Archive for the 'Food' Category

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Midweek Descent

Published on August 11, 2010 in bike and Food by risu. Closed

Having missed riding over the weekend and Monday evening, we were all feeling the need for some dirt, so when JT instigated a Wednesday St. Louis drop, we were all in. Root, JT, and I piled into Ckucke’s truck, and we met Kevyn at Kanewai for the shuttle up. Although it had rained overnight and intermittently during the morning, the afternoon sun dried things out, so there was no trace of wetness on the way down through Dumps. At Agave, we climbed up briefly to the middle sortie and descended to the concrete road. Kevyn pinch flatted on the step-up after the water tank, so he had to walk it out to the street. Dinner was at Serg’s in Manoa at JT’s suggestion. I had some good carnitas enchiladas with tomatillo sauce for about $10 USD (oh, and JT, don’t forget to give me $20!).

Pictures here

D = 3.89 km (2.42-miles), Vavr = 13.7 km/h (8.5-mph), Vmax = 31.2 km/h (19.4-mph), T = 17-minutes

Beer Is Good – Coedo Kyara

Published on July 27, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1020092The third Coedo beer available here is this Kyara. Pours a medium light amber with a small head and moderate carbonation that lasts. My nose is still messed up, but some smell is returning. There’s an aroma I have a hard time placing, I think if I had to say, I’d say grainy. Initially there’s a bit of that malt liquory taste and tongue feel, but it fades quickly away. There’s some of that sweetness too, but its nicely moderated and balanced by the bitter. A nice beer, I just wish it didn’t command such a premium price.I’d give it a solid 3 out 4 monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Coedo Ruri

Published on July 20, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1020077A third variety recently available at Marukai, Japan brewery Coedos Ruri. Pours a clear gold, weak head that quickly dissappeared. Carbonation persists as opposed to their previous brew I had. I’m wondering if they suffer from ill handling in the supply chain. Notable hoppy note, fairly bitter and dry, persists for a bit, but quite drinkable. Looking into it, the Ruri is a pils, and I do see the style. As it warms up, there’s a little astringent and touch of sour on the sides of the tongue. Perhaps I’m developing a taste for pils? I find this Ruri pleasant and drinkable, and I had a Wernesgruner earlier with dinner too! But I’m not sure if I’d say its worth the premium price commanded at the store for it. One and a half bottles of these Ruri would pay for the sixer of Wernesgruner, and honestly I think the Wernesgruner has a more complex flavor. So I guess I’d give it three out of four hoppy monkeys, except value wise it looses out.  It’s good, but not good enough to make me want to seek it out at the cost in money and time to find it.

Beer Is Good – Coedo Beniaka Lager

Published on June 9, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1020015Another new arrival at Marukai from a brewery I haven’t seen before, Coedo. I was debating whether to pick one of these up for sampling since I’ve been battling upper respiratory congestion that has wrecked havoc on my taste, but I couldn’t resist. Its name indcates its a red, they call it a lager, I see a little stick on label puts it at 7% ABV, pretty high. Its a medium dark redish brown, and pours with almost no head. It disturbs me a little how weak the carbonation is. As I feared, I can detect no aroma. This is probably not going to be a fair evaluation. Mouth feel is a bit syrupy and I can detect the sweetness. There actually isn’t an incredibly strong bitter. I’m going to have to reserve judgement, my taste really is screwed up, and I have to wonder if this bottle has suffered in transit. The packaging though is “Beer Beautiful”, nice labeling. Marukai has also brought in another variety, the Kyara. Woah, ok, the 7% is not a lie, I’m hitting a good buzz now, guess I should have taken it slower!

