Ben, Beth, and Beer

Festival review, 6/4/11

2011-06-05T14:47:00.006-04:00

I figure that I would and should write about the ACBF 2011 while it is still fresh in my head. And, I feel bad for not blogging last week, but the hardest part of keeping something up is keeping it up when it isn't new or exciting anymore. But, it was also a very busy holiday weekend here at the Musser household.

But, anyway, I just have to say how lucky I am to be even loosely affiliated with the wonderful beer culture that exists here in Boston. I wish that I could still be, to some degree. Not that I am not happy, but really, I like so many people that are already in the industry. Not all of them, because nothing is perfect, but enough. And, to even be recognized by Todd Alström, who does so much positive work to promote something so wonderful, and many others of the Beer Advocate crew, as a person who loves good beer, it's a good feeling. A feel of family and belonging. That I miss. Drunks? Not so much, but for those who enjoy good beer and good company, those will always be my people.

I thought, for fun, to stick to my rating system of beer, and use it for the fest. I'm not sure what it will show, but dammit, it's my blog post, I can do what I want.

Who? Beer Advocate

What? American Craft Beer Festival

When? 6/4/2011

Where? Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA

Hype 8 / 10: I look forward to every fest, being a volunteer or a patron. This one isn't necessarily my favorite, but comparing it to the fests at the Cyclorama, it is very much apples and oranges. It's great to have such a large fest where a lot of great breweries get a chance to shine. I got to try Boulevard next to Duck Rabbit next to Tullycross. Unless I were to travel to Denver, for the GABF, where else would I get a chance for such variety? But, the downside is that it is starting to take an effort to find beers that are different. I loved the imperial stout from Tullycross, which I have never even heard of and only visited because of the short lines. I wish I had visit more unknowns to me, now. But, the smaller fests, my favorite breweries are more likely to bring out the special beers that you'll only get to try once.

But, this is the fest where you really get to see all the beer-loving volunteers, and get a chance to know them. I'm at the point where I wish I was on a better friend basis with some of them. It's sad to see some awesome people only three times a year. But, perhaps that is what makes the fests so special, too.

Taste 12 / 15: Overall, of course, you know that the beer selection will be good. But, there are a lot of beers that I just don't like or don't want to drink again. It's a challenge, for I am a fan of drinking certain beers in the right situation. Like warmer stouts versus cold, crisp hefes. And I like to drink slow, too. I am not saying that the beer was bad, but I can definitely say that all the beers were not meant for me.

Memorability 14 / 15: What I will remember about this fest is that Beth got the job at the check-in booth, and I got to help wristband about 10,000 people. I loved it, because I got to be outside on a beautiful day and see a lot of excited, wonderful people. I do still thrive off of that churn-and-burn mentality that Starbucks had installed in me. But, I was polite to everyone, calling them friend, captain, or placated them with my smile. And, after that intense 90 minutes, the rest of my shift was easy. Filling in here and there. I also like to think/hope that this fest is the fest where people are starting to recognize us as cool people. Though, as natural introverts, I don't think that people gravitate towards us, but at least they seem to respect us. I know that this is a lot of tooting my own horn, but after three years of volunteering, I hope that we are turning a corner.

Environment 6 / 5: I am cheating a little bit here, but it really earns extra credit for the fantastic crew atmosphere that exists. Perhaps it appeals to my whole issue of needing to be needed, but when I can work with a bunch of recent strangers and get things done, I can't express that joyous feeling enough. And, for those people that I have known for a while, I look forward to seeing them every fest. And drunk/tipsy people... a lot of them are awesome. Not the drunk "yeah-dude"s, though. I can live without them. But the smiling normal people. Those, who I consider myself to be when I go out for beer, those are the people I can relate to. I would love to be part of a restaurant that caters to that European since of beer dignity. An early evening Novare Res, if you will. Why can't life be like this all the time?

X-Factor 4 / 5: Nothing all that exciting happened. It was interesting to see the fest clear out a little bit because of the Bruins game. And it was cool to see some awesome people as patrons of the fest. And the people in the industry who still like me for me, and not because I can buy their beer for business. I was sore and exhausted, though after the fest, where I don't stand on my feet that long anymore, and I don't stay up that late. But in the morning, I am glad that I am a part of a wonderful thing, and I encourage everyone else to join us some time.

Score: 44 / 50, B+

PS> The after brunch at CBC was great!

PPS> I wear my blue KU hat at the fests so that I will recognize myself in photos. Not luck yet. Though I will need a less sweated-in hat for social functions soon.

Featured Beer, week ending 5/15

2011-05-23T10:08:00.004-04:00

So, I went to The Asgard for the first time a few weeks ago. I decided that it was time to actually face the mass crowds at a bar after Friday. It was a rough going at first. I cannot stand that many alpha personalities in one room. But, once we found who we were meeting and carved a little niche, then I started to feel much better.

Who? Bershire Brewing Company Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter, South Deerfield, MA

What? Robust Porter, 6.2% ABV

When? 5/13/11

Where? The Asgard, Cambridge, MA

Original Tweet: BBC Coffeehouse Porter. Nitro! I can tell because of the bubbles. It is the coffeehouse porters to end all coffeehouse porters. A-

Hype 9 / 10: This is the fickle thing about a hype rating. I knew of the CHP before I really knew that BBC existed, or even much knowledge about different styles at all. But once I finally tried it, back when I started getting into beer, I knew it was a winner. So, it's not like there was a build up to it, but finally trying something that was always there. Good thing it was awesome, AmIRight?

Taste 15 / 15: I'm torn, because I know that this beer is awesome as it is, and it doesn't need the added element of nitro to make it taste better. Unlike, you know, some marco-stouts that are out there. But, nitro is a fun presentation style and it should be a feature, but not a mandatory type thing. I liked that the Common would serve, because that's how I planned, it off of a normal tap. I strongly feel that you shouldn't have to add to a beer at the end to make it taste good. Like, I hate orange wheels on my Allagash White. Seriously? With all that said, though, nitro CHP is so rich and creamy, it is like coffee-icing beer. Which would lead to coffee-beer icing in the future. It just weighs on your tongue, lacing your taste buds with the micro bubbles of foam. And I have never had a better coffee flavored beers. And there are some good ones.

Memorability 15 / 15: I sadly have to stop and think of the other fine brews from BBC, besides CHP, when listing them off. It defines a style for me and that is the best praise I think a beer can get. Like Saison Dupont is the king of the Farmhouses, I truly believe that this is the coffee-flavored porter that everyone has to try.

Environment 4 / 5: Taking in to account the whole experience of the night, I much would rather have had a table and been able to talk quietly with my friends. Good thing this was my second beer of the night, because if I was grading Southern Tier Gemini I had first, it might have been a 1 or 2!

X-Factor 4 / 5: No real X-factor to speak of, other then being reliable and readily available. If a restaurant has a nitro line that they care about, this is what they should have on it, if not, something like Left Hand Milk Stout. But, again, I press that this beer is so good that you do not have to do anything fancy with it to make it enjoyable.

Score: 47 / 50, A

Featured Beer, week ending 5/8

2011-05-15T11:35:00.003-04:00

Since I have taken more of an active interest in work, I feel like I am slowly progressing my genereal education. That said, I picked up a shift at the Celalr for the first time since March, and I still feel like there are huge gaps in my knowledge. If things had worked out in a perfect world, where I worked in the industry, and took an active interest in my education, then, well, let's say... there would be smaller gaps in my education.

Who? Peak Organic Hop Noir, Portland, ME

What? Cascadian Dark Ale (Black IPA)*, 8.2% ABV

When? 5/2/11

Where? Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA

Original Tweet: Peak Hop Noir. I think that I have a favorite black IPA and this is it. All the balance that you would want, just dark and dandy. A-

Hype 9 / 10: I didn't know about it until it was offered to me for Brew Year's Eve. I asked Peak if they had anything that would taste great on a nitro-line, and I was told that this was just brewed and could work real well. I mean, great, for a night that is all IPAs, what else would you want to have? And it was great, except for the part where the gas was still on when I was changing the valve and something important and tiny ricocheted across the cooler, among the 50 or so kegs crammed in there. Thank goodness Peak got smart and started bottling these great beers, though. They are 3 for 3 with excellent bombers. (Espresso Amber and King Crimson)

Taste 15 / 15: It is the best beer of this style that I have had. Others, seem to have something missing. They are either overly roasted malts, or taste just like IPAs that happen to be black. I'm sure someone out there loves those other beers, that's fine. But what I want from an Black IPA is something that is reminiscent of an IPA, but doesn't change everything, either. I think Peak captured magic in a bottle (ha!). The roasty malts are don't kill the hops, or vise versa. Balance and flavor is such a difficult game

Memorability 15 / 15: Besides this and 21st Amendment Back in Black, I don't remember anything immediately when it comes to naming beers in the category. And Peak is the first one I think of. Plus, having popped up a couple times in the last six months (really, has it only been within six months? Wow!) with a catchy name and a fantastic sales rep, you gotta love it.

Environment 5 / 5: I have never had a bad time drinking this. I had a wonderful time getting off in time for the countdown on NYE to sit with Beth and enjoy a beer or three. And every time I bring it home, it goes well with our food, and have never been disappointed. Though it is stronger in ABV, I think that there are enough hops in it that I will drink it sooner than later. I don't want to accidentally age it and be disappointed.

X-Factor 4 / 5: Had this beer a one time beer, and have been rated before I left the Common, then it would have been a 5. There is a little bittersweetness to the Brew Year's Eve. But, I do enjoy it, and I am happy to be able to have brought a few bottles home this past month.

Score: 48 / 50, A

*Not an offfical style guideline.

Also, if an 87 is a B+, should I rank a 97 an A+... hmm.

Featured Beer, week ending 5/1

2011-05-08T21:45:00.002-04:00

Going out on a Monday night. Certainly one of the best things you can do, right? Who cares if you have to work in the morning? Well, that's just what Beth and I did, to meet up with our friends. We chose Deep Ellum, 1) For its central location 2) we have never been there before and we wanted to try. Little did we know that it was going to be Fluffy White Rabbits on Cask that night. The Brewer was there, plus a lot of the local beer geeks. Lucky us!

Who? Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits, Somerville, MA

What? Belgian Tripel 8.5% ABV

When? 4/25/11

Where? Deep Ellum, Allston, MA

Original Tweet: Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits (Cask). This was a nice thing to put on a cask. The hops are mellow, more flavorful. A must have! A-

Hype 8 / 10: Well, this is the beer's second time around the seasonal releases. I think that the key to good beer marketing is if you have a good beer but only put it out once a year, or longer, the the good will only fester into greatness. Imagine if Founder's KBS was available all year long? We would get to the point of, "Oh, it's too strong to drink that.. almost ever." But, as it goes, I look more forward to Pretty Things Historical Beers and Babayaga. But, seeing this also means the return of better weather. Or, at least it will after a few more years.

Taste 14 / 15: Tripels are fun because the are strong in alcohol, but easy to drink. It a good beer for someone who likes lighter beers, but wants to get drunk a little faster. Tripels in general are a great showcase of beer for someone who wants to expand their horizon. And Tripels do not tasty boozy at all. Which, really, is why they are great. With Fluffy, the hops were mellow, which I think was really due to the lack of carbonation. I know that it is a hoppy beer. I mean, it says so right on the label. I don't know how different hops are affected in a cask. I don't know if some shine, some fizzle, or Pretty Things just brewed their beer and put it into a barrel. I know that some people will add fresh hops at the end. But that's really the pleasure of drinking a cask, letting the flavors settle and mellow.

Memorability 13 / 15: I know every year that it's a beer that I need to drink. And I do. But I think that I need to go on a Tripel streak and really start to notice the differences in each kind. I gotta get me a bottle of Westmalle Tripel, to start, and then expand. You have to know where a beer comes from to really understand where the brewer is taking it. I know that I also liked the Sapient Tripel from Dark Horse. The latter being a more casual form of the style, but still respectable. But I am never like, "Damn, I have to have Fluffy White Rabbits, now!" But I do get a joy seeing it, and I know that's it good. It's just the taste that I have to be reminded of.

Environment 5 / 5: We had a great time at Deep Ellum. One of the biggest surprises was that one of our favorite bartenders from The Independent was now serving drinks there. She was thrilled to see us, and we were thrilled to see her. And then our friends came, and it was the first time we really had hanging out with them, just our couple and their couple. They are fantastically nice people and we look forward to hanging out with them again. But, even with that, a couple more awesome people showed up, and the night was maybe a round too long, but every smile and laugh was worth it.

X-Factor 5 / 5: It's all about the cask! I think that every beer should have at least one go around in a cask. Especially stronger or darker beers. I mean, you don't really want something light in a cask unless you know that you are going to sell it pretty fast. There is no carbonation to effect it. This, as a customer, is the closest you will get to knowing a beer without going straight to the factory itself. Back to Fluffy, this was great in a cask. I think that I will remember this pint when I see the bottle next time, and want to create a nice, refined, and fresh taste. You gotta love all the wonderful beer in the area, and this one is one of the best.

Score: 45 / 50, A-

Featured Beer, week ending 4/24

2011-05-02T10:22:00.002-04:00

So, what I am basing my posts here off of is what I have tweeted for the corresponding week. And, lately on Twitter, I have only been tweeting beers that are new to me or of extreme note. Not much of either happened this week, so it will be a fairly random sampling. I like to have rules in place, or else everything will become too free thinking, and that's just scary. *In my best old man voice* And it will happen to you....

Who? Flying Dog Garde Dog, Frederick, MD

What? Bière de Garde, 5.5% ABV

When? 4/19/11

Where? Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA

Original Tweet: Flying Dog Garde Dog. I like it a lot on first sip. Super clean, crispy, with a subtle complexity, but I am afraid it would get boring. B+

Hype 7 / 10: There was one customer at the Cellar who really wanted this, so I thought that eventually it would be worth the taste. But the first case, if I remember correctly, sold out really fast, and I didn't think much of it. Possibly because my employers also didn't think too much of it. Not that it was bad, but Flying Dog just really isn't on anyone's radar up here. But, in one of those swoops through the Cellar, I decided to finally pick up a bottle.

Taste 11 / 15: Granted, I am almost two weeks removed from drinking half the bottle, which I split with Beth. I think that I like Biere de Gardes in general, being that they are cousins with the Farmhouse/Saison family that I love so much. It is warm weather beer, and I am honestly trying to like the "lighter" beers more. But, there is more of a complex spice with the Farmhouse body, and it's something that I really guess you have to get used to. Granted, this is not the roll model for all Beire de Gardes, so I shouldn't judge all of them so harshly.

Memorability 10 / 15: This may even be high because I will remember the artwork more than I will remember the actual beer. It's really all I have to go off of right now within the style, so I will have to keep it in mind next time I go shopping. Though, it then popped up at Beck&Tony's party, in which I thought to myself, "Hey, alright!" Or maybe it was the other way around, and I was like, "Hey, alright! I have this in my fridge!"

Environment 4 / 5: It was an easy drinking dinner beer split with Beth. Nothing fancy, but I certainly don't have any negative memories with it. I wasn't drinking this beer out of shame or anything like that.

X-Factor 5 / 5: It's really about the artwork with Flying Dog. Yes, they do have a connection to Hunter S. Thompson, or more importantly, a connection with Ralph Steadman, who is famous for the Fear and Loathing logo. I think that it is pretty cool to have a recognized artist at your disposal every time you produce a beer. So, kudos for them. But, really, besides Raging Bitch, I have never really been that impressed with the brewery.

Score: 37 / 50, C

Wow, perhaps this grading scale more accurately reflects the beer. This is not a bad beer, but it think this certainly puts it in its place. I might be on to something!

Featured Beer, week ending 4/17

2011-04-23T09:58:00.003-04:00

Believe it or not, I am actually trying to drink less beer. I don't have to have one every day. Or, if I do, I should be conscious of what else I eat/drink that day. Like, from July to April, I was on a tear of averaging two beers a day. And, while it was a lot of fun, my stomach and my health deserve a little better treatment. The new job actually has a lot to do with this. When you only have about 4 hours a day to be functional, I want to be able to enjoy my beer, and the after effects. I don't want to drink a beer and then have to worry about prepping the coffee maker the next day. A buzzkill, if you will.

Who? Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru, Brussels, Belgium

What? Straight (Unblended) Lambic, 5% abv

When? 4/14/11

Where? Craft Beer Cellar, Belmont, MA

Hype 9 / 10: Beth had to be the one to tell me how good and rare this stuff is. Now, I am not naturally a sour a drinker like she is. But, I have learned to love it over time. So, when she came home from work with this bottle, I thought more of the Brueghel artwork than the beer inside the bottle. But, once I started working a the little beer store, and the following shipment of Cantillon that arrived, I learned how special this stuff could be. And all without even tasting it. So, shame on me, I guess, for not really understand that I had something special for a while.

Taste 14 / 15: So, not knowing what I was tasting, I didn't know what to expect. Now, this beer isn't a punch in the mouth like some beers, but this is a beer that has to be appreciated for the subtleties. It's not carbonated. It's three years old. It is very gentle, like a fine wine. And, it has to drank at room temperature. Any chill to this would kill any flavor. And you have to sip it slow, so the flavor actually lasts. I mean, if you really want to drink this beer to enjoy, you have to go slow. This is not the type of beer that you can drink fast.

Memorability 15 / 15: It was sitting in our "on deck circle" for about four months. So we had a long time to appreciate the aesthetic value of the bottle. But, when I learned more about the brewery, I was actually afraid to drink it. It had to be a special evening. I mean, what better than on my anniversary. But the real lesson was about lambic in general. I knew, somewhere in the back of my head, know that lambics were a blend of both old and young beers. But this is the only readily (and I use that term very loosely) commercially available just aged lambic. The young will usually bring in a more powerful taste, though delicious in it's own right. This is what you have before you blend it. And I think that's pretty cool and I don't know why more people don't actually sell this version.

Environment 4 / 5: Yes, I know it was my anniversary, and it was very special. But I had to work the next day, and I tried my best to drink my glass for as long as possible. I think I had it for about an hour. But, when you have the alarm clock in the back of your head, it takes away from what it could have been. Is this the beer's fault? No, but it does leave a mark on my experience.

X-Factor 5 / 5: This beer brought out a new side of the beer lover in me. Like I never really had to search for so much history and taste subtleties in a beer. And that's really what I want to be doing now that I am not directly in beer any more. I want to challenged in beer. And I want to know as much as my good friends that are still in the business. Now, I may not be able to know first or taste everything, but sure as hell, I will appreciate everything that I do get to have.

Score: 47 / 50, A

Featured Beer, week ending 4/10

2011-04-16T09:06:00.002-04:00

I am hoping with a set weekend, and I hope to be set for a while, that I get into a habit of doing the same thing every week at roughly the same time. A little CPR back into the blog.

Who? New Belgium Brewery

Vrienden (Allagash Collaboration)

What? Spice/herb/vegetable beer, 8.5%

When? 4/6/11

Where? On The Rocks Liquor, Lawrence, KS

Hype 7 / 10: This really only registered for me when Beth started talking about it. The first time I heard about it, I was all, "Oh, New Belgium. We won't ever see that." yeah, I know Allagash is in our backyard here, but I never let myself get excited about it. And I walked right past it when Beth shouted out, "Look at this!". So, it took me a while to actually get excited about it, after I already bought it. And then, strangely enough, Allagash releas

ed it the day that we were drinking it in Kansas.

Taste 14 / 15: In retrospect, the hype may make me rate the taste higher that I initially thought. But, I will have to admit that this is my first endive beer. Though I am now getting familiar with hibiscus and it's flavor profile (thanks Goose Island's Fluer!), I feel that there is a "false" sour beer aspect to it. Kinda a quick fix for those that don't have time to make a real lambic. I could be way off. With that said, I really want to try it again, and perhaps one from the Allagash bottle. I becoming very hipster about New Belgium, sorry.

Memorability 15 / 15: I think that I will remember the audacity of the New Belgium bottle verses the simplicity of Allagash. I really don't drink that many fruit beers, but when you throw a bunch of bretts into the mix, then things do get really interesting (which takes away from the "fake" sour taste I was talking about. Anyway, though, I tend to remember brewed-once beers. you're lucky to have them when you can.

Environment 5 / 5: When is having a beer a bad experience? Well, I am sure that maybe I will come across a time or two, but again, this was a beer that was a surprise on vacation.

X-Factor 4 / 5: Looking up this beer while I type this, I can't (quickly) find if the two beers are different. New Belgium promotes bretts and endives, Allagash promoted dandelions and elderberries. And they labeled with different ABVs, 9.3% being from Allagash. So, did I drink a different beer from the one that was available here? I don't know, and I am kinda confused about the whole thing. Also, since I am using Beer Judge classification, they don't have the Wild Ale category that I am looking for. I mean, there is no doubt in my mind that it can be classified as a fruit/veggie beer, but with all those bretts, you would pass it off as a wild beer like BA did. I advocate (sorry for the pun) a standard for beer classification, much like a library. Just sayin'

Score: 45 / 50, A-

Featured Beer, week ending 4/3

2011-04-09T09:09:00.002-04:00

Now that I am out of the beer business, I suppose my learning will have to be more active then passive. So, I'm thinking maybe I will talk about a beer I drank recently, and why I like it. Especially since my new job has a set schedule, maybe this will work? But, I am not really into the technically of enjoying beer. I enjoy the more subjective approach. My grading shows as much.

Who? Boulevard Brewery Tank 7

What? Saison, 8% abv

When? 4/3/11

Where? On The Rocks Liquor, Lawrence, KS

Hype 9 / 10: I had had this beer in 2009, and brought it home from Kansas. I had enjoyed it so much that I have been craving and talking about it so much, that I simply had to get it next time I was in town.

Taste 13 / 15: Sometimes, you will find a saison that funky, which is great, or overly yeasty, which is fine, too. This had almost a sweetness masking the other characteristics that I would have expected from any other saison. The body was right, the feel was right. I didn't remember it not being as bitter. Perhaps the batch was different from the one I had in 2009. It's hard to make a good beer that is different from what people expect the style to be. But, it was definitely good.

