Beer 101

I have already given you some basic knowledge on scotch so now its time to do the same for beer. Beer can be a little complicated because of how many styles there are,but I will do my best to break them down to you. After you are done reading this post you will know the basic beer tree and know what you like in beer and what you most likely don't.

Beer is broken up into two parent categories: Lagers and Ales. under these categories you'll find many other offspring of beer. In the following paragraphs, I will break down the lager tree as well as the ale tree so you can see where all these types of beer branch from.

First I will start with lagers. Lagers are a type of beer that is brewed using bottom-fermenting yeast at lower temperatures and for longer durations rather than those typically used to brew ales. The lower temperature in which this beer is brewed allows the the yeast which is different from the one used in brewing ales to slow work its way into the beer giving the lager a specific taste. Examples of lagers on the market today are as follows: Pilsner,Bock,Marzen,Schwiezbier, and Helles (aka pale lager). all these beers are part of the lager family, there are a few more but we will cover these for now and the others later when i review specific beers. Furthermore, lagers can be two different colors: Golden yellow and/or dark red to Brown. These beers also tend to be lighter than ales. Interesting fact…. lager means storage in German.

Ales is the second and final parent category in beer. In an ale you'll find a beer type brewed from malted barley using a warm fermentation with a strain of brewers yeast. The yeast will ferment the beer quickly, giving it a sweet, full bodied and fruity taste. Most ales contain hops, which impart a bitter herbal flavor that helps to balance the sweetness of the malt and preserve the beer. Ales are also top fermented as where lagers are not. Examples of Ales: brown ale, pale ale, india pale ale (ipa) scotch ale, belgian ale, and stouts. I will get more into detail when I review a specific type of ale in future postings.As with lagers, Ales also come in different colors. Some are a strong golden color, others hazy and pale, and some very dark. With ales you can also find that the alcohol level's in them can go anywhere from 5 percent to anywhere under 13 percent.

I hope that this bit of information is helpful to you in your future endeavors into buying beer or even just understanding the vast world of brew.

Brain Food 4

Word of the day: egregious

Quote of the day:

"what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us"

Emerson-

How to drink your scotch

Many of us love our booze no matter how we drink it. We don't care if we drink it out of a can,bottle,or even a jar. When we go out to bars or restaurants and we order drinks, we don't care or even give it a second thought to notice what glass they are serving it in, we just simply drink it and order another. Well....let me tell you you something, the glass wear is important! wether it's the proper beer, martini,scotch,or tom collins glass they make a difference.

Today I'm gonna cover the proper way you should drink your single malt scotch's and even those hard to love blends. If your a scotch lover and you simply are drinking your whiskey out of any glass you have at home,it's time to get the proper glass. The GlenCarin glass is what you want. Yes most places and most people drink there scotch out of a tumbler(nothing wrong with that)but to get the full nose and the most taste out of your single malts...the GlenCarin glass is king. Not only is the glass elegant looking its also sophisticated and regal. With this glass you can appreciate all aspects of your whiskey: the color,nose, and the elegance of it. I highly recommend purchasing a glass or two. Once you've had your scotch from one of these glasses you'll tell the difference right away. Keep your tumbler's for your guest or bar's treat yourself like your inner connoisseur and drink like one.

Other notes on how to drink your Scotch.

. Depending on how big the scotch is your drinking add a few drops of water to open it up and release all other aromas

. Pour yourself a glass of no more than six oz and let it sit for a bit before you drink it

. Don't add any other liquid to your single malts other than water.

. Pair your scotch with cigars or chocolate(delicious)

Brain Food 3

Word of the day: eructation

Quote of the day: "no bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings

William Blake-

Brain Food 2

Word of the day: Dander

Quote of the day: Between the failure and the masterpiece,the distance is one millimeter

Paul Gaugin-

Scotch Review #1

The Aberlour 12

This Scotch is an amazing drink. I first picked this up at my local bevmo in studio city. Which by the way happens to be one of the newer bevmo's and one with an excellent Scotch selection.

