Beer Review 12: BrewDog Punk IPA

This brewery could quite possibly be my favorite brewery from over sea's. BrewDog, Hailing from Scotland, produces some of the most fascinating beer. I compare them to Dogfish because they are not afraid to try new things with their brews. Their Punk IPA to me is one of the top IPA's in the world! It's everything you want and nothing you hate. This fantastic brew is bottled at 6.5 % abv and is packaged in 22 oz bottle. The price tag is just fine as it comes in at anywhere from $5.49 to $ 6.49.  It can be found at most places that have a large selection in beer, i.e. Bevmo, Vendome, or Binny's. This beer pairs well with plenty foods,but I really like it with pizza or Italian food, it just seems to compliment that food very well. Furthermore, it makes a great summer beer and year round beer if your an IPA freak! Please enjoy out of a frosty cold pint.

Color: A golden orange that really glows. It forms a nice white head and leaves nice lacing through out the whole pint.

Nose: Plenty of citrus and sweetness. You also get a nice floral bouquet on the forefront of this beer with hints of vanilla, grapefruit, and kiwi. Yum!

Palate: A balance of of hop and sweet malt. The fruit hits you from beginning to end but in balance with the hop. This beer is complex and intoxicating on the palate.

Finish: Long and amazing! Nice amount of hop and the fruit really shines as it goes down. A thirst quencher!

Rating: 90 out of 100

Beer Review 11: Hitachino Nest White Ale

Can Hitachino Nest make a bad beer.... I don't think so. Hitachino white ale is one of the highest selling beers in the U.S. and it will probably continue to be until Hitachino no longer exist. This Japanese brewery is one of the worlds best breweries! They make 9 to 10 beers that are all fantastic and artistically constructed with some of the best ingredients found world wide.

Hitachino white ale is truly a white beer lovers dream, its clean and crisp with plenty to offer the drinker. White Ale is bottled in 11.2 oz bottle, but can also be found in a 350 ml bottle which may be hard to find in California. Hitachino Beers are usually expensive but worth it. This beer usually prices it self around $ 4.50 to $5.99 a bottle depending on where you buy it. The abv on this beer is just right for this type of beer at 5 %. This beer also should be enjoyed out of a cold pint glass in the summer time, but also makes a good year round beer if you make it your mid afternoon beer. Furthermore and lastly, this beer would pair nicely with all and most sea food and some lighter Italian foods.

Color: Cloudy straw gold. Little to no head at all which happen to be a true white foam head. this beer leaves minimal head retention/lacing.

Nose: Plenty of citrus. lemon zest orange juice and definitely coriander.  hints of Belgian yeast and wheat in the background.

Palate: Light bodied beer. some light sour/tart. Very crisp and clean on the tongue with the orange flavors dancing about on your taste buds.

Finish: Short and clean. The tartness of the lemon zest and sweetness of the orange juice finishes strong and truly stand out. Not that complex but nicely layered and refreshing.

Rating: 92 out 100

Beer Review 10: Dogfish Head Pangaea

Today's beer review is another great achievement by the folks at Dogfish Head. Today I had the Pangaea, and I must say this beer made my evening. I cracked into this beer this evening and from the first sip I was hooked! Pangaea explodes in you mouth tantalizing your taste buds, leaving you wanting to savor every sip you take. 

Pangaea, for those who don't know or didn't pay attention in geography class, Pangaea was the name of given to all the continents before they broke apart to form what we now know as the 7 continents. Other things you need to know about this fine brew is that the people at Dogfish use one ingredient from each continent to make this beer, and if you want to know what they are you can visit their site. Furthermore, Pangaea is bottled at 7 % abv and its packaged in a 750 ml bottle. This beer is a seasonal beer for dogfish so its not available year round so keep your eye out for this brew. Moreover, this beer is worth the price tag of $9.99, so don't be afraid to spend your money on this beer, you will be rewarded. Also, make sure to enjoy this beer from a snifter glass to enhance all the flavor this beer has to offer. Pangaea makes a great year round beer and it pairs well with many meals.

