20110907
This Blog Is Not Abandoned
Being this is probably the last night that I will have net access in a while, I figured I should post this. Not that it matters in the least. The day seems to finally be here. I went to MEPS for the last time and I am heading out to Missouri. From that point everything should be golden. All I have left is a comprehensive physical/medical exam. So, see you around for now and drink some good beer for me. Later Guys.
20110904
Blue Moon vs Allagash White
This is a review that I am doing for one reason. My sister and all her friends love Blue Moon. I know I can never convert them from crap beer to Craft Beer, but I am hoping I can open their eyes and make them realize that Blue Moon is not good. They are all complete Winos so I am not sure if this really matters at all. It is just annoying that every time I come over I am offered beer and this is what they have. I was shocked when I came over and they said they had some Deschutes Twilight Ale. I took that! So for this Review, I am going to do my best to give an unbiased opinion on Two Beers, Allagash White and Blue Moon. I chose these two beers because they are both Belgian White Ales and one is from a Craft Brewery while the other is from a Corporate Brewery.
This is not my first attempt to give her real ale. The first Beer I brought to her attention was Dogfish Head Midas Touch. I figured this was very fitting being she is in love with wine, and I think the Muscat Grapes in this beer make it taste really "Winey". She told me she liked this beer like she likes Blue Moon... FAIL! My next attempt was Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment. Which, since it is my favorite "chick beer", I thought she would get a kick out of it and love it. For this beer all she said was, "that is pretty good"... and then she kept drinking her wine. I have five more cans in the fridge and I will make her drink a whole one. So this is pretty much my last attempt.
My main issue with Blue Moon is not that it is made by one of The Big Three. I actually had Blue Moon before I was first into Craft Beer on a suggestion from a friend while visiting Philadelphia. I had already started homebrewing at this point and had never seen the documentary, Beer Wars. When I first had Blue Moon, I almost gagged and sent it back. They brought me out a Sam Adams Boston Lager to replace it. Which, in my opinion, is not much better... but my opinions on The Boston Beer Company is another story. They are just Craft Beer for the masses, not the ones who actually care... I guess I told you my main point here.
So this will be my first revisit since that situation. If she does not like Allagash, I guess I will just give up. Not to mention that I am leaving in a day.
I am not one of those people that think there is a beer for everyone, some people are just not beer people but Blue Moon, really? Maybe I will surprise myself with this review. At this point, only time will tell.
First I will start on my initial reactions of the beers and then get into their flavor profiles, etc. etc. and score the beers on a ridiculous point system. As well as give my sisters opinions in a short blurb.
Initial Reaction
Blue Moon: The first thing that caught my eye on this beer was the twist top. It is a more convenient way for everyone to have access to your beer and satisfies the drinking from the bottle part of the beer society.
I honestly think that pouring every single beer you drink into a glass is just a tad pretentious. If it is the first time I am drinking a beer, or if I am reviewing it, I will always pour it into a glass. After that point, I don't really care anymore unless there is something about the beer that tells me to always pour it into a glass.
Allagash White: I guess it is just the homebrewer in me, but I have problems with bottles that are twist tops. Again though, at one point in my life, I did not care. It is far less work. Allagash uses the classic pop top bottle that you need extra accessories in order to open.
Both Beers give serving suggestions. I, as a beer lover, think that the suggestion on Blue Moon is ridiculous. "Bring out Blue Moon's natural spices by serving it in a Pilsner glass with an orange-slice garnish." That is just a major Faux Pas as anyone would know. The Allagash Bottle reads, "Pour. Swirl. Pour Yeast." Very simple, and very "traditional".
These two points make it very hard to judge but for the fact that you do not need to pour Blue Moon and that you can easily twist the top off, it gets the first point in this review. Though, I am not putting an orange slice into my beer...
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White : 0
Appearance
Blue Moon: So when I poured this bottle of Blue Moon I was quite disappointed by the fact that there was no head on the beer. It was nice and Hazy like a Wit beer should be but it also had little to no noticeable carbonation apparent on the pour. It was almost the color of a dehydrated persons urine. I love color to a beer, but that was pretty much a major turn off.
Allagash White: This beer poured a nice straw color, which is more common for a beer. It was hazy as well, but again, that is a factor the style. There was a nice, lasting head as well as rising carbonation on the beer. This is a sign of a true living ale.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White: 1
Nose
Blue Moon: This beer was really Funky and pretty much reminded me of straight stank. The aroma was not very inviting. I kind of did not want to drink this ale sip after sip just because of the way it smelled.
Allagash White: The aroma was very subtle. It had hints of lemon but it was not very yeasty. The aroma was quite pleasant. It asked to be sniffed, and continuously sniffed throughout the whole tasting process.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White: 2
Taste
Blue Moon: I thought Blue Moon was pretty flat, and nearly flavorless. It had a lasting finish of coriander, but not in a good way. It was really overpowering. There was some citrus flavor initially, but it soon faded out to a bland... well, I don't know what I would call it at this point. The beer was very drinkable, but that could have been due to the lack of flavor. I did notice a silkiness to the beer. I am attributing that to the wheat in the beer. It had a light mouth feel, but that is what I expect from this style.
Allagash White: This beer was very light bodied as well, and it had a nice lemony taste that followed what I thought to be a citrusy, orange flavor on the initial sips. Before the orange dropped in though, there was a nice spicy kick. I believe this was coriander as well. It really chopped through the citrus taste and balanced it out. There was flavor all the way through this beer and it left nothing to be desired on the palate. It was maybe a little acidic, but not distracting in the least. The coriander in the Blue Moon really stuck to the mouth, but in the Allagash, it had a really dry finish and left me asking for more.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White:3
Overall
Blue Moon: It was far better than my initial taste about a year and a half ago, and it does stand above anything else I had from this brewery. Though, the taste that I had is not something I want in my beer. I see this as a worst case scenario beer and I really do not want a glass of water. It does the job but not for the craft beer lover like myself. I give this beer a 3/5. Would I buy it while out to eat... Probably not, but after this second tasting this is maybe an option. Coors is making money off of this beer without me purchasing it, so I do not really want to contribute to their success, but, like I said, they do not need my help anyway.
Allagash White: This beer was a great definition of the style and it has a high level of drinkability. It is very nice for a hot day, and is, in my opinion, Damn Good. I give this beer a 4.5/5. I am not really a fan of Wheat Beers, but this one I have always came back to as it is just that damn good. It is ashamed that they pulled out of Washington State, but Oh Well.
My sister drank the Allagash White first after having an initial taste of the two and she said it was really good. I think that is a Win, No? For it's price point I do not think that it will ever replace Blue Moon in her eyes, but she was actually interested in this beer and enjoyed it. That is good enough for me. Again, I wish they still distributed in Washington because I feel she would pick it up again, but at this time she cannot.
Therefore, My winner 3:1 is Allagash White. I guess I should have had another category in the case of a tie so I will add another point to the Overall category. Allagash White 4:1... Okay, so maybe that is not fair, but in my opinion Allagash is the Superior beer. Though, there was some complaint about an after taste in the Allagash. Something about a wood barrel taste. I did not pick this out at all... I have no idea what they were talking about. I thought if anything, Blue Moon had an after taste and I did not care for it. To my knowledge, Allagash white is not aged in barrels, unless noted, so I do not see where this taste came from...
Read my opinions on the two, and taste them for yourself. I cannot tell you what you like, but I can let you know what I think. Let me know how you feel on the two. I promise to play nice.
Hooah!
This is not my first attempt to give her real ale. The first Beer I brought to her attention was Dogfish Head Midas Touch. I figured this was very fitting being she is in love with wine, and I think the Muscat Grapes in this beer make it taste really "Winey". She told me she liked this beer like she likes Blue Moon... FAIL! My next attempt was Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment. Which, since it is my favorite "chick beer", I thought she would get a kick out of it and love it. For this beer all she said was, "that is pretty good"... and then she kept drinking her wine. I have five more cans in the fridge and I will make her drink a whole one. So this is pretty much my last attempt.
