CS Booze Club.

[Victory Sabre]

Regrding Jester's post a few back: I am on unique beer #64 for the year. I have been holding there since Sunday. Every beer since then have been repeats, and I've taken more days off than Jester (massive hangovers suck). Right now I am enjoying a glass, my last one till I get there to refill my growler, of Oliphant Rolo Tony Brown Town. I wishthey bottled it, becuse it might find it's way to Key West in March. Growler form, probably not a good idea in a suitcase.

[Jester]

They make a surprisingly good bbq sauce though, and one of the best creme sodas I've ever had. None of their beers have ever knocked my socks off.

Their hard ginger beer is pretty tasty, and their non-alcoholic root beer is damn good, but their hard root beer is disappointing, especially compared to the NA version. Other than their hard ginger beer, though, yeah, their alcoholic brews aren't all that great.

Regrding Jester's post a few back: I am on unique beer #64 for the year. I have been holding there since Sunday. Every beer since then have been repeats, and I've taken more days off than Jester (massive hangovers suck).

In case anyone else is wondering, this is not a competition, but more of an observation Vic and I are engaging in, just seeing how many unique beers we try in a single year. After all, much of the fun with trying new beers is being able to go back and enjoy the ones we liked in the first place.

I wish they bottled it, becuse it might find it's way to Key West in March. Growler form, probably not a good idea in a suitcase.

I appreciate the thought, but you're right, it's definitely not a good idea in a suitcase.

[Victory Sabre]

In case anyone else is wondering, this is not a competition, but more of an observation Vic and I are engaging in, just seeing how many unique beers we try in a single year. After all, much of the fun with trying new beers is being able to go back and enjoy the ones we liked in the first place.

No, it isn't a competition at all. It is a fun experience to keep track of the beers enjoyed throughout the year.

Also, even though I am Scots-Irish/German stock, I am an extreme lightweight when it comes to drinking. It doesn't take much to get me plowed. The one beer I had last night, Rolo Tony Brown Town, got me pretty damn drunk. No way I could keep up with Jester even if I tried.

[Victory Sabre]

Excelsior Bitteschlappe Brown Ale - 6.5% ABV

Very dark brown, and the head is thick and frothy. I get a slight nose in it. a hint of caramel in it.

Taste: well, it is very wattery tasting, I hate to say. There's not much flavor to this beer. there's slight hints of caramel, and chocolate, but, all in all, very boring and bland.

3.5 out of 10, becuase I am so disappointed with it.

[Victory Sabre]

Shiner Birthday Beer Chocolate Stout.

With Shiner's 106th birthday we get a chocolate stout. I am excited.

it pours like motor oil, and has a thick foamy head. the nose is chocolate, very strong chocolate.thatnose is just from pouring it. getting in close, it's even more pronounced.

taste: oh, my, CHOCOLATE! So rich and chocolate flavored. it is so flavorful. so amazing. this is a great, no awesome beer. I don't know if it still is in stores, but if you see it, get it. you won't be disappointed.
8.5 out of 10. a very high praise for sure.

[Jester]

I will look for that Shiner Birthday Beer. It sounds delicious.

On that same note, you should seek out Samul Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout and Rivertown's Roebling Porter. Both brilliant. And since Samuel Smith is an English brewery and Rivertown is out of Ohio, there's a reasonably good chance you could find both in your area.

No way I could keep up with Jester even if I tried.

I went to Arizona State and live in Key West. I'm a professional.

[Victory Sabre]

To celebrate getting Internet back at home after a week, time for a review.

Wild Sour Series Flanders Red from Destihl Brewery. 6.1 ABV & 15 IBU.

I first discovered Destihl when I bought their Hoperation Overload beer when I was in Wisconsin, and fell in love with it. I was happy to see that they also distributed in Minnesota. I saw on their FB page that they also had their Wild Sour Series, and was interested. So here goes

Very dark red in color with a thick head. The nose is a very interesting sour smell, very pleasing. It, in a way, almost smells like wine. I am not a big wine drinker, but it smells interesting.

Taste : you get the sourness right away. It's not obnoxiously sour, but it is sour. It does taste a lot like wine. As i said before, not the biggest wine drinker (unless it's Mangria), but this is a nice sipping beer.

6 out of 10

[Victory Sabre]

-30 windchill tonight, yeah, beer time.

Boulevard Tank #7 Farmhouse Ale - 8.5 ABV

Really light goledn color. There is a nice fluffy fomy head to this beer. I get almost a floral nose to this beer.

Taste : it is a lighter beer. It does have an interesting flavor. There is a hint of sweetness, but not obnoxious. It might have been a better idea to save it for summer, on a hot day, instead of a not day.

6 out of 10

[Jester]

From Magic Hat Brewing's Humdinger Series, it's Burnpile Smoked Porter (Vermont, 7.5%).

