I've been pretty busy lately, but I did manage to finish off the last beer from my custom six pack. I also managed to get to Fireflies with my cousin Brendan last Friday to have some beers. We made nice with the bar manager there, which led to me trying perhaps the most interesting beer I've ever tried (see my last review). My family went back there on Father's Day for brunch (no new beers though). For Father's Day, I got dear old dad a custom six pack of IPAs.
Lion Stout: This was the last of my custom six pack. If you like stouts, you will like this. If you don't like stouts, I would avoid it. It's made in Sri Lanka, which I can't exactly say gave me high expectations - I hadn't really heard of a long and storied beer tradition from there. The beer was like any other stout, dark. It had a bit of ompf to the taste. Like I said, if stouts are your thing, this is the beer for you.
Leinenkugels Summer Shandy: This beer was so terrible, it practically made me weep. If you like fruity beers, then I guess there is a chance you will like this - but I tend to doubt it. It was basically a glass of lemonade mixed with beer. This is an insult to beer. Unfortunately, this is a sad strange trend for Leinenkugel.
Breckenridge Avalance Amber: I like amber ales. As far as an amber ales go, this was below average. However, you could argue I was biased against it, since it came in a can. It was poured out into a glass, but it wasn't anything special. In some ways, I thought it was lacking in character or watery.
Left Hand Sawtooth ESB: I thought this was a slightly above average pale ale. I generally thought it wasn't overwhelmingly hoppy, which is traditional for its style. I rushed through this one a bit, so I don't have the best descriptors for it.
Green Flash Le Freak: Perhaps the most interesting beer I've ever tried. This beer follows America's long, proud tradition of pissing on Europe's cannonical norms. This beer seemed like a blend between a Belgian Trippel and an American Pale Ale (which basically amounts to an IPA on the 'roids Barry Bonds took). The taste was very flavorful with a slight fruit characteristic during the sip, and as the glass was pulled away, the taste turned turned into full on hops. I can't say I loved it, but I can say it was interesting.
Note: I also discovered one of the vegetable drawers in my fridge is full of Yuengling and pork roll. I love my roommates.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 267
Paul: 249
Cheers,
Paul
Monday, June 21, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
six great new beers that won't make the list
I had a really wonderful Friday night with some really wonderful friends. While I have six new beers to report as a result, none of them count toward my list as they were all part of an awesome sampler at Long Valley Brew Pub-- two ounces each. We finally have our list of rules on the blog, which Paul had referenced recently but we hadn't thought to post yet. However, Long Valley Brew Pub was so awesome that I have no qualms sacrificing those six points. So worth it, forget my score in this "contest"!
When I visited my friends Cheryl, Gurzo and Cristina last week, it came up that all would like to do a bit of hiking, so I invited them to visit me this week, adding the idea of visiting of the nearby brew pubs. Long Valley got our vote for having a well rounded menu that included veggie options for myself, Cristina and Cheryl. My friend Noah, a fellow nature and beer enthusiast who will also be under contract beginning this coming Friday, joined us for the evening.
Here's the thing about Long Valley Brew Pub: it's amazing. Just entering the place gave a great impression. It's in a beautifully restored 200 year old stone barn, in a lovely historic town, at the top of a windy road that goes up a pretty mountain that we got to watch the sun set behind as we anxiously awaited our awesome samplers of their brews.
This is actually a photo from the drive to the brewery, but you get the idea-- such an incredible part of the state!
Hookerman's Light: While I don't generally pursue light beers, this was really excellent. Smooth and to the point, extremely drinkable. We were all really impressed with how not lame it was for being a light beer.
American Pale Ale: This was slightly hoppy, and yet I loved it. It's beers like this that will get me to like stronger hops flavors someday. It was very crisp and refreshing with just a hint of really tasty hops. One of my uncles once told me that a good pale ale is totally worth the trouble of looking for. This brew absolutely made me agree with that statement.
German Valley Amber: This was also slighty hoppy but very smooth and tasty, somewhat akin to some sort of nice Irish Red but not quite. I don't think I described that very well, but whatever-- this is also a great beer.
Lazy Jake Porter: SO GOOD. I love my dark beers, and this was really great. When I go through samplers, I tend to take a sip of each and then finish them in the order from least favorite to most favorite. This was the one I saved for last. Definitely a strong coffee flavor but such a smooth, tasty beer. Oh man.
