Intoxico

Distillers of Etherial Intoxicants: Pope Crisco's List of Influential Artists

2012-03-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

This morning I am enjoying a cigar, a giant mug of coffee, and allowing myself to get stuck on where I want to be and where I am. This reflection, or obsession, whichever it might be, has me stuck on listing the heroes that have influenced my desire to seek a profession in the arts.

It is debatable that these figures and my obsession with them have led me astray, and thus my youthful intoxication with them has led to the hangover of adulthood.

The Writers:

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Jorge Luis Borges

Miguel De Cervantes

Ernest Hemmingway

John Steinbeck

Franz Kafka

Isaac Asimov

John Byrne

Frank Miller

The Visual Artists:

Roy Lichtenstein

Jack Kirby

Edward Hopper

David Hockney

Jasper Johns

Edward Ruscha

Alfred Stieglitz

Robert Rauschenberg

Francis Bacon

The Musicians

John Coltrane

Django Reinhardt

Fats Waller

Charles Mingus

The Pixies

The Beatles

Miles Davis

Nat “King” Cole

Louis Armstrong

Lou Reed

Bo Diddely

Link Wray

Les Paul

Billie Holiday

Sarah Parker

Charlie Parker

Of course there are others not on this list, but who really wants to read a list of a fanboy’s object of obsession?

My intent of this list is to act as a jumping board for articles on these individuals created intoxicants. I (hopefully) will add links to this list of articles describing my personal response to their works as intoxicants, adding to the overall definition of Intoxico outside the realm of physical consumables.

Until then, thanks for reading, and indulging in my own musings on intoxication. While not quite the artistic expression I was hoping to produce in my youth, it is what I have for the time being.

Iron Thistle Scottish Ale by Rahr and Sons Brewing Co.

2012-03-03T00:06:00.002-05:00

Well, today is March 2^nd, and on this day in 1836, the state of Texas officially broke it ties with Mexico, and in 2012, I broke my ties with my employer. Sparing all the boring details, I am glad to not have to walk back into that office, and now I just need to find a job that offers a decent salary, and a daily routine that saves me from dread and regret.

To celebrate these acts of liberation I have popped a couple caps off bottles of Rahr and Sons' Iron Thistle, a Scottish Style Ale in the tradition of a “wee heavy.”

Pouring out a nice mahogany hue, the beer forms a nice, light tan head that needs an aggressive pour to form a substantial head, and leaves a decent, yet somewhat unimpressive lacing on the pint glass.

Aromas mingling sweet, roasted, caramel essence greet the drinker with a nice, developed opening and is balanced by an underlying bitterness of coffee and hops. This essence is echoed in the flavors of this beer, adding slight chocolate and floral notes, filling out any holes in the profile of the beverage. As the beverage is consumed a nice warmth follows down the esophagus into the gullet.

As my wife articulated with wonderful brevity, “It's yummy!”

Happy drinking! Prost!

Ugly Pug by Rahr and Sons Brewing Co

2012-03-02T20:35:00.002-05:00

Right now, as I write this beer review, I am trying to decide whether I should continue to toil at my current job with, well, lets just say the bank of the northern hemisphere.

I work in their mortgage department, so my day consists of me telling people useful bits of information, teaching them about the documents they signed, answering questions they should have asked at closing, and taking their abuse. The job isn’t hard, once you get past the stupidity and verbal abuse, and I guess for some people can be happy in this type of life. Personally, I feel trapped in a routine that offers me no out regardless of how hard I run on my hamster wheel. Do I waste more time trying to find a place in this large, bureaucratic fish bowl? Do I toss the dice on finding a new place to take abuse from faceless customers and ineffective management? Or, do I try to find something outside of my area of expertise, my area of experience in this down economy?

This is why I used to drink to excess. I am now better about managing my alcohol intake, but that numbing alcohol helped me put blinders on, and drudge through my last customer service job for the better part of six years.

Well, enough with my therapy, it's time for tonight’s medication. The doctor has prescribed another bottle of craft beer, this time another selection from Rahr and Sons, their black lager, Ugly Pug.

This beer pours out a pretty, rich and dark, almost black, brown ale. The light tan head forms strong and fast, starting at a thick finger, but dissipates to a still impressive half finger's thickness. Lacing of the beer was nice, but not quite as impressive as the crown atop my beverage.

The aroma of the beverage is light, and has a breadiness that is familiar from my experience with the lagers from this brewery. Coupling the familiar nose, there is a malty sweetness and mild bitter fragrance.

With both a medium bodied flavor profile and mouth-feel, the beer exhibits a nice, toasted caramel and coffee flavor with a tasty, light floral hop essence on the backend.

The drinkability of this beer is wonderful, and a well suited alternative to macro pilsners and Shiner Bock that Texans serviced by this Fort Worth brewery might otherwise reach for when temperature starts heading north.

Prost!

Belhaven Scottish Stout

2012-02-28T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today has been a long day.

How long? So long that I, Pope Crisco, have the “White Boy, Working in a Bank’s Call Center Blues.”

First world problems, I know. I’ll shut up about my problems with being gainfully employed, and instead concentrate on tonight’s beer.

In the black shorts, weighing one pint and point nine fluid ounces, we have Belhaven Scottish Stout, and in the Star Wars pajama shorts and white undershirt, weighing at something in excess of a small Japanese car, Pope Crisco.

