I can find those. Though it is convenient that the Bud Light Lime comes with the lime taste already :P

This all being said, I found a new greatest beer. Nickle Brooks Green Apple Pilsner. Godly.

SF, I openned 2 bottles of 01 Cos last night, as I had an impromteu session after the boy's BDAY stupidity.

Already openning up, lots of mineral in the middle, earth notes right on the tail of the fruit.  Going to really be ready in a few years, but I don't see this as one of the Cos that lasts 30+ years.

Dead Arm 00 last night

Held it for a while, like 5 years.  let it breath for about 30 minutes, the cork was friggin' BLACK on the other side.

Still a little tight though strong at 30 minutes, but it gained complexity, and almost a baked fruit taste/burnt cherry taste at the end\.  AS with all D'arenbergs, the throw was substantial.  Good thing I decanted it.

Speaking of decanters we should get you one of endless wine.

Masi Reserve 97 Amerone
Big and raisinish to start.  Almost no Throw.

more dark, crushed tomato inside grap and mulberry.  Good, but tight and almost too much raisin

Just to say, they've stopped production on my favorite beer of all time, Nickel Brook Green Apple Pilsner. A sad day in llumdom.

A few new good ones though.

St-Amber Apricot Ale, tastes like apricot, then wheat, then apricot again.

Chocolate porter, that was by all accounts very good (I do not remember drinking it)

La Fin du Monde, a great beer from Quebec.

La Fin du Monde is fantastic. in fact, all the beers from Unibroue (the brewery) are great.

as for chocolate porter, try Founder's Breakfast Stout, I think it's a double chocolate oatmeal. A bit pricey, but well worth it.

Vreeg, I mentioned in chat that I got the list of reds from my local T-Bones, so here it is. I'd love to hear what you have to say:

MacMurray Sonama Coast Pinot Noir
Da Vinci Cianti
Louis M. Martini Sinoma Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Rock Merlot
Liberty Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Liberty Creek Merlot

I think you have a fairly decent idea of my tastes, so I'll trust any suggestion you make.

Bells Kalamazoo , a stout worth checking out.

Quote from: Rorschach FritosVreeg, I mentioned in chat that I got the list of reds from my local T-Bones, so here it is. I'd love to hear what you have to say:

MacMurray Sonama Coast Pinot Noir
Da Vinci Cianti
Louis M. Martini Sinoma Cabernet Sauvignon
Red Rock Merlot
Liberty Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Liberty Creek Merlot

I think you have a fairly decent idea of my tastes, so I'll trust any suggestion you make.

SD,
The Chianti is surprisingly good.  Not expensive (Italian wines are almost always better values), but the winemaker actually comes from Marchesi de Frescobaldi, and he brings a lot without a huge price tag.

The Martini Sonoma Cab is the low end from a vintner who makes many levels, so they also bring some upper-level know how to a less expensive Vino.  Think of this as a vin de table.

Liberty Creek is typical mass-market stuff.  The industry is at a point that no one puts out stinkeroos anymore, but this is about as boring a wine as I could imagine.

I'll have to try out the Chianti sometime, then.


I'd just like to go on the record and say that sunlight is a Very Bad Idea until about... 1:30pm on the first of November.

Last night I had my first black rum: Gosling's Black Seal, 80 proof Bermuda black rum. I started with a shot to get a feel for the flavor. Very good, very yummy. At 80 proof, it's stronger than That One Spiced Rum, noticeably so, but not strong enough to have you rushing for the cola of your choice. I picked it up under the reasoning that gold/amber > silver/white, making black > gold/amber. I was mistaken, but not disappointed.

A few have asked me about wines that age and how wines that can be decades or even older can be worth drinking,etc/
And many who have gamed with me have notated my use of older Vneersberry and Chias wines in Celtricia.  Let me pass on these pearls.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/26/business/worldbusiness/26iht-wine.html
http://www.finestandrarest.com/german.html

(//../../e107_files/public/1258412405_392_FT21866_graycliffoldestwine.jpg)

a page on Bordeaux vintages...
http://www.wine-pages.com/resources/vintold.shtml

WanT TO SPEND SOME EXTRA MONEY?
http://www.giftbasketslot.com/blog/wine-most-expensive-wines-category-all-time

Louis Jadot Bourgogne Chardonnay 2007

For dinner tonight.  Remind me to let you all know how it was when I'm done with it.

[spoiler=Pic]
(//../../e107_files/public/1259284409_14_FT21866_louis_jadot_bottle_cap.jpg)[/spoiler]

Hehehe, it's called Louis. So am I! Heheheheehehe....

Okay, you may continue with your thread now :)

Limetom, I hope you enjoyed the french chard.  Though they are making it more in line with the american palatte, they still avoid the secondary Malolactic fermentation.  

Last night, Sterling Cab 05, Paradigm Cab 01, Tardieu-Laurent - Chateauneuf-du-pape 01 for the holiday dinner.   Hosted 27 people.  
I'm thankful that I only do that once a year...

Slightly more on-topic, I remember reading an article a while back about the comparative prices of what they called "world class" beers and wines. It was saying something like, an absolutely top-notch bottle of wine can cost you upwards of £100, while a similarly well-regarded ale, albeit in a smaller bottle would be available for under a fiver (translate those prices into your own currencies yourselves)

Now, I think my opinion in any debate on this is heavily biased, as I vastly prefer beers to wines. I like to cook with wine, and very occasionally, a small glass of red wine is nice with a meal, but as far as just drinking something for pleasure goes, I'll choose a nice ale any day.

But, I would be interested to see what people who are more into wines than me think of the point that the article raised, and indeed whether they think that any kind of comparison between the two can even be made.

Quote from: LordVreegLimetom, I hope you enjoyed the french chard.  Though they are making it more in line with the american palatte, they still avoid the secondary Malolactic fermentation.

It was like drinking nothing at all until it finally opened up after an hour.  Out of 5 or 6 bottles of wine, it was the best of the night, though the only one we didn't skimp on price for.

Would buy again, just so I could let it open first and really enjoy it.

If you were closer, LT, I'd order one for the 2 of us to drink.  

bILLIbILLI sHIRAZ.

Do NOT drink this.
This gives swill a bad name.  

