Four Roses is getting festive this season! We’re not going to complain; we could always do with a little cheer. This premium bourbon brand offers eight unique whiskeys for the discerning tippler or collector. Line ‘em up in your bar as a conversation piece and a good warming treat when the winds blow. [via definitive touch]
Entire Butt English Porter? We laughed too, until we read the back of the bottle. “Historically the term used to describe a Porter blended from a variety of ales, ‘Entire Butt’ uses 14 different malts and 3 hops to recreate this forgotten style of Porter.” We were not laughing, however, when we got a taste of this one. The Entire Butt English Porter by the Salopian Brewing Company (UK) is an excellent porter, amongst the top five we’ve tasted– and we’ve tasted a lot of Porters in our day (Porter is this reviewer’s favorite style).
Forbes is reporting that Tiger Woods is officially the first athlete to ever break the $1 billion mark. The milestone came after Forbes raked in $10 million for winning the FedEx Cup last weekend. Woods has been the highest paid athlete for sometime–bringing in nearly $128 million in 2007, according to Sports Illustrated, but reaching a billion dollars in the heart of his career before high-earning icons like Michael Jordan is a huge accomplishment. Woods’ income comes from a variety of outlets: in addition to prize money, he gets paid big dollars for endorsements, bonuses, appearance fees and designing golf courses. At just 33, Woods is sure to continue to see his bank account soar.
Licher Pilsner Review – It’s about time we sat down with a nice German Pilsner for a beer review. In our most recent package from Beer of the Month Club, we received a bottle of Licher Pilsner by Licher Privatbrauerei. This premium pils poured a pale-ish, light yellow into our mug with a thick, fluffy white head. Like most pilsners, this one had the signature sweet citrus and malt aroma that continued right into the first sip. The taste starts with a hoppy nibble and continues into a refreshing, clean flavor of citrus and hops, giving the Licher Pilsner a very drinkable quality. By “drinkable”, we mean the three that came in our package were gone in a heartbeat. Since Oktoberfest is in full swing, maybe we should head out there to pick up a few more? StyleCrave Rating: B+
Diamond Bear‘s Presidential IPA arrived in our recent package from the Beer of the Month Club. While IPA is not our favorite style, we’re always eager to try new things. This makes our monthly arrival of the beer of the month package like a mini-Christmas, filled with 12 bottles of beers we’ve likely never heard of. This IPA pours a golden amber with thick, fluffy head and an aroma of sweet malts and citrusy hops. To the tongue, Presidential IPA has flavors of caramel, toasted malts and citrus that finishes with a spicy, hoppy bitter aftertaste. Presidential IPA is drinkable, not too pricey for a pack of six, and is well complimented with a lighter meat dish. Take the lower StyleCrave rating in stride, we tend to avoid IPAs and may not be the best critic of this style. StyleCrave Rating: C+
Planning on fish or pasta this weekend? A good Soave will do you right, but if you want a great one– try the 2007 Tamellini Soave, as sent from the Wine of the Month Club. Personally, I had never tried a Soave before, and this cool crisp white was a pleasant surprise. Tamellini Soave pours a pale golden yellow with light, honey/almond scents spicing up the citrus aroma. The flavor starts crisp with the same sense of citrus, ending bright and strong. If you need a meal suggestion for the weekend, make yourselves a shrimp pasta and pair it with a bottle of this. You’ll thank us!
StyleCrave’s weekly beer reviews continue, this time featuring Alley Kat Amber Ale from Alley Kat Beer in Edmonton, Alberta. Alley Kat’s Amber was one of the four beers that arrived in our Beer of the Month Club twelve pack, the first we’ll cover from that group. This Amber poured a golden brown color with plenty of frothy head and an aroma of freshly toasted malts. The flavor is as malty as the aroma, rounded out by a slightly bitter hop finish. For an amber, this one goes down quite smooth, making it quite drinkable next to whatever you’d prefer to pair it with. We suggest a grass-fed beef burger with a slice or two of artisanal cheddar. StyleCrave Rating: B
Willard S Folsom is among the few whiskey connoisseurs that not only had a passion for the intoxicating liquor but also had a monster private collection to brag about. In his pursuit to find rare single malt scotches, Folsom has spent the last 20 years of his life traveling most of the whisky distilleries from all over the UK with his wife and children. His large collection, which now consists of over 3,000 bottles of old and rare malts, will go under the hammer on November 18 at Bonhams Edinburgh. Considering that many of the bottles will never be released again, Folsom’s private collection sounds like an exciting thing to own. [via Luxist]
It has been a while since we’ve sat down to review a nice, friendly red, and the Il Cuore Rosso Classico 2007 from WineMonthClub.com was just the ticket. The name “Il Cuore” translates from Italian to “The Heart” in English, as represented by the collage-style illustrated label. The wine itself is a warm blend of syrah, zinfandel, carignane, sangiovese and a hint of merlot– making for a medium-bodied wine with flavors of blackberry and chocolate with tannin and spice. Produced in California’s North Coast, this Rosso Classico is a decent, inexpensive buy to enjoy on it’s own or share with a hearty Italian meal. Il Cuore’s Rosso Classico can be found at many wine outlets, or re-ordered from the Wine of the Month Club if you’re a member (and you should be!).
