Day 669: Plum Noir

I spent a lot of time this past weekend in my hometown. Hazleton (Pennsylvania) is a ramshackle shell of its former self. I always tell people what a wonderful place it was to grow up. As I drove around town this weekend, I fondly recalled epic bike rides from my house to the local grocery store. My sister and I would turn what could be a five block walk into an eight mile bike ride--often giving my poor mother a heart attack as she sat wondering why on earth it was taking us so long. There were playgrounds galore, decent schools and no need to lock your doors. Now it's a blighted mess with borderline racist laws, a NIMBY attitude, and escalating crime. It makes me so sad to go back and visit.

Yet somehow through all the mess that is Hazleton lately, there's good beer to be had there. I stopped by the local Pantry Quik, which is a downmarket version of Wawa, to explore its beer selection. While there was plenty of Budweiser and various malt beverages, there was an incredible display of craft beer including Southern Tier's Plum Noir, which is tonight's beer.

Plum Noir is an imperial porter brewed with Italian plums. It poured a deep, dark brown with just a bit of light dancing around the edges. It had a thin tan head. It smells of plums and licorice. It tastes of roasted malts, wood, and fruit. When I exhaled, there were strong coffee notes. It had a thin mouthfeel, but big flavor that lingered. As it warmed a bit, I found a little bitter chocolate.

Beer stats

Style: Imperial porter

ABV: 8%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Southern Tier (evidently we only review Southern Tier when we have A LOT to say)

A philosophical debate on when a Christmas beer is a Christmas beer with a review of 2XMas

More 2XMas

A review of Creme Brulee Stout and my crazed musings on the evil temptress that is the avocado

And plain old rantings with a review of Unearthly Imperial IPA

Day 667: Yards Brewing Company Pynk

I have mixed feelings on all the pink-hued products that get shoved down our throats this month, but nothing I wrote didn't make me sound like an uptight, self-righteous prick so I'm letting it go. I just ask that you think twice about purchasing that pink product to help fight breast cancer. What organization is getting the money? Are they directly doing research, education or patient outreach? Wouldn't you be better off writing a check to a well established research group rather than overpaying for a pink water bottle? Be smart.

One pink product that I didn't mind pouring down my throat was the Pynk tart berry ale, which is brewed by Yards Brewing Company. Yards is donating $1 from each case of Pynk sold to the Tyanna Foundation, which supports local organizations throughout mid-Atlantic region to treat and care for breast cancer patients.

It poured a rosy brown ale with a pale cream color head. It had a strong berry aroma and the flavor was nutty and full of berry notes. Pynk is brewed with tons of fresh raspberries and sweet and sour cherries. I think the addition of the cherries definitely helps give it a tart, crisp refreshing quality rather than letting it get overly sweet. I also noticed that it has more malt flavor than many other fruit beers that I've tried.

Beer stats

Style: Fruit beer

ABV: 5.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Yards
Some gratitude and a Brawler
Ignore the caloric information and just read about the Philadelphia Pale Ale

Day 382: House of Shandy Curious Traveler

Today's beer was originally on the docket for #351, but research revealed that it comes to us via a subsidiary of the Boston Beer Company. It is the House of Shandy's Curious Traveler Shandy.

I am a sucker for anything tart. If you've been reading this blog for any of amount of time, you're probably familiar with my love of tart, wild ales or sour beers. Another delightful take on a tart beer is the shandy or radler.

A shandy, or shandygaff, is beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or cider. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste, normally half-and-half. Nonalcoholic shandies are known as "rock shandies". A shandy containing beer and cider is called a snakebite. Radler is the German version.

In some parts of the United Kingdom, shandy is also used colloquially as a euphemism for alcoholic drink. To say someone "had a few shandies" does not necessarily mean he drank shandies exclusively, or at all. Rather, it is implied that he drank a large quantity of alcohol. So now you know.


My shandy was very hazy--an almost opaque wet straw color and had a loose white head. It smelled of lemon candy. The taste reminded me of a lemon pastry. It was sweet but tart with a good amount of wheat flavor.

Beer stats
Style: Shandy
ABV:4.4%
IBUs: 7
Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Boston Beer Company
My review of Infinium back at Beer 42
Gary's take on the same one

Day 368: Life's Soundtrack and 4 Hands Pyrus

Is there a band that speaks to you no matter what song, no matter what situation you're in?  That would be R.E.M. for me. News of their break-up last September was like a punch in the gut. How could they give up after being the soundtrack to my life for thirty years? Why? Why me???  

