The basics: this rye is aged four years and is bottled at 80 proof. I did a quick search, and it turns out that I have had this rye before. The label changed, and I have a new label or the other way around. If you really care, do the research online and post a comment.

I decided to open this bottle because I want a rye. With a rye, I can make a Manhattan later, if that is my thing. Otherwise I can drink this over a little ice. Is the rye too rough? Learn to take smaller sips. At 80 proof, I would expect that this will be relatively mild, but one never knows. There are several bottles that need photos and reviews, so there will be a push to get those going here on the website that nobody reads.

Today, I decided to enjoy straight, no ice, and in a rocks glass. The weather here is amazing for July, so I am enjoying sitting outside and writing a bit while sipping.

Nose: I find the nose is nothing spectacular. I get a honey sweetness and a little straw like grain.

Pop: The burn of rye is there along with a strong ethanol note.

Taste: Very strong burn of rye in this one. I sense a Manhattan is in my near future.

Finish: Fire.

This is the strong rye that people talk about. This is not something I enjoy sipping. As I mentioned, I think this might work better in a Manhattan. I was wrong about being able to sip an 80 proof rye. Come to think of it, if you hold on, I will go make a Manhattan and let you know what I think.

I mixed up a standard Manhattan and the harshness of the rye plays with the strong cherry flavor of my current sweet vermouth to make for a pleasing experience. Many times a rye that is too strong to drink makes for a great Manhattan and Templeton Rye shows well in a Manhattan.

Maybe there will be more writing, and maybe not. Why not go enjoy your favorite beverage and leave a comment today?

I decided to hold a personal Beer Festival. This Festival is nothing fancy. I just purchased several beers yesterday that sounded amazing, and I wanted to try them. As a personal challenge, I am going to do all of the posts to Untappd using my Chromebook rather than use my phone. I am going to take pictures with my great little Olympus camera and see what happens. I have four beers scheduled but I might not get through them all. I noticed that several might be on the sweet side, but since today is a holiday, I will push on. Happy Birthday America!

One of the reasons for post strictly from my Chromebook is to practice photo editing using a different workflow. I am going to post pictures that are edited using Lightroom Mobile (I know that is not what the program is really called anymore, but I simply do not care) to both this post and to my account on Untappd.

When I went to do the check-in on the web version of untapped, my usual options were not there. I can only post a picture, rate the beer, and leave comments. I will work on this some more. After doing the work, I can check in on the Chromebook and then edit on the phone.

Gonzo aged in Willett Bourbon Barrels from Flying Dog Brewing.

This is an imperial porter because the label says so. At 11.3% ABV, please sip slowly. I find this beer offers an incredible balance of beer, hoppiness, body, wood and bourbon all in one bottle. I am going to go back and see if I can purchase more, for my personal supply.

Random thought while enjoying this beer: I miss the old style beer festivals from the early days. I could usually score a taste of something special if I talked to the reps while others were not around. There were also special reveals. I had one of my first bourbon barrel aged beers at an old school festival. The beer was Dragon’s Milk and I love that beer to this day.

Caramel Macchiato Orange Vanilla Stout from Old Bust Head

This stout adds vanilla and orange, in case you did not figure that out already. The sip starts out heavy on the stout, with a hint of vanilla. The orange rings in at the end, and follows up in the aftertaste. This is yet another amazing find for today. This beer has some amazing flavor as a 5.6% ABV beer that is usually found in much higher ABV beers.

Thought while enjoying this fine beer: hopefully we will be getting back to having more beer festivals, even if the beer festivals are not nearly as experimental as in the past. No more special bottles to share.

Chocolate Stout Nitro by Rogue Ales

This beer festival is working out in my favor. This stout offers a smooth, chocolate flavor without being sweet, like a pastry stout. The mild bitterness all plays together to make for a wonderful experience and another great set of flavors. The nitro adds to the predominate taste profile in this beer: smooth. I would drink this again without reservation.

Discovery while drinking this beer is that there is a large delivery system embedded in the bottom of the can for the nitro. I cut open the can to see why the can was heavy and found the device.

90 Minute Imperial IPA by Dogfish Head

Old school hops, at least to my tastes, describes this beer. I have enjoyed this beer before it was called imperial (at least I don’t remember the imperial) and have always thought this is a timeless taste of what an IPA should be. The copper red color is the color all beers should aspire to.

Random thought: the first spiced holiday beer I enjoyed was from Dogfish Head. My world was changed.

The beer festival is over. Unlike a real beer festival, there are not piles of garbage to clean up or porta potties to remove. I hope you enjoyed your 4th as well.