Any advice on ice wines?

Quote from: Rorschach FritosAny advice on ice wines?

Ice wine, or eiswine, is normally made with reislings or vidals, this wine has a high brix (sugar) count due to their plucking after the grapes have frozen, leaching them of much of their water but not the sugar.  I prefer the Vidal, but I think I am in the Minority.

Inniskillin is readily available and dependable, local Niagra or canadian. Germanic and austrian is more authentic, but not always better.  Macnimire (SP?) is another good one.

Another good thing that they make is an icewine and brandy blend. It's more potent then a normal icewine as well. It's made by Kittling Ridge winery from Niagara (the canadian one :P)

However, everyone knows that Ice Cider from Quebec is where it's really at ~~

Bought a new 02 icewine for the lady for Xmas, and myself some 01 Balmoral Shiraz...details soon.

I just discovered that I have a bottle of '02 Livingston Cellars Chablis Blanc. I'm probably not going to open it for quite awhile, but what should I expect when I do open it?

Quote from: Rorschach FritosI just discovered that I have a bottle of '02 Livingston Cellars Chablis Blanc. I'm probably not going to open it for quite awhile, but what should I expect when I do open it?

Drink it sooner vs later, this is not a wine that is built to be excessivley aged.
This one should be very light, with some citrus and herb notes, would go well with a salad or fish,

Do you think it might be able to last until April?

a few more months will not change it too much.  No stress..s

As you may know. me and The Other have been watching the newest Batman series tonight, making drinking games out of the movies. We've been doing 'every time the word "fear" is uttered' for the first movie, and we're going to do "every explosion" for the second. We're only 33 minutes into the first movie, and we just got a scene that gave us 5 shots each. I'm definitely... feeling it now, and She's definitely... drunk by now. I think it's a somewhat decent time for one of the two of us to stop right about now :p

update: we were dead-asleep drunk before Batman even appeared. Good game, she said.

Farina Barolo 03.
had with Roast Chicken.

Very sharp, ascerbic, with smoke and shallot taste.  Acid balance really came on after it had been openned for an hour.

Sweetwater IPA.

I don't know, it tastes good or something. I think it may be that hops thing?

Today, I picked up a few books at the local dollar store, one of which is aptly entitled Beer: Domestic, Imported, and Home Brewed. This, with any luck, will be a good guide for me through the world of ales and lagers.


</bump>

Quote from: Rorschach FritosToday, I picked up a few books at the local dollar store, one of which is aptly entitled Beer: Domestic, Imported, and Home Brewed. This, with any luck, will be a good guide for me through the world of ales and lagers.


</bump>

we look forward to your report

Will do. I hope to get a sampler of some sort, so that I have a variety to practice tasting.

Someone made this handy guide to the varieties of beer:


(//../../e107_files/public/1271306555_14_FT21866_periodic_table_of_beer_.png) (//../../e107_files/public/1271306555_14_FT21866_periodic_table_of_beer.png)

Limetom scores big points.  Friggin' yummy.

Got the Summer Sampler from Blue Moon Brewery, a Tennessee-based pseudo-microbrewery owned by Coors. Tonight, I'm trying the Pale Moon, a "Belgian-style pale ale". These guys seem to have a thing for Belgian-style beer...

The head seemed to be very light, and it didn't last long, though this could have been the result of a bad pour; the head got to be large quite quickly.

The color is a tad darker than I expected, but it's still certainly light. Reddish, I'd say.

The aroma is noticeably hoppy, though I find it to be somewhat faint.

The flavor is somewhat bitter, but not overpoweringly so. Combined with a slight citrus flavor, it reminds me a bit of slightly dried orange rimes.

Overall, it's fairly decent.

SD, nice review, BTW.  Summer beers go really well with the right weather.

Not bad for a first-timer, huh? The weather over the weekend was a bit rough. It even went so far as to throw some snow into the rain! tonight is much nicer though, and I'm starting on the Blue Moon, from the same brand. This is a "Belgian-style wheat beer".

The head seems a bit denser than the Pale Moon's, and the color is much lighter as well. A cloudy amber. This was just as tricky to pour as the last, leaving me to wonder if it's me, the glass, or the brewery?

The aroma is sweet and mildly fruity. I want to say more oranges, but I'm not sure. I can't tell if it's in the flavor or aroma, but is that a hint of bananas there?

Overall, much more preferable than the Pale Moon.

Tonight is Honey Moon, a "summer ale", and the last kind of beer in this sampler. I tried tilting the glass this time to help control the pour, and the head didn't go out of control. If anything, it was a little small, but that's still better than overflowing, right?

The first thing I noticed about the head-- after the size-- was the color; it seemed a bit lighter than the heads of the prior beers. Is this just me, or do different beers have different colored heads?

Speaking of color, this beer isn't subtle in trying to live up to it's name. The clear, honey-gold color is light; darker than the Blue Moon, but certainly closer to that than to the Pale Moon.

The aroma, again, is that of honey, only with a touch of spices of some sort or another. I wonder what that could be?

The flavor continues the trend; if it weren't for the hint of malts, I'd probably start to wonder if my beer was secretly exchanged for some mead! It's certainly delicate enough. Sweet, too.

Overall, I'd probably say it's close enough to being tied with the Blue Moon in order of preference. I would definitely enjoy this on my front porch on a nice afternoon.

Groth 06 Cab, last night

still young, but very deep, with chocolate and coffee notes.
Died on the tongue a little, but a few years may change that.

Barolo docg Cannubi FROM Giacomo Fenocchio...

Just openned some of my 04, really a nice bottle that I frankly got at a good price.  Really acidic uppon openning, needed some time in the glass to liven up and open.  Probably could have used another hour or so, at least.
After close to an hour in the glass, I got a lot more balanced tannins and some raisin, some cherry and sharp citrus aftertaste.

Too far gone tinight to give full-fledged reviews, but here goes, anyway:

Sam Adams, Summer Ale (had on the fourth) and Boston Lager (bottles for both): good stuff, here. The Summer Ale is clearly more for lighter, summer stuff, but they're both good.

