Author: mexican sharpshooter

I am going to write something controversial.  I am fully aware of what I am about to write, is probably going to result in the very least, being pelted with rotten cabbage.

This is my review of Shiner Holiday Cheer.

What is so controversial about this particular beer….I’ll get to that.  You see, I don’t particularly care for Shiner or as the brewery is officially know as Spoetzl Brewery.  This is awkward coming from somebody that happens to like Bocks.  I just don’t think Shiner is that great, to be honest.  I will have my AR at the ready while this is active, because this be fighting words.  People from Texas just love this stuff.

Spoetzl Brewery to it’s credit does have an interesting history.  Like many large breweries it was founded by a German Immigrant:

Kosmos Spoetzl, a German immigrant brewmaster, learned of the Shiner operation and coleased the facility with Oswald Petzold with an option to buy in 1915. Spoetzl had attended brewmaster’s school and apprenticed for three years in Germany and worked for eight years at the Pyramid Brewery in Cairo, Egypt, before moving to San Antonio in search of a better climate for his health. He came, carrying the recipe for a Bavarian beer made by his family from pure malt and hops. Within a year Spoetzl bought the brewery, which he renamed the “Home Brewery,” and began to produce beer in wooden kegs and bottles. After 1916 the beer was packaged in glass returnable bottles; aluminum kegs were first used in 1947, nonreturnable bottles came in 1958, party kegs in 1964, and cans in 1970. When Prohibition was declared in 1918, Spoetzl produced near beer, ice, and, according to some sources, regular beer as well. During this period, he sustained the brewery by doing construction work in Florida with crews and trucks brought from Texas. After his wife’s death in 1921, Spoetzl considered returning to Bavaria but was convinced by his daughter to retain the business. “Miss Celie,” as Cecilie was called, served as business manager of the firm, and her daughter Rose joined the firm in 1964. August Haslbeck, who served as brewmaster, was the son of a noted Bavarian maltmaster and Spoetzl’s nephew. He later returned to Germany to complete an apprenticeship and receive a brewmaster’s degree. With repeal of Prohibition in 1933, the business resumed, with the introduction of “Texas Export,” a new product later known as “Texas Special” beer. Sales were made within a 100-mile radius. Over the next decade the company added a new bottling room and brew house, and in 1947 Spoetzl constructed the white brick Alamo-style plant still in use today.

The first time I had Shiner Bock, it was probably the only one available not made by what was then Anheuser-Busch.  It was okay but as I drank more beer, including actual bocks from Germany, I realized there was something missing.  I don’t know what it is, but I’ll just focus on the basics.

• Is it malty?  Yes.
• Is it balanced?  Yes.
• Does it have body?  Not really.

The last one I think is where it falls short.  While it is carbonated it dissipates so quickly that I feel like I am just drinking flat beer.  It’s like opening a beer, telling yourself you will finish it later and putting it back in the fridge.  When you get back to it, its just not the same.  It is this feeling except I just opened it.  Now, many Mexican beers have this same quality, except they aren’t necessarily pretending to be something their not.  Then again, Shiner Bock is what it is, take it or leave it.  I’ll accept it if offered, but I am not about to buy it.

I have had several of their varieties while I was TDY at Sheppard AFB, near Wichita Falls, TX.  The liquor store in town had quite the selection of all their varieties and since I was in my 20s and quite frankly stuck in Wichita Falls for a month…I had what is in hindsight, a disturbing amount of beer while getting hotline certified on overhead power lines.  One that does stand out in my opinion from Spoetzl is their Czech Pilsner.  While it may seem like faint praise, this is actually quite good and should I actually find it in Arizona, I might be inclined to buy it.  Unfortunately, I only ever see Shiner Bock.

So how it Holiday Cheer?  Same as the rest of them, which is pretty flat.  Also it is very fruity, perhaps not in a good way.  Last year (yes, I’ve been doing this over a year now)I reviewed a holiday ale that was also fruity but it had significantly more body, and the malt complexity went well with the fruitiness.  This one is just sweet, so I slammed it down, and opened an amber ale.  Shiner Holiday Cheer:  2.5/5

 

By ron7344

I like beer. For better or worse, this has been a mantra that I lived by from the age of 18-present day 47. I can’t drink like I used to, but I still really enjoy drinking beer. My wife has never had a problem with the beer drinking, because it was (mostly) on the weekends and I never changed my personality while I was drunk so it almost never caused me any problems. The following story is one of the times it did, but it turned into a positive thing in the long run.

In December of 1990 I was a 19-year-old Lance Corporal and had been stationed on Okinawa for 8 months. On a Wednesday, I ran into my drinking buddy from Fort Sill, Pete. He had just gotten to the island on a six-month deployment. We had to go drinking that night even though I had to be up at 4:30 for a machine gun shoot Thursday morning. It started as “I’ll just have a few beers and be back by midnight so I can get 4 hours of sleep.” (It was so great to be young.) We went bar hopping and somehow wound up at the Sunabe Seawall at around 11:30.

