Sugar Pie Red Wine '10

Sugar Pie Red Wine. The first thing I thought of when I saw this label at Trader Joe's was sangria. Wine, sugar and fruit juice (fruit being the main ingredient of many pies.) Now I'm not usually a fan of sweet drinks, but whoever is responsible of the marketing of this wine did a fine job. A pretty pattern on the lable, and the sign advertising that it was only $5.99 sold it to me.

After a few sips I found it doesn't taste like a pre-made sangria, as the name suggested me. It is on the sweeter side of the wine taste spectrum though. This is because of a focus on blackberry jam, but in a rich way. There were things I found that made me think of pie more though. Nutmeg and cinnamon could be tasted with the blackberrys easily. The nutmeg was almost like a cabernet's tannin but a bit more sweet and spiced of course.

It was a good deal at $5.99, but I won't be keeping this in stock on my wine rack at home. It's just not one my taste buds would want that frequently. That's just my preferences though. I'm giving it a C (decent), and will end my analysis with this: It is a great deal and I'm sure many will love the spiced notes.

Sebago Frye's Leap IPA

It's been a little while since my last review, but I think this is partially due to my focus being just on the drinks. The taste is still my prime focus, not the effects. (This applies to positive and possibly negative ones). Like today's beer that'll do the trick quicker, with a ABV of 6.2%. Sebago Brewing's Frye's Leap IPA.

Frye's Leap IPA is a bit of a leap from other IPAs, being more than just intense with regular hops. It pours with a large and foamy head like most micro-brewery IPAs. But once you put your nose to the glass the hops is strong like others, but it's of a very different character. The floral aspect is as strong as the citrusly crisp! The  malt note is a bit more diligent than other micro-brew IPAs as well. The commonly rich body is similar to typical IPA though. (Wouldn't be as good if that wasn't the case).

This is a common choice for me at Sebago's new location or the grocery store. So it didn't take me long to contemplate the score. I'm giving it an A (excellent).

P.S. Even once I'm well past my last sip I enjoy this beer. The hops is still there at the back of my tongue. Mmmmmm...

Arizona Blueberry White Tea

An Arizona canned or bottled tea seems like an odd choice for this blog, doesn't it? Well this episode is Arizona's blueberry white tea, and I chose it because it's a common choice of me when I'm at a gas station looking for a quick drink. It's my choice not because of all the health propaganda but because it's better than most of the other soda and super-sugared drinks in the drink cooler. Here's why:

The hue of this tea under the label is translucent and pink and I think that proves that it's a white tea. But putting it in your mouth will prove this too because the actual taste of the leaf is light and almost over-powered by the fruit happening here. Obviously blueberry is a big part of the tea but I believe peach exists almost as much! It helps to tie the sugar to the palate so it can fit in with the other sweet drinks it's next to.

I'm not a fan of sweet unless applied in moderate proportions and this tea has a bit too much. It's just far better than the other options because it's acceptable in it's use of the sugar. So I'm leaving it with just a C (decent), but I'd also like to note that any plastic bottle cola would be an F (avoid).

Shipyard Smashed Blueberry

Shipyard's best selling beer is their seasonal Pumpkinhead, and they made a Smashed Pumkinhead as a spin off of it in 2009 (still around). Today I have a spin on their Smashed Pumpkinhead, the Smashed Blueberry. It's only sold in single bottles, but that might be all you need because this brew is 9% alcohol! If that's what you want though, I'd recommend a plastic bottle of liquor. If you want a tasty beer in your glass, read on!

The back of the label reads that this is a "hybrid between a porter and a Scotch ale." I can see why because of the body and what's happening on the palate. Smashed Blueberry starts with the blueberry part paralleled by the sweet malty chocolate in the nose though. Once in the mouth things get pleasantly complicated. The body is more along the lines of a Scottish ale due to the 'round' body. I don't think heavy is a way to put it though. I wouldn't be surprised if your tongue gets confused by this one, but I've sorted out the sweet maltyness, a touch of coffee-like barley which works perfectly with the malt, a blueberry extract on the back of the tongue. The fruit note isn't very sweet, just true to blueberries. It ends dry with all the tastes lingering.

Turns out this has been a big hit for Shipyard and now I can see why. I've noticed this bottle on the shelves for awhile now, but I didn't pick one up because I'm not a fan of fruity beers. I'll be buying this one again though because it's a fine dark beer with strong tastes that work togeather. And it's the best use of non-citrus fruit in beer I've ever tasted. A (excellent)

Polar Banana Seltzer

When I saw this at the grocery store, I had to try it. It's obviously a new release from Polar Beverages because it's not even apparent on their website except for mentioning a simple "Monkey Rum" cocktail. They did choose a good time to bring out a new banana product with summer just started a few day ago. Let me find out if banana seltzer can compliment a hot day.

Sure enough; it smells of bananas, tingles on the tongue, and leaves an aftertaste. It's not foolishly sweet as I had feared, but also not as strong as I'd prefer. It's a seltzer and not a flavored soda so I understand why it's not tasting of banana extract. I'd like it stronger because their mention of a cocktail with this ingredient is inspiring.

When I want seltzer I'll be getting  Polar's lemon or lime unless I want some variety. Those flavors have been the standard with seltzer for awhile for a reason. As for cocktails, I think I'll be trying to make a classic pina-colada cocktail (shaken, not blended) and diluting it with this product like a club soda. It's a C (decent) in my book.

Very creative Polar...

Katahdin Specialty Coffee Baxter Blend (Old)

Edit: Katahdin has since changed their flagship roast, and you can read about it here.


Maine has established a reputation for fine beer form microbreweries, but I think it's time for more recognition for the micro-roasters. I'm ashamed to say the only other Maine roaster I've hit so far is Bard's special Honduras bean, but today is about Katahdin Specialty Coffee's flagship bean.

Baxter State Park is a beautiful place that everyone can enjoy, and I think the Baxter Blend can be enjoyed by everyone as well because it's well rounded and easy to drink. It's easy to drink because there's little acidity to it but it has some of the enjoyable notes of highly acidic and lighter coffee's. "Nutty" in a way. I say it's rounded due to the body and hints of being roasted. Don't take these last notes as it being dark like French or Italian roasts.

If you enjoy the taste of coffee but frequently get heartburn or overwhelmed by robust tastes, give this a try. It's not too crisp or dark and isn't cutting corners on taste like big-box supermarket brands. It's a B (good) in my book.

Gazela Vinho Verde '09

Summer is finally here, because it's hot and humid. The wine I always keep on hand for this season is Casal Garcia because it's a fine value for sparkly, crisp and fruity. Gazela has always been next to it in the wine aisle because it's Portuguese and the same grape, vinho verde. They're also only 50 different in price, so I'll be determining which one to stock as well as translating it's taste to English.

Just like Casal Garcia it pours with a slight fizz so bubbles attach to the inside of the glass while condensation occurs on the outside. More similarities can be noticed in the smell but the first difference appears here too.
Gazela is dryer than Casal Garcia. The palate is citrusy but has many other fruits happening as well, tropical melons. As you work your way down the glass you'll notice slight floral notes as well. "Green" is a good adjective to describe Gazela.

I'm giving Gazela a B (good) due to being a touch more juicy and I prefer the dryness. Casal Garcia was given a B. I think I'll be keeping both on hand though, because they're both a great value with slightly different approaches to Vinho Verde. Pick both up, you won't regret either.