Memorability 14 / 15: Obviously this beer I now have a little bit of history with, so there is that going for it. And, now that I know that I can expect a little bit different of a saison, I will reach for it again next time I see it.

Environment 5 / 5: I was drinking this at my sister's house, with my brother-in-law who is very much on the verge of being a beer geek. He is already brewing his own beer, so it is exciting to bring drink with him and talk about all the things that makes beer good.

X-Factor 5 / 5: Perhaps it was the long awaitedness of this beer, or that it was really cool to find a great beer store that was new in Lawrence. Or perhaps to find it available in small bottles, which means I could drink it over a few days, unlike last time. Or that I was simply on vacation, drinking beer.

Score: 46 / 50, A-

Top 10 Beer New To Me 2010

2011-01-05T09:48:00.002-05:00

As much as I want to go all statistical, and have numbers prove points about what beer I like better, there is a lot to be said about the simplicity of opinion. Maybe some day, but here's a Top 10 list for now.

Top 10 Beers New To Me 2010

#1 Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout.

This was pretty easy considering its limited availability. It also is a reminder of a long, hard, yet fun night volunteering at the beer festival. I have become a huge fan of maple flavor over the past year, as well as bigger and "badder" beers. This was just perfect

#2 Pretty Things 1901 KK.

My love affair with Pretty Things is no secret. But this beer really stood out for me, more than the mild ale from last year. It was different enough, yet friendly. I sent a bottle to Kansas for Thanksgiving, even. It's a beer I could share, so I did.

#3 Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale.

This was brought back to me from a cross country drive. I wish that Boulevard was available out here. Saisons have really been a new love for me this year, and I was really hoping that a KC brewery could do it right. It was so light and delicious, and I recommend it to anyone who can buy it.

#4 Uinta Crooked Line Labyrinth Black Ale.

You have to love Utah brewers. They must have a hell of a time trying to sell it in state, but I guess that means more for us. The thing about black beers is that they can go south so quick, making them taste sweet like licorice. But this one kept the balance of color and flavor all the way through. I even have a bottle in the fridge right now!

#5 Dogfish Head Bitches Brew.

This one became famous because it was on the TV. But, you know, it was worth the hype. It is made with an African-style honey drink. The beer, named after the Miles Davis album, does indeed have a lot of soul. If I had more, I would want to age it, but I only have the one that Beth wants to drink sooner than later. I guess I will have to agree!

#6 Avery Rumkin.

Whoopsie! I didn't know I was going to get this at the restaurant, but I did. I was thinking it would be more rum than pumpkin. I am glad I got to drink this fantastic beer, being that everyone loved it at the Great American Beer Festival. Sure, it was a ridiculously high ABV at 14.5%, but it was so damned tasty.
And it sold real fast, too. This is one of those beers that makes me love drinking. It's such an experience.

#7 The Bruery Coton.

I thought it was such a big deal to have a limit release beer from the brewery that brought me the dilicious Two Turtle Doves. And the beers was heavy and syrupy, but still a fantastically strong beer that made you want to drink more. Once you get past that initial shock of drinking a strong beer, they can be so wonderful. And you are drunk and happy at the end of the glass.

#8 Great Divide Colette.

Another in the year of the Farmhouse. Another brewery from the middle of the country, and this one was good to the last drop. I had it next to Smuttynose's Farmhouse, and though I love that one so much, I thought that this was better. I think that it had the right amount of twang to make you remember it. Like a good Farmhouse should.

#9 Allagash Fluxus 2010.

Taza Chocolate was a great joy for Beth and I throughout the year. So, when we heard that one of our favorite breweries put it in a beer, we knew that we had something good. And it was. We busted this out for a party, sharing it with good friends, who we knew would enjoy something a little refined. At was dark and chocolaty, and fit what I imagined perfectly.

#10 Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild

And, lastly, another Farmhouse style beer. This was a nice balance of a basic Belgian wheat and a Saison, and I was fortunate enough to have this twice at the restaurant. Plus, it was really cool to have the Lagunitas VIPs in the restaurant, and talking to them about what makes the beers good.

And that's what I got for right now. I may do some other lists, but I thought that this would be a great place to start. It feels good to be constructive.

October's ranks

2010-11-23T14:56:00.003-05:00

So, I decided to try something different this time. Inspired by WFNX, I thought that I could tell what beers I really liked if I had to choose between two different beers. And I did that match-up for every beer here vs. every other beer here. Then I took the winning percentage, and ranked them accordingly. Please tell me what you think.

#1	Founders KBS.	100.0%
#2	Boulevard Tank 7	94.9%
	Great Divide Yeti '09.	94.9%
	Pretty Things Babayaga.	94.9%
#5	Pretty Things 1901 KK.	89.7%
#6	Grand Teton Sheep Eater.	84.6%
#7	Troegs Flying Mouflan.	82.1%
#8	Pretty Things Baby Tree	79.5%
#9	Troegs Dead Reckoning.	76.9%
#10	Lagunitas Little Sumpin' Wild.	74.4%
#11	Watch City Brune.	69.2%
#12	Cape Ann Honey Ale.	66.7%
	Smuttynose Gravitation.	66.7%
	Troegs Javahead Stout.	66.7%
#15	Ballast Point Big Eye IPA.	61.5%
	Great Divide 16th Anniversary.	61.5%
	Ommegang Cup O' Kindness.	61.5%
#18	Wachusetts Larry.	59.0%
#19	Lefthand Twin Sisters.	56.4%
#20	Breckenridge Avalanche.	53.8%
#21	Dogfish Head Punkin'.	48.7%
#22	Boulevard Pale Ale.	46.2%
#23	Andrew's Homebrew"Hoptober".	41.0%
	Evolution Craft Lot #3.	41.0%
	Ommegang Zuur.	41.0%
#26	Breckenridge 471 IPA.	35.9%
	Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin.	35.9%
#28	Pretty Things Hedgerow Bitter.	33.3%
#29	Anchor Liberty Ale.	30.8%
#30	Allagash Curiuex.	28.2%
#31	Kern River Just Outstanding IPA.	25.6%
#32	Hooker Liberator.	23.1%
#33	People's Pint IPA.	20.5%
#34	Odell Levity.	12.8%
	Watch City Clocktober.	12.8%
#36	8th street Ale.	7.7%
	Rogue Yellow Snow.	7.7%
#38	New Belgian Tripel.	5.1%
#39	Southern Tier 2xipa.	5.1%
#40	Southern Tier Choklat.	2.6%

September grades and ranks

2010-10-07T09:55:00.003-04:00

September was a good month for beer. Nice variety, nice changes throughout the month. Not to mention my birthday and the Oskar Blues beer dinner.

I don't know why I obsess over having all these listed. Sure, it;s my thing, but to what end? Will something great become of this? I hope so, yet, my approach is far from scientific. It's me giving some witty comment about the beer I just drank. Nothing more, nothing less.

There is also the debate if I grade to easily. I hardly ever have things in the C-range. But I am fairly confident in my ability to pick a good beer to drink. Plus, with free samples at work, it makes my choice all the easier.

The new Twitter layout takes away the time stamp (at least with a cut and paste into excel) so that aspect is lost a little. I know when I had them and you would to if you follow me on the Twitter.

[A+]

#1 The Bruery Coton. Had to have it before it was gone. I love my syrup-like-heavy beers to be chock full of alcohol. It is what I want!(A, A+)

One of the best beers that I have ever had. The more I had it, the more I loved it. Sure, it's high in alcohol, but if you just take the time to sip it slowly, you'll be happy like me.

#2 Allagash Fluxus '10. I know i just tweeted this, but you still have to know how awesome this year's batch is. Taza chocolate and love.(A, A+)

Allagash does it again. And I still have a bottle at home. Taza chocolate and Allagash brewing, how can you possibly go wrong?

[A]

#3 Dogfish Head Bitches Brew. Now, if this isn't the sweetest thing you have ever drank? I would be tempted to age it a year, see how it holds. (A, A)

I am tempted to find another bottle of this and age it. I mean, I don't even know if the way we age at home is effective, but it is a dark place in our most lived in room (living room). But, I don't even go for super sweet beers, but you put enough punch behind it, you gotta give it a try.

#4 Uinta Crooked Line Labyrinth Black Ale. Big beer, big ABV. 13.2%, syrupy, but lighter body than you'd expect. Very drinkable. Great.(A, A)

I want to bring some bottles of this into the restaurant to sell. Or maybe more. Once we empty out the storage, I will be bringing in my stuff. This will be awesome!

#5 St. Bernardus Abt 12. My birthday, my choice of beer. It was strong enough to go with steak, but sweet enough to go with dessert. Heart.(A, A)

My birthday beer. I heart this beer a lot, and it holds a special place for me. I don't know why I even tried it in the first place. Maybe it is the happy monk on the bottle? But, it's my second favorite Belgian, behind the Delirium.

#6 Founders Devil Dancer. Like a whiskey having a love child with an IPA. A super bitter triple, but just enough balance to make it good.(A-, A)

What about Founders isn't great? I think that Devil Dancer was my first introduction to them, way back in probably 2007-8ish, and that first drink has stuck with me since then. Of course I have since become obsessed with the breakfast stouts, too, but this one will stick with you.

#7 Great Divide 16th Anniversary. It's a wonderful beer, a DIPA that's wood aged. It does teeter on the edge of almost too much. Not for the faint.(A-, A)

I am suck a sucker for anniversary beers. I'm all "ooh, let's try that!" every time I see one. But, Great Divide does a great job on almost everything, so it made it worth it.

[A-]

#8 Mayflower Golden Cask. It was like drinking air. I've had it normal before and thought it was fine, but tonight was ridiculously good.(A-, A-)

This is not rated so high because of the beer itself, but the presentation style, from a cask. Seriously, the is the best thing that I have ever had on cask. It was so pure, so light, and so delicious. It's hard to go back to stronger beers on cask after this one.

#9 Lost abbey lost and found. smoky complex flavor. almost distracting because you dont know what you are tasting.(A-, A-)

A great beer from Lost Abbey. And I know that I ranked it pretty high, but this is not the best that Lost Abbey can do.

#10 Duck-Rabbit Porter. Oh my, how did I get my hands on this little bottle? Strictly flavor, this is better than Sinebrychoff. So far away.(A-, A-)

Reason #10 why my job is awesome. There is an underground beer trade that goes on (legally). Beth's gonna kill me when it comes our turn to bring in the goodies.

#11 Oskar Blues Aged Ten Fidy (Stranahan's whiskey barrels). I love tasting regular and then twisted back to back. It was a perfect pairing.(A-, A-)

I had a huge obsession with aging last year. I still really appreciate it, but I started to realize that I am not all that crazy about whiskey or bourbon. That doesn't mean that the beers are good, but if you throw it too far over the age, then you lose a great beer.

#12 Great Divide Hercules Double IPA. A DIPAs that I fell in love with long ago. A lot spicier than I remember, but it accented the meal.(A-, A-)

Another one of those hallmark beers in my life, especially when I was the king of double IPAs.

#13 Smuttynose Farmhouse. Was Lord Hobo sitting on this one for a while? I didn't know it was still around. Regardless, had to have it.(A-, A-)

I raised an eyebrow seeing this still on tap in the late summer. It still tasted fine, obviously, but freshness is a peculiar thing that I have learned about at work.

#14 Pretty Things Hedgerow Bitter. Out of a bottle, out at a bar. See, sometimes it will happen. Lots of bitter, but flavor, too.(A-, A-)

Though I love the idea of selling bottles at the bar, it is hard for me to buy one myself. This was a nice change, being I wasn't thrilled at the draft choice, but the bottles were nice. Look around.

#15 Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale. You know I love, and you should too. THe beer that changed my thoughts about canned beer. Always A- (A-, A-)

I bet you are all tired of me drinking this beer (and all the Smuttynoses). But, I still love them.

#16 Southern Tier Backburner. My favorite ST product. A fiery combo of hops with strong ABV. Drinks smooth, burps are rough.(A-, A-)

I talked to the Southern Tier rep the other day. I think that I want to do a dinner/event with them. Their beer is good enough, darnit!

#17 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. Classic dark, roasty flavor, plus the strong alcohol is exactly what you want from such a strong beer. Glassware!(A-, A-)

As I was saying about aging beers, this was an example of surpassing the original. Not that this beer is bad, but with a dark beer like this, you have some room to play.

#18 Troegs Javahead Stout. Surprisingly good. Ordered it for CC on a whim. Tasted great, though I want heavier stouts. Make it a float!(B+, A-)

Biggest surprise for me of the month. I really didn't think that I liked Troegs, but I had ordered this just to have something different from them, and I was amazed. And though I was trying to make a float, I want to see more beer frappes. Really.

#19 Sinebrychoff Porter. Much better in draft than in bottle, but still the porter in which I judge all other porters. Smoky and coy.(A-, B+)

I am so sad that this one fell from previous ranks. Sure, it could be that the bottle was sitting around for a while, but this was not as dreamy as I remembered it. So many things could influence this.

[B+]

#20 Oskar Blues Old Chub. I liked this one a lot, a very tasty, malt scotch ale. Also tart. I was starting to get hammered at this point.(B+, B+)

It was great to try more of the Oskar Blues line up. This was the best of the new to me.

#21 Harpoon Glacier Harvest '10: The body and the hop that I want my IPA to be, but a little overly herbal, even for a wet hop beer.(B+, B+)

Free bottle from work. You cannot complain with that. I respect harpoon doing the fancier stuff, and I want to try more, but the market is so flooded with their average beers, it is hard to turn around your thought process.

#22 Smuttynose Old Brown Dog. Had it for my pre-meal last night, way to get the palate ready for some dark meat. Where is the Really OBD? Smuttynose Old Brown Dog. Old stand by is more like it. Any time you eat meat, you want something that will pair well, yet subtle. Mmm.(B+, B+)

Two tweets here, if you were wondering. You know I love it.

#23 Oskar blues Gubna. We're talking a strong and powerful beer that'll knock you down. It's full of taste and an experience to drink.(B+, B+)

Again with the new Oskar Blues beers (to me). There is a point though with strong, flavorful beer, that it becomes impractical in large quantities. Just sayin'.

#24 Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale. Well, that is everything in the mixer. I forget that I love the simplicity of the beer and how soft it is.(B+, B+)

My forgotten Smutty. I should drink it more often.

#25 Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Wish it wasn't 95 degrees the first day I drink this, but we got to grill outside, make some tandoori (apparently).(B+, B)

I know Beth loves it, but I am not as excited about it this year as I have been. Still fine, but I am no pumpkin-expert.

#26 Mayflower Autumn Wheat. A dark wheat? Really should pour it into a glass next time. Dry on first sip, fragile to pair with. Salt kills.(B+, B)

Salt does kill the flavor of a lot of beer. It sucks that some of our best food is so salty. Down a Harpoon IPA, sure, but with the more delicate beers, you lose a lot of the grace intended.

#27 Smuttynose Star Island Single. Learning to like this beer. Or at least have it be a nice session beer. If one is a session.(B, B+)

[B]

#28 Oskar Blues Gordon. First time having it. Thought itwas paired well with herbs and spices (less than 11). Nice red ale.(B, B)

Intense. Fun to drink, but not practical.

#29 Harpoon Munich Dark. I really need to believe that Harpoon can do stuff beyond the IPA. This stands out as a reason to choose them again.(B, B)

A nice surprise out of Harpoon. We have a friend that loves this beer, with is worthy, especially for a session beer. Those are hard to find for me these days, because I hardly dedicate one beer to the evening.

#30 Oskar Blues Mama's Yella Pils. Not something that I drink all that often, but it was refreshing, compared to all the other heavy beers.(B, B)

I am not a Pilsner guy, but I find this only to be in the middle of good. Nothing more.

#31 Anchor Liberty Ale. Great beer, but better in beer-cheese bread. Wanted some of that, too. Will enjoy until wifey makes the yums.(B, B-)

Another beer that I know I like, but find myself being less attracted to. Some of my tastes are changing... or at least asking for something different. I am always looking for an A-range beer, but that leaves some really good beers behind. And completely unrelated, I always thing of that Southwest Airlines commercial about going to Philly... "We got the Liberty Bell, we got cheesesteak." And I say to myself, "I got the liberty ale..."

#32 Lagunitas Pils. Hard call, after a long, fun night out. I don't think that it was all that impressive. It was refreshing, but average.(B, B-)

Again with the Pilsners. Maybe I just want everything to taste like it is from Germany, direct.

#33 Sam Adams Sample B American Rye Ale. Not to bad, though a little alkaline-y. I think that with a little more body it would be great.(B, B-)

The last of a free sample I got from long ago. Meh. Drinkable.

[B-]

#34 Newport Storm Regenschauer Oktoberfest. Sucked at first sip. Got better, but really, no fancy flavors to remind me of anything.(B-, C+)

Please direct me to a great Newport beer. I want to like them.

[C+]

#35 Wachusetts Ryde. Look what I found in the back of the fridge just before dawn. It wants to be flavorful, really. Just like woody H2O.(B-, C)

A running gag for the last few months. You won't see another review any time soon.

August grades and ranks

2010-09-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

I don't know where all this tweeting is going. I am addicted to tweeting my beers, and giving them ranks, which is all fine and good, but doing this blog post, it was hard. It's a little time consuming, and I drink a lot of the same beers as I do different ones. It's probably a 50/50 split. Do you really care from month to month what I think of Smuttynose Brown Dog? And are ranks really fun when I feel that I hardly ever give anything below a B-? Sure, I drink a lot of fine beer, and I do tend to be choosy about what I buy, but I am looking at 8 "A" beers this months. And they all deserve it, but I feel like I am approaching "Everyone gets a trophy" territory.

So, I feel that collecting the beers that I drink, it's a start. But these are just poorly written tweets with some afterthought. Not all that deep. That's why I want something more visually stunning. I think that drinking as many different beers as you can is a good thing, and I want to share this passion with other people. But how can I get other people involved. Collecting beer cards for everything that you drink? Four Square style badges? Head-to-head matchups to truly pick a best beer? I am something that is visually enjoyable and yet clear and concise information. All websites for beer are different. I think that there should be a standard in which the information is presented, and the same information presented for each and every beer. Like, Harpoon IPA vs. Smuttynose IPA vs. Ipswich IPA. Help me compare these three and choose. And I want a website that is not tainted with personal opinions. This is my blog, and my space in which to do so, but I want something else, too. There are books that I love that do just this, but why not have a complete library of information? My dreams are always larger then the effort I have to exert.

All that said, doing this still feels right.

Grades are 1st impression and today's thought. They are ranked on average, then person opinion.

[A]

#1 Russian River Pliny the Elder. Motherfucker I am lucky have had this beer. Brought by a co-worker. So much hops, but so well balanced. A Sunday, August 29, 2010 10:10:53 PM via web (A, A)

How lucky am I to have had this beer in Boston? It is as great as everyone makes it, though I think this is by far better than the Younger. This is just my personal taste. Though, I love that my job has a culture of sharing good beer. Can't wait for my turn to bring back my local favorites.

#2 Great Divide Yeti '09. I've stared at these bottles for a month now, finally got to crack one open. Split this and dessert with wife. A Sunday, August 22, 2010 7:36:52 PM via web (A, A)

Another perk of where I work. This is a favorite beer of mine, but to have it aged, made it a little thicker, but just as good.

#3 Allagash Curieux. THe most lovely kick in the ass that you can have. Sure it's powerful, but enough sweetness makes you beg for more. A Sunday, August 29, 2010 10:09:38 PM via web (A, A)

Allagash is up there in the breweries that can do no wrong. I typically don't do the strong barrel-aged stuff, but this is too good to ever pass up.

#4 Dogfish Palo Santo Marron. Stupid strong but a sweetness that keeps you drinking. just a touch of tart that get yous attention A Monday, August 16, 2010 6:10:25 PM via txt (A, A)

Sometimes Dogfish is just a little to extreme, but when they walk the line, they do it just as well as anyone else. They have some of the best pallets out there.

#5 Avery Majaraja. Absolutely fantastic IPA. has all the hops and bitterness that you would want. also a body that makes it a good drink. A- Monday, August 16, 2010 6:06:16 PM via txt (A-, A)

The first time I had this was a shared bottle at Beck&Tony's. It was good then and has stuck with me every time I see it. I don't know why I never got into Avery when I actually lived out there, but I am learning to respect it more and more.

#6 Pretty Things St. Botolph's Town. Heavier than I remember. Almost stouty, but still went delicious with a pork sammy and fresh corn. A Tuesday, August 17, 2010 8:28:23 PM via web (A, A-)

A great dark ale, what can I say? The darker the beer, the more body I want, and Pretty Things seems to think the way I do.

#7 Ommegang Hennepin. Great Farmhouse, never fails to disappoint. It stays fresh and flavorful with each sip. Never backs down. A Friday, August 20, 2010 11:57:33 PM via web (A, A-)

This beer is almost always available, and I don't know why I don't pick it up more often.

#8 Stone 14th Anniversary. Imperial IPA. Stone tastes like Stone, though it wasn't that heavy "arrogant" taste that is most common. A- 8:27 PM Aug 2nd via web (A, A-)

Stone and that Stone taste. Some times works better than others, and this is one of those. I have a soft spot for any anniversary beers.

[A-]

#9 Smuttynose Farmhouse Saison. This was my first saison love. Still is. Better balance than Great Divide. Malty, yet still refreshing! A- Friday, August 13, 2010 7:13:30 PM via web (A-, A-)

Is there a movement for an American saison? Less funk? I dunno, but this stands out different than Dupont, and the others like that.

#10 Pretty Things Baby Tree. It's been a while since I had this. Forgot how badk and heavy it can be, especially mid summer. Still awesome! A- 12:00 AM Aug 5th via web (A-, A-)

This is a beer that you should only have every once in a while. It could distort your opinion of other beers if you drink it too much.

#11 CBC Three Rings. Nice Belgian that doesn't to hard to be all "Hey, look at me!" It drinks smooth and quick. Tastes good, pairs well. B+ Wednesday, August 25, 2010 10:07:39 PM via

I live so close to CBC, but I don't know how I have forgotten about if for so long. I think that Halloween bust from last year tainted my opinion. But the beer can be damned good.