OK, it wasn't nearly that dramatic but I was pretty bummed at the thought of no new R.E.M. songs to play me through the rest of my life. OK, maybe there is cause for drama.  Of course, one does not live on R.E.M. alone and there have been other bands who have played pivotal roles in my soundtrack.

10,000 Maniacs aided R.E.M. in defining high school for me. I listened to Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend on repeat for pretty much all of 1993-1994. The first thing I did after being given an iPod for my birthday was recreate the soundtrack to the summer of 1997 -- known affectionately around Blog Named Brew Manor as The Greatest Summer Ever.  Sublime, Cornershop, Sugar Ray, Puff Daddy, Chumbawamba. I have them all now.  The summer of 2011 will forever be defined by Young the Giant. The soundtrack of this tailgate season is Ke$ha's Die Young. I'm not proud of that fact...actually yes, I am. I have an eclectic interest in music and I am proud of it. It makes life more interesting.

So I ask you? What's the soundtrack of your life? Can you define this year in a song? 

Speaking (writing?) of eclectic...how about a pear saison for eclectic?  Evidently this is a thing and it's brewed by 4 Hands Brewing Company and it's known as  Pyrus.  It poured a hazy blonde color with a loose white head. There was some lacing.  It tastes like a saison with a light pear finish. It is very interesting.  The flavor is peppery and is very green in taste. Herbal? Spicy? I can't quite put my finger on it. It also had a lingering hop finish. 

I'm off to listen to Nightswimming on repeat. Cheers!

Beer stats

Style: Saison

ABV: 6.2%

IBUs:  Unknown

Rating: Good

Previous reviews of 4 Hands

Centennial Red

Beer 337: Erie Brewing Derailed

This photo of Picasso pretty much sums up how I felt post PSU Nebraska game.




I'm not sure why the dog was moping around. He just had dinner and some outside time. Maybe he just sensed some sadness in the air.
I've been a loyal Penn State fan for years now. Too many to want to do the math, in fact. But my passion for this school and this football team has reached epic proportions this season. I'm so proud of this team. They are playing amazing football despite being punished for something they had nothing to do with. Coach O'Brien is inspirational. How one could willingly walk into this situation and do what he's done is amazing. I often find myself thinking about the coach and the team when I'm feeling put upon by work or life.
I think we can all find a little inspiration in the Nittany Lions this year. Let's all start playing with a little more passion...with a little more dedication...with a little more us against the world attitude. Imagine what an awesome place we could make it if we did.




And now for the beer -- the Derailed ale from the Erie Brewing Company. it pours a bright amber color with a soft white head. It smells of malt and ripe fruit. The Derailed ale is a cream ale with an ABV of 5%. So far it looks and sounds good.
The flavor is very natural tasting black cherry over a nice balanced ale. There isn't anything notable about the beer. It's just good. Nice mouthfeel. Good carbonation. Definitely has a creaminess to it. I like a good fruit beer and I'll be honest...I didn't think much of this cherry ale when I picked it up. But the very natural flavor has won me over. Cheers!

Beer 323: Kane Brewing Company Malus

In honor of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Sandy, I'm reviewing a beer that is handcrafted in Ocean, New Jersey. Kane Brewing Company's Malus is an ale brewed with local apple cider and spices. It's also a limited release.

It smells awesome...like spiced cider and a sour ale. It falls in the Belgian strong dark ale category and has an ABV of 9.5%.


From the bottle: inspired by a traditional Belgian style but redefined by locally sourced ingredients. Belgian candi sugar was replaced by local apple cider that is reduced in the brewery's kettle over several days. It's their inaugural bottling.

From what I can tell they launched in the summer 2011. If they keep making brews like this one, they'll be around for awhile.

The Malus poured a hazy, warm brown color with a tan head. The first sip is quite good. I will warn you that the higher ABV is very present. The flavor has a lot going on. It starts off sour apple. Then there's leather and spice. Then overripe fruit and bread. It finishes with just a little bit of bitterness. It also leaves a tartness at the back of my tongue. Not really dry but tangy.

It's very bubbly and champagne-like in its carbonation. This is a decidedly unusual beer, but I rate it great. Cheers!

Beer 322: High Noon Saloon and Brewery

Game day, bitches! By the time you all read this, I'll be two hours into the best tailgate ever! Don't worry about me...I have deep fried peanut butter and jelly.