Color: Golden honey with an amber hue at the core. It forms a thin white head thats disapates quickly and has minimal lacing.

Nose: Sweet and crisp. Ginger hits your nose at the forefront along with subtle honey notes. In the background you get an array of spices.

Palate: Medium body beer with lots of complexity. Layered with plenty of flavor and exotic spice. A gental sweetness dances on your tounge,

Finish: Not to long not to short.... just right . The ginger reappears at the end along with some yeast.

Rating: 93 out 100

Bourbon Review 1: Michter's Small Batch

Ok here you have it.... the first Bourbon review of the year, and its gonna be a good one. Michter's small batch bourbon; this is one of the few bourbons that you can't trace way back. This bourbons heritage come from Pennsylvania and dates back to 1753.  This is one of the few American whiskey's that you can consider superb. Michter's small batch delivers complex flavors and it's layered with soft earth tones. This bourbon is one of my favorites and one that is meant to be savored sip by sip. Its best enjoyed out of a snifter glass after dinner or before bed with an evening cigar. Another thing you need to know about this bourbon is that its comes from what they call "small batch." Small batch bourbon is bourbon that has limited quantities so that the quality can remain at a high level.  Most small batch bourbon is a bit expensive but very well worth it; this Michter's  has a price tag of $44.99 which is reasonable for a quality bourbon like this one. Michter's also has other whiskey's in their line of products. This small batch bourbon is an 8 year old bourbon for you who care about how old your whiskey is. Other info on this bottle: its bottles at 45.7 % abv which is 91.4 proof.

Color: Golden brown with an amber hue at the core of the whiskey

Nose: Hints of charred oak...probably white oak. caramelized nuts on the forefront with smokey caramel too. in the back you get some faint vanilla and dusty wood and quietly some apple creeps up.

Palate: Definitely warm on the mouth, explodes with bold and round flavors. Medium to full body and packs smoked wood on the back of your tongue.

Finish: Long and warm. you feel it all the way into your stomach. the sweetness comes to fruition  and leaves you wanting another sip.

Rating: 94 out of 100

Bourbon! All so American.

As you well know by now I have promised to educate you all on all the fine things in life, but not until now have I got around to telling you about Bourbon. I will apologize for getting a little to beer happy,but with the whether in California remaining hot till now I just haven't gotten around to drinking bourbon. Well boys and girls the wait is over! Bourbon season is here and Ill guide you through all you need to know about it.

Lets start off by saying that bourbon has been made in the U.S. since the 18th century and that its the American whiskey. Bourbon got its name from Bourbon County Kentucky because its said that that's where the distilling of Bourbon began.  Furthermore, Bourbon is made from primarily corn(maze). There is more to bourbon so brace yourself for the mass information coming your way......

Here are the requirements that need to be met before bourbon can be called bourbon: 

 

- must be of a grain mixture and at least 51 % corn.

- must be distilled at no more than 160 proof (80% abv) 

- no coloring or flavoring can be added.

- must be aged in new charred oak barrels. 

- must be bottled at no more than 125 proof (62% abv)

- must be aged a minimum of 2 years to e called straight bourbon.

- only whiskey made in the U.S. can be called Bourbon.

More information that you want to know: 

Bourbon can be produced in any state in the U.S. where distilling is legal

95% of bourbon is made in Kentucky.

How to enjoy Bourbon: 

Enjoy Bourbon neat(no ice) or on the rocks (with ice) or with some water back.

Best enjoyed when cold outside.

After a heavy meal or with dinner. 

Great drink to pair with a cigar.

enjoy out of a tumbler glass or a snifter if drinking a high end well aged bourbon

Other elements that will be covered later:

single barrel bourbon

well aged bourbon

why jack daniel's is not bourbon.

