Day 391: On Skulls and La Fin du Monde

The following is an actual email exchange between me and my good friend Beth. I wish I could say exchanges like this are rare, but they're not. We are two strange birds and it's probably why we get along so very well.

Subject: Strangeness on Southwest

Beth: Read this story. Two questions here – 1) if you are transporting 40 heads, wouldn’t that be really heavy? 2) What the hell are “anatomical gifts?”

Brief summary of the article if you don't want to follow the link: In June 2010, a Southwest Airlines employee called police after finding human heads in a package set to be transported to a Fort Worth medical research company, the airline said. "It wasn't labeled or packaged properly," said Ashley Rogers, a Southwest spokeswoman. "They called the local authorities." The incident happened in Little Rock, Ark., last Wednesday, she said. Little Rock police turned the package over to the county coroner, who questions where they came from and if they were properly obtained. "We've come to the conclusion that there is a black market out there for human body parts for research or for whatever reason," said Pulaski County coroner Garland Camper.

Me: I heard about this on the drive in. If I remember the line from Jerry Maguire correctly, I believe the human head weighs 8 pounds. That would make that a heavy, heavy package. Plus it would be a huge box or crate. I doubt regular cardboard would do. Anatomical gifts means when you donate your body to science.

Beth: Hahaha, I was think it was more like skulls and stuff you may put on your mantel. So when they asked at the counter if someone gave you something to transport….How can you fly with a 320 lb package? What?

Me: The story said a courier dropped it off claiming not to know what was inside. Does that mean they were using a Southwest flight like Fed Ex? I didn’t know that was possible.

Beth: Who knows…maybe you should figure that out by trying it.

Me: You know I would do terrible in jail…

Fast forward to today...

Beth: Look at this bizarre old email exchange I just came across. I like how I think people keep skulls on their mantels...


Only the weirdos keep them on their mantels. Normal people keep them in their bathrooms.

So what do you email your coworkers about?

And I think that story segues nicely into a review of La Fin du Monde...you know, the dark arts, end of the world, and such.


La Fin du Monde is a Tripel brewed by Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec. It pours a rich oaky color with a thin white head. It smells of citrus, honey and rich brown sugar. The flavor is boozy with lots of candi sugar and a hint of pepper. It's also very carbonated, which adds to the tingly drinking sensation. This is probably one of my favorite tripels out there.

Beer stats
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%
IBUs: 19
Rating: Excellent

Previously reviewed from Unibroue
Thoughts on Maudite (Belgian strong ale) from me and Gary

Nuts.

Beer #320 Barking Squirrel / Hop City Brewing Company, Brampton, Canada

After a tough workout on the basketball court tonight, there are 3,548 things to do before I shove off tomorrow, and I have approximately none of them done. A little hustle here, a little hustle there, and SHAZAM, we'll be good to go.  No worries.  This weekend is huge, and I intend to come up big.

So let's hustle along, but not before we stop and talk about tonight's beer, the Barking Squirrel, an awesomely named lager from Hop City Brewing in Canada.  Completely irrelevant note: when I was in college, I would grab a plastic cup of cereal and some milk and eat it for breakfast while I walked to class.  If I was feeling good, I'd stop and feed some to the squirrels.  There are no more friendly/aggressive squirrels in the world than in State College, PA.  You carry food on campus..... they'll find you.

Anyway, this beer pours with a bright, copper color and a thin white head.  There's an aroma of sweet malt, and the taste brings you a nutty flavor, with some light caramel, grain, and malt.  Clean, dry finish with some mild bitterness.  Really nice beer, and I would love to pair this one with a bacon cheeseburger.  Please bring me a bacon cheeseburger as soon as possible.

Hop City, bitch.

I freely admit that I was hoping for a super hoppy IPA from a brewery named Hop City.  However, I'll give them a pass this time.  Whoever did the graphics and branding on the packing and website should get a hug - they did an awesome job.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're talking about Barking Squirrels.... yeah, I don't have much there.  What about if we stop and think about the quirky second cousin to the Barking Squirrel - the Modest Mouse?  Let's all Float On, peoples.  See you tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTAud5O7Qqk

What, you thought I was going to go with Rack City here to pay homage to Hop City?  Yeah, I could have, but didn't.  Next time....

Beer 320: Hop City Brewing and a Squirrel Tale

I have Penn State on the brain so I'll share a college tale with you. It's no secret that I'm not a morning person. So one Wednesday morning in college, I'm heading to a late morning class with my to-go breakfast in hand -- a Nature Valley granola bar. I'm snacking away as I hike across campus and as I get to the HUB (student union building for those of you not in the know), I notice a faint chirping/barking behind me.

I glance over my should and there's a good sized squirrel following me. As I pass through a thicket of students, this squirrel starts running circles around me as I attempt to walk as nonchalantly as possible to class. This goes on for two entire blocks. Me dodging students and bikes in an effort to shake my stalker. That squirrel barking at me in hot pursuit. He was persistent.

