Levi Dalton
Levi Dalton
Made in Japan:
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Shonan Bitter 300ml bottle
from a brewer in Chigasaki, who started releasing Shonan in '96. The bitter is clean and crisp, while a bit simple. I could see this going well with sushi.
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Ruby 300ml btl
reminiscent to me of Killian's Irish Red. Simple.
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Liebe 300ml btl
a bit dirty, a bit chocolatey and vegetal. Simple.
Coedo Brewery "Beniaka" Premium Lager 333ml btl
highly decent. I enjoyed this. made in part from sweet potato, which may account for the broad and soft finish.
Yokohama Brewery Pilsner 330ml btl
from a brewer operating since 1995. this brings to mind something like Rebel, only a simpler rendition. Straightforward.
Yokohama Brewery India Pale Ale 330ml btl
I really don't know much about beer, but this strikes me as one of the worst I have had recently. Overly fruity and fruitcakey until the bitterness of the IPA style kicks in mid-palate.
Yokohama Brewery "Alt" 330ml btl
carrob character. a bit one-note. there may have been a spice note on the finish, but I think that was actually from the curry I eating at the time.
Sankt Gallen Brewery Amber Ale 330ml btl
from a brewery operating since 1993. the fruit seems distant and muted. there are notes of iron-shavings, and a bit of a stewed character. I think this may have been a skunked bottle.
Asahi Beer 500ml btl
The brewed in Japan rendition of this seems creamier and less vegetal than the brewed in Canada for North Americans version. Still, it is one of my least favorite beers.
Wilkinson "Dry" Ginger Ale (orange triangle label) 190ml btl
Actually less dry than the brown colored triangle take, and more akin to what one thinks of as ginger ale in the States. Nice ginger character, but then also a bit of pink bubble gum in the foreground.
Wilkinson Ginger Ale (brown triangle label) 190 ml btl
very dry, much fuller in taste than the "dry" Wilkinson. Tons of spicy ginger character. A first sniff can be so potent that it leads to sneezing. More akin to what we in the States would think of as ginger beer. It is a real shame that this is not imported to the US.
Consumed in Japan, Made Elsewhere:
2006 Heymann-Lowenstein "Uhlen R, Roth Lay" Riesling (Mosel, Germany) 12.5% alc./vol.
apples apples apples. Cox's Orange Pippin? Much weightier on the palate than the Rottgen, and showing substantial '06 ripeness. A rather "thick" texture, reminiscent of Hiedler "Loiserberg" Riesling from Austria, say the '01. Adam also comes to mind. Finishes with noticeable bitterness. A few hours pass and I return to this only to find that the apple character has sunk in even deeper, and that the bitterness is even more apparent, but that some of the chalky minerality has gone absent for awhile. I think this wine needs considerable time in bottle to really strut.
2006 Heymann-Lowenstein "Rottgen" Riesling (Mosel, Germany)
I was at a wine shop in Ginza. All German wine, some bottles with quite a bit of age, and one offering from La Mondotte also on sale for some obscure reason. Would I like to try anything from the sample fridge? Well yes, I would. Might you happen to have any H-L open? Yes, you do? REAlly? Like Tony the Tiger: GRRRRREAT!
The wine itself:More mineral defined and crisp citrus notes than the Uhlen R '06. I would have guessed this as an '07 instead of an '06 blind. It didn't seem to carry that '06 opulence.
2005 Frank Cornelissen "Lamoresca" Sicilia Rosso 750ml btl 15% alc./vol.
all Nero d'Avola
I don't know much about this wine, seeing as I never come across it in the States. But the taste of this said it was low-sulphur (there were no edges anywhere, it was one wave after another) and probably from Southern Sicilia (Iblea?). Maybe I'm a giant Silly Head. I'll look it up later. A freshness and primary character to the fruit that was surprising, I mean this was like you were in the berrypatch. I would have liked a little more complexity. And a few more (any) secrets. But I'm glad I got a chance to try this.
2006 Camillo Donati Trebbiano dell'Emilia Frizzante 750ml btl 13% alc./vol.
The '06 Donati Malvasia Frizzante was one of my favorite finds of '08. Love, love, love. The Trebbiano was much simpler by comparison, and there was less frizz (or maybe less ante??) in this offering than the other. Somewhat reminiscent of cider, and I mean the flavor as well as (of course) the color. It went okay with my meal, but I was glad I had the Malvasia back home. Possibly this bottle was a victim of too long on the store shelf.
