Black Diamond Brewing’s Rampage Imperial IPA.
The pour was a bit on the headless side, but that might have been my fault. Color is a nice clear copper tint.
Ahhh yea…the smell is that radical hop party that I’ve become so addicted to. The flavor is pretty light going into the mouth, but then the hop bite starts to kick in, along with some of the punch from the alcohol. Not surprising since this monster weighs in at 9.0% ABV. Actually, upon further inspection, the alcohol content becomes quite clear. It’s definitely noticable, but not in a bad way. This is just a big beer that brings with it a high octane punch. Once swallowed, the after-bite of hop bitterness is strong. More on the malty earth side than the citrusy and bright. Another observation is the carbonation level…while not overly carbonated, it is on the more bubbly side of things.
Lastly, I gotta say, the label is an eye-catcher. The dope elephant character with fire blazing in the eyes was calling my name. Props to whoever’s responsible for creating it.

Overall, good stuff with a nice kick. A 22oz. set me back $6.29 at BevMo.
Black Diamond Brewery is located in Concord, CA.

Hurry up kids! Go grab yourself some tampons and a bottle of hooch…then join the millions of successfully wasted teens out there that are already enjoying this awesome buzz provided by shoving alcohol soaked tampons into various orifices! Here’s the news scoop:

What do you think? Bullshit? Yeah…but these ‘news’ idiots are calling it a fuckin pandemic, basically. Of course, in the classless style that the news is best known for, they take some random bullshit and sensationalize the shit out of it in order to get viewers interested. I’m sure there’s plenty of parents out there that watched this shit and decided it’s something they need to worry about. Yes, kids have tried this, but gimme a fuckin break. There’s no way that this is a ‘trend’. Unless of course you think kids enjoy doing shit that their buddies will talk shit on them for. It’s like auto-asphyxiation; yes there are people that do it, but it ain’t something that deserves prime-time news coverage. But, just like vodka tampons and asshole beer-bonging, the news sees an opportunity to prey on a parent’s need to keep their children safe and so they blow shit outta proportion to make things sound like a worthwhile threat. Retards.

So, the good news is that we can all get a nice buzz while at our desks now and not worry about the usual offensive alcohol breath. Party on!

Want to get the most out of that $8 22oz. brew you just bought? Get the right glass for the job and learn to pour:

Info: Ethan Cox of Buffalo’s Community Beer Works (communitybeerworks.com) recommends better glassware for beer, and shows us how to properly pour it for full exposure and enjoyment.

I’m not a certified beer master, but I can definitely say that I pour a mean IPA. All these years of pouring have definitely made a difference and knowing how to pour really increases the flavor and drinkability. I do need to grab a different style glass though. That Duvel ‘Tulip Glass’ style is the one that I’ll be picking up next…foe show!

-zOnk.oNe
Vid: SevenhertZ

Tired of those folks behind the counter not being able to serve up a competent pour of your favorite watered-down macrobrew? Check out this solution:

Fucking. Genius. Seems like this little invention is gonna be making a shitload of arena attendees very happy. More beer. More faster. More better.

-zOnker.oNer-
Vid: SevenhertZ

Get your rainbow drink pouring skills up to par by watchin this foo:

That’s some pretty cool shizzle. I hope that counts as one drink…like you order it as, “Yes, I’ll have the ‘rainbow blackout cocktail’ please.” …hehehe. I’ll be ordering several in January when I’m in Jamaica.

peace,
zOnk.oNe

Thx @ SevenhertZ for the vid.

Well folks, the latest polls show that drinking alcohol in the United States is at a 25 year high. For years I rallied for us to set a new record and finally, it looks like we’re on track. The housing market is in the shitter, the economy is a steamy terd, and unemployment is still hopelessly high. What better time could there be to grab your drink of choice and get your buzz on? -zOnk

The unstable economy hasn’t seemed to put a dent in Americans’ penchant for partying.

