Late late Friday night, I got to catch up with two of my favorite people who I haven't seen in months: Gurzo and Jeremy. They and many others were celebrating Jeremy's birthday at his family's shore house, which is only a few minutes from my all the time house. The only problem was that I had to work till 11. I didn't think it would take me too long to get there, so even with my grandma-like bedtime tendencies, I thought it'd be worth it.
I didn't expect the insane downpour and flash flooding in Ocean County on Friday night.
Lucky for me, I was borrowing my brother's ginormous Ford Explorer this weekend while he was away, so I fearlessly drove down by the bay in Seaside Park and made it alive... just very late. Totally worthwhile for the company. Gurzo handed me 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer, which I guess was the right theme. The biggest problem was that I had Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon IPA first.
The Loose Cannon is a great IPA, slightly floral tasting but not too much. That's kind of the last hops flavor that I'm still wary of, but it's well rounded in this beer. With the warmer weather, I have found myself mostly wanting hoppy, fresh beers. This totally fit the bill.
So, after that, the Hell or High Watermelon. Hell or high water indeed. Bayview Ave definitely had some flooding going on (it always does). This sweet beer was awful immediately following the slightly bitter taste of IPA. I'm not a huge fan of fruit in my beer, but the more I had of this and the further away from the IPA I was, the more it was all right. It was even a decent watermelon flavor, not like candy or anything. This would probably have been better if it was super super ice cold in the middle of a hot summer day. Not terrible, just not really my thing anymore.
Got the following text from Paul yesterday morning--
"The choice was sitting on the beach or taking a tour of dogfish head. Most of the girls chose the beach. Laura picked the brewery tour. I married a winner."
1. Fact. Laura is a winner.
2. I am jealous. I love Dogfish Head and look forward to someday taking the tour (I mean, come on, Sam and I are already totally buds, I need to check out the place!)
3. Paul also promised he'd blog about it. I can't wait to hear how it was!
Showing posts with label IPA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IPA. Show all posts
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
In honor of the beautiful weather we've had today and other recent days, weather that has been flirting with being springy even though we technically have several more weeks of winter no matter what Punxsutawney Phil says, I thought I'd recommend a few nice springy beers I've had in the past week or two.
Sam Adams Alpine Spring: I liked this the same way I liked last spring's seasonal, the Noble Pils-- surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. Similar to Noble Pils, it's just pleasantly refreshing and easy to drink, not too strong in any way. Alpine Spring is well balanced and smooth. I've already had more than one.
Sam Adams Mighty Oak Ale: a pleasant malty red beer with an aftertaste of oak tree. I like oak trees. Well, I like trees in general, and spend a lot of time measuring (hugging) them, which might be why I recognized it was oak (I mean, besides the name, related to the aging of this beer in oak barrels). But it's good. Not like that time I tried the beer aged in bourbon barrels, and it tasted like bourbon. Gross. This is not Dear Liquor Friend. This is Dear Beer Friend. Anyway. Oak. Good.
Speaking of oaks, my favorite one ever:
Red Oak, a feral kitten I rescued from the woods last summer
Right, this is not a cat blog either, so moving on...
Hitachino Nest White Ale: The infamous Gurzo's suggestion at the infamous Stuff Yer Face... this was delightful. This is a nice, light-feeling witbier that's got a slightly floral taste to it, but not prohibitively so. Very fresh.
Oh, and what the heck, I'll throw in the other Sam Adams I tried recently, the Whitewater IPA. I mean, after all, Sam Adams brews make up 5% of my beer list (current count 453). I found this to be an enjoyable IPA. Sam Adams' IPAs generally are for me; nothing mind boggling incredible about them, just a nice, refreshing IPA. I'd recommend it to the casual IPA fans out there.
Paul is still alive, in case anyone was wondering. We exchanged text/facebook/email messages over the past 24 hours. Maybe he'll even share a beer recommendation or two with you soon...
Sam Adams Alpine Spring: I liked this the same way I liked last spring's seasonal, the Noble Pils-- surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. Similar to Noble Pils, it's just pleasantly refreshing and easy to drink, not too strong in any way. Alpine Spring is well balanced and smooth. I've already had more than one.
Sam Adams Mighty Oak Ale: a pleasant malty red beer with an aftertaste of oak tree. I like oak trees. Well, I like trees in general, and spend a lot of time measuring (hugging) them, which might be why I recognized it was oak (I mean, besides the name, related to the aging of this beer in oak barrels). But it's good. Not like that time I tried the beer aged in bourbon barrels, and it tasted like bourbon. Gross. This is not Dear Liquor Friend. This is Dear Beer Friend. Anyway. Oak. Good.
Speaking of oaks, my favorite one ever:
Red Oak, a feral kitten I rescued from the woods last summer
Right, this is not a cat blog either, so moving on...
Hitachino Nest White Ale: The infamous Gurzo's suggestion at the infamous Stuff Yer Face... this was delightful. This is a nice, light-feeling witbier that's got a slightly floral taste to it, but not prohibitively so. Very fresh.
Oh, and what the heck, I'll throw in the other Sam Adams I tried recently, the Whitewater IPA. I mean, after all, Sam Adams brews make up 5% of my beer list (current count 453). I found this to be an enjoyable IPA. Sam Adams' IPAs generally are for me; nothing mind boggling incredible about them, just a nice, refreshing IPA. I'd recommend it to the casual IPA fans out there.
Paul is still alive, in case anyone was wondering. We exchanged text/facebook/email messages over the past 24 hours. Maybe he'll even share a beer recommendation or two with you soon...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Earp family Christmas beer selection 2011
Sorry this is overdue. My life has been busy with working holiday retail purgatory and family time. I wanted to share what happened when Mom gave me her credit card and told me to pick up eight 6 packs for the holidays. I had a stout fermenting but it wasn't going to be ready in time. It's now bottled and carbonating, should be ready to go in time to celebrate Grandma's birthday in another week (and oh man, is she looking forward to trying my beer). So, this Christmas's eight--
Miller Lite: Despite it being practically required in this family, there are still five left on today, the Twelfth Day of Christmas.
Lager: Stocking up on the standards. Worst case scenario I cook with this. Best case scenario we have Grandma over and enjoy a beer together.
Yuengling Black and Tan: You know what? I like this. So does my grandmother.
So, those first three are non-negotiable when Mom hands me the card and says go to town. The rest--
Killian's: I used to love this a lot, but to be honest, I haven't had it in a few years. I think it might be too carbonated for me, actually. I like red beers though, but this one I always get because I know my dad and my one uncle are fans.
Brooklyn Brown Ale: I got this because I know my big brother likes brown ales and I wanted to do something besides New Castle, which is good, but I always do for him. Well, I guess he was pleased, because I got none of them, and there are none left.
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen: As much as I love beers that resemble black paint, I also love a good hefeweizen. This is definitely a good, good hefeweizen, tasting ever so slightly of cloves and bananas as well a good hefeweizen should, without being overwhelming. It's pleasant and feels warm and refreshing all at once. We always try to have a good mix around the holidays (basically meaning I can't get ALL stouts but I always won't allow for ALL light/plain beers), so the hefeweizen has been my go-to "see through" contribution. This one though goes so far above and beyond just filling a spot on the spectrum. Really. Drink it.
Magic Hat's Encore IPA: Another style I know Chris likes, and at this point I was desperate to try something new. This is part of the Magic Hat IPA World Tour, whatever that means-- last year I tried the Blind Faith IPA which I didn't find super incredible. This one, however, is pretty good. I don't know if the difference is that it's an American Wheat IPA (I do like wheat), but it's an IPA that does its job. It's bitter and refreshing without hurting my mouth or stomach. It's funny, because this one isn't anything exceptional, but I like it way more than I remember liking the Blind Faith. I'd recommend it.
Wolaver's Organic Oatmeal Stout: THIS WAS AWESOME. I know, I'm biased toward beer that you can't see through. I bought this because I hadn't tried it before, and only just learned in writing this post that Wolaver is the organic label for Otter Creek, a totally legit and good brewery in Middlebury, Vermont (which is clearly a great place, as that is where Dispatch formed). Anyway. I really only bought this because it was an oatmeal stout, but I was not disappointed. It's not very sweet, but it's very smooth and drinkable, a nice, not-too-heavy stout. I would get this again if I wasn't so hell bent on trying new beers all the time. What the heck. I'll probably get this again.
Other things I plan to repeat soon? Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout. Santa failed to leave one in my stocking but I think that's going to be my belated gift to myself as a reward for not messing up Christmas dinner this year (deep fried turkey! and half a dozen side dishes! all successful! AND THERE WAS GRAVY*!).
*Last year, there wasn't. And that may have also happened one other year that I was in charge of the meal. Sorry, vegetarians forget about these details...
Miller Lite: Despite it being practically required in this family, there are still five left on today, the Twelfth Day of Christmas.
Lager: Stocking up on the standards. Worst case scenario I cook with this. Best case scenario we have Grandma over and enjoy a beer together.
Yuengling Black and Tan: You know what? I like this. So does my grandmother.
So, those first three are non-negotiable when Mom hands me the card and says go to town. The rest--
Killian's: I used to love this a lot, but to be honest, I haven't had it in a few years. I think it might be too carbonated for me, actually. I like red beers though, but this one I always get because I know my dad and my one uncle are fans.
Brooklyn Brown Ale: I got this because I know my big brother likes brown ales and I wanted to do something besides New Castle, which is good, but I always do for him. Well, I guess he was pleased, because I got none of them, and there are none left.
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen: As much as I love beers that resemble black paint, I also love a good hefeweizen. This is definitely a good, good hefeweizen, tasting ever so slightly of cloves and bananas as well a good hefeweizen should, without being overwhelming. It's pleasant and feels warm and refreshing all at once. We always try to have a good mix around the holidays (basically meaning I can't get ALL stouts but I always won't allow for ALL light/plain beers), so the hefeweizen has been my go-to "see through" contribution. This one though goes so far above and beyond just filling a spot on the spectrum. Really. Drink it.
