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Dogfish Head - Fort

Published by Matt March 25th, 2007 in beer and reviews. 3 Comments

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Imagine over a ton of raspberries in a giant beer tank. Imagine the strongest, most potent fruit beer in the known universe with an alcohol content over 18%. Imagine a brewery wacky enough to make it and call it “Fort” for reasons unexplained. Dogfish Head brewery is one of the most inventive brewers around today that insists on pushing the boundaries of what is beer and what is God only knows what… The Fort is one of their winter season beers that’s brewed and distributed each December to their beer-lovin’ geek cult following (disclosure: that includes me).

The Fort pours a beautiful dark reddish orange. The head is almost non-existent and what there is of it dissipates rapidly. The aroma is full of what else, mouth watering, tart raspberries. In fact, that’s pretty much all that you smell. This brew has a one-track, fruity mind. The tasting, however, revealed a little more. The brew had a definite chocolate undertone and a slight floral note combined with a big alcohol flavor. The alcohol wasn’t as dominate as the 18% might suggest but it was definitely present and accounted for. Fortunately it doesn’t detract from the beer’s charm. This is definitely not your run-in-the-mill frou frou fruity beer. This is one big, complex beverage that is not cheaply made. Dogfish Head is known for using high quality ingredients from all over the country and world. The Fort is another wonderful distraction from the world of regular beers from folks that love what they do. If you can find it, pick it up. You won’t be disappointed.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir

Published by Matt January 26th, 2007 in beer and reviews. 0 Comments

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A beer named “Midas Touch Golden Elixir” makes it hard for a brew lover to resist. This isn’t a limited edition beer, but after trying it a few years ago, I haven’t been able to find it again until recently. I remembered it to be a very unique and distinctive beer that I really enjoyed. So when I saw a four pack at “Total Wine and More” for $11.99 (ouch), I didn’t want to pass it up, regardless of the hefty price tag.

The story behind the recipe can be found at the Dogfish Head site. They claim to have taken the ingredients found in the drinking vessels of King Midas’ tomb, developing a beverage that combines elements from beer, wine, and mead to make an unique drink that they purport to be “the oldest known fermented beverage in the world”.

Some more information from the Dogfish site:

“Most remarkably, the tomb held the largest Iron Age drinking set ever found–157 vessels, including a ram-headed and lion-headed situla–for preparing, serving, drinking and libating a special beverage at the funerary feast of the king. The secrets of the beverage were revealed by the new methods of Molecular Archaeology. Dr. Patrick McGovern of the Museum discovered that the residues inside the vessels belonged to a “Phrygian cocktail,” which combined grape wine, barley beer and honey mead. Starting with the ancient chemical evidence, Dogfish Head Brewery “re-created” a marvelous golden elixir, truly touched by King Midas.”

The beer poured a beautiful golden amber, with a head so small it really doesn’t even count. The aroma was sweet and full of grapes, raisins, and honey. Upon tasting it again I remembered why I pick it up every time I see it. It is totally unlike any other beer I’ve ever had. In fact, you could easily argue that it’s not really a true beer at all. Some characteristics are present, but, all in all, the beverage really is the quasi-beer barley wine mead drink (for lack of a better description) that Dogfish Head described above. The flavor falls in line with the aroma with the fruity grape quality coming on strong in the beginning. Then it switched to honey and spice (which I assumed was the saffron mentioned on the label). It finished very malty with a tartness at the very end. Overall very sweet, but you can definitely taste all the ingredients. Plus, the richness of the flavors mask the strong alcohol level (9% for those who are counting). Although it won’t be for everyone, Midas Touch has such a unique story and flavor that I highly recommend trying it at least once.

French Country Ale

Published by Matt January 7th, 2007 in beer and reviews. 0 Comments

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We’ve got a great local bar in Ybor City, Tampa, “Barley Hoppers”, that we don’t visit enough. On our first visit, a few years ago, I was impressed with their large selection of quality draft beers; they have around 50 beers on tap at any given time. Plus, they serve one of my favorite brews, Chimay. But once we started exploring the uncharted waters of the bars taps, my wife and I have discovered quite a few very good beers that we may not have experienced otherwise.

