Not so Rocky Road

A recent trip to  TSC (Tractor Supply Company) for rabbit food afforded me another look at the bargains they often have in baskets at the front of the store. Being hungry and with my daughter I was excited to find Annabelle's Rocky Road. Three words and the price tag caught my eye Cashews and milk chocolate and the price tag of was $1.49 now $.50. I love all of these things, so one for me and one for my daughter. Did I mention that I was not wearing my glasses,BAD IDEA. First thing my daughter noticed was that it said, clearly,  marshmallow. To my defense the sticker was over the word marshmallow. Since my wife and kids are vegetarian this was a no-no. Then I realised I had a stress test the next day, so caffeine was not on my approved list. That was then and this is now, so today I thought I would give it a try. Since the thing attracting me to it was the cashews my reaction was disappointment. It seems to me that spring is here and the road crew have smoothed out those rocky roads and all I got was the occasional piece of gravel. In other words the cashews were too small and too rare. In fairness if you want a chocolate covered marshmallow bar with a hint of cashew it was pretty good. For my tastes today I wanted to be a little nuttier. Well, try one for yourself but don't expect a lot of cashews!
Until I taste again I bid you peace.

Christmas no longer in July

Below is a brief review of several Christmas beers I collected for my what was suppose to be Christmas in July review but ended up taking longer. Those that enjoy a good taste sensation know its about the flavour but my wife does not drink and she might think I am a drunk if I tried them all in July. So here it is Christmas eve and here is my Christmas beer review. Understand that some breweries change the formula some each year but at least it gives you an idea of what breweries are able to brew something worth trying. This way you get a head start on preparing your winter shopping list even if its for next year.:


Lakefront brewery brings us a treat for the holidays Holiday Spice lager beer Cinnamon clove orange and honey apparently if you bring them together the holidays will come. This is one of the better gifts from the winter holidays. If you are lacking in holiday spirit then try this holiday beer.
Official specs:

9.4%ALC/VOL

Our version of a winter warmer: brewed with cinnamon, orange zest, clove and generous amounts of honey. Pours a deep amber to ruby color with an off-white head. Aromas are fruity and spicy, with a slight floral undertone from the lager yeast. The flavor is smooth, full and spicy, balanced by the bite of Mt. Hood hops and a substantial, warming alcohol character. This is a full bodied beer, making it a holiday taste sensation that will warm your bones on a cold winter night.

Great with holiday meals; really cuts through the richness of fatty meats like goose and beef roast. Also a nice treat on its own…try sipping our Holiday Spice Lager by the fire on a cold Wisconsin evening and create joyful holiday memories that you'll hold on to.

Bells Christmas ale

One of the most malty Christmas beers I can currently recall the malt and the barley give this beer its flavour. I might find this a change as a regular beer but it does not capture the feeling or spirit of the holidays.

Christmas Ale

The basic inspiration for Bell's Christmas Ale was to create a sessionable holiday beer, using locally grown malt, which would stand apart from the array of spiced winter warmers that are typically introduced this time of year. In contrast to many other seasonals, Christmas Ale doesn't contain any spices: all of the dry, toasted notes & subtle toffee flavors come from the 100% Michigan-grown barley, custom malted by Briess Malting, while a blend of hops from Michigan & the Pacific Northwest lend earthy, herbal aromas. At 5.5% ABV, it stands as a smooth, highly drinkable beer intended to complement holiday menus, not overshadow them.

Alcohol by Volume:  5.5%
Original Gravity:  1.058
Shelf Life:  6 months
Dates Available:  Winter seasonal
Available Packages:  Bottle and draft

Anchor Brewing Merry Christmas Happy New Year 2011
Sometimes I might get chance to try a beer after its been closed out as it were this would be one of those. This is the 2011 version of anchors Christmas beer it is slightly past its available date still a good brew but mostly the taste of roasted malt some spices but more a winter warmer than a Christmas beer. Each year they feature a different tree on the label and so from an educational stand point it is good. If comparing beers to beers it is better than some but falls short of many.

Every year since 1975 the brewers of Anchor Steam® Beer have brewed a distinctive and unique Christmas Ale, which is available from early November to mid-January. The Ale’s recipe is different every year—as is the tree on the label—but the intent with which we offer it remains the same: joy and celebration of the newness of life. Since ancient times, trees have symbolized the winter solstice when the earth, with its seasons, appears born anew. 

