OK. So John and I just decided to do a little mini-blog. His girls went to watch a movie with the wife and I traded and I came down to John's to drink a little fantastic beer. I am predicting some high ratings tonight.
Beer #1
Brewer: Decadent Brewing
Beer Name: Mango Coconut Smoothie
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $22 for a 4 pack of pints at Friar Tucks (expensive but I had one already- it's fantastic; worth every penny.)
Aroma: A little pineapple; not a whole lot given the title. I was kind of surpised by the lack of aroma to be honest. John says it smells mangoy- good frutiy smell to it.
Appearance: Very light IPA; cloudy as could be- a typical fruit infused IPA. John says light with a slight haze.
Mouthfeel: Very tingly- an effervescent beer for sure. John says it's smoothie like. I don't drink smoothies unless they have IPA after it so I'm not exactly an expert.
Taste: Holy crap this is good. I LOVE the 4Hands Smooth Operator but this is better- slightly; but better. This is the perfect blend of coconut, mango, and IPA. It tastes like a Pina Colada IPA. I love it. This is my second can and it's perfect. (I rated the first one a 5.0 on Untappd after one drink.) John says more mango up front but coconut at the back- he doesn't care for the coconut. By the way, at 9%, there is NO boozy taste at all. I'm amazed that this is 9% as I could really puke really quick with a cooler full of this.
Overall Rating: I say 5/ 5. There is no way to improve on this beer. Undoubtedly, one of the top 4 or 5 beers I've ever had. I could drink this every day for the rest of my life and be happy. And it's 9% so a cheap date as well! John says it's light enough for the pool (at 9%) and he would drink it as well. He goes 3.75.
Beer #2
Brewer: Againt the Grain
Beer Name: 35K
Beer Style: Stout
Price: If I remember right, it was about $15 for a 4pack of pints- don't quote me. Friar Ticks has it for about $12 a 4 pack.
Aroma: Typical Stout- a little coffee, a little licorice, a little malt. In short- it smells like heaven.
Appearance: Slightly darker then the previous IPA- by slightly I mean totally black. Totally- with slight brown lacing.
Mouthfeel: A very typical stout- some tingle up front followed by a whole lot of smooth; like black licorice mixed with water.
Taste: Quite a nice stout- I could drink this all night as well; that being said, there is nothing outstanding about it. A very solid effort but not the best stout ever.
Overall rating. 4.0 for me. A very solid stout but nothing to set it apart. John says "Ditto- I could easily drink more then one."
Beer #3
Brewer: 4204
Beer Name: Chocolate Coconut Stout
Beer Style: Stout
Price: About $2 for a 12 oz can at Beer Sauce Shop.
Aroma: Nothing. John says it is different than the last one but is struggling to name the aroma. John says it smells like stout but just the roasted smell. I might get a hint of butter but it's not strong.
Appearance: Dark, not exactly see through- brown lacing on the glass. Typical Stout. Nothing out of sorts here.
Mouthfeel: Very waterish- not much happening.
Taste: Up until now, this beer wasn't promising. Wow. This is awesome. I love coconut. This is exactly what is advertised. Stout and coconut. Chocolate, coffe, malt, slight licorice- and a lot of coconut. It's a,most got an oil of coconut feel to it. John says maybe he likes coconut more than he thought he did because this is pretty good. He likes it better then the last one as I do as well. John says it's better as it warms up. It does. It's delicious.
Overall Rating: I'm saying 4.5. This is good. Paired with Jane's Addiction live from New York. Which by the way is a great concert video. I've seen the whole thing. Love the Jane's. John gives the beer a 4.25. (Mikey likes it!)
Beer #4
Brewer: Bruery
Beer Name: Bakery
Beer Style: Imperial Stout
Price: $6 for a pint
Aroma: Definitely a bourbon stout. Slight coconut odor. Maybe a slight hint of vanilla but I'm not sure. John says it smells almost sour; a lot of licorice. Michelle says it smells like coffee. I say boozy.
Appearance: About what you expect. Dark, etc. John says it pours like oil. Not a whole lot of surprise here. John says dark as night.
Mouthfeel: Bourbon. Lots of it BOOZY!!!!!!!!!!!
Taste: Bourbon. Lots of it.
Overall Rating: 3.0?. Not quite as good as I expected. I was hoping for a lot more flavor. John says 3.25. He likes it like a stout but not the other stouts.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Friday, November 2, 2018
Six Days Later! Back at It! More blog perfection!
Six days after the last blog... John and I are here to provide more expert guidance for your beer pallette. Enjoy the excess information and beer ratology (this is science after all).
So here we go...
Beer #1
Beer Name: Fresh Squeezed IPA
Brewer: Deschutes
Beer Style: IPA
Price: About $10 for a 6 pack at Dierbergs.
Aroma: Not much there. A slight hint of grapefruit. Maybe a little teeny bit of pine. But for the most part, not an aromatice beer.
Appearance: Hazy; copperish brown. A non-traditional IPA look to it. Good lacing on the glass. A nice pour.
Mouthfeel: Tart on the back end more than bitter. It's a beer that keeps your mouth busy. A lot going on throughout. This is a somewhat complex beer.
Taste: Grapefruitish for sure; bitter at times; especially if you drink it quickly. I think it gets a little better after it warms up slightly. I drank one last weekend and it wasn't as good as the one tonight. This is a really good tasting beer.
Overall Rating: 4.0 from me. Fairly complex for a fruity IPA. John says 3.5.
Beer #2
Beer Name: Mosaic Single Hop IPA
Brewer: Sweet Water
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
Price: $10 for a six pack at Dierbergs
Aroma: This smells like nectar. Citrusy, fresh, slightly hoppy. They should make this perfume. Kelly would wear it nonstop whether she wanted to or not. It smells like a screwdriver (drink- not tool). Delicious. John says it smells sweet and hoppy. Nothing overpowers.
Appearance: John says this has an IPA color. Much lighter then the Deschutes. This looks like a hazy IPA. Light in color, obviously cloudy. It looks like pineapple juice.
Mouthfeel: Not as complex as the Descutes. A much more straightforward IPA. Crisp, clean, slightly tart, slightly bitter. I just took a drink and got an ice cream feel. Weird. It has a hint of orangecycle to it.
Taste: John says it tastes like it smells. Definitely a sweeter, fruity taste. I say it's totally different then the Deschutes but equally as interesting. The Deschutes was a much more subdued citrus taste; this one is much more blatant with the Mosaic hops. That being said, this is just as good.
Overall rating: John says 3.25. He prefers the Deschutes. I'm going 4 again. It is amazing how different two beer the same family can taste so different. This is more of a summer beer for sure. I am going 4 again.
Beer #3
Beer Name: Prism Saison
Brewer: Perennial Ales
Beer Style: Dry Hopped Saison
Price: $11 for a 4 pack of 16oz at Friar Tucks.
Aroma: Not very strong at all. A slight citrusy, almost belgiun aroma. John says it smells like champagne.
Appearance: Yellow like Big Bird. HAZY as well. Ain't no looking through this one.
Mouthfeel: Very light on the tongue. A slight tingle at the end. Almost champagney.
Taste: Citrusy, clean, fresh. A very subdued Saison. Not a lot of Belgiun taste at all. It's almost wine spritzerish which normally would be a bad thing. This is a true breakfast beer. As in get up, go to the fridge, ignore the milk and juice, and crack one of these. John says it takes the place of your momossa.
Overall Rating: I'm going a solid 3. I'm not sure what they were aiming for but I could see having this with my bowl of cocoa pebbles or vanilla milkshake pop tarts for sure. John says its a 2.5. Not bad, not good.
Beer #4
Beer Name: Tropical Torpedo
Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Beer Style: Tropical IPA
Price: $10 for a six pack at Friar tucks
Aroma: John says maple. Then he said, "What is going on here?" I said it smells like water with a slight hint of waterish water. Not much going on here. By the way, John and I just told Nick when we pull up to pick up him up from his friend's house, all his friends say #roll models. Yep, that's what we do.
Appearance: Less hazy then the previous beers but still pretty hazy. Golden blonde in color. Decent pour. It's a good looking beer in the glass.
Mouthfeel: Nothing happening here. Very watery for the most part. A true IPA.
Taste: John says that once you get through the maple taste, it's a fruity IPA. I say "What is going on here?" The taste is very muted. It is tropical but not until the end. It is not very hoppy. It's a very vanilla version of a tropical IPA. Its good, just not outstanding.
Overall Rating: John says not bad for a maple syrup IPA. He says 3. I say 2.75. Not anywhere near as good as the others but it is drinkable.
Beer #5 (Can't believe I'm doing this- #worstbeerontheblog)
Beer Name: Black and Tan
Brewer: F'ing Yuengling
Beer Style: Piss & Shit? (Label says porter and premium beer- sounds like an Aldi's label to me)
Price: Too Much- seriously, free is too much for anything Yuengling.
Aroma: Smells like sour piss. John says he's not sure. He's never spent the night in a crack house- obviously... John says nothing stands out. I vote for that as the understatement of all eternity.
Appeance: I say diahrea with a splash of superdehydrated pee. John says a dark amber color that you can almost see through.
Mouthfeel: Like gagging. John says it's smooth.
Tatse: John says it's like the Coors Lite of Black and Tans. I say it's like the filet mignon and fresh Maine lobster tail of shitty beer. I mean it's almost perfectly shitty in every way. The "brewers" should be proud of themselves. It's perfection in almost every category of crap.
Overall Rating: John says 3.5???????????????????????? WTF???????????????????? I say .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 Untappd apparently only goes in 1/4's so technically it's a straight 0. I'd rather drink the beast light with Brass Monkey and call it a "black and tan."
And back to the "beer" blog...
Beer #6
Beer Name: Voodoo Ranger Juicy Hazy IPA
Brewer: New Belgium
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
Price: $10 for a 6 pack at Friar Tucks
Aroma: Metallic and fruity. Almost coppery aroma covered up by a grapefruitish, orange smell. Not bad, just a little weird.
Appearance: Unfiltered, cloudy pineapple juice says John.
Mouthfeel: Not much; a little bitter but not bad.
Taste: John says it starts not good and gets worse. I said it tasted like a mouthfull of dirt. Seriously. It tastes like dirt. Not a great beer at all. I'm thinking go straight to DVD with this one. John says it tastes like when you take a day after the chili cookoff dump and then spray air freshener on top of it. You know that sweet smell???? Of course you do.
