I would be really sad if I had to quit gluten, 1. because I like good beer, pasta, bread and all the grains and 2. because that would make vegetarianism slightly more complicated (though not impossible, but I strive to be as un-picky as possible, since it's bad enough I don't eat meat. or olives.).
But I read this article from NPR about gluten-free beers, and what one Celiac disease sufferer deems the best picks. I like reading about food and beer almost as much as I like trying it myself.
The only gluten free beer I've tried is Red Bridge, Anheuser-Busch's widely available brew. It made me sad because it seemed to be the only choice out there for friends who can't tolerate gluten for whatever reason, but I guess it wasn't terrible if all you're looking for is a plain old beer. This was a few years ago. It seems there are more choices now.
Has anyone seen this Dogfish Head Tweason'Ale (or any of the others in that article, actually)? I generally like Sam Calagione's creative works. I'd like to try it.
Have you tried any of these beers? Are you living in a gluten-free world? I'm just curious about this stuff. I'm obviously on hiatus from brewing till I move somewhere in a more complete fashion (I really just brought the essentials to Arizona, figuring it'd be stupid to fully move here only to potentially turn around and move somewhere else entirely upon finding employment), but I still like reading and learning about beer.
Showing posts sorted by date for query dogfish head. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query dogfish head. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Friday, February 1, 2013
Sunday, October 28, 2012
The Definitive Guide to Pumpkin Beers, Part I/?
Fall CLEARLY means pumpkin! (Unless you are my older brother and his dog, who are disgusted and terrified of pumpkins, respectively.) I really do love pumpkin foods, and just recently started getting into slaughtering my own pumpkin, which has lead to more pumpkin lasagna and pumpkin ice cream.
I know a lot of people get excited about pumpkin lattes and muffins and pies and sweet things, but I prefer pumpkin as a vegetable rather than as a dessert (I do love pie, just not all the time!). Subsequently, I admit am kind of picky about my pumpkin beers.While most people enjoy sweeter, nicely spiced brews, I prefer mine to be milder (though still spiced). I have ridiculously high expectations for my pumpkin beers, and while I enjoy most, there are very few that I just simply LOVE.
This post will include all of the pumpkin beers in my database, although I admit it's been a few years and my tastes have changed. I'm just going to copy my reviews word for word from my list--
Dogfish Head Punkin Ale: as far as pumpkin beer goes, probably the winner
Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale: (This one had two entries by accident, that even show how my tastes have changed!) my favorite pumpkin ale/ too sweet
Mad Fox Punkinator: perfect awesome non-pie spicy but not sweet pumpkin ale (I can only assume I mean pie spiced but not pie sweet)
Michelob's Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale: (I tried this one with my grandma!) the spices are nice but there are better pumpkin beers out there
Sam Adams: spice but no pumpkin
Starr Hill's Boxcar Pumpkin Porter: a nicely spiced porter
The Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale: DELICIOUS. But confuses my tastebuds, meaning, what on earth do I drink next?
The Shipyard's Smashed Pumpkin: "It's like a Belgian pumpkin ale!" -Gurzo
Triumph's Pumpkin Ale: very much like pumpkin pie but smooth and not too sweet
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale: recommended by NoJo (Noah Joseph). Tastes like pie. Good spices but too sweet. Smooth, but not my favorite pumpkin.
Williamsburg Alewerks Pumpkin Ale: too pie like for me
It was interesting to read through these again. Ha. Yay fall! Part II coming soon of pumpkin beers that I've tried recently and have better notes on, and can give a more current and better seasoned (spiced?) opinion on.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
North Carolina.
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...
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...
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Come hell or high water...
Late late Friday night, I got to catch up with two of my favorite people who I haven't seen in months: Gurzo and Jeremy. They and many others were celebrating Jeremy's birthday at his family's shore house, which is only a few minutes from my all the time house. The only problem was that I had to work till 11. I didn't think it would take me too long to get there, so even with my grandma-like bedtime tendencies, I thought it'd be worth it.
I didn't expect the insane downpour and flash flooding in Ocean County on Friday night.
Lucky for me, I was borrowing my brother's ginormous Ford Explorer this weekend while he was away, so I fearlessly drove down by the bay in Seaside Park and made it alive... just very late. Totally worthwhile for the company. Gurzo handed me 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer, which I guess was the right theme. The biggest problem was that I had Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon IPA first.
The Loose Cannon is a great IPA, slightly floral tasting but not too much. That's kind of the last hops flavor that I'm still wary of, but it's well rounded in this beer. With the warmer weather, I have found myself mostly wanting hoppy, fresh beers. This totally fit the bill.
So, after that, the Hell or High Watermelon. Hell or high water indeed. Bayview Ave definitely had some flooding going on (it always does). This sweet beer was awful immediately following the slightly bitter taste of IPA. I'm not a huge fan of fruit in my beer, but the more I had of this and the further away from the IPA I was, the more it was all right. It was even a decent watermelon flavor, not like candy or anything. This would probably have been better if it was super super ice cold in the middle of a hot summer day. Not terrible, just not really my thing anymore.
Got the following text from Paul yesterday morning--
"The choice was sitting on the beach or taking a tour of dogfish head. Most of the girls chose the beach. Laura picked the brewery tour. I married a winner."
1. Fact. Laura is a winner.
2. I am jealous. I love Dogfish Head and look forward to someday taking the tour (I mean, come on, Sam and I are already totally buds, I need to check out the place!)
3. Paul also promised he'd blog about it. I can't wait to hear how it was!
I didn't expect the insane downpour and flash flooding in Ocean County on Friday night.
Lucky for me, I was borrowing my brother's ginormous Ford Explorer this weekend while he was away, so I fearlessly drove down by the bay in Seaside Park and made it alive... just very late. Totally worthwhile for the company. Gurzo handed me 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer, which I guess was the right theme. The biggest problem was that I had Heavy Seas' Loose Cannon IPA first.
The Loose Cannon is a great IPA, slightly floral tasting but not too much. That's kind of the last hops flavor that I'm still wary of, but it's well rounded in this beer. With the warmer weather, I have found myself mostly wanting hoppy, fresh beers. This totally fit the bill.
So, after that, the Hell or High Watermelon. Hell or high water indeed. Bayview Ave definitely had some flooding going on (it always does). This sweet beer was awful immediately following the slightly bitter taste of IPA. I'm not a huge fan of fruit in my beer, but the more I had of this and the further away from the IPA I was, the more it was all right. It was even a decent watermelon flavor, not like candy or anything. This would probably have been better if it was super super ice cold in the middle of a hot summer day. Not terrible, just not really my thing anymore.
Got the following text from Paul yesterday morning--
"The choice was sitting on the beach or taking a tour of dogfish head. Most of the girls chose the beach. Laura picked the brewery tour. I married a winner."
1. Fact. Laura is a winner.
2. I am jealous. I love Dogfish Head and look forward to someday taking the tour (I mean, come on, Sam and I are already totally buds, I need to check out the place!)
