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
Showing posts with label Saison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saison. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
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.
Monday, October 18, 2010
BUFFing out the pain of the thesis, and other good beers
The first draft of my thesis was due last week. Ugh.
To help motivate myself to meet that deadline, I made myself a mixed six pack at the store near Cheryl and Gurzo's house, with the stipulation that I wasn't allowed to have any unless I called them and checked in with my progress on that paper. They are good friends, aren't they? At first I was just going to pick up two or three individual bottles, but then I found six that I was interested in.
The first one I was particularly interested in, given the somewhat recent discussion about our favorite microbrewers. You may recall I recently picked Dogfish Head, while Paul stands by Stone. You may also recall that a shared favorite of ours is a Victory brew (even if I haven't liked most of theirs that I've tried aside from Storm King, that shared favorite). Well. It turns out the three companies got together to create BUFF: Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor, and created Saison du Buff, a farmhouse beer made with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I bought it under the Dogfish Head label though I did later see it under the Victory label on the same shelf. Was it epic? Indeed it was. My notes say, "brilliant herby slightly hoppy light tangy farmhouse love." It was just really fresh and crisp tasting. Very, very good. I would absolutely recommend this. I am impressed with their work and sincerely hope the BUFF efforts continue.
What else have I tried lately?
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale: Also part of my six pack, as per the recommendation of one of my good friend Noah. He described it as exquisite. While I respect his opinions, especially when it comes to beer, I may need to disagree on this one. The spices were great in this one, but it was too sweet for me, one of those pumpkin beers that tastes more like pie than vegetable. It was very smooth, but not my favorite pumpkin brew.
Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA: Another addition to the mixed six, based on two criteria: I'm trying to get into IPAs, and it had a geographic theme. I ended up having this one in the midst of the writing process (which was about latitude 19, but that's beside the point, I suppose), figuring that I'd be able to try a new beer but wasn't totally indulging, since it was unlikely that I'd really like this beer anyway. False! This is a nice IPA. It was really hoppy, but it was smooth and had this sort of fresh citrusy thing going on. I approve. And if I approve of an IPA, you know it's worth your time.
Harpoon IPA: Another one that I give my seal of approval! I had this while out for dinner with JACK (the acronym for the girls I went across Canada with) while we were completing the NJ Lighthouse Challenge this past weekend. They didn't have anything else I wanted, so I figured, try another IPA. This one is just like a smooth, nice ale with a slightly hoppy-- not overwhelming-- aftertaste. A pleasant surprise for me.
Flying Fish Exit 4: This was another member of my mixed six, that I'd been looking for for a while, but had trouble finding since it was an earlier part of the Flying Fish Exit Series. I was excited to try it because I love New Jersey and had just finished a two day roadtrip around the coastline thereof, but I knew in my heart that I typically don't care for the style and probably wouldn't totally love it. However, another pleasant surprise: good stuff. This is a tripel, which tend to be too sweet for me, and this was still a little sweeter than I'd prefer, but it was very nicely balanced with the hops and I kinda liked it. Good luck trying to find this, but if you do, it was pretty good.
I have a few more in my thesis motivator pack and as to be expected, I have a few more things to do for said thesis, so those will come soon, I'm sure. In the meantime, Paul: 300 (congrats and welcome to the club, buddy) and Colleen: 309.
To help motivate myself to meet that deadline, I made myself a mixed six pack at the store near Cheryl and Gurzo's house, with the stipulation that I wasn't allowed to have any unless I called them and checked in with my progress on that paper. They are good friends, aren't they? At first I was just going to pick up two or three individual bottles, but then I found six that I was interested in.
The first one I was particularly interested in, given the somewhat recent discussion about our favorite microbrewers. You may recall I recently picked Dogfish Head, while Paul stands by Stone. You may also recall that a shared favorite of ours is a Victory brew (even if I haven't liked most of theirs that I've tried aside from Storm King, that shared favorite). Well. It turns out the three companies got together to create BUFF: Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor, and created Saison du Buff, a farmhouse beer made with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. I bought it under the Dogfish Head label though I did later see it under the Victory label on the same shelf. Was it epic? Indeed it was. My notes say, "brilliant herby slightly hoppy light tangy farmhouse love." It was just really fresh and crisp tasting. Very, very good. I would absolutely recommend this. I am impressed with their work and sincerely hope the BUFF efforts continue.