Overall Rating: John says a 1. I'm saying 1.5. This is easily the worst beer we've had tonight. (Not counting the Yuengling as anything other than nuclear bovine waste).
Beer #7
Beer Name: Stupid Head
Brewer: Stillwater (Top 5 brewers in the USA)
Beer Style: Hefeweizen
Price: 5.99 for a 16 oz can.
Aroma: John cracked it open, took one sniff and said "maple syrup". I can't make this stuff up. It smells like fresh pineapples.
Appearance: Hazy. Imagine that. Light golden blonde in color. Good lacing. Nice looking beer in the glass.
Mouthfeel: Nothing at all. No tingle, no tart, no bitter, think drinking Kool-Aid.
Taste: This tastes like a pineapple dreamcycle. I don't know how many beers can have the ice creamish taste but I'm digging them all. The 4Hands vanilla milkshake IPA is the best of them all. This one is pretty good though. It's not lacking in tropical flavor for sure.
Overall Rating: John is not a fan. He says 1.5. And no more "tropical" beers for John. I say a 3.5. It's not bad. I like the milkshake/ smoothie thing that it has going on.
Until next time... Drink more beer.
So here we go...
Beer #1
Beer Name: Fresh Squeezed IPA
Brewer: Deschutes
Beer Style: IPA
Price: About $10 for a 6 pack at Dierbergs.
Aroma: Not much there. A slight hint of grapefruit. Maybe a little teeny bit of pine. But for the most part, not an aromatice beer.
Appearance: Hazy; copperish brown. A non-traditional IPA look to it. Good lacing on the glass. A nice pour.
Mouthfeel: Tart on the back end more than bitter. It's a beer that keeps your mouth busy. A lot going on throughout. This is a somewhat complex beer.
Taste: Grapefruitish for sure; bitter at times; especially if you drink it quickly. I think it gets a little better after it warms up slightly. I drank one last weekend and it wasn't as good as the one tonight. This is a really good tasting beer.
Overall Rating: 4.0 from me. Fairly complex for a fruity IPA. John says 3.5.
Beer #2
Beer Name: Mosaic Single Hop IPA
Brewer: Sweet Water
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
Price: $10 for a six pack at Dierbergs
Aroma: This smells like nectar. Citrusy, fresh, slightly hoppy. They should make this perfume. Kelly would wear it nonstop whether she wanted to or not. It smells like a screwdriver (drink- not tool). Delicious. John says it smells sweet and hoppy. Nothing overpowers.
Appearance: John says this has an IPA color. Much lighter then the Deschutes. This looks like a hazy IPA. Light in color, obviously cloudy. It looks like pineapple juice.
Mouthfeel: Not as complex as the Descutes. A much more straightforward IPA. Crisp, clean, slightly tart, slightly bitter. I just took a drink and got an ice cream feel. Weird. It has a hint of orangecycle to it.
Taste: John says it tastes like it smells. Definitely a sweeter, fruity taste. I say it's totally different then the Deschutes but equally as interesting. The Deschutes was a much more subdued citrus taste; this one is much more blatant with the Mosaic hops. That being said, this is just as good.
Overall rating: John says 3.25. He prefers the Deschutes. I'm going 4 again. It is amazing how different two beer the same family can taste so different. This is more of a summer beer for sure. I am going 4 again.
Beer #3
Beer Name: Prism Saison
Brewer: Perennial Ales
Beer Style: Dry Hopped Saison
Price: $11 for a 4 pack of 16oz at Friar Tucks.
Aroma: Not very strong at all. A slight citrusy, almost belgiun aroma. John says it smells like champagne.
Appearance: Yellow like Big Bird. HAZY as well. Ain't no looking through this one.
Mouthfeel: Very light on the tongue. A slight tingle at the end. Almost champagney.
Taste: Citrusy, clean, fresh. A very subdued Saison. Not a lot of Belgiun taste at all. It's almost wine spritzerish which normally would be a bad thing. This is a true breakfast beer. As in get up, go to the fridge, ignore the milk and juice, and crack one of these. John says it takes the place of your momossa.
Overall Rating: I'm going a solid 3. I'm not sure what they were aiming for but I could see having this with my bowl of cocoa pebbles or vanilla milkshake pop tarts for sure. John says its a 2.5. Not bad, not good.
Beer #4
Beer Name: Tropical Torpedo
Brewer: Sierra Nevada
Beer Style: Tropical IPA
Price: $10 for a six pack at Friar tucks
Aroma: John says maple. Then he said, "What is going on here?" I said it smells like water with a slight hint of waterish water. Not much going on here. By the way, John and I just told Nick when we pull up to pick up him up from his friend's house, all his friends say #roll models. Yep, that's what we do.
Appearance: Less hazy then the previous beers but still pretty hazy. Golden blonde in color. Decent pour. It's a good looking beer in the glass.
Mouthfeel: Nothing happening here. Very watery for the most part. A true IPA.
Taste: John says that once you get through the maple taste, it's a fruity IPA. I say "What is going on here?" The taste is very muted. It is tropical but not until the end. It is not very hoppy. It's a very vanilla version of a tropical IPA. Its good, just not outstanding.
Overall Rating: John says not bad for a maple syrup IPA. He says 3. I say 2.75. Not anywhere near as good as the others but it is drinkable.
Beer #5 (Can't believe I'm doing this- #worstbeerontheblog)
Beer Name: Black and Tan
Brewer: F'ing Yuengling
Beer Style: Piss & Shit? (Label says porter and premium beer- sounds like an Aldi's label to me)
Price: Too Much- seriously, free is too much for anything Yuengling.
Aroma: Smells like sour piss. John says he's not sure. He's never spent the night in a crack house- obviously... John says nothing stands out. I vote for that as the understatement of all eternity.
Appeance: I say diahrea with a splash of superdehydrated pee. John says a dark amber color that you can almost see through.
Mouthfeel: Like gagging. John says it's smooth.
Tatse: John says it's like the Coors Lite of Black and Tans. I say it's like the filet mignon and fresh Maine lobster tail of shitty beer. I mean it's almost perfectly shitty in every way. The "brewers" should be proud of themselves. It's perfection in almost every category of crap.
Overall Rating: John says 3.5???????????????????????? WTF???????????????????? I say .000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001 Untappd apparently only goes in 1/4's so technically it's a straight 0. I'd rather drink the beast light with Brass Monkey and call it a "black and tan."
And back to the "beer" blog...
Beer #6
Beer Name: Voodoo Ranger Juicy Hazy IPA
Brewer: New Belgium
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
Price: $10 for a 6 pack at Friar Tucks
Aroma: Metallic and fruity. Almost coppery aroma covered up by a grapefruitish, orange smell. Not bad, just a little weird.
Appearance: Unfiltered, cloudy pineapple juice says John.
Mouthfeel: Not much; a little bitter but not bad.
Taste: John says it starts not good and gets worse. I said it tasted like a mouthfull of dirt. Seriously. It tastes like dirt. Not a great beer at all. I'm thinking go straight to DVD with this one. John says it tastes like when you take a day after the chili cookoff dump and then spray air freshener on top of it. You know that sweet smell???? Of course you do.
Overall Rating: John says a 1. I'm saying 1.5. This is easily the worst beer we've had tonight. (Not counting the Yuengling as anything other than nuclear bovine waste).
Beer #7
Beer Name: Stupid Head
Brewer: Stillwater (Top 5 brewers in the USA)
Beer Style: Hefeweizen
Price: 5.99 for a 16 oz can.
Aroma: John cracked it open, took one sniff and said "maple syrup". I can't make this stuff up. It smells like fresh pineapples.
Appearance: Hazy. Imagine that. Light golden blonde in color. Good lacing. Nice looking beer in the glass.
Mouthfeel: Nothing at all. No tingle, no tart, no bitter, think drinking Kool-Aid.
Taste: This tastes like a pineapple dreamcycle. I don't know how many beers can have the ice creamish taste but I'm digging them all. The 4Hands vanilla milkshake IPA is the best of them all. This one is pretty good though. It's not lacking in tropical flavor for sure.
Overall Rating: John is not a fan. He says 1.5. And no more "tropical" beers for John. I say a 3.5. It's not bad. I like the milkshake/ smoothie thing that it has going on.
Until next time... Drink more beer.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Pre-Halloween Beer Blog- This could be scary.
OK. This is a for real blog. We have a crap- ton of beer and with the exception of the first one; they are all above 6%. So by the end, if I'm typing in Cyrillic, you will know why. Buckle up. Hold on. Grab your partner. Here we go.
Beer #1:
Beer Name: 4 hands Ripple (as in pass me my ripple from Eazy Duz It.
Brewer: Hands down the best brewery in the STL- 4 Hands.
Beer Style: White Ale
Price: About $14 for a 12 pack at Sams.
Pics come later.
Appearance: Defintily cloudy says John. It's a very light shade of yellow; lighter then my pee will be tomorrow for sure.
Aroma: Very fruity. John says citrusy. Smells delicious. It's amazing that when I pop one of these open, Kelly immediately starts cleaning.
Mouthfeel: Feels like an orange soda. John says it's very crisp.
Taste: This is a beer you want to drink COLD. It is very witbierish. A hint of the Belgiun yeast like a witbier. John says it's OK; like a wheat beer with an orange slice squeeed in. Maybe it's actually a Blue Moon! I say it is not bad but nothing out of the ordinary. If you read my blog, you know I'm not crazy about the Belgiun yeast so it's not my thing.
Overall Rating: John says 3.. I say 3 even as well. Not our choice of summer beers.
Beer #2
Beer Name: Budweiser Copper
Brewer: UMMMMMM.....
Beer Style: Barrel Aged Lager
Price: about $8 a 6 pack available anywhere.
Appearance: Wow! It's copper. Shocking. Looks like an amber- think Amber Bock. Very clear. You could see your own pee pee on the other side of the glass (if it had a magnifying lens that is).
Aroma: Not a lot to smell here. Slight bourbon maybe but very subdued. John sys he can smell bourbon but definitely not overpowering. Slightly sweet.
Mouthfeel: Very shocking on the tongue. It hits you hard but mellows very quickly. Probably like a bourbon (I don't drink bourbon so not exactly an expert). John says a tingle on the tongue up front.
Taste: John says a budweiserish caramel taste. I agree. To Bud's credit, they let the actual bourbon come through. It's not bad. I could drink this if it was left in my fridge. Much better then the actual beer.
