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 #684 Fresh Hop Pale Ale/ Great Divide Brewing Company, Denver, CO
Previously from this brewery: My look at Titan IPAand a Colette
The best part thing about TJ's in Paoli, PA? Sure, the beer list is outstanding and the food is great, but most importantly: I can convince my co-workers to go there and complain about work. Win-win for everyone. People get to vent, I get delicious beer on my way home from work. Can't argue with that.
The beer for today is a Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Great Divide in Colorado. It pours with a bright copper color, and a light aroma of pine and citrus, with some bready malt as well. The taste is a mellow mixture of resinous pine, lemon peel, and biscuits with a dash of tea in there as well. Good bit of bitterness on the finish to close things out. Really nice beer, particularly for when you want some hops but don't want to be beaten over the head by them.
Death from above
This is a seasonal release, so if you see it, drink one.
Thing to Think About Today:
Something quiet for the evening shift. AC Newman and the slow and serious Come Crash.
After doing a little blog housekeeping this weekend, I found a bunch of reviews from this summer that went unused thanks to the gazillion reviews that resulted from my trip to Belgium. So today's post is a trip down memory lane to TJ's Independence Party where I had a chance to try DuClaw Brewing Company'sSweet Baby Jesus.
Sweet Baby Jesus is a peanut butter chocolate porter. It poured deep brown, almost black in the glass with a think off-white head. It smelled deeply of peanut butter. The flavor is full of chocolate and peanut butter with some roasted, smoky coffee notes. I also noted a little more hop flavor in this one compared to other chocolate peanut butter beers that I've had recently (Tired Hand's Five out of Five or Spring House's Big Gruesome, for example).
Beer stats
Style: Stout
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 53
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from DuClaw Venom (American pale ale), more Venom
I'm just going to borrow what's already been written about this collaboration between Perennial Brewing and Half Acre Brewing from the Beer Street Journal(obviously correcting for typos because typos! Seriously?): One of St. Louis, Missouri’s newest breweries Perennialis collaborating with Half Acre Beer Company(Chicago). The beer is dubbedPlan B and is the first collaboration by Perennial. Plan B is a sour mash Belgian dark ale brewed with black currants. Currants are perennial berries with a sweet taste.
I found my Plan B at TJ's--my go to beer bar. It poured a deep, dark brown color ale with a tan head. It smells like wet wood and light smoke. The flavor is mild with just a hint of sour. The currants were very understated and I'm not sure I would have noticed them if I didn't already know they were in there.
Beer stats
Style: Belgian dark ale
ABV: 8%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Half Acre
My review of Daisy Cutterwith a warning on the dangers of string cheese
Mr. Blog's review of Daisy Cutterand some excellent breakfast recommendations in Chicago (mine has a far greater entertainment value!)
Day #572 Infidel / Selkirk Abbey Brewing Company, Post Falls, ID
Previously from this brewery: none; this beer is the first out the limo!
Happy Fourth of July to all of my friends out there! I worked in the yard this morning, because that seems like a good American thing to do. Personally, paying someone else to do the jobs we don't want to do sound pretty American as well... might have to call the guy who does my leaves to discuss additional yard work. Rest of the day should be a lazy one here, although I'm sure the sound of fireworks in the distance and car alarms going off in my neighborhood will eventually break up any silence that I may find.
And really, if we're talking things that sound American, that list has to start with drinking craft beer made in the good old U.S. of A. I stopped in to TJ's with a friend for a post work beer on Tuesday, and was pleasantly surprised to find a new brewery (new to me) on tap - Selkirk Abbey from Idaho. This Belgian IPA has a light amber color with a thin, lingering head. There's an aroma of gain and tangerine, and when you take a sip you get flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, light but earthy pine, with spice and yeast. The finish is dry and bitter, but that's a good thing. Very interesting beer that I really enjoyed. Not sure how a keg of this makes its way from Northern Idaho to the suburbs of Philadelphia, but I'm glad it did.