The Aberlour 12 is a Speyside Scotch, so if you remember what I discussed in my scotch 101 post, you should know that this whiskey will be sweet and soft with some floral hints. Now lets see if my knowledge hold true.

Nose: Sweet and not over powering. Plenty of sweet fruit and a background of floral textures.

Palate: Clean and smooth. Light spice on the tounge with hints of chocolate and sweet apple.

Color: Dark honey with a tint of amber. Almost red at the center of the whiskey.

Finish: Very textured and complex. It ends long and warm,with the clean, crisp taste of cinnamon and ginger

In all i give this scotch a mark of 4 stars out of 5. Highly recommended to those who love the sweeter whiskies. Drink neat and add little water to open up. Enjoy with a cigar or cashews.

Brain Food

Word of the day: Abominate.

Quote of the day:We know what we are,but know not what we may be.

William Shakespeare-

A new element to the blog

Starting tomorrow I will begin posting on this blog a word of the day and quote of the day. My goal is too spark or inspire my follower's as to expand their daily vernacular.

Scotch 101

Follower's, today we're gonna get started with what I think is the most refined and magnificent drink on the planet: Scotch! Scotch is a form of whiskey that is produced......where..... yes, your right if you said Scotland. This form of whiskey is amazing and complex with so many different options that you are bound to find one you'll love! So, young connoisseur's here is you

introduction to Scotch.

Scotch whiskey comes from three different main regions,but there are also other parts of Scotland that produce this excellent beverage. The three we will cover in this posting will be: The Isla region Speyside , and Highland region. All these different sectors of Scotland have certain characteristics that make them unique and regional.

First region I will cover is the Isla region. The Isla Scotches have and are known for their peat and smokey textures and flavors. They tend to be more robust and heavy, as they lso pack a heavy punch when consumed. Most Scotch experts believe the the Isla region Scotch's are the top of the line whiskey's. I believe that as well especially when it comes to the older scotch whisky's. In Isla, you can find such distilleries as: Lagavulin(the prince of isla whisky), Ardbeg, which i consider the most robust and manly scotch on the market, Bowmore, Bruichladdich(my favorite from this region) Caol Ila, Laphroaig, and a few more which we will cover in up coming reviews and post.

The second region is the Speyside. Unlike the Isla region, the Speyside Scotches Tend to be a lot sweeter and easy on the palate, but yet very flavorful. They also have lots of floral flavor's and fruit scents. Some of the most popular Speyside Scotch's are: The Glenfiddich, Glenlievet, Aberlour, Balveine, Tomotoul,The McCallan, among more that we will cover later.

The last and final major region I will cover is the Highland region. The Highland region"s in my book tend to be a great balance between both the Isla region and the Speyside . In they Highlands of Scotland the produce such big names in the whiskey world such as: Highland Park, Aberfeldy, Balblair, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, and more.

In all Scotland offers plenty of choices for the different palate. As this blog grows older and and longer I will cover all these Scotches and will do my best to describe them in depth and show you how to drink them all properly. Till next time you young connoisseur's

Not only for the men!!!

As I reviewed my first posting i must say that it seem like I have directed this blog just to young men and Men in general. Let me say that that is not my intention. this blog is for those ladies who also want to enjoy the better things in life too. So,ladies please feel free to follow and chime in in your two cents on this blog. Nothing more beautiful on this planet than a women who enjoys a fine scotch and cigar as well as a spectacular beer and solid wine. So, ladies... hope to have you join this movement in learning about the finer things in life.

The Intro

This blog is dedicated to those young, up and coming and aspiring connoisseur's(and those older people out there too). This is meant to enlighten you on the world beyond your generic drinking and smoking pass times and introduce you to the fine world of Scotch(single and blended malts), Bourbon, Craft Beer and Cigars. I hope to cover everything from the different taste's all these great drinks and smokes provide, to how to drink them or smoke them, and most importantly how to pair them with food and how to order them on location. Hope you all enjoy what you'll be reading

Brian Alvarado

blog operator and writer