CS Booze Club.

[AnqeiicDemise]

I've never had or even heard of Orion. I will keep an eye out for it in the future, though. Can you tell us more about it, i.e., style, etc.? I'd also be curious to know what his other "corners" were.

Best Japanese beer I've ever had was the wheat beer from Coedo. Not just a great Japanese beer, but one of the best wheat beers I've ever had, which is saying something. How good was it? It was one of the only non-German wheat beers that I would put in the same class as the better German wheat beers. Yeah, it's that damn good.

I'm trying to go by memory. He caught me in a medicated, insomniac state when he was telling me about his four favorite beers yesterday. I've tried them all and I agree they're fantastic.

Sapporo - It is a rice lager, absolutely light. I prefer it in the summer. Its brewed in the Chiba prefecture.
Kirin Ichiban - Its classified as an american pale lager. Maybe that's why its *not* the biggest fan and I really have to be in a mood for this one. I didn't know this until right now but Kirin Ichiban has been brewed in the US since 97. That explains things. I wonder if there are imports still coming in. I bet its like the US vs Mexican Coke, look at the label.
Asahi - its a crisp, dry rice lager. Slighty on the hoppier side of things. I'm not sure if its brewed in Tokyo or if its headquarters are just there.
Orion - Its another rice lager, a little bit more watery but smooth as hell. I know this one is brewed in Okinawa and now that I think about it, I remember how we heard about it; his step father IS from Okinawa and went on and and on about how delightful it is.

Someone compared Orion to Budweiser which kind of offended me. Bud is just colored water with a bitter after taste. At least to me. Orion is a little watery compared to oh, Asahi but about the same body as Sapporo. There is a mild sweetness, then the tiny bit of hop flavor and with that its then gone.

I don't mind hop. I like stouts usually, but it isn't the kind of thing I want to enjoy when I feel like I'm in a sauna. I want refreshing, not chewy. I don't know if that even makes sense at all.

[Jester]

Continuing on with the beers I bought on the mainland....

Innis & Gunn Toasted Oak India Pale Ale (Scotland, 5.6% ABV): As many of you know, I am not normally big on IPAs. However, this is Innis & Gunn, one of my favorite breweries. Or as I like to call it, Innis & Motherfucking Gunn. So even though it's an IPA, it's an I&MG I've not tried yet. Which is why I had to pick up at least one bottle.

Color is a dark golden, with a bit of a fluffy white head on it. Nose is subtly hoppy, but not over the top, and with undertones of a certain fresh beer character. Holy oak! If all IPAs tasted like this, I'd be a much bigger IPA fan. For those of you looking for a huge hop punch, this is not your beer. This is a little smoky, a little caramely, a little hoppy, and yes, a little oaky. It all comes together in a well-balanced, almost rich beer that makes you thank the Beer Gods for the existence of Scotland. Score: 7.5. Never thought I'd rate an IPA that high, but this is awesome. Even better than a couple other I&MG's I've had, like their Cherry Cask, which is still my least favorite in their line (though still better than a whole lot of other beers out there.)

[Jester]

AD, I find Sapporo and, even more so, Asahi to be rather watery, so I can't imagine that I'd really be overly fond of Orion. I do like Ichiban, and it's usually my beer of choice when out at a sushi restaurant.

[AnqeiicDemise]

AD, I find Sapporo and, even more so, Asahi to be rather watery, so I can't imagine that I'd really be overly fond of Orion. I do like Ichiban, and it's usually my beer of choice when out at a sushi restaurant.

I didn't find it watery much but to be fair, my beer of choice tends to be Guinness. Everything's watery to me. [ Now that I think about it, I've no clue why Ichiban gets on my nerves so much. Its hoppy, delightfully so, but something's off. I have a fix for this. I'll have to get all four beers and do a side-by-side comparison. -nod-]

If you ever find yourself in the PNW I'll just have to give you a bottle to taste. ^.-

[Jester]

I love Seattle, but it have no plans of being in the PNW anytime in the near future.

As for Orion, if it's Japanese, chances are good I'll find it somewhere. Unless it's distribution is purely West Coast.

[Victory Sabre]

Schell's Noble Star Collection North Country Brunette.
According to the label it's their interpretation of a Berliner Marzen Weisse. It's been aged for a year in a cypress wood tank. From that, I can't wait to pop it open. Also, it is a very expensive beer at $18\w tax for a bottle.

Cloudy amber color. not too much head. Nice subtle nose to it.

Taste. nice complex flavor to it. got hints of fruit. you can taste that it has been aged, and it's a good flavor. I do like it, but at $18 it's a tougher sell to buy, but I would buy it again. 8 out of 10.

Also, from Schell's Brewing, an exclusive at the Minnesota State fair. they are selling a Blueberry beer there. I can't wait to try it on the 31st when I finally get there.

[Jester]

Vic, I hope that $18 bottle was a big bomber bottle, or else much better than you seemed to indicate.

From Left Hand Brewing in Colorado, we have Black Jack Porter (6.8% ABV). And when I saw "we have" of course I mean "I have." Some things I'm just selfish about, I guess.

