Bought some Fentimans tonic water as an experiment in better cocktailing. Consider me floored. I thought I had the G&T solved. Ratios tested, cut the lime just so, cubes after spirit… This tonic is substantial upgrade. Citrus is much more pronounced, tartness amplified, exceedingly effervescent, quinine bitterness pronounced but not drying like in supermarket tonics.
Schweppes shall never pass these lips again.
Where would the world be without Angel’s Share?
I’m not sure but it’s not a world I’d like to live in.
A couple friends and I ended up at Stub and Herb’s during beer week for 31 Flat Earth beers on draft(awesome, btw). Not only were we lucky enough to run into Shawn from the Beer Genome Project but he let us know about a Weyerbacher release party happening at Muddy Pig and offered to give us a ride! He introduced us to a couple guys from Original Gravity who awesomely bought us some beers and gave us a couple mixed four packs to enjoy at home.
Appearance: Ruddy brownish red, poor clarity. Pours with almost no head, what’s there immediately disperses. Very few tiny white bubbles linger around the edges. Gorgeous legs.
Aroma: Huuuuge malt nose. Raisiny, hints of caramel and toffee. Some vanilla and cinnamon. Yeasty. Alcohol is real big, almost too much.
Flavor: Very bready, melanoidins, caramel and toffee again. Figgy, raisins, nutty, grilled banana. Earthy hops are minimal. Finish is dry and quite boozy, lingering crustiness.
Mouthfeel: Surprisingly, medium-low body. Low carbonation. Alcohol is quite warming, unpleasant at times.
Overall Impression: Aroma promises complexity and deliciousness that the flavor just doesn’t back up. Though there are few examples of this style readily available, this take is just enough off that I doubt I’ll seek it again.
The plan was to have a bunch of folks over for a tasting tonight but that ended up falling through. All’s well though. More Fred for me.
Appearance: Deep orange. Brilliant clarity. Poured with a huge pillowy white head. Gorgeous lacing. Incredible retention for a 10% beer.
Aroma: Very prominent malt sweetness, like honeycomb. Hints of citrus. And then there’s the wood: leather, smoke, earth. Huge wood combined with high abv make this smell almost like a bourbon.
Flavor: Very sweet; not grainy though, honey again. Citrus contribution from the hops is very interesting, tough to pin down. Vinous alcohol. Wood is less prominent than in the nose but still present. Finish is well balanced though bitterness eventually wins. Leaves me with a pleasing dryness and the sense I’ve been chewing on a stick.
Mouthfeel: Heavy mouthfeel from the ton of residual sugar. Carbonation was initially very high so I let this sit for a few minutes before enjoying. Alcohol is warming but not at all hot. Hop bitterness is pleasantly tingly.
Overall impression: I love the heck out of unoaked Fred so this was a sure slam dunk. Bought a six pack of these in 2008 from the always awesome liquidsolutions.biz. I will certainly do the same if I see it listed again.
Who the heck wants to pay $5.40 for a 33cl? Not me, that’s for sure. So finding this one on sale worked out juuust fine. Lots of friends have recommended this beer so I was pretty excited to try it. I’ve been impressed with Hitachino Nest’s stuff in the past. Their ginger beer is exactly as advertised and the espresso stout is one of the finest.
Appearance: Deep orange, almost red. Decent clarity, a bit hazy. Thin khaki head blanketing the top. Great retention.
Aroma: Sweet malt, wood, notes of ginger, faint aromas of melon rind. Wood aromas are cedar like. Ever so slight funk. No hops. This beer smells amazing.
Flavor: Sweet malts aren’t as sweet as I expect. Wood flavors are much more apparent. Despite the complex aromas, the flavor just doesn’t deliver; everything seems muted. Funk is almost completely absent. Finish is surprisingly bitter and very dry. Sake flavors come through slightly in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel, medium-high carbonation. Alcohol(8%?) is slightly warming. Bitterness sets the sides of my tongue tingling. Leaves my mouth feeling slick, almost oily.
Overall impression: Pretty good beer. I really wish the flavor stood up to the awesome aroma. Quite happy to have tried this but the high price is quite prohibitive. People have mentioned that the quality of these bottles tends to be uneven so maye this will need to be revisited.
A liquor store near my house is having a 30% off all singles sale. Heres’s what I ended up with.
The cashier liked my selections so much that he threw in the Avery Fifteen for free.
Might have to go back before it’s all picked over.