How you doin'?
This brewery started crafting beers in 1999, and from the pictures on their website, it seems like a fun place to hang out and drink beers. As their abbey name implies, they specialize in Belgian style beers. If I'm ever in Post Falls (stranger things have happened), I'm stopping in.
Thing to Think About Today:
With a name like Infidel, I want to drop some Che Guevara or Fidel Castro in this space. However, it's the Fourth of July, so highlighting a Communist seems more than a small bit inappropriate. Instead, I give you my absolutely favorite Fourth of July thing to think about: Ray Charles singing America the Beautiful. Have I used that in this space before? Yes. To make up for that, I'll give you a different version than I used last year. This version throws in a few guest stars for your watching/listening pleasure. Happy birthday, America. You still look pretty damn good for your age. And to you, the reader, I hope your holiday is all smiles and sunshine and fireworks and glow sticks and dance parties and time well spent with loved ones. Enjoy and see you soon!
Today was a busy day, and I'm too tired to even get in the details. It was a good busy, though. Not a bad busy. Don't want you to think I'm complaining, just letting you know why you aren't getting a five-star, black label, platinum level post tonight. Hey, no one said my blog posts were going to be 1000% awesome every day. You, dear reader, just assume that because they more or less always are.
Tonight's beer is a Wahoo Wheat from Ballast Point, that I had a post-work outing to TJ's a while back. In the glass, you find a light straw color with a thin, persistent white head. There's an aroma of crackers and light citrus, and when you take a sip you're greeted by a light and fresh flavor, with orange, wheat, and bready malt. There's some hints of banana, but nothing too surprising or overpowering. Super easy drinking at 4% ABV, so you can put these back without care (relatively speaking) on a warm, summer day.
Wheaty.
A good bit of San Diego beers seem to be finding their way to taps in Pennsylvania these days. A status I completely support, by the way.
Thing to Think About Today: If it's a wheat beer I'm drinking, then it's Wheatus you're listening to. What, you don't remember (relatively speaking) one-hit wonder Wheatus? Maybe you'll remember their (relatively speaking) smash hit Teenage Dirtbag. And because it was 2000, this video features Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari. Why? Why not! Enjoy your night people. I had a good day, and hope you did too.
Last Friday I checked off another bucket list item--participate in a topping out ceremony. What's that, you ask?
The other tree on the beam is a Franklinia tree; originally discovered by John Bartram in the southern U.S. and named for Benjamin Franklin, it is now extinct in the wild and is only available as a cultivated ornamental tree.
It's a ceremony held to commemorate the placement of the last beam or bedding of the last block of masonry or brick in a building construction project. It usually involves placing an evergreen tree upon the structure to symbolize growth and bring luck. In instances where it is a final beam being placed into the structure, the beam is signed by the construction crew, various dignitaries and other important people involved in the project.
My signature, while huge, is not visible from this vantage point.
While I don't necessarily have a direct role in building the new Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion at The Franklin Institute, I did manage to sign that beam in bright yellow paint-pen large enough for the king of England to see. (Thank you, John Hancock.) I'm not going to lie. There is something really cool about knowing that my signature is going to sit atop our new building addition for many, many years to come. And one day long into the future when perhaps the building is being renovated, someone is going to look at it and wonder, "Who the hell is Marci G. and why does she dot her i's like a crazy person?"
And there it is, the final piece of this phase of construction. If you're like me and have been involved from the start of fundraising way back in 2006, this moment was a long time in the making. There were moments of great celebration. There were moments of darkness. There were many highs and lows along the way with some leaving us questioning whether we were mad.
There's a quote I enjoy about how there's a fine line between genius and crazy. It resonates with me...probably because I work with people who aren't afraid to dream big and make an impact.
Some other folks dedicated to dreaming big and perhaps even walking that fine line are the good folks at Port Brewing in San Diego. Since 2006, they've been brewing under the guise of Port Brewing. I inadvertently ruled them out in Year 1 of the Blog Named Brew adventure, when I reviewed Avant Garde ale from The Lost Abbey, the Belgian-inspired side of the operation. Since it's not the easiest beer to find in Pennsylvania, I'm very slowly making up for lost time.
