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
Today's beer is from Horny Goat Brewing Company. Against my better judgment, I opted to give my hard earned money to a brewery that advertises via over-sexualized goats. But I'll let that go and tell you about the Hopped Up 'n Horny IPA.
It pours a slightly hazy golden color ale with a thin white head. It smells of hops and kind of just like beer in general. The flavor is nice. There's a good floral hop with a slightly hoppy, bitter finish. It is exactly what I'd expect for an every day IPA.
Beer stats
Style: IPA
ABV: 6.4%
IBUs: 41
Rating: Good
Previously reviewed from Horny Goat
Mr. Blog Named Brew's review of the Hopped Up 'n Horny
Day #567 Hopped Up 'N Horny / Horny Goat Brewing Company, Milwaukee, WI
Previously from this brewery: none; this is the first!
It's a Saturday, the sun appears to be shining, it's the summertime.... and I can't seem to get much motivation to get moving today. Dang. I'm not typically a beach guy, but I sort of wish I was at the beach right now, with my feet in the sand, taking a little cat nap. That way I could actually take advantage of the nice weather, yet still manage to catch up on sleep. This beach idea seems like a solid plan, right? Someone go to the beach and plant some trees, then string up a hammock for me, because it seems like a hammock sort of day.
You're not here to read about me and my desire to be at the beach, you're here for the beer. I can fix that. Today's offering came from a beermail trade - a bottle of Hopped Up 'N Horny from Horny Goat Brewing Company. This IPA pours with a clear gold color, and wispy white head. Up front you get aromas of lemon and pine, and when you take a sip you get traditional pine and citrus, but there's a healthy malt balance in there that provides a touch of sweetness. It might be hopped up and horny, but this is a mellow IPA that doesn't try to beat you over the head with hops. Good find, and happy to add another new brewery to the list. Speaking of the list, you do know that you can see the running list of all breweries that have found their way onto these pages by clicking the "Breweries Visited" link at the top of the page, right?
Beer was good. This picture isn't
Horny Goat's website doesn't really tell the story of where the brewery came from, but they do have a brew pub, and.... a marina? Good news for those living the boat life. I'll bring my yacht rock mix, you grab the Horny Goat beer.
Thing to Think About Today:
I have a dream of taking a nap on the beach today, this brewery owns a marina.... I guess that leaves us with the Beach Boys, because Wouldn't It Be Nice?
Event season is upon us and I am all worky-work, busy-bee. Let's cut to the chase and write about some beer. Tonight's beer of choice is Lakefront Brewery'sIBA--an India-style black ale.
The label tells me that Lakefront took their IPA and added dark roasted malts to create the IBA. It pours exactly the color one would expect from a black ale...reminiscent of cola. It had a thin tan head. The smell is piney hops and chocolate malt. The flavor is HOLY HOPS! Lots of piney resin with a bit of floral hops. There is hop flavor in this beer coming and going! If you ponder a sip long enough, you'll note some roasted malt. But I had to really think about it to find it. The hop flavors are very dominant. Overall I think it's a good beer--just not my style.
Day #467 IBA / Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
Previously from this brewery: all about the Pumpkin Lager and the Pumpkin Lager
Hustle day and a road trip day, so I'm getting right down to business here. Your review for the day is the IBA, an India-style black ale from Lakefront Brewery. When you pour it, you get an almost dark chocolate color, with a thin off white head. Aroma of lightly toasted malts and a touch of hops. When you drink it down, you find more of the same; lightly toasted malts, some hop bitterness on the otherwise clean finish, and hints of citrus and pine hiding under the surface. It's an interesting take on an IPA, although not one I'm likely to seek out too often.
"Black" beers have become all the rage lately, as brewers work to incorporate more roasted/toasted malt into their products to jazz things up. Hell, even Anheuser-Busch rolled out a Black Lager this year (not that I intend to ever drink that unless I've been captured by enemy forces and they're forcing me to drink one as a form of cruel and unusual torture). I appreciate brewers being adventurous and looking for ways to continue pushing the envelope, but I'm just not on board with "black" beers right now. Sorry.
Eye B A. Get it?
I have been to Milwaukee, but only as a stop on a business trip. Looking forward to visiting one day.
Thing to Think About Today:
Song I heard on the radio today doesn't quite describe my feelings on this beer, but You Know I'm No Good deserves some recognition. Hopefully you enjoy, because I do always worry about your enjoyment, dear readers.
