I'm not sure if I did a crappy job grinding the beans (which I did), or if it's because it's a medium roast, or if it's just bad, but I didn't care much for it. Ok, so it's not terrible, but for something that sells for more than $14/#, it's pretty lackluster. Dunkin Donuts coffee is half that price and more than twice as good. And that's why America runs on Dunkin.
Comfort food sourced from Elise. It's basically a thick chili under a cornbread crust. I made the cornbread from scratch though I didn't make enough to get good coverage and still rise well. All in all, pretty good, though it's really nothing like a real tamale.
Here is a disgusting looking picture.
This is a pretty popular and classic recipe on the Interwebs that probably every homebrewman tries at some point. I roughly doubled the batch to 2 gallons. It should clear up in about 2 months.
Addendum: Decided I wanted to repost this recipe for posterity's (and my own) sake:
"Ancient Orange Mead (by Joe Mattioli)
1 gallon batch
3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet)
1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove ( or 2 if you like - these are potent critters)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice )( very small )
1 teaspoon of Fleishmann’s bread yeast ( now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then)
Balance water to one gallon
Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon carboy
Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy
Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- its ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)
Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water. ( need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy)
Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.
When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. ( No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not)(The yeast can fight for their own territory)
Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)( Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to smell every once in a while.
Racking --- Don't you dare
additional feeding --- NO NO
More stirring or shaking -- Your not listening, don't touch
After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away) . If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be, then enjoy your mead. When you get ready to make different mead you will probably have to unlearn some of these practices I have taught you, but hey--- This recipe and procedure works with these ingredients so don't knock it. It was your first mead. It was my tenth. Sometimes, even the experts can forget all they know and make good ancient mead."
Another Woot Cellars offering. I say another as if I had previously posted about the last offering from Woot Cellars, Emergency Holiday Provisions. Which I didn't. But I do still have a bottle or two lying around somewhere so expect to see notes on that some time this season.
Boss Monster is a zinfandel-PS blend (89-11). I was a little put off by the nose at first since it came on so strong, but the first sip was remarkably smooth. Pretty bold but not obnoxiously in your face, not too spicy (though it goes well with spice as I was eating a bowl of chili at the time), and lightly jammy. Just a little bit of tannin peeking through at the end. With some mouth aeration, all I get is grape. A lot of grape. A little bit of rose and honey. Would probably taste great with a thick, rare steak or in some beef stew.
I expected to write funnier notes. I should write funnier notes.
ADDENDUM: After several days, the PS really starts to pop out.
Love imported stuff, mostly because it's either something incredibly novel or a variety that's simply unavailable to me from a stateside producer. I was a little dismayed to see that Zentis uses corn syrup in their jams and preserves. The whole reason I shell out the extra couple bucks for Polaners is because it's completely natural: fruit, sugar, and pectin.
Zentis Black Cherry is pretty good, though, as it's not a fruit I see very often. I also have an Zentis Apricot Preserves that I also picked up which should be good. Considering the CS and price, I won't be purchasing any more, but the jar it comes in is sweet.
This is actually brewed by Southern Tier for EBC, marked "malt beverage" on the bottle. For coming from Southern Tier and being blueberry, it was rather weak. Crystal clear body, thin head, low carbonation. Yeah, it's a malt beverage.
Much better balanced than their Exclusive. The body is bit heavier, and the overall taste not so bitter. It has a slight hazelnut aroma. All in all, it is a much smoother coffee than Exclusive, but at the end of the day, I can get much better coffee for the price or cheaper.
Exceptionally smooth, but the roast was not as dark as I would have liked. Consequently, I didn't feel like the body was robust enough to carry the bitterness very well.
Now that Goose Island is distributing here, I've found some of their Reserve line here. And Matilda got a new dress. A case will run about $130. I'll pick one up and squat on it over 5 years or more.
The bottle I have here is 2009 vintage. Sadly, it tastes nothing like the Matilda I had last summer. But I expect some better flavors to develop over the years. Currently, it does taste obviously young, little malt, almost sour, and fruity. Light carbonation and exquisitely clear red amber.
Sourced from Elise. Chuck roast makes awesome meals when simmered down. Reminiscent of carbonnade, it goes the route of tomato paste and paprika. I think it could have used more paprika. The dumplings turned out nicely fluffy. Good cold weather food. It was goulash-ious.
I've been interested in this for a while. Made from elderflower. Very nice nose. A bit too syrupy and almost too sweet. Makes a nice drink with seltzer, but I don't know how to mix it.
Sourced from something calling it Irish Oatmeal Bread though nothing in the recipe said anything remotely Irish. First successful bread. I guess the trick is rolling it and having two rises.
I forget that pasta bakes are awesome. Sausage, mushrooms, wheat rotini, baked with sauce and mozz. I overcooked the rotini.