1989 JJ Prum "Whelener Sonnenuhr" Riesling Spatlese (Mosel, Germany) 375ml btl
A whiff of oxidation upon first pour, so I decanted this, to it's benefit, I think. The bottle didn't show signs of poor storage, but you never know. This really blossomed for about 20 minutes, and then the petals fell of the flavor flower and there was nothing left but a stalky stem. Aromatically this was good enough, and definitely Prum, but also somewhat blocky and not on the hold your interest, wait what did you say again I was too into the wine sorry about that, side of the spectrum. Anyway, this had been buried in the back of a French restaurant's wine list with the Sauternes, and I was glad that so many others had thus passed over it, leaving it at a reasonable tariff for me.
2000 Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 750ml
Decant. Small bubbles popping on the tongue. Decant again. Ahhh, there we are. Lovely in the way plump girls can be lovely. Plump girls who can dance, that is. You know that part when you take off from the ground in an airplane? Not the part when your stomach falls a foot south and your ears pop, but the moment right before that, the second when you feel that something very heavy and large has suddenly become free and unbound. This wine was rockin' that weightlessness. Large frame, but not in an obvious way. Clay accents on both the palate and the nose. Potter's clay.
Delicious with lamb. Maybe not everyone's kind of pairing, but I was quite happy.
1994 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Shows the softness of the vintage. I have and continue to like the Dalla Valle Cabs from the early and mid-90's. Can't speak for the more recent releases.
Romano Levi Grappa 2006 (with stars on the label and light brown colored liquid inside the bottle)
Just when I thought I had a handle on the Romano Levi profile (full and powerful, with a bit of alchohol burn, and little polish, which is to say the Jake LaMotta of grappa) I find something new in his glass. Soft, maybe even a bit fruity sweet, and very accessible. The kind of accessible that might lead one to wrongs: I drink this a bit too quick, but not before I notice that a smallish drop is truly excellent in my espresso. Heresy, I know. May I find one of those long haired Levi girls in Heaven after I am burned at the stake.
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Shonan Bitter 300ml bottle
from a brewer in Chigasaki, who started releasing Shonan in '96. The bitter is clean and crisp, while a bit simple. I could see this going well with sushi.
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Ruby 300ml btl
reminiscent to me of Killian's Irish Red. Simple.
Kumazawa "Shonan Beer" Liebe 300ml btl
a bit dirty, a bit chocolatey and vegetal. Simple.
Coedo Brewery "Beniaka" Premium Lager 333ml btl
highly decent. I enjoyed this. made in part from sweet potato, which may account for the broad and soft finish.
Yokohama Brewery Pilsner 330ml btl
from a brewer operating since 1995. this brings to mind something like Rebel, only a simpler rendition. Straightforward.
Yokohama Brewery India Pale Ale 330ml btl
I really don't know much about beer, but this strikes me as one of the worst I have had recently. Overly fruity and fruitcakey until the bitterness of the IPA style kicks in mid-palate.
Yokohama Brewery "Alt" 330ml btl
carrob character. a bit one-note. there may have been a spice note on the finish, but I think that was actually from the curry I eating at the time.
Sankt Gallen Brewery Amber Ale 330ml btl
from a brewery operating since 1993. the fruit seems distant and muted. there are notes of iron-shavings, and a bit of a stewed character. I think this may have been a skunked bottle.
Asahi Beer 500ml btl
The brewed in Japan rendition of this seems creamier and less vegetal than the brewed in Canada for North Americans version. Still, it is one of my least favorite beers.
Wilkinson "Dry" Ginger Ale (orange triangle label) 190ml btl
Actually less dry than the brown colored triangle take, and more akin to what one thinks of as ginger ale in the States. Nice ginger character, but then also a bit of pink bubble gum in the foreground.
Wilkinson Ginger Ale (brown triangle label) 190 ml btl
very dry, much fuller in taste than the "dry" Wilkinson. Tons of spicy ginger character. A first sniff can be so potent that it leads to sneezing. More akin to what we in the States would think of as ginger beer. It is a real shame that this is not imported to the US.