Dusseldorf Altbier: This one I was less crazy about, it being kind of heavy on the malts for being so light in feeling. That's a combination I tend not to totally embrace, such as in the case of bocks. That being said, this was still a solid beer and it wasn't so strong or sweet that I didn't enjoy it.
English Pale Ale: This one didn't have too much exciting about it, but was their current feature beer-- "great beer for no particular reason" it says on the menu. I definitely preferred the American Pale Ale, but this was pretty straightforward and not offensive in any way. I imagine most people would like it.
In addition to great beers, the service was good and we all really enjoyed our meals. The five of us split two orders of some really excellent nachos (the chips themselves were great, with a good mix of fresh veggies and a really good salsa). I had a homemade vegetable burger with fries, phenomenal. This place was awesome and I'd totally recommend it to anyone, the only drawback being it's not particularly close to anything or on the way to anywhere. Well worth the visit if you ever find yourself even remotely in the neighborhood!
When I visited my friends Cheryl, Gurzo and Cristina last week, it came up that all would like to do a bit of hiking, so I invited them to visit me this week, adding the idea of visiting of the nearby brew pubs. Long Valley got our vote for having a well rounded menu that included veggie options for myself, Cristina and Cheryl. My friend Noah, a fellow nature and beer enthusiast who will also be under contract beginning this coming Friday, joined us for the evening.
Here's the thing about Long Valley Brew Pub: it's amazing. Just entering the place gave a great impression. It's in a beautifully restored 200 year old stone barn, in a lovely historic town, at the top of a windy road that goes up a pretty mountain that we got to watch the sun set behind as we anxiously awaited our awesome samplers of their brews.
This is actually a photo from the drive to the brewery, but you get the idea-- such an incredible part of the state!
Hookerman's Light: While I don't generally pursue light beers, this was really excellent. Smooth and to the point, extremely drinkable. We were all really impressed with how not lame it was for being a light beer.
American Pale Ale: This was slightly hoppy, and yet I loved it. It's beers like this that will get me to like stronger hops flavors someday. It was very crisp and refreshing with just a hint of really tasty hops. One of my uncles once told me that a good pale ale is totally worth the trouble of looking for. This brew absolutely made me agree with that statement.
German Valley Amber: This was also slighty hoppy but very smooth and tasty, somewhat akin to some sort of nice Irish Red but not quite. I don't think I described that very well, but whatever-- this is also a great beer.
Lazy Jake Porter: SO GOOD. I love my dark beers, and this was really great. When I go through samplers, I tend to take a sip of each and then finish them in the order from least favorite to most favorite. This was the one I saved for last. Definitely a strong coffee flavor but such a smooth, tasty beer. Oh man.
Dusseldorf Altbier: This one I was less crazy about, it being kind of heavy on the malts for being so light in feeling. That's a combination I tend not to totally embrace, such as in the case of bocks. That being said, this was still a solid beer and it wasn't so strong or sweet that I didn't enjoy it.
English Pale Ale: This one didn't have too much exciting about it, but was their current feature beer-- "great beer for no particular reason" it says on the menu. I definitely preferred the American Pale Ale, but this was pretty straightforward and not offensive in any way. I imagine most people would like it.
In addition to great beers, the service was good and we all really enjoyed our meals. The five of us split two orders of some really excellent nachos (the chips themselves were great, with a good mix of fresh veggies and a really good salsa). I had a homemade vegetable burger with fries, phenomenal. This place was awesome and I'd totally recommend it to anyone, the only drawback being it's not particularly close to anything or on the way to anywhere. Well worth the visit if you ever find yourself even remotely in the neighborhood!
Official Unofficial Rules
About a month and a half into Dear Beer Friend, Paul and I agreed on some rules, which I just realized we never posted. I'm going to share them now for posterity. I went to an amazing brew pub last night (will post about later) and tried their six beer sampler (2 ounces each), and by our rules, they do not count for the official beer list. While I know everyone would like to really see me surge ahead Paul before my beer hiatus this summer, I know that such a rule will protect me from a retaliation, too.
