365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days with random musings on beer, food, music, sports, dogs and anything else interesting along the way
Beer #543 2XMAS / Southern Tier Brewing Company, Lakewood, NY
Previously from this brewery: Creme Brulee stout, Unearthly IPA
Spent the day at the ballpark, thankfully watching the Phils pull out a late win against the hapless (except when they play the Phils) Miami Marlins. Great day for a game, great time was had by all.
And with that short but sweet update, I'm getting right into the beer. Tonight I decided to pull a beer out of the back corner of the fridge, a bottle of 2XMAS from Southern Tier. There's apparently something called Christmas in July, so therefore I feel well within my right to have a Christmas beer in June. In the glass, you see a dark amber hue, and are greeted by big aromas of spice - clove and nutmeg, predominantly. When you take a sip, you find Christmas in a glass: cardamom, clove, nutmeg, ginger, and orange peel. This is a tasty beer, but I'd like it quite more if I drank it in season, instead of in June. Hey, can't win them all. One less beer in the fridge, I say.
Ho, Ho, Hold on.... Christmas beer?
Thing to Think About Today:
Nothing says baseball like Christmas carols. Paul McCartney, do you agree? Of course you do, as we're simply having a Wonderful Christmastime. Even in June. Night, friends!
The weather in Philadelphia was absurdly glorious today. A great day to drive with your windows open and your head in the breeze. You know.... like this:
Who let the dogs out?
The weather today felt more like San Diego than Philly, so I'll give you a beer from the West Coast to get in the proper mood. Tonight's review is Coronado Golden, a pilsner from Coronado Brewing. In the unnecessarily small glass (more on that later), it showed a pale straw color, with a thin white head. There are light aromas of grain and bread, and when you take a sip, you find a refreshing mix of easy malt sweetness, bread, grass, and grain with the tiniest bit of hop bitterness. Great beer for a sunny day... and from what I understand they get a few of those in San Diego.
Solid Gold
So Bainbridge Barrel House.... I get that it costs money to haul beer from San Diego some 2,750 miles to your front door. However, selling a ten ounce pour of a session beer for $6.50? That needs to be a bigger pour, guys. C'mon!
Thing to Think About Today:
A golden beer and some golden weather deserves some, what, maybe Black Gold from Soul Asylum? Sure! Great song to crank up when you roll down the windows. Try it yourself and see what I mean!
I marked the final leg of my trip home by ticking off the reasons I will not visit various restaurants along the Main Line. This one has attempted to survive with the dumbest configuration ever. One restaurant on the street-side and another, not-so-successful one in the rear. Oddly the one on the street-side closed first. Go figure. I think the site is cursed and was gratified to see the next tenants making moves which look like they're leveling it and starting over. Hopefully they burn some sage at the site and rid it of its bad mojo.
There's the one that thinks prosciutto belongs in a sushi roll. No dice. There's the one that hires 19 year-olds to describe its relatively decent beer. Imagine how that goes. I could go on, but it's far too depressing.
One place that I'll definitely be revisiting is the Bainbridge Street Barrel House, however it's not a Main Line haunt. It's located at 6th and Bainbridge in Philadelphia. I missed their Coronado Brewingtap takeover on Saturday night, but managed to scarf up some leftovers at Sunday Funday. I started with the BadaBing cherry porter.
It poured a dark brown color ale with a thin but cream tan head. It had a cherry aroma with a little chocolate thrown in. It drank with a thin mouthfeel but was quite flavorful. There's lots of bitter roast, solid amount of cherry and some coffee with a hint of cola now and again. Overall this is a great beer but it made me miss San Diego.
Day #540 Riserva / Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, PA
Previously from this brewery: Merry Monks, Double Simcoe IPA
"She said, 'I don't believe in any old Jesus.
And if there was a God, then why is my ass
the perfect height for kicking?"
- Bell X1, Rocky Took a Lover
Frequent readers of this blog may know that I love music. I like nothing more than finding the right songs for the right mood, and then sharing those finds with everyone either in this blog or through an iPod mix at a party or tailgate. I enjoy having people comment on the eclectic combinations I put together, and I like surprising people with the song that they absolutely need to hear at just the right moment.
A mix I rarely ever share from is my Quiet Mix; a collection of songs I like to listen to when I want to slow it down, take time to reflect and think, have a pity party and feel bad for myself, or just find a quiet, peaceful place to be alone in between my ears (my brain can be a cluttered, chaotic, noisy place). The quote above has been running through my head lately; I bring it up in my mind whenever life throws a particularly well timed uppercut that I can't dodge or block. Just like the quote says, sometimes I feel like I've earned the crap life hands out because my ass is really just the perfect height for kicking. I don't know where I'm going with this post; I just had that song running through my head and then started typing. Anyway, everyone should have a Quiet Mix. If you need some suggestions, I'd be happy to share; I'm always happy to share my thoughts on music.
