The Finer Things In Life

[FlaSoxxJim]

Ahhhhh

 

YOU CAN SAVE IT.

 

It all seems so obvious when you spell it out for me.

 

:lolhitting

 

Step away from the cachaca. . .

[FlaSoxxJim]

So. . . I've been scrimping a little bit in the past year buying Appleton Reserve instead of Appleton Extra 12 year, and the Reserve makes a very good mai tai and tastes good in just about anything calling for a gold Jamaican rum. Ran out of Reserve and found a bottle of Extra at a good price so I picked it up tonight.

 

Wow. Extra is the hands-down winner in a mai tai. Pick your favorite rhum agricole as the compliment (back to the St, James Ambre tonight), but Appleton 12 year HAS to be one of the rums you use if you are serious about your mai tai.

 

The trouble now is I don't want to "waste" the 12 year in anything else, whereas with the Reserve I pretty much put it in whatever I wanted to. Might have to stock both labels now, or maybe Extra and V/X if it holds up is some of the cocktails the Reserve has worked so well in.

 

[/Appleton commercial]

[G&T]

Thanks for the info Flaxx. I'll be away for the weekend, but when I get back, I'm going to have to make a trip to the liquor store...and the book store.

[FlaSoxxJim]

In all likelihood you'll have to Amazon Sipin Safari. Tiki Bosko online had a stash of Grog Logs and Intoxicas long after most places were sold out, but your bet bet is to preorder the Remixed edition and get it when it comes out in November.

 

Honestly, most of the Beachbum recipes have 8-12 ingredients in them and some of them are hard or impossible to find so you have to make your own or substitute the best you can*. These are literally the lost recipes served up in tiki bars 50 years ago, and back then it was all about the quality of the drink and not bar flair or how fast a bartender can whip up a 3-ingredient glass of crap. If you want authenticity, this is where you go. That said, it takes time and $$ to stock a bar to the degree you need to to make many Beachbum cocktails. There are lots of simpler "gateway" drinks to cut your teeth on as you work up your mixologist skilz. I'll be happy to send some of these your way while you decide what sorts of things you like.

 

* Mai tais are an exception, requiring only 6 ingredients including your rums. Made right it is a sublime drink and it is rightly as famous as it is even if almost no commercial establishment makes them the way they are supposed to. If you experience one of these, chance are you'll e hoked. That is assuming you can set aside preconceptions about what you think this drink aught to be. Nothing against a well-constructed Hawaiian mai tai (made one last night actually), but the real deal isn't full of pineapple juice. It may taste to strong the first time out — and after all it is only a 4 oz. drink and half of that volume is rum. But that's what makes this such an amazing drink, and why the rum selection is so critical. The rums are the star of the drink, and the lime, curacao, orgeat and syrup are there for balance and counterpoint. I'll give you a good juice-filled mai tai recipe as well if you want it and you can compare the two.

[bmags]

A friend bastard roommate of mine went to Jamaica and came back with appleton estate rum. Being poor and in college we drank it straight. Kind of soured me on the whole thing.

[FlaSoxxJim]

A friend bastard roommate of mine went to Jamaica and came back with appleton estate rum. Being poor and in college we drank it straight. Kind of soured me on the whole thing.

 

quitter.

 

 

 

 

[StrangeSox]

Now is the time of year I drink about 100 bottles of Sam Adams Octoberfest.

[G&T]

Now is the time of year I drink about 100 bottles of Sam Adams Octoberfest.

 

I can't believe this fell to the second page, but, if you like Octoberfest, grab the Harvest pack and try the dunkelweizen. It's a solid example of the style and pretty tasty.

 

Meanwhile, I was in Wisconsin last weekend and had my fill of New Glarus: Crack'd Wheat, Fat Squirrel, and Spotted Cow. Crack'd Wheat was the standout there by far.

 

Also had Bell's Oberon and 2 Hearted. Good stuff. Even though I'm no hop head, I think the 2 Hearted was better than the Oberon (completely different styles, btw, but Oberon was too hoppy for a summer ale for my tastes).

Edited September 25, 2009 by G&T

[FlaSoxxJim]

Yeah, my drinking has been pretty light for a couple weeks (huge event coming up at work on Saturday that's all on me), and with you and bmags on walkabout the Finer Things thread got ignored for a little while.

 

Let us not speak of it again.

 

Man, I'd love to try some of those New Glarus brews — it's been way too long.

 

What little tippling I've done has been mostly rummy, but I've snuck a few festbiers in as well. I think this year's Sam Adams O'Fest is pretty good, malt-accentuated like it should be and with some Munich character for sure. I've mostly had bottles and one marginal draft that I think got manhandled somewhere because it was not all that good.