Beer is Good – Echigo Red Ale

Published on May 29, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010996Stumbled across a new entry at Marukai, this Red Ale from Echigo. Pours a dark amber, with a moderate head. I can’t quite place the aroma, as I sit here sipping it, I can’t help thinking it reminds me of Japan. There’s just something in the smell, and its not a bad thing here. There’s a pretty strong bitter, but not too much floweryness. The bitter does linger for a bit, lending to the mouthfeel of crisp, dry and almost astringent, but not sour. There’s a little bit of roastyness, but not a pronounced smokyness. I keep coming back to the aroma, it intrigues me and ultimately makes this beer for me. I think this is the winner of the Echigo varieties I’ve had. 6% ABV.

I give this a solid 3 out of 4 bouquet sniffing monkeys.

Beer Is… Better than Malk? Yanjing Beer

Published on May 10, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010989Ok, yes, this is beer from the land that gave you Malk and melamine in the puppy food, instead of puppy food in the melamine. It’s been on the cooler shelves at Don Quixote for more than a month, so I figure if there was a problem with it might have been found by now. All kidding aside, I figure I have to see what it’s like. China isn’t really known for a deep history of beer brewing, but who knows, maybe a pocket of German worked its way into this. OK, I crack open the seal and immediately smell the skunky/muskyness. It’s that strong, I haven’t even poured it. It pours with a moderately weak head that quickly dissappears. If you pour aggresively you’ll get it agitated and it bubbles, but it doesn’t form much of a head. Leave it for a while and all signs of a head is gone. Color is moderate yellow/gold.  Continue reading ‘Beer Is… Better than Malk? Yanjing Beer’

Beer is Good – Samuel Adams Imperial White

Published on May 2, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010975Pours a cloudy light amber. Thick. No, I’m not describing the mouthfeel, it literally pours thick, although the mouthfeel is likewise almost syrupy. This is one of SA’s Imperial series where they are pushing the envelope of the types of beer. This is the version of a spiced white wheat ale. The syrupyness is reflected in its sweetness, and the 10% buzz packin alcohol content. This sweetness also puts me off. I think I’ve stated in a number of my reviews that I don’t care for when a brew gets sweet and tasting like a drunk juice “malt liquor”. SA does recommend serving at a warmer range, and indeed it did seem to become more drinkable later as it warmed up. Of course that could also be because of that 10% ABV and empty stomach. And horrors, I squeezed a lemon wedge into mine. Honestly, for a spiced white, I’ll go with a Hoegartan.

Barely 2 out of 4 juiced up monkeys.

Beer is Good – Michelob Original Lager

Published on May 2, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010977Catching up on a backlog of B.I.G. reviews here, I grabbed me a sixer of this domestic. Pours a clear light yellow with light head. I found the first sip to be quite pleasant. A nice grainy/nutty flavor. On subsequent tastes though, the flavor seems to get lost and was left with a clean pleasant drinking beer. If you rest the palate for a while and then come back for a sip you do get that flavor I found so nice again. Surprisingly, from a big name domestic, this gets a favorable nod from me, BUT it is priced at “craft” beer pricing. A couple bucks more I could get me a twelver of Speights which is just as nice drinking.

3 out of 4 “craft” monkeys.

Beer is Good – SA Variety Pack, Cream Stout

Published on May 2, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010988Pours dark opaque parctically black with moderately heavy head but quickly subsides. Smoky aroma that also evokes shoyu for me. Fairly sharp bitterness, but then there is a sour middle note, and then a bitter finish. There is a bit heavier mouth feel than your average fair, but this lacks the creamyness of something like Guinness. Not bad, but there are many other darks that I like much more, I don’t care for the sourness.

2.5 out of 4 stout swigging monkeys.

Beer is Good – SA Variety Pack, Coastal Wheat

Published on April 18, 2010 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

P1010971Next up in the pack is the Coastal Wheat. Pours with a cloudy light yellow with a weak head. Clean aroma, the citrus peel adds a brightness and goes with the dry initial taste. There is a slight bitterness that dissapates quickly and then leaves an almost nutty finish. A pleasant crisp beer, easy drinking. I’d give it a 3 of four weissen drinking monkeys.