Tropical Rhythms - Reggae Medley

It's pink. It smells like pureed bananas. And it tastes like Desmond Dekker.

Tropical Rhythms - Reggae Medley
Is it delicious?: B
Is it interesting?: C
Drinkability: B

Samichlaus

At 14% alcohol, Samichlaus is one of the strongest lagers in the world. It's name means Santa Claus in Swiss German and it is brewed only once a year on December 6th (Saint Nicholas' Eve). Switzerland is one of the few countries that separate the celebration of Santa Claus from the celebration of Christmas. Samichlaus is stored in a cold Alpine cellar, aging for 10 months before being bottled. I could continue describing the fermentation process, but I'd just be plagiarizing this article written by Michael Jackson in 1991. Damn "Beerhunter" and his wealth of knowledge.

Samichlaus (2007) pours the color of dark honey with a small, off-white head (that dissipates rather quickly). It has a very rich, savory aroma of red wine, olives, cured meats and a hint of hops. Wow, the flavor is sweet and full-bodied and delicious. Tons of flavors...fresh baked bread, raisins, honey, malt. It has a nice, long, malty finish. After finishing the bottle, I might feel like I just drank a loaf of bread, but seriously...who doesn't want to drink a loaf of bread? (Now you know what to get me for Christmas.)

Samichlaus
Is it delicious?: A+
Is it interesting?: A-
Drinkability: C

The Sopranos Old Fashioned Italian Sodas

I've been sitting on these for a while. Time to clear the empty bottles off my desk. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with these. Obviously, the flavors aren't very good ideas, but they did a pretty good job nailing them.








The Sopranos Chianti Soda
It has a pretty clear, magenta color and a subtle, sweet smell that has hints of pomegranate, grapes, and roses. Interesting. Simultaneously dry and sweet...like pomegranate or cranberry juice or grape skins. Not too bad, but it doesn't particularly taste like wine. And the flavor dissipates really quickly.

The Sopranos Chianti Soda
Is it delicious?: C+
Is it interesting?: B
Drinkability: B-


The Sopranos Amaretto Soda
It pours an amber color, similar to Disaronno. It smells pretty much exactly like Disaronno. Pretty fragrant for a soda. Luckily the flavor isn't quite as intense as the scent. It does, however, taste like a Disaronno-flavored soda, which isn't a particularly good flavor. Sort of creamy, with hints of pistachio and maraschino cherry. Maybe it would make a decent mixer.

The Sopranos Amaretto Soda
Is it delicious?: C
Is it interesting?: C+
Drinkability: D+


The Sopranos Limoncello Soda
Sort of a cloudy yellow, it smells pretty intense like Lemonheads or lemon-lime Gatorade. It tastes kinda like Lemonheads too. Unlike the other two, this one has a lingering aftertaste (that is kind of piney). I guess there's a hint of lemon zest in this, which makes it sort of like limoncello. But again, a limoncello soda isn't a very good idea.

The Sopranos Limoncello Soda
Is it delicious?: C-
Is it interesting?: C+
Drinkability: D+

Aqua Blox

Aqua Blox is emergency drinking water that is approved by the Department of Homeland Security. Just check out the slideshow of 911 and Katrina images on their homepage. Respectfully pouring the contents into a clean glass, it looks like water. I can't smell it (that's a good sign). There's an ever-so-slight waxy flavor (like you get from a fast food cup if you're on a long car trip and you let your ice slowly melt, compromising the integrity of the cup's wax coating). But hey, it's water in a box.

Aqua Blox
Is it delicious?: C-
Is it interesting?: D
Drinkability: A+

November

Autumn is in full swing. Actually it's almost over. If you're not already tired of seeing, smelling, and tasting goddamned pumpkins, I suggest trying some of Southern Tier's Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale. I've tried quite a few pumpkin beers this year and this one is in a league of it's own. It's not just a pale ale that smells like nutmeg and tastes a little weird. Southern Tier also impressed me with the intensity of their Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout (released in June).

Unfortunately, I missed Halloween this year because I was in Mexico (boo-hoo). Somehow I exercised self-control and didn't buy every crazy-ass beverage that I saw there. But, I did of course occasionally indulge in delicious local Oaxacan hot chocolate, mezcal, coffee, soda, beer, and wine. Notable beers include Noche Buena (a Mexican Christmas beer) and Modelo Obscura (on tap). I think the only good soda that I tried was Chiva Cola, which was nice and dry and reminded me of RC Cola.