General Chat / Sens' beer tastings

Haven't yet found a stout I like better than Dragon's Milk. Only problem is it's like $18 for a 4 pack....

Imo, Dragon's Milk is pretty average for milk stouts, but it's also only $14.99 by me

Try Tennent's lager. Tastes like piss and makes ye piss so its defo a beer.

Try Tennent's lager. Tastes like piss and makes ye piss so its defo a beer.

luckily, It's not available in the US 

A weissbier tip if you can find it: Grünbacher Urweisse. Very, very good. Possibly even better than the classic Weihenstephaner which has been my benchmark for years and years (nothing usually comes close to it).

A review might be coming soon. In the meantime, I want all the Germans excited for Oktoberfest to try Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest, a collaboration with Bitburger. It, in my humble opinion, is the best Oktoberfest beer of the year, even blowing most of the other German brands out of the water

Wait, people drink special brews at oktoberfest? Thought it was all lager/pilsener in liter vases.

Wait, people drink special brews at oktoberfest? Thought it was all lager/pilsener in liter vases.

Well traditionally it is, but in the US, it's when everyone makes marzens because those are scare over here even if those aren't the typical Oktoberfest beer. IMO marzens, which are dark, taste much better than lagers or pilsners which are very light 

Seems weird. Cheap disgusting beer is the best for heavy drinking. Marzens sound way to tasteful for that lol

I have enjoyed the Sierra collab Oktobers...I think this is year 5. I still have one left each from the first 4 yrs in my fridge until I get to a 6pack.

Need to go get the new one, but it always seems early for it in August in GA, USA until Sept.

A quick pick of my modest selection. I'll be reviving this forum and posting a wine review next time I have some. So far, it's only Napa valley cabernets in my collection, I'm hoping to get a few more different reds in the coming days. I'm not a huge fan of whites other than dessert wines like moscato, but those are also unideal for ageing, so I probably won't be buying any of those unless I plan to drink it that day. I am open for wine recommendations, if you know any bottles let me know, any details can also help like vineyard or vintage.

Also the Rumple Minze is there because I went to Berlin recently and discovered peppermint schnapps

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I've also recently gotten into wine a little bit, but I'm pretty much the opposite of you in that I really prefer dry whites to anything else - the only reds I've had that I've liked have some sort of oaky taste to them (e.g. chambourcin). I have a chardonnay on the shelf that I'm excited about and I've also had a good pinot grigio recently. 

 

Also, peppermint schnapps is king at Christmas parties - never seen it drank anywhere else. 

So, while I'm excited to try some of my new wines, I can't justify drinking an entire bottle of wine on my own. I can, however, justify drinking half a bottle. Today I bought two bottles, one a sample size, the other a half bottle, of 'supermarket' wines to try.

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First up was the 2017 Catena Malbec from Patagonia. For those unfamiliar with wine, malbecs are one of the drier types of red wine and are usually very tannic. The Catena was no exception. It was reasonably light-bodied which made it easier to drink, and most likely makes it an easier pairing with dinner. The bitter tannins did come through however to give it a nice dry feel along with the reasonable fruitiness of the wine. While not an exceptional wine, $20 for a full sized bottle of this wouldn't feel like a waste and would make a nice addition to a steak or any other dinner that consisted mainly of red meat. For people who aren't used to wine, tannins are also found in tea, which gives tea it's bitterness. So if you're a tea drinker looking to try some wines, this Catena Malbec seems like a good start

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On the other hand is the smaller 2018 Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon. Also a dry red, Cabs usually dial back the tannins and are a generally more popular red because of this. The Woodbridge, however, a brand almost synonymous with mass-produced wine, not only dials down the tannins, but dials up the jamminess presuambly to appeal to a more wide American market. It's not outrageous, but the sweetness of the Cab might be a bit intense for avid wine drinkers who would expect a more subdued taste. People who like sweetness though probably wouldn't mind a glass of this as a stepping stone to get them better acquainted with the taste of wine. Also, available as a magnum for $10-$15 makes it a good choice for large parties as the taste is acceptable at worst and sweet at best. I wouldn't necessarily pair this with food however as the jammy taste with likely not pair well with the hearty meals a cabernet usually goes with.