BEER (and apparently, WINE)

[Haphazzard]

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.

[LordVreeg]

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.

[Haphazzard]

(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.

[Scholar]

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.

[Kindling]

Guinness isn't an ale. </nitpick>

[Haphazzard]

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.

[LordVreeg]

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.

[limetom]

Also, since it cannot be stressed enough:

[LordVreeg]

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]

[Kindling]

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.

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

[Haphazzard]

It is a lager, and therefore is a very light beer...

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

[Slapzilla]

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

[Ishmayl-Retired]

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+++

[LordVreeg]

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

Made where?

[Slapzilla]

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

Unibroue is a great brewery.  Good stuff.