Beer #325 Point Nude Beach / Stevens Point Brewery, Stevens Point, WI
Hurricane Sandy is moving out, and leaving behind a wide trail of destruction. Thankfully, we were spared any significant issues - lost power for about ten minutes, and we have some branches down in the yard. Nothing to write home about, which is great, as last night all you heard in our neighborhood was the wind howling and police/fire/ambulance sirens going off around the clock. Obviously everyone wasn't so lucky, including a neighbor six houses down who is currently extracting a tree from their roof. Best wishes to all of the blog readers out there for a safe and speedy recovery from the storm.
As I'm fairly sick and tired of rain, wind, and dreary weather, today I'm going to pretend it's summer again and sample a Point Nude Beach, a summer wheat beer from Stevens Point Brewery. This one is a hazy, pale yellow color with a big white head. You pick up the aroma of yeast, grain, and spice, and when you take a sip you find light citrus and a slight peppery spice, along with wheat and a hint of sweetness. Great beer for summer - I could easily picture a case of this on ice for a baseball game or concert tailgate, or even a day at the beach. And, if we see more hurricanes like the one that just blew through, I just might own some beachfront property here soon (sorry, New Jersey - you had your turn)! To honor this beer, I hereby decree any beaches outside my door will be Nude Beach only.
Sexy time at the nude beach
Very cool history to this brewery, as they first made beer all the way back in 1857. However, it wasn't until 1990 that their product was sold outside of Wisconsin - thankfully, they now distribute to Pennsylvania, along with much of the Midwest and East coast.
Thing to Think About Today:
Howling winds are gone, but it's still raining a good bit here. Which begs the question, Why Does it Always Rain on Me? Travis, the floor is yours.
Beer #321 Pumpkin Lager Beer / Lakefront Brewery, Milwaukee, WI
After a week of running around like a fool, the weekend is finally upon us! Working to pack the car and get ready to roll, so I'm jumping right in today.
Your beer for the day is the Pumpkin Lager from Lakefront Brewery in Wisconsin. In the glass, this beer has a hazy light amber color, and your nose is greeted with the aroma of pumpkin and clove. The flavor has a nice mix of spice, with a good balance of pumpkin. It's bright, with a little bit of soft bitterness on the finish. Nice beer. Not sure I'm ever going to convert to being a pumpkin beer fan, but this one certainly does the genre justice. Check it out if you find it near you.
The Great Pumpkin / Liquid Form
Lakefront has been brewing beer since 1987, and their brewery tour is widely regarded as one of the best around. If I'm ever back in Wisconsin, I'm stopping by to say hello (and drink tons of beer).
Thing to Think About Today:
Time to get a bit fired up... big game this weekend with the undefeated Ohio State Buckeyes coming into Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Let's get after it Seven Nation Army style...
I'm going from no pumpkin beers to two pumpkin beers in a row. Watch out!
Today's pumpkin beer - a pumpkin lager beer to be exact (6% ABV) - is from Lakefront Brewery, Inc. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Yesterday an ale. Today a lager. What can I tell you about this one? I know it was bottled during the first week of July thanks to the handy chart on the side of the label.
It poured a hazy orange color. It looked much more appealing that yesterday's pumpkin ale. This one had little to no head at all. It smells of fresh pumpkin and nutmeg. The flavor is quite nice. After yesterday's disappointment, I'll admit I was a bit gun shy about another pumpkin beer. The Lakefront was full of natural pumpkin flavor with a good amount of spice. The spices are peppery with some cinnamon and nutmeg but are very well blended with the beer characteristics. I still get good beer flavor through the pumpkin and spice. For as unbalanced as the Shipyard tasted, this one is perfectly balanced. Interestingly there is something to the Lakefront pumpkin lager that reminds me of mulled wine.
Day 300 seems like a great day to break out something from the rare beers collection. The New Glarus Brewing Company's Raspberry Tart fits that bill since it isn't available outside of Wisconsin, where it is brewed. Huge kudos are owed to our friend Nathan who was kind enough to gift us one of his last remaining bottles.
We are doubly fortunate because he also shared a New Glarus Belgian Red last year. Both the Red and the Raspberry Tart are outstanding sour beers. Unfortunately for me, they are next to impossible to get and the cherry crop in that region was devastated this year and that will have a deleterious impact on Belgian Red production. Oh noez!!!
