CS Booze Club.

[pitmonkey]

Scuttlebutt has bottled their Tell Tale Red. They have had it on tap as a nitro and now have it carbonated. It has a nice hopp taste with a citrus after.
I like darker beers. IPA and blonds don't do it for me unless it is hot out and they are ice cold. This is one that I like year round.
Jester, you might find this one in your neck of the woods.

[Jester]

I have not heard of it, but I am always looking out for new beers.

In semi-related news, my friend Little Red and I went to Beer Fest in Fort Lauderdale last April, making a mini vacation out of it by staying up in Lauderdale for three days and two nights. We had so much fun, we decided to make a week of it this year, doing two nights on the beach and three nights in downtown Lauderdale, even though the beer festival itself is only one night.

Little Red had booked the beach hotel for the two nights in April, and we were about to book the downtown dates when we found out that the organizers of the festival had shifted the date of Beer Fest from April to May. What? Oh, okay, this isn't bad, and actually works out better for us time-wise. And the beach hotel's booking was fully cancelable and refundable. So a few days ago, we booked both hotels for the May dates. Little Red got a killer deal on the downtown hotel since she works for the hotel chain that owns them, and so got a nice employee rate, which was non-refundable.

Last night we found out that the brilliant minds that are organizing Beer Fest have shifted the date again....to November. What. The. FUCK?!? Seriously? What the hell do they think they're doing? Well, apparently they are pursuing a "national act" to perform at Beer Fest, and this pursuit has prompted them to shift the entire festival to six months later than originally planned. Completely ignoring the fact that some people actually have made plans around this festival, including booking hotels and such. Also completely ignoring the fact that the star of a beer festival is not any band that is performing, but is, in fact, the fucking beer.

So now I'm not sure what we're going to do. The current date for Beer Fest happens to be the same weekend as the World Championship Powerboat Races here in Key West, a very busy weekend here, not to mention very lucrative. Not to mention the fact that, damn it, we are both ready for a fun little vacation.

Needless to say we are rather pissed at the morons running this show. I am sure we are not the only ones. More on this story as it develops.....

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, I had nothing NEW to report. Patron is my default beverage. Unless I can get my hands on Cabo Wabo. I'm hard pressed to figure out what I like better. Probably the Patron Anejo.

[Jester]

It was new to US. I know *I* hadn't known that about you.

So, how do you drink Patron Anejo? Neat? On the rocks? In a margarita? Spill, woman, spill.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Oh, man, no. Don't use Patron as a mixer. It's too good for that.

I like it straight, at room temperature. I usually do the salt and lime, but honestly, for tequila this good, you don't want to overpower it. I personally adore the taste and mouthfeel of tequila. And anyways, I gave up salt for Lent.

I have a strong preference for gold tequila, and the Anejo is just gorgeous. Aged in oak barrels, has that wonderful smokey and sweet tone in it that Kentucky Whiskey has.

[thansal]

So, my one new thing is Wild Turkey American Honey. My friend picked up a bottle for me for my birthday this weekend.

I'm not a bourbon drinker (but then, I haven't been a Whiskey drinker in general until recently), and this is obviously NOT for bourbon drinkers. It is strong in the honey and associated flavors, however the bourbon is still there, not completely overpowered by the sweet.

I enjoy it neat, my GF was ok with it neat, but with a couple of cubes and she perked up right away (I think that even a splash of water would be perfect for it, smoothing out the little bit of rough that it has).


I also picked up a bottle of Black Seal (I was out and about and it was on sale). It's great. I love it. I'm a sucker for anything dark and heavily flavored. Mixed with some Reed's ginger brew it was wonderful, or even just neat (I'll drink just about any rum neat, I'm not sure why, but I love it).



I'll also comment on Victory:
I hate em. With a passion.
:P

Everything I have had from them was massively hoppy, the Prima is probably one of their more tame ones, and even that smells atrocious for me. My dad had a bottle of Yakima Glory. One whiff told me that it was going to be even more hoppy than anything I have had. The first sip was all I needed. It tasted like perfume, and I hate perfume :P

Honestly, I'll never understand the American craft breweries obsession with shoving as much hops into a beer as possible. It isn't that I flat out dislike hops, I just prefer a balance, and I don't like my beer smelling/tasting like a bottle of cheap perfume.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

So, the husband has a bad habit of finishing off my good tequila and then trying to replace it with...shall we say lesser quality spirits.

So I send him to the liquor store to get me some booze and he comes back with the Margaritaville Passion Flower tequilla.

