Blondes, Beers, and Blonde Beers

Day #525  Blonde Ale / Thomas Hooker Brewing Company, Bloomfield, CT
Previously from this brewery:  A Blonde and a Munich Style Golden Lager

Rather "blah" day today, for some reason.  I think I was expecting the weather to be glorious this weekend, and it's not, and now I'm dissatisfied.  I rarely check the weather, so did people at work talk about sunshine coming to town?  Did I just assume the weather would be amazing because it was a Saturday, and Saturdays are made for nice weather?  I went into today with dreams of sunshine and bike rides and walks with the dogs and beers on the deck... and I ended up taking a two hour nap this afternoon because I couldn't think of anything better.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good nap on the weekend.  I was just hoping for sunshine (and naps).

Tonight's beer is the Blonde Ale from Thomas Hooker Brewing.  Out of the bottle, this brew is a pale straw color with no head.  The aroma is a mild bit of grain and wheat, and the taste has some lemon, but mostly grain and cracker, with some mild bitterness and nutty flavor.  In the spirit of full disclosure, this isn't the greatest beer in the world, but a decent choice when you're looking for something light with a good flavor.  This blonde is definitely light, with an ABV of just 4.6%.

Don't let the lack of rain right now fool you!

Thing to Think About Today:
If I'm enjoying a blonde ale, I hereby think we need to close out with an homage to blondes.  I present the always hilarious, always awkward, always good Flight of the Conchords and Leggy Blonde.  Goodbye to all the blondes (and sure, the non-blondes too) out there.  Enjoy your night!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCub8r1T5Rs

"Blondey, blondey, blondey, blondey....."

Day 524: My Other Prism Beer

A couple of Sundays back, we headed to Prism Brewing Company with some friends and their dog. (Dog friendly status will always make me a loyal visitor.) While I had a great fondness for the blonde ale, I did start the day with a different beer.

That would be the ParTea pale ale. It's brewed with 2-row, honey and light crystal malts and summit and cascade hops. There's also whole leaf black (orange pekoe from what I read during my visit) tea leaves. The end result is delicious! It was a hazy oak color with a medium white head. The best word I could come up with to describe it is smooth. It has a mild malty aroma. The flavor is pretty balanced--the malts and hops are getting along well in this one. 

Beer stats

Style: American pale ale

ABV: 5.5%

IBUs: 50

Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Prism

The Shady Blonde

Hers and his reviews of Bitto Honey IPA (I still love the video I posted in my review that day!)

The Day the Vampires Took Over

Day #523 Twilight Summer Ale / Deschutes Brewery, Bend, OR

Previously from this brewery: Marci's take on Sour Raz, and my take on Saison de Poivre 

I'm typing this in between throwing back a beer and shoveling forkfuls of a delicious dinner into my face (I'm home alone, so therefore no need for manners).  I sauteed some shrimp & garlic, and served over pasta, baby spinach, olives, and capers and topped with a splash of a California olive oil and a craaaaazy delicious 20 year old balsamic vinegar.  Life is good, friends.  And if you truly are my friend, you may want to consider following BlogNamedBrew on Instagram, and (new this week) BlogNamedBrew on Twitter.  Do it.  Don't make me sad.

On this beautiful almost-summer evening, I'm drinking a Twilight Summer Ale from Deschutes.  This is important for one main reason: this means Deschutes is finally shipping their delicious beers east of the Mississippi!  This beer has a bright copper color with a thin wispy white head.  There's a really nice aroma of lemon and pine, and the taste is full of lemony goodness.  There's a touch of malt sweetness to keep the hops in balance, although you get a touch of bitterness on the end.  It's light, but very flavorful, and at a manageable 5% ABV, this one definitely deserves a place of honor at family gatherings, BBQs, or tailgates this summer.

Much better than a movie about Vampires

While I didn't visit Deschutes in their Bend home, I did get to sample some beers at their Portland outpost.  Great place to spend an afternoon.

Thing to Think About Today:
Somebody follow me:  This beer is named Twilight.  A recent cultural phenomenon was tween reading turned hit movie Twilight.  This series featured uber pale actors who were vampires or werewolves or undead or something, and there were love triangles or teen angst or other things.  Why this was popular with people older than 14 I have no idea, but it was.  And whatever it was, it definitely had vampires.  Oh, vampires, you say?

Vampire Weekend is one of my all time favorite bands, and just this week they released their new album, Modern Vampires of the City.  To no one's great surprise, it's been on repeat since the moment it hit my iPod.... and it's fantastic.  A more introspective record than their first two offerings, this new offering will still serve as my soundtrack for the next few months.  Have I already graced you with the presence of two songs from Modern Vampires of the City?  Yes I did.  In fact, I did it twice!

