Outer Banks. Local-ish beers (North Carolina, at least):
Natty Greene's Buckshot Amber Ale: Not super crazy about this. It's a little sweet, but just doesn't seem particularly balanced or interesting. Just not really worth the effort.
Natty Greene's Pale Ale: This one, on the other hand, is pretty good. Maybe I've just gotten well into hoppy beers at this point in my life, maybe it's because this is nicely hoppy and refreshing in the heat and humidity of Duck, North Carolina, or maybe it's just good. I think that. I can't say it's much besides hoppy, but it was well received by a group of people who typically prefer hoppy beers.
Highland Oatmeal Porter: GOOD STUFF. I like that beers with oatmeal involved are generally pleasant and not too strongly flavored like anything but stout (or in this case, porter). This was delightful. Malty but balanced, smooth but interesting. Definitely a winner. I'd do this again or recommend it to others who like dark beers (or perhaps even those who are still conflicted in their feelings toward darker beers; Mike, who wrinkles his nose in an epic way to most of my black-paint beers besides Guinness, liked this).
I saw Paul and his awesome wife at a wedding last weekend. Congratulations, Tyler and Christie! We drank a lot of your Yuengling. Paul keeps promising he'll tell us all about Dogfish Head...
Showing posts with label pale ale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pale ale. Show all posts
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Genius.
When I went to edit the last post, I found this as a draft that I never posted. My bad. Originally dated October 19, 2011--
I have clever and lovely friends.
Last night, my friend and former office mate Irene hosted a dinner for a few of the geograph-tastic women at Rutgers to celebrate my Masters and our friend Purba's PhD. Debby and Ali also joined us, and brought beer.
They brought Negra Modelo because it's Mexican (in honor of my work in Mexico), but honestly, that's my favorite Mexican beer. I enjoyed it immensely while doing my field work in Quintana Roo, and I may have enjoyed it just as much, if not more, now that I'm well on the other side of that fieldwork.
The other beer they brought was Lakefront Brewery's Rendezvous, a delightful Biere de Garde, or beer for keeping. The real reason they got it was because it said GENIUS down the side of the bottle. It's part of Lakefront's Pure Milwaukee Genius Series, which I can't say I know much else about, but it was pretty awesome to pour out some good beer from a bottle labelled "Genius". I felt clever. Actually, I was just really impressed with how clever Ali and Debby are. But anyway, good beer. Debby volunteered to share it with me, and since neither of us are picky about beer being especially cold, we drank it a hair colder than room temperature. It's probably better a bit cooler than that, but it was really good as was. I was deeply pleased with how flavorful it was without being too strong or overwhelming-- as a commoner in the beer world, I couldn't even begin to pick out the flavors on this one. No one thing stuck out. It was just good. Interesting. And very good. A very fine beer with which to celebrate.
And so, I'm a Master of Science. Dr. Purba tried a little, but she doesn't really drink so I mostly enjoyed the beers. I am extremely grateful to all of the good friends and good beers that have gotten me to this point.
I have clever and lovely friends.
Last night, my friend and former office mate Irene hosted a dinner for a few of the geograph-tastic women at Rutgers to celebrate my Masters and our friend Purba's PhD. Debby and Ali also joined us, and brought beer.
They brought Negra Modelo because it's Mexican (in honor of my work in Mexico), but honestly, that's my favorite Mexican beer. I enjoyed it immensely while doing my field work in Quintana Roo, and I may have enjoyed it just as much, if not more, now that I'm well on the other side of that fieldwork.
The other beer they brought was Lakefront Brewery's Rendezvous, a delightful Biere de Garde, or beer for keeping. The real reason they got it was because it said GENIUS down the side of the bottle. It's part of Lakefront's Pure Milwaukee Genius Series, which I can't say I know much else about, but it was pretty awesome to pour out some good beer from a bottle labelled "Genius". I felt clever. Actually, I was just really impressed with how clever Ali and Debby are. But anyway, good beer. Debby volunteered to share it with me, and since neither of us are picky about beer being especially cold, we drank it a hair colder than room temperature. It's probably better a bit cooler than that, but it was really good as was. I was deeply pleased with how flavorful it was without being too strong or overwhelming-- as a commoner in the beer world, I couldn't even begin to pick out the flavors on this one. No one thing stuck out. It was just good. Interesting. And very good. A very fine beer with which to celebrate.
And so, I'm a Master of Science. Dr. Purba tried a little, but she doesn't really drink so I mostly enjoyed the beers. I am extremely grateful to all of the good friends and good beers that have gotten me to this point.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Hello again!
A summer under contract, a week without power and a two week roadtrip later, I'm back and have a few beers to share with you! Hope you have been well. I assure you that Paul is also alive, and probably even has a few beers to share. I'll do this in installments. Today's goes along with the pile of updates about my recent travels around the US. While my roadtrip companions searched for good gift shops to bring nice things back to their family and friends, I prefer to mark my travels by learning about new trees and trying new beers. My apologies to my family and friends. I do love you. Now I just know where to take you for a good beer should we ever travel together!
In Nashville
Yazoo Pale Ale: Really, really, really hoppy, bordering on tasting like a bouquet of flowers. So dry. My European friends did not like this at all. I liked it the more I drank. Very refreshing, smooth finish but holy hops, Batman.
Yazoo Dos Perros: Pretty malt-heavy brown ale. It was ok. I wonder if Yazoo does middle ground on the bitter to sweet spectrum of things? By the two I tasted, the answer is no.
Blues Brew: I can't find anything about this beer but I don't care. It wasn't about the beer, but where I had it. The beer was fine, whatever, kind of like an amber ale I guess, who cares. The BB King Blues Club was awesome. I've said it before, I know it's awesome because it's touristy, but I DON'T CARE. It's SO good! So whatever, I had a beer, got to keep the glass, beer was adequate, music was superb.
In Memphis
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan: Hearing the name made me think of pie, but that's not how it was. This was a pretty lightweight beer and I didn't get much pecan or nut flavor at all, just a plain brown ale. This was fine under the circumstances, the circumstances being that I was on Beale Street in Memphis, which gets closed off by police so you can just wander around with beer and listen to incredible blues bands. I was pretty overstimulated as it was, so I was happy to drink a relatively plain local beer at that moment.
In Chicago
Half Acre Daisy Cutter: Another very hoppy pale ale, but it was good. One of my travel buddies said it tasted like green tea. I'd disagree, but definitely had some kind of very fresh flavor going on... almost like grass, if that makes any sense. This has a very strong flavor but a very clean finish. I liked it. (Remember when I used to hate hoppy beers? I would have hated this beer once upon a time...)
Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale: After some deliberation, this was my second beer at Miller's Pub in the Windy City, mostly so I could compare two local pale ales. This was definitely a less severe pale ale, but still plenty hoppy and pale. I think I liked this one more because the first sip didn't completely punch me in the face. Still good though.
In West Virginia but not a local beer
Coopers Best Extra Stout: Not local as in Australia... but this was good. A little sweet, but good. I do love stout. It was like a sweeter Guinness. Very smooth and no particularly strong flavors that you sometimes find in stouts. Just stout.
Good roadtrip (3225 miles) and good beers (just these and a few assorted Miller Lights and Yuenglings).
In Nashville
Yazoo Pale Ale: Really, really, really hoppy, bordering on tasting like a bouquet of flowers. So dry. My European friends did not like this at all. I liked it the more I drank. Very refreshing, smooth finish but holy hops, Batman.
Yazoo Dos Perros: Pretty malt-heavy brown ale. It was ok. I wonder if Yazoo does middle ground on the bitter to sweet spectrum of things? By the two I tasted, the answer is no.
Blues Brew: I can't find anything about this beer but I don't care. It wasn't about the beer, but where I had it. The beer was fine, whatever, kind of like an amber ale I guess, who cares. The BB King Blues Club was awesome. I've said it before, I know it's awesome because it's touristy, but I DON'T CARE. It's SO good! So whatever, I had a beer, got to keep the glass, beer was adequate, music was superb.
In Memphis
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan: Hearing the name made me think of pie, but that's not how it was. This was a pretty lightweight beer and I didn't get much pecan or nut flavor at all, just a plain brown ale. This was fine under the circumstances, the circumstances being that I was on Beale Street in Memphis, which gets closed off by police so you can just wander around with beer and listen to incredible blues bands. I was pretty overstimulated as it was, so I was happy to drink a relatively plain local beer at that moment.
In Chicago
Half Acre Daisy Cutter: Another very hoppy pale ale, but it was good. One of my travel buddies said it tasted like green tea. I'd disagree, but definitely had some kind of very fresh flavor going on... almost like grass, if that makes any sense. This has a very strong flavor but a very clean finish. I liked it. (Remember when I used to hate hoppy beers? I would have hated this beer once upon a time...)
Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale: After some deliberation, this was my second beer at Miller's Pub in the Windy City, mostly so I could compare two local pale ales. This was definitely a less severe pale ale, but still plenty hoppy and pale. I think I liked this one more because the first sip didn't completely punch me in the face. Still good though.
In West Virginia but not a local beer
Coopers Best Extra Stout: Not local as in Australia... but this was good. A little sweet, but good. I do love stout. It was like a sweeter Guinness. Very smooth and no particularly strong flavors that you sometimes find in stouts. Just stout.
Good roadtrip (3225 miles) and good beers (just these and a few assorted Miller Lights and Yuenglings).
Thursday, June 23, 2011
summer arrived fast
I can't believe it's already been a year since I went dry under contract at Johnsonburg last; while my contract has not yet been written, I'll be respecting those rules again and fasting from beer as of tomorrow. I've had a few new brews in the past couple of weeks, and thought I'd share--
Unibroue's Terrible: The irony of the name was enough to purchase this. Noah and I split it; it was anything but terrible. Really nice, interesting dark ale. Not too heavy, not too light, very drinkable but definitely a little different. I approve.
Dogfish Head Theobroma: We all know I love me some Dogfish Head, and this did not disappoint, but it also didn't quite live up to the hype, as far as I'm concerned. I've been stalking this bottle since I missed its last release more than six months ago. I was excited to find it. It's definitely got a lot of spice in its flavor but it wasn't what I expected, with ingredients such as cocoa and chiles listed. I didn't really taste either of those. It wasn't a boring drink by any means, just not quite what I was expecting given the description. Not my favorite Dogfish Head but definitely good.
