Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey

Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey.

The Johnson Distilling Company

Bardstown, KY

50% Alcohol (100 Proof)

I've reviewed and tasted a few unaged and/or barely aged white lightnings, white dogs, white whiskeys, moonshine or whatever you want to call them over the past couple of years.  And generally, they're a bit underwhelming and overly sweet.  The only exception was Germain Robin's Low Gap whiskey which is far and above the best white whiskey I've ever tasted. So now, we have another in the lineup, The Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey.

Budweiser Project Twelve No. 63118

Budweiser Project Twelve

Batch No. 63118

Amber Lager

Anheuser-Busch

St. Louis, Missouri

IBU's: ? (Low)

6.0% Alcohol

 

Here's a review of the third beer from the Budweiser Project 12 variety pack, Batch No. 63118.

Heineken Dark Lager

Heineken Dark Lager

Holland

28 IBU's

5.0% Alcohol

Now if you haven't tried regular Heineken, then you probably don't drink a lot of beer.  The regular is still one of the better macro beers out there, especially on a hot summer day.

So, what have we now?  

Ahh yes, a review of Heineken Dark Lager, something for a colder Fall or Winter day.  

Layer Cake Primitivo 2010

Layer Cake

Primitivo a.k.a. Zinfandel

Pure Love Wines

Puglia, Italy

Vintage: 2010

 

Now we're talking, another review of a Layer Cake Wine.  Here we have the 2010 Layer Cake Primitivo (Zinfandel).

Budweiser Project Twelve No. 91406

Budweiser Project Twelve

Batch No. 91406

Amber Lager

Anheuser-Busch

Los Angeles, CA

IBU's: ?

6.0% Alcohol

Here is another beer from the new Budweiser Project Twelve collection pack, this is a review of Budweiser Batch No. 91406.

Making Homemade Hobo Jug Wine

Making Homemade Hobo/Jug Wine

For awhile now, I've been wanting to make homemade wine.  But I'm not talking about the fancy pants, artisanal craft wine, I'm talking nasty rotgut, ghetto style wine.  One step above prison wine and without needing to make it in a toilet or garbage bag...  and without having to be someone's bitch. 

Homemade hobo wine, also called jug wine, is made from pretty easy to find ingredients.  Here's the list of ingredients you need:

Korbel Brandy

Korbel Brandy

Korbel California Champagne Cellars 

40% Alcohol (80 Proof)

You rarely hear about California brandy.  It's always the stuff from Europe that garners attention.  Not that there isn't amazing brandy made in California (Germain-Robin for example), it's just not that big of industry here in American compared to say our wine or craft beer cultures.

Samuel Adams Holiday Porter

Samuel Adams

Holiday Porter.

Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)

40 IBU's

5.8% Alcohol

Here is another beer from the 2012 Sam Adams Holiday Variety Pack, my review of the Samuel Adams Holiday Porter.

Budweiser Project Twelve No. 23185

Budweiser Project Twelve

Batch No. 23185.

Amber Lager

Anheuser-Busch

Williamsburg, Virginia

IBU's: Unknown, but low.

5.5% Alcohol

Well, it's been a long time since I reviewed a Budweiser beer.  

Back when I started this website, I reviewed Bud Light Lime which was actually only my second review ever on here!  Talk about crazy!

Layer Cake Malbec 2011

Layer Cake Malbec.

2011.

Pure Love Wines

Mendoza, Argentina

And here we have it, the 2011 Layer Cake Malbec.

If you read through some of my amazing wine reviews, particularly the Malbec reviews, it won't take long before you see me mention the Layer Cake Malbec.  

Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka

Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka.

Diageo

Alcohol Content: 30% (60 Proof).

Ahh yes, another new Smirnoff vodka to review.  

I swear they come out with two new flavors of Smirnoff every month or two.  Last time it was Fluffed Marshmallow and Whipped Cream, but now it's Kissed Caramel and this bottle, the Smirnoff Iced Cake Vodka.

Samuel Adams White Christmas Ale

Samuel Adams White Christmas Ale

Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)

8 IBU's

5.8% Alcohol

Well, here's another from the Samuel Adams Winter variety pack, a review of the White Christmas Ale.

This is a Limited Release beer, but I'm honestly not even sure it's sold in regular six-packs.  It might only just be in the winter pack.

What is Alcohol? - Part 1

What is Alcohol?

 Part 1

We all hear a lot about alcohol: 
the swirling, 
the smelling, 
the tasting, 
the drinking, 
the benefits, 
the socializing,
the enjoyment,
the hazards, 
the stupidity,
the arrests,
the hangovers,
the pregnancies,
the awesome review blogs...  

