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
Day #711 Dragon's Milk / New Holland Brewing Company, New Holland, MI
Previously from this brewery: a gaggle of beers
Another beer that was relegated to the shelf in the basement to age, where it spent a good, long time is this bottle of Dragon's Milk, a stout from blog favorite New Holland. This beer has a black color with a wispy and quickly dissipating tan head. When you inhale, you're greeted by intoxicating aromas of oak and vanilla. The taste is more of the same, with a delicious blend of oak, malt, vanilla, and hints of leather. None of which is surprising considering this beer is aged in bourbon barrels. Can't argue with that! It gives off a bit of a barleywine vibe, to be honest, and you definitely notice the boozy warmth of the 10% ABV.
The Dragon, or El Dragon
This one has a tiny little too much toasted malt to find a home in my regular rotation, but if you like bourbon, you'll probably like this beer. If all stouts would be aged in bourbon barrels, stouts and I would get along much better. I would highly recommend opening this one on a cold winter's night, preferably in front of a fire.
Thing to Think About Today: Not a lot of music on my iPod that connects to dragons or milk, so I'll go with what something I'm not embarrassed to admit I enjoy, Kelis and her ass-shaking Milkshake. Night all.
Beer #706 Cabin Fever / New Holland Brewing Company, New Holland, MI
Previously from this brewery: a whole gaggle of delicious beers
Hustle day; on the road to State College for one of the last two home games. Is it wrong I wish it was colder? I do somehow enjoy those bone-chilling cold days in the parking lot....
So, that means a beer review, and up to bat is a bottle of Cabin Fever from New Holland Brewing. Out of the bottle, this beer has a dark brown hue and a big toasted malt aroma. Uh oh.
When I took a sip, I was hit with toasted, burnt, and roasted malt flavors..... none of which I enjoy in a beer. Crud. If I close my eyes, this one tastes more like a porter or a stout than a brown ale. Brown ales are usually something I enjoy - the brown ale from Tommyknocker Brewery is fantastic, for example. However, this one was not something I liked or would try again. But, if those flavors are your thing, feel free to grab one of these.
Not feverish about this one
Thing to Think About Today:
Beer with cabin in the name means you get something about a home. So, that means Home, from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros.
Today is Tuesday, but I'm going right past today and start thinking about Wednesday, because on that day I'm meeting a few friends for delicious beers and robust discussion. You see, we're starting a club for guys who want to take weekend trips without spouses and do guy things like drink bourbon and build a fire and grill steaks and chop down trees and play the bongos and go fishing. Absolutely a stellar idea by the way; as we get older, we drift apart from our friends, and sometimes only exist as "couples friends" who only get to catch up infrequently, at best. What about our guy (or for you female readers, girl) friends? What about the people we don't get to see often? How do we keep that connection alive and flourishing? Our idea: with a weekend on a mountain..... involving chicks and guns and fire trucks and hookers and drugs and booze!!!!!! You know, all the things that make life worth living!
Eh, I suppose we'll mostly just make fun of each other for being whipped and then spend our time declaring vociferously that we should totally go on a guys only vacation one of these days. But I do hope we go one of these days. One of these days, indeed, before we start running out of days.
While all of this is happening (I think we're also electing officers for our club and creating a coat of arms), you can read a beer review! Tonight's offering is the Paleooza, an American Pale Ale from New Holland. Had this one on draft a few weeks back at TJ's - in the glass, it's a bright, clear copper color. There isn't an overwhelming aroma, but I do get a bit of toffee, which is nice. The taste is a good balance of faintly toasted malt and hop bitterness, with earthy, grassy notes. This isn't an overpowering beer, but instead rather mellow. Worth a try for one of those days where you aren't looking to get beat up by your beer.
I'm pretty sure I accidentally deleted the picture of my beer, so instead please enjoy this picture of how I like to spend my guy trip weekends: rocking a blazer and driving a speed boat where I combine a heady mix of reckless abandon with a wanton disregard for the safety of others. ¡Vamanos, muchachos!
where's the guns and bourbon?