Rogue's Somer Orange Honey Ale: I find Rogue to be hit or miss. This was probably a miss in that it was just super boring. I barely tasted honey and didn't really get any orange. It just came off as a plain boring ale, not even interesting for being a wheat beer. I was disappointed, since there were interesting and different things in the title. Oh well. At least Rogue isn't super expensive, and the hits are generally worth it (Chipotle Ale!).
Founders' Cherise: This was kinda bizzare. The fruit flavor was subtle, but it was very sweet and very tart at the same time. It was very interesting, but I don't need to repeat it. Then again, I'm not huge on fruit beers.
So, that's it until the end of August or beginning of September, assuming we get around to writing me a contract... staff training starts tomorrow though. It will be a busy summer as I serve as the program assistant at camp, but I hope to post a few things about beer that don't involve me drinking it. Now taking suggestions for what I should drink in September. I need to hunt down a bottle or two of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute to save till then (it was rereleased last week or so!)... what else?
Unibroue's Terrible: The irony of the name was enough to purchase this. Noah and I split it; it was anything but terrible. Really nice, interesting dark ale. Not too heavy, not too light, very drinkable but definitely a little different. I approve.
Dogfish Head Theobroma: We all know I love me some Dogfish Head, and this did not disappoint, but it also didn't quite live up to the hype, as far as I'm concerned. I've been stalking this bottle since I missed its last release more than six months ago. I was excited to find it. It's definitely got a lot of spice in its flavor but it wasn't what I expected, with ingredients such as cocoa and chiles listed. I didn't really taste either of those. It wasn't a boring drink by any means, just not quite what I was expecting given the description. Not my favorite Dogfish Head but definitely good.
Rogue's Somer Orange Honey Ale: I find Rogue to be hit or miss. This was probably a miss in that it was just super boring. I barely tasted honey and didn't really get any orange. It just came off as a plain boring ale, not even interesting for being a wheat beer. I was disappointed, since there were interesting and different things in the title. Oh well. At least Rogue isn't super expensive, and the hits are generally worth it (Chipotle Ale!).
Founders' Cherise: This was kinda bizzare. The fruit flavor was subtle, but it was very sweet and very tart at the same time. It was very interesting, but I don't need to repeat it. Then again, I'm not huge on fruit beers.
So, that's it until the end of August or beginning of September, assuming we get around to writing me a contract... staff training starts tomorrow though. It will be a busy summer as I serve as the program assistant at camp, but I hope to post a few things about beer that don't involve me drinking it. Now taking suggestions for what I should drink in September. I need to hunt down a bottle or two of Dogfish Head's 120 Minute to save till then (it was rereleased last week or so!)... what else?
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
a-round in Virginia
So, thesis defense down does not equal slowing down. A week later, I was in Virginia. For the past few years, I have done the Muddy Buddy with a friend in the Richmond area. This spring would be my third. But, as always, visiting Virginia involved catching up with several friends... often over a beer or few.
Firestone Walker's Reserve Porter: From Taylor's fridge. It was nice and dark and heavy, with a strong coffee flavor.
On Friday evening, Taylor and I met up with Paul, Laura, Matt and others to go to Bier Baron, formerly known as Brickskeller. It's amazing to me how Bier Baron has scaled back the beer menu, and there are still over 500 options. This was a combination celebration of my successful defense, Matt's successful completion of his Masters work and a DBF staff meeting. Paul did try new beers. Maybe he'll even write about them. In the meantime, here's what I had--
Sam Adams Rustic Saison: I found this satisfying. Despite being see-through, I actually quite like the saison/ farmhouse style. They're refreshing. This was precisely that, a nice clean drink. This would be great on a hot day; that Friday was surprisingly cool out. This saison didn't have any particularly strong tastes to it, just a simple, refreshing beer.
Unibroue Maudite: A Quebecois beer that Paul and I both tried. "Strong dark Belgian ale" is not necessarily my favorite style. It kinda had a sweet fruity thing going on, but didn't taste like a particular kind of fruit to me. I don't know. My notes on this don't have much to say, and I don't remember much about it, and I think that sums this beer up just fine. It wasn't bad, just not really memorable or impressive.
Weyerbacher Heresy: Now we're talking. Russian Imperial Stout. This one tastes like a car bomb. It was nice and heavy and very smooth. Pleasant. I liked it. Not too sweet, not too strong or bitter. Good Imperial Stout.
After that, Paul ordered me a car bomb, and I'm still not sure why. It was delicious, but I can't drink fast enough to really enjoy these, although this time I managed to only leave a sip or two to curdle. It was great to see everyone, and really great to celebrate Matt's and my masters.
So, the Muddy Buddy is really awesome, but a nice perk at the end is the beer garden, sponsored by Red Hook. This year they served Copper Hook, a red/amber something. It was a bit hoppier than something like Killian's but really refreshing and crisp after the intense workout. Nothing fancy about it. It's very drinkable.
Sunday evening, after a long shower, Taylor and I met Justin and Deb to have dinner at Capital Alehouse in downtown Richmond. It was great to catch up with them since they were kind of busy the last time I saw them (at their wedding). Taylor ordered Laughing Dog Crotch Sniffing Bastard for its name alone. While choosing beers for their funny names often leads to interesting discoveries, neither of us enjoyed this one (I finished it for him just so I could add it to the list). I mean, it was light and beery, but it had some kind of weird sweet funk to it, both in smell and taste. Kind of like how moldy fruit smells-- kind of sweet and kind of weird, and then you see the fuzz and realize "weird" is actually "gross". Yeah. Maybe it was a bad bottle, or maybe I wouldn't recommend this.
I got New Holland Golden Cap Saison. Another fresh tasting beer. Slight citrusy something going on, but just pleasant and refreshing.
As usual, if I go to Virginia, I stay there for a few extra days. On Tuesday, I met up with my good friend Becky for an afternoon stroll, and we along with her husband Dana met Taylor at Lost Dog Cafe, where the food is amazing. The unpregnant 3/4 of the group ordered DC Brau's Pale Ale, which was far hoppier than I expected... bitterness verging on IPA. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected.
My final beer for this jaunt to Virginia was Dogfish Head's Hellhound, kindly purchased for me by Becky and Dana, perhaps in celebration of my victory of the aforementioned thesis defense. Another beer in honor of an awesome musician? Ok! Dogfish Head again did not disappoint. While billed as excessively hoppy, I didn't think it was offensively so
Firestone Walker's Reserve Porter: From Taylor's fridge. It was nice and dark and heavy, with a strong coffee flavor.
On Friday evening, Taylor and I met up with Paul, Laura, Matt and others to go to Bier Baron, formerly known as Brickskeller. It's amazing to me how Bier Baron has scaled back the beer menu, and there are still over 500 options. This was a combination celebration of my successful defense, Matt's successful completion of his Masters work and a DBF staff meeting. Paul did try new beers. Maybe he'll even write about them. In the meantime, here's what I had--
Sam Adams Rustic Saison: I found this satisfying. Despite being see-through, I actually quite like the saison/ farmhouse style. They're refreshing. This was precisely that, a nice clean drink. This would be great on a hot day; that Friday was surprisingly cool out. This saison didn't have any particularly strong tastes to it, just a simple, refreshing beer.
Unibroue Maudite: A Quebecois beer that Paul and I both tried. "Strong dark Belgian ale" is not necessarily my favorite style. It kinda had a sweet fruity thing going on, but didn't taste like a particular kind of fruit to me. I don't know. My notes on this don't have much to say, and I don't remember much about it, and I think that sums this beer up just fine. It wasn't bad, just not really memorable or impressive.
Weyerbacher Heresy: Now we're talking. Russian Imperial Stout. This one tastes like a car bomb. It was nice and heavy and very smooth. Pleasant. I liked it. Not too sweet, not too strong or bitter. Good Imperial Stout.
After that, Paul ordered me a car bomb, and I'm still not sure why. It was delicious, but I can't drink fast enough to really enjoy these, although this time I managed to only leave a sip or two to curdle. It was great to see everyone, and really great to celebrate Matt's and my masters.
So, the Muddy Buddy is really awesome, but a nice perk at the end is the beer garden, sponsored by Red Hook. This year they served Copper Hook, a red/amber something. It was a bit hoppier than something like Killian's but really refreshing and crisp after the intense workout. Nothing fancy about it. It's very drinkable.
Sunday evening, after a long shower, Taylor and I met Justin and Deb to have dinner at Capital Alehouse in downtown Richmond. It was great to catch up with them since they were kind of busy the last time I saw them (at their wedding). Taylor ordered Laughing Dog Crotch Sniffing Bastard for its name alone. While choosing beers for their funny names often leads to interesting discoveries, neither of us enjoyed this one (I finished it for him just so I could add it to the list). I mean, it was light and beery, but it had some kind of weird sweet funk to it, both in smell and taste. Kind of like how moldy fruit smells-- kind of sweet and kind of weird, and then you see the fuzz and realize "weird" is actually "gross". Yeah. Maybe it was a bad bottle, or maybe I wouldn't recommend this.
I got New Holland Golden Cap Saison. Another fresh tasting beer. Slight citrusy something going on, but just pleasant and refreshing.
As usual, if I go to Virginia, I stay there for a few extra days. On Tuesday, I met up with my good friend Becky for an afternoon stroll, and we along with her husband Dana met Taylor at Lost Dog Cafe, where the food is amazing. The unpregnant 3/4 of the group ordered DC Brau's Pale Ale, which was far hoppier than I expected... bitterness verging on IPA. It wasn't bad, just not what I expected.
My final beer for this jaunt to Virginia was Dogfish Head's Hellhound, kindly purchased for me by Becky and Dana, perhaps in celebration of my victory of the aforementioned thesis defense. Another beer in honor of an awesome musician? Ok! Dogfish Head again did not disappoint. While billed as excessively hoppy, I didn't think it was offensively so
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!
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...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
New Year
With all this freezing weather, I feel like my beer tasting has been on ice - bad pun intended. I've got a few more beers from Christmas to try, so those reviews will be up soon. The bottles are just 24+ oz, so I want to be able to try them with a group. Perhaps we can break them out the next time Colleen and I get together?
I've been rather busy with work lately. I'm about to go into a more formal review process of my work, so I've been spending a lot of time with a mentor to help get my work product to a better level. Not that I am in trouble at work, it's actually the opposite. I'm extremely grateful to have prospects move my career forward. Once this is all over, I need to buy said mentor a beer.
Cains Dark Mild: This was a rather dark ale with a mild taste. I thought it was well balanced and got a nice malt flavor from the beer.
