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 # 672 UFO Pumpkin / Harpoon Brewing Company, Boston, MA
Previously from this brewery: Leviathan, Cranberry Ale
Tailgate day. Yay.
Recognizing fall with a pumpkin beer, the UFO Pumpkin from Harpoon. Secret fact about me: I really don't enjoy many pumpkin beers. I can drink a few at the start of fall, but they just don't speak to me. By the time I get around to thinking a pumpkin beer might be delicious (looking at you, Thanksgiving), they're gone from the shelves. And too many have what I consider to be pumpkin pie filling as their main flavor; somewhat artificial, and way too sweet.
This one pours a hazy light amber color with a lingering white head. Aromas of pumpkin and nutmeg (shocking), and flavors of.... pumpkin and nutmeg (still shocking). It's light and drinkable, and to their credit this beer has a authentic flavor instead of that over the top fake sweetness thing I abhor. Top pumpkin beer ever? Not sure, because I've sampled about 4% of the beers out there, but I'm guessing there are others that might be more my style.
Pumpkin
UFO stands for "UnFiltered Object", and is part of their UFO series of beers.
Thing to Think About Today:
Yes, I've shared this song before. But not the live version, with Ylvis backed up by The Roots! Seriously, watch this. Please. Please?
Maybe I am getting old. Clearly I cannot work a 14 hour day, get five hours of sleep and get up and do it again. Nope. The body now says, "No dice" and stops functioning.
Two hour naps in the late afternoon/early evening are not a good idea but clearly my body was telling me something. I just slept the sleep of the dead for the past two and a half hours. First thought upon wandering out of my room and seeing the socks and undershirt that Gary wore today, "Oh he melted" a la the Wicked Witch of the West style.
Clowns are scary as all hell. Read Stephen King's It. That is the ultimate in terrifying clown stories. I don't walk on or look down into sewer grates because of it. End of story.
Despite my all-encompassing fear/hate/distrust of clowns, I do tend to like beer from Clown Shoes Beer. The latest selection is the Clementine--a witbier.
From the Clown Shoes' website, it is light-bodied and crisp and has plenty of zest. It's hazy in appearance and healthily carbonated. It uses Chambly yeast to energetically shape its wheat malt base. Incorporated into the brewing process is clementine, sweet orange peel, coriander and Summit hops.
So what did I think? It poured a hazy, deep orange color with a smallish white head. It has the aroma of unpeeled oranges and grain. It has a strong hop profile with a nice amount of citrus flavor. There's something kind of dank about the flavor. I tend to expect a brighter flavor from a witbier but there was definitely something lightly earthy about it.
Beer stats
Style: Witbier or white ale
ABV: 5.9%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good
Day #526 Clementine / Clown Shoes Beer, Ipswich, MA
Previously from this brewery: Vampire Slayer and the awfully named Muffin Top
It's a dull, dreary day outside, and that's not making me motivated to go to work tomorrow. I refuse on principle to talk about work on this website, but I've been struggling lately with the notion that I don't know what I do for a living. Allegedly, I find out on Monday.... maybe that's good. Or, you know, not. We'll see. Apologies for being cryptic, but that's how it goes.
With that bit of news looming on the horizon, let's just shut it down and get into a beer review. Today's offering is a bottle of Clementine from the dubiously named Clown Shoes Beer. In the glass, you see a dull gold color, with a lingering thin head. There is an aroma of fruit and yeast, and when you take a sip, you get plenty of wheat, oranges, and some spice, with very little bitterness. Very good beer for summer, when you want something with a nice citrus or fruit profile. Although, this beer has a way to go to catch up to champion summer fruit beer, the Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment.
Nice!
The last time I drank a beer from Clown Shoes, I ranted about the terrible name of the brewery. This is still true; clowns are the worst.