#12 Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale. Everything that I want a Pale to be. And also a finely crafted beer. Sad the case is now gone. A- 8:01 PM Aug 12th via web (A-, A-)

BA is wrong. This beer is way better than a B.

[B+]

#13 21st Amendment Black IPA. A solid IPA that balances the sweetness with a nice hoppy taste. Clown Shoes should pay heed to the can. B+ 8:06 PM Aug 9th via web (B+, B+)

Black beers. It is an interesting movement to have more of them. Kinda hip right now, I guess. But to do it well, you don't need it to be a gimmick.

#14 Ipswich Ale. I love this simple, no frills drink. Easy to swallow, no balance issues. It give me the exact drink I want. B+ 2:29 AM Aug 12th via web (B+, B)

If you read fantasy fiction, where the characters go drink a skin of ale, this is what I would want mine to be.

#15 Mayflower Summer Rye. It's not one of those Ryes that thinks it's being clever. It tastes like a wheat with the spice, not vice versa. B+ Monday, August 16, 2010 8:31:20 PM via web (B+, B)

Trying to get into Mayflower seasonals. This is fine, as well as the fall seasonal I just had. They are better than most, but I almost pass them over for something else. Bad me.

#16 Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale. I just needed something to take the edge off of changing a flat tire at 2am. It is drinkablely delicious. B+ 2:03 AM Aug 9th. I probably drink Smutty at least once a month. Their sampler is one of the few that is all good. B Tuesday, August 31, 2010 via web (B+, B)

We are getting into my session beers. Everyone has to have them.

#17 Rogue St. Rogue Red. Cask. I probably drank this too fast to give it a straight review. But, It was super hoppy, nice body. Like me. B+ 6:12 PM Aug 13th via web (B+, B)

Good cask. Casks are so much better on day 1 then day 4 or 5.

#18 Southampton Tripel. Enjoyable, good showing to be an Abbey. They produce some fine quality beers out there. Keep reaching! B+ Friday, August 20, 2010 11:59:07 PM via web (B+, B)

Why doesn't the restaurant pour more Southampton? They are good!

#19 Epic Armageddon IPA. New Zealand beer. Herbal taste to balance out the hoppiness, tasted better a little warmed up. Tasty little number. B+ Saturday, August 14, 2010 8:46:42 PM via web (B+, B)

A New Zealand beer. Enjoyable, but I don't know if it defines the flavor of a country. Will try more Epic down the road.

#20 Sam Adams Latitude 48. Great tasting IPA with a good balance, that doesn't kick you down. CC had it for a beer dinner and I got one. B+ 9:43 PM Aug 10th via web (B+, B)

My favorite Sam's.

#21 Great Divide Tripel. home taste. nice belgian taste and strong in ABV But not the greatest. does not take me away to belgium. b+ 9:10 PM Aug 3rd via txt (B+, B)

GD misses the mark by a hair on this, but that's fine due to all the other awesome beers they make.

#22 Smuttynose Star Island Single. My first full bottle. I wanted something light and easy to drink, and that was exactly what I got. B+ 1:53 AM Aug 2nd via web (B+, B)

I am glad that I stopped being afraid to try this, as the "other" beer that was always in the sampler. It's good.

#23 Sierra Nevada Torpedo. It's a good IPA with the heavy grapefruit taste. Good body to it, too. It doesn't have enough to be great. B+ 10:53 PM Aug 6th via web (B+, B)

I wish that I was more into SN. I know how important they are to the craft beer movement, and I really want to try more from them, but it's the Bigfoot for me..., given I have never had the Celebration.

[B]

#24 Arcadia Sky High Rye. Cask. Enjoyable, but actually lost appeal on the way down. The rye levels were fine, but had no finish to note. B Sunday, August 22, 2010 7:35:42 PM via web (B, B)

Ryes.. hip like black beers. Also, the freshness of the cask may have had a lot to do with my opinion of it. I don't like the layers of flavor approach. I want a solid flavor that you have to work to dissect.

#25 Long Trail Double Bag. Don't know if I have ever had it. Didn't know what to expect? Alt? Well, okay, but not all that great. B Sunday, August 22, 2010 3:43:52 AM via web (B, B)

I first had Long Trail on our honeymoon. We were all "ooh, what's this". The are still respectable, but I always want the beer to be more.

#26 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. I'll just keep saying this until my musical family can escape from the Nazis. I love it's distinct taste. B Thursday, August 26, 2010 12:29:55 AM via web (B, B-)

This has dropped since last time I had it. It's taste is different, but it's only surprising once.

#27 Murphy's Irish Stout. The only thing to drink at The Glenview. My favorite "Keno and Salisbury" place. I know to let it warm up first. B 10:16 PM Aug 7th via web (B, B-)

My guilty pleasure.

#28 Long Trail Ale. A simple beer that's tasty. Not much body or flavor, but a solid drink to help was away the sins of the day. B Friday, August 20, 2010. Long Trail Ale. Fast drinkin', easy goin' ale, with little suprises, but little disappointments. Just happy to have good beer in me. B 10:13 PM Aug 10th 4:08:40 AM via web (B, B-)

Again with the Long Trail... perhaps what I had sat around a little to long. It's like Mayflower and the better than most problem.

[B-]

#29 Sam Adams Lager. At least most crap on tap places have this. But the pizza was so damn good in Providence. More MORs needed. B- Sunday, August 29, 2010 12:57:30 AM via web (B-, B-)

Thank goodness this is available almost everywhere. It has saved me from a lot of crap beer.

#30 Harpoon IPA. The last of the party beer. The more I drink it, the more I remember how good it was to me in the past. Still simple. B- Friday, August 27, 2010 11:04:55 PM via web (B-, B-)

Can't complain, but you know it is nothing fancy.

#31
Wachusetts Ryde. Still nothing exciting, but I will drink the dwellers of our fridge after a close. Maybe a little rye taste in there. B- 3:25 AM Aug 6th via web (B-, C+)

I am sorry, but I just don't like this beer very much. It's the Rye layers that make it distracting.

July grades and ranks

2010-08-09T16:56:00.010-04:00

My most intense beer month ever. If I buy one of those 33beers books, I would have needed two to get through this month alone. And, I know that I love what I do, but I wish that I could articulate better in person about why I like what I drink. When I talk, it's like, "This is awesome, I trust this brewery." But ask me what I like about the beer, I give more vague answers than someone who works at a beer bar should. But, seriously, I love a beer when I love a beer. I don't when I don't. When I am drinking, I live so much in the moment. It's lucky that I have gotten into the habit of tweeting what I drink, or I wouldn't know on Friday what I had Monday. But now I want to have some sort of accomplishment to go with it. I know that I am interested in the Cicerone certification, but I also want a "good job" sticker so people know that I like beer.

It's like Pokeman, I got to drink them all!

I need a medium in which I can convey the beauty and the passion that I experience in every glass. Imagine if I went to the Grand Canyon, and told you about how beautiful it was, but without photos, you wouldn't know until you went yourself.

Sorry, this got introspective. Here's the beer!

[A+]

#1 Allagash Four. It has to be my favorite that is "mass" produced by them. Simply put, I don't know anyone that does such a great quad. A+ Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:05:56 AM via web ( A+, A+)

One of my all time favorite beers. It's big and strong. You cannot fail to have a good time while drinking such a delicious beer.

[A]

#2 Ipswich Summer Barleywine '09. Spicy and strong just like a good barleywine should be. It's a sippin' summer good time. Doesn't burn! A Sunday, July 25, 2010 6:53:00 PM via web (A, A)

Not your typical Ipswich. And it is aged, so how can you pass up an opportunity like that? I was proud to have this on tap, and tried to enjoy this as much as I could. It makes me want more of the big guns at CC.

#3 Smuttynose Gnome. Something awesome from a small batch series. Belgian influence, with brightness, and maybe a touch of brett. Mystery. A Friday, July 16, 2010 5:53:40 PM via web (A, A)

Another rare find. It doesn't even have a web page to descirbe it. But it was just a nice sippin' beer, that would be similar to sippin' your morning coffee. Not in taste, but in relaxing.

#4 Pretty Things Fieldmouse. This is better than the GD farmhouse, but still gets the same grade. A tad heavier, smoother. Love it. A Monday, July 12, 2010 8:43:07 PM via web (A, A)

Pretty Things never fails, and this is my new favorite from them. It will change in a month.

#5 Saison Dupont. A saison to measure all saisons. True farmhouse funk, but a light, crisp taste that is well balanced and easy to drink. (A, A)

It's nice to have the model for which a lot of my favorite beers comes from. If you ever want to know what a Saison is supposed to taste like, try this.

#6 Allagash Victor. I finished this before the victoria. Only because it had a slightly heavier body, being with the red grapes and all. A Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:03:51 AM via web. I know I tweeted it once already this month, but hey, why not sing it's praises once again. If you find it, drink it. A Tuesday, July 27, 2010 11:18:57 PM via web (A, A, A)

#7 Allagash Victoria. Absolutely a great white grape beer, worth trying if anyone is near it. Still, I like the Victor better. A Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:04:46 AM via web (A, A-)

Yay for the Allagash dinner. It was such a wonderful evening to talk to the people who make their life out of such a fine beer. I like the body of Victor just slightly more than Victoria. But both are fine and merely subject to individual taste.

#8 Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. super complex beer that has a delicate taste. even ketchup will effect it. i ordered this for me at work. A- Wednesday, July 21, 2010 8:26:14 PM via txt (A, A-)

I was fortunate enough to say, "Let's order Lost Abbey" and this is what I got. It was sad that for the Opa-Opa dinner, this was taken off for the night. The bartender saved me a glass, in the fridge, but I had to leave at the end of the shift.

#9 Great Divide Colette. I love GD & everything they do, and this farmhouse is super tart, but refreshing. Love to try it next to Smutty's. A Monday, July 12, 2010 8:41:08 PM via web (A, A-)

This is making the second round right now at CC. It is a great summer beer.

#10 Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale. What a copper-brown ale of kings. Strong, but sessionable. Bitterness that doesn't keep you away. Citrus! A- 6:17 PM Jul 3rd via web (A, A-)

My favorite pale ale. 4 months ago, I would have not believed that canned beer was this good.

[A-]

#11 Goose Island Sofie. A treasure found at ACBF, thanks Beth! Super drinkable Belgian, low citrus-bitter, strong body, but still a Belgian. A 8:24 PM Jul 2nd via web. You would think with their big-gun distribution, you would see them more often. Regardless, fine saison-y drink. A- Wednesday, July 28, 2010 11:06:56 PM via web (A, A-, A-)

Oh the bitter debate of having a good beer supported by a macrobrewery. I say good beer is good beer. We drink Coke when local sodas are available. Is there that big a difference?

#12 Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. a hops bite that doesnt take away from the drink. no burn but all classic IPA flavors are there. for now A- Wednesday, July 21, 2010 9:01:56 PM via txt (A-, A-)

Best find of July. Fantastic IPA.

#13 Bruery Coton. 14.5%ABV. It drinks like a holiday ale, with heavy body, sweet, sryupy tones. High whiskey-like burn. Herbal. Woah! A- Monday, July 19, 2010 8:21:59 PM via web (A-, A-)

Crazy strong. We have a log at CC. Tempted to age it for a special occasion.

#14 Lagunitas Undercover Shutdown. This is an awesome imperial ale, with a nice amber body, Spicy flavor with a whiskey-like finish. A- Thursday, July 15, 2010 7:28:26 PM via web (A-, A-)

Another happy surprise. I forget about Langunitas until I see it again.

#15 Allagash Curieux. Whiskey strong in flavor, and in taste, but it doesn't kill the enjoyment. Be prepare for the harshness. A- Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:08:16 AM via web (A-, A-)

You have to be patient while drinking this beast.

#16 Pretty Things American Darling. High ABV for such a light beer. Almost feel like a helles or pils, but a litter heavier. Always great. A- Monday, July 05, 2010 7:41:25 PM via web (A-, A-)

Super drinkable, but don't do it too fast.

#17 Chimay Blue. An ol' standby. I haven't had a Belgian beer, from Belgium, in a while. Dark and roasty with a crisp Belgian taste. Yum. A- Tuesday, July 20, 2010 7:19:29 PM via web (A-, A-)

As classic Chimay is, there are times that I want an American Belgian-style beer. That said, I can never say anything bad about ol' blue.

#18 Mikkeller Jackie Brown. !t's a hoppy brown. Would have been sad if I wished for malty. First glass of draft in over a week @theindo! A- Sunday, July 11, 2010 2:56:34 PM via web (A-, A-)

Too bad Mikkeller runs on the expensive side. There are a lot of beers by them that I have yet to try. I haven't had a bad one yet.

#19 Allagash White. A simple stand-by well deserving to be a flagship beer for a great company. A great Belgian style beer. A- Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:01:25 AM via web (A-, A-)

When I first had White, I thought it was the end-all, be-all of beers. Little did I know how much lay beneath the leaves of the label.

#20 Southern Tier Iniquity. They mostly hit, w/ a few misses. This beer should be tried with a sampler. Hoppy one sip, malty the next. A- Monday, July 12, 2010 8:44:33 PM via web (A-, A-)

I am trying to keep faith in the breweries that I know have had some misses, Creme Brulee anyone? But, when they stick to hops and malt, things are good.

#21 Ommegang Zuur. This is a solid example of an American doing a Belgian sour. This beer has to be sipped, not slurped. Can't drink much. A- Monday, July 12, 2010 8:39:58 PM via web (A-, A-)

How about this sour stealing my taste buds this month. After the first sip, I knew that it was good, but I never thought that I would want to drink a glass of it. Now, sure... no problem.

#22 Unibroue La Fin Du Monde. Seriously peppery, especially w/ grilled Thai burgers. Like likes like. Fancy food/beer is only in your eyes. A- Sunday, July 11, 2010 9:33:46 PM via web (A-, A-)

This was a nice gift from a friend. I never think to get them, but I know that I like them.

#23 Portsmouth Brewery Bottle Rocket IPA. nice citrus and light on the spice. easy to drink but a classic IPA after taste. A- Friday, July 30, 2010 1:52:05 PM via txt (A-, B+)

Yeah for the real local breweries. This number was quite delicious. I would like to meet the brewer some day.

#24 Allagash Tripel. How can a great beer be lowest of the night? Well, it has to be obscured by other great beers. Still, a great example. A- Wednesday, July 14, 2010 12:02:47 AM via web (A-, B+)

What's to say about a good beer that would stand out if it weren't for all the better stuff they make?

#25 Chimay Red. Not the bite nor the body of the blue, but certainly heavier than the white. Easy to drink, but watch out for the sedimen! A- Monday, July 26, 2010 9:12:11 PM via web (A-, B+)

Blue's cousin. The silver of the Chimay podium stand.

[B+]

#26 Ipswich Ale. It promise what it delivers. A solid, I want an ale (an dress like a viking) ale. Maybe I should drink it in a sheep skin. B+ 6:35 PM Jul 5th via web (B+, B+)

We are starting to get into beers that I love to have when I don't want to be wowed. Perfect session beer.

#27 Smuttynose Brown Dog. Had it with a bacon and goat cheese sandwich. Of course it goes well with bacon. Happy to drink northern beers. B+ 3:25 AM Jul 2nd via web (B+, B+)

A perfect session brown.

#28 Bear Republic Racer 5. I like body to my IPA, which this has. Good spice to mute the citrus. Too bad they gave me a 'gansett at first. B+ Saturday, July 17, 2010 7:58:20 PM via web (B+, B+)

For a more expensive session beer.

#29 Flying Dog Raging Bitch. Considering this is super hoppy, it actually is good. Totally filled with a hops pop, malt to round it out. B+ Monday, July 12, 2010 8:38:50 PM via web (B+, B+)

This was a random beer from the CC. It was better than I thought, which is good. I tend to stay away from flying dog. Maybe it's because I never read Fear and Loathing.

#30 Rogue Dead Guy. Super sessionable with a sharp edge & muted spiciness. A sweet body as it goes down. They don't all have to be fancy. B+ Monday, July 19, 2010 5:45:02 PM via web (B+, B+)

I cannot drink this without thinking about Dave's obsession. Or at least the obsession of when we first met him. I always forget that it's a maibock, too.

#31 Portsmouth Oatmeal Stout. Sweet at first but mellow with chocolate cake. wish the brewer was around to discuss with. B+ Friday, July 30, 2010 7:42:42 PM via txt (B+, B+)

I know that I had this to go with dessert. It paired well.

#32 Smuttynose IPA. so much tastier than it's Harpoon counterpart. Probably got to do with the hops. White men can't jump, but they hop. B+ Friday, July 09, 2010 3:55:34 AM via web (B+, B+)

#33 Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale. smooth and delicious. I don't need anything with bite this late at night. It's out of sight, alright? B+ Saturday, July 10, 2010 4:04:41 AM via web (B+, B+)

Both from a sampler pack. The IPA i have always liked, but I am getting into the other Smutty's. I would almost always keep a Smutty's or Ipswich in the fridge at all times if I could afford it.

#34 Southampton IPA. I really like Southampton. They give the body that I want to the respective beer. The IPA wasn't too hoppy. B Monday, July 05, 2010 7:38:22 PM via web (B, B+)

Just a reminder to myself, I need some Southampton for the CC.

#35 Lagunitas IPA. Really wanted a pils for brunch, but this was light enough. Solid effort that doesn't push the hops in your face. B+ Sunday, July 18, 2010 1:21:42 PM via web (B+, B)

It's their flagship, but they make other stuff better.

#36 Southampton Altbier. A little more of a showcase beer. Drinkability of an lager, body of a ale. I would like the explore German ones. B+ Monday, July 05, 2010 7:39:57 PM via web (B+, B)

Another month, this would have been higher. It's delicious, but not fancy.

#37 Sam Adams "Belgian Style IPA". A perk of the job, for it is a sample. Super dry drink, with more IPA than Belgian. Hope to see it soon. B+ Saturday, July 17, 2010 10:28:23 PM via web (B+, B)

It was exciting to have a free sample of the beer, but the beer never seems to kick it up a notch. At least what you can find in the small bottles.

[B]

#38 Avery Karma. They are a total hit and miss brewery. This ale doesn't seem to want to step it up in any flavor, but it is trying. B Monday, July 12, 2010 8:37:41 PM via web (B, B)

This is a swing and a foul ball for Avery. I know they can do better, and I know they can do worse.

#39 Grittys Lobster Claw Brown Ale. tasty outside light brown session beer. malty taste but no body. what you want at a lobster shack. b Saturday, July 31, 2010 6:41:13 PM via txt (B, B)

There is the Red Claw Ale and the Best Brown Ale, but I cannot find a lobster claw ale. I do not know if they took some liberty with the name at the lobster shack, but still, it was a fine brown served in a plastic cup.

#40 Long Trail Ale. Haven't had this for a while, but first drank it on our honeymoon. Less body, touch more acidity than Ipswich. Go local! B Monday, July 05, 2010 7:36:22 PM via web (B, B)

Don't let the fact that it is so low fool you. I had some awesome beer this month. But I had 39 better than this.

#41 Ipswich IPA. Disappointing for Ipswich, but a sensible beer with a good style. Nothing defining, for they do their ales better. B Sunday, July 25, 2010 8:41:34 PM via web (B, B-)

The only disappointment from Ipswich. Still better than most.

[B-]

#42 Harpoon IPA. Wow, I am just not excited about this beer tonight. Thought it would be good after work, but I am swilling just to swill, B- Wednesday, July 07, 2010 2:45:41 AM via web (B-, C+)

This is what I drink when I don't care what I drink. Though my gag is saying 7 buck Harpoon IPA when I am making fun of a places beer selection.

[C+]

#43 Wachusetts Ryde. Mildly disappointing. I feel like that Rye was added as an afterthought to what could have been a decent ale. B- Sunday, July 18, 2010 5:28:33 PM via web (B-, C)

I have had about three bottles of this, but it just was disappointing each time. I don't know if I had a bad batch (as I didn't buy it) but it just never impressed me. Sad.

Rye can be hit or miss, but this just misses. I feel like they brewed and then added rye. Maybe they were trying to create layers of flavor, but I just found the separation distracting.

Beer for the apocalypse [Beth, the dramatic one]

2010-07-11T00:17:00.001-04:00

Let's pretend your city flooded, you were driving around in it, finally found a safe place to stash your car, carried your groceries across a few blocks through 2 feet of water, and then you/your spouse got into a car accident an hour later. What would you drink?

If you were Ben, you'd go to work and your wife wouldn't let you drive your car to work because a few of your lights were out and your bumper was living on a prayer.

If you were me, you'd have a good college friend and her girlfriend over and have some beers.

Earlier this week we had a small party for Ben's friends in honor of his new job in beer! That's right, he quit Starbucks and is now an assistant manager at the kickass fair-priced, super-cool-but-not-full-of-themselves beer bar, Cambridge Common. I'm always worried we won't have enough to drink, so now we have an entire beer shelf with about 36+ beers on it leftover. Oops!

My choices to forget worrying about Ben:

Ipswich IPA: fruity, grapefruity and piney, not-too-heavy, lovely for a hot day. B+
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale: I think this is my new favorite beer. Makes great brats, too. A Hoppy bite, but drinkable--even if the ABV's in my 6-7.5% ABV "trouble zone" (it doesn't TASTE as alcoholic as a higher ABV beer, but it's definitely more powerful than anything under 6%. I'm mostly likely to overindulge at beers in this range).
Smuttynose Star Island Single: Not my favorite Smuttynose beer, but still enjoyable. B/B+ A bit astringent--I prefer it with the right food.

I tried a sip of Wachusett Ryde, which I just wasn't in the mood for and I drain-poured. A friend brought a six pack and left five. I'll try again with food and re-examine. I wanted something lighter. It's still too hot in Boston.

And yes, I totally prefer beer with food. Dale's Pale is great with or without, though. Perhaps I need lists of beers I like by themselves. Smuttynose Brown Dog? Great on its own. I turned a few people onto that at our BBQ. And Southampton makes some great drinkin' beers. Yes, we got a lot of variety 12 packs!

What about you? What do you like to drink when you fear the four horsemen may be knocking in your neighborhood?