My main issue with Blue Moon is not that it is made by one of The Big Three. I actually had Blue Moon before I was first into Craft Beer on a suggestion from a friend while visiting Philadelphia. I had already started homebrewing at this point and had never seen the documentary, Beer Wars. When I first had Blue Moon, I almost gagged and sent it back. They brought me out a Sam Adams Boston Lager to replace it. Which, in my opinion, is not much better... but my opinions on The Boston Beer Company is another story. They are just Craft Beer for the masses, not the ones who actually care... I guess I told you my main point here.
So this will be my first revisit since that situation. If she does not like Allagash, I guess I will just give up. Not to mention that I am leaving in a day.
I am not one of those people that think there is a beer for everyone, some people are just not beer people but Blue Moon, really? Maybe I will surprise myself with this review. At this point, only time will tell.
First I will start on my initial reactions of the beers and then get into their flavor profiles, etc. etc. and score the beers on a ridiculous point system. As well as give my sisters opinions in a short blurb.
Blue Moon: The first thing that caught my eye on this beer was the twist top. It is a more convenient way for everyone to have access to your beer and satisfies the drinking from the bottle part of the beer society.
I honestly think that pouring every single beer you drink into a glass is just a tad pretentious. If it is the first time I am drinking a beer, or if I am reviewing it, I will always pour it into a glass. After that point, I don't really care anymore unless there is something about the beer that tells me to always pour it into a glass.
Allagash White: I guess it is just the homebrewer in me, but I have problems with bottles that are twist tops. Again though, at one point in my life, I did not care. It is far less work. Allagash uses the classic pop top bottle that you need extra accessories in order to open.
Both Beers give serving suggestions. I, as a beer lover, think that the suggestion on Blue Moon is ridiculous. "Bring out Blue Moon's natural spices by serving it in a Pilsner glass with an orange-slice garnish." That is just a major Faux Pas as anyone would know. The Allagash Bottle reads, "Pour. Swirl. Pour Yeast." Very simple, and very "traditional".
These two points make it very hard to judge but for the fact that you do not need to pour Blue Moon and that you can easily twist the top off, it gets the first point in this review. Though, I am not putting an orange slice into my beer...
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White : 0
Blue Moon: So when I poured this bottle of Blue Moon I was quite disappointed by the fact that there was no head on the beer. It was nice and Hazy like a Wit beer should be but it also had little to no noticeable carbonation apparent on the pour. It was almost the color of a dehydrated persons urine. I love color to a beer, but that was pretty much a major turn off.
Allagash White: This beer poured a nice straw color, which is more common for a beer. It was hazy as well, but again, that is a factor the style. There was a nice, lasting head as well as rising carbonation on the beer. This is a sign of a true living ale.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White: 1
Blue Moon: This beer was really Funky and pretty much reminded me of straight stank. The aroma was not very inviting. I kind of did not want to drink this ale sip after sip just because of the way it smelled.
Allagash White: The aroma was very subtle. It had hints of lemon but it was not very yeasty. The aroma was quite pleasant. It asked to be sniffed, and continuously sniffed throughout the whole tasting process.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White: 2
Blue Moon: I thought Blue Moon was pretty flat, and nearly flavorless. It had a lasting finish of coriander, but not in a good way. It was really overpowering. There was some citrus flavor initially, but it soon faded out to a bland... well, I don't know what I would call it at this point. The beer was very drinkable, but that could have been due to the lack of flavor. I did notice a silkiness to the beer. I am attributing that to the wheat in the beer. It had a light mouth feel, but that is what I expect from this style.
Allagash White: This beer was very light bodied as well, and it had a nice lemony taste that followed what I thought to be a citrusy, orange flavor on the initial sips. Before the orange dropped in though, there was a nice spicy kick. I believe this was coriander as well. It really chopped through the citrus taste and balanced it out. There was flavor all the way through this beer and it left nothing to be desired on the palate. It was maybe a little acidic, but not distracting in the least. The coriander in the Blue Moon really stuck to the mouth, but in the Allagash, it had a really dry finish and left me asking for more.
Blue Moon: 1
Allagash White:3
Blue Moon: It was far better than my initial taste about a year and a half ago, and it does stand above anything else I had from this brewery. Though, the taste that I had is not something I want in my beer. I see this as a worst case scenario beer and I really do not want a glass of water. It does the job but not for the craft beer lover like myself. I give this beer a 3/5. Would I buy it while out to eat... Probably not, but after this second tasting this is maybe an option. Coors is making money off of this beer without me purchasing it, so I do not really want to contribute to their success, but, like I said, they do not need my help anyway.
Allagash White: This beer was a great definition of the style and it has a high level of drinkability. It is very nice for a hot day, and is, in my opinion, Damn Good. I give this beer a 4.5/5. I am not really a fan of Wheat Beers, but this one I have always came back to as it is just that damn good. It is ashamed that they pulled out of Washington State, but Oh Well.
My sister drank the Allagash White first after having an initial taste of the two and she said it was really good. I think that is a Win, No? For it's price point I do not think that it will ever replace Blue Moon in her eyes, but she was actually interested in this beer and enjoyed it. That is good enough for me. Again, I wish they still distributed in Washington because I feel she would pick it up again, but at this time she cannot.
Therefore, My winner 3:1 is Allagash White. I guess I should have had another category in the case of a tie so I will add another point to the Overall category. Allagash White 4:1... Okay, so maybe that is not fair, but in my opinion Allagash is the Superior beer. Though, there was some complaint about an after taste in the Allagash. Something about a wood barrel taste. I did not pick this out at all... I have no idea what they were talking about. I thought if anything, Blue Moon had an after taste and I did not care for it. To my knowledge, Allagash white is not aged in barrels, unless noted, so I do not see where this taste came from...
Read my opinions on the two, and taste them for yourself. I cannot tell you what you like, but I can let you know what I think. Let me know how you feel on the two. I promise to play nice.
Hooah!
20110902
Gravity Beer Market
Moving is a hard adjustment for everybody but I think the thing that makes it harder is not staying in one place for too long. I only have a few days left but I was on a mission to find Kick and Clutch. You have to remember what is important, right? Thanks to some fancy searching from Nikkee, Yelp, and King 5 I ran into Gravity Beer Market. I basically struck gold finding this place.
I called this store and a few others. Not a single person at the other locations knew what these beers or even the Lips of Faith series was. I had someone tell me that they had The Grand Cru and the purple one. I, being the Self Proclaimed New Belgium Fan Boy of the World, knew that he meant the Dunkelweiss but I was like, ugh. When I called Gravity, The guy who answered the phone sounded really excited when I asked about it and said that they should be getting it in sometime next week. I pretty much had a beergasm at this point.
A week later, I called back and the woman who answered the phone told me exactly what I wanted to hear. KICK AND CLUTCH WERE IN!!!!! She told me that she literally just opened the case and that they were not even in the system yet but to give her 15 minutes to take care of it all. ZOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!! SCORE YEAH!
Gravity Beer Market
First and foremost, we are beer lovers. We are a wife and husband team that has spent 25 years collectively working in the beer industry. Our path has been filled with many pints of wonderful beers and now we have come home to open Olympia’s only bottle shop which officially opened in June of 2007.
This shop pretty much seemed to have everything. Their bottles were set up all along the walls around the shop and had an island with four and six packs for the shoppers who only want one thing. Behind the counter they had vintage bottles of beer, (most of them empty), but it made me smile. There was a bottle of the original Life And Limb up there as well as many others. The thing that caught my eye the most though was this.
Sadly, it was not for sale. I really want a bike once I get situated and this would be the most amazing bike ever. If I didn't need my car to get around I would totally put my name in for the Tour De Fat.