For the record, my commentary in the first paragraph regarding unsavory activities including controlled substances and prostitution (in case you didn't click the link) was not an accurate portrayal of the events or activities that belong on a guys weekend. It was in fact a quote from the movie Bachelor Party, back when Tom Hanks was seriously funny. In no way do I condone having fire trucks at our weekend (zing).
Thing to Think About Today:
Okay, so we reminisced about getting together with old friends, so why don't we let The White Stripes finish up our day with their lovely We're Going to Be Friends. A rather unexpected song from one of the guys keeping rock & roll alive. Hope you get to spend time with your friends again very soon!
Ever have that feeling that you're about to be pushed off a cliff? That things are about to go wildly out of control? Yeah. Me neither.
If I had that feeling, I would numb if with a New Holland Brewing Company's Black Tulip tripel ale. Vintage 2012 to be exact because it is a solid beer. It's part of New Holland's High Gravity Series. Honestly I'm not sure I could love New Holland's beer more than I do. Check out the links below for some evidence.
The Black Tulip poured a hazy orange color with a very thin, slightly offwhite head. It has an earthy, vegetable-like scent. It reminded me of roots. The taste is banana, fruity ester, yeast. It's boozy but not overwhelming and has a good amount of prickly carbonation.
Here's what New Holland has to say about Black Tulip: Golden in color, Black Tulip Tripel is a delightful beer with a slightly sweet body. Its ester-laden character reveals an enigmatic dance between Belgian ale yeast and Michigan beet sugar, conjuring hints of bananas and rock candy. Its inviting flavor is complemented by a pleasing dry finish.
I like when I get it mostly right.
Beer stats
Style: Tripel
ABV: 8.8%
IBUs: 21
Rating: Great
Previously reviewed from New Holland
Gary's review of Black Tulip
Gary's review of Blue Sunday Sourand not so idle threats against cancer
An embarrassment of sour ale riches and a review of Blue Sunday Sour
A post that I am incredibly proud of that includes a review of Dragon's Milk
Beer #406 Black Tulip / New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI
Previously from this brewery: My take on Blue Sunday Sour, Marci's look at Dragon's Milk (both with interesting PSU stories in the background)
It's been a beautiful, sunny, relaxing Saturday here in the suburbs of Philly. Started the day by sleeping in (a rarity), then hit up yoga and made a delicious breakfast. The afternoon? Some peace and quiet, and a visit to Delaware to visit a brewery and drink beer with a stop at Total Wine to stock the wine cellar. I hope you're all doing something fun as well. You deserve it, after all.
Today's beer is Black Tulip, a Belgian Tripel from New Holland Brewing. In the glass, you see a clear bright amber hue, and you pick up the aroma of sweet malt. When you take a sip, you get a good bit of malt and plenty of candi sugar. (Side note: for those of you thinking I spelled "candy" wrong, I didn't. Check out more info on candi sugar here) There are subtle hints of citrus and spice along for the ride, and it finishes a bit dry. A very, very good beer, but I expect nothing else from New Holland, one of the premier breweries in the country.
Good beer + a naked lady on the bottle?
SOLD!
This beer is fairly potent at 9% ABV, but you don't even notice the high alcohol content. Find it, drink it, and proceed with caution.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the spirit of black (tulips), let's close with something black (um, backpacks?). Obviously that means we're listening to Stroke 9 and their popular-ish song Little Black Backpack. Enjoy your Saturday with this flashback to 2000.
Beer #71 Blue Sunday Sour / New Holland Brewing Company, Holland, MI
Earlier today, the final numbers for THON were released: $10.68 MILLION raised to combat pediatric cancer. For the uninformed, THON is the Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, a 46 hour dance marathon organized and executed entirely by Penn State students. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $88M in the fight against cancer - every penny raised by college students. Originally a fraternity/sorority fund raiser, it's grown exponentially to include students from all corners of the university.
