What's in your glass tonight?

[jswordy]

You guys must be missing out on the taste, having beer and mugs ice cold. It may be refreshing on a hot day, but drinking anything too cold is no good for taste.
Chilled,yeah. Ice cold no!

IMO Rolling Rock tastes different when refrigerator cold in a bottle vs. being poured cold into a frozen mug. The mug's open top does something to the taste for me. Perhaps it has something to do with being able to breathe through my nose in the mug, I don't know. I like to rotate through several cold mugs because then the beer stays cold all the way through the session. Yesterday, after coming in from 4 hours of mowing in extremely humid and hot conditions (90+ with 99% humidity), boy did that taste good, and it cooled me down. Even if I am drinking out of the bottle, I will put it in a bottle coozie to keep it colder longer. I am not a fan of the European style of drinking tepid beer. Different strokes for different folks.

Oh BTW, I am also a fan of the shower beer, something mentioned to me by another farmer that I tried. When done with hot and hard work, carry a bottle into the shower and drink it while under the hot water. Ahhh... relief...

 

[winemanden]

When its 100F (38C) outside I'll take my beer (ice) cold please. It'll warm up fast enough!

I can go with that.

 

[Hazelemere]

Dineen Vineyard Pinnacle of Verdot 2023

I had 3 small carboys (15 bottles each) of Washington Dineen Vineyard Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon fermented with RC212 hand destemmed and uncrushed with nutrient containing B vitamins for 12 days followed by malolactic fermentation and oaking with medium toast American oak cubes to 14.0% alcohol. The grapes were in boxes in perfect condition.. My son in law made the same wine but used more oak than I did. We racked all of the wines off of tartrate sediment and raised the total sulphite level from 45 to ~65 parts per million (guessing free sulphite at ~22 ppm). The Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon ("Pinnacle") were blended 50/50 and tasted. My son in law who has never tasted Petit Verdot said he thought the blend was sensational and that the Verdot gave the wine a beautiful, complex smell and a long, wonderful finish. So he got ~150 bottles of the blend oaked his way and I got 90 oaked my way. He then took 60 of his 150 and re-blended it 80 (Verdot blend)/20 (petite sirah blend) of Mettler Petite Sirah 2021 (74% Petite Sirah and 26% Regent (homegrown) 2/3 with Marechal Foch (homegrown) 1/3. I made 15 of this blend "Petite Pinnacle of Verdot" 2021, 2023. He made 60. This is my wife's primo red wine. This is rich, complex and tasty with a long finish and a really good smell. Finally I saved about 8 bottles of the Petite Sirah 2/3 Marechal Foch 1/3 blend which is very intense and much better IMHO than the Petite Sirah on its own since the alcohol level is ~14.5% instead of 15.5%. We have one carboy (30 bottles) of Lodi Mettler Vineyard Petite Sirah 2021 left which we will blend with this year's homegrown Marechal Foch to drop its alcohol and improve its alcohol, acid level and complexity.

If you can get Petit Verdot I suggest that you try it. My son in law says that the Verdot wines that we just blended are the best we have made since 2009 (Washington Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah). I agree. We'll leave our wines in our walk in cooler until Xmas-New Years 2024 and then bottle them to age for at least 5 years, maybe even 10.

Good luck with your wines.

retaste:

Appearance - inky purple

Smell - good, rich clean smell (this is very young so will absolutely change over time)

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is really good - rich, complex and tasty. First class red. I rate it as very good or very good-excellent. I'll bottle this as slowly as I can so it lasts as long as possible. Look for ripe Petit Verdot anywhere you can find it alone or together with really good Cabernet Sauvignon or even Cabernet Franc.

 

[Hazelemere]

Russet 50% Apple Cyser 50% in a glass from 2 bottles

Here are my comments:

Appearance - light gold yellow

Smell - these 2 wines are cold out of the fridge and therefore hard to smell. The smell I do get is fine but impossible to describe.

Tannin- good

Acid - good

Flavour - really tasty apple wine, very slightly sweet but not by much, with a really good aftertaste. This is really good apple wine.

