What's in your glass tonight?

[winemaker81]

Mrs. WM81 gave me a couple of 6 packs of beer for my birthday.

Her gift is very thoughtful. She went to a local wine & beer store that sells only by individual bottles & cans, and chose 12 beers (well, 11 beers and 1 cider) from around the world, focusing on dark beers. She picked out things she knew I'd like to try (porters and stouts) and snagged other because it looked like a dark beer and the label was interesting.

I'm harder-n-heck to buy for and I love gifts like this, as the thought is more important than the gift itself, and I won't have to find a place to store it.

The first one opened is:



WOW! This is good.

Last night after mowing the lawn I was thirsty, so I ended up having two:



The one is a dark lager and I like it far better than others I've had.

After I logged off work today I tried this one:



This is my least favorite. It wasn't bad, just not overly flavorful.

BTW, the glass is from Aviator, a brewery local to Fuquay-Varina NC. "Beer Is My Friend" is their logo. Each fall they market Night Jump, a barrel aged Imperial Stout that is definitely worth it. Instead of pints it's served in a 10 oz glass as it's 13% ABV.

 

[Boatboy24]

Pretty tasty.

 

[wineh]

Only a hint of sexy. Leather, currants and raspberries and cherries on the nose. Red currants, cherries and chocolate on the palate. Full body and flavours, medium extraction. 14.5%

 

[bstnh1]

Only a hint of sexy. Leather, currants and raspberries and cherries on the nose. Red currants, cherries and chocolate on the palate. Full body and flavours, medium extraction. 14.5%View attachment 112418

The only time my tastebuds react like that is when I'm eating fruit cocktail. I never have tasted any fruit flavors, flint, grass, tobacco or any similar sensation when drinking wine unless it's a heavily flavored wine cooler type drink like WE Island Mist.

 

[Jovimaple]

The only time my tastebuds react like that is when I'm eating fruit cocktail. I never have tasted any fruit flavors, flint, grass, tobacco or any similar sensation when drinking wine unless it's a heavily flavored wine cooler type drink like WE Island Mist.

I sometimes get a hint of leather but I notice that when I sniff the cork right after I open the bottle. I'm wondering if some of the leather comes from the cork itself and dissipates when the bottle is open for a while?

 

[winemaker81]

I sometimes get a hint of leather but I notice that when I sniff the cork right after I open the bottle. I'm wondering if some of the leather comes from the cork itself and dissipates when the bottle is open for a while?

When taking a sip, swirl it around your mouth, hitting all parts of your tongue, cheeks, and gums. Suck in some air, and swallow. A lot of the flavors are subtle and the words used to describe the flavors are the closest available descriptor.

I have a pure Grenache and 2 Grenache blends -- I taste strawberry in one, raspberry in another, and blackberry in the third. For the grapes I purchased the Grenache provides the berry flavor, but it differs from wine-to-wine.

 

[Ohio Bob]

I sometimes get a hint of leather but I notice that when I sniff the cork right after I open the bottle. I'm wondering if some of the leather comes from the cork itself and dissipates when the bottle is open for a while?

Or is it the leather characteristic in the wine that is being absorbed into the cork? Assuming you age the bottles laying on their side.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

The only time my tastebuds react like that is when I'm eating fruit cocktail. I never have tasted any fruit flavors, flint, grass, tobacco or any similar sensation when drinking wine unless it's a heavily flavored wine cooler type drink like WE Island Mist.

agree I call all wine: Swill. some better than others.

 

[Christopher Anderson]

Did a VINCO White wine blend kit. Aged 3 months. Wife and friends enjoyed it!!

 

[wineview]

Mrs. WM81 gave me a couple of 6 packs of beer for my birthday.

Her gift is very thoughtful. She went to a local wine & beer store that sells only by individual bottles & cans, and chose 12 beers (well, 11 beers and 1 cider) from around the world, focusing on dark beers. She picked out things she knew I'd like to try (porters and stouts) and snagged other because it looked like a dark beer and the label was interesting.

I'm harder-n-heck to buy for and I love gifts like this, as the thought is more important than the gift itself, and I won't have to find a place to store it.