Budweiser (not sure what style; keg): Not bad if you can find a couple of guys to hold you upside-down by your legs. Not quite as patable from a plastic cup. Make sure the former is done before the latter.+

Quote from: Rorschach FritosToo far gone tinight to give full-fledged reviews, but here goes, anyway:

Sam Adams, Summer Ale (had on the fourth) and Boston Lager (bottles for both): good stuff, here. The Summer Ale is clearly more for lighter, summer stuff, but they're both good.

Budweiser (not sure what style; keg): Not bad if you can find a couple of guys to hold you upside-down by your legs. Not quite as patable from a plastic cup. Make sure the former is done before the latter.+

I would love to tell you that I have no idea what you are talking about.
I'd be lying.

Blacksmith Commisure 06.
The last year they used the chambourcin grape.
zippy, light, and almost sudzy, this meritage (chambourcin, cab franc, merlot, and a white grape that escapes me...really) does well on  summer night or with asian food.

Vreeg, anyone that has as many posts in this thread as you do knows exactly what I was talking about. It's all just part of your impeccable charm.

Quote from: Rorschach FritosI just discovered that I have a bottle of '02 Livingston Cellars Chablis Blanc. I'm probably not going to open it for quite awhile, but what should I expect when I do open it?

I'm going to be opening this bottle up sometime this week, with a fillet of tilapia. What prep advice would you offer?

Quote from: Rorschach FritosI'm going to be opening this bottle up sometime this week, with a fillet of tilapia. What prep advice would you offer?

Tequila shots. Just saying.

Quote from: Rorschach FritosVreeg, anyone that has as many posts in this thread as you do knows exactly what I was talking about. It's all just part of your impeccable charm.

Quote from: Rorschach FritosI just discovered that I have a bottle of '02 Livingston Cellars Chablis Blanc. I'm probably not going to open it for quite awhile, but what should I expect when I do open it?

I'm going to be opening this bottle up sometime this week, with a fillet of tilapia. What prep advice would you offer?

with that?
OPen it about 1/2 hour before drinking and put in the fridge.
Saute the Tialpia with pine nuts and lemon, with a linty bit of wine splashed in as well.
Serve with arugala salad (with chopped apple and cheddar, and a lemon/dijon dressing)

Tomorrow night, the wine. Tonight, a better review of the Sam Adams Summer Ale.

The head looked OK, but didn't last long in this glass. I couldn't get the whole beer in there, either.

The color reminds me very much of the Honey Moon, although a bit lighter. This is probably just a trait of summer ales.

The aroma is sweetish, with almost no hops at all. I almost want to say it's fruity, but I can't quite make out why. There's a little bit of a soap scent. Could that just be the glass?

There's a little bit of spice to the flavor, here. This could be the flavor of the "grains of Paradise". What really impresses me, though, is that this isn't as watery as I expected. For lack of a better word, the taste is solid.

Overall, not bad. There's two more left in the fridge, and I can't promise how long those will last.

Tonight: Tilapia, Chablix Blanc, and Dylan live on vinyl.

The fish is decent. It was pre-seasoned with garlic and herbs, but I did put a little splash of lemon on it.

The wine is very enjoyable. Being a white wine, it's not what I'd call sweet, but it doesn't have the bite of dryness. The citrus is subtle, but definitely present. I want to say orange, but there's an ever-so-slight lemon undertone to that, too. There's a slight, not unpleasant tang here, too. That could be what's making me think lemons.

The combo is good, too. With the possible exception of the volume of the music, nothing is overpowering anything, here. It's okay though, because these days, a warm, folksy crackle-pop-mumble is a hard sound to come across, and well worth it when you do.

Edit-- the tang is still lingering on my lips. Neat!

Clone 5 Cabernet Sav, 05, found in discount bin.  I can see why.  Kellik would have charged back into this wine store and slain the merchant, or at least scared him.  Thin and putrid.

Forgot to mention, I finally got around to trying Orion, the local beer of Okinawa.  It comes in several styles, but all the one's I've had are either happoshu, or Japanese rice lagers.

So what the heck are those?  A happoshu is a low-malt beer (by law, it must have less than 67% malt content).  They do this by adding rice; you don't taste the rice, but you do taste the lack of hops.  Technically, it's not even beer, just a beer-flavored liquor.  Why would you possibly make that, you ask?  Because it's the lowest tax category for beer in Japan.  I can get a 500 mL can of Orion Southern Star, the local breweries' variety, for less than US$1.50.

Most happoshu are just plain unpalatable, ranging from beer-flavored water to just plain "blegh."  So how's Southern Star taste?  Actually, not awful; it's actually drinkable, though if you really like your beer, you'll probably try it once and forget about it.  Not bad enough to really remember, not good enough to have impressed you.  Really, the fact that it isn't horrid and so cheap is about the only reason I've drank it more than once.

Japanese lagers, like American lagers, were derived from Czech Pilsners.  There's really not that huge a gap in taste.  That being said, American lagers tend to either be "good" or "unpalatable", while Japanese lagers cluster around "average," with some getting up there especially when paired with food.  (Note that I'm talking about 'standard' beers; seasonal or (actually) premium beers are different in both the US and Japan.)

So what's a "Japanese rice lager"?  Like happoshu, it doesn't have 100% malt content, but it is somewhere above 67% (again, cut with rice).  I had Orion Premium Draft.  I'd say this borders somewhere between "average" and "good."  It's a very delicate, but crisp, beer; I was going to use "light," but that's not quite right.  Especially because of the rice, you get a really nuanced taste.  And it has a very "clean" taste.  This goes very good with yakiniku or sushi, but I wouldn't recommend it with anything spicy (luckily, most Japanese food is not spicy).  You'd want a stronger lager for that.

tl;dr - Japanese beer: it looks like American beer, but in Japan, you actually get what you pay for.

Quote from: limetomForgot to mention, I finally got around to trying Orion, the local beer of Okinawa.  It comes in several styles, but all the one's I've had are either happoshu, or Japanese rice lagers.

So what the heck are those?  A happoshu is a low-malt beer (by law, it must have less than 67% malt content).  They do this by adding rice; you don't taste the rice, but you do taste the lack of hops.  Technically, it's not even beer, just a beer-flavored liquor.  Why would you possibly make that, you ask?  Because it's the lowest tax category for beer in Japan.  I can get a 500 mL can of Orion Southern Star, the local breweries' variety, for less than US$1.50.

