Oenophiles?

[MichaelB]

Ahh yes mad dog. 20% alcohol and 20 oz bottles. Don't forget good old ripple as well

I remember when a bottle of Ripple was living the high life. Of course, I was 14 or 15 at the time ...

 

[steelyman]

I remember when a bottle of Ripple was living the high life. Of course, I was 14 or 15 at the time ...

You bypassed “Night Train”!?!

Even the label gave you a hangover. [emoji3]

https://www.bumwinebob.com/p/night-train-express.html

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not had the occasion to sample the above wines, but here are the reviews I found on the Web.

Night Train Express:

Don't let the 0.5% less alcohol by volume fool you, the Night Train is all business when it pulls into the station. All aboard to nowhere - woo wooo! The night train runs only one route: sober to stupid with no roundtrip tickets available, and a strong likelihood of a train wreck along the way.

Thunderbird:

As soon as you taste this swill, it will be obvious that its makers cut every corner possible in its production to make it cheap... If your taste buds are shot, and you need to get trashed with a quickness, then "T-bird" is the drink for you. Or, if you like to smell your hand after pumping gas, look no further than Thunderbird. As you drink on, the bird soars higher while you sink lower. The undisputed leader of the five in foulness of flavor, we highly discourage drinking this ghastly mixture of unknown chemicals unless you really are a bum. A convenience store clerk in Show Low, AZ once told me that only the oldest of stumbling Indian drunks from the reservation buy Thunderbird.

MD 20/20:

This is a good place to start for the street wine rookie, but beware; this dog has a bite to back up its bark. MD Stands for Mogen David, and is affectionately called "Mad Dog 20/20". You'll find this beverage as often in a bum's nest as in the rock quarry where the high school kids sneak off to drink. This beverage is likely the most consumed by non-bums, but that doesn't stop any bums from drinking it! Our research indicates that MD 20/20 is the best of the bum wines at making you feel warm inside. Some test subjects report a slight numbing agent in MD 20/20, similar to the banana paste that the dentist puts in your mouth before injecting it with Novocain. Anyone that can afford a dentist should steer clear of this disaster.

 

[ERD50]

MD 20/20:

This is a good place to start for the street wine rookie, but beware; this dog has a bite to back up its bark. MD Stands for Mogen David

I did not know that.

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Here are some non-flattering reviews about real wines, not the stuff sold in convenience stores to bums.

Tastes of bruised fruit, with a horrible finish that gums up the palate like creosote in a chimney...

Foul. Redolent of chicken droppings...

Simply awful. Smells and tastes of burnt rubber, sulfur and rot--it has serious flaws. Dry, lean and disgusting...

A dead ringer for cough syrup, just not as tasty. Not recommended...

Bizarre flavors of milk and paste in a flat, dull structure. Unpleasant, though better than another bottle tasted...

Like biting into a bar of soap. Extremely unpleasant and an unusual misstep for this fine producer...

 

[NW-Bound]

And here's what some people view an entire variety of wines

"The point about white Burgundies is that I hate them myself . . . so closely resembling a blend of cold chalk soup and alum cordial with an additive or two to bring it to the color of childrens' pee." Kingsley Amis, The Green Man, 1970

"The Spanish wine, my God, it is foul, catpiss is Champagne compared, this is the sulphurous urination of some aged horse." D.H. Lawrence in a letter to Rhys Davis, Apr 25, 1929.

"The Germans are exceedingly fond of Rhine wines . . . One tells them from vinegar by the label." Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad, 1880.

 

[Car-Guy]

Ah, what memories... I don't remember for sure anymore but it was either MD20/20 or Thunderbird (maybe both) that one of my first GF's absolutely loved.... Never drank the stuff myself but I'm sure glad the guy at the liquor store would sell it to me.

 

[NW-Bound]

The first time I got drunk in my life, at the age of 16, I did not bother to fool around with stuff like the above.

I went straight to moonshine. Clear liquid, 100 proof stuff. Fermented from soybean, I was told. About 1 cup worth, and I was out. I imagine a knock out punch to the temple would be about as quick.

 

[Sarpy]

On our first trip to the Big Island, HI, DH and I were sitting at a romantic waterside table and decided to order a good bottle of red. While we were checking out the wine list, the waitress told us she had a great recommendation--it was a really "fresh" bottle of wine.

 

[Winemaker]

This all seems so complicated. I'm glad I am a beer drinker.

Don't get me started on the different beer glasses. After all, I'm sure you have a favorite brew, and it should be served in the proper glass.

 

[Winemaker]

Gosh, I just realized that Yellow Tail was referring to wine. I thought it was referring to sushi and couldn’t get the connection in post 13.

It was also mentioned also in post#3.