Consumed in Japan, Made Elsewhere:
2006 Heymann-Lowenstein "Uhlen R, Roth Lay" Riesling (Mosel, Germany) 12.5% alc./vol.
apples apples apples. Cox's Orange Pippin? Much weightier on the palate than the Rottgen, and showing substantial '06 ripeness. A rather "thick" texture, reminiscent of Hiedler "Loiserberg" Riesling from Austria, say the '01. Adam also comes to mind. Finishes with noticeable bitterness. A few hours pass and I return to this only to find that the apple character has sunk in even deeper, and that the bitterness is even more apparent, but that some of the chalky minerality has gone absent for awhile. I think this wine needs considerable time in bottle to really strut.
2006 Heymann-Lowenstein "Rottgen" Riesling (Mosel, Germany)
I was at a wine shop in Ginza. All German wine, some bottles with quite a bit of age, and one offering from La Mondotte also on sale for some obscure reason. Would I like to try anything from the sample fridge? Well yes, I would. Might you happen to have any H-L open? Yes, you do? REAlly? Like Tony the Tiger: GRRRRREAT!
The wine itself:More mineral defined and crisp citrus notes than the Uhlen R '06. I would have guessed this as an '07 instead of an '06 blind. It didn't seem to carry that '06 opulence.
2005 Frank Cornelissen "Lamoresca" Sicilia Rosso 750ml btl 15% alc./vol.
all Nero d'Avola
I don't know much about this wine, seeing as I never come across it in the States. But the taste of this said it was low-sulphur (there were no edges anywhere, it was one wave after another) and probably from Southern Sicilia (Iblea?). Maybe I'm a giant Silly Head. I'll look it up later. A freshness and primary character to the fruit that was surprising, I mean this was like you were in the berrypatch. I would have liked a little more complexity. And a few more (any) secrets. But I'm glad I got a chance to try this.
2006 Camillo Donati Trebbiano dell'Emilia Frizzante 750ml btl 13% alc./vol.
The '06 Donati Malvasia Frizzante was one of my favorite finds of '08. Love, love, love. The Trebbiano was much simpler by comparison, and there was less frizz (or maybe less ante??) in this offering than the other. Somewhat reminiscent of cider, and I mean the flavor as well as (of course) the color. It went okay with my meal, but I was glad I had the Malvasia back home. Possibly this bottle was a victim of too long on the store shelf.
1989 JJ Prum "Whelener Sonnenuhr" Riesling Spatlese (Mosel, Germany) 375ml btl
A whiff of oxidation upon first pour, so I decanted this, to it's benefit, I think. The bottle didn't show signs of poor storage, but you never know. This really blossomed for about 20 minutes, and then the petals fell of the flavor flower and there was nothing left but a stalky stem. Aromatically this was good enough, and definitely Prum, but also somewhat blocky and not on the hold your interest, wait what did you say again I was too into the wine sorry about that, side of the spectrum. Anyway, this had been buried in the back of a French restaurant's wine list with the Sauternes, and I was glad that so many others had thus passed over it, leaving it at a reasonable tariff for me.
2000 Valentini Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 750ml
Decant. Small bubbles popping on the tongue. Decant again. Ahhh, there we are. Lovely in the way plump girls can be lovely. Plump girls who can dance, that is. You know that part when you take off from the ground in an airplane? Not the part when your stomach falls a foot south and your ears pop, but the moment right before that, the second when you feel that something very heavy and large has suddenly become free and unbound. This wine was rockin' that weightlessness. Large frame, but not in an obvious way. Clay accents on both the palate and the nose. Potter's clay.
Delicious with lamb. Maybe not everyone's kind of pairing, but I was quite happy.
1994 Dalla Valle Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, CA)
Shows the softness of the vintage. I have and continue to like the Dalla Valle Cabs from the early and mid-90's. Can't speak for the more recent releases.
Romano Levi Grappa 2006 (with stars on the label and light brown colored liquid inside the bottle)
Just when I thought I had a handle on the Romano Levi profile (full and powerful, with a bit of alchohol burn, and little polish, which is to say the Jake LaMotta of grappa) I find something new in his glass. Soft, maybe even a bit fruity sweet, and very accessible. The kind of accessible that might lead one to wrongs: I drink this a bit too quick, but not before I notice that a smallish drop is truly excellent in my espresso. Heresy, I know. May I find one of those long haired Levi girls in Heaven after I am burned at the stake.