ABV=5.5%

Rogue Santa's private selection
What can I say about this brew. Like the one above it is malty maybe even more so. As a beer to drink a few of, that has sufficient taste to stand up against spicy food for example. It is tolerable maybe even ok great it is not but it's also not bud light so lets give it that, and in the generouse nature of the season move on.

Santa's Private Reserve

tasting notes awards & history

Style: Red Ale FOOD PAIRING: Beef,Pork

Tasting Notes: A double hopped Red Ale, reddish in color with a roasty, malty flavor and a well balanced spruce finish.

12 Ingredients: 2 Row, Munich, C15, C40, C75 and Rogue Farms Dare™ & Risk™ Malts; Rogue Farms Newport™, Rebel™ & Freedom™ Hops; Free Range Coastal Water and Pacman Yeast

Our Snowflakes Glisten in the dark!

22oz Bottle, 12oz Bottle & 6-pack / 13° Plato / 65 IBU / 73.1 AA / 26.75° Lovibond

6% ABV

Anderson Valley brewing offers up Winter solstice seasonal ale
This was a nice flavour that although it did not over power you with the feeling of Christmas it did make me think winter could be a little more bearable with a few of these to pass the time with. it mentions toffee spice and caramel tease well I enjoyed being teased!

official word:

Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice® is our take on the classic style of “winter warmer.” Boasting a deep amber hue and rich mouthfeel, its creamy finish will lift your spirits. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter. FOOD PAIRINGS:
Roasted almonds, candied yams, baked spiral ham, pumpkin pie
CHEESE PAIRING:
Brie, Aged Cheddar
GLASSWARE:
Pint Glass 
ALC/VOL:
6.9%
BITTERNESS:
6 IBU
MALTS:
Pale Two-Row, Crystal (40L and 80L), Munich (20L)
HOPS:
Northern Brewer, Liberty

AVAILABILTY:
September-February: Draft, 22oz & 12oz bottles, 12oz can

Troegs Mad Elf Ale

I had heard great things about this usually this is a recipe for disaster. I go into it expecting lots come out very disappointed. This time however I very much enjoyed it. I will not pretend that the cherry Honey and chocolate leapt out to me but I will say it excited my palate in a way that whiskey often does. It's high ABV might have had something to do with this I don't know. Ask me if I would drink it again I would say a resounding yes. Sadly this was a one of a kind at least till next winter.

Official word:

Tröegs Mad Elf Ale

Alcohol by Volume: 11.0%

Hop Bitterness (IBUs): 15

Color: Ruby Red

Availability: Seasonal (October - December)

Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Chocolate

Hops: Saaz, Hallertau

Yeast: Spicy Belgian

JuJu: Pennsylvania Honey, Sweet and Sour Cherries

Seasonal Release (Mid October - December)

The Mad Elf is a cheerful creation to warm your heart and enlighten your tongue. The combination of cherries, honey, and chocolate malts delivers gentle fruits and subtle spices. Fermented and aged with a unique yeast, this ruby red beer has significant warming strength that underlies the pleasant character of this intriguing yet delicious Ale. The Mad Elf is a jolly and delicious beer for the holidays.

Serving Suggestions:

Temp: 50-55° F | Glassware: Chalice or Tulip

Mt Carmel
Winter Ale

Its not Christmas let's see if it feels like it when you drink this....
Yes!
I will not claim that the sound of jingle bells can be heard but, tastes that remind you of some of the winter holidays taste sensations can be found in this bottle. You might even do a double take to see if the tree lights are plugged in. All joking aside here is the official word:

This festive ale calls to mind the holiday season with scents of spruce and ginger, mingling with flavors of orange-spiced bread, perfectly complementing a frosty evening.

OG

1.067

SRM

21.9

IBU's

36.8

Alc.

8%

Ok this was what I pulled from the fridge for my Christmas eve review. NOT BY BEST CHOICE EVER.

Brooklyn Brand Winter Ale

As a dark beer it was ok not a favourite but decent. However this Brews name suggests it as something more it was not. As a Christmas or Winter beer this was severely lacking.
Now the official word.......

