Beer Review 20: Oskar Blues Old Chub

Oskar Blues out of Colorado is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries in the country. Everything I have gotten my hands on has been amazing and incredibly tasty. Tonight's review focuses on there wee heavy style Scotch Ale Old Chub. This beer checks in at a smooth 8 % abv and its also nicely packaged in cans available only in a 6 pack. Furthermore,  Scotch Ales are known for there copper color and malty sweetness, and this beer is no exception. Its big on flavor and a great drink. The alcohol is nicely blended into this brew so you don't get any of that burny nasty flavor that bad high alcohol beer's give you. In addition, old chub stacks up with any of the other domestic beer's in this category. I feel it falls behind to the AleSmith's Wee Heavy, but after that.... its a coin toss on which other Scotch Ale in the country is second best. This beer is enjoyed either in the can you buy it in or in a cold pint glass . Lastly, this beer pairs wonderfully with smoked meat and grilled salmon, but also does well with gouda and cashews. Go out and try this beer, its worth the dollar amount.

Color: Copper to dark hazy brown. develops a light head, but disappear quickly. Nicely carbonated. 

Nose: A bundle of sweet malty goodness. Light smokey textures that pair with some caramelized nuts and sweet bread. 

Palate: A bit sticky, but not like syrup. Its definitely a medium bodied beer that is layered with plenty of sweetness. Lots of bready textures on the tounge.

Finish: Smooth, clean, and sweet. Extremely drinkable. Its everything a Scotch Ale should be. 

Rating: 89 out of 100

Wine Review 1: Educated Guess Cabernet

The time has arrived for the first wine review on this blog. Tonight I'll be reviewing the 2007 vintage Educated Guess, a Cabernet from Napa Valley, California. This wine is cellared and bottled at roots run deep winery in St. Helena which is located in the northern part of the state.  Before I continue with my review of this wine I'd like to give you some information on the Cabernet grape and the varietal. It is widely accepted in the world of wine that Cabernet is the world's best varietal. Furthermore, this is a big grape with thick skin and when made into wine it provides flavors of blackberries,black currants, raspberry and blueberry. In addition to the mass amount of fruit flavor this varietal provides, this type of wine also goes through heavy oak treatment which gives this type of wine the earthy wood flavors people love in Cabernet. Other facts about Cabernet are: these wines tend to age well, so you can buy a few bottles and drink one now and cellar the rest and drink at a future date. Not all Cabernet will stand the test of time, some are good to go now and not later. I recommend you age this type of wine only if you are paying upwards of 25 dollars a bottle if not just go ahead and drink now and enjoy them along side steak and cheese's such as Stilton, goat , blue, and Cheddar.  Now back to the review on hand. 2007 Educated Guess... I've been talking up this wine since I first had it in January of 2010. This wine showed beautiful character and presence, and a complexity rivaling many of the more expensive Cabernet on the market today i.e. DuckHorn and Jordan. However, unlike Jordan or DuckHorn which carry a hefty price tag and get better with some cellar time, Educated guess only cost $ 19.99 on average and really doesn't benefit much with the aging process. If you do age this wine though I would say don't let it sit for more than 2 years. Like most Cabernet the abv on this wine is on the high side at 14.5 % , but it still drinks smooth and clean all the way through to the finish. Lastly, I'd have to say this wine is a good introductory Cabernet for those looking to get into this varietal. Its soft and easy to drink, it falls on the fruitier side rather than the high tannin- dryer- more classy Cabernet's. Enjoy Educated Guess alongside lamb and strong cheeses and make sure to use a red wine glass to fully enjoy all the great complexities of this varietal.

Color: Crimson on the rim of the wine. Violet at the core. It leaves behind a medium amount of legs on the glass.

Nose: Gentle and very aromatic. Plenty of red fruit in the forefront: Cranberry and raspberry hit your nose first followed by some mellow black fruit: black cherry and some plum.

the tannins in this wine are in check and subtle.

Palate: Here is where this wine earns its grade. explodes with complex flavor of fruit and earth. The acid of the wine is mellow and not over powering. Hints of wood and light vanilla appear. Its a firework show in your mouth.

Finish: medium to long. its soft and crisp all the way through. it really finishes silky soft and with plenty of texture.  

