CS Booze Club.

[trailerparkmedic]

I wonder if you got a bad batch of Sympathy for the Lager. I've only had it a few times (I grealy prefer Hopadillo because I like IPAs) but it's never been bad.

Karbach is less than a year old but it's run by the guy who used to run Flying Dog. They know their stuff.

[Jester]

I love Flying Dog, and have to say the other beer I had by Karbach was one of the best, if not THE best, beers of the night. I suppose it is possible that the SftL was off, but as it was on tap, you would think that someone else would have noticed it and they would have dealt with it. It wasn't a huge deal, as it was one of a five-mini-beer sampler I had (I had two of those samplers, actually), so it's not like I was shelling out big bucks for the SftL, or that I had to drink a whole lot of it.

But if you like it because it reminds you of IPAs, well, that's a whole different story, as I am notorious for not liking most IPAs.

[Jester]

From one of my favorite breweries, Terrapin Beer in Athens, Georgia, I have Terrapin Side Project Volume 14: Tomfoolery (7.3 % ABV). This is listed as a black saison ale. Now, I am not really familiar with saisons in general, so bear with me, though apparently saisons are not dark or black beers. I hope I like it, though, because (A) I do like what Terrapin does, and (B) this is yet another big ole bottle (22 oz.), so it would suck if it, well, sucked.

The color is, not surprisingly, black, with a light off-white creamy head that does not dissipate quickly. The nose is subtle yet definitely rich with the aroma of malty goodness. Can't really get much more off the nose, though.

Wow. Very interesting. Somewhat Belgian, but smoother, darker, and richer. Definite slight bitterness to it, but balanced with a strong malt character.

After drinking this for a while, it has grown on me. Some beers get worse as you drink them, but this one seems to have gotten better. Slightly hoppy, slightly sweet, definitely malty, thought not overpoweringly so; it's a weird but pleasant balance of all of the above.

I like it. I like it a lot. I don't LOVE it, but I DO like it. I would drink it again, though I wouldn't seek it out. Terrapin didn't blow me away this time, but they didn't let me down, either. Final score: 6.5.

[trailerparkmedic]

Sympathy for the Lager doesn't remind me of IPAs...it's kind of forgettable for me. I know I've had it at least 3 times and I liked it, but I can't tell you much beyond that.

I know you don't like IPAs, which is why I'm super surprised you liked any St Arnold beers. All of them (save one) taste way too hoppy to me and most of them taste the same. I'd have recommended Santo and told you to steer clear of all of the others they brew. Glad you enjoyed it, though.

Glad you got a Southern Star Buried Hatchet. That's one of my favorite beers. I always have a few cans in the fridge.

[Jester]

I actually liked both of the St. Arnold's, and didn't find them to be at all similar. And that's why I often try beers, even IPAs, because just because I or someone else might think I wouldn't like it, you never know.

And I think it's time for another beer. I haven't done anything all weekend (though I meant to get much accomplished, damn it), so might as well continue the slackitude, right?

So I was just going through my fridge, trying to decide which one would be next, and I had it all decided....and then I had my decision changed by decree of the Czar. Specifically, The Czar Imperial Stout from Avery. They make so many good beers, and this one has been sitting in my fridge for a long time now....and as I am part Russian, who am I to say no to a Czar? While it doesn't say so on the 22 oz. bottle, I imagine this imperial stout is a Russian imperial stout, which is one of my favorite dark beer styles. (If it's not Russian imperial stout, why call it The Czar, right?) Good thing I'm having this at night, as the aforementioned 22 oz big bomber bottle carries some punch in it...The Czar is 10.6% ABV. Good niiiiight, Nurse!

The color is chocolate black, with a thin tan head. The nose is--holy crap!--the nose can only be described as amazingly rich. I am getting aromas of chocolate, plum, and cherry, and it is simply amazing. Honestly like no beer I have ever smelled before. Now, some beers do get cloying sweet when they get into the stone fruit flavors, and I've had that happen with stouts before. I am very curious to see how the taste compares to the nose.