June Grades and Ranks

2010-07-06T11:17:00.002-04:00

So, in June I was able to travel in Texas and Louisiana, drinking along the way. I will try not to repeat myself too much, but I have to say that the majority of the southern beers are lighter than their category counterparts up here in New England. I suppose people want more refreshing, lawnmower style beers to get through the heat, and trust me, it was hot when we were down there, but I feel like they are missing out on a lot of variety in body.

[A+]

#1 Ommegang Three Philosophers. Paired with a dessert of sour cherries, vanilla ice cream & pretzel brittle. Changed the drink, not the love. A Tuesday, June 15, 2010 9:29:11 PM via web (A, A+)

Not often will I give the ol' A+, but this one has never disappointed in the times that I have had it. Maybe I always seem to have it associated with good memories, but I know that I will love it every time I drink it.

[A]

#2 Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. A serious beer for serious beer lovers. Cocoa, coffee, and bourbon aging. A dessert beer, but great with steak and bleu. A Friday, June 11, 2010 7:42:45 PM via web. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout. A dessert beer, best split. Great with balsamic (strawberries). The aging doesn't burn your throat. A 9:57 PM Jun 5th via web (A, A, A)

Would I choose 3 philosophers over KBS? No, because of rarity. But I haven't had this enough times to know that I love it. Plus I have had it's maple cousin, which outshines this wonderful beer.

#3 Real Ale Full Moon Rye. finally a beer being what i wanted it to be. brown with hops and balance. delicious here at the ginger man. A Friday, June 25, 2010 5:33:36 PM via txt (A, A)

The best beer I had in the south. I had it at the Ginger Man, which I didn't even realize was a "chain" until this month. The coziness of this old house converted to a bar was really enjoyable. But there was "that guy" who was talking loud at the bartender because he knew everything. Because of that, our bartender couldn't get out to serve us at a table. But about the beer, perhaps rye is the key ingredient for a good southern beer. I do declare!

#4 Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell. Delicious, as always. I probably will stop by their booth anyway at #acbf. Deliciously golden beer. A- Thursday, June 17, 2010 7:54:32 PM via web. Pretty Things Field Mouse's Farewell. This is an awesome American Wheat. PT can do no wrong. Great brunch beer @theindo. Fruity, too. A Sunday, June 06, 2010 12:21:57 PM via web (A-, A, A)

Another great beer from Pretty Things. A wheat beer that I love, which is a challenge.

#5 Allagash Victoria. Such a subtle flavor of red grapes, that you have to look for it when you have it. Add a notch to the "great" belt. A- 6:20 PM Jun 3rd via web (A-, A)

I am excited about the Allagash dinner at Cambridge Common this month. I do love this beer and the Victor. Either are worth the pick up if you see it.

#6 Abita Abbey Ale. super strong on the first sip but smoothed out great after. dark and nice body which hid that light spring water. A- Tuesday, June 29, 2010 12:26:40 AM via txt (A-, A)

It took us a while to find big bottles in the south. It was at a Kroger's, which had a great beer selection. You know, for a grocery store. Not even a fancy grocery store. Pick up this, a loaf of bread, a carton of milk, and a stick of butter. Abita is the king in Louisiana, and they had a lot of things to offer. They did a great job with the Abbey style.

[A-]

#7 Urthel Hop-It. High in hops, but it doesn't burn you out at the end like hoppy beers do. Hops petal to the metal, but I felt safe. A- 8:02 PM Jun 3rd via web (A-, A-)

I had forgotten that I had this before when I had it. Still good.

#8 St. Arnold Elissa IPA. A lot better named. enjoyable and spicy grapefruit beer. best i tasted tonight. A- Thursday, June 24, 2010 9:37:57 PM via txt (A-, A- )

Straight from the brewery. This is where I discovered the tendency of too-light beers. At least this was right on, unlike the first one I had. St. Arnold is the craft beer of Texas. Don't mess with it.

#9 Abita Andygator. Oh a big bottle beer! a nice spicy Dopplebock. Light and drinkable. could be good with a spicy breakfast. or fish. A- Sunday, June 27, 2010 8:45:17 PM via txt (A-, A-)

Had this with the first seafood dish that I have eaten in like 10 years. It went well, too.

#10 Ithaca Alphalpha. This I bought straight from a tasting. Honey, grassy like the prairie, with a complex bitterness from every sip. A- Sunday, June 20, 2010 9:59:22 PM via web (A-, B+)

This is why there should be more tastings at liquor stores. I tried it and wanted it then and there.

[B+]

#11 Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale. An old standby here in the house. Real easy and versatile, goes well with almost any meal. Always good. B+ Monday, June 21, 2010 9:26:28 PM via web (B+, B+)

A never failing standard. Do I have this every month?

#12 Smuttynose Maibock. @theindo, Beth's served in a ridiculously large mug. She tasted candy, I tasted pepper. Maybe we are both right. B+ 8:03 PM Jun 3rd via web (B+, B+)

Not the best of Smutty's big bottles, but I am always willing to try what they have to offer.

#13 Southampton Double Wit. Beer with Thai food is something that needs to happen more often. Thai burgers and curry fries? You'll be a Wit! B+ 9:00 PM Jun 2nd via web (B+, B+)

I think Southampton is due to explode on the Mass beer scene. They make a fine quality beer, and I haven't disliked anything. They are pretty easy to find. Don't pass them up if you are looking for something new to try.

#14 Sam Adams Old Ben Ale. A longshot beer. Nice barleywine style, better than other professionals. Tart and Tangy. Had it as my app. B+ Friday, June 11, 2010 7:43:47 PM via web (B+, B+)

I wish Sam Adams would pick this up permanently. Barleywine is easy to overdo, but this guy did it right.

#15 Abita Amber. finally got to try this. it is a home session beer with a little bit me smoky that carrier through. reminds me of Blvd. ... Sunday, June 27, 2010 8:40:50 PM via txt (B+, B)

This was recommended to me by a girl at ACBF who asked me if Abita was there. She made it sound good, and it was.

#16 Bear Repubic Red Hop Rye. Another good beer. Heavy hops, some rye. Would have been a great IPA. But if you call it rye, don't be shy. B+ Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:26:36 PM via web (B+, B)

While I no longer obsess over Bear Republic, I will have them every now and then. This is enjoyable, but compared to the other Ryes I have had, it stands a little lost.

#17 Lao Beer Dark Lager. My first Asian beer. Worked well enough will Thai, probably could be okay with other foods, too. Solid effort. B Wednesday, June 16, 2010 11:21:47 PM via web (B, B+)

My first Asian beer, recommended by someone who was just there in Southeast Asia. It was surprisingly good, though I am sure that there are a lot of beers from there than I may just not like. I am sure they suffer from the hot weather dilemma that the south does.

#18 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. I respect the can, but the beer was better about 5-10 degrees warmer. Dark, smoky, good at the end. B+ 8:59 PM Jun 2nd via web (B+, B)

The more a drink this, the less impressive it is. Compare that to Dale's Pale Ale, which gets consistantly better. Not that it's bad, but once you get over the novelty of drinking a canned beer, it's just good, not great.

#19 St Arnold Amber. please name your beer right! great bitter beer but no weight to it. fresh at the brewery. b+ Thursday, June 24, 2010 8:33:40 PM via txt (B+, B)

This is a bitter, not an amber. It's won awards as a bitter... you think that would be a clue.

[B]

#20 Magic Hat Circus Boy. Hefes belong on hot muggy days. Not heavy lemony flavor, but held its own balance. Hello, Magic Hat. How are you? B+ 9:53 PM Jun 5th via web. Magic Hat Circus Boy. I have had some very good hefes now that I realize what I am drinking and why. MH does a good job, a gateway hefe. B Sunday, June 20, 2010 9:58:02 PM via web (B+, B, B)

I forget to have more Magic Hat. I know that I drank it almost exclusively at one point, but now that I have had a lot, I can appreciate its dependability.

#21 Harpoon UFO. IT was good a few weeks ago, but after the MH hefe, it was was put in its place. Only a notch down for bitterness. B 9:55 PM Jun 5th via web (B, B)

Same goes for Harpoon.

#22 Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan. a simple brown with a hint me pecan that died away. still good but what is it with light body beers down here? B Tuesday, June 29, 2010 12:29:30 AM via txt (B, B)

Dear Lake Charles, I would like to know the name of the brewery and the style of the beer before I drink it. I'm just saying. This tasted like a brown that had a pecan thrown in it. It was fine, but only a hint of different flavor.

#23 Real Ale Devil's Backbone. texas local. says a belgian triple but not quite. still tasty, but only wrong name. b Thursday, June 24, 2010 6:00:05 PM via txt (B, B-)

I was disappointed that this was a Tripel. It could have been a lot of different things. Too light, too.

#24 Lazy Magnolia Jefferson Stout. apparently finding good draft beer is a challenge in lake chuck. this was a nice basic stout with decent body. b Sunday, June 27, 2010 7:37:06 PM via txt (B, B-)

I would have loved to have known that this was a cream stout before ordering.

#25 Element Brewing Red Giant. Took a few sips to get into it, took a few degrees to get out of it. But it was great in between. Timing! B Thursday, June 10, 2010 8:25:19 PM via web (B, B-)

It took me a while to even remember drinking this beer. That must have been that I wasn't impressed. Total M.O.R.

May Grades and Ranks

2010-06-01T10:27:00.002-04:00

Looks like Summer has started. I am drinking more Wheats, Wits, Hefes, and Pils. These are beers that are not the first thing I grab for, but season drinking is very important to enjoying your beer. Plus, to go with my New Year's Resolution* of drinking more beer outside, you do not want to drink heavy beers while in the heat. It's like when I was young, not like fast food in the heat. It just made me sick.

Damn, 29 different beers this month.

*May have been a mid-winter resolution.

[A]

#1 Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi. Maybe my first bier de garde. Golden body, Frankincense & Myrrh flavoring. Hint of Fruit and sour. Great! A 10:48 PM May 18th via web (A, A)

Lost Abbey is certainly high on my list of favorite breweries. And when they can create something as fun as this is to drink, you know that they have all the pieces in place.

#2 Allagash Victoria. The Chardonnay grapes are full of awesome. It is a sweetest drinking Belgian you could ask for. Solid. A 8:21 PM May 3rd via web (A, A)

A fantastic middle ground of beer and wine. Sure, it is obviously a beer, but when someone mentions that there are grape, you are like "Yeah, it does taste like the wine." Worth the extra money or visit to Portland, ME.

#3 Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale. I am so surprised at the quality of this beer, I have to post it again. Do not pass up this can, man. A- 8:01 PM May 26th via web (A-, A)
The best beer from a can that I have ever had. Super hops, but great, smooth balanced taste. Not burning. A- 7:11 PM May 21st via web

One of my favorite new beers. I cannot rave about this beer enough. A fantastic example of an IPA that doesn't kill you with hops, and plus, it will make a believer of you in canned beers can be good. But drinking it from a can is still not recommended.

#4 Smuttynose Barleywine. This is a great example of the style. Nice, spicy taste, smooth body, with a pleasantly bitter taste to finish. A. 7:18 PM May 9th via web (A, A)

You cannot go wrong with the Smuttynose Big Bottle Series, and this is an example why. And, if you ever wanted to try a barleywine and didn't know where to start, this is a place. It's for the hop-heads who want something more from their beer.

#5 Sinebrychoff Porter. Ever want to drink anything Finnish, then I would recommend. Strangely, though, taste like Mexican ground chocolate. A- 7:22 PM May 5th via web (A-, A)

This beer is a sleeper of my favorite beers. It's exactly what I want from a dark, heavy porter. It has that milky body that makes you feel like you are drinking a dessert. And why not? Silly Finnish.

[A-]

#6 Lost Abbey 10 Commandments. I wanted something to go with my burger, worked out great. I love dark Belgians. Another winner from them. A- 7:20 PM May 5th via web (A-, A-)

Again, another great Lost Abbey beer. This one was with a enjoyable treat with a hamburger. It's all about matching intensity of food and beer, and I hit it on this nose with this.

#7 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. Super Belgiany sour with Medit. Food, but hopped up at the end. A wild ride, enough for an A- 6:58 PM May 17th via web (A-, A-)

I can't wait for new Pretty Things. Though I don't drink them as much as I was, it doesn't meant it isn't the best kept not-so-secret of the Boston beer scene. I actually wish we had some in the fridge for later.

#8 St. Bernardus Witbier. Perfect example of a Belgian Witbier, lemon, coriander, a nice body and sturdy taste that lasts the whole glass. A- 10:44 PM May 18th via web (A-, A-)

This is where we start to get into the wits that I love. I want it to have that lemon and coriander taste I expect. I think that though American wheats are fine, they lack the flavor intensity that I desire in my beer. It's like wheat bread vs. white bread.

#9 Forest Trail Imperial IPA. A home brew from a local guy. Some serious good stuff. It has an after-bite that you keep going back for. A- 8:48 PM May 7th via web (A-, A-)

Please correct me if I have the link wrong. I was lucky enough to snag some of this from Beck&Tony's party, because I enjoyed it then and then I enjoyed it again. This is a beer that gives me the courage and desire to homebrew.

#10 KleinBrouwerij Jan de Lichte. A celebratory beer for a new job. Enjoyable wit. Yeasty, nice cloudiness. A great example of a style. A- 10:34 PM May 29th via web (A-, A-)

Beth loved this beer at a fest and we decided to splurge and get some for home last week. And again, it has the Belgian taste that I desire. But, what made this beer stand out is the excellent cloudiness that came with it. Kind of like drinking a magic potion.

#11 Southern Tier Back Burner. Sure, 10% ABV, but not really. The thing is that ST either is good or too flashy. It's a good Barleywine. A- 7:30 PM May 6th via web (A-, A-)

This was a result of a trade at the end of EBF. Solid and Strong, but not crazy. Though, I feel all Southern Tier's beer taste a little the same. I guess it's a good thing that I like that taste, huh?

#12 Avery Mephistopheles Stout. Wow, at 16% ABV is this an intense drink. We split a 12oz bottle. Sipping was super smooth/caramelly. A- 7:06 PM May 20th via web (A-, A-)

EBF beer also. This was surprising enjoyable. I though that it was just going to be a crazy, get-drunk-quick beer, but it was more than that. I always forget about Avery when I think about Colorado beers. I love their Maharaja, too.

#13 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. I like splitting beers in wine glasses. Especially tasty, high ABV ones. Big & Rich, smoky, too. A- 5:25 AM May 17th via web (A-, A-)

Brooklyn is incredible with all the knowledge that they put into their beer. And you can taste the passion in this beer. They craft so lovingly that it is hard to get a bad beer from them.

#14 Mayflower IPA. Seriously, I think this is becoming one of my favorite IPAs. It has the important balance of flavors with the right tang. B+ about 15 hours ago via web (B+, A-)

As you may have realized, I am working my way through a lot of Mayflower and Ipswich lately. Both local, both have pictures of ships on the bottle. Also, I am trying to distinguish the variety of beer that they offer. I do think that this is the tip of the top. This is getting into the session beer that will work with almost anything.

#15 Ipswich Ale. This is a beer that can go so well with anything. Dinner, drinking, sitting outside. Ooh, this should be my outside beer. B+ 9:26 AM May 5th via web (B+, A-)

This would be the Ipswich representative. This is not as hoppy as the Mayflower, so it gives you a little more of a smooth and relaxing experience. I just like the other one a tad better.

#16 Dogfish Head 90. i like it better than 60. i quick true to my hops roots. not so good with added hot sauce. B+ 7:37 PM May 23rd via txt (B+, A-)

Strangely enough, this falls right into line with the previous two. This is more intense and you have to be geared up to drink it. I frickin' love, though. Funny story though. When I was drinking this, I was eating out and accidentally popped the top of the hot sauce bottle off into my beer. It actually flattened out the taste. They were very nice to me by giving me a new beer for free.

#17 Spezial Rauchbier. Tasty beer for brunch. Light like a pilsner, smoky like a porter. My first official Rauchbier, so hard to compare. A- 11:16 AM May 30th via web (A-, B+)

The danger with smoky beers is the bacon factor. Beth and I always mention one beer in particular as the "bacon beer". And not in a loving way like the Bacon Brown Dog. And though this had a slight bacony taste, it was very drinkable. Especially at 10am for a brunch. Remember, if you are drinking beer for breakfast, please go with a lighter beer.

[B+]

#18 Southampton Double White. A surprise for me when I got home. Good classical wit, little strong, a lot tasty. Good example of the style. B+ 11:26 AM May 23rd via web (B+, B+)

Southampton a brewery that I like but never think to buy, but this beer was good enough that I would try to drink more at home. Double Wits are an interesting beer, because they are more robust, they seem to me to be less intense in that wit flavor.

#19 Anchor Liberty Ale. Paired much better this time with a nice chicken and pea salad. Match intensity with intensity. Good job us. B+ 7:58 PM May 19th via web
Hard to drink after a stout, but once past the first sip, enjoyable. But, did not pair that well with steak and bleu. B 9:22 PM May 13th via web
Sorry to tri-tweet it this month, but it was damn fine to drink while getting the grill ready. B+ 7:02 PM May 20th via web
This is a stand by for Beth and I when it comes to session beer. But it is extra dry when you eat something salty. B 6:25 PM May 15th via web (B+, B+)

Sorry about all the tweets about this beer, but it was a lesson in how to pair your beer. If things pair badly, you probably will blame the beer, and it makes it less enjoyable. But if it is a good pairing, certainly the food is better, right? I mean, it makes the food taste better, so why not? Beer can be fickle.

#20 Southern Tier IPA. What I like about all Southern Tiers is that generic peppery taste, especially anything Pale. It works for this. B+ 9:08 PM May 14th via web (B+, B+)

This is the taste that I think all Southern Tier beers have. If you like this taste, you will like them.

#21 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Didn't expect a chance to drink this unique drink again. A light drink with bite and body. Kudos. B+ 9:19 PM May 13th via web (B+, B+)

Glad to have another chance with this beer. Thank you new upstairs neighbors. It's a light beer with a surprising kick. You can't go wrong.

#22 Brooklyn Summer Ale. Light and Bready. Just what I want to drink on a hot day. Was able to enjoy it outside. Two-row Barley? It's good. B+ 8:16 PM May 28th via web (B+, B+)

Summer beers are pretty much wheat beers. Though this is a good beer, I drink a wheat beer and want it to be Belgian Style. I know that I need to get over this unfair assumption. It's like going to the White Mountains and expecting the Rocky Mountains. Though you may like one more, you better enjoy it for it's own personality.

#23 Sam Adams Lager. When there is nothing else to drink, you cannot fail with this classic stand-by. This is the middle of us and them. B+ 9:17 PM May 13th via web (B+, B)

I forget that I like this beer. There is a reason why it is a national beer. It is enjoyable, and easy to find.

#24 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. I drank it straight from the can, which I haven't in a long time. Really intense beer in a small package. Too much? B 8:11 PM May 2nd via web
Good beer to share, esp. for dessert. Served it from the can into white wine glasses, still a funky-smoky taste. B+ 8:32 PM May 11th via web (B+, B)

This is a fun beer to drink. It's strong and heavy, so you'll have to prepare yourself.

#25 Oskar Blues Yella Pils. So, yes, my third from these canners. Good and tasty, but I like my pils lighter, especially on a hot day. B+ 9:56 PM May 25th via web (B+, B)

The third Oskar beer of the month. All three combined make me believe that Oskar Blues is doing things right and there is no loss of flavor in a can. The drinking experience is better from a bottle, but the beer itself should be unaffected.

[B]

#26 Harpoon UFO. I mean, if you want to get a Hefe, but you don't know what to get, this is a solid example. Harpoon, a great place to start. B 10:05 PM May 23rd via web (B, B)

I might like this better than the IPA, which was my first love of my craft beer movement.

#27 Ipswich IPA. Very hoppy and surprisingly unbalanced. Not in a bad way, but it was heavy-hopped. Kind of an afterburner taste to it. B. 8:38 PM May 10th via web (B, B-)

Sadly disappointing in the long line of great IPAs. This is a good beer, no doubt, but I just like others better.

#28 Harpoon Summer. I am not a fan of American Wheats. Maybe it's the dryness or lack of "other" flavor. But good for a holiday BBQ. B about 15 hours ago via web (B, B-)

This beer started my American versus Belgian wheat beers discussion.

#29 Ipswich Oatmeal Stout. Maybe it was an off bottle, it had a tinny-ness to it that distracted from a good taste. Too little oatmeal. B 9:20 PM May 13th via web (B, B-)

Again, I like it, but I want it to turn the corner into either more oatmealy or more stouty. And it misses the mark more each time I drink it.

April Grades and Ranks

2010-05-03T10:06:00.004-04:00

What a great beer month April was for me. Three things worth noting, th0ugh. I didn't tweet an Allagash White that I had while I was in Portland. It was served with a lemon and it really, really distracts from the flavor that I like. Second, the only beer that was worth talking about at the Bacon and Beer Festival was Brooklyn's Dark Matter. It was delicious for the sample that I had, but not enough for me to really credit with a grade. I would try it again, though, if I saw it around. Third, the home-brew I had at Beck's party was excellent, and even though I had enough to qualify it for a grade, I brought a bottle home and planned to drink it April, but didn't. It will be featured in May, I am sure.

If anyone wants to plan a beer-geek-out with us at Lord Hobo, we will be going soon at some point. Let us know and we will make plans.

Here is April's list. Brought to you by Allagash :)

[A]

#1 St. Bernardus Abt 12. special 60Th anniversary edition. brown malty and a touch sour. but oh so good. im drinking a big bottle. A 4:37 PM Apr 19th via txt (A, A)

This beer alone, not just the special edition, is one of my favorite beers. And when you make it something more special, which I believe was a certain hops and other ingredients, it was just the right tweak. But, seriously, this is a beer worth dropping some dollars on.

#2 Allagash Four. so good with the malts and a touch of sour that makes you come back for more. the best from the group. available too. A 6:46 PM Apr 28th via txt (A, A)

Oh Allagash, you have been so kind to me. Maybe I love this beer because it usually means that I am having a good time out with Beth, but I know it is just such a solid beer.

