Miasmatic Review

Tired of political BS.

Hypocrisy, it is the basis of just about every political debate in America right now. Liberals and Conservatives, Democrats and Republicans blast each other for doing stuff they do themselves. The problem is that both sides are so blinded by their own self serving needs to see that they are doing the same thing the other side does.

I see it at political functions, rallies, work, on the internet and talking to friends. It’s so frustrating that it’s making me want to give up what little hope I have left for this country. Really, I believe the only hope that is left is for a complete and total collapse of government and a clean start.

Let’s just say that if this was 200 years ago, I’d be packing my family and heading to the frontier with like minded individuals to start our own community.

Now back to our regularly scheduled sporadic blogging about Beer.

Bell's Batch 9,000

Tonight’s beer is one I picked up a while back; I just haven’t gotten around to trying it. I decided that tonight was going to be the night. Tonight I’m trying Batch 9,000 Ale by Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, MI.

The method of delivery was a 12 oz brown bottle. There is light yellow label with a yellow border. At the top is the Bell’s logo. Taking up most of the middle is a square with the name “Batch 9,000 ale” in it. It also states that this is a commemorative brew and that it is brewed with molasses and brewer’s licorice.

When I poured it into a glass, it had a dark brown coloring to it. There was just a hint of a ruby or garnet tint. This is a very dark and thick looking beer. It’s so opaque that as some light passes through, but only at the edges. A beige head formed consisting of tiny, dense bubbles. IT fades slowly to a film at the top of the beer and a ring around the edge of the beer. There is some lacing on the glass.

There is a strong and intense aroma to this beer. Mostly it is of dark fruits, molasses, cherries and bourbon. You can also detect the noticeable smell of alcohol. The flavor is very complex. You can make out a distinct combination of plums, dates, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, some spice and alcohol. The flavor opens up more as the beer warms closer to room temperature. It’s hard to pin point any single taste that over powers the others, they mix together in a strong, but pleasant style.

This is a medium to heavy bodied beer. There is some coating in the mouth. There is some burning from the high 12.5% ABV when swallowed, and a warming in the stomach.

I was really impressed with this beer. It tasted fantastic; however, drinking it on a day where the temps reached the 90’s probably wasn’t the best idea. This is more of a cold/cooler weather beer. The burning sensation coupled with a hot summer day really distracts from the beer. The high ABV, while noticeable, really does not distract from the overall taste of the beer. This is a limited edition beer, so if you can get your hands on it, I would recommend picking one up. If you do, I would put it in a cool and dark pace to store for a cool fall or winter night to enjoy. I give it 7 out of 10.

Key West Sunset Ale

This week’s beer was bought for me by one of the best bartenders in the world while he was on Vacation, how cool is that? I guess I frequent his bar so much that he just felt obligated to serve me even while on vacation. Tonight’s beer is sponsored by Honorary Enabler, Drake of the Hope and Anchor in Loves Park, Illinois. The beer he picked was Key West Sunset Ale by the Florida beer company in Melbourne, Florida.

It came in a 12 oz brown bottle. The label starts as orange at the top and fades to a yellow at the bottom. There is a black boarder with yellow wheat grains on it. It says Key West at the upper half. There is a picture of a sunset through palm trees on it and the name Sunset Ale in white script under it. The neck label has a picture of a conch shell in a black circle. In the circle it says, “The Original Beer of the Conch Republic.”

The beer itself has an orangish amber color. There is no cloudiness to it at all, light passes through easily. You can make out images easily looking through the beer. A thin white head formed when it was poured into the glass. It faded quickly to nothing. There is no lacing on the glass or a ring around the edge.

The first thing you notice when you smell it is a citrus hops scent. Feint grainy malt finishes off the scent of the beer. The smell itself isn’t very strong and until it warms up almost to room temperature and then a caramel malt scent becomes more noticeable. The flavor is much like a scent. There is a thin malt flavor with a grapefruit and floral hops. The flavor really opens up, much like the scent, as it warms. The caramel malt flavor becomes more noticeable.

This is a light bodied beer with mild carbonation. There is no coating or creaminess to it.

This beer is pretty unassuming. The scent and flavor isn’t all that impressive. What it has going for it is that it is an easy to drink beer. It doesn’t sit heavy in the stomach. I reviewed this beer on a hot summer day, and this seems to be a perfect beer for just that, hanging with friends at the beach or lounging around a pool on a hot day. After I finished the first one, I wished I had a second one in the fridge to help fight off the heat of the day. It’s not a great beer, but it isn’t bad either, I give it 4.5 out of 10.