3. Paul also promised he'd blog about it. I can't wait to hear how it was!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Earp family Christmas beer selection 2011
Sorry this is overdue. My life has been busy with working holiday retail purgatory and family time. I wanted to share what happened when Mom gave me her credit card and told me to pick up eight 6 packs for the holidays. I had a stout fermenting but it wasn't going to be ready in time. It's now bottled and carbonating, should be ready to go in time to celebrate Grandma's birthday in another week (and oh man, is she looking forward to trying my beer). So, this Christmas's eight--
Miller Lite: Despite it being practically required in this family, there are still five left on today, the Twelfth Day of Christmas.
Lager: Stocking up on the standards. Worst case scenario I cook with this. Best case scenario we have Grandma over and enjoy a beer together.
Yuengling Black and Tan: You know what? I like this. So does my grandmother.
So, those first three are non-negotiable when Mom hands me the card and says go to town. The rest--
Killian's: I used to love this a lot, but to be honest, I haven't had it in a few years. I think it might be too carbonated for me, actually. I like red beers though, but this one I always get because I know my dad and my one uncle are fans.
Brooklyn Brown Ale: I got this because I know my big brother likes brown ales and I wanted to do something besides New Castle, which is good, but I always do for him. Well, I guess he was pleased, because I got none of them, and there are none left.
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen: As much as I love beers that resemble black paint, I also love a good hefeweizen. This is definitely a good, good hefeweizen, tasting ever so slightly of cloves and bananas as well a good hefeweizen should, without being overwhelming. It's pleasant and feels warm and refreshing all at once. We always try to have a good mix around the holidays (basically meaning I can't get ALL stouts but I always won't allow for ALL light/plain beers), so the hefeweizen has been my go-to "see through" contribution. This one though goes so far above and beyond just filling a spot on the spectrum. Really. Drink it.
Magic Hat's Encore IPA: Another style I know Chris likes, and at this point I was desperate to try something new. This is part of the Magic Hat IPA World Tour, whatever that means-- last year I tried the Blind Faith IPA which I didn't find super incredible. This one, however, is pretty good. I don't know if the difference is that it's an American Wheat IPA (I do like wheat), but it's an IPA that does its job. It's bitter and refreshing without hurting my mouth or stomach. It's funny, because this one isn't anything exceptional, but I like it way more than I remember liking the Blind Faith. I'd recommend it.
Wolaver's Organic Oatmeal Stout: THIS WAS AWESOME. I know, I'm biased toward beer that you can't see through. I bought this because I hadn't tried it before, and only just learned in writing this post that Wolaver is the organic label for Otter Creek, a totally legit and good brewery in Middlebury, Vermont (which is clearly a great place, as that is where Dispatch formed). Anyway. I really only bought this because it was an oatmeal stout, but I was not disappointed. It's not very sweet, but it's very smooth and drinkable, a nice, not-too-heavy stout. I would get this again if I wasn't so hell bent on trying new beers all the time. What the heck. I'll probably get this again.
Other things I plan to repeat soon? Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout. Santa failed to leave one in my stocking but I think that's going to be my belated gift to myself as a reward for not messing up Christmas dinner this year (deep fried turkey! and half a dozen side dishes! all successful! AND THERE WAS GRAVY*!).
*Last year, there wasn't. And that may have also happened one other year that I was in charge of the meal. Sorry, vegetarians forget about these details...
Miller Lite: Despite it being practically required in this family, there are still five left on today, the Twelfth Day of Christmas.
Lager: Stocking up on the standards. Worst case scenario I cook with this. Best case scenario we have Grandma over and enjoy a beer together.
Yuengling Black and Tan: You know what? I like this. So does my grandmother.
So, those first three are non-negotiable when Mom hands me the card and says go to town. The rest--
Killian's: I used to love this a lot, but to be honest, I haven't had it in a few years. I think it might be too carbonated for me, actually. I like red beers though, but this one I always get because I know my dad and my one uncle are fans.
Brooklyn Brown Ale: I got this because I know my big brother likes brown ales and I wanted to do something besides New Castle, which is good, but I always do for him. Well, I guess he was pleased, because I got none of them, and there are none left.
Sierra Nevada Kellerweis Hefeweizen: As much as I love beers that resemble black paint, I also love a good hefeweizen. This is definitely a good, good hefeweizen, tasting ever so slightly of cloves and bananas as well a good hefeweizen should, without being overwhelming. It's pleasant and feels warm and refreshing all at once. We always try to have a good mix around the holidays (basically meaning I can't get ALL stouts but I always won't allow for ALL light/plain beers), so the hefeweizen has been my go-to "see through" contribution. This one though goes so far above and beyond just filling a spot on the spectrum. Really. Drink it.
Magic Hat's Encore IPA: Another style I know Chris likes, and at this point I was desperate to try something new. This is part of the Magic Hat IPA World Tour, whatever that means-- last year I tried the Blind Faith IPA which I didn't find super incredible. This one, however, is pretty good. I don't know if the difference is that it's an American Wheat IPA (I do like wheat), but it's an IPA that does its job. It's bitter and refreshing without hurting my mouth or stomach. It's funny, because this one isn't anything exceptional, but I like it way more than I remember liking the Blind Faith. I'd recommend it.
Wolaver's Organic Oatmeal Stout: THIS WAS AWESOME. I know, I'm biased toward beer that you can't see through. I bought this because I hadn't tried it before, and only just learned in writing this post that Wolaver is the organic label for Otter Creek, a totally legit and good brewery in Middlebury, Vermont (which is clearly a great place, as that is where Dispatch formed). Anyway. I really only bought this because it was an oatmeal stout, but I was not disappointed. It's not very sweet, but it's very smooth and drinkable, a nice, not-too-heavy stout. I would get this again if I wasn't so hell bent on trying new beers all the time. What the heck. I'll probably get this again.
Other things I plan to repeat soon? Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout. Santa failed to leave one in my stocking but I think that's going to be my belated gift to myself as a reward for not messing up Christmas dinner this year (deep fried turkey! and half a dozen side dishes! all successful! AND THERE WAS GRAVY*!).
*Last year, there wasn't. And that may have also happened one other year that I was in charge of the meal. Sorry, vegetarians forget about these details...
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Beer! (My creativity and motivation is kind of waning with my continued unemployment. Sorry.)
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA: I waited patiently and searched thoroughly for this beer, and couldn't hunt one down anywhere. Taylor managed to get a couple, which we finally enjoyed this weekend. This beer is strong. Whoa. Like World Wide Stout strong. However, unlike Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, this was not everything I hoped and dreamed a beer could be.
The hoppiness wasn't as bitter and refreshing as I'd anticipated, having tried both 60 Minute and 90 Minute. It was kind of floral tasting. While it was a very good beer and I'm glad to have finally tried it, I would definitely choose the 60 Minute over 120 Minute. The 60 is more stereotypically IPA-y, and it's just good. And way more available. I think this was worth a try but I don't need to hunt it down again.
Guinness Black Lager: Being home and unemployed, I'm usually here when Mom and Dad get home from work. Dad likes to watch Pardon the Interruption before dinner, which features an ad for this beer at every break. At least once. I think the ad is stupid, but we all know about my love for Guinness. And so, when Taylor was buying beer for the Friend Thanksgiving he accompanied me to this past weekend, and told me to pick, I saw this and picked it.
