CS Booze Club.

[BamaBabe]

Well, what's it called? Maybe someone here can help you locate it!

I believe it was Santa Rosa Pinot Grigio. If anyone has any info about where to find it, I'd certainly appreciate it.

[Jester]

My google fu was unable to help me find anything out about it, other than that it appears to be from Argentina.

TONIGHT'S FIRST CRAFT BEER!

Barbar Ale, a Belgian honey ale brewed with spices, including coriander and orange peel. I am a sucker for honey. I am a sucker for beer. I am a bigtime sucker for honey beer in general.

Barbar is without question the color of honey. It looks like it belongs in a plastic bear squeeze bottle, actually! The honey is subtle but definitely there on the nose. I get a hint of the spices in the aroma, but nothing more definitive than that where they are concerned.

First taste: Hmmm. Hmmmmmmmm..... Interesting. Not overly honeyish, not cloyingly sweet. A nice beer, with an odd Belgian strong ale note. (This is an 8% abv beer, by the way.) On second taste, I would describe this as the iron hand in the velvet glove....it seduces you, then smacks you around with the aftertaste. I like it. Love it? No. But very high on the like meter. I would definitely pay for it, and enjoy several of them. Solid grade of B.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Barbar to drink and some tv to watch....

EDITED TO ADD: People talk a lot about a drink's "finish," be it liquor, wine, or beer. And a lot of time, you don't think much about it. Barbar makes you stand up and take notice. Because it finishes in a completely different way than it drinks. That last swallow has an incredible toasted caramel and nutty finish to it that just grabs you by the collar and shakes you awake. Amazing. There are people that never drink that last swallow or two of beer, for various reasons. Anyone who does that with Barbar is missing out on so damn much. Seriously. You don't believe me? Look at my previous comments on beers in this thread. Did I ever mention their finish? No. I did not. Not once. And here I have devoted an entire added paragraph to this beer's finish. It is, to put it bluntly, the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box. Wow.

[Victory Sabre]

Normally I stick with Hamm's and Grain Belt Nordeast beer, and I had plenty of Nordeast at poker tonight (how much do I have to bribe to get a card?).

I got home and wanted another beer. I pulled out a Petrus Dubbel Bruin Ale. 6.5% by volume. It's a Belgium beer, and pretty damn tasty. It is quite expensive, though. Normal price is $16, but it was on sale for 6 for a 4 pack. It's hard to describe the flavor, but I like it.

[Jester]

SECOND BEER: Laughing Skull Amber Ale (Atlanta Brewing Co., Atlanta, GA). First of all, great freakin' bottle! No matter what this stuff is going to taste like, the bottle KICKS ASS!

Now, I have to tell y'all, I am a huge fan of ambers. Huge fan. Sadly, there are so many ambers out there that just suck balls. (Fat Tire, I'm talking to YOU.) But there are some really good ones. Alaskan Amber is pretty freakin' good, and generally available nationally. Better than Alaskan by a country mile (in my humble opinion) is Evolution Amber, from Wassatch Brewery in Utah, which I had when I was in Salt Lake City a couple years ago. Absolutely mind-blowing. Sadly, it seems to be available only in Utah, which is not a place I plan on frequenting all that much. Sadly, it's hard to find ambers these days, what with all the emphasis on IPA's, which I don't particularly care for.

So I was pretty tickled to see this amber I was unfamiliar with during my latest foraging expedition at my Beer Monger's.

Color is what I would expect from an amber: amber. This is not me being a smartass, mind you....I have seen many ambers that were, in fact, nowhere near amber in color. The nose has a bit of that amber bite, but doesn't really clue you in on how the beer is going to be.

First taste (which I was delayed on because my screwball friend Little Red called me and I had to deal with her as we booked our hotels for our upcoming trip, during which she chattered away nonsensically with her roommate/boy toy about shit that had nothing to do with me or our trip, and of which I couldn't have given a flying furry fart): That classic amber bite is there, though a bit muted. Not hugely muted, just slightly. Tasty, nice flavor. Evolution has nothing to worry about, but this is up there with Alaskan. Good solid amber. I would absolutely pay for it if I saw it in a bar...unless, of course, that bar also carried Evolution. (Some things are just sacred.) Overall, I give it another solid B.

Oh, and by the way, Fat Tire? Fuck you. You suck. Stop calling yourself an amber....you're not, you lying piece of shit craptastical beer. (Yes, Jester, tell us how you really feel.....)

[Jester]

THIRD BEER: From Southern Tier Brewing Company (Lakewood, NY), we have Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale. I was worried this would be an IPA, but apparently it is simply a pale ale. Why did I think it might be an IPA? After all, it doesn't say IPA or India Pale Ale anywhere on the bottle. Simple. On the label it brags about using 3 kinds of hops and 3 kinds of malts. Okay, so lots of beers use multiple hops. Still, I was worried. After all, IPA's are the in thing, ya know.