Overall rating: John says 2. I say a 3 again. It's not terrible. It was better than I expected but still a lot of room for improvement.
Beer #3
Beer Name: High Cotton IPA
Brewer: High Cotton in Memphis- Picked this up a few weekends ago when Landon was there for soccer.
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $9 a six pack from the brewery. This is not available outside of TN.
Side Note: Props to John. He picked up the can and said, "Where is the rest?" The can was only filled about 3/4 of the way and he knew without looking. That's why we blog...
Appearance: Looks like Bud Lite. Golden and clear. No lacing on the glass.
Aroma: Hoppy. I know that's not a stretch but it really smells hoppy. John says it has some pine. Not a bad smell per say but not the best beer smell ever.
This beer has a 1.062 Original Gansta score as well in case anyone was wondering.
Mouthfeel: Nothing. At all. Nothing there. It's slightly flavored water out of the can. John says it has the bitter feel to it. I don't get that. Maybe because I'm on beer #7.
Taste: I had this on tap at the brewery and it was pretty good. The canned version is a little less satisfying. John says a straight IPA- no fruit or other tastes. He says it is bland. He could enjoy the bitterness with more flavor.
Overall Rating: John says he is not impressed; a 2.25. I'm going 2.5. It's not a great beer out of the can.
Beer #4
Beer Name: Hi-5 IPA
Brewer: Terrapin
Beer Style: IPA
Price: Don't know. Joel the Beermaster got me this.
Appearance: A slightly darker and maybe a little cloudy Bud Lite. Very frothy and bubbly. A nice pour in the glass.
Aroma: This beer smells great. It has a citrusy, piney, hoppy, beery smell. If someone made this into a perfume, I'd buy some and spray it on myself when my wife wasn't around. John says a very mellow IPA smell which is good.
Mouthfeel: Slight tingle at the back. John says it is pretty smooth. Very nice feel to it. This is a quality IPA.
Taste: This is delicious. A slight pine taste with a slight hop tinge to it as well. John says slightly hoppy as well. He says it tastes good.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.25. I say a 4. It's very good. Smooth and easy.
WE HAVE A NEW RATER: WELCOME V TO THE BLOG! by the way, V wants this to change to a Ukranian cognac blog. Not happening tonight.
Beer #5
Beer Name: Minglewood DDH Citra Satellite
Brewer: Minglewood Brewing
Beer Style: IPA
Price? The beermaster got it for me.
Appearance: Very cloudy. Very light in color. No lacing or foam. It looks like apple cider.
Aroma: Smells like a sour glass of OJ. John says it smells very fruity (no jokes here please).
Mouthfeel: Not much happening here. Very smooth and light. John says slightly bitter but no kickback at all.
Taste: V says it's very good. John says it's citrusy the whole way through. I say it's fricking delicious. I'm a big an of the DDH citra beers. Narrow Gauge's is delicious. This is equally good. Where are the stuffed meatballs? Man this is good. I'm considering a drive down there next weekend.
Overall rating: John goes 4.25. V says its a 3.5. I'm going 4.75. This is damn near perfect. I recommend it and please bring me back as much as your truck will hold.
Beer #6
Beer Name: Oachkatzlschwoaf
Brewer: Urban Chestnut
Beer Style; Ocktoberfest
Price: $16 for 8 16 ounce cans at Dierbergs.
Appearance: Light amber for an Octoberfest- medium clear. John says slightly hazy. V says acryllic.
Aroma: It smells buttery and sweet. Almost like creme brulee'. John says nutty and malty. Almost like a Tim Britt Schmaltzy aroma.
Mouthfeel: My tongue is numb. Out on this category. John says very light and smooth. V says lite beer.
Taste: This is buttery and malty. Very good. It has the Ocktoberfest tang to it. I'm loving it. One of the best Octoberfest's I've had. John says ditto.
Overall Rating: V says 2.5. John says 3. I say 4. It's a very good Octoberfest.
AND ON WE GO:
Beer Name: Ill Repute
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Style: Imperial Stout
Price: $6 or $7 at Schnucks LSTL
Appearance: UMMMMMM, we have transitioned from light to dark- for sure. This is black. As in an unstarry night. Nice lacing on the glass. Little froth says John. V says his comment was racist and so he did not comment.
Aroma: Holy cinammon. This would give HOT DAMN a run for it's money. If you don't mind hot and spicy, this is right up your alley.
Mouthfeel: Super tingly; like a red hot. V says Iced Coffee.
Taste: John says its a very tasty beer. Vanilla up front turning to cinammon at the end. It has a whole lot going on for sure. It's very tingly up front but smoother going down. hints of vanilla, cinammon, oak, coffee, and slight chocolate are the obvious tastes. John thought it was a pumpkin beer but we aren't getting anything resembling pumpkin tonight. We all like it. I'm pretty sure John Kelly (Blues announcer) just said "Johnson unloads" during the broadcast. HAHAHA.
Overall Rating: John says 3.75. V says 4. I say 3.75. Not the best stout ever but I definitely would drink it agian without flinching.
Beer #8
Beer Name: Mother's MILF
Brewer: Mother's
Beer Style: American Imperial Stout
Price: ? Thanks Joel the beermaster.
Appearance: John says it looks like liquid tar. V says darker then the previous one and you thought his last comment was racist! V says 50 shades of dark. WOW.
Aroma: This smells like a vat of whiskey. A strong vat. John says a shot of Jager. And he got his bottle of Jager out and compared. For real. Hilarious. V says a choclate candy with cherry liquor candy smell.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth for the titantic ship of beer. Holy shit this is ridiculous.
Taste: Very whiskeyish. Definitely interesting. It's STRONG. It is very raisonish. Almost pruney. V says its a diluted liquor. Not quite as liquorish as Jager. I'm saying it's not bad. I wish I had more time and this was then only beer I had. This will be continued. I think it's a really sippable beer. V says it's a like a dark beer but the over-alcohol taste kills it before you really can tell.
Overall rating: I'm thinking a 3.75. It's very tasty. I'm not crazy about the raisins but it's still good. A LOT GOING on here. I mean A LOT. It's a very interesting beer. John says he's not a huge fan. 2.25. V says he gives it a 2. Not our favorite beer.
Beer #9
Beer Name: Boulder Shake
Brewer: Boulder Brewing
Beer Style: Chocolate Porter
Price:? Thanks Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Dark. As in dark. Maybe a slight transperancy with a red tint. V says it looks like coffee. John says pretty good froth.
Aroma: John says choclatey or mochaey. Either way, it smells delicious. I'm thinking chocolate Thunder. V says no that is meaningful. Not sure how to translate that into English.
Mouthfeel: It's very smooth. Not a lot going on.
Taste: It's very smooth. I am saying delicious. It's a very good porter. John says very cocoaey; not chocolate milk stouty.
Overall rating: John says 4.25. V says 3. I say 4.5. I could drink this all winter. It is delicious.
Beer #10
Beer Name: Imperial Vanilla Porter Aged in Rum Barrels
Brewer: Breckenridge
Beer Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Porter
Price: $13 a bottle at Schnucks
Appearance: Dark. Blacker than a dark steer's tuchas on a moonless prarie night.
Aroma: Rum de dum dum. V says its sour. John says its got an ovrpowering alcohol smell.
Mouthfeel: Tingly at the end. John says you feel the alcohol on the back end. V says it's a normal beer to him. Not overpowering.
Taste: This is a very good beer. I am absolutely digging it. The rum is very understted but yet you can tell its there. It is a very good edition of the regular vanilla porter. I have two bottles of this on the shelf to age but I am seriously questioning the decision to save it.
Overall Rating: V says 4. John says 4. I'm saying 4.5. That was a great entry into the Imperial porter (or stout) variety of beer. Delicious. It's very good.
LAST ONE: THANK GOD Holy shit I'm drunkish.
Beer Name: Warhammer
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Style: Imperial IPA
Price: About $8 at Schucks LSTL
Appearance: Very cloudy for an IPA. Very light in color with a great head. John says slightly cloudy with a peeish (his term not mine) tone.
Aroma: John says IPAish but not over the top. I say it smells like fluorescent flowers on a brightly lit beach. Jamming Jane's Addiction "Three Days" right now so I could enjoy Falstaff. This beer smells like Heavan for IPAs though.
Mouthfeel: Not much happening. Very smooth for an IPA. John and V say Bitter but in a good way. V says they disguise the alcohol tatse in the beer.
Taste: This is the 2nd bottle of this I've had. Its delicious. This is one of the better IPA's I've had. It's the best mperial for sure. Might be a perfect beer.
Overall Rating: V says 4. John says 4. I say 4.5 with the disclaimer that I can raise the rating later. It's very good.
Sorry the ratings got more boring but I am going to sleep LATE tomorrow if you know what I mean. Thanks for reading,
Tom
Beer #1:
Beer Name: 4 hands Ripple (as in pass me my ripple from Eazy Duz It.
Brewer: Hands down the best brewery in the STL- 4 Hands.
Beer Style: White Ale
Price: About $14 for a 12 pack at Sams.
Pics come later.
Appearance: Defintily cloudy says John. It's a very light shade of yellow; lighter then my pee will be tomorrow for sure.
Aroma: Very fruity. John says citrusy. Smells delicious. It's amazing that when I pop one of these open, Kelly immediately starts cleaning.
Mouthfeel: Feels like an orange soda. John says it's very crisp.
Taste: This is a beer you want to drink COLD. It is very witbierish. A hint of the Belgiun yeast like a witbier. John says it's OK; like a wheat beer with an orange slice squeeed in. Maybe it's actually a Blue Moon! I say it is not bad but nothing out of the ordinary. If you read my blog, you know I'm not crazy about the Belgiun yeast so it's not my thing.
Overall Rating: John says 3.. I say 3 even as well. Not our choice of summer beers.
Beer #2
Beer Name: Budweiser Copper
Brewer: UMMMMMM.....
Beer Style: Barrel Aged Lager
Price: about $8 a 6 pack available anywhere.
Appearance: Wow! It's copper. Shocking. Looks like an amber- think Amber Bock. Very clear. You could see your own pee pee on the other side of the glass (if it had a magnifying lens that is).
Aroma: Not a lot to smell here. Slight bourbon maybe but very subdued. John sys he can smell bourbon but definitely not overpowering. Slightly sweet.