Taylor bet it was going to suck, but the verdict: it's actually pretty passable. Obviously NEVER going to take the place of the standard draught in my heart and belly, but it didn't suck. It was plain in the same way I find the stout to be plain-- pleasantly so. Interesting enough to be drinkable but plain enough to just enjoy but not be overwhelmingly preoccupied with. But still not even a close second to the original.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: Friend Thanksgiving in Edison was awesome. I got to see all of my favorite Metuchenites and enjoy amazing food. There were so many vegetarians and friends of vegetarians present that for the first time in a very long time, I was absolutely sickeningly wonderfully stuffed. So so SO so good.
But yes, beer. Christy and Danni brought this wonderful brew and shared with me a glass of the prescribed amount for my records. I love pumpkin but generally have a hard time finding a pumpkin ale that tastes like vegetable rather than pie. This was good. Not too spiced but definitely flavorful, not too sweet but definitely pumpkiny. If you love fall at all and like pumpkin beer even a little, I'd recommend this one.
Soon I'll be starting a job in holiday retail purgatory, but hopefully the more structured schedule and occasional paychecks will allow me to continue trying interesting beers. Try anything good lately, Paul (or anyone else reading this)?
Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA: I waited patiently and searched thoroughly for this beer, and couldn't hunt one down anywhere. Taylor managed to get a couple, which we finally enjoyed this weekend. This beer is strong. Whoa. Like World Wide Stout strong. However, unlike Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, this was not everything I hoped and dreamed a beer could be.
The hoppiness wasn't as bitter and refreshing as I'd anticipated, having tried both 60 Minute and 90 Minute. It was kind of floral tasting. While it was a very good beer and I'm glad to have finally tried it, I would definitely choose the 60 Minute over 120 Minute. The 60 is more stereotypically IPA-y, and it's just good. And way more available. I think this was worth a try but I don't need to hunt it down again.
Guinness Black Lager: Being home and unemployed, I'm usually here when Mom and Dad get home from work. Dad likes to watch Pardon the Interruption before dinner, which features an ad for this beer at every break. At least once. I think the ad is stupid, but we all know about my love for Guinness. And so, when Taylor was buying beer for the Friend Thanksgiving he accompanied me to this past weekend, and told me to pick, I saw this and picked it.
Taylor bet it was going to suck, but the verdict: it's actually pretty passable. Obviously NEVER going to take the place of the standard draught in my heart and belly, but it didn't suck. It was plain in the same way I find the stout to be plain-- pleasantly so. Interesting enough to be drinkable but plain enough to just enjoy but not be overwhelmingly preoccupied with. But still not even a close second to the original.
Elysian Night Owl Pumpkin Ale: Friend Thanksgiving in Edison was awesome. I got to see all of my favorite Metuchenites and enjoy amazing food. There were so many vegetarians and friends of vegetarians present that for the first time in a very long time, I was absolutely sickeningly wonderfully stuffed. So so SO so good.
But yes, beer. Christy and Danni brought this wonderful brew and shared with me a glass of the prescribed amount for my records. I love pumpkin but generally have a hard time finding a pumpkin ale that tastes like vegetable rather than pie. This was good. Not too spiced but definitely flavorful, not too sweet but definitely pumpkiny. If you love fall at all and like pumpkin beer even a little, I'd recommend this one.
Soon I'll be starting a job in holiday retail purgatory, but hopefully the more structured schedule and occasional paychecks will allow me to continue trying interesting beers. Try anything good lately, Paul (or anyone else reading this)?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I guess red and scarlet are two different things, but I don't really care.
I mentioned a while back that I had purchased a bottle of Dogfish Head's Red and White and was saving it for the day I finished grad school. I figured the red was appropriate for Rutgers (which I guess is scarlet if you want to be technical), and I already drank my Flying Fish Exit 9 to celebrate passing my defense.
You probably heard me shout for joy from wherever you are yesterday when I received the email telling me my thesis and all of my paperwork had been accepted. Well, you probably metaphorically heard me shout for joy. The real event involved me only reading the word "congratulations!" and sitting at my desk crying a little bit. It's been a crazy three years.
So, fast forward to the part where I drank a bottle of Red and White. It felt like beer going down, but definitely tasted like a wine more than anything else. Then I read the label about all the pinot noir stuff involved in the brewing process. Apparently that is a legitimate assessment on my part.
It's good! It's definitely a bit... different... but good. If you hate red wine, don't drink this beer.
And so I sat, quietly smiling, in my little lake side cabin, drinking this beer and petting the three kittens who live with me. It was pretty peaceful and wonderful, which was probably the best possible way to celebrate after three years of craziness, especially the past few high stress weeks jumping through all of the final hoops.
Now I just need to find a good beer to celebrate getting a job... and then actually get a job!
You probably heard me shout for joy from wherever you are yesterday when I received the email telling me my thesis and all of my paperwork had been accepted. Well, you probably metaphorically heard me shout for joy. The real event involved me only reading the word "congratulations!" and sitting at my desk crying a little bit. It's been a crazy three years.
So, fast forward to the part where I drank a bottle of Red and White. It felt like beer going down, but definitely tasted like a wine more than anything else. Then I read the label about all the pinot noir stuff involved in the brewing process. Apparently that is a legitimate assessment on my part.
It's good! It's definitely a bit... different... but good. If you hate red wine, don't drink this beer.
And so I sat, quietly smiling, in my little lake side cabin, drinking this beer and petting the three kittens who live with me. It was pretty peaceful and wonderful, which was probably the best possible way to celebrate after three years of craziness, especially the past few high stress weeks jumping through all of the final hoops.
Now I just need to find a good beer to celebrate getting a job... and then actually get a job!
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!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
hooray Heineken (sort of)
If I didn't already know that I didn't care for it, this commercial would have convinced me to drink Heineken:
It appeals to my liking of different cultures and everyone getting along. Open your world, indeed, just not your Heineken, if you can avoid it.
I've tried a couple of good beers recently--
Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night Imperial Stout: Reaaalllllly strong, really good. This was what I've come to hope for in this style. This reminds me of Victory's Storm King, which was probably my (and Paul's) first Imperial Stout, but also just a really good example of what it should be. Definitely got some coffee and a little bittersweetness, like dark chocolate. I like it.
Mikkeller's Coffee IPA: My older brother sent me to hunt this down several weeks ago, so when he stopped by this weekend, I shared it with him. It. was. good. This was a good IPA with an aftertaste of coffee-- not a coffee aftertaste, which is gross, but a taste of coffee after the sip goes down. It was definitely a bit different, but I thought it was good.
I'm looking forward to trying the two beers I got for celebrating my Masters, which I hopefully earn in the next five weeks: Flying Fish's Exit 9 (Hoppy Scarlet Ale, straight up Rutgers themed) and Dogfish Head's Red and White. Hopefully I'll be able to share my reviews next month!
It appeals to my liking of different cultures and everyone getting along. Open your world, indeed, just not your Heineken, if you can avoid it.
I've tried a couple of good beers recently--
Thirsty Dog's Siberian Night Imperial Stout: Reaaalllllly strong, really good. This was what I've come to hope for in this style. This reminds me of Victory's Storm King, which was probably my (and Paul's) first Imperial Stout, but also just a really good example of what it should be. Definitely got some coffee and a little bittersweetness, like dark chocolate. I like it.