This stout pours out a nice, dark, true black, not just a very dark brown. The head forms thick, but dies down expeditiously to a penny’s thickness, and exhibits a nice hazel color with a charcoal like tint.

Exhibiting a decent yet light coffee-like nose, a malt essence brings out a warm toffee and nutty aroma.

The flavor of the stout is malt forward, with a medium-light bodied essence of coffee, toffee, and, well to put it mildly a certain, um, “earthiness.”

This beer is not my favorite. A decade or so ago I would have been loving this beer, as it’s not too far off from a Newcastle Brown Ale, but with a little more bitterness. There are a lot of much better, locally brewed beers available, and thus I do not see myself purchasing another bottle of this particular beer.

Prost.

International Pipe Smoking Day 2012: (So You Want To Be a Pipe Smoker)

2012-02-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

Well, If things are going as planned, the date on this post will read February 20^th, 2012. While you would be correct in recognizing that this is President’s Day, a holiday that most institutions do not recognize, it is also International Pipe Smoker’s Day.

On this day, Pipe Smokers gather in a number of venues to celebrate a bond that is created between people who keep this form of tobacco usage alive, and promote the habit to new and curious participants.

It should be noted that a year ago I wouldn’t be writing this review, but publishing a video on YouTube, as I was part of an active community of vloggers who spend countless hours watching and pontificating on all things tobacco. I am currently on a hiatus from YouTube because of a lack of quiet space to shoot video, and misplacement of my data transfer cable for my camera.

Today I am smoking some Blackpoint by GL Pease in a prized Mark Tinsky Christmas pipe (’87 if reading the stamp correctly) that was gifted to my by my brother for my birthday last year. In brief it is a cool, sweet and floral smoke.

Now hopefully a few of you reading this are looking for information on getting started with the hobby, and for you, as part of my service to the pipe smoking community I have included some answers to questions often asked by the new or would be pipe smoker.

To give credit where credit is due, the below information can be obtained from a number of sources I have used in my own education, and as well more in depth information can be obtained just by going to Google and using the search feature. Novel idea, I know.

What do I need to start smoking a pipe? How much will it cost me?

One of the very attractive things about pipe smoking, to myself at least, is the scalability of the hobby. To begin the hobby it wouldn’t really run most people more than about 20 bucks or so.

For a starter pipe, corn cobs are great and can be had for about 5-8 dollars, a pipe tool, one a simple as a “nail” style will do, can be found for 1-3 bucks, pipe cleaners, another 3 bucks, and some tobacco (perhaps the hardest item to decide on) can range from 5 to 10 bucks for a 2 ounce bag of bulk tobacco from your tobacconist to a 50 gram tin, respectively.

How do I choose what tobacco to smoke?

First, find a tobacconist that sells a large quantity of pipes and tobacco. You might have better luck using an online source just because most tobacconists that I have encountered seem to add pipes as an afterthought to cigars and premium cigarettes.

As a new smoker I would avoid anything listed as a flake or plug and search for a ribbon cut, which resembles as you might imagine, short, fine cut, ribbon.

As well as cut, another aspect of pipe smoking is the wildly diverse world of blends, which at least for myself as a newbie pipe smoker, scared the poop out of me.

If you are not coming to this hobby as a smoker of cigars or cigarettes, I would probably suggest beginning with either an aromatic or an English blend. Aromatics are often suggested, as am I suggesting, because they are relatively strait forward flavor wise, sweet, and easy to obtain, while the English blends, blends that are blended with latakia, burn easily and “cool”, and generally are not nicotine bombs.

For cigarette smokers, burley based blends are my suggestion due to their high nicotine levels, and similar nutty flavor, sans the essence of burning paper. (Just a side note, my brother will often go on how one burly blends tastes like one cigarette or another.)

Cigar smokers, for you I would suggest most blends, including those with cigar leaf, just don’t expect to get the same experience that you get when smoking a stogie. Viva la difference.

How do I pack the pipe?

There are a number of different means to pack a pipe. I would suggest going to YouTube where the subject is explored in great detail, with moving pictures.

Personally I use the “jam it in till its full” method, but this method is easier once you know how to gauge the density of the filled pipe. I am sure for every pipe smoker there is a unique way they fill their favorite pipe, and with practice you will learn how to pack your favorite briar with your favorite blend in a means that gives you the most pleasure. Before you begin to apply flame to that tinder, pull air through the mouthpiece, there should just be a slight resistance. If it feels like your trying to drink a triple thick milkshake, it is probably a good idea to empty that pipe and start anew.

Okay, I’ve bought, and filled my pipe, how do I light it?

Place the pipe in your mouth, and while drawing in air circle your flame around the whole circumference of the tobacco, trying for an even char. Once started, use your tamper on that tobacco while continuing to smoke.

At this point it is highly likely your fire has been put out, this is normal, don’t go getting neurotic, this is what pipe smokers refer to as a “charring” step, designed to prime the rest of the tobacco. Just light it up again, as before, without the additional step of tampering.

And there you go; you are now smoking a pipe, in the not so suggestive manner. If your fire goes out, relight it. It happens to the best of us.

Try to keep pulling smoke slowly and gently; just frequent and strong enough to keep the fire going without burning down all of Atlanta.

