Old Dominion Spring Buck

I wish I had more/better things to say about this particular brew; I bought it on a whim, however, and found myself a bit underwhelmed.

In their words:
This Belgian inspired Blonde Ale is flavored with honey, chamomile, and dried orange peels. The addition of wheat malt give this unique ale the crispness of an early spring day, and we think that you'll find it every bit as enjoyable.

In my words:
Honey, chamomile, and maltiness come right out on the nose, with the chamomile flattening out the malt and the honey aromas promising a sweetness that isn't really there. The mouthfeel is full, rich, and mouthcoating; again the malt and chamomile seem to be in competition. The honey and orange peel influence is minimal. While not wholly unpleasant, the beer simply seemed out of balance.

Traveller's Tales #3: Philadelphia

This one's real down and dirty; it happened to be on tap in a hotel bar, so I didn't even get to look at a bottle. I've included a link to the brewer's website in the title for all you curious folk out there.

Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale

In their words: (...)

In my words:
This beer seems to have a serious identity crisis; on the nose we have orange zest, fresh wheat, and faint hops. These hefeweizen characteristics extend into the mouthfeel, which is initially crisp, then softens into a hoppy, dry finish; the only thing missing was a lingering sweetness.

This is in no way meant to demean the beer itself, indeed, it was well made and went over smoothly. Calling this a pale ale, however, is misleading; the profile was all wrong for the two fingers of Dewar's it was accompanying (for example).

Masked Rider Zinfandel

2007 Masked Rider Zinfandel

Nose:
dusty, barnyard, cola, black cherries, brown sugar strawberries.

Palate:
little hot, tastes sweeter than the nose suggests (but by no means a sweet red). Little smokey, little bit of black berries/fruit.

Over all:
Nice ruby color.
It went pretty well with the blue cheese we had; I think it is something to drink with BBQ.
Let it breathe, it is not the most balanced wine and the oxygen helps to mellow it out.

Picpoul!

2008 Domaine Felines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet

Nose:
crisp minerals and citrus, touch of straw, gooseberries and apples.

Palate:
Crisp, clean, very nice acidity, gala apples, limes, white grape finish, cucumbers, and watermelon.

Over all:
A great summer sipper!
This would be delicious with oysters, veggies, lightly grilled poultry, and fruit salads.

2007 Juno Shiraz

Sight:
She says - opaque, inky purple/red

Nose:
She says - blackberry, plum, milk chocolate, touch of spice, red licorice/molasses, green pepper

He says - soft oak, green pepper, dusty dark berries (blueberry/blackberry)

Palate:
She says - soft, peppery, tart raisins, lead pencils. The berry/raisin flavors fade away and leave you with the earthy pencils and oak.

He says - very soft, almost thin. Dusty berry flavor prominent on the palate, higher acidity than necessary; long finish that tapers off in terms of flavor. The fruit gives way to lingering flat oakiness.

Over all:
She says - I did enjoy the nose of it though the palate left me a little disappointed. I think this is too young right now.

Maybe 2-3 years it will mellow out and more leathery notes will show and less acidity and pepper?

I have been told the Shiraz blends from them are better than the straight Shiraz. So they are next on my list to try.

Great art work on the bottles though, check them out on their website.

He says - A middleweight wine that could stand some refinement and possibly old rather than new oak treatment.

2008 Crios Malbec

Sight: Dark/Black cherry color

Nose: vanilla, toasted brown sugar, cedar, dark ripe spicy cherries, a hint of sweet basil

Palate: dry, cedar, sweet herbs, blackberry preserves, brown sugar and vanilla.

Over all: I find this to be a fantastic everyday Malbec. Need a drink after work? Need a wine to share with friends? Need something to pair with that steak dinner you are preparing? This is your Malbec.

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critical acclaim: "The 2008 Malbec spent 8 months in first use French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers up an alluring bouquet of Asian spices, cassis, cedar, incense, and black cherry. Medium-bodied, savory, and elegant, this spicy Malbec will also provide pleasure over the next 4 years. " 90 Points The Wine Advocate