Wine and Beer Enthusiasts

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm still waiting for a handful of interesting barrel-aged beers from a selection of breweries as well.

Wonderful.

Today, a 6% Astra Rotlicht shall lighten up my evening.

Do enjoy.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Enjoyed a few glasses of wine (two each of Pinot Blanc and Amarone) last night with an academic friend in a wine bar we are both quite partial to.

 

[it wasnt me]

I have been considering trying a wine bar tomorrow night as well. When I last went to a dedicated wine bar, I did not even drink wine yet. It might enjoy it more nowadays.

 

[obeygiant]

pinot grigio for the win 🙂

 

[it wasnt me]

I’m more into Primitivo, I’m afraid. But a good Pinot is lovely for Summer.

 

[it wasnt me]

Starting the Whisky Fair in Hamburg (“Hanse Spirit”) with a barrel-aged smoked Scotch Ale on the train.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

pinot grigio for the win 🙂

While I am more than partial to Pinot Gris, I will confine my encounters with Pinot Grigio to summer.

 

[it wasnt me]

Made the wort for my cock ale today. Waiting for the yeast while the chicken is marinating in a few bottles of Pedro Ximénez.

 

[decafjava]

Made the wort for my cock ale today. Waiting for the yeast while the chicken is marinating in a few bottles of Pedro Ximénez.

Very cool can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[it wasnt me]

Neither can I!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sampled (and very much enjoyed) a Belgian beer that I hadn't come across before now, a beer (or, rather Belgian red ale) that goes by the name of Duchesse de Bourgogne.

 

[it wasnt me]

I had seen that somewhere in the shops. I'll add it to my list...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had seen that somewhere in the shops. I'll add it to my list...

The tasting notes on the label describe it as sweet, which was not my experience; rather, (and this is a Belgian ale, not a classic dubbel, or quadrupel) it comes with some sour notes (not unwelcome) not unlike a 'lambic' style of beer.

 

[it wasnt me]

I happened to have a Trappistes Rochefort Triple Extra a few days ago. I rather like the Belgian sweetness and carbony...ness.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I happened to have a Trappistes Rochefort Triple Extra a few days ago. I rather like the Belgian sweetness and carbony...ness.

Sounds delicious.

Does the "Tripel Extra" differ from the more usual Tripel offered by Trappistes Rochefort?

 

[it wasnt me]

It does:

Triple Extra - Trappistes Rochefort

www.trappistes-rochefort.com

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Enjoyed a glass of Italian wine, made from a grape I hadn't ever encountered before now, the Pecorino grape.

Very agreeable and palatable, and not unlike Viognier, a grape I am also more than partial to.

 

[it wasnt me]

Doppelbock time. No Weihenstephaner today.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Last night, I greatly enjoyed a glass (or three) of Chablis, a white wine from Burgundy, made from the Chardonnay grape.

 

[decafjava]

I had a nice Chimay brown beer on Friday plus was invited to a friend's place and enjoyed a taste of absinthe, yes I know not beer or wine and at 53% I was glad for the water to mix it with. We didn't have the fancy spoon or sugar which is a traditional way to drink it in the Jura region of France and Switzerland. Still is quite dangerous so I had one only.

 

[ScanTheNavian]

The only special beer I can recommend is Schlenkerla's Rauchbier. Very interesting taste, smoky. Perfekt for sipping whilst you sit in a nice armchair in your tweed jacket.

I remember Urbock being quite "heavy" and delicious, but there's of course many different brands and sorts of smokebeer.

 

[it wasnt me]

Schlenkerla has an excellent black Rauchbier ("Aecht Schlenkerla Erle") as well, which I warmly recommend to anyone who likes this style. 🙂

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had a nice Chimay brown beer on Friday

Chimay brown beer?

Excellent: A Belgian classic with good reason.

plus was invited to a friend's place and enjoyed a taste of absinthe, yes I know not beer or wine and at 53% I was glad for the water to mix it with. We didn't have the fancy spoon or sugar which is a traditional way to drink it in the Jura region of France and Switzerland. Still is quite dangerous so I had one only.

The only time in my life I have ever encountered absinthe - it was black in colour, divine in taste, sublime in sensation and came in an evil and utterly seductive bottle - was when I was in Kyrgyzstan observing an election.

Dangerous, very much agreed. Actually, I have never touched it since then.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It has been a dry week (by choice), but not tonight.

Tonight, I am eating out in one of my favourite Asian spots, where I dined on delicious spicy prawn noodles all washed down by a few bottles of TsingTao beer.

 

[it wasnt me]

Totenhopfen brewery is a guest in my favourite pub tonight, but I’m out of town. I’ll drink the leftovers tomorrow. They have a chilli-cucumber sour on tap, it seems.