CS Booze Club.

[KiaKat]

I had an absolute treat tonight. A taste of a 1997 Chateau d'Yquem. I've honestly never had anything like it, and I've tasted some incredible wines. Bright, rich fruit, with a definite indicator of serious sweetness/residual sugar, but not heavy or syrupy in the least. Ethereal. The flavours were lacy, intertwined in an absolutely fascinating way. Honey, apricot, lemon, a touch of age, but still amazingly bright for a wine harvested 17 years ago. The finish just kept going, and evolving in some lovely directions.

I know, logically, it seems ridiculous to pay over $400 for a 375mL bottle. But this? This is totally worth it.

[Victory Sabre]

I'm going to have a lot of stuff to review. I got 61 bottles/cans of beer today from Iowa. Here are the names.
Olde Main Brewing Co. Dinkey Wheat http://www.oldemainbrewing.com/
Olde Main Brewing Co. Off KILT er Scottish Ale
Olde Main Brewing Co. Sodbuster Stout Ale
Backpocket Brewing Co. Gold Coin
Millstreem Brewing Co. Sampler (12 bottles) http://www.millstreambrewing.com/
Madhouse Brewing Co. Barleywine Ale http://www.madhousebeer.com/
Great River Brewing Co. 483 Pale Ale

I'll start with the Sodbuster out of Ames Iowa.

Ok, Dark as heck, so I poured it into a Guinness glass. The head was very rich and thick. I barely got it into the glass.
The taste is out of this world. So rich. Got hints of chocolate. So delicious. I wish I would have picked up more of it.

[Victory Sabre]

It's an Olde Main morning. Now on the Dinkey Wheat.

Again, a good head to it. Dark golden color to it in the glass. Got a citrus taste to it. Very light and delicious. Highly recommend it, and I've got 11 bottles of it after this is gone.

[sms001]

The head was very rich and thick. I barely got it into the glass.

Haven't liked any of them enough to chat them up here, but Stone Arch (out of Appleton, WI) is literally impossible to drink from the bottle; they are so over carbonated that a sip before glassing almost blew my head off, and even my most careful down-the-side pour into a tulip pint required two pauses.

[Jester]

Was out with a friend yesterday, and tried my first ever mulled wine. Sort of a hot sangria, if you will. She hated it, I found it very interesting and enjoyable. It was made by the bartender at the beer and wine bar we were at, and had red wine, hard cider, various spices, orange peel, star anise, and probably several other things I'm forgetting. Good stuff on a cold day, even if that cold day is just a cold day by Key West standards.

[Victory Sabre]

Freezing my ass off and enjoying an Olde Main Brewing Company Off Kilt er Scottish Ale.

A thick bubbly head on it. Fairly dark, but lighter than the Sodbuster I talked about a few posts back. It's got an dark amber hue to it.

Taste Not bad. Malty. Pretty damn good Scottish Ale. I'll, for sure, buy it again.

[deadbody]

Last couple days have been big beer nights.

Lagunitas Sucks, Bells Hopslam, and Alaskan Hop-o-thermia for the double IPA so much hops your tongue tingles kick.

And Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, and Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine for the richer maltier kick.

Thinking another Russian Imperial stout tonight with SWTOR raid. Might crack a Deschutes Abyss and just enjoy.

[sms001]

Bells Hopslam

Their Two Hearted IPA is one of my favorites in that segment. Piney, citrusy, AND malty. Will keep my eyes peeled for Hopslam - I'm sure I've seen it somewhere...

[KiaKat]

I've gotten back into cocktails. Mixed up some lemon syrup last night, and have been combining it with the High West Double Rye, then adding a small dose of sea salt caramel, a rasp or two of fresh nutmeg, and a splash of soda. Damned good, if I do say so.

[Victory Sabre]

I wish I still hosted parties for the "Big Game", if I did I'd open up my bottle of Madhouse Berleywine beer for said event. At almost $10 a bottle, it's quite expensive. It's also 9.5% alcohol in a 750 ml bottle. Maybe I'll open it up after the "Big Game" and review it.

Ok, now for the review for tonight. New Glarus Snowshoe. Won't be a proper review, since I finished off half the bottle before I realized I hadn't reviewed it yet.

Limited edition winter beer. Nice amber color to it. Goes down great (hence being half done before starting the review). I don't know if it's still out there for sale (though I have to go to my parents and a beer run to Wisconsin is mandatory), so I'll find out tomorrow.

[Jester]

And Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout....

Delicious!

At almost $10 a bottle, it's quite expensive. It's also 9.5% alcohol in a 750 ml bottle.

"Quite expensive"?

Oh, that's hilarious. And proof that things are definitely relative, especially to where you live.

Because down here a beer of that strength in a bottle that size for that price would be considered a freakin' steal! Of course, since I buy most of my beer in bars, my view is a bit askew, but I do occasionally buy retail, and that is still a damn good price for such a beer.

At least in Not So Cheap Key West.

[sms001]

New Glarus Snowshoe.... I don't know if it's still out there for sale

Still plenty here, but I don't think you wanna cross the whole state for a six-pack.

...proof that things are definitely relative, especially to where you live.

True that - last time we suffered taking some out-of-towners in to the Loop, a twelve ounce BUDWEISER was that much at Harry Careys.

[Victory Sabre]

Still plenty here, but I don't think you wanna cross the whole state for a six-pack.

I have to go to the metro today, so it's an easy trip to Hudson.

[Jester]

Golden Pheasant Lager from Slovakia (5.0% ABV): a nice golden hue and a pleasant, light, sweet nose make for a refreshing promise. The taste delivers on that promise. An excellent lighter beer, this is smooth and tasty, easy drinking, and still flavorful. It would be great on a hot day, and promises to go well with my Home Fries Deluxe I just made myself.

What are Home Fries Deluxe? Simply put, in a skillet I cooked up some red potatoes with white onion, red bell pepper, garlic, chicken, and tomatoes, with a healthy seasoning of salt and black pepper, a bit of Emeril's Essence, and a touch of thyme. (The tomatoes were a last minute thing, both in decision and execution...diced up a nice vine tomato and threw it in the skillet as the home fries were finishing up.) Nice pregame brunch. And I had to have beer with it, of course! Hence the GPL.

My day is off to a nice, lazy, relaxed start.

GO SEAHAWKS!

[deadbody]

Last night was good.

New Glarus Fat Squirell (just a good nut brown ale), Lagunitas New Dogtown Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Fritz and Kens 30th anniversary stout (nice cellar grab by a buddy of mine), and Stone Enjoy by 2-14-14, along with a bottle of Central Waters Bourbon Barrel stout.

Split between 4 people it made for a nice tasting while watching the game, and still being able to function this morning.

If any of you guys use untappd as an app to track beers and stuff send me a friend request. User name is deadbody, and I'm having fun with it right now. Getting badges is addictive.