Anything else?

Just remember that pipe smoking is not a science, but an art, a personal art. Through the process of familiarizing yourself with the tools of the hobby you will eventually find a pace and a technique that works best for you, and brings you to that sweet nicotine and flavor induced Nirvana.

If this has wetted your appetite, or if you are already a veteran pipe smoker, you might check out the Black Ops Tobacco Society. Operated by some good friends of mine, also from YouTube, it is a tobacco centric blog that often explores all of the little extra nuances pipe smoking has, as well as some good cigar related info.

(Sorry for any typos, run on sentences, and other egregious errors. My editor at the time of publishing decided to get sick and needs her rest. Thanks for reading!)

La Gloria Cubana Serie N Glorioso

2012-02-18T23:14:00.000-05:00

Another Saturday morning is upon yours truly, another pot of coffee has been brewed, and I am ready to enjoy another cigar.

This morning I have selected a La Gloria Cubana Serie N Glorioso. At 6 ½ by 58, this is a hefty cigar wrapped and filled with tobacco form Nicaragua, and rolled in the Dominican Republic.

When browsing my local brick and mortar, I was sold on this cigar in part by a love for the Serie R, as well the unique hexagonal box, the dark oscura wrapper contrasted with a letter N, apparently cut from a natural piece of tobacco.

The initial light of the stick was full of a generic spice with hints of nutmeg. Through the first inch or so the spice profile progressed to about a medium full-bodied flavor profile that was augmented and balanced by developing cedar notes. Despite the gradual increase of the cigar’s spicy side through the first half, the flavor remained well balanced, and never overpowering.

After the halfway point was passed, and through when I had to put the cigar down, the woody notes became more pronounced, and a slight earthy undertone developed.

Combined with the bittersweet coffee accoutrement, this was a wonderful way to start my three-day weekend with lots of flavor and medium bodied strength.

Happy Smoking!

Dogfish Head India Brown Ale

2012-02-18T22:31:00.000-05:00

Well, I can’t say how long it will be till these posts come out due to issues with the health of my editor and her willingness to proof them before uploading, but this makes article number three for myself this weekend, and it’s only Saturday of a three day weekend. I have at least two more articles that I plan to pen this weekend, not including any additional beer reviews that I might be inspired to compose.

The weather is somewhat perfect for beer consumption, as it is rainy and cold here in north Texas, and the alcohol helps warm the soul and body in this dreary weather. Of course it isn’t doing much to keep me awake either.

Being my typically reckless self, I poured the beer a bit too aggressively, making use of the imperial pint glass’s extra room for the 12 ounce bottle of beer, and avoiding overflow of the tan, fluffy head that formed, showing large CO2 bubbles in the beer’s crown. The beer itself was a dark, opaque, and true to its name, brown ale.

Putting my nose to the rim of the glassware, aromas of burnt caramel, chocolate and a slight breadiness are detected.

The first sip of the dark concoction is full of burnt caramel and coffee flavors accented by a coffee-like bitterness. As an aftertaste, the underlying essence of raisins can be experienced. While I am sure Dogfish Head put a wonderfully appropriate amount of hops for their means, this beer drinker was hoping for some more traditional pine, citrus, or floral hints from the hops in the brew.

All in all though, this is a wonderful, complex beer that is easily enjoyed.

Prost!

Sisyphus 2008 and 2011 Barleywine by Real Ale Brewing

2012-02-18T22:10:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone, or at least their spouse, had a good Valentines Day,

For myself, it included a trip to the store to pick up flowers, my wife’s favorite beer, Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, and a healthy dose of a number of different flu and cold medications for myself.

Luckily my cold has broken for the most part, and as my reward for joining the ranks of the working dregs, I have decided to open a couple bottles of Real Ale Brewing Company’s Sisyphus, a bottle from 2008 that was gifted to me by my brother and another from 2011, bought last week from Central Market in Southlake, TX.

The bottle from 2008, which is to date the only intentionally aged bottle of beer I’ve had the opportunity to drink, pours out a nice amber hue that is cloudy with minimal signs of active carbonation outside of the dense, silver dollar thick head that formed.

Reminiscent of artisanal honey, the up front bouquet of this barlywine style ale is sweet with a floral and fruit like essence.

Carried on a thick, syrupy body, the flavors of the 2008 variety offers a strong honey sweetness that is augmented by light clove, green apple, and caramel notes, creating a very busy profile on the palate.

Where the ’08 bottle is somewhat overpowering with a bright, saccharine profile, the ’11 example is more balanced and refined.

As the first bottle knocked out the olfactory glands with aromas, the latter is quite a bit subtler, only suggesting malt and floral hoppiness, as opposed to beating the drinker over the head.

Pouring out with a less impressive crown, more active carbonation and greater translucency is present than in the older bottle of Sisyphus, but is similarly hued.

With a more medium bodied mouthfeel, the primary notes are of a caramel maltiness with an almost strawberry like tilt. While still sweet, a nice, welcomed somewhat floral bitterness adds a wonderful sharpness to the back end that I feel was lacking in the earlier bottle.

Ultimately though, the wide range of flavors, complexity, and overall quality put in both of these beers is wonderful, and make this a limited release ale that is a must grab when I see the next year’s offering.

Prost!