I met this pretty Okinawan girl, she was 22 and we REALLY hit it off. She and her friend had just watched the movie Ghost and came to the seawall for a little bit before they went home. Next thing I knew it was 2:00. Man, WE HAVE TO GO!! The girl is nice enough to drive us to the front gate, but as I get out of her car I realize my wallet is missing because the bottom of my pocket was ripped. She took me back and we found it, but instead of coming back we sat and talked for another couple of hours (not getting any sleep anyway at this point). She drives me back and I get to my room as reveille was sounded at 4:30.

I shaved and got into my cammies and still had 45 minutes before formation, so I had the fatal thought “I can take a nap” figuring that I would hear when everyone went down for formation. To quote Charlie Murphy, “WRONG!!”. To make matters worse, my section Chief and the A chief were in school so nobody noticed I wasn’t at formation.

I woke up at noon.

Not sure what to do, I started helping the rear party with cleaning the barracks in preparation for our weekly cleaning (field day) and was terrified when I heard the 5 tons come back, but trying to be slick, I went down and started cleaning the .50 cals, MK 19’s, and M60’s. Suddenly I hear my Platoon Sergeant yelling for me to get my stupid ass in his office NOW.

“WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?!?!?!”

What to say? I suck at lying and I think I’m in enough trouble without adding to it so I didn’t know what to say except to tell him exactly what happened and why. No excuses, just the truth.

He shook his head and told me to go back out. I thought my career was over, I would never get promoted and maybe kicked out. He never said another word about it, but for at least six months, every time there was a shit detail he would look over the formation and when he saw me he would do a double take, yell my name, say “Holy Shit, you’re here. Thanks for volunteering.” Much guard duty was stood, and many hours were spent picking up trash and brass.

The positive thing to come out of that night: the girl I met has been married to me for 24 years now.

Now for reviews of my BIF from L0b0t:

Black Duck Porter by Greenport Harbor Brewing Company 4.7% ABV: Excellent example of a high quality Porter. Nothing extra, just right. 4.25/5

Common Sense Kentucky Style Ale by Upstate Brewing Company 5.3% ABV: Very easy to drink reddish ale. Good taste of hops, but not too strong. 4/5

Hawaiian Pizza IPA by Rockaway Brewing Company 5.9% ABV: I was skeptical about this one, but there was a pineapple beer in my last BIF package that was enjoyable, so let’s see.

Is this grapefruit juice? One swallow and I’m done (TWSS) 1/5
I give it to my wife (not a beer drinker) and she tastes it says “I can drink it, but it doesn’t taste like beer” She gives it 2/5

Heavy Boots of Lead by Single Cut Beersmiths 11.2%ABV: Pours like motor oil out of my Cummins BLACK and THICK. Even the foam is dark. Can’t see a light through it.

Tastes like an imperial stout, but there is a lot more to the flavor. Very thick and heavy but in a good way, hard to explain. I would never guess this was 11.2 %. I like it a lot and wish I could find this around here. 4.5/5

High Ryse by Iconyc Brewing Company 7.5% ABV: Very smooth Saison beer. Not my favorite type of beer, but it definitely got better as it went down, really liked it by the end. 3.75/5

First drink and I think” this is the perfect beer” almost reminds me of Double Bastard, one of my all-time favorites.  12%, but it goes down way too easily. I love this beer, my next trip to NY I will definitely be looking for this and the High Ryse. 4.75/5

Super Kitty by Keegan Ales 12% ABV: Bottle has a pop top like Grolsch, and it’s wax sealed. Excellent red color and nice “beer” smell. My wife smells it and recoils in horror.

Thanks again Nephilium for coordinating all this and also thank you l0b0t for the excellent beers.

About a week ago it finally happened.  People in my office began to celebrate the holidays.  First it was the fake, pre-lit tree they couldn’t assemble, and the one person in the office that knew I used to be an electrician ran me down as I walked in.  So I assembled it.  More irritating was they decorated my cube with a poinsettia.

 

This is my review of Ridgeway Brewing Bad Elf Winter Ale

But first!  I thought I called last call for BIF.  Apparently, that is meaningless like most of the rules here.  The problem is, this last one is something I should probably put on it own, so I’ll put it on its own later, because it’s a good story.  Thats right, f*** it.  We’ll do it live.

The plant in question hasn’t always been a staple around the holidays. It smells pretty neutral, doesn’t really need a lot of watering.  Its just got red and green leaves, but there’s more to the Poinsettia.  Much, much more.

The plant itself is indigenous to Southern Mexico and was originally cultivated by the Aztecs to make a dyes.  Later the plant’s sap was discovered to make latex.  That’s right—Mexicans gave you the material to make condoms, rubber bands, and a slew of other stretchy things.  Let thet soak in for a second.

If not for the efforts of Joel Poinsett, Americans may not know or care for the plant at all.  Poinsett was the first Ambassador to Mexico and appointed by James Madison.  He had a thing for botany, which given the absurd number of people that grow vegetables to decompress from the modern world, doesn’t sound all that unusual.  He happened to like the plant and sent several back to his home in South Carolina.