The first one opened is:

View attachment 112409

WOW! This is good.

Last night after mowing the lawn I was thirsty, so I ended up having two:

View attachment 112410

The one is a dark lager and I like it far better than others I've had.

After I logged off work today I tried this one:

View attachment 112411

This is my least favorite. It wasn't bad, just not overly flavorful.

BTW, the glass is from Aviator, a brewery local to Fuquay-Varina NC. "Beer Is My Friend" is their logo. Each fall they market Night Jump, a barrel aged Imperial Stout that is definitely worth it. Instead of pints it's served in a 10 oz glass as it's 13% ABV.

All good selections. I happen to have a Duvel in my glass at the moment. I wanted Chimay Blue but just couldn’t justify spending $31 for a four pack.

 

[winemaker81]

Last night I decided to have a second beer and snagged a can from the collection my wife gave me. Oddly, this one is a Pilsner, which isn't my typical beer, but it was also good.




Today after work I went in the opposite direction:



If you like a serious stout, this one is on the menu.

 

[Jovimaple]

Or is it the leather characteristic in the wine that is being absorbed into the cork? Assuming you age the bottles laying on their side.

It doesn't seem to matter which flavor wine, so I don't think so. But I will pay more attention to see if it's all of my wines or just the RJS Cru Specialty dessert wines - I KNOW I have noticed it on those.

 

[winemaker81]

Mrs. WM81 got home from work and asked if she'd like any of the beers she gave me. She was in the mood for a beer, which is not typical.

She doesn't drink the porters and stouts I like, but there was a Kolsch, so I opened it. Had to taste it -- it's a good one. When she tasted it, her eyes lit up. This one is a winner. I'll go back to that store and pick up a few cans.

 

[David Violante]

Bryan, great glass! We have a couple from that company when we visited over the summer last year. My son is a pilot and we really liked one of the summer drafts they had. They have a lot of neat aviation themed items incorporated into the place.

 

[winemaker81]

Bryan, great glass! We have a couple from that company when we visited over the summer last year. My son is a pilot and we really liked one of the summer drafts they had. They have a lot of neat aviation themed items incorporated into the place.

The brewery started out in an old hanger at a small airport near Fuquay-Varina, hence the name. They've grown a lot. In addition to the brewery, there's a restaurant, bar, and bottle shop in town. Parking can be a PITA, but the smoked wings are great!

 

[FlamingoEmporium]

We will be having my daughters sauv blanc with dinner. Just bottled last years juice pail. 30 full liters

 

[Hazelemere]

My son in law and I made this blend today which I'm tasting now from 30 bottles of his American medium toast oaked Sunrise apple, 45 oak cubes/30 bottle carboy, 30 bottles of my Cyser (King/Cox/Russet apple with Moonglow pears) with un-pasteurized blueberry blossom honey (no sugar added to this). No water added to any of it. 12 bottles of Russet apple juice chaptalized with cane sugar to make 72 bottles which we sorbated at SG 1.000 and raised the free sulphite from 12 up to 30 ppm and put in my cooler to age before bottling even 1 gallon. All of the apple wines were treated mid ferment with bentonite to remove protein haze.

Here are my comments:

Appearance - lemon yellow (which is perfect for apple wine)

Smell - good intense smell especially from the honey. Slight sulphite.

Tannin - good from the Russets and the oak

Acid - good from the Russets and the citric acid I added to the Cyser

Flavour - super intense apple wine with a long finish. This is a keeper with a really good aftertaste.

We'll try to take the last 45 bottles of oaked Sunrise apple to make another batch of this in 2024. Truly a pleasant surprise!

Retaste:

Here are my comments:

Appearance - clear yellow

Smell - good intense smell especially from the honey and russets. no sulphite smell.

Tannin - slightly high from the Russets and the oak plus honey which should help it age

Acid - good from the Russets and the citric acid I added to the Cyser

Flavour - intense apple wine with a long finish.

