Eisbock Error

Shiner's Farmhouse Ale was a bit lackluster; however I stumbled on a nifty way to extract something with a more distinct flavor profile and a whale of a lot more kick.

I won't go into the boring details but there is a brewing process whereby the beer is frozen and the unfrozen remnant retained for drinking. Since alcohol has a lower freezing point, the unfrozen liquid is a jazzed up, high alcohol version of the parent brew.

I accidentally left a bottle of Shiner Farmhouse in the freezer overnight and found it this afternoon with the cap slightly askew and a ring of foam around the neck. I gingerly popped the cap off and watched a dark brown liquid run down the sides of the bottle. I sipped it and felt the kick immediately.

I set the sputtering bottle inside a cup to capture the unfrozen remnant, which I then added to a regular glass of Farmhouse. I need to remember this and figure out a way to better take advantage of this phenomenon.

You'll see the ice in the bottle and the darker than normal remnant in the mug. It had a higher alcohol content.

Cinder Cone Is Where You Find It

Frequent flyers here will know about my love affair with Cinder Cone Red; that bygone tasty treat from Deschutes Brewing. I really miss Cinder Cone but now and then I sample a beer that reminds me somewhat of Cinder Cone.

I picked up this single bottle of Squatter's Big Cottonwood amber ale a bit reluctantly I'll admit but having tried it, I'm glad I bought it and I'll buy it again.

Who cares if I like it because it reminds me of some other beer? Good is good!

(Third post from the iPhone.)

Bought the Farm(house)

I don't shop at the old Sunflower Market as often as I used to since they changed to Sprouts. They don't have the same sort of bargains there now. However, today I stopped in on a whim to pick up something to grill and some beer to wash it down.

I was not particularly impressed with the sale items (I guess I've become something of a cheapskate in my old age) until I spied some Shiner seasonal ale labeled as a "manager's special," priced at $4.99 a six pack.

Shiner FM 966 Farmhouse Ale is packaged in an eye-catching container with the sort of rustic label that I fall for every time. I bought one six pack along with a six pack of Gordon Biersch Winterbock; a bit of an insurance policy.

Meh. Sometimes it doesn't matter what beer you've got, just as long as you've got beer. This FM 966 will do for a Friday session ale and I'll look forward to some Winterbock later this weekend. Here's a toast to insurance!

Incidentally, I got home to find I'm out of gas for the grill. So much for my grand Friday plan.

Stone Vertical Epic 12-12-12

This will represent my first attempt to make a post via iPhone. I received a bottle of Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12 as a graduation gift from a generous coworker (I completed my master's degree in November.). I cracked it open this weekend; here are the notes straight from the notebook:

Dark brown and opaque with a thick light brown head. Tastes like gingerbread with a hint of licorice. Alcohol bite late in the finish but not too strong. Very good.

In hindsight the licorice taste reminds me a little bit of the taste of a pontifract cake. In any event, I went to Total Wine and found 3 more to save for later! Grand.