Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

Liqueur

15% Alcohol (30 Proof)

So, we went camping last weekend which gets a bit crazy this time of year.  Mostly because during the day the temperature is still in the 70's, but at night, it gets down in the high 30's!  That's such a crazy shift in temperature.  40 degrees!  Thank goodness for a campfire!  But, it was still very beautiful and the leaves are starting to change colors, which means one thing... it's FALL!!!  My favorite time of the year!  And what's better in Fall then some yummy Fall treats?  

Hot cider. 

Caramel apples. 

Pumpkin pie. 

Oooh, yeah, pumpkin pie... I'm drooling right now...

What this all brings me to is Hiram Walker's new Caramel Apple Liqueur.  Unlike many liqueurs, this isn't just a flavored sugar bomb.  This stuff actually has flavor and a surprisingly mellow sweetness.  It smells exactly how you would expect, like smooth caramel and crisp, red apples.  It tastes mostly of caramel but with a good amount of authentic red apple taste, and like I said, without being overly sweet.  This is the kind of stuff you could make some good Fall mixed drinks with and not go into a diabetic coma.  Very, very tasty, indeed.

Speaking of which, Hiram Walker is having a contest so YOU COULD WIN an Apple iPad!  All you have to do is visit the Hiram Walker website or their Facebook page and fill out the entry form with a Fall cocktail you have invented that includes Hiram Walker's Caramel Apple in it (or some of their other Fall-type liqueurs/schnapps).  Go check it out for specifics and all the technical stuff.  Tell 'em I sent ya'!

Anyway, so here are some delicious cocktail ideas for Hiram Walker's Caramel Apple:

Hot Apple Toddy:

1 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

1 part Jameson Irish Whiskey

Hot apple cider

 - Build in a warm mug.

Irish Applesauce (Created by Tobin Ellis):

1 1/2 part Jameson Irish Whiskey

1/2 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

1/2 part Ginger Liqueur

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

- Build over ice in a rocks glass.  Squeeze lemon and drop into the drink.

Highland Harvest (Created by Tobin Ellis):

2 parts Glenlivet Scotch Whisky

1/2 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

2 dashes orange bitters

- Build in a rocks glass with a large ice cube.

Southern Apple Sweet Tea (Created by Tobin Ellis):

1 1/2 parts Rye Whiskey

3/4 part Hiram Walker Caramel Apple

1 barspoon apricot preserves

Squeeze of fresh lemon

- Build in a tall glass with ice, garnish with lemon slice.

Drink This: if you want a tasty, well-made, and not cloyingly sweet Caramel Apple Liqueur perfect for the Fall season. 

Don't Drink This: if you don't like cocktails.  This stuff isn't really meant for drinking straight, but it could be done on the rocks, perhaps.  It really tastes like a liquified caramel apple.  But hey, that Irish Applesauce cocktail (above) is pretty tasty if you ask me.   Go make yourself one!

Cheers! 

      

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Samuel Adams Octoberfest

Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams)

IBUs: 25 (Reportedly)

Alcohol: 5.3%

 Well, the Fall is almost here and that can only mean one thing... Oktoberfest!  Oktoberfest is an amazing German holiday held in Munich, Germany that typically lasts 17 or 18 days.  This impressive festival started in 1810 and has grown substantially ever since.  The attendance for 2010 was a reported 6.4 MILLION visitors!!!  That's an impressive amount of drunk people in one place.  Talk about a party!

Those Oktoberfest Girls have talent!

So today, we are looking at Samuel Adams Octoberfest.  I previously reviewed the Widmer Brothers Okto Festival Ale, which is their version.  Samuel Adams Octoberfest is made from five different roasted malts and Bavarian Noble hops, like some of their other beers.  It pours a light red-copper color and smells of sweet malts, with blunted hops (they're there, but less than in Boston Lager).  This beer tastes primarily of lots of sweet malts, some toffee, with a vague hint of nuts and only mild hops.  Samuel Adams Octoberfest ends up tasting like a pretty stereotypical Oktoberfest beer, although solidly done.  

Samuel Adams Octoberfest is nothing remarkable or ground-breaking, but when the cool Fall weather starts to roll in, this will fit the season perfectly.

Drink This: if you want a solid, Oktoberfest-style bier (beer).

Don't Drink This: if you want something complex and over-the-top.  This is a good version of the style and I will likely drink several this Fall, but it is not the best Oktoberfest beer I have ever had.      

Okto - Festival Ale

Okto - Festival Ale

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company

 German Altbier/Oktoberfest Ale

IBU's: 25

Alcohol: 5.5%

Widmer Brothers make a variety of different beer styles, although their hefeweizen seems to be what they are most famous for.  And with their Hefeweizen, many people seem to add a slice of orange, which I find interesting, yet odd.  Personally, I'd rather not add fruit to my beer.  If I want fruity beer, I will just get a flavored lambic, but hey that's just me.  Last year, however, Widmer Brothers released Okto, an Oktoberfest ale in the classic German altbier style.  Honestly, this was my favorite overall Oktoberfest seasonal beer last year, although there were a couple others I tried that were stiff competition. 

Poured, it is actually a bit darker than the picture shows, a dark copper color.  The smell is exactly how an Oktoberfest ale should smell, warm, moderately hoppy, caramely, with an almost wheat-like background.  Taste-wise, it was exactly how one would expect from the smell: sweet, malty, wheat-y, with some lingering hops.  It is perfect for the Fall months and really quite easy-drinking and delicious.  I stocked up on this while I could and drank a few six-packs over the course of last winter.  

While checking out the Widmer Brothers website, I noticed they have changed the label for this year's Oktoberfest (Okto) release and lowered the ABV from 5.5% to 5.3%, although interestingly, the IBU's have gone from 25 to 28 for the new release.  It will be interesting to see how the 2011 version compares to last year's.  I hope it can compete with last year's.  We shall see!

Drink This: if you want a classic, well-balanced German-style altbier, perfect for Oktoberfest.  I just hope the 2011 version is as good as last year's.  Goes well with bratwurst and sauerkraut, but don't most beers?

Don't Drink This:  if you don't like beer or glasses of deliciousness.  But hey, if you like beer and it's the Fall, then definitely see if you can at least try this.  When I think Oktoberfest, I think of beers like this. Grab a glass, put on your lederhosen, and enjoy!  :)

 This isn't my photo, but this is what you should look like when drinking Okto, preferably at a beer fest...