Beer and Wine Tasting Notes

Porkslap Pale Ale

2011-06-22T21:20:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite label designs of all time, (see it here) but we're not rating beers based on the labels. This pale ale from Garrattsville NY is kind of a sorry showing. There's nothing real bad about it that you can put your finger on, except maybe the lack of hops flavor. Actually there's a distinct lack of any flavor at all. Too bad, because I really wanted to like the beer with the two pigs doing a chest bump on the can.

One Star.

Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale

2011-06-17T19:51:00.000-04:00

Just picked this up in a can. (All the cool breweries are doing it!) It's quite hoppy, and kind of drinks like a red ale more than a pale ale. It's real smooth and tastey. I might upgrade it to four stars after I drink a few more of them. We'll see.

Three Stars.

Tröegs Sunshine Pils

2011-05-01T20:31:00.000-04:00

This is just the kind of thing I've been craving as I watch the weather turn warm. It's very light in color, and nice and smooth. It's not too sudsy or dry, or too malty and sweet. It's a light beer with a slight yeast tang and just the tiniest hint of fruit in the aroma.

Three Stars.

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo - Feudi Del Duca 2009

2011-03-19T20:50:00.000-04:00

A $7.99 red wine that was advertised as "insanely delicious" in my local liquor store.

Well, I wouldn't go that far. It's a nice wine though. It has a strong red color, not light, but not tending towards purple like a lot of wines, what the connoisseurs like to call "ruby". It's sweet, kind of a plum flavor with both tartness and sugar, and some leathery undertones. There's a slight lemon zest in the aftertaste. Overall, a decent wine, not the flavors I look for, but there's nothing wrong with it.

Two Stars.

Long Trail Ale

2011-03-19T20:41:00.000-04:00

I'm reposting this once again to alter the number of stars. I've been drinking this beer regularly and nothing that is available right now comes close. I can think of two seasonal beers (will compare when the time is right) that might rival it, but this is the best thing that is on shelves right now.

This copper-red ale has a noticeably hoppy aroma, followed by a well-rounded flavor that contains delicate hints of cherry and vanilla. The finish is satisfying and clean. Although the bottle says it is modeled after the German altbier, it makes me think of nothing more than a red Brittish Pale Ale, with a sweetness reminiscent of Newcastle Ale.

Five Stars!

Saranac Irish Red Ale

2011-03-19T20:37:00.000-04:00

This Irish Red Ale is a welcome and drinkable limited release from one of my favorite brewers. I find that a lot of red ales are a bit disappointing, and I think that's especially true of Irish Red Ales (Killians, bleh.) But this one is great, and frankly I'm not surprised. Saranac knocks another one out of the park.

Four Stars.

Lion Stout

2011-01-22T18:09:00.000-05:00

Brewed in Sri Lanka, imported via Kalamazoo Michigan, this curious stout has one of the best marketing teams that ever designed a can of beer. And it's dang good too. The packaging doesn't give any hints about the ingredients, but I suspect some novel adjuncts are contributing to the unique flavor. Coffee? Something else? I'm not sure. In any case it is very full bodied, malty, and as black as sin.

Four Stars.

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

2010-12-18T16:34:00.001-05:00

A memorable stout with some unusual ingredients: roasted chicory, though I'm not sure if they mean the leaves, or the roots, or the flowers. And some mexican coffee beans in addition to that. It has a great toasted flavor.

Four Stars.

Fontana di Papa Bianco 2009

2010-12-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

I don't ask for much when I pay $5 for a bottle of wine, but that said, this sweet Italian white wine surpassed my best hopes. It is delicate, pleasingly light in color, and frankly it goes down way too easy. The first time I opened one, I got to within an inch of the bottom before it occurred to me how much I had had of it. It's not complex, but honestly this is the kind of wine that makes a strong argument that complexity is overrated.

Four Stars.

Saranac Octoberfest Lager

2010-10-12T17:40:00.002-04:00

My respect for the brewers at Saranac continues to grow. This beer combines the strength of flavor that characterises the typical Octoberfest ale with the creamy smoothness of the best lagers. The result is a supremely drinkable beer.

Five Stars.

