Archive for the 'Review' Category

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Beer Is Good – Belching Beaver Horchata Imperial Stout

Published on May 17, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Next up on the dark train is this Imperial Stout from relatively young brewery Belching Beaver. I’m normally not a fan of what some call “gimmick” beers, and this really sounds like one, name of brewery, brew and the label really. Horchata is a sweet milky drink made with ground up nuts and/or grain of some type. May or may not have actual milk. So this is basically a hopped up milk stout. Pours opaque dark brown with red tint, medium light head. Dark chocolate aroma and touch of spice. Sweet dark stonefruit, like prune, touch in middle tapering to a mellow bitter and smoke. Medium thick mouthfeel. The 9% ABV is hidden pretty well, dangerously easy drinking. This is like an ultra premium dark chocolate liquor fruit truffle, in a glass. It actually went awesomely well with the Azteca mole enchilada I had the other night.

4 out 4 belching monkeys.

Beer Is Good – Clown Shoes Undead Imperial Stout

Published on May 14, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Part of rental tithe for my bike bag, I received this since I told them I’m a dark beer guy. Pours dark opaque with light head. Dark malt aroma, a bit of dark chocolateness, nicely balanced smokyness, evenly distributed bitter, medium thick mouthfeel. High ABV, 10%, but you don’t immediately detect it.

It may have a goofy name, but this is an excellent beer. 3 out 4 undead monkeys.

 

Beer Is Good – Sam Adams Noble Pils

Published on May 6, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Part of Sam Adams latest variety pack, of which I did not buy as it did not have much I was interested in. Pours clear medium dark yellow with medium head. Hop forward aroma, bitterness that lingers throughout. Hint of citrus note. Clean mouthfeel.

I can’t say this is one of my more likeable pilsners, no skunk funk and not overly floral, but still a bit more hoppy than I’d like.

2.5 out 4 noble monkeys.

 

Beer is Good – Sam Adams Fresh As Helles

Published on April 25, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Pours clear medium telliw with medium head. Fairly strong floral hops aroma. Some grain flavors come through. Thankfully hops bitterness is controlled and pretty low. Medium mouthfeel.

For a “hop forward” beer, its not horrible, I personally give it a little over 2 out 4 helle monkeys because my dislike of strong hop beers. Others might like it more.

 

 

Beer Is Good – Anchor California Lager

Published on March 25, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

All the IPA, white IPA, orange IPA, triple extreme hop this, angry hop that, making me desperate to find something I might like. So instead of looking for something new, went old. Anchor Steam goes back to the my early beer days but I haven’t had their other offerings. The porter was good, lets try this lager. Pours clear yellow, light head. light aroma, fairly heavy bitter comes in. Some malt. Medium light mouthfeel. I can’t say I really like this, it’s a little too heavy on bitter for me, but it’s not terrible.

2 out 4 old school California monkeys.

Kirin Hiyamugi

Published on March 25, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

At the local J food shops these Kirin noodles have been showing up. Heck, the cute retro design made me buy some. They had ramen and other noodles, but you don’t see as much of hiyamugi so I bought these. It’s like somen, but thicker. Kinda nice to have something with a little more “bite”.

3 out of 4 giraffe monkeys.

 

 

Beer Is Good – Firestone Walker 805 Central Coast

Published on March 11, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Missed my chance to try this on tap at dinner this past Thursday. Pours light amber with light head. Light hint of citrus hop aroma gives it a bit of bitter which fades to a nice malt in the finish. Crisp mouthfeel. I would say this is a pretty “sessionable” beer, but has enough going on to be good.

3 out 4 central coast monkeys

 

 

Numi Rooibos Chai

Published on March 11, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Last Whistler trip discovered a new favorite drink at Blenz, Rooibos chai latte. Good for if didnt want the buzz of the Euro dark chocolate hot choco. And in an attempt to keep my gas production down, witg soy milk. Rooibos is my favored herbal tea, from an African plant its a caffein free herbal tea that is the closest flavor to tea. Imagine my delight when i came across this at Foodland when looking for a refill.

Tea with the nice warming of spices, nutmeg, cinamon, cardamom, makes me feel like im sitting in colonial India!

4 out of 4 allspice monkeys

Erdinger Weissbier Dunkel

Published on March 8, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Pours a cloudy dark brown with medium strong head. Just a hint of tang, and interestingly despite its darkness there isn’t a strong dark roast flavor. Strong carbonation keeps the mouthfeel crisp. Quite easy drinking and pleasant.

3 out 4 dunkel monkeys.

 

 

Donut King

Published on March 4, 2017 in Food and Review by taro. Closed

Been passing by this new place in Market City for a while now, finally had a chance to stop in and sample. Its actually a California shop, made on premisis donuts. I got the chocolate with choco curls. Pretty good, but not as good as Tim Hortons. A touch chewier. I think the Hawaii humidity does them in the moment they leave the cooking. I do prefer it to the few times ive had Krispy Kreme, KK made my teeth hurt they were loaded with sugar. Although to be fair some of Timmies does that too. Did not get the maple bacon, which i think is almost their signature item.