[A-]

#3 Allagash Interlude. french oak barrels this time. sour and Fruity. real nice. A- 8:48 PM Apr 18th via txt (A-, A)

My favorite new-to-me beer this month. Taking the tour of the Brewery made me appreciate all their beers so much more.

#4 Allagash Victor. Ale made with Red Grapes. High alcohol, nice subtle flavor with the grapes. You wouldn't think of it unless you knew it. A 8:23 PM Apr 24th via web (A, A-)

But I did not have this beer there, we found it at a store in South Boston and shared it with some of our fellow beer geeks. We have the counterpart, the Victoria in our fridge.

#5 Altenmunster Maibock. Straight from Germany, brought from a co-worker. Seriously good. Refreshing, little buttery, light and crisp. A- 7:27 PM Apr 6th via web (A-, A-)

Thank you so much to my co-worker who brought this back from Germany for me. That was super nice of her, and it ended up being a really good beer.

#6 Birra del Borgo Re Ale Extra. An IPA? I don't know what makes it extra. From EBF. Lemon, pepper, hops, and a sourness. Heavy body, yum. A- 8:16 PM Apr 13th via web (A-, A-)

This was an Extreme Beer Festival leftover. So, really, we may never have this again, but it was certainly something worth remembering. Italian beer, who knew?

#7 White Birch Barrel-Aged Barleywine Ale. Only 280 btls made. That barrel flavor hits you at first, then you get used to it. Enjoyable. A- 7:25 PM Apr 27th via web (A-, A-)

The first time we tried White Birch, it was a leftover from the Belgium Beer Fest, and it was flat and it really ruined the experience. I don't think that we drank all of it. So, we were a little reluctant to try this one. But I am glad we did. This is a good local drink.

#8 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. This is some seriously good beer. Since it was Belgian, we had it with Waterzooi. Made it taste hoppier than before. A- 8:46 PM Apr 12th via web
The triple was great with Easter. See, you can be hoppy, yet balanced. Predominant flavors are okay. A- 8:12 AM Apr 5th via web (A-, A-)

You should knew my love of Pretty Things by now, and this is no exception. Drink it, if you haven't started.

#9 Avery Collaboration not Litigation. Nice Belgian style ale. Has a good amount of bitterness, followed with a smooth taste. Easy to drink. A- 9:40 PM Apr 7th via web (A-, A-)

At some point, I was talking to someone about this beer and I couldn't remember who this was a collaboration with. Russian River, the makers of Pliny the Younger (and Elder). I really don't give Avery enough respect. I think something about their labels throws me off.

#10 Pretty Things St. Botolph's Town. One of the best browns around. And that is saying a lot with Brooklyn, DFH, and Smutty always available. A- 1:03 PM Apr 30th via web (A-, A-)

One of the best browns around.

#11 Bear Republic Red Rocket. I paired it well with Mexican, turned out really good. I love the dark red with a great balance. Fine beer. A- 11:56 AM Apr 3rd via web (A-, A-)

Though I don't drink Bear Republic as much lately, my love affair with them still exists. They are one of the reasons that I want to go to San Francisco so much.

#12 Allagash Curieux. Triple aged in a bourbon barrel. Hops and citrus but hidden in the flavor of bourBon. Tasty but not my favorite. Still A- 6:01 PM Apr 28th via txt.
Triple. aged in jim beam barrels. smooth and spicy. nice belgian. when in maine B+ 8:06 PM Apr 18th via txt (A-, B+)

Even though this is lower than a lot of the other Allagash beers, this is a fine beer. But as for taste goes, it isn't quite right for me. Maybe not for you.

#13 DogfishHead Midas Touch. "Somewhere between wine & mead." Felt fairly modern for an old recipe. Would buy a 4-pack for home. B+ 1:02 PM Apr 30th via web (B+, A-)

This may have been my first full drink of this beer. If not, I had forgotter that it was good. I think that I will pick up a pack of it next time we are looking for a session beer. Well, a strong session beer. The best kind, right?

#14 CBC Bad Knees. Yay for barrel-aging. Nice, powerful old ale. Lost a little on the finish, but the middle of the drink was really good. A- 8:43 PM Apr 30th via web (A-, B+)

I hadn't been to Cambridge Brewing Company for quite a long time. I forget that they are really good brewers. This beer is no exception, though I feel like barrel-aging, while great, is getting a little out of control. But, stop by and try this.

#15 Bruery Saison de Lente. Nice to have this again, this time of tap. Like the subtle Brett, not too over-powering. Muted by previous beer. B+ 9:36 PM Apr 7th via web (B+, A-)

Love the Bruery. Learning to love Brett beers

#16 Ipswich Dark Ale. A little malty, very smooth, very enjoyable session beer. I had no opinion of it going in and now I want more. B+ 5:55 PM Apr 25th via web (B+, A-)

Probably the biggest surprise of the month. I thought it was just a filler beer in out party pack, but it turned out to be the best beer of the group. We need to tour their brewery.

[B+]

#17 Pretty Things Mild Ale. A young, hoppy mild. Paired it with chick pea patties. Turned out really good. Complimented the spices. B+ 7:42 PM Apr 22nd via web (B+, B+)

You know that it was a good beer month to have this beer come in at #17. I don't know if they plan to ever do this again, so if you see a bottle, pick it up and enjoy it.

#18 Rogue Dead Guy. I can't believe that I went like 9 months without drinking this, prior to this pack. Drinkable & refreshing on a hot day. B+ 7:01 PM Apr 7th via web (B+, B+)

Interesting that this is a Maibock, and comparing it to the German Maibock I had. I need to explore the whole bock family of beers.

#19 Victory Hop Devil. Would have loved this beer during my HopHead days, but over all it is still pretty good. Good mostly-hops balance. B+ 7:49 PM Apr 29th via web (B+, B+)

Seriously, this would have been my favorite beer if I had tried it in 2006. It's a great beer if you love hops, which I still do, but my taste has diversified over the last few years.

#20 Smuttynose Old Brown Dog. A nice malty ale, really classic when you don't want to drink something overly hoppy. B+ 10:32 PM Apr 10th via web (B+, B+)

I really should try this side-by-side with St. Botolph's. But Smuttynose is always dependable.

#21 Ipswich IPA. Another solid effort from a good brewery. They don't punch you in the face with hoppiness. Just enough to remind you. B+ 8:25 PM Apr 20th via web (B+, B+)

This is a good IPA if you don't want to be over-powered with hops. Beers can have flavor, but they lose so much if they are not balanced, and Ipswich understands that.

#22 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. The awesomest canned beer. But I drank from a glass anyway. Rich, spicy, dark, coffee. Complex and good. A- 7:32 PM Apr 22nd via web (A-, B)

This may have dropped since I am little hungover from the one that I had last night. I really respect them for being passionate about canned beer, and they do deliver a good product, but there is something more aesthetic about drinking from a bottle or glass.

#23 Anchor Porter. Great, easy porter. Drink it as a session beer. Probably not the best match with hot wings, but would be great with bacon. B+ 8:20 PM Apr 24th via web (B+, B)

Another reason to go to San Francisco. This is a no frills porter, a great definition of the style.

[B]

#24 Mayflower IPA. No frills IPA. Not like DFH or Smuttynose where they try to make it into something more. This IPA is no nonsense. Good. B 8:22 PM Apr 24th via web (B, B)

#25 Ipswich Original Ale. APA. Hoppy, yeah sure, but goes well with any sort of meal that has a little spice in it, like a Turkey Joe. B 7:26 PM Apr 16th via web (B, B)

I get Mayflower and Ipswich mixed up a lot, with their nautical themes and all. But they are all good session beers, which I rarely do enjoy anymore. I drink my one or two beers with dinner, and only drink occasionally without food.

#26 CBC Sgt. Pepper. I thought why not. It delivers, but the saison that it is in would be much better w/o. Taste like Kettle S&P chips. B 8:44 PM Apr 30th via web (B, B)

I got this because I was eating hot food and I thought that it would all go well. It accentuated the heat and made my food hotter. I think that the base of it, the saison part, was delicious, but it takes a lot of courage to drink, let alone brew, a spicy beer.

[C+]

#27 Sam Adams Noble Pils. This is a session beer that really doesn't go with food. It tastes better out of the bottle. Could use spice. C+ 10:48 PM Apr 3rd via web (C+, C)

I tried this a few times and I never got into it. But as national beers go, there will always be Sam Adams and you know they care about what they are brewing.

Boston Bacon and Beer Festival 2010 (by Beth)

2010-04-25T13:27:00.008-04:00

Yesterday was the much-anticipated Bacon and Beer Festival put on by @eatBoston and SoWa Sundays. I think it was a great festival, and I hope it really helped to get craft beer in more people's minds. I recognized a few local "celebrities." Top Chef season 1's Tiffani (I'm not your bitch, bitch) is apparently chef at the South End's Rocca Kitchen, the ladies of We are Not Martha were in attendance, and lots of brewers, of course. I also recognized lots of Beer Advocates, especially the festival organizers/captains/volunteers.

First, a little constructive criticism:

The line--The line to get in was long and slow-moving. We are nerds and got there early, but I had friends who came 10 minutes after it started, it took them 30 minutes to get through, and there were more people behind them in line. Ticket holders had to get their names checked off a list--there was only one table for this, despite all the names being divided into four groups (A-C, etc). If you have to check names off a list, get 4 tables for the 4 groups, and make them not have to cross path with each other to get wristbanded (actually, with tables you could have check-in one end of the table and wristbands at the end of the table).

Programs--would have been nice. I have no idea what I missed. Or what I ate.

Slop buckets--a place to rinse beer cups and throw any unwanted beer would have been welcome

Recycling/composting--I actually think they did a GREAT job at this. I was never looking for a place to put my stuff away. I never saw them overfill. Once things started winding down, though, some of the labels on the barrels disappeared and I didn't know where to throw things.

Layout--interspersing beer and food would have made for a few more surprises. Going back and forth got difficult.

Length--I think 4 hours was a bit long. We left between 4-5, when food started running out.

Food and beer lines--moved amazingly quickly.

So, the fest! Unfortunately, I think I need a new camera as mine kept dying...then working again...then dying again. So, you get a picture of Ben chowing down on a beignet with lardon and mustard-IPA sauce.

Beer: Most of the beers I'd had before--this is not a criticism, just why I didn't take many notes. It was about local beer, and there was awesome local beer!
A few places I hadn't heard of before (Cody Brewing? I didn't remember to try them, unfortunately). Since there were no programs, note-taking got cumbersome. I did try Brooklyn's Dark Matter for the first time--it was oaky and went well with bacon. I tried to stick to dark/smokey beers for this fest. I got to introduce my friend Lauren to Pretty Things and she was quite impressed...Dann and Martha from PT also impressed my friend and her husband as people. They're so sweet. And they liked my wing-ed squirrel t-shirt my mother-in-law gave me! Always happy to get people to try beer I LOVE made by nice, local people. Cape Ann had a Tea Party Killer barleywine that I missed out on, but I did enjoy their pumpkin stout-a good, smokey choice for a bacon festival.

We tried a bunch of our usuals...Mayflower Brewing knew that Ben was wearing a Mike Doughty T-shirt ("More Bacon than the Pan Can Handle"); tried Old Brown Dog (with Bacon) again from Smuttynose...it was really cold. Raison d'Etra from Dogfish Head. That's all I remember!

Food: The food was all excellent that I ate (apparently someone made really bad chicken wings, though). I was especially impressed with The Fireplace's large chunk of bacon over some puree with a chickpea salad...thing (see, I WANT PROGRAMS). It was soooo yummy. The beignets with lardon and IPA/mustard sauce from Gaslight were amazing, too. B.good made an awesome bacon-chocolate shake, which I thought had peanut butter in it, but it might not have. Garden at the Cellar had stellar bacon-date-goat cheese things. To die for. Also enjoyed Atwood's bacon-egg steamed rolls with candied bacon and maple syrup topping. I ate other stuff, too, but can barely remember it.

Overall: I think this is a great idea for a festival. I really enjoyed getting to try all the foods--I've never been to a food event like this, and I actually had already felt like I was on Top Chef BEFORE I saw Tiffani walk by me! I was even thinking "did the chefs think about what it would be like to try to eat this standing up with a spork?" (The Fireplace's was surprisingly easy to eat with a spork!).

I heard people in line talking about how they hoped to learn more about beer and the event, and I hope they did! I hope this allowed people to reach out of their comfort zones and learn something new/appreciate a new beer. I definitely found some restaurants I want to try--must say I'm already a huge fan of b.good and The Fireplace, though!

Great idea, great venue, great recycling/composting, great food and beer. AWESOME value ($25...seriously. It was a fundraiser so all the vendors must have donated. The quality of beer and food would have made a $50 price tag a bargain, although one I couldn't have probably afforded anyway). I really really enjoyed myself while I was there, and my constructive criticism is just that--meant to be constructive in hopes that they offer this event again!

Brewers Helping Neighbors Beer Fest

2010-04-15T12:27:00.002-04:00

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this, and I don't think that anyone I was with did either. I was expecting just the same (big) local breweries with the same beers you can find everywhere.

But, when we hit the first table, it was Sam Adams, with a selection of beers that I had never seen before. And they were 5oz. pours, which was something that is a huge no-no for Ba. So, immediately, I was won over and hopeful for the night to come.

It has been a while since I was a patron at a beer fest. Instead of A-F grades, I give them a quick ++, +, 0, -, -- grade, based solely on first impression.

Sam Adams:
Latitude 48 (+) - Spicy and malty. Something to look for this summer.
Sam Adams Long Shot 2010 (the home brewers competition):
Lemon Pepper Saison (+) - More like lemon, less like pepper.
Old Ben (Ale?) (++) Deep in body, maltier.
Mile High Barleywine (++) - Smooth and spicy.

Ipswich Brewery:
Ipswich Original Ale (+) - Straight forward good ale.
Ipswich Oatmeal Stout (+) - Light for a stout, good oatmeal flavor.

We ended up buying an Ipswich mixer at the grocery.

Clown Shoes Brewing Company:
Hoppy Feet Black IPA (0) - Why is it black?
Brown Angel (0) - Light, smooth, spicy. Boring compared to everything else.

A note about Brown Angel, Beth was heated up about a discussion of the label on Ba. Basically, if the label is offensive to her, the she won't buy it.

Both are under Mercury Brewing. Amazing the difference.

Blue Hills Brewery:
Munich Lager (0) - At first, bullion, but then bay leaf. something stew-like.

I have not been impressed by them. Maybe it was just the pourer, but I feel like this is Annoying Rich White Guy brewing. Not to be confused with Jim Koch of Sam Adams.

Mayflower Brewing Company:
Pale Ale (++) - Refreshing, what a session beer should be.
IPA (+) - Grapefruit beer.
Porter (+) - Porters are not stouts. *can't read other note*

Mayflower was the highlight of the fest. Though we talked with Ipswich longer. I don't know why we don't buy more Mayflower.

Harpoon Brewery:
Belgian Pale Ale (0) - Taste like Harpoon doing a Belgian.

Everything else they had I have tried before. Good thing that I didn't start with them.

And, in the end, it was a great time. Thank you very much to our friend Beck for the half-price tickets.

March Grade and Ranks

2010-04-05T09:33:00.004-04:00

Good month for beer, even if I got sick and didn't drink much. The first grade is the tweet grade (or average of grades), the second is my second opinion grade. I don't mean to go all gushy over Pretty things, but seriously, they are doing things so right.

[A]

#1 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. nice triple. is there anything that they cant Do well? Its a must try. A- 8:07 PM Mar 19th via txt
Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. This time from a bottle. Now that I knew what to expect, even more enjoyable. Love the bite w/ hops. A 7:47 PM Mar 24th via web (A, A)

Such a relaxing beer, and you should seek this out if you can.

#2 Pretty Things Mild Ale. Historic recipe. A lot hoppier/spicier than I imagined, but I didn't really read the label. DFH 90 with malt. A 8:03 PM Mar 22nd via web (A, A-)

It lost a little luster in the shadow of the Fluffy White Rabbits. Maybe I shouldn't count that against it?

[A-]

#3 Lost Abbey Lost & Found. Dubbel. Raisins and figs, extremely smooth for a Dubbel, Beth says it's more like a Brune. Also a bit sweet. A- 8:04 PM Mar 11th via web (A-, A-)

I definitely will search this one out again.

#4 Ommegang Three Philosophers. A fruity quad. Haven't had this since I got snookered at Thanksgiving. Deliciously rich. A- 7:32 PM Mar 27th via web (A-, A-)

This is a "knock you on your ass with a smile" beer. If you want a stiff beer that is very drinkable, this is the one.

#5 Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast. Slowly loving this brewery. Oatmeal and coffee, Beth loved the "cocoa notes" from the coffee. Tart. A- 8:07 PM Mar 1st via web (A-, A-)

The name says it all, but no Founder's KBS.

#6 Allagash White. With a lemon, and the wrong glassware? I mean, sure, I was happy it was there, but I know it could be better. B+ 8:39 PM Mar 13th via web (B+, A-)

Negative experience with a great beer, don't let it fool you.

#7 Great Divide Hibernation Ale. Does not go with thai food. Or necessarily after being sick. Too intense for tonight, but I know I love it. B 6:37 PM Mar 6th via web
Great Divide Hibernation. Seriously a delicious & strong beer. I can't believe I almost didn't buy it. Such elegant balance and taste. A- 8:32 PM Mar 30th via web (B+, A-)

Paired right, this ale will take you a long way.

#8 Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale. Supper hoppy Amber beer. A great in between beer, when you are not sure what you want. lovely color. B+ 8:49 PM Mar 25th via web (B+, A-)

Had three of these over the month. It got better each time.

#9 Avery duganA IPA. "dark and piney" IPA, really well balanced for as extremely hoppy as it was. A leftover from EBF, a show-off IPA. A- 8:05 PM Mar 1st via web (A-, B+)

Apparently it didn't leave a lasting impression (to the end of the month) with me.

[B+]

#10 Smuttynose IPA. The last of that 6-pick I have been nursing. Drank it warmer today, made it spicier. Enjoyed it immensely. B+ 8:15 PM Mar 9th via web (B+, B+)

The best of the local and easy-to-find IPAs out there.

#11 Rouge Dead Guy Ale. a lot more hops than i remember. still good. But bitter. b+ 7:20 PM Mar 20th via txt (B+, B+)

Borderline session beer. I wouldn't want to drink too many of these in a night or else I would be in pain. But it is extremely versitile in small amounts.

#12 Mayflower Golden Ale. cask. citrus and spicy. Yay for the indo having a cask. heart that they know us. b+ 7:59 PM Mar 15th via txt (B+, B)

I really am trying to branch out of my comfort zone, but it doesn't mean I will love everything that I try. I need to go back to the Indo and have another cask.

[B]

#13 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Also good this time around. I wasn't looking to be wowed or overpowered. Nice solid weis taste, enjoyable. B 7:23 PM Mar 5th via web (B, B)

Now this is a great, easily available beer. They tried something different, and they succeeded.

#14 Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. The last time I'm comparing with Smutty IPA. I want 60 to have a bigger body, to balance the hops. Or a 90. B 8:36 PM Mar 10th via web (B, B)

Other DFH IPAs are better.

#15 Great Divide Old Ruffian. Rough is right. Solid effort, but very peppery and whiskey-like. Not the best bareleywine, but I still love GD. B 8:20 PM Mar 15th via web (B, B)

Again, all about the right drink at the right time.

[B-]

Sam Adams Noble Pils. Wow, haven't had a Pils for a while. Hoppy with very summery and light taste. Good job from a large company. B- 8:25 PM Mar 28th via web (B-, C+)

Compared to everything else on the list, I just can't get into it. It is fine and you should try it, but I am always looking for something more balanced and less one-flavor.

Fluffy Bunnies and Social Media by Beth

2010-03-21T20:45:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I found out on Twitter that Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project were coming out with a new beer called Fluffy White Rabbits. I was intrigued, not because of the name, but because I'm a total Pretty Things Fan Girl at this point (PTFG?). I wanted to try it, but couldn't make it to the Green Street launch party for a number of reasons, plus those kinds of things stress out this introvert to some degree.

Anywho, our favorite local bar, the Independent, posted to Facebook and Twitter that they had a keg on Friday. Oh yeah, we were so there. We actually had told them earlier in the week that they should try to get it because we were excited about the beer, so now we felt REALLY COOL that they had it. Anyhow, we went, enjoyed it, had two each, and ate some cheese (love their cheese plates, which is becoming an expensive side habit to this already expensive beer habit).

The beer was very drinkable...I actually didn't know the ABV until today (the website hadn't listed it on Friday and it wasn't on the Indo's beer list)...it's stronger than it tastes, but I didn't feel all that much effect from it. I was well fed though. Anyway, it's very drinkable, with a real hop presence, but not in an assertive IPA/DIPA way, more in a tingly aromatic way. Great, drinkable, tripel flavor...a slight astringency, a touch of funk, lovely balance.

This beer definitely screamed SPRINGTIME, which was welcome on such a beautiful day as Friday was...especially after the Nor'easter that flooded the whole dang state earlier in the week. Really, the beer tasted like that first day when spring starts to emerge, the grass and dampness permeates, and it's time for some sun.

Loved it. Run, find it. Enjoy it. If you can't find it, drink whatever from Pretty Things you can.

Anyway, I also wanted to publicly point out how much I appreciate following my local businesses on twitter/facebook--they post their specials, what's on tap, events I'd be interested in going to...and I show up. It's just really great having the information sent to me. Okay, so my wallet and impending unemployment could do without the constant temptations, but a little beer is necessary during these tough times. So thanks to the Indo, and Emma's Pizza, for always tempting me and reminding me how much I love visiting your establishments.

February Grades and Ranks

2010-03-02T12:28:00.002-05:00

This is a great outlet for me. I really like knowing what I have had to drink over the past month. If you are reading this, you can follow me "live" on Twitter. I am adding a few notes this month.

[A+]

#1 Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. Had about 6-8oz. at the fest. Rich, smooth, strong, dark. You know it's good when your foam is brown. A+ 8:54 PM Feb 21st via web (A+ , A+)

I was lucky to drink as much of this as I did at the EBF. It will be hard to find a better beer.