But, what is alcohol?  

Now don't get me wrong, I'm no physician, merely an awesome beverage reviewer (although I do have a Masters Degree -- I didn't get these fancy pieces of paper for nothing!  I have the student debt to prove it!).   
I figure you should at least understand something about the booze you're pouring down your drunken throat.  So let's get back to basics, and I promise this will be at least mildly interesting...   Plus, hey, maybe you can use this knowledge as some sort of weird pick-up line, "Hey baby, I'd like to see your yeast metabolize my sugars, then distill it down real good!"  Okay, so that might not work... and it sounds kind of gross, but if you try that line out, let me know.

Anyway, alcohol is perhaps the oldest psychoactive known to man.  Even monkeys and other animals have been seen drinking it in the wild.  Technically, of course, we are talking about ethanol (aka ethyl alcohol), the kind of alcohol you can safely drink (in moderation).  Now don't confuse this with isopropyl alcohol, a disinfectant, or methanol (methyl alcohol) which is used as a solvent, as a fuel for race cars, and in the making of formaldehyde.  One will make you happy, one will make you sick, and one will cause blindness and metabolic issues.  

That's my kind of party!

So what in the heck is alcohol?  Well, alcohol is a byproduct of fermentation whereby yeast metabolizes sugars into carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethanol.  (*Que random Bill Nye the Science Guy reference*) If you've ever had a bottle conditioned beer, you've experienced the full process, as these beers have yeast added directly into the bottle, either for the full fermentation or to simply add additional carbonation without having to use added pressurized gas.  
Sounds cool because it is. 

Alcohol, itself, is a clear, neutral spirit (*Bob's Interesting Fact of the Day: 190 Proof alcohol, like Everclear, is the highest proof that can be made by regular distilling methods, past that and the water won't separate any further).  Most alcoholic beverages, whether it be vodka, whisky, wine, or beer, are flavored the way they are simply as a result of the type of liquid in which the sugars were originally contained (ie. grapes, wheat, honey, etc.), the strain of yeast which did the fermenting, AND the processing from that point onward (distilling, filtering, aging, adding ingredients, putting into a fancy bottle).  The point is, the end alcohol contained in each is virtually the same.   

But understand that just because the alcohol is the same, does not mean the remainder of the product is the same!  Quite the opposite!  It's the rest of the booze, that remaining 60% for most hard liquor or 86% for most wine, etc., that makes all the difference.  How a product is treated and processed are critical to its final flavor and quality.  

The secondary compounds (whether inherent or added) in a given type of booze can make your "buzz" from the alcohol feel differently.  This is why a beer buzz feels different from a wine buzz, and a tequila buzz makes you get in bar fights.   

What actually happens when you drink alcohol?  Well, the alcohol is absorbed via your stomach and your small intestine.  The key here is that your stomach can only absorb 10-20% of the alcoholic content, whereas your small intestine can absorb 70-80%.  This is exactly why drinking on an empty stomach will get you drunk faster, but drinking with or after a meal blunts the effects, since the food gets stopped up at the pyloric valve (which is the nifty gatekeeper between the stomach and small intestine) until it is digested further.
  
The whole rumor about food "soaking up" the alcohol is a bunch of BS.  

Granted, there are some interesting things which can change your absorption rates.  For example, citrus speeds up your metabolism of alcohol, whereas carbonated beverages or spicy foods can essentially "tickle" your pyloric valve causing food and drinks to pass through more quickly, thus increasing how much alcohol gets metabolized.  This is why you got wasted at that weeknight party from only a couple cocktails.  Not because you're a lightweight.   
Okay, so maybe you really are a lightweight, but at least now you have an excuse...  

There are other ways to increase your absorption of alcohol, but since they involve body cavities, feminine products, and intravenous drug use, I'm not going to talk about them.  Don't even bother looking them up, they're dangerous, potentially lethal, and go against the whole responsible enjoyment of quality beverages that I endorse.  Seriously.

Anyway from there, your liver metabolizes 95% of the absorbed alcohol that's in your bloodstream.  A portion of the remaining 5% is excreted by your lungs.  This is how breathalyzers can detect alcohol in your system just from you exhaling into a machine on the side of the road.  This is also why sucking on pennies or using breath mints doesn't defeat a breathalyzer.  I've heard reports of people hurrying and using mouthwash when they are getting pulled over by the police, then blowing a massively unreal blood alcohol content reading (the machine was picking up the alcohol in the bloodstream AND the alcohol content of the mouthwash still lingering in the mouth)(*Reminder: Don't Drink and Drive).