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: This was quite an experience. I like Imperial Stouts. This had a head that definitely had a chocolate malt flavor. There was also a distinct coffee malt flavor. It's not a beer to be reckoned with as it weighs in at 9.5% alcohol by volume. The hop characteristic was quite interesting, as it added to the bee'rs flavor without overpowering the best parts of an Imperial Stout (the malts).
The following beers were a gift from my friend Matt. We split the bottles, which makes for a nice tasting. Add in some pizza, and you've got a relaxing Friday night.
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye: I tried Terrapin Rye Pale Ale a few weeks ago. After trying this beer, I decided to give a beer with rye based malt another shot. I enjoyed this more than the Terrapin. It was a strong pale ale, and the rye gave it a nice malt flavor to the strong aroma of hops.
Bear Republic Racer 5: Contrary to the rate beer ratings, I thought this was a pedestrian pale ale. It didn't do anything wrong, nor did it do anything that outright impressed me. It's your standard pale ale - medium in color with a bitter hop taste.
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale: This beer had quite an interesting taste to go along with it's long winded name. The bottle states that the beer is brewed with hops, hops, and more hops. This was quite bitter on contact, but got sweet during the after taste. It's interesting how one can affect a beer in a variety of ways using hops, and this beer is a good example of that.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 355
Paul -329
Cheers,
Paul
I've been rather busy with work lately. I'm about to go into a more formal review process of my work, so I've been spending a lot of time with a mentor to help get my work product to a better level. Not that I am in trouble at work, it's actually the opposite. I'm extremely grateful to have prospects move my career forward. Once this is all over, I need to buy said mentor a beer.
Cains Dark Mild: This was a rather dark ale with a mild taste. I thought it was well balanced and got a nice malt flavor from the beer.
Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout: This was quite an experience. I like Imperial Stouts. This had a head that definitely had a chocolate malt flavor. There was also a distinct coffee malt flavor. It's not a beer to be reckoned with as it weighs in at 9.5% alcohol by volume. The hop characteristic was quite interesting, as it added to the bee'rs flavor without overpowering the best parts of an Imperial Stout (the malts).
The following beers were a gift from my friend Matt. We split the bottles, which makes for a nice tasting. Add in some pizza, and you've got a relaxing Friday night.
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye: I tried Terrapin Rye Pale Ale a few weeks ago. After trying this beer, I decided to give a beer with rye based malt another shot. I enjoyed this more than the Terrapin. It was a strong pale ale, and the rye gave it a nice malt flavor to the strong aroma of hops.
Bear Republic Racer 5: Contrary to the rate beer ratings, I thought this was a pedestrian pale ale. It didn't do anything wrong, nor did it do anything that outright impressed me. It's your standard pale ale - medium in color with a bitter hop taste.
Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale: This beer had quite an interesting taste to go along with it's long winded name. The bottle states that the beer is brewed with hops, hops, and more hops. This was quite bitter on contact, but got sweet during the after taste. It's interesting how one can affect a beer in a variety of ways using hops, and this beer is a good example of that.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 355
Paul -329
Cheers,
Paul
Friday, December 24, 2010
Holidays '10 - Part 1
For many of us, this will be a hectic Holiday season. In that spirit, I will keep this post simple and to the point. I'd like to wish you all Happy Holidays. I'd also like to wish my dear beer friend a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully, I can close her lead down to 20 before the new year begins...
Great Lakes Eliot Ness: One of the more enjoyable beers that I've had in the past month. This amber lager was very, very smooth. The caramel hops really came out in the flavor, and were well balanced with the hops. I've heard many excellent reviews of Great Lakes brewing, and this certainly lived up to those expectations.
River Horse Belgian Freeze Winter Ale: This was a rather mediocre winter brew. It's style is related to Trappist beers, which really aren't my thing. I thought the beer, which had a nice amber hue, was a bit sweet. The alcohol was moderately high. Overall, I'd probably avoid this in the future, but if Belgian styles are your preference this is worth giving a shot.
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale: The interesting part about this beer comes down to the rye in the recipe - hence, the name. If you like hops or are an IPA junkie, this is worth giving a shot. I think the rye malt helped balance the hops out well.
Peak Organic Pale Ale: If you look at the review on ratebeer, you will notice that this beer got a rather low rating. I greatly disagree with the review there. I thought this is how a pale ale should taste. There was a pleasant after taste that really persisted. When purchasing the bottle, I worried it might be underrated due to the buzz word organic in the name. I was wrong. If you like pale ales or IPAs, try this.
Peak Organic Nut Brown Ale: Unlike its sibling, this beer does not do much for me. It came across as being rather underwhelming. In this case, the term organic was more of a marketing buzz word than an indication of quality.
Ommegang Three Philosophers: This beer is a blend of a malty, Belgian style ale and a classic cherry ale. The Belgian ale accounts for 98% of the volume, and the cherry ale accounts for the remaining 2%. The cherries are quite present in the taste, but by no means is this Kool-Aid for adults. Like a lot of Belgian style ales, the yeast is still present in the bottle and gives a fruity aroma to the beer as well. This would make a good beer for a few friends to try.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 317
Cheers,
Paul
Great Lakes Eliot Ness: One of the more enjoyable beers that I've had in the past month. This amber lager was very, very smooth. The caramel hops really came out in the flavor, and were well balanced with the hops. I've heard many excellent reviews of Great Lakes brewing, and this certainly lived up to those expectations.
River Horse Belgian Freeze Winter Ale: This was a rather mediocre winter brew. It's style is related to Trappist beers, which really aren't my thing. I thought the beer, which had a nice amber hue, was a bit sweet. The alcohol was moderately high. Overall, I'd probably avoid this in the future, but if Belgian styles are your preference this is worth giving a shot.
Terrapin Rye Pale Ale: The interesting part about this beer comes down to the rye in the recipe - hence, the name. If you like hops or are an IPA junkie, this is worth giving a shot. I think the rye malt helped balance the hops out well.
Peak Organic Pale Ale: If you look at the review on ratebeer, you will notice that this beer got a rather low rating. I greatly disagree with the review there. I thought this is how a pale ale should taste. There was a pleasant after taste that really persisted. When purchasing the bottle, I worried it might be underrated due to the buzz word organic in the name. I was wrong. If you like pale ales or IPAs, try this.
Peak Organic Nut Brown Ale: Unlike its sibling, this beer does not do much for me. It came across as being rather underwhelming. In this case, the term organic was more of a marketing buzz word than an indication of quality.
Ommegang Three Philosophers: This beer is a blend of a malty, Belgian style ale and a classic cherry ale. The Belgian ale accounts for 98% of the volume, and the cherry ale accounts for the remaining 2%. The cherries are quite present in the taste, but by no means is this Kool-Aid for adults. Like a lot of Belgian style ales, the yeast is still present in the bottle and gives a fruity aroma to the beer as well. This would make a good beer for a few friends to try.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 317
Cheers,
Paul
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
Thursday, December 9, 2010
geography beer!
I mentioned that I had picked up a beer with Cheryl in mind, to thank her and her husband Gurzo for allowing me to live with them part time (most Monday nights I can be found in their home). That beer was Pangaea, which I was immediately attracted to for two reasons: its geographic theme, and its Dogfish Head label. I read the label in the store and saw its mention of crystallized ginger, and thought back to Left Hand's Good Juju that Cheryl and I totally adored early in the summer. So I bought it, as a gift, not even meaning for Cheryl to share it with me, but ever sweet and thoughtful, she did.
Dogfish Head's Pangaea was not at all what I expected, with a far more subtle ginger taste than anticipated. It has some spices in its flavor but doesn't cover up how clean and refreshing this pale ale tasted (possibly due in part to the image of it being brewed using water from Antarctica). Overall, I liked it. My favorite Dogfish Head is still probably one of the stouts (perhaps the other majorly geographically themed World Wide Stout), but this is a really nice beer, and I imagine it goes well with food because it doesn't have a particularly overwhelming flavor. Its unoffensive nature (both in flavor and in the theme of bringing the world together) makes it a good beer to share, too.
Colleen: 334
Paul: 306 (plus a few that he's been meaning to share...)
Dogfish Head's Pangaea was not at all what I expected, with a far more subtle ginger taste than anticipated. It has some spices in its flavor but doesn't cover up how clean and refreshing this pale ale tasted (possibly due in part to the image of it being brewed using water from Antarctica). Overall, I liked it. My favorite Dogfish Head is still probably one of the stouts (perhaps the other majorly geographically themed World Wide Stout), but this is a really nice beer, and I imagine it goes well with food because it doesn't have a particularly overwhelming flavor. Its unoffensive nature (both in flavor and in the theme of bringing the world together) makes it a good beer to share, too.
Colleen: 334
Paul: 306 (plus a few that he's been meaning to share...)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Thanks for the beers!
Thanksgiving is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday of the year. Good company, good food, plenty to be thankful for. This year I was thrilled to join some of my fellow Rutgers Graduate Geographers for a dinner on Tuesday evening in addition to my family's awesome celebration on Thursday.
On Tuesday, I had the sheer joy of eating stuffing for the first time in about seven years. I've been a vegetarian since then, and most stuffing is made using various meat stocks, etc. A fellow veggie did some label reading and discovered that Stovetop's pork stuffing mix is made without any sort of meat product! So making it without adding any sort of meat product means it's veggie friendly, and basically the highlight of my Tuesday. Also an integral part of the lovely evening hosted by Jennifer and Jeff: the beverages. Grad students need to relax sometimes. Jeff kindly shared with me a Lord Chesterfield (from Yuengling), which is basically like Yuengling lager plus hops. Definitely not the most impressive pale ale around, but definitely straightforward, enjoyable and generally awesome for its price.
On Thursday I traveled through the sleet and rain (sounds dramatic but really wasn't) to my uncle's house in northern NJ, where 25 people were gathered for a wonderful afternoon and evening. Aside from Thanksgiving, we were also celebrating my cousin Sean's recent engagement (congratulations!) with some bubbly, but there was also plenty of beer. I didn't actually have much (despite my uncle's knowledge of my efforts to constantly try new beers-- he's been saving some random ones for me in the past few weeks... I guess I'll have to visit him again soon since I didn't delve into those), but did try Brooklyn Brewery's Winter Ale. I thought it was pretty good, definitely a warm flavor, not too sweet or strong in any way. Got some hint of spice, somewhat akin to Sam Adam's Winter Lager but less sweet. It was nice.
I had Magic Hat's Circus Boy with dinner though. Old favorite. Very good. Love my hefeweizens.
