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 #718 Newcastle Brown Ale / Caledonian Brewing Company, Edinburgh, Scotland
Previously from this brewery: the others
Hustle day, so I'm keeping this short - and if I can be honest, probably not interesting.
Today's beer is a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale, which I think was left in the cooler at a tailgate. Last season. It pours with a dark amber color with a fluffy white head. There are aromas of biscuit and malt, and flavors of caramel, sweet malt, and a hint of bitterness. This beer is very easy drinking, and while there are certainly more flavorful or complex brown ales out there, this one holds up.
Back when there was sun in the world, unlike winter
It's almost odd to have a beer that comes out of a clear bottle, when you think about it. Thing to Think About Today:
A brown ale... the day before Thanksgiving.... means you get Charlie Brown and the always magical Thanksgiving episode. Should I have posted this tomorrow? Probably, but time doesn't wait for awesome.
Day #714 Werewolf / Caledonian Brewing Company, Edinburgh, Scotland
Previously from this brewery: two reviews of John Smith's Extra Smooth Ale
Game Day!
Today's review is a beer that was in the fridge for seemingly an eternity. No clue where it came from or when it arrived. I guess a beer from Newcastle isn't that cool and kept getting pushed to the back of the pack when I've had some of the rarest and most magnificent beers in the world over the past two years. That being said, Newcastle Brown Ale was one of the first "good" beers I started drinking when I realized there was more to beer than just "cold" or "less filling".
The Werewolf is a special edition red ale (blood red ale, according to the bottle) that has a dark amber hue, and a quickly dissipating white head. Your nose finds aromas of toffee and malt, and there are flavors of bread, berries, and toffee, with a dry bitterness on the finish. This beer isn't exactly outstanding, but is certainly drinkable if you're looking for something in the blood red ale genre. And who isn't?
I'll call my wolf guy....
Thing to Think About Today:
I've already used the song Werewolves of London and the movie Teen Wolf in this space, thus using up two of my three favorite wolf motifs. The third? Duran Duran and Hungry Like the Wolf. Ah, the 80s. Never not awesome. Have a good Saturday, my friends..... go Penn State!
Day #397 Tripel / Saint Louis Brewing Company, St. Louis, MO
Previously from this brewery: All the Schlaflys
It's been another hectic day, but life has improved significantly since leaving the office. Things are good, in fact, but I won't bore you with those details so I'll jump right into a beer. Going back to St. Louis (figuratively, thankfully not literally) to pull another from the list of Schlafly products I drank during my recent stay.
Tonight's beer is the Tripel, a Belgian-style ale that poured a hazy apricot color with virtually no head. There's a light aroma of biscuit and banana, and the taste has a ton of banana, clove, biscuit, and malt. Not as much sweetness as I was expecting, but nothing unusual. Truth be told, I think this was a good beer, but I should have drank some water to cleanse my palate, as I put down the Dry Hopped APA before sampling this one, and the bitterness was still lingering. Would love to try another one some day (although preferably without the dystopian atmosphere of downtown St. Louis).
Hi there.
I have two more Schlafly reviews in reserve that I'll be breaking out throughout the month. Check yourself.
Thing to Think About Today:
Tonight, I'm sharing a band and a song that have been stuck in my head all day. Frightened Rabbit is an indie rock group from Scotland. In fact, think of them as the Scottish version of Mumford and Sons. Or even, the Scottish version of Mumford and Sons without the over priced concert tickets entirely bought by scalpers (kiss my ass, Live Nation!!!). Here's the song I've been singing all day (although I don't know the words.... yet), Living In Colour. They're playing in Philly on April 6.... who's in? Anyone with me on this?
Beer #361 Skull Splitter / Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Scotland Beers to go: 5
Oh, hello everyone. Thanks for stopping by! I had assumed that instead of being on the internet tonight, you'd be out enjoying the anniversary of the Twenty First Amendment to the Constitution being ratified, which repealed the Eighteenth Amendment - you know, the one that banned alcohol. Yes, at one point in time this country decided it would be a GREAT idea to outlaw the consumption of alcohol. Thankfully, cooler heads eventually prevailed, and here we are today. From reading up on breweries over the past year, it's clear that Prohibition did nothing except create a vibrant and sometimes comical black market for booze. I mean, doctors were writing prescriptions for bourbon, for crying out loud. Wait... that's actually a brilliant idea, because if I can get a prescription for bourbon, I could pay for it pre-tax with my FSA card. Yes, let's bring this back, people!