On an interesting note, hardcore alcoholics do NOT need to drink as much to get drunk because as your liver starts to fail, it cannot no longer metabolize effectively and therefore excrete alcohol from your system.  Now you know.   

So, that's it for today's post.            

COMING SOON: What is Alcohol? - Part 2 where I go over alcohol's effects on your mind, body, and bank account. 

Also included: alcohol's history, health benefits, hazards, and obscenely lowered inhibitions leading to things we would all like to forget the next morning.

Cheers!



Remember, please drink responsibly.

Cherry Pie Pinot Noir

Cherry Pie Pinot Noir

2010
Hundred Acre

Stanly Ranch, Napa Valley, California

Jayson Woodbridge

Every time I think of cherry pie, I think of the Rock hit by Warrant.  I can't help it.  It gets stuck in your head.  Not that it has anything to do with this elegant wine, though.

But this, this is the review of the Cherry Pie wine, a Pinot Noir from winemaker Jayson Woodbridge.  Not quite the same as a song by Warrant.  Not at all.

Redwood Creek Malbec

Redwood Creek Malbec

2009

Frei Brothers Vineyard

Mendoza, Argentina

So, here we have another Malbec up for review.  And again, it's a Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina.  

Imagine that.

This is the 2009 Vintage Redwood Creek Malbec from the Frei Brothers Vineyard.

Steam Pumper IPA

Steam Pumper IPA

Fire Station 5 Brewing Company

India Pale Ale

Portland, Oregon

49 IBU's

6.5% Alcohol

I saw this beer awhile back at a Fred Meyer grocery store and bought it since I had never seen it before.  This is the Steam Pumper IPA from the Fire Station 5 Brewing Company.  

And why had I never heard of the Fire Station 5 Brewing Company?  That's because it's not a real brewery...

Layer Cake Chardonnay

Layer Cake Chardonnay

2011

Pure Love Wines

California

I'm finally catching up on trying the various varietals from Layer Cake Wines.  This is my first tasting of the Layer Cake Chardonnay, the 2011 vintage to be precise.

Keystone Premium

Keystone Premium

American Lager (Beer)

Coors Brewing Co.

IBU's: <10

4.4% Alcohol

Good ol' Keystone beer.  Keystone Premium to be precise.  

It's weird that back in the day, before I knew what good beer was, I always had friends around who drank Keystone Light or Keystone Ice.  But surprisingly I rarely, and I mean rarely, ever saw the regular Keystone.  And by regular Keystone, I mean the one in the red can, also oddly known as Keystone Premium.

If You See Kay Red Wine

If You See Kay

Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Blend

2010

One True Vine/Hundred Acre Winery

Lazio, Italy

So... here's a wine that's garnered some attention, If You See Kay.  Obviously, the name is a play on words from the lengthy classic James Joyce novel, Ulysses.  The full quote is:

If you see kay      

Tell him he may      

See you in tea      

Tell him from me

An observant reader would notice another four letter word, but hey, it's literature!  What we're really here for is the wine!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Drink up!  Eat up!  Be Merry (and safe)!  And be grateful of how fortunate we all are to be living right here and right now.

Cheers!



PS. Here's a hilarious video about cooking turkey.  (*Explicit* language)

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Samuel Adams

Chocolate Bock

Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)

11 IBU's

5.8% Alcohol

I keep wondering how many beers from Samuel Adams I've actually tried.  I'm willing to bet it's at least 25, yet they keep coming out with new beers!  More for me to try!  Not a bad problem to have.

So up for review today we have the Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock.

Layer Cake Pinot Noir

Layer Cake Pinot Noir

2010

Pure Love Wines

California

I find Pinot Noir to be one of the more interesting wine varietals.  I think it's because of the huge variance it can have in tastes, much more so than many other wine types.  I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, it just is what it is.  I've heard this is because it's a difficult grape to work with.

Speaking of Pinot Noir, for today's review  we have the 2010 Pinot Noir from Layer Cake...

Broken Shed Vodka

Broken Shed

Vodka

New Zealand

40% Alcohol Content (80 Proof)

I can't say that I've had a lot of vodka from New Zealand.  Or really had a lot of anything from New Zealand for that matter.  

If you can't remember where or what New Zealand is, it's right by Australia and is where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot!  A gorgeous, gorgeous place!

Bear Flag Dark Red Wine Blend

Bear Flag

Dark Red Wine Blend

California

And the award for the craziest wine label goes to... Bear Flag and their Dark Red Wine Blend.  