Magic Hat's Encore IPA: Another style I know Chris likes, and at this point I was desperate to try something new. This is part of the Magic Hat IPA World Tour, whatever that means-- last year I tried the Blind Faith IPA which I didn't find super incredible. This one, however, is pretty good. I don't know if the difference is that it's an American Wheat IPA (I do like wheat), but it's an IPA that does its job. It's bitter and refreshing without hurting my mouth or stomach. It's funny, because this one isn't anything exceptional, but I like it way more than I remember liking the Blind Faith. I'd recommend it.
Wolaver's Organic Oatmeal Stout: THIS WAS AWESOME. I know, I'm biased toward beer that you can't see through. I bought this because I hadn't tried it before, and only just learned in writing this post that Wolaver is the organic label for Otter Creek, a totally legit and good brewery in Middlebury, Vermont (which is clearly a great place, as that is where Dispatch formed). Anyway. I really only bought this because it was an oatmeal stout, but I was not disappointed. It's not very sweet, but it's very smooth and drinkable, a nice, not-too-heavy stout. I would get this again if I wasn't so hell bent on trying new beers all the time. What the heck. I'll probably get this again.
Other things I plan to repeat soon? Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout. Santa failed to leave one in my stocking but I think that's going to be my belated gift to myself as a reward for not messing up Christmas dinner this year (deep fried turkey! and half a dozen side dishes! all successful! AND THERE WAS GRAVY*!).
*Last year, there wasn't. And that may have also happened one other year that I was in charge of the meal. Sorry, vegetarians forget about these details...
Friday, December 16, 2011
Park Slope Ale House
in Brooklyn serves good beer and has happy hour all night on Tuesdays!
I discovered this at the end of a pretty interesting day in New York City this week-- Peace Corps interview (went well!), visiting the World Trade Center, lunch with my good old Heather at some delicious place near her work on Avenue of the Americas near Rockefeller Plaza, three and a half hours of wandering and people watching to kill time until Heather was off work. We then traveled to Brooklyn to this lovely place around the corner from her place, and were eventually met by my good friend from college Ross.
Did you ever have an evening spent with two awesome people who don't know each other, but both are so awesome that it's just a great time? That happened.
And beer happened--
Harpoon Chocolate Stout: I've had this before, but think it's worth rementioning. It's a really good, smooth, creamy chocolate stout, and really focused on the chocolate. If you like chocolate and stout but not necessarily coffee or weird fruits or whatever other flavors might float around in some stouts, this is a good one for you. And it's a good one for me too.
Chelsea Brewing Company's Hop Angel: Right out of New York City, I found this to be a pleasant and unobtrusive IPA, which was good considering I started with the heavier, more flavorful beer. It was refreshing but not distracting, and bonus points for being extremely local. I don't know what made me follow up the good stout with an IPA, maybe because this is what Heather was drinking (and apparently frequently drinks), but I enjoyed it.
Good beer and good company is such a good combination.
I discovered this at the end of a pretty interesting day in New York City this week-- Peace Corps interview (went well!), visiting the World Trade Center, lunch with my good old Heather at some delicious place near her work on Avenue of the Americas near Rockefeller Plaza, three and a half hours of wandering and people watching to kill time until Heather was off work. We then traveled to Brooklyn to this lovely place around the corner from her place, and were eventually met by my good friend from college Ross.
Did you ever have an evening spent with two awesome people who don't know each other, but both are so awesome that it's just a great time? That happened.
And beer happened--
Harpoon Chocolate Stout: I've had this before, but think it's worth rementioning. It's a really good, smooth, creamy chocolate stout, and really focused on the chocolate. If you like chocolate and stout but not necessarily coffee or weird fruits or whatever other flavors might float around in some stouts, this is a good one for you. And it's a good one for me too.
Chelsea Brewing Company's Hop Angel: Right out of New York City, I found this to be a pleasant and unobtrusive IPA, which was good considering I started with the heavier, more flavorful beer. It was refreshing but not distracting, and bonus points for being extremely local. I don't know what made me follow up the good stout with an IPA, maybe because this is what Heather was drinking (and apparently frequently drinks), but I enjoyed it.
Good beer and good company is such a good combination.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Beer! (My creativity and motivation is kind of waning with my continued unemployment. Sorry.)
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA: I waited patiently and searched thoroughly for this beer, and couldn't hunt one down anywhere. Taylor managed to get a couple, which we finally enjoyed this weekend. This beer is strong. Whoa. Like World Wide Stout strong. However, unlike Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, this was not everything I hoped and dreamed a beer could be.
The hoppiness wasn't as bitter and refreshing as I'd anticipated, having tried both 60 Minute and 90 Minute. It was kind of floral tasting. While it was a very good beer and I'm glad to have finally tried it, I would definitely choose the 60 Minute over 120 Minute. The 60 is more stereotypically IPA-y, and it's just good. And way more available. I think this was worth a try but I don't need to hunt it down again.
Guinness Black Lager: Being home and unemployed, I'm usually here when Mom and Dad get home from work. Dad likes to watch Pardon the Interruption before dinner, which features an ad for this beer at every break. At least once. I think the ad is stupid, but we all know about my love for Guinness. And so, when Taylor was buying beer for the Friend Thanksgiving he accompanied me to this past weekend, and told me to pick, I saw this and picked it.
Taylor bet it was going to suck, but the verdict: it's actually pretty passable. Obviously NEVER going to take the place of the standard draught in my heart and belly, but it didn't suck. It was plain in the same way I find the stout to be plain-- pleasantly so. Interesting enough to be drinkable but plain enough to just enjoy but not be overwhelmingly preoccupied with. But still not even a close second to the original.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: Friend Thanksgiving in Edison was awesome. I got to see all of my favorite Metuchenites and enjoy amazing food. There were so many vegetarians and friends of vegetarians present that for the first time in a very long time, I was absolutely sickeningly wonderfully stuffed. So so SO so good.
But yes, beer. Christy and Danni brought this wonderful brew and shared with me a glass of the prescribed amount for my records. I love pumpkin but generally have a hard time finding a pumpkin ale that tastes like vegetable rather than pie. This was good. Not too spiced but definitely flavorful, not too sweet but definitely pumpkiny. If you love fall at all and like pumpkin beer even a little, I'd recommend this one.
Soon I'll be starting a job in holiday retail purgatory, but hopefully the more structured schedule and occasional paychecks will allow me to continue trying interesting beers. Try anything good lately, Paul (or anyone else reading this)?
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA: I waited patiently and searched thoroughly for this beer, and couldn't hunt one down anywhere. Taylor managed to get a couple, which we finally enjoyed this weekend. This beer is strong. Whoa. Like World Wide Stout strong. However, unlike Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, this was not everything I hoped and dreamed a beer could be.
The hoppiness wasn't as bitter and refreshing as I'd anticipated, having tried both 60 Minute and 90 Minute. It was kind of floral tasting. While it was a very good beer and I'm glad to have finally tried it, I would definitely choose the 60 Minute over 120 Minute. The 60 is more stereotypically IPA-y, and it's just good. And way more available. I think this was worth a try but I don't need to hunt it down again.
Guinness Black Lager: Being home and unemployed, I'm usually here when Mom and Dad get home from work. Dad likes to watch Pardon the Interruption before dinner, which features an ad for this beer at every break. At least once. I think the ad is stupid, but we all know about my love for Guinness. And so, when Taylor was buying beer for the Friend Thanksgiving he accompanied me to this past weekend, and told me to pick, I saw this and picked it.
Taylor bet it was going to suck, but the verdict: it's actually pretty passable. Obviously NEVER going to take the place of the standard draught in my heart and belly, but it didn't suck. It was plain in the same way I find the stout to be plain-- pleasantly so. Interesting enough to be drinkable but plain enough to just enjoy but not be overwhelmingly preoccupied with. But still not even a close second to the original.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: Friend Thanksgiving in Edison was awesome. I got to see all of my favorite Metuchenites and enjoy amazing food. There were so many vegetarians and friends of vegetarians present that for the first time in a very long time, I was absolutely sickeningly wonderfully stuffed. So so SO so good.
But yes, beer. Christy and Danni brought this wonderful brew and shared with me a glass of the prescribed amount for my records. I love pumpkin but generally have a hard time finding a pumpkin ale that tastes like vegetable rather than pie. This was good. Not too spiced but definitely flavorful, not too sweet but definitely pumpkiny. If you love fall at all and like pumpkin beer even a little, I'd recommend this one.
Soon I'll be starting a job in holiday retail purgatory, but hopefully the more structured schedule and occasional paychecks will allow me to continue trying interesting beers. Try anything good lately, Paul (or anyone else reading this)?
Friday, October 28, 2011
VArious
I'm hanging out with my big brother at home, routing for the National League and listening to him play with Siri on his new iPhone machine. His puppy is curled up on the couch next to me, the Cardinals are winning, ...
I was busy catching up with my brother and enjoying the game. Go National League!
So. I spent the last week in Virginia, welcoming home one friend from Peace Corps service and another from grad school in England. That plus camping plus a visit to the alma mater plus catching up with one of my favorite girls plus meeting up with Paul for the first time in a while plus my college roommate playing a show means I have a few new beers to report--
Sam Adams Rauchbier: part of the Sam Adams seasonal pack, this is incredibly underwhelming. I mean, the last time I tried a rauchbier, I wasn't thoroughly impressed either, but this just had nothing to it. Don't bother.
Starr Hill Dark Starr: While hanging out in Fredericksburg with some awesome former professors of mine, I of course tried this Virginia stout. There was some chocolate flavor, some coffee flavor, and lots and lots of awesome flavor. It was dark and dry and smooth and wonderful. I like stout, and it's always fun to drink local.
Port City Porter: Another one at Cap Ale with a crew of Mary Washington geographers. This is a good porter from a relatively new brewer in Alexandria, Virginia. I'd say they're off to a good start. You can't see through it and it's got some hints of chocolate happening. Awesome.
Six Point Righteous Ale: I had another Six Point brew recently that I found to be not so great, but this was good. My good friend Emily and I had gone out on Sunday night in search of the Cardinals game, as she is from St. Louis, and ended up in a place in Columbia Heights that she'd never been. They were out of the Brooklyn Brown I'd ordered so the server recommended this instead. It was nothing like Brooklyn Brown, rather, more hoppy but really clean and nice. I'm surprised to learn it involves rye, but not upset about it. Rye beer. Hoppy rye beer. Good hoppy rye beer.