Paul and I might be meeting up later because we're both in the same county right now. Perhaps we'll find a new beer to celebrate the imminent one year anniversary of this blog? But in the meantime:
Colleen: 331
Paul: 306 (though I know he has a partially written post saved... so that number does not reflect reality)
On Tuesday, I had the sheer joy of eating stuffing for the first time in about seven years. I've been a vegetarian since then, and most stuffing is made using various meat stocks, etc. A fellow veggie did some label reading and discovered that Stovetop's pork stuffing mix is made without any sort of meat product! So making it without adding any sort of meat product means it's veggie friendly, and basically the highlight of my Tuesday. Also an integral part of the lovely evening hosted by Jennifer and Jeff: the beverages. Grad students need to relax sometimes. Jeff kindly shared with me a Lord Chesterfield (from Yuengling), which is basically like Yuengling lager plus hops. Definitely not the most impressive pale ale around, but definitely straightforward, enjoyable and generally awesome for its price.
On Thursday I traveled through the sleet and rain (sounds dramatic but really wasn't) to my uncle's house in northern NJ, where 25 people were gathered for a wonderful afternoon and evening. Aside from Thanksgiving, we were also celebrating my cousin Sean's recent engagement (congratulations!) with some bubbly, but there was also plenty of beer. I didn't actually have much (despite my uncle's knowledge of my efforts to constantly try new beers-- he's been saving some random ones for me in the past few weeks... I guess I'll have to visit him again soon since I didn't delve into those), but did try Brooklyn Brewery's Winter Ale. I thought it was pretty good, definitely a warm flavor, not too sweet or strong in any way. Got some hint of spice, somewhat akin to Sam Adam's Winter Lager but less sweet. It was nice.
I had Magic Hat's Circus Boy with dinner though. Old favorite. Very good. Love my hefeweizens.
Paul and I might be meeting up later because we're both in the same county right now. Perhaps we'll find a new beer to celebrate the imminent one year anniversary of this blog? But in the meantime:
Colleen: 331
Paul: 306 (though I know he has a partially written post saved... so that number does not reflect reality)
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
seals of approval
Paul summed up Mad Fox Brewing Company nicely, but I'll sum it up further: AWESOME. If you're in the area, it's worth a visit. Beer: awesome. French fries: awesome (especially the curry sauce they serve with them!). Also awesome, and to clarify one point of Paul's: yes, they make everything except the mayo and ice cream, but the ice cream is made from their beer. Our server brought us a sample of ice cream made with their porter. Oh my goodness amazing.
Right, on to the part where I tell you how I felt about the beers in more words than "awesome":
Oatmeal Stout: Probably my favorite brew of the evening. It was served on cask, which I don't think I've experienced before, but basically means smoother and less carbonated (which to me is a stellar thing). This was already a very smooth beer, not super overwhelming but definitely anything but wimpy. I approve.
Porter: This was good as a beer and also as an ice cream (I've mentioned before in this blog the merits of a beer float-- Mad Fox totally killed two birds with one stone for me here). A little sweeter but a similar weight and feel to the stout. Awesome.
Punkinator: This is the pumpkin beer I have been waiting for. It was smooth and had all of the spices I loved without being stupidly sweet. There was that nice vegetable flavor without being overwhelmed by that pie flavor that should really only be found in pies. Awesome.
Saison: While not as mind-bogglingly incredible as the Saison du BUFF I recently tried, this was still a very crisp, clean beer, lightweight and a little lemony. I enjoyed it quite a bit, though it seemed slightly out of season (in that those flavors align better with summer than autumn, the beer tasted plenty fresh).
Wee Heavy: While initially super impressed with how not see-through it was, I was a little disappointed with how sweet it was. It wasn't bad, just wasn't my favorite beer ever. Paul's right, this one is for dessert.
Alt beer: You know, this one was a little disappointing. I had forgotten I tried it until Paul mentioned that we each tried six-- Taylor actually ordered this one but wasn't crazy about it either, so we shared it (thus surpassing the 4 oz requirement). It was just... boring. Forgettable. Not bad, I guess, just not awesome.
I was actually in Virginia for a wedding this past weekend, but as per usual, ventured out and visited as many people in the area as I could pack into one short weekend. I was going to do a separate post to review the rest of the new brews I tried, but then I realized there were only three, so I'll just tack 'em on here:
Bell's Best Brown Ale: This was quite good. Very smooth and a great example of what a malty beer should taste like. Enjoyed on a friend's back porch area on a cool fall day-- excellent.
Natty Bo: I tried this because a friend had bought a twelve pack and Taylor asked if I'd had it before, to which I had to answer... no. We all know I'm not crazy about light beers, but I can tolerate some (see here or here). However, this was dreadful. Ugh. Sorry Luke, thank you for the beer, but more for you, man.
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout: Whoa. Whoa. Well done, Founders. This was incredible. I think this puts a three way tie for first place for stouts in my life, alongside Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew and World Wide Stout. This beer was really, really, really strong, super dark, incredible. I could taste a hint of maple, not in a sweet offensive way, but nicely balanced with some other strong stouty flavors (chocolate and coffee). I had first learned of this beer in an article that the now infamous Taylor had sent to me, and then he found a bar in D.C. that served it. I approve (of both the beer and the boy who brought me to it).
Other seals of approval given: to Mad Fox, of Taylor by Paul, and of Paul's intention to finally regain the lead-- come on, I have a thesis to finish.
Colleen: 328
Paul: 306
Wait, PS: Upon returning to New Jersey on Monday, I did meet the usual suspects for a short while, where I ended up having New Jersey Brewing Co's Hudson Pale Ale because I love and had just returned to NJ. Gurzo really liked it, but I found it to be extremely mediocre. It was clean tasting and fine, but not super memorable. We have discussed lately though that sometimes that's ok. So I'm actually at 329.
Right, on to the part where I tell you how I felt about the beers in more words than "awesome":
Oatmeal Stout: Probably my favorite brew of the evening. It was served on cask, which I don't think I've experienced before, but basically means smoother and less carbonated (which to me is a stellar thing). This was already a very smooth beer, not super overwhelming but definitely anything but wimpy. I approve.
Porter: This was good as a beer and also as an ice cream (I've mentioned before in this blog the merits of a beer float-- Mad Fox totally killed two birds with one stone for me here). A little sweeter but a similar weight and feel to the stout. Awesome.
Punkinator: This is the pumpkin beer I have been waiting for. It was smooth and had all of the spices I loved without being stupidly sweet. There was that nice vegetable flavor without being overwhelmed by that pie flavor that should really only be found in pies. Awesome.
Saison: While not as mind-bogglingly incredible as the Saison du BUFF I recently tried, this was still a very crisp, clean beer, lightweight and a little lemony. I enjoyed it quite a bit, though it seemed slightly out of season (in that those flavors align better with summer than autumn, the beer tasted plenty fresh).
Wee Heavy: While initially super impressed with how not see-through it was, I was a little disappointed with how sweet it was. It wasn't bad, just wasn't my favorite beer ever. Paul's right, this one is for dessert.
Alt beer: You know, this one was a little disappointing. I had forgotten I tried it until Paul mentioned that we each tried six-- Taylor actually ordered this one but wasn't crazy about it either, so we shared it (thus surpassing the 4 oz requirement). It was just... boring. Forgettable. Not bad, I guess, just not awesome.
I was actually in Virginia for a wedding this past weekend, but as per usual, ventured out and visited as many people in the area as I could pack into one short weekend. I was going to do a separate post to review the rest of the new brews I tried, but then I realized there were only three, so I'll just tack 'em on here:
Bell's Best Brown Ale: This was quite good. Very smooth and a great example of what a malty beer should taste like. Enjoyed on a friend's back porch area on a cool fall day-- excellent.
Natty Bo: I tried this because a friend had bought a twelve pack and Taylor asked if I'd had it before, to which I had to answer... no. We all know I'm not crazy about light beers, but I can tolerate some (see here or here). However, this was dreadful. Ugh. Sorry Luke, thank you for the beer, but more for you, man.
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout: Whoa. Whoa. Well done, Founders. This was incredible. I think this puts a three way tie for first place for stouts in my life, alongside Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew and World Wide Stout. This beer was really, really, really strong, super dark, incredible. I could taste a hint of maple, not in a sweet offensive way, but nicely balanced with some other strong stouty flavors (chocolate and coffee). I had first learned of this beer in an article that the now infamous Taylor had sent to me, and then he found a bar in D.C. that served it. I approve (of both the beer and the boy who brought me to it).
Other seals of approval given: to Mad Fox, of Taylor by Paul, and of Paul's intention to finally regain the lead-- come on, I have a thesis to finish.
Colleen: 328
Paul: 306
Wait, PS: Upon returning to New Jersey on Monday, I did meet the usual suspects for a short while, where I ended up having New Jersey Brewing Co's Hudson Pale Ale because I love and had just returned to NJ. Gurzo really liked it, but I found it to be extremely mediocre. It was clean tasting and fine, but not super memorable. We have discussed lately though that sometimes that's ok. So I'm actually at 329.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Staff Meeting & A Double Date
On Friday night, Laura and I met Colleen and her new boyfriend, Taylor, at Mad Fox Brewing in Falls Church, VA. Despite my suspicions, traffic did no suck for our 5 PM meeting time. It was awesome to see Colleen and meet her boyfriend (he seems really cool). The beer, I thought, was worth the trip. They definitely did some things better than others, but that's typical of most brewers. The restaurant makes everything they serve (from local ingredients too) - with the lone exceptions being the mayo and ice cream. If you combine all of that with great people, little traffic, and a good conversation, it would be hard to create a better night.
I took a fair amount of ribbing for trailing Colleen in the count for so long. I've actually been having a lot of repeats (for several reasons), but this sparked me to try a lot more beers in the near future. Colleen and I both had samplers (4 beers at 4 oz a piece), plus we each tried two other beers a piece. We effectively prevented the other from getting a lead on the night; however, I am sure she has tried several more this weekend. Fortunately, I anticipated this and made two custom six packs at Total Wine - expect updates on those beers to come post haste. For now though, here are my reviews of Mad Fox's beers - expect Colleen to review some of these as well.
Mad Fox Oatmeal Stout: This was the first one I tried from the sampler, since I was told this was one of their best beers. The oatmeal stout was casked as opposed to kegged, which generally means less carbonation. I thought it was a nice, heavy oatmeal stout. I picked up the chocolate malt in the flavor.