It's undrinkable. It tastes like watered down hand soap. Or your granny's cologne. We got hold of a bottle of that shit last summer and were using it to disinfect our mouths so we could siphon off a carboy of wine into some bottles (our pump siphon quit working...you can do it by mouth, but you have to gargle with alcohol first.)

Of all the stuff he could have brought back, he had to get that.

Margaritaville, as cheap tequila goes, is not bad. It makes a nice party mixer to make...you sitting down for this...Margaritas with. Or whatever mixed drinks. Patron it is not, but for the money, it's acceptable. It's better than Cuervo. He'd seen us buy some of the other flavors for parties, but he hadn't seen the passionflower flavor.

He didn't stop to consider that there might be a reason for that.

[Jester]

Oh, man, no. Don't use Patron as a mixer. It's too good for that.

I am going to respectfully disagree. NOT that Patron is not good. Oh, it is very, very good. But I have to admit, I get a kick out of people who tell me about various tequilas, "Oh, don't use that in a margarita--what a waste!" But then, a cocktail is only as good as its ingredients, and if its ingredients are great, and it is well-balanced, it is going to be one hell of a cocktail.

I have made margaritas using Patron Anejo (though I prefer Sauze Tres Generaciones Anejo, or Sauza Conmemorative Anejo, or at the very least, SOME Anejo tequila), but I don't simply substitute it in a normal recipe for a margarita. No, no, no. Instead of Rose's lime juice, I crush fresh lime wedges in the glass and use NATURE'S lime juice. Instead of triple sec, I use Grand Marnier....not as a floater, mind you, but as an integral part of the drink. Scoff if you will, but my ritas freakin' rock.

Of course, if we were talking about Gran Patron and its ridiculous price tag, that might be another story.....

In relation to this particular debate, I will tell you that, regarding some of the ultra-premium rums we have at my bar, I will joke around with the customers and tell them that, in the country of origin of whatever ultra-premium rum we are talking about, it is the law that if they ask for said rum with Coke, I have to punch them in the face.

I like it straight, at room temperature. I usually do the salt and lime...

Wait, wait, wait...STOP. You sit here and tell us that Patron Anejo is too good to be used in a margarita, but you actually use Training Wheels (salt and lime) with it? Seriously? Kink, Kink, Kink....for shame!

So, my one new thing is Wild Turkey American Honey.

I love the stuff. Many people around here drink it either chilled or on the rocks. Myself, I prefer it neat, at room temp, and gently sip on it. I am not a big bourbon/whiskey guy, but I have an admitted weakness for honey, and this stuff is just gorgeous. Any day, any time, any place.

I also picked up a bottle of Black Seal (I was out and about and it was on sale). It's great. I love it. I'm a sucker for anything dark and heavily flavored. Mixed with some Reed's ginger brew it was wonderful, or even just neat (I'll drink just about any rum neat, I'm not sure why, but I love it).

Gosling's Black Seal and ginger beer is a Dark and Stormy, and Gosling's invented this drink as a showcase for their Black Seal rum...and it works. Oh, does it ever work. I am not familiar with Reed's, but I do recommend Black Seal with Regatta ginger beer. Spectacular. And while I have not had it, Gosling's actually makes their onw ginger beer, and I have to believe (or at least hope) that it is pretty rockin', too.

Now, if you like dark rum with flavor, I highly recommend Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 year old rum from Guatemala. Amazing to sip on, great to mix, and makes the best mojito I've ever had. Zacapa simply rocks.

I'll also comment on Victory:
I hate em. With a passion.

Everything I have had from them was massively hoppy...

Good lord, have you ever tasted their Hop Devil? They might as well just sell you a bottle of liquefied hops and have you pound it. Whoa! Hopheads love the stuff, but to me it is completely undrinkable. Even more so than most IPA's.

I'll never understand the American craft breweries obsession with shoving as much hops into a beer as possible.

The main reason they do this is because IPA's are the New Big Thing. Customers want it, you'd be silly not to make it. Also, brewers tend to like IPA's. I've never gotten the attraction myself, but hey, different strokes for different folks. (I know many people who enjoy Heineken, and I personally find it utterly revolting.)

And to be fair to American craft breweries, they don't just make ultra-hoppy beers and IPA's. There are tons of other beers from them that are not overly hopped and are simply great.