The Raspberry Tart pours a hazy merlot color with a thin slightly off white head. As one would expect, it smells strongly of raspberries. The taste is very tart raspberry that give you that fantastic pinchy action on the sides of your tongue. There are faint hints of pie spice. The fruity sweetness is balanced perfectly by the amount of tart. If I had to pick one beer to drink for the rest of my life, this would be among the finalists.
New Glarus Rapsberry Tart is an excellent beer. Cheers!
Beer #292 Raspberry Tart / New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, WI
I'm definitely beating The Cold, but he's not going down without a fight. Later this evening, I'll be having an awesome time watching David Byrne do his thing on stage! Yes, the former front man for the Talking Heads has kicked off a new tour, and we're catching the only (I think) Philly date. He's sharing the stage with St. Vincent, who I'm admittedly not all that familiar with, but honestly - if David Byrne was on stage with a tree sloth who played the bongos I'd buy a ticket.
Today's beer is the Raspberry Tart from New Glarus Brewing, out of Wisconsin. This beer was a great gift from a fellow beer geek and member of our PSU tailgate squad. Great gift, you see, because New Glarus really doesn't ship outside of Wisconsin, their home state. They recommend you pour this beer into a champagne glass, and once you do you'll find a dull ruby color and no head. There's a pleasant raspberry aroma, and the taste is tart and sweet, with fantastic real fruit flavor. A bit of carbonation, but maybe not as much as you expect from something in a champagne glass. Really amazing beer, and I'm quite pleased I was able to cross this brewery off the list!!
Pretty, and pretty damn tasty!
New Glarus was founded in 1993 by a husband and wife duo, and they're still going strong in the world of craft beer. For my Philly people who are all jealous because we got this rare beer and you didn't, inexplicably you can sample it this weekend too! Hawthorne's Cafe is hosting a fundraiser for the Pennsylvania Society for the Protection of Animals on Sunday, and will be pouring not only New Glarus but also Tyranena (also rare around here) as part of their dinner that night. Check the details here. Help animals in need AND drink great, hard to find beer? No brainer. Get on that, people.
Thing to Think About Today:
While thinking about raspberry beer, I realized I've already used Raspberry Beret in this space back in May - even though Prince is being a total jerk and yanked the video down from YouTube. Dick. So instead, let's go ahead and think about David Bryne (also not a newcomer to this space). I've come to realize that I'm completely drawn to music that appeals to smart people. Call me a snob, but music that tells a story, or has depth to it, or feels like artwork, or simply makes you think is far more appealing to me than.... well I won't name names here and hurt anyone's feelings. Obviously, the Talking Heads fit my criteria of "smart music" perfectly.
It seems the playlist tonight will feature most everything from Byrne & St. Vincent's new album,Love This Giant, along with songs from St. Vincent's past work and Byrne's incredibly good solo work. And, it appears there will be some classic Talking Heads in there, which is always a treat. CAN. NOT. WAIT! I don't expect to hear And She Was tonight, and I love it so I'll go ahead and drop it in here so we can all enjoy. Have a good night, folks!
It's football eve! How awesome is that??? And the weather forecast is not going to give me heatstroke so I may actually have fun at the first game of the season for a change! Nice.
Today I'm drinking the Peruvian Morning from Central Waters Brewing Company. Interestingly after checking out their website today, I've learned that they issued a voluntary recall for this beer. It seems that some of the bottles have turned and are revealing an off-taste. Lucky for me, my bottle was just fine.
Brewed in Amherst, Wisconsin, the Peruvian Morning is a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout. I didn't notice the barrel aged part and managed to pour out all the sediment. It was opaque black with a cocoa color head. It smells of bourbon and roasted things...not necessarily coffee or malt, just roasted organic stuff.
The flavor is rich and chocolate and cola. I'm not necessarily finding the bourbon in the taste but there is definitely a boozy warmth. This is a good beer.
The label states that it's made with freshly roasted Emy J's coffee and has flavors of vanilla, tannins, and coffee that meld together to create a flavor as deep as the ravines of the Peruvian Andes. I would agree with that statement wholeheartedly.
Beer #232 Brewfarm Select / Dave's BrewFarm, Wilson, WI
Got home rather late last night after a very fun wedding, so today was spent sleeping in, with a bike ride and some errands sprinkled in for good measure. Time for dinner and prime time coverage of the Olympics. I'm trying to not follow along on Twitter, so that there can be some measure of excitement and uncertainty when I watch, but it's not easy.