On first glance, this looks like a somewhat average beer, lighter than Yuengling, darker than Miller Lite. But it doesn't grab your eyes and say "DRINK ME!" like some beers do. (Hello, Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale. I love you! )

The nose, at least to me, has a surprising sweetness, almost a brown sugar component going on. Okay....what the hell? (By the way, for those of you wondering, yes, I really am doing all this as I type it....at this point, I have done nothing more than smell the beer. It may taste like Charles Durning's ass for all I know.)

FIRST TASTE: I don't know what to say.

Seriously. I am just lost for words. So many flavors are fighting in my mouth. It's a free for all. Sweetness, citrus, maltiness, a touch of hops.....hold on, I have to taste again. After all, this is all for research, right?

Okay, I can honestly say I've never tasted any beer like this. And this is both good and bad. It is good, because this beer is, as advertised, extraordinary. Bad because, damn it, there should be MORE beers like this! I have had some that hinted at the possibility of such a taste, but P&M is the first one to deliver. And by that I mean: here I am baby, signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours! (Take it, Stevie!)

This is a unique beer. It is not for the IPA crowd. To channel my inner Randy Jackson, "Dog, this beer has it going ON! Yo. Seriously, yo....it's just there, man! It's just seriously dope!" It is just a nice, honest beer, brought to a new level by masters of the craft.

Would I drink this beer? Fuck yeah.
Would I pay for this beer? Fucking hell yeah.
Would I share this beer? Don't count on it.
Is this my favorite beer of all time? Honestly, no. But is it one of the best I've tasted. Without question, absolutely, 100%, unquestionably, YES.

Find this beer. Drink this beer. And I dare you to disagree with me.

Extraordinary.

[thansal]

There are people that never drink that last swallow or two of beer, for various reasons.

Baring a bottle conditioned (aka, has yeast in it) beer, why would any one NOT finish their beer?

So, last night was Lancaster Milk Stout. A fairly standard milk stout (heavy, sweet, etc) with a LOT of coffee and smoke flavor to it. The primary thing that stuck with me was the smoke flavor after every drink. Decidedly good.

[protege]

I'm not really a beer guy--I'm more into wine. Give me some Luna di Luna, (or Fisheye, Cape May, Yellow Tail, etc.) and I'm good. I've been to enjoy the occasional Crown Royal (either with Coke, Dr. Pepper, or ginger ale). But, one beer like like to try, is Old Speckled Hen. Why that one? Well, the MG connection--it was first brewed in '79 to celebrate 50 years of manufacturing at Abingdon. Not sure where I can get it in the US though.

[thansal]

I did not know that about that beer. I will say that I have seen it around fairly regularly, so it isn't a complete unknown in the states...

[AdminAssistant]

I was picking up a bottle of my favorite wine today (Red Electra, a muscat wine from California. Very sweet, served chilled.) Anyway, as I was walking through the liquor store I noticed that it had an entire section of craft beers sold by the bottle. Now, I don't like beer, but Fiance does, so I may take him this weekend and see if they have some of the ones mentioned here.

[Jester]

Baring a bottle conditioned (aka, has yeast in it) beer, why would any one NOT finish their beer?

I hear all kinds of excuses and rationales, especially being a bartender.

THEM: "That's backwash."
ME: "Learn to drink better!"

THEM: "It's warm."
ME: "Learn to drink faster."

THEM: "I never drink the last of a beer."
ME: "..."

I've never really had an answer for that last one.

As for yeast in a beer bottle, you're supposed to get that out of the bottle and into your glass, damn it! Any good hefe drinker knows that!

I don't like beer, but Fiance does, so I may take him this weekend and see if they have some of the ones mentioned here.

Don't limit yourselves to the ones listed here. There are so many more out there, ones we've had but haven't mentioned, ones we haven't even heard of.....knock yourselves out, pick the brains of the store's staff, just try stuff randomly. And most importantly, have fun! (Your fiance sure will!)

[Jester]

Been out drinking crappy beer tonight with my new roommate, but home now, ready to try new craft beers.

FIRST BEER: Victory Headwaters Pale Ale (Victory Brewing Co, Downington, PA): I have not a great history with Victory, but to be fair, I have tried only two of their offerings. First I tried Hop Devil, which being an ultra-hoppy IPA, I was not going to like anyway. (I actually couldn't even finish the small sample of it I tried. Just undrinkable to me.) I also tried their Prima Pils, and absolutely did not care for it at all. I am not generally the biggest fan of pilsners, but I've had a few I enjoyed, and Prima simply was not one of them.

Headwaters has a light amber color, but the nose is....not promising. Seems to offer the same ugly aftertaste I've had with some IPA's I've not cared for. Hmmm....

FIRST SIP: Meh. Not horrible. (My new roommate Orchard about gagged when she tried it, but she's a diehard Miller Lite drinker.) Not great. Not what I expect from a pale ale. Victory and I just don't get along.

Would I pay for it? No. Would I order it? No. Would I drink it if one were handed to me? One, yes. Beyond that....no. Which is why I love my Beer Monger....selling singles is an awesome way to go.

