Kick Me

Beer #355 Kick Back Ale / East Coast Beer Company, Point Pleasant, NJ
Beers to go: 11

After a nice and relaxing three day work week last week (really, 2.5 days), I'm currently having a hard time adjusting to the idea of a five day work week.  Just one more to go, and then the weekend is upon us.  Also important to note: due to football season ending, this weekend I'll get to sleep in my own bed and not have to drive in the car for extended periods of time.  While the lack of football makes me sad, that last sentence makes me feel much, much better.  On to the beer!

Tonight I'm reviewing Kick Back Ale, an amber from East Coast Beer Company.  This beer has an amber color and thin white head in the glass, and you pick up a floral, sweet aroma.  The taste has plenty of lemon and a decent amount of hops, all rounded out with some malt sweetness.  Not the greatest beer I've sampled to date, but definitely a tasty beer and worth a sample if you find it on draft or in bottles near you.

Just kickin' it....

This brewery started operations in 2009 and had their first beer ready to go in 2010.  To further prove that beer people are good people, they're donating money from each case sold to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Thing to Think About Today:
A beer to kick back with to me means we're wrapping up today with a song wondering about kicking it.  Or, more specifically, Can I Kick It?  A Tribe Called Quest, the floor is now yours...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4OQbdLWj2U

Born to Run

Beer #351 India Pale Ale / Climax Brewing Company, Roselle Park, NJ
Beers to go: 15

Time flies when you're having fun, and another football season has flown by.  Yesterday, Penn State closed out an emotionally charged season with an overtime win over Wisconsin, sending their seniors out in grand style.  And did Coach just drop the F-Bomb on national tv in the post game interview?  Why, yes, yes he did.  Love that guy, love this team.

I started this post with a corny phrase, so I'll move things along with another: All good things must come to an end.  So, let's close things out on the 2012 football season with a beer review (what, you were expecting something else from this website?) of the India Pale Ale from Climax Brewing in New Jersey.  The color is a hazy amber, with a thin white head.  There is a nice lemon aroma, and the taste is thin, with caramel malt and pine and citrus, and enough bitterness on the finish to do the job.  Typically look for something with a bit more oomph in my IPAs, as this one was a bit too mellow to find a home in my permanent rotation.

Climax has been in business since 1996, and they claim to be the oldest craft brewery in New Jersey.  They started by brewing an ESB, which I think I would very much like to try.

Thing to Think About Today:
Wisconsin entered the game with a rushing defense ranked first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally.  Yeah, that was before they met PSU sophomore Zach Zwinak, who pounded the Badgers for 179 yards on the day, which gave him an even 1,000 yards on the season.

Photo courtesy of Patriot News

Zwinak becomes the 40th Penn State player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, and so to celebrate this accomplishment and to give a nod to the home state for this brewery, we call on New Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen to close things out with Born to Run.  Good night all, see you again tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuThNgl3YA

Beer 345: Climax Brewing and 1,000 Paper Cuts

I tried my damnedest to get tickets to the Mumford & Sons show in Philly in February. The first show went on sale at 10:00 a.m. and was sold out by 10:03 a.m. They tweeted that another show was added for the next night and those tickets would be on sale at 11:00 a.m.

Guess what? Those tickets sold out in about two minutes. Guess who's sitting home listening to Mumford & Sons on her iPod come February? Yup. About 800 tickets ended up on stubhub.com by the end of the day. As of 7:00 p.m. tonight, there are 1,200 tickets listed. God damn scalpers. There are ways to prevent this from happening. Ways to make sure your fans get tickets to your shows and not get completely and utterly ripped off by scalpers.

Mumford & Sons, I expect better. Every time I hear one of your songs on the radio now, it's like a thousand tiny paper cuts. Boo.

***

Tonight's beer is from the Climax Brewing Company --


specifically their India pale ale (6% ABV). It pours a hazy, deep copper color with a tan head that disappeared pretty quickly. It smells of citrus hops. The flavor is citrus and caramel and has a lingering hop finish. I'd rate it average.

Cheers!

