Time for a drink. Who's in?

[Prog Snob]

In.

Santa Margherita Chianti

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

Lagunitas Stoopid Wit

[cramx3]

Just got back to my hotel after work and my friend sent me a link to stream the Giants game so enjoying my daily free beer at the hotel, Radeberger

[hefdaddy42]

Just opened a Dogfish Head Namaste. Crisp and refreshing.

[King Postwhore]

Dogfish Head makes great beers.

Cram, what are you drinking there?

[cramx3]

Dogfish Head makes great beers.

Cram, what are you drinking there?

I get a free beer in my hotel room every day, they've been leaving me Radeberger each day in my mini fridge.  I haven't been able to drink anything else besides that due to work load and the fact that I am the driver on this trip (at least my rental is a nice mercedes e220d).  My work schedule is crazy this week with two late nights, I may not have a chance to drink anything else besides my one beer at the end of the night until my last night on Wednesday maybe.  I knew this was going to be an all business and little to no fun trip.

[King Postwhore]

That's tough . I would kill so soak in a little culture there.


In.

[cramx3]

That's tough . I would kill so soak in a little culture there.

Yea, this is the norm.  My 6th time here and I've never had a day off.  The most exploring I've had was by waking up extra early to drive down the Rhine and explore some of the local towns before my flight home.  My boss always schedules these trips with no down time.  I'd love to come on a solo trip out here so I can manage my time differently.  However, it's hard to complain when I eat like a king on the company and get lots of OT.

[axeman90210]

Just opened a Dogfish Head Namaste. Crisp and refreshing.

Really like that beer, especially when the weather first starts warming up in the spring.


I was drinking some homebrewed witbier and mild during the early games, trying to decide on something to open now while I hit the garage and bottle my first batch of mead.

[King Postwhore]

Hot damn Bill!  I'd love to know the process for mead. 

[axeman90210]

Hot damn Bill!  I'd love to know the process for mead. 

Here's the thing Joe, it's super easy. Maybe 45 minutes from start to finish. You basically just mix some honey and water, get the yeast prepped, and pitch. There's a little bit more hand holding the first week or so with nutrient additions and degassing, but otherwise basically just let it rip for a few months and then bottle.

[King Postwhore]

You know how close I live to Moonlight Meadery?  They make some high end mead.

[Podaar]

I think I need a collection of these for my home bar.

Misheard Lyrics Glasses

 

[TAC]

Nice!




Bought a 6 pack of Sam Adams Irish Red. Never tried it. Will wait until The Lovely Mrs. TAC gets home from work to have one.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

In.

Gentleman Jack.

[cramx3]

In.  After working just about non stop since Monday of last week, finally completed my project in Frankfurt and got to enjoy the fruits of the success with a nice beer with the boss on our last evening out here.



Quite delicious.  Got to be up early to drive the boss to the airport and then my flight isn't too long after.  I cannot wait to be in my own bed and relaxing, but I will miss the food out here.

Side note, I got a second beer to bring to my room aka put the glass in my luggage and add to my collection of awesome beer glasses from Germany 

[TAC]

That's awesome Cram. Have a safe flight home!

Bought a 6 pack of Sam Adams Irish Red. 

Just reporting back that this stuff was 

[cramx3]

Thanks TAC, cheers!

[King Postwhore]

Yum.  No drinking until I deliver the food to my guys tonight.

[TAC]

After a couple of Mooseheads, not onto an Iron Maiden Trooper beer.

[cramx3]

After a couple of Mooseheads, not onto an Iron Maiden Trooper beer.

  I thought Trooper was pretty good the one time a friend got it for me on my birthday.

[Sir GuitarCozmo]

In.

Vodak and OJ

[axeman90210]

I've been searching for a beer that I had about a year ago. It was a sour and when I say sour I mean holy fucking shit was this thing sour. I don't remember the name though, which makes me sad.

In trying to find it, I did manage to track down The Bruery's Tart of Darkness which I thought was ok, if not what I expected.

I think my favorite sour I've had which is also probably my favorite beer at this point is Duchesse de Bourgeon.

If anybody has any sour recommendations (flemish reds, berliner weisse, etc) throw them my way.

Edit: Also forgot to mention I discovered Three Floyd's Icelandic Pants of the Dead which is so damn good.

Whereabouts do you live? Happy to throw some sour recommendations your way.

[Hyperplex]

Have no idea what tonight/this weekend holds. My poison of choice this weekend might just end up being the old standbys of coffee and water.

[cramx3]

I bought a bottle of Beluga Vodka yesterday at duty free which was on sale (I typically only buy on sale items at duty free in europe due to the euro being more so you don't save that much otherwise).  So I guess I will try that tonight since I never had it or heard of it before.  I also bought this to try out and sample since I am not a scotch/whiskey fan:  A Glenfiddich Cask Collection of 50mL bottles.  Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, one vintage cask, one reserve cask, and one select cask.  That was 20 euro for the set.

[Hyperplex]

You won't be disappointed with the Glenfiddich, I don't believe, unless of course you come to realize that you simply dislike Scotch whisky. Glenfiddich is one of my favorites and I've had that combo flight sampler before; quite nice. It's an accessible malt, not very peaty, that's pretty clean and smooth. If you find it to be more than your palette enjoys, especially for a relatively inexperienced Scotch drinker, I'd recommend trying something a bit lighter and more fruity, like Glenmorangie 10-year. It's quite florally and light-bodied, easy in the mouth and very soft finish.