[A]

#2 Great Divide Hibernation Ale. Old English Style Ale. Malty, robust. Peppery, too. Shared with wifey. Seriously good. A 5:57 PM Feb 10th via web (A, A)

I just got "Great Divide"... you know, the Continental Divide?

#3 Allagash White. Still awesome. So lemony and crisp, makes your mouth water for the next sip. A 6:28 PM Feb 6th via web (A, A)

#4 Allagash Four. i love my sipping beers. sour and strong. dark and delicious. a- 7:44 PM Feb 27th via txt (A-, A)

#5 Sinebrychoff Porter. baltic. no carbination. Wicked tasty for cold nights. A- 6:01 PM Feb 14th via txt (A-, A)

These last two are two wonderful beers that should be sipped. I think that this is my new favorite way to drink.

#6 Pretty Things St Botolph's Town. So dark and smooth. at red bones. waiting for potato salad. sOrry love! A 3:21 PM Feb 10th via txt (A, A-)

[A-]

#7 Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2009. Belgian ale w/ spices and cocoa. Nice medium body with strong hop appeal. Complex, nice flavor. A- 6:49 PM Feb 4th via web (A-, A-)

#8 Russian River Pliny the Younger. Had 6ozs. Sure, world's best beer, but I don't like 3PAs all that much. But I understand the hype. A- 8:57 PM Feb 21st via web (A-, A-)

Saying this is bad is like saying Christmas is bad. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

#9 Lagunitas Brown Sugar. A lot more hoppy than expected, but with a subtle sweetness and strong nody. And ABV. Enjoyed it a lot. A-. 8:30 PM Feb 18th via web (A-, A-)

[B+]

#10 Southampton Triple Abbey Style Ale. Citrus, coriander, peppery. Apparently I am on a Belgian kick lately Maybe a little "good" sour. B+ 7:51 PM Feb 12th via web (B+, B+)

#11 Great Divide Hades. Belgian Style Ale. Interesting to have this soon after Allagash White. Lemony, but more acidic. More body. B+ 6:35 PM Feb 9th via web (B+, B+)

#12 St. Feuillien Brune. a Fruity Brown. nice balance for now b+ 5:19 PM Feb 14th via txt (B+, B)

#13 Great divide Tripel. nice body for a tart lemon taste. yes i like body. b+ 6:54 PM Feb 27th via txt (B+, B)

#14 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Interesting blend of European styles, with a Hefe taste but with a heavier body. Enjoyable and different. B+ 11:51 AM Feb 27th via web (B+, B)

This truly was a different beer.

#15 Anchor Porter. Smoky, but light body. Would have been better if served warmer. Still enjoyable. B 6:50 PM Feb 5th via web (B, B+)

#16 Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. This really is a mood things between the Smuttynose and DFH. The DFH is so much sharper, but is that better? B+ 8:53 PM Feb 21st via web (B+, B)

#17 Ithaca Cascazilla. A red ale. Super hoppy, but balanced well. Nice body and taste. I thought spicy, but could have been the mustard. B+ 8:33 PM Feb 11th via web (B+, B)

#18 Smuttynose IPA. Solid stand-by. Great example of what an IPA should be. It's fun to be hoppy, but to be a good beer, you need balance. B+ 7:54 PM Feb 17th via web (B+, B)

[B]

#19 Anchor Our Special Ale 2008. Still have some holiday beer left. Really is a better session beer than with food. Like good flat soda. B 7:19 PM Feb 2nd via web (B, B)
Anchor OSA '08. After EBF, it is interesting to have something not aged in a barrel. Still super syrupy, with a little tinny-taste. Good. B+ 8:01 PM Feb 25th via web (B+, B)

Aging is still new to me. While I think that it should be good, there are new tastes that I am not sure whether or not they should be there.

[B-]

#20 Kasteel Rouge. A cherry Belgian ale. Honestly? Cough syrup, but sweet and yummy. I expected something more complex. B- 7:19 PM Feb 3rd via web (B-, C+)

Sad that this ranked as low as it did. It was one of Beth's gateway specialty beers.

#21 Middle Ages Im Paled Ale. Drinkable, yeah, but nothing exciting. It's like, "Hey, hops!" Not balanced, but does not leave a bad taste. B- 8:38 PM Feb 24th via web (B-, C+)

Beer Advocate's Extreme Beer Festival

2010-02-28T12:29:00.004-05:00

Ben and I have attended 6 of Beer Advocate's beer festivals in the three years since we moved back to Boston. Our first festival was the 2007 Belgian beer festival (BBF), and then the American Craft Beer Festival (ACBF) in 2008. Fall 2008 we were in Belgium during the Belgian beer festival. Last spring, we decided that we really enjoyed the festivals so maybe we should help out, and we volunteered at the 2009 ACBF. Well, volunteering was awesome. So we also volunteered for BBF...and though we never had the inclination to attend one before, we volunteered for the Extreme Beer Festival last weekend. I must say, it's an awesome festival! I was always a little turned of by the amount of super-strong barrel-aged beers. Which I enjoy, but shelling out $ for 3 hours of only tasting them didn't appeal to me...I was worried about how I could stay sober and gt my money's worth. But volunteering doesn't come with that worry! You do, however, really have to stay sober when you volunteer.

Ben and I volunteered all day for the Saturday portion of the festival (the Friday night is a special "Night of the Barrels" and it's hard for me to get home from work in time to volunteer for it). Knowing that we wanted to try many of the excellent beers that would be available, we actually made lists so that we would be sure to not "waste" our sobriety on anything we weren't dying to try.
Anyway, we arrived at Cyclorama a little before 10am and got to work. We got our first session assignments and I was pouring beer for...Lost Abbey! That's really pretty cool, especially since I got to do so with Director of Brewery Operations, Tomme Arthur. He was nice, though he probably thought I was nerdy...as I was being super nerdy! Haha. So, first order of business, I had to try all of Lost Abbey's beers. I know, I know...tough life of the beer advocate volunteer. They were at the top of my list of beers to try, so I was pretty psyched with my assignment. They brought Oak-Aged Ten Commandments, Barrel-Fermented Serpent's Stout, Red Poppy Ale, Sinner's Blend 2009 (a barrel-aged blend of Serpent Stout, Ten Commandments, and Gift of the Magi), and a "secret framboise"* called Framboise de Amarosa...it was actually a double version of it. My favorite was probably the framboise, then Red Poppy. Yum, Belgian-style fruity sours. All of the beers were excellent, though. I may have tried them all twice to make sure they were still good.

My job the second session was patrol...so I wandered around asking if anyone needed me and drinking/sampling when I could.
Here are some of my thoughts (unfortunately I dropped my list at the festival, Ben found all of my papers but I just looked and the list isn't in it! At least I realized this and went through the program to mark things off)

Allagash Brewing Company
Victor Frankenstein 2008--this was awesome. Their "Victor" beer aged in a cask with grapes and "bugs"...not sure what that means. I've never had an Allagash I didn't like, and this was fruity and wonderful.

Birra del Borgo
Rubus-Lamponi--sour ale made with fresh raspberry. If I recall it was refreshing, but apparently forgettable.

Brewery Ommegang
Ommegeddon "Funkhouse Saison"...a little too much for me at the time I drank it

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
They had this special contraption called "randall" where the beer would filter through additives like wood chips, orange peels, additional hops leaves, or espresso beans as they poured it. Added a lot of flavor.
Burton Baton Meets Randall w/Wood Chips
This was pretty woody. I liked it.
Red & White Meets Randall w/Orange Peels
This was fruity, refreshing, but still held its own. Really enjoyed this one.
World Wide Stout Meets Randall w/Espresso Coffee Beans
Probably my 2nd favorite beer of the night. The espresso was just an amazing complement and the way the flavor was used with the Randall was just amazing. An awesome treat.
I tried a sip of Wrath of Pecan from Ben and it was nice and smokey. Enjoyable.

Founders Brewing Company
Canadian Breakfast Stout--a syrup-barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout. My favorite beer of the festival. Smooth and complex. Definitely get maple, chocolate, and coffee flavors in it. Sweet but balanced. At the end of the fest, after clean-up, the volunteers got to drink some of the leftovers of this. I could have had two glasses, just relaxing. Loved it. A+

Ithaca Beer Company
LeBleu--a blueberry sour. I enjoyed this immensely. Tart.

Russian River Brewing Company
The Much Lusted After Pliny the Younger--Triple IPA: it was good, dry, hoppy, drinkable, enjoyable. But not my favorite beer ever. I didn't dislike it, though, at all. Great beer, just not what I was looking for that evening.
Supplication--Brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels w/Brett and sour cherries-- this was a very good beer and I liked it a lot.

Short's Brewing Company
Key Lime Pie--brewed w/lime puree, graham cracker, marshmallow, and milk sugar. I would NOT have tried this if I hadn't been asking all the volunteers what their favorite beers were. This was, actually, very very good and drinkable. Sweet and tasty. It felt like you were drinking a beery key lime pie, but not disgusting like that sounds. Awesome job on that.
I tried some of Ben's Plum Rye Bock and it was okay
Turtle Stout--another very sweet beer, stout brewed with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Really enjoyed it, very decadent.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Vintage 1994 Bigfoot Barleywine--I tried a sip of Ben's. This beer had mellowed, was really balanced and just great. A 16-year-old beer! Really impressive
Chocolate Chili Imperial Stout--stout with cocoa nibs and chipotle chills....I'd heard that most of the chili beers weren't very good, but this is exactly what I wanted. Smokey heat and chocolate. Yum.

Smuttynose Brewing Company
Bacon Brown Dog--I had really built this up in my head. 1) it was lighter in flavor and color than Brown Dog 2) The bacon flavor wasn't at the perfect level. I was disappointed in this beer, but again, I had built it up a lot in my head.
Potato Maple Porter--this was really enjoyable. Apparently I like maple flavor in beer (or, really, anything--like Starbucks Gold Coast Blend paired with maple!)

The Bruery
Mischief--still very good since the last time I had it. Very enjoyable hoppy golden strong ale.

I alluded to the fact that at the end of the night we got to drink from some of the kegs. One of the volunteers actually did a keg stand of Sam Adams' Utopias. Umm....it's like $100/bottle. But hey, he can say he did it. I tried some, and it's definitely a sipping beer. It'd be nice to try when I had time to enjoy it better. Apparently lots of the volunteers had combined Utopias and Canadian Breakfast Stout, which sounds good, but really my sample of Utopias was enough!

The next morning was the Hair of the Dog after-brunch at Cambridge Common. I had done such a good job of being social the day before that I sat by myself (Ben was working) and just people watched. The idea of chatting someone up was too much, though Candice Alstrom was super sweet to me which I appreciate, inviting me to sit with them. I just couldn't! Anyway, I had Dogfish Head's Black and Blue, which was great. And then a DFH World Wide Stout (since I'd enjoyed it so much with Randall). It was great, but way stronger than I anticipated. Being tipsy by 2pm is awesome. I wandered over to Ben's store after and he laughed at me.

Oh, and at this festival? I have never been flirted with by so many guys. Some dude even put his arm around me when I was standing next to Ben and declared me his "Canadian Breakfast Stout Girl" (well, he slurred that part). Ben was not amused. I was amused that I really did talk to so many guys! Now Ben knows what it's like when I see him being Barista McFlirtyPants. HA!

Volunteering is awesome, and soo soo worth the 13 hour day we put in. Our feet were killing us, but we were so happy and had a great time.

*I seriously told ONE person about this beer and then that's all anyone wanted. We had no signs for some reason, so no one knew where Lost Abbey was, so no lines. People who knew where we were came up, no joke, 10 times asking for the freakin' framboise. It was awesome, but still...there are other beers to try, people! The guys from Allagash, though, were so cute coming over and looking guilty asking for it. "Um, may I try the 'secret' beer?" YES!

Return of the Christmas Beers (Beth)

2010-02-04T19:49:00.005-05:00

We finally drank the beers we got each other for Christmas...we actually planned meals around them.

Last night was Kasteel Rouge, paired with bleu-cheese dried-cherry turkey meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and salad (spring greens, tomatoes, onions, dried cherries, and a white wine vinaigrette).
The first time I tried Kasteel Rouge was at Beer Advocate's Belgian Beer Fest in 2007. I remember how impressed I was to find a dark beer with cherries. Yeah, well, apparently my tastes have matured since then! I've been to Belgium again, another Belgian beer festival, and tried a lot more cherry-based beers...this is not a star, to me, anymore. It tasted...well...like cherry cough syrup. Overly sweet and syrupy in texture. Just not my thing anymore.

The food, actually, wasn't cherry enough to hold up to the hit of cherries. The meatloaf, done in the crockpot, was super dry...my fault as I started it cooking about 12 hours before we ate it. I have a biiiiig crockpot, and apparently there was just not enough food for being in there so long (I usually cook huge beef or pork roasts in my crockpot on days I work, not a pound of ground turkey). Next time I'd do the covered dish within the crockpot trick. Anyway, the meatloaf was dry, and did not have any bleu cheese flavor in it, despite using a particularly pungent one. It was so dry that I had to make emergency gravy. Life is tough.
Kasteel Rouge C+
Meatloaf B-
Overall satisfaction: Eh.

Tonight we drank Mikkeller's Santa's Little Helper (2009). To pair with the Christmas beer we did a holiday meal...roast turkey breast, Ben's famous stuffing, and bacon-onion green beans, and gravy (I couldn't find any frozen cranberries to make sauce!). Oh my. This meal was good. The beer might have been even better. Hints of cola, cocoa, strong hop presence, excellent maltiness. Great beer. Delicate. The Bruery's 2 Turtle Doves, while excellent, is a wee bit...overpowering. It's in-your-face. This is just a much more subtle and nuanced beer. (Full disclosure: since my last post I've had more Two Turtle Doves on New Year's Eve and we bought another bottle as our first cellaring beer...maybe it'll mellow a bit with age).
Dinner was great, I might add. Ben's stuffing never disappoints, and the butter-sage-shallot rub I used gave the meat so much flavor. Can't wait for leftovers!
Santa's Little Helper A-
Turkey A-
Overall satisfaction: nom nom nom with a side of tryptophan

January Grades and Ranks

2010-02-02T18:24:00.005-05:00

Alright, my first post with the intention of tracking my beer consumption. I share my immediate thoughts on Twitter, which is the first grade in the parenthesis. The second grade is my "lasting impression/second consideration". Within the grades, they are ranked from top to bottom. I try not to drink much crap.

I plan to do one of these a month. Here is my January list.

-Ben.

[A]

#1 Pretty Things Babayaga. Wow, simply. Smoky, dark flavor with a medium body that does not diminish the cacophony of intense flavor. A 7:13 PM Jan 7th from web (A,A)
#2 Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti. First Beer '10: A, A+ with chocolate cake. 11:37 PM Dec 31st, 2009 from web (A,A)
#3 Allagash Wheat. Belgian Wheat. Simply one of the best session beers ever. It will never disappoint. A 7:46 PM Jan 27th from web (A,A)
#4 Smuttynose Farmhouse Ale. A saison with big coriander and lemony flavor. Each sip powerful, but once settled, makes you want more. A- 7:36 PM Jan 14th from web (A-,A)
#5 Iron Horse's Quilter's Irish Death. Dark Smooth Ale, which it was to a T. Really delicious, thick bodied ale. Smart, not-a-stout. A- 8:54 PM Jan 30th from web (A-,A)

[A-]

#6 Pretty Things Jack D'or. American Saison. Beautiful balance of lemon, coriander, and pepper. Like to have this about once a month. A- 9:20 PM Jan 31st from web (A-, A-)
#7 Harpoon Leviathan Porter. Big body, big taste. Tart like whiskey, but not pungent. Thick and lingering head until the end. A- 7:22 PM Jan 25th from web (A-,A-)
#8 Anchor Our Special Ale 2009. I love the use of herbs and spices to make this a very flavorful beer. Had a slight tin aftertase. B+ 8:04 PM Jan 9th from web (B+,A-)

[B+]

#9 Breckenridge Christmas Ale. Nice balance of herbs and spices, lighter body than Anchor's OSA. Great with the right food. B+ 6:59 PM Jan 12th from web (B+,B+)
#10 Dogfish Punkin Head. This isn't powerfully pumpkin like the last one. The spice is almost a subtle afterthought to a very good beer. B+ 11:29 PM Jan 23rd from web (B+,B+)
#11 Bear Republic Rebellion at the indo. super hops. Good body. b+ 5:43 PM Jan 3rd from txt (B+,B+)
#12 Weyerbacher Hops Infusion. cask. real smooth and balanced. b+ 10:38 PM Jan 20th from txt (B+,B+)
#13 Snoqualmie Falls Wildcat IPA. Soft hops, but a lot of them. Well-balanced, subtly strong. B+ 8:54 PM Jan 10th from web (B+,B+)
#14 Pike Tandem Double Ale. A gift from Brad. Great taste, dark color, little light on the body. A-? 7:53 PM Jan 1st from web
Dropping Tandem to a solid B. Doesn't have the OMG factor that an A-range beer should have. Still enjoyable. 9:07 PM Jan 1st from web (B,B+)
#15 Anchor Our Special Ale 2008. The beer ages well, but I felt mine was a little flat. Perhaps the dinner was so yummy that it paled in comparison. B 7:52 PM Jan 13th from web
Anchor OSA '08 again. Alone this time. A lot more rounded in flavor and not muddled by contrasting flavors of food. Up to a B+ 10:27 PM Jan 15th from web (B,B+)
#16 Lazy Boy Brewing Belgian Golden Ale. Dark for a golden, lovely bite, medium body. The taste flattened near the end. B+ 7:31 PM Jan 6th from web (B+,B)
#17 Bear Repbulic Heritage Scotch Ale. Malts and sweet with strong after taste. sticks to the back of your throat. b+ 8:04 PM Jan 26th from txt (B+,B)
#18 Smuttynose Wheat Wine Ale. Wheat/Barleywine mix. Super strong. Good beer, but wasn't prepared for it. Too much barley for a wheat. B+ 7:45 PM Jan 29th from web (B+,B)
#19 Bavik Wittekerke. A Belgian Wheat. Paired amazingly with quiche and arugula. Nothing to push it to a "wow" beer. B+ 7:43 PM Jan 21st from web (B+,B)

[B]

#20 Salopian Entire Butt. English Porter, Cask. Nice with a smokiness that lingers. Light body. Drinkable, but not exciting. B 7:21 PM Jan 25th from web (B,B)
#21 Dogfish Head 60 IPA. Not as hoppy as it's cousins, but full-bodied tartness to the last drop. Very dependable. B 11:29 PM Jan 8th from web (B.B)
#22 Smuttynose IPA. A well balanced IPA without too much hops. A no-frills, just a good everyday beer. B 11:31 PM Jan 23rd from web (B,B)
#23 Stone Sublimely Self Righteous. Black double ipa. Confusing what it wants to be. b- 6:15 PM Jan 3rd from txt
Stone self righteous. better taste at end. B 6:33 PM Jan 3rd from txt (B,B-)
#24 Middle Ages The Duke of Winship. A Scotch Ale. Dark, medium body. Nice spice. By far the best thing from Middle Ages, but nothing too wild. B- 10:41 PM Jan 16th from web (B-,B)
#25 Elysian Night Owl. A Pumpkin ale. Powerful smell and taste, moreso than Punkin, but not annoyingly sweet or spicy. Good balance. B 9:46 PM Jan 22nd from web (B,B-)

[B-]

#26 Rogue Double Dead Guy. Something sweet is hiding something bitter. unsure me the taste. b- 10:19 PM Jan 20th from txt (B-,C+)

[C]

#27 Two Brothers Cane & Ebel. super hops red rye. not impressed. c+ 8:39 PM Jan 26th from txt (C+,C-)
#28 Middle Ages Swallow Wit. Pretty boring as drinkable wits go. No complaints, though. C 11:11 PM Jan 4th from web (C,C-)

Christmas Beer

2009-12-25T21:25:00.007-05:00

It's been a great beer week!

Ben and I went to The Indepedent for a beer and snack on Wednesday...we split a bottle of The Duchesse of Bourgogne. It was amazing and worth all the hype. Nice balance and interplay between sweet and sour, beautiful color, amazing aroma. Just a genuinely enjoyable beer.

Last night, Christmas Eve, we had pork chops for dinner so I wanted to go fruity. We tried the Sam Adams American Kriek. It was okay...a little too astringent for me, and the interplay between the sweet and sour was less organic than with the Duchesse...more jarring, really. Comparing it so closely to the Duchesse probably made me enjoy it less, actually. A really good shot at a hard beer style, though. The body was lighter, the aroma was fine, just a bit of a dud.

Today Ben gave me a bottle of Kasteel Rouge in my stocking...sense a theme? Ben's stocking contained a bottle of Mikkeler's Santa's Little Helper 2009. Neither of them have been opened yet. I also gave Ben The Beer Book (I paid more than that! But I bought it at a local independent book store, so that's okay)...which he's already reading. They list breweries around the world, giving examples of what they offer. He sees it as a "to-do list."

For Christmas dinner we brought a six pack of Anchor's Our Special Ale 2008 and a magnum of The Bruery's Two Turtle Doves. My mom was supposed to have wine for her and my sister, but I never saw it. My sister, who usually drinks Miller Lite and is a calorie counter, was adventurous and tried both of them. I'm pleased to report that my sister ENJOYED the Anchor! An aged Christmas ale! She thought it was great and even drank half of a second. The 2 Turtle Doves was too much for her, but my mom enjoyed it (even if she was surprised by the alcohol content). I must say that I love the 2008 Our Special Ale...I drank it last year and loved it, and I really like it more than the 2009, which is a little too sharp (it would probably react well to the aging, but I doubt it will age well in my fridge!). I can't wait to finish of the six pack! The 2008 was nutmegy, and a great beer to enjoy while thinking Christmas.
I thought the 2 Turtle Doves was an amazing beer as well. Dark, lovely body, rich flavor, intense. The alcohol content fit its flavor profile (I hate when something just tastes boozey!). Went well with dinner but went perfect with cake and ice cream for dessert.
Can't wait to crack open our new beers, finish off our Christmas ales (OSA 2008&2009, some Breckenridge Christmas we smuggled back from Thanksgiving in Kansas in our suitcase). May even be holding on for dear life to my last 4-pack of DFH Punkin Ale.
I love fall and winter beers!

