Tasting beer can be very rewarding. As you encounter new styles or brands it helps to know what to look for in a new beer as well as how to evaluate it. Take your time and work through the aspects of the brew one by one.

Here’s How:

1. Pouring the Beer - If you are pouring the beer yourself from a bottle gently run it down the side of the glass. Judge your pour speed based on the head that is forming. Aim to have about a two finger head when you’re done. Some beers contain visible yeast at the bottom of the bottle that is meant to be drunk with the beer. If this is the case, stop the pour with a bit of beer left in the bottle. Swirl the remaining liquid to lift the yeast sediment and pour it into your glass.
2. Appearance - Note whether the head is dense or thin. Heads are sometimes described as rocky if they are especially dense with dips and peaks forming as some of the bubbles pop. The color of the head is also worth noting and can range from pure white on Pilsners to light or medium brown on some stouts and porters.Examine the appearance of the beer itself. Hold the glass up to the light and note the color and whether it is cloudy or clear.
3. Aroma - Note whether it smells primarily of hops or malt. Generally speaking light colored beers will smell more of hops while darker beers tend to have a pronounced malt, roasted, chocolate or coffee aroma. Many ales have a hard to pin down spiciness or fruitiness from their yeasts.Take your time with the aroma. Try to take three good sniffs before your first sip. If you’re taking notes, stop to write your impressions before the first sip distracts you.
4. First Sip - When taking your first sip, try to note the initial sensation as the beer enters your mouth. Think about whether it is sweet, bitter or something else. Beer, especially ale, can be very complex. There can be quite a difference between the first taste and the finish.
5. Mouthfeel - This is the texture of the beer or how it physically feels in your mouth. Beer ranges from silky dry stouts, to thick and chewy Scotch ales to thin and fizzy Berliner weisses. This is an important characteristic of a beer.
6. Finish - Note the lingering flavors after you swallow the drink. Often it can be bitter from the hops or a lingering malty sweetness.Stop before your next drink and try to write down everything that you just detected. Try to confirm it all with your second drink or see if you need to rethink your conclusions.
7. Styles - section or another great resource for beer style information are the There is a lot of variation from one beer to the next with regards to what is “correct,” stylistically speaking. For information about style specific issues such as whether the yeast should be poured with the beer or left in the bottle, what color the head should be, whether the beer should appear clear or cloudy, and so on.

Tips:

1. Do not taste new beers with food or soon after eating. The lingering flavors from food can greatly affect your impression of the brew.
2. Cleanse your palate with water. Crackers or cheese are fine but you should remember that even these foods can affect the apparent flavors of the beer.
3. If you’re tasting a number of different beers, let the color be your guide. It is best to taste from light to dark.

We are crediting a contributers local site for this article but it may have come from somewhere else before there. Regardless, great article!

Size: 6.0 X 50

$3.50-4.50 range

Tobacco blend:

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Filler: Dominican, Honduran Blend

Context:

Most purest may think that doing a cigar review at a tailgate is a recipe for disaster. Well, most of the time it probably is but I think I pulled this one off alright. This cigar was the first item on my menu. It was not to hot or humid outside and there was a nice breeze.

Look and feel:

The wrapper color was light tan and the construction was solid and smooth.

Aroma and Taste:

It almost has a sweet smell before lighting but after it was close to the mildest and tasteless cigar I’ve ever had. I was dissapointed that it had so little flavor. I really don’t have much to add here as it was really just a very mild cigar that some people might think is a good beginner cigar.

Light, Cut & Draw:

• The light: a butane single jet and the light was even, no relighting needed.
• The cut: a guillotine straight cut.
• The Draw: an even draw with little effort.

RATING: 6.5 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

I am rating this one low because I didn’t really enoy this one but I’m not going to low because I can see that some people who really like mild cigars or new cigar smokers might want to try it out. However, in my opinion I don’t really like to waste the time with out having some flavor in return.

We love cigar art. When we say cigar art we generally mean cigar labels and box art. It’s the balance between marketing and art that makes it so much more than just art. The fact that cigars are also so connected to families, traditions & luxury make the art much more than just marketing.

We aren’t artist so we can’t show our gallery but here are a few links to some great cigar art online.

• Classic Cigar Art
• Art of Smoking
• Cigar Posters
• Rare Cigar Art
• Cigar Box Art
• Cigar Label Art
• Vintage Cigar Labels

Here are some famous quotes by some famous people about cigars. What are some of your favorite quotes concerning cigars?