Rating: 89 out of 100

Beer Review 19: Maui Brewing Co. Coconut Porter

Maui Brewing Co. is a pretty new brewery on the large scale of  all things beer. At this time they brew four types beer that are available to mostly everybody in the United States. The review for tonight focuses on their Coconut Porter which is their most award winning beer. This beer is quite frankly an excellent porter and worthy of the accolades it has received. It drinks exceptionally clean and smooth with lots of layered flavor. Maui's Coconut Porter comes packaged in canned form and as a 12 oz four pack. Furthermore, this beer is worth all of the $ 9.99 you pay for it, so don't hesitate in buying this beer if you see it at your local store. In addition, Coconut porter is is canned at a smooth drinking 5.7 percent abv, making this porter an excellent fall to winter beer. Lastly, I love this beer as a dessert beer! Tried it with with some cherry pie on Monday and boy was the combination fantastic. I  also recommend pairing this beer with an au jus beef sandwich and an orange flavored dark chocolate bar..... yummy!

Color: A heavy dark brown almost espresso like. It form a one finger tan head the dissolves slowly. This beer is well carbonated and leaves behind some light lacing.

Nose: Smokey, roasty, and nutty. Major roasted coffee in the forefront, followed by chocolate covered coconut. A creamy texture floats in the background along with light smokey oak.

Palate: A definite medium bodied beer. It boasts plenty of espresso flavors. In the mouth you also get an appearance of hazel nut and vanilla that later gets over taken by surfacing woody flavors that bring forth a honeyed coconut texture.

Finish: Long and robust, but not explosive.  It goes down like a good iced coffee and it also leaves a trail of kind sweetness. This beer delivers complexity and excellent beer craftsmanship. Cheers! Maui Brewing Co

Rating: 94 out of 100

Beer Review 18: Russian River Brewery Damnation

Russian River Brewery is known to be one of the premiere breweries in the country. With many crowd favorites like pliny the elder, supplication, blind pig, and pliny the younger you would expect that their other beer's would be good as well.... Damnation is no exception, this Belgian Golden Ale is amazing and would make any Belgian monk proud. This is my first time having this beer and I'm amazed at how smooth and spectacular it is. I would really have to compare this beer to any top Belgian made Golden Ale on the market. Furthermore, this beer isn't hard to find,so if your a fan of Belgian style ales go pick one up at your local whole foods or vendomes or any other retailer that carries Russian River beer. The price tag on this beer is not over the top, as a matter of fact this beer is priced below market value in my book.  At $ 4.99 to $ 6.99 this beer is a steal. Bottled in a 375 ml bottle and at a nice and smooth 7.75 abv, this beer should make it into your beer rotation as much as possible. In addition to all the fantastic info I have given you about this beer, you should really enjoy this beer out of a tulip glass or a Belgian style wide mouth glass i.e. a chimay glass.  Lastly, This beer makes a great year round beer and it can be enjoyed on its own or with some bellavitano cheese. Another great thing about this beer is that it is so versatile, that you can pair it with any lunch or dinner meal.

Color: A beautiful golden color with hints of orange at the core. This beer forms a very thin white head and it leaves behind some light lacing. This beer is also very nicely carbonated.

Nose: Staying authentic to the Belgian Style of brewing, this beer smells of yeast textures and sweet malt. I also get plenty of white fruit like pear and apple.

Palate: Here light hops emerge along with some light woody flavors....a ceder plank smell comes to mind.  Lightly on the tongue you also get citrus flavors( think tangerine).

Finish: Long and and some what dry. It really finishes complex and layered with plenty of flavor. 

Rating: 91 out of 100

Beer Review 17: Stone Lucky Bastard

Stone Brewery's Lucky Bastard is tonight's beer review. I'm actually very pleased to be reviewing this beer because it was such a treat to drink it. Lucky Bastard quickly became one of my favorite stone offerings and easily one of my top 3 stone beer's. This beer is a blend of the other three bastard  beer's: Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard, Oak Aged Bastard, and all 3 together make a fabulous, deeply rich, and tasty beer. Furthermore, this beer is not for the meek, it packs a punch and also delivers an array of pungent/citrusy flavors. In addition to the latter, this beer is truly an accomplishment for stone brewery. This beer deliver excellent craftsmanship and ingenuity, while still keep the stone character of beer making. Lucky Bastard, is bottled at a decent 8.5 % abv and is available in a 22 oz bottle. The suggested serving size is 6 oz, but I ignored that and went for a 16 oz serving and it delivered a knock out punch once done with my pint. Seriously you are better off sharing this beer with someone who will appreciate it with you. Other information about this beer: lucky bastard was brewed to celebrate 13 years of brewing arrogant bastard, this beer will pair well with a meaty pizza or a heavy Italian dish, and finally you can purchase this beer for $ 5.99 to $ 6.99 depending on where you decide to buy it.