Just off the top of my head, to make a point: Rogue Dead Guy Ale (Oregon), Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (Colorado), Maduro Oatmeal Brown Ale (Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Florida), Samuel Adams Black Lager (Massachusetts), Four Peaks Kiltlifter (Tempe, Arizona), Evolution Amber (Wassatch Brewing, Utah), Left Hand Milk Stout (Longmont, Colorado), Peg Leg Imperial Stout (Clipper City Brewing, Baltimore, Maryland), Abita Amber (Louisiana), Magic Hat #9 (Vermont)....all great beers, all from craft brewers (though one could argue about the Sam Adams, but whatever), not one of them ultra-hopped.

So, the husband has a bad habit of finishing off my good tequila and then trying to replace it with...shall we say lesser quality spirits.

So I send him to the liquor store to get me some booze and he comes back with the Margaritaville Passion Flower tequilla.

And YOU allowed this to pass? I am shocked you did not send him back to the store to return the M'ville and get you the good stuff, or, if the M'ville was not returnable, to at least get you the good stuff; and I would have expected that you would have banned him from the good stuff and made him drink the M'ville.

It's better than Cuervo.

What isn't? Seriously, I am amazed at the great marketing campaign Cuervo has done, convincing Americans that Cuervo is actually a quality tequila, when in fact it is not even as good as some well tequilas I have seen, including (but not limited to) Margaritaville and Sauza Gold. Cuervo is swill, and ranks only above the really rank cheap shit, such as Buen Amigo or Montezuma Blue. (And frankly, I'm not entirely convinced that Cuervo is better than the Montezuma....)

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, well. Salt and lime? Don't really need it, but I admit I like the ritual of it. I love salt, and I love lime. Although with the good stuff, I tend use just a hint of salt (and sometimes don't use it at all) and then after I take a sip, let the flavors break over my tongue for a bit before the lime. I love that tart, sour bite at the end. It's just a nice cascade of flavors. I realize people started doing that because they were just too py to drink their cactus juice with a straight face, but you have to admit the flavors and textures and the ritual of it is nice.

As for the husband and his transgressions, oh believe you me I didn't let that pass. I have a respectable little stockpile of nice cactus in the cabinet courtesy of him.

You know, the Sauza is nice lower cost tequila, you're right. I downright like the Hornitos a lot. Has a refreshing kick to it. Very nice. I'll sit around and drink that neat in a heartbeat.

I'm surprised the husband has not cracked into the swill he brought home. I mean, he's a gin man. He'll clearly drink anything.

[thansal]

And to be fair to American craft breweries, they don't just make ultra-hoppy beers and IPA's. There are tons of other beers from them that are not overly hopped and are simply great.

Just off the top of my head, to make a point: <Great Beers>

I'm completely with you there, most of my favorite beers are actually American these days (I have a soft spot for German beers normally), it's just that I'm always disappointed when the only new (to me) beer available is yet another IPA. Half the reason I go to one of my favorite sandwich shops is a good variety of stuff on tap, yet I every so often have to fall back to Keegan's Mothers Milk which they always have.

Also, a chime in on Rogue:
I'm going to assume you have tried out some of their other offerings. I love their Shakespeare Stout and the Morimoto Soba Ale. The Soba was particularly interesting as it's not exactly a common flavor in beer. And now I want to go out and get a bottle....


All of this talk about Tequila is getting me back into wanting to try it out. There is a good Mexican restaurant/bar near a friend's place that will do a flight of tequila (or Mescal) for a reasonable price. I honestly can't remember what was on their list, however it was a bunch of names I don't know, so I assume that are at least not bottom of the barrel (and for the price I really hope not). The only way I have ever had tequila has been in the form of margaritas (baring one shot of unknown providence after admitting this to a friend).

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Not wild about mescal. It's okay, but I much prefer tequila. I thought the mescal was pretty harsh. I dunno if there are smoother mescals out there, I would imagine probably are. I don't even remember the brand, really, I just wanted to try it.

On the other hand, if you're going to a party, mescal gives you something fun to do when you get the bottom of the bottle.

[Jester]

I realize people started doing that because they were just too py to drink their cactus juice with a straight face, but you have to admit the flavors and textures and the ritual of it is nice.

Actually, no...no I don't. I respect the ritual, and I almost understand it...other then the salt. I get the biting of the lime, oh how I get that, even if I don't do it. But the kosher salt? Never gotten it. Cook with it, sure. But as part of a drink? Have never liked it, either with margaritas or with tequila. Hell, forget the kosher salt....I just don't like salt with my drinks, thank you very much!

