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Wine and Beer Enthusiasts
- Thread starter albertfallickwa
- Start date
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Sipping a beer from the Crooked Stave stable, the "Surette Provision Saison", a tart, sour beer, and quite delicious just now.
My second beer of the night is also from Crooked Stave: This is the "St Bretta - Brettanomyces Citrus Wildbier."
Doctor Loosen night.
2011 Riesling Blue Slate
2010 Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese
2013 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
The dust was practically "baked" onto these bottles.
2011 Riesling Blue Slate
2010 Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese
2013 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
The dust was practically "baked" onto these bottles.
Wow. They sound wonderful.
Any particular recommendations from this selection?
Well, I was watching the coverage of the British General Election though the night. A few beers seemed in order.
Have just, this very minute, opened a bottle of Gewürztraminer (from 'Vendages Tardives - Bentheim' in Alsace) that dates to 2004. Ah, bliss.
Skip the Blue Slate, have the others. I've had it several times, including newer vintages, nothing special.
I ended up putting on some gloves and dug through the kitchen wastebin a bit to find the bottle we had over lunch.
2011 Terra Noble Colchagua Valley Cabernet
Very good. One of the few times were we both managed a half bottle over a large lunch. A couple of our last bottles prior to the Germans ended up being used in a dish before they went bad.
2011 Terra Noble Colchagua Valley Cabernet
Very good. One of the few times were we both managed a half bottle over a large lunch. A couple of our last bottles prior to the Germans ended up being used in a dish before they went bad.
Chile. I don't recall ever having a bad Chilean wine. I figured I'd go through the bin on a hunch you'd ask me what the wine was called because I brought it up in another thread.
Ah. Forewarned is forearmed. Well done, - well anticipated - (cue applause) and thank you.
And, like you, I have never had a bad Chilean wine, (though I have had quite a number of mediocre ones).
However, I will readily admit that Chilean reserves are often excellent.
Currently sipping a beer by Sierra Nevada, (the first time I have had a beer from this highly regarded brewery) called "Cherry Chocolate Stout."
We had wild salmon for dinner, thus, I decided to open a white Burgundy - a Cassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru - to accompany it.
Hm.
Candidly, I prefer the European beers, the Belgian classics, and some of the beers that are produced by the excellent Buxton Brewery.
Now, while I liked it, - and loved the idea that this sort of fascinating experimentation was (and is) taking place - I wasn't especially bowled over by it. To be quite honest, I think I expected the flavour to be fuller, and richer.
Curiously, it was the first beer by Sierra Nevada that I had tried, and it was recommended to me that I do so, thus, I stashed a bottle away. It was good - but not brilliant.
Nevertheless, I do love some of the stuff that Founder's produces (especially the legendary KBS, which is superb).
How long did you have it stashed for? I haven't heard if Sierra Nevada's beers should be stashed for any period of time.
I didn't have it stashed at all; it was consumed within a matter of days of my having purchased it.
Ahhh.. Ok, I was looking at it, as this should be consumed without aging it. I like SN beers, but to me they are just good. Not great. I really like their Pale Ale (Green Label) and also their Torpedo IPA. But there are others beers I would rather drink if I have the choice. I haven't had any of their stouts.
To me Founders and Stone are the two brewery's that have not let me down. There are others but those two stand out for me.
Founder's yes, agreed; they are a superb brewery. Re Stone, I must say that I have never laid eyes on any of their products, let alone tasted them.
However, while I thought the Sierra Nevada beer was good, as you say, it wasn't great.
Instead, I'd happily have any of the Belgian classics, or anything by Buxton Brewery, or, most (not all, but most) of what Founder's have offered.
I was referring only to the American made beers. Belgian beers are in a different class all together. There is something special about their beers and brewing process.
Stone Brewery are known for their over the top hops. Two of my favorites from them are WootStout (Belgian based stout) and Arrogant Bastard Ale. Very strong, strong ale. I also really like their Milk Stout, not strong at all, but very easy to drink and the taste to me is really good. Along with their vanilla bean stout and Mexican chocolate stout. Ok, there are quite a few beers I like from them! LOL
Yes, but in Europe, alcohol for the US does not enjoy a high reputation.
US wines take up a tiny proportion of the shelf space - they are not highly rated by the European consumer or European palate.
And, as for beers, I had a marked prejudice against US beers, - and liked, and knew - and had pretty easy access to - the good Belgian stuff - until I was persuaded (by the enthusiastic young manager of the off licence where I buy beer) to try KBS by Founder's, and that did blow me away.
Sierra Nevada is available here, and was described as 'good but nothing special' by my friends in the trade.
However, the "Cherry Chocolate Stout" looked to be worth a try, and the ingredients list, and tasting notes intrigued me.
Nevertheless, I'll keep a eye out for Stone Brewery.
There are some really good beer brewery's and samplings you should look for:
Avery Beers - especially their stouts and barrel aged beers
Deschutes Beers - Obsidian Stout is really really good!
Goose Island - Bourbon County Stouts
New Holland Beers - Dragon's Milk and their Dragon's Milk Barrel Aged series
Epic Brewery - Big Bad Baptist line of beers
Founders - You already know about
Left Hand Brewery
Ballast Point - Especially their stouts and porters
Great Divide Brewing - Yeti Stouts
Brooklyn Brewery - Stouts
Alesmith Brewing - Speedway Stout
Firestone Walker - Velvet Merkin and other stouts and ales
Surely Brewing - Stout and ales
Foothills Brewery - Sexual Chocolate Stout
Allagash Brewery - Stout (Black) and Whit Beers
North Coast Brewing - Stout Old Rasputin along with some of their Ales
Mikkeller
FiftyFifty Eclipse Stout line - WOW
Ninkasi - Stout line both aged and regular
Prairie Bomb Stout
As you can see I like stouts and porters alot.
Avery Beers - especially their stouts and barrel aged beers
Deschutes Beers - Obsidian Stout is really really good!
Goose Island - Bourbon County Stouts
New Holland Beers - Dragon's Milk and their Dragon's Milk Barrel Aged series
Epic Brewery - Big Bad Baptist line of beers
Founders - You already know about
Left Hand Brewery
Ballast Point - Especially their stouts and porters
Great Divide Brewing - Yeti Stouts
Brooklyn Brewery - Stouts
Alesmith Brewing - Speedway Stout
Firestone Walker - Velvet Merkin and other stouts and ales
Surely Brewing - Stout and ales
Foothills Brewery - Sexual Chocolate Stout
Allagash Brewery - Stout (Black) and Whit Beers
North Coast Brewing - Stout Old Rasputin along with some of their Ales
Mikkeller
FiftyFifty Eclipse Stout line - WOW
Ninkasi - Stout line both aged and regular
Prairie Bomb Stout
As you can see I like stouts and porters alot.
Great list.
Founder's, yes, I know about; superb, no argument.
Mikkeller's are also brilliant - their sours are superlative - (but, I am reliably assured that their reps - at least in my part of the world - are a real pain to deal with), and Left Hand are also excellent.
The others, I'm afraid, are beverages and breweries that I have never come across.