CS Booze Club.

[Treasure]

Also, can you recommend any commercially available mead? I like it sweet, not dry.

Chaucer's - its a Love it or Hate it kind of thing, because it is so Sweet!

I love it, I like sweet... they also do a raspberry mead (if you like that kind of thing)


Ciders -

I love Woodchuck (i think this discussion happened before) I like the Amber, and the 802, and I think I remember liking the "Autumn"; their raspberry is.... Ok, I'm horribly biased against raspberry in the first place so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt or 2, raspberry cider is just "meh"; Woodchuck's Pear cider is lackluster.

ACE does a wonderful Pear cider - I think it spoiled me against Woodchuck's pear, also Ace has hard apple ciders - no, just no.

I like Strongbow - esp with a shot of Goldschlagger (I haven't tried it with another cinnamon liquor)



I have recently fallen in love with Fireball - cinnamon whiskey, I'll drink it iced, I'll drink neat, or I'll mix it in my Blue Moon

[Jester]

Horrible news: I'm on the mailing list of my Beer Monger, and on Wednesday I got the email that they were closing their doors. The big sales begin on Saturday. Having watched other businesses close here recently, I know how places can be picked utterly clean, so while I plan on going Saturday (tomorrow), I also wanted to get there before the vultures, and so yesterday before work I stopped in (their new pre-closing hours would prevent me from going after work) and picked up some beer. Not a lot of beer quantity wise, but between the expensive six-packs, the mixed six-packs, and the large bombers, I dropped a significant amount of cash. And by significant, I mean more than my typical bar bill, or even dinner bill at some nicer places.

But the good news is, I get to sample a lot of beers, some of them more immediately than others, as I need to see if some of the things I picked up, which they have in large quantities at the Beer Monger, are worth picking up more of.

First up....from Rogue Brewery in Oregon, I grabbed Northwestern Ale. Not sure what style beer this is, as the label on the big bottle didn't say. Visually, it's a reddish brown. Or perhaps a brownish red. But both colors are definitely here. The nose is rich and slightly sweet, with subtle hints of malt.

Tastewise....meh. Decent richness to the beer, with a good hop bite, but nothing to write home to Mom about. I'll finish this bomber of it, and perhaps at another time in my life I'll get it again, but it's not exactly changing my frequency, Kenneth.

Score: 6.0. Yawn.

I love Woodchuck (i think this discussion happened before) I like the Amber, and the 802, and I think I remember liking the "Autumn"; their raspberry is.... Ok, I'm horribly biased against raspberry in the first place so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt or 2, raspberry cider is just "meh"; Woodchuck's Pear cider is lackluster.

You and I are going to severely disagree, as I think that the best thing Woodchuck makes that I have tried is, in fact, their Pear Cider, which I love dearly. Of course, I have only ever had it on draft, and that may make a huge difference. About the only pear cider I've had that I think is superior to Woodchuck is Fox Barrel. (I don't know if you've tried their Summer Cider, but it is atrocious. I mean seriously, horribly bad!)

[Jester]

From Twisted Pine Brewing, we have Ghost Face Killah. Apparently this is a pepper beer, infused with the spices of serranos, jalapenos, anaheims, fresnos, habaneros, and even ghost peppers. A Serious Beer. Or at least a Seriously Spicy Beer.

The appearance is just slightly darker than the average Domestic Yellow Beer.

The nose is peppery. And when I say "the nose is peppery," I don't mean it's slight or subtle or mellow. I mean I smelled the damn peppers while I was POURING the beer, long before I stuck my schnoz over the damn beer. Seriously, the peppery nose is strong in this one, in the same way that the green is strong with Kermit.

Holy dear beer gods.

They are NOT kidding when they say this is a spicy beer.

I have had chili beers before, and they give you a hint of spice, a suggestion, a whisper of what you could expect if you had that beer.

This is none of those things.

This is a sledgehammer over the fucking skull.

Seriously, DUDE! What are you thinking? I've had buffalo wings that were milder than this beer.

My lips are BURNING. I don't mind it, but from a BEER?

What the fuck?

It's as if it's a hot sauce-flavored beer. With not a lot of beer.

I may not drink a of these--hell, I am going to struggle to finish this one--but I want to buy a bunch of these to give to my friends. "Here, have a beer."

Yeah, I'm loads of fun on April 1st.

Score: OUCH!

