7/100) Cider Boys

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

First Press, Mad Bark, Peach Country

I had to actually look up Ciderboys because until I saw these ciders in the store, I'd never heard of them. No wonder too. They are just garnering attention. Apparently, since two guys are behind the business, they specialize in combinations or blends.

First Press) was more "apple" than most ciders I've had. The taste was almost exactly like that of the raw, unpasteurized cider that you can pick up from orchards in the fall. Even though the initial and mid kind of punch you in the face with that apple flavor, the finish was more subtle. As my mom put it, this cider was "dangerously gentle" which I think is a fantastic way of saying "very drinkable."   ☆☆☆☆

Mad Bark) tastes like liquefied apple pie. I mean that. I really really wanted apple pie, or at the very least apple cobbler after drinking this. The cinnamon was definitely there, but it didn't overwhelm. Instead, it completed the taste punching it into the category of a properly spiced apple dish. However, it is very sweet so if that's not your thing, you might not like it.  ☆☆☆☆

Peach Country) The smell had a light peach touch to it. The taste even came through with a nice peach flavor. The initial was dominated by a moderate cider apple flavor. The finish though was clearly peach, and lingered similar to the aftertaste you'd get from a peach gummy. It was interesting and well executed, but I'm not sure it's what I wanted in a cider. ☆☆☆

Fragment) Where's the Fantasy?

Who drank my...?

Where is the fantasy indeed! I seem to have let the gremlins get a little too happy with the inner workings of my blog. Though the machinations turn and matters of beer pour out in endless supply, I am disenchanted by not only a severe lack of fantasy here but a dearth of fragments.

... I took the memory and stopped it up in a golden vial. Then on a sullen day overcast and dire, I tossed it to the earth. Shards of muddled thoughts and misplaced dreams faded away in a twinkling mirth...

Glass. Significant objects in the world of fantasy are oft inclined to be made of this greatly fragile substance: glass slippers, a mirror, a pitcher etc. Be the reasons simply set viscerally at the core of the human condition or a subtle proclamation of the transience of human life, the image jars us. The clear hardness of it bespeaks of the infinite and the finite all at once, for "strike a glass, and it will not endure an instant; simply do not strike it, and it will endure for a thousand years." (Chesterton) 

'tis all

Brix) Goose Island Keg Tapping

Last Wednesday, Brix in Omaha had a keg tapping event for a couple Fulton & Wood series rare Goose Island Beers. I was satisfied simply with the opportunity to sample a few good beers as a family with my dad and brother, but we even lucked out on the raffle. My dad made the purchases, but we got the opportunity to buy both of the rare bottled Goose Island beers that were available, the Juliet and the Madame Rose. We plan to hide them away for a while since they continue to ferment and mellow in the bottle.

Bourbon County, Devon Ave, Sofie

Bourbon County Brand Stout Ale) The smell was amazing with a complex and robust mix of caramel and bourbon attributes. The flavor during the middle was intense and full, certainly not for the faint of heart. Smooth, creamy, chocolaty, etc, there are too many words to describe the depth of the flavor. The finish leaves you with a touch of the sweetness but not enough to cloy annoyingly. Instead it haunts as a delightful memory enticing you to try more of this smooth and drinkable ale. ☆☆☆☆☆

Devon Ave) This beer is so named because of the street where its spices are acquired, and it is most certainly spiced. The smell is very similar to that of a chai tea. The drink itself transitions from a light pale ale bitterness to a myriad of spices that includes every flavor from cardamon to cinnamon. The finish though is very reminiscent of the end you'd get from a black tea. I'm not sold on the idea of my beer tasting like a tea or vice-versa really, but I enjoyed the experience. ☆☆☆

Sofie) The Sofie is a farmhouse beer. As a sour beer, Sofie was exposed to the elements during a part of the brewing process allowing for some unique attributes to sneak into the flavor. Additionally though, Sofie was also wine barrel aged. The beer itself is a light yellow, and the flavor is light and refreshing. The sourness doesn't punch you in the face, and the wine barrels add a touch of an acidic sweetness that hides in the middle. I would suggest having this one on a hot summer's day. ☆☆☆☆

6/100) Winter in July!