Mouthfeel: Very shocking on the tongue. It hits you hard but mellows very quickly. Probably like a bourbon (I don't drink bourbon so not exactly an expert). John says a tingle on the tongue up front.
Taste: John says a budweiserish caramel taste. I agree. To Bud's credit, they let the actual bourbon come through. It's not bad. I could drink this if it was left in my fridge. Much better then the actual beer.
Overall rating: John says 2. I say a 3 again. It's not terrible. It was better than I expected but still a lot of room for improvement.
Beer #3
Beer Name: High Cotton IPA
Brewer: High Cotton in Memphis- Picked this up a few weekends ago when Landon was there for soccer.
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $9 a six pack from the brewery. This is not available outside of TN.
Side Note: Props to John. He picked up the can and said, "Where is the rest?" The can was only filled about 3/4 of the way and he knew without looking. That's why we blog...
Appearance: Looks like Bud Lite. Golden and clear. No lacing on the glass.
Aroma: Hoppy. I know that's not a stretch but it really smells hoppy. John says it has some pine. Not a bad smell per say but not the best beer smell ever.
This beer has a 1.062 Original Gansta score as well in case anyone was wondering.
Mouthfeel: Nothing. At all. Nothing there. It's slightly flavored water out of the can. John says it has the bitter feel to it. I don't get that. Maybe because I'm on beer #7.
Taste: I had this on tap at the brewery and it was pretty good. The canned version is a little less satisfying. John says a straight IPA- no fruit or other tastes. He says it is bland. He could enjoy the bitterness with more flavor.
Overall Rating: John says he is not impressed; a 2.25. I'm going 2.5. It's not a great beer out of the can.
Beer #4
Beer Name: Hi-5 IPA
Brewer: Terrapin
Beer Style: IPA
Price: Don't know. Joel the Beermaster got me this.
Appearance: A slightly darker and maybe a little cloudy Bud Lite. Very frothy and bubbly. A nice pour in the glass.
Aroma: This beer smells great. It has a citrusy, piney, hoppy, beery smell. If someone made this into a perfume, I'd buy some and spray it on myself when my wife wasn't around. John says a very mellow IPA smell which is good.
Mouthfeel: Slight tingle at the back. John says it is pretty smooth. Very nice feel to it. This is a quality IPA.
Taste: This is delicious. A slight pine taste with a slight hop tinge to it as well. John says slightly hoppy as well. He says it tastes good.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.25. I say a 4. It's very good. Smooth and easy.
WE HAVE A NEW RATER: WELCOME V TO THE BLOG! by the way, V wants this to change to a Ukranian cognac blog. Not happening tonight.
Beer #5
Beer Name: Minglewood DDH Citra Satellite
Brewer: Minglewood Brewing
Beer Style: IPA
Price? The beermaster got it for me.
Appearance: Very cloudy. Very light in color. No lacing or foam. It looks like apple cider.
Aroma: Smells like a sour glass of OJ. John says it smells very fruity (no jokes here please).
Mouthfeel: Not much happening here. Very smooth and light. John says slightly bitter but no kickback at all.
Taste: V says it's very good. John says it's citrusy the whole way through. I say it's fricking delicious. I'm a big an of the DDH citra beers. Narrow Gauge's is delicious. This is equally good. Where are the stuffed meatballs? Man this is good. I'm considering a drive down there next weekend.
Overall rating: John goes 4.25. V says its a 3.5. I'm going 4.75. This is damn near perfect. I recommend it and please bring me back as much as your truck will hold.
Beer #6
Beer Name: Oachkatzlschwoaf
Brewer: Urban Chestnut
Beer Style; Ocktoberfest
Price: $16 for 8 16 ounce cans at Dierbergs.
Appearance: Light amber for an Octoberfest- medium clear. John says slightly hazy. V says acryllic.
Aroma: It smells buttery and sweet. Almost like creme brulee'. John says nutty and malty. Almost like a Tim Britt Schmaltzy aroma.
Mouthfeel: My tongue is numb. Out on this category. John says very light and smooth. V says lite beer.
Taste: This is buttery and malty. Very good. It has the Ocktoberfest tang to it. I'm loving it. One of the best Octoberfest's I've had. John says ditto.
Overall Rating: V says 2.5. John says 3. I say 4. It's a very good Octoberfest.
AND ON WE GO:
Beer Name: Ill Repute
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Style: Imperial Stout
Price: $6 or $7 at Schnucks LSTL
Appearance: UMMMMMM, we have transitioned from light to dark- for sure. This is black. As in an unstarry night. Nice lacing on the glass. Little froth says John. V says his comment was racist and so he did not comment.
Aroma: Holy cinammon. This would give HOT DAMN a run for it's money. If you don't mind hot and spicy, this is right up your alley.
Mouthfeel: Super tingly; like a red hot. V says Iced Coffee.
Taste: John says its a very tasty beer. Vanilla up front turning to cinammon at the end. It has a whole lot going on for sure. It's very tingly up front but smoother going down. hints of vanilla, cinammon, oak, coffee, and slight chocolate are the obvious tastes. John thought it was a pumpkin beer but we aren't getting anything resembling pumpkin tonight. We all like it. I'm pretty sure John Kelly (Blues announcer) just said "Johnson unloads" during the broadcast. HAHAHA.
Overall Rating: John says 3.75. V says 4. I say 3.75. Not the best stout ever but I definitely would drink it agian without flinching.
Beer #8
Beer Name: Mother's MILF
Brewer: Mother's
Beer Style: American Imperial Stout
Price: ? Thanks Joel the beermaster.
Appearance: John says it looks like liquid tar. V says darker then the previous one and you thought his last comment was racist! V says 50 shades of dark. WOW.
Aroma: This smells like a vat of whiskey. A strong vat. John says a shot of Jager. And he got his bottle of Jager out and compared. For real. Hilarious. V says a choclate candy with cherry liquor candy smell.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth for the titantic ship of beer. Holy shit this is ridiculous.
Taste: Very whiskeyish. Definitely interesting. It's STRONG. It is very raisonish. Almost pruney. V says its a diluted liquor. Not quite as liquorish as Jager. I'm saying it's not bad. I wish I had more time and this was then only beer I had. This will be continued. I think it's a really sippable beer. V says it's a like a dark beer but the over-alcohol taste kills it before you really can tell.
Overall rating: I'm thinking a 3.75. It's very tasty. I'm not crazy about the raisins but it's still good. A LOT GOING on here. I mean A LOT. It's a very interesting beer. John says he's not a huge fan. 2.25. V says he gives it a 2. Not our favorite beer.
Beer #9
Beer Name: Boulder Shake
Brewer: Boulder Brewing
Beer Style: Chocolate Porter
Price:? Thanks Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Dark. As in dark. Maybe a slight transperancy with a red tint. V says it looks like coffee. John says pretty good froth.
Aroma: John says choclatey or mochaey. Either way, it smells delicious. I'm thinking chocolate Thunder. V says no that is meaningful. Not sure how to translate that into English.
Mouthfeel: It's very smooth. Not a lot going on.
Taste: It's very smooth. I am saying delicious. It's a very good porter. John says very cocoaey; not chocolate milk stouty.
Overall rating: John says 4.25. V says 3. I say 4.5. I could drink this all winter. It is delicious.
Beer #10
Beer Name: Imperial Vanilla Porter Aged in Rum Barrels
Brewer: Breckenridge
Beer Style: Barrel Aged Imperial Porter
Price: $13 a bottle at Schnucks
Appearance: Dark. Blacker than a dark steer's tuchas on a moonless prarie night.
Aroma: Rum de dum dum. V says its sour. John says its got an ovrpowering alcohol smell.
Mouthfeel: Tingly at the end. John says you feel the alcohol on the back end. V says it's a normal beer to him. Not overpowering.
Taste: This is a very good beer. I am absolutely digging it. The rum is very understted but yet you can tell its there. It is a very good edition of the regular vanilla porter. I have two bottles of this on the shelf to age but I am seriously questioning the decision to save it.
Overall Rating: V says 4. John says 4. I'm saying 4.5. That was a great entry into the Imperial porter (or stout) variety of beer. Delicious. It's very good.
LAST ONE: THANK GOD Holy shit I'm drunkish.
Beer Name: Warhammer
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Style: Imperial IPA
Price: About $8 at Schucks LSTL
Appearance: Very cloudy for an IPA. Very light in color with a great head. John says slightly cloudy with a peeish (his term not mine) tone.
Aroma: John says IPAish but not over the top. I say it smells like fluorescent flowers on a brightly lit beach. Jamming Jane's Addiction "Three Days" right now so I could enjoy Falstaff. This beer smells like Heavan for IPAs though.
Mouthfeel: Not much happening. Very smooth for an IPA. John and V say Bitter but in a good way. V says they disguise the alcohol tatse in the beer.
Taste: This is the 2nd bottle of this I've had. Its delicious. This is one of the better IPA's I've had. It's the best mperial for sure. Might be a perfect beer.
Overall Rating: V says 4. John says 4. I say 4.5 with the disclaimer that I can raise the rating later. It's very good.
Sorry the ratings got more boring but I am going to sleep LATE tomorrow if you know what I mean. Thanks for reading,
Tom
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Manchester United vs. Real Madrid
After attending the Liverpool drubbing of Manchester United in Michigan on Saturday, I decided I better drink early and often to watch the United/ Real game tonight. So, I have at least 7 beers in line to be sampled tonight.
First up:
Brewer: 4 hands
Beer Name: Contact High Juiced
Beer Style: Ale
Price $14 for a 12 pack of cans at SAMS
Appearance: Very light, super cloudy, obviously infused with something. This beer is advertised as having Tangarine and Mandarin Orange in it and it has a strong look of something in it.
Aroma: This has a very fruity aroma along with a tradtional ale. It smells wonderful.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. A very light tingle with a very smooth finish.
Taste: Full disclosure: I love this beer. I don't think it is a surprise that I like the fruity beer. This is an exceptionally fine beer if you are into the fruit infused ales that are all the rage right now.
Overall rating: 4.75. I have bought three cases over the last three weeks. That should be testament enough. It is delicious.
Next One:
Brewer: Stillwater Artisanal
Beer Name: Micro
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $10 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans at Friar Tucks
Appearance: Similar to the 4Hands above. Light, very hazy with a nice clean pour. Great lacing on the glass. Looks like a fantastic summer beer.