Today's beer of choice? The High Noon Saloon and Brewery Oregon Trail raspberry wheat ale. It's brewed in Leavenworth, Kansas, which is the start of the Oregon trail.


It poured a hazy golden color with a thin white head. It smells strongly of fresh raspberries. The ABV is 5.5%. It has lots of very nice raspberry flavor but is generally watery. It's as if someone left a bunch of ice in my glass and it melted and left this behind. It has potential but didn't quite make it. I'll call it average at best. Cheers.

Beer 318: Fox Barrel Ciders, No, 4 Hands and Beer-cation Part Deux

I have developed a serious case of wanderlust. The idea of traveling and seeing a new part of this country is like a drug lately. Next up is Austin, Texas for four days. Flights are booked. Hotel is confirmed. An itinerary is in development. Of course the trip will be beer-centric. So if you have any Texas-based recommendations for can't miss breweries or Austin-based dining or culture experiences, share them.

My first two orders of business on this trip is a visit to Jester King and cowboy boots. I'm not sure which one is more exciting!

Now keeping with my very autumnal beer selections this week, tonight's drink of choice is the Fox Barrel blackberry pear cider. And this is where I curse. Turns out that Fox Barrel Ciders is the pear cider making operation that is directly related to Crispin Ciders. And guess what? I reviewed Crispin on September 16. I haven't done that to myself in a good long time.


If you care, here are my notes from Fox Barrel. 5% ABV. Based in California. Very still. Bright rosy red color. Smells of blackberries and very ripe fruit. Tart and semi dry. Fruity but not sweet. Great.

And now I'm out of autumnal options. Let's talk 4 Hands Brewery and their Reprise Centennial red ale. It is an American red ale with an ABV of 6% that's brewed in Missouri. If I'm interpreting the description on their website, the Reprise is brewed with just the centennial hop. If that's true, that centennial hop is one potent mother.


The Reprise was billed as a hoppy red ale and it delivered. It poured a reddish brown ale with a loose but thick off white head. The scent reminded me of citrus pith. The flavor was fruity esters. This is a big, bold flavorful beer and I'll rate it a great.

One final thought. Is it odd that every review I currently have stockpiled is of beer I found at TJ's? Perhaps I'm going to start forwarding my mail there. Cheers!

Beer 316: Shipyard Brewing Co.'s Pumpkinhead Ale

Things I found in my purse after cleaning it out today:

- 14 paperclips
- 6 balled up receipts
- 5 ponytail holders
- $3.62 in change
- 3 empty prescription containers
- about 25 business cards that escaped from their holder
- about 50 menu cards
- bracelet, necklace and ring
- rusty binder clip (how did it get rusty?)
- enough Band-Aids to start an urgent care center

This was in addition to the usual wallet, keys, notepad, make up bag. And I wonder why my shoulder hurts when I carry my bag for awhile.

How do I reward myself for getting that bag cleaned up and organized? With a subpar beer. Sometimes, Marcella, sometimes...

I'm going into this whole pumpkin beer season with a bit of bias. I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, but I do enjoy pumpkin roll. So I figure that I'm bound to enjoy one of the pumpkin beers currently lurking in my fridge, right? Wrong.


I went with Shipyard Brewing Company's Pumpkinhead Ale. It poured a deep golden color with very little head. It smells like a pilsner with fall spices. But both scents came across very distinct and not very appealing. The taste is very disjointed. It starts out very bland, almost corn flavored and turns to overwhelming pie spice. Nutmeg, cinnamon...not good at all.

This is a poor beer. Cheers to hoping for better luck tomorrow.

Beer 308: Jack's Cider and Some Plans

I'm not wasting any of this glorious autumn Saturday sitting in front of the computer so today's post will be short and sweet.

What would be more appropriate on a day like today than a Jack's Hard Cider? While only producing hard cider since 2008, the operation that produces Jack's has been in business since 1907. It's located in Biglerville (Pennsylvania) -- a part of the state that is apple mecca.

If you're ever looking for something to do in early October...this weekend in fact...head over to the national apple festival near Arendtsville (Pennsylvania). It is exactly what autumn is all about. We were there a few years ago and I nearly overdosed on apple-based foods and drinks. It was heaven! The street light covers were apple shaped! And since the festival isn't too far from Biglerville, where Jack's is produced, you might as well stop there too. Sounds like a plan to me...

Back to the cider review.