Mad Fox Porter: Stouts and porters are closely related. Stouts tend to be heavier and have more malts, and porters tend to have a little more hop to them. To most people this would be splitting hairs, so you'll have to bear with me. That said, I thought this was a decent porter, but I liked the oatmeal stout more.
Mad Fox American Pale Ale: In Pale Ales, hops influence the flavor of the beer more than the malts. However, the balance isn't tipped as far as an IPA, for instance. When picking my four beers, I wanted two dark beers, a middle beer, and a light beer. This was my middle beer. I thought it was pretty pleasant. The hops came out more than the malts, but they weren't overwhelming.
Mad Fox Kolsch: I don't like Kolsch as a style. I often find them to be too light in color and taste. This beer pretty much fit it's style rather well. If Kolsch is your thing, it's mediocre. Otherwise, it does a pretty good job of clearing your palette before your next beer.
Mad Fox Wee Heavy: This beer is categorized as a Scotch Ale. Colleen thought it was sweet/sugary. I agreed there was a sweetness to the beer, but it didn't seem overly prevalent. The beer was served in a brandy sniffer. There was a slight fruit taste to it as well. It probably wouldn't be a bad dessert beer - if such a thing exists.
Mad Fox Alt: This beer was medium bodied and overall very forgettable. I seem to remember that neither Colleen or I were very impressed with this selection. There was very little hop flavor, and only a slight malt characteristic. Unfortunately, it came as an entire pint. In retrospect, I would have much preferred to have a pint of the oatmeal stout and a 4 oz of this.
I have some other beer reviews lying around (if I can find them all). I'll post them up later. I'd rather let a fun Friday night stand alone though.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 319 (expect at least another six since she matched me)
Paul - 306
Cheers,
Paul
I took a fair amount of ribbing for trailing Colleen in the count for so long. I've actually been having a lot of repeats (for several reasons), but this sparked me to try a lot more beers in the near future. Colleen and I both had samplers (4 beers at 4 oz a piece), plus we each tried two other beers a piece. We effectively prevented the other from getting a lead on the night; however, I am sure she has tried several more this weekend. Fortunately, I anticipated this and made two custom six packs at Total Wine - expect updates on those beers to come post haste. For now though, here are my reviews of Mad Fox's beers - expect Colleen to review some of these as well.
Mad Fox Oatmeal Stout: This was the first one I tried from the sampler, since I was told this was one of their best beers. The oatmeal stout was casked as opposed to kegged, which generally means less carbonation. I thought it was a nice, heavy oatmeal stout. I picked up the chocolate malt in the flavor.
Mad Fox Porter: Stouts and porters are closely related. Stouts tend to be heavier and have more malts, and porters tend to have a little more hop to them. To most people this would be splitting hairs, so you'll have to bear with me. That said, I thought this was a decent porter, but I liked the oatmeal stout more.
Mad Fox American Pale Ale: In Pale Ales, hops influence the flavor of the beer more than the malts. However, the balance isn't tipped as far as an IPA, for instance. When picking my four beers, I wanted two dark beers, a middle beer, and a light beer. This was my middle beer. I thought it was pretty pleasant. The hops came out more than the malts, but they weren't overwhelming.
Mad Fox Kolsch: I don't like Kolsch as a style. I often find them to be too light in color and taste. This beer pretty much fit it's style rather well. If Kolsch is your thing, it's mediocre. Otherwise, it does a pretty good job of clearing your palette before your next beer.
Mad Fox Wee Heavy: This beer is categorized as a Scotch Ale. Colleen thought it was sweet/sugary. I agreed there was a sweetness to the beer, but it didn't seem overly prevalent. The beer was served in a brandy sniffer. There was a slight fruit taste to it as well. It probably wouldn't be a bad dessert beer - if such a thing exists.
Mad Fox Alt: This beer was medium bodied and overall very forgettable. I seem to remember that neither Colleen or I were very impressed with this selection. There was very little hop flavor, and only a slight malt characteristic. Unfortunately, it came as an entire pint. In retrospect, I would have much preferred to have a pint of the oatmeal stout and a 4 oz of this.
I have some other beer reviews lying around (if I can find them all). I'll post them up later. I'd rather let a fun Friday night stand alone though.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 319 (expect at least another six since she matched me)
Paul - 306
Cheers,
Paul
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Road trip with a side of beer
So this post reviews my recent vacation, where Laura and I drove from southwest Colorado to Virginia. Our route took us to Mesa Verde, a small town called Dolores, CO, the south rim of the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, Dallas, New Orleans, and Atlanta. Admittedly, this was not the most direct route, but it was a blast. We drove 3,200 miles in eight days, and that includes one day of no driving at all! For Laura's thoughts on this trip, see her blog.
Upon my arrival in Colorado (we drove out a couple months ago and I flew back to DC), Laura and I went to Durango, CO for Mass (since it was Sunday), which was preceded by a cup of coffee at a local shop. Once we were done with Mass, she took me to an awesome brewpub in the town called Steamworks. If you know your beer history (or if you saw the movie I lasted posted about), you would know there was a time in this country when each town had its own brewery. At some point, we lost that trend. However, I am glad to report than in Colorado, it seems that the local brewpub is on the rise once again.
Steamworks Backside Stout: This beer won a gold medal and a silver medal at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival. As an aside, I must go to the Great American Beer Festival one year. Despite the mediocre ratebeer ratings, I agree with the medal distinction. I thought this stout was amazing, well balanced, and full of flavor. It also was not that heavy. Tenured stout drinkers know that, believe it or not, Guinness comes across as light as water sometimes. This beer had a similar characteristic.
Steamworks Night Train: This was a dark lager than can be described as Yuengling on steroids. By that I mean, it was darker in color and heavier on flavor. It was a little hoppy, but I could otherwise drink a beer like this all night without getting tired of it.
We went to Mesa Verde National Park, which was beautiful. They are known for their 13th century cliff dwellings, some of which still stand today. We didn't stay for more than about 3 hours because the lack of sleep from an early morning flight and the altitude were getting to me. We stayed the night in the Rio Grande Southern Hotel. It's a pretty sweet, and might I add reasonably priced, bed and breakfast that is over 100 years old. Our room came with an awesome breakfast the next morning, and was cheaper than every macro chain hotel we stayed at the rest of the week. The best part about Dolores? They too had a local brewpub. The Dolores River Brewery was 1 block from the hotel, and was a sweet local place to eat. Their specialty is brick oven pizza, but they add pesto sauce which gives the pizza an interesting kick.
Dolores River Dry Stout: This beer was dry, yet well balanced. Experienced alcohol drinkers know the descriptor "dry." In a sense, it's that dryness that appears in your mouth after sipping a dry red wine. In no way was this similar to wine, but the same effect was there. This came across as well balanced and, despite the dry taste, as very drinkable.
Dolores River ESB: Their ESB (or pale ale) was hoppy, but not overwhelmingly. In other words, it fit its style very well. The hop (or bitter) flavor initially escalated during the sip, but trailed off into a malty flavor after the glass was pulled away. It went well with a slice of pizza.
Our next day took us to the Grand Canyon. While we stayed there, we found out that the grocery store at the south rim sells beer. There is a Grand Canyon brew. The part where Colleen pounds her fist into the desk? They let you buy individual bottles, so you can make your own six pack. Never fear dear beer friend, they only had three brews I could try anyway. The Grand Canyon was awesome. It rained while we were there, but it provided some really unique views of the canyon - we saw clouds/fog roll in and out as the weather changed, and the rain brought out a lot of color from the canyon walls.
Grand Canyon Pilsner: I thought this was a crisp, gold colored beer. For the most part, it fit the mold as an average pilsner. The unique part being the slight creamy flavor from the beer head. It didn't significantly improve the beer, but certainly made an impression.
Grand Canyon Horseshoe Bend Pale Ale: Pale Ales have more hops than malts, which give them a bitter flavor most of the time. It's important to note though, that hops are actually flowers. Therefore, hops can give a variety of different flavors to a beer. In this case, the floral aroma came across in the smell and taste.
Grand Canyon Sunset Amber Ale: The beer was below average. The amber did meet its style in the sense that it was mostly malty. Caramel malts were certainly used and they were present in the taste. Unfortunately, I thought the beer was too light in body for me to consider an above average amber ale.
On our way from the Grand Canyon to Santa Fe, we ran into some interesting weather outside of Flagstaff, AZ. While on I-40, we experienced hail (which accumulated), heavy winds, and sat in traffic due to many accidents. A tornado touched down and crossed the highway about 40 minutes before we got there. The storm system wasn't moving, so needless to say, we drove out of there as quickly and safely as possible. Upon our arrival in Santa Fe, we explored the city plaza and the Cathedral. For dinner we went to a place where I ate when I was there about 10 years ago, the Blue Corn Cafe. They had great food and their own beer. I highly recommend it if you are in that neck of the woods.
Blue Corn Cafe Oatmeal Stout: This was a gold medal winner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival. With oatmeal stouts, you can definitely pick up the difference in flavor and body compared to a traditional stout. Both chocolate and coffee malts were used - with the coffee malt taking control as the majority influence on the taste. I liked this oatmeal stout.
Between Santa Fe and New Orleans, we drove through the long, dark of Texas. We stayed outside of Dallas, but about 11 hours of driving with maybe 20 minutes of stopping took its toll. We used the night to recharge for the next day's drive and the following night in New Orleans.
Our arrival in New Orleans was nice, we stayed in the French Quarter. This allowed us to see Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and Cafe Du Monde. We got drinks at a brewpub in New Orleans called Crescent City Brewing; I thought the beer was mediocre for the price. We ate at a really local hole in the wall called Coops. We got the tip to eat there by asking a local who worked in a gift shop where she liked to eat. We both had cups of Gumbo. Laura had seafood gumbo. I sincerely hope Colleen will still be friends with me after this, because I had rabbit and sausage gumbo - which had quite the kick.
Crescent City Black Forest: I thought this fell into the category of a traditional dark lager. By that I mean, it's a little more complex than Yuengling and has a darker color.
Crescent City Oktoberfest: Like its counterpart, this was a rather mediocre Oktoberfest. The dark color and malty flavor were there, but nothing else really distinguished it.
Abita Amber Lager: We had this beer at the hole-in-the-wall place. The beer definitely had a clean taste to it, and went well with my dinner. The bottle advertises that the beer is brewed with spring water. Other than that, I didn't think it was that special. Being that Abita is the signature brew of New Orleans, trying this was necessary.