[Jester]

SECOND BEER: Mama's Little Yella Pils (Oskar Blues Brewery, Lyons, CO). You would think by now I would stop trying pilsners, as I am not a huge fan of most of them. But every now and then, there is a good one. And I am generally a fan of what Oskar Blues puts out. While I detest Dale's Pale Ale, I enjoy Old Chubb, very much like The Gubna, and LOVE Ten Fiddy. So I had to try MLYP to see how it was.

As all OB products do, this beer comes in a can. Much like screwtop wine bottles, canned beer is no longer an automatically inferior product, due to advancements in technology. Canned beers are no longer automatically tinny....liners on the inside of the can prevent this. (Please don't ask me for details on HOW this works, as I am not that techie or bright....I just know that this is the case, as I read it, and more importantly, tasted it.)

On first glance, MLYP lives up to its name, being a very....YELLOW beer. Slightly darker than the BudMillerCoors typical beers, this beer is still very light, very pisswater colored. The nose is unassuming, neither attractive nor unattractive. It smells, in short, like beer.

FIRST SIP: And this is why I continue to try beers, even in categories I might not normally like. Because Mama, Mama I'm coming home! This beers is a lovely example of the Pilsner style, tasty, refreshing, and nice. It's light, sure. Pilsners are. But it's tasty, too, and pleasant. Which not all Pislners are.

SECOND, THIRD, AND FOURTH SIPS: AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.....refreshing! Almost (almost!) a hint of honey. Definitely a sweetness of some sort. Drinkability, absolutely.

FINAL VERDICT: Oskar Blues scores again. Great beer, can or not. Would I order it? Fuck yeah. Would I pay for it? Fuck yeah! I can think of few beers that would be as tasty and refreshing on a hot summer day, when you really don't want a dark beer, as this Mama's Little Yella Pils.

Can Oskar Blues deliver? Yes. "Yes, they can!" (Pun fully intended.)

[Jester]

Ah, here we are again, in the friendly confines of the CS Booze Club. Welcome, friends. Let's see what we have on the docket this evening.

Now, this first beer is one I tend to be biased against, as it is an IPA, and I am notorious for my dislike of IPA's, as to me they are generally just overly hopped, beyond my particular palate's comfort zone. Plus, through no fault of the brewery, I'm off to a bad start with this beer, as I actually spilled a little of it as I was pouring it. Luckily, my carpet wasn't all that great to begin with. But let's get on with it.

From Clipper City Brewing Company (Baltimore, Maryland), we have Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale (7.25% abv), which is apparently hopped 3 times during brewing. Slightly cloudy, a light amber/dark gold in color, there is a slight hoppiness on the nose, but nothing obnoxious.



FIRST SIP: Well, it is an IPA, and as such, I must recuse myself from much analysis of it, considering my bias. It is a mellow IPA, though, and one I can get through (unlike some). A bit of citrus on the taste rounds out the flavor, and it is not bad. Would I drink another one after this one? Probably not, though if it was a social situation and I was trying to be polite, perhaps. It is not undrinkable to me, but it is an IPA, and, well, I've mentioned that already. The staffer at the Beer Monger told me it was mellower than most IPA's, and he was right, but still not my cup of tea. Completely unrelated, tea is actually not my cup of tea either. Okay, I'm off to drink this beer, and move on to something that is more my speed.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I have nothing to report. I have been drinking Patron Anejo last couple nights. I love that stuff. Straight, with a little lime at the end.


So oaky. I love the taste of oak in a drink. Like a cross between smooth tequila and good aged whiskey.

[Jester]

I dunno, Kink. Sounded like you actually DID have something to report.

SECOND BEER! Brought to you by the folks at Boulder Beer Company (Boulder, Colorado), we have Sweaty Betty. (No, I couldn't make this up. Beers sometimes have such great names, don't they?) Apparently Sweaty Betty is a blonde, though the bottle also says it is a wheat beer. I am rather partial to a good wheat beer, which means I also tend to be highly critical of them.

At first glance, Betty has a lovely light honey blonde color, slightly translucent. Smells vaguely honeyish, slight banana and clove too. Kinda. Not overpowering, but definitely there.

FIRST SIP: Definitely not a hefeweizen. But...nice. A tasty wheat beer. Subtle. Drinkable. Tasty. But as I said...subtle. Not like that crap Widmer puts out, which is a light beer with a slight nod towards wheat. This is more like a subdued wheat beer. I would even call it somewhat...elegant.

Upon continued drinking, this is a nice middle of the road beer, and would go with a lot of food, though I would not recommend it with anything overly spicy or any of the stronger red meats. Pork, chicken, fish, poultry, absolutely.

A nice beer. Worth drinking? Yes. Would I buy it? Maybe. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It's a far better option than the Usual Suspects at most bars, but at a craft beer bar, this one is going to fall by the wayside. Nice, but in the end, a bit forgettable. It's like that girl you made out with in the bar parking lot that one time. It was fun at the time, but damned if you can remember her name even a few days later.

Unless her name actually WAS Sweaty Betty....