Color: dark brown bordering on black, with a bit of a dark tan head.
Nose: subtle, with some richness and maltiness hiding in the background.
Taste: definitely rich, definitely malty, definitely delicious. A bit of a thin body, but the taste is a wonderful mix of mocha and roasted malt, with a hint of dark brown sugar. Utterly delicious. 7.5.

[Victory Sabre]

Forgot to mention, it is a 25 oz bottle.

[Jester]

Makes more sense. A lot of those bomber bottles come with larger price tags. Which makes sense to a degree, since they're essentially two beers in one.

I've actually seen far higher price tags on some bomber bottles than the $18 you paid. $22, $24, $28, even $30 and up. A lot depends on the beer, of course, but sometimes it depends on the market you live in and the venue you purchase it at (liquor store, specialty store, bar, etc.).

[Victory Sabre]

I think the most I've ever seen for a similar sized bottle was in the $23 range.

[Jester]

Yes, but you're in a cheaper market than I am. So that is to be expected.

[Victory Sabre]

Yes, it is true, it is a cheaper market. I don't think I've seen more than $10 for a 6 pack here. I know Sapporo is around $10.

I also screwed up: I just realized I've never reviewed Kirin Ichiban, and just finished my stein of it. for my quick and dirty review: it's a good beer and it is a solid 7 for me.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Yes, it is true, it is a cheaper market. I don't think I've seen more than $10 for a 6 pack here. I know Sapporo is around $10.

I also screwed up: I just realized I've never reviewed Kirin Ichiban, and just finished my stein of it. for my quick and dirty review: it's a good beer and it is a solid 7 for me.

It definitely is a tasty beer.

The weekend's coming up, which means pay day... which means I'll have to go get the four beers and have a taste off.

[Jester]

From last night....

More of my score from the mainland....

From Twisted Pine Brewing, Reilly's Oak Whiskey Red Ale (Colorado, 5.6% ABV): The label says "ale aged in genuine oak whiskey barrels," as if no one has done that before. That's amusing to me, for some reason. Also according to the label, they use their Red Mountain ale and age it in the aforementioned barrels. And I may be amused by their seeming self-importance, but apparently this beer won a gold medal at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival, and that's no joking matter.

As for the beer itself, does pour thicker than most reds I've see, and is much darker as well: a very, very dark brick red, bordering on dark brown. It also has a thick creamy head, which takes it's own sweet time to dissipate. The nose is very, very subtle, but it definitely has a whiskey note to it. In the mouth, the beer feels thicker than most reds, almost like a brown or a porter. It tastes like a red, which is always hard for me to explain (if you know reds, you kinda get it), but it definitely is heavier than most, and has some toffee notes to it. Honestly one of the better reds I've had. My score: 7.5.


And now I shall review a beer that the Beer Monger has been waiting impatiently for me to review. This one is NOT one I got on my most recent trip to the mainland, but one I picked up from the Beer Monger himself, at his recommendation.

The beer in question is Aventinus Eisbock Barrique, from Schneider Weisse Brewery, an ice bock aged for two years in French Pinot Noir wine barrels. Apparently it is very limited edition as it is numbered. In this case, #233 out of 688. I don't know if that's the total number made of the total number from a particular batch. And it wasn't cheap: this single 11.2 oz bottle (NOT a big bomber!) was priced at $23.99. That's not a typo: it's not even 12 ounces, and it's 24 bucks. For those keeping score at home, that's over $2 an ounce...for beer. But I'm not interested in all the trappings of this fancy beer, I'm more interested in the taste. And sure, I could cellar it for a while, but screw it....let's do this!

From Germany, this beer weighs in at 12.0% ABV. Once again, that is not a typo. That is 12%. So, even if it sucks, it will get you drunk!

The color is deep, deep red, not surprisingly close to that of Pinot Noir. There is no head to speak of. The nose is very much that of a deep, rich, red wine. Again, not a surprise. The taste is very wine-like. I think too much so. It is not really beer-like in any way. And I love wine, but I think they may have gone too far here. And the sad part for me is that it doesn't even taste like a good red wine. I love a good Pinot Noir, and perhaps the wine that came out of these casks was such a wine, but this beer....isn't. I am actually grimacing as I drink it. But I shall drink it for a few reasons. First, it may get better as I continue, though it has at this point shown no sings of doing so. Secondly, I paid $24 bucks for this damn thing. You better believe I'm gonna drink it. Third, it's 12%, and it's 1:30 am. No reason not to get a good buzz on.

Score, assuming my opinion doesn't change in the next 9 ounces or so: 3.0.

[Victory Sabre]

Luciernaga The Firefly from Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales LLC Dexter Michigan.

Golden in color. Nice thick head when poured. It's got a subtle nose to it. You can smell some spices, and it's a good smell.

Taste. Well, it's ok. I can't say it's great. It is barrel aged, but it doesn't seem to make it better. There is also a skunky taste to it. Because of all these facts I have to give it a 3.5 out of 10. It's a big let down.