Jack's Cider pours a very, very pale shade of yellow. It has lots carbonation, which is refreshing and not overwhelming. The smell is sliced apples. The taste is tart and tangy with a bit of earthiness. The sweetness is very low. This may be one of the better ciders I've had.

I'll rate it great and bid you adieu. Cheers!

Beer 300: New Glarus Raspberry Tart

Day 300 seems like a great day to break out something from the rare beers collection.  The New Glarus Brewing Company's Raspberry Tart fits that bill since it isn't available outside of Wisconsin, where it is brewed.  Huge kudos are owed to our friend Nathan who was kind enough to gift us one of his last remaining bottles. 

We are doubly fortunate because he also shared a New Glarus Belgian Red last year.  Both the Red and the Raspberry Tart are outstanding sour beers.  Unfortunately for me, they are next to impossible to get and the cherry crop in that region was devastated this year and that will have a deleterious impact on Belgian Red production.  Oh noez!!!

The Raspberry Tart pours a hazy merlot color with a thin slightly off white head.  As one would expect, it smells strongly of raspberries.  The taste is very tart raspberry that give you that fantastic pinchy action on the sides of your tongue.  There are faint hints of pie spice. The fruity sweetness is balanced perfectly by the amount of tart.  If I had to pick one beer to drink for the rest of my life, this would be among the finalists.

New Glarus Rapsberry Tart is an excellent beer.  Cheers!

Beer 292: Spring House Brewing

While you're reading this, me and Mr. Blog Named Brew are rocking out at the David Byrne/St. Vincent show at the Tower Theater.  You all need to check out their new album -- it is AWESOME! Quirky, full of horns and just plain fun to listen to...

And what better beer to go with fun, quirky music than a big fruity quad.  At 10.8% ABV, the Cosmic Monster from Spring House Brewing Company is not for the faint of heart. From Spring House's website, it is a rustic belgian style strong ale that is balanced with a generous addition of fresh fruit. 

Interesting...back to back fruit beers for Marci.  Where did the hops go?!?!  

The Cosmic Monster is fermented with real pureed blackberries and then aged over fresh raspberries. It poured a deep mahogany color and had lots of berries in the nose.  You can definitely smell the blackberries more so than the raspberries.  The booze was not appratent and I imagine that you could get in a lot of trouble drinking this quad.  The flavor was lots of fruit, malt and hops. Very well balanced and easy to drink.  The mix of strong malts and fruit flavors also make it quite refreshing.  Sort of the opposite reaction that quads usually have with me.

This is a great beer.  Cheers! 

Photo #1 of Cosmic Monster

Photo #2. Better or worse?

Beer 287: Super Special Rekorderlig Cider

I'm checking in from the tailgate this morning with a special delivery cider straight from the U.K. Rekorderlig strawberry lime cider is made in Sweden and not available in the U.S. yet. Many thanks to my friend Liz for smuggling it for me!




It pours a bright pink color and has a strong aroma of macerated strawberries. The flavor is totally summertime. A little off target considering the brisk and rather chilly breeze blowing through the tailgate currently. It's sweet but the hint of lime helps stop it from being cloying.

Rekorderlig was first created in 1999 in Vimmerby, Sweden, where it is still brewed today by Åbro Bryggeri. I'd say go get one for yourself...but that's one heck of a beer run! Cheers!

Beer 281: Crispin Hard Cider

What a weekend. Great tailgate. Great Penn State football game. Great weather. The mornings feel like football weather and that makes me so very happy.


What doesn't make me happy? I am an old woman and absolutely EXHAUSTED by the tomfoolery of the weekend. As in the kids in the yard next door didn't wake me up even with all their ridiculous screaming. Why must kids scream on the top of their lungs over everything? Shut up.

You know what would be perfect on a day like today? Crispin Cider Company's Artisanal Reserve Honey Crisp hard cider. It's described on the label as smooth and crisp with organic honey (6.5% ABV). It poured the palest of yellows with a medium carbonation. It smells of fresh green earth and, obviously, apples.

The flavor is light, tart apple with hints of honey. It finishes semidry with a nice tartness. This is one of the better ciders I've had -- decidedly not sugary sweet with a good amount of tartness. Perfect for the early fall weather.

Now I'm going to go yell at kids to get off my lawn. Cheers!

Beer 266: Shadow's Wild Black and Then Stiegl

For whatever reason, as I sit down to write something profound about the first Penn State game under Coach O'Brien, I managed to get The Second Week of Deer Camp stuck in my head. So there's that.

