a toast to Cheryl and Gurzo

You often hear about Cheryl and Gurzo in this blog. It makes sense, since these are the people who I drink beer with the most, especially new beers during our almost weekly gatherings at Stuff Yer Face. Well, this weekend they got married to each other in a totally lovely ceremony on a totally gorgeous day!


newlyweds!

Their wedding featured beers and wines all made in New Jersey. I actually had a cocktail (so weird for me) at the groom's request, but other than that focused my efforts on the two Flying Fish brews they had available-- Oktoberfish, which I'd had before, and in fact gave them my vote for when it was between that and the Abbey Dubbel being at the party (and it did not disappoint, though was slightly hoppier than I recall, but it's a really good Oktoberfest), and the Extra Pale Ale, which it turned out I hadn't had before! It's a little hoppy, but somewhere between what I'd expect from a pale ale and what I'd expect from an IPA. It was pretty good. I enjoyed it with some spicy rice and beans and was plenty happy.

But more important than me adding another beer to my list, way way way more important, is celebrating the exciting-ness of my two good friends, who are now wife and husband. They are two excellent people, and I am so honored to have been part of their wonderful day!

(But, for the record, I'm at 304 to Paul's 288, though I'm sure he'll have some great stories about visiting breweries across the country when he returns soon!)

accidental Triumph

This entry is dedicated to Josh Ritter, the reason I was in Princeton at all last night.

Paul really almost had this milestone, and I'm really sorry for ruining that for him. It wasn't really my intention to cross the 300 threshold that evening, it's just kind of what happened.

After another amazing, upbeat, fun show put on by the talented Mr. Ritter, a few of my favorite seminarians and I headed over to Triumph Brewing, only to find the doors locked. After a few minutes of pondering what to do, someone exited the establishment and held the door for us. They were open, so we weren't going to argue (we did tell them their doors were locked though). And we sat down, and when the server came over, I asked about the sampler.

Each sample is 5 ounces. There were currently seven beers on tap. And so, Paul was toast.

Porter: This was served at "cellar temperature" which I kind of liked. However, it was very plain and light feeling, which surprised me for a porter. It was very smooth though, and I think this would be a good baby step for people trying to get into porters.

Rauchbier: This means "smoke beer". I didn't like it, but that's because I thought it tasted like bacon. As far as the beer part goes, yeah, it was another smooth brew, but I definitely thought I tasted bacon, and as a vegetarian, that kind of turns me off. A vegetarian at the next table agreed with me, though everyone else said it just tasted like smoky wood, which I got a little of, but mostly just bacon.

Honey Blond: This was very plain and light, standard issue sort of beer. Not much to write home about. Or in this case, write in the blog about. That might be a good thing though. Sometimes people just want a beer that's not totally crazy or overwhelming.

Amber Ale: This was a good amber. It was a little bit hoppy but overall very smooth and drinkable. If I approve of a hoppy beer, you know it's pretty good.

Gose: This beer was one of my two favorites in the sampler. A relative of the witbier, this gose is light weight, slightly sweet and really, really nice. I have to say, all of Triumph's beers were very smooth, meaning, there wasn't any sort of sharp bite as it went down the hatch. Except, of course, for...

IPA: Not as smooth as the rest of them, but I suppose that's to be expected when you're just a little glass full of hoppiness. This tasted like flowers to me (confirmed by our friends at the next table, who proclaimed, "This tastes like perfume!"). It was interesting. As someone who is still getting into this genre of beer, I have little else to say about it. Doesn't mean it was bad, just means that I am not an IPA aficionado.

Oatmeal Stout: Saved the one I thought would be best for last, and I was pretty right. I know what I like. Very smooth, slight taste of coffee in it, but otherwise a good, nondescript stout. Sometimes, that's ok.

Triumph is pretty good. If you're in the area, it's a good place to stop in. Actually, starting the first weekend of November, the artwork of my very talented friend Lauren Scott will be displayed there, so you should stop in. Princeton is a lovely town and there are some great restaurants in the area, too.

