CS Booze Club.

[sms001]

a great R.I.S. I think the Rasputin is amazing, even better if you can get it on nitro at a bar,

Thanks for the discerning opinions - I'll keep my eyes out. Totally concur on the nitro - our vendor put a line in recently and the difference between that and the bottled product and the CO2 is marked, not surprisingly.

[Victory Sabre]

Ommegang three Eyed Raven 9.7% ABV %& 19 IBU

Murky brown. minimal head. not much nose.

Taste: it is a delicious Belgium quad. a slight sweetness to it. slight fruit. very good to get me lubbed up to get the fair booth ready.

7 out of 10

[Victory Sabre]

Wry wit from the Oliphant brewery.6.7% abv

Moderate head . Nice nose. brown color.

Taste: this is a nice Belgium ale, but better than the one earlier today. it's got a hint of cinnamon in it and a bit of nutmeg. really good.

8 out of 10.

[Jester]

Thanks for the discerning opinions - I'll keep my eyes out. Totally concur on the nitro - our vendor put a line in recently and the difference between that and the bottled product and the CO2 is marked, not surprisingly.

Keep in mind, not all beers are better on nitro. Many are, perhaps even most. And not just stouts. For example, Oskar Blues' Old Chub Scotch Ale is really good in general, but on nitro, it ascends to a higher plane. But some beers don't fair as well. Cigar City's Maduro Brown, for example, one of my favorite go to beers, seems to lost a lot of is fantastic flavor when tapped on nitro. I have no idea why.

[Jester]

It has been a while since I've posted a review. As I said a while back, I've been taking a break. But this beer requires a review. Not because it's good or bad, as I don't know yet. Haven't even opened it. But it is definitely going to be one of the more unique beers reviewed here.

My friends from Colorado brought it to me on their biannual trip to Key West this last weekend, and apparently it is only available at the brewery in Colorado. Which means, well, good luck getting it if you aren't in or going to Colorado. From Wynkoop Brewing Company, it's a Barrel-Aged Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout (7.0% ABV). Now, I've had a couple of oyster stouts in my time. Pearl Necklace by Flying Dog is fantastic, and was my introduction to beers brewed with actual oysters. And no, I didn't taste any oysters in it, as they are merely used to add a certain something, perhaps richness, to the brew. The oyster stout from Marstoun's in England was less successful.

But this is not an oyster stout. This is a Rocky Mountain oyster stout. Which mean it is not brewed with oysters at all, but it IS brewed with Rocky Mountain oysters. For those of you who don't know the difference, no, it is not a different species of oyster, but a euphemism for bull testicles. That's right, folks.....this is a stout brewed with beef balls. And even though I've never had Rocky Mountain oysters, I would if I could, and I will try almost any beer, so this should be fun--or at least interesting!

The color is shockingly dark, and I am used to dark beers. This is more motor oil-like in appearance than most, at least color-wise, though it doesn't pour as thickly as some others. The nose is subtle, but seems to be an elegant blend of maltiness and complexity. But the truth is in the taste, and as they say, no balls, no glory, so onward!

The taste is not at all what I expected. It seems to have a wine-like acidity as the most forward taste, with some limited maltiness in the background. It's....odd. Not bad, not good, just odd. Interesting novelty beer, and I'll probably drink the second can at some point (or perhaps trade it for something else from one of my beer brethren), but it is definitely not on par with the fantastic oyster stout from Flying Dog.

The label boasts of being aged in bourbon barrels, which may be where the wine-like taste comes from, and of having characters of whiskey, wood, and nuttiness (not sure if the pun was intended), but honestly, I am getting none of those flavors.

Score: 6.0. Drink it for the novelty, but don't make it part of your permanent collection.

[Victory Sabre]

Interesting review. I am also taking a break from reviewing, at least till Sunday. Work is insane till then when the county Fair is done.

Not like I stopped drinking, I have, almost finished off a 12 pack of Sam Adams Summer, and will be working on another, along with an assorted Spotted Cow.

[Victory Sabre]

Since I'm home way early tonight due to rain, a review is in ordèr.