So, your thing to think about for the remainder of the evening will be a third offering, Everlasting Arms, from a very cool performance they did in conjunction with a concert film Steve Buscemi (distant relative of one of the band members) directed.  Enjoy your summer evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ps6TjI7ws0

Day 522: Girl Crushes, Boobs and Life Altering Decisions

Yesterday, Angelina Jolie revealed to the world that she had a preventative double masectomy. It reduced her odds of developing breast cancer to less than 5% from an estimate of 87%. Her mother fought a decade-long battle against cancer and after Jolie tested positive for the BRCA1 gene--a faulty gene that greatly increases one's chances of developing breast or ovarian cancer--she took action.

I'm awed by the beautiful honesty that Jolie uses to write this piece. (The full op-ed piece is here.) She writes of loss, love, commitment and being truthful to herself, her family and countless women who hopefully will find a touchstone in her openness.

I don't make much of an effort to hide the girl-crush I have on Angelina Jolie. I can't get enough of her films. I analyze ads she appears in for embarrassing amounts of time. I value and respect her humanitarian work. Now this laying bare of her person...I can't even begin to put words to how it impacts me. Could I be that strong? Would I put myself through that? If I did, could I share it so openly?

It gives us so much to think about and to talk about. It opens a dialogue and creates opportunity to be supportive of one another rather than defaulting to tearing one another down. It may not always be about breast cancer or even cancer in general, but there's always something going on with people. It's up to all of us to find out what, to be supportive, to do what we can to bring out the best in each other.

(Gets down and puts away soapbox.)

Now to lighten up the mood--with a light refreshing review of a light refreshing beer. It's the Freigeist Gose, which is brewed by Gasthaus Brauerei Braustelle. That just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? With a name like that, yes, it is indeed brewed in Germany!

It pours a hazy and dark shade of yellow with a thin white head. It smells like lemons and tastes like honey and lemons. There's an earthy aftertaste with undertones of orange. I also noted a mild salinity and some tea flavors. It drinks with a full but not overwhelming body--I'd even call it sessionable.

Beer stats

Style: Gose

ABV: 5.2%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Gasthaus Brauerei Braustelle

My review of Freigeist Abraxxxas, a truly different beer

Free to a Good Home

Day #521 Rapunzel / Free Will Brewing Company, Perkasie, PA
Previously from this brewery: Marci's look at Rapunzel, my look at Citra Pale Ale

Dipping my toe into a scary new frontier today: sunglasses that don't cost $10 or less.  For years, I've preferred shades that were as cheap as humanly possible, as I have a bad habit of dropping them, sitting on them, misplacing them, and all around generally abusing them.  My rationale is, "hey, no big deal - they were only $8!"  Today, I'm changing that and potentially spending some money (not an exorbitant amount) to get a decent pair that won't look like I stole them from a crack addict.  Maybe.  I'll keep you posted....

Today's beer is a bottle of Rapunzel, a hoppy rye saison from local brewer Free Will.  hazy dark yellow with a quickly dissipating head.  The aroma is earthy, and a little bit funky (in a good way).  The taste is dry, with an undercurrent of piney hops, cracker, light citrus, and bread.  This beer is flavorful, but a little too dry and not enough pepper for me to put it up against my all time favorite saisons.  Regardless, this is still a solid choice as the weather gets warmer.  Flavorful and enjoyable.  Cheers!

Tasty

My one complaint?  Breweries should be able to keep their web pages updated to the point where beer they're bottling and shipping for sale actually appear on their page.  Rapunzel is nowhere to be found on their site, so I can't tell you why it's named Rapunzel.  Perhaps I will visit you some day, Free Will.  Perhaps.

Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of Free Will and a beer built for summer, I give you Tom Petty and Free Fallin', a song built for summer.  Until we meet again, dear friends....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lWJXDG2i0A

"She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis / she loves horses, and her boyfriend, too"

Day 520: Free Will Rapunzel Ale

I was searching for a case of birthday beer for Mr. Blog Named Brew a few weeks back and thanks to the good folks at The Beer Yard in Wayne (PA), I found a very fresh case of Rapunzel Ale from Free Will Brewing.

It was described to me as a saison-IPA-rye-ale-mash-up. Knowing that the Mr. thoroughly enjoys all those things, I was game to purchase it. 

The Rapunzel poured a hazy dark straw color with a thick not-quite-pure white head. It smells of oranges and bitter hops. It also has a great fresh aroma--imagine what a perfect spring day smells like. So kind of like that. The flavor is full boded but refreshing. There a good amount of grass, plus some fresh hoppy bite and citrus notes. Overall a winner in my book.

