Day 683: Speakeasy Betrayal

I've been jones-ing for a good book to read for a few weeks now. I'm not quite sure when I'm going to read this "good book", but I'm starting to feel desperate. Then I came across this on my friend Arielle's tumblr and it stopped me dead in my tracks.

I don't follow the Night Vale podcasts (maybe I should?), but I can't stop revisiting this statement. Does anyone else feel this way at the end of a good book? There's nothing worse than finishing a book and not caring about it or the characters.

Also you all should check our Arielle's tumblr page. She's brilliant and funny and really good at yoga. I kind of want to be like her when I grow up!

Now for the beer.

This is the Speakeasy Ales & Lagers' Betrayal--an imperial red ale. Sidebar: Speakeasy's website notes, "With a love for the sinister and the underground, Speakeasy operates out of a corner of this city once known as Butchertown." This city is San Francisco. I'm pretty sure I'm not going anywhere once or currently known as Butchertown. I imagine clowns aplenty lurking under sewer grates in the streets patiently waiting to cause chaos and terror. So there's that.

Good thing the beer wasn't terrifying. It poured a dark mahogany color with a thick cream color head. The smell and flavor went hand-in-hand. Black tea, hops with a nice bitterness, caramel malt, a little bit of grass.

Beer stats
Style: Imperial red ale
ABV: 8.2%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Speakeasy
I totally thought this was going to be first out the limo, but Mr. Blog Named Brew beat me to it with his review of the Big Daddy IPA

Take Me Out to the Ballgame....

Beer #139 Big Daddy IPA / Speakeasy Ales and Lagers, San Francisco, CA

Headed to Citizens Bank Park for the first time in this young baseball season to catch a game in person.  Therefore, you get the short and sweet version today.

The Big Daddy IPA is up to bat (see what I did there?), and this beer from Speakeasy pours an amber color with a fluffy white head.  The aroma gives off notes of malt and biscuit, with some citrus in there.  The taste is quite nice - earthy, with a dry hop bitterness.  Probably not as much citrus as I would expect, but they do have some malt sweetness in there.  In all, well worth your effort.  This brewery has been churning out beers since 1997 in San Fran's Bayview section.

Speaking of San Fran, the ballpark has been carrying Anchor Steam the past few seasons - as well as other local craft brews from Victory and Philadelphia Brewing.  Hopefully that trend continues.  If you're going to charge me $43 for a beer, it better at least be a good one.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're thinking baseball, let's just spend a moment thinking about the best baseball movie ever.  Oh yes, it's time for Major League.  Easily one of the most quotable movies of all time, which always comes in handy at baseball games.  We wear caps and sleeves at this level, son.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHW1doRKabg