337 (red wine)

2010-10-11T17:38:00.001-04:00

I got a bottle of this for my Dad, for his birthday. But when he opened it up, I think I drank about half of it. I'm a bad gift-giver, but in my defense it was really good! Dry for a Cab, not oppressively oaked, nice subtle fruit flavors.

Four Stars.

Otter Creek Oktoberfest Ale

2010-10-06T18:22:00.000-04:00

If there are autumn spices in this brew, they're very subtle. On the other hand, maybe it's just the marketing, but this beer has a suspiciously season-appropriate flavor. It's also malty, strong in alcohol, and it has a great hop bitterness to balance the sweetness. It has an overall drinkability that will keep you coming back for more.

Four Stars.

Kingfisher Premium Lager

2010-09-29T18:16:00.000-04:00

Brewed in Saratoga Springs, NY, this lager is remarkable for one thing: it is a completely normal American lager. It's drinkable, dry, and fairly surprising for having no distinguishing characteristics at all. But if ask me, that's often a plus in a beer. It's the perfect representative of the style.

Three Stars.

Warsteiner Premium Verum

2010-09-09T20:02:00.000-04:00

Well, I still don't think I really "get" lagers, but this olde time German brew is a snappy drink with very mild notes of fruit. A typical dry pilsner in many respects, but definitely with a superior balance.

Three Stars.

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale

2010-08-16T19:50:00.000-04:00

This one has a powerful smell of spices but the actual pumpkin flavor is minimal. It's tasty and drinkable, but not what I look for in a pumpkin ale.

Two Stars.

Dry Hopped St Rogue Red

2010-07-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

Red Ales can be real good, or real disappointing. This one surprised me ... because it was so good! It is very hoppy for a red ale, but remarkably smooth. A great drinking experience overall.

Four Stars.

Frontera Cabernet Merlot Mix

2010-07-13T17:54:00.000-04:00

You don't get a better bang for your recession dollar than this wine, in my opinion. It has a good dry/sweet balance, and at $5.50 it is better than many wines that cost twice as much.
A wonderful every day wine.

Two Stars.

Montepulciano D'Abruzzo - Il Borgo 2008

2010-07-13T17:50:00.001-04:00

This is a nice red wine. The first taste is mild, even watery. It is dry on the tongue and has a stern, controlled finish with a very light hint of tartness.

Three Stars.

Saranac Summer Brew

2010-06-11T13:54:00.002-04:00

Truth be told, I was in a hurry and I picked this up thinking it was something else. It's apparently a mix of lager and lemonade. 3.5% alcohol.

Huh.

It sounds crazy, but it tastes pretty good!

Three Stars.

Saranac Pale Ale

2010-04-18T19:59:00.000-04:00

THE generic pale ale.

Which is a plus, obviously.

Three Stars.

Troegs Rugged Trail Nut Brown Ale

2010-04-05T18:10:00.002-04:00

An understated brown ale. Mild, slightly dry, quite nutty, even woody.

Two stars.

Magic Hat Vinyl Lager Spring Seasonal

2010-03-29T19:19:00.002-04:00

This is a very interesting beer. It is a lager that really drinks like an ale. It has a dark red color, and it starts with a sharp malty flavor, then settles down into the characteristic smoothness of a sudsy lager, while retaining notes of sweetness and spice. The finish is a delicate fruity sweetness that doesn't turn sour at all. It's really something.

EDIT: bumped to five stars because I can't get enough of this stuff!

Five Stars.

Long Trail Pale Ale

2010-03-28T15:15:00.000-04:00

Great classic pale ale taste, slightly on the hoppy side. Nothing wrong with it.

Two stars.

The Perfected Black Velvet

2010-03-17T19:10:00.001-04:00

Here's a Saint Paddy's Day tip: "Black Velvet" is a mixed drink that is usually prescribed as a 50/50 mix of Guinness and Champagne. But if that's a little too emasculated for you, make it my way: Instead of an even mix, "spike" a glass of Guinness with about two shots of Champagne. That's just enough to balance the sourness of the Guinness, without making the drink taste like Champagne.

Victory Prima Pils

2010-03-16T18:34:00.002-04:00

A complex and enjoyable beer. I like pilsners probably better than any other kind of lager. This one is moderately dry and has some wheat-like sour notes. The hops are nice but not real strong. It has a good sudsy carbonation that sits softly in the mouth. It's a bit cloudy, which is a second thing that makes me think of wheat, although nothing on the bottle mentions there being any wheat in it.