St. Amand’s French Country Ale is one those great finds. The beer is a nice bargain at $6.99 for a 750-ml bottle. It pours a nice dark amber with a full head. The aroma is earthy yet sweet-smelling, very malty with a touch of fruit and it has a nice full body. The combination of strong malt and yeast flavors gives a taste not unlike cookie dough and the fruit kicks in mid-sip with peach and cherries being the most distinguishable. The finish has a slight touch of hops. This is not a bitter brew, but a rich and distinctive drink that is very enjoyable. The alcohol level is 5.9% so you may want to share the big bottle with a friend…or not. Either way, you’re getting a Belgian-style beer (it’s actually brewed in France near the Belgium border) at a great price.

Evan Williams Holiday Egg Nog

Published by Matt December 30th, 2006 in bourbon and reviews. 2 Comments

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There really isn’t a better holiday gift amongst co-workers than booze; I will fight to defend that statement until my alcohol-induced rage subsides and the stress of the holidays melts away. But, seriously, you aren’t giving anyone something that they feel obligated to hang on the wall or display in some fashion. And if they don’t drink it, well, then they can just regift it and move on… And no one is the wiser. So when I received a bottle of Evan Williams Holiday Egg Nog, from a fellow employee, I was downright tickled; the Evan Williams is a product of Kentucky’s Heaven Hill distillery and I am originally a Kentucky boy. I took the bottle home to Kentucky for Christmas to share with the family.
I’ve always loved egg nog. And, I’ve always loved bourbon. So Evan Williams pre-mixed egg nog seemed like a great idea to me. With so much to do around the holidays, something quick and easy is a God-send. The bottle claimed that 7 year old bourbon and brandy was used. I poured the drink and topped two with nutmeg and two with whip cream and nutmeg. The drink was rich, creamy and full of vanilla and caramel flavors. It was very sweet, but egg nog is supposed to be dessert-like. The the egg nog is best cold, since the drink’s alcohol burned a little at room temperature.

All in all, the egg nog was excellent and definitely worth the price: free!  But regardless of the price, the Evan Williams Holiday egg nog was an excellent alternative to making your own spiked egg nog. So although my family has multiple “nog” recipes (one with bourbon, one with only brandy), this is a fantastic and easy option for those looking for a holiday pick me up.

Young’s Old Nick: Barley wine style ale

Published by Matt December 18th, 2006 in beer and reviews. 1 Comment

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I know, I know…more fire and brimstone! Why do I keep finding great beers with a satanic theme? Is it a morbid curiosity with the dark side? Or, have some brewers decided that too many fantastic beers are brewed in monasteries and want to balance things out? The label has the evil one staring straight at you, surrounded by a ring of burning flames. Scary stuff for a barley wine beer.

The Young’s brewery is located in South London. It’s been going strong since 1581, and happens to be the oldest brewery in Britain. Now on to the mischievous beverage. The beer pours a dark ruby red, brownish color with a tan head. The bouquet is full of caramel, tart fruit, and roasted, sweet malts. Notwithstanding the 7.2% alcohol level, little alcohol aroma was apparent. The flavor was strong with pear and plum accents with a hint of caramel, toffee, and roasted malts. Old Nick finishes with a mild bitterness that’s offset by the sweet malt and caramel that came before the end.

By the time the bottle was empty, I had a devilish grin and a satisfied, warm feeling. Hopefully I finished the beer with my soul still intact and will live to drink another day…

Samuel Smith’s organic beers

Published by Matt December 1st, 2006 in beer and reviews. 0 Comments

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Nowadays, we see ads for organic this and organic that, sold at Wild Oats or Whole Foods or in the growing health food section in your regular, run-of-the mill grocer. The organic label is supposed to give us a sense of comfort about our food. It’s meant to reassure us that the ingredients used are grown free of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, sludge, radioactive waste, etc. It also means that they are processed sans additives and ionizing radiation. I had heard of organic wines before, but hadn’t been cognizant of in companies producing organic beer until I passed by an end cap in my local Sweetbay grocery store and saw Samuel Smith bottles labeled as such. I had tried Samuel Smith’s porter and stout before with some friends in Michigan (you know who you are) and was very impressed with the quality of the beer. So I thought it’d be interesting to try a lager and ale from the same company and the fact that the beer was organic made it even more intriguing. So I grabbed an 18.7 ounce bottle of each.