 

[braumeister]

Don't get me started on the different beer glasses. After all, I'm sure you have a favorite brew, and it should be served in the proper glass.

In Belgium, every beer MUST be served in its proper glass. Waiters will actually apologize if they don't have the right one available and will ask you if you mind having it in a different (but still properly shaped) glass.

Restaurants and bistros don't care, because the brewery provides them with the glasses along with the beer.

In fact, it's not only beer -- I've often seen them take care to serve things like iced tea and mineral water in the appropriate glass. It's a wonderful thing.

The idea is that when you enter the place, you can simply glance around and immediately know what everyone is drinking, simply by the glass they're using.

 

[Winemaker]

I'm reading this topic because I have no sense of smell and very little sense of taste. Oenophiles always have such lovely descriptions of all the wine nuances and flavors that I just don't experience. I've tried a couple of wines when someone offers and except for blackberry Passover wine, which is very sweet, I just don't enjoy wines. I expect I'm missing a whole lot but then the frugal in me could never spend big bucks on something I cannot appreciate.

So the Yellow Tail 2017 that I found in the back of the closet (stored at room/closet temperature), is it any good? It says it's a merlot. Should I chill it and find a real wine glass?

Yellow Tail makes wines by the 100,000 gallon tanks, similar to a municipal water tank. Yes it contains fermented grapes, but is a recipe wine with a lot of additives, in ensure its consistency. You mentioned a 2017, which my indicate some recipe change from 2016 or a change in wine makers.

Vintage wines can be distinguished by year, appellation (area where grapes are grown), vineyard, which side of hill/valley they were grown, type of irrigation, and even type of trellises the vines grew on.

Some people take wine seriously, others do not. Just like anything else.

 

[audreyh1]

In Belgium, every beer MUST be served in its proper glass. Waiters will actually apologize if they don't have the right one available and will ask you if you mind having it in a different (but still properly shaped) glass.

Yes, very much my experience. Loved that about Belgium. Brewers provide the glasses with logo of the beer on the glass of course.

The right one is Bruges Zot a local brewery in Bruges. The town mascot jester is on the glass.

 

[audreyh1]

It was also mentioned also in post#3.

Sorry, missed it. I was confused for a while, LOL!

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 View Post
This all seems so complicated. I'm glad I am a beer drinker.

Don't get me started on the different beer glasses. After all, I'm sure you have a favorite brew, and it should be served in the proper glass.

Yes, I wasn't sure if ExFlyBoy5 was being facetious or not, sometimes it's hard to tell what the emoticon is getting across. As others have said, there definitely is a matching of beer styles and glasses, there are lots of beer glasses/styles.

Here's a start:

I kinda think the beer world is more complicated than the wine world. The following was said tongue-in-cheek, but I heard a brewer once say something like "A winemaker comes into the workday, and his only question 'skins or no skins?' ", "A brewer comes into the workday, and he's thinking about water chemistry, which how much base grains to use, how many/which specialty grains - what roast level, mash temperature/time/profile, boil time, how much boil-off to target, which hops to use, what time to add them, do a hop stand? any spices or oak to add? am I gonna dry-hop this, when, how much, is it going to be barrel aged, if so, bourbon barrel, wine barrel? carbonation levels?

Yes, of course there is a lot more to wine than skins-no skins (and I skipped yeast, as that is a common complexity), but I think it does help illustrate the complexity of craft beer.

And I think it's fair to say the differences in many beer styles are far more apparent (even to a relative novice) than differences in wine. Not only between styles, but between brewers or different releases.

Three different IPAs from mainstream brewers can taste/smell/look very different from each other, and I think even a relative novice could pretty easily distinguish (maybe not appreciate) the difference.

Three different Cabernets from mainstream vintners, I think to the relative novice, are all going to taste/smell/look pretty similar to each other.

That's a generalization, anyone is of course free to disagree, but in my view, it's fairly accurate, broad-brush wise. And likewise, it's not to say that the experienced wine drinker can't tell the difference and appreciate the differences. Sometimes subtlety is sublime (as is alliteration!).

-ERD50

 

[audreyh1]

Three different Cabernets from mainstream vintners, I think to the relative novice, are all going to taste/smell/look pretty similar to each other.

I taste significant differences with same varietal based on terroir (soil properties) and regional traditions.

But beyond that similar.

Yes, beer has a wider range.

 

[NW-Bound]

I have visited Belgium only twice, and have not lived there for any length of time. Indeed, Belgians take their beer very seriously.

While the overall shape of the glass conceivably affects the aroma and taste of a particular beer, there are 1000 different Belgian beers, and many brands strive to create their own glass design. It's a trademark, a distinction to the consumer.

