The Owl, The Arms Race, The Way We Move

Day #607 Steenuilke / Brouwerij De Ryck, Herzele, Belgium
Previously from this brewery: Arend Tripel

Here in America, craft beer is an arms race.  Every brewery tries to outdo the rest of the industry by adding more hops than realistically needed, or by mashing together crazy ingredients just because they need to be different to stand out in a crowd.  Call me crazy, but beer made with gun powder, dandelions, Milk Duds, and hearts of palm just isn't what I need.  I need good beer, well crafted with solid flavors that stand out because they're delicious, not because they're weird.  Anyone out there remember the scene in Superman 3, where Richard Pryor is trying to reverse engineer homemade Kryptonite, but can't figure out the missing ingredients?  Inspired by his cigarette pack, he inserts tar, and it turns out that his Kyrptonite just turns Superman into a prick rather than killing his powers.  I feel American craft beers is sort of like that, adding tar because they can't figure out what that missing ingredient is sometimes.

At Brouwerij De Ryck, they've managed to craft a new beer that combines unexpected ingredients without going off the deep end.  Specifically, the Steenuilke, a pale ale that takes its name from a local bird, the Stone Owl.  This beer pours with a clear gold color and a fluffy, puffy white head.  There's a good flavor of light hops; not hoppy by U.S. standards, but by far the hoppiest beer in the De Ryck lineup.  There's a wonderful and unexpected herbal spice to this beer, and it has a fresh, green flavor.  Perhaps not the greatest beer I had while in Belgium, but without a doubt this beer was the most unexpected and unusual I found along the way.  Well done, De Ryck!

In case you were wondering, that unusual spice and earthy quality comes from local herbs: sweet woodruff, angelica and blackthorn.  Much, much better than gun powder.  Or tar.  Trust me.  De Ryck has recently started shipping their beers to America, and I sincerely hope that Steenuilke is part of that distribution.

I see you, Owl. I see you....

And, if you still need further proof that beer people are good people, this beer was brewed in a partnership with a nature conservancy to increase awareness and raise funds for the preservation of this bird.  Beer people?  We solve problems, yo.

Thing to Think About Today:
The song currently stuck in my head, and hopefully stuck in yours very shortly, comes from Langhorne Slim & The Law - their hit summer song The Way We Move.  I defy you to play this one and not roll down the windows while driving at least 10mph faster.  Plus, he's actually from Langhorne, PA!  We're practically neighbors not really but it's still fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KEv3rbNJuE

"In my bed I can't sleep
All my friends have crooked tales
And that's the way I like it / that's just what I need."

Day 592: Brouwerij De Ranke

I always have a little pang of guilt when I post a photo of a beer in another brewery's glass. After visiting Belgium, that guilt has been ratcheted up by a factor of 100!

Everywhere we went, no matter the size of the bar or restaurant, the beer always was served in a properly shaped and branded glass. In fact, many of the soft drinks were served in branded glassware. That will make me think twice about what glass I grab out of the cupboard at home.

We're heading back to La Trappiste in Brugge for tonight's review.

This is the Cuvée De Ranke from Brouwerij De Ranke. It poured a cloudy apricot color with a thin white head. It smells minerally...like damp rocks. The flavor is tart. Reminds me of acidic fruit but not quite lemony. There's a little grassiness to it along with some woodiness.

Lucky for me, De Ranke does export to the United States. Now I just need to figure out where exactly!

Beer stats
Style: Belgian pale ale

ABV: 7%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from De Ranke
As is the case for many of the beers being reviewed this week, Cuvée De Ranke is first out the limo.

Day: 494: Ommegang Gnomegang

I wish I had words about the mess in Boston. I thought they would come to me in the days following the tragedy, but they continue to elude me. That's most likely because Mr. Blog Named Brew used them all in a beautiful post yesterday. Ditto. But it was tennis for me.

Gnomegang is Ommegang's Belgian pale ale that my friend John has been telling me about for a year plus. I almost started to think it didn't exist until I found it on draft at TJ's this past weekend. 

It poured a hazy gold with a medium white head. After my first sip, I declared, "Welll John wasn't wrong. That's good beer."

