BTWC: Fish Eye 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

I haven't written in almost two years, so I'm gonna start this blog back with a bang! Aka I am going to get drunk in my bathtub again. You're welcome.

In case you were wondering, there are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes of Bathtub Wine Critic. I mean, I have a killer set-up with bath bombs and candles and a wheelie cart with snacks, books, and my laptop streaming some video of some sort. I even have a pillow in my tub. I am a champion.

You can't see the pillow, but you can definitely see the laptop, book, and snacks.

"But Katie," you say, "all those bath bombs and candles are scented and are totally going to mess up your palate and skew your judgment!" To that I say, I'm getting drunk in my bathtub. Obviously I am refined enough to compensate.

Fish Eye 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon

Every now and then, I go to the liquor store and buy 3 or 4 random wines to drink. Some I pick by price, some I pick by label, and some I just randomly grab because I can. Today's choice was both cheap, bright, and with a twist-off (so you know it's classy). I'm pretty sure I paid like $4 for the bottle, so even if this is terrible, I'm still gonna enjoy it.

And so it begins...

So, as usual, I have not read any reviews or even the back of the bottle. All I know is that this wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon from southeastern Australia.

First things first – I have to do a super heavy pour because I’m a winner and winners commit to challenges.

And the Review Begins!

After the pour- it smells really good, like a normal glass of red wine. There’s nothing particularly acidic or gross or anything like that. It’s comforting and very, very welcoming right now. On second sniff, it doesn’t smell as strong as some of the other Cabernets I have had. I don’t know if it means there’s less tannin or it’s more watered down or what. Maybe I can smell some other berries in it? Maybe that’s why the scent isn’t as strong?

Initial taste is of absolutely nothing but the aftertaste is so strong. I’m literally taking a sip of wine and swishing in my mouth before I’m able to taste anything. But the moment I swallow, my mouth automatically starts watering because of how strong the aftertaste is.

Drinking like a normal human makes the wine not taste as good as swishing it for some reason; I’m going to pretend I’m smart and claim it has something to do with aeration.

Because this flavor is nothing and then a lot at once, I kind of feel like a snake trying to digest a gopher or something. The flavor kind of gets caught in the back of your throat.

This gif is unneccessarily graphic and I find it hilarious. Sorry?

Because the aftertaste is so strong, I’m going to say there’s oak and pepper and other strong things like that in the flavor profile. I can’t taste other fruits because I feel like I’m just getting punched in the face every time I drink. I know that sounds like a negative but I’m actually really liking it. I kind of want to get out of the tub and go to my fridge and grab some goat cheese and crackers and pair it because that sounds heavenly. (But I’m way too lazy to move. Plus I’m soaking wet and my roommates are in the kitchen so there’s that). I’m gonna have to settle with pretzels.

So sipping is not for this wine. I just took a really long drag of it/kind of chugged a little and it was phenomenal. And I’m only halfway through my first glass so I know I'm not drunk yet.

After the second pour- Drinking it by the gulp is IMMENSELY satisfying. I think this is a really good wine for a bad day. Because when you drink a lot of it quickly, it really tastes mellow. I’m tasting a heavier berry like blackberry or something when I chug it.

I would say this would be a good table wine because it’s a very aggressive flavor that would go with steaks or something. But by itself, it’s a bit much. I’m definitely going to drink this by itself no problem but it would very much compliment food better than just sipping it solo.

I’m totally feeling this so I’m gonna stop writing and maybe read a book and drink this and have a delightful time because I’m a genius.

My Rating

I have now mostly sobered up and am ready to begin again. I get that it's hard to tell time from a blog post, but the present tense above was literally me dictating to my phone while tasting the wine. Now, fully clothed and vaguely sober, I am ready to give my review.

Price is 5 out of 5 stars. Like $4-ish dollars for a decent wine? I'm all in.

Price is amazing

For flavor, I'm going to say it's 4 out of 5. By itself, it's a weird cross of bland and too strong, but gulping or with food is phenomenal! I tried it with a homemade bolognese (beef, red sauce, and veggies) and it was dope.

To the Actual Wine Notes

I said the wine was oaky, peppery, and maybe had blackberry in it. The back of the bottle claims the wine is "full bodied, cherry and blackberry with a hint of pepper on the nose," and excellent to pair with "charbroiled bacon cheeseburger with jalapeno poppers. Bratwurst piled high with sauerkraut." 

I feel like I KILLED the description of the flavor on this one. However, while I was technically right on everything, I think part of me was just guessing strong flavored things versus actually tasting them. I'm still giving myself 3 out of 3 for flavor, but I may have guessed?

As for body, yeah I thought it was full-bodied but I wouldn't have claimed it to be between dry and sweet. I'm giving myself 2 out of 3 though, because I think I could easily pair it with strong food as I claimed.

Overall

Yeah, I'm definitely buying this wine again. It's cheap and not going to impress anyone, but it would be a great table wine for anything I grilled. (Note to self: Buy a grill. And learn how to use it). 

I'm gonna rate this 4.5 stars because it's cheap and decent. That's everything I like in a wine. 

I know it's not anything special at $4 a pop, but shamefully, I am 100% buying this again. And I'm going to recommend it to others.

And that's all I have for my first post in a long time! Hope you enjoyed!

~Katie