I found several other bottles that I was looking for and wanted while on this trip. I found a bottle of Ninkasi's Summer IPA, Maiden The Shade, Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu as well as a few other DFH brews I was looking for, and probably the very last bottle of Allagash White in Washington State.
Later on I will be doing a side by side review of Allagash White and Blue Moon. I am trying to show my Sister that Blue Moon is crap and to quit buying it. I know she will never be a craft beer person, but she should make better decisions in her life. It is unfortunate that Allagash no longer distributes to Washington but each company has to take care of themselves.
Just a few more days left. Hooah!
I called this store and a few others. Not a single person at the other locations knew what these beers or even the Lips of Faith series was. I had someone tell me that they had The Grand Cru and the purple one. I, being the Self Proclaimed New Belgium Fan Boy of the World, knew that he meant the Dunkelweiss but I was like, ugh. When I called Gravity, The guy who answered the phone sounded really excited when I asked about it and said that they should be getting it in sometime next week. I pretty much had a beergasm at this point.
A week later, I called back and the woman who answered the phone told me exactly what I wanted to hear. KICK AND CLUTCH WERE IN!!!!! She told me that she literally just opened the case and that they were not even in the system yet but to give her 15 minutes to take care of it all. ZOOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!!! SCORE YEAH!
Gravity Beer Market
First and foremost, we are beer lovers. We are a wife and husband team that has spent 25 years collectively working in the beer industry. Our path has been filled with many pints of wonderful beers and now we have come home to open Olympia’s only bottle shop which officially opened in June of 2007.
This shop pretty much seemed to have everything. Their bottles were set up all along the walls around the shop and had an island with four and six packs for the shoppers who only want one thing. Behind the counter they had vintage bottles of beer, (most of them empty), but it made me smile. There was a bottle of the original Life And Limb up there as well as many others. The thing that caught my eye the most though was this.
Sadly, it was not for sale. I really want a bike once I get situated and this would be the most amazing bike ever. If I didn't need my car to get around I would totally put my name in for the Tour De Fat.
I found several other bottles that I was looking for and wanted while on this trip. I found a bottle of Ninkasi's Summer IPA, Maiden The Shade, Dogfish Head Chateau Jiahu as well as a few other DFH brews I was looking for, and probably the very last bottle of Allagash White in Washington State.
Later on I will be doing a side by side review of Allagash White and Blue Moon. I am trying to show my Sister that Blue Moon is crap and to quit buying it. I know she will never be a craft beer person, but she should make better decisions in her life. It is unfortunate that Allagash no longer distributes to Washington but each company has to take care of themselves.
Just a few more days left. Hooah!
20110901
Elysian Brewing
One of the main things I wanted to do in Washington that was brewery related and that I have been looking forward to for a long time is Getting over to Elysian Brewing and Tasting one of their Trips!
The Trip is a collaboration between New Belgium and Elysian brewing, and being NB is my favorite brewery, I had to get out there and try what ever I could. I wish I would have been able to try all 9 trips, did I forget to mention that they are at nine beers with New Belgium now?, but getting to try one of them would be good enough at this point.
I figured that this brewery was pretty good and established being that they have done some pretty big collaborations. Another one that is going on with them, or has, I don't really know is a collaboration between them and Stone. That really peaked my interest and I had to see what this place was all about.
On our way up there we stopped by this awesome Bottle Shop that just recently installed Taps in the place in order to sell growlers in the shop. I KNOW RIGHT! Washington just passed a new law that allows you to sell any beer, anywhere (well almost), in any glassware. Pretty kick ass if you ask me... and guess what? NO CRV!!! That annoyed the hell out of me in CA. I hated CRV, I mean, seriously? Why?
I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of beer that was in there that it made it so very hard for me to collect a six pack. There were specific beers that I was looking for that I could not find and a ton of local beers that I never even heard of. It was just awesome. I picked up some New Belgium, and some Local brews like Scuttlebutt Hoptopia. When I am back in this area, I have some craft beer research to do.
Once we got to Elysian, all I really wanted was a flight of their brews but since I was pretty hungry too, I figured I should eat. Service was slow but my beer finally came. The thing that I thought was funny is that when my flight was presented to me, it came with a card naming all of the beers that I had got but it was completely inaccurate. They crossed out two of the beers and replaced them with others. This was not an issue for me because I was going to drink whatever they gave me but I just assumed if they were taking the time to give it such a display, they would at least have the correct listing.
Most of the beers I thought were just average, which is the same experience I had of most of the beers I had that are from Washington, (at the time I am writing this I had already had the Scuttlebutt Hoptopia, and that was damn good. As you probably know, I am not a fan of most IPAs but this Imperial IPA was something worth finding and enjoying. I want to find more from this brewery), but maybe I am just looking in all of the wrong places.
The best beer I had from here was the Dragons Tooth Stout. This one was actually damn good. The server told me it was their best selling beer, and even if he was lying to me, I see why. This was my growler fill for the night.
As for The Trip IX, I was really happy with this "Down Under IPA". It was brewed with New Zeland hops and was not like the typical West Coast IPA that everyone brews and loves, which I feel is kind of killing beer... I mean, be innovative and create something instead of trying to be bigger and hoppier than the rest. Some people do it right, and well, so kudos to them. I drink your IPA but not everyone gets it and they should stop... Not every beer in the world should be Imperial this, barrel aged this, Why can't somebody brew a low ABV session anything that can just be enjoyed for what it is... but then again, I guess that is why I homebrew.
Anyway, it was more like what a True IPA would be like. The style was not meant to be drank fresh. The hops were added as preservatives so they mellowed out quite a bit during the voyage to India and it was kept for sometime before drinking... This beer aknowledged that. Very Happy about it. I even think they used Galaxy hops. This was my first experience with them but now I have been seeing them all over the place. I realy hope that they are used well and do not become the new Cascade...
The Trip is a collaboration between New Belgium and Elysian brewing, and being NB is my favorite brewery, I had to get out there and try what ever I could. I wish I would have been able to try all 9 trips, did I forget to mention that they are at nine beers with New Belgium now?, but getting to try one of them would be good enough at this point.
I figured that this brewery was pretty good and established being that they have done some pretty big collaborations. Another one that is going on with them, or has, I don't really know is a collaboration between them and Stone. That really peaked my interest and I had to see what this place was all about.
On our way up there we stopped by this awesome Bottle Shop that just recently installed Taps in the place in order to sell growlers in the shop. I KNOW RIGHT! Washington just passed a new law that allows you to sell any beer, anywhere (well almost), in any glassware. Pretty kick ass if you ask me... and guess what? NO CRV!!! That annoyed the hell out of me in CA. I hated CRV, I mean, seriously? Why?
I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of beer that was in there that it made it so very hard for me to collect a six pack. There were specific beers that I was looking for that I could not find and a ton of local beers that I never even heard of. It was just awesome. I picked up some New Belgium, and some Local brews like Scuttlebutt Hoptopia. When I am back in this area, I have some craft beer research to do.
Once we got to Elysian, all I really wanted was a flight of their brews but since I was pretty hungry too, I figured I should eat. Service was slow but my beer finally came. The thing that I thought was funny is that when my flight was presented to me, it came with a card naming all of the beers that I had got but it was completely inaccurate. They crossed out two of the beers and replaced them with others. This was not an issue for me because I was going to drink whatever they gave me but I just assumed if they were taking the time to give it such a display, they would at least have the correct listing.
Most of the beers I thought were just average, which is the same experience I had of most of the beers I had that are from Washington, (at the time I am writing this I had already had the Scuttlebutt Hoptopia, and that was damn good. As you probably know, I am not a fan of most IPAs but this Imperial IPA was something worth finding and enjoying. I want to find more from this brewery), but maybe I am just looking in all of the wrong places.
The best beer I had from here was the Dragons Tooth Stout. This one was actually damn good. The server told me it was their best selling beer, and even if he was lying to me, I see why. This was my growler fill for the night.