It smells and tastes strongly of Belgian candi sugar. There's a nice spice to it..maybe cloves? It drinks with a lovely smoothness and has a kick at the finish. Lots of complex and rich flavors happening in there. Nice level of maltiness. It gives me a nice warm feeling, but isn't cloying. In fact, I thought the finish was nice in the level of dryness.

Beer stats

Style: Belgian pale ale

ABV: 9.5%

IBUs: Unknown

Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Ommegang

His and hers reviews of Biere d'Hougoumont

My review of Three Philosophers, the first beer I drank after year one was complete
Gary's take on Three Philosophers and with a title like Pirate Dogs and Pimps, how can you not read it?
One of my favorite beers, Aphrodite

Ray of Sunshine

Day #461 Rayon Vert / Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Previously from this brewery: Imperial IPA (complete with Lego Star Wars), Palate Wrecker, a sampler, and Linchpin IPA

Congratulations!  We've made it to another weekend, thankfully all in one piece.  It's been a stressful week in the office, but I think a nice, quiet, relaxing Friday afternoon should help me unwind.  It's good to unwind.  Plus, a beer never hurt the unwinding process, right?

Because it's Friday, you're probably not going to read this (although you should!), so I'll keep it simple with one of my go-to beers, Rayon Vert from Green Flash Brewing.  In the glass, this pours a bright yet hazy dark yellow color, with an enormous white fluffy head.  The aroma is a wonderful mix of citrus and bread, and when you take a sip you find a delightful combination of Brettanomyces funk, lemon and orange, biscuit and bread, peppery spice, and just the right bit of bitterness.  A wonderful beer, and one that lands in my Top 25 without a doubt.  Find this and try one for yourself - but be prepared for the giant head to form in your glass.

Tastes better than this picture looks

Green Flash recently announced they're opening an East Coast brewery in Virginia Beach, VA.  Thanks for not picking Chester County, PA, jerks.....

Thing to Think About Today:
In honor of Rayon Vert, we focus on the Ray.  Prepare yourselves for some Ray Charles and Van Morrison on the ever so wonderful Crazy Love.  Hope you all had a pleasant Friday....

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

"And when I come to her, that's where I belong...."

Day 438: Jolly Pumpkin Made That!

You should bring something into the world that wasn’t in the world before. It doesn’t matter what that is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a table or a film or gardening — everyone should create. 

You should do something, then sit back and say, “I did that.”

                                                                                                         -- Ricky Gervais

I have the luxury of being able to create things pretty regularly in my career. But every so often, it's good to be reminded of what an amazing feeling it is to look at something and say, "I did that." The power to create is amazing and this one is totally on my highlight reel...

Franklin Hall at The Franklin Institute, April 5, 2012
Groundbreaking of Karabots Pavilion and my pretend birthday party!

I'm pretty certain that the folks over at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales often find themselves sitting back and feeling pretty good about the beer that they are creating. I know I'm proud of their work because I find myself enjoying their beers fairly regularly.

The latest find is Luciernaga or The Firefly. It's a Belgian pale ale that pours a hazy, deep apricot color with a thick, fluffy white head. The smell reminds me of those jelly fruit candies that I remember from my childhood. I wish I could remember what they were called. Anyway the aroma is fruity but with an overlay of tartness. The flavor is metallic, dirt, earthy with tart lemon rind. There's a hint of tannins in there as well. Jolly Pumpkin can do no wrong in my book.

Beer Stats
Style: Belgian pale ale
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Jolly Pumpkin
Gary's review of E.S. Bam
My review of Madrugada Obscura and some crazy lady ranting about St. Patrick's Day
Gary actually has tried all the Bam bieres

Manayunk? Maniac!

Beer #311 St. Alpha / Manayunk Brewing Company, Philadelphia, PA

My news from yesterday evening: I went to a yoga class.  No, there's not some bar nearby called "Yoga Class", although that would be a decent bar name.  I actually did yoga.  I mean, it was crazy beginner level stuff, so I didn't bend myself into a pretzel while standing on one hand, but still.  A brief recap of the experience:

PROS: 

1. The instructor's voice was like that of a hypnotist - sooo soothing and peaceful.
2. I was able to hide in the back, so no one could see how bad I am at yoga.
3. I was the handsomest person there, by an overwhelming margin.  Not hard to do in a class of 15 people, when only two of them are guys.
4. Got a decent (albeit non-aerobic) workout in, hitting some muscles I haven't bothered with in ages.
5. We ended with like 15 minutes of cool down/quiet time.  Just chilling in the dark, lying there, relaxing. pretty sure I zonked out for a few minutes.  Work has been chaotic lately, and I really appreciated the peacefulness of it all.

