Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #13

Figured I'd go for another imported beer, from the same brand that makes my favorite. Not quite what I expected, considering Aventinus, but interesting nonetheless.



Schneider Weisse Original Weissbier
500mL bottle at 5.4% ABV
Appearance: 5/10 (D)
A very cloudy beer with an unusually dark color, especially for a wheat beer. A nice, fine head with even lacing, though it doesn't last.
Aroma/Nose: 7/10 (C+)
A lovely roasted smell, with just a hint of hops and a subtle yeastiness to it. It has overtones of allspice and a vague smokiness to it.
Mouthfeel: 7.5/10 (B-)
A incredibly smooth beer, though perhaps a little on the fizzy side. A very refreshing drink on a hot summer day.
Flavor: 6/10 (C-)
Soft and subtle, this beer is definitely a true weissbier, though with a subtle take on the malt flavor. A developed hoppy flavor with an aftertaste of bitter citrus.
Overview: 6.5/10 (C)
Roundabout a typical beer, this one is lighter and probably a good substitute if you can't get your hands on a summer beer. Otherwise, it doesn't stand out that much.

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #9

Well, I figured it's about time I posted up a review on my drink of choice, so here it is! Produced in Bavaria by G. Schneider & Sohn, otherwise known as Schneider Weisse, and bottle fermented until perfect. This particular brew has a different flavor depending upon how long it's been sitting in the bottle - For optimum taste, I prefer to let it sit around for about three to four months from the bottling date before I drink it. The younger beer has a sharper palette, while the aged beer is more mellow and smooth. Letting it sit for more than six months past the bottling date is not ideal, though. If not kept under optimal conditions, it tends to develop odd flavors by that time. Anyway, here's the review, which was done with a four-month-old beer.



Schneider Weisse Aventinus Wheat Doppelbock
500mL bottle at 8.2% ABV
Appearance: 7.5/10 (B-)
A nice, cloudy ale with a dark toffee color and a surprisingly white head, this beer stands out as a traditional style German brew, forming that delightfully lopsided foam that all great ales have.
Aroma/Nose: 9/10 (A-)
A strong, yeasty aroma not unlike fresh cooked bread, with a definite hint of malt and fruity tones of banana. May be a little on the sour side for some people, though.
Mouthfeel: 8.5/10 (B+)
A brilliantly thick beer, very deserving of the name liquid bread, with a soft prickle to it and a gentle numbness that follows it down the throat.
Flavor: 8.5/10 (B+)
With a good balance, this beer is sweet and sharp at the same time, with a wholeness to it that's rather unique. A particularly malty brew, with a aftertaste of cloves.
Overview: 8.5/10 (B+)
Hands down one of the best ales I've had, this traditional twist on the doppelbock is and always will be a favorite of mine. A real treat for those that like their brews wholesome and heavy.

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #5

Austrian beer... Yep. That's good stuff. In fact, there's this alpine variety of beer that I once tried, with some spices and herbs added to it during the brewing process. I've got to say, it's quite an interesting concept. Almost like a gruit beer. Except with hops.



Edelweiss Snowfresh Weissbier
330mL bottle at 5.0% ABV
Appearance: 6/10 (C-)
As a light beer, a pale color is expected, and it delivers. However, it's a tad cloudy, perhaps for style or to show the herbs used in flavoring. Of course, the main downfall is the weakness of the golden color.
Aroma/Nose: 6.5/10 (C)
Lightly pungent with the smell of a few herbs I barely recognize, this beer could smell a little more pleasant. It's not too bad, though, with soft undertones of malt.
Mouthfeel: 8/10 (B)
A very rich feeling, smooth and somehow prickly and sharp at the same time. Despite the fizziness, however, this beer doesn't hurt the tongue like some do.
Flavor: 7.5/10 (B-)
With an intense sweetness not usually associated with beers, and a faint flavor of hops and a flowery tail, this beer delivers unexpectedly. The herbs are a good addition.
Overview: 7/10 (C+)
Though it delivers in flavor and texture, this beer is lacking in other aesthetics. A good casual beer, but not something I'd drink to be fancy.

For those of those who don't know what gruit is... Well, it's essentially what humanity used to preserve their beer before the discovery of hops. Generally a mixture of herbs and spices to give flavor or ward off unwanted bacterial and fungal growth. And bugs.

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #4

So, there's a local British shop around here. They sell British stuff... Not like I needed to say that. But at any rate, while looking around for unusual imported or 'traditional' goods, such as black pudding, mushy peas, or whatever, I came across this unusually marked brew. Fascinating, really. I have had beers brewed with fruit, but those were Belgian, and very unlike this here product. It even has a little blurb written on it, describing it's aspiration to be liquid bread; liquid banana bread, in fact.

