A summer under contract, a week without power and a two week roadtrip later, I'm back and have a few beers to share with you! Hope you have been well. I assure you that Paul is also alive, and probably even has a few beers to share. I'll do this in installments. Today's goes along with the pile of updates about my recent travels around the US. While my roadtrip companions searched for good gift shops to bring nice things back to their family and friends, I prefer to mark my travels by learning about new trees and trying new beers. My apologies to my family and friends. I do love you. Now I just know where to take you for a good beer should we ever travel together!
In Nashville
Yazoo Pale Ale: Really, really, really hoppy, bordering on tasting like a bouquet of flowers. So dry. My European friends did not like this at all. I liked it the more I drank. Very refreshing, smooth finish but holy hops, Batman.
Yazoo Dos Perros: Pretty malt-heavy brown ale. It was ok. I wonder if Yazoo does middle ground on the bitter to sweet spectrum of things? By the two I tasted, the answer is no.
Blues Brew: I can't find anything about this beer but I don't care. It wasn't about the beer, but where I had it. The beer was fine, whatever, kind of like an amber ale I guess, who cares. The BB King Blues Club was awesome. I've said it before, I know it's awesome because it's touristy, but I DON'T CARE. It's SO good! So whatever, I had a beer, got to keep the glass, beer was adequate, music was superb.
In Memphis
Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan: Hearing the name made me think of pie, but that's not how it was. This was a pretty lightweight beer and I didn't get much pecan or nut flavor at all, just a plain brown ale. This was fine under the circumstances, the circumstances being that I was on Beale Street in Memphis, which gets closed off by police so you can just wander around with beer and listen to incredible blues bands. I was pretty overstimulated as it was, so I was happy to drink a relatively plain local beer at that moment.
In Chicago
Half Acre Daisy Cutter: Another very hoppy pale ale, but it was good. One of my travel buddies said it tasted like green tea. I'd disagree, but definitely had some kind of very fresh flavor going on... almost like grass, if that makes any sense. This has a very strong flavor but a very clean finish. I liked it. (Remember when I used to hate hoppy beers? I would have hated this beer once upon a time...)
Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale: After some deliberation, this was my second beer at Miller's Pub in the Windy City, mostly so I could compare two local pale ales. This was definitely a less severe pale ale, but still plenty hoppy and pale. I think I liked this one more because the first sip didn't completely punch me in the face. Still good though.
In West Virginia but not a local beer
Coopers Best Extra Stout: Not local as in Australia... but this was good. A little sweet, but good. I do love stout. It was like a sweeter Guinness. Very smooth and no particularly strong flavors that you sometimes find in stouts. Just stout.
Good roadtrip (3225 miles) and good beers (just these and a few assorted Miller Lights and Yuenglings).
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
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?
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Beer and Sushi
Last night I had an inexplicable craving for sushi. Surprisingly enough, this was my first foray into pairing beer with sushi. I say this because The Office Lounge (a DBF favorite) is well known in the Toms River area for its sushi selection. In any event, I went with a spicy roll. Spicy food can be paired very well with hoppy beers. I found that it complemented the spicy roll rather well.
Highland Kashmir IPA: This was a classic IPA. By that I mean, it fit the style well and met my mental definition of an IPA. There was nothing that knocked my socks off, nor did it have any downside. It was a rather aggressive beer with a bitter hop flavor. It was a very nice gift from Laura's brother and his fiance, Katie. Thanks guys!
As you may have noticed, I have not posted in more than 3 months. It's been a long haul at work, and I've certainly been putting in a lot more hours these days. I've also managed to lose a fairly substantial amount of weight (25+ lbs). The alleged causation or correlation between my weight loss and lower beer consumption will be left to reader to determine.
I've tried new beers during this time. I will be adding some reviews over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, some of my reviews have been misplaced. It's a good thing we don't keep count anymore, because I'd never catch Colleen!
Cheers,
Paul
Highland Kashmir IPA: This was a classic IPA. By that I mean, it fit the style well and met my mental definition of an IPA. There was nothing that knocked my socks off, nor did it have any downside. It was a rather aggressive beer with a bitter hop flavor. It was a very nice gift from Laura's brother and his fiance, Katie. Thanks guys!
As you may have noticed, I have not posted in more than 3 months. It's been a long haul at work, and I've certainly been putting in a lot more hours these days. I've also managed to lose a fairly substantial amount of weight (25+ lbs). The alleged causation or correlation between my weight loss and lower beer consumption will be left to reader to determine.
I've tried new beers during this time. I will be adding some reviews over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, some of my reviews have been misplaced. It's a good thing we don't keep count anymore, because I'd never catch Colleen!
Cheers,
Paul
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
Friday, April 22, 2011
Exit 9
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BEER.
I am so so glad this beer is awesome because I've been saving it as my reward for passing my thesis defense.
Oh yeah, I did that today.
Flying Fish's Exit 9: Hoppy Scarlet Ale seemed like the appropriate celebratory beer for the occasion of (nearly*) finishing my Masters at Rutgers, as it is Rutgers' exit and made at least partially in honor of the Scarlet Knights. The Flying Fish exit series have really been genius so far, celebrating my beloved home state and its history and geography, and have mostly really delicious. I regret not trying a few of the earlier releases-- I was not a fan of hoppy beers at that point in my life and turned down things with "hoppy" in the name. SHAME on me. At least I've learned. All part of that transition from being regular old Colleen to COLLEEN, MASTER OF SCIENCE. ha ha. Not.
But seriously, this beer is awesome. It's a really nice red ale with a really great, well-rounded hoppy flavor (not too strongly floral or citrus or whatever else you might associate hops with) without a foul aftertaste. Just straight up crisp, refreshing and lovely. I am a fan.
Oh, and I'm also a fan of passing my thesis defense today. Many thanks to those of you who have been cheering me on and buying me beers (and now owe me a beer, Paul) throughout this chapter of my life. This blog post cannot possibly convey how appreciative I am of all of the positive vibes and support. Please know.
What can this blog entry convey? Exit 9 is totally worth your time. Find one. I'm going to relax and enjoy this one after the crazy week I just had.
*I'm just a few revisions of the thesis paper itself shy of my MS Geography. Yay!
I am so so glad this beer is awesome because I've been saving it as my reward for passing my thesis defense.
Oh yeah, I did that today.
Flying Fish's Exit 9: Hoppy Scarlet Ale seemed like the appropriate celebratory beer for the occasion of (nearly*) finishing my Masters at Rutgers, as it is Rutgers' exit and made at least partially in honor of the Scarlet Knights. The Flying Fish exit series have really been genius so far, celebrating my beloved home state and its history and geography, and have mostly really delicious. I regret not trying a few of the earlier releases-- I was not a fan of hoppy beers at that point in my life and turned down things with "hoppy" in the name. SHAME on me. At least I've learned. All part of that transition from being regular old Colleen to COLLEEN, MASTER OF SCIENCE. ha ha. Not.
But seriously, this beer is awesome. It's a really nice red ale with a really great, well-rounded hoppy flavor (not too strongly floral or citrus or whatever else you might associate hops with) without a foul aftertaste. Just straight up crisp, refreshing and lovely. I am a fan.
Oh, and I'm also a fan of passing my thesis defense today. Many thanks to those of you who have been cheering me on and buying me beers (and now owe me a beer, Paul) throughout this chapter of my life. This blog post cannot possibly convey how appreciative I am of all of the positive vibes and support. Please know.
What can this blog entry convey? Exit 9 is totally worth your time. Find one. I'm going to relax and enjoy this one after the crazy week I just had.
*I'm just a few revisions of the thesis paper itself shy of my MS Geography. Yay!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oatmeal and Beer
I love oatmeal. It's true. I recently learned how to cook it for real, not just make packets of the instant stuff, and I am slightly obsessed. My favorite additives so far are probably either dried fruit and milk, or a little molasses plus a little bit of ground cloves, ginger and cinnamon (which I discovered in this blog entry which also includes a hilarious quiz about oatmeal).
However, what is actually relevant to this blog is that I also enjoy The Oatmeal and just discovered and read this cartoon in particular, which is somewhat of a crass crash course (say that three times fast) in beer.
I'll let you know when I figure out how to make oatmeal with beer. I mean, we all know I enjoy a good oatmeal stout, so why not reverse it?...
However, what is actually relevant to this blog is that I also enjoy The Oatmeal and just discovered and read this cartoon in particular, which is somewhat of a crass crash course (say that three times fast) in beer.
I'll let you know when I figure out how to make oatmeal with beer. I mean, we all know I enjoy a good oatmeal stout, so why not reverse it?...
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!
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