Firewater Friday . . . Great balls of fire!

Once a week hubby and I go out for a date night.  This typically consists of getting all googly eyed at each other over good hot wings and cheap cold beer.  Hey, what can I say . . . we're not classy but we have fun together.

This week was a little different.  Oh, there were plenty of wings and a big pitcher of beer . . . and googly eyeballing . . . to be sure.  But I saw a drink special above the bar I simply had to try.

Fireball Cinnamon Whisky Shooter!  

Our lovely server . . . brought over a little shaker . . . shake shake shaking it all the way . . . and a shot glass. 

She placed the glass in front me and pour a thick, cold, amber liquid into.   The enticing aroma of warm cinnamon wafted forth.  Drooool!

If you thought I wasted any time tasting it you'd be dead wrong.

Goodness gracious great balls of fire!  That stuff is GOOD!




If you're not a whisky drinker fear not . . . this tasted like no other whisky I've ever had.  There is no whisky flavor nor is there any whisky burn.   All that you taste is a Fireball . . . you remember those round red penny candies from when you were a kid?  Yup . . . just like that!

Seriously dangerous stuff.  And, oh my oh so yummy.

Final Friday at New England Brewing Company

Hubby and I recently attended Final Friday at New England Brewing.  Final Friday is their monthly open house where you get to sample their beer, mingle with other beer lovers and enjoy a live band  . . . all of this at the brewery with the beer making staff.  Basically, a beer drinkin' rockin' good time!


$5 at the door gets you three tickets good for three 10 ounce beer samples.


We arrived just at the start of the soiree . . . 6 PM . . . and the there were already quite a few people there.  Comfortably crowded I would say; room to mingle, check things out and get a beer.

Hubby and I took our cups, dropped a ticket in the bowl and got our beer samples.  Being the IPA lover that I am, I started out with the Sea Hag IPA.  We made our way over to the stacks of pallets loaded with empty cans and sampled our . . . well . . . sample.  


Yummy!  Sea Hag . . . my first time drinking this beer.  It is an American style India Pale Ale.  I liked it . . . I liked it a lot.  It's hoppy and bitter without being overpoweringly so.  The hops are citrusy with plenty of the lemon and grapefruit that I love.  The malt gives the beer a caramel flavor that lends a slight sweetness that blends quite nicely with the bitter hops.  Over all . . . a very good IPA . . . I loved it.  (6.2% ABV)



As we were finishing our first beer we noticed the crowd was noticeably thicker and the temperature was rising in the relatively small space.  And . . . a line was begining to form to get the beer.  So, we hopped in line for our second sample.  Just as we were getting our cups filled the band started and the place was a'rockin'.



My second choice was an Elm City Lager.  This is a German style pilsner.  Again . . . I really liked this beer.  Light, tasty and exceedingly drinkable. This is what a lager should taste like . . . mildly sweet, slightly bitter, clean and smooth.  A sesionable beer to be sure at 5% ABV.  Really quite nice.  An all around good beer!


While sipping my beer I skulked around a bit checking out the equipment . . . tanks, canner, etc.  I happened to look up and spied a red monster dude hanging out on a beam and Elvis perched on top of tank.  


There were kegs and KEGS waiting to be filled.  


But, the pallets of cans and the tanks themselves filled most of the space . . . which was surprisingly small.

By the time we finished our second beer the place was packed . . . and we were sweating like crazy.  A very hot, humid day and a room filled with beer swizzling people makes a very sultry environment.  And the line to get beer . . . looooooooong.  


We eased our way into the line to get our final sample.  I decided to go with the Sea Hag . . . as it was that or the Elm City.  We squeezed our way over to the open overhead door to get some fresh air . . . it was brutally hot.


Mmm . . . out of beer?  Sometimes life is crap.  :)


As we finished up we were ready to get gone.  As crowded and hot as it was we still left happy . . . sweaty but happy.  I'm looking forward to heading back to New England Brewery for another Final Friday.



For more information check out NEBC's website or visit their Facebook page.

New Brew Thursday - Coronado Brewing Company IPAs

While I was searching my local beer store for something new-to-me, I came across this trio of IPA's  from Coronado Brewing Company.  The brewery is located in . . . of all places . . . Coronado, California.  Shocking, I know.  