Before your parties celebrating the repeal kick too far into high gear, let's review the beer for the evening, the awesomely named Skull Splitter from the Orkney Brewery in Scotland. This beer has a dark amber color, with a thin white head. There are aromas of malt and citrus, and the taste gives you a really nice mix of tea, sweet malts, caramel, and dark fruits (maybe plum?). With a name like Skull Splitter, I was expecting this beer to completely knock me senseless - I mean, I've drank some big, potent beers this year, and none of them had the audacity to name themselves after the act of splitting my skull. And despite a relatively high 8.5% ABV, this beer is not as skull-splitting as the name suggests. It's actually quite enjoyable. If you find a bottle near you, go ahead and order one.
Badass Viking? Check.
This beer takes its name from Torfinn Hausakljuv, who was nicknamed "Skullsplitter". Hausakluif was the 7th Viking Earl of Orkney sometime around 950 AD, and will go down in history as having one of the most badass nicknames in the history of time. In case you were wondering (and you were), the Orkney Islands are due north of the Scottish mainland. This brewery was founded in 1988, and later merged with the Atlas Brewery in 2004, and was taken over by Sinclair Breweries in 2006.
Thing to Think About Today:
In honor of the Constitution, let's spend some time in civics class tonight, and learn a great lesson on how how a bill becomes a law. Yes people, Schoolhouse Rock! is here with I'm Just a Bill. Get your learn on, and have a very good evening.
Holiday party season kicks off tonight and I couldn't be more pleased. I'm always confused when people complain about holiday parties. Why wouldn't you want to catch up with friends and colleagues, eat good food and imbibe in the holiday spirit? Scrooges! All of you complainers are scrooges!
But before the celebrations begin, let me tell you about Orkney Brewery's Skull Splitter, an authentic Orcadian ale. Billed as a rich, sophisticated ale that is satiny smooth with a deceptively light character, it is brewed in Scotland and has an 8.5% ABV. It poured a ruby-hued brown ale with a light tan head. There was light lacing left behind. The smell is molasses and dark marinated fruit. The flavor is bitter and slightly metallic, boozy figs, buttery. I guess with a name like Skull Splitter, it's supposed to be boozy. I agree with the rich, sophisticated description as well as satiny smooth. I definitely think it has character but it is not so light. Overall this is a good beer that I would drink again.
The rest of my evening consists of a nice glass of wine, lobster risotto, gravlax and creme brulee. I'll see you all on the flip side. Cheers!
Beer #334 Traquair Jacobite / Traquair House Brewery, Peeblesshire, Scotland
For the past week or two, I've noticed a very unusual sign on my way to work. It's shaped like a campaign sign, and has the phrase "LET GO" arching across a rainbow, with what appears to be a full moon in the background. Now, I admit I don't care for politics or politicians, but I can't imagine this is a campaign sign. Unless of course, a unicorn was running for State Representative, which completely sucks, because I probably should have voted for that unicorn.
Safety first; I pulled over to snap this shot
Interesting.... but let's move in for a closer look....
As if this wasn't strange enough?
There appears to be a line of dogs, or maybe wolves standing on the rainbow, with the last one howling at the moon. What the hell? If you want my professional medical opinion, someone needs to consider the effects of acid on their brain. If anyone has any idea what this ridiculous sign is supposed to mean, PLEASE let me know as soon as possible. I'm curious.
Anyway, enough unicorn politics, let's get down to business. Today's beer is the Traquair Jacobite, a Scotch ale flavored with coriander from Traquair House Brewery. In the glass, you see a dark chestnut color, with a wispy off white head. The aroma is of stone fruits, and the taste brings you hints of molasses, plums, raisins, and a lightly toasted malt, with a bit of citrus and a bit of spice. Definitely an interesting beer, and if you see this on the shelf, certainly go ahead and pick one up. Good fall or winter beer.
Unicorn free since the 1700's
You guys know that for as much as I appreciate the newer breweries furthering the craft beer industry, I really love the history behind some of the old world breweries. This one qualifies, as the Traquair House is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland, built back in 1107 as a hunting lodge for royalty. Now, the brewery only started up in the 18th century, mainly providing beer for the family and workers on the estate. It stopped production some time in the 1800's, and the equipment sat unused until 1965, when it was rediscovered. If you're a history geek, please take a moment and read the detailed history of this house (and brewery) on their website. You won't be disappointed.