 

[Hazelemere]

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good (slightly sweet, not too dry)

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. Next time I make this I'll do it drier i.e. less sweet. This has an SG of 1.000

Then I mixed it in a glass 50/50 with Chenin Blanc Cyser Pyment 2021-22

appearance - clear yellow gold but less gold than the apple cyser on its own

smell - good complex nose which lingers

tannin- good

acid- good this is better than the apple cyser on its own since cyser pyment drops the sweetness

flavour - this is very good, rich complex fusion wine of grapes, apples and honey. I'll use this blend in a glass (rebottled as a cooking wine) to make prawn linguine to prevent onions from burning while they are sauteed with bell peppers (yellow, orange, or red), cremini or portabella mushrooms, garlic, roma tomatoes and celery and/or broccoli with fresh organic basil, lemon thyme, lemon pepper, purple sage and nutmeg plus raw frozen tiger prawns, cream and parmesan/asiago and/or romano cheese.

retaste:

Apple Cyser 2023

appearance - clear, yellow gold

smell - good honey nose which lingers (unpasteurized blueberry blossom honey used to chaptalize homegrown russet juice)

tannin - good from honey and russets

acid - good

flavour - good, rich complex flavour with an aftertaste of apple skin tannins. I rate it as very good. This has an SG of 1.000 but doesn't taste sweet.

bottom line - these homegrown organic apple wines ground and pressed without water and chaptalized with cane sugar and/or unpasteurized honey e.g. blueberry, raspberry or cranberry make really good house wines within 6 to 12 months and sensational cooking wines. We run out of them really fast which is fine so our premium grape wines can age properly. I'm absolutely committed to making apple wine this year.

 

[Hazelemere]

Carol's Red 2020-2022

This is my wife Carol's house wine i.e. everyday red (I make it for her palate which is different than mine):

2020 - Washington Dineen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Sheridan Syrah

2021 - Dineen Cabernet Franc, Amador Cabernet Sauvignon, Lodi Mettler Vineyard Petite Sirah

2022 - Marechal Foch, Regent (both homegrown)

My comments:

Appearance - purple

Smell - good, very complex, fruity, lingering

Tannin - really good (all grapes fermented uncrushed and hand destemmed)

Acid - very good (my wife is very sensitive to acid - the Lodi Mettler Petite Sirah drops the acid)

Flavour - this is rich and tasty without being too tangy or tannic. This is totally my wife's palate.

retaste:

Here are my comments:

Appearance - purple

Smell - good, complex smell, hard to describe but I'll try - Petite Sirah Amarone style i.e. fruity black cherry, cocoa, prunes, blackberries, tar

Tannin - very good

Acid - good

Flavour - rich, tasty, slightly tannic with a long Petite Sirah finish.

 

[winemaker81]

This is my 2023 Vidal that was fermented on the skins (called Vidal-Orange). The color is normal for a white grape fermented on the skins.

There is a bit of acid in the initial taste which is immediately countered by the sugar. This one had an unpleasant acid bite, and 1/4 cup sugar per 4 liters balanced it, leaving the wine just off-dry. It has a strong Vidal taste (which doesn't help anyone who's not had Vidal) with a pleasant mouthfeel, and a lingering aftertaste.

These grapes are from @VinesnBines southwestern VA vineyard, and I'm buying more this fall, Mother Nature and Dionysus willing.




The black shapes in the glass are whiskey chilling stones I keep in the fridge. That chilled the wine just enough.

 

[Hazelemere]

Retaste of Cyser 2023:

Appearance - clear, yellow gold

Smell - very fragrant from the honey

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - rich, and tasty, slightly sweet, with a long slightly tannic finish from the russet and honey tannin. This is fine but I like it better less sweet. Having said that, everyone's palate is different i.e. this is tailor made for people who like their wines off dry.

retaste of Cyser 2023:

Appearance - clear, yellow gold

Smell - very fragrant from the honey and russets

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - rich, and tasty, this is very good with a long finish, maybe slightly tannic from the russet skins which should help it age. I get about 200 lbs of russets each year for wine that are grafted onto a transparent apple tree. Russets make really good wines IMHO and I am blessed to have them - high sugar, high acid, high tannin!

