Southern Tier India Pale Ale

Oooh, and it smells like an IPA! That distinctive, hoppy, veeeery slightly sweet & fresh scent that's so deceptive b/c it'll kick you off your feet immediately afterwards. And oh its weird!
I can't say I like the aftertaste, its got something strangely metallic about it. It's smooth & creamy going down, a bit heavy in the midtaste, but altogether not as hardcore as more IPAs feel. not bad. would drink again if its there. might not necessarily buy the 6pack again though.

Southern Tier Phin & Matt's Extraordinary Ale

New York brewery, I think this is their signature beer. Can as part of a variety mix 6pack for $10.49 on FD.

Wow! What an aroma! Smells hella fruity & hoppy -- hits you right in the nostril.
The taste however, is less powerful. It's pretty light -- a decent thirstquencher when very cold. A surprisingly nice creamy feel at the back of the throat when going down. So... its ok. but that's pretty much it

Southern Tier Raspberry Wheat Beer

$10/6pack of mixed from FD

wow. opened, and a rush of hearty raspberries came out. i can smell it without even putitng my nose right on top of the bottle. the raspberry scent comes out strongest, but you can smell the wheat if you get closer and if you wait till the end.
First taste was just eh -- ok. Tasted pretty generic, carbonation kicked in pretty fast.
But after a few swigs, I found I liked the aftertaste. You can taste the raspberries at the very back of your throat, and the beer settles well overall. Probably still wouldn't buy a 6pack of this, but wouldn't mind drinking it if it were there.

Makes me kinda burpy o_O

Ommegang Rare Vos Amber Ale

Had this @ David Copperfield's -- comes in a 375ml container (oops). Very delicious! Slightly sweet, nice, complex taste, still went down well. I need to find this in the city.

so far i've been mightily impressed by ommegang's offerings...


found this @ whole foods in union square for $9 i think? was pretty good

Oxford Landing 2006 Viognier

Oxford Landing Viognier
from marketviewliquor
Price: $5.99
Quantity:


Description:
Surprisingly stylish and elegant, the 2006 Viognier exhibits beautiful apricot and honeysuckle aromas and scents, crisp acidity, wonderful freshness, and a steely backbone. It should be consumed over the next year. This wine is an exceptional bargain. 88 points Wine Advocate

Country: Australia • Year: 2006 • Bottle Size: 750 ml


mrmm... smells kind of off on the first initial sniff. which is strange, because its a screwtop. maybe its the whole "should be consumed in 2007" thing (tho feb 2008 should surely be ok).
on second smell, i DEFINITELY get the apricot aroma (don't know what honeysuckle smells like). mrmm, the right balance of crisp/soft... goes down *very* easily
a little bit of a heavy aftertaste, but otherwise, good. could smell it all day!
unfortuantely tho, isn't too interesting besides the intial apricot smell

would buy again, but this sounds like the type of wine that might change quite a bit depending on year.

comes from the Yalumba region. (which is apparently the biggest aussie producer of viogniers to being with)

Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic

light but unfiltered
hint of complex flavours but a bit on the crbonated side for me
light, yummy... but kind of bitter i guess, like cranberry. not something i would turn down, but not something i would go out and buy either. (then again, i'm not a cranberry person).

all the lambics i've had before were sweet -- this was quite interesting. not a bad job of it all around, i just don't prefer the taste

Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Sam Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Very low key. generic smell. deep breaths barely give a hint of body. perfect density -> between thick and carbonated... surprisingly unplaceable midtaste coats your mouth with a layer of silk
but complete lacks flavour! didn't deliver on the pormised cinnamon, ginger & oranges. gets stale *really* fast.
i want to like it... but... eh

Sam Adams Winter Lager

gone from FD as of 2/15/08
available as 6pack for like, a month, and as part of variety pack

Smells like a lighter version of the cream stout. Very distinct flavour. Candy light, lingering aftertaste. Wonderfully full of spices, in particular, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Reminds me of a good chewy spicy cookie. doesn't fall into the "just make it hearty" winter beer trap. would definitely drink in summer. favourite out of the log.

Sam Adams Cream Stout

part of the Sam Adams Winter Seasonal Varietal Pack
$16.99 for 12 (2x of 6 diff types) @ freshdirect
still available as of 2/19/2008 (but the winter lager is gone! :()

Sam Adams Cream Stout
Quite hoppy --> creamier than most beers. Very similar in initial taste to sierra nevada porter, great 1st impression. milk shakey -> very full initial taste. but loses that complexity VERY fast. afterfaste is merely carbonation.

Sam Adams Holiday Porter

part of the Sam Adams Winter Seasonal Varietal Pack
$16.99 for 12 (2x of 6 diff types) @ freshdirect
still available as of 2/19/2008 (but the winter lager is gone! :()

Sam Adams Holiday Porter
thick chocolatey
very complex -> diff taste hints going down than initial first sip. delicious, full meal by itself
would buy again, my 2nd favourite out of all 6

Villa Cerrina Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006

Villa Cerrina
trader joe's $5-$6
italy

ganbellara, italy

fruity, better than most abruzzos i've tried. definitely will buy

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

10.99/sixpack @ FD

Y'know, I love sierra nevada. but i just couldn't get into the celebration ale. it was just too harsh. the taste was good, but utterly overwhelming. the flavours didn't mix together all too well... i wouldn't buy it again

(and anyways, as of 2/8/08, its already unavailable from FD...)

Heritage du Chauteau Touraine - 2005 Sauvignon Blanc

@ a friend's place

very crisp, clean taste. not sure of the pricing, but definitely a very enjoyable wine overall.

Bodega Norton Torrontes 2006

Bodegas Norton Torrontes, $5.99, 2006 @ Marketviewliquors
from mendoza, argentina

Mrm... not bad for the price -- but the initial hit was much more promising than the end result. very fruity, soft, but quirky scent and initial taste, but becomes more vinegary too quickly. would definitely buy again though.