Breweries "Visited"

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Country AND Western

Beer #661 Adriaen Brouwer / Brouwerij Roman, Oudenaarde, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Another Adriaen, plus an Ename Cuvee (with a very nice picture of Flash right before he passed away) and another Ename Cuvee

You would think by now, this blog would write itself.  Nope.

Tonight's beer is one that I opened a few weeks back, mostly because I was sick of seeing it sitting on my beer shelf on the garage.  This strong dark ale from Brouwerij Roman poured with a dark mahogany color and an off white head.  The aroma is malty and bready, and there are flavors of caramel malt, plum and other dark fruits, and some warm spiciness.  Not a bad beer by any stretch, and one I'd have again, perhaps more so in the winter months.
Beer
This beer is named for Adriaen Brouwer, a famous Flemish painter born in the town of Oudenaarde. Beercycling made a quick stop in Oudenaarde to walk around the town square, a brief break on the way to Brouwerij Liefmans.  Nice place.

Thing to Think About Today:
So last night I watched the final episode of Breaking Bad, one of the two greatest shows in the history of television.  Is it better than The Wire?  Maybe not, just because I loved the way David Chase told the story of inner city Baltimore, touching on education, drug corners, local government, corruption, and blue collar workers.  He was a magician at making you realize the bad guys weren't all that bad, and the good guys weren't always that good.  Interestingly, Vince Gilligan of Breaking Bad pulled a similar trick, making you empathize for characters with huge moral flaws.  However, I will say confidently the last Breaking Bad episode (and truth be told, the entire last season) better than the last season and last episode of The Wire? By all means yes, and that's all I'll say about that, as I don't want to spoil anything.

So I leave you tonight with a country song, the one playing in last night's episode after Walter White found an old Marty Robbins tape in the glove compartment of his Volvo.  In a show where there were no throw away lines or scenes or images, this was a great way to start the last episode.... if you know the story the song El Paso tells.

I have been accused by many of not liking country music, and that's just not true.  I love old country music; Johnny Cash and Roger Miller are among the top played songs on my iPod.  Sadly, it's the new stuff that I just can't possibly relate to or appreciate.  However, a song about a guy who would rather risk everything to be with his loved one - in fact, would rather be shot dead - even if that meant just one kiss before he expired?  That's real country & western music, friends.  That's what it's all about.  The rhinestone suit is just a bonus.

"Maybe tomorrow a bullet will find me / Tonight nothing's worse than the pain in my heart"

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