The Summer pale ale is an American pale ale. It's brewed without any crystal malt, which is probably why it doesn't get a great rating from me. I like an American pale ale because you get that nice malt undertone hiding out with all the big bold hop flavor.
It pours a golden straw color with a bubbly, off-white head. It has lots of citrus aroma. The first thing I wrote in my tasting notes is "tastes like an IPA". There are serious hops in this beer. They impart grapefruit flavor, and a fresh greenness. I also wrote grapefruit in my notes four different times. So there's that. While this isn't a beer I would normally drink, I can appreciate how good it is.
Beer stats
Style: American pale ale
ABV: 5.2%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Port Brewing
(Here is where you imagine me singing Feels Like the First Time by Foreigner)
Writing tonight feels frivolous in light of what's happening in Boston. It's disheartening that something like a marathon is marred by lunacy. I can't stop thinking about how the Boston Marathon is a dream for so many people. This is stupid and senseless violence. I'm not sure if I'll ever understand it.
Keep those runners and spectators in your thoughts. I know I will.
***
Tonight's beer review is of Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck's Bacchus--a Flanders oud bruin.
It poured looking like a ruby-tinged cola with a thin pale tan head. It's smell is light sour cherry. Given its look, I was expecting more balsamic vinegar. It drank with a thinness but was surprisingly carbonated. It tasted like a tart cherry soda water with mineral notes.
Beer #483 Dos Anos / Cigar City Brewing Company, Tampa, FL
Previously from this brewery: Hotter than Helles and Jai Alai
Flow [floh]
1. to move along in a stream: The river flowed slowly to the sea. (verb)
2. to circulate: blood flowing through one's veins. (verb)
3. glamorous, wavy locks of hair; often referred to as 'luscious': Ladies love to run their hands through my luscious flow. (noun)
Instead of pulling weeds from the garden or putting down mulch on this sunny day, I was getting my flow in order, as I was a bit overdue for a haircut. For those who only know me on the internet, it's important for you to understand I possess an awesome head of dark, thick, dreamy hair. Thankfully, everything is back in order courtesy of a shampoo, a face & scalp massage, some hot towels, and skilled scissor work. In case you were wondering, here's a picture of me post-haircut, with my flow back in full force:
FLOW.
But enough about me, you're also here for the beer. Today's brew is an unusual find at TJ's yesterday after work: the Dos Anos from Cigar City Brewing. I call it unusual because how often do you find a kumquat berlinerweisse out there in the world? Not often. In the glass, it was a cloudy yellow, with a very thin head. Your nose finds aromas of tart and sour fruit, and when you take a sip you get a blast of fresh fruit, followed by a tart sourness. More citrus than funk, which ended up making this a rather drinkable beer. As I wrote in my notes: "So that's what a kumquat tastes like."
Who loves bad camera phone pics?
This guy!
Berlinerweisse beers can be a bit of an acquired taste, I suppose, as you need to appreciate that sour quality to truly enjoy the style. However, if you want something with a good fruit quality, definitely give this one a whirl.
Thing to Think About Today:
Here's how the last five minutes of my life just went:
/ searches iTunes for songs about hair; finds little worth noting in this space
// contemplates searching for references to kumquat, thinks better of it
/// searches 'songs about hair' on google, depresses self with lack of good ideas
//// realizes someone called Willow Smith wrote something called Whip My Hair; gives up
So, instead of something wonderfully clever about hair, I'll just close things out with a song about what life is like when your flow is luscious. The good hair might be mine, but the floor belongs to Right Said Fred:
Spring, you fickle creature. Taunting me with thousands of crocus in my yard. Daring me to wear a single layer on my ride this morning with your glorious sun. But no, you vixen, you rebuff my advances with that still too cold wind. You hide your daffodil buds in the most coy of manners. Alas I'll wait. Perhaps we'll meet next weekend.