What are my hopes for today's game? Honestly to make the haters stop hating, but I realize the lofty nature of that wish. I want everyone wishing for the old days to stop it. Those days are over. Over. We have got to move on as an alumni group, as a student body, as human beings. This should have, could have, would have is not healthy.

It's a new day in Happy Valley. Let's all enjoy it and celebrate it. Let's have a real good time.

You know what's also a real good time? This crazy ass premium blackberry lager from Blue Dog Brewing called Shadow's Wild Black. The problem is that it's made by Anheuser Busch InBev. Oops. So I guess it's a 2 for 1 today.

The Wild Black is made with natural flavor and color from juice and has an ABV of 8%. Somehow InBev claims this one is brewed in Baldwinsville, New York. Honestly I did not have high hopes for a fruit lager. The color is a clear ruby with a thin ring of white head.


The smell is all blackberry - nothing else. It has a very strong aroma of fruit. The flavor is very boozy. There's a noticeable alcohol burn and it's almost schnapps like. But all that fruit flavor tastes natural...nothing artificial about it, which is great. The fruit and carbonation overpowers any hints of malt or hops. I will admit this one is unusual and I probably couldn't drink two in a row. That being said I did enjoy it. I shall rate it good.

Ugh. InBev. You kill me.

Now I'll tell you about the real beer for opening day. The Stiegl Pils is brewed in Austria. It pours a golden color with an off white head. I think it was leaving lacing but I couldn't really tell in the goofy plastic cup I was drinking out of. It smells rich and of grains. The taste reminds me slightly of melon with some hop bite. This is a nice beer. I'll rate it good.


Now I'm off to cheer on the white and blue because I've never stopped believing. Cheers!

Beer 257: Invercargill Boysenberry and the Wall

I hit the wall at about 4:15pm today and I'm not sure how I'm going to pull it together and make it through another day tomorrow. I knew it was all over for the day when I shouted, "I wield all the power!"  At least I have friends, beer and barbecue waiting for me on Saturday as a reward for acting like a productive member of society on Friday.

I write about beer and friends this Saturday as if that's not how I would have described last Saturday or the Sunday before that.  I have a lifestyle.  It revolves around beer.

I have two more reviews left from last weekend's beer bonanza but one of them is being saved for a special occasion in November.  (Hopefully you'll have stuck with me for that payoff!)  I discovered the Invercargill Brewery's Pitch Black Boysenberry Stout thanks to The Farmer's Cabinet.  It's brewed in New Zealand with a 6.5% ABV and great fruit flavor, this beer was very easy to drink. It poured a red-tinged chocolate brown color with a slightly pink head. At least I thought I saw pink under the candlelight of The Farmer's Cabinet.  It smelled like figs, but the flavor was red berries, chocolate and roasted coffee.  It's flavorful but dry.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Beer 255: Three for Threesday...I mean Tuesday

I'm inadvertently celebrating a Two fer Tuesday Three for Threesday...I mean Tuesday. Sadly the beer beers I had planned to review turned out to be too directly related to the Grimbergen Pale Ale -- and Leipziger Gose that I reviewed a mere 11 beers ago and months ago.  Rats, I say! Rats!

The beer originally planned for today was the Mort Subite Kriek Lambic.  This was one of the beverages enjoyed at SourFest at Devil's Den on Saturday.  While decidedly not sour, this lambic was sweet and tart. Depending on who you asked at our table, the tartness varied greatly. Also interesting is that the fact that I tasted more strawberry in the flavor than cherry.  It poured a pretty rosy brown color with a barely pink but sticky head. It was tasty but I can't imagine drinking more than one.

The Mort Subite Kriek was followed by the Bayerischer Bahnhof Leipziger -- a Baltic porter with Brettanomyces.  Of the porters, Baltic porters are my favorite. I love beers with Brettanomyces. The description of this one sounded oddly like Jolly Pumpkin's Madrugada Obscura. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.

It's brewed in Germany at Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof. It appeared to be a very dark brown, almost black in the glass with a thick craggy head.  It smelled like dark fruit. No earthy funk in the nose.  The flavor was roasted and slightly smoky. At first the tartness wasn't there for me but as it sat I noticed more tartness coming out along with some strong hops.

Pardon the profanity laced interruption. MOTHERFUCKER. I ALREADY DRANK THIS GODDAMNED BREWERY IN FEBRUARY. How does my beer addled brain not pick up on any recollection of that bizarre, impossible to pronounce name??? I EVEN MADE FUN OF IT BACK IN FEBRUARY.  SHIT. Damn. Poop. Hell.