Beyond the basic glass shape, the individual glass designs, some ornate and odd glasses, serve the same function as the radiator grill design of cars. A big part of the look of a BMW or a Mercedes or a Jaguar is their grill. Other than aesthetic appeals, I don't think it impacts how a car rides, handles, or accelerates.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Here are some non-flattering reviews about real wines, not the stuff sold in convenience stores to bums.

I was most certainly not a bum when I bought MD 20/20 and Boone's Farm as a young Airman. Never mind that I probably wrote a hot check *hoping* I would get paid before it hit the bank.

 

[braumeister]

The right one is Bruges Zot a local brewery in Bruges. The town mascot jester is on the glass.

Ah, there's a happy memory. Halve Maan is one of my favorite breweries.

Your glass on the right obviously holds the Brugse Zot dubbel, but my favorite is the blond. Wonderful beer, extremely well made. Can't wait to start going back there.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Don't get me started on the different beer glasses. After all, I'm sure you have a favorite brew, and it should be served in the proper glass.

When the beer brewery/local brew movement started, I was pretty darn excited. Finally, beer drinkers got lots and lots of choices....just like those wine-o's! Well, a number of years later, I have given up paying $13 for a six pack of beer that may or may not taste very good and I have taken my last "flight" of local brews (again, for $20 for 5 shot glasses worth of beer).

Today, I am excited that Yuengling will be distributed locally. Until then, my beer of choice is Shiner or Coors Banquet...in a can.

 

[audreyh1]

Here is another picture from Bruges. We stumbled across this “Wall of Beer” on our walking tour. This is just one section. Most beers are displayed with their own special glass.

 

[CardsFan]

Ah, there's a happy memory. Halve Maan is one of my favorite breweries.

Your glass on the right obviously holds the Brugse Zot dubbel, but my favorite is the blond. Wonderful beer, extremely well made. Can't wait to start going back there.

When working and going to our Brussels office, my favorite Belgian beer was Brugge Tripel. Have not had it in years.

And yes, the Belgians are a little crazy with the glass thing (I think it is actually in the law, but could be wrong on that).

 

[braumeister]

And yes, the Belgians are a little crazy with the glass thing (I think it is actually in the law, but could be wrong on that).

If it isn't a law, it's surely as close as makes no difference.

My first visit to Belgium was about 1998 and I totally fell in love with the country. Since then I've been back roughly every other year and today I have two good Belgian friends that I met on those trips.

As someone mentioned, Belgium is a beer-crazy nation. At one time there were more breweries per capita than anywhere else, although I think the USA has since surpassed them.

 

[ERD50]

So I took an opportunity to test myself on the differences in glassware. DW made a delicious pasta dish, fresh basil and moz, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes cooked down into a sauce, and parm on top (of course, olive oil and garlic were in the mix). So she asked me for a Chianti, which I pulled from our 'cellar', and chilled a bit to get it to real cellar temperatures.

Since I was skeptical that I'd detect any big difference, I went for extremes. Poured some (through an aerator) into our normal big red glasses, and a sample (also aerated) into tiny little beer sample glasses (picture a Barbie doll sized Pilsner glass). So I could really get no aroma at all in the tiny glass, my nose was totally outside the rim.

First of all, before getting all objective, I just enjoyed the wine more in a proper red glass. I like being able to hold it up and get the aroma before, and as I sip it. I like the look of it swirling in that big bowl. And, it just 'feels right'.

The same wine in a narrow glass - well, I could get the aroma by moving the glass to my nose, and then to my lips to sip. But this just felt awkward, not really enjoyable in the same way. Maybe a bit like being seated behind a column at a stage play - sure, you can see everything, but you have to move your head back and forth. Awkward, and not as enjoyable. And the depth of color doesn't show as well in a narrow glass - that's something you can control in a big bowl glass, look through it straight on for the deep color, look through an edge as it is tilted to see through a more narrow amount, with lower density, which might highlight other colors/clarity, etc.

But, once I got the aroma, and then sipped, I really have a hard time saying that I could detect a difference in the taste in the narrow glass. Maybe... maybe? I dunno.

And this in no way means or infers that I think others can or cannot tell the difference, I'm just sharing my personal experience, as a rather unsophisticated wine guy (but not exactly a total novice, or don't care type either).

But my original view on the OP still stands, and I think most agreed - if you go a a decent restaurant and order a red wine, it should be served in a red wine glass, at the proper temperature. If you are being charged $36 a glass, the temperature better be close to spot on, as well as the service/experience. After all, with the markup on wines at a restaurant here in the US, about 75% of it is the experience (and a chance to try something new, w/o buying a whole bottle - which you probably could do anyhow, at restaurant prices for a glass).

I'm glad I tried it. I'm sticking to the proper glass, but mostly for reasons other than taste.

-ERD50