As for The Trip IX, I was really happy with this "Down Under IPA". It was brewed with New Zeland hops and was not like the typical West Coast IPA that everyone brews and loves, which I feel is kind of killing beer... I mean, be innovative and create something instead of trying to be bigger and hoppier than the rest. Some people do it right, and well, so kudos to them. I drink your IPA but not everyone gets it and they should stop... Not every beer in the world should be Imperial this, barrel aged this, Why can't somebody brew a low ABV session anything that can just be enjoyed for what it is... but then again, I guess that is why I homebrew.
Anyway, it was more like what a True IPA would be like. The style was not meant to be drank fresh. The hops were added as preservatives so they mellowed out quite a bit during the voyage to India and it was kept for sometime before drinking... This beer aknowledged that. Very Happy about it. I even think they used Galaxy hops. This was my first experience with them but now I have been seeing them all over the place. I realy hope that they are used well and do not become the new Cascade...
20110831
Chimay Blue
So, I think something happened with these bottles. This time I successfully got the cage holding the cork on, but as soon as I pulled the cork off it began to gush... Man, I really want to know what happened. This is kind of annoying. I do not have that many more bottles in my cellar that moved or have corks but, again, I hope the rest are fine.
Appearance: This beer is very dark. Appears nearly black inside glass but when put up to the light it has a purple, grape juice/wine like shade. There is some sediment in my glass but I am writing that off as a side effect of my bottle gushing. It has a tan head that started off pretty big and settled over time. Very, very gorgeous in appearance.
Nose: The smell is sweet and alcoholic. In the other beers, I was hardly able to pull out the alcohol in the nose, but it is very prominent in this brew. I am not picking up the yeast like I thought I would.
Taste: I am getting a lot of dark fruits and it taste bready. Though, very mellow and somewhat malty. I picked up some plum... it kind of threw me off and I was thinking banana for a second, which didn't make much sense to me. I was expecting a lot more alcohol in the taste being I picked up quite a bit of it in the nose, but it is very well hidden (as it warms up, it really comes out). Though, I could not find the yeast in the nose like I expected, I found it during tasting. The dark fruits in this beer linger with you long into the finish as well as a slight spiciness, like if you put too much pepper on your food.
Mouthfeel: This beer feels really thick but has low carbonation within it. This beer really coats the mouth and if you run your tongue around after the swallow, it is feels really slick.
Overall, I really enjoyed this beer. I have never tasted anything like it and I have always heard great things about Chimay. I would love to have fresh/non issue bottles of these brews, but that will have to wait. This bottle seemed to be more like the bottle of Red that I had... except, this one gushed. I just wish I knew what happened to these beers.
20110830
Chimay White
I wonder if I did something wrong to this bottle. When I first went to unwrap the metal clamp holding the cork into the bottle it shot out of my hand and the cork went flying up to the ceiling. The bottle then began to slowly foam up...
I transported this bottle to Seattle with me but I did not do anything that I think would have hurt the bottle. I kept it within the proper temperature range and everything for the just about the whole trip minus the initial 7 hour drive, and then the last of the drive... I do not know what happened. None of the other bottles in which I opened from the cellar had this effect (I plan to open Chimay Blue tonight as well) so the only thing I can think of is infection, but I am sure I would have heard about that somewhere... and I purchased all three bottles at the same time and from the same location. I mean sure, they may not have transported together or were brewed at the same time, or stored in the same or best conditions, but this is just really weird for a beer...
Anyway...
As I did not have the proper Chalice for this beer, I drank it out of my Hair Of The Dog Tulip. I love this glass, it is probably one of my favorite glass types. I am so sad that my The Bruery glass is in storage. I will miss that thing ~tear~ I was very much looking forward to this beer because I love Triples... or at least all of the ones that I have had... well most...
Appearance: It is a hazy copper color and poured a huge white head. I am assuming this is a side effect to what ever is wrong with the bottle because as soon as it became, what I would call normal, the head was small, white, and beady. Very similar to what I experienced with The Red that I reviewed Here.
Nose: I get some yeast character. It is somewhat spicy but does not burn the nose and a little fruity... That of bananas? and cloves probably bring the spice I am referring to.
Taste: At first it tasted a little metallic. Which did not make much sense to me. It faded away after drinking a bit of this and then it became quite smooth, spicy, and somewhat citrusy. Alcohol lingers in the finish, but seems to be quite dry.
Mouthfeel: It has a high level of carbonation but it does not detract from the beer. I tend to like very little carbonation, but it all depends on the style. It feels right for this beer, but the beer seems a little thin underneath the carbonation. I guess that is where the flavors live and I did not notice it at all until I started trying to pick it out.
Overall I liked this beer. It is a good Tripel, but I would want to taste a fresh bottle or something because I do not believe that mine was in perfect condition. It behaved strangely but still tasted good so i guess I cannot complain too much. A very nice beer to have with only seven days left to go.
20110827
Beth's Cafe
Let me start off by saying that I am crazy and I have eaten the 12 Egg Ham & Cheese Omelette 4 times, and succeeded 3 times... The 4th, I finished everything but the Hash Browns and toast. One night I was watching a Man vs Food Marathon and he gave me good ideas about places that I want to eat as well as grossed me out a few times with his "accomplishments".
Speaking of which, Chunkys Four Horseman Burger is exactly what I will be eating once I get some privileges in San Antonio... Look it up, they don't really have a website, at least I cannot find one. But imagine an insanely hot burger with Ghost Chili Peppers among others... I want! Apparently only 3 People have succeeded in this challenge. I plan to suffer through it :D
So, the thing that annoyed me about one particular episode is that he was in my back yard and failed at something I have done time and time again. I had to step up and beat him at his own game.
Another side note, I noticed that the host of the show was getting fatter and fatter as the show progressed. In the marathon, the earlier episodes, he was a pretty clean cut guy. Not big, but not small and had this pretty kick ass leather jacket. As the show went on, his jacket got smaller on him and he seemed to stop taking care of himself... and turned into a fat man HAH!
So here it is. The Southwestern Exposure. 12 delicious eggs, filled with chili, steak, salsa, sour cream, cheddar cheese, hashbrowns, on top of a bed of hashbrowns, and topped with toast... Sounds like an orgasm #INMYMOUTH
I started off pretty strong and it reminded me of the times I have done this before. This one was way bigger than before but I was pretty confident I could do it. Bite after bite went down and I was powering my way through it. My strategy was to eat fast, otherwise I would get full.
After being about halfway through, I knew I was screwed... I felt like I did after finishing 9 eggs of the other omelette. I then pulled out a full 6oz chunk that one would normally order alone at any other restaurant. That pretty much sucked. I haven't touched my toast yet at this point but I was just about finished. I ate that steak and kept attacking the eggs. It was sooooooooo gooooooood, but so painful hahah! Everyone there told me that since I made it this far I had to keep going but it was hard. I powered through just over half of what I had left and then pulled out another steak chunk...
It was at this time that I was done. Out for the count. After seeing that I almost puked in my mouth a little bit... I didn't though, I just accepted defeat and asked for my box... not that I really wanted to take it home either though. Nikkee drew this awesome picture of my failure and added the final words to it that showed the world how much I sucked :p
There seems to have only been like 3 eggs left... and 2 pounds of all the stuffing... I can't believe that I wanted a beer after this. One of my old college friends wanted to go next door to this Australian bar and I wanted to drink so Australian beer so this worked out perfectly. I don't know why I thought this was a good idea though... not that it ended well but it took me over an hour to finish the ONLY Australian beer that they had in the whole bar... and it was not even on tap... I think they should revoke the license on this place...
It was just a BMC bar that had some good beer, i.e. Full Sail, but I came there to drink Australian beer. I only had one and left. Oh, well. I do not think my body could have held anything else. Coopers Sparkling Ale was not that good... 2/5 at best. I just went home and lounged out since I was stuffed as hell after this. YAY ME!