I may actually cry.

Seriously.

Seriously this is the last review I'm writing tonight. If I find out that I already reviewed Fordham Brewing, you will never know. NEVER.  Fordham is brewed in Dover, Delaware but claims heritage dating to 1703 in Annapolis, Maryland.  It appears that the brewery was founded way back in 1703, operated for years and was shuttered for a number of years until an enterprising group of brewers reopened it in 1995.  The Helles Lager poured a golden straw color with no head.  It had medium carbonation. It smelled of sweet caramel malt and grains. The taste is very malt dominant but clean and crisp. It has a nice hopped finish with a taste of biscuits every now and again. It's quite easy to drink.

Cheers.

Beer 240: Aspall Perronelle's Blush

Having a name like mine leads to many, many mispronunciations. The most common is over-Italianizing it. Lately opentable.com has renamed me Marc. Odd but I go with it. Usually people don't willingly offer up a mispronunciation of their own name, but that's exactly what I did a few years ago. I was ordering a gift certificate and the gentleman asked for my name as it appeared on my credit card. I gave him my full name...he pauses. I suppose he was trying to figure out the spelling. His next question was, "Like the wine?". I don't know where my brain was at the time, but I figured sure like the wine. There had to be an Italian vineyard somewhere named Marcella, right?

Fast forward to this morning when I picked up a call at work. It was my dentist's office auto reminder calling about tomorrow's appointment for Marsala. Yup, just like the wine. You should always start the day with hysterical laughter. It makes the rest of the day so much better.

It's been a good day and I'm in the mood for something fun and fruity. I think the Perronelle's Blush from Aspall fits the bill nicely. Plus it's from England so I get the Olympic tie in as well.

Aspall has been brewing ciders for eight generations. Trust me. They definitely know what they're doing. Perronelle's Blush is an English draft cider blended with a dash of blackberry juice.


It's the perfect blend of sweet and tart. It's crisp apple with some wine-like characteristics. It pours a beautiful clear claret and is rather still in the glass. The aroma is very reminiscent of a good rosé. This is probably one of the best ciders I've had on this adventure. Cheers!

Beer 238: Girardin Geueze and What Should Have Been Beer-turday

Today started with the most impossible bike ride ever. The five mile loop at Valley Forge National Park is a bitch. It doesn't matter if you're on foot or on wheels. It SUCKS. That loop allowed me and my bike to have a not so lovely walk today. Tomorrow I'm hitting 30 very flat miles...thank you very much.

The remainder of today was all beer, all the time. We hit up Round Guys Brewing to refill our growler and sample some new beers. I tried the Wild Eyes Series 3 and it was quite good. We also got to render an opinion on a new syrup to accompany the Berliner-Weiss. Between the elderberry and black currant...black currant all the way.

Next up was a stop at Tired Hands. I stopped for the Mysterious Mood, stayed for the Undertow, and then really stayed for a random encounter with friends. A quick stop at The Beer Shoppe was our final destination. The only way this place could get better is if they separated the recent arrivals into a section that made it easy for us beer fiends to find the new stuff. Three sacks of beer later, the blog is stocked for the coming days. Big shout out to Ralph...thanks for the help!

Salinger says, "Hey.".


He also claims it's tough guarding all that beer. I compensate him well in Milkbones.

Tonight's beer is the Girardin


Gueuze. It poured a light amber color with a minimal head. It smelled funky with a little mustiness. There was also a sour aroma. The flavor was mineral, tart and a bit watery. The smell was way more potent than the flavor. But the flavor doesn't disappoint. There's an interesting softness to this Gueuze...kind of malty underneath the lemony tartness and funkiness. I would put it in my top ten Gueuzes.

Cheers!

Beer 216: (insert Price is Right loser sound here) Buffalo Bill's Brewing

In my defense, the label is quite fetching. Too bad this beer sucked ass. The Buffalo Bill Brewing's orange cream ale was not good.


First sip made me think it tastes like hairspray. I know because I have very recently sprayed myself in the face with hairspray.

It didn't improve much beyond that assessment. It poured a hazy straw color with a thin white head. It looked nice in the glass...very effervescent. Its aroma was muted citrus. Several sips later, it still tasted bad. But there was a very grainy thing happening. There was also no honey flavor despite being promised that on the label.

I tried to finish it. I really did. Instead it went straight down the drain. Blech.