Aroma: Ale with a tangarine or orange scent. The fruit cent is very strong despite not having any added fruit. It looks great and smells great. It makes you want to head out by the pool or go on a picnic or somewhere outside.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. Light, fresh feel with a slight tingle.
Taste: This is a perfect beer. I have drank it all summer and have not tired of it at all. It has a much more subdued citrus flavor then the 4Hands but it is equally refreshing and crisp. This is a nust try; the citra hops give it the perfect blend of citrus to balance out the bitterness of the hops. Perfect balance.
Overall Rating: 5. This is a perfect beer. I love it.
Beer #3
Brewer: Bell's
Beer Name: Hopslam Ale
Beer Style: Double IPA
Price: No idea. This was a gift from Joel the beermaster.
Appearance: A little amber; slightly cloudy but much more clear then the other two.
Aroma: Hoppy. Very crisp.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth as well. No tingle at all.
Taste: This is much hoppier then the previous two. No citrus at all. A much more traditional IPA with hops. I am getting some caramel in the aftertaste as well Wierd for an IPA. John says super hoppy and not his favorite. I concur. Its OK for a double IPA. But not my favorite style.
Overall rating: I say a 3. Well balanced and a goof effort but not my cup of beer. John says a 2.75.
On to the next #4:
Brewer: Narrow Gauge
Beer Name: SHB: DDH Galaxy
Beer Style: Double IPA as well
Price: $18 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans. Expensive.
Appearance: Light yellow, very cloudy. A nice lacing on the glass.
Aroma: A lot of orange juice here. Very citrusy. The mosaic hops certainly are prevalant here.
Mouthfeel: Somewhat tingly here. Smooth overall. A nice light beer for the summer.
Taste: This beer smells better then it tastes. Not bitter but not very sweet either. Sort of a very mediocre effort in my opinion. If you like Galaxy hops, you probably will like this. If not, they have better beers.
Overall rating: 3. Very pedestrian.
#5:
Brewer: Narrow Gauge
Beer Name: SHB: DDH Citra
Beer Style: Double IPA
Price: $18 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans. Expensive
Appearance: Looks exactly the same as the other Narrow Gauge. In fact, I think this is the same except the hops are changed from Mosaic to Citra. Both are double dry hopped IPAs.
Aroma: Also, very citrusy or orangy like the mosaic. Smells like a breakfast juice of some sort.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. Outstanding balance.
Taste: Outstanding. Very well balanced. I really like this beer. Their citrus infused pale ale is even better but they did not have any for sale in cans. This is well balanced, flavorful with a mix of hops and citrus.
Overall rating: I say a 4.5 at least; maybe higher upon repeated drinkings. John says 3.5. It is clearly better then the galaxy.
On to #6:
Brewer: Sam Smith
Beer Name: Organic Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $6 for a pint.
Appearance: Way darker then anything else on the blog. This is a very traditional pale ale is appearance. Medium brown; slightly cloudy; almost no lacing or foam on the pour. John says it is loudier then you would expect for sure.
Aroma: Smells much more like an alcoholic beverage then any of the other beers. No fruit; very little hops, etc. Smells like a strong beer.
Mouthfeel: Almost nothing there. No tingle; no weight, almost watery.
Taste: John says it has a Newcastle feel to it. Smoother then Newcastle but that same vibe. I say it is another flawless entrant from Sam Smith. This is the best brewery on the planet across styles and genres. It is amazing how they put out quality entrants across the board. This beer has a perfect balance of malt, tanginess (thinking plums or grapes?) along with barley and hops. It is a very nice beer to just sit and chill with.
Overall rating: John says each drink has gotten better. He goes 4 even. I am going 4.75. It is basically a perfect beer. The only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect 5 is that I have only had it tonight. I reserve the right to raise my rating if it is equally as good next time.
On to #6.
Brewery: Oskar Blues
Beer Name: Death by Coconut
Beer Style: Irish Porter
Price: No idea- provided by Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Looks like a porter; dark beer, dark foam, nice head. john says it pours well. He keeps lifting his glass and looking at it so I'm fairly sure he likes the look of it.
Aroma: Smells like coconut. It has a very thick aroma. If you like coconut, you will wear this as cologne. I love coconut so this is like nosecrack.
Mouthfeel: Very tingly. A very busy beer as it goes down. Lots happening here.
Taste: Unfortunately, it isn't quite as good as it smells. The coconut is covered up by something. If its chocolate, it's a weird strain of chocolate.
Overall rating: I'm saying 2.5. I can't make it past the tingly/ tangy/ sour, whatever taste is blocking the coconut. John says a 3.25. He says it will be a nice winter beer.
Last one:
Brewery: Brew Link Company
Beer Name: Nuttercup
Beer Style: Porter
Price: don't know- provided by Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Dark, relatively clear. Nice lacing.
Aroma: Think peanuts on top of a bed of peanut butter sandwhich layered with resses and topped with peanuts.
Mouthfeel: Can't tell, I'm afraid to try it. I gave in. Its very smooth but I can't get past the pound if peanuts shoved in my nose to get to the mouthfeel. It's a very pungent aroma.
Taste: I'm shivering with disgust. Really. It's like drinking a liquid nutterbutter. John says all flavors come through very strongly. Chocolate, PB, and porter are all prevelant. He then added that it wasn't his favorite mix.
Overall rating: I'm going .25 It's only slightly better than undrinkable. And I mean SLIGHTLY.
John likes it. He says 2.75.
And this ends tonights blog. By the way, United beat Real 2 to 1. Like there was any doubt.
First up:
Brewer: 4 hands
Beer Name: Contact High Juiced
Beer Style: Ale
Price $14 for a 12 pack of cans at SAMS
Appearance: Very light, super cloudy, obviously infused with something. This beer is advertised as having Tangarine and Mandarin Orange in it and it has a strong look of something in it.
Aroma: This has a very fruity aroma along with a tradtional ale. It smells wonderful.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. A very light tingle with a very smooth finish.
Taste: Full disclosure: I love this beer. I don't think it is a surprise that I like the fruity beer. This is an exceptionally fine beer if you are into the fruit infused ales that are all the rage right now.
Overall rating: 4.75. I have bought three cases over the last three weeks. That should be testament enough. It is delicious.
Next One:
Brewer: Stillwater Artisanal
Beer Name: Micro
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $10 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans at Friar Tucks
Aroma: Ale with a tangarine or orange scent. The fruit cent is very strong despite not having any added fruit. It looks great and smells great. It makes you want to head out by the pool or go on a picnic or somewhere outside.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. Light, fresh feel with a slight tingle.
Taste: This is a perfect beer. I have drank it all summer and have not tired of it at all. It has a much more subdued citrus flavor then the 4Hands but it is equally refreshing and crisp. This is a nust try; the citra hops give it the perfect blend of citrus to balance out the bitterness of the hops. Perfect balance.
Overall Rating: 5. This is a perfect beer. I love it.
Beer #3
Brewer: Bell's
Beer Name: Hopslam Ale
Beer Style: Double IPA
Price: No idea. This was a gift from Joel the beermaster.
Appearance: A little amber; slightly cloudy but much more clear then the other two.
Aroma: Hoppy. Very crisp.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth as well. No tingle at all.
Taste: This is much hoppier then the previous two. No citrus at all. A much more traditional IPA with hops. I am getting some caramel in the aftertaste as well Wierd for an IPA. John says super hoppy and not his favorite. I concur. Its OK for a double IPA. But not my favorite style.
Overall rating: I say a 3. Well balanced and a goof effort but not my cup of beer. John says a 2.75.
On to the next #4:
Brewer: Narrow Gauge
Beer Name: SHB: DDH Galaxy
Beer Style: Double IPA as well
Price: $18 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans. Expensive.
Appearance: Light yellow, very cloudy. A nice lacing on the glass.
Aroma: A lot of orange juice here. Very citrusy. The mosaic hops certainly are prevalant here.
Mouthfeel: Somewhat tingly here. Smooth overall. A nice light beer for the summer.
Taste: This beer smells better then it tastes. Not bitter but not very sweet either. Sort of a very mediocre effort in my opinion. If you like Galaxy hops, you probably will like this. If not, they have better beers.
Overall rating: 3. Very pedestrian.
#5:
Brewer: Narrow Gauge
Beer Name: SHB: DDH Citra
Beer Style: Double IPA
Price: $18 for a 4 pack of 16 oz cans. Expensive
Appearance: Looks exactly the same as the other Narrow Gauge. In fact, I think this is the same except the hops are changed from Mosaic to Citra. Both are double dry hopped IPAs.
Aroma: Also, very citrusy or orangy like the mosaic. Smells like a breakfast juice of some sort.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth. Outstanding balance.
Taste: Outstanding. Very well balanced. I really like this beer. Their citrus infused pale ale is even better but they did not have any for sale in cans. This is well balanced, flavorful with a mix of hops and citrus.
Overall rating: I say a 4.5 at least; maybe higher upon repeated drinkings. John says 3.5. It is clearly better then the galaxy.
On to #6:
Brewer: Sam Smith
Beer Name: Organic Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $6 for a pint.
Appearance: Way darker then anything else on the blog. This is a very traditional pale ale is appearance. Medium brown; slightly cloudy; almost no lacing or foam on the pour. John says it is loudier then you would expect for sure.
Aroma: Smells much more like an alcoholic beverage then any of the other beers. No fruit; very little hops, etc. Smells like a strong beer.
Mouthfeel: Almost nothing there. No tingle; no weight, almost watery.
Taste: John says it has a Newcastle feel to it. Smoother then Newcastle but that same vibe. I say it is another flawless entrant from Sam Smith. This is the best brewery on the planet across styles and genres. It is amazing how they put out quality entrants across the board. This beer has a perfect balance of malt, tanginess (thinking plums or grapes?) along with barley and hops. It is a very nice beer to just sit and chill with.
Overall rating: John says each drink has gotten better. He goes 4 even. I am going 4.75. It is basically a perfect beer. The only thing stopping me from giving it a perfect 5 is that I have only had it tonight. I reserve the right to raise my rating if it is equally as good next time.
On to #6.
Brewery: Oskar Blues
Beer Name: Death by Coconut
Beer Style: Irish Porter
Price: No idea- provided by Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Looks like a porter; dark beer, dark foam, nice head. john says it pours well. He keeps lifting his glass and looking at it so I'm fairly sure he likes the look of it.
Aroma: Smells like coconut. It has a very thick aroma. If you like coconut, you will wear this as cologne. I love coconut so this is like nosecrack.