Ocean's 9.5

Beer #329 Malus / Kane Brewing Company, Ocean Township, NJ

Busy morning filled with yoga and getting things done before the afternoon devolves into watching football and drinking beer.  Penn State takes the field at 3:30 against a Jekyll and Hyde sort of Purdue team.  I have no idea what to expect, so no predictions here.  Well, me drinking a beer is a safe prediction, if you're looking to make any bets today.

Fall is rapidly starting to turn into winter around here, just in case anyone was wondering.  Therefore, it makes sense to review Malus, a Belgian strong dark ale from Kane Brewing Company in New Jersey.  This beer was part of an elaborate beer trade/exchange with a friend and fellow beer geek a few weeks back.  It pours a dark, chocolate brown hue with a sparse off white head.  The aroma is tart, with apples, sweet malt, and yeast.  The taste has a ton of candi sugar, malt, apples, clove, and stone fruits.  Malus sports a hefty 9.5% ABV, but it doesn't taste boozy.  In my notes, I included a comment, "With malice toward none, with charity toward all."  Wait, that's actually an Abraham Lincoln quote, not one of mine.  I actually wrote, "Tastes like Belgium."  Very much liked this beer, and very much appreciate having generous beer geek friends willing to share!

Kane is able.

Kane Brewing opened their doors in the summer of 2001, and almost a week after Hurricane Sandy came ashore the brewery is still without power.  From their Facebook page, there was no significant damage at the brewery, which is good to hear.  If they need help drinking any extra beer, they should feel free to call me.

Thing to Think About Today:
With Kane Brewing as the beer of the day, is there ANY chance I'm putting anything in this space other than famous 80's rapper Big Daddy Kane?  Nope.  I'm just sad there isn't a video for Pimpin' Ain't Easy, thus making me switch to Smooth Operator for a Plan B video choice.  Enjoy your Saturday, peoples.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-E7G6yEjSQ

"Transforming on stage like a Decepticon..."

Beer 328: East Coast Beer Company and 99 Problems

I found the best window decal ever on my commute home tonight. It was on the rear window of a Ford 150 on jacked up rims. It read: I got 99 problems and a duck call ain't one.

What?!?

I tried taking multiple photos for my loyal followers and failed miserably. And after pursuing the truck slightly off my regular route home, I realized I crossed into creeper stalker territory and headed home.

Since I didn't get that photo, I give you my kitchen guard dog instead. He's got 99 problems and a lack of people food for dinner is definitely one of them.



And now for the Friday night beer...the Kickback Ale from the East Coast Beer Company. It is an American amber ale brewed in New Jersey. It poured a golden brown color with no head. It smells of citrus hops -- mostly grapefruit -- and some malt. The flavor is surprisingly strong hops, piney without much malt in there. It isn't my cup of tea but it is good. Cheers!

While We Have Power....

Beer #324 East Coast Lager / Cricket Hill Brewery, Fairfield, NJ

Working from home today, but taking a break to blog while we still have power.  Hurricane Sandy has officially arrived, and from our spot in the suburbs of Philadelphia things are getting very real outside.  And by real, I mean real bad.  Winds have picked up, and the rain is coming down in buckets.  Did I mention that we live in a neighborhood prone to losing power?  Did I also mention our back yard likes to do an imitation of Lake Superior on days like this?  And have I mentioned our dogs HATE going outside in the rain, which means they're destined to forget the fact they're house broken today?  Awesome.  Who doesn't love a good hurricane?

While it's getting hectic here, it's likely worse in New Jersey.  So, while it's still there, today's beer will be from the Garden State - the East Coast Lager from Cricket Hill Brewery.  This lager pours with a clear, effervescent gold color.  You find the aroma of grain and barley, and the taste is clean, bready, with some nutty undertones.  A very sessionable beer at 4.2% ABV, if you're looking for something easy.

Need to drink all the beer before we lose power...

Cricket Hill has been in business since 2002, and they actively practice Reinheitsgebot, the Germany beer purity law.  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
It seems I have more songs about hurricanes and rain than I care to count in the iPod.  So, let's just go ahead and leave something nice and mellow here for now.  Be safe, don't leave the house if you don't have to (unless you're bringing me beer or food).  Take it away Counting Crows.... let's be the Rain King today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu9rtD7KKBI

"If there's anyone at home at your place, why don't you invite me in?"