Hope this is helpful and I look forward to reviewing bourbon for you followers

 

Beer Review 9: Don DE Dieu by Unibroue

This Beer by Unibroue is now one of my favorite beers to come from outside the U.S. This beer is made in Canada.... who said nothing good come from Canada! The Don de Dieu is an Ale that is bottled at 9 % abv and can be bought in a 750 ml bottle or a four pack of 11.2 oz. The standard serving size for this beer is 9.4 oz and best served in a tulip. The price on this beer is definitely worth it. You can get the 750 bottle for about 7.50 to 9.00 dollars a bottle or the 4 pack for 11.99 to 13.99.  I enjoyed every sip of this beer, so much so I put down the whole bottle, which by the way is not recommended unless you want to feel quite tipsy. Another thing you need to know about this beer is that this beer is re fermented in the bottle. This beer makes a great year round beer and best served alongside a heavy dinner.

Color: pours a vibrant golden color. It really glows and looks beautiful in the glass. At top of this beer forms a 2 finger head that is a nice frothy white.

Nose: Sweetness and citrus with semi sweet malt. The scent of orange lemon zest. In the background of this beer you also get some notes of sweet bread and banana.

Palate: Nice and crisp with a gentle softness. Explodes with flavors and for the high alcohol content in this beer its not evident what so ever.

Finish: medium finish with an array of complexity and sophistication.

Rating: 91 out of 100

Brian Food 8

Word of the day: Tomfoolery

Quote of the day: Character is higher than intellect... A great soul will be strong to live, as well as to think.

- Emerson

Beer Review 8: Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous

This brew was simply amazing! usually beers by Stone Brewery are a bit to robust for me,but this beer here really hit the spot! Stone Sublimely Self-Righteous is clearly a sensational brew! Self-Righteous is a dark IPA that was first brewed in 2007 by Stone as their 11th anniversary beer. Usually I hesitate when it come to dark IPA,but this one I took a chance on and I was blown away. This beer comes in at 8.7% abv and can be purchased in a 22 oz bottle. I highly recommend this brew to anyone who is a fan of heavy beers and IPA. Its everything you want and nothing you don't. Wonderfully complex and layered, this Ale by Stone is a benchmark in beer making and a trailblazer to what many IPA is today. 

Color: Pours black with a nice one inch head. not transparent at all.

Nose: A bouquet of hops hit your nose. It smells fresh and clean like a forrest on a spring damp morning. Light citrus emulates from the beer along with coffee notes and nuts. 

Palate: Wow! soft, clean, and gentle. full body beer with a large amount of flavor. Sweet and citrus flavors. 

Finish: Long and full of flavor. Very complex and explosive as well. you get the coffee and sweet malt balanced by the bite of the hop.

Notes: Great year round brew. great with any meal and a cigar. A must have beer  for everyone. 

Rating: 90 out of 100

Beer Review 7: Hitachino Nest Red Rice

When I first had this beer I was not a fan. It was the one beer from hitachino I did not like or even thought was remotely good enough to keep producing. After a second go around with this beer on the recommendation of my buddy Anand, I must now say that I'm a fan. This beer provided an excellent body and taste, with a wonderful nose. It was like drinking a whole different beer. Red Rice is definitely worth the price tag($5.49), so pick one up and give it a shot. Red Rice is an Ale beer brewed using red rice which was cultured in ancient times in Japan. It comes in at a 7 % abv and in a 11.2 oz bottle. Definitely enjoyed best out of a cold pint glass!

Color: This beer pours a very pale red and unfiltered. It creates a white one inch head that disappears slowly.

Nose: some tartness up front... most likely from the citrus in this beer. Also evident are some bread like scents and sweet malt.

Palate: soft,crisp, and light. very tasteful and complex. goes down easy and can't say enough how great it taste.

Finish: short but full of burst. sweetness and some light hops at he end. truly an achievement. 

Notes: great everyday beer,but unless you can afford this beer on a daily basis stay away from it and just allow yourself one on the weekend. Great summer beer,but also does well year round

Rating: 96 out of 100