Official Unofficial Rules
1. This is all on our honor...
2. There is a limit of 1.5 beers/hour, with a total hard cap of six beers for a day/night/party.
3. Take notes when having multiple brewskis.
4. Only beers available to the general public count (no home-brews).
4a. Good home-brews deserve shout outs nonetheless, and should be observed as educational experiences.
5. Minimum taste-test: four ounces.
That's all I have saved in an old email. Am I missing anything, Paul? Any suggestions, anyone else?
Official Unofficial Rules
1. This is all on our honor...
2. There is a limit of 1.5 beers/hour, with a total hard cap of six beers for a day/night/party.
3. Take notes when having multiple brewskis.
4. Only beers available to the general public count (no home-brews).
4a. Good home-brews deserve shout outs nonetheless, and should be observed as educational experiences.
5. Minimum taste-test: four ounces.
That's all I have saved in an old email. Am I missing anything, Paul? Any suggestions, anyone else?
Friday, June 18, 2010
six to one, half dozen to another
I finished my mixed six pack and have been able to try a few other interesting brews, too:
Dogfish Head Raison D'etre: The phrase "raison d'etre" means reason for living. I think that's a really arrogant name for this beer... I think it's incredibly overrated. I didn't totally dislike it, but for as much as people have raved about this to me, I was pretty disappointed. It's a dark ale. That's about it.
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale: Recommended to me by my friend Heather a while back, I was looking forward to trying this one because I like brown ales, and I've heard good things about Smuttynose. This was good. A slight shade hoppy, but not in a totally offensive way-- sooner or later hoppy beers will grow on me, probably through baby steps like with this beer. In the meantime though, while no Backdraft, this is a solid brown ale.
Philadelphia Brewing's Walt Wit: I bought this beer because Walt Whitman was kind of the original hippie, what with his transcendentalism and free verse poems and opposition to slavery, and I was amused to find a beer named so cleverly after him. However, sometimes good names fail us-- while a nice witbier, it was waaaaay too bubbly. Really, really carbonated. I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before finishing it, and it definitely improved after settling. Still, meh.
Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter: Mmm, porter. This has a nice strong flavor, as to be expected with this style of beer. I liked it. Probably not my favorite porter, because I think there are more distinct and interesting porters out there (such as Anchor, referenced as early as... the first entry!), but still really good and totally worthwhile if you're looking for something intense.
Delirium Nocturnum: This one was chosen for its interesting name and packaging-- clay bottle with a cork and a picture of a pink elephant who we could only assume has dropped acid. This was a good Belgian Ale. Straight up. Yeah. The pretty packaging was not a false advertisement for a lame beer.
Reaper Ale's Mortality Stout: Another one purchased for its interesting name, and another one that didn't disappoint! There was a somewhat obvious smell of coffee as soon as I poured it. Definitely an intense and awesome flavor with an appearance somewhat akin to black paint. This was quite good.
...leaving me with six new beers and the record at Paul: 244 and Colleen: 267. One week till the contract commences. In the meantime, I'll be visiting one of Jersey's lovely breweries this evening with a few friends, and have a few interesting brews in the fridge left to try!
Dogfish Head Raison D'etre: The phrase "raison d'etre" means reason for living. I think that's a really arrogant name for this beer... I think it's incredibly overrated. I didn't totally dislike it, but for as much as people have raved about this to me, I was pretty disappointed. It's a dark ale. That's about it.
Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale: Recommended to me by my friend Heather a while back, I was looking forward to trying this one because I like brown ales, and I've heard good things about Smuttynose. This was good. A slight shade hoppy, but not in a totally offensive way-- sooner or later hoppy beers will grow on me, probably through baby steps like with this beer. In the meantime though, while no Backdraft, this is a solid brown ale.
Philadelphia Brewing's Walt Wit: I bought this beer because Walt Whitman was kind of the original hippie, what with his transcendentalism and free verse poems and opposition to slavery, and I was amused to find a beer named so cleverly after him. However, sometimes good names fail us-- while a nice witbier, it was waaaaay too bubbly. Really, really carbonated. I let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before finishing it, and it definitely improved after settling. Still, meh.
Flying Dog's Gonzo Imperial Porter: Mmm, porter. This has a nice strong flavor, as to be expected with this style of beer. I liked it. Probably not my favorite porter, because I think there are more distinct and interesting porters out there (such as Anchor, referenced as early as... the first entry!), but still really good and totally worthwhile if you're looking for something intense.
