Booze Enthusiast
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So I decided to try my first scotch ale (Oskar Blues' Old Chubb). Decent. A bit too cloying compared to a good stout or porter, but not a bad brew. If you want to sip and only have one beer per night, it's a good choice.
Also tried Flying Dogs' Roasted Peanut Brown Ale. I'm not a huge fan of most of their stuff, but holy crap, that is one of the best beers I've ever put in my face. On the nose, you'll think it's a dessert beer, but once you taste it, it's really subtle. But delicious. And unfortunately not on tap at my local pub anymore, because I helped kill off that tap.
Also tried Flying Dogs' Roasted Peanut Brown Ale. I'm not a huge fan of most of their stuff, but holy crap, that is one of the best beers I've ever put in my face. On the nose, you'll think it's a dessert beer, but once you taste it, it's really subtle. But delicious. And unfortunately not on tap at my local pub anymore, because I helped kill off that tap.
It's amazing that just at the beginning of this thread Mike wasn't just agnostic to beer, but he was straight up anti-beer-ist. Yet today he's got much more appreciation for it than I do.
Personally, I'm settling on the few things I know I like: wheat beer, especially hefeweizens; porters; and occasionally lagers.
But lately I appreciate more a drink that is cheap, reliable, and delicious: wine+mineral water (or sparkling wine). And if the wine is white and I have OJ nearby, I can make super cheap mimosas that go down smoother than Sunny D. After all, real champagne (from Champagne, France) is complete bullshit unless you go to the high-end stuff and you're enough of a wine connoisseur to appreciate them.
Personally, I'm settling on the few things I know I like: wheat beer, especially hefeweizens; porters; and occasionally lagers.
But lately I appreciate more a drink that is cheap, reliable, and delicious: wine+mineral water (or sparkling wine). And if the wine is white and I have OJ nearby, I can make super cheap mimosas that go down smoother than Sunny D. After all, real champagne (from Champagne, France) is complete bullshit unless you go to the high-end stuff and you're enough of a wine connoisseur to appreciate them.
Ah the days of my wineo phase, it's a good drunk. I would get the hell outta bell bottom bottles of Arbor Mist and they was delicious. About 3 bottles and I was gone. Also I found a love for Martini & Rossi Austi. A wonderful sparkling maybe champagne I don't know. I just know my whole post is delicious.
I haven't been drinking all that much lately with the exception of a glass of Yellow Tail Moscato every now, and then. I've technically been out of scotch for the past couple of months, but I at least have a bottle of V bourbon, and Maker's 46 to keep me busy.
I also drank the rest of my parents' Johnnie Walker Green Label, so spirits are running dry. I don't want to have to dive into my collection of booze that my grandparents stocked over the years. I have three bottles of Old Forrester bourbon batched in the 1960s, plus a bottle of Beefeater, Black and White Scotch, and an assortment of those small bottles you'd traditionally get on planes.
I have abstained from drinking beer for months now, although a good stout, porter, or ale would be nice. I guess during the winter months, I'm more of a scotch and bourbon kind of guy.
Actually, what I want to do is buy a bottle of Bailey's and have it on the rocks. Delicious!
Best part is I have whiskey stones, so I won't have to worry about watering down my drinks. Fuck ice!
I also drank the rest of my parents' Johnnie Walker Green Label, so spirits are running dry. I don't want to have to dive into my collection of booze that my grandparents stocked over the years. I have three bottles of Old Forrester bourbon batched in the 1960s, plus a bottle of Beefeater, Black and White Scotch, and an assortment of those small bottles you'd traditionally get on planes.
I have abstained from drinking beer for months now, although a good stout, porter, or ale would be nice. I guess during the winter months, I'm more of a scotch and bourbon kind of guy.
Actually, what I want to do is buy a bottle of Bailey's and have it on the rocks. Delicious!
Best part is I have whiskey stones, so I won't have to worry about watering down my drinks. Fuck ice!
Matt talked about doing some bourbon trail tastings before. The TNE crew drinking together would either be awesome or disastrous. Or disastrawesome. Awestrous?
I have a problem. When I get interested in something, I go in full bore to learn about it. For beer, that's just meant drinking a lot of it.
