2008-11-30 8:15 pm beer, passport and chimay
I used to know how to talk about wine - finish and mouth feel and legs and aromas - and am rather out of practice now. Even less do I know how to talk about beers. I would like to learn more, but haven't found anybody around here who seems to know enough to teach me. Or perhaps I am asking the wrong people.
Having said that ...
The first beer that I got on my new Pub Passport was the Chimay. I had had Chimay before, and enjoyed it. It has an interestingly bitter flavor, somewhat herbal. It's very light, and has a very short finish. I honestly don't know if I'd ever order it again, but I might.
On my usual scale, I think I'd give Chimay 30 bottles of ringboree. Certainly not one of my favorites, but, still, very pleasant. I'm glad I tried it.
2008-11-29 2:22 pm beer, the-pub and passport
The Pub, in Lexington, has a new deal. For $10, you get a passport which lists all 50+ of their beers. Each time you try one of them, you get a stamp in the passport. Fill up the passport, and you get $4 pints for life. Visit all of the seven Pub locations, and you get $3.50 pints for life, and a cool Pub jacket.
So, naturally, we had to get one. We're making fine progress towards our $4 pints.
It's not exactly a great wine, but it has become our house chianti. It is very inexpensive, and goes well with pasta. You're not going to impress your wine snob friends with it, but it's fine for sipping with dinner, and for finishing up after dinner. 25 bottles of Ring Bo Ree.
The kids often ask me, what's your favorite _______? This week, it was, what's my favorite beverage. I can't answer that. I do have a favorite cider, at the moment. It's Strongbow. Nothing else comes close. But favorite beverage? Who can choose? It varies from situation to situation.
I recently discovered the Welsh ESB (Extra Special Bitter), by Thames. It comes in pint bottles, and it is Extra Special.
For those of you not familiar with the terms, a bitter is not necessarily bitter, it's just a categorization of dark ale. This particular bitter, for example, is not bitter. Well, maybe just a little, but not as bitter as, say, something more familiar like Guinness.
The Welsh ESB has a very creamy mouth-feel, and is full of caramel flavors. Very yummy. Good with food. I'll give this a hefty 35 Bottles of Ring Bo Ree. This is my favorite ale, at this particular moment. I'm sure to change my mind next week.