Pour un Pugno di Luppolo- retasting.

This is my 'Fistful of Hops' ale that I brewed last summer(6/16/10). I was inspired by a bottle of my Grisette that had been infected with Brett, and though that was completely accidental, I really liked the taste of it.
Tasting 4/25/11-
Cloudy lemon color. Great foamy white head that left nice lacing in the glass. Ample, streaming carbonation.
Brett aroma, citrus, earthy hops, dry, dusty.
Earthy brett taste. Soil, hay, citrus. Highly carbonated, light mouth feel. Champagne like effervescence. Short finish, but some hanging on flavor remains with you.
Still drinking ok, but from my previous tasting, it seems like the remainder should be drunk soon.

Terrapin/De Proeuf- Monstre Rouge.

Let me start by saying I did not buy this and most likely would not have bought this if left to my own devices. Katie brought it home from work for me, so I thought I would give it a whirl.
The label states this is an Imperial Flanders red. I believe 8% abv.
Pours a murky red/brown. Very hoppy aroma, which is kind of what I was afraid of. Tastes like an IPA. It wasn't until the third glass (with the bottle left at room temp) that I felt I could detect even a hint of funk, and that was more Brett and no lactic tartness at all.
Very hoppy over all, not true to style. If I had bought this and thought of it as a Flanders Red, I would have been very disappointed, as it was nothing like one at all.
As it is, I didn't pay for it, and while it wasn't bad for what it was, it wasn't near what it claimed to be. For that I would have to give this beer a low rating. I would not buy again, and recommend that you don't either.

And wines.

1996 Jean Michel Gullion- Gevrey Chambertin Vieilles Vignes.
Beginning to brown a bit around the edges. Aromas of earth, acid, tart cherry. Flavors of rose petals, violets, cherry, earth, acid, touch of oak. Medium finish, medium body. If you have any of this, I'd probably drink it soon. But pretty good. Definitely shows the difference between an American Pinot and even a modest village appellation red Burgundy. 88.
1998 Bouchard Pere et Fils- Vigne de Enfant Jesus (375mL).
Amazing perfume. Oaky, earthy aroma. Good color concentration. Cherry, tea, raspberry. More intense earthiness in the mouth. Very balanced with nice acidity, a short finish, and lighter body. 90.
2005 Camille Giroud Santenay.
Didn't take notes, but very good especially considering the price. 90.
2006 Louis Jadot- Domaine Duc de Magenta Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Clos de la Garenne.
Rich nutty aroma, citrus. Nut, toasty flavors. Balancing acidity. Very drinkable with a nice minerality behind it. Medium plus body, medium long finish. 91.
2006 Verget Chassagne- Montrachet 1er cru Les Chenevottes.
I didn't take any notes when I drank this, but it has been the most amazing wine I have ever put in my mouth! Full, rich nutty flavor, citrus, minerals, fat. This wine comes from vines literally a stones throw from Montrachet, perhaps the most famous white wine vineyard in the world. Incredibly long finish. Could literally taste it hours later. I could drink this daily for the rest of my life and not get bored. 93.
2005 Francois et Antoine Jobard Meursault- Blagny 1er cru.
Unfortunately, I believe this bottle is victim of premature oxidation. Basically a much quicker aging of white Burgundies. At this point, not undrinkable, but drink soon if you have it. Nutty flavor, along with oxidized sherry and a deep gold color. Medium body, medium finish. 86.
2008 Vincent Pouilly-Fuisse Marie Antoinette.
Very enjoyable. Marshmellow and vanilla over some nuttiness, mineral, citrus, tropical fruit. 90.
The great Sauvignon Blanc experiment- I haven't had many besides what we have at work, so I decided a good thing to do would be to try some myself. I got a cheap NZ, a more expensive NZ, and a French Sancerre.
2009 Monkey Bay.
Tropical fruits, guava springs to mind. Pineapple maybe. Gooseberry. Good acidity. Not bad for 9 dollars. 86.
2009 Cloudy Bay.
Very similar to the Monkey Bay, but more so. More depth of flavor, more acidity, more everything really. But at 25, I would have to go with the Monkey bay for a better deal. 89.
2007 Patient Cottat Sancerre Vieilles Vignes.
This shows the difference between the NZ and French Sav blancs. Definitely more wild, higher acidity, more earthiness/minerality. Tart gooseberry, flint, a touch of the tropical fruits. A different beast. 89.
2008 Paolo Scavino Vino da Tavola Rosso.
Really good for the price (around 10). Didn't take notes. 89.
2007 Phillipe Faury Condrieu.
I got this because I wanted to try a French Viognier. Honeysuckle, vanilla, marshmellow, musk melon, stone fruit. Long finish, medium body. Mouthfeel of heavy cream. Pretty amazing. 92+.
2004 Domaine Grand Veneur Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Origines.
None of the funkiness that I have found in some other CDP's. Not bad, but really nothing about it seemed to stand out or speak to me. 89.
2005 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett.
I had heard about the petrolly/kerosene flavors and aromas riesling can develop if aged, but had yet to try any. This is it! And yes, there is a petrol aroma in the nose, along with stone fruits and stone. Really a good riesling so show you what German wines are all about. Great laser acidity to cut through the residual sugars, and at 8% abv, it is a lot lighter than Cali rieslings. 91.
1997 Prince Poniatowski Vouvray Clos de L'Avenir.
I got this after reading in Clive Coates magnificent book Cote d' Or that he thinks white Burgundies were once sweet wines when possible, like modern day Vouvrays. This wine is made of Chenin Blanc that has definitely seen some of the noble rot, Botrytis. Apricot, mango, honey, some of that Botrytis funk. Very drinkable. Laser acidity. Sweet without being over the top and cloying. It would be interesting to see a modern day burg made in this style, though I doubt anyone will ever do so. 92.