I throw a piece of granola bar -- my breakfast, mind you -- a few feet behind me and pick up the pace. That damn squirrel grabs the meager offering and let's me know exactly what he thinks of it. At this point I am mortified. People are stopping and pointing at me. Pointing! The horror!

Nature Valley puts two granola bars in each pack so I looked down at my remaining granola bar and made a decision. The squirrel gets his prize. I hurled that delicious breakfast treat right at his head and hustled away. The little bastard grabbed it, ran ahead of me and plopped himself on a trash can lid and nibbled away. I swear he smiled at me when I walked past.

He looked oddly like the squirrel on the Hop City Brewing can.


Look at him! All cocky. Eyeing his prize.

Hop City Brewing Company is based in Brampton, Ontario and the Barking Squirrel is their (5% ABV) lager. It poured an amber color with a fluffy off white head. It smelled of grain and reminds me of Yuengling lager.

The flavor had a slightly fruity hop but was mostly malt. It's nice and mild and quite sessionable. I think it would be great for tailgates. This is a good beer.

Cheers!

Beer 258: McAuslan St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat

Oh noez! I forgot.

A perfect day like today calls for a summertime beer. I think Brasserie McAuslan's St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat fits that bill nicely.  It poured a golden straw color with a thin white head. The aroma is sweet fruit and orangey apricot. The flavor is sweet apricot and wheat. There's also a lot of peach flavor as well. It has lots of refreshing carbonation and all that fruit is well balanced by a nice wheat tang. I really liked this beer.

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!

Do They Have Mother's Day in Canada?

Beer #155 Ostalgia Blonde / Hopfenstark Brewery, L'Assomption, Quebec, Canada

After an amazingly productive day yesterday, today was a day of relaxation and family time.  Spent the day with the fam at Mom & Dad's house, despite both my sister and I offering to host a Mother's Day gathering. Mom's a good cook and likes to do it, and having Mom host allowed my sister-in-law and nephew to stop by as well.  Plus, my nieces - who absolutely love dogs - got to spend the afternoon with our pups.  If that's not enough, I picked up some great belated birthday & anniversary gifts, so it was a great day in all.

Now comes some additional relaxation on the deck to close out the day. Today's beer is a Belgian pale ale from a Canadian brewery, Hopfenstark.  It pours a hazy apricot with a thick white head and gives off aromas of bread, flowers, and fruit.  The taste has a balance of yeast, orange, and a persistent spice. There's also a nice sweetness hiding out in there too.  Easy drinking at 5% ABV, I would definitely like to have this beer again.  Particularly as my allergies went apeshit today, and my assessment of aroma and flavor may be way off base.  Someone buy one and let me know what you think.

Safe to cross & drink!

So what is Ostalgia?  This word references nostalgia for the former East German nation, as some folks are apparently struggling with the culture of the unified Germany.  One example is their desire to retain the green figure in their crosswalk signals - one of which can be seen on the bottle.  What that has to do with this brewery, I'm not yet sure.  However, now you'll know when it's safe to cross the street should you ever find yourself in the country formerly known as East Germany!

Things to Think About Today:
In honor of Mother's Day, let's the incredibly amazing sounds of Paul Simon and his Mother and Child Reunion carry us home.  To all of the mothers out there (especially mine), thank you for the time and energy spent raising us all.  You guys rock, and I hope you all had a great day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxBJ6wu-njE

The Post Where Lawyers Get Involved

Beer #86 Red Racer / Central City Brewing Company, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

To make up for frozen pot pie last evening, we rolled out the red carpet tonight.  I crafted my masterpiece baked rigatoni dish while Marci made blueberry muffins from scratch.  Not a bad way to wind down a Monday.

While we cooked/baked, I cracked my beer for the day, the Red Racer IPA out of Canada.  Admittedly, I'm slightly confused by this beer.  The can clearly states 'Central City Brewing Company', yet the website seems to be branded as 'Red Racer Beer'.  Perhaps the even more confusing point is that going forward, in the U.S. this beer will be called 'Red Betty', courtesy of the brewery being on the losing end of a copyright infringement lawsuit with Bear Republic Brewery, who brews both Racer 5 and Red Rocket Ale.  However, if you're in Canada, you'll still be able to find Red Racer.  Got it?

I'm a big fan of Bear Republic (waiting to cross them off the list until this summer), so I definitely wish they would have settled their concerns over the beer name through a collaboration, the way Mikkeller and Stillwater did, rather than lawyering up.  What can you do.

Enough legal jargon, let's actually talk about the beer, because it's pretty damn good.  Out of the can, it pours a golden amber color in the glass, and you get a floral, hop aroma in your nose.  The taste is exactly what you'd expect from an IPA, a mix of pine, hops, and citrus with a bitterness throughout and a clean finish.  Not quite on par with something like Dale's Pale Ale, but a worthy beer for when you're in an IPA mood.

So, be on the lookout for a Red Betty Ale.  Or a Red Racer. And try it when you find it!