I had the pleasure of dancing for my fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, my sophomore year, and it's truly one of the greatest and most special things I've ever done in my life. Being awake and on your feet for 48 hours (we did it hard core back in the day) is not an easy task, but thinking about what kids battling leukemia and other rare forms of cancer have to deal with, and seeing how much joy they get from being "celebrities" at THON is incredibly powerful. This time of year, the memories of THON come flooding back like a tidal wave: me, Sober, Super Dave, and Bo supporting each other, making new friends, trying to pump up our fellow dancers, playing games, and spending time with our assigned family. Sadly, I've never managed to get around to scanning in my old pictures. Perhaps this is the impetus to buy a scanner so I can share memories of THON '95 with the world. We raised $1.16 million, and it seemed like the largest sum of money in the history of time. Seeing it increase ten fold in a the past decade has been incredibly rewarding.
To answer the questions you haven't yet asked, but I'm sure you will:
1. No, you don't dance the entire 48 (now 46) hours. But you do need to be awake and on your feet.
2. You do get bathroom breaks, but they hustle you along. No lingering.
3. Best way to get some relief is to do a handstand, with friends holding your legs so that blood can drain back to the rest of your body.
4. After being awake for 48 hours, I slept for more than 14 hours straight. It's unbelievably taxing on the body, but compared to having cancer, it's a damn walk in the park.
5. Key highlight of THON is running down a series of mats doused in baby powder, then sliding head first to an area where a morale team gives you a quick rub down. If there is a heaven, it will be filled with the sensation of this rub down.
6. You will have sleep deprivation induced hallucinations. I thought there was a giant table across the middle of the floor, and I kept walking way, way out of my way to get around it. People would be talking to me, then disappear in mid-sentence into thin air. Your brain is scrambled during this event.
7. Another key highlight is the line dance, a simple and repetitive choreographed dance number with some music to get you pumped up and some topical events to sing about. You start out doing it every other hour or so, and by the last hour you're doing it every 15 minutes to keep the energy high. I still remember some of the '95 dance, but sadly not all.
8. All dancers are given a unique dancer-only shirt with their number and their name or a motivational message on the back. I still have my shirt, and if our house ever burns down it's one of the first three things I'm grabbing. The name I peer pressured my partner into adopting? "DEEZ NUTZ". What can I say, it was 1995. It was a popular phrase.
What better way to celebrate a great accomplishment than with a great beer? Today we break open a Blue Sunday Sour from New Holland. It shows off a burgundy hue in the glass, and the aroma is of fruit and mild vinegar. Tart and sour,
right up front, with the taste of stone fruit and some malt notes. There's a crisp effervescence, and the oak aging lends a
dry finish. This is complex and wonderful, with just the right amount of alcohol at 8.7% ABV. This is by means a beer for everyone, but if you EVER see one available in a bar near you, I implore you to at least try it. This beer has officially landed in my coveted Top 25. Blue Sunday Sour was named for the "blue laws" of Michigan which did not allow beer sales on Sundays. It's also a cellar beer, which means we can age this for a few years, sort of like wine. Although, something tells me Marci might drink our entire supply of two cases long before then....
Thing to Think About Today:
Please think of others. Someone out there has it worse than you do, and they can use your help. Whether it's donating money to THON (or anywhere else), donating blood, or volunteering, I encourage you all to think about trying to give back this year. It feels good, and it's the right thing to do. If you need a little motivation, watch this:
For the past year, I’ve been on the lookout for New Holland Brewing Company’s Blue Sunday Sour. Yesterday morning I hit the jackpot and am now in possession of TWO (yes, two) cases of it. The Blue Sunday Sour is part of New Holland’s cellar series and is heritage-blended from their library of barrel-soured beers. I’ve only ever had one bottle of it and I have clung to that memory for an entire year. It became my great white whale…ever elusive, haunting me. Sure I was nervous that I just spent a ridiculous amount of money on beer that may not live up to my recollection. Would the 2012 edition be as good as the one I had?
Silly me. After popping one open moments ago, I knew I made a good decision. It poured into my tulip glass a garnet hue. Very little head that left just a hint of lacing around the edge of the beer’s surface. There is oak in the nose along with balsamic vinegar with a nuance of sour cherry. The balsamic carries over to the taste along with the subtle cherry notes. There’s malt and oak flavors and it pinches your tongue in exactly the way a good sour ale should. It leaves my mouth feeling all tingly and finishes dry. At 8.5% ABV and knowing that I’ve got to make it until February 2013, one bottle will be all I need for today.