Mikkeller's Coffee IPA: My older brother sent me to hunt this down several weeks ago, so when he stopped by this weekend, I shared it with him. It. was. good. This was a good IPA with an aftertaste of coffee-- not a coffee aftertaste, which is gross, but a taste of coffee after the sip goes down. It was definitely a bit different, but I thought it was good.
I'm looking forward to trying the two beers I got for celebrating my Masters, which I hopefully earn in the next five weeks: Flying Fish's Exit 9 (Hoppy Scarlet Ale, straight up Rutgers themed) and Dogfish Head's Red and White. Hopefully I'll be able to share my reviews next month!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
can't think of a clever heading for these
Paul may have been quiet for a while, but I assure you, he's alive. We had dinner together on Monday. You should be hearing from him soon about his Earpeweizen experience and other beer adventures.
In the meantime, I've been able to enjoy a few new brews with a few good friends:
Avery Mephistopheles' Stout: I liked how strongly flavored it was, but not what the actual flavor was, if that makes sense. I like that it had a certain amount of bite to it just for being a nearly 16% ABV stout, but it tasted strongly of molasses, which is just not my favorite version of sweet in a beer. I remembered Avery for another very strong beer I once tried, but this one won't be remembered as positively.
21st Amendment Bitter American IPA: Florally. It was a decent IPA, but definitely with some kind of flowery taste to it.
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Taylor and I just shared this over breakfast burritos for dinner. It balanced nicely with the spicy pepper jack cheese I used on my eggs. Hoppy, but not offensive. Taylor got more of the Belgian aspect of it, but he's also a bigger IPA fan than I am. I got more of the IPA flavor because it's still just strong to me. But this was nice. Clean and refreshing.
Also of note, Cheryl brought me lunch and snowshoes to play with last week after it snowed six more inches in Warren County. We shared Dogfish Head's My Antonia, which was a little hoppy and a lot refreshing. It went perfectly with the slightly hot/spicy Baja Fresh lunch. Pilseners aren't usually something I go after on purpose, but this was totally worth my attention. Dogfish Head is awesome, as ever.
In the meantime, I've been able to enjoy a few new brews with a few good friends:
Avery Mephistopheles' Stout: I liked how strongly flavored it was, but not what the actual flavor was, if that makes sense. I like that it had a certain amount of bite to it just for being a nearly 16% ABV stout, but it tasted strongly of molasses, which is just not my favorite version of sweet in a beer. I remembered Avery for another very strong beer I once tried, but this one won't be remembered as positively.
21st Amendment Bitter American IPA: Florally. It was a decent IPA, but definitely with some kind of flowery taste to it.
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA: Taylor and I just shared this over breakfast burritos for dinner. It balanced nicely with the spicy pepper jack cheese I used on my eggs. Hoppy, but not offensive. Taylor got more of the Belgian aspect of it, but he's also a bigger IPA fan than I am. I got more of the IPA flavor because it's still just strong to me. But this was nice. Clean and refreshing.
Also of note, Cheryl brought me lunch and snowshoes to play with last week after it snowed six more inches in Warren County. We shared Dogfish Head's My Antonia, which was a little hoppy and a lot refreshing. It went perfectly with the slightly hot/spicy Baja Fresh lunch. Pilseners aren't usually something I go after on purpose, but this was totally worth my attention. Dogfish Head is awesome, as ever.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
procrastination.
Well, I got back from Virginia yesterday afternoon and I leave for camp for a week tomorrow morning, stopping off at Rutgers on the way. I'm not motivated to pack again yet, so I'll share with you a few brews I've tried recently.
While I don't advocate the use of alcohol to soothe negative situations, I did keep Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout specifically for my most recent round of thesis revisions. I figured the strong coffee flavor to be expected from such a beer would perhaps trick me into staying awake longer to work on that thing while the alcohol helped lower my inhibitions just enough to open the floodgates of writing. Does it actually have caffeine in it? I don't know, or really care. It was a nice accompaniment to my work though. I really enjoyed the strong taste. It made me say wow. This is one of those beers that Taylor would accuse of "sucker punching" the taste buds. This is certainly not for the faint hearted or stout haters.
What was I in Virginia for this past week? This man. I did use Josh's Valentine's Day Brawl at the 9:30 Club on Monday as an excuse to visit that other dude I like to visit in Virginia though, and to make up for drinking all of the beers I left last time, he took me to the Dogfish Head Alehouse. The food was awesome, as were the beers (OBVIOUSLY). I ordered the Chicory Stout, which is so so good and I'm embarrassed to say I forgot was on my list. It's one I always see and mean to double check, but apparently never actually did. But it's so so good. It's a nice coffee stout, really mellow with a slightly fruity finish but it's not offensively fruity.
I also ordered the Lawnmower Light beer because it's not available commercially and I was curious what a craft light beer would taste like. As it turns out, it tastes like NOT WATER. It was interesting but still not heavy or strong in any way. It was pleasant.
Taylor also let me taste his beers-- he got the Palo Santo Marron, which I've also had before (drinks like a porter, really really malty, avorite Dogfish Head, but after getting over the fact that it's hardly your typical brown ale, I liked it), and the Shelter Pale Ale, which was very plain and hoppy and delightful. I imagine it'd go well with something spicy, but it was nice enough on its own. I approve, Dogfish Head, I approve. Keep up the good work. (For Taylor's side of the story, go here.)
On Monday night before the concert, I cooked dinner for Taylor and our friend Luke, and they gave me beers.
Leffe Blonde, which I swore I'd already had but it's not on my list, is a decent Belgian pale ale, tasting like a really strong hefeweizen.
Appalachian Trails' Hoppy Trails was not my favorite IPA ever, but not terrible. It just wasn't particularly impressive. It was an IPA, I guess.
Atwater Block Brewery's Vanilla Java Porter was my favorite of the evening, tasting like all of the things in its name, but not in an overly strong or sweet way. This was nice. Might be a better dessert beer rather than sitting outside on a nice evening with friends while waiting for the ziti to bake, but still enjoyable.
Another lovely trip to Virginia, another great concert by Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, and now that I'm done writing, another attempt at thinking about packing...
While I don't advocate the use of alcohol to soothe negative situations, I did keep Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout specifically for my most recent round of thesis revisions. I figured the strong coffee flavor to be expected from such a beer would perhaps trick me into staying awake longer to work on that thing while the alcohol helped lower my inhibitions just enough to open the floodgates of writing. Does it actually have caffeine in it? I don't know, or really care. It was a nice accompaniment to my work though. I really enjoyed the strong taste. It made me say wow. This is one of those beers that Taylor would accuse of "sucker punching" the taste buds. This is certainly not for the faint hearted or stout haters.
What was I in Virginia for this past week? This man. I did use Josh's Valentine's Day Brawl at the 9:30 Club on Monday as an excuse to visit that other dude I like to visit in Virginia though, and to make up for drinking all of the beers I left last time, he took me to the Dogfish Head Alehouse. The food was awesome, as were the beers (OBVIOUSLY). I ordered the Chicory Stout, which is so so good and I'm embarrassed to say I forgot was on my list. It's one I always see and mean to double check, but apparently never actually did. But it's so so good. It's a nice coffee stout, really mellow with a slightly fruity finish but it's not offensively fruity.
