Boulder Beer‘s 30th Anniversary Flashback Ale was another solid addition to one of the best Beer of the Month Club packages we’ve received yet.  This dark ale poured a golden brown color with plenty of thick, lacy head.  To the tongue, Flashback Ale is a healthy mix of malt and hops with the bitter after taste reminiscent of an IPA.  Both the aroma and the flavor had notes of coffee, chocolate and caramel with a hint of citrus throughout.  For an ale with the bite of a traditional pale (not to mention the high ABV count), it is surprisingly drinkable.  Three came in this month’s twelve pack of assorted beers from BeerMonthClub.com, and they did not last.  Join a pair of these with a freshly grilled ribeye, you’ll be in summer BBQ heaven.  StyleCrave rating: B+

Our friends at the International Wine of the Month Club sent us a shipment of wine this month for tasting, including the 2007 vintage of the Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay.  Wine Spectator gave this one a rating of 91 and a friendly review, so we were rather keen on tasting after it arrived.  To the nose, Casa Lapostolle Chardonnay had strong aromas of mandarin and pear, a fruit sensibility that wasn’t lost on the flavor.  A sip provided rich flavors similar to its scent with a light, creamy-yet-crisp body.  It’s a perfect summertime wine, well paired with seafood of any sort.  It’s a shame our friends from WineMonthClub.com didn’t send two, but we plan on tracking this one down at our local reseller ASAP.

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It’s like black gold in a bottle.  Pivovar Herold’s Bohemian Black Lager is among our favorite beers from the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club we’ve received yet.  This  black lager pours a lovely deep amber color with a thick head and a warm chocolate aroma.  The taste follows suit, with a roasted coffee, chocolate and caramel flavor and a drinkable medium body.  With a single sip, this beer is instantly recognizable, it is true to it’s style without compromise, one of the best we’ve tasted in black lagers.  If you can find it at your local beer boutique, try it.  Otherwise, visit our friends from BeerMonthClub, who were kind enough to send us this one gratis.  StyleCrave Rating: A.

Les Paul: 1915 – 2009 | Musician, inventor and visionary Les Paul died today at 94 years old.  Les Paul was among the principles of Rock and Roll and the inventor of the solid-body electric guitar that carried his namesake.  The Les Paul guitar has been the instrument of choice for countless musicians far too numerous to name.  Beyond his work with guitars, Les Paul was a driving force in the invention of modern multitrack recording, having experimented with an overdubbing process that would change the way music was recorded.  While most non-musicians may not be aware of his influence on the creation and evolution of music, they’ve certainly witnessed his handiwork.

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While the Cadbury Wispa is a chocolate bar much celebrated in the western world, the Wispa Gold and its layer of caramel has always been a clear favorite. Discontinued despite its amazing success, the Wispa Gold has made its way back to the market after a successful Facebook campaign where 22,000 people “militated” to “bring back Cadbury’s Wispa Gold”. Covered in edible gold leaf and sheathed in a gold leaf wrapper, the Wispa Gold has just relaunched at Selfridges in London with the first one selling for 961.48 GBP — the value of the bar’s weight in gold. It’s the world’s most expensive chocolate bar and although it causes us serious drooling, we’ll have to wait for the 55 pound bar in shops before we’ll take a bite. [via BornRich]

Angove Nine Vines Shiraz Review – We were pleasantly surprised last week when our first package arrived from the International Wine of the Month Club, including two bottles we had never before tasted.  The first bottle we popped was the2007 vintage of the Angove Family Winemakers’ Nine Vines Shiraz blend, which is 94% shiraz, 6% viognier.  This smooth, deep red carried subtle spices and soft citrus to the tongue with a medium-bodied finish.  Since summer is certainly grilling time, we suggest pairing this with some slow-cooked red meat– be that beef or ribs, Angove’s Shiraz will complement it nicely.

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Distiller William Grant & Sons have just unveiled one of its rarest and most exclusive single malt bottles of whisky to a very elite audience of Scottish whisky enthusiasts. Intended for large pockets and refined palates, the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Whisky is a rare and precious “piece of art” that carries the brand’s heritage. With only 50 bottles to be produced over the next 10 years, at £10,000/€11,000/US$15,000 the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Whisky has already seen great interest among collectors and whisky aficionados.  As long as they wouldn’t mind spending a small fortune for such a treat. [via BornRich]

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Cycles Gladiator Wine is officially banned in the state of Alabama for the nude woman on it’s label.  The bust and booty on the beauty above, illustrated with taste, is apparently too much for the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board.  Fortunately, this has become a boon for Cycles Gladiator Wine– as the resulting press flurry has given their wine one hell of a buzz.

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Blue Moon Beer the Right Choice for the White House? – While we are a 100% politics-free publication, we’ve got a lot of pride in our president and our beer.  To help ease the racially-charged tensions between Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sgt. James Crowley, President Obama invited the two for a beer at the White House.  Obama served his guests the options of Blue Moon White Ale, Budweiser and Red Stripe.  What is peculiar about these choices?  None of them are produced by wholly U.S.-owned breweries.  Blue Moon is produced by Coors, under shared ownership of SABMiller in the UK.  Budweiser is produced by Anheuser-Busch InBev, a company based in Belgium after its recent purchase.  Red Stripe is produced by Desnoes & Geddes, based in Kingston, Jamaica.

So what would be the best choice of brews to share with the President’s guests?  We submit Samuel Adams, brewed by Boston Beer Company, the largest 100% American-owned brewery in the United States.  While the quality of Sam Adams beer is respected by beer lovers (and brewers) throughout the world, the brand carries a lot of symbolism in the American Spirit.  What started out as a true underdog has become the largest in the United States, additionally igniting a new wave of microbrews and craft breweries in the U.S.  Sam Adams led a revolution in the beer world, taking it to the big dogs and coming out the winner.  To us, that sounds like a truly American story.  Take this as a message to the White House chef– drink American!