Mouthfeel: Very tingly. A very busy beer as it goes down. Lots happening here.
Taste: Unfortunately, it isn't quite as good as it smells. The coconut is covered up by something. If its chocolate, it's a weird strain of chocolate.
Overall rating: I'm saying 2.5. I can't make it past the tingly/ tangy/ sour, whatever taste is blocking the coconut. John says a 3.25. He says it will be a nice winter beer.
Last one:
Brewery: Brew Link Company
Beer Name: Nuttercup
Beer Style: Porter
Price: don't know- provided by Joel the beermaster
Appearance: Dark, relatively clear. Nice lacing.
Aroma: Think peanuts on top of a bed of peanut butter sandwhich layered with resses and topped with peanuts.
Mouthfeel: Can't tell, I'm afraid to try it. I gave in. Its very smooth but I can't get past the pound if peanuts shoved in my nose to get to the mouthfeel. It's a very pungent aroma.
Taste: I'm shivering with disgust. Really. It's like drinking a liquid nutterbutter. John says all flavors come through very strongly. Chocolate, PB, and porter are all prevelant. He then added that it wasn't his favorite mix.
Overall rating: I'm going .25 It's only slightly better than undrinkable. And I mean SLIGHTLY.
John likes it. He says 2.75.
And this ends tonights blog. By the way, United beat Real 2 to 1. Like there was any doubt.
Saturday, February 17, 2018
MORE MILK STOUT BLOG:
Part two of the last one. Tonight we get the 4 Hands Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout. Super Excited about this one. This is part two of the 3pack that Goose gave me for XMas. As usual, John is over to help out. Without further ado:
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chololate Milk Stout w/ gingerbread?
Price: ?
Appearance: Dark, can't see much. Not very clear. A little hint of red hues at the bottom.
Aroma: A slight hint of gingerbread maybe. Not a whole lot here. Actually I'm getting a little cinnamon as well.
Mouthfeel: Very tingly. Almost jumps in your mouth.
Taste: It tastes like gingerbread. How the hell do they do this stuff. John says he expected a little more spice but it is on the sweeter end of things. That cinammon smell is coming out in the beer as well. Along with nutmeg as well. Think pumpin pie spices. That's a good place to start. It makes me wish it was -10 and I had a giant fire going. And maybe "Elf" was on. Think a prefect XMas beer. The gingerbread really overpowers the chocolate. John and I agree that this is not a chocolate milk stout; it is simply a gingerbread stout. Different but not as good as either the regular or the blackberry that we had a couple weeks back.
Overall Rating: John says 3. I agree. Same here. Too much cinammon; not enough chocolate. Seems like something else we have blogged recently but I can't remember what.
Next Up: Two Oatmeal Stouts.
Brewer: Evil Twin Brewing
Beer Name: No Hero Oatmeal Stout
Beer Style: Oatmeal Stout
Price: About $10 for a 4 pack.
Appearance: John says, "Whoa! Motor Oil!" As The Stranger says in The Big Lebowski: "darker then a back steer's tuchus on a moonless praire night." The beer abides.
Aroma: Maybe a tiny bit of black licorice. Like a good stout, nothing much to give it away. John says nothing there. Thank good it only looks like a steer's tuchus.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth; nothing like the Gingerbread stout tingle.
Taste: Bitter for a stout. Almost taste like an acorn or some bitter nut. John is tasting plums. I am getting the earthiness of the oatmeal for sure. John says it's bitter with a hint of band-aid. Maybe he was doing a Nelly impersonation and put the band aid on the inside of his cheek? He says something ain't right and I'm agreeing with him. I had two cans of this previously and I really liked it. Maybe it's the contrast with the sweet gingerbread that's throwing us off. We are going to cleanse the palate and retry. After some mango salsa and chips, we both agree that is better. Still bitter but it needed to warm up for sure.
Overall rating: John says 2.75. I say a 3.5 only because the first two were better. I am wondering if this one didn't get a little frozen and mess with the taste during one of the cold spells we had.
Last one:
Brewer: 2nd Shift
Beer Name: Oatmeal Milk Stout
Beer Style: Oatmeal Milk Stout
Price: $10 for a 4 pack
Appearance: Dark as steer' tuchus etc. Looks like motor oil after it's been in your 78 Peugot engine for about a year and a half.
Aroma: You can smell this one. Oatmeal, anise, a little fruit; maybe a plum or apricot? A lot to take in on this one. John says it smells like a stout.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth; stoutish. Nice finish but very mellow.
Taste: Bitter as well. A little black licorice on this one. John says it has a roasted taste. I'm getting a slight fruit hint as well. Not the dark plum taste but a slightly lighter fruit; cherrys maybe? Not sure but it's more complex then the Evil Twin for sure. John and I agree that this one is better even though my initial assessment was the opposite. John says its smooth as a black steer's tuchus on a moonless prairie night.
Overall Rating: John and I agree again. 3.0 for both of us. Not bad; not great.
until next time!!!!
Part two of the last one. Tonight we get the 4 Hands Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout. Super Excited about this one. This is part two of the 3pack that Goose gave me for XMas. As usual, John is over to help out. Without further ado:
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Chololate Milk Stout w/ gingerbread?
Price: ?
Appearance: Dark, can't see much. Not very clear. A little hint of red hues at the bottom.
Aroma: A slight hint of gingerbread maybe. Not a whole lot here. Actually I'm getting a little cinnamon as well.
Mouthfeel: Very tingly. Almost jumps in your mouth.
Taste: It tastes like gingerbread. How the hell do they do this stuff. John says he expected a little more spice but it is on the sweeter end of things. That cinammon smell is coming out in the beer as well. Along with nutmeg as well. Think pumpin pie spices. That's a good place to start. It makes me wish it was -10 and I had a giant fire going. And maybe "Elf" was on. Think a prefect XMas beer. The gingerbread really overpowers the chocolate. John and I agree that this is not a chocolate milk stout; it is simply a gingerbread stout. Different but not as good as either the regular or the blackberry that we had a couple weeks back.
Overall Rating: John says 3. I agree. Same here. Too much cinammon; not enough chocolate. Seems like something else we have blogged recently but I can't remember what.
Next Up: Two Oatmeal Stouts.
Brewer: Evil Twin Brewing
Beer Name: No Hero Oatmeal Stout
Beer Style: Oatmeal Stout
Price: About $10 for a 4 pack.
Appearance: John says, "Whoa! Motor Oil!" As The Stranger says in The Big Lebowski: "darker then a back steer's tuchus on a moonless praire night." The beer abides.
Aroma: Maybe a tiny bit of black licorice. Like a good stout, nothing much to give it away. John says nothing there. Thank good it only looks like a steer's tuchus.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth; nothing like the Gingerbread stout tingle.
Taste: Bitter for a stout. Almost taste like an acorn or some bitter nut. John is tasting plums. I am getting the earthiness of the oatmeal for sure. John says it's bitter with a hint of band-aid. Maybe he was doing a Nelly impersonation and put the band aid on the inside of his cheek? He says something ain't right and I'm agreeing with him. I had two cans of this previously and I really liked it. Maybe it's the contrast with the sweet gingerbread that's throwing us off. We are going to cleanse the palate and retry. After some mango salsa and chips, we both agree that is better. Still bitter but it needed to warm up for sure.
Overall rating: John says 2.75. I say a 3.5 only because the first two were better. I am wondering if this one didn't get a little frozen and mess with the taste during one of the cold spells we had.
Last one:
Brewer: 2nd Shift
Beer Name: Oatmeal Milk Stout
Beer Style: Oatmeal Milk Stout
Price: $10 for a 4 pack
Appearance: Dark as steer' tuchus etc. Looks like motor oil after it's been in your 78 Peugot engine for about a year and a half.
Aroma: You can smell this one. Oatmeal, anise, a little fruit; maybe a plum or apricot? A lot to take in on this one. John says it smells like a stout.
Mouthfeel: Very smooth; stoutish. Nice finish but very mellow.
Taste: Bitter as well. A little black licorice on this one. John says it has a roasted taste. I'm getting a slight fruit hint as well. Not the dark plum taste but a slightly lighter fruit; cherrys maybe? Not sure but it's more complex then the Evil Twin for sure. John and I agree that this one is better even though my initial assessment was the opposite. John says its smooth as a black steer's tuchus on a moonless prairie night.
Overall Rating: John and I agree again. 3.0 for both of us. Not bad; not great.
until next time!!!!
Friday, February 16, 2018
2018 Oscars
With the Oscars coming up, here is my review of all the Best Picture nominees. I will rank them in the order that I saw them. This looks to be an exceptionally weak year overall. It seems like the superhero blockbuster big budget pics are dominating studio output more then ever. We are seeing the trend of actors producing their own movies along with streaming services jumping in and I think that may end up being the saving grace for the people who like something besides special effects and comic books.
Dunkirk
Dunkirk
This film chronicles the great escape the British made at Dunkirk at the beginning of World War II. Overall, I didn't care for it that much. There were several scenes that I thought were added in to drum up the drama in what was an otherwise poor attempt to dramatize a great story. The fight on the rescue boat and the men trapped in the beached boat were the two most obvious scenes that I thought were poor attempts to dramatize this incredible story.
That being said, the cinematography in this film was outstanding to say the least. The dogfights in particular were beautifully shot. In addition to the dogfights, the scenes with the soldiers completely exposed on the beach were shot to exphasize the predicament they were in. I am not sure that was realistic (were the soldiers really going to stand on a dock in the wide open when they could be digging trenches and holes and spreading out on the beach?) I'm not sure of the accuracy shown but they were beautiful and I understand the artistic license shown.
Over all, I had no connection with these characters and really had no emotional involvement at all. The speech at the end is totally out of the blue and while stirring, did little to save the rest of a very poor script.
Overall rating 2.5/ 5.
Overall rating 2.5/ 5.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
This film has moved me more then any of the others in this year's class. The raw pain and emotion shown in several characters and their respective situations was brilliant. Frances McDormand should win best actress (all due respect to Sally Hawkins), Woody Harrelson would win in most years when Willem DeFoe doesn't give the performance of a lifetime), and Sam Rockwell was excellent as well.
This film tells the story of a mother who, after her teenage daughter is raped and murdered by an unknown and uncaught assailant, tries to blame the police for their lack of investigative prowess in her daughter's case. We find out later that this attempt is really a way to start the healing process in which she clearly feels as guilty as the killer. Her abusive husband, poverty, and lack of decorum only serve to add to the guilt she feels for her daughter's death.