I also ordered the Lawnmower Light beer because it's not available commercially and I was curious what a craft light beer would taste like. As it turns out, it tastes like NOT WATER. It was interesting but still not heavy or strong in any way. It was pleasant.
Taylor also let me taste his beers-- he got the Palo Santo Marron, which I've also had before (drinks like a porter, really really malty, avorite Dogfish Head, but after getting over the fact that it's hardly your typical brown ale, I liked it), and the Shelter Pale Ale, which was very plain and hoppy and delightful. I imagine it'd go well with something spicy, but it was nice enough on its own. I approve, Dogfish Head, I approve. Keep up the good work. (For Taylor's side of the story, go here.)
On Monday night before the concert, I cooked dinner for Taylor and our friend Luke, and they gave me beers.
Leffe Blonde, which I swore I'd already had but it's not on my list, is a decent Belgian pale ale, tasting like a really strong hefeweizen.
Appalachian Trails' Hoppy Trails was not my favorite IPA ever, but not terrible. It just wasn't particularly impressive. It was an IPA, I guess.
Atwater Block Brewery's Vanilla Java Porter was my favorite of the evening, tasting like all of the things in its name, but not in an overly strong or sweet way. This was nice. Might be a better dessert beer rather than sitting outside on a nice evening with friends while waiting for the ziti to bake, but still enjoyable.
Another lovely trip to Virginia, another great concert by Josh Ritter and The Royal City Band, and now that I'm done writing, another attempt at thinking about packing...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
fun, friends, falafel and beer
This year, I "watched" the Superbowl with Cheryl, Gurzo and Cristina at Cheryl and Gurzo's house. I may have been paying more attention to my friends, falafel and... there doesn't seem to be a synonym for drinks that starts with the letter F, so the alliteration ends there.
We split several 22 ounce bottles partially because good stuff came in them but also because I have realized that I do not have enough bottles for my homebrew, which I am set to bottle tomorrow (and will be buying more bottles in order to do so due to my poor planning).
HUB's Abominable Winter Ale: As much as I seem to have developed a taste for hoppy beers, I just felt like this was really unbalanced in favor of hops. It wasn't bad, just not particularly more interesting than a really hoppy beer.
Oakshire's Ill Tempered Gnome: This was relatively plain but had some nice spice to it, if that makes sense. It wasn't particularly complex tasting aside from the spices, I mean. Whatever. It was smooth and I enjoyed it and it seemed like a good beer to drink in winter when you're cold and just need something warm and spiced in your life.
Ninkas Oatis Oatmeal Stout: This was a little sweeter than the average oatmeal stout but very smooth and mellow. I liked it, but it's not about to win the favorite oatmeal stout award (that would most likely go to BORIS, Shakespeare or Samuel Smith, or the overly- built- up- in- my- mind- epic Southend Brewery Oatmeal Stout that I tried with the Mary Washington Geography Department at the SEDAAG conference in 2007).
Dogfish Head Sah'Tea: Ahhh, Dogfish Head, you almost never let me down. This was really excellent, like if beer and chai had a beautifully delicious spiced baby (my love of spiced chai is severe). You could kind of taste the spices and the tea, but it was just so unique and enjoyable. I was worried when I saw juniper berries in the description after not totally loving tree flavors in another beer, but no problem. It was a hint but not overpowering. Subtle and complimentary. Ah. Loved it. This also introduced me to a new type of brew: the sahti. I had never heard of it before. I suspect this is not super typical of the style though...
Fort Collins Brewery's Double Chocolate Stout: I had this on Tuesday in hopes that another 22 ounce bottle would alleviate the bottle crisis... not even close, but it was still a worthwhile beer. If you like offensive, sucker-punch flavored stouts, this is for you. I really enjoyed this. The chocolate was present but not super sweet. The stout was mostly just strong and... strong. Yep. Delicious. My kind of beer.
Long Trail Hibernator: My little brother gave me one of these this evening because I'm his favorite big sister (probably more because I picked up some snacks for him on my way home from choir tonight...). It was not as interesting when it was ridiculously cold from sitting in a fridge in our ridiculously cold garage, but once I let it sit for a few minutes, I got a hoppier- than- expected- but- not- overly- so kind of flavor. Decently balanced, pretty smooth going down. This was more delightful than I expected. It's reasonable and generally unoffensive.
So, tomorrow I bottle my first batch of beer! It will need a week or two to carbonate before I can find out if I did it right or not... I'm really nervous, but excited. In the meantime, I have a few beers around waiting to be tried, including Mikkeller's Coffee IPA (I got the last two available in the region as per my big brother's request), Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout (which I plan to use to get me through the latest round of thesis revisions... ugh) and Dogfish Head's My Antonia (which was purchased to cover up someone's worst boyfriend ever moment of drinking all of my beer).
We split several 22 ounce bottles partially because good stuff came in them but also because I have realized that I do not have enough bottles for my homebrew, which I am set to bottle tomorrow (and will be buying more bottles in order to do so due to my poor planning).
HUB's Abominable Winter Ale: As much as I seem to have developed a taste for hoppy beers, I just felt like this was really unbalanced in favor of hops. It wasn't bad, just not particularly more interesting than a really hoppy beer.
Oakshire's Ill Tempered Gnome: This was relatively plain but had some nice spice to it, if that makes sense. It wasn't particularly complex tasting aside from the spices, I mean. Whatever. It was smooth and I enjoyed it and it seemed like a good beer to drink in winter when you're cold and just need something warm and spiced in your life.
Ninkas Oatis Oatmeal Stout: This was a little sweeter than the average oatmeal stout but very smooth and mellow. I liked it, but it's not about to win the favorite oatmeal stout award (that would most likely go to BORIS, Shakespeare or Samuel Smith, or the overly- built- up- in- my- mind- epic Southend Brewery Oatmeal Stout that I tried with the Mary Washington Geography Department at the SEDAAG conference in 2007).
Dogfish Head Sah'Tea: Ahhh, Dogfish Head, you almost never let me down. This was really excellent, like if beer and chai had a beautifully delicious spiced baby (my love of spiced chai is severe). You could kind of taste the spices and the tea, but it was just so unique and enjoyable. I was worried when I saw juniper berries in the description after not totally loving tree flavors in another beer, but no problem. It was a hint but not overpowering. Subtle and complimentary. Ah. Loved it. This also introduced me to a new type of brew: the sahti. I had never heard of it before. I suspect this is not super typical of the style though...
Fort Collins Brewery's Double Chocolate Stout: I had this on Tuesday in hopes that another 22 ounce bottle would alleviate the bottle crisis... not even close, but it was still a worthwhile beer. If you like offensive, sucker-punch flavored stouts, this is for you. I really enjoyed this. The chocolate was present but not super sweet. The stout was mostly just strong and... strong. Yep. Delicious. My kind of beer.
Long Trail Hibernator: My little brother gave me one of these this evening because I'm his favorite big sister (probably more because I picked up some snacks for him on my way home from choir tonight...). It was not as interesting when it was ridiculously cold from sitting in a fridge in our ridiculously cold garage, but once I let it sit for a few minutes, I got a hoppier- than- expected- but- not- overly- so kind of flavor. Decently balanced, pretty smooth going down. This was more delightful than I expected. It's reasonable and generally unoffensive.
