A Hop Trip to Antiquity

Russian River Brewing Company makes all types of ales, so some highly developed palates. Some of their ales I can't even drink yet. I am not into sour beers. But some of there other ales are phenomenal. One such ale is called Pliny the Elder. This is a powerhouse of fragrant hops. Wonderfully aromatic, a bouquet of sweet hops, almost floral in scent rise from the glass. Wow. I just enjoy sitting down and smelling the beer like a wine. Isn't that incredible? I have never had an IPA dedicated to pure hops this fragrant and flavorful in my life. This truly is a dedication to the man, Pliney the Elder, who discovered hops back in ancient Greece. What an amazing ale. This one will always have a home with me.

Chippy Chipotle Ale Charm

Chipotle ale? What? Yeah, it might sound somewhat strange until you actually try it, then you will believe. Right out of the bottle Rogue Ales' Chipotle Ale smells of smoked peppers. Wow. Upon tasting it the medium bodied ale opens up from a slight sweetness to a deep pepper smokiness. Chipotle! How did they do that? Then the aftertaste comes and you can taste the heat and spiciness at the back of your throat. Wow again. This ale will pair perfectly with gamey food, or spicy dishes. For that matter, you can probably have it with any type of snack food as well. I like it by itself.

Bordeaux Redux Monsieur

I keep on trying new wines, Spanish, California Pinot Noirs, and French Cote du Rhone & Bordeauxs. Some are good, but most of them have been average. That is not to say that they are bad, but they have nothing spectacular, nothing singular about them that makes them shine above the rest. Granted I am looking for wine bargains below $25. $15 I am sold.

I did manage to find a bottle that sparked my interest enough to recommend it, buy another bottle of it and to write this post about it.

It's an unassuming Bordeaux that even the prestigious wine shop I bought it at was unaware of? One person said they never heard of it and the other never tasted it. Odd. I think I am on to something with this wine. It might be that it was pushed out of the 90's with a score of 89. But it's character alone should make it a 90-91. I would dare to say if it had a longer, more perfumey finish it would be a 94-5.

Open a bottle of 2005 Chateau de Rochemorin Pessac-Leognan Rouge

and let it breath in your glass or decanter for as long as you can bear, maybe 20-30 minutes. This is a dark red wine with wonderful flavors of dried plum and black fruit intertwined with the slightest amount of earthy, forest floor goodness. Maybe it's a little tobacco and cocoa added to the balance. This gem is not acidic, nor tannic. It's ready to drink, but if you can wait a few more years, it should develop into a dark, earthy, dried fruit powerhouse.