CS Booze Club.

[Jester]

Hofbräuhaus Wolters Pilsener*, 4.9% ABV, 16 oz tall boy can. (Technically, 500 ml, but close enough.) Nice, smooth, flavorful, and pleasant Pilsner. Good beer. You could drink it with anything. A fantastic alternative to crappy, tasteless American or Mexican beers. 6.5.

Attention Bud Light: THIS is what is meant by drinkability. I know you've gotten away from that idiotic campaign, but it still sticks in my craw. And THIS is a tasty beer that goes down easy (the very definition of drinkability), unlike that watered down and probably toxic goat piss you slam into those blue-labeled bottles and cans.

*For those who think my typing skills have left me, they have not. Pilsner is typically spelled here in America as it is in this sentence, but on this can, the German brewery spelled it with an extra E, for reasons I can't even guess. Might be a translation thing.

[wolfie]

Hofbräuhaus Wolters Pilsener*

*For those who think my typing skills have left me, they have not. Pilsner is typically spelled here in America as it is in this sentence, but on this can, the German brewery spelled it with an extra E, for reasons I can't even guess. Might be a translation thing.

My understanding is that Pilsner is named after a city in Czechoslovakia (presumably where this style of beer was developed), and that the Czech spelling is used in North America. I wouldn't be surprised if a German brewery used the German spelling on their label - and after all, the German spelling of "beer" and "wine", while different from the English, is still recognizable by people literate in English.

[Jester]

Pretty much correct there, wolfie.

[Mikkel]

My understanding is that Pilsner is named after a city in Czechoslovakia (presumably where this style of beer was developed), and that the Czech spelling is used in North America. I wouldn't be surprised if a German brewery used the German spelling on their label - and after all, the German spelling of "beer" and "wine", while different from the English, is still recognizable by people literate in English.

Plzeň, actually, in Czech. Pilsen in German (and Danish) though the beer is called pilsner in Danish.

[Jester]

If I'm not mistaken--and I well may be--the Czechs actually call that beer style Pils, after the city of its origin. But for whatever reason, the Danish version (of the style's name, anyway) is the one that caught on here in the States.

[Victory Sabre]

Post poker fun at Badger Hill brewing

Imperial Fresh Hop Red 8% ABV 50 IBU

Dark amber colored. a bit of head. nice hoppy nose.

Taste: hello! it combines the good qualities of a red with an IPA. Got a nice hop bite, but not overpowering. Very good.

7.5 out of 10

[Victory Sabre]

Home, and pissed. As you read from my last review, I was at the Badger Hill brewery, and enjoying the Imperial Fresh Hop Read IPA. I wasn't able to finish it. Why? My friend I was with got wasted, and I had to drag him out of there, before I could finish the beer. So, yet another place I can't take him, because he can't behave. If I ever take him to Canterbury for poker, I'll have to lie to him and tell him it's closed Sunday.

Ok, now to a review.

Castle Danger Double Crossing IPA - 9.1% ABV

Very nice shade of golden, with a fairly thick head. It is slow to dissipate. A nice citrus hop nose to it.

Taste - Fairly mellow, actually. Yes, there is some hoppiness as an aftertaste, but, it is a lot more subdued than I was expecting. I am surprised. It is an interesting beer, but if you're not into IPAs, this wouldn't be for you.

6.5 out of 10

[Victory Sabre]

Minnesota Special Bitter from Badger Hill brewing.

I picked this up yesterday, and hope it's good.

Amber colored with a stupidly thick head, that doesn't go away quickly. There is a nose, bt it is subtle and hard to describe.

Taste - Honsetly, not much. There is some bitterness, but beyond that, nothing. Really boring beer.

4.5 out of 10

I might be back there in 2 weeks, hope I can finish the growler by then.

[Jester]

As I pack and organize stuff for a short trip, it's time for a beer break with a new beer. From those wonderful people at Lexington Brewing that brought is Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and many other delights, it's Kentucky Old Fashioned Barrel Ale: "ale brewed with cherries and orange peel, aged in oak bourbon and bitters barrels." Clearly a play on the Old Fashioned cocktail. I think I've had something like this before, but I don't think it was this one. Of course, I could be wrong.

In any case, this 10.0% ABV beer should definitely help me get some sleep tonight! It pours a dark caramel red color, not dissimilar from bourbon. The head is light, basically inconsequential. The nose is nondescript, with perhaps a hint of orange peel and/or cherry, but it's tough to say. The taste, however, is not nondescript. It is mellow and restrained, to be sure, but not nondescript. It tastes of a lovely ale, and there are hints of orange and cherry, and a light bourbon sweetness to it. Does it taste like an Old Fashioned? No. Does it bring up vague taste references to one? Yes. But most importantly, is it good?

Yes. If this was the one I've had before of this variety, I don't remember it being this refined or this good. I'm pretty sure it was another brewery's attempt, and that one fell short. Or perhaps this brewery has simply improved on this idea. I dunno. What I do know is that this is quite tasty. I'm not always a fan of fruity beers, or of clever concept beers that try to be something they're not, but this isn't really either. This is the clear result of a brewer in the middle of bourbon country creating an homage to a classic bourbon cocktail. And a worthy homage it is. It is mellow and refined and tasty and with hints of the various components of its namesake cocktail, and despite that and it's high ABV, it is not at all boozy, as some high ABV beers or liquor infused beers are. Overall, I'd say this is a worthy find. 7.5/10.

[Jester]

Vic, you should know that bitter is not just a taste, but a style of beer, and not all bitter style beers, often referred to as English bitters or special bitters, are, in fact, bitter tasting. Think of Old Speckled Hen, or better yet, its aged version, Old Crafty Hen. If I've had eithe one of those, you know what a bitter is, and that they are not always bitter.

[Victory Sabre]

I do know, and I stick with my review. I am having more tonight, to try to get the growler finished. It is a very bland ESB. I was hoping for more from this beer. I still have a 1/3 of it to go, but not tonight.

[Hortone273]

That's sound really interesting!

[Victory Sabre]

There are 365 days in a year - well, except for leap year. Now there are 365 unique beers I've consumed this year.

For the occasion

eleventacles from Oliphant Brewing 8% ABV

It is a wee heavy ale

Very dark brown, with a nice head. There isn't much nose to it.

Taste - Sadly, not much. There isn't much flavor to this beer, at all. Sadly, Oliphant, this is the worst beer I've had from you. No flavor = a 2 out of 10 from me.What a bad way to hit 365.

[Victory Sabre]

Not a formal review.

The 3rd beer of the night was Sam Adams Pumpkin Batch.

It reminded me of my lunch today. I had a can of soup, and decided to add a bit of cayenne pepper. I tasted it, and decided to add a bit more. Well, the top popped off, and dumped a whole shit ton into it. The soup was still ok, but I put way too much in. The flavor was ruined.

This beer is the same. I love pumpkin spices, but this beer was so far out of balance, it was almost undrinkable. I did choke it down, so it counts as beer #368 for the year, but hell, it was very bad. I would recommend avoiding it.

[Jester]

Yesterday I hit 700 different, unique beers on the year. I probably won't hit 1,000 for the year, but that's okay. I'm fine with that. Because, despite not getting that goal, I know that I've already had more different beers this year than most people have had or will have in their lifetime. I mean, how many people have had 700 different beers? And in those 700, there are not even many beers I've had before this year.

Tonight, I've enjoyed a couple of old favorite that I've already had this year: Weihenstephaner Korbinian and Founder's KBS (Kentucky Bourbon Stout).

So, yeah....life is good.