Evolution Brewery's Sprung doesn't mess around. It's a hibiscus, chamomile, and honey ale.
It poured a copper color with very little head and what was there quickly disappeared. The aroma was nondescript, but the flavor was really good. Lots of tea. Very malty. A little floral thing happening. Not sure if that's the honey or the hibiscus. It's generally a pretty mild beer. Easy to drink and didn't disappoint on the flavors.
Beer stats
Style: Golden ale
ABV: 4.9%
IBUs: 14
Rating: Great
Previously reviewed from Evolution His and her reviews of Menagerie #7 (Belgian strong dark ale)
Day #473 Threadless IPA / Finch's Beer Company, Chicago, IL
Previously from this brewery: Golden Wing and more Golden Wing
I like the fact that spring is trying to return. I mean, it's still very cool outside, but the sun is more or less out, and it feels more like spring than winter. I'll take it. Good day to go for a run, but I'm already sitting here staring at my laptop, so I guess maybe I'll go for that run another day. It's the thought that counts, right?
Today's review is a beer I had on draft at the recently renovated TJ's not too long ago; the Threadless IPA from Finch's Beer Co. It pours from the tap with an orange amber color and thick white head. The aroma is hoppy, with plenty of pine and lemon. When you take a sip, the taste is dry and earthy, with ample pine, lemon, and grapefruit. Rather dry throughout, and overall a decent IPA worth your time if you find it near you. Not the greatest IPA ever, but certainly not the worst. And stop by TJ's when you get a chance to see the remodel. Place looks like an awesome beer bar (which it is), and much less like an industrial sex dungeon, like it did before (sorry, but with the black walls it did).
Not as bad as most of my pics
The website for this brewery is a Facebook page. Just saying.
Thing to Think About Today:
Recently, on the one nice day we've had so far this year, my neighbors started rocking out to yacht rock, and ever since I've been adding a ton of smooth late 70s/early 80s songs to my iPod. Previously, you may have enjoyed some Yah Mo B There on these pages, and tonight I'm hitting you with Christopher Cross and Ride Like the Wind. If anyone wants to go sailing on my yacht this summer, bring your Micheal McDonald and/or Christoper Cross cds and tons of champagne. It will be glorious, and I'll see you at the dock.
Typos and consistency errors physically pain me. Is that strange? If I find an error in one of my posts on this blog--no matter how innocuous or how long ago--I die a thousand deaths. OK. I have a problem. I need help.
Tonight's beer review features Cane & Ebel, which is brewed by Two Brothers Brewing Company. As you can tell from the photo, I found it at TJ's.
Eventually I'll fix this photo. My computer currently hates me and won't actually save any changes.
Cane & Ebel is a red rye ale. It poured a cola color with a good tan head. There was immense amounts of sticky lacing all down my glass. The smell was pine hops, rye, and green bell peppers. This isn't the first beer review that I wrote that includes peppers; see proof in my review of Stone's Vertical Epic ale.The flavor was green vegetables and grass with lots of hop. It's also kind of sweet but sharp in flavor with the rye.
The description of this beer on Two Brothers' beer page is awesome: Dry, but with a creamy touch of Thai palm sugar and the spicy tang of rye, all balanced by loads of the wackiest new hops we could lay our hands on. Yep, it's an original. And that's no sin.
Beer stats
Style: Red rye ale
ABV: 7%
IBUs: 68
Rating: Excellent
Previously reviewed beer from Two Brothers
A collaboration between Two Brothers and Brasserie Castelain, Diversey and Lill(e)
Day #445 Loose Cannon / Clipper City Brewing Company, Baltimore, MD
Previously from this brewery: Barleywine and Barlewyine + The Wire
Tonight I'm getting right down to business - I officially caught up with the times and bought a scanner, so I've been furiously working to take some classic old pictures and get them to the internet. For example, me at age four or five?
