CS Booze Club.

[Jester]

Bufadora Maibock Style Amber Beer (Mexico, 7.5% ABV): hazy light orange in color. Light beery nose with hint of barley, I think, which makes sense as this beer uses "100% barley malt." It is light in body but has a good flavor to it, and is not light in that department. Nor is it overbearing. A good beer to drink with food. Which I am doing, with ridiculously tender braised pork belly, maple glazed sweet potatoes, and the carrots from the braising liquid. Yummmmmmmmmyyyyy!

Oh, I probably should give the beer a score, huh? 7.0. Solid. Sorry....was distracted by the food.

[Victory Sabre]

Sorry I haven't been posting here much lately with reviews. I just haven't been in a drinking mood for about a week, but tonight I'll have one.

Tonight it's the Confluence Brewing Company Blue Corn Lager.

Nice Golden color. Frothy head when poured. For the nose, well, there is some, It reminds me of an old time beer smell, like Hamms. As a fan of Hamms, It looks promising.

Taste. Hmmmm, sadly, not much flavor. Really boring, to be honest. I'll have to give it a 4. Not too impressed.

Back to the Spiced Amber.

[Victory Sabre]

Crow Peak Canyon Cream Ale from Spearfish, SD.

I picked this up in Fargo on Monday, and thought I'd try one tonight.

Color - Light golden
Nose, not too much
Taste - like the nose, not too much flavor. I was, like my last beer that I reviewed, disappointed. 4 out of 10. I sure as heck won't go out of my way for this.

[Jester]

So I love Spanish wine. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Spanish beer, though, is not usually as good, though there are some standouts. Estrella Damm is my favorite.

Correction: Estrella Damm WAS my favorite. Move over, kid, there's a new hombre in town. My new favorite Spanish beer is Alhambra Premium Lager. From my notes yesterday: "medium golden color. Light, almost fruity nose--very unexpected. Taste is light, wheaty, flavorful, and delicious. 7.0." And at 5.4% ABV, it won't kill you, either. I plan on buying this by the six pack, as I've done in the past with Estrella.

[Jester]

Time for a morning beer! Because, A. It's my birthday, B. I want to, and C. Fuck Kanye West.

So my friend the Beer Monger brought me back a present from his travels. An IPA. Of course. Because he loves IPAs, and can't figure out why I don't. *sigh* Well, knowing him, it's probably an IPA that is not too ridiculous, because he does know my tastes. And I'll try anything, so why not?

Out of Sarasota, Florida, from JDubs Brewing, we have Up Top! IPA (6.5% ABV). Appearance is orange and hazy, with a white fluffy head. Nose is pleasantly hoppy. Taste is hoppy, but pleasantly so. Just about at my limits of hoppiness, honestly, but it is tasty, with a nice floral finish. For an IPA, not too shabby. Which for me is a rare thing to say. 6.5.

[Victory Sabre]

Ok, I am back from my whirlwind tour of the Chicago metro and the state of Wisconisn tour, I haven't eaten all day, literally, so I'm at happy hour. I've got 2 reviews here.

First, a non beer review. I've got a rum review. it's called Heath Rum, and it's distilled in Wisconsin. As I was headed to Green Bay on US 41 I saw a billboard for this, and said it sounds cool, and I've got to get it. it smells really good, and it goes down amazingly. I give it high marks, and highly recommend my friends from the land of cheese try it.

Second is a beer review. Wasatch devastator Dobblebock. it had a good head when poured. it's dark brown in color.no real nose to speak of. Taste is great. it's, like the rum really smooth going down. love the flavor. if you can find it, I'd say try it.

I also found some new beers in Wisconsin that I will review in the next few reviews.

Here's a list of the 4 beers I picked up. I could have,easily gotten some more, but decided that I've got enough for now.

Stone Arch Brewing Vanilla Stout
Stone Arch Scottish Style Porter
New Glarus Berliner Weiss
and, from the UP of Michigan Keweenaw Widow Maker Black Ale.

[Victory Sabre]

Another beer review, because, why not. now if I get blitzed I can walk home.

Peace Tree Brewing Fatale

Nose a cornucopia of flower scents.
Taste it's got an orange flavor, but so much more. as I am wolfing down my pizza, it really works with it.

Edit

Kate, the bartender showed me my VIP card tha I will ge when I finish my 10th beer tour here at Old Chicago. also, my stein has been ordered.

[Jester]

Wasatch devastator Dobblebock.

Is that from Wasatch a Brewery in Utah? If so, if you can find it in your area, try their Evolution Amber.

Best. Amber. Ever.

Seriously, Evolution is what other ambers wished they were. It's that fucking good. Blows Alaskan Amber out of the water, and Alaskan Amber is damn good.

[Jester]

Quick rum review.