Snowmageddon (2012) by Rahr and Sons' Brewery

2012-02-14T17:58:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Pope Crisco's Intoxico,

Today was a wonderful, uncomplicated day for myself as it was a day off from work without that awkward call to the boss to feign illness to cover a need for release from the hoards of the ignorant masses that failed to read the numerous documents outlined in their mortgage agreements.

This morning, in the comfort of my own home and pajamas, I submitted a few resumes, and then worked on modifying a few aspects of my blog that I thought would be for the better.

To top off what has so far been a very pleasurable day, I am enjoying a midday craft beer, Rahr and Sons' seasonal offering Snowmaggedon. This beer, part of the brewery's “to thee series,” is an American /double imperial stout that was brewed by the Ft. Worth institution in tribute to the collapse of their roof after an unusual snowstorm in February of 2010, and the people who helped in the recovery.

Pouring the beer into a fashionable Rahr and Sons' pint glass (you can get your own and a sampling of their fine beers at their brewery tours) a chocolate colored head forms atop a dark, black ale that lacks any translucence what-so-ever. The head starts off strong, but dissipates to a dimes width quickly. Despite the minimal head, lots of pretty, sticky lacing mark the glass as the brew is consumed.

Aromas of toffee with a slight, floral hoppiness come off the freshly poured beer.

The initial sip of beer is full of toffee and dark chocolate notes that develop into a warm, toasted coffee like flavor. On the back end of the palate a raspberry sensation mingles with a slight alcohol hotness, that is not altogether unexpected due to the ale's 10% ABV.

Snowmageddon is a good, decent beer, but does not excite this drinker as much as the other big beers offered by this brewery.

Before leaving, please look at the new outlay of this blog, and let me know if it’s an improvement or not, and why. I appreciate your time, and input.

Prost!

Bottle Caps Needed!!

2012-02-11T08:04:00.001-05:00

Hello all in the beer blogging and drinking community,

Currently I am working on a small "set" to display my reviewed beers that will include a backdrop of beer bottle caps, and while I am collecting quite a few on my own, the quantity and variety i am looking for will be easier to obtain with your help.

What do you get out of it?
Well, I can offer an honorable mention to all, and if 18 and in the United States, I am willing to put the names of submitters into a drawing for a few cigars.

If interested in helping me, please email me at intoxicobeer@gmail.com with the header "Bottle Caps" for details.

Thanks for your support!

Ass Kisser Double IPA by Ass Kisser Ale

2012-02-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

Well, after a busy week at work, Friday is finally here. Looking forward to a weekend full of Rahr and Sons’ beer, tomorrow being the anniversary of their roof collapse during a freak snowstorm in 2010. They will be having festivities, including a run for people without the common sense to drive cars, and their brewery tour, which is one of the best ways to spend a weekend afternoon in Cowtown with the missus.

Partly to celebrate the coming of the weekend, and partly to get this done before I am ravaged by a cold that is knocking at my door, I am popping the top off of an Ass Kisser Double IPA by Ass Kisser Ales (although brewed under contract by Rahr And Sons’ of Fort Worth, TX.)

Pouring the bomber into an imperial pint glass, the beer settles and reveals a dark orange hued beverage that is as cloudy as it is full of agitated, tiny bubbles of carbonation. A wonderfully frothy, off-white head is formed, and as the beer goes down my gullet, stays true, and creates a well-defined striation of lacing on the sides of its vessel.

The nose of this libation is full of spicy hop notes, backed up by a warm, yeast, or biscuit like aroma.

As the first sip of this fermentable mingles with my taste buds and my moustache, nice, pointed floral hop bitterness is enjoyed. As the tartness subsides, a nice caramel malt backend gives the beer a pleasant grapefruit and tangerine body. This flavor is wrapped in a velvet mouthfeel that dries out as it’s consumed.

Tomorrow, barring a freak internet outage I should be uploading a review of Rahr and Sons’ 2012 Snowmageddon. Until then, keep drinking!

Prost!

Big Swell IPA by Maui Brewing Company

2012-02-07T22:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I have wasted another day of my life at a job that sucks the soul out of me, but I am happy to be here, with you, wonderful beer blog readers.

After a day of listening to people complain about my employer, largely based on their own lack of personal responsibility for their finances (I had a woman literally complain about her delinquency, in essence, because she didn’t read the bill she receives every month), to my faceless dozens, the readers of this blog. It’s nice to be back, I missed the excitement of writing for you all.

The past two days have been particularly slow on the floor, so I spent the time in-between calls envisioning and outlining ideas for a layout of this site, and other improvements that require more capital than I can outlay for the short term according to my wife (AKA El Jefe), but still exciting to think about none the less.

Tonight, after a meal of wonderful red curry, and while listening to jazz on Pandora, I am enjoying Big Swell IPA from Maui Brewing Company.

Lacking any care or restraint when pouring the beer, I created a stupid amount of head. From one 12-ounce can, I almost overfilled a 20-ounce pint glass. Needless to say, this beer has the potential to make some very decent amounts of fluffy, off white foam. As well as being impressive in size, the bubbles that make up the head, much like the ones making their way from the bottom of the pint, are tiny, producing a very aesthetic drinking experience.

Living up to the can’s boastful proclamation of being a “big, hoppy, bold, smooth, and hoppy” beer, the aroma, which is sharp and aggressive with pine smells accented with floral notes, is the making of a fist before knocking you out with similar flavors.

