CS Booze Club.

[KiaKat]

My sweet spot for wines tends to be $20-25, I've found. There are a few in the $15-20 range that are lovely as well, but my go-tos are all in that slightly higher point. That, of course, is not counting the extremely-high-end Barolos or Bourgognes that I'm a huge fan of. Nor does it count Champagne (though it does count sparkling). Those are different though - I only have them on seriously special occasions, and rarely am I the one buying them. Paolo Bea (Montefalco/Umbria) is another exception, but again, his wines are spectacular, and incredibly rare.

That Cour-Cheverney, by the way, was absolutely stunning the next day. The acids had mellowed a bit, and it picked up this lemon/hazelnut/vanilla/mocha note that blew me away. I have a tiny bit left in the bottle, and may try to finish it tonight, just to see if it's changed again.

[KiaKat]

Because Rum.

That is all.

(no, I don't know why it's turned on its side. It's perfectly normal on the computer.)

[dalesys]

(no, I don't know why it's turned on its side. It's perfectly normal on the computer.)

Prophecy. You will be tipped over...

[Andara Bledin]

I'll just leave this here...

Steampunk Brewing Machine at the Maker Faire.

^-.-^

[Jester]

BLOODY MARY FANS:

The last few days at The Bar, we ran out of bloody mix. Since we don't have just plain old tomato juice, we were unable to make bloodys. Yesterday my manager told me we'd be getting bloody mix in that day (came today, actually), but as a stop gap measure, he had gotten from the store or another bar (don't know which) a single container of Ocean Spray Bloody Mary Mix.

At which I chuckled. Ocean Spray? Making bloody mix? Riiiiiiight.

Later, after it had been in the cooler a while, I tasted it.

And my entire opinion changed. This shit is fucking GOOD!

And it wasn't just my opinion. Both of the servers today tried it and agreed with me that this is one really awesome bloody mix. Which, naturally, you would not expect from Ocean Spray. But it is thick, it is flavorful, it has a bit of zing, and I dare say, it is now my favorite premixed bloody mix.

Yes, it's that damn good.

[Jester]

Time for some beer, as I need to kill the pain in my jaw.

(Boring background: When I was a teenager, I managed to pull the impressive stunt of shattering my jaw in a bicycle accident, and got the fun experience of having my jaw wired shut for a month. At the time, the doctors told me to expect future fun, as I would probably have issues with my jaw throughout my life. And boy, were they right. To be fair, I've been lucky, and it's only an occasional thing, but it is the reason that I always have Advil in my backpack and at home. And the last three days, the fucker's been acting up something fierce, worse than in a long while. Now, before anyone starts suggesting this or that remedy, don't worry...this is normal. And gives me a chance to explore various beers that have lingered in my fridge for far too long.)

Where was I? Oh, yes....new beer time.

"Amadeus, Amadeus....Amadeus. Amadeus, Amadeus...Amadeus. Amadeus, Amadeus...oh oh oh, Amadeus."

Sorry, can't try this beer without doing that. Can't help myself. Because this is Amadeus White Beer, or as they call it in its native land, Biere Blanche. Its native land being France. Yes, I am on a Caribbean island in the United States drinking a Belgian-style beer from France named after a German composer. Ain't life grand?

Quick note: on the label it says that this is "beer brewed with spices with natural flavor added." Wait, what? They're adding natural flavor to beer? But...it already HAS natural flavor. Hmmm....so far, not off to a good start.

Its appearance is pale yellow, but a bit hazy, like most Belgian whites. (Think a paler Blue Moon.) It dos have a noticeably creamy white head. The nose is subtle, fresh, and light....light in a good way. There is something I can't put my finger (nose?) on about the aroma that is very, very good.

The taste is a bit citrusy, as many Belgian whites are, but this is a different kind of citrusy. This is less orangey than Blue Moon or Shock Top, and it is VERY lemony. In a good way. It's not overpowering, it's refreshing, lemony, and balanced. Almost shandy-like. Almost. And there is a certain creaminess to it. It almost tastes like lemon pie, or the filling you'd find in a lemon donut (which is among my favorite kinds of donuts, by the way).

From a country not known for great or even good beer, this is a refreshing change of pace. A nice light summery beer that is different in just the right ways to keep you coming back for more.

Which is good. Since this bottle is one of those big bomber types. Final score: 7.5.

One interesting note that has nothing to do with the beer itself: the bottle is corked, with a wire cage, as most champagnes are. This is not unusual...a good number of craft beers are sealed thusly. What WAS unusual for me was how much damn effort I had to use to get the damn cork out. Twisting it with both hands: nothing. Tried using a paper towel for more grip: nope. Tried using an oven mitt: no dice. Finally, having struggled for several minutes without actually opening the damn thing, I had a pretty bright idea. I went and got my cycling gloves, which have decent grip, put one on, and used THAT to open the damn bottle. French corking, meet American ingenuity.