51st State Amber Ale: This is a pretty not-exciting house beer, but was how I kicked off my first ever bar trivia night, in which a team of Mary Washington Geographers owned the rest of the crowd at 51st State. If you go to this place in D.C., it's a reasonable beer for its price, but there are most definitely more exciting things on the menu.
Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter: Of course, an extended stay in the D.C. Metro Area is never complete without a DBF Staff Meeting. Bailey's, located in Ballston and Crystal City, has a $2 pint special on Tuesdays. This was the only new beer I tried there though. This was more spice than pumpkin, but if you like pumpkin pie esque beers and you like dark beers, this is a good combination. The spices are good but not overwhelming, with a really nice, smooth porter underneath. I usually see pumpkin ales, not specifically porters, so this was a really nice change to that particular fall beer.
Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat: Selected partially because of the ridiculous name and partially because it's a stout, this was way sweet. I mean, I liked it, but a pint seemed like a lot due to the sweetness. If you like milk stout, it's great, but if you're not into the very sweet stouts, steer clear.
New Belgium's Ranger IPA: Taylor ordered this, but I ended up finishing it. It's good. Very recommendable.
Hooray for good beer, good friends, JT and Boo getting home, and the National League (and the team that knocked out the Phillies) winning! It is past my bedtime...
I was busy catching up with my brother and enjoying the game. Go National League!
So. I spent the last week in Virginia, welcoming home one friend from Peace Corps service and another from grad school in England. That plus camping plus a visit to the alma mater plus catching up with one of my favorite girls plus meeting up with Paul for the first time in a while plus my college roommate playing a show means I have a few new beers to report--
Sam Adams Rauchbier: part of the Sam Adams seasonal pack, this is incredibly underwhelming. I mean, the last time I tried a rauchbier, I wasn't thoroughly impressed either, but this just had nothing to it. Don't bother.
Starr Hill Dark Starr: While hanging out in Fredericksburg with some awesome former professors of mine, I of course tried this Virginia stout. There was some chocolate flavor, some coffee flavor, and lots and lots of awesome flavor. It was dark and dry and smooth and wonderful. I like stout, and it's always fun to drink local.
Port City Porter: Another one at Cap Ale with a crew of Mary Washington geographers. This is a good porter from a relatively new brewer in Alexandria, Virginia. I'd say they're off to a good start. You can't see through it and it's got some hints of chocolate happening. Awesome.
Six Point Righteous Ale: I had another Six Point brew recently that I found to be not so great, but this was good. My good friend Emily and I had gone out on Sunday night in search of the Cardinals game, as she is from St. Louis, and ended up in a place in Columbia Heights that she'd never been. They were out of the Brooklyn Brown I'd ordered so the server recommended this instead. It was nothing like Brooklyn Brown, rather, more hoppy but really clean and nice. I'm surprised to learn it involves rye, but not upset about it. Rye beer. Hoppy rye beer. Good hoppy rye beer.
51st State Amber Ale: This is a pretty not-exciting house beer, but was how I kicked off my first ever bar trivia night, in which a team of Mary Washington Geographers owned the rest of the crowd at 51st State. If you go to this place in D.C., it's a reasonable beer for its price, but there are most definitely more exciting things on the menu.
Starr Hill Boxcar Pumpkin Porter: Of course, an extended stay in the D.C. Metro Area is never complete without a DBF Staff Meeting. Bailey's, located in Ballston and Crystal City, has a $2 pint special on Tuesdays. This was the only new beer I tried there though. This was more spice than pumpkin, but if you like pumpkin pie esque beers and you like dark beers, this is a good combination. The spices are good but not overwhelming, with a really nice, smooth porter underneath. I usually see pumpkin ales, not specifically porters, so this was a really nice change to that particular fall beer.
Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat: Selected partially because of the ridiculous name and partially because it's a stout, this was way sweet. I mean, I liked it, but a pint seemed like a lot due to the sweetness. If you like milk stout, it's great, but if you're not into the very sweet stouts, steer clear.
New Belgium's Ranger IPA: Taylor ordered this, but I ended up finishing it. It's good. Very recommendable.
Hooray for good beer, good friends, JT and Boo getting home, and the National League (and the team that knocked out the Phillies) winning! It is past my bedtime...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Beer and Sushi
Last night I had an inexplicable craving for sushi. Surprisingly enough, this was my first foray into pairing beer with sushi. I say this because The Office Lounge (a DBF favorite) is well known in the Toms River area for its sushi selection. In any event, I went with a spicy roll. Spicy food can be paired very well with hoppy beers. I found that it complemented the spicy roll rather well.
Highland Kashmir IPA: This was a classic IPA. By that I mean, it fit the style well and met my mental definition of an IPA. There was nothing that knocked my socks off, nor did it have any downside. It was a rather aggressive beer with a bitter hop flavor. It was a very nice gift from Laura's brother and his fiance, Katie. Thanks guys!
As you may have noticed, I have not posted in more than 3 months. It's been a long haul at work, and I've certainly been putting in a lot more hours these days. I've also managed to lose a fairly substantial amount of weight (25+ lbs). The alleged causation or correlation between my weight loss and lower beer consumption will be left to reader to determine.
I've tried new beers during this time. I will be adding some reviews over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, some of my reviews have been misplaced. It's a good thing we don't keep count anymore, because I'd never catch Colleen!
Cheers,
Paul
Highland Kashmir IPA: This was a classic IPA. By that I mean, it fit the style well and met my mental definition of an IPA. There was nothing that knocked my socks off, nor did it have any downside. It was a rather aggressive beer with a bitter hop flavor. It was a very nice gift from Laura's brother and his fiance, Katie. Thanks guys!
As you may have noticed, I have not posted in more than 3 months. It's been a long haul at work, and I've certainly been putting in a lot more hours these days. I've also managed to lose a fairly substantial amount of weight (25+ lbs). The alleged causation or correlation between my weight loss and lower beer consumption will be left to reader to determine.
I've tried new beers during this time. I will be adding some reviews over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, some of my reviews have been misplaced. It's a good thing we don't keep count anymore, because I'd never catch Colleen!
Cheers,
Paul
Monday, April 11, 2011
Have you missed us? Sorry.
It's been almost a month since there's been a post here.
Sorry.
Paul's been working a lot (although if the government closes down, perhaps we'll get an update from him? Just kidding, I don't actually want that to happen. The shutdown, not the update thing. I'm looking forward to hearing from Paul. Not a government shutdown over this. Anyway moving on...). I have little to no excuse. I could say I've been working a lot, but my work (thesis) is often accompanied by beer... and also, I like to take breaks from said work and do completely unacademic things like write about beer or go on adventures (and then write about them).
So yeah. Sorry.
I'm down to the last dozen Earpeweizens, so if you wanted to try one and haven't yet, you should let me know. (Justin Doyle, yours is in Taylor's fridge. He's holding out on you. Get on that.)
But aside from working my way through my homebrew by sharing it with wonderful friends, I have tried a few others lately--
Dogfish Head Aprihop: I really enjoyed this. The apricot taste was really slight, just a nice highlight to a pretty good IPA. This might be a reasonable way to transition your friends from super sweet fruity mixed drinks into good beer. I want this in the summer. Good work, Sam!
Dogfish Head Squall IPA: You know, I love Dogfish Head. Just as the Aprihop IPA was a hit for me, this was a miss. This is a really florally kinda tasting IPA. I've come to like IPAs quite a bit, but don't need them to taste like flowers. This might be shocking to hear from me, but-- it wasn't hoppy enough. However, if you like beers that taste like flora, you might enjoy this more.
Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale: I had this in a bar just outside of Philly while visiting my big brother. It seemed kind of novel to drink the local beer while watching the local baseball team win and the local hockey team lose. Good beer though. I thought this was pale ale was straightforward and honest, if that makes sense. No gimmicks. Just pale ale. Good.
The Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: This is one I've walked past many times in the stores, thinking I'd already had it (yeah, you try and keep track of all... how many beers have I tried now?). I finally remembered to check my beer list and discovered that I hadn't. If I had, I think I would have remembered it-- this was great. Dark, strong, really malty. Goodness. Poured like black paint with brown head. My mom's face as she watched me pour it was kinda priceless. I enjoyed this immensely and would totally recommend it to you imperial stout fans out there.
I was kind of hoping that if I had a beer and wrote about something not remotely related to my thesis, it would get me in writing mode and motivate me to accomplish great things this evening. Alas, totally not the case. Guess I better open another one... so I'll write again soon!
Sorry.
Paul's been working a lot (although if the government closes down, perhaps we'll get an update from him? Just kidding, I don't actually want that to happen. The shutdown, not the update thing. I'm looking forward to hearing from Paul. Not a government shutdown over this. Anyway moving on...). I have little to no excuse. I could say I've been working a lot, but my work (thesis) is often accompanied by beer... and also, I like to take breaks from said work and do completely unacademic things like write about beer or go on adventures (and then write about them).
So yeah. Sorry.
I'm down to the last dozen Earpeweizens, so if you wanted to try one and haven't yet, you should let me know. (Justin Doyle, yours is in Taylor's fridge. He's holding out on you. Get on that.)
But aside from working my way through my homebrew by sharing it with wonderful friends, I have tried a few others lately--
Dogfish Head Aprihop: I really enjoyed this. The apricot taste was really slight, just a nice highlight to a pretty good IPA. This might be a reasonable way to transition your friends from super sweet fruity mixed drinks into good beer. I want this in the summer. Good work, Sam!
Dogfish Head Squall IPA: You know, I love Dogfish Head. Just as the Aprihop IPA was a hit for me, this was a miss. This is a really florally kinda tasting IPA. I've come to like IPAs quite a bit, but don't need them to taste like flowers. This might be shocking to hear from me, but-- it wasn't hoppy enough. However, if you like beers that taste like flora, you might enjoy this more.
Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale: I had this in a bar just outside of Philly while visiting my big brother. It seemed kind of novel to drink the local beer while watching the local baseball team win and the local hockey team lose. Good beer though. I thought this was pale ale was straightforward and honest, if that makes sense. No gimmicks. Just pale ale. Good.
The Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: This is one I've walked past many times in the stores, thinking I'd already had it (yeah, you try and keep track of all... how many beers have I tried now?). I finally remembered to check my beer list and discovered that I hadn't. If I had, I think I would have remembered it-- this was great. Dark, strong, really malty. Goodness. Poured like black paint with brown head. My mom's face as she watched me pour it was kinda priceless. I enjoyed this immensely and would totally recommend it to you imperial stout fans out there.
I was kind of hoping that if I had a beer and wrote about something not remotely related to my thesis, it would get me in writing mode and motivate me to accomplish great things this evening. Alas, totally not the case. Guess I better open another one... so I'll write again soon!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
hooray Heineken (sort of)
If I didn't already know that I didn't care for it, this commercial would have convinced me to drink Heineken:
It appeals to my liking of different cultures and everyone getting along. Open your world, indeed, just not your Heineken, if you can avoid it.
I've tried a couple of good beers recently--
Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night Imperial Stout: Reaaalllllly strong, really good. This was what I've come to hope for in this style. This reminds me of Victory's Storm King, which was probably my (and Paul's) first Imperial Stout, but also just a really good example of what it should be. Definitely got some coffee and a little bittersweetness, like dark chocolate. I like it.
Mikkeller's Coffee IPA: My older brother sent me to hunt this down several weeks ago, so when he stopped by this weekend, I shared it with him. It. was. good. This was a good IPA with an aftertaste of coffee-- not a coffee aftertaste, which is gross, but a taste of coffee after the sip goes down. It was definitely a bit different, but I thought it was good.
I'm looking forward to trying the two beers I got for celebrating my Masters, which I hopefully earn in the next five weeks: Flying Fish's Exit 9 (Hoppy Scarlet Ale, straight up Rutgers themed) and Dogfish Head's Red and White. Hopefully I'll be able to share my reviews next month!
It appeals to my liking of different cultures and everyone getting along. Open your world, indeed, just not your Heineken, if you can avoid it.
I've tried a couple of good beers recently--
Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night Imperial Stout: Reaaalllllly strong, really good. This was what I've come to hope for in this style. This reminds me of Victory's Storm King, which was probably my (and Paul's) first Imperial Stout, but also just a really good example of what it should be. Definitely got some coffee and a little bittersweetness, like dark chocolate. I like it.
Mikkeller's Coffee IPA: My older brother sent me to hunt this down several weeks ago, so when he stopped by this weekend, I shared it with him. It. was. good. This was a good IPA with an aftertaste of coffee-- not a coffee aftertaste, which is gross, but a taste of coffee after the sip goes down. It was definitely a bit different, but I thought it was good.
I'm looking forward to trying the two beers I got for celebrating my Masters, which I hopefully earn in the next five weeks: Flying Fish's Exit 9 (Hoppy Scarlet Ale, straight up Rutgers themed) and Dogfish Head's Red and White. Hopefully I'll be able to share my reviews next month!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
can't think of a clever heading for these
Paul may have been quiet for a while, but I assure you, he's alive. We had dinner together on Monday. You should be hearing from him soon about his Earpeweizen experience and other beer adventures.
In the meantime, I've been able to enjoy a few new brews with a few good friends:
Avery Mephistopheles' Stout: I liked how strongly flavored it was, but not what the actual flavor was, if that makes sense. I like that it had a certain amount of bite to it just for being a nearly 16% ABV stout, but it tasted strongly of molasses, which is just not my favorite version of sweet in a beer. I remembered Avery for another very strong beer I once tried, but this one won't be remembered as positively.
21st Amendment Bitter American IPA: Florally. It was a decent IPA, but definitely with some kind of flowery taste to it.
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Taylor and I just shared this over breakfast burritos for dinner. It balanced nicely with the spicy pepper jack cheese I used on my eggs. Hoppy, but not offensive. Taylor got more of the Belgian aspect of it, but he's also a bigger IPA fan than I am. I got more of the IPA flavor because it's still just strong to me. But this was nice. Clean and refreshing.
Also of note, Cheryl brought me lunch and snowshoes to play with last week after it snowed six more inches in Warren County. We shared Dogfish Head's My Antonia, which was a little hoppy and a lot refreshing. It went perfectly with the slightly hot/spicy Baja Fresh lunch. Pilseners aren't usually something I go after on purpose, but this was totally worth my attention. Dogfish Head is awesome, as ever.
In the meantime, I've been able to enjoy a few new brews with a few good friends:
Avery Mephistopheles' Stout: I liked how strongly flavored it was, but not what the actual flavor was, if that makes sense. I like that it had a certain amount of bite to it just for being a nearly 16% ABV stout, but it tasted strongly of molasses, which is just not my favorite version of sweet in a beer. I remembered Avery for another very strong beer I once tried, but this one won't be remembered as positively.
21st Amendment Bitter American IPA: Florally. It was a decent IPA, but definitely with some kind of flowery taste to it.
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Taylor and I just shared this over breakfast burritos for dinner. It balanced nicely with the spicy pepper jack cheese I used on my eggs. Hoppy, but not offensive. Taylor got more of the Belgian aspect of it, but he's also a bigger IPA fan than I am. I got more of the IPA flavor because it's still just strong to me. But this was nice. Clean and refreshing.
Also of note, Cheryl brought me lunch and snowshoes to play with last week after it snowed six more inches in Warren County. We shared Dogfish Head's My Antonia, which was a little hoppy and a lot refreshing. It went perfectly with the slightly hot/spicy Baja Fresh lunch. Pilseners aren't usually something I go after on purpose, but this was totally worth my attention. Dogfish Head is awesome, as ever.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
procrastination.
Well, I got back from Virginia yesterday afternoon and I leave for camp for a week tomorrow morning, stopping off at Rutgers on the way. I'm not motivated to pack again yet, so I'll share with you a few brews I've tried recently.
While I don't advocate the use of alcohol to soothe negative situations, I did keep Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout specifically for my most recent round of thesis revisions. I figured the strong coffee flavor to be expected from such a beer would perhaps trick me into staying awake longer to work on that thing while the alcohol helped lower my inhibitions just enough to open the floodgates of writing. Does it actually have caffeine in it? I don't know, or really care. It was a nice accompaniment to my work though. I really enjoyed the strong taste. It made me say wow. This is one of those beers that Taylor would accuse of "sucker punching" the taste buds. This is certainly not for the faint hearted or stout haters.
What was I in Virginia for this past week? This man. I did use Josh's Valentine's Day Brawl at the 9:30 Club on Monday as an excuse to visit that other dude I like to visit in Virginia though, and to make up for drinking all of the beers I left last time, he took me to the Dogfish Head Alehouse. The food was awesome, as were the beers (OBVIOUSLY). I ordered the Chicory Stout, which is so so good and I'm embarrassed to say I forgot was on my list. It's one I always see and mean to double check, but apparently never actually did. But it's so so good. It's a nice coffee stout, really mellow with a slightly fruity finish but it's not offensively fruity.
I also ordered the Lawnmower Light beer because it's not available commercially and I was curious what a craft light beer would taste like. As it turns out, it tastes like NOT WATER. It was interesting but still not heavy or strong in any way. It was pleasant.
Taylor also let me taste his beers-- he got the Palo Santo Marron, which I've also had before (drinks like a porter, really really malty, avorite Dogfish Head, but after getting over the fact that it's hardly your typical brown ale, I liked it), and the Shelter Pale Ale, which was very plain and hoppy and delightful. I imagine it'd go well with something spicy, but it was nice enough on its own. I approve, Dogfish Head, I approve. Keep up the good work. (For Taylor's side of the story, go here.)
On Monday night before the concert, I cooked dinner for Taylor and our friend Luke, and they gave me beers.
Leffe Blonde, which I swore I'd already had but it's not on my list, is a decent Belgian pale ale, tasting like a really strong hefeweizen.
Appalachian Trails' Hoppy Trails was not my favorite IPA ever, but not terrible. It just wasn't particularly impressive. It was an IPA, I guess.
Atwater Block Brewery's Vanilla Java Porter was my favorite of the evening, tasting like all of the things in its name, but not in an overly strong or sweet way. This was nice. Might be a better dessert beer rather than sitting outside on a nice evening with friends while waiting for the ziti to bake, but still enjoyable.
Another lovely trip to Virginia, another great concert by Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, and now that I'm done writing, another attempt at thinking about packing...
While I don't advocate the use of alcohol to soothe negative situations, I did keep Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout specifically for my most recent round of thesis revisions. I figured the strong coffee flavor to be expected from such a beer would perhaps trick me into staying awake longer to work on that thing while the alcohol helped lower my inhibitions just enough to open the floodgates of writing. Does it actually have caffeine in it? I don't know, or really care. It was a nice accompaniment to my work though. I really enjoyed the strong taste. It made me say wow. This is one of those beers that Taylor would accuse of "sucker punching" the taste buds. This is certainly not for the faint hearted or stout haters.
What was I in Virginia for this past week? This man. I did use Josh's Valentine's Day Brawl at the 9:30 Club on Monday as an excuse to visit that other dude I like to visit in Virginia though, and to make up for drinking all of the beers I left last time, he took me to the Dogfish Head Alehouse. The food was awesome, as were the beers (OBVIOUSLY). I ordered the Chicory Stout, which is so so good and I'm embarrassed to say I forgot was on my list. It's one I always see and mean to double check, but apparently never actually did. But it's so so good. It's a nice coffee stout, really mellow with a slightly fruity finish but it's not offensively fruity.
I also ordered the Lawnmower Light beer because it's not available commercially and I was curious what a craft light beer would taste like. As it turns out, it tastes like NOT WATER. It was interesting but still not heavy or strong in any way. It was pleasant.
Taylor also let me taste his beers-- he got the Palo Santo Marron, which I've also had before (drinks like a porter, really really malty, avorite Dogfish Head, but after getting over the fact that it's hardly your typical brown ale, I liked it), and the Shelter Pale Ale, which was very plain and hoppy and delightful. I imagine it'd go well with something spicy, but it was nice enough on its own. I approve, Dogfish Head, I approve. Keep up the good work. (For Taylor's side of the story, go here.)