Now, I cant say that this wasn’t influenced by the idea of drinking a beer brewed in Hawaii, or if my palate was off kilter for the first sip, but I swear I tasted pineapple initially. This is not a flavor I am familiar with in beer, but I found it quite interesting. After this brush with pineapple dissipated, the prominent flavor was that of pine hops that developed a slight orange citrus essence on the backend. This transition helped cut some of the beer’s initial bitterness with just the hint of sweetness.

The beer had a smooth, almost creamy mouthfeel that was wet while being consumed, however left a crisp, dry finish on the palate.

This beer really hit a lot of the high notes that I look for in India pale ales: crisp bright flavors, a full-bodied, complex, hop character with a little sweetness to pull it all together.

Prost!

Santos Black Kolsch by Saint Arnold Brewery

2012-02-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

Well, the Super Bowl is underway, but I couldn’t tell you anything about the game. While countless millions have huddled around televisions, I have been doing taxes and planning with my wife an excursion to Austin later in the month with part of our expected tax returns. Of course I also found time to fit in time to write two posts for this blog, and upload them earlier this morning, and even play a few games of hockey on my PS3.

To continue my day of semi-productive leisure I have worked in a moment to pop a top or two while my wife prepares dinner, specifically the Texas emblazed caps off of bottles of Saint Arnold Brewery’s Santo, a beer that is described by the brewery as a dark kolsch, which, to quote their website, “technically doesn’t exist as a style, but this is as close as [they] can come to describing it.”

Being a hue that I would call a true dark umber, this beer is one of the darkest, yet somewhat still marginally translucent, beer I’ve had. Although it starts with a semi aggressive decant, and a head about the thickness of half a finger’s form, the drinker is left with about a dime’s width in a few moments of pouring.

Taking a whiff off the head, a yeast aroma is most prominent, mixed with hints of malt and caramel.

The first brush of beverage across the palate offers the drinker a medium light bodied caramel flavor with a warm nuttiness. Bitterness is almost nonexistent, making the drink a little monotone on the back of dark malt. Combining the flavor with a moderate alcohol content at 4.7% and dry finish, this beer is good for session drinking, or enjoying in the warm Texas Springs and Summers.

Not the most complex or unique beer, but definitely worth the try.

Prost!

CAO OSA Sol Lot 58

2012-02-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

Hola, smokers of the leaf.

It’s Super Bowl Sunday for most people, but for myself, it’s just Sunday. Instead of obsessing over grown men chasing and jumping atop the carrier of a ball, I would rather see men chase a small piece of rubber while ice skating and, in frustration, pummel bodies against bodies, and fists against faces. It’s not that football can’t be exciting; it’s just not my brand of obsession. (Ironically, I have a fair amount of obsession regarding old NFL films summarizing past Super Bowls.)

I can’t imagine anyone cares about this obsession, or at least most Americans.

Without a need to hold out for a celebratory cigar, I am smoking my ration of tobacco with my morning coffee, and listening to John Coltrane via Pandora as the rest of the family sleeps.

This morning I have decided to pull a CAO OSA Sol Lot 58.

OSA stands for Olancho San Agustin, a location in Honduras where the wrapper leaf was harvested, and is rolled with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, with Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. The 58 by 6.5 cigar is hefty and firm between my fingers, and the light brown wrapper feels moderately oily against my skin.

The initial light is full of robust pepper and generic spice, accented by some leather and very slight coffee notes. This full bodied beginning quickly tempers within the first inch of the cigar, and drastically mellows out the peppery introduction into a medium bodied symphony of the same described flavor notes, bringing out more of the leather essence than any other taste in the smoke’s profile.

Throughout the cigar’s progression, the spice notes continue to dissipate and become more and more subtle. By the last half a wonderful roasted nut flavor takes hold and continues to develop till the cigar has to be put down to avoid charring my mustache.

Overall, this is another example of CAO’s superb blending, and a testament to their dedication to providing quality tobacco products to their customers., and is a beyond doubt “must try.”

Four Fantastic Things #5: Four wonderful Texas beers (2011)

2012-02-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Hello,

I hope that 2011 was a good year for everyone. For myself, it brought a lot of changes, including some for the better, and others not so much.

In celebration of change, and of my home state, I felt it would be interesting to look back at the new and unique beers that my relocation offered over the past year, and list some of my favorite Lone Star brews (which ironically does not include any beer from Lone Star Brewery).

For those unfamiliar with this series of posts, this is not a “best of,” but just a list of recommended consumables, and is not arranged in a particular order relative to my opinion of quality.

#1 Sailing Santa by Saint Arnold’s Brewery (Houston, TX)

This seasonal bomber from the “first Texas craft brewer” is probably a bit difficult, if not all together impossible, to obtain as I write this review in early February. Combining their also delicious Elisa IPA with their regular Christmas seasonal offering, St. Arnold has created a wonderful example of a complex hoppy beer without overpowering the beverage with hop bitterness.

I thought that I had previously reviewed this beer formally, but it appears I was mistaken. Perhaps, with a little luck, I will be able to get another bomber as 2012 comes to a close.