I AM A SEXY MAN
Enough tomfoolery (for the moment), let's get down to a beer review. Tonight I'm going with a beer I had at TJ's a while back, Loose Cannon from Heavy Seas. This beer has a clear, light copper color, with a fluffy white head. There's a nice citrus aroma, and when you take a sip you find pine and lemon, with an earthy dryness, and just the right amount of bitterness. A really nice beer I could drink all night, if given the chance. Great for a night when you're looking to pick a fight with the hoppiest beer in the bar.
Yar, matey.
Unless I'm missing something, you won't find the name Clipper City anywhere on their website. However, I still believe Clipper City is the name of the brewery, and they in turn brew Heavy Seas beer. I think I know this because that's what it says on Wikipedia, and the internet never lies.
Thing To Think About Today: Allow me to point out the obvious connection for tonight: Loose Cannon, meet Cannonball, by The Breeders. Enough said and rather appropriate on a night where I'm pouring over pictures from the 90's. Love this song!
Day #437 Palate Wrecker / Green Flash Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
Previously from this brewery: Marci's look at the sampler, and my look at Linchpin IPA (and others)
The worst part of returning to work after a three day weekend is without a doubt having to do two days worth of work in one day. More like two and a half, as no one was really doing much work on Friday afternoon. Such is life. I did get an awesome belated Valentine's Day card in the mail today. It was awesome because it came from Southwest Airlines and included four free drink coupons. I feel loved. There was also talk at work of scheduling some team building at an upcoming Phillies game, which is a sure sign that spring will be here sooner than later - can't wait!!!
Today's review is the Palate Wrecker, an Imperial IPA from Green Flash, which I had on draft at TJ's a while back. This beer has a clear, dark copper hue, and your nose is welcomed by a huge citrus aromas, with some woodsy pine in there as well. When you take a sip, you get a dry, earthy beer with abundant pineapple and lemon flavors, with an herbal, earthy quality from the pine. It wraps up with a dry finish filled with bitterness. If this beer was a superhero, it's name would be Super Hops, and it would fight crime and save the day and be delicious. This one is a must try for the hop lovers out there, without a doubt.
It's not green, it's Green Flash!
This brewery was awarded the prestigious Best Brewery Visit award from the original 366 challenge. Congrats! I also reviewed this brewery after eating lunch at Slater's 50/50, still the greatest cheeseburger I have ever eaten in all my life. I miss it greatly. San Diego is stupid for being so far away.
Thing to Think About Today:
Palate Wrecker.... met Wreckx-n-Effect. That seems to go well together, no? Time to relive the 90's, because I'm dropping Rump Shaker on you all!
Typically when I think of a brewer collaborating on a particular beer, I assume the partnership is with another brewer--or maybe a chef. But musical artists? Nope. That wasn't on my radar at all until I found the Stillwater Lower Dens.
It's part of the Stillwater Sensory Series, which is a collaboration between Stillwater Artisanal and singular musical artists. This first collaboration is with Lower Dens and the result is an ale based on an interpretation of their song In the End is the Beginning. I had it on draft at TJ's, but if you were lucky enough to get a bottle, there's a QR code that links to an exclusive Lower Dens performance of the song. Cool, huh? It's a true artistic collaboration that aims to create a full sensory experience--sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste.
Lower Dens the beer is a hibiscus ale. It pours a bright but hazy shade of orange. There's lots of very active bubbles and it has a white head. There's a yeasty tang in the smell. Reminds me of a saison.The flavor is also very tangy with mellow hops. It has some lemon in the taste along with a slightly floral note. Hibiscus! It's very subtle but delicious.
Today's beer is quite appropriate as we've had and are about to have some awesome (sarcasm) winter weather.
It is the winter sour ale from Brasserie Trois Dames. It's brewed with oranges and lemon. Interestingly the brewer opts to use hops from Yakima Valley (Washington state) despite being based in Switzerland. Big ups to the Northwest USA!