[cramx3]

You won't be disappointed with the Glenfiddich, I don't believe, unless of course you come to realize that you simply dislike Scotch whisky. Glenfiddich is one of my favorites and I've had that combo flight sampler before; quite nice. It's an accessible malt, not very peaty, that's pretty clean and smooth. If you find it to be more than your palette enjoys, especially for a relatively inexperienced Scotch drinker, I'd recommend trying something a bit lighter and more fruity, like Glenmorangie 10-year. It's quite florally and light-bodied, easy in the mouth and very soft finish.

Nice, thanks for sharing this info.  I was just talking to my coworker as I typed that out about it. I think I'd like to share it with one of my whiskey/scotch drinking friends so they could help me understand what I am drinking and the tastes because I don't know shit about it.  In fact, I mostly don't like it, but my experiences are limited and I'd rather form a better opinion before just shutting it out.

[Hyperplex]

One thing I would recommend is to not force it. If it truly repulses you, forcing yourself to keep trying it will only make you hate it more. There's no hard and fast rule that you MUST like Scotch. Single malts can be very divisive, depending on your tastes. Personally, I cannot stand smokey, peaty ones, Islay malts like Laphroaig. That's not to say it's a bad whisky; far from it, it's a fantastic malt, I just don't enjoy it. I like the cleaner Highland and Speyside malts, like Glenlivet, Macallan, Glenfiddich, etc. I will also not discount anything without tasting it. Oban is a smokier whisky, but I enjoy it. I've even sipped on a Talisker on occasion, and the experience of drinking it is akin to sucking the fluid out of a piece of volcanic obsidian.

Also, if you don't prefer the Glenfiddich, it doesn't mean you dislike all Scotch. Look into the different regions and their signature flavor profiles to see if any others fit the bill. You may find you love a smokey malt, or you may find that you only enjoy those that have next to no peat in the flavor. It's a very personalized choice, and your tastes can grow and change over time.

Also, don't overthink it. I talk like I know a lot, and I admit I may know more than most, but when I drink Scotch and mull over the flavor, I am not analyzing its mouthfeel, opening, and finish. I'll use those terms to describe something, but in general terms it's either "that's fucking delicious" or "that's not for me." It's easy to sound like a connoisseur, but it all really comes down to how it tastes to you and how it makes you feel. It doesn't matter what the mouthfeel is, how it starts, finishes, or goes down; if you like it, drink it. If you don't, try something different.

[cramx3]

While I haven't liked it in the past, I most certainly am not forcing it upon myself.  I could easily of saved that 20 euro for something else in that case.  I just want to make sure I have an informed opinion and try things out.  I did the same thing with wine a few years ago.  Bought a different bottle every week for awhile and tried so many different types out to see what I liked.  It turns out I don't really like wine overall either.

[Podaar]

If you find it to be more than your palette enjoys, especially for a relatively inexperienced Scotch drinker, I'd recommend trying something a bit lighter and more fruity, like Glenmorangie 10-year. It's quite florally and light-bodied, easy in the mouth and very soft finish.

This is not opinion. This is fact!

I keep a bottle of Glenmorangie Port Cask Finish on my top shelf for when bourbon drinkers decide they want to have a Scotch with me. I have never, ever, had someone who likes whiskey (even if only a little) not make yummy noises when sipping on Glenmorangie!

[cramx3]

If you find it to be more than your palette enjoys, especially for a relatively inexperienced Scotch drinker, I'd recommend trying something a bit lighter and more fruity, like Glenmorangie 10-year. It's quite florally and light-bodied, easy in the mouth and very soft finish.

This is not opinion. This is fact!

I keep a bottle of Glenmorangie Port Cask Finish on my top shelf for when bourbon drinkers decide they want to have a Scotch with me. I have never, ever, had someone who likes whiskey (even if only a little) not make yummy noises when sipping on Glenmorangie!

Regardless of my taste test, I should probably give this a shot anyway.

[Podaar]

Of course, the morbid torturer in me also makes sure that I have a bottle of Lagavulin on the shelf right next to the other single malts just in case they say, "This scotch is great! Is that other one good too?" I'll pour them a dram.

 

[Hyperplex]

One of my favorite Scotch stories involves my brother-in-law:

He is not much of a liquor drinker. It's beer usually for him. However, he seems to think he's missing out on some elite club whenever he's around me because I'm always ordering single malts or small batch bourbons. I have quite a few bottles of good single malt in my bar at home, and he always asks me about them even if he doesn't taste them. Well, one night we were all together and I had poured myself a glass of Macallan 12 and was enjoying it when he finally bit the bullet and asked me to pour him a bit. He tasted it, and the look on his face showed what he really thought of it, even though he forced himself through the drink, occasionally stopping to say how nice it was and how it's very smooth and enjoyable. Trying to see how far he'd take his little ruse, I offered to pour him some Glenlivet 18-year, which is not at all an inaccessible Scotch, but definitely a lot more full-bodied and powerful than any 12-year. I do not take an 18-year Scotch over ice; I drink it neat. I asked him if he'd like me to pour a finger over some ice and he boldly proclaimed he would drink it the way I am. He took one sip, cringed, shuddered from his scalp to his toes, closed his eyes, and handed the tumbler back to me, saying I could finish his.

He often says he grew a few extra chest hairs that evening; I usually say they were his first ones.

[Podaar]

 

Maybe you should keep a little blended scotch around for when he wants to look cool with his brother-in-law. Anyone can enjoy Chivas or Johnny Walker.

[Hyperplex]

I think he's beginning to develop a taste for bourbon, but only in small doses, and he's still timid when trying finer brands, like Booker's, Basil Hayden's, or Woodford Reserve. It's cute in a kind of sad way, like watching a fly trying to fly out a closed window.