#2 (512) India Pale Ale (Austin, TX)

This was one of the first beers, upon my return to Texas, to really get me excited about the Texas Craft and Micro beer scene. First sampled at the Ft. Worth Gingerman, the beer is a wonder mélange of citrus hops with a nice, warm malt backend. Exhibiting a strong grapefruit body, it was love at first sip, and depressing to know I can’t find this in bottles as of yet.

#3 Pecker Wrecker by Rahr and Sons Brewery (Ft Worth, TX)

Although I feel that Rahr and Sons’ normal production line, while still quality beer, is not the most impressive to come out of the state, their big beers have been nothing but absolutely wonderful. Usually I bemoan spending 9 bucks on 22 ounces of beer, however Rahr’s offerings have always been worth the extra cost, and are examples of what joy and wonder can be created with excellent know how and quality ingredients. Pecker Wrecker, an imperial pilsner, has been my favorite of these commitments to fine brewing.

You can read the full review of this hop forward beer here.

#4 Real Ale Brewing Company’s Coffee Porter (Blanco, TX)

Diverging from the hop-forward beers of the previous three recommendations in this list, Real Ale Brewing Company’s collaborative effort with Katz Coffee Roasters produces a wonderfully complex and full bodied explosion of chocolate malts, coffee, and slight floral hop flavors on the palate.

This is another beer which, while I loved the hell out of it like the above-mentioned Sailing Santa, was consumed during a time that I was neck deep in a wading pool of my own self-doubt and loathing. Expect to see this beer reviewed in greater depth later in 2012.

Shiner Wild Hare by Spoetzl Brewery

2012-02-03T23:13:00.003-05:00

Hello readers,

Well, to quote the words of the immortal Ice Cube, today was a good day, with everything from the “breakfast with no hog” to the fact I didn’t have to shoot my A-K, and stopping just shy of seeing the Goodyear Blimp indicating that, in fact, I am a pimp.

Despite a short, and not very inspiring, job interview I had at noon, the rest of the day was filled with purchasing a nice selection of craft beer, eating some of the best Thai food I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying, and now I am enjoying a “Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale,” the 103^rd beer from the Spoetzl Brewery, in Shiner, Texas.

The beer pours out a nice light amber hue with lots of active carbonation. Thanks to an aggressive pour, the thick and strong, off-white head formed. Lacing was decent, and much more prominent than Shiner’s standard fare.

The smell of yeast is most outstanding from the freshly poured beverage, while a nice medium-bodied bouquet of floral hops augments the malt forwardness.

Just as the aroma of floral hops was not over powering, the bitterness and floral hop characteristics came off as medium-bodied in taste. Combined with a mild malt backend and crisp finish, this beer is easily drinkable and enjoyable for, I assume, most beer friendly palates.

Wild Hare, in my humble opinion, is bringing Shiner’s offerings closer to the quality of a really good brewery. Currently I feel that the beers are only “okay” and only really preferred over the macro-produced beers they are pitted against in most Texas convince stores.

Prost!

Black Butte Porter by Deschutes Brewery

2012-02-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hello boys and girls,

I know it’s been a while since I last published a review, but with Pope Crisco leading the National Hockey League in goals, assists, and in plus/minus ratings, he has little time to review beer. You might point out that these are just stats in EA Sports NHL 12, the leading hockey simulation game for the PS3 and Xbox, but I still feel like that’s progress in my life. I guess that’s pretty sad, when you think about it in the terms of the highlight of a grown man’s life.

Perhaps if I told you that I bought a set of sweet ass Marvel Comics pint glasses that would make me seem more awesome?

No? Oh well.

Aside from video game hockey and super hero laden glassware, I do have an interview tomorrow with a law firm for a paralegal position, so with a little luck and even more charm, I will have a light out from the tunnel of the hell known as employment in a call center as a Customer Service Representative.

Tonight, as a precursor to pizza, more beer, and television watching with my wife, I am drinking Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter (and thanks to the image of Hulk on the glass, beer drinker The Thing is staying at bay).

The beer pours out a nice, dark, black hue, and easily forms a thick, tan head. As impressively as the head forms, it quickly dissipates to a dimes width before drinking, and ultimately dies to a slight film while sipping away at the beverage. Lacing is minimal at best.

The aroma of toffee is strong, with a warm, bready accent. As well slight chocolate note and floral hops are detected.

The first flavor to hit the palate is a sharp coffee like bitterness, but is quickly cut by sweet, malty, chocolate and toffee flavors, creating an easily drinkable, well-balanced beer.

For this style of beer, the only thing I think this brew lacks is body, which I would put on the thin side for a porter.

Overall the beer is very decent, well balanced, and whets my appetite for more varietals from this brewery.

Prost!

Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer by Rahr and Sons Brewing

2011-12-24T15:48:00.000-05:00

Among the things I’ve asked Santa for, there is a tin Rahr and Sons sign that I've had my eye on, but alas, my wife will not let me spend money on making her space look like a bar. The only good thing that this restriction has created is offering more money to spend on the wonderful beers this company produces. While I have not always been so kind to some of their normal production line, this company produces some of the most exceptional one offs and seasonal brews this drinker has experienced.

The newest, and perhaps my favorite of these beers I’ve experienced and loved from first sip is their recently released Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Warmer Dark Winter Ale.

