Kevin's Watch

Sure. Particularly red-wine is know to have a significant tenderising effect.

Excuse me if I appear to be all over the place as a n00b, but if you ever come to Germany try these here:

Köstritzer Schwarzbier (our answer to Guinness, though actually already a few hundred years older)

Jever Pilsener (Beer from Northern Germany with some extra hop which gives it bit of tartness) - if served cool it's delicious - especially as draft beer

As far as tenderising meat - brandy does it as well, and especially fresh pinapple due to the enzyme "bromelin".

I treated myself to a bottle of the peche lambic for the New Year celebration. It was as good as I remember. I think I'll try the framboise once I finish the bottle of tawny port that I bought with the lambic.

Welcome, Vader. Köstritzer Schwarzbier is a nice black lager. If you're looking for some roasty flavors in a smooth lager, it's a nice choice. And, for educational purposes only--not to be nit-picky or contrary--Guinness is an ale (Irish or dry stout, in particular). So while it might be tempting to compare them on the basis of color, it can be misleading, to those people who have never tried to them, to create an expectation of anything similar.

Never had Jever Pilsener, but I do enjoy a hoppy pilsener.

Wyldewood, I hope you enjoy the framboise. In my opinion, it's the best of the lambics.

Malik23 wrote:Welcome, Vader. Köstritzer Schwarzbier is a nice black lager. If you're looking for some roasty flavors in a smooth lager, it's a nice choice. And, for educational purposes only--not to be nit-picky or contrary--Guinness is an ale (Irish or dry stout, in particular). So while it might be tempting to compare them on the basis of color, it can be misleading, to those people who have never tried to them, to create an expectation of anything similar.

Never had Jever Pilsener, but I do enjoy a hoppy pilsener.

Wyldewood, I hope you enjoy the framboise. In my opinion, it's the best of the lambics.

I stand corrected

Here's what Jever looks like (skip the lime, the light and the fun - the dark is decent and the Pilsener is yum

www.ratebeer.com/beer/bells-hopslam/35488/

Hopslam is here! If you are a hop lover, this is nectar of the gods. It only comes out in Jan-Feb. If you are in the distribution area (mid-west and eastern states), you've got to check it out!

...those are really funny, but...

A bit of controlled tongue-in-cheek anti-PC can't do any harm, can it? Or shall I delete it?

Oh no, they're fine.
Just...

...I don't often see such things...

I guess I'm somewhat sheltered...

Hilarious!

My new favorite, Founder's Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

Kentucky Breakfast

A bit of backwoods pleasure without the banjo. This stout is brewed with a hint of coffee and vanilla then aged in oak bourbon barrels. Our process ensures that strong bourbon undertones come through in the finish in every batch we brew. We recommend decanting at room temperature and best enjoyed in a brandy snifter.

Specs:
10% ABV
25 IBU�s
Color: Black Unfiltered
Cellar: 2 years
Availability: Quarterly (limited production, pre-order only)
Serving temperature: 42 f
Glassware: Brandy snifter

This stuff just became available in my area, but I've been reading about it for years. It's one of the highest rated stouts in the world. I thought I'd tasted every kind of stout there was, but I had no idea beer could be this good. Loads of coffee and chocolate. A truly unique experience. The bourbon wasn't as strong as I was expecting. Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout has a lot more bourbon flavor. But this one beats the GI BCS hands down--which I didn't think was possible.

The Experts:
The beer pours out black as night and looks to be as thick as molasses. It poured with almost no head, just leaving a dark tan ring around the top. Stouts often have hints of coffee. This beer reeked of coffee. Starbucks only wished they could smell this good... To drink it while cold is like drinking a cup of strong cold coffee, and it was bitterly cold, with an emphasis on bitter. This is definitely a beer that gets better as it warms up... And as it warms up, the coffee bitters give way to caramel, toffee, and other roasted scents. The taste mellows. And as it continues to warm, the bourbon flavors really begin to stand out... The complexities of the beer's characteristics are fascinating. It's the type of beer that could please many varied tastebuds. If you love the bitterness of coffee, drink it while cold. If you love the taste of bourbon, drink it at room temperature. If want a mix of both, drink it at a temperature somewhere between. - Hoosier Beer Geek

Pliny the Younger. Assaults the mouth with hoppiness, but somehow manages to balance it out. Seemed kind of citrusy yet piney. It's 11% and you don't really taste it. Half a glass and I was dubious about driving.


Best IPA I ever had.

Damn, I'm jealous. I've been wanting to try that one and Pliny the Elder for years, but they don't make it here.

I'm drinking a 2007 Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine that I found covered in dust at my local Liquor Barn. I was shocked to see it. Two years aged!! For beer, that's pretty old. For a 9.6% barleywine, that's just right! The alcohol burn fades and melds with the caremel and toffee-like malt flavors and the diminished (though still very prominant) hop bitterness. Delicious. They've been making this since 1984 (a long time in the relatively new craft brewing market). If you haven't tried one yet, what are you waiting for?!?
www.beeraday.net/beer/sierra-nevada-bigfoot-barleywine/

“Intense, malty, and bittersweet, Bigfoot® is wonderful served with dessert. Aromatic notes from the dry-hopping process pair well with chocolate mousse and raspberries or a good-quality cheesecake. If you prefer a more savory taste, try an assortment of sharp aged cheeses, served with fresh fruits like apples, pears, and grapes, which will offer a contrast that will bring all of the flavors together.”

Anyone drinking a good brew?

I'm bottling a rye IPA tonight. Drinking Founder's Red's Rye. Mine's better, and it's not even carbonated yet.

Stone's 13th Anniversary is my new favorite. Only available in 22 oz. bombers. It has an incredible balance between sharp bitter hops and sweet candy malts. That's quite an achievement considering they used more hops in this brew than any brew in their 13 year history (Stone is known for aggressive, hoppy beers).

Not tonight, but Sunday night was a 22 oz of Full Sail GrandSun of Spot IPA. (ABV 6% IBUs: 100)

Like Stone's, this Full Sail limited edition IPA is agressively hoppy, balanced by malts -- in this case Munich and Honey malts.

Picked up a few of these at Full Sail's brewery in Hood River about a month ago, along with quite a few of their Imperial Porter (ABV 7.5% IBUs: 60), which is a favorite of mine.

I've never had a Full Sail brew. I've heard of them, and know they're respected, but they don't distribute here.

Munich and honey malts . . . that sounds yummy. I just brewed two back-to-back all Munich malt batches, and they had a pronounced malt backbone. I haven't used honey malt yet, but I've heard good things about it.

Anything with 100 IBUs impresses me. Heck, the fact that you know what IBUs are and you drink IPAs impresses the hell out of me. Great beer deserves an appreciative fanbase.

My rye IPA is all bottled up now, and from the raw samples I had while bottling, this is going to be an amazing brew. I've sent some homebrews out last year to Watch members (Menolly and Mortice Root--they can vouch for the fact that it's safe and I'm not a stalker. ). I don't have much stock right now, but if you want some of the latest batch, it will be ready in about 1-2 weeks. If you want to trade for some Full Sail, I'd love to get some new beer I can't get here.

Thank you; I'd be honored to sample your rye IPA and will happily send you some Full Sail in trade.

When you get to the point of readiness, PM me and we can exchange real identities, addresses, etc.