Aug 05 2013

Battle of the New Belgium Brews

Five Beers. One Multi-Pack. Five Ratings. One Blog Post. Here Goes…

Sam’s Club near me (Chicago’s suburbs; a burb without a Costco) was selling cold beer from New Belgium. And I thought, why not? I’ve had – and quite enjoy – Fat Tire, but there’s other stuff they produce out there in Colorado that might be worth a try.

Price was right: $14-ish for the 12-pack. Here goes…

Battle of the New Belgium Brews

We could do this a whole number of ways – best-to-worst, or alphabetically, or by coolest label. However, I think it makes the most sense to look at this chronologically.

Here’s a hypothetical week – imagine, hypothetically, of course, that you’re a suburban dad and you pick up some brewskis at the Sam’s Club, and, because they’re cold, you try one. On a Tuesday.

Tuesday: Loft

This is an…interesting name for a beer. And it’s a flavor that I can’t quite place.

It’s not BAD, but…I’m not turning cartwheels over it either.

Hoppy – Ale-y – Slightly Bitter. Beyond that, does it say “summer?” Does it say “go fly a kite?” Not sure.

Loft – Metasip Grade: B-

It’s fine. There are four bottles in the 12-pack, so maybe it’ll grow on me. If so, I’ll change the grade. But I don’t think I’ll change the grade.

Wednesday: Sunshine

“Wheat beer brewed with spices.” I’m already scared – wheat beer to me equals a surefire headache after just one.

My other mistake is that there’s supposed to be some sort of citrus involved – like an orange slice or whatnot. Didn’t have it – and, now that I realize what beers like Blue Moon do to me, I have to draw the line at anything marked “wheat beer.” Can’t do it.

This had some spice to it, but I couldn’t place what spice, and I lost interest after a couple sips anyway.

Sure enough, the next morning, the headache would erase any positive thoughts about this beer.

Sunshine – Metasip Grade: B-

We’re 40% through our tasting, and New Belgium isn’t showing so well thus far.

Of course, we may have stacked the lineup: 1 and 2 are light-hitting infielders. Might as well give the big boys an at bat or two.

Thursday: Fat Tire

Ages ago – must be at least a dozen years now – a friend heard we were making a trip from Chicago to St. Louis and implored us to get him some Fat Tire. We didn’t know why this was important…until we tasted it.

Since then, this is the beer that has come to define New Belgium’s prowess.

This is an ale that is up there among the finest brews you’ll try. Hops? It’s got ’em. And then some. An alcohol kick, too. (ABV of 6.5%.)

We wouldn’t be a real review site if we didn’t give this our highest score yet.

Fat Tire – Metasip Grade: A-

Why not an A? Why the minus? We run a tight ship over here in the beer department.Maybe it’s familiarity that keeps us from handing out a straight “A.”

N.B. Only one beverage in our history has an A. Read a review of it over here. Bulleit Rye Review. It’s outstanding, actually.

Friday: Ranger IPA

This is exactly what you think of when you think IPA. Packs that wallop. Hops – probably hoppier than Fat Tire. Some bitterness on the finish – but not too bitter. And, darnit, this is another outstanding brew from New Belgium.

Ranger IPA – Metasip Grade: A-

We actually drafted a review of this beer a couple months ago – but we stopped short because we weren’t sure we were giving it a fair shake. Then, we had it pegged as a high-B+. But, trust us, it’s worthy of the “A-” grade.

Saturday: Blue Paddle

If there were an award for “Most Surprising Beer,” this would win hands down.

In fact, this is the kind of beer that, if it were a student, you would be certain it was cheating. This came out of nowhere.

From the “judge the book by the cover” category, your professor (me) was guilty of doing so – and that’s because it said “Pilsner Lager” on the label. Immediately, thoughts of mass-marketed, mass-produced, watered-down swill crossed my mind.

This was the exact opposite of those things. And more: clean finish, but a powerful beer. I was wishing there were more than two in the 12-pack.

Blue Paddle – Metasip Grade: B+

But it’s the highest “B+” you could imagine. Let’s just say this was like a solo homer after the other beers cleared the bases with extra-base hits.

So there you go…5 beers, maybe 3 winners and two average brews…all from New Belgium. Cheers!

Jul 29 2013

Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey

Guess what? We decided we needed to review more whiskey. So we did. Read on…

We know we have a small sample size here: first a Moonshine, then Bulleit Rye. So we thought we’d take a look at something from a brand called Prichard’s. Here goes:

Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey Review

Prichard’s is a relative newcomer in the Tennessee whiskey field, third behind the rather bigger dogs Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel. The distillery styles itself as a small pot, craft producer.