EDITED TO ADD: A lot of times, when I try a beer, as I drink it, it gets worse. Its sweetness gets cloying, its flavors get old, etc. Well, Amadeus didn't do any of those things. It's lemony sweetness stood up throughout the entire large bottle, neither being too sweet nor too acidic. Damn impressive. And yes, I would drink it again. Damn good beer. From the French. Who woulda thunk it?

[thansal]

That last note is really impressive!

2 random things:
1) Garrett Oliver (brewmaster for Brooklyn) proclaims that it's actually champagne that's stored in beer bottles, as said bottles were originally invented for beer.

2) Next time, try sabering it! (I learned the basics of how to do that recently and am now desperate for a chance to try it out :P)

[Jester]

I could not have sabered it, having no saber.

I could have sabered it with my sword, but that would be overkill. And besides, my sword is pretty much a great-looking piece of crap.

I could have sabered it using a knife, and of those I have plenty, but the fact is I was too damn stubborn to think of doing anything but opening the damn thing. And honestly, had I tried to saber it with a knife, being the incurable klutz that I am, I would have very likely either cut a finger off, broken the bottle and lost the beer, or both.

[Jester]

As many of you know, I love hefeweizens. Their close close cousins are Belgian whites, or witts as they are known in Belgium. And I have a really large bottle of one right here in front of me. Which, hopefully, will be a good accompaniment for something unpleasant and distasteful...the presidential debate. (I know, I know, it's over....but I DVR'd it and haven't started watching it yet, so for me, just about to start!)

This is Ommegang Witte, a "wheat ale with traditional spices," according to the label. The label also says "Worth the wheat" which to me just sounds like a cheap play on words. But we'll see.

Appearance-wise, Witte is pale yellow, with only a slight haziness to it. Hmm. Not the best start.

The nose is very beery, but not very wheaty. I noticed the nose when I opened it, and it was very boring beer-like. Still not a good start.

However, the taste is pretty decent. A lighter wheat, to be sure, but still wheaty, with some beery taste to it, but not obnoxious like the nose. Decent light wheat that, while forgettable, is definitely drinkable. Seems like a good companion for the upcoming debate. Score: 6.

[Jester]

This bottle has been sitting in my fridge for a while. It was recommended to me a long while back (a year? maybe more?) by the Beer Guru when he worked for the Beer Monger, back when the Monger was still open.

Oddly, I can't tell you what style of beer it is, at least not from the label, as it only lists the name, the liquid volume (25.4 oz.) and the words "malt beverage". Interesting. Very, very interesting.

It's called 110K OT, and it's by one of my favorite brewers, Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa. It's appearance is dark brown, but when the light hits it, it is very red, and rather translucent. Dark, but translucent.

The nose is...oh, my, what IS that? Subtle, but dark and rich, with hints of cocoa and fruit, perhaps plum, maybe even some cherry. Mickey's this ain't.

The taste is fruity, strong, and sweet. It could end up being really good, but it could also get annoying really fast.

I'll let you know in 25.4 ounces.....

It ended up being a bit cloying and sweet. Not overly so, but enough to make my final score a mere 6.

[Victory Sabre]

While my review won't be as detailed as Jester's, here's my pick.

Last night, while at a debate party at Westside Liquor's bar/event center, I had an amazing beer. Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager. Holy cow. The flavor was amazing. The strawberry flavor was just right. Also, it was not too strong, at 4.2%. If you're interested in a light fruit flavored beer, I highly recommend it.

[KiaKat]

Couple of things:

1. Next time you have a stubbourn cork, grab a dishtowel, drape it long-ways over the bottle, then use one end to hold the base, the other to hold the cork. Twist the bottle, not the cork, gently rocking the cork back and forth to loosen it. Twist in quarter turns, back and forth. Eventually the cork will hiss open - the less noise the better, when it comes to bubbly wine (I can't speak for beer...), because even though it's fun to watch a bottle overflow, it causes a mess and wastes precious booze.

2. I bet you the "natural flavouring" was the lemon. They probably had to note it, given that it's an addition to the normal beer contents. Dunno. I'm honestly not sure where beer falls on the FDA/ATF spectrum. Maybe it was added post-fermentation, and that's why it had to be noted?

3. There's an awesome beer store up here. My husband is re-developing their website, and is thinking about putting together a sampler case for our brother-in-law for Christmas. We're not entirely sure what he does like, but we know he doesn't like Smuttynose. Any good baselines to start with for someone who generally is a foodie, likes sweet things (OMG the sweet tooth on this guy....), and has an obsession with honey?

[Jester]

Couple of things:Next time you have a stubbourn cork...