[Jester]

Okay, this is embarrassing, but I can't continue with this beer. I've had two sips, and the last one was about five or ten minutes ago, and my lips are still burning. While entertaining, this is some seriously fucked up shit. I mean, holy hell, what are they trying to prove?

Amusingly, this beer would probably be the perfect accompaniment to my Devil's Ass Chili. If you were a masochist, that is.

[Jester]

Okay, here it is the next day, I've slept for many hours, I did not have any more sips of Ghost Face Killah....and my lips still have a vague "we're on fire" feel to them.

Seriously, what the hell were those people thinking when they made that beer? It seems like it was a bad joke or something. And I don't doubt that there are some people who actually like that tuff, but then, there are some people who actually like Justin Bieber. Doesn't mean it's right or makes any sense.

[Jester]

8:30 in the morning? Perfect time for a breakfast beer! (What? I don't work until MONDAY, thank you very much. And today is my Delayed Birthday Party, as my actual birthday was spent in Texas, not here.)

I thought I had reviewed this beer previously in here, but I could find it, and I couldn't remember what I thought of it, so I shall do it now, which might be again, but might not. (Hey, if you want rational thought, don't come to someone who's having a breakfast beer at 8:30 in the morning.)

From Rogue Brewing, we have St. Rogue Dry Hopped Red Ale. Its appearance fits its name, as it is a deep, dark red to reddish brown, perhaps closest to brick in color. The nose is subtle and beery, but not necessarily in the best way. Hard to say, as I can't get much off of it.

The taste is, in fact, dry and hoppy. So the label speaks the truth. Sort of a blend between a red beer and a pale ale, actually. But the obvious question is, is it any good. Well....it's hard to say. It seems like a good blend of styles, but it really feels a bit too dry for my personal tastes. But other people way well like it. This is a tough one for me to score, but as all my scores are personally subjective rather than any attempt at being objective, i.e, how much *I like it, I would have to score this a 5. It's nice and has a decent flavor, but I am just not sold on the dryness or hoppiness of it. To put it in real world terms, if someone bought me one, I'd drink it, and thank them, but I would never actually order this for myself.

[Jester]

My roommate just offered me one of his homemade burritos. How can I say no? Especially when he tells me that these are spicier than the last batch, as he has discovered the wonders of chipotle peppers. (Translation: he stole one of my cans of chipotles. But since he's feeding me, I can't really argue.) And what goes great with spicy Mexican food? Right....BEER!

Of course, this is not a Corona, as I don't currently have any in stock. So I figured I'd try yet another beer that's taken up space in my fridge for far too long. From Flying Dog Brewery, I have a Kerberos Tripel, basically a Belgian style triple ale. Sure, not the standard beer with a burrito, but why not?

Kerberos pours a slightly hazy amber, and while it seems a bit thin, looks rather good. The nose is astonishing; smooth, slight hint of sweetness, a bit floral, but overall amazing. I would wear this as a cologne. And probably attract my kind of woman...a beer lover!

The taste is smooth. Not St. Martin's Tripel smooth (beer of the Belgian gods as far as I'm concerned), but tasty, with a bit of sweetness, a hint of hops, and something else that I often simply refer to as "Belgianness." I can't explain it, but it's a taste I find in a lot of Belgian beers, and I am not overly fond of it. It works in Kerberos, but it does leave a rather unpleasant aftertaste, though I've had worse.

Great? No. Good? Sure. I probably wouldn't get it again, but it's a pleasant little Tripel. Score: 6. Sad, because the appearance and nose had raised my hopes a bit higher.

[Jester]

So last night I was out and about for my Delayed Birthday Party (since I spent my actual birthday in Houston). And while I MEANT to go to some of the local beer bars and have some craft beers, I actually ended up having some lovely wines instead. Amazing how plans change, isn't it?

At my one friend's bar, I had one of the best pinot noirs I've EVER had, from La Crema. Simply amazing. As soon as I got a hint of the nose, which was strong and beautiful, I knew I was in for something special. All my friends who tasted it agreed it was pretty spectacular. If you get a chance, I HIGHLY recommend this wine.

And at another bar, I had a lovely Spanish tempranillo from Radio Boca. It was soft and yet delicious, a complete contrast to the pinot noir, but oh so yummy. I know I loved it because I never considered a beer or another wine at that bar after my first wine. (I think I had three there.)

