CS Booze Club.

[Jester]

I don't have an issue with you drinking or reviewing the common Mexican stuff, as you put it.

But reviewing Corona is like reviewing Budweiser.

Why bother? Lol!

(And I say this having previously reviewed that very beer in this very forum, incidentally.... )

[Jester]

In many lines of work, it is not uncommon to receive free samples from vendors to try things out. In politics, this is frowned upon, often even illegal. In hardware, this could be very useful. In cooking, it is a great way for chefs to try new items, and either incorporate them into their menus, or decide not to use them. But in bartending, it means one of the greatest phrases in life: free booze. Usually with liquor vendors this will mean a few tastes of whatever new item they are selling. In my case, being the rum guy at my bar, with a bar manager that doesn't like rum, it means I just about always get to try new rums, and give my managers my opinion on them. They also value my opinion on beers. And with beers, often it is just tastes of some product, but fairly often, it is also entire beers to take home and try out. And as several of the beer vendors know me well, and are aware of my seniority and of my management's interest in my opinion on beer, from time to time I get to take home some beers. Thus it is that yesterday I was handed three beers by one of our vendors (beyond the several he provided my bar manager) to take home and sample. Today being a very lazy day off, that's pretty much what I'm doing.

Full Sail IPA (Oregon, 6.0% ABV): As some of you certainly know I am not normally an IPA guy. At all. I like hoppy pale ales and some of the mellowed IPAs, but when you start getting into Super Hop Country, I am definitely a lost foreigner, uneasy with my surroundings. But this was free, and the beer rep said this might well be an IPA that even I would like. He's a sales rep, so that may just be a line, but I'm willing to try anything, so why not? The color is a dark amber, bordering on orange, with a high clarity, and it poured with very little head. The nose is smooth and slightly hoppy, not the proverbial hop hammer over the head that many IPAs are. The taste and nose don't always agree in beers, but in this case, they actually do. This is a smooth IPA. It does have a hop bite to it, certainly but I've had pale ales that were happier. It's smooth and tasty, and my only real objection is the strongly hippy aftertaste, with quite literally leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Overall, not bad for an IPA, and I give it a 6.5. If offered one, I'd drink it again, though it is probably not a beer I would order for myself. Maybe once in a blue moon.

This would be a great beer for cooking (and that is not at all an insult), and would go well with steak and other meaty dishes. Probably with curry as well, but I am not well versed enough in curry to be certain about that. Just my gut instinct.

Session Lager (Oregon, 5.1% ABV): This is also from the people at Full Sail. It comes in a short, squat, brown bottle with a red and white label, rather similar to Red Stripe. (The bottle is identical. They label is different, being predominantly red with some white on it, the opposite of Red Stripe.) It is light golden amber in color, with little head. The nose is beery, with a hint of skunkiness. Basically, slightly unpleasant. The taste is better than the nose, thank goodness. Smooth, light bodied, somewhat flavorful. Decent, but a bit nondescript. If they were going for a Red Stripe knockoff, they failed. If they were going for a decent smooth large, they succeeded. But despite the awards the vendor said it's received, I can give it no higher praise than "decent" and "smooth." It's drinkable, but to me at least, mostly forgettable. I am as unimpressed with it now as when I first tried it in San Francisco in 2008, but I figured I'd give it another try. And as I recall, the Session Black is decent, but I tried it at a very drunken beer festival, so I can't be more precise than that. As for the regular Session Lager? Definitely order a Red Stripe instead. 5.0.

Last but not least, the one I've been saving for last as I have very high hopes for it. Full Sail Original Amber Ale (Oregon, 6.0% ABV): the color is darker than most ambers, a deep, dark reddish brown, but still with plenty of clarity. No real head to speak of. The nose is refined and balanced, with a good blend of sweetness and hops. There's something else lovely in there, but I'm not quite sure what it is. I am sure what the taste is: delicious! It has a slight hop bite, less than most ambers, and a restrained sweetness, but its overall impression is just that of a good, medium bodied, medium flavored beer. And medium is not an insult here. It's neither overflowing with flavor nor lacking thereof, but it is very, very nice. My favorite of the three, without question. 7.5.

(Sadly, the amber doesn't go very well with my dinner of pasta with red sauce and sausage, which seems to bring a lot more hop bite out of the beer by its contrast.)

[mathnerd]

but I've had pale ales that were happier. It's smooth and tasty, and my only real objection is the strongly hippy aftertaste,

Trouble with the "o" key? Oh, the terrible jokes I have running through my brain...

[deadbody]

Full sail is pretty forgettable. Not bad, but not really good as your review indicates. I have an empty rental house and no money so not drinking much now, just clearing out the beer cellar a bit, lots of stuff I have reviewed before.

Summit Saga however is a good cheap IPA, so I have been getting a bit of that.