Beer lords in barley! This is some rich stuff! The stone fruits are there, and it is sweet, but there are other flavors here as well. It's slightly malty, a bit nutty, but roasted nuts, a hint of coffee, but that's more of an undertone. And the chocolate I smelled on the nose actually is more of a cocoa finish after the initial tastes have subsided. This could be great, it could only be good, it might end up being annoying....I am going to have to spend some quality time with it to decide. And that's not a copout, but experience. See, in the past, I have too quickly based my judgments on a beer's first impression, and found out as I got into it that things changed, sometimes for the better, sometimes not so much. So, see you in 22 ounces.....


Final verdict: it's okay. Good, but nothing great, nothing special. Avery let me down on this one. It scores only a 6.5 for me.

[Jester]

At a local bar plotting Beercation III....perfect time to try a new beer. Narragansett Brewing from Rochester, New York, is known to me for making cheap, inexpensive beer, differing from the BuMiCo crap only in the sense that it doesn't taste like any of them...but it's not really any better. That is their standard beer. But today I am trying the Narragansett Cream Ale (5% ABV). The color is a lovely light golden, with a thick white creamy head. (Appropriate, considering the name and style.) The nose is a cross between creamy goodness and cheap boring beer. Which means, if nothing else, it smells better than cheap, boring beer. It is creamy, and it isn't horrible. Definitely better than the regular Narragansett. Would I drink this again? Yes. Would I order it again? Sure. Would I seek it out? No. Would I ever voluntarily order it or drink it over Wexford Irish Cream Ale? Are you out of your fucking mind? Hell no. Wexford kicks some serious ass. That being said, I have to give the Narragansett Cream Ale a solid 6. Not bad for a cheap canned beer from a cheap brewery. Well done, Rochester.

[Dentarthurdent]

Hokay, so. I posted about a month and a half ago or so about Angry Orchard, which is good when you mix it with Woodchuck, and in fact improves on both ciders (although draft Woodchuck is far superior to either cider or the mixture).

I got a single the other day of Angry Orchard's Apple Ginger version. I've had Reed's Ginger Brew, which is a nonalcoholic brewed soda with apple and ginger, and one of the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth, so I had high hopes.

Nope. This was the nastiest thing I've ever drank, other than Everclear (or that ill-fated eggnog chugging contest back in high school). It was so appallingly sweet that I couldn't hold it or roll it around in my mouth, but had to chug it like a cheap beer. I couldn't taste the ginger at all, and it had a gross aftertaste. So disappointing. Luckily I bought a single and not a six-pack, so I only had to suffer through it once. Bleargh.

On a train ride I took recently, I tried Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (which I'm sure everyone else has already tasted, but I'm a n00b). There was about a 3-degree temperature range in which it tasted wonderful. But it was too cold to begin with, and that made it nastily bitter, and by the time I got done with it, it was too warm, which also made it nastily bitter. I don't like beer to begin with, especially darker beers, and this tasted a lot darker than it looked. Oh well, it was worth a shot. And they only charge you like $8 for a beer on an Amtrak train.

ETA: Ok, I looked back over the last few pages and I have to disagree with you on the AO, Jester. Perhaps it's a taste that could grow on me with time, but I don't feel like giving it a chance. Next time I have a day off I'm trying Wyder's Raspberry - wish me luck!

[Jester]

Dentarthurdent, that is what makes this world so cool...everyone's taste, palate, and opinions are different. For example, I love Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (though I find pretty much everything else by Sierra Nevada to be anywhere from boringly mediocre to downright bad), and find the hop level to be perfect for a pale ale. Clearly it's not for you, however. And that's alright....more for the rest of us to drink.

Interestingly, I recently tried Reed's for the first time, but the Reed's I had was definitely NOT alcoholic....this stuff was ginger beer, but definitely with booze in it. I loved it, though my drinking companion did not care for it, and drank an IPA--which in turn, I did not care for. (My full review on that night will be posted here at some point in the near future, with my drinking companion's notes as well, as soon as I get around to it.)

I can't comment on combining AO and Reed's however, as I have never tried it. Nor have I ever tried the NA version of Reed's.