“I have made it a rule never to smoke more that one cigar at a time.”
Mark Twain (American Humorist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

“What this country needs is a good five cent cigar.”
Thomas R. Marshall (American Statesman, Vice President of the USA (1913-21). 1854-1925)

“When I have found intense pain relieved, a weary brain soothed,and calm refreshing sleep obtained by a cigar, I have felt grateful to God, and have blessed His name”
Charles H. Spurgeon (English preacher of 19th century 1834-1892)

This was my first venture into this brand. And honestly, I haven’t heard or seen many reviews about it, good or bad. Generally, this turns out to be a good thing, so you don’t end up with some pre-concieved notions about any particular smoke.

Anway, this was also my first experience with a “box pressed” stick. For some reason, I consider this “box press” as some sort of novelty, it just seems strange. After some brief, initial difficulty getting it lit, it proceeded to have a smooth draw. However, the burn was quite uneven and made enjoying it a bit more work, as I had to continue to work it even.

The flavor was smooth and mild, making it a good starter stick for the novice smoker.
The finish still mild but was some work, having to re-light a time or two.

I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

More Information on this Cigar:

J.L. SALAZAR y HERMANOS Reserva Especial Robusto is a typical Box-Pressed cigar.  The tobacco leaves in the cigars are aged for over three years and specially cured through four fermentations.

Size: 5.5 ” x 52

Jonathan

by John Little

American Pale Ales (APAs) are among the most popular craft beers consumed in the United States. It seems Americans are always driven to do things bigger and better than they’re done in other parts of the world, and producing craft beer is no exception. So, while built upon the tradition of English Pale Ales, APAs are characterized by a more assertive hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Most versions are made with distinctive American hops which tend to have a notable sharp citrus or piney character, such as Cascade, Amarillo, Centennial and Columbus hops (in contrast to English hops which tend to have a more subtle and subdued earthy and floral character in beer).

However, the relatively pronounced hop character of APAs is typically supported by a moderate yet clean malt backbone derived from indigenous North American 2-row pale barley (as opposed to the typical English pale malts which tend to have a bready, biscuity or toasty character). While the balance of an APA usually leans toward its hop character, the clean American malt character can be significant. Some APAs are now being made with a significant amount of rye malt, giving the beer a distinctive crisp and spicy rye bite.

In appearance, APAs are typically clear, though not usually crystal clear, with a golden copper color. Well made and properly poured APAs will have a large white to off-white creamy and persistent head.

The beer is typically served well carbonated and is best enjoyed at around 55 degrees in order to fully experience the APA’s flavor and aroma. It has a crisp finish and is a refreshing beer year-round.

If you’d like to enjoy a few APAs with a meal, remember that beers with assertive hop character can seem to deaden your taste buds. However, it is suggested by some that such beers go perfectly with smoked or fried seafood, as well as highly spiced cuisines.

Reprinted with permission from John Little of AuburnBrewClub.org

This is an article we’ve been holding on to for a while but are just now getting up. It’s a good one though and one that you may read once and move on unfazed and then a few months later read again and decide to use the advice. It really depends on where you are in your journey with wine. Keep going and eventually you’ll get to it…. the wine room.

No man also having drunk old wine straight away desireth new: for he saith, The old is better. Luke 5:39

Even in ancient times, apparently, folks knew really good wine from the less desirable stuff. In today’s world, most people think cellaring wine is beyond their reach. I have to admit, the prospect of building a wine cellar does seem daunting. Luckily, there are experts right here in Lee County to take some of the guesswork out of it.

My first stop was Kroger Supermarket, where I talked to Andrew Clark a.k.a. Gus, the local Wine Guy. Having helped homeowners set up their own wine cellars in the past, he is a wealth of information. The first, and most important piece of advice, he says, is to make sure the cellar is located in a room or closet (if you don’t have a basement) away from windows and unwanted temperature fluctuations. It’s best to use an interior closet, if you can, he said. Asked about artificial cooling methods, he recommends equipment from International Wine Accessories, Inc. Their website is www.iwawine.com. On the website, there are lots of choices for racks, as well. Gus says to make sure the wine is well supported, cannot be jostled and the bottles are stored sideways. Once you have your cellar ready, what should you fill it with? It’s important to develop what’s called a palate profile of wines, advises Gus. An expert can help you fi nd a range of wines that suit your tastes. And make sure you insure them, he cautions.

In adding up the cost for a small closet-size cooling unit, basic pine racking and foil/foam insulation (available at Home Depot or Lowe’s), it comes to about $1,000.00. Not bad for a place to store and showcase an impressive wine collection. Suddenly, you might find a lot of your friends inviting themselves over every weekend.

Still, the question about home value is lingering in my mind. I’ve worn two hats in life; my old career encompassed all things relating to real estate, mortgages and the closing process. However, for the past six years or so (since culinary school) I’ve spent more time tasting wine (and food) and writing about it than valuing homes. So I decided to contact some appraisers to give me the skinny on how much a home wine cellar adds to residential real estate value.