Beer stats:

Style: Saison

ABV: 7.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Free Will

Just one lonely beer...the Citra Pale Ale

One for the Moms

Day #519 CuzCuz / Tired Hands Brewing Company, Ardmore, PA
Previously from this brewery: I'm lazy today, so just click this link and it will take you to all 332 beers sampled from Tired Hands.  Seriously.

Good afternoon and Happy Mother's Day to all!  Hopefully you're having a nice, stress free, relaxing day with your moms or kids or both.  We actually celebrated yesterday, and did a combo surprise birthday party for my aunt/Mother's Day gathering.  Good time, but a long day.  Today was spent celebrating with Mother Nature, as I got on the bike for the first time in a solid two months to go for a ride along the Schuykill River.  Good way to spend a sunny and breezy day, which included the added benefit of making sure my awesome calves stay toned and sexy.  Need to make sure I keep looking good for you faithful blog readers, after all.

Need to run out and get some groceries, so I'm jumping right into the review portion of today's post.  You get a glass of CuzCuz from local favorite Tired Hands.  This American IPA is brewed with hops from New Zealand, and shows up in your glass a cloudy dark yellow color, with a fluffy white head.  Or, as I'm fond of saying, the same color as every beer they make (this isn't exactly true, but true enough that I make this joke anyway).  There's a welcoming aroma of grapefruit and pine, and when you drink it, you find this to have a subtle bitterness, with mango joining the pine and citrus party.  I'm sure this beer has already kicked and might never appear at Tired Hands ever again, but on the odd chance it hasn't or it does, this beer makes for a great summer choice.

Wow! For once, I didn't take a shitty picture!!!

Thing to Think About Today:

Last year for Mother's Day, I dropped some Mother and Child Reunion from Paul Simon in this space, and that's about the best Mother's Day song I can think of.  So, I head in a different direction this year, and give you the wonderfully under-appreciated comic genius of Michael Keaton with Mr. Mom, the story of a stay-at-home dad finding his way - hilariously.  Thank you to all the moms out there for everything you do to keep the households running at optimal performance!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=solr1W5idNY

Early Start

Day #518 Le Canard / The Brewer's Art, Baltimore, MD
Previously from this brewery: Resurrection and more Resurrection, the first posts ever on this site, and Green Peppercorn Tripel, used to represent Bal'mer in my Super Bowl showdown.

A rainy Saturday here means I'm up early and writing.  Would rather be sitting by the pool with my feet up, enjoying some quiet time, but we can't always get what we want.  Busy day today with driving, a birthday party, and an early Mother's Day celebration, so I'll get right down to business.

Business today means a review of Le Canard from The Brewer's Art, a restaurant in Baltimore that also brews some outstanding beers.  This Belgian pours with a clear amber and lingering white head.  There's a pleasant aroma of sweet malt and honey, and the taste brings you tons of candi sugar, malt, bread, and caramel.  This beer is potent at 8.5% ABV, but you don't really notice the alcohol in there.  An excellent beer, particularly for a rainy Saturday spent not anywhere near a pool.

Bad picture/good beer

If you're not bilingual, then you may not be aware that the French word 'canard' translates to 'duck' in English.  Like I just said - seeing how ducks like the rain, this beer is perfect for a rainy day!

Thing to Think About Today:
As many of you know, I enjoy an eclectic mix of music. I don't know where I find half of the songs I listen to, they sort of just show up and next thing you know I have something unusual or interesting or strange to enjoy.  And when I say I have no idea how this particular song managed to find itself in my collection, I mean it.  With a beer from Baltimore in mind, I give you Scott Walker covering Lady Came from Baltimore, an old folk song from the 60s.  What can I say, sometimes I listen to some unusual things - that doesn't mean they're not good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5SYlNlHTGw

"Lady came from Baltimore / all she wore was lace"

Day 517: We Were on a (Jolly Pumpkin) Break!

My break from drinking Jolly Pumpkin beers is over. Instead I'm taking an unplanned social media break.

What?

I've been suspended from Twitter. I shared this with some friends from work and one of them very kindly noted that while it sucks for me, my cool factor took a significant bump up with her. I'm kind of an anomaly in the office with my social media skills--although I'm questioning those skills given my current suspension.

I've been Twitter-free since 6:00 a.m. on Friday morning. I've logged a complaint with the folks at Twitter noting that I didn't do anything to deserve the suspension (i.e. mass following and/or unfollowing, mass invitations, porn). I've also attempted to log-in several times during the course of the day to see if I've been reinstated and no such luck yet. More troubling is that my following count has dropped from 378 to zero. Even more troubling than that is that my 127 followers are MIA.