Thing to Think About Today:
I have no intention of writing about clowns, but I can get behind shoes, I suppose. I mean, I wear them and everything. They keep my feet warm. So, on a quiet, lazy day, I will share with you a fantastic song for quiet, lazy days while we think about shoes. Paul Simon, the afternoon belongs to you and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.
Today's beer was originally on the docket for #351, but research revealed that it comes to us via a subsidiary of the Boston Beer Company. It is the House of Shandy's Curious Traveler Shandy.
I am a sucker for anything tart. If you've been reading this blog for any of amount of time, you're probably familiar with my love of tart, wild ales or sour beers. Another delightful take on a tart beer is the shandy or radler.
A shandy, or shandygaff, is beer mixed with citrus-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger beer, ginger ale, or cider. The proportions of the two ingredients are adjusted to taste, normally half-and-half. Nonalcoholic shandies are known as "rock shandies". A shandy containing beer and cider is called a snakebite. Radler is the German version.
In some parts of the United Kingdom, shandy is also used colloquially as a euphemism for alcoholic drink. To say someone "had a few shandies" does not necessarily mean he drank shandies exclusively, or at all. Rather, it is implied that he drank a large quantity of alcohol. So now you know.
My shandy was very hazy--an almost opaque wet straw color and had a loose white head. It smelled of lemon candy. The taste reminded me of a lemon pastry. It was sweet but tart with a good amount of wheat flavor.
Beer stats Style: Shandy ABV:4.4% IBUs: 7 Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Boston Beer Company My review of Infinium back at Beer 42 Gary's take on the same one
Beer #326 The Bollocks / Brash Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA
Happy Halloween, loyal readers! Keeping a low profile in the house tonight, as kids coming to the door to beg for candy drives the dogs completely mental. And no one needs that (and kids really don't need one more piece of candy), so we're chilling with the downstairs lights off right now to avoid a dachshund meltdown. I do in theory completely love Halloween - the idea of being someone else for a night or adopting an alter ego you may otherwise never get to be during the other 364 day is rather appealing. Although, I do prefer adult Halloween, which of course involves copious amounts of drinking and girls in sexy costumes rather than neighborhood kids dressed up like soccer players roaming my street (HINT: it's not a costume if you use it every weekend in your soccer league, Timmy; be more creative!).
If I'm demanding an adult Halloween evening, then we're drinking beer - tonight I'm reviewing The Bollocks, a double IPA from Brash Brewing Company. This beer is a daunting 12% ABV, and it pours with a honey amber color and a lingering white head. The aroma is a pleasing (yet boozy) citrus, and the taste gives you pine, lemon, and a dry, bitter finish. There's enough malt and floral notes in there to keep it honest, but make no mistake - this beer means business. If you're a hops fan, find this one and order in moderation (see above; it's 12%, people). Big shout out to TJ's for having this one on draft recently, and allow me to put a vote in to put this beer on tap more regularly.
Never mind the bollocks, this is a great beer!
Brash is a newcomer, having first released their product in July of this year. Their site is very sparse when it comes to information, but as best I can figure, this brewery was started by a brewer who left Texas to find a more hospitable environment for craft brewing. Glad to have this brewery up and running, wherever it might find itself located!
Thing to Think About Today:
Had we not been interrupted by Hurricane Sandy, I was intending to throw in some favorite Halloween items in this space - candy, movies, music, etc. However, Halloween is upon us, so I'm just skipping ahead to my all time favorite Halloween song, Werewolves of London, by Warren Zevon. Truth be told, this song makes me think about listening to John Cunningham play acoustic guitar during Friday night happy hour at the Cafe 210 West more than it makes me think of Halloween. If I had a time machine, I'd definitely set the dial to head back to see JC playing at the Cafe a few more times.
And while we're on the subject of confessions, I admit people might not see this as a Halloween song, the way you might consider Thriller or Monster Mash. Yet, it's a song about a werewolf, and werewolves are most certainly part of the Halloween canon, right up there vampires and zombies. Therefore, it's a Halloween song, and it's your thing to think about today. In conclusion, don't overdo the candy, and make sure to bring in some extra for me to work tomorrow, as I don't have any. Thanks!