While I liked the chocolate notes that predominated the non-aged varietal, the addition of the bourbon flavors from the aging process has given the beer a range of complexity that eclipses the regular production Winter Warmer. The richness and spiciness of the bourbon accentuates the sweet cocoa aspect of the beer, making consumption a very decadent experience.

I am a bit frugal, so it takes a fair amount of internal debate for me to drop 8-9 bucks on a bomber, but the consistency and quality of Rahr and Sons special brews make it easy for me to outlay the cash.

If there was a beer that saved Christmas, this would be my contender to one up the Snow Miser.

Prost!

Winter Warmer by Rahr and Sons Brewing Co

2011-12-20T20:10:00.000-05:00

Howdy folks, I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season thus far. Christmas day is a week away, presents have been bought and wrapped, and now it’s time for the part of the holidays that I enjoy the most: inebriation.

To begin the much needed greasing of the holiday spirit, I made a trip to Central Market, a kind of epicurean grocery market that offers some of the best variety of craft beers in the Texas market. There I picked out a few tasty beverages, including a six-pack of Rahr and Sons’ Winter Warmer, and a bomber of the same brew that has been aged in bourbon barrels.

Tonight I have selected the 12-ounce offering, and will likely compare it to the premium variation tomorrow evening.

Pouring out the contents of the bottle with an aggressive tilt, the beer settles without generating much of a head. What does form is less than a dimes thickness, and is a nice tan color.

An aroma of deep chocolate and cinnamon speaks volumes, generously suggesting the malt bomb that is about to hit the drinker’s lips. With a syrupy and velvety mouthfeel, the very pronounced flavor of cocoa indulges the taste buds. Rounding out the malt forward front end of the beverage, a nice warm, slight coffee flavor and medium full bitterness give complexity and round out a wonderful winter seasonal craft beer.

Any hard working elf would be happy to find this in their pint glass at the end of a day in drudgery under the oversight of St. Nick.

Prost!

Full Moon Rye Pale Ale by Real Ale Brewing Company

2011-12-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

Life is good knowing that I will have a job soon, and with another project making steady progress, I am not wanting for purpose and focus. For the most part, I have decided to take this weekend easier than most, as I do not have the burdens of no employment or tile to move for a sibling, but instead a fridge full of beer that needs to be logged.

To begin this weekend’s leisure, with a stomach full of carnitas and al pastor street tacos, it’s time for a post lunch, pre-siesta cerveza. And what, pray tell, is on the beer menu today? It’s Real Ale Brewing Company’s Full Moon Rye Pale Ale.

As I tip the bottle over into a pint glass, a cloudy, honey colored ale with loads of active carbon dioxide pours out and forms a pretty, fluffy, and thin off-white head.

The aroma is slightly sweet and malt forward with hints of a warm, orange citrus mingled in the mix.

On the front end, there is a nice medium malt body, with the sweetness tempered by generic spice notes provided by the rye malt. Following the balanced malt body, a slight, non-specific citrus-flavored bitterness adds additional depth to an already nuanced beverage.

Of the Real Ale Brewing Company’s selections that I’ve tried, this is the most solid and enjoyable that I have had to date, and that is saying something when all of the selections have been solid, straightforward examples of what locally produced craft beer can be.

Prost!

Christmas Ale from St Arnold Brewing Co.

2011-12-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

Well guys, with just 10 days left in the holiday season, I find myself with most of my Christmas presents purchased, several reviews still pending editing before uploading (my editor is a college professor, and is too busy correcting her students grammatical errors to address those of her husband), and a few beers to chill, consume, and review.

For the second winter/Christmas beer of the season for Intoxico to review, I have the Christmas Ale from Houston’s St Arnold Brewing Co.

The beer poured out a rich, deep, and true umber hue, with a good amount of floating sediment in the brew. I am not sure if there was an issue with the capping of this bottle, but the head formation was very minimal, in contrast to the healthy head that I recall from a bottle enjoyed earlier in the week.

An aroma of pine hops was foremost on the nose, with just a slight malt backend.

As suggested by the nose, a wonderful depth of hop bitterness was on the front of the palate, exhibiting pine notes accented with a lemon zest essence. Rounding out this medium bodied beer was a malt backend that carried some slight brown sugar flavor, cutting the hop forward bitterness.

All in all, this was a decent, well-produced ale that I will always keep an eye out for on the shelves when the holidays start to invade daily life.

Shiner Holiday Cheer by the Spoetzl Brewery

2011-12-18T22:40:00.000-05:00

Well guys, Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with the holidays coming at us like a shotgun of dread and disappointment, I felt it was a good time to get back into the swing of things on Intoxico. As the days get longer, and the nights colder, intoxication is a much needed facilitator to spending more time with extended family, and thus more time with everybody’s friend, alcohol. You can’t have the Christmas Spirit without the Spirit!

To begin the season, and to get back into the habit of review intoxicants, I will begin with one of the first seasonal beers to hit the shelves here in Texas since Oktoberfest left town, Shiner’s Holiday Cheer by our friends at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX.

This beer, augmented with pecans and peaches during the brewing process per its label, pours out a clear, light amber color that seems tinted towards the red side of the spectrum. The light brown head starts out frothy and impressive, but quickly dissipates to only the faint memory of co2 buildup.

The aroma of the freshly poured beer is more fruit forward than of any malts or hops, reminiscent of strawberry soda or syrup.