The mermaid on the bottle grasping a mug a frothy beer is what initially caught my attention . . . after all, who doesn't love a drunken fish girl?  Oh, come on, admit it, you do . . . we all do.  Or maybe its just me . . . whatever.

Anyhoo . . . being the hop loving, bitter beer guzzling chick that I am I felt compelled to give these fin tailed ladies a try.  So I did.

Hoppy Daze is a spring seasonal offering in the style of an unfiltered Belgian IPA.   Brewed with Belgian yeast, it is a bit different than the IPAs I'm used to drinking.  

It pours a hazy golden color with a medium-ish white head.  It is clearly unfiltered . . . I like that because it adds character to the beer. Immediately discernible are tropical fruits . . . pineapple especially . . . that are an interesting contrast to the bitter hops and the toasted malt.  It's sweeter than I would generally prefer in an IPA but not bad.  The hops lend a citrussy flavor that compliment the fruity sweetness and balances the whole thing out.  Hoppy Daze finishes crisp and clean with a pleasant lingering bitterness.

Although it is a bit sweet for my taste there are plenty of hops to enjoy.  It's a very refreshing, drinkable brew that I wouldn't mind revisiting. (7.3% ABV)

Islander IPA . . . wow!  Good beer!  It pours a rich golden color with a thick frothy head.  It's got plenty of that grapefruity, piney hoppiness that I love so much with a touch of tropical fruitiness that is simply complimentary without a lot of overt sweetness.  But what stood out the most was a wonderful caramel flavor that made Islander oh-my-goodness yummy!  It's a fairly strong beer, 7% ABV.  There is a noticeable boozy quality that doesn't detract from the beer at all, but it is clearly there.  It finishes light with a touch of bitterness . . . mmmm, makes me want to go for more.

Overall, this was my favorite of the bunch . . . this mermaid has it all going on.  Really and truly quite delicious.

Last but not least is the Idiot IPA . . . it's okay, I've been called an idiot a time or two.  This one is an Imperial IPA and it's a big beer . . . as an Imperial style beer should be (8.5% ABV).  It's strong, it's hoppy and it's gosh-darned good.  


It  pours amber with a white frothy head.  I was immediately struck by a wonderful piney grapefruity aroma . . . I love that!  If you like hops, then this is it . . . plenty of bitter hops with some citrus fruit and earthy spice and balanced by a mellow sweet maltiness.  It finishes crisp with a touch of bitterness that is quite nice.  Very  will done . . . not too bitter, not too sweet . . . a very good, strong Imperial IPA.  








Three cheers for Coronado Brewing Company!  I look forward to trying their other beers.  YUM!

Visit Coronado Brewing Company's website or check them out on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer

Clown Shoes Beer has only recently been allowed entry into Connecticut.  My first taste of beer from this brewery was when hubby and I were out to dinner and found Tramp Stamp Belgian IPA on tap . . . it was a truly amazing beer.


So, when I spotted  Vampire Slayer  on sale at my local beer store I immediately grabbed a bottle. Vampire Slayer is an imperial American stout brewed for their second anniversary.


The label sports a boy in the process of impaling a vampire in the heart with a stake  . . . the young man is wearing clown shoes, of course.  Heh!  


Rumor has it that this beer is supposedly brewed with holy water and malts smoked with ‘vampire killing stakes.’  I'm dubious but I'll go along with it just for fun. 


The beer pours a rich dark amber with a thick tan head.  Strong coffee and chocolate prevail in the aroma so I was looking forward to my first sip.  All I can say is "wow!" . . . I literally said that when I tasted it.  It is so smooth and creamy it's like drinking velvet.  Yummy coffee chocolate velvet.  


There are other flavors that come through as well; such as caramel and a bit of smoke.  And there is a slight but definite booziness to this stout.  Not surprising considering it is a hefty 11% ABV.  


Stouts and porters are not my favorite style of beer but I think that this is a seriously awesome beer! Give it a go . . . mmm, mmm, good!


Visit Clown Shoes' website or check them out on Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Rogue Single Malt Ale

Rogue is one of my favorite micro breweries.  They have variety of interesting beers with fun labels.  There's not a beer created by the brewmasters at Rogue that has disappointed me. There are, of course, one or two that I like less than others but that's not so unreasonable.