Today's beer was one I had at a picnic in Valley Forge National Park (yes, you're not supposed to bring beer there, so let's keep that between you and me) for a carillon concert. For the unaware, they have free concerts every Wednesday evening in the summer, and for those unaware of the carillon, the best way I can describe it would be "gigantic church bells' played by some keyboard apparatus. Hard to explain, but the woman playing them rocked out a medley of Sesame Street and Muppets classics. The BrewFarm Select, from Dave's BrewFarm in Wisconsin, is a perfect picnic beer. In my blue plastic cup, it had a golden, amber color and a slightly sweet aroma. The taste is clean and easy, with malt and grain and some sweetness in there as well. Perfect for a summer evening in the park, and something for people who want a lighter beer that has more flavor than something like a Miller Lite.
Their website is more of a blog right now, although it does appear they're moving to more of a traditional website format. Therefore, it's hard to say much about this brewery, other than it appears to be wind powered. Nice.
Thing to Think About Today:
I think anyone will agree that what gymnasts can do is beyond absurd. Gravity seems to not apply. So, let's take a moment and think of possibly the most clutch (and maybe inspiring) moment from certainly gymnastics, and maybe the entire world of sport. Needing a great score on the vault to keep her USA team alive for the gold medal, all Kerri Strug did on her first attempt.... was fall down and miss her vault, injuring her knee in the process. On her last attempt? Oh, just goes ahead and wins the gold by sticking her landing ON ONE LEG.
This one will be short and sweet as I'm writing as we picnic at Valley Forge National Park for their Wednesday evening carillon concert. For more on what a carillon is, check out this page.. It is awesome. Even more awesome when the third set of songs is a compilation of all your favorite Muppets and Sesame Street songs. Rainbow Connection anyone?
It's triple awesome because I smuggled some beer in my picnic basket! Tonight's beer is Dave's BrewFarm's Select...an American pale lager brewed in Wisconsin.
Sorry about that photo. It was hard to stage it especially when the beer is in a blue tailgate cup. It looks like it poured a deep golden color with a bit of white head. It smells a bit fruity and bread-like. Doesn't really smell like beer. The flavor is very sweet...just the faintest flavor of hops and really just sweet and grainy.
With the disappointing brew, I'm going to back my assessment of this evening down to double awesome and not triple awesome. Cheers!
Beer #118 Summer Shandy / Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
On the heels of a good day yesterday, today brought more of the same. Had the day off so I ran some errands and we took the dogs to the park. However, I was trapped inside the house for a fair part of the afternoon, as Generose Manor is in the midst of a construction project to build a new 22,000 sq ft addition, erect an 10 car garage, dig a moat, and refurbish the helicopter landing pad to re-do the siding. These guys are coming up on a 12 hour work day right now. Definitely makes me feel bad, as I'm sitting inside drinking a beer, while they're still hammering away out there. At times, the racket from their hammering/sawing gets so loud it feels like the Kool-Aid Man is about to smash through the wall and shout, "OH YEAH!"
OH YEAH!! Wait, what the......?
Anyway, I mentioned I was drinking a beer - it's the Summer Shandy from Leinenkugel. Apparently, we've skipped right past all of the spring beers, and we're officially ready for summer with this one. For those not in the know, a shandy is a mixture of beer and a non-alcoholic drink, such as soda or juice. Or, in this beer, lemonade. I don't know about you, but that sounds delicious and refreshing to me! In the glass, this beer has a hazy, pale yellow appearance with a fluffy head that lingers. The aroma, to no one's surprise, is of lemons. The taste is a refreshing mix of lemon and wheat. Not a very complex beer, but definitely one to consider as the weather keeps getting warmer. Keep this in mind for a tailgate before a concert or baseball game.
OH YEAH!!!!
The brewery dates back to 1867, so they've been at this game for quite some time. For better or for worse, Miller Brewing (now SABMiller) purchased this company back in 1988. The family still manages the brewery, and I can drink this beer in Pennsylvania, so I guess the marriage is working.
Thing to Think About Today:
All of you who are home owners out there know and deeply appreciate the joys of home ownership. And by joys, I mean the constant need to fix something, upgrade something, or... do something. We've been on a tear lately, as it was a new roof last month and new siding this month. Wonder what May will bring?
