Erik's beer picks:
"How many am I allowed to pick?"
Goose Island's Night Stalker - Holy $#)! is this stuff good! A heavily-hopped imperial stout, Night Stalker is a heavyweight of a beer. It delivers a formidable punch of hops and rich roasted malt notes to the nose in a silky body that's as dark as night.
Hop Henge from Deschutes - An annual exercise in IBU escalation. An outrageous amount of Centennial and Cascade hops are added to each barrel, with a heavy dry-hop presence as well. It is dense and muscular, with a blend of crystal, pale and carastan malts creating an overall biscuity characteristic. It’s all hop, no apologies.
Odell's Mountain Standard - This doubble black IPA pours committingly dark with a light tan head and a slightly roasted hoppy nose. An ephemeral bitterness, the result of combining roasted malts with an assertive American hop profile, contributes to MST’s act of balance and harmony. As the season’s darkness sets in, why shouldn’t your beer become darker too?
Corsendonk Tripel
Top Wine Picks by Erik J.:
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2008 Bovin "Alexander"
It is a proprietary blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Vranec. Its color is intense purple. The nose is full of red fruit and berries with a wonderful complex aroma and a rich and full taste. Its herbal fruity tones make this wine unforgettable. Alexandar is best served at 15-17°C with beef, roasted pork, veal, lamb, and grilled meats.
Louis Latour Pouilly-Fuisse Chalk and mineral on the nose with a touch of banana peel and a bit of brioche. The fruit here is bright and clean and firmly in the spicy apple and lime end of the register. In the mouth this is focused and sleek with a richness of flavor but not the weight of many wines. The acids are bright, if modest yet balanced and the midpalate is clean and refreshing with wonderfully bright, floral and vanilla accented apple tones. There’s a streak of vanilla that runs through this but it’s really well integrated and a simple accent note to the fruit flavors.
Girardin 2008 Cuvee Saint-Vincent
A superb Vino! Earthy on the nose with blackberries and currants. On the palate it has some crushed berries and is very silky. Light on tannins with a smoky earthy finish. Delisciuos!