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

Let's Go State!

Beer #322 Reprise Centennial Ale / 4 Hands Brewing Company, St. Louis, MO

As this post hits the interwebs, the tailgate will be going strong, getting everyone ready to cheer until we're hoarse.  Penn State has been playing with great confidence, so let's hope it pays off with a win!

The beer for today is the Reprise Centennial Ale, an amber from 4 Hands Brewing Company.  It pours with a dark amber color, and a lingering white head.  The aroma is of citrus and hops, and when you take a sip you get pine, lemon, a bit of malt, and a rather dry and bitter finish.  Checking in at 6% ABV, this is a very hoppy amber ale, and if you prefer things on the hoppier side, this beer is for you.

BEER!

This brewery is located in the LaSalle Park neighborhood, and they also barrel age beers.  Now you know!

Thing to Think About Today:
Just leaving this out here..... one of the best games I've ever seen in person, and certainly the loudest crowd from pre-game to post-game.   We had a front row seat to the birth of Paternoville (and it will ALWAYS be Paternoville), which was amazing to see, and I sincerely hope the students are just as loud in 2012 as they were in 2005.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjJ86bKIUA8

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!