woo...antibiotics

So for the last month (really?!), I've been busy traveling for family stuff and have been taking an antibiotic. While drinking wasn't forbidden due to the medication, I did significantly slow down my beer intake (new or otherwise).

I have taken notes, and unfortunately even lost the review for one beer. There's a reason you shouldn't write them on the back of a receipt. In any event, since my last post Colleen visited. She outlined her travels pretty well. It was nice to catch up while she was down here. I may be at a disadvantage if she lives in Virginia permanently, since so many of the beers that I've tried are found in this area exclusively.

I did get a chance to visit Williamsburg AleWerks, however the samples there were under our minimum ounce limit for a beer to count. Nonetheless, the tour and tasting were nice on a hot May day. I'd recommend any of there beers, they don't make anything that is below mediocre.

Flying Dog Snake Dog IPA: Have you ever tried a really dry red wine? Where your mouth just feels arid after? Yea, this was the beer version of that. The extent of the hops literally gave the beer a very dry taste. Colleen thought this was much milder than I did, apparently.

Rogue dead Guy Ale: Most people were surprised when I told them I hadn't head this up until a few weeks ago. This one was a freebie due to Colleen's Geography nerd party. However, I won't make fun of them anymore, since they did get me a free beer. For whatever reason, this gave me a really weird mix.

St. George Pilsner: I'm not that crazy about Pilsners. They ere on the light side for me, and there generally isn't much to them. This beer pretty much meets that description. It was fine, but just nothing special.

Carolina Blonde: Laura and I met with some college friends of mine a few weeks ago for drinks. It was quite nice to catch up with Amanda, since she is leaving the state for work soon. On the beer front, this was a rather disappointing. I'm not crazy about Gold Ales, and this didn't really change my mind. As far as the time of year goes, lighter beers are nice in the summer - but they generally disappoint me. They aren't that complex. As I've said a lot, I prefer porters.

Rogue American Amber: A caveat to my previous comment is that I do enjoy amber ales quite a bit, even if this is a summer beer. Despite my not-so-great feelings about Dead Guy Ale, I know Rogue has a pretty good reputation. For me, this beer definitely saved that. It's really one of the better Amber Ales I've tried.

Highland Big Butte Smoked Porter: I had this at the Green Leafe. I thought it was a bit on the smoky side, but I wasn't aware of the full name until I wrote this review - sometimes restaurants neglect long names on their menus. That said, it wasn't that bad of a porter, being that they should be somewhat roasty/smoky. I just prefer more of a roasted malt flavor than a smoky one. I've had one other beer of theirs when I was in OBX last summer, and I thought that was pretty good.

Bells Oberon Ale: After some searching on ratebeer for the name. I found the name to match the review in my head. I had this at the Brickskeller to celebrate my friend Matt's birthday. It was a rather hot day in DC, and as far as wheat ales go, this was a very tasty beer. I'd love to say the Brickskeller has nothing but knock out beers, but unfortunately it can be a mixed bag there. This one was quite good though. I can't even recall the brewer of the other beer, but that's how it goes.

Laura and I are meeting with a college friend of mine this week for a beer or two. The place has quite a few micro-brews, so perhaps I can close the lead. So, in conclusion, I am not dead...just really, really far behind!

The scorecard:
Colleen: 242
Paul: 229

Crystal City Sports Pub

On Tuesday, I met with my college friend Laurie at Crystal City Sports Pub. They have good happy hour specials and bar food. CC Sports Pub is where you go to watch a game in the DC area - the top floor has 3 HD projector screens and the rest of the walls have as many TVs as one could possibly cram in that space. This place is a cathedral to sports. Collen would remember this place, as she's eaten there during one of her trips to DC.

In short, I had a really good time catching up with Laurie. It had been a long time since we'd been able to have a conversation lasting longer than 10 minutes, which were usually during VT football game parties at a sports pub. I tried two "new" beers. The first one really was new, while the second I had before but deserves another review.

Hook and Ladder Golden Ale: This beer left a funny after taste. It was crisp, clean, and cold. That's not a bad thing for a beer, but cold sometimes hides a beers inadequacies - kind of like parkas do for people in the winter. I thought this beer was fine to drink, but it certainly wasn't a favorite. Golden ales aren't a style that I enjoy very often.

Hook and Ladder Backdraft Brown Ale: This beer is brewed in Baltimore, and despite what the ratings at ratebeer have to say, this is an exceptionally smooth and enjoyable Brown Ale. I'd call it one of the most pleasant finds that I've come across in my quest to try new beers. The best part is that this beer is really accessible in taste to a lot of people. It comes highly recommended from the DBF staff!

The scorecard:
Colleen: 205
Paul: 202

Cheers,
Paul