 

[Shurt1073]

Bad Apple wine with a little common stick!

 

[wineh]

Bad Apple wine with a little common stick!

Cinnamon?

 

[Shurt1073]

Cinnamon?

Oh yeah ... bad apple with a cinnamon stick. Taste like apple pie wine.

dang .... just saw where auto correct changed my word.

 

[jswordy]

Lil followup on the Rolling Rock posts... The beer is 4.6% ABV as currently produced, not the 4.95% figure I quoted.

Also, as of the last shipment here, AB Inbev has redone the front label to carry the bar code and has omitted the pledge tribute label from the back. I guess they figure enough time has elapsed since the 2006 sale that they can save the cost of the extra decal. Originally, RR labeling was painted on the bottles, back in the good old Latrobe days and early AB Inbev days.

Before... (this one was early Inbev ownership and painted... and the labels then became stick-on and cheaper and cheaper, with smaller and lighter lettering)...



Now...



This label change also means the iconic "33" logo does not appear on the new bottles.

OK, enough about my obsession!

 

[Rocky]

Lil followup on the Rolling Rock posts... The beer is 4.6% ABV as currently produced, not the 4.95% figure I quoted.

Also, as of the last shipment here, AB Inbev has redone the front label to carry the bar code and has omitted the pledge tribute label from the back. I guess they figure enough time has elapsed since the 2006 sale that they can save the cost of the extra decal. Originally, RR labeling was painted on the bottles, back in the good old Latrobe days and early AB Inbev days.

Before... (this one was early Inbev ownership and painted... and the labels then became stick-on and cheaper and cheaper, with smaller and lighter lettering)...

View attachment 114498

Now...

View attachment 114499

This label change also means the iconic "33" logo does not appear on the new bottles.

OK, enough about my obsession!

Looks like the bottle shows 4.4%, just like the cans I recently purchased. Did the bottle or cans used to show 4.95% or did you get that information elsewhere? I only ask because years ago, people were wildly misguided about the ABV in beers. I remember Miller High Life was supposed to be 6% at one time, and the "strongest" beer on the market. When I worked for my father in the business, most beers were in the 4-5% range. Lastly, when I was in the Army, we were served 3.2% beer in the service clubs and most guys thought that was outrageous. In fact, it was only slightly less than the "good stuff."

 

[jswordy]

Looks like the bottle shows 4.4%, just like the cans I recently purchased. Did the bottle or cans used to show 4.95% or did you get that information elsewhere? I only ask because years ago, people were wildly misguided about the ABV in beers. I remember Miller High Life was supposed to be 6% at one time, and the "strongest" beer on the market. When I worked for my father in the business, most beers were in the 4-5% range. Lastly, when I was in the Army, we were served 3.2% beer in the service clubs and most guys thought that was outrageous. In fact, it was only slightly less than the "good stuff."

I know it, but people who have stuck hydrometers in the AB Inbev version say it was 4.6% (so hence the correction). Most younger people I talk to won't drink RR because they say it doesn't have enough alcohol in it for them. Yet Bud and Bud Light are 4.2% and Coors and Coors Light are 4.2%. Whadevah, Rocky! I just got in from mowing (feels like 111; temp is 94) and am on number 3 now... mmmm...

I am still trying to get an old skool RR taste in my homebrew. Very close, but I am not exactly on it yet. Next experiment is to lager an ale yeast, see if I get closer.

 

[winemaker81]

I opened a Barbera I purchased from Laithwaite. I can't recall having a straight Barbera other than the FWK pre-Tavola kit I made in 2021. While the quality of the FWK was good, it just wasn't my buddy.

For this one I poured unaerated and aerated samples. The unaerated sample resembles the kit in aroma and taste. Good but not my buddy.

The aerated? Aroma is brighter and as is the taste, almost sweet but with an acid tang.