We like similar beers, though. I'm a porter/stout guy for the most part. Lagers and brown ales for variety.
Wine makes for a fantastic drunk. Not quite as fuzzy as a beer drunk, not as sharp as a whiskey drunk. I should get some two-buck Chuck.
Pshaw, the Scots usually use a bit of water. It opens up the flavor a little more, and actually lets you taste more of what the whiskey has to offer.
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/scotch-drinking-tips-053012
Plus, unless you're drinking cask-strength whiskey, you've always been drinking watered-down spirits. They always water them down to get to 40% ABV.
That Maker's 46 is a damn nice bourbon, though. I prefer the original, but the 46 is great if you dig oak.
Speaking of Maker's and watering down...they're now offering a cask-strength bottling. Which is insane and hard to find, but I can't wait to try it out.
I have a problem. When I get interested in something, I go in full bore to learn about it. For beer, that's just meant drinking a lot of it.
We like similar beers, though. I'm a porter/stout guy for the most part. Lagers and brown ales for variety.
Wine makes for a fantastic drunk. Not quite as fuzzy as a beer drunk, not as sharp as a whiskey drunk. I should get some two-buck Chuck.
Pshaw, the Scots usually use a bit of water. It opens up the flavor a little more, and actually lets you taste more of what the whiskey has to offer.
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/scotch-drinking-tips-053012
Plus, unless you're drinking cask-strength whiskey, you've always been drinking watered-down spirits. They always water them down to get to 40% ABV.
That Maker's 46 is a damn nice bourbon, though. I prefer the original, but the 46 is great if you dig oak.
Speaking of Maker's and watering down...they're now offering a cask-strength bottling. Which is insane and hard to find, but I can't wait to try it out.
This particular bourbon though tasted more watered down, especially for a 40% ABV bourbon. And to test my theory, I at one point bought a modern bottle of that stuff, and it had more potency than this stuff did. Now it is possible Old Forrester used to water their stuff down more, and I could easily find that out by opening another one of my bottles.
And yeah, I've heard about adding a splash of water into scotch to help bring out the flavors, but I've personally never tried it. I would imagine you need the right kind of water, and my tap water isn't the best, but some purified drinking water might be the ticket into bringing out those flavors Scotch drinkers rave about.
Makers 46 was surprisingly a good bourbon, considering I had a glass of regular Makers on the rocks only a few weeks ago, and I did not like the taste. Regular Makers goes much better with Coke.
And yeah, I've heard about adding a splash of water into scotch to help bring out the flavors, but I've personally never tried it. I would imagine you need the right kind of water, and my tap water isn't the best, but some purified drinking water might be the ticket into bringing out those flavors Scotch drinkers rave about.
Makers 46 was surprisingly a good bourbon, considering I had a glass of regular Makers on the rocks only a few weeks ago, and I did not like the taste. Regular Makers goes much better with Coke.
if i'm drinking a great scotch like talisker/glenlivet/jura then i'll usually mix in a bit of water. a; because it tastes better, and b; because it help to conserve the expensive ass bottle. it's kind of reserved to when i have bitches over, though.
when i'm not trying to impress someone with a fancy bottle, i'm on vodka. it just feels cleaner than other hard liquors. tito's is pretty good.
as for maker's, i was - WAS - a huge fan. but they taste like canadian piss whiskey these days. i'm not buying any more. i'm going back to crown, if that's what it takes.
I rarely drink JD anymore, and even when I have mixed drinks these days, it's Makers and Coke. But the last time I went out with friends, I had some bourbon on the rocks, although it was Makers, and I knew I should've gone with Knob Creek. Speaking of which, I need both Knob Creek, and must try out that Bulleit.
What about your pal from Tennessee, Mr. Jack Daniels? 
If you want yourself a good Tennessee whiskey that isn't licorice in a bottle, go get some white label no. 12 George Dickel.
Also, since it's winter, I'd recommend everyone try out some rye. Rittenhouse Rye (100 proof, bottled in bond) can be found around here for like $15, and it's a fantastic rye. It'll keep you warm at night.
Dat alcohol content. 
And since it's a dark beer, count me in to try that out. Wonder if it's sold here in the States at all.