What else have I tried lately?
Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin Ale: Also part of my six pack, as per the recommendation of one of my good friend Noah. He described it as exquisite. While I respect his opinions, especially when it comes to beer, I may need to disagree on this one. The spices were great in this one, but it was too sweet for me, one of those pumpkin beers that tastes more like pie than vegetable. It was very smooth, but not my favorite pumpkin brew.
Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA: Another addition to the mixed six, based on two criteria: I'm trying to get into IPAs, and it had a geographic theme. I ended up having this one in the midst of the writing process (which was about latitude 19, but that's beside the point, I suppose), figuring that I'd be able to try a new beer but wasn't totally indulging, since it was unlikely that I'd really like this beer anyway. False! This is a nice IPA. It was really hoppy, but it was smooth and had this sort of fresh citrusy thing going on. I approve. And if I approve of an IPA, you know it's worth your time.
Harpoon IPA: Another one that I give my seal of approval! I had this while out for dinner with JACK (the acronym for the girls I went across Canada with) while we were completing the NJ Lighthouse Challenge this past weekend. They didn't have anything else I wanted, so I figured, try another IPA. This one is just like a smooth, nice ale with a slightly hoppy-- not overwhelming-- aftertaste. A pleasant surprise for me.
Flying Fish Exit 4: This was another member of my mixed six, that I'd been looking for for a while, but had trouble finding since it was an earlier part of the Flying Fish Exit Series. I was excited to try it because I love New Jersey and had just finished a two day roadtrip around the coastline thereof, but I knew in my heart that I typically don't care for the style and probably wouldn't totally love it. However, another pleasant surprise: good stuff. This is a tripel, which tend to be too sweet for me, and this was still a little sweeter than I'd prefer, but it was very nicely balanced with the hops and I kinda liked it. Good luck trying to find this, but if you do, it was pretty good.
I have a few more in my thesis motivator pack and as to be expected, I have a few more things to do for said thesis, so those will come soon, I'm sure. In the meantime, Paul: 300 (congrats and welcome to the club, buddy) and Colleen: 309.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
apologies for neglect
Sorry for neglecting to tell you about some of the good beers I've been trying lately.
Actually, it's funny. This past week has been my week of "detox"-- the first time since early July that I'm off all forms of medication. Detox does not mean "don't drink beer" for me though, in fact, as a result of not being on strong antibiotics, I was able to enjoy my beer much more!
Breckenridge Remarkable Vanilla Porter: This doesn't have a strong vanilla flavor, per se, but is just a good porter that's slightly different. I liked it.
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout: The consistency was great, but something about the flavor was just too intense. Since it says "brewer's licorice" on the label, I'm going to guess that's what it was.
Sam Adams Dunkelweizen: Dunkel weizen means "dark wheat". It was like a heavy wheat beer. I liked it. Very good. Not too crazy, just good.
Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin: This was a good pumpkin because it didn't taste like pie. I know pumpkin pie is the bomb, but I appreciate pumpkin as a vegetable, too. This just tasted like an interesting, meaty beer. Except vegetable, not meat, but you know what I mean? It had something to it.
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Weizen Bam: This was sour tasting, but I didn't dislike it. Definitely a light feel to it. I couldn't quite figure out how else to explain it.
Harpoon Chocolate Stout: THIS WAS GOOD. Got some coffee flavor happening but also a rich, dark chocolate taste that I just adored. So smooth. Very, very good.
Chimay Blue: I did not like this as much as I remember liking the Red, which I can't seem to find in the blog but is definitely in my beer list. This was a little bit sour tasting but not bad.
It's Pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest season and I am very happy about this, although two that I've had so far were already on my list. I am pleased to report my reviews are consistent.
The Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale: I was surprised to see beer advocate's review so low. While this is hardly my favorite pumpkin beer, I didn't think it was terrible. The problem is that it's one of those pumpkin beers that leans more toward pumpkin pie than pumpkin as a vegetable, so it's kind of sweet and has a lot of spice to it, and then you have no idea what to drink next because your taste buds are all confused. But on its own, not bad. Maybe this is a better beer to end the evening with, if you're having more than one.
Späten's Oktoberfest Märzen: While a little bit sweeter than some Oktoberfests, this is definitely a good choice if you're going for authenticity. Deutsche Oktoberfest bier. JA WOHL! I always forget how much I like Oktoberfest brews, and then September rolls around (which is when Oktoberfest actually starts). Good stuff here.