You know you're entirely too comfortable with a bar when you randomly show up in a floor length gown on Quizzo night and don't give a damn. Yes, if any of you were at TJ's last night, I was the one in the purple floor length gown. And I suppose I could have just said gown and you would have known it was me...not like I had competition from someone in a red gown for example.
You may be wondering why I went formal on Quizzo night. Let's just say the food at the gala I attended earlier in the night was meat-centric and practically nonexistent and I had the chance to knock off another brewery if I hit my favorite bar. End of story.
What I didn't realize is that The Bollocks from Brash Brewing weighed in at 12%! Holy mackerel! It was probably the last thing I needed after a few glasses of wine and champagne.
The Bollocks is an imperial IPA. It poured a hazy amber color. It really wasn't as orange as this photo indicates. It had a thin head but left lots of lacing behind. It smelled strongly of caramel, which carried through to the taste. There were lots of fruit-forward hops (most notably citrus) in the flavor as well.
I didn't find much information on this brewer other than they exiled themselves from Texas due to ridiculous beer laws and made a new home in Ipswich, Massachusetts. It looks like they've only been producing there since July 2012. So far I'm impressed. This is a good beer.
It's official. I've self-diagnosed thanks to the nice folks over at Chow Bella.
I prefer geek to snob, but I clearly have a problem.
What I don't have a problem with is the tripel from Cisco Brewer's Island Reserve series. Island Reserve allows Cisco to experiment a bit and this one is a winner in my book.
Brewed in Nantucket, the tripel poured a bright orange hue with a thick white head. Lots of nice sticky lacing was left behind as I made my way to the bottom of the glass. It had lots of fruit aromas with some biscuit and plums that followed through in the flavor. There was also a good amount of sweetness in the taste as well as a faint booziness. The only thing I didn't really enjoy is the very prickly carbonation. I wanted it to drink a little smoother.
Beer #181 Ipswich Original Ale / Mercury Brewing Company, Ipswich, MA
Last Friday before we embark on a two week tour of the West Coast. Many things to do this weekend to get ready to leave, but I'll love every one of them.
For no reason at all, here's a picture of what appears to be a road construction project gone wrong. Or, some kids playing "King of the hill" gone wrong. Or, something gone wrong. Didn't seem like anyone was in a hurry to clean up this giant pile of rocks in the middle of a busy road. Hey... free rocks, everyone!
Rock it.
Tonight's beer is the Ipswich Ale from Mercury Brewing, out of Massachusetts. It pours a hazy orange in the glass, with a lingering fluffy white head. Your nose finds aromas of bread and orange, and when you drink it you get flavors such as biscuit, bitter hops, and fruit flavors. There's a dry finish in there, too. Not a bad choice, try one if you find it in a store/bar near you.
Ahoy!
This brewery stretches back to 1991, when it was known as the Ipswich Brewery. They sold out to someone who sold out to someone who sold it to someone in 1999 who renamed it the Mercury Brewing Company, and now we're all caught up.
Thing to Think About Today:
Based on the label, and based on the name of the town, this beer sort of makes me think of Moby Dick. One of the all-time classics, this Herman Melville book tells the tale of the mostly unhinged Captain Ahab and his whaling vessel crew hunting at all costs for a deadly and rare white whale. You probably read this somewhere in your early high school career, and you probably didn't like it, because it used unusual phrases and metaphors and made you think. If you haven't read it as an adult, you're missing out on one of the legendary pieces of literature in our time.
NOMZ NOMZ!
Marci and I often joke about our personal "white whales," the things which keep us up at night, the seemingly unreachable goals, the things which keep us fighting for another day. Here's hoping you'll all catch your white whale some day.