The number of adults in the United States who drink spiked to 67 percent, a modest increase over last year and the highest rate on record since 1985, a Gallup poll has found.

Though wine has gained popularity points and beer has lost some, a tall, frosty glass of barley and hops is still the favorite alcoholic beverage, with wine coming in second and liquor third.

Gallup has followed Americans’ drinking habits for nearly three-quarters of a century, with the levels reaching an all-time high of 71 percent between 1976 and 1978. But “despite some yearly fluctuations, the percentage of Americans who say they drink alcohol has been remarkably stable over Gallup’s 71 years of tracking it,” the polling company says.

The low point came in 1958, when only 55 percent of U.S. adults said they drank. During the first year of polling in 1939, just as the Great Depression was ending, the drinking rate was 58 percent.

But the latest findings aren’t cause for mayhem, says Massachusetts psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Carlat, the mental health expert on AOL’s Medical Advisory board.

“I don’t really make a lot of it,” he said. “Sixty-seven percent say they don’t completely abstain. That certainly doesn’t make me alarmed as a psychiatrist. I’m most concerned about finding problem drinking … This data doesn’t really speak to that.”

Carlat defined problem drinkers as those who consume several drinks a day and are losing control of their lives as a result.

“Most people who are social drinkers are not problem drinkers,” he said.

Beer has been the top beverage of choice since 1992, except for the year 2005 when wine had the edge. This year, 41 percent of alcohol drinkers listed it as their favorite, compared to 47 percent in 1992 and 1994, the poll showed.

Most brewsky drinkers are men, Midwesterners and younger Americans, whereas wine is the favorite among women and older people.

Wine’s biggest drinkers are women over 50, with an equal number of women under 50 choosing wine and beer as the favorite. The biggest beer enthusiasts are men under 50, according to Gallup.

The poll showed that those who rarely or never go to church are significantly more likely to say they consume alcohol than regular churchgoers. Catholics, non-Christians and those who don’t identify with any religion were more inclined to say they drink than Protestants.

Those with lower income and education levels were less likely to drink than those who are more educated and make more money. But Americans who say they drink were found across all demographic groups.

Moderate and light drinking have been linked to various health benefits, including lower incidence of heart attacks, according to several medical studies on the subject. But only 59 percent of older people in the U.S. say they don’t abstain from alcohol.

The Gallup poll findings were based on phone interviews done from July 8 to 11, 2010 with a random sampling of 1,020 adults 18 and older living in the U.S.
Source: AOLHealth

Caldera Brewing: Hopportunity Knocks Ale – 2010

Wooo! This stuff packs a wallop of flavor and is definitely on the bold side of the flavor nation. The initial pour into the mouth is smooth, and then the bitterness of the hops kicks in immediately afterward. There’s a nice after kick after swallowing too. The aftertaste is heavy, but very pleasant. This pours with a thick head that lasts and is on the Amber side in coloration. Being an IPA addict, this ale is different, but brings the heavy hop bitterness and flavor that I need. This stuff is cool because it’s different from my norm, but definitely has similarities to some of my standard ‘go to’ India Pale Ales.
With the added bonus of the silly label artwork (Twilight Zone meets Spongebob?), this is a solid brew to check out. It weighs in at 6.8% alcohol.
These 22oz. bottles are part of the ‘Caldera Kettle Series’, which are limited, small batch, seasonal releases.

From the Caldera Brewing website: Hopportunity Knocks Ale: 6.8% abv IPA brewed with 100% Centennial hops. Big round mouthfeel, very perfumey. Different from our canned IPA. Gotta love the Pacific NW!

Lucky for me, I live next to Hi-Time Wine Cellars, so I have access to these. The Caldera website states; “Available only in Oregon currently.” Caldera is located in Ashland, Oregon. I paid $5.96 for the 22oz. bottle.

Big up to the Caldera folks for this fine contribution to the beer world.

-zOnk.oNe