The script, acting, directing, and technical aspects are all spot on. There are a few holes in the script that are there to allow McDormand's character to progress. By the end, you realize that this poor woman did little to deserve her fate and that she is fighting back in the only way she knows how. Watch this film before any of the other nominees. I don't think it will win best picture but it will be a close second.
Overall rating: 4.25/ 5
This film has moved me more then any of the others in this year's class. The raw pain and emotion shown in several characters and their respective situations was brilliant. Frances McDormand should win best actress (all due respect to Sally Hawkins), Woody Harrelson would win in most years when Willem DeFoe doesn't give the performance of a lifetime), and Sam Rockwell was excellent as well.
This film tells the story of a mother who, after her teenage daughter is raped and murdered by an unknown and uncaught assailant, tries to blame the police for their lack of investigative prowess in her daughter's case. We find out later that this attempt is really a way to start the healing process in which she clearly feels as guilty as the killer. Her abusive husband, poverty, and lack of decorum only serve to add to the guilt she feels for her daughter's death.
The script, acting, directing, and technical aspects are all spot on. There are a few holes in the script that are there to allow McDormand's character to progress. By the end, you realize that this poor woman did little to deserve her fate and that she is fighting back in the only way she knows how. Watch this film before any of the other nominees. I don't think it will win best picture but it will be a close second.
Overall rating: 4.25/ 5
The Shape of Water
This allegory for racial relations tries to bring awareness to the stupidity of prejudice. It tells the story of a mute woman who works as a janitor at a secret government lab. The government captures a half-fish, half-man creature and brings it there to study. Most of the people in the lab consider it a freak and do nothing but poke, prod, and torture him.
The only person who can see any value in the creature is, of course, the only person with a disability. Her other friends eventually help her break it out of the government facility so that they can pursue their romantic relationship. Her friends include a gay artist (because you have to be gay to be an artist) and an African American woman who works with her (who's question when finding out that her friend is having an affair with a half- fish man is where is his penis). The FBI agent who caught the fish man may have been Michael Fassbender's character from 12 Years a Slave. I couldn't get past the stereotypes in this movie to even consider it on it's own merits... besides the cinematography which was brilliant at times. Guillermo Del Toro is a master with the camera and, at times, this film does not disappoint.
All in all, I thought this film could have been a lot better with a little tweaking. Unfrotunately, I couldn't make it past the obvious faults.
Overall Rating: 1.5/ 5
Lady Bird
Saorsie Ronan is the real deal. She has appeared in Best Picture Nominees the last two years. If you haven't seen Brooklyn from last year, watch it. She is excellent as she was in Lady Bird. Lady Bird tells the coming of age story of a teenage girl who is finding her way through the teenage years in California. It was an entertaining story, filmed beautifully, and deserves nominations for best director, actress, and supporting actress. That being said, it wasn't anything we haven't seen before; despite being very well done. That being said, it was well done and entertaining and should be seen. I won't share any of the plot points because I don't want to spoil anything.
Well done, should be seen but not an Oscar winner.
Overall Rating: 4/ 5
Call Me By Your Name
Having just seen Lady Bird, I was hoping for a little more substance with Call Me By Your Name. Unfortunately, this coming of age story about a teenage boy having a summer fling with a 20something year old male didn't offer much in the way of groundbreaking content. Filmed in Italy and perfectly capturing the much more accepting European atmosphere, this film covered a short summer in the 80's (great music by the way) where 17 year old Elio falls for 20something old Oliver. Predictably, the 17 year old's heart is broken when the much more experienced Oliver leaves him and the relationship ends. Throughout the movie, we are faced with several instances where the sexual portion of their relationship is really focused on and we see just how passionate the two are with each other. Without ever showing anything pornographic, we understand this relationship was very intense for the few short weeks that it lasted.
The best part of the film occurs at the end when the father discusses the relationship with his son. I won't say the content but this is one of the best, most eye-opening speeches I have seen in quite a while. Worth watching for this conversation alone, the film ends on with mixed emotions; mirroring the same feelings that Elio must have felt. The old Tennyson line: "Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" creates the thesis that this movie addresses.
Despite the erotic homosexuality that is on display in this film, the film's provides us with a thought to keep pondering with our own relationships and the ones we love.
Overall rating 3/ 5
The Darkest Hour
Also dealing heavily with the British soldiers escape from Dunkirk, we see the same story through the eyes of recently appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Played perfectly (say hello to the Best Actor winner) by Gary Oldman, we see Churchill as a flawed man doing his best in an impossible situation. As the Third Reich bears down on England, Churchill has to convince both the people of Britian and the others in government that they must not surrender.
I found this story much more compelling then the same basic content in Dunkirk. Oldman's performance was for the ages. The scene toward the end of the film on the train is the scene of the year without a doubt. Watch this film for both the historical content and the performance of Oldman.
Overall Rating 4.5/ 5
Phantom Thread
I had hopes for this film. Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Day Lewis' last film ever... etc. After watching it, I was slightly disappointed. The film was OK; just not the groundbreaking Oscar favorite I hoped for. The film centers on Daniel Day Lewis' character, Reynolds Woodcock, who is a turn of the century dressmaker for the stars. If Facebook were a thing back then, his status would be SINGLE and no chance to change it. He goes through women as quickly as he uses the fabric to make his dresses.
That is, until he meets Alma. She refuses to be thrown away and adapts to stay with him. In the process, she becomes as unlikeable as he is. I think that was the moral of the story here; two people can be perfect for each other, even if they are completely unlikeable to everyone around them.
The "Phantom Thread" that we each carry is the baggage we keep locked away for only those that are close to us to see. In the case of Reynolds Woodcock, his are his mommy issues which drive him to stay as far away from every woman (except his sister) as he can while still being able to woo them. Alma seems to have a slight inferiority complex which she refuses to give into when Reynolds tries to dump her like the rest. She quickly morphs into something way uglier then she started as in an effort to keep their relationship going.
I liked the premise of the movie. I just wished that either character was not so despisable to get there.
Overall Rating 2.5/ 5
The Post
Spielberg, Hanks, Streep, Spielberg's usual crew? Can you say, "And the Oscar goes to..." I had high hopes for this one and was not disappointed. Meryl Streep plays the owner of the Washington Post who had to decide if the paper would publish part of the McNamara report which showed the US Government cover-up of the Vietnam War data which exposed a string of presidential lies to the public.
The acting, directing, score, costumes, etc. were all first rate. I didn't see a flaw in the entire movie. The script and editing did a great job of creating and ratcheting up the suspense. I was absolutely invested in the entire movie from start to finish. This turned the Oscars into a three horse race in my book. If you have any interest at all in history, see this film.
Overall rating 5/ 5
Get Out
Easily the worst best picture nominee that I have seen in the last 10 years or so. To be honest, I was floored when I saw this nomination and after watching the film, it only furthered my opinion that the Academy is biased. But I digress. First to the film. The film tells the story of a black man dating an affluent white girl. They return home to her parent's house (in the middle of some woods in some backcountry- my guess is northeast but I could be wrong). The parents are very well off and seem to be accepting of all races. However, as the film progresses, we see their may be a cult working here. My confusion came at the end when we are given reason to believe that our main character may not have been chosen because of his race but because he had the eyes of a photographer. So what was billed as a racial movie and was widely assumed to be a cultural movie about race relations in fact turned out to not be such.
At the end of the film, I was unsure what the point was. I think it was just a horrorish cult film with the inevitable escape scenes at the end. In my mind, it was a reasonably well filmed B movie with a terrible script, decent, defintiely not great, acting and technical aspects but in no way was it an Oscar contender. I can't believe it was nominated which brings me back to the point I made in the 2nd sentence. The academy has been harshly criticized over the years as being biased for not including films of color. I totally agree and I see they are making progress toward rectifying that- as they should. That being said, it seems to me that in a year with a dearth of any color but white (which begs the question of how was Mudbound not even in the conversation?), the academy picked this movie because it was filmed by a black director and had a black star. Maybe I'm wrong but I have a very hard time figuring out how to equate this film with others in the category.
Overall Rating .1/ 5
This allegory for racial relations tries to bring awareness to the stupidity of prejudice. It tells the story of a mute woman who works as a janitor at a secret government lab. The government captures a half-fish, half-man creature and brings it there to study. Most of the people in the lab consider it a freak and do nothing but poke, prod, and torture him.
The only person who can see any value in the creature is, of course, the only person with a disability. Her other friends eventually help her break it out of the government facility so that they can pursue their romantic relationship. Her friends include a gay artist (because you have to be gay to be an artist) and an African American woman who works with her (who's question when finding out that her friend is having an affair with a half- fish man is where is his penis). The FBI agent who caught the fish man may have been Michael Fassbender's character from 12 Years a Slave. I couldn't get past the stereotypes in this movie to even consider it on it's own merits... besides the cinematography which was brilliant at times. Guillermo Del Toro is a master with the camera and, at times, this film does not disappoint.
All in all, I thought this film could have been a lot better with a little tweaking. Unfrotunately, I couldn't make it past the obvious faults.
Overall Rating: 1.5/ 5
Lady Bird
Saorsie Ronan is the real deal. She has appeared in Best Picture Nominees the last two years. If you haven't seen Brooklyn from last year, watch it. She is excellent as she was in Lady Bird. Lady Bird tells the coming of age story of a teenage girl who is finding her way through the teenage years in California. It was an entertaining story, filmed beautifully, and deserves nominations for best director, actress, and supporting actress. That being said, it wasn't anything we haven't seen before; despite being very well done. That being said, it was well done and entertaining and should be seen. I won't share any of the plot points because I don't want to spoil anything.
Well done, should be seen but not an Oscar winner.
Overall Rating: 4/ 5
Call Me By Your Name
Having just seen Lady Bird, I was hoping for a little more substance with Call Me By Your Name. Unfortunately, this coming of age story about a teenage boy having a summer fling with a 20something year old male didn't offer much in the way of groundbreaking content. Filmed in Italy and perfectly capturing the much more accepting European atmosphere, this film covered a short summer in the 80's (great music by the way) where 17 year old Elio falls for 20something old Oliver. Predictably, the 17 year old's heart is broken when the much more experienced Oliver leaves him and the relationship ends. Throughout the movie, we are faced with several instances where the sexual portion of their relationship is really focused on and we see just how passionate the two are with each other. Without ever showing anything pornographic, we understand this relationship was very intense for the few short weeks that it lasted.