 

Seeing as my big work event is now looming and I'm stressed, I'm doing some drinking tonight. Couple Spievak Zombies with minor tweaks. The current iteration uses Barbancourt 8 Star (how can you go wrong with Hatian rhum in a zombie?) as one of the 4 rums, and is served up in my angry Maori tiki mug complete with and extra 1/2 oz of Gosling's 151 in a half lime shell and set aflame to spectacular effect. Damn thing burned for almost 10 minutes. I think I need to get some of those long metal straws you sometimes see for sale by the Slurpee machine at 7-11 so I can actually drink my drink whilst it's still flaming.

Edited September 25, 2009 by FlaSoxxJim

[southsider2k5]

So tell me the finer things about Icehouse...

[FlaSoxxJim]

So tell me the finer things about Icehouse...

 

The aluminum cans are recyclable?

 

Yeah, that's all I got.

[G&T]

So tell me the finer things about Icehouse...

 

The style that created Icehouse (eisbock) is pretty interesting. Brewers used to store barrels of wheat dopplebock outside during the fall, and, if they weren't attentive, the water in the beer would freeze leaving a highly alcoholic beer (one of the most authentic offerings, Schneider, hitting 12%) that was also very rich. For Schneider, this "problem" occured during transportation before climate control. Eisbocks are sippers to be sure.

 

Unfortunately, Icehouse carries none of those attributes forward. I can't imagine there is much else other than water in the beer, so I don't know what they froze. The ABV is 5.5% as opposed to about 4% for Miller Lite. So...I guess that's something.

[G&T]

Yeah, my drinking has been pretty light for a couple weeks (huge event coming up at work on Saturday that's all on me), and with you and bmags on walkabout the Finer Things thread got ignored for a little while.

 

Let us not speak of it again.

 

Man, I'd love to try some of those New Glarus brews — it's been way too long.

 

Outside of Crack'd Wheat I wasn't that impressed. The Fat Squirrel was an uninspired brown ale and Spotted Cow tastes nothing like a farmhouse. However, they have a lot of stuff that is very highly regarded that I couldn't find in one weekend. If I get another chance, I'll look harder.

 

BTW, we were way up in northern Wisconsin and they just built a tiki-bar. Calm down, Jim. It's still northern Wisconsin and it's fun, but not authentic. However, for $5 they mix up a bucket of Cruzan and a bunch of ice and juice to make something delicious. After I was a bit tipsy I asked for the finest rum they had, which was some kind of Rhum that I could only pick out if I saw the label. I tried some on the rocks since just to see if I'd be blown away by what good rhum might taste like (if it even was good, which I don't know). Tasted like cognac. While I was impressed that it tasted like cognac, I was also reminded that I don't care for cognac. So, in very un-Finer Things fashion, I swallowed my pride and had it made into an awesome daiquiri. They put plenty of parasols in it and I think they called me a nancy. I didn't care.

[FlaSoxxJim]

The style that created Icehouse (eisbock) is pretty interesting. Brewers used to store barrels of wheat dopplebock outside during the fall, and, if they weren't attentive, the water in the beer would freeze leaving a highly alcoholic beer (one of the most authentic offerings, Schneider, hitting 12%) that was also very rich. For Schneider, this "problem" occured during transportation before climate control. Eisbocks are sippers to be sure.

 

Unfortunately, Icehouse carries none of those attributes forward. I can't imagine there is much else other than water in the beer, so I don't know what they froze. The ABV is 5.5% as opposed to about 4% for Miller Lite. So...I guess that's something.

 

Authentic eizenbock is wonderful indeed — the Saxon equivalent of good old American porch barrel apple jack.

 

There was a huge explosion of crappy North American ice beers about 10-12 years ago, they were all over the place. Unbalanced, oversweet, too much alcohol with no body to hold it up.

 

Interestig thing about the 4% Miler Light. For cost savingsg purposes (ie, reduced need for lagering space), Miller actually brews and ferments this beer to double its market gravity and then cuts it with an equal part water at packaging.

 

[FlaSoxxJim]

BTW, we were way up in northern Wisconsin and they just built a tiki-bar. Calm down, Jim. It's still northern Wisconsin and it's fun, but not authentic. However, for $5 they mix up a bucket of Cruzan and a bunch of ice and juice to make something delicious. After I was a bit tipsy I asked for the finest rum they had, which was some kind of Rhum that I could only pick out if I saw the label. I tried some on the rocks since just to see if I'd be blown away by what good rhum might taste like (if it even was good, which I don't know). Tasted like cognac. While I was impressed that it tasted like cognac, I was also reminded that I don't care for cognac. So, in very un-Finer Things fashion, I swallowed my pride and had it made into an awesome daiquiri. They put plenty of parasols in it and I think they called me a nancy. I didn't care.

 

Outstanding!

 

 

[G&T]

Found Stingo at the bottle shop today. Probably shouldn't have spent that much on 1 bottle, but since it's the only one I'll ever buy, it's worth it.

[G&T]

I'm currently doing a tasting of fresh Hennepin vs. Cave Aged Hennepin and the results are in. Cave Aged is AMAZING and blows away the fresh version.