Angostura No. 1. Tried it on my birthday at a rum bar down here, at the suggestion of their rum expert. Fan-freaking-tastic. A good honest rum, aged in bourbon barrels, with notes of toffee and caramel. Blows Angostura's 1919 away, and puts Angostura on the map as a serious rum distiller. This is a rum that should be in every rummy's collection.

[Victory Sabre]

Is that from Wasatch a Brewery in Utah? If so, if you can find it in your area, try their Evolution Amber.

Best. Amber. Ever.

Seriously, Evolution is what other ambers wished they were. It's that fucking good. Blows Alaskan Amber out of the water, and Alaskan Amber is damn good.

Yes it is, and I was home when I drank it last night.
Also here's more info on the rum I reviewed last night. It's only found in cheeseland.
http://www.northwoodsdistillery.com/

[Jester]

From Weyerbacher Brewing in Pennsylvania, we have Tiny Belgian-Style Imperial Stout. Which comes in a large 25 oz. bottle and has an ABV of 11.8%, so this could be amusing.

The color is black, with very little head. Neither surprising for this style. The nose is malty, and sweeter than most stouts, which may be the Belgian style. The taste is smooth and, as the bottle claims, velvety on the tongue. It's a touch sweeter than most imperial stouts, but not to an obnoxious degree. It's definitely a dark beer, but the sweetness balances out the bitterness one might expect from such a dark and malty beverage. Overall, I like it. 7.0.

It will make my rewatching of the last three episodes of Game of Thrones that much more enjoyable. (I've been rewatching the entire series from season 1 on, and I've just got the last three episodes to go. And it's been an awesome watch.).

[sms001]

Stone Arch Brewing Vanilla Stout
Stone Arch Scottish Style Porter
New Glarus Berliner Weiss
Keweenaw Widow Maker Black Ale.

I've had the first three - all quite good (vanilla stouts are one of my favorites, and theirs doesn't disappoint), but nothing remarkable. I'll keep my eyes peeled for the fourth, thanks!

Angostura No. 1.

I assume this is from the 'bitters' folk? They're in Trinidad iirc, so I can see rum being a natural expansion for them.

[Jester]

Delirium Nocturnum, from the same people who brought you Delirium Tremens. I've had this before, but can't for the life of me remember what I thought of it. Or Tremens, for that matter. Belgian beers are all over the spectrum with me, and I don't have a memory for them the way I do with German beers. In any case, I hope I like it, as I have a big 25 oz. bomber of it.

This is a Belgian ale that is a respectable 8.5% ABV, from a brewery that's been going since 1654. Basically, older than the USA, but far younger than some of the German breweries I drink of regularly.

Color is a dark ruby/brown. Nose is oddly sweet, and a bit perfumey. Don't know what more I can say about it, other than it doesn't really appeal to me. But what about the taste?

The taste is more perfumey than I care for, and a bit sweeter. And yet, I like this beer. Odd taste I can't quite describe, bit sweet, bit perfumey.....but pleasant to drink. I'm not huge on Belgian beers, but this one works. I don't love it, but I do like it. I'll finish the bottle, I'm sure. 6.0.

...vanilla stouts are one of my favorites...

If you have not already, try Breckenridge Vanilla Porter. Truly fantastic.

I assume this is from the 'bitters' folk? They're in Trinidad iirc, so I can see rum being a natural expansion for them.

The one and the same. They are more famous for their bitters, but they make good rum as well. I may have commented here on them before, but I shall do it again now. They have their 8 year 1919 and their 12 year 1824, and virtually every rum expert agrees with me that their younger, cheaper 1919 is far superior to their older, more expensive 1824. They just over-refined the 1824, and it shows. But their No. 1 blows both the 1919 and 1824 completely out of the water, and is a true sipping rum. I am pushing my boss to get the Angostura No. 1 added to The Bar's stock of rum.

[Victory Sabre]

Well a crazy day at work = happy hour.

Start off with the Horny Goat Hopped Up N' Horny. beautiful golen color, and a decent head when poured. a slight citrus nose. taste some hoppiness. I did expect more from the name, but it's got a nice flavor, and I do like it. 7 out of 10.

[Victory Sabre]

Home from the bar, and I've (probably stupidly) decided to have 1 more.

Keweenaw Widow Maker Black Ale.

Color - as the name implies - black.
Head - Nice and thick.
Nose - Don't really notice anything.
Taste. Hmmmm. It's very complex. So many flavors competing for my taste buds attention. Some smoke flavor, which I love. there's also a slight hint of caramel to me as an aftertaste. I really like this, and when I travel, I will buy this again. I almost didn't buy it at the store in Oshkosh, but I'm really glad I did. I would prefer it in a bottle, but the can also works. 8 out of 10.