Most happoshu are just plain unpalatable, ranging from beer-flavored water to just plain "blegh."  So how's Southern Star taste?  Actually, not awful; it's actually drinkable, though if you really like your beer, you'll probably try it once and forget about it.  Not bad enough to really remember, not good enough to have impressed you.  Really, the fact that it isn't horrid and so cheap is about the only reason I've drank it more than once.

Japanese lagers, like American lagers, were derived from Czech Pilsners.  There's really not that huge a gap in taste.  That being said, American lagers tend to either be "good" or "unpalatable", while Japanese lagers cluster around "average," with some getting up there especially when paired with food.  (Note that I'm talking about 'standard' beers; seasonal or (actually) premium beers are different in both the US and Japan.)

So what's a "Japanese rice lager"?  Like happoshu, it doesn't have 100% malt content, but it is somewhere above 67% (again, cut with rice).  I had Orion Premium Draft.  I'd say this borders somewhere between "average" and "good."  It's a very delicate, but crisp, beer; I was going to use "light," but that's not quite right.  Especially because of the rice, you get a really nuanced taste.  And it has a very "clean" taste.  This goes very good with yakiniku or sushi, but I wouldn't recommend it with anything spicy (luckily, most Japanese food is not spicy).  You'd want a stronger lager for that.

tl;dr - Japanese beer: it looks like American beer, but in Japan, you actually get what you pay for.

Also, for those wanting to try Orion outside of Japan, tough luck.  It's hard to find outside of Okinawa, and isn't, to the best of my knowledge, sold anywhere outside of Japan.

Granted, you're not missing much.  I doubt it would be as cheap internationally.

Quote from: LordVreegKellik would have charged back into this wine store and slain the merchant, or at least scared him.

I lol'd

I tasted about 80 bottles on Friday.
Really.  Winery trip, 10 vineyards.

Bedell 2007 Reserve merlot.  One of the few red grapesthat does well on LI.  Jammy, heavy, with a pie crust mid taste and a strange, but not bad tannic aftertaste.  

Ginger ale goes better with Buttershots than it does with vodka. I suspected as such, but y'know, scientific integrity  and all...

I appreciate the research...

Well, last night demanded large quantities of alcohol and very loud Nirvana. You already know part of it, but there was even more (unrelated) news yesterday.

Tonight: Rolling Rock Extra Pale, from the bottle.

The green bottle certainly got in the way of noticing the color, but it isn't in the way of noticing that this is, indeed, a pale drink. That probably should have been a flag of some sort, but nooo...

It didn't strike me until that first sip: they say that this is "extra pale", but they don't mention that they mean it in the same way as when they say Godzilla is "extra large". The flavor is so subtle that it borders nonexistent.

Now, a note here; Since I'm still fairly new at tasting and reviewing beers, my strategy right now is to drink one, form my best opinion, open the second, and drink it while I read reviews from sites such as www.beeradvocate.com so I can compare. In this particular case, when I was already comparing the drink to seltzer water, it was exceptionally helpful. just about every review I saw commented on the weak taste-- and I was even surprised to see that I wasn't the only one to make the seltzer analogy-- but I also noticed some other words being mentioned. Words like "corn", and "soap". Words I hadn't considered right away. Words that, now that I read and think about them, are quite accurate. Needless to say, this isn't my favorite beer.

Overall, I'd give this a rating of... C. That is, as in, College beer.

It's an older, economical beer.  Very light, good for drinking all day while out in the yard.

Flavorless in that, "people who want to drink beer and have a modest budget so they'll drink this as long as they don't taste something objectionable" way.
 

Dead Guy Ale -- Usually a great beer, but if it's on tap, the stuff near the end of the keg can be god-awful.  It's too pricey to get the end of the keg stuff, but I'm always ending up with it.

I used to play 'Kick the Keg' at the Sunset bar and grill in Allston. This was one of those places with 100+ beers on tap, as well as quite a few rare ones in bottles.
The name of the game was to ask what was near the end of the keg, and try to finish the keg....if you did, they brought out a pile of swag.
 Here  (http://www.allstonsfinest.com/allstonsfinest/sunsetgrillandtap/sunsetgrill&tap.swf)is where we used to play this.  That's back when I used to play a lot more volleyball.

Lungarotti 2001 "Rubesco" Rosso di Torgiano
Black, dark, with plu and late spice notes, simple, though it has matured to add the spice and to remove some of the acid.

Never been there, but I've certainly heard of the place. It's advertised on just about any radio station that broadcasts Pats games.

Amadio 2005 shiraz, ignore the screwtop, this spicy tart is ready to be popped and consumed...

D'arenburg, the footboplt Shiraz 06,
the trademark inkiness is therfe, as is the depth.  A little sweet to start with, but there is a lot of jam and earth in the back.  A little short for so much power.  AT under 20 bucks, a great choice.

Had a bottle of Coors tonight. Expecting it to be as light as the drinks I've been getting lately, I didn't put any consideration into reviewing it, but it turned out to be more flavorful than I expected. I'll give a better review sometime later; perhaps tomorrow night.

As a sidenote, most of the beer I've been drinking lately is mainstream American stuff. Not names I would expect to be good at "expanding my horizons." This is because, well, I haven't been buying the beer lately. That said, I've come to realize that, aside from the obvious benefits of letting someone else buy the beer, doing so exposes one to a variety of different options. Some bad, some not so much. All in all, I think this is worth being able to only review beers that everyone and their mother has heard of.

Okay, time to review Coors, which I'm drinking out of my Cheers glass. This glass is definitely a much appreciated gift.

The head is fairly thick, but probably because of my pouring, small.

The color is a light reddish shade, though, as I said earlier, not as light as what I've been drinking. Even if I didn't already know, the appearance would tell me that this has more flavor.

The aroma is sweet and... Grassy? It seems to lie somewhere between a freshly mowed lawn, and New England autumn foliage. I imagine this would've been better sometime earlier in the year?

I can taste something along the lines of corn, and a bit of a cereal taste? I'm tempted to say Oats N' More, but I'm not really sure why. Definitely a grain of some sort.