Why is it associated with Christmas?  Here’s why:

Pepita, a poor Mexican girl who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy. I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes,” said Pedro consolingly.

Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by the humbleness of her offering. She fought back a tear as she entered the small village chapel.

As she approached the altar, she remembered Pedro’s kind words: “Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes.” She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene. Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.

From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season and thus, the legend of the poinsettia was born.

Its a miracle!  In 1851, Congress would later declare December 12 to be National Poinsettia Day.  Why do that?  Turns out Poinsett was a pretty big deal.  He only helped found the Smithsonian.

This beer isn’t too bad.  Its a traditional English ale, with a bit of spiciness as a twist.  Not a bad combo but ultimately left me searching for that hated bananna flavored residue from the yeast they use over there.  Eventually I found it.  Ridgeway Brewing Bad Elf Winter Ale 3.0/5

By Nephilium

So, I’ve run a couple of these BIF’s, and here’s the shipment that I received in the most recent one:

A nice new nonic glass, and several new to me beers.

Let’s start with one I’ve had before, but still enjoy.  Southern Tier Harvest Ale: Nice citrus hop aroma, with an undertone of tannin.  Very pale, small head, and moderate carbonation in the appearance of the beer itself.  But the flavor is there, sharp crisp hop tastes slowly fading away. I really wish this was available year round. 3.8/5

Moving on to another one that had a great old ((ad)) campaign, formerly known as just He’Brew Messiah: Sweeter aroma then the ones I usually go for, a slight hint of hops hiding behind a caramel/nutty aroma.  Pours a dark reddish-brown, with a fluffy white head. Yep, there’s the nutty notes, and just a wisp of hops lurking behind it.  A drinkable beer, but not one I’ll be going for again. 3/5

On to the new to me beers.  Saranac 1888 Oktoberfest: Pours a clear golden-copper with a full white head. Aroma is a touch of caramel and biscuit, with some earthy notes. Flavor is not as sweet as some Marzens, with just a kiss of caramel. There’s some earthy and spice notes from the hops in the finish. 3.68/5

Orbital Tilt: Vic Secret: Big bright citrus hop aroma, with some mango underneath. Pours a nearly opaque orange with a dusting of white head. A touch of caramel sweetness starts off the beer, which then rolls into pine, pith, grapefruit, and a touch of sweet mango. This fades away leaving a long lingering bitter finish. Rich mouthfeel, with just enough carbonation to keep it from getting cloying. 4.24/5  One of my favorite from the batch.

Light crisp aroma, with a touch of noble earthy hops. Pours a mostly clear pale straw with a quickly fading white head. There’s a touch of malt sweetness, which fades to a mild earthy bitter finish. A light body, and nice carbonation keeps this an easy drinking pils.  3.67/5

Brown’s Oatmeal Stout: Pours a clear dark ruby with a dusting of light tan head. Rich roasty aroma, with a touch of coffee in the end. Slick mouthfeel, with a fullness from the oats. Starts with a slight note of milk chocolate, which fades to roast, with a touch of acrid notes in the finish. Not enough to be overpowering, but enough to be noticed. Overall, a solid Oatmeal Stout. 3.62/5

I hope you all have enjoyed hearing us geek out about beers, and feel free to jump into the next BIF (currently scheduled for late April/early May, unless someone else wants to run one… hint hint).

 

By DEG (who Kinnath shipped to):

Thanks to Kinnath for sending some good beers.  My ratings are simple:

“Would” for “Would Drink Again” and “Would Not” for “Would Not Drink Again”.

Oja from Iowa Brewing – An excellent Baltic Porter.  Rating: Would.

Oktobot 3000 from Lion Bridge Brewing – Lion Bridge aged this Märzen in Water of Life barrels.  The Water of Life overwhelmed the Märzen. Rating:  Would Not.

CoCo Stout from West O Beer – A Milk Stout with Chocolate.  Quite tasty, and not enough lactose to send me running to the toilet.  Rating:  Would, but only in small quantities.

Oktoberfest from Confluence – The only problem with this beer is I didn’t have enough to fill a Maß.  It is competitive with some Märzens I had at the Wiesn.  Rating: Would.

G. G. from Exile – A dunkel lager.  It was flat, but still rather tasty. Rating:  Would Not unless they fixed the carbonation.

Compensation from Lion Bridge – An English Mild.  It had a nice roasted, malty character.  Rating: Would.

Tragedy of the Common from Iowa Brewing – Beeradvocate shows it as a California Steam Beer but the label says it is an Amber Lager.  The name made me laugh at a time I needed it.  I just got home from traveling for a funeral, and my BIF box was waiting for me when I got back.  I saw this bottle’s label and laughed.  Rating: Would.

My favorite?  It’s a threesome – Oja from Iowa Brewing, Compensation from Lion Bridge, and Oktoberfest from Confluence.