Formula 409

Day #409 Moebius / Omnipollo, Stockholm, Sweden
Previously from this brewery: Both of our looks at Mazarin

Two interesting things to note about today, which are indirectly related yet somewhat related.

1. Today is the anniversary of Joe Paterno's death. While some people outside of Penn State will never bother to understand anything about Coach Paterno other than what they read in the headlines, most PSU fans recognize that he did not walk on water, but was a good and very decent human being who made mistakes.  Coach Paterno contributed thousands upon thousands upon thousands of good things to the school, his community, and the sport at large - but he'd be the first to point out he wasn't perfect.
2. Today marks post #409 for the blog, which is also the number of games Paterno won as head coach. Yes, the NCAA stripped a number of those wins to "punish" Penn State, but that's another story for another day, as the NCAA is about as effective of an organization as....well, I really can't think of anything as ludicrously ineffective as the NCAA.  I say: 409 forever.

PSU notes aside, today was a good day.  Got to take in a high school basketball game, managed to get some work done, and didn't freeze to death.  Hooray for the small victories, I guess.

Today's beer is Moebius, an Imperial IPA from Omnipollo, a Swedish brewer.  In the glass, you see a hazy orange color, with a wispy white head.  You find an aroma of citrus fruit and pine, and the taste follows suit with tons of grapefruit and lemon, along with a strong pine flavor from the hops.  This beer is strong, as 8.5% ABV, and bitter throughout, with a good dry finish.  Definitely one for the hop lovers to check out.

Hello there.

Omni means many in Latin, and pollo means chicken in Spanish (shout out to the worlds best fried chicken chain, Pollos Hermanos).  This language lesson really means nothing when you combine them in Swedish, I suppose.

Thing to Think About Today:

I just played some Frightened Rabbit in this space a few days earlier.  I've been listening to them nearly non-stop since then, and they have a new album coming out next month.  So, let's close out the evening thinking about the first song released from the new album.  Please enjoy The Woodpile, because I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY4j8Ow-CTs

"Would you come and brighten my corner?"

Beer 295: Nils Oscar Barleywine

I suppose on a beautiful fall Sunday during which I ended up working all day, it's perfectly fitting to end it with a beer that kind of sucks.

The Nils Oscar Company's Swedish barleywine style ale is brewed in Sweden. At 10.4% ABV and in a style that I generally enjoy, I had high hopes for this one. No such luck. It poured a clear, reddish brown ale with a minimal tan head. It smelled sweet like rum raisin bread.


Then it went totally south. The flavor was very smokey. The taste was overwhelmingly booze-laden. Surprisingly so. As a point of reference, I had more than a few sips of Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout on Friday night and the 18% ABV was smooth and well disguised. So it is possible to have a high ABV that isn't so assertive. Back to Nils Oscar...other notable flavors included molasses and caramel, but there was also an underlying acidity. To top it all off, as I got to the halfway point and it began to warm a bit, a weird chalkiness became more apparent.

This beer is just blech in my book. Cheers.

Seriously: More Sweden!

Beer #293 Nils Oscar Barleywine / The Nils Oscar Company, Nyköping, Sweden

I had the pleasure of working from home two days this week courtesy of my cold, but unfortunately being sick caused me to not be as productive as I would have liked, so today was a busy day in the office, followed by a very good post-work happy hour, and then a very good dinner at Bluefin to unwind.  I would be remiss if I did not share the fact that we saw a guy there on a "date" with a prostitute.  Oh, it wasn't just a woman in a low-cut tight outfit (although that's what she had on); they clearly gave off the vibe of two strangers who were exchanging money for sex.  But why go to dinner?  Trying to impress her with..... your fondness for good sushi?  Strange days indeed, people.  At least we've finally reached the weekend!  Although I'll be in the office on Sunday trying to catch up on what I missed courtesy of "working" from home this week.  Can't win them all.

Tonight's beer is a barley wine from Nils Oscar, a brewery in Sweden - yes, another beer from Sweden.  This beer has a clear amber color with wispy white head.  The aroma is of stone fruits, and the taste is mellow, with notes of honey and raisins and a clean finish.  This barley wine isn't terribly complex, but by the same token it isn't terrible.  Just not as good as it could have been.  In my mind, barley wines are made for cool nights sitting outside, and for my hard earned dollar (in the office this Sunday!), there are better barley wines to be found.

Swedish.......

This brewery is named for the grandfather of the founder of this brewery; Mr. Oscar lived in the United States for a number of years and studied in Chicago before returning back to Sweden to run his family's farm in the late 1800's.  Now you know!

Thing to Think About Today:
So, ABBA, Roxette.... I guess the third most popular band from Sweden might be Ace of Base?  Might be, and that would be a good pick, but I'm going to surprise everyone here and drop The Cardigans on you!  Yes, they're Swedish.  And, for further surprise purposes, I won't even drop their mega-hit song Love Fool, I'm going with My Favourite Game, a much rougher and dare I say sexier sound than what you expected from a band who put out Love Fool to the world.  Weekend, here we come!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52jHrdxwfsg 

"I had a vision that I could turn you right....."