Thankgiving '09 beer collection, Ben

2009-11-28T10:17:00.002-05:00

Jason Ortiz Home Brews,

Holiday Ale: Best of the three. Cinnamon and nutmug, but not too overwhelming. A-
Cherry Stout: Not at all cherry, but it was good for a medium body stout. B
Apple Wine: Tasted just like that. Apples and wine. Strong and drinkable. B-

Free State Doppelbock: Dark and smooth, with a little tang at the end. It was a nice contrast to the Hennepin we bought. B+

Ommegong Heppepin: Great farmhouse ale. Most belgian styles are easy to pair with a variety of foods, and this worked well. Not the A+ pairing with any one thing, but it did not overpower any part of the meal. A-

Three Philosphers Quad: This was fun to drink, despite the strong liquor taste to it. Similar to bourbon or whiskey in the tartness, but the kick did not distract you from wanting the drink more. A

Great Divide Double Wit: It took me forever to buy and drink this beer. Really enjoyable with a nice balance between a classic Belgian taste and smoothing it out with a subtle sweetness. A

Breckenridge Sample Pack,

Avalanche Ale: Didn't actually get to drink it this time, but it went perfectly in the beer bread. A-
Oatmeal Stout: It promises what it delivers and really enjoyable, but doesn't capture that balance of the Founder's Breakfast Stout. B
Vanilla Porter: This is what I want a vanilla porter to be. The vanilla didn't overpower the rest of the beer and the body was nice and thick. A-
Pandora's Bock: This actually had a negative taste on the first sip because I didn't know what to expect, but as a kept drinking it was enjoyable and had a second. B+

Overall, we did a good job picking out the beer for Thanksgiving, and it seemed my whole family enjoyed it.

ACBF '09, Ben's take

2009-06-23T15:17:00.012-04:00

I volunteered Friday, and was a patron Saturday. All of it was a good weekend. My notes written are in italics, some I will try to decipher.

Here are the beers that I sampled:

++:
Black Butte Porter - Deschutes Brewery, OR
Super smooth. Oh yes it was, yum!

Mirror Mirror - Deschutes Brewery, OR
No notes, because I tried this on the first day. This was certainly one of the biggest surprises of the fest. A barleywine so good that Beth liked it.

Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, DE
Nice whiskey taste and strong. You got to love the fun stuff that Dogfish has, and I would definitely seek out a 22oz. bottle of this fine beer.

Archangel - John Harvard's Brew House, MA
Hoppy. Wow, I didn't say much for my favorite beer of the fest. It was made especially for this fest and boy did John Harvard's hit it out of the park. A lovely example of a DIPA.

Paper City Summer Brew - Paper City Brewery, MA
Super refreshing. I do not know much about Helles Bock, but I know that after a lot of ales and stouts, this was quite the pallet cleanser. It wasn't too kitschy like their peach beer.

Saint Botolph's Town - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, MA
Refreshing and good body. Apperently good body is really important to me. I want my beer to either match what it looks like, or find a blance with taste so I am not distracted when I drink. This was a brown. Pretty Things was awesome and you should support the homegrown movement.

Duck-Rabbit Barleywine - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, NC
Wow, strong but balanced. While Duck-Rabbit wasn't the show stopper, it certainly was a highlight of my fest. I only had this and the porter, but both were so enjoyable that I quickly gained faith in them and want to try more.

+:
Dorado Double IPA - Ballast Point Brewing, CA
Way too fruity. And we all know that I love the IPAs

Crazy Ivan - Bear Republic Brewing Co., CA
Smooth but tart. Beth actually got this sample, though I tried it. It was so tart compared to the Norcal.

NorCal - Bear Republic Brewing Co., CA
Not all that bitter. It is supposed to be a bitter, but it didn't have all that much bite for me. But overall I trust Bear Republic.

Flashback Anniversary Ale - Boulder Brewing Co., CO
Good, but light. Trust in Boulder beer.

Mojo Risin' - Boulder Brewing Co., CO
Good and solid. this is a cheat. I have had it before and I know that I like it. Do not get it confused with just Mojo, though.

Cuvee de Cardoz - Brooklyn Brewery, NY
Nice and peppery. A Belgian style ale.

Obsidian Stout - Deschutes Brewery, OR
Smooth and big body. Probably would have been better if I hadn't drank it next to the porter.

Titan - Great Divide Brewing, CO
Solid. I've had it before, and it is solid.

Toasted Brown Ale - John Harvard's Brew House, MA
Smooth. Apparently at John Harvard's booth, I had given up description. But, overall, they have fine beer.

Milk Stout - Left Hand Brewing Co., CO
Milk-like. Well, I should hope so. This is a good basic stout from Left Hand and you should try it.

Oak Aged Imperial Stout - Left Hand Brewing Co., CO
Not too stout, better than Stone's. Way to go Left Hnad, beating one of my favorite brewers at their own game. Imperial stouts should have a kick, but be drinkable, too.

90 Shilling - Odell Brewing Co., CO
Smooth. A Scottish ale, and one that I have seen a lot in stores, especially in Colorado and Kansas. I would consider this next time I am looking for something different.

One Eared Monkey - Paper City Brewery, MA
Wow, like peach! This brewer had some exciting flavors that were enjoyable. I wouldn't necessarily buy a 6-pack, but it is good to try something different.

Baby Tree - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project, MA
Good Belgium, no real plum taste. A quad, with plums. But really, it felt like neither of those, and was simply refreshing.

Honey-Orange Wheat - Rogue Ales, OR
Crisp and summer. A realy tasty summer beer, which I guess I think I like more than I will admit. Sometimes I am scared of what Rogue offers, but this worked.

Shipyard Export - Shipyard Brewing Co., ME
Refreshing but plain. An English style ale. Shipyard is good, but never can make it to the next tier with me. But Beth loves their Blueberry!

Coney Island Human Blockhead - Shmaltz Brewing Co., CA
Bittersweet. These are the same gus that do HE'BREW. Enjoyable, but from a Barleywine, I want more.
HE'BREW Rejewventator - Shmaltz Brewing Co., CA
Enjoyable. Best name of the fest. A half dopplebock, half dubbel. Though this isn't upper tier material, I would like to try more from them.

Gravitation Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Co., NH
Yes raisin! Raisin beers have their one distinct taste that you have to try. You'll love it or hate it, and you'll definitely know when it doesn't work. This is a great example from a great brewer.

Prohibition Ale - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, CA
No notes. But I was pleasently surprised how enjoyable it was. I had it with my free meal.

2007 Stone Imperial Russian Stout - Stone Brewing Co., CA
Tart. I had high expectations for this, and was a little disappointed. It wasn't bad at all, but I really feel like imperial stouts should be a malt first.

Duck-Rabbit Porter - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, NC
Nice body with balance. Porters are so fun to drink, because they have a little bit of everything, and this one worked all the parts in equally.

XVI Anniversary Barley Wine - Uinta Brewing Co., UT
Drinkable. Good job for something that I was trying because the line to Dogfish was so long that I was at Uinta's booth.

0:
Summer Solstice - Anderson Valley Brewing C0., CA
Berry flavor. Apparently.

Red Barron Ale - Blue Hills Brewery, MA
Okay, not exciting. This matched with the other Blue hills that I tried, not impressed with a local brewery.

Brooklyn Moster Ale 2007 - Brooklyn Brewery, NY
Not a great barleywine. I was actually disappointed that Brooklyn did not make a good barleywine.

Hurricane Amber Ale - Coastal Extreme Brewing, RI
Not really an amber feel. I want my ambers to have some body.

Morimoto Soba Ale - Rouge Ales, OR
Yeasty. Which, apparently is not enjoyable.

Star Island Single - Smuttynose Brewing Co., NH
Good if you want an abbey. Yeah, but I really didn't want an abbey at the time.

Bootlegger Black Lager - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, CA
Smooth, licorice. It is what it is, probably a good example, but I didn't like it.

Special Taco Mac 30 Year Anniversary Ale - Terrapin Beer Co., GA
Fun, but not that exciting. 30 ingrediants, that were well balanced, but it wasn't that good. I still find myself not trusting Terrapin, yet I keep trying.

-:
Blue Hill IPA - Blue Hills Brewery, MA
Boring. You would expect an IPA to at least have a bite.

--:
Imperial Skibsol - Cambridge Brewing Co., MA
Bacon. The initial taste was bacon. And I couldn't get past in. Sad, for I love CBC.

#29, Ben

2009-06-06T21:09:00.003-04:00

So ridiculously behind in this, because I have had a lot of beer wince my last post and I should be in the 40's, easily. But, I had a beer that was worth posting about right away.

Beer: 75 Minute IPA
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: American IPA
Date Drank: 6/6/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: The Other Side
Served from a: Cask

Cask beers are my new love. I think that they taste more "real" from a cask. Not that I have anything against any other method, but I just feel so in tune with the brewer when the beer comes from a cask. Now, I traditionally want my casks a little more room temperature, but that was my only complaint about the beer. It was really a great balance between the 60 and the 90 minute IPAs. While the 60 is safely smooth and the 90 is undoubtedly tart, the 75 plays gently between the two. It was very drinkable, but flavorful enough to make each sip an enjoyable one.

This beer does not come out in bottles, as far as I know, but is definitely worth the drink.

#26, #27, #28 for Ben

2009-04-11T10:02:00.003-04:00

Beer: Old Ruffian Barley Wine
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: American Barleywine
Date Drank: 4/10/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: 22oz. Bottle

Great Divide is amazing. They continually have outstanding beer and I have never been disappointed. True, I am glad that I tried the Rice Beer before ever buying a bottle, but other than that oddity, just try anything they make. This drink sets my standard from what I want from barley wines. The only thing that docks it a point is that I was having trouble finishing such a big bottle because of the 10% alcohol content. Which, really, it shouldn't count against it, but if you want a straight A or even A+, you need make me want more of you. I like that barley wines can either be hoppy or malty, and this one is a nice balance between the two. A bite, a smoothness. Just so yummy.

Beer: Founders Porter
Brewery: Founders Brewing Company, Michigan
Category: American Porter
Date Drank: 4/8/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods
Served from a: bottle

I wish that Founders was more available out here. OUr friend Josh raves about the brewery every time we mention beer, and as well he should. The description on the bottle says "dark, rich, and sexy." And, really, it is. For Beth and I, after we had our first bottle, we realized how rich it was. We were almost afraid to drink it with the wrong type of food. We had it with a more hardy of a meal, ham I believe. It is very much a dessert beer, but not like chocolate dessert, but certainly that can finish up a meal very easily.

Beer: Claymore Scotch Ale
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: Scotch Ale
Date Drank: 4/10/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: tap

My first Scotch Ale. So, they look like porters, but they carmalize the wort and typically have a higher alcohol content. It was a good beer, but really, you could have told me that it was a strong porter and would have been very happy. I don't know much about the category, but certainly would like to learn more and try more of this. Maybe go visit Scotland?

#17 & 18 (they won't let me tag enough)

2009-04-02T21:30:00.003-04:00

#17
Beer: Ipswich Original Ale
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: sometime with dinner the first week of the NCAA tournament :-P
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/home
Served from a: bottle

Complex, balanced, caramelly-flavor. Fruity overtones.

#18
Beer: Bass Pale Ale
Brewery: Bass Brewers Limited, UK
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: 3/21/09
Grade: C+
Location purchased/drank: The Thirsty Scholar
Served from a: Tap

I know I'm in the minority on this, but this was my College Beer. Having a party? My friends all bought bottles of vodka and I stocked up my fridge with Bass. I will always associate it with those days, and therefore always have a fondness for it. Lovely gateway beer into craft beer. It's a lovely, drinkable, sessionable, flavorful beer (especially for beers available at Sam's Club or BJs or where ever we bought all our party supplies). Caramelly, almost-tannic. Nice beer, always a good back up choice for me.

Oh, hai #14-16

2009-04-02T20:57:00.005-04:00

#14
Beer: Espresso Oak Ages Yeti Imperial Stout
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: American Double/Imperial Stout
Date Drank: 3/13/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Common Ground in Allston
Served from a: tap

This beer was really amazing. Took forever to pour (I think I waited about 10 minutes for it). Gorgeously dark. Sweet, coffee-bitter, chocolately. Sensuous body--very smooth. This beer is well...sexy...and highly recommended.

#15
Beer: Left Hand Milk Stout
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 3/15/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Miracle of Science in Cambridge
Served from a: tap

I loved this beer a few years ago, when I was really getting into craft. I remember that it won a gold medal at the GABF, which I thought was cool (but probably not the hardest thing in the world, either depending on category). It's got a great, creamy body/mouthfeel. The flavor, however, I find lacking, especially drinking this the day after the Espresso Oak Aged Yeti (damn, there are too many Yetis...but they're all so good!). This beer seems to me to be all about the mouth feel and not enough about the aroma, the flavor, the roastiness of a stout.

#16
Beer: Coffeehouse Porter
Brewery: Berkshire Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: American Porter
Date Drank: 3/16/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

This is one of my favorite beers. I get this quite often at the Indo, actually. Great heavy body, robust flavor, drinkable and just plain tasty. "Roasty" is a word used on beeradvocate and I have to agree. Yum! Not as refined in flavor as the Espresso Yeti, but still a great great beer.

#24 and #25 for Ben

2009-04-02T20:42:00.004-04:00

One quarter of the way through. I really need to make a list so I know what I need to drink. The beer fest samples will not count, sadly.

Beer: 90 Minute IPA
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: American Double IPA
Date Drank: 3/25/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods
Served from a: Bottle

I know that I love this beer and I know that I have had it better from the tap at the Independent. But, that's okay. I still recommend it from the bottle. For the hop-head, like I, this is the best of the Minutes group... that I have tried. I want to try the 75 minute when I can. Wherever it may be. The numbers have to do with the alcohol level in the beer, so this is pretty strong for a social beer. I think, though, why this isn't in the A-range is that I am put off by raisin-y flavor. Shame, because that is the way a lot of my favorite beers go. I'm not disgusted, but it certainly is a B-level flavor for me.

Beer: Red Rocket Ale
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing, California
Category: American Amber
Date Drank: 3/31/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

Bear Republic is quickly becoming one of my favorite brewers. This beer is a nice go-between for both Beth and I, since we both had it. It is a light beer for her, a dark for me. It was very well balanced between the malt and the hops. It is a great example of an Amber. But, I didn't drink a second glass of it. It was about as far away I wanted to stray for my normal beers that day.

Redbones celebrates Boulder Beer, #22 & #23

2009-03-30T20:56:00.009-04:00

I Hope that Beth catches up soon in posting. I like seeing her thoughts on what she drinks.

Beer: Mojo Risin' Double IPA
Brewery: Boulder Beer, Colorado
Category: American Double IPA
Date Drank: 3/30/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Redbones
Served from a: Tap

I love the DIPAs, but I, for some reason, never really got around to drinking this. I liked it. A little cloudy in color and the hops will bite you right away. The malt was more of an after taste than a taste. As it is, Boulder has a good track record, and are a solid brewing company. If you like your DIPA to bite then sooth, it's a good choice.

Beer: Planet Porter - Cask Conditioned
Brewery: Boulder Beer, Colorado
Category: American Porter
Date Drank: 3/30/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Redbones
Served from a: Cask

This is an excellent beer with a cask condition. It was really velvety smooth, with a subtle hint of cocoa. It had a nice medium body that made it drinkable. And, without the additional nitrogen it felt settled. Like, not coffee grounds settled, but after stirring something settled. It was highly enjoyable and I wonder what it is like when it is not cask-condition. Hell, if you are reading this right now, get down to Redbones.

Ben, #20, #21

2009-03-29T21:35:00.004-04:00

Beer: #9
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company, Vermont
Category: Fruit/Vegetable Beer
Date Drank: 3/21/09 & 3/27/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: The Thirsty Scholar & Champions & bottle
Served from a: Tap & bottle

I never thought that I would give one of my gateway beers such a low grade. But really, in the large scheme, it is not all that low. I just know what I like and I tend to only drink that way. But, anyway, Magic Hat, to where Beth and I even went to the brewery on our honeymoon, is a good beer company with good beer. You definitely should try it if you are ever near it. It is the imfamous apricot beer. It is smooth as drinking anything full of citrus can be. Hazy, and medium. Not that heavy in alcohol, so it is a good every day type of drink. Sometimes it is a relief for me to see this on the menu, like at Champions, but with Thirsty Scholar, where I expect more selection, just resolved to drink this because I know what to expect.

Beer: Tremont Ale
Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Co., Maine
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: 3/21/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Thirsty Scholar
Served from a: Tap

This beer is a little powerhouse of an English Ale. I am starting to see that I like the English Pale Ales, and never really seem to want to get an American Pale Ale. Typically English ingredients and hard water are what make the flavor. Buttery. Hoppy. Yes, these are ingredients that I can get behind.

Ben, #18 & #19

2009-03-25T19:34:00.003-04:00

Beer: Abbey Normal
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: Dubbel
Date Drank: 3/24/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Cambridge Brewing Company
Served from a: Tap

Unlike the Strong Ales that I tend to pick when I drink Belgian, this is not as tart and fruity as I am used to. It was describe as raisiny, and malty, which both CBC did deliver on. It did have a classic Belgian taste to it, but grew more mild as I drank it. Solid beer, and anything seasonal is worth the try at CBC.

Beer: Ipswich Original Ale
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: English Pale Ale
Date Drank: 3/15/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Miracle of Science & Whole Foods
Served from a: Tap & Bottle respectively

Ipswich is so unassuming when it comes to beer. They don't try to over power you with flavor, but simply make something that is enjoyable. And there original ale is just that. This is an ale that you would want if you sat down and said, "Give me an ale!" I guess smooth would best describe it, since it is there to drink leisurely or wash down a meal. I bought this for both occasions. I tend to like my beers that are memorable for a reason, but it is pretty much memorable without. Great for parties, like a baby shower!

Ben's #16 & #17

2009-03-23T18:37:00.003-04:00

My list of beers to review was getting as long as those that I those that I had already reviewed.

Beer: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company, California
Category: Oatmeal Stout
Date Drank: 3/18/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

THough Beth loved this beer, I wasn't overly impressed. Sure, it was a good beer, but I wasn't won over with body or taste, the two things that I expect from a stout. I guess that I really want my stouts to be like drinking milk (body wise). But, hey, it was enjoyable to the last drop. It went well with the ice-cream layered cake that we chose to eat.

Beer: Hercules Double IPA
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: American Double/Imperial IPA
Date Drank: 3/16/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

My first experience with this was way back in Colorado, I believe at the Great American Beer Fest, and I have loved it ever since first sip. It falls into the grapefruit-like beer that I love, but it also has body, too. Great Divide is a leader among great beers, and certainly try anything you find... except the rice-beer. Funny, though, after tasting a lot of those and mentally comparing to other DIPAs, this is not all that an uncommon a taste. Either I have good picking skills or I just love the whole group. But, this one will always hold a special place for me.

Volunteer

2009-03-21T23:01:00.000-04:00

Beth and I are both going to volunteer at the American Craft Beer Fest.

Ben's #15

2009-03-09T19:56:00.002-04:00

I need to maybe keep a list on my person so I know what I have and have not reviewed. Probably right now is fine, but imagine about 70 beers in?

Beer: Brutal Bitter Ale
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: Extra Special/Strong Bitter
Date Drank: 3/9/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 oz Bottle in a glass

This is a hop lover's beer. You take a sip and say, "My, this is bitter. Yet coyingly enjoyful." Hoppy, yes, but the malt is there to tune it down. But just a little. The balance is kinda like a sweet &sour sauce. The whole ah-ooh affect. But, being brutal, this beer only does get a B+ for it is more of a novelty than a thirst quencher. I put down my glass and felt happy, but was okay that I didn't have more.

#13 Beth

2009-03-09T19:48:00.004-04:00

#13
Beer: Brutal Bitter Ale
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: Extra Special/Strong Bitter
Date Drank: 3/9/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 oz Bottle in a glass

Pours a hazy golden caramel with a strong head. Aroma of hops (grapefruity) but also yeast and a malty sweet background. I like it, but it's not my beer. A bit too much hops and not balanced by the malt--malt is there, but I like my malty beers. I'm sure it's good if you like hoppy beers (let's see Ben's review!)

#12, Beth

2009-03-06T20:00:00.002-05:00

#12
Beer: Racer 5 IPA
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewery, California
Category: American IPA
Date Drank: 3/6/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/home
Served from a: Bottle

Honestly? I'm not a huge IPA fan. I taste them and I think "Okay, but I might as well be drinking grapefruit juice." Many double IPAs, the ones I like, usually have a hoppy balance to counteract the...grapefruitiness...of the beer, and I appreciate it. Single IPAs are generally not that complex in my experience. This beer? Is great. The flavor is a bit grapefruity (really, I think hops taste like grapefruit, and can't get over it), but there's a bit more balance. A floral quality. Maybe a hint of apples in the beer. It has a bit more body than most beers of its ilk...it lingers. Astringent on the tongue. Really drinkable. Great with Mexican food (which we've done twice, at least, with this six-pack. Forget what we drank with it last week)

#14, Ben

2009-03-06T19:43:00.002-05:00

Beer: Racer 5 IPA
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewery, California
Category: American IPA
Date Drank: 3/6/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods
Served from a: Bottle

This is a fine example of a normal IPA. Compare this to the Harpoon version, and you'll see what can be done so simply, yet so strong in flavor. It is an easy drinking experience, too. Sure, it is bitter, but it goes down with now aftertaste/afterburps. Decently high, too, in the alcohol. I first had this, knowingly, at a bar in Northampton. I loved it there, but was weary of California beers. I still think that the majority of California beers suck. But this one is a keeper. I drank three (over a week) expecting something to be bad about it, but really, this might be the finest single IPA I have had.