All in all, I can definitely tell that this is the same company that makes the Blue Moon stuff. There's differences, sure, but if you like one, you might like the other.

Belgian White, by Long Trail.

First, a note on the label. This bottle has a cute, folk art watercolor of a bear leaning against a tree, enjoying a glass of this stuff. I only point this out because, for those of you who might not be familiar with the state, this looks exactly like you should expect a Vermont beer to look like. The only thing missing here is a hiker wearing L. L. Bean. Oh wait, what's that silhouette under the logo? Ah, there we go...

The color was pale and cloudy... but hey, it's a Belgian White, right?

My nose is too clogged today to pick up any aroma at all, but for flavor, there was definitely a fruity sweet tang to it. I thought it was apple, but that could have been the cider vinegar I put in my spinach. Reading the description reveals that is is apparently some sort of citrus. This is interesting, and in a good way.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this beer. I don't know if it's available outside of New England, but if you can find a pack, try it out.

Quote from: Rorschach FritosOkay, time to review Coors, which I'm drinking out of my Cheers glass. This glass is definitely a much appreciated gift.

The head is fairly thick, but probably because of my pouring, small.

The color is a light reddish shade, though, as I said earlier, not as light as what I've been drinking. Even if I didn't already know, the appearance would tell me that this has more flavor.

The aroma is sweet and... Grassy? It seems to lie somewhere between a freshly mowed lawn, and New England autumn foliage. I imagine this would've been better sometime earlier in the year?

I can taste something along the lines of corn, and a bit of a cereal taste? I'm tempted to say Oats N' More, but I'm not really sure why. Definitely a grain of some sort.


All in all, I can definitely tell that this is the same company that makes the Blue Moon stuff. There's differences, sure, but if you like one, you might like the other.

It baffles me how Canadians can make such an awful beer as Blue Moon.

Coors, I will say, however, is probably the best bottom of the barrel American beer.

I hate my busy season..too much work.  Posting from the road.
(St Louis and Chicago)
D'arenberg 'the footbolt' shiraz.
07

this is their entry level Shiraz, so about 16 bucks.  The Dead Arm (posting a few times earlier) is their premium.

The Footbolt is a jammy, heavy bruiser of a wine, subtle in the same way a brick to the forehead is subtle.
Nice strong flavors and a ittle coffee taste at the end makes this a fun, enjoyable wine.

Long Trail Blackberry Wheat. This bear was trying to steal a piece of pie, but it seems his wife caught him. Silly bear.

The color is a medium amber, but VERY clear.

The blackberry is definitely there, providing a not-unpleasant bite.

Pretty good beer, here. Again, no clue if Long Trail is offered outside of New England, but if you can find it...

Sdragon  - Demon Lord
This demonlord is a vassal of Baphomet.  He is the patron of drunkenness and alcoholic rage, as well as wild extravagances.  Sdragon is worhipped for his sphere of brash bravery in love and combat both.

Quote from: LordVreeg the UnsleepingSdragon  - Demon Lord
This demonlord is a vassal of Baphomet.  He is the patron of drunkenness and alcoholic rage, as well as wild extravagances.  Sdragon is worhipped for his sphere of brash bravery in love and combat both.

Wait, are you really adding that to one of your settings? I feel honored!

Tonight's drink: CALICO JACK SPICED RUM!

Oh, and I think there might be some pepsi in here.

I rate this... an F. As in, how the F am I still typing?

Quote from: Rorschach Fritos

Quote from: LordVreeg the UnsleepingSdragon  - Demon Lord
This demonlord is a vassal of Baphomet.  He is the patron of drunkenness and alcoholic rage, as well as wild extravagances.  Sdragon is worhipped for his sphere of brash bravery in love and combat both.

Wait, are you really adding that to one of your settings? I feel honored!

Tonight's drink: CALICO JACK SPICED RUM!

Oh, and I think there might be some pepsi in here.

I rate this... an F. As in, how the F am I still typing?

MEET THE NEW DRINK

SAME AS THE OLD DRINK!

Dear lord, I should not be getting used to twist-top bottles. It's just... not quite right.


Anyway, after a stretch with nothing but Bud Select 55 (yulch), I'm drinking Samuel Adams Winter Lager tonight. There's a hint of sweetness here, but this is definitely darker than what I've been used to. There's a bit of sweetness, and a bit of spice, and quite a bit of... some flavor that's almost, but somehow not entirely unlike a meatiness. Whatever it is, it's some body. I imagine this isn't too far from what people talk about when they mention "pleasant bitters."

(http://www.viruscomix.com/7diab.jpg)

90+ makes a bunch of yummy, fun wines.  French Fusion, Old Vine Malbec etc, are all very, very yummy wines.  I recommend them to those who want to try differnt types but want to keep the budget down.
http://www.ninetypluscellars.com/

It's 2am, I'm drunk, and I'm going to bed. I probably won't remember when my playlist switches away from Cake, somewhere between a half hour to an hour from now. I bid you all goodnight. I think. If I don't stay awake to listen to Cake...

When you notice that you pour your cola exactly the same way that you'd pour a beer, you might be starting to have what some people would call a "problem". I, on the other hand, would call it a "properly acquired useful skill". I thank you for not making my rum and coke flat.

Up in Portsmouth, NH, tonight.
The Montepulciano was amazing at Cava.

So was the food.  Go... Just go.  Om my god.  Small Plate heaven,
http://www.cavatapasandwinebar.com/Cavas_Menu.html

Wish I had the money to go to a place like that, looks really good. Think the fanciest place I've ever been to was an olive garden, and that's a rarity.

In short: vreeg I envy you :P

Quote from: NomadicWish I had the money to go to a place like that, looks really good. Think the fanciest place I've ever been to was an olive garden, and that's a rarity.

In short: vreeg I envy you :P

Well, I AM a lot older...though I don't like to admit it.

I didn't have time to tell you folk that at the end of all the magnificence, the boy got violetnly ill all over my wife.  Like...gouts.  To use the proper term.

45 ain't old...

Damilano Barolo 04
SMokier and longer finish than I remember, with sa nice secondary acidity.