[deadbody]

Pulled on out of the cellar last nigh.

Indeed Hot Box. Imperial smoked pepper porter. 9% ABV. pours a dark rich brown, not quite the motor oil I expect from an Imperial dark beer. Nice fluffy cream head. Super creamy mouthfeel, very rich, lots of spicy pepper flavor. Jalapeno and Poblano peppers were roasted and the the beer was aged on them. Not much in the way of smoke, but that's ok.

If you like pepper beers it's pretty good. If not then you won't like it at all

8/10

[Victory Sabre]

Well, today was frustrating. My car is in the shop and it's a major engine repair that will cost me $1200.

So, what better way to raise my spirits than with beer.

I don't know if I've reviewed this yet. First beer tonight is The Schell Brewery (New Ulm, MN) Schell Shocked Grapefruit Radler Beer.

Schell Brewery is the second oldest family owned brewery in the nation after Yuengling, and they put out some amazing products. This is no exception.

Little head when poured. Very light colored, but a wonderful greapfruit taste when consumed. It goes down way to easy, since I've got one more day of work tomorrow before vacation, I've got to take it somewhat easy, so all I'm having is one of them.

Also, to Jester, I know what I'm bringing for you, and I hope you'll like it. See you Tuesday.

[Victory Sabre]

Second, and final beer tonight

Great River Brewery Redband Stout out of the Quad Cities in Iowa. It's a stout with coffee added. Probably not a good idea for a guy who suffers from insomnia, but, whatever.

It looks like motor oil when poured. little head on this beer. You can smell the coffee in it when smelling it.

Taste, yes it has a coffee flavor. A bit bitter, but I like bitter. Pretty cool beer, probably would get it again when I'm next in Iowa (yeah, I know I can get it here in MN also, but going to Iowa in a month).

[wolfie]

Well, today was frustrating. My car is in the shop and it's a major engine repair that will cost me $1200.

Just curious - what's wrong with your engine? My car is due for a timing belt (around $600) soon - and my truck will need a complete rebuild (costs more than some cars) soon too.

[Jester]

Not much in the way of smoke, but that's ok.

My problem with most smoked beers that I've tried is that they're either all smoke and no flavor, or all flavor and no smoke. (Some really dreadful ones are no smoke OR flavor!)

Which is why I love Aecht so much. Aecht is a German brewery that has made their name on their smoked beers, and it shows. Lots of smoke, lots of flavors. Their Smoked Weizen is the only beer I've ever given a 9.5 to, and one of only two beers that I've ever scored higher than 9. (The other is Weihenstephaner Korbinian dopplebock, which I scored a 10, as it's simply the best beer I've ever had, and proof that Germans perfected beer.) If you don't mind a barbecue in a glass, get yourself some Aecht. Besides the Weizen, they have a Marzen, an Urbock, and a Lager, all of which are delicious. The Lager is not technically a smoke beer, but they brew it in the same kettle as their smoke beers, so it gets a lot of smokiness.

Also, to Jester, I know what I'm bringing for you, and I hope you'll like it. See you Tuesday.

See ya Tuesday, though I have no idea how you're gonna get that beer past cruise ship security. Good luck with that!

And if I didn't tell you this already, don't eat breakfast that day on the ship...taking you to one of the best breakfasts in Key West.

[ZumZum]

My son and I have similar taste in beer. I prefer wheat beers, he likes to find unique ones for us to try.
This one was amazing.
Shock Top Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat. Anything Shock Top does is good, though

[Jester]

Sum, if you guys like wheat beers, you should try some German hefeweizens, since the Germans pretty much invented that style. Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephaner, Franziskaner, Flensburger, and Tucher are a few I'd suggest.

[Victory Sabre]

I think I've reviewed this before but enjoying a Yuengling beer, sitting at a bar in Dania Beach Florida, looking over the river near the ocean is amazing. The flavor is enhanced doing this.

[Jester]

You will find Yuengling throughout Florida.

A lot of northeasterners are surprised by this, since it's a Pennsylvania beer, but what they don't realize is that about 20 years ago, Yuengling took over an old Stroh's brewery in Tampa, and brew their stuff there as well as Pottsville, their home base in PA. So technically, it's a local beer down here as well.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Victory Sabre]

Yes, I did know that and was so looking forward to some here.

[Jester]

Spring time! Late April. Perfect time for a.....pumpkin ale?

Sure, why not. Saw this at the store and figured I'd try it.

St. Ambroise's Citrouille pumpkin ale (Canada, 5.0% ABV): deep reddish color, slightly hazy in appearance. Slightly sweet pumpkin spice nose. Decent taste, decent pumpkin beer, but nothing really special. Glad I only got a single and not the whole four pack. Score it a 5 out of 10. Average and forgettable, though drinkable. I expect more from Canada, beer wise.