Whole Hog Barley Wins Style Ale - 10.3% ABV

Dark amber colored, with a moderate head. The nose smells good. A wine barrel type smell.

Taste : well, somewhat sweet. It is stong and you can taste that fact. Not bad, but not a beer to drink fast

6 out of 10

[Jester]

I am drinking a gift from my Beer Monger, a triple collaboration from the brewers at Stone, Chris Banker, and Insurgente, a mocha stout called Xocoveza (pronounced sho-co-vay-za, according to the bottle), which tips in at 8.1% ABV.

"It pours like motor oil, drinks like rain, makes me forget all of life's pain, hey, hey, hey..."

Sorry. Suddenly got inspired to sing some Train. Why? Well, this beer, which is an"ale brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg" is hitting all the right notes. Smooth, rich, and creamy, with a hint of underlying heat from the peppers and spices, and the coffee bitterness perfectly juxtaposing the cocoa sweetness...this beer is simply stunning. Definitely the second best thing that's happened to me all week, and the first did not involve beer.

If you like dark and flavorful and awesome beers, and you see this beer in the store, run, do not walk, and grab it. And if it's the last bottle available in the store, and a sweet little old lady also wants it....well, fuck her. You don't know her. Grab the beer and run to the checkout. Because chances are, she'd do the same.

Score: 9.0. A must have.

Yes, it's that fucking good. Simply astounding. Thanks, Beer Monger!

[Victory Sabre]

It's a quarter past 1 am. I worked my ass off today at work. Made out with a cute drunk friend.

Yeah, time for a review.

Domaine DuPage from Two Brothers Brewing. 5.9% ABV & 24 IBU

Brown colored with a moderate head. Nose is there, but hard to describe.

Taste : Not bad at all. A bit of sweetness to it. A bit of hops. A nice flavor, but fairly mellow, which is perfect for thisearly hour.

6.5 out of 10.

Good night all.

[Jester]

Vic and I each made out with cute girls this week?

This may well be one of the early signs of the impending Apocalypse. Stock up on canned goods, kids. Like, say, beer.....

[Victory Sabre]

I've got that covered. And, yes, me making out with a cute gal is a sure sign of the impending apocalypse. Even more so that it looks like the two of us are headed to Some Wisconsin breweries in a week.

[Victory Sabre]

And now back to the main reason why we're here: a beer review.

Minnesota Gold Lager from 3rd Street Brewing

Golden color, of course. Minimal head. No nose.

Taste : not much, to be honest. Kinda like the Bud light the cute gal bought me last night. That was a unique beer, as is this one. Too bad no cute gal is getting me to drink this.

3.5 out of 10.

Might have to go home, after the bar, and pop open a real beer. But I will probably wait till after this game is over. Go Vikings, though I am sad that that it means that Summer is coming to a close, and it will be as cold as the heart of a woman I was interested in back in college.

[Victory Sabre]

One more tonight.

Kostritzer Black Lager

Black Colored, thick head. No nose.

Taste - Not bad. However, it isn't anything to write home about.

5 out of 10

[Jester]

I've got that covered. And, yes, me making out with a cute gal is a sure sign of the impending apocalypse. Even more so that it looks like the two of us are headed to Some Wisconsin breweries in a week.

Go Vic! Go Vic! Go Vic!

[Jester]

I've had North Coast's Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout before. I've ever had it on nitro. But this....this was a find. This is their Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin XVII, which is aged in bourbon barrels. I found this bomber in one of the many World of Beers I visited in my road trip to Orlando in April, and I've been waiting for the right time for it. And that time is now.

Black in color, with a thick, creamy, dark tan head. The nose is rich and malty, as one would expect from an R.I.S., with maybe a hint of bourbon, though I can't say for certain. The taste is out of this world. Utterly fantastic. They took an already brilliant R.I.S. and rounded off its edges, making this very smooth. It's rich, it's flavorful, it's creamy and delicious, and it only has a hint of booziness to it. Which is even more impressive when you realize it comes in with an ABV of 12.1%. And remember, this is a bomber, so I have a lot of it to drink.

Tonight is going to be fun. Wheeeeee!

Score: 8.5.