Running Towards, Not Away

Beer #493 Session Black / Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River, OR
Previously from this brewery: Session Lager, Session Black , and Session Lager

As a kid growing up, my friends and I would play basketball for hours on end in the summer.  Show up at Beech Street playground early, run games all day, take a break to get a drink (Gatorade used to make an iced tea flavor back in the day, and it was glorious), then get back and get another game going until darkness called 'next' and sent us all home for the night.  It was a constant of my teenage years, and it was a place where I was truly happy.

I bring this up for two reasons; one trivial, the other important.

One, I'm playing two basketball games tonight due to my spring league and summer league schedules overlapping.  When I saw this, I immediately realized I haven't played two meaningful games where score is kept and referees call fouls in one day in a very, very long time.

Two, because I've been struggling to put my emotions regarding the tragedy of yesterday's Boston Marathon attack into words.  I think about how much joy and satisfaction I get from participating in sports, most notably running and basketball.  When I first saw a doubleheader on my calendar, I thought back to the feeling of being a kid and playing the game I love all damn day.  The tragedy of yesterday changed my perspective.  Now I've been thinking about races I've run, how many friends I've supported from the sidelines, how many people whose lives are forever damaged from simply just cheering on runners.  They were just fucking waiting with anticipation for loved ones to finish doing something that brought them joy.  I can't even fathom the pain of those families touched by the explosions

An event like the Boston Marathon is a cause for celebration; there's a reason why so many people line the race course and gather at the finish line.  Sporting events can and do bring out the best in people: the struggle to achieve, the will to compete, the satisfaction of hard work, the brotherhood among competitors, the elation of finishing strong, the sense of accomplishment from doing something others can't or won't try, the desire to get out and do it all over again.  I hope the terrorist actions of yesterday don't dampen that spirit.  I hope sports continues to be a way for people to band together, to find common ground, to heal, to move forward.

Do I feel like an idiot doing something as silly as a beer review today, when so many are hurting and working to restore order to the world?  I do, but the world keeps turning.  As much as we grieve and wonder what terrible force in the world allows this to happen, we keep on with our lives, marching forward.  We get up, we get dressed, and we go about our business - proof positive that no matter what evil lurks in the world, the good people won't stop living their lives.

Today you get a review of Session Black from Full Sail Brewing.  In the glass, it's a bright, clear mahogany (as clear as mahogany can be, I guess) color, with a thin head.  There's a lightly toasted malt aroma, and the taste is malt sweetness, with some very mild hop bitterness.  At a mere 5.4% ABV, you get a good flavor without the wallop of a higher ABV beer.  Not a bad summer option for those who are malt fans.

That looks inviting, doesn't it?

Another beer that arrived in a less than 12oz bottle!  No offense, but I think you learn this trick on your first day of MBA class: slightly smaller packaging + same price = greater profit, as you're putting less product in each package.  I sincerely hope this isn't a profitability scheme the rest of the craft beer world notices....

Thing to Think About Today:
Rather than a silly song or something about sailing, I think I'd like to once again remind everyone that a great way to ensure hospitals and trauma centers have the ability to deal with both unfortunate events and routine operations is to donate blood.  If you're one of the 37% of Americans who are physically able to give, the world desperately needs you to donate, and donate as frequently as you can.  To find an American Red Cross blood drive near you, visit: http://www.redcrossblood.org/

While keeping the victims of tragedy in your thoughts and prayers is important, it's far more important to actually do something tangible.  Please give blood.

Friday Night Sights

Beer #363  Malheur 12 / Brouwerij de Landtsheer, Buggenhout, Belgium
Beers to go: 3

An exciting night here at Blog Named Brew Manor.  Bought a new dog bed for the hounds, got a pizza for dinner.  The life of an internationally famous beer blogger is one of luxury and splendor, I assure you.

Tonight's beer is the Malheur 12, a Belgian Quad from Brouwerij de Landtsheer in Belgium.  Poured into a tulip glass, this beer has a deep, dark brown color with virtually no lingering head.  The aroma has malt, toffee and sour cherry notes, and when you take a sip you get a silky, smooth texture, with plenty of dark fruit, toffee, sweet malt, candi sugar, and a touch of spice.  Very nice, very enjoyable beer, and very much potent at 12% ABV.  Find one, but probably you should limit yourself to just one.  Trust me, I'm a doctor.