Tonight I give you Riserva from Weyerbacher, an American Wild Ale aged on raspberries in oak barrels. Intrigued? Yes, I believe you are. This beer has a reddish rose hue with a thin edge of white head. Out of the bottle, there are aromas tart raspberries, and when you take a sip you get taken away into a happy place with flavors of raspberries and oak, and just the right bit of sourness. I drink a fair number of beers, and when my first reaction to a sip is, "holy shit!" you can feel comfortable that this is a world class beer. Riserva beer has a very pleasing carbonation, and it hides a rather potent 11.4% ABV incredibly well. I was shocked to see the ABV this high, as you don't notice the alcohol whatsoever. Congratulations to Weyerbacher, as I'm awarding this beer a place in my coveted Top 25 list!
Soooo good!
I'm not the only one to fall in love with this creation. It was very recently crowned 'Best New Beer' at the Philadelphia Inquirer's 2013 Brew-vitational.
Thing to Think About Today:
No way I quote this song in the opening paragraph, and then not give you the goods. I've only shared Bell X1 here in this space once before, but they're a band I enjoy greatly. If you close your eyes (not now, you're reading), you can hear the Talking Heads influences hiding in there somewhere. A high compliment from me, indeed. Enjoy something quiet to unwind from your weekend and find an inner peace before the work week starts again. Night, friends....
I'm out of words. No pearls of wisdom today. If that's disappointing, prepare yourself for more disappointment. Today's beer is the Frankenmuth Batch 69 IPA. It's an American IPA that claims to taste of citrus, flowers and pine.
I drank this at a decidedly unbeercentric household so no appropriate glassware. It poured a bright deep golden color with very little head. What was around was white. It didn't smell of anything in particular and it was very malty without any discernible hop profile. Given the description from the bottle, I was expecting lots of hop in there. Instead I got lots of sweet, lots of orange and not much else.
Overall it was a real disappointment. Even more so because Frankenmuth is one of Michigan's oldest breweries--hailing all the way back to 1857. It's located in Frankenmuth, Michigan, which is known as Michigan's Little Bavaria. With that kind of reputation, maybe I would have been better off with one of their pilseners or dunkel lagers. Alas this was the only option available to me at the time.
Home from work this afternoon, getting ready to head down to the Phillies game tonight with some friends. We're trying to leave a bit early so that we're not stuck in two hours of beach/baseball/weekend traffic, but yeah - we're going to be stuck in two hours of traffic. You suck, roads of Pennsylvania. However, worth it to unwind and enjoy a night out with friends.
Today's review is Scratch 95, a Kolsch from Troegs. This beer has a hazy gold color, and is served in the most phallic beer glass I've ever seen. The aroma has notes of grain and fruit, and when you take a sip, you get a classic kolsch: refreshing mix of grain, a dry, light hop bitterness, some lemony citrus. I detected some light white grape notes hiding out in there, which lent the beer a certain sweetness that I really enjoyed. If you're planning a trip to Hershey in the very near future, stop in and try one of these. You won't be disappointed!!
This reminds you of.... a penis, right?
I mean... just look at it!
The Scratch beer series is Troegs' experimental beer work. Always good, always changing. Wish this one would make it into their permanent rotation.....
Thing to Think About Today:
If I'm going to be stuck in a traffic jam, then I think we should mellow out and relax to the smooth 90s stylings of Domino and his smash(?) hit Getto Jam. Enjoy your Friday, dear friends.
Want a humbling experience? Try doing battle with this...
...when it's 88 degrees and humid. If I don't post again, it's because I actually had a heart attack. Holy cow. After I drink a gallon of water to replenish myself, I will have a beer this evening. In the meantime, please enjoy this review of Jolly Pumpkin's Maracaibo Especial.
(I had a photo at one point. If I find it, it will go here.)
It poured a rich, bright oak color with a light tan bubbly head. It smells woody and just a little funky. The flavor is has the Jolly Pumpkin signature tartness, but I was surprised at the more pronounced hop profile. It's very smooth. Per Jolly Pumpkin's description, there's supposed to be cacao, sweet orange and cinnamon. I could find the citrus, but the cacao and cinnamon were eluding me. I'm not going to say I'm disappointed but this isn't one of my favorites from Jolly Pumpkin. Horror!
Beer stats
Style: American brown ale
ABV: 7.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Jolly Pumpkin (The list goes on and on and on again...)
My review of Sobrehumano Palena'ole 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 Obscuraand some crazy lady ranting about St. Patrick's Day Gary actually has tried all the Bam bieres
I'm completely thrown off by schedule changes these days. Short weeks, vacation days, things happening off schedule. I can't explain it, but the notion of being off on Monday plus me being off again on Tuesday means that it's Wednesday, yet I can't seem to manage that fact consistently in my head. All day today I was referring to things happening tomorrow that were happening today or happening today that were really taking place on Thursday. If anyone wants to apply for a job as my executive assistant, please send me an email. Assuming you know what day it is and can remind me of that information when I get it wrong, you're more or less hired. I can't pay you in cash, but I suppose I can pay you in beer. Seems like a good deal, right?