This large bomber bottle of beer has been in my fridge for a while now, and tonight, I decided to break it out. And when you have to take off a wrapper, remove a wire cage, and pop a cork on a big bottle of beer as if it were a bottle of champagne, you hope for and honestly expect something worthwhile. Especially if it's been in your collection a couple of years or more. So, on to the eyes/nose/tongue test!

The cork did not come out willingly. Took me several minutes of twisting and turning. Upon pouring into the glass, the color is jet black with a think, dark tan head. The nose is subtle, but malty and smoky....I think. Hard to tell, as subtle as it is. But that is my best guess. The mouthfeel is a little watery, and the body a bit thin, but the taste is smooth, with hints of malt, chocolate, and smoke. Nothing dominates, but the flavors all play in harmony together. Could be smokier, honestly. Could be richer. Could be fuller. But one thing it is....is damn good. It's not quite great, but it is very good, and I'm glad to see it didn't disappoint after all that time seeing it and bypassing it for something else. Final score: a solid 7.0.

[deadbody]

smoked beers tend to lose some of that smokiness the longer you age them. Stuff that is overpoweringly smoke fresh is amazing with a couple years aging on it.

[Jester]

What do Bulgaria and Mars have in common? I've never drank beer from either place! That is....until now!

And lest you think I've been on some interstellar journey, trust me, the truth is much stranger....I'm drinking Bulgarian beer! Specifically, Shumensko Premium, which clocks in at 4.6% ABV.

It's golden color. Virtually no nose, though a hint of something a bit heathery or wheaty. Flavorful and smooth, with an oddness that I've never tasted, beyond just the hint of citrus (perhaps, or something else tangy) that is playing with my taste buds. Not at all what I was expecting, as many Eastern European beers are very Pilsner-like, or worse, godawful. This is neither. This is.....different. But good. I give it a solid 6.5.

[Jester]

The Most Expensive Beer of All Time!

Okay, that's not at all true. It is partially true, but only in the sense that it's the most expensive beer that I'VE ever bought. So it is the most expensive beer I've paid for in all my time on the planet. The vitals...

Name: Black Ops
Style: Stout aged in bourbon barrels, 100% bottle re-fermented
Brewery: Brooklyn
ABV: 11.6%
Packaging: 25.4 oz bomber bottle with a cork
List Price: $50
My Price: $35

World of Beer has a deal that, if you take bottles of beer home with you, they call it "retail" and give you a 30% discount. A pretty good deal. And I didn't even know the price when I first ordered it....I just asked if they had anything new and exciting in that I could take home with me. But even at the discounted price, it's still the single most expensive bottle of beer I've ever bought. (One day, Samuel Adams Utopias...one day.)

So, with all that buildup....let's taste the damn beer!

I have often said that if a beer pours like motor oil, I'll probably love it. Black Ops pours about as much like motor oil as any beer I've ever seen. Very good sign, indeed. It is, naturally, dead black, with a very dark tan head, that is thicker than you get with most stouts. The nose is very much malt forward, with some coffee notes, but more roasted malt and good dose of smoke than anything. Very nice.

The taste? I've often said that most smoke beers have disappointed me, either from having too much smoke and no real flavor, or just lacking in smoke completely (other than the brilliant brews from Aecht, of course). Black Ops delivers on all cylinders. Plenty of flavorful smoke taste. Plenty of toasty malt taste. A small hint of coffee in the background. Very damn good beer. You have to really like malty beers to drink this, and enjoy some smokiness, but if you do, you'll enjoy the hell out of this beer.

Score: 8.0.

Some might say that for the price tag, this should be a 10, or at least damn close to a 10. I can see that argument. But the thing is, taste is subjective. I have no doubt that many people feel this beer is a 10. I love it, and 8.0 is rarefied air indeed in my world, but for me, personally, this is just not up there with the deities of my beer pantheon.

Is it worth the price? Again, that's a subjective thing. Some might argue that no beer is worth $50, or even $35. And to them, it wouldn't be. For me, it's a lovely beer, and I glad I got to try it, even with the hefty price tag. Will I be running out to get more immediately? No. Would I be if the price tag were lower? Yes, I do believe I would. But don't get me wrong, this is a very high quality, tasty beer, and I do recommend it.

As for the price tag? Well, that's up to you.

[Victory Sabre]

I know that I would seriously consider getting it, even with that pricetag, because I love smoke beers.

I have most of the day off today, and might be doing a review later. Not sure yet.

[Victory Sabre]

Whole Hog Six Hop IPA - 8.5% ABV

Nice golden color with a nice thick head. The nose is very hoppy.

Taste: very hoppy indeed. You get an explosion of hops in your mouth. It is a very complex hop flavor. Not for those who don't like IPAs.

7 out of 10

Now one month from Thursday I will be in a better place - Key West. I have to try to get my tolerance up, but I don't know if I can.

[Jester]

It's all about pacing and food.