Seriously look at that label!  There's a crack down the middle where there isn't any label, just the glass bottle.  I've never ever seen that before.  It's simultaneously cool and crazy.

Speaking of cool and crazy, that pretty much sums up this wine...

Pinetti Notte Rosé Wine

Pinetti Notte Rosé

2010

Rosé/Blush

Sicility, Italy

I don't normally drink or review a lot of  rosé wines.  Not that I don't enjoy them occasionally, but it's just hard to go to the store and see a couple Malbecs or Cabs I haven't tried right next to some pink Moscatos, White Zinfandels, and the like.  It's hard for me to resist trying to dark reds.

But several months back, I went to a rather large wine festival with my wife.  If you've read through this site, you've likely noticed that I've been on a quest to find drinks my wife will enjoy, with varied success.  Fortunately at this wine festival, she realized that she actually likes a few of the pink wines, Moscatos and such.  And with the popularity these pink wines are rapidly gaining, I figure I should start reviewing a few more.

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Samuel Adams

Old Fezziwig Ale

Winter Warmer

Boston Brewing Company (Sam Adams)

27 IBU's

5.9% Alcohol

Is it too early to review a holiday beer?  

I don't think so.  It's starting to get cold, at least here.  Like really, really cold.  The other day I was out fishing and it basically started blizzarding on me.  I could have used a nice Winter Warmer brew right about then.

Ravenswood Petite Sirah

Ravenswood

Petite Sirah

Vintners Blend

2009

California

I'm willing to bet that  a lot of people don't know the difference between Syrah, Shiraz, and Petite Sirah.  It's all a bit confusing at first, I get that.  But nothing too complicated.

Samuel Adams Whitewater IPA

Samuel Adams

Whitewater IPA

Boston Beer Company (Sam Adams)

IBU's: 60

Alcohol Content: 5.8%

I believe this is the fifth Samuel Adams beer I've reviewed here on the site.  This is kind of weird considering how many tasty beers Sam Adams makes and the fact that I've tried a good majority of them.  Oh well, it's hard to review them all!

Zinopolis Zinfandel

Zinopolis Zinfandel

2010

California

Here we go again!

This is a review of the 2010 Zinopolis Zinfandel from California.  When I picked up this bottle, I assumed it would taste a lot like a typical California Zinfandel.  And certainly, I was correct!  I love it when I'm right...

Little Chica Malbec

Little Chica Malbec

2010

Mendoza, Argentina

I'm still on a Malbec kick.  I don't know why.  But hey, there's worse things I could be doing.

This is my review of the 2010 Little Chica Malbec.

Deschutes Obsidian Stout

Obsidian Stout

Deschutes Brewery

Bend, Oregon

IBU's: 55

Alcohol Content: 6.4%

I was thinking about this beer the other day, the Obsidian Stout from Deschutes, and I realized that even though I've gone through several six packs over the past couple of years I have NEVER reviewed it!  To me, this is a pretty common beer, but I realize for some people (especially East Coasters) this may be a bit harder to find.  Which is a pity...

Paulaner Salvator Double Bock

Paulaner Salvator 

Double Bock

Beer

Germany

IBU's: 28

Alcohol Content: 7.9%

You'd think that here in America we would have a lot more German beers to drink, especially considering how big the beer scene is in Germany.  

But alas, this isn't the case.  You can find them if you are willing to look a bit harder and pay a bit more, but you're not going to find them at the gas station or Walmart... which is a shame.

Red Bicyclette Syrah

Red Bicyclette Syrah

2009

France

Vin de Pays d'Oc Appelation

Red Bicyclette Syrah is another Syrah which brings up the discussion of Syrah versus Shiraz.  If you're familiar with these wines, you'll already know they're the same grape.  The difference is in their characteristics determined by where they are grown...

Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager

Black Star

Double Hopped Golden Lager

Great Northern Brewing Company

Montana

IBU's: 15

Alcohol Content: 4.6%

So to start this review of Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager, I want everyone to take a look up top at the information on this beer.  See that?  See something that doesn't quite add up?  Are you thoroughly confused?

That's right.

Beringer Pinot Noir Founders' Estate

Beringer Pinot Noir

Founders' Estate

2009

California

I find Beringer interesting.  Not so much for their wine, itself, but rather the huge variety they have within the wine they produce.  They make several bottles under $10 and several costing $200+ a bottle, with many, many bottles in between.  There are not very many wineries than can claim such a feat.

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon

Layer Cake Cabernet Sauvignon

2010

Pure Love Wines

California, USA

Amazingly, this is the fourth Layer Cake wine I have reviewed.  