CONS:

1. Frequent and absurd references to Eastern medical ideals, such as chakras.  Every time the instructor said something about this word or the idea of light sources and energy centers within my body, all I heard in my head was the dulcet mumble of Charlie Brown's teacher.  Wah wah wah chakra wah wah.  
2. Forced to confront the fact that I'm really, really, really inflexible.  I guess that doesn't get fixed unless I do more yoga.
3. Was expecting more sexy females in super sexy yoga pants.  Not so many in class last night.  Hey, what do you want from me - I'm human.

On the whole, yoga was a winner.  Will I ever go vegan and start discussing discord within my third chakra?  If I do, please run me over with your car.  However, I will go back to yoga again for some additional classes.  For those who are keeping score (me), I've lost about 10 pounds since starting this blog, mostly due to being able to exercise a bit more this year now that I'm over some nagging injuries which kept me from running last year.  I intend to keep them off, and lose 10 more by this time next year.  More yoga then!

To celebrate (and regain some masculinity), let's talk beer.  Tonight's brew is the St. Alpha from the Manayunk Brewing Company, in nearby (wait for it) Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia.  This Belgian IPA pours a clear copper color, with a dissipating white head.  I picked up a nutty, grainy aroma, and the taste is a mix of lightly toasted malt, with earthy flavors and a good bit of citrus and plenty of hop bitterness.  You definitely taste the alcohol in this one, which just so happens to be 8.5% ABV.

Looks like beer.

This brewery opened up shop in an old textile mill that dates back to 1822.  It's been open as a bar and restaurant since 1996, and a fair bit of my early twenties were spent drinking in Manayunk at this bar or others on the weekend, because that's what all the cool kids in and around Philly did on the weekend.  Good times, good times.

Thing to Think About Today:
I'm really tempted to just play the Carpenters again in this space, but let's mix it up.  How about a music video that looks very much like what my yoga workout looked like last night?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NjbGr2nk2c

Okay, so that wasn't exactly what my yoga workout looked like, but I don't think there are any good songs out there about yoga.  If so, feel free to let me know.... I'm back in the yoga dojo on Saturday!  I'm a maniac.....

Beer 305: Het Kapittel Watou Blonde

Today a private space craft -- SpaceX Dragon -- docked with the International Space Station (ISS). It delivered a payload that includes astronaut supplies and critical materials to support various experiments.  It will return to Earth in a few weeks with scientific materials from the ISS that include results from human research, biotechnology, materials and education experiments.  The future is upon us and it isn't front page news.

Am I the only one who is depressed by this? Exploration and experimentation like this push the boundaries of what humankind is capable of imagining, creating and improving. This is big news. Get excited. Get curious. Get smarter.

***

The Het Kapittel Watou Blonde from Brouwerij van Eecke (Belgium) is a Belgian pale ale. At 6.5% ABV, it's pretty approachable -- or at least it is for me.  It poured blonde with a fluffy but thin head.  It smelled nutty with a bit of a dirty aroma. Kind of like a wet dog.  The taste reminded me of a pilsner. Very mild at first.  As it warmed a bit, it got better. A fullness became more apparent and there was a syrupy, sort of honey like thing happening. 

I'd say it's a good beer. Cheers!

On The Rise

Beer #296: Uprising / Iron Fist Brewing Company, Vista, CA

So, I've been a bit grumpy lately.  Had to deal with being sick a few days last week, and even once I was better, I still wasn't exactly right.  I've had a sinus headache continually happening for about five days, and every now and then I'm still very congested.  Headaches are never fun, particularly when you're measureing their duration in days instead of hours.  Quick trip to the urgent care center after work, one prescription for antibiotics to cure a sinus infection later, and I'm feeling much better about things.  Well, I haven't rid myself of the sinus headache yet, but soon....soon.  Drugs make everything better.