Delirium Nocturnum: This one was chosen for its interesting name and packaging-- clay bottle with a cork and a picture of a pink elephant who we could only assume has dropped acid. This was a good Belgian Ale. Straight up. Yeah. The pretty packaging was not a false advertisement for a lame beer.
Reaper Ale's Mortality Stout: Another one purchased for its interesting name, and another one that didn't disappoint! There was a somewhat obvious smell of coffee as soon as I poured it. Definitely an intense and awesome flavor with an appearance somewhat akin to black paint. This was quite good.
...leaving me with six new beers and the record at Paul: 244 and Colleen: 267. One week till the contract commences. In the meantime, I'll be visiting one of Jersey's lovely breweries this evening with a few friends, and have a few interesting brews in the fridge left to try!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
usa vs england
Today, I did some grilling and watched the USA vs England football game on TV. For those of you who don't know, my knowledge and passion for the world's game are only slightly better than this. That said, I enjoyed the game and hope the US can advance from our group this year. The group rankings could get interesting because it's 1 point for a tie and 3 points for a win - I guess we shall see how Slovenia and Algeria do. Without further ado, here are my recent tastings.
Yards Extra Special Ale: This is my second beer from Yards brewing, and I enjoyed it. This is in stark contrast to the previous beer I tried (Philadelphia Pale Ale). This was an English style pale ale, which was very characteristic of the style. If you want to get a sense of what hoppy beers might be like, just get a pale ale - this one wouldn't be a bad idea.
Sierra Nevada Extra IPA: I bought this beer to Laura's parents earlier in the week to have with dinner, since Laura likes IPAs. I thought it was very good, and was even a little interesting. The American hops had a slight sweetness to them, as opposed to a traditional bitterness that one finds with hops. I generally trust Sierra Nevada's beer, and look forward to giving this as a gift to the other hop-heads that I know.
New Holland Golden Cap: This is a wheat beer that is made with spelt, which is an acestor to wheat. From the taste, the beer seemed unfiltered. I thought the beer was pleasant when making burgers before the game. The fact that it was an American beer for such an occasion probably made it taste better.
New Holland Mad Hatter Ale: I'm not an expert on IPAs, but I thought this was an above average IPA. If you like that kind of beer, you'd probably enjoy this one as well. Unlike the aforementioned Sierra Nevada, this one tasted more cannonical to the style.
Lagunita's The Hairy Eyeball Ale: Sometimes I come across a beer that I truly find terrible, and I can't wait to finish the requisite four ounces before I can pawn it off on someone else in the room. This was one of those beers. I basically bought it for the name, since I would remember having a beer with that kind of name.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 261
Paul: 244
Cheers,
Paul
Yards Extra Special Ale: This is my second beer from Yards brewing, and I enjoyed it. This is in stark contrast to the previous beer I tried (Philadelphia Pale Ale). This was an English style pale ale, which was very characteristic of the style. If you want to get a sense of what hoppy beers might be like, just get a pale ale - this one wouldn't be a bad idea.
Sierra Nevada Extra IPA: I bought this beer to Laura's parents earlier in the week to have with dinner, since Laura likes IPAs. I thought it was very good, and was even a little interesting. The American hops had a slight sweetness to them, as opposed to a traditional bitterness that one finds with hops. I generally trust Sierra Nevada's beer, and look forward to giving this as a gift to the other hop-heads that I know.
New Holland Golden Cap: This is a wheat beer that is made with spelt, which is an acestor to wheat. From the taste, the beer seemed unfiltered. I thought the beer was pleasant when making burgers before the game. The fact that it was an American beer for such an occasion probably made it taste better.
New Holland Mad Hatter Ale: I'm not an expert on IPAs, but I thought this was an above average IPA. If you like that kind of beer, you'd probably enjoy this one as well. Unlike the aforementioned Sierra Nevada, this one tasted more cannonical to the style.
Lagunita's The Hairy Eyeball Ale: Sometimes I come across a beer that I truly find terrible, and I can't wait to finish the requisite four ounces before I can pawn it off on someone else in the room. This was one of those beers. I basically bought it for the name, since I would remember having a beer with that kind of name.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 261
Paul: 244
Cheers,
Paul
Friday, June 11, 2010
beer in the news?!