We left New Orleans the next morning en route to the suburbs of Atlanta to stay with Laura's aunt for the final night. She was very hospitable despite her broken leg. We certainly hope she gets better soon. The key note of that day's drive was US-90 along the water in Mississippi which had amazing views of the Gulf of Mexico.
This last beer was in my fridge. It may have been part of my last custom six pack, but I am not entirely sure. It seems Colleen and I tend to drink a beer as we write posts, and today is no different.
Left Hand Oktoberfest: I definitely picked up the caramel malt in this beer, and it had a slight sweetness to it. The brewer says they upped the alcohol from last year. 6.6% alcohol is a little high for an Oktoberfest, so it may have led to a different tasting experience. I tend to like Left Hand's brews, but I thought this was average.
I really need to post more frequently, and review fewer beers. I get the feeling its grueling to read through and digest this many reviews. I also need to get ahead of Colleen.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 304
Paul - 300
Cheers,
Paul
Upon my arrival in Colorado (we drove out a couple months ago and I flew back to DC), Laura and I went to Durango, CO for Mass (since it was Sunday), which was preceded by a cup of coffee at a local shop. Once we were done with Mass, she took me to an awesome brewpub in the town called Steamworks. If you know your beer history (or if you saw the movie I lasted posted about), you would know there was a time in this country when each town had its own brewery. At some point, we lost that trend. However, I am glad to report than in Colorado, it seems that the local brewpub is on the rise once again.
Steamworks Backside Stout: This beer won a gold medal and a silver medal at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival. As an aside, I must go to the Great American Beer Festival one year. Despite the mediocre ratebeer ratings, I agree with the medal distinction. I thought this stout was amazing, well balanced, and full of flavor. It also was not that heavy. Tenured stout drinkers know that, believe it or not, Guinness comes across as light as water sometimes. This beer had a similar characteristic.
Steamworks Night Train: This was a dark lager than can be described as Yuengling on steroids. By that I mean, it was darker in color and heavier on flavor. It was a little hoppy, but I could otherwise drink a beer like this all night without getting tired of it.
We went to Mesa Verde National Park, which was beautiful. They are known for their 13th century cliff dwellings, some of which still stand today. We didn't stay for more than about 3 hours because the lack of sleep from an early morning flight and the altitude were getting to me. We stayed the night in the Rio Grande Southern Hotel. It's a pretty sweet, and might I add reasonably priced, bed and breakfast that is over 100 years old. Our room came with an awesome breakfast the next morning, and was cheaper than every macro chain hotel we stayed at the rest of the week. The best part about Dolores? They too had a local brewpub. The Dolores River Brewery was 1 block from the hotel, and was a sweet local place to eat. Their specialty is brick oven pizza, but they add pesto sauce which gives the pizza an interesting kick.
Dolores River Dry Stout: This beer was dry, yet well balanced. Experienced alcohol drinkers know the descriptor "dry." In a sense, it's that dryness that appears in your mouth after sipping a dry red wine. In no way was this similar to wine, but the same effect was there. This came across as well balanced and, despite the dry taste, as very drinkable.
Dolores River ESB: Their ESB (or pale ale) was hoppy, but not overwhelmingly. In other words, it fit its style very well. The hop (or bitter) flavor initially escalated during the sip, but trailed off into a malty flavor after the glass was pulled away. It went well with a slice of pizza.
Our next day took us to the Grand Canyon. While we stayed there, we found out that the grocery store at the south rim sells beer. There is a Grand Canyon brew. The part where Colleen pounds her fist into the desk? They let you buy individual bottles, so you can make your own six pack. Never fear dear beer friend, they only had three brews I could try anyway. The Grand Canyon was awesome. It rained while we were there, but it provided some really unique views of the canyon - we saw clouds/fog roll in and out as the weather changed, and the rain brought out a lot of color from the canyon walls.
Grand Canyon Pilsner: I thought this was a crisp, gold colored beer. For the most part, it fit the mold as an average pilsner. The unique part being the slight creamy flavor from the beer head. It didn't significantly improve the beer, but certainly made an impression.
Grand Canyon Horseshoe Bend Pale Ale: Pale Ales have more hops than malts, which give them a bitter flavor most of the time. It's important to note though, that hops are actually flowers. Therefore, hops can give a variety of different flavors to a beer. In this case, the floral aroma came across in the smell and taste.
Grand Canyon Sunset Amber Ale: The beer was below average. The amber did meet its style in the sense that it was mostly malty. Caramel malts were certainly used and they were present in the taste. Unfortunately, I thought the beer was too light in body for me to consider an above average amber ale.
On our way from the Grand Canyon to Santa Fe, we ran into some interesting weather outside of Flagstaff, AZ. While on I-40, we experienced hail (which accumulated), heavy winds, and sat in traffic due to many accidents. A tornado touched down and crossed the highway about 40 minutes before we got there. The storm system wasn't moving, so needless to say, we drove out of there as quickly and safely as possible. Upon our arrival in Santa Fe, we explored the city plaza and the Cathedral. For dinner we went to a place where I ate when I was there about 10 years ago, the Blue Corn Cafe. They had great food and their own beer. I highly recommend it if you are in that neck of the woods.
Blue Corn Cafe Oatmeal Stout: This was a gold medal winner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival. With oatmeal stouts, you can definitely pick up the difference in flavor and body compared to a traditional stout. Both chocolate and coffee malts were used - with the coffee malt taking control as the majority influence on the taste. I liked this oatmeal stout.
Between Santa Fe and New Orleans, we drove through the long, dark of Texas. We stayed outside of Dallas, but about 11 hours of driving with maybe 20 minutes of stopping took its toll. We used the night to recharge for the next day's drive and the following night in New Orleans.
Our arrival in New Orleans was nice, we stayed in the French Quarter. This allowed us to see Bourbon Street, Jackson Square, and Cafe Du Monde. We got drinks at a brewpub in New Orleans called Crescent City Brewing; I thought the beer was mediocre for the price. We ate at a really local hole in the wall called Coops. We got the tip to eat there by asking a local who worked in a gift shop where she liked to eat. We both had cups of Gumbo. Laura had seafood gumbo. I sincerely hope Colleen will still be friends with me after this, because I had rabbit and sausage gumbo - which had quite the kick.
Crescent City Black Forest: I thought this fell into the category of a traditional dark lager. By that I mean, it's a little more complex than Yuengling and has a darker color.
Crescent City Oktoberfest: Like its counterpart, this was a rather mediocre Oktoberfest. The dark color and malty flavor were there, but nothing else really distinguished it.
Abita Amber Lager: We had this beer at the hole-in-the-wall place. The beer definitely had a clean taste to it, and went well with my dinner. The bottle advertises that the beer is brewed with spring water. Other than that, I didn't think it was that special. Being that Abita is the signature brew of New Orleans, trying this was necessary.
We left New Orleans the next morning en route to the suburbs of Atlanta to stay with Laura's aunt for the final night. She was very hospitable despite her broken leg. We certainly hope she gets better soon. The key note of that day's drive was US-90 along the water in Mississippi which had amazing views of the Gulf of Mexico.
This last beer was in my fridge. It may have been part of my last custom six pack, but I am not entirely sure. It seems Colleen and I tend to drink a beer as we write posts, and today is no different.
Left Hand Oktoberfest: I definitely picked up the caramel malt in this beer, and it had a slight sweetness to it. The brewer says they upped the alcohol from last year. 6.6% alcohol is a little high for an Oktoberfest, so it may have led to a different tasting experience. I tend to like Left Hand's brews, but I thought this was average.
I really need to post more frequently, and review fewer beers. I get the feeling its grueling to read through and digest this many reviews. I also need to get ahead of Colleen.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 304
Paul - 300
Cheers,
Paul
Sunday, October 10, 2010
a toast to Cheryl and Gurzo
You often hear about Cheryl and Gurzo in this blog. It makes sense, since these are the people who I drink beer with the most, especially new beers during our almost weekly gatherings at Stuff Yer Face. Well, this weekend they got married to each other in a totally lovely ceremony on a totally gorgeous day!
newlyweds!
Their wedding featured beers and wines all made in New Jersey. I actually had a cocktail (so weird for me) at the groom's request, but other than that focused my efforts on the two Flying Fish brews they had available-- Oktoberfish, which I'd had before, and in fact gave them my vote for when it was between that and the Abbey Dubbel being at the party (and it did not disappoint, though was slightly hoppier than I recall, but it's a really good Oktoberfest), and the Extra Pale Ale, which it turned out I hadn't had before! It's a little hoppy, but somewhere between what I'd expect from a pale ale and what I'd expect from an IPA. It was pretty good. I enjoyed it with some spicy rice and beans and was plenty happy.
But more important than me adding another beer to my list, way way way more important, is celebrating the exciting-ness of my two good friends, who are now wife and husband. They are two excellent people, and I am so honored to have been part of their wonderful day!
(But, for the record, I'm at 304 to Paul's 288, though I'm sure he'll have some great stories about visiting breweries across the country when he returns soon!)
newlyweds!
Their wedding featured beers and wines all made in New Jersey. I actually had a cocktail (so weird for me) at the groom's request, but other than that focused my efforts on the two Flying Fish brews they had available-- Oktoberfish, which I'd had before, and in fact gave them my vote for when it was between that and the Abbey Dubbel being at the party (and it did not disappoint, though was slightly hoppier than I recall, but it's a really good Oktoberfest), and the Extra Pale Ale, which it turned out I hadn't had before! It's a little hoppy, but somewhere between what I'd expect from a pale ale and what I'd expect from an IPA. It was pretty good. I enjoyed it with some spicy rice and beans and was plenty happy.
But more important than me adding another beer to my list, way way way more important, is celebrating the exciting-ness of my two good friends, who are now wife and husband. They are two excellent people, and I am so honored to have been part of their wonderful day!
(But, for the record, I'm at 304 to Paul's 288, though I'm sure he'll have some great stories about visiting breweries across the country when he returns soon!)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
the Miles Davis of beers. Literally.
Imagine me as a college senior, about a month before graduation. Hint: I look almost exactly the same now, give or take an inch of hair.
In my last semester at Mary Washington, I only took 13 credits, and only 10 for a grade (as opposed to the 18 credits I took the other seven semesters there). I was relaxed and enjoying the last few months of living in Fredericksburg. Those three credits that I was taking pass/fail? History of Jazz. This was an awesome choice. I sat with a few music major friends in this class, which usually consisted of listening to music and having a slight amount of discussion about it. This was a pretty laid back three hours of my life per week.