Bad night for trying beer, but an excellent night, as it turned out, as my wine knowledge improved dramatically. Or, more accurately, my knowledge about two great wines.

[Jester]

My love of Weihenstephaner Korbinian Dopplebock is well known here and with my friends. And recently I fell in love with their Festbier. And now, yet another offering from Weihenstephaner: Vitus Weizenbock.

The color is light golden and the appearance is hazy, on the level of a hefeweizen. The nose is also very hefe-like, with a subtle but definitive banana aroma. Sort of like a light hefe.

Oh, wow. I am not really familiar with weizenbocks, but this one at least is very much like a hefeweizen. Seriously, wow. Delicious. Not as much depth as a hefeweizen, but very similar in flavor. Light banana, though no clove. Still, delicious. Sort of like a cross between a white and a hefe. A creamy hefe. Hard to say precisely other than to repeat myself and say it's delicious. Score: 8.

So Weihenstephaner is 3 for 3 in my world. And I love good beer. Hint: if you see the Weihenstephaner label, you just may want to grab that beer. I know I will.

[Dentarthurdent]

Chaucer's - its a Love it or Hate it kind of thing, because it is so Sweet!

I love it, I like sweet... they also do a raspberry mead (if you like that kind of thing)

Thanks, I'll try it.

I love Woodchuck (i think this discussion happened before) I like the Amber, and the 802, and I think I remember liking the "Autumn"; their raspberry is.... Ok, I'm horribly biased against raspberry in the first place so my opinion should be taken with a grain of salt or 2, raspberry cider is just "meh"; Woodchuck's Pear cider is lackluster.

Amber is awesome, 802 is okay with me if there's no Amber around. I've only tried the Summer out of their seasonal brews, and it was icky. I don't like the Raspberry either. I found their pear lackluster, but only after I had tasted Wyder's, which is utterly amazing. I thought when I first tried Woodchuck pear, and I still do, that it tastes like drinking a flower. Which is great, if that's what you're into.

ACE does a wonderful Pear cider - I think it spoiled me against Woodchuck's pear, also Ace has hard apple ciders - no, just no.

I've never heard of Ace, but if I see their pear cider I'll give it a try. What's wrong with their hard ciders?

I like Strongbow - esp with a shot of Goldschlagger (I haven't tried it with another cinnamon liquor)

I despise Strongbow, and thinking of mixing it with cinnamon makes me ...

[Dentarthurdent]

The taste is smooth. Not St. Martin's Tripel smooth (beer of the Belgian gods as far as I'm concerned), but tasty, with a bit of sweetness, a hint of hops, and something else that I often simply refer to as "Belgianness."

Ah, but can you work it into a serious screenplay?

[Jester]

New beer! (And yes, I know I have lots of notes to transcribe from my recent trips to Miami and Houston...I'll get there. I always do.)

1809 Berliner Style Weisse Beer, brewed as one of the "forgotten styles brewed according to their historic recipes by Dr. Fritz Briem, of the Doemens Institute." Impressive stuff on the label. Let's see what's inside, shall we?

Now, I am not familiar with a "Berliner Weisse," but I am familiar with weisse beers in general, and as a rule, they are in the hefeweizen/Belgian wit/unfiltered wheat beer category. By appearance, 1809 seems to have this, at least somewhat; it is cloudy and hazy, as a hefeweizen, but seems to be lighter and yellower than most of this category. The head is creamy and frothy, and does not dissipate easily.

The nose is pure hefeweizen, being wheaty, sweet, and resplendent of bananas and cloves. This beer may be a paler member of the family by appearance, but it is definitely part of the family. But, you may ask, how does it taste? Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.

I am, as a rule, hypercritical of hefeweizens, as they are my favorite style. This one is definitely more carbonated than most hefes. Definitely a bit more sour, and less creamy. But overall, I'd say this is pretty damn good. Hacker Pschorr good? No, my quest for the Hefe Grail that will supplant Hacker Pschorr's version in my heart and liver continues to go unfulfilled. While the nose had me thinking it might be a truly great hefe, this not only doesn't approach Hacker Pschorr, it is not even in the same league as Tucher or Franziskaner. It is, however, good for what it is, and is eminently drinkable. And I plan on finishing this large bottle sooner rather than later...certainly before I finish watching my DVRing of Hell's Kitchen and Master Chef. Would I seek it out again? Afraid not. My six-pack of Franziskaner will be more than enough for me for the immediate future. But, if you are someone that likes hefes and finds them too sweet, this somewhat pleasant sour version may just intrigue you. My final score of 1809: 6.5.