On Wednesday, I babysat for camp's program director's children while he and his wife went to the city to attend a taping of the Daily Show. While pretty jealous and half-contemplating not agreeing to babysit in hopes that his wife would take me instead, it was a pleasant day for us at home and they apparently had a great time seeing John Stewart. I'm watching the episode online now, and as it turns out, beer made the news! Here's the episode-- check around 6:35!*
Why did I post the entire episode instead of just the segment? Because the World Cup has begun and that's exciting! Paul always said that if I was living/working in South Africa this summer, he'd buy us tickets. While life has panned out in other directors, I still remember that deal, as I've been threatening to visit Africa for years and years (and finally will be at the end of this summer).
Anyway, back to the theme of this blog. Yesterday while running errands in the Rutgers region, I stopped at a liquor store near my friends Cheryl and Gurzo's house that offers mixed six packs. I also picked up a couple of bigger bottles to share:
BORIS the Crusher: Recommended to me by my friend Noah back at camp, I was torn between buying this or the oatmeal stout that Paul recently gave a great review. I tend to like this style of beer. BORIS, which stands for Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout, totally did not disappoint. SO good! It has a really strong flavor, but goes down so smooth. I highly recommend this beer.
Rogue Chipotle Ale: I bought this beer because it sounded like it would either be awesome or terrible, but for better or worse, I had to find out. I've recently begun to develop a taste for hotter foods (in baby steps... I cry quite a lot, but I swear I'm enjoying it) so it sounded interesting to me. This ended up being really interesting in a good way. It's warm and spicy, and I definitely felt the heat of the peppers in my throat. What this actually reminded me of is this smoked Tabasco sauce that I recently tried and liked. Kinda smoky, definitely has a hot bite, but really tasty. I'm not sure what I'd drink this with though, since spicy foods require plainer beers to cool the flames, at least for me while I'm still in spicy foods kindergarten. Definitely worth drinking on its own though, or probably pairing with a tamer Latin food, like empanadas.
And several hours later, after dinner, I ended up breaking into the six pack...
Left Hand Good Juju: So good. This beer is made with ginger, which sounded a bit odd, so I went with the same line of thinking as I did for the Chipotle Ale-- it's probably amazing or awful, but I had to find out. It's not an overwhelming ginger flavor, but sort of like a gentle ginger ale- beer hybrid. It was really refreshing and nice! This beer would be perfect on a hot day, but was also really enjoyable on a cool evening.
Cricket Hill Jersey Summer Breakfast Ale: Obviously taken in by the name, as a devoted fan of the great state of New Jersey, I found this to be a bit sweeter than I prefer my beer, so I suppose it would be nice for breakfast. It's technically a pale ale, but was sweeter than the average pale ale. It was light and a bit citrusy, as well a summer beer should be. I hadn't heard of this brewer before, but it's not too far away. Hooray NJ!
I have four more in my mixed six, but till then:
Paul: 239
Colleen: 261
*I tend to get pretty disoriented as far as days and dates go when I'm living at camp... they actually saw Wednesday's show, that's yesterday's (Thursday's). Still awesome!
Why did I post the entire episode instead of just the segment? Because the World Cup has begun and that's exciting! Paul always said that if I was living/working in South Africa this summer, he'd buy us tickets. While life has panned out in other directors, I still remember that deal, as I've been threatening to visit Africa for years and years (and finally will be at the end of this summer).
Anyway, back to the theme of this blog. Yesterday while running errands in the Rutgers region, I stopped at a liquor store near my friends Cheryl and Gurzo's house that offers mixed six packs. I also picked up a couple of bigger bottles to share:
BORIS the Crusher: Recommended to me by my friend Noah back at camp, I was torn between buying this or the oatmeal stout that Paul recently gave a great review. I tend to like this style of beer. BORIS, which stands for Bodacious Oatmeal Russian Imperial Stout, totally did not disappoint. SO good! It has a really strong flavor, but goes down so smooth. I highly recommend this beer.