And since it's a dark beer, count me in to try that out. Wonder if it's sold here in the States at all.
http://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/
So for Xmas, my brother bought this from Japan for my dad. This is only sold in Japan, and is basically Scotch, but since it's not in Scotland, it cannot be labeled as Scotch Whisky.
We all had a glass after the Badgers game as a sort of celebration. It was quite good, and adding a splash of water unleashed some more flavors as well.
We all had a glass after the Badgers game as a sort of celebration. It was quite good, and adding a splash of water unleashed some more flavors as well.
So for Xmas, my brother bought this from Japan for my dad. This is only sold in Japan, and is basically Scotch, but since it's not in Scotland, it cannot be labeled as Scotch Whisky.
We all had a glass after the Badgers game as a sort of celebration. It was quite good, and adding a splash of water unleashed some more flavors as well.
We all had a glass after the Badgers game as a sort of celebration. It was quite good, and adding a splash of water unleashed some more flavors as well.
[...that reminds me. I need to try Double Black.]
That's how I woke up on New Year's. Still drunk, yet also hung over.
You need fried food, stat. A big basket of fried stuff. Then like a 30 minute nap.
So, it's a weird drink. I'm OK with anise flavor (I dig absinthe), so that didn't bother me. The texture is weird, though. A bit too thick for me, so I added a touch of water. Presto ouzo. Lighter, smoother, better.
I totally get why people would hate it, because I know people who can't drink absinthe. It won't be an every-night drink for me, but it's a good tool to have. Probably work well as a mixer, too.
I totally get why people would hate it, because I know people who can't drink absinthe. It won't be an every-night drink for me, but it's a good tool to have. Probably work well as a mixer, too.
The bible of mixed drinks, Difford's Guide, suggests only 5 good uses for sambuca (out of more than 3000 recipes), two of which are shooters. And the other 3 all sound awful. The best of a bad bunch seems to be the Creme De Cafe which consists of:
- 3/4 shot of Bacardi Oro
- 1 shot of Kahlua
- 3/4 shot of Sambuca
- 1 shot cream
- 1 shot milk
Nikka from the barrel is one of the several Japanese whiskeys I imported for my restaurant. All Nikka whiskeys drink about 5 years older than they are, with the barrel being a 5-8 year blend. For its high alcohol content and youth it drinks quite well, light and aromatic. I can pick it up for 40 USD a bottle, it's pretty great value at that!
Yamazaki is more famous, but deservedly so. They blend from three different barrels and it really gives the whiskey a unique style. A bit similar to tallisker.
But on my recent trip through Italy I really got into the grappa (when in Rome!). Many had a peppery, bread (yeast) flavour which worked brilliantly with the food. That stuff gets a bad rap, it's very interesting.
Yamazaki is more famous, but deservedly so. They blend from three different barrels and it really gives the whiskey a unique style. A bit similar to tallisker.
But on my recent trip through Italy I really got into the grappa (when in Rome!). Many had a peppery, bread (yeast) flavour which worked brilliantly with the food. That stuff gets a bad rap, it's very interesting.
So for the first new beer to try of 2015, I picked up Flying Dog's Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout. Damn good, because (like that roasted peanut brown ale of theirs) it's subtle. Unlike their standard line. The brewhouse rarities they make are usually way better than any of their regular beers, because their normal line is like an exaggerated parody of beer styles. The hot chocolate stout was really neat; stouts can get overly syrup-y, but the little bit of spiciness cleans that up.
Also, I see that Budweiser's ad from the Super Bowl has gotten some attention.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business...r-bowl-commercial-brewed-the-hard-way/385072/
I gotta say...I kinda dug that they were trying to own being a macro-beer. Macro doesn't have to mean bad. Guinness is good. Blue Moon is good, despite Coors owning it. And it's hard to argue that macro lagers don't go well with greasy and/or spicy food.
It's enough to make me think of getting some Yuengling Light or Tecate.
Also, I see that Budweiser's ad from the Super Bowl has gotten some attention.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business...r-bowl-commercial-brewed-the-hard-way/385072/
I gotta say...I kinda dug that they were trying to own being a macro-beer. Macro doesn't have to mean bad. Guinness is good. Blue Moon is good, despite Coors owning it. And it's hard to argue that macro lagers don't go well with greasy and/or spicy food.