[thansal]

My friend who has been living in Hawaii was back in the city this past week and she brought with her a few bottles of Kona Brewing's various beers (which she then found locally in NYC also, kinda amusing).

when I got there only 2 bottles were left, an IPA (nope!) and "Koko Brown".

hey, brown ales, I like those, great things!

Cracked it open, and as we were trying to read the the stuff under the cap I actually looked at the bottle:

"Ale brewed with toasted coconut and natural flavor added"

Oh...

Crappit.

I'm a recovering beer snob, I like my beers pure, I shun the addition of things that aren't malt/hops/water/yeast in beer. I make exceptions every so often (what do you mean Three Philosophers is a Lambic?)

But Coconut? I don't even really like coconut generally.

Take a whif:
Smells like a good nut brown ale, well, ok, there's a bit of coconut there, but it isn't cloying like I associate with coconut.

Taste?
It's a good nut brown ale, fairly standard. But there is decidedly coconut in it. There is no extra sugar to it, so all the sweet is normal malt sweets, and there is just an additional toasted coconut flavor there, much like some beers have good chocolate or coffee flavors, this one has a rather mellow coconut flavor.

I enjoyed it, it was a nice good beer. No, not something I would go out of my way for, and I would easily pass it up in favor of just about anything else, but my other options were Heineken and an IPA, so it was a perfectly fine choice.

I still feel dirty for saying that I liked it though...

:P


(Kona also has a Porter that they use Kona coffee in, and that I would like to try)

[Jester]

(Kona also has a Porter that they use Kona coffee in, and that I would like to try)

It's called Pipeline Porter, and I LOVE it. It is, in my opinion, the best thing Kona makes, BY FAR! At least out of the ones I've tried by them (which include Longboard Lager, Fire Rock Pale Ale, Koko Brown, and of course the Pipeline Porter). Sadly, the Pipeline is a seasonal beer, and right now it is out of season. I dearly look forward to it coming back again next year.

[Jester]

Sierra Nevada Summer Ale. I should note upfront something I said in a recent post...while I love Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (their flagship beer), everything else I've tried by them has pretty much sucked balls, in my opinion. So I try this one with trepidation, and while I expect the worst, I hope for the best.

The color is nothing special, typical light yellow beer, but it being a summer ale, you wouldn't expect it to be exactly dark. The nose is so subtle as to be almost nonexistent, but what little aroma I can pick up is fresh and light, and not at all unpleasant--major plus there.

But what about the taste? Well....it's actually not too bad. A bit heavier than most summer beers, but that is not a bad thing. It is not overly light, it has some body, and the flavor, while not jumping out of the glass at you, is rather pleasant. Almost (but not quite) a touch of honeyness to it. Not too bad. I'll give it a 6.5.

[Jester]

From one of my favorite breweries, Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL, comes Cucumber Saison.

Wait, WHAT? A CUCUMBER beer?

Well, yes....apparently so.

Now, as I am not all that familiar with the saison style of beer, I cannot and will not comment on how this beer measures up to that style, as I often do with wheat beers and hefeweizens (as I am far more familiar with those styles). I will merely comment on my opinions of this as a beer, which, like the last one I reviewed, is one I tried on draft at one of my favorite watering holes.

The color of the Cuke (as I've decided to call it) is orange/amber, and opaque. Not hazy like a hefe, just....opaque. Sort of like trying to look through a squash....not gonna happen.

The nose, unsurprisingly, is strongly that of the freshness of cucumber, which pretty much dominates the nose, with a hint of sourness in the background.

The taste....is weird. And this is not a bad thing. This is one of the weirdest beers I've ever tried, but unlike many "experimental" beers, it actually works. The flavor is strong on the cucumber, of course, and as such is light, refreshing, and somewhat palate-cleansing. But there is also a definite beerness to it, hiding a bit behind the cucumber, perhaps, but still there. And somehow, these two dissonant flavors combine harmoniously to make this a lovely and refreshing beer to drink in the heat of summer.

A very weirdly appropriate score of 7-1/7.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, according to Wiki, a saison (French for season) is a farmhouse summer ale that is supposed to be a light (and light-weight) summer ale, with a wide variety of possible tastes that would vary based on the farm that brewed it and whatever it was they decided to mix it with from last season.