This could be very good as a cooking wine in any dish, especially spicy dishes, that call for caramelized onions e.g. chicken or prawn curry, French onion soup, vegan 3 sisters chili with jalapenos and cilantro, marinaded pork or chicken for Szechuan chow mein.

 

[winemaker81]

My elder son is currently making shrimp scampi for his mom & I tonight. After sampling a ginger beer he made, I opened a red for sipping while cooking. Ya know, "I cook with wine. Sometimes I put it in the food."

Dinner will be served with a Riesling he made, so he asked for a red for "cooking".

I opened the 2022 Melange de style Rhone that we made, bottled last November after 12 months in oak. He tasted it (not knowing what I poured) and could not identify it, but he's VERY happy with it. [This is 75% Grenache, 25% Rhone Blend (Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre)]

Tannin is a seasoning, not a major flavor. Acid is appropriate for a red -- it makes itself known without dominating.

Fruit? We have a slight disagreement. I taste mostly blackberry -- not exactly, but that's the closest I can describe it. He calls it "dark fruit", maybe currant with cherry. Thinking about it, there's strawberry in the background. Think of this as tasting the fruit without the sweetness.

This wine works because the components work together without anything dominating. I think we may have produced a 90 point wine.

 

[Hazelemere]

My elder son is currently making shrimp scampi for his mom & I tonight. After sampling a ginger beer he made, I opened a red for sipping while cooking. Ya know, "I cook with wine. Sometimes I put it in the food."

Dinner will be served with a Riesling he made, so he asked for a red for "cooking".

I opened the 2022 Melange de style Rhone that we made, bottled last November after 12 months in oak. He tasted it (not knowing what I poured) and could not identify it, but he's VERY happy with it. [This is 75% Grenache, 25% Rhone Blend (Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre)]

Tannin is a seasoning, not a major flavor. Acid is appropriate for a red -- it makes itself known without dominating.

Fruit? We have a slight disagreement. I taste mostly blackberry -- not exactly, but that's the closest I can describe it. He calls it "dark fruit", maybe currant with cherry. Thinking about it, there's strawberry in the background. Think of this as tasting the fruit without the sweetness.

This wine works because the components work together without anything dominating. I think we may have produced a 90 point wine.

View attachment 112529

congratulations! Grenache may = strawberry.

 

[Hazelemere]

Dineen Cabernet Franc 2020

This is hand destemmed, uncrushed Washington Dineen Vineyard Cabernet Franc in perfect condition in boxes fermented with RC212 yeast for 22 days before pressing at 14.9% alcohol i.e. dead ripe Cabernet Franc. I have 11 bottles left.

Here are my comments on this wine:

Appearance - deep purple red

Smell - good fragrant nose

Tannin - perfect

Acid - very good considering the ripeness of the grapes

Flavour - rich, complex, tasty. This is really good, with a really good aftertaste, and tastes better now than the last time. My wife finds it high in alcohol. I don't even though at 14.9% it is. This is getting better in the bottle especially over the last 6 months so I won't taste more than one every 6 months as it ages so I can see how it develops. Right at this moment its very good with a beautiful aftertaste.

retaste:

Appearance - deep purple red

Smell - good fragrant nose - licorice, chocolate, elderberries, blueberries, black cherries, sweet oak (vanilla from medium toast American oak cubes)

Tannin - perfect

Acid - slightly high but perfect for a wine to age. I have 8 left.

Flavour - rich, complex, tasty. This is really good, with a really good aftertaste. I'll try to keep my mitts out of it and open 1 every 12 months for the next 8 years. This has the acid and tannin to let it age. I think I'll open one each year at a family super dinner (Easter, Thanksgiving or Xmas) to see how it ages to a maximum 0f 12 years old in a cooler. This is delicious Washington Cabernet Franc, perfectly ripe and in perfect condition with a really good yeast with excellent nutrient RC212. I'd make it again if I could in a heartbeat but that probably won't happen since the Okanagan vineyards were trashed by a winter coldspell and will import all of the Washington grapes that they can get to stay alive financially. I get it totally. I won't be buying Washington red wine grapes anytime soon.

PS. Love your mothers including the mother of your children!