[Jester]

Another new beer review? Right before I'm about to watch my recording of tonight's America's Got Talent? Well, okay....if you really insist....

This beer is from a brewery I have really been impressed with in the past, Hoppin' Frog, out of Akron, Ohio. One of my all-time favorite beers is their B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher, which is a Russian Imperial Stout, one of my favorite styles of dark beer, and B.O.R.I.S. really does crush it. I know I've had at least one other by them, if not more, but at the moment I'm struggling to remember what, though I know it did impress me.
In any case, tonight I have a big ole bottle of Hoppin' Frog's Wee Heavy Scotch Style Red Ale. The appearance is, well, red. Not fire engine or cherry red, but the red a red beer should be, kind of a muted strawberry ruby, mostly translucent. The nose is subtle, and very fresh, but with just a suggestion of sweetness, as you might get from strawberries that are almost, but not quite, ripe for the picking. So far, so good.

The nose is subtle. The flavor is anything but. This wee heavy beer hits you in the palate like a wee heavy dwarf might punch you in the knee. It's rich, it's red, it's got a hint of malt....but it is way too sweet, to be honest. Not sweet like a lot of fruit beers, but for a red, just too sweet. Reds should be more balanced, more refined, less one note. This is anything but that. It's also pretty much my biggest disappointment from the Frog. I am, to be honest, rather aghast.

I mean, the appearance and nose had me ready for something extraordinary, and the taste delivered something altogether different from that, something somewhere between mediocre and subpar. The equivalent would be seeing something as beautiful as a Ferrari, hearing an engine as vibrant as a Lamborghini, and getting in to drive what turned out to be nothing more than a Honda Civic. (Good car...but nothing that will set your soul on fire.) Profoundly disappointed in the Frog on this one.

As I continue to taste it, I discover a hint of strawberries in the beer. What in Bacchus's name are you DOING here, Frog? This is so far beneath the other beers I've had from this brewery as to be utterly shocking.

This beer, from its promise, could have scored an 8. Perhaps more. I was set up and ready for something extraordinary. But this was anything but. I could call it pedestrian, but it is not even that good. Too sweet, too one note, too mediocre. I can't believe it, but I have to give this Hoppin' Frog product a 4. Might have been a 5 if I was unfamiliar with the brewery and the beer had not promised so much more than it could deliver. So, 4 it is. Out of 10. Sad, so sad.

Yes, I will drink this glass, and the rest of the big bomber it came in. It is not so tragic as to just pitch it. However, would I ever get this beer again? Honestly....no. It's a one and done deal.

[thansal]

new thing to report on:

So, it's not exactly booze, well, ok, it isn't booze at all, as it contains no alcohol, but it was still damn good and related!

Wafels and Dinges (NYC food carts that sell real Belgian wafels, amazing stuff), have "Belgian Madness" as their ice cream of the month. It is actually a Hoegaarden flavored ice cream. As hoegaarden is one of my favorite white beers I had to try it (I was skeptical, a white beer didn't seem like it would mix with dairy very well).

It's decidedly unique, and I think it's that Belgian quality that Jester mentions regularly that makes it fly. Sure, it tastes of malt, and hops, and those honestly didn't really blend with the cream and sugar that well. The spicy (as in cinnamon and cloves spicy, not heat), and citrus flavors that show up in Belgian/Belgian style beers went wonderfully though, and ultimately brought it all together.

It helps that it's served on top of a Liege style wafel, which has plenty of vanilla and yeast flavors of it's own to go with it.

[Treasure]

You and I are going to severely disagree, as I think that the best thing Woodchuck makes that I have tried is, in fact, their Pear Cider, which I love dearly. Of course, I have only ever had it on draft, and that may make a huge difference. About the only pear cider I've had that I think is superior to Woodchuck is Fox Barrel. (I don't know if you've tried their Summer Cider, but it is atrocious. I mean seriously, horribly bad!)

I tried it - it is as bad as you say - i took one sip, hmm.. odd... took a 2nd sip...no, ick!

I tried to lick the flavor off my tongue, and my dad asked me if i needed a Guinness (extra stout) to rinse the flavor out .... I said "maybe"

(i don't drink stouts, or most dark beers, I prefer ambers and reds, and belgian wheats)