And then while writing these things, I had another that gets added into the count:
Left Hand Oktoberfest Märzen: This was really nice. This is a really good example of what Oktoberfest should be. Not too strong, not too sweet, not too bubbly, just a solid, good beer that is perfect for the fall weather to come.
So, until Paul takes a moment to share some beers with you all, I remain ahead.
Paul: 270
Colleen: 287
Actually, it's funny. This past week has been my week of "detox"-- the first time since early July that I'm off all forms of medication. Detox does not mean "don't drink beer" for me though, in fact, as a result of not being on strong antibiotics, I was able to enjoy my beer much more!
Breckenridge Remarkable Vanilla Porter: This doesn't have a strong vanilla flavor, per se, but is just a good porter that's slightly different. I liked it.
Bell's Kalamazoo Stout: The consistency was great, but something about the flavor was just too intense. Since it says "brewer's licorice" on the label, I'm going to guess that's what it was.
Sam Adams Dunkelweizen: Dunkel weizen means "dark wheat". It was like a heavy wheat beer. I liked it. Very good. Not too crazy, just good.
Sam Adams Harvest Pumpkin: This was a good pumpkin because it didn't taste like pie. I know pumpkin pie is the bomb, but I appreciate pumpkin as a vegetable, too. This just tasted like an interesting, meaty beer. Except vegetable, not meat, but you know what I mean? It had something to it.
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales Weizen Bam: This was sour tasting, but I didn't dislike it. Definitely a light feel to it. I couldn't quite figure out how else to explain it.
Harpoon Chocolate Stout: THIS WAS GOOD. Got some coffee flavor happening but also a rich, dark chocolate taste that I just adored. So smooth. Very, very good.
Chimay Blue: I did not like this as much as I remember liking the Red, which I can't seem to find in the blog but is definitely in my beer list. This was a little bit sour tasting but not bad.
It's Pumpkin beer and Oktoberfest season and I am very happy about this, although two that I've had so far were already on my list. I am pleased to report my reviews are consistent.
The Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale: I was surprised to see beer advocate's review so low. While this is hardly my favorite pumpkin beer, I didn't think it was terrible. The problem is that it's one of those pumpkin beers that leans more toward pumpkin pie than pumpkin as a vegetable, so it's kind of sweet and has a lot of spice to it, and then you have no idea what to drink next because your taste buds are all confused. But on its own, not bad. Maybe this is a better beer to end the evening with, if you're having more than one.
Späten's Oktoberfest Märzen: While a little bit sweeter than some Oktoberfests, this is definitely a good choice if you're going for authenticity. Deutsche Oktoberfest bier. JA WOHL! I always forget how much I like Oktoberfest brews, and then September rolls around (which is when Oktoberfest actually starts). Good stuff here.
And then while writing these things, I had another that gets added into the count:
Left Hand Oktoberfest Märzen: This was really nice. This is a really good example of what Oktoberfest should be. Not too strong, not too sweet, not too bubbly, just a solid, good beer that is perfect for the fall weather to come.
So, until Paul takes a moment to share some beers with you all, I remain ahead.
Paul: 270
Colleen: 287
Thursday, July 8, 2010
belated update
Well, my contract began two weeks ago, and Paul is already working on catching up. He only has a little over a month to do so until my contract is up! Here are the last few beers I tried before I began my summer (which has been going well, thanks!):
Stone Smoked Porter: It's been a couple of weeks since I had this but I remember it being great and my notes say "Mmmmm" so I'll go ahead and guess that I liked it quite a bit. I seem to recall the smoky flavor, and the full flavor of a good porter. I'd have this again.
Ithaca Ground Break: This was a pretty refreshing beer. I can't say that I know much about saisons (I think I said that the last time I tried one, so here's a little more info), but I can say that I seem to enjoy them. This had a bit of flavor to it and was very enjoyable.
Southern Tier Oat: You know, I'm always looking for a great oatmeal stout, and sometimes that means trying some not so great ones. This would be one of those not so great ones. It was just too flat and just not impressive in the flavor department. This falls somewhere between kinda boring and kinda gross and I wouldn't really recommend it. Kind of disappointing that it was the last beer before midnight on the 24th.
That leaves me at an even 270 while Paul works on catching up from his 254.