And so. My apologies, Paul--
Colleen: 303
Paul: 288 (though I know he's actually way closer to 300, he's just on the road and not updating)

the Miles Davis of beers. Literally.

Imagine me as a college senior, about a month before graduation. Hint: I look almost exactly the same now, give or take an inch of hair.

In my last semester at Mary Washington, I only took 13 credits, and only 10 for a grade (as opposed to the 18 credits I took the other seven semesters there). I was relaxed and enjoying the last few months of living in Fredericksburg. Those three credits that I was taking pass/fail? History of Jazz. This was an awesome choice. I sat with a few music major friends in this class, which usually consisted of listening to music and having a slight amount of discussion about it. This was a pretty laid back three hours of my life per week.

Toward the end of the semester, we got to fusion. And I loved it. I mean, I knew it was out there, but I never really thought about it before. I woke up one Sunday and decided: I needed to own Bitches Brew, the album by Miles Davis that helped define jazz fusion. And I would drive all over Fredericksburg until I found a copy. And I sat on my bed for the rest of that dark, rainy day, listening to it and drinking tea. It was everything I hoped it would be. That was a very chill and wonderful day.

Why did I tell you all of this? Because while looking for a hoppy beer for Cheryl, sitting next to the wonderful Lagunitas Hop Stoopid was Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew. I recognized the album cover on the label. And, just as I needed to own the album, I needed to add this beer to my list.

Paul posed the question a while back, what craft brewer in the country do I like the most? And now, I will finally answer: probably Dogfish Head. With the exception of Festina Peche (and they're entitled a dud), everything of theirs I've tried has been really, really great, including the beer that I think was made specifically for me: their World Wide Stout, which was geographically themed and strong and heavy and wonderful. Their Punkin Ale is probably my favorite pumpkin beer, the Indian Brown Ale was great (and made great marinade, too), even their IPA is... survivable... and that's saying a lot for me. (I tried the 60 Minute.)

So was Bitches Brew, like World Wide Stout, everything I hoped and dream a stout could be?

Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. I think I loved this more than the World Wide Stout, as if that was possible. It's rich and smooth. It doesn't feel particularly heavy going down, but there's a lot of flavor happening. Good and malty. There was evidence of chocolate and honey. A fusion of awesomeness and amazingness, just like the album.


Other wonderful beers I've tried lately:

Coopers Original Pale Ale: Good, legit pale ale. And I thought that before my good, legit Australian coworker arrived to the party where I tried this brew from Down Under.

Cisco Nantucket's Whale's Tale Pale Ale: Admittedly purchased after Paul added 18 new beers to the blog. But it was pretty good. Not particularly amazing, but a decent pale ale-- a little hoppy, but balanced with a little sweet and no weird aftertaste, which is always a plus.

Dogfish Head Namaste: This was a very, very, very good witbier. I am sorry that it's not getting the true love it deserves because I tried it the same day I tried Bitches Brew. Brewed with lemongrass, oranges and coriander, it's got a slightly more complex flavor that just a straight light wheat beer, it's very interesting. Very fresh. VERY good.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA: I tried this spur of the moment at Stuff Yer Face, because it was Monday and this is one of the only beers left there that I haven't had. Cheryl had the 60 Minute at the same time so I had a sip of hers to compare. This is a little sweeter and a LOT smoother than the 60 Minute, which I find to be a little sour in addition to the hoppy flavor typical of the style. Given the choice, I'd totally go with 90 Minute. I'm still not in love with IPAs, but this was good. Perhaps my next conquest should be the 120 Minute...


Given his current roadtrip, I suspect Paul might actually beat me to 300, but only if he updates before me. I'm going to try and make him sweat a little bit over it though...
Colleen: 295
Paul: 288

A Medley of Sorts

Part of me doesn't want to make a post this long, but the other part of me wants to update the blog and get back to my regularly scheduled programming. I've been working a lot of hours since Laura has been in Colorado, and now that the craziness is about to end, it's time to go through my notes that I've left here, on the back of receipts, and in my cell phone...so here we go.