20110818
Deschutes & Hair Of The Dog
I wish I could have made it to Bend and check out the brewery there but I did not really want to make the 5/6 hour drive vs the 2 hour drive. Parking was ridiculous but who cares at this point. I had another Beergasm as we drove by the place.
It was really hard picking out what I wanted to drink. I ordered 2 taster trays since they did not have a preset taster menu and each came with 6 beers. They had about 20 on tap at the time. What made it really hard is I wanted to taste all of my favorites at the source, but they had so many limited and special brews that are only available at the brewpub too... I don't even think I looked at the food menu. I just ordered the special that my server told me about.
He was a really funny guy and was confused as hell when it took me about 15-20 minutes to decide on 12 beers. I decided to break it down by Malty and Hoppy Brews... sort of.
They had a weird beer with lemonade in it and I was not a fan HAHA! but I am so happy that I finally got to try Conflux 2. I wish I could have had one but 2 was great. It was very mellow and flavorful without being overpowering for an IPA. I loved it, again.
I really hate Deschutes for releasing Black Butte XXIII. I am sure all the previous years were amazing as well, but this was the first one I had. It totally ruined Black Butte for me. Not saying Black Butte is not good, it is actually one of my favorite Porters but after having XXIII, it is just not the same. The flavor profile seems out of this world. I wish it was a year round release but I understand why it is not.
Again, I ran into another brewery that did not have any growlers :( this made me very sad because I was so looking forward to getting one from here. You know, being it is one of my all time favorite breweries. I will make it out to the Bend Pub one day though and do the tour and get a Growler! To make up for my misfortune though, I bought a Bottle of Black Butte XXIII and the pint glass :D It will suffice for now...
My next stop was Full Sail Brewing. I have never had any of their beers but decided why not go there. There are so many breweries in the area and I could have gone to anywhere and I did not do enough research to just move on. Not that I thought Full Sail would have been a bad choice.
We got to the location and guess what I found out... I WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE!!! but they do not have a tasting room at their MAIN brewery... sucks... I am so glad I did not pay for parking even though I drove around for like 10 minutes trying to find a spot... Since we were just in Portland for the day I figured that we would just head home (and later that night I found out that people were heading into town for BBC11... Beer Bloggers Conference... ugh, if I knew that I would have planned this trip so differently. Oh, well... there is always next year right?
Traffic was out of control so instead of staying on the Highway, we got off and headed to Hair of The Dog because it was right off of the exit. I recognized their labels but have never had any of their beer. I ordered their whole collection of Beers, aka Walk The Dog and The Little Dogs Too.
I heard some great stories about their beers and their brewing schedule, (5 brews in one day to fill the fermenter) but the beers did not really stand out to me. Some of them had this taste that I had before in the Hermitage Brewing Beers that I cannot stand. They were a lot more minor in these brews. I have to figure out what it is... I have not had it often though.
I paired the beers with their Chuck Norris Duck Wings. I was told they were supposed to be really hot but meh, they were nothing really. They had some good flavor though. I think the description said something about kicking me in the mouth and punching my throat.
I thought these small samples were very doable but I do not think I could have a whole pint of any of these beers... that being said... I asked for a Growler :p they were out of glass as well, but I did take home one of their glasses. Again, another trophy for my collection.
20110816
Pike Brewing Co
Pike Brewing Company is totally one of those places that you have to go to if you ever visit Seattle and are at Pike Place Market. Honestly the beer was just ok in my opinion. I really appreciated that they brewed a Scotch Ale.
We headed up here to meet up with an old friend since we finally made it back to Seattle and I was very hungry by the time we got there already. I figured if I was going to eat, why not do it at the brewery :D
I ordered the Fish and Chips, which seems like one of those things you have to do if you are eating on the water front. It was a great choice. I got my growler and then ran away. It was a totally over sized growler and that was awesome. They sold the standard one too but I did not want another twist top growler. I don't really like the style but whatever. This was one expensive piece of glass though.
After this we went and did a few other things, like took a look at The Famous Gum Wall. It was so gross and you could smell the bums in the areas. I wish I was chewing some gum to add to the wall but NOPE! I haven't chewed since High School. I was addicted to Ice Breakers back then. There is an antique shop not that far from Pike Place and I found some real gems there.
I found some Carboys with plugs and airlocks still intac, VHS tapes of Star Trek, and Tap Handles from numberous breweries. I found a Sierra Nevada one, Pyramid, and a New Belgium among others. Guess what I did...
TOOK IT HOME!!!!!!!!
I cannot wait to get my brewery set back up again and put this on my kegerator.
20110813
Ninkasi
Pizza, Awesome Patio and Great Craft Beer. This almost sums up this place... almost. You have to experience it for yourself. I am not sure if the Pizza is always there, it seemed like one of those food trucks but different but I am glad it was there when I got there.
We ended up here after leaving Chico and being on the road forever and needed to fill up my tank... Though, this was one of the originally planned stops. We ended up getting to our final destination very late due to this stop but it was completely worth it.
I got a little anxious before taking the picture.
They have a very simple line up of 5 year round beers and a few seasonal on their 8 taps. I found pretty much all of them very tasty. The only ones that were not on my list of must have these beers every time I find them were the DIPAs. SURPRISE! One of my favorite things about the beer was the fact that they gave you trading cards wtih all of the info on them. Loved it.
They had a lot of cool designs around the place and it is fairly large. We got a lot of attention while we were there because we brought Bebop, aka Bun Light with us and I guess animals on the patio is very rare.
The one thing that dissapointed me about this place is that they do not sell growlers due to their licensing... Oh, well. I got a Pint Glass but I would have loved to brought something home with me... then again their beers are fairly cheap. I think the most I've seen a Bomber of their beers going for was like $3.00. SCORE YEAH!
20110808
Sierra Nevada
Wow... Just Wow...
I don't really know what to say about this place. It was a beyond amazing experience coming here. I really wish that I would have gotten into town earlier or was able to stay another day here but yeah. I really wanted to do the tour and see everything hidden in that place, especially since I didn't get into Beer Camp :'(
The restaurant and tasting room were fricken ridiculous. It was like a 5 Star Restaurant... or at least what I image one to be like. It totally fits the brewery but I was expecting something a lot different. I don't really know, but not what I saw. It was sooooooo nice... and I was amazed by the beer.
As if you did not know that already. I got to taste several beers I have been looking for and found one of the worlds most secret, amazing tasting porters. I understand that the Pale is their Flagship beer, but people should really find this Porter. I used to only drink their Pale and Torpedo, being they are also more widely available than any of their other beers. In my area anyway. I finally got to taste Life And Limb and retried Big Foot 2011. I really have to find bottles of L&L and get a 6er of Big Foot 2012 to taste against my 2011 and future batches.
I thought it was pretty damn cool too that the whole parking lot was filled with Solar Panels. The lot also looked into their hop fields. I wanted to just run through them but I figured hopping the fence would have been more trouble than it was worth. I cannot wait to go back there again. I got my growler filled with their Porter and next time I go, I want to ride my bike.
I don't really know what to say about this place. It was a beyond amazing experience coming here. I really wish that I would have gotten into town earlier or was able to stay another day here but yeah. I really wanted to do the tour and see everything hidden in that place, especially since I didn't get into Beer Camp :'(
The restaurant and tasting room were fricken ridiculous. It was like a 5 Star Restaurant... or at least what I image one to be like. It totally fits the brewery but I was expecting something a lot different. I don't really know, but not what I saw. It was sooooooo nice... and I was amazed by the beer.
As if you did not know that already. I got to taste several beers I have been looking for and found one of the worlds most secret, amazing tasting porters. I understand that the Pale is their Flagship beer, but people should really find this Porter. I used to only drink their Pale and Torpedo, being they are also more widely available than any of their other beers. In my area anyway. I finally got to taste Life And Limb and retried Big Foot 2011. I really have to find bottles of L&L and get a 6er of Big Foot 2012 to taste against my 2011 and future batches.