Thing to Think About Today:
Today we're thinking about good things to come out of Canada.  One, this beer, whatever you want to call it.  Two, Mr. Neil Young!   Many great songs to choose from, but I'll take Ohio, his song in response to the National Guard shooting four Kent State University students who were protesting the Vietnam War.  We visited Kent State a few years back while in the neighborhood for a wedding.  Fascinating and shameful piece of American history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVMGKOFIwY&ob=av2e

How can you run when you know?

Exclamation Points For Everyone!!!!!!!!

Beer #78 Derniere Volonte / Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel!, St. Jerome, Canada

On a lovely sunny, Sunday afternoon I'm opening a Derniere Volonte from Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel!, straight outta Canada.  This blond ale has a hazy apricot color in the glass, and you're instantly greeted by a light and sweet floral aroma.  The beer has flavors of bread, honey, with a hop bitterness throughout.  Much hoppier than the average Belgian blond, so be prepared for that if you're not a fan of hops (looking at you, Marci....) in your beer.  Derniere Volonte brings along a 6.5% ABV, and it's a nice alternative when you want some good hop flavor while still getting a subtle sweetness to your beer.

A few things to add here:
1. This beer is completely appropriate for me to drink on Sunday, as the brewery names translates to "God in Heaven!"  No word on whether God's attorneys intend to file copyright infringement suits.
2. Yes, the brewery includes an exclamation point on the end of their name!  Okay!
3. The name of the beer translates to "Last Will", so between this and the Farewell Ale from Haand last Friday, I'm clearly working on a morbid theme here.
4. In the spirit of this morbid beer theme, did you know my first paying job was working for a funeral home washing cars?  My friend's dad was the funeral home director, and paid us something like $7 or $9 per car, depending on whether we were washing a hearse, limo, minivan, Cadillac, etc.  To a 14 year old kid in the early 90's, that was an awesome job and good pay.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're being morbid, let's at least enjoy the ride.  No better way to do that than to encourage you to watch Zombieland, an epic tale of surviving a zombie apocalypse.  Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone (still under the radar at that point), and a hilarious Bill Murray cameo, this film is guaranteed to entertain.  If you don't love it, I'll ask Woody Harrelson to personally call and apologize.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m9EVP8X7N8

Beer 50: Unibroue Maudite or Holy Shit!

Wow.  Beer #50!  That feels like a major milestone in this adventure.  Looking back at the first fifty days, I’ve realized that I have no ability whatsoever to remember what I’ve drank.  Thank god for GoogleDocs and my iPad.  I may look like the nerd in the beer store, but at least I’m not going to have another “How did I forget I’ve already sampled Norwegian beer” double posting moment.  I’m also going to have to ease up on adding things to my Top 25 list.  I have nine tagged already.

***

Today we drink Unibroue’s Maudite.  (Sorry I forgot to snap a photo but hopefully this picture from Unibroue’s website will satisfy you.)

It smells of hops and Belgian beer sugar.  The head was slightly off-white and craggy.  The beer itself was reddish brown and cloudy.  The taste is fantastic -- cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of yeast, fruit.  It is an amber red ale that drinks quite smooth despite the 8% ABV and the medley of strong and complex flavors.  It finishes dry, leaving me wanting more and very happy that I have the 750mL bottle!

Canada: Land of Mind Control Hockey and Flying Canoes

Beer #16 Maudite/ Unibroue, Chambly, Quebec, Canada
Last day of the "official" Christmas holiday, before it's back to work tomorrow for a busy year-end.  From our holiday weekend, allow me to recommend 30 Minutes or Less and Crazy Stupid Love.  Both great films, definitely worth the effort.  In all, its been a great past few days.  Hopefully these good vibes carry through New Year's and kicks off 2012 with some positive momentum.

Today's beer is our first Canadian offering, Maudite.  A Belgian Strong Ale with a nice amber color in the glass, and an excellent combination of sweet and malt flavors.  Citrus notes with spice, and a clean, crisp taste.  Excellent choice, and really interesting bottle art of some dudes riding a canoe through an eerie orange sky while a demon glares in the foreground.  My vision of a fun night, to be sure.  "Maudite" means "Damned", and the ancient legend behind the beer stems from lumberjacks in remote Canada who made a pact with the Devil to fly them back home at the holidays to visit their families.  As you can imagine, the flying canoe thing didn't end too well.  Should have probably went for Southwest airlines, where bags fly free.

Interesting note: yet another big beer M&A story, as Unibroue was bought by someone called Sleeman Brewery in '04, and then Sleeman was bought in '06 by Sapporo, a Japanese brewery.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking about Canada, we're thinking about the best movie ever made about Canada: Strange Brew.  What better movie to tie into a blog about a beer adventure, right?   I won't spoil the ending, but this film is the epic tale of the McKenzie brothers, two inept idiots who unwittingly uncover a mind-control scheme.... and hilarity ensues and a lot of beer is consumed along the way.  This scene won't make sense if you haven't already seen the movie, but watch it anwyay:

Take off, you hosers.  No use steering now.   Beauty.