Three Stars.

Tröegs Nugget Nectar Imperial Amber Ale

2010-03-11T11:13:00.003-05:00

This spring seasonal from Tröegs is a real nice beer, and an unusual style. It has a nice red color and a sparky hop profile that explodes in your mouth. The heavy malt & high alcohol content is just enought to balance the hops.

Four Stars.

Smuttynose Robust Porter

2010-03-11T11:09:00.002-05:00

Wow, this porter is just right. It is niiice and roasty, like a cup of good coffee. It's not too dry, and it's not too malty. Just right.

Five Stars.

Sam Adams Noble Pils

2010-02-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

This seasonal offering from Sam Adams is surprisingly good. It has a rusty yellow color and an adequate body. The taste is hoppy. The surprise is the smoothness. Despite the abundance of hops, there's nothing harsh or bitter about it. It's quite enjoyable.

Three Stars.

St. Pauli Girl

2009-11-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

I am a confirmed ale man, but this lager makes me question my beer ... orientation. It's light, a little sweet, and lacks the bland and astringent quality of other lagers.

I give it three stars, with a note to consider awarding it a fourth after some additional reflection.

Easy Irish

2009-10-28T14:27:00.001-04:00

Instead of a review, this is a recipe.

Put one large ice cube in a rocks glass. Pour in Irish Whiskey to cover. Top that with a slash of Amaretto Liqueur.

Different Irish Whiskeys will give this drink various characters. A really amazing combination is the 12-yr aged Jameson with Disaronno Originale.

I call it the "Easy Irish" because the main ingredient is Irish Whiskey, it is real easy to drink, and of course like any good cocktail name, the phrase "Easy Irish" is subtle and open to various interpretations.

Saranac Black Forest

2009-10-13T17:50:00.002-04:00

Saranac doesn't disappoint. This is a mild black beer without much "stout" to the body. It's smooth and drinkable, with a nice dry coffee aftertaste. I'm not sure what the official classification is, so I'm going to call it a porter.

Two Stars.

Gazela Vinho Verde

2009-10-11T21:01:00.002-04:00

My taste in white wines is pretty basic. This one is sweet and cheap.

Four dollars.

Four stars.

Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat

2009-09-14T19:01:00.000-04:00

This is a nice wheat ale with appropriate flavors of spice, fruit, and sour notes. The overriding taste is an orangey apricot flavor.

Two Stars.

Stone Russian Imperial Stout

2009-09-12T18:46:00.001-04:00

At 22 fluid ounces and 10.5% alcohol, one of these is the equivalent of 3.85 normal beers. Malty, thick, this it is the delicious beer equivalent of dirty used motor oil.

This beer will slap you in your bitch ass face.

Four Stars.

Dogfish Head Raison d'etre

2009-08-27T19:26:00.002-04:00

A curious beer brewed with "Belgian beet sugars" and white raisins. Very very malty, so if that is your thing, it is probably a great beer for you. Tastes well balanced and all that. Very very malty is not my thing, though.

Two stars.

Saranac Helles Lager

2009-06-20T14:12:00.002-04:00

A very "old school" lager, without the adulterations of American macrobrews. Very German in taste, advertising "noble hops" and "bavarian yeast". If you like yellow lagers with dry aftertastes, this is your beer.

Two Stars.

Saranac Summer Ale

2009-06-20T13:37:00.002-04:00

A very nice example of the style: wheat (but not too much), lemon zest, and "spices" make a "Summer Ale". Similar to the Sam Adams Summer Ale, which a lot more people are familiar with. Without tasting them side-by-side, I would guesstimate that this one has a little less of those extra flavors, a half-step in the direction of generic ale, which is fine by me and pleasing to drink.

Two Stars.

Saranac Pomegranate Wheat

2009-06-20T13:33:00.001-04:00

This is, surprisingly, a nice tasting beer. It is extremely smooth and has a dry aftertaste reminiscent of cranberry juice. The usual sourness of wheat beer blends well with the fruit flavor.

Three Stars.