Perhaps a beer review will entice you to join the staff. Part of last weekend was spent at Victory Brewing Company. My first choice for the evening was a pint of Uncle Teddy's Bitter on the hand pump. This beer has a rich amber hue, with a fluffy white marshmallow looking head. Your nose picks up aromas of bread and sweet malt, and when you take a sip, you get a creamy texture, malt sweetness, caramel and toffee. There's a scant bit of bitterness folded in from the hops, but face it; you're here for the malt. Exceptional flavor for a beer that has a mere 4.0% ABV. Or, less than a Bud Light's 4.2% ABV, for those who want a point of reference. Easily one of my favorites at Victory.
Not a great photo. Shocking.
Thing to Think About Today:
No word on Victory's site if this beer was actually named for someone's uncle. However, I'll keep with the family theme and close out with Robert Randolph and the Family Band, singing the infectious Going in the Right Direction. I was once informed that I could learn how to play the pedal steel by reading a book from the library. After listening to these guys play, I somewhat doubt that advice.
In random news of the day, I attended a meditation class during my lunch hour. I thought it sounded like a great idea because I've been feeling increasingly put upon by the incessant noise of the modern world. Phone buzzing, dinging, ringing, etc. Texts, emails, Facebook notifications, Instagram likes...the list goes on and on. Going out and having everyone at the table with their attention turned to their smart phones--reporting on experiences rather than just experiencing the moment. If it sounds like I'm pointing fingers, don't worry, I am. But I'm including myself among those at whom that finger is being pointed.
So how did I like that meditation class? It was one of the hardest things I've ever attempted. The noise in my head is astounding and it creates a constant struggle to find quiet and to find my breathing.Who knew it was such hard work to do what in essence feels like nothing?
What kept creeping into my thoughts? Everything on my work to-do list...this blog...what's for dinner. It was a startling and eye-opening hour.
But now I have to check my phone and drink a beer--a Thomas HookerMunich-style lager to be exact.
It poured a transparent golden color and smelled generally of beer. The flavor was grassy and grainy with a bitter finish. It had a medium mouthfeel.
What is a Munich helles lager? From beeradvocate.com, it was Germany's answer to the popularity of Czech pils. It's a bit more malty but has a similar yet subdued spicy hop of a Czech Pils. And in case you were wondering about helles, it's German for bright. I would say that Thomas Hooker got it right. While it's not my preferred beer style, I can say that it was good. Beer stats
Style: Munich-style helles lager
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: 13
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Thomas Hooker
Reviews of the blondeand helles lagerfrom Mr. Blog Named Brew
My review of the blonde
Day #534 Troegs Pale Ale / Troegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PA
Previously from this brewery: the delightful Nugget Nectar, Sunshine Pils, and Scratch 57 (starring Darryl Dawkins!)
Happy Memorial Day to you all! Hopefully you have fun plans for the day, or at least get to spend it with loved ones. And I do hope you'll pause in some way to honor those who died while defending our country (friendly reminder: Memorial Day honors the deceased, while Veteran's Day celebrates the service of all veterans).
I'll be spending a portion of this holiday in the yard, trying to tame the jungle that seems to have sprung up recently. Long time readers of this blog may recall that I would sooner cut off a limb than work in the yard, so you know this is a task I'm dreading. My allergies started to flare up this weekend, and when you combine that with the approximately 100 bug bites I'll receive while I'm out there, you get a recipe for me being really miserable today. Sorry to go all Debbie Downer on you there. Just saying. And I still didn't receive that invite for a BBQ, by the way..... must have gotten lost in the mail.
Part of Sunday afternoon was spent meandering through Central Pennsylvania, which included a stop at Troegs to get a beer fix. Found a seat at the bar in their large tasting room, and ordered up a Troegs Pale Ale, which arrived sporting a bright copper color and persistent white head. This might sound strange to non-craft beer believers, but then again maybe not: this is a very attractive beer, with a bright, clear quality (pic below doesn't do it justice, sadly). You find a mild aroma of citrus and malt on the nose, and flavors of pine, lemon and orange, and caramel malts. There's a dryness to this beer, and a very manageable 5.4% ABV. Not the most complex or unusual beer Troegs produces, but definitely an enjoyable pour to sip on a sunny afternoon.
Trust me, prettier in real life.
Troegs' new brewery location is located right on Hersheypark Drive, around the corner from Hershey's famous amusement park. I envision tons of dads dropping their kids off at the park to ride the rides, then jetting over to Troegs to relax and enjoy some beers. Regardless, a trip to Hershey definitely shouldn't be considered complete without a stop at Troegs and their great tasting room. Thing to Think About Today:
Troegs is located in a town affectionately known as "The Sweetest Place on Earth" thanks to the world famous headquarters of Hershey. So let's get real relevant and let the Carolina Chocolate Drops (chocolate!) close out the weekend with Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine (sweet!). See what I did there? Anyway, I hope this fun song helps you kick off a sunny Memorial Day. See you all soon...