I prefer ales, so I started there. The Samuel Smith ale didn’t have much in the way of aroma. The flavor was nice and full. The beer was full of competing flavors of malt, grain, sour apples, and even a hint of pineapple. It was a nice blend of tastes, with a slightly hoppy finish to balance things out. I couldn’t honestly attribute any of the good flavors to being organic but the brewery, as expected, is definitely producing a high quality ale.

Next up was the lager. Honestly, I have a slight bias against lagers since many have a tendency to be bland and difficult to distinguish from one another. The aroma was no exception. There wasn’t any to speak of. The taste was fairly bland and boring. Not a bad beer but it certainly didn’t stand out for any reason; and it certainly didn’t warrant paying for a premium beer. Organic or no, I’d stick with the ale. Taste-wise the organic didn’t really didn’t seem to impact the flavor or impart anything that I could identify to the beers. So all in all, I’ll stick with the regular beer until I come across an organic beer that tastes organic (whatever that means) - and is worth the price.
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Rogue - Dad’s Little Helper

Published by Matt November 25th, 2006 in beer and reviews. 1 Comment

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I have to admit that I don’t have much experience in the world of malt liquor beverages. When I say “much experience”, I mean zero experience. But since I’ve been hearing and reading more and more about the return of this style of beer, I thought it prudent to at least try a malt liquor from a brewer that I know produces a quality beer. It didn’t hurt that I found the name of the beer amusing. A hard-workin’ man enjoying his brew after what was no doubt a grueling day at work adorns the bottle. We can only hope that the malt liquor beverage that sports an alcohol level of 7.2% and comes in a 22-oz. bottle will make his after work parental responsibilities easier to bear. The label states that the beer is dedicated to Henry Jackson Smart, the man that inspired what we know today as “Father’s Day.” I’m not sure I understand the marketing strategy behind this, but I guess it wins the dubious “Malt Liquor with the most emphasis on family values” award. It sure beats out the now classic Colt 45 marketing push featuring Billy Dee Williams telling us that their malt liquor “works every time.” “Daddy, what is Mr. Williams talking about?”

Dad’s Little Helper poured nicely. It had a small head that dispersed fairly quickly, but the color was a nice deep copper. The aroma was almost non-existent; just faint hints of sweet corn and malt. The taste was smooth and was anything but over the top as I had expected. Flavors did not come across distinct, but instead were muddled together making it hard to describe. The only dominant flavor was the obvious: malt. Once past that traces of corn, hops, and sweet fruit came through jumbled together. It finished with a taste that was something like bananas soaked in alcohol.

I found the beer interesting enough but I can’t say I’ll be a repeat customer. The drink just didn’t have enough character to make it on the MVP list. I think Rogue has done a fine job of taking a somewhat harsh beverage and smoothing it out and making it palatable, but I can’t help but ask why? Are there that many consumers out there waiting for an upscale malt liquor? It still doesn’t come close to providing the satisfaction that comes with experiencing the complexity of a fine beer. But if you are looking for that malt liquor that you can bring home to mama, I guess this is it.
Recommended listening for the Rogue’s malt liquor…funkadelic sounds from Beck:

Beck’s 1999 cheese-fest album is full of funky tunes that conjure up Prince and George Clinton. The album celebrates all that is fun and frivolous about Beck, making you forget just how talented an artist he is. Highlights are “Nicotine and Gravy”, “Debra”, and “Mixed Bizness”.

Hangar One Vodka

Published by Matt November 21st, 2006 in vodka and reviews. 0 Comments

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Prompted by a friend’s insistence that Hangar One vodka is one of the best available, I decided to take a close look at another vodka produced right here in the good ol’ U.S.A. I won’t delve deep into the company’s history since you can find it here. Suffice it to say, their story is similar to Tito’s vodka, just change the location from Texas to California.