On Monday night before the concert, I cooked dinner for Taylor and our friend Luke, and they gave me beers.
Leffe Blonde, which I swore I'd already had but it's not on my list, is a decent Belgian pale ale, tasting like a really strong hefeweizen.
Appalachian Trails' Hoppy Trails was not my favorite IPA ever, but not terrible. It just wasn't particularly impressive. It was an IPA, I guess.
Atwater Block Brewery's Vanilla Java Porter was my favorite of the evening, tasting like all of the things in its name, but not in an overly strong or sweet way. This was nice. Might be a better dessert beer rather than sitting outside on a nice evening with friends while waiting for the ziti to bake, but still enjoyable.
Another lovely trip to Virginia, another great concert by Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, and now that I'm done writing, another attempt at thinking about packing...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
beerproof camera
Aside from a bit of angst about driving places unlicensed, the rest of my time in Virginia was pretty lovely. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a good time. It was awesome to see so many friends! (And I have since renewed my license.)
Hilary, Paige and I got ready for the wedding together in my hotel room, but did so without beer until Deron arrived with a bottle opener. You know, I really just need to get myself one. I actually have at least two, but they don't fit in my pockets. The problem is, it needs to be tiny-- I took the car door unlocker thingy off my keychain because it was too big for my pocket. I unlock my door by hand. I digress.
Deron arrived with a bottle opener, and before we left for the wedding, I had Lancaster Milk Stout from a mixed six pack that Taylor and I made that morning. It was a little sweet but mostly just unexciting, which was fine by me. Very smooth, pretty plain, very drinkable, which was good, because we had a wedding to get to.
Between the ceremony and reception, a few of us went back to the hotel and had a round of Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA. While I do seem to be on a bit of an IPA kick these past few weeks, this one was a bit strong for me. Really, really hoppy. It kind of obscured anything else. I didn't totally hate it but prefer my IPA's a little better rounded.
The wedding was lovely and we made use of the open Budweiser. These pictures are from my waterproof digital camera dunked in Taylor's Bud, because he's sweet and tolerant of me:
(And yes, we also drank the Bud-- not my favorite macro brew, but not my least favorite either, and yes it was already on the list.)
After the wedding, several of us went back to the hotel to watch the end of the Jets-Colts game. There were Miller High Lifes aplenty, but Taylor and I also split Dogfish Head's Burton Baton, another IPA (more specifically an Imperial IPA). This one was also a bit stronger than I'd like, super duper hoppy, but this one was a little smoother going down. Not my favorite Dogfish Head brew, not my favorite IPA of theirs either, but it was pretty good. You true IPA fans out there might appreciate it more than I did though.
I'm back in New Jersey now, traveling nearly 1300 miles so far this year. (Note to self: perhaps I should keep a running tally this year?) Before heading to camp to start working today, I had a layover in Edison with Cheryl (and Lauren, via Skype!). Cheryl and I shared Deschutes' The Abyss, a stout from the west coast brewed with licorice and molasses and aged in some kind of liquor barrels. I've had bad experience with licorice in beer; I've had bad experience with beer that even mentions liquor. However, the worst part of this beer was the pain in the butt wax seal. Really smooth. Basically it was a strong flavored stout that didn't taste like coffee or chocolate. Very good.
Well, my current position at camp doesn't require me to abstain from drinking, but I imagine living alone in my lakeside cabin part time up here will keep my sampling to a minimum. Visiting friends in Virginia always puts me way ahead, and it seems I have some extra encouragement.
Colleen: 354
Paul: 324
Hilary, Paige and I got ready for the wedding together in my hotel room, but did so without beer until Deron arrived with a bottle opener. You know, I really just need to get myself one. I actually have at least two, but they don't fit in my pockets. The problem is, it needs to be tiny-- I took the car door unlocker thingy off my keychain because it was too big for my pocket. I unlock my door by hand. I digress.
Deron arrived with a bottle opener, and before we left for the wedding, I had Lancaster Milk Stout from a mixed six pack that Taylor and I made that morning. It was a little sweet but mostly just unexciting, which was fine by me. Very smooth, pretty plain, very drinkable, which was good, because we had a wedding to get to.
Between the ceremony and reception, a few of us went back to the hotel and had a round of Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA. While I do seem to be on a bit of an IPA kick these past few weeks, this one was a bit strong for me. Really, really hoppy. It kind of obscured anything else. I didn't totally hate it but prefer my IPA's a little better rounded.
The wedding was lovely and we made use of the open Budweiser. These pictures are from my waterproof digital camera dunked in Taylor's Bud, because he's sweet and tolerant of me:
(And yes, we also drank the Bud-- not my favorite macro brew, but not my least favorite either, and yes it was already on the list.)
After the wedding, several of us went back to the hotel to watch the end of the Jets-Colts game. There were Miller High Lifes aplenty, but Taylor and I also split Dogfish Head's Burton Baton, another IPA (more specifically an Imperial IPA). This one was also a bit stronger than I'd like, super duper hoppy, but this one was a little smoother going down. Not my favorite Dogfish Head brew, not my favorite IPA of theirs either, but it was pretty good. You true IPA fans out there might appreciate it more than I did though.
I'm back in New Jersey now, traveling nearly 1300 miles so far this year. (Note to self: perhaps I should keep a running tally this year?) Before heading to camp to start working today, I had a layover in Edison with Cheryl (and Lauren, via Skype!). Cheryl and I shared Deschutes' The Abyss, a stout from the west coast brewed with licorice and molasses and aged in some kind of liquor barrels. I've had bad experience with licorice in beer; I've had bad experience with beer that even mentions liquor. However, the worst part of this beer was the pain in the butt wax seal. Really smooth. Basically it was a strong flavored stout that didn't taste like coffee or chocolate. Very good.
Well, my current position at camp doesn't require me to abstain from drinking, but I imagine living alone in my lakeside cabin part time up here will keep my sampling to a minimum. Visiting friends in Virginia always puts me way ahead, and it seems I have some extra encouragement.
Colleen: 354
Paul: 324
Friday, January 7, 2011
the good, the bad and the uggghhhhh-ly
Greetings from Midlothian, Virginia! My adventures leading up to Justin and Deb's wedding continue.
This post is a mix of all sorts of things, just like my week has been. These beers were all tried at Galaxy Hut in Arlington, a bit dark but overall a cool place. I met up with a gaggle of geographers and associates (hooray Jonathan "Crumpet" Trenary, Scott and Alison Berry, Taylor Harper, Matt Gallo and Anna Cloeter!) and it was really fun to catch up over a few new brews!
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout: This was a bit pricey but good. It had a strong coffee flavor to it (how appropriate for something named "breakfast") but surprisingly almost no aftertaste. Very clean finish. Really smooth beer.
After that one, I couldn't really decide what I wanted, so I made use of the bar's 4 ounce "flights" to sample a few different things:
Cricket Hill Wet Hopped Pale Ale: Where did this appreciation for hops come from? I really liked this. It was hoppy but still really gentle and drinkable. Hooray New Jersey beers!
BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout: This would be "the bad" part of this post. I should have known BBC stands for Bluegrass Brewing Company. I've had other beers that were aged in various barrels usually used for some sort of liquor or something, but this just tasted straight up like bourbon. Good for people who like bourbons and stouts, perhaps, because it definitely had stout weight to it, but I could barely finish this without gagging. I do not like liquor. I absolutely did not like this beer. (Alison rather enjoyed it though, as she is a fan of bourbon.)
After the epic disaster of the bourbon beer, I decided to try two IPAs side by side, just to see what happened-- Sierra Nevada IPA and Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA. I found the Sierra Nevada to have less of an aftertaste and overall better balanced, while the Hopsecutioner had a bit of a lighter flavor but I found it to be a little weirder fruiter. Hopsecutioner had the better name, but I think I preferred the Sierra Nevada. Both were good though!
And now the uggghhhh part. Last night was spent in Richmond with the imminent newlyweds and assorted friends. That's not the ugghhh part-- that was pretty great! We hung out at Justin and Deb's place in the Church Hill section of town before heading a few blocks down to Patrick Henry Pub. This was the first time in a long time I was greeted by a ton of cigarette smoke, which I wasn't totally thrilled about, but focused on a new beer on tap, the french fries we planned to order, and the good company. Uggghhh number one: I was not served, as my license expired on the 31st. Not good. Uggghhh number two: the kitchen was closed?! At 10PM!? LAME. I wasn't offended that the bartender was following the law and not serving me, but I was offended that their kitchen was already closed before we arrived, not even that late in the evening. So much for "delicious and reasonably priced food" that they advertise first thing on their website. At least we had good company!
A few more days in Virginia, including tomorrow-- Justin and Deb's big day. Very excited! A slightly early congratulations, friends!
Paul: 324
Colleen: 350 (how nice and even!)
This post is a mix of all sorts of things, just like my week has been. These beers were all tried at Galaxy Hut in Arlington, a bit dark but overall a cool place. I met up with a gaggle of geographers and associates (hooray Jonathan "Crumpet" Trenary, Scott and Alison Berry, Taylor Harper, Matt Gallo and Anna Cloeter!) and it was really fun to catch up over a few new brews!
Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout: This was a bit pricey but good. It had a strong coffee flavor to it (how appropriate for something named "breakfast") but surprisingly almost no aftertaste. Very clean finish. Really smooth beer.
After that one, I couldn't really decide what I wanted, so I made use of the bar's 4 ounce "flights" to sample a few different things:
Cricket Hill Wet Hopped Pale Ale: Where did this appreciation for hops come from? I really liked this. It was hoppy but still really gentle and drinkable. Hooray New Jersey beers!
BBC Bourbon Barrel Stout: This would be "the bad" part of this post. I should have known BBC stands for Bluegrass Brewing Company. I've had other beers that were aged in various barrels usually used for some sort of liquor or something, but this just tasted straight up like bourbon. Good for people who like bourbons and stouts, perhaps, because it definitely had stout weight to it, but I could barely finish this without gagging. I do not like liquor. I absolutely did not like this beer. (Alison rather enjoyed it though, as she is a fan of bourbon.)