Taste

Pop the cork and Prichard’s Tennessee whiskey has decent nose. On the tongue you get what you’d expect out of a Tennessee whiskey (caramel, oak, vanilla) plus a little more corn than usual. It also has some pleasant fruit notes. Smooth going in, stays on the back of the throat on the way down.

Profile

40% ABV, 80 Proof

Value

$39.95 Retail, 750 ml

Metasip Grade: C

For all the world I could not differentiate this whiskey, sufficiently, from any number of its more well known competitors. It comes off tasting an awful lot like George Dickel #8, all caramel and oak with a smattering of otherwise basic accents. It is smooth, goes down easy and is quite inoffensive but, not remarkable in any sense. It simply does not stand out.

Jul 28 2013

10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

It finally happened. I got stopped by someone on the street. And they took me to task for not reviewing white wines.

It’s not that I don’t drink whites. It’s not that I don’t like whites.

It’s just that I tend toward reds – I almost always have – and that’s just the nature of the beast.

But wait…haven’t I said you should expand your palate? YES. And haven’t I done a ton of tastings over the past several months – ones where other people voted with their pocketbooks on the best white wines? YES.

So, it’s time for…

10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

Ground rules: These wines are ones that can be found in stores in Illinois – my home base – so you may not have them in your state. Price, also, may vary – some of them were way under $10, others are on the edge (and, as you know, once something gets popular at $7, it disappears, then returns at $9).

You’re not going to get the more in-depth reviews that you get elsewhere on this site – the point of this post is to be as simple as possible and give you 10 wines that won’t break your piggy bank.

Here goes. (These are in no particular order, by the way…so, Number 1 is just the first one on the list.)

1. Sequin Pinot Grigio

The same person who asked why I don’t review any white wines asked specifically about Pinot Grigio. It’s a much-maligned grape, IMHO, because of Santa Margherita. (I’m not a big fan.)

These folks, though, champion the “Delicately Bubbled” version of Pinot Grigio. Good for them – and you. It’s pretty festive, if you’re looking for a festive white.

Expect to pay: About $9.

N.B. This stays in the white wine category – in spite of the bubbles. We’ll have the “10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – Sparkling Wine Edition” in early August.

2. Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc

New Zealand Wines — Photo from jambox998 on Flickr, used with Creative Commons license

“This stands up to Kim Crawford. And it’s under $10.”

Kim Crawford does good stuff, and the random comment above from someone in the Dominick’s wine aisle was good enough for us. Nobilo is a name that’s been around for awhile – and there’s a golf commentator with the same name.

Expect to pay $8 or less.

3. Alamos Torrontes

We reviewed this a couple weeks ago and it scored quite well. (Read the Alamos Torrontes review here.)

It is one of those wines that might change how you think about white wine. (They make other stuff, too – here’s a link to the Alamos web site.)

Expect to Pay around $9.

4. Coppola Diamond Collection Chardonnay

One of the things Francis Ford Coppola did well? Buy the old Inglenook estate, get into wine.

His Chardonnays are always a good value, and inexpensive.

Expect to pay $8-$10.

5. 120 Sauvignon Blanc

“Honoring 120 Patriots who helped lead Chile to Independence.”

AND…

Expect to pay under $7. (!)

6. Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc

One of the best – and most alliterative names – in wine, pretty much any year Joel puts his name on will be a winner.

For the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, expect to pay right under $10.

7. Menage a Trois Pinot Grigio

They make the unavoidable red – wherever you go in search of wine, there’s the Menage a Trois red blend. (And it’s almost always $7-$8.)

Here, then their Pinot Grigio. A little more expensive than the red blend.

Expect to pay $9-$10.

8. Naked Grape Pinot Grigio

Why not stay with the Pinot (Grigio)? Naked Grape is, well, a “supermarket wine” – at least, from my perch, you’ll have no problem finding their work at your local supermarket.

Expect to pay $6-ish.

9. Flip Flop Riesling

Another one of the semi-ubiquitous brands you’ll find at your local supermarket. Advantage to Flip Flop and number 8 above – if you’ve not tried them, you’re only out a few bucks to expand your palate.

Expect to pay $5-$6; we have seen it under $5.

10. Los Hermanos Moscato

This one might set you back close to the $10 mark – but Beringer’s own label that honors the name of the original 215-acre tract where the Beringer brothers set up shop in 1876. It’s also a nod to the rich Hispanic heritage of California’s Wine Country.