Heck, the label itself was enough to make me go bananas for it. Pun most definitely intended. (Don't hit me!)



Wells' Banana Bread Beer
500mL bottle at 5.2% ABV
Appearance: 7/10 (C+)
A strong toffee color beer with a good clarity. Unfortunately, the head doesn't last, nor does it look good, and there's no lacing to speak of without shaking the bottle excessively.
Aroma/Nose: 5/10 (D)
Ugh. I hate it when beers turn skunky. People should really learn to put anything with hops in it into brown or red bottles. Ignoring that, there's a sweet caramel-banana flavor hidden underneath the typical malt of the beer. I'd give it 8/10 (B) if it wasn't for the skunk.
Mouthfeel: 6.5/10 (C)
Though at first thin and with the fizziness too coarse to be truly pleasant, this beer has an unusual slickness to it and seems thicker than it first did. Not bad.
Flavor: 9/10 (A-)
This one is sure a surprise. Even considering the slight skunk the beer currently has, both the overtones and undertones of this beer are delightfully rich in flavor, with a banana flavor that hits the spot perfectly - Nothing artificial tasting there. The hint of bitterness left over by the hops makes it seem much like a rye bread, too.
Overview: 7/10 (C+)
For such a light colored beer, this brew actually surprised me in pretty much qualifying for the term 'liquid bread'. Even if it's not your kind of brew, worth it simply for the great flavor and novelty. If it hadn't been a bit skunked, this beer would've scored 7.5/10 (B-). If I can get my hands on a fresh bottle, I'd probably do the review again and re-rate it. Unfortunately, this particular bottle was imported from the UK to the southern hemisphere, and has sat in less-than-ideal conditions for an extended period of time.


On another note, this beer actually lists the ingredients (Probably because a lot of people are allergic to bananas.). I wonder if there's any beers out there that list the nutritional information too? (Light beers don't count!)

Just A Dash Of Liquid Courage: #1

Well, since this here is a new post, I figure I'll explain a few things. As you've undoubtedly noticed, I have a penchant for flavors. There's surprisingly little true reviews of booze on the 'net, so I figured I'd fill the gap a little. I try to judge this as objectively as I possibly can, but you gotta remember, I'm only human! Okay, well, I have my tastes and preferences, but try not to let them get in the way.

If you're worried I might be bending the results in favor of the drinks I personally like, then you might want to know my tastes. I'm an ale kind of guy when it comes to beers, preferring my drink to be like liquid bread with plenty of body. When it comes to wines, I'm more of a dessert wine fan, and also of that spicy Pinot Noir, though I tend to get bored of grapes (So you won't see too many grape wines listed here.). When it comes to spirits, I'm relatively neutral, though I do tend towards brandy, whiskey, and gin. For liquors, I generally dislike chocolate/coffee flavors, but that's about it.

Right, well, now that that's covered, I'll be putting out a post every week or so (Maybe every two weeks, who knows) with a review on a new drink. I'll have four factors taken into consideration: Appearance, aroma, texture, and flavor. Each aspect gets a grading from 0 to 10, with 0 being the worst and 10 being the best, and 5 about average. There's also an alternate grading, ranging from U (Ungraded, absolutely terrible.) and F- to A+, each corresponding to a numerical value. With each aspect, I'll give a sentence or two describing the characteristics at hand, and finish with an overview averaging the four aspects, and my own opinion on the drink. Bottle size and ABV are also listed, but I'm leaving out prices since they're prone to change and don't really reflect well on the quality of the drink. If it's exorbitantly priced, though, I'll mention it.

At any rate, first thing's first!

I happened to come across this unusual brew one day in the supermarket - the fact that a beer could be brewed with the addition of chocolate intrigued me so, and so I decided to give it a go.



Young's Double Chocolate Stout
500mL bottle at 5.2% ABV
Appearance: 7/10 (C+)
Very dark, typical of stout, with a shade similar to cola, but more opaque. Lacing is clean but somewhat uneven, and head, while not very aggressive, doesn't last long either.
Aroma/Nose: 9/10 (A-)
Incredibly chocolatey smell, almost like roasted coffee, with undertones of fruit. Pleasant, but very unlike most beers you'll find.
Mouthfeel: 3/10 (E-)
Very sharp and prickly - overly carbonated, but otherwise considerably light on the tongue for a stout.
Flavor: 3/10 (E-)
At first fruity, but then bitterness overflows all else - tastes slightly burnt, with the chocolate being mild. Aftertaste is similar, but persistent. For me, it could be a good beer, if it didn't have the burnt flavor.
Overview: 5.5/10 (D+)
Definitely not a beer I'd buy again, but certainly worth a try for the curious. For those who love their coffee black and their chocolate without sugar, it's a brew born in Heaven. Personally, I'd rather smell it than drink it.