I've already formally reviewed their Primitivo/Zinfandel (2008), Shiraz (2010), and their delicious Malbec (2010).  Well now, it's time for their Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 Vintage to be precise.

Cruzan Coconut Rum

Cruzan Coconut Rum

St. Croix,  US Virgin Islands

Alcohol Content: 21% (42 Proof)

Here's another drink in a long list of things I've purchased for my wife in an attempt to find things she will drink.  Most of my attempts have been complete and utter failures.  She's picky.  Fair enough.

Paul Masson VS Grande Amber Brandy

Paul Masson

VS Grande Amber Brandy

Origin: America

40% Alcohol (80 Proof)

When people think of brandy, they don't normally think of... America.

Primal Roots Red Blend

Primal Roots Red Blend

2010

Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel Blend

California

Here is another red wine blend from California, the 2010 Primal Roots Red Blend.  

I always find blends interesting.  Not necessarily because they're all that good, but because this is the result of someone trying to mix a few different styles of wine from multiple batches and vintages and come out with something that tastes desirable.  At least that's their hope, I'm sure.  Blends usually seem to be mild and easy-going, with only a couple here and there worth seeking out.

Odell Double Pilsner

Odell Brewing Double Pilsner

IBU's: 40

Alcohol Content: 8.1%

This is the fourth beer from Odell Brewing that I have formally reviewed.  The others were their standard IPA, their Myrcenary IPA, and their signature 90 Shilling Ale.

It would be easy to say I have a love-hate relationship with Odell Brewing's beers.

Trapiche Broquel Malbec

Trapiche Broquel Malbec

2008

Mendoza, Argentina

I'm kind of on a Malbec runner here lately.  I think this is the fifth Malbec I've reviewed in a little over a week.

Cupcake Malbec

Cupcake Vineyards Malbec

2010

Mendoza, Argentina

So, here's another Cupcake wine.  I've already reviewed their Red Velvet and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.  I actually found their Red Velvet to be better than their Cab, which surprised me. It was only a matter of time before I reviewed their Malbec...

Septima Malbec

Septima Malbec

Bodega

2009

Mendoza, Argentina

I know, I know, here's another Malbec.  I've been reviewing quite a few Malbecs.  And I'm good with that.

This is the 2009 Bodega Septima Malbec.  Like most Malbecs, it's also out of the Mendoza Region of Argentina.  

Flip Flop Merlot

Flip Flop Merlot

2009

California

You never hear people raving about Merlot.  Perhaps that movie, you know the one I'm talking about, ruined it forever.  I'm not saying Merlot is my favorite wine variety either, although I have had a couple really good Merlots this year.

Durigutti Malbec

Durigutti Malbec

2009

Mendoza, Argentina

Well, here's another Malbec.

This is the 2009 Durigutti Malbec from the Mendoza Region of Argentina, like so many other Malbecs.  

Zantho Zweigelt Wine

Zantho Zweigelt

2010 Vintage

Burgenland, Austria

Zweigelt.  

That's right Zweigelt.

For many occasional wine drinkers Zweigelt is probably a word they've never heard before (although it is also referred to as Rotburger).  It's not a big name varietal like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.  Nope, this is Zweigelt straight out of the Burgenland Region of Austria.  

Milwaukee's Best Ice Beer

Milwaukee's Best Ice

Beer

Miller Brewing Co.

IBU's: ?

Alcohol Content: 5.9%

I'm always amazed to find something I haven't tried before at the grocery store, especially cheap beer.   It seems like I've tried it all!  I don't know what that says about me, but...

Well, here's the review of Milwaukee's Best Ice!  I don't know why this is hard to find here, but it is. 

Smirnoff Ice Cherry Lime

Smirnoff Ice Cherry Lime

Flavored Malt Beverage

Alcohol Content: 4.5%

The other day my wife picked up some drinks for her sister's birthday party.  Now normally, I'm the one trying to find drinks my wife will enjoy, rarely does she pick them out.  

But this time, she did.

I'm actually surprised she chose the Cherry Lime Smirnoff Ice.  I don't know why, I guess I just didn't think it was a flavor she would really enjoy.  

Shows what I know!  

Tinto Negro Malbec

Tinto Negro Malbec

2011

Valle de Uco, Mendoza, Argentina

Ohhhhhhh yes, another Malbec from Argentina.  

This bottle is the 2011 Tinto Negro Malbec produced by Bodega Cruz de Piedra out of Mendoza, Argentina (like a TON of other Malbecs).