In August, Brendan and I got a beer at Fireflies. Almost everyone I have taken there enjoys the the vibe and beer list. We talked about life, had some beer and some wings.

Boulder Beer Singletrack Copper Ale: I had some high hopes for this beer, thinking it might be more like an amber ale. I was sorely mistaken. It did have the smooth, light malty characteristics of an amber ale. However, this beer was had too much hop flavor, which ruined it for me stylistically.

I started off September with a Jimmy Buffett concert. If you have not been to one before, I would recommend it. It's basically just one monstrous, but chill, party. It gave me the opportunity to momentarily kick back and relax with a few beers and some friends. I managed to try a new, large macro brew.

Bud Light: It wasn't on my list yet, but according to Colleen, if it's beer it can be reviewed. I find this beer useful if I am out drinking and I don't want to load up on alcohol content. Other than that, it might find purpose to boil brats in or wash my car.

That same weekend, Colleen came to visit. It was great to catch up with her, and hear about her trip. As a thank you, she bought me a custom six pack. I've worked my way through them, some of which I had at the Virginia Tech vs. Boise State game, and the rest I had at a couple pizza and beer nights with the roommates.

Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen: I really liked this beer. It was a good transition from the summer beers that I've been complaining about in recent posts. Essentially, it's a dark hefeweizen. The difference being there is more malt to it, hence the darker color and different taste. Samuel Adams usually doesn't steer you wrong (EXCEPT: when there is a fruit/pumpkin in it or its name is Old Fezziwig).

Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale: I don't like pumpkin beers. I tend to avoid them. However, I am also behind in our beer count, so I can't be choosy. This tasted a bit like pumpkin pie, because I tasted cinnamon. It's an experimental seasonal. That said, the taste was better than most pumpkin beers that I've tried.

Holy Brew Purgatory Pilsner: It shouldn't surprise most that I bought this beer for the name on the bottle. Overall, it was an average pilsner. It was the light body, medium taste that you would expect to find from the style.

Smuttynose Robust Porter: This was a fantastic porter. Really, it might be one of the best porters I have ever tried. The beer was everything a porter should be, and nothing else. The brewers did a great job of not messing with a good thing. The beer was just the right body, with the perfect roasted malt flavor. I highly recommend it.

The Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale: Bottom Line: This was a sub-par amber ale that didn't seem to distinguish itself from any other amber ales that I've had in the past. If anything else, it left an odd aftertaste in my mouth. Perhaps it could have been the individual bottle, but I wasn't impressed.

Yards General Washington Tavern Porter: The recipe was originally created by Washington himself. He used molasses with his recipe. The molasses creates an interesting twist to the flavor and aftertaste. Porters tend to have chocolate malts, so the taste is not entirely foreign either. I thought this was good as well.

The roommates and I went to RFD in Washington DC. They have about 50 beers on tap at any given time, and a good bottle list. Their location near Chinatown makes for a good location. Matt, Brendan, and I enjoyed time to make sarcastic comments. It's nice to kick back with them and have a few new beers.

Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter: The fact that it is the time of the year for porters makes me very happy. This porter also made me happy, because it was done well. The beer was heavy, which should be expected, but didn't overbear my stomach. The malts seemed varied in flavors, but were very well balanced.

Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale: The guys at Stone brewing are most likely the best in the country. They aren't afraid to experiment, but everything they put on a shelf seems to be liquid gold to a beer snob. This was an incredibly complex beer, which is par for the course with Stone. It's kind of like drinking an IPA, but it's dark with plenty of malts.

I joined my friends Tim and Heather for dinner a couple of weekends ago. We went to Victoria's Gastro Pub. I have been there before with them, and I highly recommend it as a place to eat as well as enjoy new beers. They are on the cutting edge of complimenting food with beer. When paired well together, I think beer and food make a better combination than wine and cheese.