Rogue Chipotle Ale: I bought this beer because it sounded like it would either be awesome or terrible, but for better or worse, I had to find out. I've recently begun to develop a taste for hotter foods (in baby steps... I cry quite a lot, but I swear I'm enjoying it) so it sounded interesting to me. This ended up being really interesting in a good way. It's warm and spicy, and I definitely felt the heat of the peppers in my throat. What this actually reminded me of is this smoked Tabasco sauce that I recently tried and liked. Kinda smoky, definitely has a hot bite, but really tasty. I'm not sure what I'd drink this with though, since spicy foods require plainer beers to cool the flames, at least for me while I'm still in spicy foods kindergarten. Definitely worth drinking on its own though, or probably pairing with a tamer Latin food, like empanadas.
And several hours later, after dinner, I ended up breaking into the six pack...
Left Hand Good Juju: So good. This beer is made with ginger, which sounded a bit odd, so I went with the same line of thinking as I did for the Chipotle Ale-- it's probably amazing or awful, but I had to find out. It's not an overwhelming ginger flavor, but sort of like a gentle ginger ale- beer hybrid. It was really refreshing and nice! This beer would be perfect on a hot day, but was also really enjoyable on a cool evening.
Cricket Hill Jersey Summer Breakfast Ale: Obviously taken in by the name, as a devoted fan of the great state of New Jersey, I found this to be a bit sweeter than I prefer my beer, so I suppose it would be nice for breakfast. It's technically a pale ale, but was sweeter than the average pale ale. It was light and a bit citrusy, as well a summer beer should be. I hadn't heard of this brewer before, but it's not too far away. Hooray NJ!
I have four more in my mixed six, but till then:
Paul: 239
Colleen: 261
*I tend to get pretty disoriented as far as days and dates go when I'm living at camp... they actually saw Wednesday's show, that's yesterday's (Thursday's). Still awesome!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
two weeks till the contract begins
This week I've been off work and all over the place-- by the end of today, I'll have driven a little more than 600 miles since Monday afternoon. So I haven't been sitting down with people and trying new beers so much as downing tea like it's my job, but here's a few I tried since the last time I wrote:
River Horse Double White Belgian Style: I love this beer because it's made in New Jersey, but also because it's just a very mild, balanced, pleasant witbier. Good summer evening beer.
Harpoon Leviathan: The general consensus from everyone else trying this was that it's pretty darn good. However, you've probably heard that I don't care for IPAs. I'm hoping the style will grow on me someday. I was more amused by the name than the beer itself; Leviathan is a large sea creature who keeps the gates of hell. I enjoyed this beer about as much as I'd expect to enjoy the company of a demonic sea monster. But, if you like IPAs, this is probably an extremely good one to try.
Arrogant Bastard Oaked: That is a good ale. That is a very, very good ale. It's quite strong and a bit bitter, but really good. I don't know what else to say about it.
Long Trail Belgian White: This was a little bit sweeter than the River Horse Belgian White mentioned above, but still a very crisp, refreshing beer. A few friends and I had dinner at the General Store in Allamuchy, which is BYOB. Across the street was the Allamuchy Liquor Store so we bought a six pack of this to go with our sandwiches, mostly because I hadn't tried this one before, but also because it's a nice style of beer to follow a hot, humid day of work. Actually, I think I'm the only one who was there who had worked that day, but still... very refreshing and pleasant.
I'm at Rutgers today, so will be hanging out with the infamous Cheryl and Gurzo this evening for dinner and probably a beer or two. There's a liquor store near their house that does mixed six packs. Paul, you've been warned, but keep in mind you have several months to catch up.
Paul: 239
Colleen: 257
River Horse Double White Belgian Style: I love this beer because it's made in New Jersey, but also because it's just a very mild, balanced, pleasant witbier. Good summer evening beer.
Harpoon Leviathan: The general consensus from everyone else trying this was that it's pretty darn good. However, you've probably heard that I don't care for IPAs. I'm hoping the style will grow on me someday. I was more amused by the name than the beer itself; Leviathan is a large sea creature who keeps the gates of hell. I enjoyed this beer about as much as I'd expect to enjoy the company of a demonic sea monster. But, if you like IPAs, this is probably an extremely good one to try.
Arrogant Bastard Oaked: That is a good ale. That is a very, very good ale. It's quite strong and a bit bitter, but really good. I don't know what else to say about it.