Still not my buddy. Quality is fine, but it's not my preference.

 

[Boatboy24]

It's hot! Need an icy refreshing cocktail. Bring on the Dead Man's Handle:



https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/dead-mans-handle-a-tequila-cocktail/

 

[winemaker81]

Still not my buddy. Quality is fine, but it's not my preference.

Jim (@jswordy), no need to be sad on my account. I like most wines, with the exception of Barbera, Pinot Grigio, Muscadine, and Scuppernong. I try new Muscadine and Scuppernong on occasion, as I keep in mind that one day I may find one I like. I've yet to find a Pinot Grigio I like and I expect Barbara is the same. But I'll try new one on occasions. Ya never know!

An open mind is a good thing.

 

[Hazelemere]

Chilean Viognier 2024 from fresh juice SG 1.083 with D47 yeast

Appearance - clear, pale lemon yellow from cooler after bentonite and tartrates settling

Smell - good smell, delicate, trace of sulphite

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - decent even though its only a month old. We want to use it to improve Washington Sheridan Chardonnay on 71B yeast, so here is that blend in a glass i.e. Chardonnay Viognier (50/50) 2023-2024:

Smell - like lemony, buttered popcorn. The viognier needs time to develop its smell. I'm guessing 6 months should do i.e Xmas-New Years 2024

retaste:

Chilean Viognier 2024 from fresh juice SG 1.083 with D47 yeast

Appearance - clear, pale lemon yellow from cooler after bentonite and tartrates settling

Smell - good smell, delicate

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - good, this has improved a lot from last time. It has a bit of a young aftertaste which hopefully will improve over time

Australian Orange Muscat 2024 from fresh juice SG 1.083 with D47 yeast

Appearance - clear, pale lemon yellow from cooler after bentonite and tartrates settling

Smell - good smell, delicate, trace of sulphite

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - decent even though its only a month old. I like it better than the Viognier. We want to use it to improve Washington Sheridan Chardonnay on 71B yeast, so here is that blend in a glass i.e. Chardonnay d'Oranger (50/50) 2023-2024:

Smell - the Orange Muscat smell mutes the Sheridan Chardonnay buttered popcorn smell. The Orange Muscat needs time to develop its smell to the max. I'm guessing 6 months should do it i.e Xmas-New Years 2024

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - very nice even at this age. Orange Muscat seems to be the best blender for the Sheridan Chardonnay. This blend has a good aftertaste.

retaste:

Australian Orange Muscat 2024 from fresh juice SG 1.083 with D47 yeast

Appearance - clear, pale lemon yellow from cooler after bentonite and tartrates settling

Smell - good smell, delicate very pleasant

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - good, fragrant delicate orange muscat. Has a pleasant lingering aftertaste.

 

[Hazelemere]

Viognier d'Oranger 2024

This is a 50/50 blend of D47 fermented Fresco Australian Orange Muscat juice and Chilean Viognier juice from Feb 2024 harvest cleared with bentonite at SG 1.083.

Here are my comments:

Appearance - clear pale lemon yellow

Smell - good delicate complex smell

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is good with a good aftertaste which is attributed to the D47 yeast. Next I'll try this blend 50/50 with Washington Sheridan Chardonnay fermented with 71B yeast.

 

[Hazelemere]

Sheridan Chardonnay Viognier d'Oranger 2023-2024

This is a 50/50 blend of Sheridan Chardonnay fermented with 71B yeast and Viognier d'Oranger fermented with D47 yeast.

Here are my comments on this blend:

Appearance - clear deep lemon yellow

Smell - good complex interesting nose that lingers

Tannin - good

Acid - good

Flavour - this is very good and much better than the Chardonnay on its own. The 71B Chardonnay is a bit flat but the D47 wines balance the Chardonnay acid. The aftertaste is very good from the D47 yeast. I would make this blend again in a heartbeat. I will also start using more D47 in my white wine ferments instead of 71B or EC1118. It seems to improve mouthfeel and aftertaste.