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Old Fezziwig, Frost Line, Mardis Gras

I decided I would have a little Christmas is July, and appropriately this week's temp has been unusually cold for summer. Somehow the descending cold front caused it to drop down to 60 even. This week's Sam Adam's ale is a nice reference to the fictitious world of Dicken's Christmas Carol; we all know that Old Fezziwig's character really liked his parties. Summit, a brewery based in Minnesota, advertises Frost Line as a beer to span the transition from winter into spring. The last one is by Abita, a company based in LA (Louisiana that is), and the beer is themed for Fat Tuesday

Old Fezziwig Ale) Old Fezziwig is dark amber in color. The taste's middle was a complex mix of malt and caramel, and though it ended more like a generic ale, I detected an almost ginger like flavor in the finish. What really impressed me about this beer was that the spices didn't overwhelm but married well to the ale attributes. ☆☆☆☆

Frost Line Rye) I could do without ever having this one again. The smell was full of hops with a light edge that was probably from the rye. However, the taste was primarily bitter hops that just dragged along into the finish. In other words, by the time I was done with it, all I could taste was hops. ☆☆

Mardis Gras Bock) This beer is an homage to the German Maibock style. A maibock is a bock that has more hops than usual and that is procured in the spring. The flavor had a good malty full-bodied initial, but the finish left me with the lingering notes of the German hops. I'm not sure really if I liked it or disliked it. I just know I wasn't sold on the flavor so I give it somewhere in between a ☆☆ and a ☆☆☆.

Brewery Visit) Lucky Bucket

Today, I went to one of Omaha's local breweries, Lucky Bucket. My friend and I took the tour and sampled the single batch can't-get-anywhere-else brews. Surprisingly, there were four different ones available.  

Raven, Test #1, Mango Caliente, Barrel Aged Certified Evil

Raven- Black IPA) True to its name this drink was dark and bitter. However, you can actually taste the malt of the black ale. The hops didn't overpower the finish's flavor unlike some other Black IPAs that I've had. Despite my usual aversion to hops, I liked this one. ☆☆☆

Test Batch #1) I know the name doesn't betray much about it, but this brew was an English style Brown Ale. The color was a bit darker perhaps than something like your normal Newcastle, but what came along with that change was a slightly more robust flavor that still finished with a smooth and lovely nuttiness. I'm looking forward to seeing if this beer does eventually become part of the normal Lucky Bucket line-up. ☆☆☆☆

Mango Caliente) Caliente means "hot" in la lengua español, and this beer stocked with habaneros is going to be pretty spicy for your average drinker. Me though? I can't handle the burn apparently. Aside from a light sweetness to the smell, I couldn't detect anything but heat after the initial sip. The interesting part for me was that the burn started in my throat and not in my mouth. ☆☆

Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged) I'm already a fan of Lucky Bucket's Certified Evil, but this barrel aged variation impressed me. First of all, the beer still pours a thick and heavy black. Secondly, the whiskey barrels somehow mellowed out Certified Evil's usual harshness while keeping that unique complex flavor, and the finish had a great warm molasses touch to it. If the original was just certified, this one is signed and sealed. ☆☆☆☆☆

I liked the Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged brew so much that I bought a growler of it to take home with me. You could call it my "Lucky Bucket" that got to come home with me.

Certified Evil Whiskey Barrel Aged Growler

In the background you can see barrels from Cut Spike Distillery. The distillery is Lucky Bucket's "partner" and the original dream of the founders of Lucky Bucket. Currently, they have a rum, a vodka, and a whiskey available. At this point, I've only tried the rum, but I plan to try the others on a future visit. All I will say for now is that the rum had some interesting whiskey like attributes, including a light bite in the finish.

5/100) Apple, Pear and Pineapple Ciders

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Gold Apple, Blackberry Pear, Pineapple

I just thought that my first week with ciders ought to have some fun ones. All three of these drinks are hard ciders, but that is about all they have in common. Strongbow Gold Apple is a British cider that is apparently a huge chunk of the hard apple cider market. Fox Barrel has nothing to do with "Fox, do a barrel roll!" Instead, the company is based in California and is known for their various pear ciders.The last one by ACE is probably the most unique of the three. There just aren't many pineapple hard ciders.

Strongbow Gold Apple) さすが英国。(Just what I'd hope for from Britain!) The apple flavor is robust but not so dominating that it comes across as harsh. The smoothness is amazing. The level of drinkability is so high that you could finish it without realizing you've reached the last golden drop. As a result of this experience, I'm having trouble deciding which is better, this Strongbow or my long standing favorite of Magner's Hard Apple Cider. ☆☆☆☆☆

Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear) The purple color of the liquid matches that of a light blackberry juice, but it doesn't taste anything like any blackberry or blackberry juice I've ever had. I would say the finish even had an odd metallic flavor to it. I'm partially wondering if I just had a bad bottle. ☆☆

ACE Pineapple Cider) The smell is truly pineapple. You can almost taste the juices in the smell. However, that doesn't come through in the taste. It was too sour to me, and cider aspects didn't seem to marry well to the tropical flavors. ☆☆☆

4/100) Sprecher Brews

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Black Bavarian, Hard Root Beer, Mai Bock

Sprecher. I know little about the company besides that they make an excellent line of sodas. However, the internet tells me that their brewery is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and they do tours. If I'm ever in the area I really want to go on one of those tours. 