Color: A very dark amber color, almost hazy. At the core it gets a dark brown. It forms about a two finger tan head and leaves behind a nice amount of lacing.

Nose: A nice pungent smell... almost a dank aroma. Hops explode on your sense once you really put your nose into it. In the background you get some sweet malt along with some bread and citrus flavors.

Palate: Sticky and citrus filled. Full bodied and extremely bold. A plethora of hops dance on the palate and leave behind hints of grapefruit and apricot. If you really give the beer a twirl in your mouth you get a genteel sweetness that is superb.

Finish. Sticky and long. The hops deliver a ripe citrus sweetness with a mild bitterness.  But this is where the beer kinda falls apart. It feels syrupy and lacks complexity, and most of the excellent flavors this beer presented at the start are now barely evident.

Rating: 89 out 100

Top 10 Winter Seasonal Beer's

This is my list of the must drink winter seasonal beer's, so I hope you can go out and try these fabulous brews

1. Deschutes Brewery Abyss: This beer is an imperial stout with plenty of complexity and character. Age for a year or so an you'll have a beer that can quite possibly be the best stout in the world.

2. Anderson Valley Winter Solstice: A creamy beer with plenty of winter in it. Not overly spiced or under spiced..... just perfect. Pick up a six pack and enjoy!

3. Dogfish Head Chicory Stout: A low abv stout with plenty of coffee notes and light chocolate. Goes well with most meals and its great alone. a  bit pricey, but worth the money.

4. St. Feuillien Cuvee De Noel: A great Belgian seasonal. Loaded with plenty of flavor and high abv to surely keep the winter cold away. 

5. Affligem Noel: a dark brown beer that smell like Christmas! what else need to be said.

6. Sierra Nevada Celebration: Nicely hopped and spiced. A perfect winter beer with more to offer than other beer's in its category.

7. Ale Smith Yule Smith: Hopped perfectly and it smells of pine tree and nutmeg, Yummy!

8. Firestone Velvet Merlin: A stout with character. Very smooth for a stout but also packs plenty of flavor.

9. Anchor Christmas: For years its been a staple of the winter months. Every year a different recipe is made and every year it satisfies. A must have for the winter months.

10. Dogfish Head World Wide Stout: Hard to find, hard to justify paying 10 dollars for a 12 oz bottle, but definitely a pleaser. With an 18 % abv and heavy coffee and barley flavors, this beer fulfills and justifies a place on this list,

Scotch Review 4: Bruichladdich Resurrection 2001

Its been awhile since I last reviewed a Scotch Whiskey, So today I'm gonna review a goodie. Bruichladdich Resurrection 2001 is a Islay region Scotch that is nothing short of fantastic.  This is a 8 year old Scotch that drinks smooth and much more mature than it is. When drinking this for the first time I was amazed at how soft and complex this whiskey was. It showed precision and an array of earthy flavors and light fruit. Furthermore, the traditional peat and smokey flavors that are common in Islay whiskies are toned down and not overwhelming. Bruichladdich Resurrection is a must drink for any Scotch lover, especially anyone who loves the Islay region.  This bottle runs on the expensive end, but totally worth every penny. At anywhere from $79.99 to $89.99 this bottle is sure to please. This bottle was also released in limited quantity, as only 24,000 bottles were ever made of this whiskey. . In addition, this this whiskey is bottled at a robust 46.4 abv and is best savored out of a gleancarin glass. This Scotch needs little to know water to open up so drink up and enjoy. Resurrection makes a great dinner whiskey that will pair well with roast meats and other heavy meals and it sure makes a great winter warmer alongside a maduro cigar.

Color: A beautiful pale golden straw color. definetly looks young.

Nose: the obvious peat and smoke hit first, but don't over power the other wonderful smells from the whiskey. The peat in gental amd  the smoke peaceful. Hints of sea breeze and wet grass. In the background you get light apple and pear followed by some mineral elements.

Palate: A full bodied Scotch with plenty of complexity.  At the beginning you get the subtle fruit and its then taken over by the smoke and mineral elements. The peat plays on your tounge nicely and the whiskey is layered with plenty of amazing flavors.

Finish: Long and smooth. Warm and glorious. This single malt whiskey drinks with all the grace and ellegance of a much older Scotch. A definte winner.

Rating: 93 points out 100