I thought it was pretty damn cool too that the whole parking lot was filled with Solar Panels. The lot also looked into their hop fields. I wanted to just run through them but I figured hopping the fence would have been more trouble than it was worth. I cannot wait to go back there again. I got my growler filled with their Porter and next time I go, I want to ride my bike.
Westvleteren 12
Thank You So Much Louie! This beer was so damn excellent! It was so mellow and very delicious hahah!
S - You can definitely pick out the yeastyness of this brew, but it work out perfectly. The dark malts and a bit of sweetness is there as well. You taste all of this and more... There seems to be a perfect harmony of all of these scents and flavors though.
T - This beer was really Smooth... There is really no where to express this one. It had literally no bite, and tasted amazing. I see why it is rated the #1 beer on Beer Advocate. Like any good Belgian Quad, this has that dark Fruit flavor that totally does not over power. The Alcohol is not noticeable at all. I do not know how they do it. Caramel lacing my mouth, and the yeast came through in the best ways. This is a very flavorful ale... You must try to find a bottle of this to understand.
M - So smoooooooooooooooooooootheeee.... Yup. No other way to describe it. It seems really light in your mouth (at least before I let it warm up) but it does not seem that way at all.... I don't know what I mean or what I am saying. It has the perfect mouthfeel. Lets just say that.
S - You can definitely pick out the yeastyness of this brew, but it work out perfectly. The dark malts and a bit of sweetness is there as well. You taste all of this and more... There seems to be a perfect harmony of all of these scents and flavors though.
T - This beer was really Smooth... There is really no where to express this one. It had literally no bite, and tasted amazing. I see why it is rated the #1 beer on Beer Advocate. Like any good Belgian Quad, this has that dark Fruit flavor that totally does not over power. The Alcohol is not noticeable at all. I do not know how they do it. Caramel lacing my mouth, and the yeast came through in the best ways. This is a very flavorful ale... You must try to find a bottle of this to understand.
M - So smoooooooooooooooooooootheeee.... Yup. No other way to describe it. It seems really light in your mouth (at least before I let it warm up) but it does not seem that way at all.... I don't know what I mean or what I am saying. It has the perfect mouthfeel. Lets just say that.
20110806
21st Amendment
So yeah... 21st Amendment. First off, driving in San Fransisco SUCKS!!! Never do it. Secondly, Do some research before you head into a city with horrible traffic. Apparently I went to town on a Gameday... Yup... Ugh, anyway.
When we first got here we had a bit of a wait. Which, was to be expected and not an issue. We were finally seated and then we were getting some above par service. Apparently they do not do tasters on game days, but I was brought out a few anyway. I had three of their beers before hand and thought one was great, Hell or High Watermelon, and thought the others were just meh.
The place started dying down and so did the amount of attention that we got... which did not make sense to me. I was repeatedly offered IPAs as well after telling the waitress that I did not want any. She kept telling me that, Well these low ABV beers are not worth it. If you are going to have anything get one of these... I honestly do not care about ABV, as I am sure many of you know and I wanted to drink The Blonde!
Everything just got more and more annoying. After not too long I just decided to get out of here. It then took us 20 minutes and asking 3 different people to get our check. I suggested that we just stand up and walk out the door but SWMBO was totally against that. Nobody would have even noticed. Out of all the beers I had, I still only liked one and was highly annoyed. Yeah, I didn't even ask for a growler or glassware... don't believe I missed out on anything.
20110805
Drink What You Damn Well Please Day
WOOT! West Coast Circle Jerk! I mean, wait... The first International IPA Day or something like that. My original intention were not to drink a single IPA today but I guess my plans totally messed this one up. I planned to head to a brewery today... Bear Republic.
The one thing that makes me mad about my visit here is I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MY AMAZING HAMBURGER!!! Before I go on, This burger was A Half Pound, Jalapeno Poppers wrapped in Bacon, with Onion Rings, Pepper Jack, and some crazy sauce. LOVED THIS BURGER! I want to have it again.
I loved this Brewery. As we were walking by I found some very delicious treats.
I kind of wanted to steal this spent grain to make something with, or remash and make a small beer.
Here is the spread. Some very awesome, awesome brews. Racer 5 got me my IPA Day Badge and there were many great beers to be had after that. Honestly though, Racer 5 has never tasted so good. As we left I saw something very exciting...
Guess where I decided to go!
I think this may have been a bad idea. I had very many, many great craft beers. Take a look.
18 4oz pours... This did not end well, well it did not end bad I survived though my palate was beyond crashed. The Beer Sanctuary was very nice... a few too many dogs for my taste, especially seeing as that there was never a dog for Lagunitas (learned that one on the tour), several of their beers were named after towns and apparently all of their beers start as seasonal releases and then if they are liked they move into the year round sector.
I got about halfway through this taster tray before I figured that if I were going to make it all the way, I would have to taste everything right now. I tried to take the best tasting notes possible but after a while everything began tasting like toffee. I love toffee but it did not seem right.
There were several beers that I went back to the next day in order to actually find out what I was tasting. I thought their growlers were kind of a rip, I mean it was cool that they gave it to me in a Mason Jar but they did not even brand it... wtf?
The one thing that makes me mad about my visit here is I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MY AMAZING HAMBURGER!!! Before I go on, This burger was A Half Pound, Jalapeno Poppers wrapped in Bacon, with Onion Rings, Pepper Jack, and some crazy sauce. LOVED THIS BURGER! I want to have it again.
I loved this Brewery. As we were walking by I found some very delicious treats.
I kind of wanted to steal this spent grain to make something with, or remash and make a small beer.
Here is the spread. Some very awesome, awesome brews. Racer 5 got me my IPA Day Badge and there were many great beers to be had after that. Honestly though, Racer 5 has never tasted so good. As we left I saw something very exciting...
Guess where I decided to go!
I think this may have been a bad idea. I had very many, many great craft beers. Take a look.
18 4oz pours... This did not end well, well it did not end bad I survived though my palate was beyond crashed. The Beer Sanctuary was very nice... a few too many dogs for my taste, especially seeing as that there was never a dog for Lagunitas (learned that one on the tour), several of their beers were named after towns and apparently all of their beers start as seasonal releases and then if they are liked they move into the year round sector.
I got about halfway through this taster tray before I figured that if I were going to make it all the way, I would have to taste everything right now. I tried to take the best tasting notes possible but after a while everything began tasting like toffee. I love toffee but it did not seem right.
There were several beers that I went back to the next day in order to actually find out what I was tasting. I thought their growlers were kind of a rip, I mean it was cool that they gave it to me in a Mason Jar but they did not even brand it... wtf?
Russian River and Random Brewery Run In
After arriving in Cotati I did not waste anytime finding the breweries I added to my list. My first Stop ended up being Russian River... Yum. We were supposed to be meeting our Cousin there but she was running really late and I decided I was not going to wait any longer to experience the mind explosion waiting to happen.
A few people from Twitter were giving me a major break down on this brewery and what to do and what to order. Not that it would have been hard to figure out what I wanted to drink, I WANTED IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
But one thing I did not know about this place that was brought to my attention was the New Albion sign that was right above the bar, (I did not get a picture of this. I tried to make a trip back in order to get it but it did not happen in the time that I was there. I will get back in order to get it now that I have learned so much about it. I don't think that parenthesis are supposed to go this long.)Apparently they were the first brewery to brew a stout after the end of Prohibition. The company went under but they still have a place in the brewing world today. Just last year Sierra Nevada released Jack and Kens 30th Anniversary BarleyWine, (have a bottle in the cellar), that is based off of the New Albion recipe from so long ago... man, I wish I would have snapped that picture... Oh well,... for now...
Anyway, drinking here was a delight, and the pizza was pretty damn good too. I remember I was looking forward so much to Consecration... and I was not really a fan. Let me know if you or anyone else had got these notes, but I swear I tasted Tobacco in this beer... It was very weird... Though, I did find and love Supplication! Highly recommend! I was in love with literally all of the beers here and I had some fun.