I should point out that I know how to open champagne bottles, especially since I spent a year as a banquet server at a hotel resort, and for the many weddings we did there, we would often have to open several dozen bottles of champagne for each event, so I got rather good at it. I know all about using a towel and whatnot; this was just an amazingly stubborn cork.

I bet you the "natural flavouring" was the lemon. They probably had to note it, given that it's an addition to the normal beer contents. Dunno. I'm honestly not sure where beer falls on the FDA/ATF spectrum. Maybe it was added post-fermentation, and that's why it had to be noted?

I don't know if they had to note it (as it wasn't an official-looking notice, so much as advertising, if you follow me), but a lot of brewers make a point of saying what's in their beer. And flavors can be added during the brewing or after. It is my general opinion from experience that the better fruit-flavored beers are the ones where they add the fruit during the brewing process; at the brewpub I used to work at, we had an amazing raspberry beer, and when it was brewing, the brewer would actually shovel bushels of fresh raspberries right into the hopper, which is what made it so amazing. With many lesser fruit beers, they often brew a regular beer and then add flavoring afterwards, usually a some kind of syrup or extract. Trust me, you can taste the difference more often than you can't. In fact, I would put money on the fact that Sea Dog Wild Blueberry follows the second formula, based upon what I have tasted of it. A lot of people love it, but I find it pretty much repulsive; it smells like Boo Berry cereal, for those of you that remember that.

There's an awesome beer store up here. My husband is re-developing their website, and is thinking about putting together a sampler case for our brother-in-law for Christmas. We're not entirely sure what he does like, but we know he doesn't like Smuttynose. Any good baselines to start with for someone who generally is a foodie, likes sweet things (OMG the sweet tooth on this guy....), and has an obsession with honey?

Well, as a guy who loves honey, loves sweet things (though not always sweet beers, as some of them get cloying and unpleasant), and loves honey beer, I would recommend some honey beers, honey lagers, etc. If you are looking at a specific site or brewery that will let you put together your own custom sampler (which is what it sound like on my end), why don't you PM me the link or the list of options, and I will tell you what I, a fan of honey beer, would like. I can only suggest, of course, as there are plenty of beers out there I haven't tried (though I keep trying to make inroads in that department), and my taste and your brother-in-law's taste may not be as close as it sounds. But let me know. I would love to help you out with this!

[Jester]

A while back I reviewed this beer:

Collaboration Not Litigation Ale, Batch #6. While Avery Brewing is the brewer listed on the label, that is only half the story, as this is a collaborative effort between Avery and Russian River Brewing. When they discovered that they both had beers they had named Salvation, rather than fight over the name, they decided to blend the two in a collaborative effort, and see what happened.

As you can see, both of the brewers have beers named Salvation. And yet to my knowledge, I have never reviewed Avery Salvation. Well, since I have a big ole bottle of it, and I'm thirsty, why not?

Like the previously reviewed beer, this is a Belgian-style Golden Ale. As I said in the review of the other beer, not normally my favorite style. But, what the hell, right?

Not surprisingly, it pours a dark golden, though darker than I would have guessed, with hues of orange coming through.

The nose is light and summery, with almost a wheaty/grassy thing going on, though this is definitely not a wheat beer.

The taste is nice, light, definitely Belgian, with some interesting flavors. There is a hop back note, but it is not especially hoppy. Maybe I'm thinking more flowery, but not overly that, either. Definitely somewhat sweet, as many hoppy beers are. Tasty, but let's see if it stays that way through the entire sitting, or if the sweetness gets annoying after a while. So excuse me while I watch a movie about the rise and fall of the slasher films of the 80's, "Going to Pieces," which looks like it could be entertaining, while I quaff this interesting Belgiany ale.

Interesting movie. Almost as interesting a beer. I give the movie a 7, the beer a 6. Just not my cup of tea, it seems....

[Jester]

So last night I did something a bit unusual....I tried a new beer at home, and didn't sit down to review it. I simply wanted a beer with my dinner, and just said, "Fuck it!" and figured I'd give you guys the highlights at a later time.

The beer was Terrapin Brewing's Easy Rider, which apparently is an ale that is hopped up, but is not a pale ale or an IPA. I should have kept the bottle for more info, but as I said, fuck it.

It was a good refreshing beer, definitely hoppy, and probably a bit too hoppy for me, but it didn't make my eyes melt as a lot of IPAs and overhopped beers do, so I have to give it a decent score of 6. Tasty. A bit much for me, as I said, but I wouldn't turn down another one. I wouldn't buy another one, but if someone handed me one, I'd drink it.

More, far more reviews, yet to come. I have plenty still in my old Dumb Phone that I haven't uploaded to here, plus several I've taken notes on in my new smart phone. And I have some seriously cool shit I've either not stuck in the fridge yet or been waiting to try, including two different beers that were aged in scotch casks. Should be interesting.