 

First, a little background. Ommegang sets aside a few cases a year of each Hennepin, Abbey Ale, and 3 Philosophers to sit in the Howe Caverns for a year at a constant 52 degrees. I have been to the Howe Caverns and they showed where this is done. Basically it's just a closet in the cave, carved from the rock. They also age Cabot cheese there. This is a traditional form of storage for beer. Aging can been effectively accomplished without the cave in a basement or a closet (as I can attest), but it's nice when the brewery does it for you. Unfortunately, you pay for the honor. This beer was pulled in December of 2008 and has been awaiting my taste buds in the Ommegang Brewery shop ever since.

 

On to the results, and the differences are clear. Fresh Hennepin is very citric. The palate is pretty thin and finishes sweet. There is some orange and banana, but the citrus is predominant. There are yeasty notes typical of a saison. This is good beer, but lacks depth.

 

The Cave Aged is rich, and malty. The citrus has subsided and given way to earthy notes. The palate is creamy and the flavors linger a bit longer. There is a flavor and aroma that I can't pin point, but I think the best description is caramel apple. It's present in the fresh version as well, but only in the background. Lacing has improved dramatically over time.

 

The color difference is also remarkable. The fresh is golden and hazy, the cave aged is reddish. Saisons are low hop beers so I'm not certain what exactly is happening in the bottle, but it's all good.

 

The Cave Aged is about $16 as opposed to $7, but the price difference is made up for in a refined, rounded character. This is just a beautiful beer. It's unfortunate that these are only available at the brewery, which is 2 hours from me. But I might have to make a return trip at some point to try the other selections and grab more Hennepin!

Edited September 26, 2009 by G&T

[bmags]

Kind of disappointed with Brazil beer selection so far. I was under the impression they had some more diversity...but everything so far is a pilsen.

 

Really the only diversity is with Cachaça. So I guess I can get started on that.

 

Luckily I have a full selection of Malbecs and Carmenera's, which good bottles are only costing me about 10-12 american dollars. I'm trying about a bottle a night. Soooooo go sox.

[G&T]

Yeah, my drinking has been pretty light for a couple weeks (huge event coming up at work on Saturday that's all on me), and with you and bmags on walkabout the Finer Things thread got ignored for a little while.

 

Let us not speak of it again.

 

Man, I'd love to try some of those New Glarus brews — it's been way too long.

 

What little tippling I've done has been mostly rummy, but I've snuck a few festbiers in as well. I think this year's Sam Adams O'Fest is pretty good, malt-accentuated like it should be and with some Munich character for sure. I've mostly had bottles and one marginal draft that I think got manhandled somewhere because it was not all that good.

 

Seeing as my big work event is now looming and I'm stressed, I'm doing some drinking tonight. Couple Spievak Zombies with minor tweaks. The current iteration uses Barbancourt 8 Star (how can you go wrong with Hatian rhum in a zombie?) as one of the 4 rums, and is served up in my angry Maori tiki mug complete with and extra 1/2 oz of Gosling's 151 in a half lime shell and set aflame to spectacular effect. Damn thing burned for almost 10 minutes. I think I need to get some of those long metal straws you sometimes see for sale by the Slurpee machine at 7-11 so I can actually drink my drink whilst it's still flaming.

 

I had said something similar earlier. I had Octoberfest on tap and bottled, and there is no question that the bottle is better.

 

One day I'm going to try your tiki recipes, but I just splurged on Stingo so...maybe I should wait.

[AssHatSoxFan]

Had a Stone Ruination IPA last night and a Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale tonight... both are very good!

[G&T]

Had a Stone Ruination IPA last night and a Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale tonight... both are very good!

 

I give a lot of credit to people that can stomach that level of hops. The Ruination rates over 100 for bittering units. That's pretty ridiculous. 50 would be considered bitter by normal standards. So 100 is an assault.

[AssHatSoxFan]

I give a lot of credit to people that can stomach that level of hops. The Ruination rates over 100 for bittering units. That's pretty ridiculous. 50 would be considered bitter by normal standards. So 100 is an assault.

Yeah, it was getting a little rough near the end of the bottle. I am still surprised I have ended up liking beers that have such a high bitterness level.

[FlaSoxxJim]

I give a lot of credit to people that can stomach that level of hops. The Ruination rates over 100 for bittering units. That's pretty ridiculous. 50 would be considered bitter by normal standards. So 100 is an assault.

 

I think it clocks in at 120 IBUs actually. Yummm! The beer is big enough to pull it off though.

 

Yeah, it was getting a little rough near the end of the bottle. I am still surprised I have ended up liking beers that have such a high bitterness level.

 

It's addictive stuff.

 

 

 

[hogan873]

Fall has officially arrived. I picked up a 12-pack of Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale last night. Not exactly a "fine beer" but a fall standout in my opinion.

[FlaSoxxJim]

Fall has officially arrived. I picked up a 12-pack of Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale last night. Not exactly a "fine beer" but a fall standout in my opinion.

 

Much better than the Anhauser attempt at a pumpkin beer at least.