Here's how you know your West Coast beer vacation was good - you didn't even get a chance to try anything from Iron Fist Brewing Company, located just north of San Diego.  Let's rectify that and update you all on today's beer, a Belgian IPA that goes by the name of Uprising.  This beer is an amber hue with a thin head, and a pleasing citrus aroma.  The flavor has strong caramel malt notes, which somewhat subdue the hop bitterness.  There's lemon and floral notes in there as well.  I was expecting a bit stronger hop profile, but this was still a rather nice beer to sip on a Saturday afternoon.  Uprising has a rather potent 12% ABV, and you definitely notice that warm alcohol feeling along the way.  Keep this in mind when starting your any large scale revolutions.

RISE UP, WITH FISTS!

Thing to Think About Today:
Tempted to talk about Che Guevara here, or at least two-part film Che, starring the magnificent Benicio del Toro.  However, I imagine there are many readers of this blog who endorse neither Communism nor revolution in Cuba, so I'll go ahead and switch gears.

If you're looking for a song to play during your personal uprisings, or perhaps at least in your running mix, may I suggest Rising Down by The Roots.  Popular as the house band on Jimmy Fallon's show, Philly's own Roots Crew weaves an amazing blend of music together - hip hop, R&B, jazz, funk, and whatever else floats their boat.  We were fortunate enough to see them live twice, including VIP seats for The Roots Picnic, a summer festival which in addition to The Roots starred diverse acts such as Mayer Hawthorne, John Legend, various members of the Wu-Tang Clan, and Vampire Weekend.  One of the better live shows I've ever seen in person.  Yes, this video isn't a video so much as just the song with the album cover staring at you for the duration, but maybe that will let you pause for a minute to listen to some very well done lyrics.  Oh, what, your favorite band manages to weave in global warming, references to the Onassis family, overuse of prescription drugs, and Grapes of Wrath during the same song?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2BUymNEZnQ

"He'll prescribe you all meds for everything / A little stuffy nose?  Tell you get some Claritin"

Political Correctness!

Beer #261 Grimbergen Blonde / Brouwerij Alken-Maes, Alken, Belgium

Today, it began in earnest: tailgate planning!  During the week of a PSU home game, it's a Monday tradition to kick around some emails with our core tailgate squad to discuss menu, weather, signature drinks, beer needs, and whatever else needs to be planned out.  We leave nothing to chance out there - redundancies abound as we double down on key items to make sure the tailgate doesn't come to a screeching halt.  It's my favorite part of game week, with the exception of actually rolling into State College to get the party started.  Good Monday, indeed, and the week should continue getting better.

To celebrate, tonight's beer is the Grimbergen from Brouwerij Alken-Maes.  In the glass, you get a hazy gold color with a thin, lingering head.  The aroma is light and sweet, with some notes of grain.  The taste is really quite good, with flavors of candi sugar, malt, honey, a bit of spice, and grain.  It's easy drinking, but flavorful. Nice find, and I'd certainly order another one.

Got through half the beer before I remembered to snap a pic

Alken-Maes came about from the merger of two Belgian breweries in 1988, although the brand Grimbergen actually seems to come from another brewery, Union, that Maes purchased along the way.  The entire conglomerate is now owned by a joint partnership of Heineken and Carslburg.  Welcome, corporate overlords!

Thing to Think About Today:

From yesterday's classic look at college in the 80's, we'll switch gears and take a look at college in the 90's, courtesy of a little film called PCU.  In this epic tale, a high school senior comes to a campus where political correctness has run amok, and he finds himself spending his time with the residents of The Pit, a former fraternity house now occupied by a band of misfits, led by the always awesome Jeremy Piven.

Along the way, said bright eyed high school kid manages to irritate nearly every student group on campus, which causes some small problems and threatens his safety.  Along the way, Piven, a young Jon Favreau, and rest of the stoners, drunks, and geeks at The Pit stand to lose their house to a group of snobbish elitists (read: Beta brothers) who used to call the house their home.... unless Piven and his crew can throw a legendary party to bring the campus together again.  For people who didn't go to college in the 90's, yes - this is how people used to dress.  Boots, flannel, ripped things, thermal shirts.  It was a sad time for fashion. But, don't let that stop you from realizing this is a great movie about college!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Fp61jJcIs

"Hey hey, ho ho, this penis party has got to GO!"