Super bonus trivia: If you drink coffee from Starbucks, you're drinking coffee from a franchise named after a character in this book. Knowledge is Power!
It's Friday. Vacation is mere days away. There are hopefully more Philly Beer Week events in my future tomorrow. I have a grueling Monday on tap, but seriously...beer-cation is looming in all its hop-filled glory!
I read something today that made me laugh and think. I love a good compliment/insult.
A group of artists are invited for dinner by a famous chef. In greeting the photographer, the chef comments, "I love your photos. They're wonderful. You must have a very expensive camera." The photographer doesn’t reply and walks into the dining room. After dinner the photographer approaches the chef and says, "Dinner was sensational, very exquisite flavors, a true work of art. You must have a very sophisticated stove.”
The Ipswich Original Ale is brewed by the Mercury Brewing Company out of Massachusetts. It poured a hazy orange-brown color with an off-white head. The aroma was hoppy and a bit sweet. The taste is well rounded malt with a mild hop finish. This is a solid English style pale ale. It's also very approachable at 5.4% ABV.
I'm glad I started the weekend off with a good beer. Cheers!
Beer #152 Whale's Tale Pale Ale / Cisco Brewers, Nantucket, MA
Keeping it brief tonight, as I spent the evening at the opening of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the Franklin Institute. If you're in or near the City of Brotherly Love, make it a point to stop by and check it out, particularly if you're a history or religion geek. Really interesting look back in time, and fascinating that these documents important to both Christianity and Judaism were hiding out in jars in a cave for 2,000 years.
Tonight's beer is the Whale's Tale from Cisco Brewers, which I had during last weekend's day drinking with friends. It comes in a can, and pours a rich amber, with a think white head. It gives off aromas of malt and fruit, and the taste gives you flavors of apple, lemon, tea and malt. For a pale ale, there wasn't as much hop bitterness as I might expect - this almost drinks more like an ESB than a pale ale. Makes sense, as when you read their website, it's promoted as an English pale ale, which is typically less bitter than other pale ale offerings. All good, as this was a refreshing, enjoyable beer. Will definitely look for this beer again soon, maybe even for a tailgate this summer.
Shiny can, fun whale - what's not to love?
This brewery has been selling beer since 1997, although their roots in the beverage business are a tad bit longer, as they also are the people behind Nantucket Winery.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of the Dead Sea Scrolls, I hereby propose we spend some time and think about... I don't know...it's late...how about the Dead Milkmen. What do they have to do with anything? Nothing, really, except for the band has "dead" in their name. See the connection now? Oh, and they're from Philadelphia, just like the Franklin Institute, so that probably counts for something too.
Anyway, a trip back in the time machine to the late 80's for some quasi-obscure punk music with their hit (?) Punk Rock Girl:
Beer #120 Baby Tree / Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project, Somerville, MA
Happy Easter to all - or, more specifically, to those who believe in that sort of thing. We're fortunate to have a beautiful day here, which is good and bad. Good, because I can sit on the deck and drink beer and write today's post. Bad, because both of us have work to do, either projects around the house or work for our jobs, and nothing is getting done right now. Seems too nice out to do work, right?
Today's beer is one that's been in our fridge for a few weeks waiting for just the right day. And today seems like a perfect day to open up Baby Tree, a quad from Pretty Things brewed for Easter (yet available year-round). As the picture shows, this beer is a dark chestnut in the glass, with a very thin off-white, almost tan head. There are aromas of malt and fruit, and the taste brings flavors of malt, candi sugar, berries, and a hint of chocolate. Delicious on a sunny, yet breezy and cool afternoon. "That's an odd name for a beer," you say. I agree, so I'll let you get the story from the horse's mouth (so to speak). This beer checks in at 9% ABV, but it drinks like a beer with far less alcohol.