That same weekend, I went to West Chester, PA to their yearly restaurant festival. It's a really good time, plus I get to hang out with my cousin Scott. He was kind enough to buy a six pack of Guinness, since he knew I was coming. Quote of the weekend: At one point, I went to get another beer and I said, "I guess I'll preserve the Miller Lite and get a Guinness for myself". I intended this to mean, that since most people won't drink Guinness, that's what I will stay with in order to be polite. However, after a good laugh, the group decided this would make a great beer commercial.

Evolution Lucky 7 Porter: I enjoyed this porter. As far as the style goes, it was above average. There was that smoky/roasted taste that is endemic of most porters. The malts were well blended between coffee and chocolate characteristics.

This past weekend, I went with my cousin Brendan and a few friends to the DC Oktoberfest. In short, it was a small piece of heaven. I ended up with an extra ticket, so that meant more tokens. The best part was the smallest samples (which cost one token) were 4 oz. That follows our rule. Secondly, I had enough tokens and time to get decent samples (8+ oz) and still maintain a good review. I will be going back to this next year. Colleen, you should come down for it. Most of the brewers were ones that I hadn't heard of before - win.

Julius Echter Hefe-Weissbier: I thought this was a very light bodied hefeweizen. The beer was unfiltered, and thus a little heavy on the yeast. However, it did have a sweet characteristic that complimented the hot September day.

Evolution Rise Up Stout: This was heavy on the coffee malts. I traditionally don't like coffee stouts that much, and this wasn't an exception to that rule.

Goose Island Honker's Ale: I have some interesting notes for this beer. I thought it came across as rather malty on contact, became mild and very good in between, and ended off hoppy. And those are the impressions I got on each sip. I need to find this beer again so I can break it down more.

Pyramid Juggernaut Red Ale: The lone descriptor I included was the beer was rather malty. Other than that, it was very forgettable. I wouldn't go out of your way to find this.

Lancaster Oktoberfest: I tend to think of Oktoberfest style beers as being on the heavier side, and erring mostly toward the malt side of things. If you don't like IPAs, then Oktoberfest might be your thing. For an Oktoberfest, I thought this was very light. By that I mean it wasn't as heavy as I expected, nor did it contain as much of a malt characteristic as I expected.

Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale: Like Colleen, I found this to be a very drinkable beer that was very, very smooth. The malt character is extremely well balanced. For those of you who aren't big on hops, but want to try something from one of America's best brewers, give this beer a shot. I had more of this beer than any other at the DC Oktoberfest.

Lastly, I went to Rock Bottom to celebrate my good friend Andy's birthday. Colleen and I have both reviewed Rock Bottom (since it is a chain of brew pubs). We also happen to like it, since their beers are pretty good. My advice is to look at the boards on the wall to see which beer is freshest and go with that. My biggest complaint is sometimes the beer gets a little old there.

Rock Bottom Rocktoberfest: After a summer of light, fruity beers we finally reach autumn, which means the style of beers predominantly found changes (praise Jesus). I thought this Oktoberfest was rather well done. It was very well balanced, and had a great malt characteristic to it. It's certainly above average for the style.

I'll be on a road trip with Laura in the next couple of weeks. Expect some updates on great brewpubs from around different parts of the country. I need to keep pace with Colleen somehow...

The scorecard:
Colleen - 290
Paul - 288

Cheers,
Paul

Colleen enjoyed an IPA!

Last night, in lieu of a typical Monday night at Stuffies with my favorite residents of Edison and Metuchen, the crew headed to Jeremy's house to help along the moving in process of his cool lady, Megan. Before I headed north from home, I stopped to pick up a couple of beers to share. Cheryl called as I arrived at the liquor store, and I asked what she'd like. Her response? Something hoppy. Which surprised me, but I went with it.

I stopped at a store that I'd never been in before in Silverton, and it didn't have a particularly impressive beer selection, but I did see something that I suspect is amazing... I'll tell you about it when I actually get to try it (it's currently held hostage in Cheryl's fridge!). But right next to it was Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, which I totally bought because it was next to the aforementioned potentially amazing beer, and because it had a hilarious name. But this turned out to be awesome. Cheryl and I took a break before unpacking the kitchen and enjoyed this together. It was awesome. I'm not sure if my tastebuds are finally cooperating with IPAs and other bitter beverages, or if this one was just so unbelievable that it could transcend my dislike of that style of brew. The hops were strong but not offensive, and it was very smooth. I would drink this again and recommend it to others.