You know, the Sauza is nice lower cost tequila, you're right. I downright like the Hornitos a lot.

Lower cost tequila? LOWER COST? Sure, if you're talking about Sauza Gold. But Sauze Conmemorativo? Sauze Tres Generaciones? Hell no. Not only are they great, they are decidedly NOT "lower cost."

Damn tequila snob.

I'm surprised the husband has not cracked into the swill he brought home. I mean, he's a gin man. He'll clearly drink anything.

Clearly.

(For those who don't know, I don't hate gin. I loathe it. Despise it. Cannot understand why people put this substance in their mouths voluntarily. Seriously, why not just open up the Pine Sol, throw in a lime, and suck that down? Hey, not only will it taste about as good, but your esophagus will simply shine.

Okay, to be fair, I don't want gin drinkers to feel they can't come in here and talk about their favorite Pine Sol concoctions gin cocktails or good quality Pledge gins they have tasted recently. This place is about all booze, the kind you drink, the kind you love, whatever it is, even if wonderful people assholes like me don't understand why you drink that particular floor polish spirit.)

Also, a chime in on Rogue:
I'm going to assume you have tried out some of their other offerings.

I recently publicly proposed to the brewery.

Yes, I have tried many of their offerings.

I love their Shakespeare Stout and the Morimoto Soba Ale.

Don't believe I've had the Shakespeare, but I have definitely had the Morimoto Soba, which was my least favorite of all Rogues I've tried...and still better than most beers. It went very well with the sushi I was eating that night, in a Miami sushi restaurant.

a flight of tequila (or Mescal)

The two are not the same. Yes, they are from the same source, but comparing tequila to mescal is like comparing a Ferrari to a Yugo. Sure, they're both cars, but after that, the resemblance ends. Ditto tequila (a fine liquor when done right) and mescal (rotgut that makes even Cuervo look good by comparison).

[Jester]

BEER!

Tonight's beer is not new...at least not to me....at least not that much.

I got turned on to it just a few months ago, and it is simply spectacular. (And you try typing the word "spectacular" after you've had a few of these!)

It is Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, from Breckenridge Brewery in Denver, Colorado. If the brewery sound familiar to you, it may be because they've been making their flagship beer, Breckenridge Avalanche, for years. (I remember trying it in college, in the early 90's.) To me, the Avalanche (what I remember of it) is lovely, but the Vanilla Porter....it's a first kiss.

You can talk about sex, making love, pornographic acts....but even to some of the lewdest and crudest, there is something special about a first kiss. Vanilla Porter is that kind of special. The kind you'll remember long after you've forgotten who was with you and what you were doing....you just know you remember the name and the kiss.

The color is as it should be...vanilla. And to those who only know vanilla as a flavor of ice cream, I don't mean white. But dark, dark vanilla bean.....bordering on blackness. Looking like a frothy coffee in a pint glass, VP is something else.

The nose is strong vanilla with the merest hint of coffee, with a sweetness and freshness of taste implicitly promised.

FIRST SIP: (Okay, let's be honest. I've had this beer before tonight. Hell, this is my third bottle of it tonight alone. But work with me and, much like my ex, fake it.) Rich and sweet, almost like chocolate, but without any chocolate notes. A hint of cocoa, perhaps, but more dark vanilla and roasted beans (the aroma, not the taste), than anything else. Almost, almost a bit of root beer characteristic going on in it....kind of a hint of root beer, I guess.

This is a tasty, very drinkable beer that can actually be enjoyed with dessert, which a lot of beers just can't be. It would go well with chocolate or fruit, and would probably absolutely jam with any vanilla or rum dessert. (I'm looking at YOU, Bread Pudding.) As for regular dinner, it would go with any strong, non-spicy foods, such as a good steak, roast, pot roast, game meats, stew, etc. I say non-spicy foods because I just can't picture this pairing well with something spicy--while it would cool off the tongue well, its natural sweetness just would clash with spice, in my mind. Of course, I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

All in all, a great beer. Would I drink it? Hell yes. Would I pay for it? Went out of my way to pick up a six-pack the other day. Love this stuff!

WINE!