Dirty Dozen

The website for this brewery has some info, and Google manages to translate it to a readable version of English, but there wasn't much detail on the history of the brewery.  From other sources, it seems to be a newcomer in Belgium.  Do you know more about this brewery than I do?  Leave a comment, so that I may get my learn efficiently on.

Thing to Think About Today:
As tonight marks the last Friday of the 366 beers from 366 breweries challenge, I thought I'd go ahead and drop in a great Friday reference to close things out - Friday Night Lights.  This television show tells the story of Dillon, Texas, a small town where high school football is king, and for better or worse, life revolves around the success and failures of their squad.  I was fortunate to play varsity basketball in town where high school basketball was immensely popular; a town where the residents came out and packed the gym on Friday nights.  I guess that happens all over small town America, but it all becomes very real and important to those involved when you run out of the locker room tunnel with the Rolling Stones absolutely blaring over the sound system and more than 3,000 of your classmates, friends, family members, and neighbors screaming at a pitch found somewhere in the neighborhood of  '11' on the volume dial.

In fact, this season marks the 20th anniversary of my senior year Hazleton Area team, which won a Wyoming Valley Conference title and a District 2 AAAA gold medal, and went all the way to the state championship game.  I bring this up today because the Standard-Speaker just published an article recapping that fateful season, and I'd often think back to my days of playing high school sports when watching Friday Night Lights.  (If you take the time to read the article, you'll quickly find out that I was better at hard work and enthusiasm than I was at actually playing basketball.  Not everyone gets to be the star of the show.  Someone has to be Landry, I guess.)

Unfortunately, real life sometimes gets in the way of the fairy tale, as our magical season ended with a loss (to a prep school who could recruit students, including kids who lived in New York - just saying) in the final game.  That loss was a tragic enough event in the life of an 18 year old who lived to play basketball and wasn't going to be playing in college, but a wonderful silver lining was the amazing people of our town, who held an impromptu parade at midnight to greet our bus as it entered the town, with a police and fire escort to our gym, where a pep rally was held to congratulate us.  Us being a bunch of kids who just lost a basketball game, keep in mind.

Friday Night Lights explores the positive and negative aspects of high school sports in a way never before done on television.  But it's more than just a show about sports - in fact this program is one of the best dramas I've ever seen.  Check the clip below for some perspective, and hopefully take a moment to appreciate high school sports for the positive force it can be - an opportunity to unite and stand together in your community, as young men and women learn lessons about teamwork, character, and how much better it feels to win than lose.  Although it does help if Minka Kelly is one of the cheerleaders in your town, I suppose.  Good night all, see you tomorrow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG37AylK1_s

"Clear eyes, full hearts.... can't lose."

Crushes, Creeks

Beer #339 Up the Creek / Thomas Creek Brewery, Greenville, SC
Beers to go: 27

And so ends another season of old man basketball.  A disappointing first round loss sends us home for another long, cold winter.  Or, at least until the league starts back up again in February.  As I sit here and type this, I can't even remember the last time a team I played on won the last game of the season and took home a championship.  College?  Back in the glory days of the Saullo-Serany League in high school (won my freshman and senior years, thank you very much).  Need to start working the free agent market to see what we can do to add to the roster.  I'm tired of watching someone else cut down the nets.  Hypothetically speaking, that is - they don't let us cut down the nets.

Tonight, I drown my sorrows in beer, a bottle of Up the Creek, a double IPA from Thomas Creek Brewery.  You see a bright, clear dark amber, with persistent off white head.  The aroma is a blast of hops; tons of citrus and pine greet your nose.  The taste has a good balance of caramel, sweet malt and hops, and a boozy warmth that sort of makes it feel like a Belgian quad.  The boozy warmth makes sense, as this beer packs a wallop with 12.5% ABV.  I think the booze sort of hides some of the citrus you expect in an IPA, although there is a nice and dry bitter finish.  A rather good double IPA for those hop fanatics out there.  Find it, and then drink it.