Cider and Sweden

Beer #288 Rekorderlig / Åbro Bryggeri, Vimmerby, Sweden

It's a somewhat lazy day here, as we're back home and recovering from the weekend.  Went out and did some shopping today, picked up take out for dinner, and now it's time to blog.

I'll dip into a cider for today's selection and go with the Rekorderlig, specifically the strawberry lime cider, which is brewed by Åbro Bryggeri in Sweden.  I'd suggest you get one to try, but you can't, as they don't ship to America.  Ah, behold the power of being an internationally renowned beer blogger - you get things from foreign countries!  This cider pours a bright pink color with a bubbly head.  You get a big strawberry aroma, and the flavor is sweet with fresh strawberry taste.  This was highly carbonated, and if I didn't know any better, I would say I was drinking a strawberry flavored champagne, rather than a cider.  Very interesting, and very glad our dear friend brought one of these home from the U.K. for us!

No, that's not a strawberry soda. 

The brewery has been in business since 1999, and they recommend drinking this cider over ice or with a strawberry as a garnish.  Probably won't be doing either of those, really.

Thing to Think About Today:
This is the second brew from Sweden that I've reviewed, which means I really can't drop another ABBA video in here, regardless of how much I want to.  You know who else was from Sweden and was awesome?  Roxette!  Time to close the weekend by going on a Joyride.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCorJG9mubk

"Hello, you fool, I love you...."

Beer 287: Super Special Rekorderlig Cider

I'm checking in from the tailgate this morning with a special delivery cider straight from the U.K. Rekorderlig strawberry lime cider is made in Sweden and not available in the U.S. yet. Many thanks to my friend Liz for smuggling it for me!




It pours a bright pink color and has a strong aroma of macerated strawberries. The flavor is totally summertime. A little off target considering the brisk and rather chilly breeze blowing through the tailgate currently. It's sweet but the hint of lime helps stop it from being cloying.

Rekorderlig was first created in 1999 in Vimmerby, Sweden, where it is still brewed today by Åbro Bryggeri. I'd say go get one for yourself...but that's one heck of a beer run! Cheers!

More Swedish than IKEA

Beer #282  Mazarin / Omnipollo, Stockholm, Sweden

Hey Marci, guess who the dogs love more?  Um, I think it was the guy who made them grilled chicken for dinner, that's who.  Yes, occasionally we spoil the hounds to a ridiculous degree a small bit.  What can I say, they're furry children, really.  And unlike when your kids misbehave, we can put these guys in their crate for a time out.

While the dogs are eating their dinner, I'll go ahead and review tonight's beer, the Mazarin, an American Pale Ale from Omnipollo, which is the brewery name for two gypsy brewers operating out of Sweden.  This one was on draft at TJ's, and it has a bright amber color in the glass.  There's a light aroma, and the flavor gives you subtle hop flavors with plenty of lemon, and a nice, mild bitterness throughout.  This is a really nice beer, and it's very drinkable.

NOMZ

What's I've found interesting this year has been the increasing number of European breweries crafting American style beers, such as this one.  It's long been the other way around, so I enjoy seeing the different perspectives on beers like APAs.  I definitely intend to try some additional beers from Omnipollo as I find them, as this one was on the mark.

Thing to Think About Today:
Wanted to add in the great song Submarines of Stockholm from AC Newman in honor of Omnipollo's home city, but couldn't find much on YouTube, so we'll skip it.  Instead, let's take the easy out here and drop in the greatest gift to the world Sweden has ever given - yep, we're going with ABBA!  Nothing would quite get the 1997 sorority sisters of PSU dancing during happy hour at the Gingerbread Man like some Dancing Queen.  Here we go....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYSSD0SVhN0

"Dancing Queen, feel the beat from the tambourine..."

Beer 275: Omnipollo Mazarin

I'm not sure what meaning lies behind the name Omnipollo Mazarin, but I'm certain delicious has something to do with it.  "What!?!," you exclaim. Yes, Marci is enjoying another pale ale.  I know, it's like you don't even know me anymore.  See. This is what two weeks on the west coast will do to a person!

I'm at the point where I can recognize
TJ's bar at a hundred paces.

The Mazarin poured a honey color with a slight haze and a thin white head.  It has a nice citrus and woody aroma. The flavor is resinous hops and lightly pine tinged. Between the flavor and the low ABV (5.6%), this is an easy to drink beer. 

From the brewer: "Mazarin is my take on a 'thinker’s beer'. Rather than being big and undecipherably complex I wanted to create something that would calm a hop yearning nerve without fuddling the brain too much. In other words, a lavishly hopped Pale Ale of judicious ABV — an Extra Special Pale Ale if you will."  I think he hit this one out of the ballpark!

Cheers!