After the epic disaster of the bourbon beer, I decided to try two IPAs side by side, just to see what happened-- Sierra Nevada IPA and Terrapin Hopsecutioner IPA. I found the Sierra Nevada to have less of an aftertaste and overall better balanced, while the Hopsecutioner had a bit of a lighter flavor but I found it to be a little weirder fruiter. Hopsecutioner had the better name, but I think I preferred the Sierra Nevada. Both were good though!
And now the uggghhhh part. Last night was spent in Richmond with the imminent newlyweds and assorted friends. That's not the ugghhh part-- that was pretty great! We hung out at Justin and Deb's place in the Church Hill section of town before heading a few blocks down to Patrick Henry Pub. This was the first time in a long time I was greeted by a ton of cigarette smoke, which I wasn't totally thrilled about, but focused on a new beer on tap, the french fries we planned to order, and the good company. Uggghhh number one: I was not served, as my license expired on the 31st. Not good. Uggghhh number two: the kitchen was closed?! At 10PM!? LAME. I wasn't offended that the bartender was following the law and not serving me, but I was offended that their kitchen was already closed before we arrived, not even that late in the evening. So much for "delicious and reasonably priced food" that they advertise first thing on their website. At least we had good company!
A few more days in Virginia, including tomorrow-- Justin and Deb's big day. Very excited! A slightly early congratulations, friends!
Paul: 324
Colleen: 350 (how nice and even!)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
holiday beers
Good morning from a very chilly northern Virginia (currently 27°F/-3°C)! In effort to feel like I'm being productive without actually getting out from under the blanket, I thought I'd share my most recent few beers. Typically, the holidays and visits to Virginia mean visiting and celebrating with friends and family and habitually choosing new brews to do so. Paul actually called me a few days ago to ask what the holiday damage was. Here it is:
Flying Fish HopFish: This IPA was a little bit sweeter and fruitier than I've come to expect. While definitely not the greatest IPA I've ever had, I didn't dislike it. Part of that probably comes from the charm of drinking a New Jersey beer, but I think it's also legitimately ok.
Yep, that was it for the holidays. However, now we transition to my holiday in Virginia-- spending a week here to hang out with the Taylor and visit other friends, and to take part in a wedding this weekend. This is often a sort of danger zone for Paul; visiting with my college friends often involves going out to restaurants and bars, and being in Virginia allows me to find micro brews from VA, MD and DC that I don't normally have access to in NJ.
On Sunday night, Taylor and I went to Leesburg to meet up with our friend JT and his girlfriend Riley at Vintage 50. The food, particularly the waffle fries, was really good. The beers received mixed reviews.
Ole Brown Ale: Three of us enjoyed this one (the fourth didn't order it). Very smooth, straightforward brown ale, no tricks, nothing offensive about it. Went great with dinner.
Head Knocker: I had been eying this based on the name, but it was Taylor who actually ordered it... and then passed it off to me because he didn't care for it. Neither did I, but I finished it. It was kind of fruity and weird tasting and a bit more alcoholic than the rest of its counterparts on the menu (just over 11% ABV). I wouldn't get this again. Thankfully I had some awesome waffle fries to get rid of the taste.
Yesterday, I traveled out to the outlet stores in Leesburg with my friend Becky-- neither of us particularly care for shopping but both needed to accomplish things. She had mentioned a restaurant that had a lovely looking menu that could perhaps motivate us through the treacheries of shopping... guess where we ended up? Vintage 50! More excellent food, the excellent company of one of Becky's college friends and her very cute and well behaved 3 year old son, and I had a beer:
Molasses Porter: I generally expect a porter to have a strong flavor, but this one did not. However, it was a pleasant taste-- sweet but not offensively so, well balanced with the more bitter side of molasses. What surprised me more was the weight of the brew, or the lack thereof. It felt really light for a porter, but was very smooth and pleasant. I liked it.
Meeting up with a few more friends this evening, but Paul's Christmas presents will surely catch him up soon... speaking of Christmas presents, my brother and sister-in-law have provided me with a home brewing kit! Something I always figured I'd get into when I lived on my own, but since I have been given the opportunity now... look out for those adventures in the coming months, starting with a hefeweizen (even though DBF rules state that homebrews don't count toward the totals). Thanks, Chris and Kerin!
Paul: 324
Colleen: 345
Flying Fish HopFish: This IPA was a little bit sweeter and fruitier than I've come to expect. While definitely not the greatest IPA I've ever had, I didn't dislike it. Part of that probably comes from the charm of drinking a New Jersey beer, but I think it's also legitimately ok.
Yep, that was it for the holidays. However, now we transition to my holiday in Virginia-- spending a week here to hang out with the Taylor and visit other friends, and to take part in a wedding this weekend. This is often a sort of danger zone for Paul; visiting with my college friends often involves going out to restaurants and bars, and being in Virginia allows me to find micro brews from VA, MD and DC that I don't normally have access to in NJ.
On Sunday night, Taylor and I went to Leesburg to meet up with our friend JT and his girlfriend Riley at Vintage 50. The food, particularly the waffle fries, was really good. The beers received mixed reviews.
Ole Brown Ale: Three of us enjoyed this one (the fourth didn't order it). Very smooth, straightforward brown ale, no tricks, nothing offensive about it. Went great with dinner.
Head Knocker: I had been eying this based on the name, but it was Taylor who actually ordered it... and then passed it off to me because he didn't care for it. Neither did I, but I finished it. It was kind of fruity and weird tasting and a bit more alcoholic than the rest of its counterparts on the menu (just over 11% ABV). I wouldn't get this again. Thankfully I had some awesome waffle fries to get rid of the taste.
Yesterday, I traveled out to the outlet stores in Leesburg with my friend Becky-- neither of us particularly care for shopping but both needed to accomplish things. She had mentioned a restaurant that had a lovely looking menu that could perhaps motivate us through the treacheries of shopping... guess where we ended up? Vintage 50! More excellent food, the excellent company of one of Becky's college friends and her very cute and well behaved 3 year old son, and I had a beer:
Molasses Porter: I generally expect a porter to have a strong flavor, but this one did not. However, it was a pleasant taste-- sweet but not offensively so, well balanced with the more bitter side of molasses. What surprised me more was the weight of the brew, or the lack thereof. It felt really light for a porter, but was very smooth and pleasant. I liked it.
Meeting up with a few more friends this evening, but Paul's Christmas presents will surely catch him up soon... speaking of Christmas presents, my brother and sister-in-law have provided me with a home brewing kit! Something I always figured I'd get into when I lived on my own, but since I have been given the opportunity now... look out for those adventures in the coming months, starting with a hefeweizen (even though DBF rules state that homebrews don't count toward the totals). Thanks, Chris and Kerin!
Paul: 324
Colleen: 345
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Holidays '10 - Part 2
This will be yet another short post, as I am still playing catch up on errands this week. Laura and I got snowed in at my parents, where the snowfall the day after Christmas was about 28 inches! It took over 7.5 hours to return to Virginia the other day - due to road conditions in Monmouth County, NJ and several days worth of Holiday travelers condensed on I-95 on the same day. I received several beers as Christmas gifts (all are new), so I will be reviewing those in the coming weeks.
St. Pauli Girl: Laura's Dad is a big fan of this one. I thought it was a little better than a Heineken. It's a generic pilsner from Germany. It's actually made by InBev. This means you can expect a highly manufactured beverage, but one with highly consistent taste.
Fordham Genius: A friend told me that this was a take on Guinness. The beer was very good, but I do not agree with their analysis. Guinness is very dark, but almost watery when it comes to taste. Guinness is also light in alcohol. On the other hand, this had almost twice the alcohol by volume (ABV). The nitrogen tap (as opposed to carbon dioxide) gave it a similar experience to Guinness, but the two are fundamentally different.
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout: Colleen summed this beer up here. Laura called the beer a "punch to the face." What did I think? This beer is not for the faint of heart. If you're not a fan of aggressive, heavy beers...this is not for you at all. If you like lagers, amber ales, hefewiezens, and perhaps the occasional pale ale - then you should avoid this beer. It's extremely dark. It has a very aggressive taste. It weighs in at 18% percent alcohol. I absolutely loved it. I took my time drinking it over the course of two hours. Those on my short list of hardcore beer drinkers would greatly enjoy this. It's expensive, but worth a try.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice: I got this as a gift for Christmas from Laura's mother. This was very interesting, and it was a great seasonal. There was a blend of spices that did not overwhelm the beer, but added to it as the blizzard was rearing its ugly head. Most spiced beers are a lot to handle, so this was a pleasant surprise. The finish was nice and smooth, with a little dry flavor afterward. However, the slight spice flavor stays with you for fond memories- 6.9% alcohol doesn't hurt either.
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA: This is one of very few Samuel Adams beers that I had yet to try. That list is narrowing down to a handful. I thought this was an excellent introductory IPA. It gives all the wonderful elements of an IPA without adding an offensive amount of hops. There was a bitterness to the flavor, but the was almost a sweetness to the hops as well. This is worth a try.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch: The ingredients for this beer were determined from pottery residue found in King Midas' exhumed tomb. An academic styled review can be found here (see page 4). The beverage is somewhere between beer, mead, and chardonnay. I thought it had a very interesting flavor that can't be found in beer today. It's interesting to note how beer has evolved over the past 2,700 years.
Wells Banana Bread Beer: My cousin Brendan graciously shared some of this with me. I've heard about it from him before, so I wanted to give it a try. I do love banana bread, but combining it with beer made me apprehensive. In short, it's a novelty beer. It smelled like banana bread and the flavor was there as well. It was nice to try, but I would recommend splitting a bottle with someone.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 324
Cheers,
Paul
St. Pauli Girl: Laura's Dad is a big fan of this one. I thought it was a little better than a Heineken. It's a generic pilsner from Germany. It's actually made by InBev. This means you can expect a highly manufactured beverage, but one with highly consistent taste.
Fordham Genius: A friend told me that this was a take on Guinness. The beer was very good, but I do not agree with their analysis. Guinness is very dark, but almost watery when it comes to taste. Guinness is also light in alcohol. On the other hand, this had almost twice the alcohol by volume (ABV). The nitrogen tap (as opposed to carbon dioxide) gave it a similar experience to Guinness, but the two are fundamentally different.