Stone Smoked Porter: It's been a couple of weeks since I had this but I remember it being great and my notes say "Mmmmm" so I'll go ahead and guess that I liked it quite a bit. I seem to recall the smoky flavor, and the full flavor of a good porter. I'd have this again.
Ithaca Ground Break: This was a pretty refreshing beer. I can't say that I know much about saisons (I think I said that the last time I tried one, so here's a little more info), but I can say that I seem to enjoy them. This had a bit of flavor to it and was very enjoyable.
Southern Tier Oat: You know, I'm always looking for a great oatmeal stout, and sometimes that means trying some not so great ones. This would be one of those not so great ones. It was just too flat and just not impressive in the flavor department. This falls somewhere between kinda boring and kinda gross and I wouldn't really recommend it. Kind of disappointing that it was the last beer before midnight on the 24th.
That leaves me at an even 270 while Paul works on catching up from his 254.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
not so fast, Paul!
This past weekend, I went on a somewhat ridiculous roadtrip. Ok, forget somewhat. I drove over 800 miles in under 72 hours. But, it involved catching up with good friends, which of course involved trying a couple of new beers.
First, I went to Richmond to see my friends Jeremy and Brendan, who were both in town from Mali and Montana, respectively. I figured, their flights were longer than my drive, so I could handle that. It turned into a pretty excellent adventure. Brendan had brought Ommegang's Hennepin, which I've had before but hadn't recorded. My association with this beer: the first weekend of our senior year of college, we ended up on the roof of Brendan's apartment building enjoying a bottle of this very fine beer. This is a Saison, which meant very little to me-- what's most important here is that it is very, very good and very, very refreshing. Just a light, wonderful taste that goes down easy, but is totally worth savoring. It was great to have this beer again, but more importantly, it was really awesome to see both Bren and Jeremy, among other excellent company!
From Richmond I drove to camp to work an awesome retreat (go Cheryl!). On Saturday evening, Cheryl and I sat down to have a drink together before catching some zzz's. I tried Magic Hat's Blind Faith IPA, which for being an IPA, which I typically hate, was pretty darn good. It wasn't as harsh a flavor as I find most India Pale Ales to be. Still stronger on the hops than I generally prefer, but not nearly as sharp going down. If I ever need to provide IPA for someone but want to get something that I'll actually have, this will probably be it.
There's a few weeks left till my summer contract starts and my current beer-tasting-quest comes to a pause. I'm moving to camp tomorrow morning bright and early. It's just far enough from home that I expect to run into a few brews that aren't typically available down here at the Jersey shore. Also, Long Valley Brewery is pretty close by, which I'm looking forward to checking out. I'm not planning on making this easy for you, Paul; you'll have more than two months to catch up!
Paul: 229
Colleen: 245
First, I went to Richmond to see my friends Jeremy and Brendan, who were both in town from Mali and Montana, respectively. I figured, their flights were longer than my drive, so I could handle that. It turned into a pretty excellent adventure. Brendan had brought Ommegang's Hennepin, which I've had before but hadn't recorded. My association with this beer: the first weekend of our senior year of college, we ended up on the roof of Brendan's apartment building enjoying a bottle of this very fine beer. This is a Saison, which meant very little to me-- what's most important here is that it is very, very good and very, very refreshing. Just a light, wonderful taste that goes down easy, but is totally worth savoring. It was great to have this beer again, but more importantly, it was really awesome to see both Bren and Jeremy, among other excellent company!
From Richmond I drove to camp to work an awesome retreat (go Cheryl!). On Saturday evening, Cheryl and I sat down to have a drink together before catching some zzz's. I tried Magic Hat's Blind Faith IPA, which for being an IPA, which I typically hate, was pretty darn good. It wasn't as harsh a flavor as I find most India Pale Ales to be. Still stronger on the hops than I generally prefer, but not nearly as sharp going down. If I ever need to provide IPA for someone but want to get something that I'll actually have, this will probably be it.
There's a few weeks left till my summer contract starts and my current beer-tasting-quest comes to a pause. I'm moving to camp tomorrow morning bright and early. It's just far enough from home that I expect to run into a few brews that aren't typically available down here at the Jersey shore. Also, Long Valley Brewery is pretty close by, which I'm looking forward to checking out. I'm not planning on making this easy for you, Paul; you'll have more than two months to catch up!
Paul: 229
Colleen: 245
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)