Editor note: As of 6:58 p.m., I'm back, baby! Twitter suspension lifted. In hindsight I should have been keeping a log of snarky things to tweet. You all missed out on so much today!

So what did I learn from my social media blackout?

I am without a doubt addicted to Twitter. The number of times that I reach for my phone or log onto the website to see what's happening in the world is astounding. It's how I get my news. It's how I stay connected. I tried getting the same from Facebook to no avail. I'm also realizing  that Facebook isn't relevant to me. Sure it was cool five years ago, but not so much anymore. Having to sort through the "like this to save this child from cancer" nonsense posts, the cool picture of the day posts, the irrelevant and uninteresting ads is all just too much. Yes, that is totally a first world problem but it's a barrier to my enjoyment and is totally preventing me from seeing Facebook as a viable option.

I'm also realizing that as much as I declare that I'm done adopting new technology, that's really not true. Playing with the latest, greatest and smartest is kind of my thing. And that may be the most interesting thing I've learned from this exercise.

So while I take a break from Twitter, I'm done taking a break from Jolly Pumpkin.

The latest beer I'm enjoying from Jolly Pumpkin is the Sobrehumano Palena'ole and it's a collaboration between Jolly Pumpkin and Maui Brewing Company. Brewed with Michigan cherries and Hawaiian liliko'i, it's listed as an American wild ale and is oak aged and bottle conditioned. But what's a liliko'i? You may know it by its more common name...passion fruit. How does passion fruit mix with cherries in a beer? Awesome!

Interesting note about this beer. We drank it on May 3, 2013. When was this beer bottled? May 3, 2012! It was meant to be drunk--seriously, what are the odds of that unintentionally happening again?

It poured a hazy orange/brown color with a fluffy white head. I could smell the tartness the moment I popped the cap off. And there was lots more of that once it got into my glass. It has a woody smell...presumably the oak. It has a very tart cherry flavor, kind of astringent. There is a good amount of malt in the flavor profile as well.

Beer stats
Style: American wild ale
ABV: 6%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Jolly Pumpkin
Prepare yourself, this is a dousy!
Mr. Blog's review of Sobrehumano, 
My review of E.S. Bam
His and her reviews of La Roja
My review of Luciernaga from a Jolly Pumpkin bender
Gary's review of E.S. Bam
My review of Madrugada Obscura and some crazy lady ranting about St. Patrick's Day
Gary actually has tried all the Bam bieres

Day 516: Tired Hands Eye 4A Face

On more than one occasion during the past few weeks (okay, on about 139 occasions during the past few weeks), I have had the overwhelming urge to scream, "My mother is dead. I'm not buying her a piece of your insipid jewelry to show her I care." Or "No, my dead mother doesn't need flowers." It has made me feel a bit like a crazy person. Where is this what-I-can-only-describe-as very finite, but blinding rage coming from?

I'm pretty confident that I've made peace with having lost my mother way too soon. In fact Mom and I (and Mr. Blog Named Brew, too) are having an extended adventure together. One day, I'll clarify that statement so it reads less crazy and more sentimental. 

So what's with the rage? 

I feel like I don't matter. I don't have a mother. I mean I do, but just not one who I get to hang out with on Sunday in the traditional way. Consumerism is making me feel less important on the second Sunday in May. Consumerism is telling me that I don't count because I can't "celebrate" on Sunday. Kmart, Zales, JCPenney  and many others have all made it clear that I also don't count because I decided I'm not procreating. 

Well guess what? All those stores, all those advertising agencies and each one of those marketers can go fuck themselves. Mom and I and the Mr. are going to have another adventure on Sunday and it's going to be better than any store-bought, prepackaged nonsense I'm expected to partake in.

So there. And yes, I do feel much better now that I got that off my chest. Now let's talk beer.

Eye 4A Face is one of the newest saisons from Tired Hands Brewing Company. As I've mentioned before, if I write about a Tired Hands beer and it sounds good--run to their brewery in Ardmore (PA) immediately because it's very likely you will never find it again. 

Eye 4A Face poured a hazy orange-ish/brown color with a loose white head. It smells a little funky and woodsy. The flavor has lots of wood and a perfumey vanilla taste. It's very malty, but also has a good amount of hoppiness to it. I'd presume from the dry-hopping with Amarillo hops. It's complex in both aroma and flavor but is quite easy to drink.

Beer stats

Style: Saison

ABV: 4.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Tired Hands

I'm dropping Vonnegut knowledge and a review of Bokonon

My review of Tabel Printemps, Good, Good Things, Trois Enfants
Gary's review of Good, Good Things, Fripp, Pacific Jade, Fauna