1001 Beers

Beer No: 95
Page No: 473
Category: Blond

World Cup Day 17...With the United States out, there's just one team left for me to root for - Germany.  So I got up nice and early today, gathered up the pillows on the couch, and settled in to watch an epic match of Germany vs. England.  Germany went ahead early 2-0 with two goals that both could have been prevented.  However, England then stormed back, scored a quick goal and then a couple of minutes later scored again, however, the referees didn't see it.  So it was Germany up 2-1 heading into half time.  Who knows what would have happened or how the game would have played out if England had tied Germany 2-2, but in the end, with England pressing for an equalizer, Germany was able to counter-attack twice and take the final score to 4-1.  While it's easy to say that Germany outplayed England, we just never know how it would have ended if the goal were called correctly.  England probably would have played much more defensively and Germany might not have been able to counter-attack.  But in the end, Germany wins, advances to play Argentina, the winner of the second game against Mexico, and I'm still a happy German fan.

Unfortunately, the Reissdorf Kolsch didn't make me all that happy of a German beer drinker.  Watered-down, clear yellow, this beer didn't produce much flavor at all and was a disappointment.  It's not a bad beer by any stretch of the imagination, just a standard Kolsch that has some flavor, but not much, and the aroma is almost non-existent.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Reissdorf Kolsch by Privat-Brauerei Heinrich Reissdorf

Aroma: 3/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 5/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 8/20

Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

Had from 500ml bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours clear golden with slight head that dissipates quickly and leaves slight lacing behind. Aroma is faint, notes of grass and hops. Taste is watered-down, weak, hints of hops, sweetness, slight malty flavor. Easy to drink, almost like drinking water, slightly bubbly with good, clean finish.

Beer No: 78
Page No: 327
Category: Blond

I think I've done it.  I've found a way to have a beer from a team playing each day during the World Cup round robin.  After that, I'll have to see who advances.  If England, Germany, and the U.S. advance, that makes it easy on me, but any South American team will present a challenge - especially when you see what my Day #5 pick has to be.

Day 1: Mexico - Cucapa Barleywine Ale

Day 2: An English or American stout (my stout party is that day)

Day 3: Australia - Coopers Best Extra Stout

Day 4: Denmark - Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast

Day 5: Brazil - Xingu (I have to take Brazil early due to New Zealand, Slovakia, Ivory Coast, Portugal, and North Korea being the other teams playing that day - all of which I could find no beers for).

Day 6: Switzerland - L'Abbaye St. Bon-Chien (my find of the day, a $25 bottle of beer)

Day 7: France - 3 Monts

Day 8: Germany - TBD (I picked up about 10 German beers today)

Day 9: Japan - Hitachino White

Day 10: Italy - TBD (I have a couple Italian beers around)

Day 11: Spain - Estrella Damm

Day 12: France - La Goudale (unfortunately, this ends my French beers, so if they advance, I will have to hunt down more)

Day 13: England - TBD

Day 14: Japan - Angry Boy Brown

Day 15: Spain - Alhambra Negra

And that ends the round robin round.  Starting the day after, June 26th is bracket play, so I'll just have to wait and see how the brackets will fill out before I can start to plan the next round of drinking.

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Bitburger Premium Pils from Bitburger Brauerei Th. Simon

Aroma: 3/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 4/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 8/20

Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

12 oz. bottle from Hi Time Wines. Pours clear yellow with good fizz, no head, no lacing. Aroma is non-existent, a little sweet, a little lager-ish. Taste is bland, watery, devoid of flavor. Easy to drink, maybe a bit better than the Buds and Coors of the world, but still, that’s nothing to be proud of. Finishes with a slight hop bitterness, but nothing special.

Beer No: 49
Page No: 101
Category: Amber

Today, I wasn't quite sure what to say about the Dos XX Amber.  I mean, it's a fine cheap amber and all, but it just doesn't have that wow factor.  At the same time, while having a pointless argument on Facebook over where to find chili in Orange, I decided to make my own chili.  Heck, if I can't find a good, hearty chili in Orange, I'll just do it myself.  So I searched the internet, landed on Emeril's Texas Style Chili and set off to the store to pick up the ingredients.  One of them just happened to be a Lone Star or Shiner Bock beer (it being a Texas chili and all), but I decided, since I've got this six-pack of Dos Equis, why not throw that in my chili instead?

3 jalepenos, 2 anaheim, 2 serrano, and 3 chipotle peppers/chilis later along with a little tequila and Dos Equis, and I had a hearty, spicy chili.  It didn't quite thicken up like I prefer my chili, but in the end, it did earn some positive reviews and I'll probably attempt it again here soon with some slight modifications.  Either way, it was my first chili, and a great learning experience.  I think I have just one chili place to try out around town and then I'll probably be back cooking my own again because it'll probably not live up to standards or have something like beans in it...

My review, cross-posted at RateBeer.com:

Dos Equis XX Amber from FEMSA

Aroma: 3/10
Appearance: 3/5
Taste: 5/10
Palate: 2/5
Overall: 7/20

Rating: 2.0 / 5.0

Had from 12 oz. bottle. Pours amber / brown with slight white head and no lacing. Heavily carbonated, lacking in flavor. Aroma f just roasted malts and grains. Flavor is bland, watery, and boring. Nothing special. A step up from the fizzy yellow crap that comes out of Mexico, but not a big step.