Long Trail Belgian White: This was a little bit sweeter than the River Horse Belgian White mentioned above, but still a very crisp, refreshing beer. A few friends and I had dinner at the General Store in Allamuchy, which is BYOB. Across the street was the Allamuchy Liquor Store so we bought a six pack of this to go with our sandwiches, mostly because I hadn't tried this one before, but also because it's a nice style of beer to follow a hot, humid day of work. Actually, I think I'm the only one who was there who had worked that day, but still... very refreshing and pleasant.
I'm at Rutgers today, so will be hanging out with the infamous Cheryl and Gurzo this evening for dinner and probably a beer or two. There's a liquor store near their house that does mixed six packs. Paul, you've been warned, but keep in mind you have several months to catch up.
Paul: 239
Colleen: 257
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
crawling back to respectability
The whole idea at this point is to be the little engine that could, and crawl myself back to a respectable tally. It will take a while, but I am going to get there. I just need to keep trying new beers when seeing people, and when all else fails make custom six packs at Total Wine.
On Sunday, I went to Laura's parents house for dinner to celebrate her brother's birthday. I wanted to bring a gift. Since her brother enjoys hoppy beers, I decided on Stone IPA because I think they may be the best micro-brewer in the country. If you like hoppy beers and have never had it before, pick up a six pack and try it. The quality is hard to find anywhere else. I've had this beer before, and it's a real ass-kicker.
While over for dinner, where I ate so much that I fell into a food coma, I managed to try two new beers. The dinner was delicious. The beers were also great.
Dominion Beach House Golden Pilsner: I thought this would be more on the side of a summer beer, perhaps the name just fooled me. Pilsners are not light and fruity (like many summer beers) and neither was this beer. However, it did seem to have quite a bit of hop characteristic to it.
Staropramen: Laura's dad was gracious enough to save me this Czech beer so I could try it. I thought it was very similar to, but slightly better than, Pilsner Urquell. Since Pilsner Urquell is much easier to find in the US, I would try that first before seeking out it's cousin.
Bells Lager of the Lakes: I got this beer as part of a custom six pack, and I'll be reviewing the rest of the six pack later. My initial impression was that this beer tasted about how a lager should. Those familiar with Yuengling and other premium lagers should know what I mean. Bells is also one of the better micro-brewers in the country, so trying their stuff is usually a worthwhile endeavor.
I look forward to Colleen's final updates before she goes under contract. Until then, I'll just keep plugging along and do my best to contain the damage (I mean lead) she will inflict. if she doesn't mind, I'd like to know which micro-brewer she thinks is the best in the country.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 253
Paul: 239
Cheers,
Paul
On Sunday, I went to Laura's parents house for dinner to celebrate her brother's birthday. I wanted to bring a gift. Since her brother enjoys hoppy beers, I decided on Stone IPA because I think they may be the best micro-brewer in the country. If you like hoppy beers and have never had it before, pick up a six pack and try it. The quality is hard to find anywhere else. I've had this beer before, and it's a real ass-kicker.
While over for dinner, where I ate so much that I fell into a food coma, I managed to try two new beers. The dinner was delicious. The beers were also great.
Dominion Beach House Golden Pilsner: I thought this would be more on the side of a summer beer, perhaps the name just fooled me. Pilsners are not light and fruity (like many summer beers) and neither was this beer. However, it did seem to have quite a bit of hop characteristic to it.
Staropramen: Laura's dad was gracious enough to save me this Czech beer so I could try it. I thought it was very similar to, but slightly better than, Pilsner Urquell. Since Pilsner Urquell is much easier to find in the US, I would try that first before seeking out it's cousin.
Bells Lager of the Lakes: I got this beer as part of a custom six pack, and I'll be reviewing the rest of the six pack later. My initial impression was that this beer tasted about how a lager should. Those familiar with Yuengling and other premium lagers should know what I mean. Bells is also one of the better micro-brewers in the country, so trying their stuff is usually a worthwhile endeavor.
I look forward to Colleen's final updates before she goes under contract. Until then, I'll just keep plugging along and do my best to contain the damage (I mean lead) she will inflict. if she doesn't mind, I'd like to know which micro-brewer she thinks is the best in the country.
The scorecard:
Colleen: 253
Paul: 239
Cheers,
Paul
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