Really interesting story behind the brewers. Pretty Things is a husband and wife team who work as tenant brewers, renting space from other breweries. I often give you some brewery facts, which you may or may not read. However, if you only click on one brewery link, it should probably be this one. Cool story, fun people, great beer. What else is there to say? In addition, they have a side project where they brew beer from old recipes, to provide a historical beer experience. I'm a history nerd, so I need to get my hands on some of these pronto.
Thing to Think About Today:
Let's all think about what's really important on this Sunday: CANDY. I have a killer sweet tooth, and my mom worked as a taste tester for Cadbury and Hershey when I was growing up. Aw yeah, match made in heaven. With those expert credentials on the table, you'll certainly trust me when I suggest we all think about the greatest Easter candy ever: The Cadbury Creme Egg.
For those of you who have survived a horrible life which so far hasn't included the Cadbury Creme Egg, I'll clue you in. It's a milk chocolate egg filled with a yellow and white fondant filling - when you crack it open, it's like you cracked open a real egg. However, instead of the risk of salmonella, you get a sugary sweet candy that looks somewhat like an egg. So much better than real eggs, right? This delightful candy experience walks dangerously close to the line of too sweet, and I freely admit that eating more than one or two per season might be pushing it. However, for the one or two that you do eat? Pure magic.
At roughly the 30% of goal for this project, I find myself longing to drink specific beers -- anything from Stillwater or Mikkeller or a Petrus or 1809 or a Duchess. The 365 craft brewers in 365 days challenge has been absolutely fantastic. I’m finding some really awesome beers. Unfortunately I’m also having to wait almost a year to revisit them. Or at least that was the case until lately. Now I’m in a one for the blog, one for Marci mindset. It’s definitely helping with the “I don’t want to drink this new and potentially awesome beer. I want a ______________.”
It is a glorious day out here in the ’burbs and what better way to spend a day like today than at the dog park. Best part of the dog park? Meeting new dogs. Second best part of the dog park? It does this to the Army of Dachshunds.
***
For today’s beer I thought a Pretty Things Baby Tree would be appropriate. Look at that label -- it screams Easter and spring awakenings. Pretty Things is a husband/wife team of gypsy brewers. They’re based in Somerville, Massachusetts and Baby Tree is their quadruple. It pours a beautiful garnet liquid with a thin tan head. It’s has commanding flavors -- solid malt and hop, hints of chocolate, dark fruit (plums?). As I approached the midway point of the beer, I noticed more peppery spice - maybe even green chilies. Baby Tree is a quad and has a 9% ABV, but is surprisingly light and very drinkable.
If you’re curious about the name, check out their website for the full story. I love quirky and I love this beer! Hopefully one day soon, Gary will get into his bottle of Pretty Things’ Jack D’Or. And hopefully he shares!
Beer #91 Muffin Top / Clown Shoes Beer, Ipswich, MA
My attitude change last night is paying off, I think. Hit the road for a run this morning, hit the gym to lift (read: watch tv), spent some time writing, and then it's an afternoon spent in Philly for some quality bar time. Today also means we're now 25% of our way through this 365 different beers from 365 different breweries in 365 days tour. Many beers down, many beers still to come!
We'll start the drinking today with Muffin Top, a tripel from Clown Shoes Beers. This beer pours a hazy, amber orange and has a wispy white head. You get a yeast and fruit aroma from this beer, and the flavor has notes of orange, pine, citrus, and bitter hops. A solid beer all around with a good balance of flavors. This being said, I'm probably not likely to drink many of these in the future. Why, you ask? I'll tell you: the brewery name. I don't like clowns. In fact, I don't know ANYONE who likes clowns. I probably know people who tolerate clowns, or at least don't despise them, but let's be real - NO ONE likes clowns. They're creepy as all get out. Marketing matters, people.
Good beer, bad name.
Thing to Think About Today:
Maybe I'm being too harsh on this brewery. Maybe. However, I solemnly refuse to post something in this space that would make you think about clowns any more than you already have today. So, we'll switch gears and check in with the greatest comedy of all time for their take on... muffin tops: Top o' the muffin to YOU today!