Finally my cousin showed up... well, kind of. She called us and asked where we were sitting because she was "here" and could not find us. Turned out that she was AT ANOTHER BREWERY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET!!!!!!!! I ordered my Growler of Pliny The Elder and guess where I went next!
Third Street Aleworks!
They gave me a massive flight of 13 4 ounce pours! They had pretty average beer overall but nothing was bad. They only sell their beer at that one location and not in stores so their mission is pretty straight forward. I was surprised with the Kolsch they brewed. Not many people make one, and not everyone should, but there should be more of them out there. Just saying.
I have several more stops here. So it is time to move on...
A few people from Twitter were giving me a major break down on this brewery and what to do and what to order. Not that it would have been hard to figure out what I wanted to drink, I WANTED IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
But one thing I did not know about this place that was brought to my attention was the New Albion sign that was right above the bar, (I did not get a picture of this. I tried to make a trip back in order to get it but it did not happen in the time that I was there. I will get back in order to get it now that I have learned so much about it. I don't think that parenthesis are supposed to go this long.)Apparently they were the first brewery to brew a stout after the end of Prohibition. The company went under but they still have a place in the brewing world today. Just last year Sierra Nevada released Jack and Kens 30th Anniversary BarleyWine, (have a bottle in the cellar), that is based off of the New Albion recipe from so long ago... man, I wish I would have snapped that picture... Oh well,... for now...
Anyway, drinking here was a delight, and the pizza was pretty damn good too. I remember I was looking forward so much to Consecration... and I was not really a fan. Let me know if you or anyone else had got these notes, but I swear I tasted Tobacco in this beer... It was very weird... Though, I did find and love Supplication! Highly recommend! I was in love with literally all of the beers here and I had some fun.
Finally my cousin showed up... well, kind of. She called us and asked where we were sitting because she was "here" and could not find us. Turned out that she was AT ANOTHER BREWERY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET!!!!!!!! I ordered my Growler of Pliny The Elder and guess where I went next!
Third Street Aleworks!
They gave me a massive flight of 13 4 ounce pours! They had pretty average beer overall but nothing was bad. They only sell their beer at that one location and not in stores so their mission is pretty straight forward. I was surprised with the Kolsch they brewed. Not many people make one, and not everyone should, but there should be more of them out there. Just saying.
I have several more stops here. So it is time to move on...
20110804
Good Bye Los Angeles Part Duex
Two days in a row I got together with people to give my last goodbyes and day two was almost just as busy as day one...
First stop, Eagle Rock Brewing. I have always wanted to come to this place but nobodies schedule ever worked out with mine. It is a very good thing that I was able to convince Louie, Monica, and his cousin Jorge to get out here :D
The building was very small and kind of hidden but that doesn't make a difference at all when it comes to good beer... and good art.
I figured that if I were coming to this brewery I was going to taste everything they had. I had a couple of their beers previously but those were hard to find and limited release brews. I talked to Jeremy, the owner, for a few minutes as he was on his way out. I have met him once before but figured now I am in his court so why not just talk a bit.
The beers of the night were Manifesto, Ginger Saison, Stimulus, Solidarity, Nitro Solidarity, Revolution, Populist, and Citrus Solidarity. It was hard to say which one of these were my favorite, but out of all the Eagle Rock beers I had Yearling is definitely my number 1. One thing that disappointed me about this place is that they had no more growlers when I showed up :'( I really wanted one to add to my collection. I do not know why I did not think to see if they had any other glassware I could purchase, like a pint glass or something but I just figured, oh well. Especially since I got a hold of Kyle and Rachel and we all decided to go to Beer Belly Again! (2 nights in a row)
Untapped Check in party.
We left here and headed to Beer Belly where HopHeadJim was waiting to try some of my homebrew. As soon as we got to the bar he popped open my Pirates Booty, an Oaked Rum Porter, that I brought to him the night before. This is every ones favorite of my homebrews and he loved it as well. I had another Black Butte XXIII and questioned if this was a good beer to start out the night after leaving a brewery...
Nikkee, Rachel, and Monica were tired of us boys and decided to get another table. Nikkee ordered the Root Beer Float Flight, Five Rootbeers Floats... Yum, and had fun adding her Ice Cream to the glasses to get some very interesting reactions...
I ordered myself a Twilight ale, (another from the Deschutes event but a summer seasonal not rare release), since I had never had it before and always wanted to try it. I was not disappointed. HopHeadJim then brought us a few flights of Craftsman Triple White Sage and Batch 300. Top Notch Beers.
It was finally time to say goodbye. We were hitting the road the next day for Santa Rosa and still had a lot to do in the way of packing. It was a sad moment but it was a great night. Thank You All.
First stop, Eagle Rock Brewing. I have always wanted to come to this place but nobodies schedule ever worked out with mine. It is a very good thing that I was able to convince Louie, Monica, and his cousin Jorge to get out here :D
The building was very small and kind of hidden but that doesn't make a difference at all when it comes to good beer... and good art.
I figured that if I were coming to this brewery I was going to taste everything they had. I had a couple of their beers previously but those were hard to find and limited release brews. I talked to Jeremy, the owner, for a few minutes as he was on his way out. I have met him once before but figured now I am in his court so why not just talk a bit.
The beers of the night were Manifesto, Ginger Saison, Stimulus, Solidarity, Nitro Solidarity, Revolution, Populist, and Citrus Solidarity. It was hard to say which one of these were my favorite, but out of all the Eagle Rock beers I had Yearling is definitely my number 1. One thing that disappointed me about this place is that they had no more growlers when I showed up :'( I really wanted one to add to my collection. I do not know why I did not think to see if they had any other glassware I could purchase, like a pint glass or something but I just figured, oh well. Especially since I got a hold of Kyle and Rachel and we all decided to go to Beer Belly Again! (2 nights in a row)
Untapped Check in party.
We left here and headed to Beer Belly where HopHeadJim was waiting to try some of my homebrew. As soon as we got to the bar he popped open my Pirates Booty, an Oaked Rum Porter, that I brought to him the night before. This is every ones favorite of my homebrews and he loved it as well. I had another Black Butte XXIII and questioned if this was a good beer to start out the night after leaving a brewery...
Nikkee, Rachel, and Monica were tired of us boys and decided to get another table. Nikkee ordered the Root Beer Float Flight, Five Rootbeers Floats... Yum, and had fun adding her Ice Cream to the glasses to get some very interesting reactions...
I ordered myself a Twilight ale, (another from the Deschutes event but a summer seasonal not rare release), since I had never had it before and always wanted to try it. I was not disappointed. HopHeadJim then brought us a few flights of Craftsman Triple White Sage and Batch 300. Top Notch Beers.
It was finally time to say goodbye. We were hitting the road the next day for Santa Rosa and still had a lot to do in the way of packing. It was a sad moment but it was a great night. Thank You All.
20110803
Goodbye Los Angeles
The time is nearing and I figured I have to do everything I wanted to get done before I headed out. I know I would regret it otherwise. My first trip was City Tavern, I know I was just there, but I wanted to go again HAHA!) This may be a long post... I may break it into several.
This time the choices were a bit different. I had a Le Merle, (a Saison that I was trying to have a week before at Eureka Burger but they SOLD out as I was ordering it... O well. I was damn well worth the wait.), a Blonde and a Triple by Brouwerij West, (never heard of the company but they made a pretty good triple.) and then Witch's Wit, (a Lost Abbey beer that I did not know existed when I went to the Brewery).
Besides that though, I always forget to snap some pictures before I dig into my food! We were brought a very sweet tray with a grilled cheese sandwich on it :D and stuffed and fried squash, and an heirloom tomato. I really wish I got a picture of it. Again, I suck.