So, tomorrow I bottle my first batch of beer! It will need a week or two to carbonate before I can find out if I did it right or not... I'm really nervous, but excited. In the meantime, I have a few beers around waiting to be tried, including Mikkeller's Coffee IPA (I got the last two available in the region as per my big brother's request), Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout (which I plan to use to get me through the latest round of thesis revisions... ugh) and Dogfish Head's My Antonia (which was purchased to cover up someone's worst boyfriend ever moment of drinking all of my beer).
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
friends forever
Dogfish Head's brewmaster Sam Calagione and I are practically best friends.
After watching Beer Wars, I sent him an email, because he said in the film that people could do that. I told him about my love of Bitches Brew and World Wide Stout and how much I appreciated his efforts to make cool beers despite the challenges in competing with the behemoths. He wrote back!:
Thanks for the kind words and support Colleen. And thanks for taking the time to see the movie. Keep drinking the good stuff. Cheers, Sam
Just wanted that here for posterity, and also to show that we're on a first name basis. Awesome.
After watching Beer Wars, I sent him an email, because he said in the film that people could do that. I told him about my love of Bitches Brew and World Wide Stout and how much I appreciated his efforts to make cool beers despite the challenges in competing with the behemoths. He wrote back!:
Thanks for the kind words and support Colleen. And thanks for taking the time to see the movie. Keep drinking the good stuff. Cheers, Sam
Just wanted that here for posterity, and also to show that we're on a first name basis. Awesome.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
beerproof camera
Aside from a bit of angst about driving places unlicensed, the rest of my time in Virginia was pretty lovely. The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a good time. It was awesome to see so many friends! (And I have since renewed my license.)
Hilary, Paige and I got ready for the wedding together in my hotel room, but did so without beer until Deron arrived with a bottle opener. You know, I really just need to get myself one. I actually have at least two, but they don't fit in my pockets. The problem is, it needs to be tiny-- I took the car door unlocker thingy off my keychain because it was too big for my pocket. I unlock my door by hand. I digress.
Deron arrived with a bottle opener, and before we left for the wedding, I had Lancaster Milk Stout from a mixed six pack that Taylor and I made that morning. It was a little sweet but mostly just unexciting, which was fine by me. Very smooth, pretty plain, very drinkable, which was good, because we had a wedding to get to.
Between the ceremony and reception, a few of us went back to the hotel and had a round of Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA. While I do seem to be on a bit of an IPA kick these past few weeks, this one was a bit strong for me. Really, really hoppy. It kind of obscured anything else. I didn't totally hate it but prefer my IPA's a little better rounded.
The wedding was lovely and we made use of the open Budweiser. These pictures are from my waterproof digital camera dunked in Taylor's Bud, because he's sweet and tolerant of me:
(And yes, we also drank the Bud-- not my favorite macro brew, but not my least favorite either, and yes it was already on the list.)
After the wedding, several of us went back to the hotel to watch the end of the Jets-Colts game. There were Miller High Lifes aplenty, but Taylor and I also split Dogfish Head's Burton Baton, another IPA (more specifically an Imperial IPA). This one was also a bit stronger than I'd like, super duper hoppy, but this one was a little smoother going down. Not my favorite Dogfish Head brew, not my favorite IPA of theirs either, but it was pretty good. You true IPA fans out there might appreciate it more than I did though.
I'm back in New Jersey now, traveling nearly 1300 miles so far this year. (Note to self: perhaps I should keep a running tally this year?) Before heading to camp to start working today, I had a layover in Edison with Cheryl (and Lauren, via Skype!). Cheryl and I shared Deschutes' The Abyss, a stout from the west coast brewed with licorice and molasses and aged in some kind of liquor barrels. I've had bad experience with licorice in beer; I've had bad experience with beer that even mentions liquor. However, the worst part of this beer was the pain in the butt wax seal. Really smooth. Basically it was a strong flavored stout that didn't taste like coffee or chocolate. Very good.
Well, my current position at camp doesn't require me to abstain from drinking, but I imagine living alone in my lakeside cabin part time up here will keep my sampling to a minimum. Visiting friends in Virginia always puts me way ahead, and it seems I have some extra encouragement.
Colleen: 354
Paul: 324
Hilary, Paige and I got ready for the wedding together in my hotel room, but did so without beer until Deron arrived with a bottle opener. You know, I really just need to get myself one. I actually have at least two, but they don't fit in my pockets. The problem is, it needs to be tiny-- I took the car door unlocker thingy off my keychain because it was too big for my pocket. I unlock my door by hand. I digress.
Deron arrived with a bottle opener, and before we left for the wedding, I had Lancaster Milk Stout from a mixed six pack that Taylor and I made that morning. It was a little sweet but mostly just unexciting, which was fine by me. Very smooth, pretty plain, very drinkable, which was good, because we had a wedding to get to.
Between the ceremony and reception, a few of us went back to the hotel and had a round of Starr Hill Northern Lights IPA. While I do seem to be on a bit of an IPA kick these past few weeks, this one was a bit strong for me. Really, really hoppy. It kind of obscured anything else. I didn't totally hate it but prefer my IPA's a little better rounded.
The wedding was lovely and we made use of the open Budweiser. These pictures are from my waterproof digital camera dunked in Taylor's Bud, because he's sweet and tolerant of me:
(And yes, we also drank the Bud-- not my favorite macro brew, but not my least favorite either, and yes it was already on the list.)
After the wedding, several of us went back to the hotel to watch the end of the Jets-Colts game. There were Miller High Lifes aplenty, but Taylor and I also split Dogfish Head's Burton Baton, another IPA (more specifically an Imperial IPA). This one was also a bit stronger than I'd like, super duper hoppy, but this one was a little smoother going down. Not my favorite Dogfish Head brew, not my favorite IPA of theirs either, but it was pretty good. You true IPA fans out there might appreciate it more than I did though.
I'm back in New Jersey now, traveling nearly 1300 miles so far this year. (Note to self: perhaps I should keep a running tally this year?) Before heading to camp to start working today, I had a layover in Edison with Cheryl (and Lauren, via Skype!). Cheryl and I shared Deschutes' The Abyss, a stout from the west coast brewed with licorice and molasses and aged in some kind of liquor barrels. I've had bad experience with licorice in beer; I've had bad experience with beer that even mentions liquor. However, the worst part of this beer was the pain in the butt wax seal. Really smooth. Basically it was a strong flavored stout that didn't taste like coffee or chocolate. Very good.
Well, my current position at camp doesn't require me to abstain from drinking, but I imagine living alone in my lakeside cabin part time up here will keep my sampling to a minimum. Visiting friends in Virginia always puts me way ahead, and it seems I have some extra encouragement.
Colleen: 354
Paul: 324
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
more from Virginia
Obviously this is a Colleen post. It isn't out of the ordinary for Paul to write about what's going on in Virginia.
I meant to tell you last time about Beer Wars, which Paul recommended a while back. While not quite what I thought it'd be, this was really good and I definitely recommend it. It was all about the ongoing battle between craft breweries and the big guys. I was really surprised to learn just how hard it is for small scale brewers to get their stuff out there. Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head was featured quite a bit, giving me even more appreciation for the unique stuff he's making and getting out there for beer dorks like me.
