Again, even longer over due.

Okay, this time I promise to try and post at least once a month.

This post I would like to talk about something different than coffee. Recently I turned twenty-one, and I have started to explore the realms of alcohol in depth. I have had some wines, and have tasted some beers that I really like so far. Mainly I have fallen in love with Pinot Grigio and Shiraz wine varietals. Also, I have found my favorite brewer so far, Boulevard Beer out of Kansas City MO.
Now keep in mind, my experience with alcohol is fairly limited. My pre-twenty one drinks were mostly just cheep beer and wine that I would "sample" at some parties at school. At these gatherings there is clearly a lowered interest in the quality of the beverage of choice (since most is consumed at a rate that taste become irrelevant). I remember trying some cheap wine-coolers and cheap wine. The flavors were alright, but nothing to set my buds alight with joy. These first little tastes of "girly" drinks sparked my interest in wines. Early on I tried a glass of Cabernet-Sauvignon, I don't remember the grower or price of the bottle, but I do remember not liking it very much. Very bitter, and oily, not something that I would consider a good quality in a drink. I've also had a glass of Merlot to which I tasted much of the same unpleasant notes; oily, thick, bitter, and buttery. The same night I sipped on the glass of Merlot, I was introduced to the Pinot, Pinot Grigio to be precise. I was infatuated with this wine. I've had glasses from two different vineyards, the first I cannot recall the name, but the second I know was based out of Pennsylvania.
With the Pinot, I thought white wines would be the only wines for me, however, I would come to see this was not the case. My mother handed me an article from a magazine of hers which has some of the best wines under ten dollars. So, I examined it and decided to go to the local grocery store and see what they had. I looked and decided to try a red wine. On the list they had a Shiraz from Little Penguin (based out of Australia). I bought it, took it home and poured my first glass. My first attempts at red wines the weren't best I could have had. So, I was timid to try this new red in my glass. Alas, to my surprise this red was not bitter, not oily, or anything else that displeased my palate! I was sweet, deep, rich, had very distinct dark red cherry flavors and even had a hint of a rich dark chocolate (something I've only tasted in coffee and dark beers)! I intend to further explore the flavors of wine, and someday I hope to take a class to further my understanding of the vinting process.
Now on to the second half of my adventure into alcohol. Going back to the parties I've been to in college, the drinks I have had might now have had the highest quality. I've consumed BudLight, Miller Light, and maybe a few others I don't recall. All which turned me off to beer. These cheap corporate beers all had one defining characteristic that turned me off to beer at first. The nasty aftertaste, which resembled something like a loaf of moist soggy bread sitting on the back of your tongue. Not pleasant at all. It wasn't until I was at another party, where one of my friends was drinking this beer in a strange bottle, which looked sort of like an old medicine bottle. This beer was the Jamaican Red Stripe. I had a sip and lo and behold no bready aftertaste! My interest in beer was rekindled, if a beer could exist and not have a grody aftertaste, there was hope that beer could be like my favorite beverage; coffee.
So, where do I begin my search for my favorite beer? I had no idea. It wasn't until I was playing a show at a bar in Independence, Missouri I would find my compass. My friend Josh was drinking a bottle of Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat. I asked for a sip, which he obliged. And, I was impressed, a lot. This was even better than the taste of Red Stripe that I had! But, a sip can only linger in your mind for so long. It wouldn't be until I bought my first six pack Boulevard Wheat that I would fully come to love this beer. With this six pack, I was able to delve into the bottle completely and get a full palate's worth of flavor. This beer is amazing. It's even complex! Also something I didn't know a beer could be! A very bright and pleasant beer, with very notable citrus notes. Sort of like the rind of an orange or lemon. Very tasty.
Boulevard Beer has made a very good impression with their Unfiltered Wheat, but what secured my taste for Boulevard was their Bully! Porter. I was wanting to try something different, so I bought a six pack of this porter one night while at the store. At first this beer was a little overwhelming. Probably because I had never tried a darker full flavored beer. But, after some time, I have grown to LOVE this beer. Its deep and rich, and almost coffee like in flavor. This is going to be my new default beer of choice.
I encourage all of you (if of age) to try the drinks that I have discovered and judge them for your self. I also want your help. If you have any drinks that you love, be it wine, coffee, or beer. Tell me about them so I can try them! This is a crusade for quality! I want to expand my pallet in any way possible. Sit back, Drink, Relax!