Beer 244: Boundless Generosity and Grimbergen Pale Ale

I spent the morning in a meeting on a 250 acre estate planning an event to celebrate the close of our capital campaign, which is happening thanks in large part to the owners of said estate. Tomorrow I'm spending the evening at a fundraiser at the beach in Avalon. Sometimes my job is very, very taxing (said with the greatest amount of sarcasm). What's even more amazing than these homes is their owners' generosity. It is truly humbling to work at the museum that is the beneficiary.
Even more amazing is that I was sent home from today's meeting with this bounty...


This pile o' veggies is what's left after I gave some to a colleague! Sometimes generosity really knows no boundary.
Before I get back to surveying my vegetable kingdom, let's talk about a beer...the Grimbergen Belgian pale ale to be exact. Brewed by Brouwerij Alken-Maes, it poured a hazy golden caramel color with an off white head.


The head was thick and as it burst, it left big holes where bubbles once were. The smell is biscuit but overall very mild. The taste is candy sugar with strong toasty malts. It has a sharpness at first, which then rounds out to a nice fullness. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Cheers!

Beer 239: Gageleer and Heatstroke

Goddamn it is hot out. And after today's ride, I think I have heatstroke. Also why do I constantly bash my pedals off my legs when I'm not riding? I look like I'm in an abusive relationship exclusively involving kicking. Sigh.

Today I'm writing about a Belgian pale ale...Gageleer.. After drinking a beer the other day with a very boozy 6.5% ABV, I'm surprised at how easy to drink this one is at 7.5%. The Gageleer poured a hazy straw color with a wispy head that left some lacing behind. It had a very light taste...some fruit, tiny bit of hops and something slightly floral. It had a medium mouthfeel. It smelled of honey and malt. Overall a pretty easy to drink beer. Cheers!

Beer 204: Green Flash and All the Beers!

A brewery in an office park? Not as strange as it sounds.

Day #2 in San Diego took us to Green Flash Brewing Company.  We also visited Karl Strauss Brewing that afternoon, but that's another story for another day.

As our GPS guided us to Green Flash, I thought for certain it malfunctioned as we pulled into a nondescript office park.  But it turns out this was no ordinary white collar bastion -- it was home to Green Flash Brewing.     

After taking a look at the tap list, I couldn't decide so I opted for a sampler.  

Delicious sampler!

On the far right is the Saison Diego.  It was a hazy golden ale with very little head.  It's brewed with Seville orange peels, ginger and grains of paradise per the website.  It was light but spicy...a little earthy and quite tasty.

Beer #3 in the photo was the Rayon Vert.  Green Flash described it as being their flagship if they were founded in Belgium.  It's their Belgian-style pale ale and I should have known better.  But this was early in the beer-cation and I hadn't fully given in to the hop yet.  My notes indicate it was way too hoppy for me.  I went for it because it was conditioned with Brettanomyces.  That definitely added a nice dryness.  

Next up was the Double Stout Black Ale.  It poured black as night with a full light tan head.  It was fantastic.  Very roasted and creamy -- almost reminded me of a milk stout with a hint of hops in the finish.  Excellent.  

As far as the one on the left...I haven't a clue.  I stopped taking notes but based on the picture below, I really seemed to enjoy it! 

One more for the heck of it!

I probably could have stayed at Green Flash until they threw us out but luckily better sense prevailed and we continued on the great beer adventure!

Cheers!

What do New Hampshire and Reggae Have in Common? Nothing.

Beer #171 Belgian Style Pale Ale / White Birch Brewing, Hooksett, New Hampshire

After a slow start, our summer league basketball team keeps racking up wins, even if half the team isn't showing up on a regular basis.  Hey, more touches for me, right?  I've played in this league since the day I took the job, and have never cut down the nets.  Made it to the championship game a couple of times, but walked away empty each time.  Not sure that's going to change this year unless we get some people to show up more frequently and get into the groove.  The other teams seem better this year, but maybe that's just because I'm another year older.