BROOKLYN WINTER ALE

When the days grow short and the beach recedes into our dreams, we need a very nice beer to get us through the long winter. Based on the satisfying malty ales of blustery Scotland, Brooklyn Winter Ale will have you looking on the bright side of things. Rich Scottish malts bring deep bready flavors to a beer with a full copper color, a round, smooth palate, and brisk hopping that pulls the sweet malts into balance. See - things are looking up already!

Style: Scottish-style Ale
Malts: Scottish Floor-malted Maris Otter, English crystal malts, Belgian Aromatic malt, American Roasted malts, American oats
Hops: Willamette
Alcohol by Volume: 6.1%
IBUs: 25
Original Gravity: 16.5° Plato
Calories: 205
Food Pairings: Brooklyn Winter Ale is great with robust winter foods such as stews, steaks, lamb, game, duck, pork, barbecue, and it's a very nice match for a wide variety of fine cheeses, particularly farmhouse cheddar, Stilton, Gruyere and sheep’s milk cheeses. And should you decide to enjoy a cigar in your favorite armchair in front of the fireplace, this beer will play along very nicely.
Availability: November-March
Format: 15.5 gal kegs; 5.2 gal kegs; 24/12oz bottles

Well as Christmas approaches I will leave you to try these or any of the many Christmas/ winter brews.

Tomorrow will offer many taste sensations so until I taste again I bid You peace and wish you a Merry Christmas.

A beautiful day not too hot not too cold. So cook out time. For breakfast johnsonville grillers brat-burger. Maybe I will review in more detail later for now I will say that don't get distracted when cooking these. Still despite being overcooked on one side it was still  and moist.

For lunch eckrich hot dog sauteed onions and heinz ketchup on a kaiser bun.

A cold beverage for a cookout why not blast Blueberry pomegranate by colt 45.
Well that depends on your tolerance for sugar this is very sweet with artificial flavours.
 I have had other blast products this is defenitely not my favourite.
Now it's dinner time Steak awaits with grilled asparagus and corn fresh air made it taste even better.
Then some noodles with a pace and cheese sauce. GREAT MEAL great day sun and food with refreshments.

Kona Brewing company KOKO BROWN

The first Kona Brewery I tried was Longboard Island Lager I had this on draught and was very under impressed. When it ran out it was replaced by Big Wave Golden Ale. Big wave was better offering a malt and hops flavour. The best was yet to follow koko brown is the best of the kona brewery beers I have the good fortune to try. I tried it first on draught and due to the great experience I had drinking it on draught, I purchased it in bottles, when I saw it in the local krogers. With its malt  and roasted cococonut flavours it hits my tastebuds in all the right places. Yes it tastes better on draught than in a bottle but either version tasted very enjoyable.

Castaway IPA I have my sights set on you...!

Below the official word from Kona so until I taste again I bid you peace.

Koko Brown

A Nut Brown Worth Cracking

Is there anything more iconic of the lush tropics than the coconut? The delicious heart of this island treasure has a nutty, toffee flavor and aroma that sends you straight to the beaches of Paradise. Kick back with a Koko Brown, brewed with real toasted coconut, and savor the mahogany color and smooth, roasty malt taste. Island-only beer in 2014

BITTERNESS:

26.7 IBU

ALCOHOL BY VOLUME:

5.5%

ORIGINAL GRAVITY:

13.69° P

MALTS:

PALE (PREMIUM 2-ROW), DARK CHOCOLATE MALT, AROMATIC, VICTORY

HOPS:

CASCADE, WILLAMETTE, MILLENNIUM

Hong Kong Buffet and king cobra

Today the family, minus my oldest daughter, decided to go out for our, I guess you would say, main meal, to the local chinese buffet. The Hong Kong Buffet to be precise. I had not yet eaten, and since it was almost three p.m. I was, to say the least, hungry. The first plate was some fried rice, General Tso chicken (although I included several pieces of this almost everything else was just a taste sensation or in other words just enough to taste it), stir fried shrimp, some fish, pepper steak, and the thing they do with fake lobster and a mayonnaise type sauce. I also fit on some mussels.
The next plate was more chicken based: French chicken, ma la chicken, and sesame chicken. I also had an egg roll, some spinach with cheese, some green beans,and some crab Rangoons, (Very tasty. If you've never tried them, I recommend you do.), finishing the plate with stuffed mushrooms.
   I then had a bowl of soup, hot and sour of course. (Pretty much my favourite chinese soup.) I sprinkled some chopped green onion, pork, and noodles on it since, as my family will be the first to tell you, I like to turn soup into a solid.
  My dessert  consisted of a final piece of General Tso, with fried rice, a Chinese donut, some various bits of cake and pastries, stuffed with an almost, but unfortunately not, cream filling. I also had some fruit: mandarin oranges and lychee and a small piece of red Jelly, or jello as Americans call it.I  discovered years ago that  Chinese restaurants are some of the best places to get  jelly since most regular American buffets make  it too watery. I did a small serving of vanilla/chocolate twist ice cream with multi coloured sprinkles.
  Anytime they are available when I go to a Chinese buffet I finish the meal off with almond cookies, and today was no exception. As I discussed with my wife on the way from the restaurant, it might be Freudian, since my mother used to make congress tarts that had a similar flavour .
It would, as you see, take too long to give a detailed review of each and every item. So I will do this more in block fashion. Everything I mentioned above was very tasty, (My hunger, I am sure, affected my judgement.), with the following exceptions. The fish, as is often the case on a buffet, was very low on taste and obviously overcooked. The fake lobster and mayonnaise dish, usually a favourite, was apparently not popular today, and tasted like it had been up there for a long time. The egg roll was, even when dipped in a good Chinese mustard, bland. The Chinese donut was ok but  VERY greasy tasting. The pastries, as I mentioned, looked like they were filled with cream, and what they  had in them was definitely better than Boston cream (My description of Boston cream is: it's not from Boston and its not cream.), Anytime you can stuff a pastry, such as an eclair, with real whipped cream I recommend it. Anything else is at best, second best.
  So the food reviewed briefly we now get to the next part of the post the King Cobra.
If you eat Chinese there is a free bonus that comes with the meal, other than the cliche' part of being hungry twenty minutes later. ( By the way, after all of the above, hunger took 6-7 hours to resurface.) I am talking about the effect of all of that sodium. Yes, you get a powerful thirst. I drank about four glasses of water at the restaurant and a couple since I got home, but thirst still 
haunts me, so time to taste the King Cobra.


Why King Cobra? Well, it's cheap, and really does not taste that bad. Sorry to offend beer tasters everywhere, but it is flavourful, unlike Budweiser and Budlight. I would not choose this over almost any craft beer, but over a lot of American domestics it more than holds  its own.
I also added some Vernors ginger ale. 

This makes for a slight twist on a British drink that Americans are now trying to emulate, called  shandy. Real shandy is a decent flavoured beer and British lemonade, which more closely resembles sprite. It's a way to enjoy a beer sensation with more liquid and less alcohol and a more refreshing flavour.Well since the chinese meal and the malt liquor make up almost every taste sensation of the day I guess today is covered. So until I taste again I bid you peace!

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale review

It is 72 degrees according to the computer, hotter according to my body. I am sat in front of a fan eating a quesadilla I made from spinach pesto tortillas and fake beef,  onion powder, salsa, and of course Mexican style cheese. Edible enough, but not my best creation. I tried one, subbing  refried beans for the fake beef.It was very messy, but ok. So, what to wash it down with? Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale.Not a traditional paring.The Sam Adams website would have you believe that oyster and pumpkin souffle, or marinara would be a better paring.  They do mention pesto, so I guess this could count. Anyway, the spices, such as ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg seem to give the beer a good flavour, and  they did not disagree with my weird meal.The beer is one I would be prepared to drink again and maybe, as they say, it would be "perfect for  the crisper days of fall." I don't think it was imperfect for July either!!! Below is the official description of the beer. Until I taste again I bid you peace.

Harvest Pumpkin Ale

Real pumpkin & warming spices like ginger, cinnamon & nutmeg give this brew a smooth, hearty, and inviting character perfect for the crisper days of fall.

                                 HOP VARIETIES

East Kent Goldings and Fuggles

MALT VARIETIES

Samuel Adams two-row pale malt blend, Caramel 60, Special B, and smoked malt

YEAST STRAIN

Top-fermenting Ale

COLOR

Dark reddish amber, SRM: 33

SPECIAL INGREDIENTS

Real pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg & allspice

ALC. BY VOL/WT

5.7% ABV - 4.4% ABW

IBUs

14

CAL PER SERVING

199

AVAILABILITY

Seasonal

The Tops steakhouse

The day of my birthday has long since past. The review is still accurate.
 We headed towards Columbus Ohio. Since we were at this point very hungry, and I was not sure what the supper club would have to offer that would meet my vegetarian families tastes, (plus they don't open till 5pm on Sundays),when the suggestion of doing lunch at a new Indian restaurant, and then doing the supper club later came up, I eagerly agreed.
In hindsight, not, perhaps, the best choice of the day. But I like to try new experiences, so I guess it was that.
The new restaurant  was Kohinoor (www.kohinoorindiancuisine.com). The decor was westernized American. Still, nice surroundings.

The food (and to be fair we only ordered the lunch buffet.) was also westernized or at least toned down from Indian food's more interesting and flavourful side.

Yes it was edible, but boring. The family agreed it would not be near the top of our list of places to re-visit.
 Fortunately, after some time passed shopping, we gained back our hunger, ready to have another go at eating and having fun. So a call  ahead to The Top supper club revealed that reservations were available.

At the time of year we went the snow lay fairly heavily on the ground, and although some attempt earlier had been made to clean a path to the restaurant, by the time we arrived the weather had managed to recover the sidewalks,leaving some areas slippery.

 I went ahead of the family, partly to check the restaurant out, and partly to find the restroom. I was not greeted on my way in, so I located the restroom, and upon my return waited by the door. Still no one came to greet me. A minute or two later the family came in, and shortly after we were greeted by a smartly dressed and friendly hostess or manager,(It was hard to be sure which.), and our reservation was confirmed. We were then sat at our awaiting table.  

The table was fairly central in the dining area and afforded us a nice view of the fireplace and the bar which was to my left as I entered the restaurant.

The menu was a very large one sheet. Due to the size of the menu and the cozy but  somewhat limited space in the restaurant a freak accident occurred. My daughter moved the menu and managed to slice the top of the water glass next to her. The area was cleaned up quietly and efficiently. Keeping any embarrassment from the situation to a minimum.

The restaurant was, as it described itself " a 1950s supper club " It was dark but in a pleasant atmospheric way. The feeling was somewhat like you had stepped back in time. You could not help but wonder what deals had been made at these tables. 

Dinner was begun with salads and appetizers. (My family ate these as a large part of their meal.)  A very popular item was the Top Mac & Cheese. I am delighted to say I did not partake in this, since mac & cheese is one of my least favourite things.My oldest daughter had Au Gratin potatoes. She seemed to enjoy these, but not as much as the mac &  cheese, which my wife and youngest shared, each believing the other ate more than half. I remain neutral on the whole debate.

I, for my sins, had fried oysters. To say they were cooked to perfection and tasted fantastic is to say the Beatles played music. (It does not do full justice) The Oysters were served with both lemon and a dipping sauce.

 We also got onion rings. They were very good, but I have had at least as good if not better.  But keep in mind I have eaten a lot of onion rings at many different locations.

The main reason for going was not the Columbus Brewery IPA,(which was good, though I have had many better IPA's before and since.), nor the onion rings or the fantastic oysters, which were so good I have tried, without success, to emulate them at home. The thing that severely limited our selection of places to eat on a Sunday was the Prime Rib. I have, like with the onion rings, eaten Prime Rib at many different locations. Such as the place in Marysville that everyone there raved about; time was ultimately the biggest food critic of the place, since shortly after I ate there it went out of business (I gave it a description comparing it to something that you could and should use instead of as food as an item to repair worn shoes).

Others, such as the hotel in Fort Wayne Indiana, with all you can eat prime rib, or the steak house I used to work for in Marion, Ohio,called Michaels, receive  great praise and are a standard that other places are expected to live up to. The top managed to accomplish this standard. The Prime rib was not only cooked as requested but was tender and extremely tasty with appropriate accessories available. Things such as horseradish and mushrooms and onions and a well prepared baked potato.

Sorry that neither photo of the prime does it justice, truth told My mind was more focused on eating than on photography MMMMM GOOD!

We passed on dessert, since one awaited me at home in the form of cake. As you can see in the exit photos it had not warmed up much as we left but who cared a fine meal with family gives you a warm glow inside.

As to the cake, delicious.