What I have learned is there are two basic ways of valuing a home cellar. Some appraisers rely mostly on what’s called the cost approach to value. That is, how much would it cost me to build the cellar in today’s dollars? A handbook such as the Residential Cost Handbook from Marshall & Swift is generally used. The other approach is the Market Value approach that relies on comparable sales of homes with similar amenities. In this case, both approaches suggest a boost in value to an average price range residential home of around $1000.00 for the addition of a wine cellar that is about the size of a coat closet. Keep in mind that if you use your coat closet for a wine cellar, there might be a small reduction in value for not having a coat closet if most homes in your price range have one. This is called functional obsolescence.

Whew! It’s a lot to think about when all you wanted was a place to stash some wine, right? Here’s my best advice to you. If you like wine and want to build a little cellar as a project, do it. You’ll usually gain the cost back in the value of your home. And, although the price of a wine cellar might be $1000, the look on your guests faces when you crack open that 1997 bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet, for instance, is priceless.

Article Credit: Elizabeth Dougherty, a resident of Auburn, is a former Real Estate Broker and Mortage Broker. She can be reached at EADougherty1@aol.com

Sam Adams Black Lager is the fourth beer style I’ve had from Sam Adams. It is a deep, smooth, dark offering that was a bit of a suprise. It’s color is very similar to coke, black on the counter with a bit of amber when held to the light. It had a nice frothy head. It drinks smooth with no bite to speak of. As the beer warms up you get a bit of a different feel for the flavors at the end of each sip. You can catch just a bit of caramel and chocolate when you smell it and a bit of the same flavor aftertaste. I was plesently suprised by the smoothness and creamy flavors in this some what heavier beer and could see enjoying it for many different occasions.

-Rob

From Sam Adams website:

When one sees a beer with a darker complexion these days, more often than not it’s a Porter or Stout. However looks can be deceiving. There exists a style older than both and generally less well known; the Schwarzbier, which literally translated is “Black Beer.” Unlike its dark cousins which both hail from Britain and are highly hopped ales, Schwarzbier comes from Germany, is lightly hopped and is fermented using a bottom fermenting lager yeast. Samuel Adams® Black Lager is brewed in the tradition of the latter. A medium bodied beer brewed using several different roasts of malt to give the end product a smooth body and a depth of malt character that has to be tasted to be believed.

There will be an additional Review of this beer soon by another local reviewer so keep an eye out for it. Also, any additional reviews of this beer we receive before that one is posted we’ll put in that post so send in your reviews today!

Nicaragua
5.50×38
Full
Color: Medium Brown
Shape: Parejo
Size: Petite

I ended up finding this cigar kinda by accident. I found them, on sale, because Montecruz was about to update their logo and merchandising. So the stock that was on-hand had to be liquidated in order to make room for the new, updated version. I bought a box of them for several reasons; they were gonna be ‘giveaways’ at a party being attended by both regular cigar smokers and those that might just take a couple of drags and toss the rest.

All that to say, we were very surprised and pleased with the outcome of our blind buy. There have been a couple of duds amongst the box we bought. The flavor was a little too bitter for my taste, but judging from the reaction of the crowd, they were still enjoyable. The overall size of the stick mixed with the purchase price, didn’t lock you into a lengthy commitment that other cigars might command.

Generally speaking, the draw was marginally harder (I’ve had some issues keeping them lit) but the burn was still good and even.

6 out of 10

By: Jonathan M

We’re about to work on another round of reviews so we are giving you the heads up. We encourage you to do you’re own reviews of these and send them in. We may post some of those in our reviews or excerpts of parts of it. Here’s the list broken up into what else than; Beer, Wine & Cigars.

Beers:

• Sam Adams - Black Lager
• Whitbread - Pale Ale
• Sierra Nevada - Porter
• Spaten - Oktoberfest
• Guinness - Extra Stout
• Theakston - Old Peculier

Wine:

• Jewel - Viognier
• Martini & Rossi - Asti

Cigars:

• 5 Vegas Gold Churchill (7″ x 50)
• Carlos Torano 1916 Cameroon Robusto (5.5″ x 52)
• Fonseca 5-50 (5″ x 50)
• Gurkha Connecticut Reserve Robusto #4 (6″ x 50)
• Indian Tabac Super Fuerte Belicoso Maduro (5.5″ x 52)
• Perdomo Slow-Aged Lot 826 Glorioso (6″ x 52)
• Perdomo Reserve Champagne ’R’ (5″ x 54)
• Pirate’s Gold #2 (6.5″ x 42)

We will probably throw other’s into the mix but these are a few we know are coming. There will also be several more wines that we’ll add later in an updated list.