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
Have you heard of the website Dogshaming? Go check it out--obviously after you read this blog--and I promise you'll be entertained. While this isn't the funniest posting you'll find, it does remind me that I need to name a future dog Waffles.
Oh, Waffles! Poop goes in the backyard.
Today's beer is the Shady Blonde from Prism Brewing Company. After starting off my Sunday afternoon by sharing a sampler with Mr. Blog Named Brew, I had the desire to continue some Sunday-Funday day drinking with a grown-up size Shady Blonde.
It's a blonde ale (duh) brewed with blood oranges. I'm a sucker for blood oranges. (pun intended) As you can see from the photo, it poured a hazy yellow color. It was borderline electric yellow outside in the sunshine! It did have a loose white head but that dissipated rather quickly. It has a great and dominant orange aroma that doesn't waver in the flavor. There's a nice tartness in the flavor as well that balances out the strong orange notes. The malts and hops were evenly balanced and it made for a very refreshing beer for the summer months.
There are days I feel like I've grown up and there are days that I still feel like a kid discovering the world. I prefer when the latter is the more dominant.
And in some fun musing-beer review symmetry, today's beer of choice is the Smuttynose Really Old Brown Dog ale. It's an old ale or a stock ale.
What's that you ask? Old ale typically is laid up to mature--becoming "old" if you will. Style notes indicate the color varies from rich, dark amber to a very dark brown. The style features fruity, vinous and deep malty flavors, giving it almost port-like qualities. Slight acidity is not uncommon.
So how did I find the Really Old Dog? It poured a dense, dark brown color with a loose, bubbly light tan head. It smells hoppy and kind of like cold pumpernickel bread. There are hints of licorice as you drink it and inhale and exhale thoughtfully. (Oh yeah, I'm a good time at the bar!) The flavor reminds me of a bitter cola...sort of like a coffee bean without the coffee flavor...just the green bitterness. It's a heavy beer--both in alcohol content and consistency.
Day #512 Petrus Aged Red / Brouwerij Bavik, Harebeke-Bavikhove, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Another Aged Red, a Winterbier, some Aged Pale, and more Aged Pale
And so ends another weekend! This one was filled with long stretches of relaxation mixed with furious bouts of activity. Had some friends show up last night for a surprise birthday party, and met up with friends again this evening for some beers. In between, I accomplished the following:
1. Cut the grass (really, that means mowed the weeds)
2. Took a nap
3. Not much else
Hey, sometimes you don't really get much done during a weekend. It happens. However, nothing stops the beer review train, and tonight is a glass of Brouwerij Bavik's Petrus Aged Red from a recent TJ's visit. In the glass you see a clear, dark cherry color. Sort of like dark cherry Kool-Aid, if that flavor exists. The aroma is sweet, like a cherry cola, and the taste is a mix of lots of awesome flavors, even if I don't know what they are. Seriously. You get a bunch of cherry flavor, some sweetness, and a dry finish. There's a sort of medicinal quality to it, like cough syrup. You can convince me there's a Dr. Pepper vibe going on in there as well. I don't know what to make of this beer for the most part, but I know I like it. If you like Oud Bruins or just want to try something unique, this is a great beer to try.
This looks rather purple, doesn't it?
Thing to Think About Today:
This is the spot where I would have tied in the name of the beer with some music and played you Red, Red Wine by UB40, but I already used that one earlier in this blog adventure. Damn it. So, instead, I give you a song that has nothing to do with anything, other than the fact I like it and it brings a smile to my face. Relax and ease out of the weekend with some Yo La Tengo and Autumn Sweater, my friends. Enjoy your evening while you're at it....
Day #511 Karnival Kolsch / Stoudt's Brewing Company, Reading, PA
Previously from this brewery: Scarlet Lady and Revel Red
It's a glorious, beautiful, sunny and warm day here in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Therefore, I'm debating how much I should type, as (1) I'd rather be outside and (2) are you going to read this if you're spending the day outside enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer? Although, you all have smart phones, so I suppose you can sit and read this while you enjoy the warm rays of the sun on your face. I sometimes get yelled at because I spend a fair amount of time looking at my phone. I can't help it... good things live there.
And once I hit the 'publish' button, this beer review will live in the internet (and your phone!) as well. Up today is a pint of Karnival Kolsch from Stoudt's, which I had on draft at a work happy hour last night. As you might expect from a kolsch, this beer has a clear pale gold color, and a nice bit of white head. There are aromas of grass, yeast, and grains, and balanced flavors of hops and malt, with some lemon and earthy notes in there as well. Very refreshing, very easy drinking... great beer to sip while you're sitting outside, reading this post....
Happy hour!
Second kolsch beer in a week, as I recently had the Kolsch from Lancaster Brewing Company as well. Both excellent choices when you're in the market for something lighter yet flavorful. If you're driving down the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Reading, you'll see signs for Stoudt's. You should take their advice and stop in for a beer.
Thing to Think About Today:
Are you outside? If not, let me paint you a musical picture of a sunny afternoon. No, I mean it - Tom Jones signing Sunny Afternoon. Yes, there's a minute of talking before the musics starts. But seriously, relax and enjoy the weather and don't worry about things like when the music will start. Enjoy!
Today was one of those days when people just really impressed me. If you share a little information--open yourself up just a little bit--you'll be amazed at how helpful others can be. That's the lesson of the day.
And in other news, I have found more and more often that I refer to myself as a shark--quickly adding, I have to keep moving or it's over.
Happy Friday, kids!
Today's beer is the Petrus Aged Red. I almost ordered two other beers ahead of this one, but thankfully Mr. Blog Named Brew had my back and pointed out that there was an oud bruin to be had when we celebrated his birthday earlier this week. He's a good egg, that one!