Tonight's beer (yay, 46% of the way done with the adventure) is the Belgian Style Pale Ale from White Birch.  Pours a hazy shade of gold, with a fluffy white head.  I'm battling allergies again today, so bear with me if this description isn't overly descriptive (or accurate).  Here goes... you pick up aromas of apples, and from the first sip you get strong fruit esters, malt, and grain.  Definitely a peppery spice, too.  You pick up the strong alcohol notes, which isn't unexpected as this beer is a solid 8.2% ABV.  I like this one, and will definitely seek out other options from this brewery.  Good stuff!

This brewery has been open since 2009, and curiously the name of this beer is due to the color, rather than the style.  So, it's not really a Belgian Pale Ale.  Still tastes good, so whatevs.

Thing to Think About Today:
I really have nothing for you tonight with a direct correlation to the beer/brewery/home state, and it looks like the end of the world outside due to an impending thunderstorm, so in honor of crossing over 46%, let's let Toots and the Maytals finish things up with 54-46 Was My Number.  This wasn't about Toot's passing 46% of his beer challenge, but rather about a prison term he served.  Hey, I win that round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umuUVSEcp6g

"I said YEAH!"

Beer 156: Hopfenstark and Insanity

The Army of Dachshunds were in for a tune up today and I was assigned for pick up duties. They've come to despise sitting next to each other in the car. Unfortunately for them, I drive a Mini Cooper so their options were limited for seating. Salinger spent the 2.5 mile trip home jawing at Picasso. Not a problem when he keeps it to a low rumble but full-on barking in a Mini Cooper is deafening. When reasoning with them didn't work, I found myself barking at them in an even more obnoxious manner than they were behaving. The surprise effect of the human barking quieted them down momentarily.

Then it happened. Picasso sat on Sal and the barking started again. Without any hesitation, I looked over at them and threatened to pull the car over.

*I turned into my father.*

Just like that.

***

I'm not sure what Canada has to do with insanity...ok maybe it's Canadians' willingness to live in that environment...but tonight I'm drinnking a Canadian Belgian pale ale. The Hopfenstark Ostalgia blond.


It poured with a crazy thick white head that left a fun "iceberg" of foam in the glass and significant lacing as I made my way to the bottom of the glass. It poured a hazy yellow-amber color. Carbonation was very evident with lots of bubbly activity in the glass.

The scent was yeast and malt and fruit. The flavor was grassy, fresh and herbal with candy sugar notes. It finished with an expected spice. Overall it was quite satisfying.

Cheers!

Beer 128: Antigoon and Insane in da Membrane

All day today I kept trying to think of something clever to write for my post.  I knew I was reviewing the Antigoon I drank last night and I knew that Gary covered the story behind this beer pretty thoroughly yesterday. 

Wait! Let me add a crack.  It's not fully authentic. 

Beer and guns.  Stay classy.

So I decided to share a couple of photos -- specifically photos of me with props. That thought immediately morphed into Insane in the Brain by Cypress Hill embedding itself in my brain.  So I have that going for me.

What's with me and weapons?

***

The Antigoon poured a hazy golden straw color.  It had a white head that disappeared pretty quickly.  The smell was strong - wheat and bananas.  The taste was spicy, slightly hoppy, full of banana and bread flavors, a little earthy. A good beer overall.

Cheers!

Of Beer and Taxes

Beer #127 Antigoon / Brouwerij de Musketiers, Ursel, Belgium

Spent the day finishing my taxes instead of just enjoying tons of beautiful spring sunshine.  I get that I need to pay my share, but man it hurts to see the amount I fork over to Uncle Sam staring at me from the page.  I wonder if I can deduct the cost of beers purchased as a business expense for this blog?  Or, I wonder if I can establish beer as a religion and gain a tax exempt status for my "house of worship," sort of like a liquid Rastafarianism?  Lawyers, accountants - get at me on this one.  Curious to hear your thoughts on creative beer related ways to lessen my tax burden next year.

And speaking of beer, I know we have another 238 beers/breweries to cross off the list, but I feel safe in stating the Antigoon from Brouwerij de Musketiers has without a doubt the most unusual label.  It's basically a giant with his arm cut off at the elbow, a river of blood washing his severed hand away.  Whaaat?  Clearly this beer means serious, violent business.