Beer 323: Kane Brewing Company Malus

In honor of the imminent arrival of Hurricane Sandy, I'm reviewing a beer that is handcrafted in Ocean, New Jersey. Kane Brewing Company's Malus is an ale brewed with local apple cider and spices. It's also a limited release.

It smells awesome...like spiced cider and a sour ale. It falls in the Belgian strong dark ale category and has an ABV of 9.5%.


From the bottle: inspired by a traditional Belgian style but redefined by locally sourced ingredients. Belgian candi sugar was replaced by local apple cider that is reduced in the brewery's kettle over several days. It's their inaugural bottling.

From what I can tell they launched in the summer 2011. If they keep making brews like this one, they'll be around for awhile.

The Malus poured a hazy, warm brown color with a tan head. The first sip is quite good. I will warn you that the higher ABV is very present. The flavor has a lot going on. It starts off sour apple. Then there's leather and spice. Then overripe fruit and bread. It finishes with just a little bit of bitterness. It also leaves a tartness at the back of my tongue. Not really dry but tangy.

It's very bubbly and champagne-like in its carbonation. This is a decidedly unusual beer, but I rate it great. Cheers!

Rhymenoceros?

Beer #312 Hop-A-Lot-Amus/ River Horse Brewing Company, Lambertville, NJ

Today was one of those fast and furious days, where I bounced from meeting to meeting to meeting and never really had a chance to do all of the work that tends to pile up on any given day.  Can't win 'em all.

To unwind today, I'm going with a double IPA from River Horse Brewing.  This beer has a dark amber hue, with a thin white head.  The aromas of malt and pine shine through, and you pick up flavors of lemon and pine with some sweet malt, and a very welcome hop bitterness on the finish.  Nice beer, and I would definitely like to sample some of the other beers River Horse creates.

Disembodied hippo? Check.

From the brewery website: "We were finance geeks living in a world without soul.  Grinding it out everyday for a fee, wearing suits and kissing butt."

Now why does that sound familiar?

Thing to Think About Today:
I've already used this space to talk about Flight of the Conchords, the New Zealand folk-ish duo who had a hilariously awkward and awkwardly hilarious HBO series a few years back.  One of my favorite tracks plays right into tonight's beer - their absurd but funky Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros; check the live version below for a few laughs... preferably while you're drinking your Hop-A-Lot-Amus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BnRwkbiw6Y

"They call me the Hiphopopotamus, my lyrics are bottomless"

Beer 29: Cricket Hill East Coast Lager or Why Do I Have so Much Crap???

Today was spent cleaning out the basement and garage.  I'm pretty sure we've never cleaned the garage out even though we've been living in this house for eight years.  The basement got a major reorganization -- and of course a good cleaning -- a few years ago, but certainly needed it again.  After five hours of nonstop work, I am pretty pleased by the results.  But holy cow...we accumulate stuff like it's our job.

Why do basements and garages become the graveyard for random mugs, rugs, jackets and packing peanuts?  Why do I have so many screwdrivers, a tire and enough old paint to redo the Sistine Chapel?  2012 is the year I begin to live more simply.  Today was a HUGE step in the right direction.

***

After scrubbing the dirt off and considering burning the clothes I wore to clean, it's now time for a beer.  I bought this one on a lark.  There was something about the label that caught my eye...probably my favorite shade of green.  And who doesn't like lager?  

Cricket Hill  Brewery hails from the East Coast -- New Jersey specifically.  The East Coast lager went into my pint glass with an average head and surprising straw color.  Maybe I've drank too much Yuengling lager, but I expected more color.  If I were to create a beer scented scratch and sniff sticker, it would smell like East Coast lager.  I can't explain it any other way.  It just smells like beer.  It's not a bad thing.  Every once in awhile, even I just want a beer that isn't going to challenge my nose, taste buds or brain in some way.

It's easy drinking (4.2% ABV) with smooth malt flavors on the front and hops in the finish.  But it doesn't finish as smooth as I'd like.  In fact, it's leaving a weird flavor on my palate.  I'll leave the New Jersey jokes alone.  

Until tomorrow, folks.  Time for some take out and a movie.