It smells of lemon sourness and has a hint of funk to it. The flavor is strong orange, citrus pith and hop. There's also some woodiness in there. It poured with a very thick, craggy white head and there was tons of intricate lacing left in the glass as I made my way to the last drops of this deliciousness.
Beer stats
Style: Sour/Wild ale
ABV: 7%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Great
Previously reviewed from Trois Dames His and her reviews of Sainte ni Touche, a Flanders red ale
I cannot be trusted around sushi. After an evening of sheer oceanic gluttony last night, I'm going in for Round 2 sushi dinner. Same restaurant. Some of the same people. I'm curling my hair and considering wearing glasses as a disguise. And yes, the food is that good.
In the spirit of back-to-back sushi nights, I'm reviewing back-to-back beers from Hill Farmstead. As you may recall, just three days ago, I shared my commentary on their brew by the name of Clara. Both were had at TJ's 9th anniversary party a few weekends ago and if I had to pick a winner in a Hill Farmstead battle, I'd go with the Arthur.
Arthur is a saison or farmhouse ale and is named for the brewer's grandfather's youngest brother. Per the Hill Farmstead description of Arthur, it is a saison crafted from American malted barley, American and European hops, their distinctive farmhouse yeast and water from the farm's well. It is unfiltered and naturally carbonated.
From the picture, you'll see that the Arthur poured a hazy but not cloudy deep gold color. It smells of tart yeast and malt. A fantastic smell that I love in a saison. The flavor was light bread, grass, a little more funk than I expected and a very nice subtle pear. My notes indicated some hesitation between green apple and pear. I wrote down and crossed out both of them multiple times and settled on pear.
Day #376 HopWired / 8 Wired Brewing Company, Blenheim, New Zealand
Previously from this brewery: N/A; new brewery
Unless you've been living under a rock, you're by now well aware the world is ending tomorrow. If you were living under a rock, great job in resurfacing just in time to die tomorrow! Sorry I can't nail down a specific time things are going to head south tomorrow, but maybe it's better if the end of the world just sneaks up on you. I guess people will always try to predict the end of days - eventually, someone is going to be right. All kidding aside, this talk of the Mayans and their lack of desire to keep printing calendar pages 1,000 years in the future does raise the question: what would you do if you knew today was the last day ever? Personally, I'd gather up my friends and throw the biggest, wildest, craziest, most out of control tailgate of all time. If possible, I'd try to coordinate this in State College, PA, as that's the town that's always felt most like home to me, despite only living there four years. Should things get crazy tomorrow... call me. I'll have the beers cold and the grill hot.
To get ready for the big day tomorrow, I'm reviewing HayWired, an IPA from 8 Wired Brewing Company in New Zealand. This one was on draft at TJ's, where they continue to roll out new breweries even though they no longer are required to (by me, anyway). In the glass, this beer is an apricot color, with a lingering white head. There's a floral, grapefruit aroma, and the taste has notes of grass, green pepper (or is that green apple? It's definitely green), pine, and citrus, with a mild bitter finish. This is a very interesting, not like many other IPAs. Well worth a sample if you find this one on draft or in a bottle shop near you.
G'Day! Or, whatever the catch phrase greeting from New Zealand might be.
Curious brewery name, right? True. The name comes from No. 8 gauge wire, which is commonly used in New Zealand for electric fencing and serves as a symbol of the ingenuity and resourcefulness prevalent in their culture. Now you know.
Thing to Think About Today:
Hey, if the Mayans are right and it all goes to shit tomorrow, I want you all to know it's been fun. Glad you guys have been along for the ride. And if the Mayans are wrong? Man, I got some catching up at work to do. We close with the obligatory song for the end of days, R.E.M. singing It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine). Good luck on the other side, friends.
I love giving gifts. Like head-over-heels, madly in love with gift giving. I want to marry it and have its babies, and then give those babies gifts, I love it so. I guess it goes without saying that holiday shopping season is like crack for me. I get such a rush finding the perfect gift or assembling a gift basket. And the wrapping! The wrapping! God, I even love wrapping gifts. I'm going to need rehab come January.