Johnny Cash Hey Porter
Chemical Brothers Galvanize
Coldplay God Put a Smile Upon Your Face
Flight of the Conchords I Told You I Was Freaky
Vampire Weekend Run
Bob Dylan All Along the Watchtower
Killers Joy Ride
U2 Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Mick Jagger Salt of the Earth
Johnny Cash Help Me
A Tribe Called Quest Jazz (We’ve Got)
Wilco At Least That's What You Said
Last night was dinner at Jose Pistola’s with friends. If you’re familiar with Philadelphia, it is in the same building that was once Copacabana 2. The nachos were awesome. I detest nachos that have all the toppings just plopped on top of the heap of chips. Good nachos are all about the layers and these were definitely made the right way. There were about 15 beers on draught and a pretty extensive bottle list. I went with the Clown Shoes Vampire Slayer -- an imperial stout described as having more sweetness and depth than their previous offering. Their description also mentions that it is brewed with holy water and malt smoked with vampire killing stakes. You have to love the irreverent humor!
I noted the alcohol warmth immediately in my notes on this one and after doing some research today I learned that it is a whopping 11%ABV. One was definitely enough. It was super dark, almost black, with a loose dark tan head. This was a risky choice for me because I don’t like smoke flavor. More often than not, I think smoke makes things taste like sausage. I don’t like sausage so I don’t want my beer tasting like it. Lucky for me, the smoked malts were very mild and I really enjoyed it. The taste was what you’d expect for an imperial stout. Roasted malt flavor, vanilla.
There was also Tramp Stamp available from Clown Shoes….an IPA that tasted like soap. And that is why I don’t drink IPAs, folks. They remind me of soap. I didn’t order that one. My friend had that honor but he very willingly shared it so we could all get a taste.
Highlight of the evening: I eventually ordered a Duchess de Bourgogne (Flanders red ale) after sipping some of the one Gary ordered. His came in a wide flute. Mine came in a goblet. As our waiter poured it, he apologized for the glass, calling it one of his greatest professional embarrassments. He delivered it with absolute seriousness and very much reminded me of one of my favorite comics - Mitch Hedberg. His Comedy Central show is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in my life.
Beer #42 Infinium / The Boston Beer Company, Boston MA
And finally, winter has arrived to our corner of the world. Quite frankly, I'm fine with a little snow on the ground; particularly when my to-do list today consists of putting a shelf together for the garage (to store our beer) and... that's about it. So, that leaves plenty of time for catching up on some reading, lounging, and beer. Shaping up to be a great day in the neighborhood.
Your beer for the day comes from a brewery that most everyone is familiar with. Yes, these are the Sam Adams guys. We're definitely staying away from macro-beers (Bud, Miller, Heineken, etc), so this offering is about as close as you're going to come to the mass produced world of beer. This brewer should maybe get more credit than they do - they helped spark the craft brew revolution back in the mid-80's, and they continue to put out some adventurous new offerings. Enough about that, let's get to the rundown on this beer: Boston Beer partnered with German brewer Weihenstephan to create this unique new style. It comes in a champagne-esque bottle and is highly carbonated with a biscuit aroma and a dry finish. The taste has some vague fruit notes (Orange? Apple? Pear?) with some heavy malt flavor, along with a solid 10.3% ABV. It's unusual, and definitely not what you expect from Sam Adams. I wish it had a bit more fruit flavor or sweetness to it, to be honest.
Thing to Think About Today:
Our plan today was going to be meeting friends for lunch and then drinks at Troegs Brewery. The snow & ice storm forced us to scrap that plan. So, in the spirit of a snow day, I encourage you all to think about snow. No, not the powdery white stuff that falls down from the sky. Today we're thinking about Snow, the powdery white reggae-rapper who fell off the face of the earth:
