Bosco's

Bosco's was something of legend for me. I had heard of it ever since I had first moved to Memphis back in 2000. I first went there last October. It was amazing. The food is spectacular, but that's only part of the reason for going there. The main draw to this great Memphis restaurant is the beer. It was Memphis' first brew pub. Located on Overton Square, it has long been a Memphis establishment.

Last night I went with a couple new friends. They go every Saturday afternoon. I learned a lot from them about beer and Memphis in general.

I had the Isle of Skye stout, the Irish Red, and the Stock Ale. All of those were delicious. I would have eaten too, but I felt guilty as I had food back at my place. Bosco's diverse beer menu is usually limited to 8 beers. Four are always on tap and four are seasonal. It's a great idea as it makes people come in all year to try the different beers.

Bluegrass Brewing Company: Dark Star Porter

I dumped my first beer the other day. It was when I tried Bluegrass Brewing Company's Dark Star Porter. It was swill. I couldn't find any redeeming grace for it.

I like porters. In fact, they are among my favorites. Usually they have a rich, creamy, almost chocolate taste. This one did not. It had a sweet blueberry taste to it, definitely not something I expected from a porter. The after taste was also bad. It was overly bitter and biting. It also seemed too thin to be a porter. The taste made my stomach churn and I did not feel very well after drinking it.

Overall, I did not enjoy this beer. I can't even begin to think of something that might go with this to redeem or enhance it. I'm sad that I spent so much on it.

Lazy Magnolia Souther Pecan

This is my favorite beer. Of all the beers I've sampled this is the one that I enjoy the most.

It's a nut brown ale (ales are the best) and has a thick, but not too thick taste. It starts bitter but soon works into a pleasant sweet taste. I don't feel that the flavors are too overpowering. They complement each other very nicely.

The smell is rather delightful and isn't too overpowering like some beers can be.

This beer is brewed in Southern Mississippi and definitely does not get the recognition is deserves. It is also the first beer to use pecans as its base. It's a move that pays off.

I enjoy this beer any time, but it goes well with steak dinners. I've also had it with burgers, but I feel that the greasy burgers are a bit heavy for this ale.

Stella Artois

Usually I love imports, but not this time. I find Stella to be way too bitter and thin. There is no real body to this beer. It's almost like drinking carbonated water.

It's a rather disappointing Lager. No sustenance at all. This wasn't enjoyable at all. I did not like for the

However, this beer goes alright with lasagna or other strong food. It does this because it gives a nice contrast to the strong food.

Red Stripe Lager

Red Stripe is a very nice and light beer. It's better drank in the summer, but I enjoy it all year round.

It's a rather light in its taste and slightly bitter. The taste is not overpowering and is understated. Carbonation is also not overly present. When drank, it energizes the taste buds. There is not a sweet taste that many light beers have. This is a major point for me as I dislike sweet beers. Usually I don't go for Lagers at all, but this is a rare exception.

This is an extremely easy beer to drink. Again, this is a great beer to enjoy in the summer time. It won't get you warm, but it'll make you feel good.

I find that Red Stripe goes well with pizza. It's also fine with other Italian or tomato based foods, but pizza is the best.

The Beginning

Hello. I'm Wandering Shaun of the Wanderings of Shaun. I've decided to start a new blog about one of my true loves: beer. I'm going to be cataloging and evaluating the beers I drink. It's going to start out slow as I am a amateur beer specialist, but in time my writing will become more professional.

I hope you all enjoy.