I'm generally a fan of smaller industries and more local endeavors, so it's no wonder I was more disappointed in the behemoth macrobrews after seeing this. I suspect if you're reading this blog though, you have at least a little love for the little guys out there. Watch the movie!
I meant to tell you last time about Beer Wars, which Paul recommended a while back. While not quite what I thought it'd be, this was really good and I definitely recommend it. It was all about the ongoing battle between craft breweries and the big guys. I was really surprised to learn just how hard it is for small scale brewers to get their stuff out there. Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head was featured quite a bit, giving me even more appreciation for the unique stuff he's making and getting out there for beer dorks like me.
I'm generally a fan of smaller industries and more local endeavors, so it's no wonder I was more disappointed in the behemoth macrobrews after seeing this. I suspect if you're reading this blog though, you have at least a little love for the little guys out there. Watch the movie!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Holidays '10 - Part 2
This will be yet another short post, as I am still playing catch up on errands this week. Laura and I got snowed in at my parents, where the snowfall the day after Christmas was about 28 inches! It took over 7.5 hours to return to Virginia the other day - due to road conditions in Monmouth County, NJ and several days worth of Holiday travelers condensed on I-95 on the same day. I received several beers as Christmas gifts (all are new), so I will be reviewing those in the coming weeks.
St. Pauli Girl: Laura's Dad is a big fan of this one. I thought it was a little better than a Heineken. It's a generic pilsner from Germany. It's actually made by InBev. This means you can expect a highly manufactured beverage, but one with highly consistent taste.
Fordham Genius: A friend told me that this was a take on Guinness. The beer was very good, but I do not agree with their analysis. Guinness is very dark, but almost watery when it comes to taste. Guinness is also light in alcohol. On the other hand, this had almost twice the alcohol by volume (ABV). The nitrogen tap (as opposed to carbon dioxide) gave it a similar experience to Guinness, but the two are fundamentally different.
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout: Colleen summed this beer up here. Laura called the beer a "punch to the face." What did I think? This beer is not for the faint of heart. If you're not a fan of aggressive, heavy beers...this is not for you at all. If you like lagers, amber ales, hefewiezens, and perhaps the occasional pale ale - then you should avoid this beer. It's extremely dark. It has a very aggressive taste. It weighs in at 18% percent alcohol. I absolutely loved it. I took my time drinking it over the course of two hours. Those on my short list of hardcore beer drinkers would greatly enjoy this. It's expensive, but worth a try.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice: I got this as a gift for Christmas from Laura's mother. This was very interesting, and it was a great seasonal. There was a blend of spices that did not overwhelm the beer, but added to it as the blizzard was rearing its ugly head. Most spiced beers are a lot to handle, so this was a pleasant surprise. The finish was nice and smooth, with a little dry flavor afterward. However, the slight spice flavor stays with you for fond memories- 6.9% alcohol doesn't hurt either.
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA: This is one of very few Samuel Adams beers that I had yet to try. That list is narrowing down to a handful. I thought this was an excellent introductory IPA. It gives all the wonderful elements of an IPA without adding an offensive amount of hops. There was a bitterness to the flavor, but the was almost a sweetness to the hops as well. This is worth a try.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch: The ingredients for this beer were determined from pottery residue found in King Midas' exhumed tomb. An academic styled review can be found here (see page 4). The beverage is somewhere between beer, mead, and chardonnay. I thought it had a very interesting flavor that can't be found in beer today. It's interesting to note how beer has evolved over the past 2,700 years.
Wells Banana Bread Beer: My cousin Brendan graciously shared some of this with me. I've heard about it from him before, so I wanted to give it a try. I do love banana bread, but combining it with beer made me apprehensive. In short, it's a novelty beer. It smelled like banana bread and the flavor was there as well. It was nice to try, but I would recommend splitting a bottle with someone.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 324
Cheers,
Paul
St. Pauli Girl: Laura's Dad is a big fan of this one. I thought it was a little better than a Heineken. It's a generic pilsner from Germany. It's actually made by InBev. This means you can expect a highly manufactured beverage, but one with highly consistent taste.
Fordham Genius: A friend told me that this was a take on Guinness. The beer was very good, but I do not agree with their analysis. Guinness is very dark, but almost watery when it comes to taste. Guinness is also light in alcohol. On the other hand, this had almost twice the alcohol by volume (ABV). The nitrogen tap (as opposed to carbon dioxide) gave it a similar experience to Guinness, but the two are fundamentally different.
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout: Colleen summed this beer up here. Laura called the beer a "punch to the face." What did I think? This beer is not for the faint of heart. If you're not a fan of aggressive, heavy beers...this is not for you at all. If you like lagers, amber ales, hefewiezens, and perhaps the occasional pale ale - then you should avoid this beer. It's extremely dark. It has a very aggressive taste. It weighs in at 18% percent alcohol. I absolutely loved it. I took my time drinking it over the course of two hours. Those on my short list of hardcore beer drinkers would greatly enjoy this. It's expensive, but worth a try.
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice: I got this as a gift for Christmas from Laura's mother. This was very interesting, and it was a great seasonal. There was a blend of spices that did not overwhelm the beer, but added to it as the blizzard was rearing its ugly head. Most spiced beers are a lot to handle, so this was a pleasant surprise. The finish was nice and smooth, with a little dry flavor afterward. However, the slight spice flavor stays with you for fond memories- 6.9% alcohol doesn't hurt either.
Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA: This is one of very few Samuel Adams beers that I had yet to try. That list is narrowing down to a handful. I thought this was an excellent introductory IPA. It gives all the wonderful elements of an IPA without adding an offensive amount of hops. There was a bitterness to the flavor, but the was almost a sweetness to the hops as well. This is worth a try.
Dogfish Head Midas Touch: The ingredients for this beer were determined from pottery residue found in King Midas' exhumed tomb. An academic styled review can be found here (see page 4). The beverage is somewhere between beer, mead, and chardonnay. I thought it had a very interesting flavor that can't be found in beer today. It's interesting to note how beer has evolved over the past 2,700 years.
Wells Banana Bread Beer: My cousin Brendan graciously shared some of this with me. I've heard about it from him before, so I wanted to give it a try. I do love banana bread, but combining it with beer made me apprehensive. In short, it's a novelty beer. It smelled like banana bread and the flavor was there as well. It was nice to try, but I would recommend splitting a bottle with someone.
The scorecard:
Colleen - 341
Paul - 324
Cheers,
Paul
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
keeping busy
Well. It's a busy time of year: finals, holiday preparation, visiting lots of family and friends. And you know, it's all three of those things that have lead me to try the following new brews:
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale: I picked this one up to help me meet a thesis deadline earlier this month. Appropriately a red ale, it was a decent combination of the bitter of hops and the sweetness of something citrus fruity. It was pleasant, and while it did not help me to stay awake and finish the section of thesis that I owed my advisor, it did help me in being less critical and over-thinking of what I was writing... but I don't think that was exclusive to this brew so much as beer in general. Hm. Anyway, this was not the most amazing thing ever, but not a terrible price or taste for being festive.
