CS Booze Club.

[Victory Sabre]

Anchor Liberty IPA.

Lots of head when poured. Nice golden color. No nose that I can tell.

Taste - a bit of a lighter IPA. Not as strong tasting as a standard IPA. It's good for sure, and if you're not normally an IPA fan, you might like this. 6.5 out of 10.

[Jester]

And the CS Booze Club hits 100 pages. Sweet!

Smuttynose Rhye IPA (NH, 6.8% ABV): So I got this big bottle of a rye (or as they say, "rhye") IPA. I'm known for not being being an IPA fan. Most rye beers I've had did not appeal to me. So why get this?

It's beer. Why not? Who knows....I may love it. And it came highly recommended to me by the Beer Monger. Of course, the Beer Monger is a hophead who loves IPAs, but he knows I don't, so this may or may not turn out to be a good idea. It being a big bomber bottle, I'm hoping I'm not disapointed.

Color: deep rust orange, with a white fluffy head that does not dissipate quickly.

Nose: pleasantly hoppy.

Taste: not overly hoppy. About the level of hoppiness of a hoppy pale ale or a mellow IPA, such as Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, or Cigar City Jai Alai IPA. Pleasant taste. Surprisingly smooth, especially considering that most rye beers seem to be rough or harsh. At least to me, anyway. I don't love it, buy I don't hate it. I think I rather like it. Would I drink it again? Yes. (Though how I feel about that after I finish all 25 ounces may be different.) Would I seek it out? Honestly, no. Pleasant, nice, but I don't see this joining my pantheon of Must Haves. I'll enjoy this through tonight's episode of Hell's Kitchen, and probably never have it again. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try it. It's definitely worth a try, and trying new beers is FUN!

Speaking of trying new beers, our friend Victory Sabre sent me some local (to him) craft beers. They arrived at my bar on Saturday, but because my truck was with my mechanic, I was on my bike, and I didn't want to haul the package across the island on my bike--and I was drinking quite a bit the last five days for my Birthday Mini-Staycation--I did not bring the package home until today. A few things:

1. Vic, thanks! Eight bottles of local craft beer was more than I expected, and that was very nice of you. I randomly put four in the fridge and the other four in the pantry, and will be drinking them--and reviewing them--quite soon.

2. If you ever need bottles of anything wrapped for shipping, hire or talk to Vic. Holy Chipotle, that was an impressive packing job! I probably could have played football with the box and not damaged any of the bottles. Seriously, it was that good.

3. Vic, you asshole--while it was a great packing job, why, why, WHY did you have to send me all that bubble wrap? Did you not know of my utter addiction? I spent twenty freakin' minutes on one sheet alone, and there are still several more to go. My hands are gonna fall off!

"Jester, why don't you just throw the bubble wrap out?"

Because it's freakin' bubble wrap, and it must be popped. As I said, I have a problem with this stuff!

[Victory Sabre]

Well, I was paranoid about it making it there intact. The excess bubble wrap is the side effect of it.

[Victory Sabre]

Well, for a review.

New Glarus Berliner Weiss.

This beer is a specialty beer that they make, and made in very limited quantities. It's fermented in wine bottles.

Color - almost white, very light golden color.
Head - HOLY HEAD BATMAN! I can't pour the whole 12 oz bottle in a 16 oz glass. I'll have to pour, and drink, then re pour.
Nose - almost, huumm, not good smelling.
Taste - It's a very complex beer. It's almost like a white wine. Sadly, I'm not a wine fan - unless it's Mangria (have I reviewed that yet?). It's ok, to me, but I prefer a darker beer. It's probably a good beer, but it's just not for me. I'll give it a 5.

[Jester]

Well, I was paranoid about it making it there intact. The excess bubble wrap is the side effect of it.

Hey, as I said best packing job ever. Not your fault that I have a bubble wrap addiction.

[dalesys]

Hey, as I said best packing job ever. Not your fault that I have a bubble wrap addiction.

It's not an addiction unless you write each bubble's name on it with a sharpie before popping it... and then hold individual funeral services for each one.


Oh. You did that?

[sms001]

...I have a bubble wrap addiction.

There's a great episode of Red Dwarf where Lister's dependence on 'Tension Sheets' (bubble wrap colored red) prompts him to go back in time and steal the idea from the classmate of Rimmer's who invented it.

[Jester]

It's not an addiction unless you write each bubble's name on it with a sharpie before popping it... and then hold individual funeral services for each one.

Oh. You did that?

No, I didn't. The bubbles are too small, and my sharpie is too big. Do your own math.

[Jester]

My first review of one of the beers Victory Sabre sent me!

Schell's Chimney Sweep (MN, 5.2% ABV): this schwarzbier (black beer) style beer pours with a thinner consistency than I might expect, and is almost a light black/dark brown in color, if that makes sense, with very little head. The nose is rather unusual. It's got a lot of characteristics of dark beer, to be sure, but there's other stuff there. I can smell mocha and coffee and some roasted malt, but there seems to be a smoky aspect as well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, considering the name of the beer.

The smokiness comes through even more on the tongue. The body is light, as the pour suggested, but the smoky and roasted malt elements are right up front. It's nice, but after you get past those two notes, it doesn't seem to have much to it, almost as if they came up with the name first and then went about formulating a beer to meet the name, without really considering much else. Still tasty, though. It just doesn't quite live up to its potential. I will enjoy it watching tonight's episode of Orphan Black, though. Thanks, Vic!

Score: 6.5.

[Victory Sabre]

Shell's has a line of beers called the Stag Series. Stag #3 was the inspiration for the Chimney Sweep, and while it's good, the Stag # 3 was better. At least they make that.

[Victory Sabre]

I shouldn't be doing a review right now. I'm way too over served. However, for the CS crew, I will, and I apologize in advance for any mistakes in said post.

Stone Arch Vanilla Stout
http://www.stonecellarbrewpub.com/arch/
Little head when poured
Color - black
Nose - as per the bottle, a strong vanilla smell
Taste - wooooooooo. It is so smooth going down. It's got nice flavor, and is really good for my really drunk self, and would be good for my sober self. If it survives till then, it will be a beer I take on my trip to Northwest Angle. 8 out of 10.

[wolfie]

No, I didn't. The bubbles are too small, and my sharpie is too big. Do your own math.

If the point of your sharpie is too big to allow it to be used for a particular writing task, does that mean that it's actually a bluntie?

[Jester]

#2 of the beers Vic sent me. From Central Waters Brewing in Wisconsin, Mudpuppy Porter (5.5% ABV): dark, dark chocolate brown, bordering on black. Almost no head to speak of, though that is typical of the style. Smooth, subtle, rich nose, with notes of chocolate or cocoa, or perhaps roasted malt; it's hard to say which. Maybe all three. The taste is equally smooth, and equally dark and mysterious, though not as subtle as the nose. Definitely malty, a combination of roasted malt and cocoa. Very smooth, as I said, and worthy of drinking. A bit lighter in body than I would like in my porters, but that is the only quibble I have with this beer. 7.0.

[sms001]

From Central Waters Brewing in Wisconsin,

Their doubles/imperials are really their raison d'être; I hope Vic sent one of those as well. (Though if he just stuck to one per brewery, that was a great choice.) CW also makes a couple of bourbon barrel offerings that are certainly world class.

Drink faster, Jester, I'm curious to see what else he sent you. (He's done a smashing job so far.)

[Victory Sabre]

I just sent that one from Central Waters. I'm going to have to look for the ones you mentioned the next time I go beer shopping.