Last night I had my friend Little Red over, and I cooked dinner for her, myself, and Mr. Anti-Social. The occasion was a friend of mine who runs a gourmet dinner cruise (selected as one of the five most romantic dinners in all of Key West a while back by a local magazine) gave me a beautiful fillet of black fin tuna from one that he had caught Monday morning--we're talking FRESH here, people. So I pan-seared the tuna (meant to throw some chopped garlic in the oil, but somehow forgot to) and served it with a new twist on an old favorite of mine, a tomato-cucumber salad. The tuna would have been great with a nice lemon butter sauce, but I somehow didn't make any sauce, so at the last minute, when Red asked about some kind of sauce or dressing, I improvised, heating up two different dressings on the stove. The winner for both of us was Kraft's Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing. I plan on making a heated sauce with this in the future, with a little seasoning and some lemon juice.

(Edited To Add: Mr. Anti-Social, whose best comments about my food generally is something to the effect of "Not bad" actually enjoyed the tuna, but REALLY enjoyed the tomato-cucumber salad, and seemed very surprised that he did so. )

The wine we broke open with this was one from my local Beer Monger, one that a staffer had told me was BETTER, in his mind, than my favorite Spanish Red. This too was a Spanish red, Juan Gil, which is listed on the bottle as a Jumilla wine, using 100% Monastrell grapes. I don't know precisely what all that means, though I believe Jumilla is the region of origin. People smarter than me about wine will know what the Monastrell grapes are...I haven't the foggiest.

So, how was the wine, and how did it compare to my favorite Spanish red, Marques de Caceres Crianza Rioja? Well, it doesn't. This is neither an insult nor a compliment...they are just two totally different styles of wine, so I won't compare them. I still love the Marques to death, and if I had to choose, I would choose it over the Gil, but both are killer wines.

The Juan Gil is very rich and luscious, but smooth. I described it to Little Red as having the smoothness of a merlot or pinot noir, but with the strength of flavor of a cabernet sauvignon. (A far better description is listed at the link I provided above.) Very tasty, good for just about any food pairing you might have in mind, other than the most delicate of foods. Very highly recommended. And not overly expensive....I think I paid about a twenty-spot for the bottle. Not bad for a killer bottle of wine, eh?

(This post is being posted in the morning because somehow I didn't hit the post button before I crashed last night. I blame the wine. Which, if you red the linked description, you would know is higher in alcohol percentage than is typical for wine.....)

[KiaKat]

Juan Gil is delicious, but it's starting to get a touch overpriced. Still one of my favourite Monastrells, though. It decidedly lacks the weird cherry lollipop flavour that a lot of the Spanish ones tend to try and highlight.

Monastrell is also known as Mourvedre in France. It's a dark, rich, full-bodied wine, intended to add body and richness to Cotes du Rhone wines. In Catalan, it's also called Mataro. All very confusing, until you realize that this is one of the few grapes that is easily identified even by the most novice taster. It's a distinctive wine, with a lot of gamey earth, overlaid by dark red fruit. The tannins are usually fairly velvety, and its one of the few wines I've come across that holds onto its earthiness at high alcohol levels. 14-15% is normal for one of these wines, and it's one of the few that I can tolerate at that level.

Altos de la Hoya makes one that I drink frequently, and it's a much lower price point, as well. Unfortunately, I think Jumilla is going the way of Priorat, and is likely to get overpriced, overgrown, and Parkerized far too soon. Damned Spaniards and their desire to make money.

[thansal]

I wish to make it clear I was not impugning on the honourable name of Tequila. I have (recently) learned a bit about both of those cactus juices (at least academically), and understand the general differences. I was merely saying that the place offers flights of tequila and flights of mescal.

I'm torn over that porter. I have a deep and abiding love of porters (probably my favorite type of beer). I also have a deep and abiding loathing of vanilla flavoured drinks. However, that fear and loathing comes from the sin that is French Vanilla flavoring for things like coffee, I actually love vanilla, I just fear the cloyingly sweet and perfume like flavours that are often associated with it. I think this is something I will have to hunt down and my my own decision of. I will admit I'm swayed by Jester's opinion on it, otherwise I would probably instinctively lean away from it if I ever saw it.

On a tangential note I feel like putting this out there: I'm a beer snob. If it has something other than Hops, Malt, Yeast and water I tend to want to stay away from it. Probably this was kindled from drinking a couple lambics and assuming that all lambics tasted like mildly malty fruit sodas (not a good thing in my mind). Fairly recently (last couple years) I have discovered that one of my all time favorite beers (Ommegang's Three Philosophers), is in fact a Lambic. Well, it's a blend of Kierk and quadrupel. With this knowledge I have been trying to be open minded about beers, and flavors in general for that matter.

Oh, and Kai, what does Parkerized mean?