Saranac Pale Pale Ale

2009-06-18T21:23:00.002-04:00

From the Summer Sampler. It is a pretty light bodied ale, although you won't detect any trace of adjunct sugars to ruin it. It is a lot hoppier than I would have expected from the name. It almost reminds me of Stone Levitation Ale in that way, but with a very different kind of hops taste: very citrusy and not too bitter at all.

Two stars.

2005 Chateau du Barry

2009-06-14T13:49:00.000-04:00

A nice example of the style, for the price ($10). It's a Bordeaux red, not much else to say about it. Nothing wrong with it.

Three stars

Smithwicks

2009-06-01T17:31:00.002-04:00

An "Irish Ale", pronounced like "smitticks".

Hard to describe the color: swampy? Maybe that's a biased description. This is a biased blog.

If you want a stout, drink Irish. If you want an ale, for heavens sake drink something British.

One Star.

2006 Catena Malbec

2009-06-01T17:30:00.001-04:00

Do not buy this.

One Star.

Pilsner Urquell

2009-05-18T08:32:00.002-04:00

This is somewhat outside of my usual preferences, but Pilsner Urquell is a nice beer. It has a real good pilsner flavor, not too dry and sudsy like some lagers, not too sweet either.

Three Stars.

Stone Levitation Ale

2009-05-04T23:10:00.003-04:00

A new ale from one of my favorite breweries, and a gold medalist in the 2007 Great American Beer Festival.

It is Red/Amber in color, but the feel of it is very light, not too malty or sweet. It is very hoppy, and the hops used have that particular taste that is characteristic of their IPA. Very grassy and crisp.

Two Stars.

Acronyms

2009-04-21T17:46:00.000-04:00

ESB = Extra Special Bitter
IPA = India Pale Ale
BMC = Bud, Miller, Coors, i.e. nasty macro-brewed American beer

Leinenkugel's Classic Amber

2009-04-21T17:35:00.006-04:00

Most amber beers that I'm aware of are ales, but this one is a lager. It is a bit on the light side, with a German-American hop profile. With a 100% barley sugar content, its not in BMC territory, but I still don't care for it.

One Star.

Flying Fish ESB Amber Ale

2009-04-20T18:11:00.003-04:00

This is a nice little beer. It is smooth and well balanced. It has a likable amber malt taste, with just enough hops that it isn't too bland.

Three stars.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA

2009-04-20T16:14:00.003-04:00

One of the better IPAs. It leans more toward the aromatic side with lots of citrus and floral, even piney notes, as opposed to hard bitterness.

Three Stars.

Flying Fish Farmhouse Summer Ale

2009-04-19T18:03:00.003-04:00

Quite hoppy, but not in IPA territory. Not over-malty. I think in England this would be considered an "ordinary bitter."

Two Stars.

Red Stripe Jamaican Lager

2009-04-19T17:32:00.003-04:00

Underneath the distinctive design, I first must report that Red Stripe is not, in fact, red. I guess maybe that was a silly expectation of mine, but I was surprised to see it pour into the glass a light yellow. The taste combines an interesting sweetness (almost cidery, but not quite) with the typical sudsy profile of a lager.

Two Stars.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout

2009-04-19T07:38:00.002-04:00

A bold purple makes this one of the more distinctive designs for a canned beer. Yup, it tastes like it says: A stout, plus chocolate.

Two stars.

Sam Adams Summer Ale

2009-04-17T15:04:00.003-04:00

Bottles of this beer look funny to me because I got used to it back before the label was redesigned. Anyway it is a wheat ale flavored with lemon and "grains of paradise" aka melegueta pepper from West Africa. It is a nice beer to drink very cold on a hot day. But it is nothing special.

Two Stars.

Chateau Larose-Trintaudon Haut Medoc

2009-04-17T14:37:00.002-04:00

A fancy frenchy-french red wine. I don't drink a lot of expensive wines, but my brother-in-law introduced me to this one, and now it is my go-to wine when I want something I know is going to be really good, and I don't mind paying a little extra. (Usually about $23)

Four Stars.

Sam Adams Imperial Stout

2009-04-17T14:30:00.004-04:00

This is a fantastic beer to sip. It is black and thick and delicious. I had it for breakfast once, and it was just as good in the morning as it is in the evening.

Very nearly a five star beer, but I prefer a little more coffee-dryness in a stout.

Four Stars.

