Voodoo, Spells, and Refreshing Beer

Beer #108 Weizen Bock / Brauerei Aying, Aying, Germany

It's as though somewhere out in the world, someone has a giant voodoo doll likeness of me.  For reasons I can't explain, that person is sticking sharp pins and punching the doll frequently and without mercy.  Allow me to formally ask whoever that may be to knock it off.  I promise I'll be good.  Or bad.  Whatever you need me to do, just stop with the volume of crap being dumped on me at this time.  I totally can't deal.

Even the beer isn't helping today, which is surprising because it's a good one.  Soothing my soul with a little Weizen Bock from Ayinger.  In my trusty General Jackson Showboat glass, the beer is a hazy shade of yellow, with a foamy head (mostly due to Marci's pour, I think).  Delicious aromas of wheat and banana, and the taste combines notes of yeast, banana, clove, and bubblegum sweetness.  Really a delicious offering - both complex and easy to drink in one fell swoop.  If you're drinking some macro beer version of a wheat beer (looking at you, Blue Moon drinkers), knock that shit off and pick up a bottle of this beer.  You'll thank me later.

Drunken goat on the bottle? You know it's good.

Thing to Think About Today:
Okay, so I was only half kidding about the voodoo doll thing.  Maybe someone put a spell on me.  Actually, that must be what happened.  With that in mind, let's all think about Screamin' Jay Hawkins and this, um, classic (?) hit.  I can't figure out the first 30 seconds of this video, but I guess that's the point.  Stick with it beyond there and you'll get to hear a great version of I Put a Spell On You:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orNpH6iyokI

Beer 108: Ayinger Weizen-Bock

Dear Universe,

Thank you for bringing The Oatmeal into my life.  For that I am ever grateful.  Seriously grateful.  And thank you for letting me find this little ditty this morning.

It’s probably the only reason that I’m not face first in a glass of gin right now.

Love and daggers,
Marci

***

Despite the motherfucking Pterodactyl, sometimes life just blows.  But you know what doesn’t blow? This weizen-bock by Ayinger.  It poured a cloudy straw color with a thick white head.  It smells of bread, bananas and hops.

The taste is awesome - complex and yet smooth and easy to drink.  It tastes of cloves, honey, bananas.  It’s effervescent and finishes dry.  Quite refreshing.  Perfect for the spring weather that seems to have disappeared on us.

Cheers!

Chocolate Beer + Chocolate Thunder = Interplanetary Funkmanship

Beer #72 Scratch 57 / Troegs Brewing Company, Hershey, PA

Spent the day off.... at work.  Oddly enough, and I admit this is odd, I sort of like going to the office on days off (in small doses).  I actually get work done because the phone doesn't ring, I have no meetings, and no one wants to talk to me.  I derive a measure of satisfaction from being productive, and 5 hours in the office today let me get there.  The afternoon was spent with the dogs, some chores, a workout, and.... wait for it.... beer!

Today's beer comes courtesy of a gift from a friend, who was kind enough to bestow on us a six-pack of Troegs Scratch 57, a weizenbock.  The Scratch Series is a Troegs experiment in small batch brewing, allowing them to make some really unique offerings in addition to the regular lineup.  To me, this is the essence of craft brewing - taking a risk, trying something unusual and different, being creative.

The 57 is a dark amber color in the glass, and has a sweet malt aroma on the nose.  The taste has rich cocoa notes, with hints of fruit sweetness.  It's dry with a bit of bitterness on the finish.  A bit too much of a roasted, chocolate taste for me to put in the regular rotation, but the emergence of bock beers on the shelf and on draft is definitely a positive sign that spring is coming soon.  Which is odd, as winter hasn't yet arrived here in the Philly 'burbs.  If you can find it, definitely try one.

Thing to Think About Today:

If we're drinking a chocolate beer brewed with cocoa, made by a brewery in Hershey, the chocolate capital of the world, then we might as well continue with the theme and think about the man they called "Chocolate Thunder," Mr. Darryl Dawkins.

If this man asks for a beer, I'd give him one.

Dawkins was a powerful, athletic player who jumped to the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA right out of high school and had, shall we say, a bit of a unique personality.  He was fond of giving his dunks absurd names, and claimed to hail from Planet Lovetron, where he practiced "interplanetary funkmanship."  He never quite lived up the billing of a high draft pick, but he's still a fan favorite for those who recall the glory days of the Sixers franchise (like me). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dxg7cLp-JIM

If anyone needs me, I'll be spending the remainder of my evening drinking beers on Planet Lovetron and adding Interplanetary Funkmanship to the degrees earned section of my resume.