When you pour it in the glass, it doesn't look like a monster.  Instead, you get an effervescent hazy apricot with a white head that lingers as you drink.  Your nose picks up light aromas of malt and bread, and the taste has a sweet flavor of bread and banana.  There's a little funky bitterness in there as well.  In all, not overly complex, but a very good beer.  If you're in D.C. or if you can find a Total Wine and Spirits near you, pick one of these up.

Lend you a hand?

Antigoon was initially commissioned for a Brasserie Becks, a restaurant in Washington D.C., although this beer is now available in limited distribution.  There's no mention of it on the brewery website - they only have their Troubadour line of beers listed.  Because I know you're wondering, the inspiration for the beer name and artwork was Druon Antigoon, a mythical giant from Antwerp who guarded a bridge and cut off the hand of travelers who couldn't pay the toll.  Guess they didn't have EZ-Pass.  Well, he did that up until the day a Roman soldier cut off Antigoon's hand and threw it in the river, thus ending what was I'm sure a huge problem for morning commuters.  I guess people have never enjoyed paying taxes, likely never will.

Thing to Think About Today:
So many things to think about!  Mythical road rage giants, taxes, the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  Very busy day.  If this beer is Antigoon, let's go ahead and think about The Goonies.  Will the Truffle Shuffle ever stop being funny?  I doubt it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWgc8Ute2tU

Hopefully you're all getting an income tax refund.  Use it to buy beer!

Gonna Drink Now.....

Beer #123 Trappist Ale / Brasserie d'Orval, Orval, Belgium

Sometimes I have an awful day and share my joy with the people of the internet.  Today was too much of a beating to even bother typing out the details.  Straight to the booze, shall we?

Tonight I'm crossing another Trappist beer off the list, this one from Orval (hint: hit the Trappist tag on the right to check the rest).  This one pours a dark amber, with a thick, persistent head.  You pick up notes of malt, yeast, and light citrus on the nose.  The taste is a heady mix of plum, malt and mild hops.  Really, the most unique aspect of this beer is a subtle tartness, which was rather unexpected from a Belgian pale ale, but very much welcome. A nice dry finish on this one, and a very manageable 6.9% ABV.   Huge thumbs up here. Will definitely be bringing this beer back to the house again in the future.

Marci has previously crossed Orval off the list, her review can be found here.

Thing to Think About Today:
Today marks the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs - I admit that I'm a casual hockey fan during the regular season, but something about playoff hockey is definitely exciting.  And not just that my doppelganger in life is former Philadelphia Flyer Keith Jones, although that helps.  Seriously, google him, find me.  So, let's do two things here: Celebrate some civic pride for the hometown hockey squad (they'll need it), and play some music to get me fired up enough to leave the house for work tomorrow.  Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, meet Bill Conti's Gonna Fly Now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hzDyCugSOQ

Beer 117: Goose Island Matilda or Me, Expounding on Life

Today is my 37th birthday.  Funny, I still think I’m in my late 30s.  Hell, I feel like I’m just 30.  After reading this blog, you may think I behave like a 20 year old…whatevs.

As I get to start another year, I have a few thoughts to share.

1.  I have it good.  I have an amazing husband.  A. Seriously. Amazing. Husband.  Have you met him?  He’s pretty darn amazing.  And cute.  Did I mention how cute he is?

2.  My dogs are awesome.  I wish Flash and Franklin were still around, but we lived and loved and laughed together, had lots of belly rubs and it was good.

3.  I have two amazing families, who I adore.

4.  My friends keep me sane or help me be more insane and they know exactly when to do either.  I’ve known some of them for a year and others pretty much all of my 37 years and I am grateful for each and every one of them.

5.  Me and this house are finally starting to get along.  It’s getting improved a little bit every year.  New furnace, new chimney liner, new roof, new window, new siding…or perhaps my house is a money grubbing whore.

6. I have a career that is awesome.  It allows me to be me - how could I ask for more?  Plus I feel like I’m doing good in this world.

I’ll admit that the past twelve months have been trying and maybe that’s why I’m feeling optimistic about the upcoming year.  It was almost exactly twelve months to the day between when I found out my Mom had leukemia and when we had to put Flash to sleep.  How is that for bookending an incredibly shitty twelve months?

