Revisit: Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot Barleywine

My very first review here, introduced by The Feisty Foodie, featured the Sierra Nevada 2010 Bigfoot. I thought it appropriate to re-review today, and check how it’s come along since then. Without following that link, I doubt you remember all the “pearls of wisdom” (ha!) I laid out nearly two years ago. Bigfoot, created nearly 30 years ago, has stood the test of time, tweaking but never overhauling the recipe for this standard-bearer of American-style barleywine: appropriately over-the-top Pacific Northwest hops, huge, full malt backbone to carry the booze and bitterness, a little bit sweet to let you know it’s [...]

The Gamble Mill, Bellefonte PA

What do I like to do when I have to burn vacation time? Why, rent a car, drive well over a thousand miles, visit some friends, and take in some brewpubs in areas remote and urban, of course! One of the several Pennsylvania brewpubs I sought out (that you, Mr. Lander, for the recommendations!) is located in Bellefonte, a sleepy Victorian town just off the Interstate and near State College, home to the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Gamble Mill dates from the 18th century. Though, like most wooden structures of a certain age, much has been rebuilt due to [...]

Starbucks Reserve: Guatemala de Flor

Starbucks is back with another entry into its ultra-premium beans product line. You may remember about a year ago, the Feisty Foodie herself received a package of the first Starbucks Reserve coffee , from the Galapagos. That was surprisingly good, and for a reasonably dark roast, not burnt or acrid, to my immense relief. This year’s entry? Guatemala de Flor, gladly accepted from Edelman, Starbucks’ PR firm. Note the same eight-ounce size as before. However, this bag of beans runs $15 on the package, up 20% from the Galapagos of 2010, though “suggested retail” starts at $12.50 once again. The [...]

Vinitaly: Volcanic Italy Wine Tasting

Vinitaly, the international wine and spirits exhibition touring the United States, stopped in New York for a day to showcase, naturally, Italian wines and, to a much lesser extent, spirits. I had the good fortune to be invited by The Feisty Foodie to accompany her on a rainy Wednesday. In addition to the wineries, distributors, and wine stores displaying and offering their wines on the main floor, tastings and educational seminars were held upstairs, and we were almost immediately invited to join one: “Volcanic Italy – an Exploration of the Explosive White Wines of Soave and Etna”. Essentially, we tasted [...]

Peet’s Coffee

When The Feisty Foodie was selected to be part of its Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Peet’s Coffee, naturally the job of reviewing the coffees fell to me as resident beverage blogger. I’ve written up coffee in the past, and now, it was time to take on Peet’s’ new line of medium-roast coffees. Peet’s has always tended toward the dark roast method, which in the past hasn’t exactly thrilled me; too often that seems to mean “burn the heck out of the beans. But now Peet’s is in grocery stores, pre-ground (sigh) in 12-ounce packages, and they were kind enough to [...]

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