Toward the end of the semester, we got to fusion. And I loved it. I mean, I knew it was out there, but I never really thought about it before. I woke up one Sunday and decided: I needed to own Bitches Brew, the album by Miles Davis that helped define jazz fusion. And I would drive all over Fredericksburg until I found a copy. And I sat on my bed for the rest of that dark, rainy day, listening to it and drinking tea. It was everything I hoped it would be. That was a very chill and wonderful day.
Why did I tell you all of this? Because while looking for a hoppy beer for Cheryl, sitting next to the wonderful Lagunitas Hop Stoopid was Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew. I recognized the album cover on the label. And, just as I needed to own the album, I needed to add this beer to my list.
Paul posed the question a while back, what craft brewer in the country do I like the most? And now, I will finally answer: probably Dogfish Head. With the exception of Festina Peche (and they're entitled a dud), everything of theirs I've tried has been really, really great, including the beer that I think was made specifically for me: their World Wide Stout, which was geographically themed and strong and heavy and wonderful. Their Punkin Ale is probably my favorite pumpkin beer, the Indian Brown Ale was great (and made great marinade, too), even their IPA is... survivable... and that's saying a lot for me. (I tried the 60 Minute.)
So was Bitches Brew, like World Wide Stout, everything I hoped and dream a stout could be?
Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. I think I loved this more than the World Wide Stout, as if that was possible. It's rich and smooth. It doesn't feel particularly heavy going down, but there's a lot of flavor happening. Good and malty. There was evidence of chocolate and honey. A fusion of awesomeness and amazingness, just like the album.
Other wonderful beers I've tried lately:
Coopers Original Pale Ale: Good, legit pale ale. And I thought that before my good, legit Australian coworker arrived to the party where I tried this brew from Down Under.
Cisco Nantucket's Whale's Tale Pale Ale: Admittedly purchased after Paul added 18 new beers to the blog. But it was pretty good. Not particularly amazing, but a decent pale ale-- a little hoppy, but balanced with a little sweet and no weird aftertaste, which is always a plus.
Dogfish Head Namaste: This was a very, very, very good witbier. I am sorry that it's not getting the true love it deserves because I tried it the same day I tried Bitches Brew. Brewed with lemongrass, oranges and coriander, it's got a slightly more complex flavor that just a straight light wheat beer, it's very interesting. Very fresh. VERY good.
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA: I tried this spur of the moment at Stuff Yer Face, because it was Monday and this is one of the only beers left there that I haven't had. Cheryl had the 60 Minute at the same time so I had a sip of hers to compare. This is a little sweeter and a LOT smoother than the 60 Minute, which I find to be a little sour in addition to the hoppy flavor typical of the style. Given the choice, I'd totally go with 90 Minute. I'm still not in love with IPAs, but this was good. Perhaps my next conquest should be the 120 Minute...
Given his current roadtrip, I suspect Paul might actually beat me to 300, but only if he updates before me. I'm going to try and make him sweat a little bit over it though...
Colleen: 295
Paul: 288
In my last semester at Mary Washington, I only took 13 credits, and only 10 for a grade (as opposed to the 18 credits I took the other seven semesters there). I was relaxed and enjoying the last few months of living in Fredericksburg. Those three credits that I was taking pass/fail? History of Jazz. This was an awesome choice. I sat with a few music major friends in this class, which usually consisted of listening to music and having a slight amount of discussion about it. This was a pretty laid back three hours of my life per week.
Toward the end of the semester, we got to fusion. And I loved it. I mean, I knew it was out there, but I never really thought about it before. I woke up one Sunday and decided: I needed to own Bitches Brew, the album by Miles Davis that helped define jazz fusion. And I would drive all over Fredericksburg until I found a copy. And I sat on my bed for the rest of that dark, rainy day, listening to it and drinking tea. It was everything I hoped it would be. That was a very chill and wonderful day.
Why did I tell you all of this? Because while looking for a hoppy beer for Cheryl, sitting next to the wonderful Lagunitas Hop Stoopid was Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew. I recognized the album cover on the label. And, just as I needed to own the album, I needed to add this beer to my list.
Paul posed the question a while back, what craft brewer in the country do I like the most? And now, I will finally answer: probably Dogfish Head. With the exception of Festina Peche (and they're entitled a dud), everything of theirs I've tried has been really, really great, including the beer that I think was made specifically for me: their World Wide Stout, which was geographically themed and strong and heavy and wonderful. Their Punkin Ale is probably my favorite pumpkin beer, the Indian Brown Ale was great (and made great marinade, too), even their IPA is... survivable... and that's saying a lot for me. (I tried the 60 Minute.)
So was Bitches Brew, like World Wide Stout, everything I hoped and dream a stout could be?
Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. I think I loved this more than the World Wide Stout, as if that was possible. It's rich and smooth. It doesn't feel particularly heavy going down, but there's a lot of flavor happening. Good and malty. There was evidence of chocolate and honey. A fusion of awesomeness and amazingness, just like the album.
Other wonderful beers I've tried lately:
Coopers Original Pale Ale: Good, legit pale ale. And I thought that before my good, legit Australian coworker arrived to the party where I tried this brew from Down Under.
Cisco Nantucket's Whale's Tale Pale Ale: Admittedly purchased after Paul added 18 new beers to the blog. But it was pretty good. Not particularly amazing, but a decent pale ale-- a little hoppy, but balanced with a little sweet and no weird aftertaste, which is always a plus.
Dogfish Head Namaste: This was a very, very, very good witbier. I am sorry that it's not getting the true love it deserves because I tried it the same day I tried Bitches Brew. Brewed with lemongrass, oranges and coriander, it's got a slightly more complex flavor that just a straight light wheat beer, it's very interesting. Very fresh. VERY good.
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA: I tried this spur of the moment at Stuff Yer Face, because it was Monday and this is one of the only beers left there that I haven't had. Cheryl had the 60 Minute at the same time so I had a sip of hers to compare. This is a little sweeter and a LOT smoother than the 60 Minute, which I find to be a little sour in addition to the hoppy flavor typical of the style. Given the choice, I'd totally go with 90 Minute. I'm still not in love with IPAs, but this was good. Perhaps my next conquest should be the 120 Minute...
Given his current roadtrip, I suspect Paul might actually beat me to 300, but only if he updates before me. I'm going to try and make him sweat a little bit over it though...
Colleen: 295
Paul: 288
Sunday, August 15, 2010
staff meeting
Paul was up visiting his family this weekend before his youngest brother heads off to college. Despite it not being Pint Night, we got together at The Office with our friend Michael for a couple of rounds. I believe Paul had a new one, but I ran into a problem that happens every now and again: I had a beer that I thought was new for me, but it turns out it wasn't. Paul and I both keep pretty extensive databases about the brews we try, but it's impossible to commit 270+ beers to memory, especially when they aren't particularly memorable, which was exactly the case with Samuel Smith's Old Brewery Pale Ale. I love Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, LOVE it. And I've generally liked the other Sam Smiths I've tried (Imperial Stout, Nut Brown Ale, Lager, Winter Welcome Ale). But the Pale Ale was just really boring and forgettable. Bummer.
I have tried a couple of others recently though:
Troeg's Java Head Stout: Really nice, strong, dark beer. It obviously has a strong coffee flavor to it. This is one of those beers that kind of punches you in the face. If I'm going to get punched in the face by anything, I should hope it's a good beer. This totally fits the bill.
Flying Fish Exit 6 Wallonian Rye: Part of the New Jersey brewer's Exit Series, which celebrates the New Jersey Turnpike (which oddly enough, is one of my least favorite aspects of the state, since that's all most people see and there's a few unpleasant miles up toward the northern end of it that people assume the entire state is like. In the end though, it is an important part of NJ, and so I love it, just like everything else that's part of NJ, including this brewer!). This was a really nice witbier sort of brew, light and refreshing, with a nice rye flavor to it. I like rye. I like wheat beers. I LOVE New Jersey. This was a really wonderful situation.
And so, Paul: 270, Colleen: 273
I have tried a couple of others recently though:
Troeg's Java Head Stout: Really nice, strong, dark beer. It obviously has a strong coffee flavor to it. This is one of those beers that kind of punches you in the face. If I'm going to get punched in the face by anything, I should hope it's a good beer. This totally fits the bill.
Flying Fish Exit 6 Wallonian Rye: Part of the New Jersey brewer's Exit Series, which celebrates the New Jersey Turnpike (which oddly enough, is one of my least favorite aspects of the state, since that's all most people see and there's a few unpleasant miles up toward the northern end of it that people assume the entire state is like. In the end though, it is an important part of NJ, and so I love it, just like everything else that's part of NJ, including this brewer!). This was a really nice witbier sort of brew, light and refreshing, with a nice rye flavor to it. I like rye. I like wheat beers. I LOVE New Jersey. This was a really wonderful situation.
And so, Paul: 270, Colleen: 273
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Stuff Legends Are Made Of?
If one of my English teachers saw the title of this blog post, they'd kill me because I ended it with a preposition. Oh well, I needed a title and since I've tried a bunch of Legend beers, I thought I was being clever. Since I had another three of their beers (bringing that total to four), I can make a judgment on their quality. My impression is that they make mediocre beer, that while is not bad, I wouldn't go out of my way to find.
This past week, I went down to Williamsburg to visit Laura, as she is finishing up staffing a summer program at William and Mary. We spent the day hanging out, eating, and planning our upcoming road trip. We also made a visit to Williamsburg AleWerks, where I made some custom six packs for a barbecue that I will be attending soon. Later that evening, we met a college friend of mine, Amanda, who is living and working in the area, but will be moving shortly. I was very nice to catch up with her, as she makes the short list of people I want to keep in touch with after college. We met at Center Street Grill, and I had a very good time.
Legend Hefeweizen: You know how most Hefeweizens are see through? By that I mean, a lot of visible light manages to get through? This one was the normal yellowish in color, but not as much visible light got through. As I try to codify this, I realize that I sound like an idiot, but that was my visual impression. The taste got maked by the bartender putting the lemon in the beer, as opposed to the edge of the glass. That said, it was an alright Hefeweizen. A little heavier in body, which coincides with my initial visual impression.
Legend Pale Ale: Personally, I thought this was a very drinkable pale ale. In that sense, I mean it wasn't overwhelmingly hoppy. I didn't get Laura's take on it, but I doubt a real hop-head would love this beer. Then again, it should be more subdued in hop flavor, since it is a pale ale and not an india pale ale.
Legend Lager: This was easily the worst of the three, and it probably unfairly dragged down my impression of Legend brewing. My advice would be to try something other than this. Generally, I was disappointed in it as a lager. I think it might have been a little too malty for a lager.