Blue Moon Honey Moon

2009-04-16T22:07:00.003-04:00

Blue Moon put out a summer ale called Honey Moon. (narf)

Verdict: CRAP. Tastes like a cider.

One Star.

Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale

2009-04-16T22:05:00.004-04:00

Quite drinkable. The Dogfish Head boys know what they are doing. This is a balanced, pleasing beer.

Three Stars.

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale

2009-04-16T22:02:00.004-04:00

The Weyerbacher website says:

If you don’t agree this is the mother of all pumpkin ales, then you just don’t like mothers!

They aren’t kidding. This beer will knock your socks off.

Five Stars!

Saranac Pumpkin Ale

2009-04-16T21:59:00.002-04:00

A smooth ale with a subtle taste of pumpkin. Understated, very well balanced. Not so little pumpkin flavor you wouldn’t notice, but very well behaved. You could drink this one year around.

Three stars.

Dundee Honey Brown Ale

2009-04-16T21:58:00.001-04:00

An interesting taste, but tastes too much of adjuncts. I don't care for it.

One Star.

Bass Ale

2009-04-16T21:54:00.004-04:00

Although light on the hops and sometimes a bit too sweet, I have to admit that Bass Ale is my benchmark beer for the British pale ale. It's not a connoisseur's delight, just a beer that I love to suck down like water. Bass is one of the greats.

Four Stars.

Guinness Draft

2009-04-16T21:47:00.002-04:00

One of the best marketed beers? Guinness is hit and miss in a can. Sometimes it is great, and sometimes it is just too sour. I wonder if this is a function of my mood, or if it really varies as much as it seems to. In any case the result is I am usually not in the mood for a Guinness.

Three Stars

Big House Red (wine)

2009-04-16T21:43:00.002-04:00

This wine should not be good. It is a blend. It is from California, and not even from the wine area of California. It is from Santa Cruz! And yet, this is a wonderful red wine. There is nothing unique or striking about it, except the complete lack of anything wrong. It is the perfect table wine. If you want to know what I think a plain vanilla run-of-the-mill red wine should taste like, this is it.

It may not stand up to a fancy wine, but this is hands down the best $10 wine I have tried.

Three Stars

Newcastle Brown Ale

2009-04-16T21:41:00.002-04:00

This is a brown ale that is light, almost a burnt red color. It has a peculiar taste, reminiscent of (perish the thought) american style adjuncts, yet the overall result is a pleasing, smooth brown ale experience. Newcastle stands out as one of the truly unique beers out there that isn't closely approximated by other brands.

Three Stars.

Boddington's Pub Ale

2009-04-16T21:35:00.003-04:00

Ok, here's where it gets subjective. This blog is really written for myself. I am a big fan of beer who is frugal and who doesn't get out much, so I seldom have draft beers. Nevertheless, I recognize the superiority of draft beers over bottles. Its not even a question. Draft is better. Therefore, when you take a perfectly ordinary ale like Boddington's and put it in a nice big can with a widget to give it silky smooth carbonation like a draft beer, I am thrilled! Every beer should come in a can with one of these widgets! Its a shame you can only get Guinness, a couple of other stouts, and a couple pub ales this way. If only the other breweries would catch on!

Anyway, of the lighter beers that come with a widget, I like Boddington's the best.

Four Stars

Ratings Explanation

2009-04-16T21:31:00.001-04:00

Here's how I intend to rate beers and wines.

One Star: There was something about it that bothered me. I would avoid this drink in the future.
Two Stars: Nothing wrong with it.
Three Stars: Stands out as particularly enjoyable.
Four Stars: A broad category of my favorites.
Five Stars: A beer or wine that astounded and amazed me. I intend to use this rating very sparingly.

Stone IPA

2009-04-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

There was once a day when I would have given this beer five stars. It is bitter and hoppy as and IPA should be, and tremendously well balanced. But unfortunately I have also found it to be inconsistent. I suspect they sometimes don't age it as long as they should. If you get a very new six-pack, it tastes too green, a little grassy and harsh. If you ever come across a pack of Stone IPA that is covered with a fine layer of dust, be sure to buy it. At its best, this beer is perfect.

Four Stars.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

2009-04-16T21:21:00.004-04:00

Extremely smooth and nutty, and very sweet. Emblematic of all there is to like about brown ales.

Three Stars.