I had the City Tavern Brew Burger! for dinner. It is one of their signature burgers that is built on a Pretzel Bun, with an onion ring, a special pub cheese, and a mustard aioli... This burger was seriously a delight, I would honestly think so even if I were not obsessed with stuffing beef in my mouth and pretzels.... Maybe bacon and jalepenos would make this better but this would not be the same burger that they sell :p That would be my dream burger. Especailly if the Jalepenos were stuffed with cream cheese.......... YUM!
This was also my time to say goodbye to Bierkast :'( I hope all goes well for them in the future and that I can soon come back and drink their beer in a bar somewhere in LA. I am really looking forward to the future of LA Aleworks and hoping that I can come visit them and brew with them one day in the brewery. That would be awesome.
The next night my buddy Kyle wanted to go to 38 Degrees Alehouse and since this is one of the last time I knew I would see him in a while I could not say no ;p I am damn glad I did go too.
I was just being a doof and I called the restaurant to see if they had Cabernale on tap for Nikkee, which they did, and the guy who answered the phone was none other than the owner... Clay. I was pretty damn excited being I had always wanted to meet him since he ran a number of events around the city and owned this place, DUH! so as soon as we got there I started asking around for him.
Got a little excited and drank before the picture :p
In the meantime, I drank a few beers I knew I liked, one I wanted to try, and one that just fell into my lap... Not really a fan of the Blue House Citra Pale. For some reason everyone wants Citra hops right now (at least that is what they tell me) but after having this beer I would not want to go out and buy any hops that had a similar taste to this. Heritage by Bear Republic, always a good choice. Not my favorite brew from this company, but then again I've only had four HAH!
Another brew that I had before that I knew I loved was the Abbey Grand Cru from New Belgium. The thing that sucked about this beer on this night is that, the server had entered all the beers for both mine and Kyles flights, but the bartenders did not process or print them seperatly... I HAD TO GUESS WHAT BEER WAS WHAT BASED ON COLOR!!!!!!!!!!! So, it was the Abbey or Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge that I was down to and I had to drink...
I figured it out pretty quick but still... If I have never had either one of those beers before I would not know which one I loved and which one I do not know if I could drink more than just a taster of...
Pretty much about the time we were ready to leave, Clay finally showed up and Kyle talked his ear off ;) it was a good time and after he heard that I was heading out he gave me a bottle of the brand new Stone Collaboration brew, Cherry Chocolate Stout, (That I was obsessing over and trying to find a place that sold it since it was only 3 days old at the time). Oh My GEEEZZZ!!! I have yet to crack it open, but I will give it a special review. Believe that. I hope it lives up to the high hopes that I gave it knowing nothing about it.
Once again, I blame this on Kyle and his lack of visiting any bars in LA... I told him that Beer Belly was an awesome spot and that he had to see it. The night before they had a Deschutes Beer event that I was not able to attend. Black Butte XXIII was there and Conflux #2.
As soon as we got to the bar I got a Batch 300 from The Bruery. I have been going back and forth on buying a bottle of this but never made the jump. I am glad they had it on tap here but I would have been just as happy buying the bottle.... I LOVED IT! After this beer I asked for the Black Butte XXIII. Black Butte is already one of my favorite beers, but man... It just got better. Everything I loved about Black Butte was amplified and the oak aging really set it off.
I asked about the Conflux next but the keg had kicked just before we got there. It was getting pretty late by this time anyway but I noticed a LadyFace growler in HopHeadJims cellar so I decided to ask what it was... I had no idea that LadyFace made Mead. He asked us if we wanted to try some, so we did and OMG! It was damn good (it was my very first mead as well). It clocked in at about 15% and I guess that is kind of high, but I really have no idea. I am kind of on the hunt for more meads now.
This time the choices were a bit different. I had a Le Merle, (a Saison that I was trying to have a week before at Eureka Burger but they SOLD out as I was ordering it... O well. I was damn well worth the wait.), a Blonde and a Triple by Brouwerij West, (never heard of the company but they made a pretty good triple.) and then Witch's Wit, (a Lost Abbey beer that I did not know existed when I went to the Brewery).
Besides that though, I always forget to snap some pictures before I dig into my food! We were brought a very sweet tray with a grilled cheese sandwich on it :D and stuffed and fried squash, and an heirloom tomato. I really wish I got a picture of it. Again, I suck.
I had the City Tavern Brew Burger! for dinner. It is one of their signature burgers that is built on a Pretzel Bun, with an onion ring, a special pub cheese, and a mustard aioli... This burger was seriously a delight, I would honestly think so even if I were not obsessed with stuffing beef in my mouth and pretzels.... Maybe bacon and jalepenos would make this better but this would not be the same burger that they sell :p That would be my dream burger. Especailly if the Jalepenos were stuffed with cream cheese.......... YUM!
This was also my time to say goodbye to Bierkast :'( I hope all goes well for them in the future and that I can soon come back and drink their beer in a bar somewhere in LA. I am really looking forward to the future of LA Aleworks and hoping that I can come visit them and brew with them one day in the brewery. That would be awesome.
The next night my buddy Kyle wanted to go to 38 Degrees Alehouse and since this is one of the last time I knew I would see him in a while I could not say no ;p I am damn glad I did go too.
I was just being a doof and I called the restaurant to see if they had Cabernale on tap for Nikkee, which they did, and the guy who answered the phone was none other than the owner... Clay. I was pretty damn excited being I had always wanted to meet him since he ran a number of events around the city and owned this place, DUH! so as soon as we got there I started asking around for him.
Got a little excited and drank before the picture :p
In the meantime, I drank a few beers I knew I liked, one I wanted to try, and one that just fell into my lap... Not really a fan of the Blue House Citra Pale. For some reason everyone wants Citra hops right now (at least that is what they tell me) but after having this beer I would not want to go out and buy any hops that had a similar taste to this. Heritage by Bear Republic, always a good choice. Not my favorite brew from this company, but then again I've only had four HAH!
Another brew that I had before that I knew I loved was the Abbey Grand Cru from New Belgium. The thing that sucked about this beer on this night is that, the server had entered all the beers for both mine and Kyles flights, but the bartenders did not process or print them seperatly... I HAD TO GUESS WHAT BEER WAS WHAT BASED ON COLOR!!!!!!!!!!! So, it was the Abbey or Cuvee Des Jacobins Rouge that I was down to and I had to drink...
I figured it out pretty quick but still... If I have never had either one of those beers before I would not know which one I loved and which one I do not know if I could drink more than just a taster of...
Pretty much about the time we were ready to leave, Clay finally showed up and Kyle talked his ear off ;) it was a good time and after he heard that I was heading out he gave me a bottle of the brand new Stone Collaboration brew, Cherry Chocolate Stout, (That I was obsessing over and trying to find a place that sold it since it was only 3 days old at the time). Oh My GEEEZZZ!!! I have yet to crack it open, but I will give it a special review. Believe that. I hope it lives up to the high hopes that I gave it knowing nothing about it.
Once again, I blame this on Kyle and his lack of visiting any bars in LA... I told him that Beer Belly was an awesome spot and that he had to see it. The night before they had a Deschutes Beer event that I was not able to attend. Black Butte XXIII was there and Conflux #2.
As soon as we got to the bar I got a Batch 300 from The Bruery. I have been going back and forth on buying a bottle of this but never made the jump. I am glad they had it on tap here but I would have been just as happy buying the bottle.... I LOVED IT! After this beer I asked for the Black Butte XXIII. Black Butte is already one of my favorite beers, but man... It just got better. Everything I loved about Black Butte was amplified and the oak aging really set it off.
I asked about the Conflux next but the keg had kicked just before we got there. It was getting pretty late by this time anyway but I noticed a LadyFace growler in HopHeadJims cellar so I decided to ask what it was... I had no idea that LadyFace made Mead. He asked us if we wanted to try some, so we did and OMG! It was damn good (it was my very first mead as well). It clocked in at about 15% and I guess that is kind of high, but I really have no idea. I am kind of on the hunt for more meads now.
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