Big, big beer

Thomas Creek is family owned and operated, and started commercial production in 1998.  In addition, they employ two brewery dogs (Barley and Porter), border collies who work to greet visitors and clean up spills.

Thing to Think About Today:
I will admit this fact without shame or embarrassment.  I used to religiously watch Dawson's Creek.  Yes, the over dramatically acted story of teens growing up and finding love, laughter, disappointment, and life lessons in the town of Capeside.  James Van Der Beek in all his glory.  I admit I watched this with ulterior motives, and that would be my super enormous crush on Katie Holmes (back before she took the plunge and found Tom Cruise and Scientology, anyway).  I mean, who out there would fault me for that?  No one, that's who.

Katie, you left your toothbrush at my house again!

While we're on the subject, Michelle Williams was no slouch either.  Anyway, with a beer from Thomas Creek in hand, let's all remember the good old days of the WB, and crushes long gone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=yT0TjcVkCks

Cider, Mergers, Wolves, Politicians

Beer #330 Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear / Crispin Cider Company, Minneapolis, MN
Today will be spent making brunch, enjoying a mimosa, watching old movies, and generally not doing any of the things on my to-do list that desperately need to get done.  Sorry, responsibilities - I'll check back with you on Monday morning.

Have no fear, the reviews keep rolling, and today I'm updating you on Fox Barrel Blackberry Pear cider, which I had recently on draft at TJ's.  Fox Barrel started as an independent company in Colfax, CA, but was purchased in 2010 by Crispin Cider Company, so I'm giving the credit to the guys paying the bills..... sort of.  You see, Crispin has since been acquired by MillerCoors.  All hail our corporate overlords!!!  From what I gather, Crispin (MillerCoors?) shifted production to Fox Barrel's original site in California rather than a MillerCoors site, so we'll allow this one on the books for our craft beer adventure.  Fun times.

Anyway, after all that nonsense, let's talk about the actual cider!  In the glass, you see a clear reddish amber color, and the aroma is of fruit and berries.  The taste has sweetness, but nothing artificial and nothing overpowering.  The finish is crisp and dry, and if you're in the market for a cider, this is a good option to check out.

Cider.  Drink it.

I've already ran down the details on this brewery, so instead I can share that Colfax, CA is named for Schuyler Colfax, who served as Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant.  Colfax had visited the town (previously known as Alder Grove and Illinoistown) in 1865 while he was Speaker of the House, and apparently it was a big enough event that they renamed the town for him.  Three last odd facts: Colfax is one of only two people to ever serve as both Speaker of the House and Vice President, there are towns named after Colfax in seven U.S. states, and he was initiated as a member of Beta Theta Pi despite having never attended college.  More proof that Betas are weirdos that are desperate for friends, I guess.

Thing to Think About Today:
Wasn't all that Schuyler Colfax info wasn't enough to think about?  No, there's more!  Here we go:  if today's brew is a Fox Barrel, then we're thinking of Michael J. Fox, and because Halloween was just last week and I love basketball, we're wrapping up one of the stranger posts of the past year with Teen Wolf!

Seriously, check my math.  I just went cider + actor + holiday (involving werewolves) + basketball = TEEN WOLF!  I mean, who doesn't love a movie that features a mild-mannered student who magically morphs into the bastard love child of "Pistol" Pete Maravich and Sasquatch, becoming the most popular kid in school in the process?  I know you love it just as much as I do.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMyuv3wkTJs

We Goin' Sizzler...

Beer #297 Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale / The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville, NC

Why does this picture have to do with beer?  Um, keep reading.

Today's beer is the Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery.  This one has a dark, nearly black hue with hints of ruby and a tan, lingering head.  The aroma is of toasted malt and floral hops, and when you take a sip you get a thin mouth feel, with a solid toasted flavor, along with notes of chocolate and a dry, bitter finish.  Probably a little too toasted for me to include in my regular rotation, but certainly a good option for fall.  If you love stouts and dark beers, definitely check out Duck-Rabbit.

Just ducky.