Expect to pay right around $10.

So there you go: 10 Wines Under 10 Dollars – White Wine Edition

Coming soon, Red Wine Edition and Sparkling Wine Edition.

Until then, we’d love to know in the comments what you think – if you’ve tried any of these, if you think we’re out of whack, or if you want us to add some for future lists.

Jul 23 2013

Newcastle Brown Ale

Time to hand the podium to a guest reviewer from the UK – here’s Kev Hedges, and his take on Newcastle Brown Ale.

When I first looked at the Newcastle Brown Ale bottle it had an air of sturdiness and strength about it, and along with its dark brown almost black opaque look, it had a powerful and contrasting yellow label to offset the dark coloring of this ale perfectly.

Newcastle Brown Ale Review

So what does this dark, handsome-looking ale actually taste like? One thing you can say for sure is that it definitely does have taste. Unlike many types of ale, particularly the weaker ones, Newcastle Brown has that strong, malty kick in the taste and it comes with no after taste like you might get with ginger beer or tonic water.

In fact Newcastle Brown Ale appears to be strong and difficult to drink but when you actually take a sip you become instantly surprised by the ease at which it is to drink. The aroma of this ale I found to be very feint and without much at all in the way of a powerful smell. To some tasting this ale reminds you of biscuits, you know a bit like those wheat biscuits and there is an obvious fizz to the ale too. You cannot actually see any bubbles going on in the bottle as it really is so dark in appearance, but it is surprisingly light to taste.

If you prefer to pour your ale into a pint glass and not drink straight from the bottle then you will notice a very short lived head. Most ale I have tasted over the years has always had a long lasting and frothy head which is a little annoying when the froth sits on your lip. But you don’t have this issue with Newcastle Brown.

After a while of drinking this bottle I noticed it was a little watery and could have done with a bit more thickness in the drink. When you see its dark appearance you automatically assume that the beer should be thick, creamy and strong but it is not. It is also easy to guzzle this ale as it is not particularly high in strength and you are not likely to get too smashed after just a couple of bottles.

Metasip Grade: B+

I am going to give this Newcastle Brown Ale a B+ Metasip Grade as it certainly tastes light and easy to drink and I was happy with the malty effect on my tongue.

Jul 17 2013

Alamos Torrontes 2012

How can a wine so young earn a grade so high? The secret is in the grape.

Greetings from Argentina! (Well, actually, you will think you’re in Argentina, maybe.) Country known for its red – and specifically its Malbec – gives you this white that it SHOULD be better known for.

(While we’re at it, let’s talk about how Malbec seemingly came out of nowhere. In fact, you can talk about a few other reds that aren’t household names – Tempranillo, Montepulciano, even Cabernet Franc – and get raised eyebrows these days – but EVERYONE knows Malbec, and immediately thinks “Argentina.”)

Anyway, it’s time to talk about what will be the next household name of grape from Argentina. Yes, Torrontes. Specifically the Alamos Torrontes 2012. To the review!

Alamos Torrontes 2012 Review

Taste

This is one of those rare finds in a wine. Not as dry as a chardonnay, but not as sweet as a riesling. Rarer still, the price: $8.99 at our local Dominick’s (try a Safeway, Von’s, or Tom Thumb). (More on the value equation thing in a bit.)

Serve chilled, of course – but not too cold. And the first sip is dry – not acidic at all. Floral notes, some of the stone fruit elements you’d expect (peach, apricot) but, again, not overly fruity.

Finish might be a tad on the sweet side. Just a tad.

Profile

13.5% ABV. The 2011, according to the Alamos Wines web page, was grown at just south of a mile-high elevation. (5,276 feet to be exact.) (Note to self: book trip to this winery.)

Value

Can we talk about the price of this wine? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

We did a tasting of this side-by-side with a Chardonnay (we won’t mention which Chardonnay) and we didn’t tell anyone the price. Average guess: $12 to $16.

$8.99. When we publish the “Best Wine Values Under $10” list, this is definitely on it.

Metasip Grade: A-

I should note: I am NOT a typical white wine drinker. I don’t go out of my way to drink it, and I don’t even search for it during the summer – in most cases, I’d rather drink a beer.

This wine gets an A- because it has changed the way I think about white wine. Seriously – it’s a complex grape that seems to change on you – and each sip is better than the last.

Get ye to a store and try some of this. Trust me.