Weekend Beers and a Bottle of Bourbon

Weekend beverages.  I really love sour and funky beers and decided to crack a couple from my cellar this weekend.  Bottleworks XII is a sour imperial wit, with raspberries, vintage 2013.  Pretty strong funk and sour character and the raspberries are very prevalent.  I can't say I enjoy the wheat aspect of the beer, but it adds a unique character.

Yazoo's Embrace the Funk is not the most widely acclaimed sour, heck its practically unknown.  However, it is absolutely delicious.  Very complex and tart golden sour beer.  More substantial than some offerings, but had a lot of depth.  Won in a BIF, so I doubt I will acquire more, but really darn good stuff.

My parents came to my new apartment to visit, and I offered to open a bottle of wine or split an interesting beer, but my father only drinks American adjunct lagers and my mother didn't want to crack a bottle of wine at 3PM.  He indicated that he would love a glass of whiskey if I had it, but unfortunately, I had not replenished my holdings in quite some time.  I had cleaned out a bunch of recyclable bottles and cans into my car over the weekend in a clean up effort, and decided to use those proceeds to cover 10% of this bottle of bourbon.  A single barrel, barrel strength offering from Four Roses in their OBSO recipe, selected by Table & Vine, a Western Massachusetts alcohol institution.  I love that place, best natural wine selection for the price in MA, bar none.  Anyhow, looking forward to trying this soon, and will share with my pops the next time we hang out.

Beer Review: Smuttynose Zinneke

Smuttynose makes damn good beer.  Produced in charming Portsmouth, NH on the Seacoast, this brewery makes one of my favorite everyday IPAs.  Their Big Beer series features a rotating cast of higher ABV beers.  They are more complex than the everyday beers, and come in 22oz bombers.  I have had some success in the past, and was in the mood for a stout so I grabbed Zinneke.  Touted as a Belgian Style Stout with a portion aged in Bourbon barrels I wasn't sure what to expect.

Pouring into a Harpoon tulip, the beer appeared to be fairly dark, small tan head, and fairly carbonated.  Smell was complex and remnisicent of their Robust Porter.  Taste was much stronger, and there were a number of flavors present including chocolatey malt and a very faint bourbon twang.  The beer was quite carbonated which is my only real downside with the beer.

Stouts are not my favorite style, and an oddity like a Belgian-yeast based Stout with some barrel aging is unlikely to be heavy in my drinking rotation.  With that said, this beer is one hundred percent appopriate for a late fall/early winter evening.  Check out ratings at Beeradvocate and Ratebeer.

Summer in March

I have been thoroughly enjoying the record breaking heat here in New England, with temperatures in the 80s, and its only mid-March!  I enjoyed spending the last weekend with my family, and my beautiful wife, Marina, has been on spring break this week as well.  This means lots of great home-cooked meals, walks, and just a better vibe at home, without the stress of schoolwork hanging on her shoulders. 

We have been playing tennis lately, as she has taken it both beginner and intermediate classes at her school, and has taught me the basics as well.  I just recently ordered a Babolat racquet from Ebay, although used I am happy to get a "tweener" racquet that I can use for at least a year or two!

  

I also have been able to pick up two great ties from Ebay, a Turnbull and Asser for $8 and a Vineyard Vines for $16, both bargains!

I enjoyed a few beverages this weekend.  Blue Hills Brewery's American Bitter was pretty decent for $8.50/growler and the Sam Adams Spring Mixed 12 pack was solid, for the few offerings I had tried so far.  The Mighty Oak was not my favorite, but certainly not terrible.  I had my brother pick up a 750ml bottle of Bulleit Bourbon on his way back from New Hampshire for $25, saving $7 off the retail price here in MA/CT.  I enjoyed this bourbon a lot, and I hope to continue tasting more great brown spirits!

Hiking up Tuckerman's Ravine at Mount Washington the weekend after this coming one, should be a good time!