Duck-Rabbit has been open since the mid-2000's, and was opened by a former professor of philosophy.  Wondering where the unusual name and/or unusual logo comes from?  I'll quote from their website here: "A version of the duck-rabbit diagram, which looks like a duck or a rabbit, depending on the viewer's perspective, appeared in a philosophy book Paul admires (Philosophical Investigations by Ludwig Wittgenstein). He liked the idea of using a logo with ties to his former life."  Now you know.

Thing to Think About Today:
For whatever reason, when I see the name of this brewery I instantly say (shout) in my head, "THE KING AND DUCK!"

This likely means very little to you, and certainly has no connection to this brewery.

However, if you were a huge fan of the 1992 comedy classic White Men Can't Jump, then we may be on to something here.  This movie tells the tale of two basketball hustlers who make their living winning playground games for money.  The unlikely duo of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson join forces to become a team, leveraging Harrelson's, um, tremendous white-ness as their chief tool in luring in victims to challenge them for money.

Along the way, they get the chance to make a huge score and take down the top street basketball team on the West Coast - that's right, "The King" and "Duck".  In that game, Harrelson throws down a dunk off a lob pass from Snipes, proving that he once and for all CAN dunk.  Seriously, if you like to quote movie lines, this movie is a must watch, because while this movie didn't invent trash talking, it certainly made it into an art form.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4aNy-3n1GU

"I'll tell you what. Why don't we take all these bricks and build a shelter for the homeless, so maybe your mother will have a place to stay."

Nerd Dorm; Not That Great

Beer #262 Layover in Berlin / Cabinet Artisanal Brewhouse, Alexandria, VA

Disappointing day today, as we lost in the Final Four of the summer league.  Yet another year will go by without cutting down the net.  No shame in the loss, as we took the #1 seed to overtime, but couldn't close the deal.  I play in other leagues during the fall and spring, but something about the work league just makes it far more interesting.  Bragging rights, I suppose.  Next year, we win it all... I promise.

Tonight's beer is the Layover in Berlin from Cabinet Artisanal Brewhouse, the house brewery for The Farmers' Cabinet.  Previously, the only served their beers in the restaurant, but they've recently started shipping to other bars in the Philly area, which makes them a viable candidate for review on this blog.  This Berliner weisse was a hazy yellow color with a thin white head, and your nose picks up a tart, funky aroma with a touch of grapes.  The taste is dry with lemon, and a nice earthy funkiness and hints of green apple.  Really nicely done, and I can't wait to get back for another.

Oh hai!

Thing to Think About Today:
As we keep rolling through the list of best college movies ever, I need to highlight a movie that is at once thrilling and disappointing - Real Genius, starring Val Kilmer.  It's the hilarious tale of Mitch, an uber-genius who graduates high school early to enroll in prestigious college honors program.  He ends up sharing a room with Chris, the resident genius in the program whose knowledge of science is only surpassed by his ability to party and to not take school seriously.  Their project, a super laser, gets used without their knowledge by the military, so the geek and the party guy team up with their other nerd friends to get back at the professor in charge of the program and his lackey grad student.  Hilarity ensues.

So why is this great movie disappointing?  Because I lived in the nerd dorm (Atherton Hall) my freshman year courtesy of my enrollment in the University Scholars (now Schreyer Honors College) program.  Thanks to Real Genius, I thought it was going to be this awesome place with crazy pranks, high-tech hi-jinx, and braniacs who knew how to party just as hard as they hit the books.  Wrong, wrong, and WAY wrong.  The only things that happened in my dorm were people practicing the clarinet and/or playing Magic the Gathering in the tv room, or yelling at me to keep the noise down because they had to study..... on a Friday.  No reassembling a car in someone's room, no freezing the hallway with liquid nitrogen for a winter carnival, no hot tub in the laundry room.  NOTHING.  Thanks for completely skewing my expectations of the fun you can have in the nerd dorm, Val Kilmer.  You too, guy who played Lazlo and lived in the steam tunnels under the building.

Anyway, if you haven't seen it lately, it still holds up as a pretty awesome movie about college - some of Kilmer's finest work, no doubt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUKi0h5ZwPg

And just because it's a classic scene from the movie, let's check in on Jesus' visit to Kent:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf-5RaFnh2U

"This is JESUS, Kent, and you've been a very naughty boy...."