Miller Genuine Draft is currently in the fridge. This stuff is cheap and light, but surprisingly smooth. More than once, I have looked at a bottle, only to realize just how big my "sips" are.

Nickel & Nickel dragonfly vineyard Cab '02.
More Oaky and sweet t the openning thanI expected, after about 40 minutes, we started getting some tanic and sharper berry overtones, especially in the mid tongue.  As we finihsed the bottle it was filling out, meshing well with the Black Volcanic sea salt on the steak.

In celebration of what I'm told is international beer day, I'm enjoying a foreign beer. Specifically, a pint-- well, pint and 2.6 ounces-- of Newcastle Brown Ale.

This stuff is definitely darker than what I'm used to, but smooth. I'm not sure I'd say this is so much bitter, as I would... nutty? Not a particularly sweet nut, but that's the word that comes to mind. I do like this quite a bit.

Quote from: SDragonIn celebration of what I'm told is international beer day, I'm enjoying a foreign beer. Specifically, a pint-- well, pint and 2.6 ounces-- of Newcastle Brown Ale.

This stuff is definitely darker than what I'm used to, but smooth. I'm not sure I'd say this is so much bitter, as I would... nutty? Not a particularly sweet nut, but that's the word that comes to mind. I do like this quite a bit.

I always liked Newcastle quite a bit.

Good old Newcy Brown, eh? I was surprised that it was sold in America when I went there, but pleasantly so. Interestingly (or maybe not) I had it on draft in the US, while here I've only ever seen it sold in bottles.

And, to SDragon's take on it - you're right, it's not a bitter, and I totally agree with the nuttiness, but it's darker that you're used to? I think it's pretty light for an ale. I'm not sure I'm with you on smooth, either... Gotta love subjectivity, haven't you? :)

2006 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon
 starting to be decent, lots of cherry and vanilla, but a little short on the tongue still
great nose and bits of mossy earth and mineral on it.

Holly Grove Vineyard Chardonnay 07. Delicious. And I hate Chard. Fruit...vanilla...smooooth.

The wine rep for this vineyard made a stop by my restaurant last week. The chard won silver in the 2009 Grand Harvest Awards in Santa Rosa, California.

Quote from: SarisaHolly Grove Vineyard Chardonnay 07. Delicious. And I hate Chard. Fruit...vanilla...smooooth.

The wine rep for this vineyard made a stop by my restaurant last week. The chard won silver in the 2009 Grand Harvest Awards in Santa Rosa, California.

so cool...
do you know if it was oaked or un oaked>  any secondary malolactic fermentation?  I am always curious...

Quote from: SDragonMiller Genuine Draft is currently in the fridge. This stuff is cheap and light, but surprisingly smooth. More than once, I have looked at a bottle, only to realize just how big my "sips" are.

Living about a million miles away from the States (Uruguay), MGD goes for an obscene $14 a six pack. I have trouble drinking MGD when its $5 a six pack.

So while me and my wife were evacuating we decided to hit up Charlottesville, VA. We stopped by this brewery for a tour and some tastings. I had a blast, bought the t-shirt. Starr Hill (http://www.starrhill.com/)

They had an interesting beer called Smoked Out that tasted like bacon. Very strange. All of the other beers were excellent and the staff were obviously very into brewing (and drinking) beer. Tried the Jomo Lager, the Love Heffe, the Festa? amber-style lager, the Monticello (delicious-but dont remember exactly what it was) the IPA's were both pretty good-the Double Platinum was hoppy as hell but more in the full bodied rather than omfg this is an IPA way. Boxcar was interesting...pumpkin something or other. My wife loved it but it wasn't really my thing.
 The tour was very cool. A Scottish guy showed us the whole process from hops and barley to final bottling process. It was very cool to walk through the warehouse drinking beer and talking about beer. I will definitely be going back at some point.  

Also stopped by Blue Mountain Brewery. I was pretty drunk at this point....don't remember much about the beers except that their Heffe was way better than Starr Hills and they had an excellent ESB. It's worth mentioning that their pizza (which we enjoyed on an outdoor patio watching a storm roll over the mountains) is fantastic. We tried the apple, bratwurst and caramelized onion flat-bread pizza. The atmosphere was way more commercial at Blue Mountain but it was an overall enjoyable experience.  

Sounds awesome, if you ever make it over to the west coast you should come check out the place I work at

Deschutes Brewery (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/)

@Sarisa, that sounds fantastic.  Bacon flavored beer???

Quote from: SarisaSo while me and my wife were evacuating we decided to hit up Charlottesville, VA. We stopped by this brewery for a tour and some tastings.

(snip)
Also stopped by Blue Mountain Brewery. I was pretty drunk at this point....don't remember much about the beers except that their Heffe was way better than Starr Hills and they had an excellent ESB. It's worth mentioning that their pizza (which we enjoyed on an outdoor patio watching a storm roll over the mountains) is fantastic.

NO way!
When I went to the States last year, it was to visit family in Charlottesville, and we went to the Blue Mountain Brewery, and we ate pizza on the patio looking out at the mountains (no storm for us, though)

That's so cool :D

cos d'estournel 2001, redoux

getting better, took about 2 hours to really open, more tannin and earth without the barnyeard, hints of vanilla and sage and a bit of raisin.  Tremendous with the local rib eye, grilled with cayanne and blacksalt.

90+ is the vintner, great local story...
Their recent meritage is friggin amazing, lots of cab and what tastes like petit verdot ...open for a day, lots of heavy  berry and leather and graphite...

Benziger reserve heritage 05.  Starting to opn, still tart, but slight meat and salt overtones on the mid palate with a lot of smoke on the tail end.

Sagrantino di Montefalco (
artinelli) 2003
acid, tight cherry and lead, metallic notes go on, ends with almost a burnt wood taste.

92 Dominus at Bokx (http://newtonbokx.com/)...what can I say?  Decanted for almost and hour, with a bone-in Ribeye.

Really concentrated pepper and jammy taste, with more coffee undertones.  lasted quite a while on the tongue...

For Christmas, my almost-brother-in-law and his wife made us a spiced wine, according to a traditional recipe of some sort.

I'm saving it for the weekend at the very least, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Quote from: Luminous Crayon
For Christmas, my almost-brother-in-law and his wife made us a spiced wine, according to a traditional recipe of some sort.