Thing to Think About Today:
Like magic, I heard a song today and immediately realized I had a connection with this beer. Somebody follow me, I'm about to wander: One of the royal visitors to Traquair House was Prince Charles Edward Stuart. He was better known as Bonnie Prince Charlie, or simply the Bonnie Prince. He was also part of the family that owned the property, and upon his leaving, the Earl of Traquair vowed that a giant gate to the property (adorned with bears) would remained closed until a Stuart again sat on the throne of England. That was back in 1738, and those gates remain closed to this day. Now THAT is how you hold a grudge, folks.
Still with me? Okay, let's keep the connection going. Today I heard the song Can't Tell Me Nothing by Kanye West pop up on the iPod. What does he have to do with anything? In this version of the video, the hilarious Zach Galifinakis plays the role of Kanye, spitting game and....well, working on the farm. His sidekick in the video (and I have no idea why) is none other than folk-indie rocker Will Oldham, better known on stage as... wait for it.... Bonnie Prince Billy. Bonnie Prince Charles, meet Bonnie Prince Billy.
THERE. I've tied a prince from the 1700's to a contemporary musician via a Kanye West video which (quite frankly) inexplicably stars comedy giant Zach Galifinakis and some clog dancing farm girls. People, my work here is done! Like the sign says, it's time to LET GO.
Conversation in the Blog Named Brew household tonight...
Gary: I almost sent you a picture of a $400 cashmere sweater today and said I bought it. But I thought you'd get mad and believe me.
Me: Oh I wouldn't get mad. I'd just find a stupid expensive cashmere dress to buy. Retaliatory shopping. Touché!
Gary: That's exactly why I didn't do it.
Me: If I can't have cashmere, no one gets cashmere. Plus for $400, can't we just buy one of those fancy goats?
Gary: We should get one of those goats. We'd have cashmere and they eat grass.
Me: Ooh. Then you don't have to mow the lawn. But who's going to make us sweaters? I don't knit. My mom's not around...she can't knit for us either.
Gary: True. Plus they're fancy goats. They probably eat caviar and sparkles.
Me: I can't afford fancy cashmere sweaters. Where are we going to get money for caviar and sparkles for a fancy goat?
Something else that's pretty darn fancy is the Traquair House Jacobite. It is an ale brewed with coriander -- a wee heavy or scotch ale, if you will and it's made in Scotland (8% ABV).
I was expecting something much lighter and was suprised to see that the Jacobite looks like cola in the glass. It had a tan head that left loose bubbles behind. It smells like a sweeter red wine and earth. The flavor is a cross between anise and root beer. Is that the coriander? Again one of those flavors that I can't discern on my own.
It also had a prickly carbonation that made it very interesting to drink. There was also a green earthiness and slight chocolate flavor. I rate it excellent. Cheers!
Beer #306 Extra Smooth Ale / John Smith's Brewery, Tadcaster, England
Today's beer means that we're rapidly approaching the 85% completed mark in this 365 day challenge. The heat is definitely getting turned up now that we're in the fourth quarter. I'm ready for it if you are.
I'll keep the drive alive and review the rather delightful Extra Smooth Ale from John Smith's Brewery in England. Courtesy of the widget in the can, it pours with a creamy cascade of dark copper and a thick white head. Your nose picks up the a sweet aroma of toffee and malt, and the taste is silky smooth, with delicious toffee and malt with some welcome and mild bitterness. At 3.8%, this is a beer that you could - and should - drink all day. I do love ales from England, and this fits in with the best of them. Well done.
I have to admit, that looks extra smooth.
Another brewery with ties to big business. John Smith's dates back to 1778 (as in, during the Revolutionary War), when it was first known as the Backhouse and Hartley Brewery. John Smith took over in 1847, and things went just fine right up to 1970, when hotel/bar conglomerate Courage stepped in and bought the brewery, only to have themselves later bought by Scottish and Newcastle, who later sold a stake to Heineken. Got all of that? While owned by their corporate overlords, this beer is still brewed at John Smith's brewery in Tadcaster, and therefore I'm giving them the credit.
Thing to Think About Today:
In the English speaking world, John is the most common first name, and Smith is the most common last name. Put them both together, and you're looking at the most generic name ever. I'm certain this causes much confusion for those who share a name, as well as those trying to find info on someone named John Smith (hint: helps if you own a brewery!). I guess I consider myself fortunate in the sense there's only one person in America, and as best I can figure the world, who has my name. Never have to worry about people confusing me with someone else, which I guess is a positive, although I can't act like stupid things I do belong to some other dude with my full name.