What do New Hampshire and Reggae Have in Common? Nothing.

Beer #171 Belgian Style Pale Ale / White Birch Brewing, Hooksett, New Hampshire

After a slow start, our summer league basketball team keeps racking up wins, even if half the team isn't showing up on a regular basis.  Hey, more touches for me, right?  I've played in this league since the day I took the job, and have never cut down the nets.  Made it to the championship game a couple of times, but walked away empty each time.  Not sure that's going to change this year unless we get some people to show up more frequently and get into the groove.  The other teams seem better this year, but maybe that's just because I'm another year older.

Tonight's beer (yay, 46% of the way done with the adventure) is the Belgian Style Pale Ale from White Birch.  Pours a hazy shade of gold, with a fluffy white head.  I'm battling allergies again today, so bear with me if this description isn't overly descriptive (or accurate).  Here goes... you pick up aromas of apples, and from the first sip you get strong fruit esters, malt, and grain.  Definitely a peppery spice, too.  You pick up the strong alcohol notes, which isn't unexpected as this beer is a solid 8.2% ABV.  I like this one, and will definitely seek out other options from this brewery.  Good stuff!

This brewery has been open since 2009, and curiously the name of this beer is due to the color, rather than the style.  So, it's not really a Belgian Pale Ale.  Still tastes good, so whatevs.

Thing to Think About Today:
I really have nothing for you tonight with a direct correlation to the beer/brewery/home state, and it looks like the end of the world outside due to an impending thunderstorm, so in honor of crossing over 46%, let's let Toots and the Maytals finish things up with 54-46 Was My Number.  This wasn't about Toot's passing 46% of his beer challenge, but rather about a prison term he served.  Hey, I win that round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umuUVSEcp6g

"I said YEAH!"

Highs, Lows, and Bob Barker

Beer #150 St. Cloud Belgian White / World Brews, Novato, CA

Had a really hectic but really satisfying day at work today.  Flipped the switch on a significant project, which is a huge weight off my mind.  Today was 'email from the CEO' good, in fact, so I'm definitely riding a high there.  My enthusiasm for a great day at work has been tempered by a thorough beating on the hardwood, as my spring league team was unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs.  I get that I'm not great at basketball (never was, truthfully), but tonight was a thoroughly awful performance.  Ice Cube famously rapped "get me on the court and I'm trouble/messed around and got a triple double," which references the significant basketball accomplishment where one picks up double figure totals in three statistical categories, such as points, rebounds, and assists.  Once again, I hit a triple double, but it was for missed shots, turnovers, and defensive lapses.  There's always the summer league, I guess.

Sadly, it seems tonight's beer is following the downward end to the day, not the great start to the day.  I'm drinking something called the St. Cloud Belgian White, from some place called World Brews.  Let's start with the review.  This beer is a clear gold with little head in the glass.  And that's where the good points stop, as you get aromas of yeast and fruit, and the taste gives you a bready, soapy, sort of... not much.  It's like a pilsner in some regards (and not good ones), but definitely falls way, what short of what you expect from a Belgian white.  I guess if you really want a beer that lacks flavor or complexity, but you want something more unusual than Miller Lite, this isn't an awful choice.  How's that for a backhanded compliment?  However, if you want a flavorful beer, please direct your attention elsewhere.

BEWARE.

So what's the story on this beer?  Basically World Brews is a contract brewer for people who want a private label beer.  They take advantage of excess capacity in established breweries, and produce "craft" beers for retailers such as Walgreens and Costco.  In this case, St. Cloud is a private label for Whole Foods.  So, good news there - you won't have to worry about seeing this one anywhere else.  Whole Foods has a great beer selection, provided as you're not selecting this beer.  I award you no points, St. Cloud, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Thing to Think About Today:
Let's combine my good day/bad day into one final wrap up.  The good: the greatest game show ever, The Price is Right.  I can't tell you how many hours I spent in college watching this show.  Most of them?  That's probably a safe estimate.  Then, to highlight the bad, let's focus on some not-so-great moments from the show.  I mean, not so great for the contestants - they're awesome moments for us.

