Monday, September 11, 2006

A couple good Beers!

I enjoyed these two high gravity beers a couple nights ago. You would normally thing that two beers are pretty manageable but being that one was 10% and over a pint and the other was 7.4% alcohol and a full pints worth, I was pretty toasty by the end of the two rounds.

I tried them both together so as to get a better comparison between the two with out the effects of the alcohol to obscure my thoughts. Below are a review of both.

Weihenstephaner Korbinian Doppelbock, 16.9 fl oz, 7.4% alc.
~ $6.00
I preferred this one, it was very tasty and at 7.4% alcohol, it wasn't nuts to drink the whole bottle at one sitting. Being a dopplebock it follows a bit different rules of fermentation. From what I understand it is slow in preparation of the wort and mash, boiling in segments giving it a more carmelized character and then having a slow fermentation adding to its intense flavor. It literally translates to "double bock" although it is not twice as strong as a bock beer it is stronger. the style was originally produced by monkes to provide themselves nutrients during their winter fasting months and then comercialized by the famous Pauliner Brewery in Munich in 1780 which called it "Salvator" and it is still called the same today. From what I have seen, most dopplebocks have the same "ator" ending in their names although this Weihenstephaner does not. So how about the beer?
Color: Dark brown, kind of dark roast coffee color.
Aroma: Sweet barley and roasted chestnuts and burnt sugar.
Palate: Lively, small bubbles, clean, some yeasty, marmite taste on the finish.
overall: A

St. Bernardus Abt 12, Belgian Abbey Ale, Watou, 10% Alc, 1Pt 9.4 FL OZ.
This was a really nice beer too but it was just a little too sweet for me. It was also a bigger bottle so it was harder to finish(not too hard though =). This was a bit more expensive, somewhere around $8.00, but was well worth it for a good beer drinking evening.
Color: Dark chocolate, coffee
Aroma: banana, fudge, hickory.
Palate: Sweet, thick, more bubbles, burnt toast.
overall: A-

Again, my apologies for not being able to include the labels.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

A couple quick reviews on good wines.

(Note: Blogger is having trouble at the moment, I can't upload a pic of these labels, I will try to get them on in the near future, sorry for the inconvenience.)

I have been told in the past that I review wins that are hard to find so now every time I review a wine that I know is hard to find I will post another that is easy to find with it. Here we go, two quick reviews:

Heringer Estates 2004 Chardonnay, Clarksburg
This one is hard to find. For those of you who do not know yet, I am from Clarksburg and love to write about wines from the appellation. It is a growing appellation in the Sacramento River Delta that opens into the San Francisco Bay. Because of its location the region receives a great evening breeze that comes up from the SF bay like clockwork during the warm summer months. It is considered a warmer region but because of the cooling effect from the delta breeze it can still make some spectacular wines. It is the home of Bogle Vineyards and mainly known for Petite Sirah and dry Chenin Blanc but the region is also making great efforts with Merlot and Chardonnay as well. I think that this is probably the best Chardonnay that I have tasted from the region.
Color: Nice and clean, bright straw yellow. Not browning at all.
Aroma: Awesome pear and apricot with some pink grapefruit. A subtle hint of oak. I love this style of Chard. Not overdone with the oak giving a lot of varietal character. Great job by the winemaker. Someday maybe this will become the standard for good Chardonnay instead of tooth picks and buttered toast.
Palate: Long finish with good balance and acidity. A lot of fruit on the mid palate with a hint of sweetness on the finish probably from the 14.5% alcohol.
Overall: Love it, although many people would rather have the heavily oaked style, I prefer this fruit driven Chardonnay. I give it an A.

Geyser Peak 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley $15
This is a good value Cab from a region that I am beginning to prefer over Napa. Alexander Valley is just over the Mountains from the famed Napa Valley. They are, in my mind, producing much more approachable cabs. Lets put it this way, Silver Oak has a Napa Cab and an Alexander Valley Cab (about $20 cheaper). If I was to choose any vintage within the last three years to have with dinner it would be the Alexander Valley Cab. If I was going to buy one to age for 10 to 15 years, I would choose the Napa Cab.
Color: Nice and dark. Clean, bright edges showing thick legs.
Aroma: Cherry pie with sweet spice, clove and licorice. Cedar and vanilla come through from the barrel.
Palate: Full bodied, more voluptuous, soft, a tinge of sweetness on the take. Covers the whole palate with good long finish. The two of us finished the bottle easily over some country-style ribs with Larrupin' Sauce (from Humbolt Co., CA).
Overall: This is a great Cab to take to a dinner party and everyone will love. It is very "Safe", there is nothing wrong with it, very approachable, and very new world. Not a lot of tannin that will turn some of the lighter eaters off. I have enjoyed better Cabs from the region but for the price I will buy it again. I actually bought this on sale for $11.99. I give it a B.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Aging Whites


How many of you have been down the wine aisle at the grocery store and seen those dusty, old whites of four or five vintages ago just sitting there sadly untouched? There are many of those lonely whites out there and honestly, some of them should stay there rather than going into your shopping cart. But some, a select few, are rare gems, true diamonds in the rough. I found one recently, a 2002 Sonoma County Sauvingon Blanc from Simi. 2002 is not that old but it is for being on a grocery store shelf. So how do you know which ones are the good ones? It's a lot of luck but there are a few things you can do to increase your odds. Look at the wine. If it's heavily browned don't buy it. A little golden hue to the wine isn't bad but you don't want the extreme. If the wine is in brown glass, check it against another wine of the same varietal and same color glass. Also, don't buy anything with floaties, or a hazy character. Another good tip is to check the cork. Make sure it is flush with the top of the bottle. The most important things to remember in aging white wines are the cork and acidity. A white needs to have a good cork in it otherwise too much oxygen transfer will cause the browning we do not want. The acidity is important because as the wine ages the acid drops and the wine can become flabby.

So how was this wine you ask? It was great! Sauvingon Blanc naturally has good acidity and upon opening the bottle I found the cork in excellent condition.
Color: Slight golden or hay color and clear.
Aroma: Pear, Mango, and hazelnuts with a leathery quality. The first two characters are from the varietal, the second two are from aging.
Palate: Great acidity and a long finish. Lots of fruit on the body with a good tartness.
Overall: As a Sauvingon Blanc its just okay, but as a cheap find on the lonely white shelf I enjoyed it very much. I give it a B+