So, with first and last names on the mind, let's check in with the extra smooth (just like today's beer) Snoop Dogg for one of his first songs, Who Am I (What's My Name)? In addition to being an awesome song from back in the day, this video gave us the incredibly legendary if wildly non-romantic phrase, "You don't love me, you just love my doggy style." Thanks, Snoop. We owe you one.
I thought I'd pick something nice and easy -- straightforward even -- for my brewery tonight. Turns out I pick the punk rock, crazed brewers at Brew Dog.
From the Brew Dog website: BrewDog is a post Punk apocalyptic mother fu*ker of a craft brewery. Say goodbye to the corporate beer whores crazy for power and world domination. Swear allegiance to the uncompromising revolution. Taste the hops, live the dream. Learn to speak beer, love fruit and never forget you come from a long line of truth seekers, movers and warriors - the outlaw elite. Ride toward anarchy and caramel craziness. Let the sharp bitter finish rip you straight to the tits. Save up for a Luger, and drill the bastards.
So yeah...there's that.
The Old World poured a slightly hazy deep amber with a thick tan head. It has an earthy, toasted aroma that asks to be drank on a chill night like this. There's also some underlying sweetness in the scent as well.
It drinks with a full mouthfeel. The flavor reminds of of buttered toast at first. It's woody and has a nice strong hop bite. As it warms a bit, I'm getting a lot more malt and a lot less typical IPA character. (7.5% ABV)
If one is a hardcore IPA drinker, this may not be for you. If you're like me, you'll consider the Old World IPA an excellent beer.
It is utterly amazing how much one can accomplish when not bothered by co-workers, phones and email. I was reminded of that today after spending a few hours in the office. I’m heading into the upcoming week feeling prepared for a change. That’s a nice feeling.
So nice that I picked up Gary on the way home and we hit TJ’s Everyday in Paoli for a beer and a snack. I went with the Belhaven Wee Heavy Scottish ale. It poured with very little head that very quickly disappeared and left behind a beer that looked somewhere between a very dark iced tea or light cola. If the light hit it right, there were ruby highlights in there as well It had very little carbonation. It smelled of roasted malts, a bit sweet and somewhat earthy. The taste was caramel, malt smoothness and no hop bite whatsoever. It drank with a viscous mouth feel. This is a very good beer. The label suggests that I sip and savor it and respect it fully. At 6.5% ABV and with all that flavor, you would be out of your mind to show it disrespect by gulping it!
The Wee Heavy come to us from Belhaven Brewery, which dates to 1719 in Scotland with some of the cellars and wells dating to the 12th century. Nothing like a little history to go with your beer! And, of course, it goes without saying that for the rest of the night, I’ll be dropping a “If it’s not Scottish, it’s crap” at every possible opportunity.
Beer #12 Original/Innis & Gunn, Edinburgh, Scotland
Been chatting with a friend about bourbon today, which led me to think about something I wrote yesterday - no time to dream about gin. I've come to realize that this beer adventure is going to put a serious dent in my consumption of gin, wine, bourbon, etc. Not a bad thing, I suppose, as I'm committed to hitting 365* breweries this year. However, I'm a well rounded imbiber, so I'm sure I'll add in some other drinks beyond beer to keep things fresh. Besides, Total Wine is like Disneyland for adults, so I can't go too long without shopping there.
In the spirit of keeping things fresh, we'll change up from the Belgians for today's beer. Had some time off this afternoon, so I opted for an Innis & Gunn Original, an oak aged ale. Nice copper color, strong whiff of vanilla as soon as you raise the glass, and that vanilla tastes carry through. Maybe some toffee? Maybe an iota too much vanilla? Perhaps you'd prefer the spider graph's opinion for some science. Anyway, the beer gives off hints of bourbon courtesy of the oak aging. In fact, Innis & Gunn originally started brewing ale to use in flavoring barrels for a whiskey they were making. As it turns out, the beer was pretty decent, so they decided to sell that too, and here we are. Good solid pick for a cold winter's day.
Thing to Think About Today:
Started my morning off right by donating blood at a Red Cross drive. Giving blood is a simple, painless, easy process that truly saves someone else's life. I sincerely hope anyone who reads this blog will never need a transfusion, but if you or a loved one are in that position, keep in mind that the blood you will receive came from a donor somewhere. At this time of year, people think about gifts. Well, do everyone a favor and think about giving someone a gift that truly matters: the gift of life. You'll be glad you did.
*- shout out to the comment giver that reminded us that we're in a leap year, and we can gun for 366. Love it!