Flying Fish Exit 13: Very rarely do I seek out a beer. Usually I just keep a vague idea of what I've had and try to find things with funny or super unfamiliar names. However, embarrased by having missed two of the Flying Fish Exit Series so far (Exits 11 and 16 E W) (do you know how much I love Jersey!?), and having read of its release in an ongoing series in the Star Ledger, I asked the manager at the nearest liquor store with a decent beer selection. Surely enough, he'd received it-- hadn't even put it out on the floor yet, but I bought my bottle and opened it the moment I got home. This is a chocolate stout, and while the flavor is not overly complex or especially strong (think kick in the ass rather than punch in the face), it was really nice and smooth. I love me a strong stout, but I realize not everyone does. I love this beer because it's New Jersey themed and New Jersey brewed, but I also think it's a reasonably accessible stout.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA: Taylor came to visit and chose this while I drooled over the Exit 13, but he was nice and shared (possibly because we bought an entire growler). He said, "meh" but is way more of an IPA aficionado than I am (which leads me to believe I should go back and retry a lot of earlier IPAs now that I'm sort of getting a taste for them). This one tasted kind of like flowers. It wasn't the most incredible IPA I've tried, but it also wasn't super gross like some I've had. Rogue can be somewhat hit or miss, but again, given the price on this, I thought it was pretty good. If nothing else, hilariously novel name.
"Black Ice": While this doesn't by any means count as a new beer, this is an interesting idea I stole from my cousin Andrew after seeing him post something on facebook about it last winter. It's half Guinness, half Sam Adams Winter Lager. I tried this at The Office catching up with Paul and Laura (with Taylor, too) but found it to be kind of... bland. Sorry Andrew. I think I'm missing something. Definitely interesting in theory, and definitely motivates me to try the concept on other beers-- the half and half is a go-to for both authors of this blog (Guinness and Harp).
The incredible Cheryl gets credit for choosing three different beers that were not on my list when she hosted Taylor and me for dinner this past weekend--
21st Amendment Fireside Chat: a lovely winter warmer, nice spiced flavor. I wasn't crazy about the aftertaste but the beer itself was worthwhile. Also, it came in possibly the coolest cans I've ever seen, featuring Franklin Delano Roosevelt giving a fireside chat.
Boulder Never Summer Ale: This was another warm, malty, wintery beer, though it was hoppier than I expected. It was a nice balance though.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This was more the punch in the face kind of stout that I love. Very strong, definitely got a taste of coffee. I approve of this beer!
Taylor actually hung out for an extra day in order to get the Stuff Yer Face Monday night experience. I feel it's worth rementioning Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, which is currently on tap there, and is awesome. It's 18% ABV and so delicious and strong. Oh man. Good. No, GREAT.
After my love affair with the World Wide Stout, both Taylor and I ordered Stone Ruination. We noticed upon pouring them out that mine was much lighter in color. We checked the bottles-- one of us had one that was best by this past July, one of us had one that was best by this coming January. I suspect I had the older one, because while it was a decent IPA, Taylor's had much more flavor to it-- the strong hops, something citrus, and even a bit of yeast taste. Obviously fresher is going to be better, but in this case, it made a very noticeable difference. Mine was ok, but his was pretty good.
Some good stuff lately.
Paul: 311
Colleen: 341 (no I did not count World Wide Stout again, although it counts as like 3 beers)
Rogue Santa's Private Reserve Ale: I picked this one up to help me meet a thesis deadline earlier this month. Appropriately a red ale, it was a decent combination of the bitter of hops and the sweetness of something citrus fruity. It was pleasant, and while it did not help me to stay awake and finish the section of thesis that I owed my advisor, it did help me in being less critical and over-thinking of what I was writing... but I don't think that was exclusive to this brew so much as beer in general. Hm. Anyway, this was not the most amazing thing ever, but not a terrible price or taste for being festive.
Flying Fish Exit 13: Very rarely do I seek out a beer. Usually I just keep a vague idea of what I've had and try to find things with funny or super unfamiliar names. However, embarrased by having missed two of the Flying Fish Exit Series so far (Exits 11 and 16 E W) (do you know how much I love Jersey!?), and having read of its release in an ongoing series in the Star Ledger, I asked the manager at the nearest liquor store with a decent beer selection. Surely enough, he'd received it-- hadn't even put it out on the floor yet, but I bought my bottle and opened it the moment I got home. This is a chocolate stout, and while the flavor is not overly complex or especially strong (think kick in the ass rather than punch in the face), it was really nice and smooth. I love me a strong stout, but I realize not everyone does. I love this beer because it's New Jersey themed and New Jersey brewed, but I also think it's a reasonably accessible stout.
Rogue Yellow Snow IPA: Taylor came to visit and chose this while I drooled over the Exit 13, but he was nice and shared (possibly because we bought an entire growler). He said, "meh" but is way more of an IPA aficionado than I am (which leads me to believe I should go back and retry a lot of earlier IPAs now that I'm sort of getting a taste for them). This one tasted kind of like flowers. It wasn't the most incredible IPA I've tried, but it also wasn't super gross like some I've had. Rogue can be somewhat hit or miss, but again, given the price on this, I thought it was pretty good. If nothing else, hilariously novel name.
"Black Ice": While this doesn't by any means count as a new beer, this is an interesting idea I stole from my cousin Andrew after seeing him post something on facebook about it last winter. It's half Guinness, half Sam Adams Winter Lager. I tried this at The Office catching up with Paul and Laura (with Taylor, too) but found it to be kind of... bland. Sorry Andrew. I think I'm missing something. Definitely interesting in theory, and definitely motivates me to try the concept on other beers-- the half and half is a go-to for both authors of this blog (Guinness and Harp).
The incredible Cheryl gets credit for choosing three different beers that were not on my list when she hosted Taylor and me for dinner this past weekend--
21st Amendment Fireside Chat: a lovely winter warmer, nice spiced flavor. I wasn't crazy about the aftertaste but the beer itself was worthwhile. Also, it came in possibly the coolest cans I've ever seen, featuring Franklin Delano Roosevelt giving a fireside chat.
Boulder Never Summer Ale: This was another warm, malty, wintery beer, though it was hoppier than I expected. It was a nice balance though.
Stone Imperial Russian Stout: This was more the punch in the face kind of stout that I love. Very strong, definitely got a taste of coffee. I approve of this beer!
Taylor actually hung out for an extra day in order to get the Stuff Yer Face Monday night experience. I feel it's worth rementioning Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout, which is currently on tap there, and is awesome. It's 18% ABV and so delicious and strong. Oh man. Good. No, GREAT.
After my love affair with the World Wide Stout, both Taylor and I ordered Stone Ruination. We noticed upon pouring them out that mine was much lighter in color. We checked the bottles-- one of us had one that was best by this past July, one of us had one that was best by this coming January. I suspect I had the older one, because while it was a decent IPA, Taylor's had much more flavor to it-- the strong hops, something citrus, and even a bit of yeast taste. Obviously fresher is going to be better, but in this case, it made a very noticeable difference. Mine was ok, but his was pretty good.
Some good stuff lately.
Paul: 311
Colleen: 341 (no I did not count World Wide Stout again, although it counts as like 3 beers)
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...)
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