The whole purpose was to give the workers something light and refreshing to keep them going through the day, so the focus would be on low ABV and flavor.

So, if you're going to spend the day out in the yard, working, this is the type of brew you'd be looking for during breaks or while working.

^-.-^

[Jester]

I probably should have pointed out that the Cuke has an ABV of 6%. Forgot that.

And thanks for the educational stuff! Still not all that personally familiar with saisons, but I have at least one or two big ole bottles of them in the fridge, so I will be getting MORE familiar with them.

[Jester]

Okay, home from downtown, and I have a couple things to do. I need to make a meatless bean chili for a cookoff on Friday, and I need to respond to a friend's request for advice.

Since I am going to be cooking chili, I figured a chipotle beer would put me in the right frame of mind. And since said friend needs to learn some patience (which will be part of my advice to her), I think this is the perfect time to savor a beer that has sat in my fridge for over a year, patiently waiting for me, as I wish my friend would. (857 texts from her while I was at the grocery store. Let me get my corned beef, woman!)

So, the beer.....

From one of my favorites, Rogue Brewery in Oregon, we have their Chipotle Ale, an "ale brewed with chipotle peppers." I love beer. I love chipotles. I figure this should be good. But #1: I have had many pepper beers, and very few really are worth all that much. But #2: Quite a few people have told me that Rogue's Chipotle Ale isn't all that great.

So....onwards. Patiently.

The color is a light reddish teak, almost like a dark teak wood or a light cherry wood. (Yes, I inherited my mother's love of wooden furniture. Does it show?) I can almost, but not quite, see through this beer. The clarity isn't bad, but it is just dark enough to prevent it from being somewhat opaque.

The nose is better than most pepper beers, with a good balance of spicy pepper and rich beeriness, with a hint in the background of roasted smoky malt.

But after over a year of my staring at in the fridge and deciding "Not...quite...yet...." and selecting something else to drink, just how does this taste?

Answer #1: Unlike any pepper beer I've ever had. I haven't decided yet if this is good or bad.

Answer #2: A lightly dark richness with a hint of chipotle spice and smoke, rather well-balanced, not really all that spicy.

Answer #3: It joins the Rogue maple bacon donut beer I tried earlier this year and the Cigar City cucumber beer from earlier today as one of the oddest beers I've ever tried.

Answer #4: The chipotle smokiness is starting to assert itself slightly, but is still kept in balanced check by the richness of the malt. This may actually be the most perfectly balanced pepper beer I've ever had.

Answer #5: It's like I just opened a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and got hit in the face with the smell. And then again....it's not at all like that. And yet both things are happening at the same time.

Answer #6: A surprisingly clean finish, with very little overbearing aftertaste or bitterness on the palate. Spicy beers and pepper beers shouldn't finish this clean. This alone is an impressive accomplishment. There is just a lingering hint of the chipotle on the lips, but otherwise....clean.

Answer #7: Many people told me that this beer wasn't all that good. I don't know what they were expecting from it, and perhaps it needs to sit in the fridge for a year before you drink it, but I am definitely and rapidly becoming a fan.

Answer #8: This beer is not for everyone. It's rich but spicy. Smokey but sweet. Assertive and yet gentle. Flavorful but surprisingly light. This is a well-balanced and somehow perfectly contradictory beer.

Answer #9: I like it. I would get it again. I would seek it out, though I don't know that I would wait another year to have one. (I think it would be interesting to see if the year of sitting changes the taste or not.) This is a very interesting, deep, thoughtful, reflective, eye-opening beer.

Answer #10: I would drink this beer with any rich meat, from steak to pork to game meat. While I think spicy food would actually overpower one of the strengths of this beer, its subtle spiciness, I think this would be an excellent dinner beer for many meals.

Final Answer: My final score on this beer is an 8.chipotle. No, that is not a typo...it's an 8.chipotle. You figure it out. I'll tell you this....if you try this beer, 8.chipotle will make utter and total sense to you.