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout: Colleen summed this beer up here. Laura called the beer a "punch to the face." What did I think? This beer is not for the faint of heart. If you're not a fan of aggressive, heavy beers...this is not for you at all. If you like lagers, amber ales, hefewiezens, and perhaps the occasional pale ale - then you should avoid this beer. It's extremely dark. It has a very aggressive taste. It weighs in at 18% percent alcohol. I absolutely loved it. I took my time drinking it over the course of two hours. Those on my short list of hardcore beer drinkers would greatly enjoy this. It's expensive, but worth a try.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice: I got this as a gift for Christmas from Laura's mother. This was very interesting, and it was a great seasonal. There was a blend of spices that did not overwhelm the beer, but added to it as the blizzard was rearing its ugly head. Most spiced beers are a lot to handle, so this was a pleasant surprise. The finish was nice and smooth, with a little dry flavor afterward. However, the slight spice flavor stays with you for fond memories- 6.9% alcohol doesn't hurt either.
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA: This is one of very few Samuel Adams beers that I had yet to try. That list is narrowing down to a handful. I thought this was an excellent introductory IPA. It gives all the wonderful elements of an IPA without adding an offensive amount of hops. There was a bitterness to the flavor, but the was almost a sweetness to the hops as well. This is worth a try.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch: The ingredients for this beer were determined from pottery residue found in King Midas' exhumed tomb. An academic styled review can be found here (see page 4). The beverage is somewhere between beer, mead, and chardonnay. I thought it had a very interesting flavor that can't be found in beer today. It's interesting to note how beer has evolved over the past 2,700 years.
Wells Banana Bread Beer: My cousin Brendan graciously shared some of this with me. I've heard about it from him before, so I wanted to give it a try. I do love banana bread, but combining it with beer made me apprehensive. In short, it's a novelty beer. It smelled like banana bread and the flavor was there as well. It was nice to try, but I would recommend splitting a bottle with someone.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 324
Cheers,
Paul
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
keeping busy
Well. It's a busy time of year: finals, holiday preparation, visiting lots of family and friends. And you know, it's all three of those things that have lead me to try the following new brews:
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale: I picked this one up to help me meet a thesis deadline earlier this month. Appropriately a red ale, it was a decent combination of the bitter of hops and the sweetness of something citrus fruity. It was pleasant, and while it did not help me to stay awake and finish the section of thesis that I owed my advisor, it did help me in being less critical and over-thinking of what I was writing... but I don't think that was exclusive to this brew so much as beer in general. Hm. Anyway, this was not the most amazing thing ever, but not a terrible price or taste for being festive.
Flying Fish Exit 13: Very rarely do I seek out a beer. Usually I just keep a vague idea of what I've had and try to find things with funny or super unfamiliar names. However, embarrased by having missed two of the Flying Fish Exit Series so far (Exits 11 and 16 E W) (do you know how much I love Jersey!?), and having read of its release in an ongoing series in the Star Ledger, I asked the manager at the nearest liquor store with a decent beer selection. Surely enough, he'd received it-- hadn't even put it out on the floor yet, but I bought my bottle and opened it the moment I got home. This is a chocolate stout, and while the flavor is not overly complex or especially strong (think kick in the ass rather than punch in the face), it was really nice and smooth. I love me a strong stout, but I realize not everyone does. I love this beer because it's New Jersey themed and New Jersey brewed, but I also think it's a reasonably accessible stout.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA: Taylor came to visit and chose this while I drooled over the Exit 13, but he was nice and shared (possibly because we bought an entire growler). He said, "meh" but is way more of an IPA aficionado than I am (which leads me to believe I should go back and retry a lot of earlier IPAs now that I'm sort of getting a taste for them). This one tasted kind of like flowers. It wasn't the most incredible IPA I've tried, but it also wasn't super gross like some I've had. Rogue can be somewhat hit or miss, but again, given the price on this, I thought it was pretty good. If nothing else, hilariously novel name.
"Black Ice": While this doesn't by any means count as a new beer, this is an interesting idea I stole from my cousin Andrew after seeing him post something on facebook about it last winter. It's half Guinness, half Sam Adams Winter Lager. I tried this at The Office catching up with Paul and Laura (with Taylor, too) but found it to be kind of... bland. Sorry Andrew. I think I'm missing something. Definitely interesting in theory, and definitely motivates me to try the concept on other beers-- the half and half is a go-to for both authors of this blog (Guinness and Harp).
The incredible Cheryl gets credit for choosing three different beers that were not on my list when she hosted Taylor and me for dinner this past weekend--
21st Amendment Fireside Chat: a lovely winter warmer, nice spiced flavor. I wasn't crazy about the aftertaste but the beer itself was worthwhile. Also, it came in possibly the coolest cans I've ever seen, featuring Franklin Delano Roosevelt giving a fireside chat.
Boulder Never Summer Ale: This was another warm, malty, wintery beer, though it was hoppier than I expected. It was a nice balance though.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This was more the punch in the face kind of stout that I love. Very strong, definitely got a taste of coffee. I approve of this beer!
Taylor actually hung out for an extra day in order to get the Stuff Yer Face Monday night experience. I feel it's worth rementioning Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, which is currently on tap there, and is awesome. It's 18% ABV and so delicious and strong. Oh man. Good. No, GREAT.
After my love affair with the World Wide Stout, both Taylor and I ordered Stone Ruination. We noticed upon pouring them out that mine was much lighter in color. We checked the bottles-- one of us had one that was best by this past July, one of us had one that was best by this coming January. I suspect I had the older one, because while it was a decent IPA, Taylor's had much more flavor to it-- the strong hops, something citrus, and even a bit of yeast taste. Obviously fresher is going to be better, but in this case, it made a very noticeable difference. Mine was ok, but his was pretty good.
Some good stuff lately.
Paul: 311
Colleen: 341 (no I did not count World Wide Stout again, although it counts as like 3 beers)
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale: I picked this one up to help me meet a thesis deadline earlier this month. Appropriately a red ale, it was a decent combination of the bitter of hops and the sweetness of something citrus fruity. It was pleasant, and while it did not help me to stay awake and finish the section of thesis that I owed my advisor, it did help me in being less critical and over-thinking of what I was writing... but I don't think that was exclusive to this brew so much as beer in general. Hm. Anyway, this was not the most amazing thing ever, but not a terrible price or taste for being festive.
Flying Fish Exit 13: Very rarely do I seek out a beer. Usually I just keep a vague idea of what I've had and try to find things with funny or super unfamiliar names. However, embarrased by having missed two of the Flying Fish Exit Series so far (Exits 11 and 16 E W) (do you know how much I love Jersey!?), and having read of its release in an ongoing series in the Star Ledger, I asked the manager at the nearest liquor store with a decent beer selection. Surely enough, he'd received it-- hadn't even put it out on the floor yet, but I bought my bottle and opened it the moment I got home. This is a chocolate stout, and while the flavor is not overly complex or especially strong (think kick in the ass rather than punch in the face), it was really nice and smooth. I love me a strong stout, but I realize not everyone does. I love this beer because it's New Jersey themed and New Jersey brewed, but I also think it's a reasonably accessible stout.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA: Taylor came to visit and chose this while I drooled over the Exit 13, but he was nice and shared (possibly because we bought an entire growler). He said, "meh" but is way more of an IPA aficionado than I am (which leads me to believe I should go back and retry a lot of earlier IPAs now that I'm sort of getting a taste for them). This one tasted kind of like flowers. It wasn't the most incredible IPA I've tried, but it also wasn't super gross like some I've had. Rogue can be somewhat hit or miss, but again, given the price on this, I thought it was pretty good. If nothing else, hilariously novel name.
"Black Ice": While this doesn't by any means count as a new beer, this is an interesting idea I stole from my cousin Andrew after seeing him post something on facebook about it last winter. It's half Guinness, half Sam Adams Winter Lager. I tried this at The Office catching up with Paul and Laura (with Taylor, too) but found it to be kind of... bland. Sorry Andrew. I think I'm missing something. Definitely interesting in theory, and definitely motivates me to try the concept on other beers-- the half and half is a go-to for both authors of this blog (Guinness and Harp).
The incredible Cheryl gets credit for choosing three different beers that were not on my list when she hosted Taylor and me for dinner this past weekend--
21st Amendment Fireside Chat: a lovely winter warmer, nice spiced flavor. I wasn't crazy about the aftertaste but the beer itself was worthwhile. Also, it came in possibly the coolest cans I've ever seen, featuring Franklin Delano Roosevelt giving a fireside chat.
Boulder Never Summer Ale: This was another warm, malty, wintery beer, though it was hoppier than I expected. It was a nice balance though.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This was more the punch in the face kind of stout that I love. Very strong, definitely got a taste of coffee. I approve of this beer!
Taylor actually hung out for an extra day in order to get the Stuff Yer Face Monday night experience. I feel it's worth rementioning Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, which is currently on tap there, and is awesome. It's 18% ABV and so delicious and strong. Oh man. Good. No, GREAT.
After my love affair with the World Wide Stout, both Taylor and I ordered Stone Ruination. We noticed upon pouring them out that mine was much lighter in color. We checked the bottles-- one of us had one that was best by this past July, one of us had one that was best by this coming January. I suspect I had the older one, because while it was a decent IPA, Taylor's had much more flavor to it-- the strong hops, something citrus, and even a bit of yeast taste. Obviously fresher is going to be better, but in this case, it made a very noticeable difference. Mine was ok, but his was pretty good.
Some good stuff lately.
Paul: 311
Colleen: 341 (no I did not count World Wide Stout again, although it counts as like 3 beers)
Monday, December 13, 2010
Pathetic
This post has been slowly updated in draft form for about a month now. I wrote these reviews over the course of a couple of weeks. Any beers I tried, but failed to review during this time I am going to negate. I'll call it my punishment for failing to update. I don't think I could fairly review those beers this late without more detailed notes. I also missed a 1 year anniversary post - I've really dropped the ball. I owe apologies to my readers and beer friend. In any event, here's what I have...