10 & 11, Beth

2009-03-05T20:17:00.004-05:00

#10
Beer: Newcastle Brown Ale
Brewery: Scottish & Newcastle UK, Ltd; United Kingdom (Scotland)
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Punch's Alley (the bar at Wellesley College)
Served from a: bottle (no glass)

My beer was probably served too cold as it didn't have much flavor. Newcastle's one of those standby beers, at least for me. In the Sam Adams category...good, more likely to be available than other beers, not usually my first choice. Malty, hint of hops in background. Really, it was served too cold. But it's a college bar and what do I expect. Medium bodied.

#11
Beer: Grimbergen Dubbel
Brewery: Brouwerj Alken-Maes, Belgium
Category: Dubbel
Date Drank: 3/5/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask, home
Served from a: Bottle, poured into a tulip-shaped glass

Drank this with pork chops tonight--good pairing. Brownish-reddish hue, low carbonation. Raisen-like flavor (but not cloying like Raison D'Etre). Sweet aroma--fruity, alcohol, yeast smells all present. Flavor is sweet, but not too sweet--making it great with the pork. Sour ending--almost like an Oude Kriek, but more mellow. Loved this beer since we had it in Brussels. Definitely don't serve too cold--my glass, that I'm still drinking, has been warming up for about an hour and tastes better and better as it does so. We keep our fridge a little too cold, but the flavor just pours out of it at a slightly warmer temperature.

Boston Beer Scene

2009-03-03T21:14:00.002-05:00

Just two links about the local Boston beer scene, partially to remind me of places to try.

List of Beer Bars

Interview with on of Beer Advocate's Alstom brothers

#11, 12, 13, Ben

2009-03-03T11:40:00.005-05:00

Beer Advocate has taken away their state listings on beer reviews? Makes things a little more annoying, but oh well. Things will work out.

#11
Beer: Harpoon IPA
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts
Category: American IPA
Date Drank: 3/1/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: The Cheesecake Factory
Served from a: Tap

This was one my beer. This is my gateway beer to beer snobbery. And it is still a delicious and refreshing beer. But, since I have matured in my tastes, there is nothing special or defining about this beer anymore. for me. Certainly, if you haven't had it, try it, but there are better examples and variations. This is a starter beer, I suppose. It is what an IPA is supposed be, hoppy and with citrus flavor. This is the first beer that Beth called a Ben-beer.

#12
Beer: Unearthly IPA
Brewery: Southern Tier Brewing Company, New York
Category: Double IPA
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

Solid, solid beer. Funny to review this after the Harpoon. I love Imperials/Double IPAs. They have the flavor profile on an IPA (well, doubled), but they beef it up with body, like malt. On top of that, it is high in alcohol. So, it is quite the drinking experience. I love that the Independent always has one of this style on top. Looking at the picture from BA, I have seen the bottle for sale before at Whole Foods. Maybe I will put two and two together and try to buy this at some time, for person use at home.

#13
Beer: Double Simcoe IPA
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co., Pennsylvania
Category: Double IPA
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

I had had this before, and enjoyed it, but drinking it right after the Unearthly, you realize how much more this beer could be. It certainly had less body to it, and it had a piney taste. Which is fine, but it certainly distracted from the bigger drinking picture. As the Unearthly went down so smooth, every time you took a sip of this one, you said to yourself, "Oh yeah, this is what I am drinking." I like beers that want to be your friend and not be the center of attention.

Grade inflation

2009-03-02T21:01:00.003-05:00

So, Ben and I have been discussing grading the beers...and, starting today, we have a new standard. "C" is the cut off between beers we'd choose again and those we wouldn't. "A"s are beers we have to get if we see them on the menu, "B"s are beers we'd like to get off the menu, "C"s are beers we wouldn't turn down, "D"s & "F"s we'd have to find a polite way to say "no, thanks" before running away and screaming. The end.

8, 9: Beth Snow Beers

2009-03-02T20:46:00.004-05:00

#8
Beer: Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
Brewery: Anderson Valley Brewing Company, California
Category: Oatmeal Stout
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

Dark brown, lacing on glass. Very smooth and creamy (mouth-feel). Nice flavor: sweet with a hoppy balance. Caramel/chocolate/coffee/oatmeal flavors. Toasty. Very drinkable...5.7 ABV; sessionable. I really enjoyed the balance of this beer...stout flavor, but not overwhelming. Really enjoyable beer.

#9
Beer: Old Brown Dog
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company, New Hampshire
Category: English Brown Ale
Date Drank: 3/2/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent
Served from a: Tap

This is one of my favorite session beers; I will gladly drink this (and most Smuttynose beers) anywhere, anytime. Great balance...malt flavor comes first, with a hoppy aftertaste (sort of the opposite of good, balanced IPA). Flavor is, as one BA drinker noted "charred oak, reminds me of a cold autumn day in New England"...and that's exactly when and why I want to drink it. It's a great New England beer. Simple, but good beer.

5, 6, 7: Beth

2009-03-01T10:58:00.007-05:00

This is where it gets hard for me...writing about beer after going somewhere socially/where I'm not necessarily there for the beer. But I'm just gonna do it and let it be fun! This is not about being right, it's about learning. With that, here are 5/6/7

#5
Beer: Raison D'Etre
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Tap

I loved this beer a year ago. I don't know if my tastes have evolved or if the year was better then (I think I was drinking the 2003) or if it's aged or what, but now I find it a little too...chewy and pruney. A little unpleasantness in the back of my mind as I drink this. It's even a little too sweet and I love a sweet, malty beer...I guess this is a sweet, fruity beer. I prefer sour fruity beers. I'm weird. Someone on beeradvocate mentioned it would be great for braising...and I think, in our hey-day with this beer we did make Flemish stew with it and it was great...I always think it would be great with pork or duck when I drink it. That raisiny, fruity sweetness would work well with those.

#6
Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Steam Beer
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Bottle

Another beer I've had before and didn't like as much this time. The restaurant served us just the bottle, we both took one swig and poured the rest into our glasses from the Raison D'Etre. I liked this on tap at the Burren, but now in a bottle it tasted stale (might be the restaurant's doing, though). Ben and I discussed its "honey and rye" flavors...not in a good way. Don't know a lot about the style, though. Just not my thing that night, but the more I think about how I liked it at the Burren, the more I think Silvertone skunked it. I added a link to Beer Advocate's style information.

#7
Beer: CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company, MA
Category: Milk/Sweet Stout
Date Drank: 2/28/09
Grade: A-
Location purchased/drank: Redbones
Served from a: tap

I really enjoy the creaminess of milk stouts. It's a pleasant chewiness. It's sweet and dry, too. Lots going on. It had a really intense flavor that reminded me of CBC's You Enjoy My Stout, but not as over-powering as that (I don't know how to describe it, but it was too much in YEMS, but a nice contrast in CaCow!). Rich and chocolately, dark and malty. Very nice beer.

#10, Ben

2009-02-28T23:57:00.002-05:00

Beer: Blunderbuss Barley Wine
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company, Massachusetts
Category: American Barleywine
Date Drank: 2/28/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Red Bones
Served from a: Tap

So, I have become rally fascinated with Barleywines. They are hoppy and full of alcohol. What's not to love? So, I had a chance to have CBC's Barleywine while out in David Sq. I think that it was a good drink. In fact, I drank two, but I wasn't overly wowed by it. I think that CBC produces from fine beer, and will always trust what they make. This is a solid example of what a barley should be, but not overly what it can be.

On a side note. This is not good for quenching heat from spicy food.

#8 and 9, for Ben.

2009-02-26T21:46:00.008-05:00

Beer: Raison D'Etre
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: Belgian Strong Dark Ale
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Tap

Now that I am starting to really consider how beers do compare to each other, this received a lower grade. Well, lower than in would have when we were obsessed with it for a few months in 2007. But, when you compare it to Delirum Tremens, which is the pale Belgian, you would think that this would be similar. Drinking this, you don't really think of Belgian beer. Sure, it's tart, like you would want, but the kick was missing. Now, I love Dogfish madly, and gladly drink this, but it really is a middle of the pack good beer. Nothing more.

Beer: Anchor Steam Beer
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Steam Beer
Date Drank: 2/26/09
Grade: B-
Location purchased/drank: Silvertone
Served from a: Bottle

Similar lines with the Steam Beer. The steam has to fermentation when refrigeration was scarce. Common back then, but not so much now. Now, I love Anchor and believe in their beer, but I have always felt that this should be their flagship. That this should be the beer that people remember them by. And, instead, it was like "honey and rye". Enjoyable, but nothing that made a lasting impression that would make me favorite it over other Anchor beers. Maybe if I had other Steam beers to compare it to, I would understand, but not in the larger picture.

Oh, and Silvertone was alright for beer when it comes to right-after-work office restaurants. The food was good, too.

#7, Ben

2009-02-24T20:05:00.002-05:00

#7
Beer: Shakespeare Stout
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: American Stout
Date Drank: 2/24/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask
Served from a: 22 0z bottle

This is what I want to taste when I drink a stout. As we know, I am a hoppy person, not the stout person that Beth is, but I think that it is a fine style of beer. When drink a stout, I want a nice body, but not one that chokes you as you drink it. I want to think of chocolate and coffee, the two best flavors for a stout. And this is a mixture of the two. It was a stout that I didn't mind drinking at all and I wanted more. It was refreshing! You don't think that about stouts, since they are more a desserty beer. But this one was just so damned enjoyable.

#4, Beth

2009-02-24T19:52:00.006-05:00

#4
Beer: Shakespeare Stout
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery, Oregon
Category: American Stout
Date Drank: 2/24/09
Grade: A
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z bottle (in a glass)

I've had my fair share of stouts, so I feel more comfortable with this review. The beer was dark, almost black...with a thick nutty brown, but not foamy head (again, like stale foam, not like Guinness). The body was medium, the flavor dry and cleaning but hearty and chocolately with a hint of coffee. Rogue is one of my favorite breweries and this beer doesn't disappoint; I actually think it's a wonderful, drinkable (only 6% abv!) example of stout. I love dark coffee-like stouts as a rule, though.

Note: We drank this with BLTs. Mmmm...bacon and beeer. Much better than bacon beer...

#3

2009-02-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

#3
Beer: Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang, New York
Category: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Date Drank: 2/23/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/home
Served from a: 22 0z(?) bottle (in a glass)

This beer takes me back to Belgium (and makes me want to eat cheese with mustard and celery seed...all we have is shredded cheddar and bleu and goat cheese...not really going to work). Pale color, thick thick head...like stiff settled older foam on a latte. Lots of lacing on the glass. Smells sweet and fruity with that Belgiany yeasty smell. Light, cleansing on tongue. Nice flavor. I really like this one. Great example of the style, I think.

#6, Ben

2009-02-23T21:33:00.003-05:00

#6
Beer: Hennepin (Farmhouse Saison)
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang, New York
Category: Saison/Farmhouse Ale
Date Drank: 2/23/09
Grade: B
Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask (A gift!)
Served from a: 22 oz. bottle

Saisons are not my style of drink that I normally have, so it is hard for me to judge. I guess that's what this is. But it is done nicely, with a tart taste, golden body, a little clouding. It sticks with you in the back of the throat, which is probably why I don't normal drink this style. I'm giving it a B because I think this is what it should taste like. It is memeorable, but not WOW!

100 Beers

2009-02-22T19:34:00.005-05:00

#2
Beer: Anchor Liberty Ale
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company, California
Category: American Pale Ale
Date Drank: 2/22/09
Grade: B+
Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home
Served from a: bottle

This is a great beer to have around the house. First tried it looking for a "plain ale" for beer-cheese bread--it's great in that, btw. Nice aroma, great with most of the foods we eat. Just a great session ale. Made us fall in love with Anchor. Also always makes me say "We've got the Liberty Ale..." like the Southwest Airlines ads for Philadelphia. Ha.

Bust

2009-02-22T15:47:00.003-05:00

Homebrewing today is now a bust.
We thought our stock pot was huge...it is not 4+ gallons huge.
I didn't get paid on Friday at my new job like I was supposed to, and planning on.
Therefore no going out and buying a stock pot (we did go out and look at a stock pot, though).

Hopefully Thursday we will try. Still nervous.

100 Beers, Beth's turn

2009-02-22T11:05:00.004-05:00

Okay, so it's not that I don't drink as often as Ben does, but rather that I'm starting this later than he is :-P

#1
Beer: Brown Shugga Ale
Brewery: Lagunitas Brewing Company, California
Category: American Strong Ale
Date Drank: 2/21/09
Grade: B+/A-
Location purchased/drank: The Independent in Somerville
Served from a : bottle

When we arrived at the Independent our waitress, Sarah, told us they had one bottle of this left if we'd like it. Having had it on tap about a month ago there, I jumped at the opportunity. I think this is a great beer. It has a really dry finish, a rich malty body, and it's sweet like sugar (it's brewed with sugar)--but not cloying. I think it's a great winter beer between the sugary aroma and flavor reminding me of winter baking, and the 9.9% abv helping to warm me up. In general, I find Lagunitas beer to be delightful, I must add.

I did also drink a Smuttynose Old Brown Dog ale on tap last night as well, but the stronger flavor and 9.9% abv of the Brown Shugga definitely colored my experience of it, so I don't feel I can accurately discuss it. OBD is one of my favorite session beers, though.

100 different beers

2009-02-22T10:52:00.001-05:00

#4

Beer: Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
Brewery: Stone Brewing Company, California
Category: American Strong Ale

Date Drank: 2/21/09

Grade: B+

Location purchased/drank: The Independent

Served from a : Tap

I have had the original version of this beer and loved it, so I thought that I would give it a try oaked. Who knew that oak flavored beer would be good. At least it was done through a brewery I trust. Nice mix of body and aroma. Hoppy, but mellowed out by sweetness. It didn't necessary taste like oak, but like you were drinking from inside a wardrobe. The atmosphere, not the flavor.

#5

Beer: Delirium Tremens
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium
Category: Belgian Strong Pale Ale

Date Drank: 2/21/09

Grade: A-

Location purchased/drank: The Independent

Served from a : Tap

Almost impossible to pass when you see this beauty on tap. It was my gateway Belgian beer. It has the right mix of flavor, refreshing ability, plus that certain bitter kick that you should expect from a great Belgian beer. On BA, they describe it as "hazy golden", which I think is perfect.

Last night Beth and I went out with a couple of people from her Starbucks for a few drinks. I love the staff at the bar over there. I need people who want to go play scrabble and drink beer. You know, like 5 p.m., before the dinner rush. It's my third place!

100 different beers

2009-02-22T10:45:00.004-05:00

To revive the blog, I'm going to review 100 different beers.

Format may change over time.

#1

Beer: Anchor Liberty Ale
Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company, California
Category: American Pale Ale

Date Drank: 02/19/09

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods

Served from a : Bottle

Anchor is a good brewery. I haven't had anything bad yet. Steam beer is an interesting concept, and apparently they are the only ones that do it. Whatever "it" is.

#2

Beer: Grimbergen Dubbel
Brewery: Brouwerij Alken-Maes, Belgium
Category: Dubbel

Date Drank: 02/19/09

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask

Served from a : Bottle

Simple Belgian taste, though I almost gave it a B- because it taste much worse from the bottle then poured into a glass.

#3

Beer: 60 Minute IPA
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Delaware
Category: American IPA

Date Drank: 02/20/09

Grade: B+

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods

Served from a : Bottle

I love Dogfish! Though still the 90-minute is best.

Do-over/100 Beers of Beth and Ben

2009-02-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

I think we need a do-over on this site.

We've had some trouble starting up this blog as we put too much pressure on ourselves to take REALLY good notes (which we sometimes find awkward to do when we're out) and then to find the right image, and scale it to fit the site, and then the blog became work instead of fun. So for now, while we get into doing this, we're going to do 100 Beers. Just quick little write-ups on 100 beers, each, with shorter notes, and probably no images unless we WANT to. We'll also probably write-up some beer news/thoughts on homebrewing/beer events.

Hopefully we start homebrewing....today! Eep! We're nervous.

So, we hope you enjoy our revamped site. Here goes!

Also, as a note, we use beeradvocate.com as a source for beer styles, and other information we may use.

Avery Brewing Company: Collaboration Not Litigation Ale

2008-11-30T21:56:00.003-05:00

Beer: Collaboration Not Litigation Ale
Brewery: Avery Brewing Company, Colorado
Category: Strong Dark

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: The Independent

Served from a : Tap

The Drink: From the menu: "Dark amber, Belgain style" and "Corriander, cloves, and malt". It certainly has a Belgian flair, and a true medium body.

Notes: Beth tried a sip and described it as "Coyingly Belgian". I think that it is a fine beer, but lacks anything to make it memoriable. I love that The Independent always has something exciting to try. Not my favorite Colorado brewery, though.

Founder's Brewing Company: Centenial India Pale Ale

2008-11-30T17:14:00.004-05:00

Beer: Centenial India Pale Ale
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company, Michigan
Category: India Pale Ale

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: A-

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: So hoppy. IT was tart and floral to the smell and definitely tart in taste. The color was the beautiful amber color that IPAs should have. For me it started off with a medium body, just because of the flavor, but tappered off into a light body. The aftertaste was a delightfu lspice that wasn't noticeable at first.

Notes: When I opened the first bottle, the air rushed out so fast that I thought I had cut myself. But, no, it was just a rush of cold air. First time that has ever happend to me. We ate this with a Mexican style dinner, and it paired great. I have had Founder's before at Sunset Grill, and loved that beer, too. Good stuff.

Anchor Beer Company: Our Special Ale 2006

2008-11-30T17:05:00.003-05:00

Beer: Our Special Ale 2006
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Holiday Seasonal

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: An aged beer, 2 years this time. It was red in the glass. The head stayed around a lot longer this time through. The body was lighter than the '06. There was the overall taste of nutmeg and pine, but not that overwhelming. More like you drinking at Christmastime, not drinking Christmas itself. The alcohol content was not as noticeable.

Notes: We had talked up with our friends how interesting the '03, we were planning to share the last four bottles. But too our surprise, the beer we had in hand was actually the beer we bought. So, we only had the 4 '06s and 2 '03s. We showed off our beer geekiness, and had a good time. We stuckit between Mexican meatloaf and yummy espresso chocolate cake. These two experiences with the holiday beer has led me to trust Anchor as a brewery and will look forward to trying other stuff.

Anchor Beer Company: Our Special Ale 2003

2008-11-25T19:45:00.004-05:00

Beer: Our Special Ale 2003
Brewery: Anchor Beer Company, California
Category: Holiday Seasonal

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: An aged beer, 5 years. Syrupy in pour and texture. Sweet, too. Fruit notes, like red wine. Very quick dissipation of the head, but I suppose that is what is expected. The color is a dark cherry brown.

Notes: This was our first time buying an aged beer at a store. We had planned on buying the 2006, but we lucked out with 2 bottles of the 2003. We thought that we had got the whole six pack for cheaper, but it was just two random bottles in our pack. It was exciting, and definitely worth a taste if you ever get a chance.

Boston Beer Company: Sam Adams Winter

2008-11-23T23:48:00.004-05:00

Beer: Sam Adams Winter
Brewery: Boston Beer Company, Massachusetts
Category: Winter Seasonal

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Bought by a friend/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: Surprisingly medium-bodied for a lager. There is a nice spice to it, perhaps cinnamon and other holiday type spices. Not what you think of as a lager

Notes: I am not a fan of lagers, but I will always drink this one if I have a choice. Sam Adams really puts a twist on this lager, making it heavier, which is what you want in a winter beer. I washed it down with cheese and crackers, how civilized.

Harpoon Brewery: Harpoon India Pale Ale

2008-11-23T23:36:00.004-05:00

Beer: Harpoon India Pale Ale
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts
Category: India Pale Ale

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B+

Location purchased/drank: Bought by a friend/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: Light like a lager, but hoppy like an ale. Very tart and bitter taste, but well rounded and not unpleasant. Floral, sweet aroma, beautiful light-tan body.

Notes: This was my first New England beer. Though I now have more preferred beers, and there are certainly better beers, this beer to me is what an India Pale Ale should be.

Harpoon Brewery: Harpoon Winter Warmer

2008-11-22T22:53:00.003-05:00

Beer: Harpoon Winter Warmer
Brewery: Harpoon Brewery, Massachusetts
Category: Winter Seasonal

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B-

Location purchased/drank: The Field

Served from a : Tap

The Drink: Nutmeg. Light body with a tan color. Malty, but nutmeg. Some other winter spices, perhaps cinnamon and spruce. It was drinkable and enjoyable, but be prepared for nutmeg.

Notes: With Beth and company after her store's holiday meeting. It was crowded in the Central Square bar, with patrons at the bar not caring to move as a ordered. It was my second drink of the night. It was good, though Beth liked it more. Nutmeg burps, afterwords.

Brouwerij Huyghe: Delirium Nocturnum

2008-11-22T10:46:00.001-05:00

Beer: Delirium Nocturnum
Brewery: Brouwerij Huyghe, Belgium
Category: Strong Dark

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: A-

Location purchased/drank: Wine and Cheese Cask/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: Poured into the proper glass. Stiff, tasty foam. This bites you at first with that signature Belgium taste, but it softens as you drink. Caramel sweetness is the finish, with a subtle spice tucked away.

Notes: I always will have a soft spot for any thing Delirium. I ate this at home with sausage and peppers and couldn't be happier. $4.50 for one bottle.

Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Brown Ale

2008-11-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

Beer: Brooklyn Brown Ale
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery, New York
Category: Brown Ale

The Drinker: Ben

Grade: B

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home

Served from a : Bottle

The Drink: Dark color, but light flavor. The head and first sips were very yeasty, but a spice came near the end of the drink.

Notes: This was an odd combination to drink with stir-fry, but I think that is why I really tasted the spice in the end. I don't know if I have ever really noticed that before. It is a classic stand-by brown ale.

Brooklyn Brewery: Brooklyn Brown Ale

2008-11-21T14:30:00.004-05:00

Beer: Brooklyn Brown Ale

Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery

Category: New York, Brown Ale

The Drinker: Beth

Grade: B+

Location purchased/drank: Whole Foods/Home

Served from a: Bottle

The Drink: Light body, yeasty aroma. Doesn't pair well with stir fry! Caramel undertones to aroma. Roasty sweet, spicey notes.

Notes: Great session beer, always a good choice (except with stir fry!)