When I think of owning a home, I think of this hilarious movie - The Money Pit. Starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long (and Commissioner Burrell from The Wire as one of the construction workers), this movie definitely makes me feel much, much better about our home improvement projects!
I could not have asked for a better birthday. Big ups to Gary for putting together a food and beer filled adventure. (Small deduction on execution for making me walk ten blocks in very high heels after running around in that same pair of shoes for five hours at a work event.) We hit Amada for a ten course chef’s tasting lunch and a pitcher of sangria. Then we were off to The Boilermaker (sorry no website that I could find) where we made friends with the bartender Matt -- great guy who knows his beer. The Boilermaker -- typically a light beer and a complimentary shot -- is a new (only open two weeks) craft beer bar. Forty drafts (twenty-eight downstairs and twelve upstairs) and I think there were around ten different boilermakers. I couldn’t resist - I had the California. Quite tasty! I have two new beers to review as a result of that trip. The Boilermaker is from the same group that brought us The Farmers Cabinet, which if you're reading this blog...you know I love!
A third beer was had but it was Jolly Pumpkin’s Fuego del Otono, which translates to Autumn Fire. Kudos to Gary for translating before seeing the bottle. It caught our eye with its description of being a biere de garde brewed with chestnuts. It was indeed nutty and spicy and quite delicious. I didn’t take notes on it because I knew it was out of the running for a review. I crossed Jolly Pumpkin off the list when I reviewed the Madrugada Obscura several weeks back.
***
Tonight is a summer beer kind of night -- Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy is the drink of choice. It pours a bright, hazy and appropriately lemony yellow with a small head. It smells strongly of lemons and tastes like lemonade and a light wheat beer had babies. It’s not going to challenge you but it will refresh you.
Leinenkugel’s website describes it as their take on a traditional German radler. A radler? Prepare for some knowledge. A radler is a traditional German beverage that pretty evenly blends beer and German-style lemonade. Check out the wikipedia page for more information than you’ll ever need on radlers and shandies.
And on that note I’m off to break into my growler of Alla Spina from Victory Brewing. So far year 37 is treating me quite well. Cheers!
Beer #114 Illumination Double IPA / Central Waters Brewing Company, Amherst, WI
You know what makes Mondays better? Knowing that a long weekend is staring at you once you survive the week. I need that right now. Buck a shuck oysters at Teresa's Next Door helps too.
Today's beer, the Illumination DIPA from Central Waters came on draft at TJ's in Paoli. After having some other beers (and wine, and sake...) on Saturday, this one was the last of the evening - which is to say, my review notes are short. This beer pours a hazy, golden orange color and gives off aromas of floral hops. When you take a sip, you get a strong dose of hop bitterness, and notes of pine, orange, and malt. Very dry finish. Can't say I had heard of this brewery before seeing it on draft, but that's what a beer adventure is all about, my friends. I'll definitely look to try some of their other offerings in the future.
Tasty.
Curiously, this beer doesn't appear on Central Waters' website under the active or retired beers, but if you click on their production schedule (handy!), you do see it there. Wonder what that's all about.
Thing to Think About Today:
With the NCAA basketball championship game set to tip off, we've come to the end of the most magical sporting event of the year. Some of the excitement seems to have left the tournament, what with no Cinderellas left standing and the Kentucky rent-a-star team poised to cut down the nets. However, let's stop and think about the one of the greatest Cinderella stories and one of the best movies ever, Hoosiers. Based on a true story, Hoosiers tells the tale of the little school that could, and did, winning a coveted state championship against all odds. If this movie, and the scene below, doesn't give you the chills, you may not be alive.
This movie always brings me back to the days of playing three games in the old Hershey Arena during the march to the PIAA AAAA state title game. Sadly, my story ends without a Jimmy Chitwood-esque rise and fire to win the game for the good guys, but I still cherish the memories of the run to the last game.
Holy shit snacks! I'm turning 37 in exactly one week. I'm older than Star Wars. And Saturday Night Live. I'm older than Apple, Inc. and nowhere near as successful. Like I said...holy shit snacks.
***
I'm starting the birthday extravaganza with an abbey triple from Sprecher Brewing Company in Wisconsin. It pours a cloudy copper color with a thin head. Traces of lacing were left behind as I sipped it. The scent is bready and fruity. The flavor is smooth, a bit fruity, and a touch flowery with lots of spice and definite alcohol overtones (8.1% ABV). As I'm writing this, it's starting to sound a lot like yesterday's post. Sadly this one isn't nearly as good as the Weyerbacher.
