Charger's Wine (and Beer) Club

[Zzzptm]

I have to say that I learned a *lot* from watching the serieses. When I'm at a business dinner and everyone's talking wine, I can keep up with the convo, even though I'm not doing any of the drinking.

[Charger]

Charger's Wine Club Beer Edition.

This time we have a traditional Golden Ale from Badger Dorset Brewers called The Legendary Tangle Foot.

This rather clear golden brown in color ale has a rather sweet taste with hints of caramel and toffee and even vanilla flavours accompanied with some mild bitter english malts.
A very nice and well balanced beer. Very british in style and I can fully imagine there have been some feet tangled because of this Ale over the years.

Most certainly one of the better British ales I've had and sometihng I can highly recommend.

* * * * ½

[Charger]

Charger's Wine Club Beer Edition!

This time we have a domestic beer from Fat Lizard Brewery in Espoo Finland called Fat Lizzard 101 California Pale Ale.

This bit murky brown ale has hints of citrus, medium hoppy flavour and some maltiness.
This is supposed to be influenced by a special Californian style Ale from the 80s I do not know how well they have succeeded as I was not in California in the 80s tasting their beers.

But what I can say is that this a pretty interesting beer. There is maybe bit more fruitiness and and bitter than what I usually enjoy but somehow though Fat Lizard has managed to find a pretty good balance and that makes the ale quite drinkable. It's not something you'd like to gulp down can after can, but it is something you can enjoy a can of. (No can puns intented they just appeared).
Anyways a somewhat surprising find from the domestic market and shows once again that small breweries in Finland are putting out some quality products.

Also a name like Fat Lizard...come on...what's not to like!?


*  *  *  ½

[Zzzptm]

^ So it's more a sipping beer than a chugging beer?

[Charger]

Indeed. But honestly that could be said about most of the beers I've tried here...Also I don't chug beer anymore anyways!

[Charger]

This time again we have domestic beer and this is bit special one as it is the name sake beer of Finland's leading rock radio station Radio Rock American Style Golden Ale from Rock Paper Scissors Brewing Company in Kuopio Finland.

This bit murky golden brown colored ale has some flavours of honey and some slight citrus with hints of herbals and some mild bitter. All of those flavours are rather mild and nothing over powers the beer itself which is a very good thing.  The balance is quite good.

Eventhough this might not be the most flavourable beer in the world it is a very easy to drink one and tasty as well.
It does not have the blandness of mass produced beer but also doesn't have the weirdness of some small batch brews. As said a good balance.

Is it 100% rock? I don't know...don't know what 100% rock should taste like...the station itself isn't 100% rock either as they play fuckin' Red Hot Chili Peppers occationally!!!
So on the rock scale this isn't Slayer but it sure as fuck ain't Red Hot Chili Peppers either!

*  *  *  ½

[Zzzptm]

It says it's "American Style" ... does that mean it's pretty much brewed to be not bad? Kind of like McDonald's is an "American Style" hamburger? Won't be amazing, but it won't poison you, either.

[Charger]

^^^
Brewed not to be bad!!

Well yeah. This ain't bad so yeah.

But there is a beer type called American Golden Ale so I guess the idea was to do beer in that style.

[Charger]

This time we have a lager from Cape Brewing Company in South Africa (!!) called Cape Point.

The light golden colored lager has a very mild flavours of some grassy hops and very light citrus.
Over all a very basic tasting lager but that can also be a good thing as there is nothing that stands out and nothing that can irk you either.
This is my first ever taste of South African beer and it is a pleasant one. Kind of like a SA version of Bud or PBR...

* * * ½

[Zzzptm]

Looks like if you stick with the basics, you can make a quite decent brew.

[Charger]

That's my view at least. I know there are people who hate basic beers but I've never understood that...Just cause it's basic doesn't mean it's bad.

[Zzzptm]

Just cause it's basic doesn't mean it's bad.

I bet just about everyone is nodding in agreement with that statement.

[Charger]

Charger's Wine Club Beer Edition Halloween Special!

This time we have a halloween themed beer...well okay, no we don't, I tried to look for one that would just have a Halloween adjacent label and honestly this was the only one I could find so I chose this....
A domestic small brewery beer from the Hiisi Brewery in Jyväskylä Finland called Väki Forestfinnish Pils.

Then a little explanation is needed I believe... Hiisi is an ancient Finnish holy place and/or a source of various mythological creatures usually located in deep dense forest. It later turned from a place into the protective spirit of the forest.
Väki again nowadays pretty much just means "people" but in ancient mythology Väki was a group of different kinds of elves or fairies or even just magical power.
So there. This beer can be translated into Magic of the Spirit of the forest...or something along those lines...or not.
Anyhow...none of that matters what matter is the beer so moving on.


This slightly murky amber colored beer as a very rich flavour content of grain, hops, some fruity aromas as well as some slight bitterness in the after taste.
The flavours however are all very well balanced and nothing over takes the other. This might be bit richers than most of the average pilsner style beers but it is still very easily drinkable and has nothing that really should irk anyone. All in all a very good beer from a small Finnish brewery.

And yes the label has some creatures on it (Väki folk perhaps?) so Halloween themed it is.

*  *  *  *

[Zzzptm]

So, again, keeping to basics is the path to a good beer. So, my question is this: in all the beers you've tried, has there ever been one that took a big risk with a big flavor that paid off?

[Charger]

Hmmmm...

That's a good question....it is a rarity I think... But some christmas beers have done that I think...I recommend checking this thread back from last christmas...or the one before that...

Usually though having some really odd flavour in a beer doesn't work for me...especially if it is some kind of fruit.