It poured a really pretty deep mahogany color with a wispy tan head. There's lots of macerated cherries in both the smell and taste. I also noted a bit of chocolate fudge in the nose. It teetered on the edge of syrupy but never got to the point of being cloying. The flavor, in addition to having lots of cherry notes, highlighted strawberry and a medicinal thing that honestly reminded me of Robitussin. Strange but true. It's wildly different than other Petrus offerings I've had...you know all two of them! But as they say--variety is the spice of life!
Day #509 Sidekick / Two Brothers Brewing Company, Warrenville, Illinois
Previously from this brewery: Diversey & Lill(e), a collaboration, and Cain & Ebel
For those who were not aware, yesterday was my birthday! Perhaps your town had a parade in my honor, or people just celebrated in the streets on their own without any formal ceremony. Either way, thank you for joining in the celebration (I kid). Had a busy but very productive day, and I'm very thankful to be here to see another year kick off. Last year on May 1, I put it in writing that I'd run another 24 hour ultra marathon in 2013. Yes, there are still seven months of the year left, but it's clear that one isn't happening. What can I say, sometimes you set big goals and don't always hit them. No special goals this year, other than to be happy. That seems like a good enough goal, right?
Part of my birthday was spent drinking beer; specifically. a pint of Sidekick, an American Pale Ale from Two Brothers Brewing. You see a dull gold color with a thin head, and a mellow aroma of pine and lemon. The taste is a good mix of pine and citrus (mostly lemon), with a bit of malt sweetness in there as well. Maybe a touch too sweet, but this is a solid beer, and very drinkable. Not a bad choice for a picnic or a night spent drinking beers outside.
Beer was better than this picture suggests
Thing to Think About Today:
I'll take things in a slightly different direction than usual to wrap up today. Yes, another birthday means I'm feeling a bit older and contemplating where exactly did the past 37 years go (hint: I have NO idea). So, I'll let The Wailin' Jennys send us off into my 38th year with their cover of Neil Young's Old Man. Great song for when you're feeling a bit old.
As I started to write this post to commemorate Mr. Blog Named Brew's 38th 22nd birthday, I thought I might start with a trip down memory lane to see what we wrote about last May 1. He was thoughtfuland I went on a drug-addled ramble. That kind of sums us up.
Since I'm not sick or on drugs this year, here we go.
Happy, happy birthday to my best friend, my partner in crime, my drinking buddy, my lov-ah! There is no one I would rather spend today with--or any other day for that matter. You are my heart and soul. Thank you for being awesome.
And thank you for introducing me to all sorts of rap music...old school, new school, East Coast and West, gangsta and that with a conscious. So of course any time we visit Lancaster Brewing Companyand I abbreviate it in my notes as LBC, there goes Snoop Dogg on and on about his gin and juice in my head.
My segues astound you, don't they?
Lucky for us, this trip to the LBC was without drama. It wasn't without good beer though. I went with the Strawberry Wheat, which poured a slightly pink amber color with a thin white head. It smells of wheat and fruit and that carries through nicely to the flavor. It has a very natural strawberry flavor to it. Nothing unnatural or syrupy here.Overall I think this is a good fruit beer. It may not be up there with 21st Amendment's Hell or High Watermelon, but it holds its own.
Beer stats
Style: Fruit beer, wheat beer
ABV: 4.7%
IBUs: 16
Rating: Good
Hustle day today, as taking time off work the past two weeks has me a bit behind in the office, which means everything else in life is a bit behind as well. And, your life is probably busy these days as well, as today is last shopping day for you to get me a birthday gift. Hustle, people!
Tonight I'm washing down dinner with a can of Kolsch from Lancaster Brewing. In the glass, this beer has a clear, pale golden hue, with a thin but persistent white head. Your nose finds the aroma of bread and light floral notes, and when you drink it down you get a beer that brings bread, grass, and some tart lemon, with a nice, mild hop bitterness on the finish. Crisp and refreshing, this is a perfect beer for summertime. Plus, it comes in cans, so you can take these with you to a tailgate, on the boat, or while driving your lawnmower.
I like it in the can.
For those who don't know, kolsch is a style of beer originally brewed in Cologne, Germany.
Thing to Think About Today:
You faithful readers know that most days, I tie something to do with the brewery or the beer into our thing to think about. Today is not one of those days. Instead, you get one of the songs stuck in my head currently: the new Daft Punk and Pharrell collaboration, Get Lucky. If this doesn't go into your summer sex mix, you're doing something wrong. (note: video is only a snippet of the actual song; just do yourself a favor and go download this asap)
My review of beers from a recent trip to Spring House Tap Roomconcludes with today's review of Goofy Foot summer wheat.
4.6% ABV
It pours a hazy yellow orange with a very thin white head. I couldn't get a read on this beer's smell. It was mild beer. Nothing notable. The flavor was light and refreshing...some wheat with a light lemon hop. Overall I'd call this one average at best. But given the other winners I've had from Spring House, don't let this review deter you from trying them out.
Beer stats
Style: Wheat
ABV: 4.8%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Average
Back home after another weekend in State College. The 125th anniversary celebration was a great event, and I was able to catch up with some old friends and share some laughs (and beers). Glad to be back home, however, as I need to catch up on some rest before a busy week at work. Nothing quite like a nap on a Sunday afternoon to recharge the batteries.
So, right into the beer review: today's beer is Goofy Foot, a summer wheat from Spring House Brewing. In the glass, this beer has a hazy yellow color and thin, persistent white head. There are light aromas of wheat and grain, and there are flavors of grain, bread, and wheat when you take a sip. This is a lighter beer that would go well on a warm summer afternoon.
Wheaty
Thing to Think About Today:
Summer beer on draft today, so I'll throw in some music that pairs well with summer. Vampire Weekend, take it away...