Beer #103 Fatty Boombalatty / Furthermore Beer, Spring Green, WI
Good news on the home front today, as Flash has returned from the vet. He's doing much better - had two teeth pulled, and is now home and resting comfortably. Poor old guy. Picking him up from the vet caused me to miss my basketball game, but considering we lost by *50* last time out, perhaps a week off might do some good. Playing last week certainly didn't help!
Today's offering is the Fatty Boombalatty, an oddly named yet tasty beer from Furthermore. Had this beer on draft at Paramour in Wayne, which is a pretty decent spot to unwind and enjoy a drink or two. In the glass, this version on a Belgian white shows off a cloudy gold color, with a thin white head. There's a faint citrus aroma, and you get flavors of bread, pepper, orange, and clove, with just a bit of bitterness. In my notes, I added "thirst quenching" and "very drinkable." Good to know as warmer weather continues to linger here in the suburbs, but keep in mind that Fatty carries a 7.2% ABV along for the ride. Definitely check this one out.
Thing to Think About Today:
These days, it's near impossible to hear a popular song that doesn't have multiple stars adding a "guest" verse. I guess the thought is the more name brand stars you can add on a song, the greater the chance someone will buy it? Personally, it doesn't make any sense to me, but I'm old school. So old, I can remember when rap/rock collaborations were new and completely genre bending. There have been some great ones along the way - Run-DMC + Aerosmith and R.E.M. + KRS-One, off the top of my head.
I'm not sure if this one is great, awful, somewhere in-between, or all of the above. It's magical, that much I know. Without further adieu, if we're thinking about a beer named after a fat joke, we're thinking about the Fat Boys + the Beach Boys!!!! Perfect song with summer just around the corner....
Tonight we try Furthermore Beer's Fatty Boombalatty. Furthermore comes out of Wisconsin. I had this one on draught at Paramour in Wayne, Pennsylvania. It was the only one they were offering, but after checking out the brewery's website, there are a few more that are quite intriguing. Fallen Apple and Obscure to name two.
The Fatty Boombalatty poured a bright straw color with a head that didn't linger. It smelled of orange, fresh grass and minerals. I believe my direct quote after Gary asked me to smell his beer was, "It smells like rocks." The brewery describes it as a dangerously drinkable Belgian. While I liked it, it was a bit hop forward for me. But further (ha!) reading of the brewer's description made me realize that was intentional. So kudos to them for winning that one.
Clearly I don't know what coriander tastes like because I'm pretty sure this is the second beer I've had during this challenge that listed coriander as a major flavor and I didn't notice it. (Heading to spice cabinet to sample coriander...) The most interesting quality of this beer is for all the hop flavor it had, it was balanced with a buttery smoothness.
I'll leave you with Gary's idea of funny...that's the last time I ask him to write some notes in the beer book for me.
We are doubly fortunate because he also shared a New Glarus Belgian Red last year. Both the Red and the Raspberry Tart are outstanding sour beers. Unfortunately for me, they are next to impossible to get and the cherry crop in that region was devastated this year and that will have a deleterious impact on Belgian Red production. Oh noez!!!
Tonight is a summer beer kind of night -- Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy is the drink of choice. It pours a bright, hazy and appropriately lemony yellow with a small head. It smells strongly of lemons and tastes like lemonade and a light wheat beer had babies. It’s not going to challenge you but it will refresh you. 
I'm starting the birthday extravaganza with an abbey triple from Sprecher Brewing Company in Wisconsin. It pours a cloudy copper color with a thin head. Traces of lacing were left behind as I sipped it. The scent is bready and fruity. The flavor is smooth, a bit fruity, and a touch flowery with lots of spice and definite alcohol overtones (8.1% ABV). As I'm writing this, it's starting to sound a lot like yesterday's post. Sadly this one isn't nearly as good as the Weyerbacher. 
The Fatty Boombalatty poured a bright straw color with a head that didn't linger. It smelled of orange, fresh grass and minerals. I believe my direct quote after Gary asked me to smell his beer was, "It smells like rocks." The brewery describes it as a dangerously drinkable Belgian. While I liked it, it was a bit hop forward for me. But further (ha!) reading of the brewer's description made me realize that was intentional. So kudos to them for winning that one.