Hangar One has a powerful alcoholic smell that combines suggestions of fruit and floral aromas. The taste of Hangar One is remarkably smooth, both freezing cold and at room temperature. It has a sweet overtone that has distant hints of berries of some sort. It finishes with a mineral taste that balances out the sweetness. The last flavor is slightly peppery on the aftertaste.

So far, I’d rate this as my second favorite vodka behind Pravda. Hangar One lost out in the “silkiness” category. Pravda continues to be the ultra smooth vodka and it lacks the slight harshness of the Hangar One aftertaste. The price of a 750ml bottle of Hangar One runs about $30, so it’s in the same ballpark as most higher end vodkas. It still gets a strong recommend, but for now I’ll continue to go import when I purchase vodka.

Cuvee Diabolique

Published by Matt November 12th, 2006 in beer and reviews. 0 Comments

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More Belgium beer? Yesssss Lord. I just can’t stay away. There are so many to try. The Cuvee brewery is in Lochristi, Belgium. Their Diabolique beer grabbed my eye at the store with it’s bright red label. The name did concern me since it had only been a month or two since my last “evil” beer. I became a little more at ease when I poured the beer into a large frosted mug and it was a heavenly golden color. The aroma was full of yeast and citrus, probably grapefruit. This translated to a taste that had the obvious yeast and citrus, along with a nice balance between malty and spicy. In fact, it finished on a spicy note: with a hint of pepper. It was very reminiscent of Duvel (as I mentioned in a previous post, Duvel is the most imitated beer in Belgium). I found the beer to be very rewarding and I do highly recommend the Diabolique as it adds another great beer to the Belgium canon.

Recommended listening with Cuvee Diabolique…faux evil rock:

Greece Trip, part 5 - Kitron

Published by Matt November 12th, 2006 in liqueur and reviews. 2 Comments

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One of the things I was most excited about during our trip to Greece was the Kitron liqueur. While my wife was researching the trip, she told me that the island of Naxos had a liqueur all their own that has been produced there since the late 1900’s. On our second full day on Naxos we stopped at the Kitron distillery in the village of Halki. It was a tiny building with a small staff. The tour lasted less than a half an hour, taking us through the rooms housing the distillation equipment. We learned that the liqueur is made using the citron tree. Apparently the fruit from the tree is similar to lemons, but is not edible when raw. The locals make a marmalade with the fruit and use the leaves of the tree to make the liqueur. While on the tour we got to see old (c.1920’s) newspaper ads for the liqueur in various papers from Europe and the United States. Since I had never heard of the drink before, I asked our tour guide where the liqueur was available. She explained that the liqueur used to be widely distributed but had fallen out of favor and was currently only available on the island of Naxos. The family (yes, there is and was only one) that produced the liqueur pulled up the citron trees and planted more profitable crops just a few decades ago. However, they recently decided to re-enter the “world-wide” liqueur market. Unfortunately, the citron crops have not been able to produce enough liqueur to distribute outside of the island to date. The last stop of the tour was the tasting table! There were three choices of Kitron: yellow, green, and clear. Yellow was the driest, green was the sweetest, and the clear version was somewhere in the middle. The flavor was complex, with a strong citrus flavor. We could not put our finger on a specific orange or lemon flavor, it was somewhat a combination of the two, and was overall very enjoyable. We purchased a couple bottles to bring back to the States and when we served it to some friends, they, like us, really enjoyed it as well. The consensus was that although the dominate flavor has a lemony citrus taste, the liqueur is more complex than that. Upon first taste it would be easy to put it in the same category as Curacao. The first difference is the Kitron is 40% alcohol vs. Curacao’s 17% and, outside of that, the Kitron is not nearly as sweet or simple as as Curacao. It’s hard to describe but Kitron has multiple layers to its flavor. If you ever go to Greece, I highly recommend a stop on the lesser touristy island of Naxos where you have the added benefit of their own delicious specialy liqueur!

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