The best part of the film occurs at the end when the father discusses the relationship with his son. I won't say the content but this is one of the best, most eye-opening speeches I have seen in quite a while. Worth watching for this conversation alone, the film ends on with mixed emotions; mirroring the same feelings that Elio must have felt. The old Tennyson line: "Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" creates the thesis that this movie addresses.
Despite the erotic homosexuality that is on display in this film, the film's provides us with a thought to keep pondering with our own relationships and the ones we love.
Overall rating 3/ 5
The Darkest Hour
Also dealing heavily with the British soldiers escape from Dunkirk, we see the same story through the eyes of recently appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Played perfectly (say hello to the Best Actor winner) by Gary Oldman, we see Churchill as a flawed man doing his best in an impossible situation. As the Third Reich bears down on England, Churchill has to convince both the people of Britian and the others in government that they must not surrender.
I found this story much more compelling then the same basic content in Dunkirk. Oldman's performance was for the ages. The scene toward the end of the film on the train is the scene of the year without a doubt. Watch this film for both the historical content and the performance of Oldman.
Overall Rating 4.5/ 5
Phantom Thread
I had hopes for this film. Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Day Lewis' last film ever... etc. After watching it, I was slightly disappointed. The film was OK; just not the groundbreaking Oscar favorite I hoped for. The film centers on Daniel Day Lewis' character, Reynolds Woodcock, who is a turn of the century dressmaker for the stars. If Facebook were a thing back then, his status would be SINGLE and no chance to change it. He goes through women as quickly as he uses the fabric to make his dresses.
That is, until he meets Alma. She refuses to be thrown away and adapts to stay with him. In the process, she becomes as unlikeable as he is. I think that was the moral of the story here; two people can be perfect for each other, even if they are completely unlikeable to everyone around them.
The "Phantom Thread" that we each carry is the baggage we keep locked away for only those that are close to us to see. In the case of Reynolds Woodcock, his are his mommy issues which drive him to stay as far away from every woman (except his sister) as he can while still being able to woo them. Alma seems to have a slight inferiority complex which she refuses to give into when Reynolds tries to dump her like the rest. She quickly morphs into something way uglier then she started as in an effort to keep their relationship going.
I liked the premise of the movie. I just wished that either character was not so despisable to get there.
Overall Rating 2.5/ 5
The Post
Spielberg, Hanks, Streep, Spielberg's usual crew? Can you say, "And the Oscar goes to..." I had high hopes for this one and was not disappointed. Meryl Streep plays the owner of the Washington Post who had to decide if the paper would publish part of the McNamara report which showed the US Government cover-up of the Vietnam War data which exposed a string of presidential lies to the public.
The acting, directing, score, costumes, etc. were all first rate. I didn't see a flaw in the entire movie. The script and editing did a great job of creating and ratcheting up the suspense. I was absolutely invested in the entire movie from start to finish. This turned the Oscars into a three horse race in my book. If you have any interest at all in history, see this film.
Overall rating 5/ 5
Get Out
Easily the worst best picture nominee that I have seen in the last 10 years or so. To be honest, I was floored when I saw this nomination and after watching the film, it only furthered my opinion that the Academy is biased. But I digress. First to the film. The film tells the story of a black man dating an affluent white girl. They return home to her parent's house (in the middle of some woods in some backcountry- my guess is northeast but I could be wrong). The parents are very well off and seem to be accepting of all races. However, as the film progresses, we see their may be a cult working here. My confusion came at the end when we are given reason to believe that our main character may not have been chosen because of his race but because he had the eyes of a photographer. So what was billed as a racial movie and was widely assumed to be a cultural movie about race relations in fact turned out to not be such.
At the end of the film, I was unsure what the point was. I think it was just a horrorish cult film with the inevitable escape scenes at the end. In my mind, it was a reasonably well filmed B movie with a terrible script, decent, defintiely not great, acting and technical aspects but in no way was it an Oscar contender. I can't believe it was nominated which brings me back to the point I made in the 2nd sentence. The academy has been harshly criticized over the years as being biased for not including films of color. I totally agree and I see they are making progress toward rectifying that- as they should. That being said, it seems to me that in a year with a dearth of any color but white (which begs the question of how was Mudbound not even in the conversation?), the academy picked this movie because it was filmed by a black director and had a black star. Maybe I'm wrong but I have a very hard time figuring out how to equate this film with others in the category.
Overall Rating .1/ 5
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Snoop Bloggy Blogg.... The bomb, the bomb...
Nothing like a little pre-game drinking before the blog to get things started right. We have three stouts coming your way and these shoulda/ coulda/ woulda be good ones. The first one is one of those hard to find ones that sells out in 15 minutes. Being the dedicated beer tester that I am, I got up early and bought some Goose Island Bourbon County Stout on the morning after Thanksgiving. I am keeping the other bottle I bought until at least next year before I drink it. But we are having the first tonight. Hopefully, it will be good.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: Bourbon County Stout
Beer Style: Imperial Stout
Price: $7.99 for a pint bottle.
Appearance: Dark and not see through at all. Michelle says it has a wine look to it. I'm thinking dirty motor oil.
Aroma: It smells like bourbon. Shockingly enough. With a slight hint of bourbon. I'm going to say don't smell it if you don't bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Tingly. Very jumpyninnyour mouth. A lot going on.
Taste: John says he likes the backtaste more then the front taste. John says it changes from bourbon to stout all in your mouth. Michelle (John's wife) is tasting with us. She says she avoids the back at all costs. I'm not making this up. This is one complex beer here. Hints of whiskey (and by hints I mean like a straight up shot), prunes, blackberry, anise, caramel, vanilla, WHISKEY. I hate bourbon but this really isn't bad. It's definitely worth trying; even if you don't like bourbon. I would enourage you to drink it very slowly though. Its 15% and I think that may be an understatement. I think it's like Everclearish percentage.
Stress is known to reside in your left eye. Just FYI.
Overall rating: Michelle says 4.2. John says 4.5. He says he loves the way it changes tastes in your mouth. I say 4.0. It may be the best Imperial stout I have heard.
Next one:
This one comes from Goose for my XMas present. Word up Goose.
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Blackberry Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Stout
Price: ? Ask Goose.
Appearance: Looks slightly purple. Dark and mostly not see through. Michelle says coffee-like. John says very dark.
Aroma: Smells like Chocolate Milk Stout w/ a slight hint of blackberries. Call me Captain Obvious. Michelle detects coffee. John says caramel. I'm smelling blackberries.
Mouthfeel: Not much happening. It is slightly sour so it makes you want to pucker a little bit.
Taste: This is fricking delicious. I mean fantastic. I know I'm slightly intoxicated and should maybe rerate at a later date but this is delightful. I don't even like blackberrries but the slightly tart flavor pumps up the chocolate in what I think is the best beer out there. Since Sam's started selling the regular chocolate milk stout in 12 packs for $14, I have been drinking the 4Hands like it's Bud Lite. Michelle says she enjoyed it even though she doesn't usually like stouts. John says pretty good. It's a good twist on the chocloate milk stout.
Overall rating: John says 4.25. I'm going 4.5. Its close to perfect. But I can't in good conscience rrate it better then the chocolate milk stout. They are all delicious. Michelle says 3.85.
I was going to also drink the Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout tonight but John is lit. Going to bed.
Nothing like a little pre-game drinking before the blog to get things started right. We have three stouts coming your way and these shoulda/ coulda/ woulda be good ones. The first one is one of those hard to find ones that sells out in 15 minutes. Being the dedicated beer tester that I am, I got up early and bought some Goose Island Bourbon County Stout on the morning after Thanksgiving. I am keeping the other bottle I bought until at least next year before I drink it. But we are having the first tonight. Hopefully, it will be good.
Brewer: Goose Island
Beer Name: Bourbon County Stout
Beer Style: Imperial Stout
Price: $7.99 for a pint bottle.
Appearance: Dark and not see through at all. Michelle says it has a wine look to it. I'm thinking dirty motor oil.
Aroma: It smells like bourbon. Shockingly enough. With a slight hint of bourbon. I'm going to say don't smell it if you don't bourbon.
Mouthfeel: Tingly. Very jumpyninnyour mouth. A lot going on.
Taste: John says he likes the backtaste more then the front taste. John says it changes from bourbon to stout all in your mouth. Michelle (John's wife) is tasting with us. She says she avoids the back at all costs. I'm not making this up. This is one complex beer here. Hints of whiskey (and by hints I mean like a straight up shot), prunes, blackberry, anise, caramel, vanilla, WHISKEY. I hate bourbon but this really isn't bad. It's definitely worth trying; even if you don't like bourbon. I would enourage you to drink it very slowly though. Its 15% and I think that may be an understatement. I think it's like Everclearish percentage.
Stress is known to reside in your left eye. Just FYI.
Overall rating: Michelle says 4.2. John says 4.5. He says he loves the way it changes tastes in your mouth. I say 4.0. It may be the best Imperial stout I have heard.
Next one:
This one comes from Goose for my XMas present. Word up Goose.
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Name: Blackberry Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Style: Stout
Price: ? Ask Goose.
Appearance: Looks slightly purple. Dark and mostly not see through. Michelle says coffee-like. John says very dark.
Aroma: Smells like Chocolate Milk Stout w/ a slight hint of blackberries. Call me Captain Obvious. Michelle detects coffee. John says caramel. I'm smelling blackberries.
Mouthfeel: Not much happening. It is slightly sour so it makes you want to pucker a little bit.
Taste: This is fricking delicious. I mean fantastic. I know I'm slightly intoxicated and should maybe rerate at a later date but this is delightful. I don't even like blackberrries but the slightly tart flavor pumps up the chocolate in what I think is the best beer out there. Since Sam's started selling the regular chocolate milk stout in 12 packs for $14, I have been drinking the 4Hands like it's Bud Lite. Michelle says she enjoyed it even though she doesn't usually like stouts. John says pretty good. It's a good twist on the chocloate milk stout.
Overall rating: John says 4.25. I'm going 4.5. Its close to perfect. But I can't in good conscience rrate it better then the chocolate milk stout. They are all delicious. Michelle says 3.85.
I was going to also drink the Gingerbread Chocolate Milk Stout tonight but John is lit. Going to bed.
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