Yesterday, I caught up with another friend from college and her fiance. They just moved into the area, and, in addition to getting married, are looking to buy a house. It was very nice to catch up with my friend and her fiance (whom I had yet to meet). We met at Gordon Biersch outside of Annapolis to catch up over a beer, and coincidentally I got to see the end of the Germany world cup game. Gordon Biersch is a national chain of brewpubs. It's not a bad place to check out once in a while, but it's certainly nothing to write home about - mediocre beer and borderline expensive food.
This past week, I went down to Williamsburg to visit Laura, as she is finishing up staffing a summer program at William and Mary. We spent the day hanging out, eating, and planning our upcoming road trip. We also made a visit to Williamsburg AleWerks, where I made some custom six packs for a barbecue that I will be attending soon. Later that evening, we met a college friend of mine, Amanda, who is living and working in the area, but will be moving shortly. I was very nice to catch up with her, as she makes the short list of people I want to keep in touch with after college. We met at Center Street Grill, and I had a very good time.
Legend Hefeweizen: You know how most Hefeweizens are see through? By that I mean, a lot of visible light manages to get through? This one was the normal yellowish in color, but not as much visible light got through. As I try to codify this, I realize that I sound like an idiot, but that was my visual impression. The taste got maked by the bartender putting the lemon in the beer, as opposed to the edge of the glass. That said, it was an alright Hefeweizen. A little heavier in body, which coincides with my initial visual impression.
Legend Pale Ale: Personally, I thought this was a very drinkable pale ale. In that sense, I mean it wasn't overwhelmingly hoppy. I didn't get Laura's take on it, but I doubt a real hop-head would love this beer. Then again, it should be more subdued in hop flavor, since it is a pale ale and not an india pale ale.
Legend Lager: This was easily the worst of the three, and it probably unfairly dragged down my impression of Legend brewing. My advice would be to try something other than this. Generally, I was disappointed in it as a lager. I think it might have been a little too malty for a lager.
Yesterday, I caught up with another friend from college and her fiance. They just moved into the area, and, in addition to getting married, are looking to buy a house. It was very nice to catch up with my friend and her fiance (whom I had yet to meet). We met at Gordon Biersch outside of Annapolis to catch up over a beer, and coincidentally I got to see the end of the Germany world cup game. Gordon Biersch is a national chain of brewpubs. It's not a bad place to check out once in a while, but it's certainly nothing to write home about - mediocre beer and borderline expensive food.
Gordon Biersch Sommerbrau: This was their summer seasonal, which is a German Kolsch. For a lighter beer such as a Kolsch it wasn't that bad, but I am not a big fan of the Kolsch style. Don't get me wrong, I won't turn down a beer - especially a new one. That said, I think I'll try different beer of theirs the next time I'm there.
Continuing the college friend binge, I met with my friends Tim and Heather for dinner in Annapolis. We had dinner at the Boatyard, which is a local place off the beaten path of downtown Annapolis. The food is generally pretty good, but some of our entrees were disappointing. It was very nice to catch up with them. I held back on my alcohol, since Heather is expecting.
Flying Dog "Doggie Style" Pale Ale: I love Flying Dog, if for nothing else, they have the most interesting names attached to their beer. Seriously, how can you not expect me to pick that off a menu? I thought this was a pretty good pale ale. As a comparision, I would rate it better than its counterpart by Legend (see above). The beer snobs at ratebeer.com do not agree with me, but that's not the point.
I probably have about three to four weeks left to catch up to and pass Colleen. One would expect she'll have about six new beers in the first ten days after contract. I know she is going to Africa later in the summer, but I figure that I need to get to about 280 in the next three to four weeks to offset her initial tastings before Africa. In light of my new count, that is very doable.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 270
Paul - 259
Cheers,
Paul
Continuing the college friend binge, I met with my friends Tim and Heather for dinner in Annapolis. We had dinner at the Boatyard, which is a local place off the beaten path of downtown Annapolis. The food is generally pretty good, but some of our entrees were disappointing. It was very nice to catch up with them. I held back on my alcohol, since Heather is expecting.
Flying Dog "Doggie Style" Pale Ale: I love Flying Dog, if for nothing else, they have the most interesting names attached to their beer. Seriously, how can you not expect me to pick that off a menu? I thought this was a pretty good pale ale. As a comparision, I would rate it better than its counterpart by Legend (see above). The beer snobs at ratebeer.com do not agree with me, but that's not the point.
I probably have about three to four weeks left to catch up to and pass Colleen. One would expect she'll have about six new beers in the first ten days after contract. I know she is going to Africa later in the summer, but I figure that I need to get to about 280 in the next three to four weeks to offset her initial tastings before Africa. In light of my new count, that is very doable.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 270
Paul - 259
Cheers,
Paul
Saturday, June 19, 2010
six great new beers that won't make the list
I had a really wonderful Friday night with some really wonderful friends. While I have six new beers to report as a result, none of them count toward my list as they were all part of an awesome sampler at Long Valley Brew Pub-- two ounces each. We finally have our list of rules on the blog, which Paul had referenced recently but we hadn't thought to post yet. However, Long Valley Brew Pub was so awesome that I have no qualms sacrificing those six points. So worth it, forget my score in this "contest"!
When I visited my friends Cheryl, Gurzo and Cristina last week, it came up that all would like to do a bit of hiking, so I invited them to visit me this week, adding the idea of visiting of the nearby brew pubs. Long Valley got our vote for having a well rounded menu that included veggie options for myself, Cristina and Cheryl. My friend Noah, a fellow nature and beer enthusiast who will also be under contract beginning this coming Friday, joined us for the evening.
Here's the thing about Long Valley Brew Pub: it's amazing. Just entering the place gave a great impression. It's in a beautifully restored 200 year old stone barn, in a lovely historic town, at the top of a windy road that goes up a pretty mountain that we got to watch the sun set behind as we anxiously awaited our awesome samplers of their brews.
This is actually a photo from the drive to the brewery, but you get the idea-- such an incredible part of the state!
Hookerman's Light: While I don't generally pursue light beers, this was really excellent. Smooth and to the point, extremely drinkable. We were all really impressed with how not lame it was for being a light beer.
American Pale Ale: This was slightly hoppy, and yet I loved it. It's beers like this that will get me to like stronger hops flavors someday. It was very crisp and refreshing with just a hint of really tasty hops. One of my uncles once told me that a good pale ale is totally worth the trouble of looking for. This brew absolutely made me agree with that statement.
German Valley Amber: This was also slighty hoppy but very smooth and tasty, somewhat akin to some sort of nice Irish Red but not quite. I don't think I described that very well, but whatever-- this is also a great beer.
Lazy Jake Porter: SO GOOD. I love my dark beers, and this was really great. When I go through samplers, I tend to take a sip of each and then finish them in the order from least favorite to most favorite. This was the one I saved for last. Definitely a strong coffee flavor but such a smooth, tasty beer. Oh man.
Dusseldorf Altbier: This one I was less crazy about, it being kind of heavy on the malts for being so light in feeling. That's a combination I tend not to totally embrace, such as in the case of bocks. That being said, this was still a solid beer and it wasn't so strong or sweet that I didn't enjoy it.
English Pale Ale: This one didn't have too much exciting about it, but was their current feature beer-- "great beer for no particular reason" it says on the menu. I definitely preferred the American Pale Ale, but this was pretty straightforward and not offensive in any way. I imagine most people would like it.
In addition to great beers, the service was good and we all really enjoyed our meals. The five of us split two orders of some really excellent nachos (the chips themselves were great, with a good mix of fresh veggies and a really good salsa). I had a homemade vegetable burger with fries, phenomenal. This place was awesome and I'd totally recommend it to anyone, the only drawback being it's not particularly close to anything or on the way to anywhere. Well worth the visit if you ever find yourself even remotely in the neighborhood!
When I visited my friends Cheryl, Gurzo and Cristina last week, it came up that all would like to do a bit of hiking, so I invited them to visit me this week, adding the idea of visiting of the nearby brew pubs. Long Valley got our vote for having a well rounded menu that included veggie options for myself, Cristina and Cheryl. My friend Noah, a fellow nature and beer enthusiast who will also be under contract beginning this coming Friday, joined us for the evening.
Here's the thing about Long Valley Brew Pub: it's amazing. Just entering the place gave a great impression. It's in a beautifully restored 200 year old stone barn, in a lovely historic town, at the top of a windy road that goes up a pretty mountain that we got to watch the sun set behind as we anxiously awaited our awesome samplers of their brews.
This is actually a photo from the drive to the brewery, but you get the idea-- such an incredible part of the state!
Hookerman's Light: While I don't generally pursue light beers, this was really excellent. Smooth and to the point, extremely drinkable. We were all really impressed with how not lame it was for being a light beer.
American Pale Ale: This was slightly hoppy, and yet I loved it. It's beers like this that will get me to like stronger hops flavors someday. It was very crisp and refreshing with just a hint of really tasty hops. One of my uncles once told me that a good pale ale is totally worth the trouble of looking for. This brew absolutely made me agree with that statement.
German Valley Amber: This was also slighty hoppy but very smooth and tasty, somewhat akin to some sort of nice Irish Red but not quite. I don't think I described that very well, but whatever-- this is also a great beer.
Lazy Jake Porter: SO GOOD. I love my dark beers, and this was really great. When I go through samplers, I tend to take a sip of each and then finish them in the order from least favorite to most favorite. This was the one I saved for last. Definitely a strong coffee flavor but such a smooth, tasty beer. Oh man.
Dusseldorf Altbier: This one I was less crazy about, it being kind of heavy on the malts for being so light in feeling. That's a combination I tend not to totally embrace, such as in the case of bocks. That being said, this was still a solid beer and it wasn't so strong or sweet that I didn't enjoy it.
English Pale Ale: This one didn't have too much exciting about it, but was their current feature beer-- "great beer for no particular reason" it says on the menu. I definitely preferred the American Pale Ale, but this was pretty straightforward and not offensive in any way. I imagine most people would like it.
In addition to great beers, the service was good and we all really enjoyed our meals. The five of us split two orders of some really excellent nachos (the chips themselves were great, with a good mix of fresh veggies and a really good salsa). I had a homemade vegetable burger with fries, phenomenal. This place was awesome and I'd totally recommend it to anyone, the only drawback being it's not particularly close to anything or on the way to anywhere. Well worth the visit if you ever find yourself even remotely in the neighborhood!
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