Alas this review doesn't count, as I crossed New Holland off the list with my review of Dragon's Milk found here.
Yesterday while out with friends, I had a Monk’s Flemish Sour Ale. This review doesn’t count either since it is brewed by Brouwerij van Steenberge and I crossed that one off the list at Teresa’s Next Door when I tasted the Klokke Roeland. I would describe the Monk’s as sweeter, slightly thicker drinking than the New Holland. The balsamic flavor is the first taste that hits you. It’s big and bold. More dark cherry flavor, too. While the Monk’s is good, I prefer the more nuanced flavors of New Holland.
So onto the actual review for tonight. LoverBeer Madamin. Described as a Flemish sour out of Italy, I figured I couldn’t go wrong. Sorry for the subpar photo. I only had the Blackberry with me. The LoverBeer smelled of fruity sourness. Not too much funk. It tasted of sour cherry and oak/red wine. There was another fruit flavor hiding in there…maybe plum? It definitely had the typical sour characteristics but it also was a bit too watery for me.
And there you go. The Three Little Bears review of sour ales. One is too bold, one is too watery and one is just right. On that note, I leave you with some lazy-ass dachshunds snoozing post-walk in the sun:
With a memorial photo of JoePa on the big screen, stadium lights turned shining bright and the low hanging clouds, Beaver Stadium served as a beacon in what felt like an exceptionally dark night last night. At my house last night, miles and miles away, I couldn't help but notice how supernaturally light it was outside my windows even at 9pm. Somehow that bright sky in Berwyn was lit -- at least in my mind -- by same light shining forth from Beaver Stadium. I felt connected to Joe Paterno, Penn State, the students solemnly standing vigil, and thousands upon thousands of alumni despite the physical distance.
But that's how Penn State has been all my life. Connected. Sometimes simply. Sometimes in the most complicated way. But I always felt connected. Joe and Penn State will also always be connected. You can't have a football coach -- who was never just a football coach -- impact a university in so many ways off the playing field and not have that be the case. I guess that's why I feel like I knew Coach Paterno -- because he was always there. He may not have known it, but I spent more Saturdays with him than I care to admit.
I sat with my Dad, probably before I could even throw a football, cheering on Joe and his Nittany Lions during elementary school. I've made the pilgrimage to Happy Valley countless times. (And not just because I married a RABID Penn State fan. I was watching Penn State football well before he showed up!) Hell, Joe was my wake up call for most of those Saturday mornings. I'd tell myself a 75-year-old man was probably awake and dressed long before my lazy ass was ready to roll out of bed and he was going to work hard that day while I was going to stand around, eat fried food and drink copious amounts of beer. Years later, I'd think about the 80-year-old who was still showing me up on Saturdays and just this past season, Joe hits 85 and looks 65 and I hit 36 and feel 56 on some mornings.
I assure you that next season I will be bounding out of bed on football Saturdays, ready to cheer the living legacy left by Joe Paterno, not quite believing that a chapter I never thought would come to a close in fact did. I'll also spend the rest of my years with Coach Paterno serving as my inspiration...to be dedicated to education, to believe in something passionately, to give selflessly of my resources whether they be time or money, to love and be loved on a scale that's almost unimaginable.
***
At this point the beer doesn't seem even remotely important but I promised myself I would review every night no matter what. Didn't see this "no matter what" coming!
Tonight I picked New Holland's Dragon's Milk. I think somehow it was fitting for tonight since it is aged in oak barrels and somewhere in the pages and pages of reading about Joe Paterno, I read that he enjoyed a bourbon now and again. Bourbon, oak barrels, Dragon's Milk, oak barrels. See...I'm making connections.
Into my trusty tulip glass it went, black as night. I'm not kidding. There was no light penetrating this beer. The tan head came and went - nothing remarkable about it. It smells of vanilla beans. It drank with a fantastic silkiness, lots of vanilla notes, a great oak flavor and a nice alcohol warmth (not surprising at 10% ABV). This may be one of my favorite stouts.
With that, I'm off to finish dinner, savor this beer and see if I can't get the army of dachshunds to start a JoePa-Terno chant. They're typically the strong silent type, but you never know. Cheers!