So it was with high hopes and great anticipation that I popped open a Chatoe Rogue First Growth Single Malt Ale bomber.  This ale is brewed with Dare malt, Revolution hops and Pacman yeast . . . pacman, I say! Waka waka waka


This ale is from Rogue's Chatoe series.  The beers in this group are labelled “GYO”, as in Grow Your Own.  The ingredients that go into these beers are grown by Rogue and contain one of each ingredient . . . one type of malt,  one variety of hops, and one strain of yeast.  Plus something they call "free range" water . 

I digress . . . Single Malt Ale is a fairly sessionable beer at 5.3% ABV.  It's a fairly light blonde ale that pours a cloudy amber gold with a nice creamy head.  It has a bready aroma that transitions nicely from nose to palate.   Citrus, fruit and bitter hops compliment the malt creating a smooth medium bodied beer . . . delicious.


I would recommend you grab one and give it a go.  This is a pretty darn good beer!


Make sure to visit Rogue's website and visit them on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - Ballast Point Imperial Stout

Ballast Point is a new-to-me brewery.  Founded in 1996 by a pair of backyard brewers in California, they continue to lovingly craft their micro brews and luckily we can get them here in Connecticut.

Ballast Point labels feature fishes of all shapes and sizes.  The Sea Monster Imperial Stout sports a real life sea monster . . . a vicious looking angler fish.

Sea Monster is an American Imperial Stout.  It pours a dark rich brown with a dense foamy head.  Like any good imperial stout it has notes of coffee and dark bitter chocolate but it also has hints of berry and vanilla and a touch of hoppiness that add complexity.  



Sea Monster is definitely a BIG beer with a hefty 10% ABV . . . there is a touch of booziness due to the high alcohol content but it doesn't in any way detract from the rich, full flavors of the yummy beer. 

This is a sipper . . . not a guzzler.  Take your time and enjoy Sea Monster.  As it warms in your glass, experience how the flavors different ingredients come forward, intensify and change ever so slightly.

With all that this stout has going on it has a smooth, silky mouth feel . . . really quite nice.

Overall, a very good beer.  Cheers!

Check out their website or visit them of Facebook.

New Brew Thursday - Peach Maple Mead

Hubby and I discovered the Sap House Meadery in February.  We did a tasting of the regular and seasonal meads.


So, when we went back to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for our summer vacation we made sure to make a trip to Center Ossipee and drop by again to see what Sap House had on tap.  


Again we did a tasting . . . how could we not want a taste of each and every one?  Their meads are so wonderful! (See previous review)






Fear not . . . we were mindful of the fact that we were on the motorcycle.  Being the passenger has its benefits . . . wink, wink.  ;)


We had a long conversation with Mead Master and co-owner of Sap House Meadery Ash Fischbein (that's what I call him . . . I don't know if that's his official title) and his dad.  We discussed mead, mead making, and all sorts of other topics.  We spent an hour and a half tasting, talking and visiting.  Either Ash actually likes us or he's a really really patient person to put up with us for so long.   Nah, he must just be really patient.  


Anyhoo . . . 


The seasonal mead they had for the summer was a Peach Maple Mead.  It was absolutely fabulous!  So much so that I had to go back for a second taste and walked out of the store with two bottles.


Ash told us this mead is made with locally grown whole-fruit peaches, never juice, and was aged in American Oak barrels . . . just like an Oaked California Chardonnay!






The mead is a pale golden color with a lovely peachy aroma.  You can really taste the freshness of the peaches but its not all encompassing.  You get a real mead flavor with hints of peach and maple . . . it's really quite nice and balanced.  It's very clean on the palate . . . not at all sticky or overly sweet.  And, despite the relatively high alcohol content . . . 13.5% ABV . . . there is no boozy taste.    Really quite lovely.


I'm looking forward to a visit in the fall when we've been promised a bottle of a strawberry and a blackberry maple. Mmmm .  .  . I can't wait!

Visit Sap House Meadery's website or check them out on Facebook!

New Brew Thursday - Double Tap Mexicano

Mmm . . . cerveza fria . . . there may nothing better than an icy cold beer.   Well, mostly.


Today I'm reviewing a pair of Mexican beers: Sol and Tecate.  




Unbeknownst to me when I picked up this pair of cervesas, both of these beers are brewed by the same company Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery which is a subsidiary of Heineken International.  This brewery is a large operation that has been in business since 1890.  





I can't say that I loved either one of these beers.  They are your everyday, run of the mill beers . . . nothing special . . . that doesn't make them bad, just not outstanding.  Don't get me wrong . . . I like light beers.  I think they have their place in the beer drinking scheme of things.  I equate it to drinking water with alcohol and I drink this alcoholic water quite often.



Tecate . . . Cerveza Tecate-Con Carácter  . . . beer with character, so they say.  Personally, I think that's a bit of an over statement.  It is an American Adjunct Lager.  This style is comparable to beers like Pabst Blue Ribbon, Rolling Rock, etc. - mass produced to be inexpensive.  It's so called because it uses adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn, to cut costs.


Tecate is very light and unremarkable.  If your looking for a beer with low alcohol content (4.5% ABV) that you can consume in quantities on a hot and sweaty day . . . this is your beer.  Overall . . . meh.







I could say the same for Sol . . . only more so.  It is marketed as "The original Mexican sunshine beer" is a blond Mexican, light, festive and refreshing golden colored pilsner-style beer. Sol is brewed in the style of an American Light Lager with an even lower alcohol content (3.7% ABV).   It is extremely light and I thought a little skunky tasting.  However, I find that is often the case with beers packaged in light colored bottles.  


Again . . . meh.


You may say . . . but, but, but they're a subsidiary of Heineken.  Yeah, well, I don't like  Heineken , either.  The only Heiny you'll catch me grabbing is my hubby's.  Just sayin'.









Cringe if you want . . . but I'll stick with my Keystone Light or Bud Light when I want alcoholic water.  Cheers!


For more information visit the Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery website. 

New Brew Thursday - Laughing Dog Tripleheader

Whilst out searching for new brews, I came across this trio of pups.  I couldn't decide which of these I wanted take home so I took all three . . . which is exactly the reason I never go into a pet shop.  


The canine inspired labels are what drew me to the bottles, the hoppy contents are what put them in my basket . . . I felt a need to quench my IPA thirst.  And, these puppies did the trick.


The Laughing Dog Brewery is located in Ponderay, Idaho . . . the land of potatoes and beer.


Inspired by Ben the dog and a love for good beer, the brewers aim for simplicity in their beers . . . in nearly all the Laughing Dog brews water, barley, hops and yeast are the only ingredients.



Their motto: "Fetchingly Good Beer"!


As we sat down to enjoy this trio of India Pale Ales we decided to go in order from lightest to strongest.

We started with Rocket Dog Rye IPA.  I'd never had a rye IPA, so I didn't know what to expect.  It poured a light golden color that was fairly cloudy with a decent amount of head.    Reading other reviews of this same beer, I expected it to smell of rye bread and a hint of orange . . . it did not . . . not at all.   Frankly, it smelled awful and it was tough to get past that.  But, I held my nose and took a sip.  

Of the three this was my least favorite, but at least it tasted better than it smelled.  It was hoppy but not overly so, citrusy and a little bitter with another flavor I couldn't quite identify . . . perhaps the rye.  


Again, other reviews I've read rate this beer much higher and describe a much better flavor than I experienced.  I'm thinking that maybe I got a bum bottle.  I'll have to try it again sometime.    



Rocket Dog . . . 6.9% ABV





Next up was the Dogzilla Black IPA . . . this was one way better from the get go.


As its name would imply, it is pretty dark for a pale ale.  This beer poured a dark reddish brown color with a seriously big rootbeer-like head.  It smelled citrussy, piney . . . mouthwateringly hoppy.  It was an interesting mix of grapefruit, bitter chocolate and roasted malt . . . balanced and delicious. 





If you like a bitter, hoppy beer you won't be disappointed . . . I wasn't.


Dogzilla Black IPA . . . 6.9% ABV

Last but not least, my favorite of the group . . . Alpha Dog Imperial IPA.  Strong and hoppy  goodly amount of head.  I drool just thinking about it.


It pours a bright gold fluffy head that diminishes quickly leaving a nice amount of lacing behind.   Citrus, pineapple, and pine infuse the aroma.  The taste hops, hops and more hops . . . wow.   From the nose to the palate . . . lots of grapefruity goodness, lemon and a touch of sweetness to finish it off.

 I could definately taste the alcohol but it didn't detract from the overall flavor of this beer.  Nicely carbonated, lightly sweet and smooth.  


Yum.


Alpha Dog Imperial IPA . . . 8.7% ABV

Visit the Laughing Dog at their website or on Facebook.

Let the chips fly where they may

Potato Chips . . . I like 'em, don't love 'em, could definitely live without 'em.  Will I eat 'em if you put 'em in front of me?  Hells ya!








Crunchy salty nasty goodness . . . om nom nom nom

Recently a friend posted on Facebook that he found a new flavor of potato chips that he loved (excuse the spelling errors but he was overwhelmed with the yummy goodness and he momentarily lost his grip with the English language).

So, based on his ill spelled  review of these chips, I felt compelled to give them a try.



I went to the store and Lay(d) out $4.29.  It took a couple days to dive in but when I did I found your everyday typical run of the mill potato chips with little reddish brown flecks of something or other . . . presumably a smattering of BLT flavoring.

I know that when I crunched into my first chip I wasn't expecting to it to taste like a bona fide BLT sandwich . . . that would be asking waaaay too much.

Try to imagine a chip that tastes like squishy white bread, crisp lettuce, succulent tomato, creamy mayo and salty, crunchy bacon . . . nope, not happening.


I did, however, expect it to have some semblance of BLT flavorocity.


Mmmm . . . not quite.  That’s not say it wasn’t a tasty chip . . . it was . . . it just didn’t live up to its BLTility.


As much as I really and truly wanted to, I couldn’t really detect any baconness . . . oh so disappointing.  Nor were there any of the other Classic BLT flavors present. 

I would go so far as to say they are kinda sorta like a mild sour cream and onion chip with a hint of tomato.  Maybe.

They were yummy but not the best potato chips ever.  I can honestly say that I did not plow through the whole bag in one sitting.  Although, it did get demolished over a period a 3 or 4 days and I wasn’t the only om nom nom nom-inator.


Would I recommend you run out and grab a bag?  Meh . . .

New Brew Thursday - Dogfish Head Double Tap

As I was browsing my favorite beer store I spotted a lonely bottle of Dogfish Head beer.  Not knowing a thing about this particular brew but liking the Dogfish Head beers I have had in the past it was a no brainer . . . I popped that little $10 a 12 ounce bottle into my basket and went on my merry way.


What I ended up with was World Wide Stout and was nothing short of WOW.

Here's the low-down . . . the label declares it to be a very dark beer brewed with a ridiculous amount of barley.  First brewed in 1999 it was, at the time, the world's strongest dark beer.  This Dogfish Head beer comes in at an astounding 18% ABV!


This is a seriously BIG beer . . . strong, rich and very intense.  Definitely NOT for the casual beer drinker.

WWS pours an inky blackness with a only a swirl of foam. Don't expect a lot of bubbles; the low carbonation creates a creamy, smooth mouth feel.  The heady aroma is a pleasant combination of chocolate, coffee and fruit.  The first sip was incredible;  dark malt, rich molasses, bitter chocolate and a nice boozy warmth.  Very interesting for a beer and not at all unpleasant.

Swirl it in the glass like a fine cognac . . . allowing it to warm only intensifies the already amazing flavors.


Don't be put off by the high price tag or the high alcohol content.  This is truly an excellent beer.

The second Dogfish Head beer was a surprise.  The first surprise was that it was on tap then second was a flavor that was entirely unexpected.  Again, I knew nothing about this beer other than that it bore the Dogfish Head name and thus was willing to give it a try.


I ordered the Black & Blue and when my beer arrived at the table the first thing I noticed was the color . . . a berry red color.  The first sip was was . . . well, it was a surprise.  Again with the berriness.  

At this point I whipped out my handy dandy tablet to find out exactly what it was I was drinking.  Ahh . . . now I get it . . . black and blue.  Black and blue berries.  


Black & Blue is a Belgian-style golden ale fermented with blackberries and blueberries. Real berries give this beer a very berry flavor.  This is a fruit beer but it's not overly sweet.  The sweetness is nicely balanced the hoppy bitterness.


This is a strong full flavored, full bodied ale.  Sip it and enjoy.  (10% ABV)




Visit Dogfish Head at their website  or on Facebook