As the nose suggested, the first sip is very sweet, with aggressive peach and strawberry like flavoring overpowering any generic beer or ale flavors. On the backend a not very pleasant nuttiness develops on the back of an acrid bitterness that leaves a bit much to be desired.

While I do like the brewers in Shiner to explore new brewing frontiers, I feel they have some issues with taking this enthusiasm and turning it into an enjoyable, well crafted beer. They seem more interested in generating a marketing tool than brewing a good and unique, well-crafted product.

Prost!

Texas Red Amber Lager by Rahr and Sons

2011-12-18T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hello boys and girls.

Sorry for the prolonged hiatus from reviewing intoxicants, but given the schedule I have been carrying since October, the distraction of hockey and life, and a funk that has had a hold of me for the past several months, addressing the website has been put on the backburners. Consider this post the application of the pot on the mid range. Down the pipe we have a few winter beers, and maybe the start of some whiskey reviews.

For the time being, seeing as I have my first Saturday in a while without the wife in tow, I have decided to take the free time to enjoy a beer or two, starting with Rahr and Sons’ Texas Red Amber Lager.

The beer pours out a nice, rich amber hue, and forms a quite impressive and hearty off white head. Despite an almost erotic beginning, the crown dies from about the width of a finger to that of a dime.

I am not sure why this is, but the regular production line from this brewery always has an odor that I would describe as wet or green grain, and this amber beer is no exception. In addition to this Rahr calling card, there is a nice malt forward nose, greeted and balance with a slight hop backend.

As to be expected by the nose, the malt profile of the beer is upfront on the palate, but is followed by a sourness and bitterness that is not a favorite of this beer drinker. By about midway through the beer, this tang does subside to reveal a middle of the road amber beer that displays some decent caramel and cinnamon notes, but fails to hit the mark of the great or exceptional beer that this brewery produces in a number of seasonal and bomber offerings.

In short, while I believe in the products that this brewery releases, this offering feels forced onto the shelves next to much better representations of the brown and amber ale/lager style.

St Arnold Brewing Co Elissa IPA

2011-12-14T21:47:00.001-05:00

Well, another day is in the can, and another beer is needed to wash away the fatigue of a day spent in toil.

As my mother prepares one of my favorite meals, chicken fried steak, I have decided to pop the cap of another Texas brewed beer, Elissa IPA from our friends at the Saint Arnold Brewery, located in the parking lot known as Houston, TX.

The cap, while a twist off, wins at a feat of strength, and I must either give the beer up to the ages, or pull out a bottle opener to get at its contents. Once freed from its container, the beer displays its burnt-orange body, and slightly off-white head that dissipates without much fight.

Intermingled with the smell of hot grease from the kitchen, the nose is nice and hoppy, with a subtle floral presence.

The light mouth feel of the beer carries a less pronounced bitterness than the nose lead me to believe, but is still floral on the front end of this medium-bodied ale. On the backend, a nice honey like maltiness develops, as well as an orange essence that adds a delightful finish to the beer.

Overall this is a nice IPA that offers more to the malt-centric than to hop heads, bringing a strong and rich sweetness to a style of beer currently being pushed to the extremes of palatability in bitterness by other brewers. This beer is easy for me to suggest to the hop weary macro beer drinker.

Prost!

Southern Star Pine Belt Pale Ale

2011-10-26T20:52:00.000-04:00

Hey readers, I hope everyone has been doing well during my hiatus. Over the past four weeks I have been busy learning the ins and outs of mortgage servicing for a job in Bank of America’s mortgage department, and I have often found myself too braindead to keep things up on the ole blog.

Now that I have gotten into something of a routine though, the day-to-day struggle is getting to be less taxing, and I have found the energy to punch out a review as opposed to get numbingly drunk and falling asleep.

To get back into the swing of things, I have picked up a brewery new to my taste buds, Southern Star Brewery. Hailing from Conroe, Texas, this is one of the few small breweries in the state to can, as opposed to bottle, their beer offerings. The beer is their Pine Belt Pale Ale.

The beer, being poured from a 16-ounce can, comes out a cloudy, nearly opaque, umber color. Atop the beverage a very formidable, frothy, off-white head forms. The head, while exceeding the limits of the pint glass, keeps its body and avoids falling over the side of my pint glass.

Taking a healthy whiff off the top of the head, slightly brushing my nose against the foamy goodness, the aroma of hops, primarily of grapefruit, mingles with a subtle malty note of caramel.

Sufficiently enticed by both the appealing smell and appearance, I take a healthy first sip of the pale ale. Flavors of slightly toasted sugar and pine hops frolic in balance across my tongue. As the sweet malt body subsides, it is replaced by a warm, mild bitterness on the backend, both in medium body.

While I would characterize the flavor as good, but not great, this beer has one of the most rich and creamy mouth impressions I have ever enjoying in an ale not coming from the tap, and without a nitrous widget in the can or bottle.

Southern Star has brewed a beer that, despite my “meh” response to the flavor, being neither impressed nor dissuaded, still is a beer that exhibits all the elements of a beer that has been crafted from good, quality ingredients, and a skilled brewmaster.

I am a little disappointed that I did not fall in love with the beer, but I will easily buy another sample from their offerings with the anticipation that it will be brewed with equally enough care and pride.

Prost!