Black Bavarian) This black lager is a really dark and heavy beer just as the name would suggest. I would have liked it better if it had been a touch smoother. The malt flavor bit just enough to make one hesitate to drink, but sipping seemed to work well. A good rich beer that reminds me that sometimes you practically have to chew to enjoy the depth. ☆☆☆

Hard Root Beer) Really this was not my first time having Sprecher's Fire Brewed Hard Root Beer. This baby is flame kissed with a sweet root beer flavor that suavely transitions into a bourbon-like aftertaste. I've already made this a staple for those times when I want a root beer that is, in fact, a beer. ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Mai Bock) The Mai Bock is Sprecher's spring seasonal beverage so the timing's a little off, but it looked interesting. Mind you, I don't like hoppy beers that much, and this one is hoppy. However, the hops are of a more floral variety, and I found this beer easier to drink after that bitter initial sip. If you ignore the hops, the general flavor of the beer was a straightforward caramel warmness. ☆☆☆

3/100) Karuizawa (Nagano Micro Brew)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the last of those three retroactive posts.

Black, Clear, Dark

Karuizawa is a brewery in Nagano prefecture. I didn't make it all the way out there to get this beer though. Instead, I found it in a supermarket in Osaka. Unfortunately, I did not have my notebook with me when I enjoyed these beers along the river with a friend. I apologize for my brevity.

Black) My notes simply say "A deep, dark coffee-like taste." Beyond that I can't remember the details of the experience. I do know that I wouldn't mind having it again. ☆☆☆

Clear) Clear may be the first beer I've had that I can say I disliked. The initial to mid had a odd flavor that was a bit like hops but suffered from some sort of distortion, possibly a sourness. However, the aftertaste is what killed it for me. It finished arbitrarily strong. ☆

Dark) Dark had a fairly light and watery initial. In fact it almost reminded me of a Guinness without being as smooth. The finish cut in a littler harsher than I liked, but overall, this one was not bad. ☆☆☆

2/100) Koedo (Saitama Micro Brews)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the second of those three retroactive posts.

Beniaka, Ruri, Kyara

I found these three beers in Tokyo Station. Their bright colors caught my attention. However, even more respectable to me now is their names. A rough translation of the three would be "Rouge Red," "Lapis Lazuli," and "Japanese Yew," respectively.

Beniaka 紅赤) Technically this beer is not a beer, but a happoshu. You'll have to look up the details about how the Japanese taxation system has grouped beer and beer-like beverages into three categories, but basically, a happoshu has a reduced malt content in comparison to a "true" beer. If I had known it was a happoshu, I might not have bought it. My experience with them has not been so good. This one in particular reminded me of a typical red ale, but one with a lot less flavor. I was not impressed. The lightness though made it really easy to drink so I didn't hate it. ☆☆☆

Ruri 瑠璃) This one was a disappointment. I suppose if you like your beers tasting like water, you might have a different opinion. The faint finish reminded me of a wheat beer. I did still finish it, so if that says anything, it wasn't horrible. It's just not what I want in a beer.  ☆☆

Kyara 伽羅) This beer had a unique twist. The initial held an unremarkable brown ale-esque flavor, but the finish burst into your mouth with all the vigor of biting into a fresh orange. I did not expect it at all and rather enjoyed it. Over time though, the simple ale aftertaste overwhelmed the fleeting citrus experience. If it hadn't, I would have rated it higher. ☆☆☆

1/100) Cyonmage (Yamaguchi Micro Brew)

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

The first three posts in this series are a bit retroactive because I had actually planned on starting this blog series while I was visiting Japan in June. It didn't happen. However, I still count those three weeks in Japan as the first three weeks in my challenge. This is the first of those three retroactive posts.

Pale Ale, Wheat, Alt

These three brews are from the prefecture of Yamaguchi and are from a company called Cyonmage (pronounced Chonmage). If you've ever seen a samurai movie, you have seen a chonmage(丁髷) They are those little knots of hair that characterize the samurai's cliche hairstyle. You can see them on the bottles in the above picture. If I remember correctly, samurai sported this style because it prevented their hair from getting in their way.

Alt アルト) I was genuinely surprised at how good this beer was. It has a warm flavor with a nutty finish that calmly dissipates in your mouth. ☆☆☆☆

Wheat ウィート) Again with this one, I was surprised at how good it was. Because the name was simply "Wheat" I had expected a light, unremarkable taste. Instead it had a smooth semi-sweet initial reminiscent of a generic wheat beer that transitioned into a lightly sour citrus background. ☆☆☆

Pale Ale ペールエール) My friend who I shared this with said this Pale Ale was quite good. Unfortunately, hops and I have a bad relationship. The more hoppy something is, the less likely I am to like it. I wonder if I should even be reviewing Pale Ales, IPAs, or ESBs. So, despite my friend liking it, I did not. The initial has a lightly bitter floral hop taste that rises into a crescendo of bitterness that I found myself fighting against as it continued to linger. It might be a good pale ale, but I just couldn't get into it. ☆☆