BOOZE

I have found local beers! And even a new bourbon!

First things first. Last Friday I went to the liquor store to buy some beer and check out the bourbons to see if anything new had come in.

At this point it is ok to judge me as a loser and recognize that bourbon is not a periodical and a liquor store is not a newsstand. HOWEVER, I will respond with "everyone needs a hobby." Then I'll turn my nose up at you and walk in the opposite direction.

Anyway, I picked up a six pack of Jersey beer and two 22 oz. bottles of what was described as "popular local lager." I also found a new bourbon (see? I told you!), so I bought a bottle of that to sample at home, too.

Here were my winnings:

• Long Trail Brewery's "Double Bag" - described as a "stickebier"
• Coney Island Lager
• Coney Island "Human Blockhead" Lager
• Hirsch Kentucky Strait Bourbon Small Batch Reserve

First things first, I want to explain that I did not drink all of these on the same Friday night. I didn't even sample all of these on the same night.

However, I did make the mistake of trying two of these alcohols on the same night. I will explain.

First beer up to bat:

Long Trail Double Bag "Stickebier" - the label described this as a malty double altbier. The "sticke" part referred to the German name for "secret recipe." So I was totally into this from the get-go. It is a very smooth beer, and it pours fine. Not too dark, but a little darker than the altbiers that the Bluegrass Brewing Company makes back home. I didn't think much of it, but when I started to drink it, I noticed an after-taste that I should have recognized. I didn't at first, though. But after the second beer, I caught myself falling asleep. This is because that taste I recognized was alcohol. And I usually only taste alcohol in a beer if its atypically strong. And this one weighs in at 7.2% abv. By comparison, one of my favorites, Bluegrass Brewing Company's Bourbon Barrel Stout weighs in at 8% abv. Still, this one was not as smooth as I would have liked for it to have been. And it severely tricked me by being as strong as it was. Two in an evening is enough.

So I followed this with the Coney Island Human Blockhead Lager!

This was a mistake. Unfortunately, this is another strong ale, as opposed to the smooth lager I had expected. I need to start reading the labels. Where I was already tired and buzzing (bad combination), this beer weighs in at 10% abv, and I was embarrassed the next morning to find that I had not finished drinking all of it before I passed out, sitting up, snoring with a PS3 controller in my hands.

The beer was way too macho for me, and it wasn't cheap. I think I was initially suckered into buying it because the character on the label reminds me of Patrick Brumley. Upon further inspection, the beer is from the Schmaltz Brewery of NY, brewers of world-famous HeBrew. So this is actually more of a David beer than a Patrick beer. Actually, its more like a hybrid of the two. With that in mind, it makes sense that it wore me down to nothing.

However, the Coney Island line of beers redeemed itself in my eyes with the Coney Island Lager; a strait forward, delicious, complex lager that reminds me of everything a fine lager should taste like. FINALLY! I had not seen a decent regional lager yet, and this fits that role perfectly. If I can find 6-packs of this beer, I think it will be a regular in the apartment. The other two? Not so much.

Finally, the bourbon I found is the A.L. Hirsch Reserve Bourbon. The label claims that it is distilled in Bardstown, but I have never seen this distillery, so I cannot confirm if this is true. The website for this bourbon doesn't give me much faith that it is, in fact, still an independent distillery, and is probably on a contract from Maker's Mark or Jim Beam.

That being said, I can't say enough good things about this bourbon. It is "smooth," "buttery," "complex"...... oh hell. I can't describe this like a true connoisseur would. What I can say is that its delicious, and it doesn't have the sharp kick that a cheap bourbon does. One thing I really like about my Four Roses Small Batch is that I can drink it on the rocks without ever cringing or gagging or even wincing. AND it still tastes good. Four Roses has a bit of that floral aroma that always leaves a taste in my mouth, and that taste is absent here, so I almost think I prefer this. Of course, its too early to tell. The Hirsch Selection and I are still in the "flirting phase." I'm sure we'll continue to do this dance, probably for at least 4 more bottles, until I can make a decision. The fact that I cannot buy Four Roses up here does not help the Four Roses chances. Oh well. Time will tell.