It's enough to make me think of getting some Yuengling Light or Tecate.
http://coolmaterial.com/food-drink/...st-15-bourbons-you-need-to-try-at-least-once/
Have to say I haven't tried any of the Bourbons on this list, with the exception of Booker's, which I still have on my shelf (about 1/4 bottle left) and that one is pretty good.
I do have Old Forrester as well, but not the Birthday version. I've heard of Stagg, and a couple other ones, but mostly I've never heard of any of these.
@mattavelle1 What's your take on this list?
Have to say I haven't tried any of the Bourbons on this list, with the exception of Booker's, which I still have on my shelf (about 1/4 bottle left) and that one is pretty good.
I do have Old Forrester as well, but not the Birthday version. I've heard of Stagg, and a couple other ones, but mostly I've never heard of any of these.
@mattavelle1 What's your take on this list?
Wow, I've had a lot of bourbon, but from that list? Only Booker's (not my favorite; a bit too raw for me) and Four Roses (decent, but if I want rye, I go Rittenhouse).
Unfortunately, it's in their rarities collection, which are hard to find outside of FDK. However, porters and stouts can take a bit of age. I can hold onto a bottle or two for you, if you plan on visiting the coast in the next few months.
Unfortunately, it's in their rarities collection, which are hard to find outside of FDK. However, porters and stouts can take a bit of age. I can hold onto a bottle or two for you, if you plan on visiting the coast in the next few months.
Had some Sam Adams Cold Snap a few nights ago. It's basically their take on Beglian white, and it's pretty damn good. But the thing is...well, its only significant differentiation from Blue Moon is that it is slightly more viscous, more substantial. And that's not bad for a seasonal. But really, the identity isn't that far removed from Blue Moon. So you're paying more for a slightly heavier beer, but one you can only buy two months out of the year.
I think it's hilarious, btw, how many craft brewers shit on Blue Moon. They say it's thin and watery and tastes like nothing. But what they're really angry about is that Coors made an in-house beer that tastes good and that people want. That's why everyone (Allagash, Dogfish Head, Sam, Flying Dog) is trying to get in on the profits with their own witbier. Blue Moon isn't the greatest example of the style, but it's a pretty good approximation that's available everywhere.
[Just bought another sixer of Brooklyn Lager, too. Took one out as soon as I got home, expecting to be disappointed because it wasn't ice cold. Fantastic. It's almost juicy. In a good way, like biting into an apple and being surprised. It and Sam's Boston Lager just aren't fair. Easy-to-find lagers shouldn't be this good.]
I think it's hilarious, btw, how many craft brewers shit on Blue Moon. They say it's thin and watery and tastes like nothing. But what they're really angry about is that Coors made an in-house beer that tastes good and that people want. That's why everyone (Allagash, Dogfish Head, Sam, Flying Dog) is trying to get in on the profits with their own witbier. Blue Moon isn't the greatest example of the style, but it's a pretty good approximation that's available everywhere.
[Just bought another sixer of Brooklyn Lager, too. Took one out as soon as I got home, expecting to be disappointed because it wasn't ice cold. Fantastic. It's almost juicy. In a good way, like biting into an apple and being surprised. It and Sam's Boston Lager just aren't fair. Easy-to-find lagers shouldn't be this good.]
Man, there's no reason for Rogue beer to cost as much as it does. $15 for a damn six pack? Regardless, I saw "Mocha Porter" and knew I had to try it. First sip, not that special.
Rest of bottle, special. That's a damn good porter. You get the chocolate, you get the coffee, you get the roasty notes. Nice little bite on the end so the sweetness doesn't overstay its welcome. It's not overly viscous (the flavor is rich enough; you don't want to have a beer you can chew on with this).
It's not $15-worth special, but that's a good beer.
Rest of bottle, special. That's a damn good porter. You get the chocolate, you get the coffee, you get the roasty notes. Nice little bite on the end so the sweetness doesn't overstay its welcome. It's not overly viscous (the flavor is rich enough; you don't want to have a beer you can chew on with this).
It's not $15-worth special, but that's a good beer.