I work for beer in case you want to hire me!
If you're shopping for a gift for a beer lover, you should consider something from Brewery Ommegang. Typically I can't pass up a brew from Ommegang, they're that good. Today we're going with the Three Philosophers. This was the first beer I drank once I knew I had the final beers for the blog covered back on November 28. If anyone was paying attention to me at TJ's that night, they may have wondered why I was giggling delightedly while I drank it. Now you know.
Three Philosophers poured a hazy mahogany color with a dense off-white head. I can usually find differences between the smell and taste of a beer, but all my notes indicate that they matched up perfectly. Lots of earthy and rich scents and tastes. Dark fruit, molasses and chocolate. It's sweet but not overly so. It's super smooth without any hop bite. There's lots of malt goodness.
What I didn't know or at least read and instantly forgot is that Three Philosophers is blended with a small amount (2%) of Liefmans Kriek, an authentic cherry ale from Belgium. I guess cherry is in that dark fruit flavor that I noted, but I didn't discern cherry in particular.
Everything I wanted to write about feels so utterly frivolous today. As I sit here staring at a blank screen, an unknown number of families are dealing with the aftermath of a senseless act of violence. Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown (Connecticut) is the latest scene of a mass murder committed by an armed gunman. It comes on the heels of the mall shooting in Portland. And that came on the heels of another shooting. And that came on the heels of yet another shooting. See a pattern here?
What the fuck, America?
Seriously. What is wrong with people? My twitter feed has exploded with numerous people extolling their views on gun controls. Guns for everyone. Guns for no one. Bigger guns. Smaller guns. Knives. Nunchucks. Trebuchets! While I certainly find value in a challenging and honest conversation about gun control, perhaps there are other conversations that need to be had. Mental healthcare, anyone?
And for everyone who opts to stick their head in the ground and declare now not the appropriate time to talk gun control, maybe they should watch CNN's video of a 3rd grader who was in class at the time of the shooting. Then tell her that despite how scared she was and how being in that situation made her classmates' bellies hurt that we have to wait for a better time to talk about how to prevent it from happening to other little kids. Because honestly anyone who takes that angle is a spineless, soulless coward. Also CNN should be ashamed of themselves for INTERVIEWING A 3RD GRADER WHO WAS JUST PART OF A NATIONAL TRAGEDY. But I digress.
There are giant, terrifying problems facing our country. I don't know how to begin thinking about it. I feel overwhelmed and helpless. How do you fix a system and a country that is so broken? Our country is broken. The answer lies in better education. Willingness to compromise. Reducing big business in government. Healthcare that is not privilege. Basic human kindness.
I want everyone reading this -- yes, all three of you -- to be kind to those you encounter. Maybe those people will be kind to the next people they encounter. I am a firm believer that you get out of the universe exactly what you put into it. This morning was a startling reminder that we need to put more good out there. Get on that!
And because at the end of the day this is a beer blog, I'm now going to write about beer albeit with a heavy heart.
My hand is enormous!
For starters, excuse that ridiculous photograph. This was taken at TJ's 9th anniversary party last weekend and there were like 4,000 people crammed in the bar, which made for difficult picture taking. It's the Oude Tart from The Bruery in California. It looked like a brown ale with ruby highlights. It had a thin head that was slightly off-white. The aroma was light balsamic vinegar but the flavor was a much stronger. Lots of dark fruit and tart vinegar with hints of malt. It was thin but immensely flavorful.
The Oude Tart is aged in wine barrels for 18 months, proving that good things come to those who wait. Is this why my mother always told me that patience is a virtue?
Beer/Brewery #366 Lava / Ölvisholt Brugghús, Selfoss, Iceland Beers to go: 0
There you have it folks, we have officially come to the end of this journey. During the past 366 days, Marci and I have each drank 366 different beers from 366 different craft breweries. Bazinga!