Starr Hill Festie: I have an affinity for Starr Hill since they are a Virginia brewer and they make one of my favorite Amber Ales. That said, this tasted like a beer from Bizarro world. Oktoberfest beers tend to be very brown in color and are heavy on malts. These can sometimes be a little sweet as well. This was on the lighter side, since it is classified as an Oktoberfest Lager. I wasn't sure whether I was drinking one style or the other. I'd probably avoid this in the future.
Hook and Ladder Flash Point Pale Ale: I got really excited when I saw this on the shelf, since it is from the brewer that makes a great brown ale - Backdraft Brown Ale. For a pale ale, this was on the lighter side of the color spectrum. I also thought it was mediocre to bland in flavor. It was by no means terrible, but nothing to write home about either.
Fisherman's IPA: I had this beer paired with some excellent enchiladas that Laura made. I tend to like to pair spicy food with IPAs. I think the bitterness from the hops compliments spicy food very well. This was a middle of the road IPA, which served it's purpose with dinner.
Full Sail Amber: I thought this was a mediocre amber ale. It went well with conversation, but it was nothing to write home about.
Philadelphia RowHouse Red: I thought this was a somewhat creamy flavored red ale. While I like Killian's Irish Red, I wasn't impressed with this one.
I had lunch with Colleen yesterday - it was lovely to catch up. We discussed how many beers I am behind, and the length of time I have been behind. I had a few more beers (maybe 6) I could have added, but the bottles and notes are in New Jersey (I forgot them there). With that, I'll work with what I have in the near future. It's the Holidays, so if I can control the damage, it will be a win.
My new rule is that I have two weeks to post a beer review (even if it's one), or I lose the ability to add it to my list. It's time to man up and do something about Colleen's lead...
The scorecard:
Colleen- 334
Paul - 311
Cheers,
Paul
Starr Hill Festie: I have an affinity for Starr Hill since they are a Virginia brewer and they make one of my favorite Amber Ales. That said, this tasted like a beer from Bizarro world. Oktoberfest beers tend to be very brown in color and are heavy on malts. These can sometimes be a little sweet as well. This was on the lighter side, since it is classified as an Oktoberfest Lager. I wasn't sure whether I was drinking one style or the other. I'd probably avoid this in the future.
Hook and Ladder Flash Point Pale Ale: I got really excited when I saw this on the shelf, since it is from the brewer that makes a great brown ale - Backdraft Brown Ale. For a pale ale, this was on the lighter side of the color spectrum. I also thought it was mediocre to bland in flavor. It was by no means terrible, but nothing to write home about either.
Fisherman's IPA: I had this beer paired with some excellent enchiladas that Laura made. I tend to like to pair spicy food with IPAs. I think the bitterness from the hops compliments spicy food very well. This was a middle of the road IPA, which served it's purpose with dinner.
Full Sail Amber: I thought this was a mediocre amber ale. It went well with conversation, but it was nothing to write home about.
Philadelphia RowHouse Red: I thought this was a somewhat creamy flavored red ale. While I like Killian's Irish Red, I wasn't impressed with this one.
I had lunch with Colleen yesterday - it was lovely to catch up. We discussed how many beers I am behind, and the length of time I have been behind. I had a few more beers (maybe 6) I could have added, but the bottles and notes are in New Jersey (I forgot them there). With that, I'll work with what I have in the near future. It's the Holidays, so if I can control the damage, it will be a win.
My new rule is that I have two weeks to post a beer review (even if it's one), or I lose the ability to add it to my list. It's time to man up and do something about Colleen's lead...
The scorecard:
Colleen- 334
Paul - 311
Cheers,
Paul
Monday, November 8, 2010
another single beer post
I feel funny updating once again with only a single beer, but also feel the need to be up to date before I meet up with Paul this Friday for a Dear Beer Friends Staff Meeting/...double date?!? What?! Yes, it's true. The beer in this entry may be single, but the girl writing about it is not.
Cheesiest opening paragraph ever.
My apologies. Moving on.
This past weekend we visited New York City, and among other adventures, stopped by the Coffee Bar near Union Square to kill time before a movie. Inspired by the IPA fan I was out with and the fact that it was the only beer on tap that I hadn't tried, I ordered Goose Island IPA. My assessment is: pretty good. I didn't totally hate it. I'm going to have to stop using that as a descriptor of IPAs soon, since my personal list of tolerable/good IPAs has grown substantially in the past few months. This one was perhaps a little sweeter than some of the others, but still had that bitterness typical of this hoppy style of beer. Not my favorite IPA (that's probably one of the Dogfish Heads or that Lagunitas I recently tried), but still recommendable.
Colleen: 319
Paul: 300 (I'm sure that's not an accurate reflection of real life...)
Cheesiest opening paragraph ever.
My apologies. Moving on.This past weekend we visited New York City, and among other adventures, stopped by the Coffee Bar near Union Square to kill time before a movie. Inspired by the IPA fan I was out with and the fact that it was the only beer on tap that I hadn't tried, I ordered Goose Island IPA. My assessment is: pretty good. I didn't totally hate it. I'm going to have to stop using that as a descriptor of IPAs soon, since my personal list of tolerable/good IPAs has grown substantially in the past few months. This one was perhaps a little sweeter than some of the others, but still had that bitterness typical of this hoppy style of beer. Not my favorite IPA (that's probably one of the Dogfish Heads or that Lagunitas I recently tried), but still recommendable.
Colleen: 319
Paul: 300 (I'm sure that's not an accurate reflection of real life...)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Philly beers and silly beers
"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -Benjamin Franklin
He may or may not have actually said that, but it's still pretty amusing, and an appropriate way to open this entry since I spent a chunk of my weekend in and around Philadelphia, and tried a few new beers while I was at it (two thirds of them were even brewed in Philly!). It was nice to see some of the historic sites that I last saw on elementary school field trips, and just to walk around a different city. Nice change of pace. After visiting the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin's grave, we wandered over to Yards Brewing Company to taste the local brews, sharing pints of the following:
Love Stout: Good stuff. This was nice and lightweight, like Guinness (I know some people find that statement to be completely ludicrous but it's true). Straightforward and smooth.
IPA: Good. Straightforward. No complaints here, and the IPA fan (the other half of this mysterious "we" I keep referring to) who I was sharing this with gave it his seal of approval too. That means it's pretty legit.
Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale: Speaking of Ben Franklin... this was a very interesting beer. I can't say if it was good or bad so much as interesting because it tasted exactly like a spruce tree smells. I love trees and all but I'm not entirely sure a beer should taste like liquid tree. The verdict is still out. Definitely a strong flavor though, so if you have any sort of spruce-sensitivity, don't go near this.
General Washington's Tavern Porter: This was a good porter. Nothing so strong tasting that it knocked me over or startled me, but definitely not a boring beer, either. Count me a fan.
After faffing about for a while in the city, we went to a Halloween party, to which I brought a variety twelve pack of Butternuts brews. I'd previously tried the Moo Thunder (great) and Pork Slap Pale Ale (also very good), and I figured Halloween is all about fun, silly, weird things, so why not get beers in goofy looking cans with ridiculous names? I would be driving to the D.C. area later that night, so I just stuck to trying the two I hadn't already had.
Heinnieweisse: What's not to love about a beer called named heinnie? Well, I guess that's an exaggeration. I liked this beer, don't get me wrong, but I didn't love it. It's a decent hefeweizen but nothing particularly remarkable about it (though as we've been discussing lately, sometimes that's ok).
Snapperhead IPA: This was not good, and it wasn't even the hops that bothered me. In fact, it wasn't that hoppy at all, it was just super sweet and weird tasting. I liked their other beers, especially the first two I tried, but not really this one. And all of the other IPA fans in the room didn't like it either, so it's not just me and my immature taste for the style.
Some winners, some losers, some in-betweeners, but as always, excellent adventures in beer and in life.
Paul: 300
Colleen: 317
He may or may not have actually said that, but it's still pretty amusing, and an appropriate way to open this entry since I spent a chunk of my weekend in and around Philadelphia, and tried a few new beers while I was at it (two thirds of them were even brewed in Philly!). It was nice to see some of the historic sites that I last saw on elementary school field trips, and just to walk around a different city. Nice change of pace. After visiting the Liberty Bell and Ben Franklin's grave, we wandered over to Yards Brewing Company to taste the local brews, sharing pints of the following:
Love Stout: Good stuff. This was nice and lightweight, like Guinness (I know some people find that statement to be completely ludicrous but it's true). Straightforward and smooth.
IPA: Good. Straightforward. No complaints here, and the IPA fan (the other half of this mysterious "we" I keep referring to) who I was sharing this with gave it his seal of approval too. That means it's pretty legit.
Poor Richard's Tavern Spruce Ale: Speaking of Ben Franklin... this was a very interesting beer. I can't say if it was good or bad so much as interesting because it tasted exactly like a spruce tree smells. I love trees and all but I'm not entirely sure a beer should taste like liquid tree. The verdict is still out. Definitely a strong flavor though, so if you have any sort of spruce-sensitivity, don't go near this.
General Washington's Tavern Porter: This was a good porter. Nothing so strong tasting that it knocked me over or startled me, but definitely not a boring beer, either. Count me a fan.
After faffing about for a while in the city, we went to a Halloween party, to which I brought a variety twelve pack of Butternuts brews. I'd previously tried the Moo Thunder (great) and Pork Slap Pale Ale (also very good), and I figured Halloween is all about fun, silly, weird things, so why not get beers in goofy looking cans with ridiculous names? I would be driving to the D.C. area later that night, so I just stuck to trying the two I hadn't already had.
Heinnieweisse: What's not to love about a beer called named heinnie? Well, I guess that's an exaggeration. I liked this beer, don't get me wrong, but I didn't love it. It's a decent hefeweizen but nothing particularly remarkable about it (though as we've been discussing lately, sometimes that's ok).
Snapperhead IPA: This was not good, and it wasn't even the hops that bothered me. In fact, it wasn't that hoppy at all, it was just super sweet and weird tasting. I liked their other beers, especially the first two I tried, but not really this one. And all of the other IPA fans in the room didn't like it either, so it's not just me and my immature taste for the style.
Some winners, some losers, some in-betweeners, but as always, excellent adventures in beer and in life.
Paul: 300
Colleen: 317
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