But one has to constantly learn from life and I’ve learned that I have an inner strength that just a few years ago, I would have denied having.  I wish I didn’t have to figure that out in the manner I did, but that’s life isn’t it?  

***

To celebrate my birthday, Gary is taking me out for an afternoon of tomfoolery followed by dinner at our favorite BYOB -- Frankie’s Fellini Café in Berwyn.  You should go there.  It is delicious.  I hope to find some good beer along the way and you’ll certainly be hearing about it in the coming days.

But for now I leave you with a review of Goose Island’s Matilda.  It is a Belgian style pale ale.  It poured a warm, deep apricot color with a thin white head.  It left lots of lacing down the glass as I enjoyed it.  It smelled organic, kind of grassy.  The taste was smooth…slightly fruity like ripe apples with mild hops in the middle and finishing dry.

I have NO IDEA what happened to this photo!
Note to self, should have asked for a camera for this birthday.

We discovered Goose Island Beer Company on a trip to Chicago a few years ago.  Gary just reviewed the Honkers Ale.  I love the labels on their vintage series -- I’m kind of a freak for good fonts.   I am definitely on the lookout for Juliet (a sour!) and the Lolita (framboise!) but feel like most of their offerings are pretty solid.

And on that note, happy birthday to me…and my Dad!  How cool is it that we share a birthday?!?

Cheers!

Beer 90: Furthermore Beer's Fatty Boombalatty

Tonight we try Furthermore Beer's Fatty Boombalatty.  Furthermore comes out of Wisconsin.  I had this one on draught at Paramour in Wayne, Pennsylvania.  It was the only one they were offering, but after checking out the brewery's website, there are a few more that are quite intriguing.  Fallen Apple and Obscure to name two.

The Fatty Boombalatty poured a bright straw color with a head that didn't linger.  It smelled of orange, fresh grass and minerals.  I believe my direct quote after Gary asked me to smell his beer was, "It smells like rocks."  The brewery describes it as a dangerously drinkable Belgian.  While I liked it, it was a bit hop forward for me.  But further (ha!) reading of the brewer's description made me realize that was intentional.  So kudos to them for winning that one.

Clearly I don't know what coriander tastes like because I'm pretty sure this is the second beer I've had during this challenge that listed coriander as a major flavor and I didn't notice it.  (Heading to spice cabinet to sample coriander...)  The most interesting quality of this beer is for all the hop flavor it had, it was balanced with a buttery smoothness. 

I'll leave you with Gary's idea of funny...that's the last time I ask him to write some notes in the beer book for me. 

 Cheers!

Beer 89: Orval Trappist Ale or Proof Crackberries are Addicting

Today marked the first day of Pennsylvania’s anti-texting while driving law.  The law prohibits as a primary offense any driver from sending, reading or writing a text-based communication while his/her vehicle is in motion.  No more texting, instant messaging, email, tweeting or browsing the Internet.  But feel free to use your GPS or take and make calls.

I freely admit that I text while driving, but only when in dead stopped traffic jams or at red lights.  I’m not proud but that damn red, blinking light on my phone is like the siren’s call across an ocean.  Must. Look. At. Phone.  The GPS on the other hand.  In the past month, I’ve veered off the road and almost rear-ended someone.  But that’s cool, Commonwealth.  I managed to stop in time.  No harm.  No foul.  Just took a few years off my life.

In my humble opinion, this law has no teeth.  From what I read at lunch, it’s going to be hard to prove once tickets are issued and it seems like it’s pretty subjective to enforce.  And from the looks of it on my drive home, no one gives a shit and they are all texting away anyway.

I, on the other hand, left my phone in my purse and tried to be a good citizen.  And I was, but not without quite a few spastic lunges at the passenger seat before I realized I was reaching for that phone.

***

There is no correlation between that rambling thought and tonight’s beer -- an Orval Trappist Ale.  It poured a coppery-brown in my glass with a full, off-white head.  It smells of candy and plums with malt.  The carbonation is just right.  That fruit comes through in the taste and you get a hoppy kick toward the end.  I found the alcohol to be surprisingly present.  Surprisingly because this is listed at 6.9% ABV and I tend toward big beers.

In case you’re interested, Gary drops some Trappist knowledge in this post.  And on that note, I’m out.  Cheers.