I'm saving it for the weekend at the very least, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Very cool...you must let us know...

Currently drinking:

Anderson Valley SUMMER SOLSTICE 7.0% "cream soda", Vanilla, smooth ..I picked up hints of chocolate but people told me I was crazy.

Bell's Oberon-delicious....orange, banana clove...get it from the tap if you can; not as good bottled great warm season beer.

Dogfish head MIDAS TOUCH 9.0%! Honey, saffron   Great beer...heavy eye lid feeling after 1 or 2 great for a hot afternoon. Smoooooooth. One of my favorite Dogfish head beers.

Quote from: Sarisa
Currently drinking:

Anderson Valley SUMMER SOLSTICE 7.0% "cream soda", Vanilla, smooth ..I picked up hints of chocolate but people told me I was crazy.

Bell's Oberon-delicious....orange, banana clove...get it from the tap if you can; not as good bottled great warm season beer.

Dogfish head MIDAS TOUCH 9.0%! Honey, saffron   Great beer...heavy eye lid feeling after 1 or 2 great for a hot afternoon. Smoooooooth. One of my favorite Dogfish head beers.

very good stuff and good descriptions.

Lat night we had a Hedges 05 reserve cab that had berry and a toasted butter at the back of it. 

My first gallon of homemade wine has been cracked open and tasted. It's blackberry, and it came out perfectly.

My second gallon of homemade wine is about a week into fermentation. It's pear, and I have a very good feeling.

Now that sounds awesome and a great project, lc...

I am just not at peace unless I have too many insane projects going on at once. This one turned out deliciously, though!

Also....scary that my taste seems to be changing a bit...in the more expensive direction.  I've had a few wines lately that I rememer liking earlier vintages of, and there were serious issues.  Poured half a bottle of Shiraz out a few nights ago. 
Drinking an 01 Balmoral syrah tonight.  i remember it being good.  I hope so...

Enjoying a bottle of Brew Dog's "5am Saint" with my lunch. Mid-brown with a definite bite of bitterness to the aftertaste, it's really fantastic, especially with the sweet and subtly spiced Moroccan-style dish I was eating. At a healthy 5% alcohol by volume I feel it may just improve my performance at work this evening.

I drank my first non-wine or champagne alcohol on my own on Friday night. Malibu Pineapple Juice.

...yes, it was suggested by a younger, asian, female friend as something that would be safe for me. Later on I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade. It has 'hard' in the name so I must be an alcoholic now.

My roommates got me some "Sink the Bismark" as a get-well-soon present. Since I can't mix my medication with alcohol, I just took a whiff.

I almost blacked-out.

Quote from: Ninja D!
I drank my first non-wine or champagne alcohol on my own on Friday night. Malibu Pineapple Juice.

...yes, it was suggested by a younger, asian, female friend as something that would be safe for me. Later on I had a Mike's Hard Lemonade. It has 'hard' in the name so I must be an alcoholic now.

loL
Hardcore, indeed....

I have a few beer reviews I've been posting to Google+. When I get the chance, I'll be sure to copy/paste them over here.

Whoa, whoa, whoa....

Is that the King of Lizards I spy over there?

bout time

As promised.

Quote from: November 4, 2011First beer review in a long time: Rogue Chocolate Stout

Unfortunately, my beer glass is still at my old apartment, so I drank this straight from the pint (and 6 ounces) bottle. This kept it from opening much, but it was still quite enjoyable. The hops were present, but far from overwhelming. They added a nice bitter touch to the chocolate flavor. It reminded me more of some obscure dark chocolate than, say, Hershey's. This was definitely a plus for me, since I love dark chocolate, but it was also a plus for the girlfriend, who prefers Hershey's but hates beer. "I... don't hate this!", she praised. I think that works better than any rating I could give this stout.

Quote from: December 25, 2011Christmas Beer

That's right, another review. Unfortunately, it's been a few hours, so my memory of the experience isn't as fresh as I'd like, but here goes. The Christmas Beer of the Year is...

Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

A good dark beer is well suited for wintertime meals, and a stout certainly delivers. Two words stayed in my mind as I drank this one: dark and smooth. Smooth came with the aroma of the open bottle; distinct, and easy to take in. The dark came with pouring; this beer is an opaque black. There was a grainy robustness that gave the strength of flavor of such a dark drink, but there was a bittersweet dryness that helped it slide down easily. The flavor didn't seem to me flashy or complex, but still clearly quality made.

I do like this beer. It's very drinkable, and a fine starting point for stouts. If you're looking for a good dark beer to keep you warm on winter nights, look no further

Quote from: February 4, 2012Beer Review Time

Tonight's beer is Peak Organic Brewing Company Weiss Principal Ale, "an imperial german-style hefe-weisse".

The head on this comes dense, with quite a bit of lacing. Perhaps it's because it's been awhile since I last poured a beer, but this one surprised me with the sheer size of the head. It looked almost like whipped cream.

The color is the cloudy amber-gold one comes to expect from a hefeweisse. It looks quite inviting.

The aroma is subtle. It took me a moment to notice it, but once I did, there was a definite fruitiness to it. The label says bananas, which I agree with, but I'm not sure I would have gotten that without a little help.

The banana-citrus combo with undertones of pine, however, I did pick up on the flavor. This is, admittedly, my first beer with such a noticable pine to it, so I couldn't put a name to that right away, but again, the label did help on this. Very, very tasty, with just enough to cut on the sweetness. I don't know how well this would've turned out without the hoppiness.

Overall, I'm quite impressed. It seems a bit like an IPA, so hefeweisse fans should probably take note at that, but so should IPA fans. If you can find this, go for a bottle.

Sidenote: I'm drinking a pint (techically 1 pint 6 ounces) tonight, and this is at a sturdy 8.6% ABV. There's absolutely no excuse for this to be any less strong than it is.

Quote from: March 15, 2012
This lacing just will not quit! If it's not clear by the picture, the lacing is all that's left.

The beer, by the way, was a pint of Murphy's Drought Style Stout. Very interesting. When the pour first started, it looked like chocolate milk, but when it was finished, pitch black like a stout should be, with a head that was cream any way you look at it. The taste was also milk chocolate, but with a distinct coffee. Very sweet, very good. I'm definitely having a pint on Saturday.