After the dishes were unpacked, Cheryl and I delved into the beer that had been supplied for the moving crew. We chose Sierra Nevada Tumbler Autumn Brown Ale, and a good choice it was. Actually, there was nothing particularly remarkable about this beer, but I think that's what made it for me. It's just a really good, pleasant brown ale, totally something you would drink on a crisp fall day while raking leaves or something. It wasn't too sweet, it wasn't too bitter, it was just smooth and pleasant.

And just now, as I wrote this, I tried Williamsburg Alewerks' Pumpkin Ale, the last from the mixed six I made when I visited Paul a few weeks ago. This tastes like pumpkin pie. Don't get me wrong, I totally love pumpkin pie. But I want my beer to still sort of resemble beer. This was just too sweet and spiced for me. I wasn't crazy about it. If your expectations for pumpkin beer include it tasting like pie, then this is the pumpkin brew for you. Otherwise, I don't see the need to do this again.

Colleen: 290
Paul: 270 (though I see he has an entry on standby that has quite a few beers in it!...)

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

Malawi

While my adventure to Malawi was amazing, the beer wasn't. I mean, it was fine, just nothing out of the ordinary. Lager. Straight up lager. So to spice up this entry, I'll just tell stories about Malawi and include photos!

I almost didn't even have beer in Malawi. Apparently only lowlifes really drink, and since I was staying in the city with a well off Christian family and in the village at a Presbyterian agricultural center... yeah. No beer.

But then I went on safari for 24 hours! And my inner lowlife came out.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

After seeing beautiful things as pictured above, we had dinner at the resort in Liwonde National Park. I ordered a Kuche Kuche, which is somehow Chichewa for "you can drink this from night till dawn without getting drunk." Three different Malawians told me this, so I guess that's really what it means. Such a fascinating language. And such a plain beer with low alcohol content that you probably really could drink all night without noticing. This beer is brewed by Carlsberg, whose first brewery outside of Denmark was actually in Malawi near the city of Blantyre. I passed it many times, but didn't take a picture. I didn't want people to think I was a lowlife.

The next day I saw a lot of awesome things.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

Click on people's faces in the photo to tag them.

And then I had lunch and ordered a Carlsberg Extra Special for two reasons:
1. It's technically Malawian
2. I couldn't remember if I'd had the green one or not and didn't want to repeat a beer if I could avoid it!

And it was about the same as the Kuche Kuche except stronger. If given the choice between the two, I'd stick with the Kuche Kuche because it's more Malawian. And it's a third of the alcohol content. I wasn't trying to get messed up here.

And then I did some more amazing things before the long trip home. I mean, there was over 19 hours of flying, plus 3 and a half hours of layover, plus sundry driving to be done to get to and from airports. It was legitimately long. However, it was made longer by this incident in which I didn't get a proper meal for a long, long time (from Blantyre to Johannesburg to Dakar to New York City to home-- I had a lame sandwich at O.R. Tambo International Airport but otherwise survived on crackers and small salads). I get frustrated when I don't get fed. Redeeming moment: the president of the organization I was travelling with bought my mission team beer.

Castle Lager: a South African beer under the Miller family. (The Earp men should be proud?) Not particularly exciting but probably my favorite of the three. I'm not sure if it's because it was actually better, or because it was just nice to kick back with the team during our layover and enjoy a drink together instead of dwelling on my forced hunger strike. It certainly lifted my mood, and the people working on the flight did their best to help me out and give me extra snacks, and I did get home safely after an awesome adventure, so I guess in the end I win.

And I still am winning!
Colleen: 278
Paul: 270

This weekend I'll be attending a wedding in Fredericksburg and will be staying with Paul, so look for a staff meeting update, or at least me trying a few new beers as I catch up with various college friends!

PS: I don't really think I'm a lowlife. I was there doing mission work!