Had couple of Long Island Iced Teas for the first time a long while. Now drinking coffee.

The Bruery/Dogfish Head Faster, Bigger, Better, Bolder

How is that, Dan?

It's a decent blonde. Doesn't have the depth I'd expect from dogfish, but it's still pretty good. I'd say it's maybe a little overpriced compared to other beers I've had recently.

Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 2007

Just spent an evening at the Lundin Links ale festival 2011.

God what a depressing pile of crap. And the beer was at the very best. Middlingly poor.

These people need me.

Victory Storm King

FFF Broo Doo courtesy of the Chi-town crew. Darn tasty

Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon Signature 2007

Nice Dinny, now you are getting closer to my neck of the woods. You like? 2007 should be pretty tasty and a bit fruit forward, yes?

Care to share any names of the Champagne's that were opened for your father's party last night.

I am toasting P Dinny Daddy's retirement and my Christmas gift buddy with a 2008 Kistler Hyde Vineyard, which I know Monkey senior has a ton of. That is unless Dinny snuck into the cellar and liberated some this past summer.

Greg, I like it quite a bit actually. It was a gift from a former colleague of mine, now a partner trying to get business (and also a great guy). It has a certain amount of heat to it and lots of fruit. I like.

The champagne was standard Veuve yellow label, I believe. I am happy to guzzle that down at events. Enjoy that Kistler, I love the Hyde and it should be good drinking now, right?. So much better to catch it on the way up than on the way down. Maybe one more year. How do you like it?

little Washington beverage

L'Ecole No 41 - 2007 - Cabernet Sauvignon

Edited December 4, 201114 yr by mikeymad

Greg, I like it quite a bit actually. It was a gift from a former colleague of mine, now a partner trying to get business (and also a great guy). It has a certain amount of heat to it and lots of fruit. I like.

. Enjoy that Kistler, I love the Hyde and it should be good drinking now, right?. So much better to catch it on the way up than on the way down. Maybe one more year. How do you like it?

Yep, a lot of the 2007s still seem to display the heat of their youth to me, glad you like. I hope to visit the Darioush Winery in February when Mary and I do our annual winery tour, we shall see.

I like the Kistler Hyde a lot, the oak was overpowering when I first opened the bottle but has settled down now and the fruit layers are starting to appear. With a couple more years in the bottle should begin to come together nicely. I still give a slight edge to the Peter Michael Chardonnays, they are just a little more subtle in their delivery but both are great Chardonnays.

A martini with St. George's dry rye and Dolin dry and jalapeno olives to toast Vincent R. FitzPatrick, Jr. on his retirement after a very impressive legal career. I guess that makes Dinny a three sticker.

Cheers!

[ I wish these gins were better than there are :/ ]

[ I wish these gins were better than there are :/ ]

hmmm... at least they are small...

Thanks for the toasts to my pop, gang!

Taking inspiration from Al, here's another toast to Vincent R. Fitzpatrick. Cheers to a career well done.

Junipero/Dolin Dry/Jalapeno olives. Boogie.

Another pop for Pops. A Manhattan cocktail in honor of the man from Manhattan College. Cheers!

Following the lead of others, a Plymouth/Dolin martini as a toast from one Fitz to another.

to all of you.

going well with my shrimp curry experiment

Ridge - 2009 - Chardonnay (Monte Bello)

Edited December 4, 201114 yr by mikeymad

well I stood in line until a little after 2:30a.m. yesterday morning outside Jackie O's for a desk calendar date...when your allotment is ready for purchase, they call out your date...

got my date then slept in my car until ~7a.m. when the Fluffy Cafe opened...joined a group of guys for a bottle share...

I started with a cup of Jamaican Coffee & Terrapin Wake 'n Bake which I had tried before thanks to Peter...I brought some Three Floyds Zombie Dust & Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout...& so it began...

a gallon(!) of Weasel Boy Bourbon Barrel Aged Anastasia Russian Imperial Stout...big growler, big beer...

Jackie O's Kentucky Monk...never disappoints...I only have one bottle left...

Stone Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout (12th Anniversary)...didn't age too well...but not bad...

Cigar City Bourbon Barrel Aged Big Sound...so much wax was cracked that day:)...this was definitely a step up from regular Big Sound which is something I also enjoy...

also had some wicked home brew pumpkin porter & some kinda Great Lakes collaboration...there was also Bell's Batch 7,000 & some pink-bottled Rogue bacon donut beer, but we had to leave to get back in line at Jackie O's...they opened at 9a.m. & it took a bit to get everyone seated...

more to come...

got situated & ordered Jackie O's Rum Barrel Dark Apparition, Cellar Cuvee #4, Wood Ya Honey, Cherry Wood Ya Honey & Chunga's Old Bruin...

I opened up one of my newly acquired 750s of Mikkeller Sour Bitch...thanks to Bryan for letting me know when to order:)...

I don't know what a lychee berry is supposed to taste like, but this one didn't go over so well...it wasn't sour or sweet enough & it was very dry...will age the others...

Hill Farmstead Arthur...an ok saison...a little soft...

DuClaw Retribution...Bourbon...stout...awesome:)...I was left wanting to try more DuClaw beers...sadly, they're not available in Indiana...anyone seen them locally & wanna trade?...

sorry for the lousy pic...Cascade Vlad The Imp Aler...saw it at Fluffy & made sure to find the guy who had it...it's been on my list for a long time...so good...& the people there were all so generous...

more later...

/\/\ now that looks like fun

Bullfrog Old Toad Barleywine Ale...I had a quick swig on my way to another table...middle of the road...

B. Nektar Margarita-Style Melomel...only the second B. Nektar that I can recall having...didn't move me...went straight to the Kuhnhenn bottle...

Kuhnhenn Imperial Bourbon Barrel Braggot...simply amazing...one of the highlights of the entire selection...excellent...

Jolly Pumpkin Lúpulo de hielo & Cascade Sang Royal...there were a lot of sours about the place & most were quite good...but I had another beer on my mind:)...

Bruery Wanderer...bam...can't thank Al enough for this one...a real crowd pleaser...we killed the bottle in no time...all smiles:)...

just a few more...

Mmmmm...