+Duck GirlCreations didn't like it, though. Gonna hafta get that girl a good pale ale sometime...

Quote from: March 31, 2012
Not so much a review, as a few comments:

Samuel Adams Winter Porter

There seems to be a lot of attention on what, precisely, the difference between porters and stouts is, especially when faced with creatives takes on both blurring that line. The difference is, to me, simple to understand.

A Stout is a dark beer that resembles a sort of "Milkshake" of a beer; it is, at once, thick and sweet and smooth.

A Porter is a more savory, though not as thick, drink, that should make you want a nice steak; preferably, a Porterhouse cut, and ideally served at a real English porthouse.

It's not that hard. This is definitely a Porter.

This particular porter, by the way, had what +Duck GirlCreations identified as a "woodsy bitterness", and I ended up deciding as being more herbal.

If you still can't tell a stout from a porter, try having a blind taste test between this, and Murphy's Irish Stout. Keeping these comments in mind, you'll be surprised at what you'll find.

Honkers Ale-Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago IL

   Golden almost sunset color. From the tap. This beer is damn drinkable but unremarkable. Just the right amount of bitter and hops, but the taste, flavor, everything left my mouth as soon as I swallowed leaving me wanting to keep drinking..

Brooklyn Winter Ale, Brooklyn NY
 
My kind of beer. Rich, 6.0% delicious almost apple taste with a creaminess I did not expect. I sucked down two or three over a game of darts. Goood Beer, have from the tap if you can.

Quote from: SDragonA Stout is a dark beer that resembles a sort of "Milkshake" of a beer; it is, at once, thick and sweet and smooth.

A Porter is a more savory, though not as thick, drink, that should make you want a nice steak; preferably, a Porterhouse cut, and ideally served at a real English porthouse.

It was my understanding that stout and porter are essentially the same thing nowadays, with porter simply being a more archaic term for it, and usually used for beers from the Greater London area.

The name porter came from the London dock labourers, or porters, who typically drank that style of beer. Later, stronger porters became more common and were sold as "extra stout porter" which was eventually shortened to just stout.

Quote from: LordVreeg

Quote from: Luminous Crayon
For Christmas, my almost-brother-in-law and his wife made us a spiced wine, according to a traditional recipe of some sort.

I'm saving it for the weekend at the very least, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Very cool...you must let us know...

It was not very good; very oversweetened.

So we mixed it with some spices and pineapple juice and citrus fruit slices and moonshine, and had a delightful holiday punch. Delicious!

Quote from: Luminous Crayon

Quote from: LordVreeg

Quote from: Luminous Crayon
For Christmas, my almost-brother-in-law and his wife made us a spiced wine, according to a traditional recipe of some sort.

I'm saving it for the weekend at the very least, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Very cool...you must let us know...

It was not very good; very oversweetened.

So we mixed it with some spices and pineapple juice and citrus fruit slices and moonshine, and had a delightful holiday punch. Delicious!

Way to make it work, Crayon...

When life gives you suboptimal spiced wine, make suboptimal-spiced-wine-, uh, -ade!

Funny, LC, that's my motto, word for word.

Gorgeous, fantastic wines, and a good read.
Sagrantino (http://www.intowine.com/sagrantino-di-montefalco-umbria-comes-best-red-wine-you-never-tasted), from Umbria, has been a favorite for the last few years, and also a bit of a primer on how to make regional wines in your setting feel right.

2006 Silverado reserve, thick, straightforward nose, but with lots of pectin and currant.   Ends with a bit of pencil and tobacco.   Yummy, went well with scallion pancakes.

90+ Barolo., 2009 for 2013 secret labeling

Tastes like Damiano, which it might be.  Heavy opening with acid and almost pickled rasberry taste, moving to a smokey grap tase on the back end.

I'm actually a bit of a home brewer of beers and mead... I have a bucket of mead going right now. It's my 3rd batch, and I'm starting to think that I just don't like mead... I'll do one more, and if it's gross, I'm done.

Beers... I'm a big craft beer fan. My baseline beer is Sam Adams Boston Lager. If I say "I want a beer" that's what I'm talking about. That or Harpoon.

I discovered my new favorite yesterday though... "Wormtown - Be Hoppy IPA". It just dethroned "Jack's Abby's Hoponious Union".

I like a dry bitter, piney tasting brew.

Jim Koch is actually a client, the dude who owned still sort of owns Sam Adams.   He's quite cool.   Tell us about the mead, what sort?

Damiliano Barolo 04 tonight... Yummy, with good acid balance,ending with some tar/chocolate followed by cassis.    Yummy

I have made several batches, one 6 gallon, and 2 1 gallons. Made them all the same day. The recipe calls for 2.5 lbs honey for the 1 gallon, and between 9 and 15 lbs for the 6.

The single gallons, I did one with Apple's and peaches, the other with blackberries... the blackberries clogged the airlock, and blew it off, spraying my ceiling...

The recipe calls for fermenting until 2 weeks after bubbling stops, racking (moving to a new container) every 2 months, for a whole year. ...curiosity got the better of me. I drank the single gallons after about 6 month, and honestly, they really weren't bad, particularly the berry one.

The 6 gallon batch I added oranges... which was stupid, because I don't really care much for orange juice to begin with, and I left the skins on... which was really stupid, it overtook the flavor.

my comment about not liking mead wasn't so much because of the taste, but the time investment. ...cider is muuuch faster.=)

Saperi Barolo 05 tonight, brownish tinge color, lead and leaf and cinnamon on the nose, flavor starts with older berry, then a wash of dry tannin followed by a bit of sur an baking chocolate

2005 Arnaldo-Caprai Sagrantino di Montefalco Collepiano    yummy, tight, long lasting,   with tart berry and tobacco flavors. 

I have recently acquired a bottle of Bluemoon Meed from Royal Manor Vineyards and have to say it is awesome.  It is 2/3 blueberry fermented with 1/3 honey.  It has a strong floral bouquet and a very sweet taste (it's meed, after all). Totally worth trying if you ever get the chance!

very cool, Huma...very rpg