Some recent beers.

Well, I have apparently been way too busy to write anything recently, but I am still drinking beer of course! Here are some I have had recently.
Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale.
Rich, nutty aroma. Not as sweet as Newcastle, and the aroma in definitely present in the taste as well. Medium body and full mouth feel. Nice lingering finish. If you like Newcastle, make sure to try this beer.
Olde Suffolk English Ale.
I bought this despite the clear glass bottle. The promise of tasting a aged ale was too much for me to bear!
Dark mahogany color. Thin mocha head. Lightly skunky aroma from the clear bottle. Nuttiness. Tastes sort of like a rich Belgian ale, but lighter, giving way to something like a nut brown ale. Light carbonation. Very lingering finish. Worth a try, without the skunky flavor this would definitely be a must buy!
My very own Fantome @ 1 year of age!
Color may be a touch darker. Still streaming carbonation and a little white head. The aroma is more barnyardy than I recall- dark warm orange, hay. The flavor is earthy, soil, hay with light citrus, with a medium finish. Still very light mouth feel owing to a very low ending gravity.

Flanders Pale Ale.

Hidely doodly neighborino! Well, it's not quite that Flanders. But this time around I am trying to make something in the vein of one of my favorite all time beers- Petrus Aged Pale.
9 lb German Pils
1 lb Carahell
1.25 oz Styrian Goldings pellet @ 90 min
Wyeast 3763
tog- 1.057
aog- 1.049
ig- 1.008 (4/17/11)
3/24/11- Mash in with 4 gal water at 132. Dough in temp at 122 for 20 min. Decoct to
145 for 40 min decoct to
162 for 30 min decoct to
169 for 10 min (mash out)
Sparged with 176 water.
I had a large boil over since I was playing a video game and not paying full attention. Lost about 2 gal of volume. Added water and some light DME to make up for the volume and potential gravity lost. Still was under gravity by about 8 points. Ah well.
4/17/11- To secondary, which is the carboy that contained my historical Saison. Didn't clean the carboy at all since I liked the flavor of what come out of it.
4/20/11- Nice and foamy in the carboy. Guess the house bugs are doing some more work on the beer.