Please, hold your applause.
Before we wrap things up, I'd like to thank a few people who have helped in ways great and small. First, the great restaurants, bars, and bottle shops in my area who make it their mission to make fantastic beers readily available to the public. Without these fine businesses, there is NO way our blog would have made it this far. Looking at you, Teresa's Next Door in Wayne, TJ's Everyday in Paoli, Wegmans in Malvern, Whole Foods in Devon, and The Beer Shoppe in Ardmore. I'd also like to thank our friends who either donated or traded some really interesting beers, so a tip of the hat to Pat C., Mike T., Dr. Liz T., Mike B. and Casey E., and Nathan A., along with anyone else I might be missing here. Couldn't have done it without you. It certainly goes without saying that I would like to thank Marci, as I just couldn't imagine how this would have worked without her being along for the ride. It's nice to have a partner in crime!
Lastly, I'd like to thank you, the readers of this website. Mostly you're my friends, but there have been an increasing number of people reading this site who I'll never meet in "real life." We've had hits to this website from around the globe, which always makes me wonder how you found us - although I'm always thankful that you did. You guys are the best.
Quite frankly, writing this blog has been a tremendously enjoyable activity for me. I originally went into this endeavor thinking that we'd turn the blog into a best selling book, which would then get turned into a blockbuster movie. Yeah, so.... about that. Fame and fortune hasn't happened (yet!), but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It wasn't all seashells and balloons, as there were some days where I felt like I had nothing to say, some days where I couldn't quite find the right way to say what I was thinking, and some days where I thought my post was going to be amazing, only to look back and realize it was a small scale dumpster fire. I guess I'm saying that I've learned I'm not exactly Hemingway when it comes to writing. Regardless, through it all I've had fun. Therefore, as Marci has mentioned in her wrap-up post, this blog will continue in the future!!!! NO, we are NOT doing any further 365 day challenges, but we will continue to use this space to write about craft beer, travel, restaurants, music, sports, dogs, the highs and lows of life, and whatever else seems relevant each day. One of the challenges of this blog was that in focusing on a new beer from a new brewery each day, we missed many great beers along the way. Therefore, we'll be going back to try some of the beers we didn't get to, while still searching for new breweries as well. I hope you continue reading as time goes on, because I'll be terribly sad if you don't. Today isn't officially in the books until we review beer #366, so let's get on with the show. We're both closing things out tonight with a bottle of Lava, an imperial stout from Ölvisholt Brugghús, a brewery in Iceland. Iceland? Yeah, that's how I roll. I drink beers from Iceland. In the glass, this beer dark black color with a sparse tan head. You get an aroma filled with smoked, toasted malt, and when you take a sip you find a smoky, malt heavy beer. Sort of a smoked meat kind of flavor happening. There's some cocoa in there as well, and it has a clean, dry finish. Not the style I typically choose, but definitely a decent beer. If you see one on the shelves, pick one up.
Ice(land), Ice(land), baby....
This brewery was founded in 2007, and they currently ship beer to most of Scandinavia, along with the U.S. and Canada. You may be wondering why this beer is called Lava. Of course you are. It's because from the brewery, you can see Hekla, an active volcano, which has erupted as recently as 2000. Europeans in the Middle Ages called this volcano, "Gateway to Hell." Not exactly a tourist friendly moniker, I suppose, although the volcano does figure prominently in literature and art, as it has been referenced by writers such as William Blake and Herman Melville.
Thing to Think About Today:
Lots of people have done '365 beers in 365 days' challenges. Hit Google and you'll find countless variations, some successful, many not. However, I don't know of any doing 365 beers from 365 different breweries, and I certainly don't know of any married couples out there trying to each accomplish this goal. Therefore, I can think no better way to close out this phase of the journey than to let Queen wrap up tonight in style with We Are the Champions. Because we are!
Good night friends, thank you for coming, and please do come back in the future. Free hugs and cookies if you do!