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

Let's hope you all get a chance to spin the big wheel tomorrow, and hit $1.00 on your first spin.  Don't forget to have your pets spayed or neutered.

Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Beer #145 Oesterstout / Scheldebrouwerij, Meer, Belgium

Today was a day of beatings, all of them received by me and none delivered by me.  This fine day was capped off with another loss on the hardwood, with our spring league team falling to a laughable 1-9 on the season.  Taking a sweet nine game losing streak into the playoffs next week.  Maybe we'll sneak up on some people. Or.... not.

Tonight's beer came is the Oesterstout from Schedlebrouwerj, which came on draft at Teresa's Next Door.  As many of you know, I'm not a fan of stouts or porters. Really, anything that could be described with the adjectives smoky, coffee, or burnt.  However, Marci had ordered an Oesterstout, and as I like to do, I had a sip just to check things out.  Clearly, it passed the test as I ended up ordering my own.  This "oyster stout" pours a deep dark brown (black?) in the glass with an off-white head, and gives off aromas of stone fruit and roasted malt.  The taste is a mellow balance of roasted malt and cocoa, with a tiny bit of a smoky taste.  There's a salt taste in there somewhere, but it's pretty well hidden.  In all, not a bad stout, and that's high praise coming from someone who doesn't usually drink them. Marci's review on this fine beer can be found HERE, should you be ponderin'.

If you're wondering where the name 'oyster stout' comes from, the wort is passed over oyster shells during the brewing process.  No, this beer does not taste like oysters.  Might be cool if it did, as oysters are freaking delicious.  Buck a shuck night at Teresa's can get ugly when we roll in.  Also, this brewery sports a fun crab shaped logo.  Not much info on their website as to why they have a crab logo, however.

Thing to Think About Today:
I'm about out of steam - playing 40 minutes has me wiped out.  I'll just go ahead and leave this here, as it's been running in my head all day.  Sir Paul McCartney, give the people some Helter Skelter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV18scOsX54

Apologies if this video gives you a seizure.  The song is great, though.

Cheerleaders, Help Me Out

Beer #82 Avant Garde Ale / The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA

Without a doubt, the highlight of today was the tip-off of our spring basketball league, made even better by the fact we opened with a win over our archrival.  Feels good to be back out on the court after not picking up the rock since Thanksgiving.  Whatever marginal amount of skills I had in my youth continue to erode, my body moves even more slowly than the glacially slow pace it moved at previously.  However, it's all good, as I managed to burn off some calories, vent some frustration, and scored more points than I had turnovers and fouls.  And our nemesis goes home to think about the curb-stomping they endured.  Can't ask for much more than that, right?

We celebrate tonight with the Avant Garde Ale from The Lost Abbey out of San Marcos, CA.  In the past days I've reviewed Dieu de Ciel! and La Trappe, and we're once again reviewing a brewery with religious ties, or at least a belief that brewing beer is a religion unto itself.  This Biere de Garde was a bottle we picked up in Wegmans a few weeks back, and it pours a hazy, amber sort of orange with a foamy white head.  The predominant aroma is of bread and when you take a sip there are notes of funk and lemony fruit, but nothing that overpowers the beer.  There's a dry finish and a subtle bitterness in there as well, and this beer grew on me more as I kept drinking (although one could possibly argue all beers taste better the more you drink).  This beer checks in at 7% ABV, which is helpful as I would certainly like to drink a number of these!  Definite winner here, and I look forward to visiting Lost Abbey this summer.  This is another brewery that Marci has crossed off her list, and in fact she too sampled the Avant Garde Ale.

Thing to Think About Today:
If we're dreaming about basketball, it's safe to say we have a basketball jones.  Wait, capital letters are needed here: We have a Basketball Jones!  As in, Basketball Jones, an animated 1974 short film by Cheech and Chong about Tyrone Shoelaces and his burning, unquenchable desire to shoot hoops.  Wait, Cheech and Chong?  Indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIbp5C-5WXM

Goofy, yes.  Catchy, YES.  Star power?  YES.  Try George Harrison, Ronnie Spector, Darlene Love, Nicky Hopkins, Billy Preston, Carole King, and Michelle Phillips as the band/back-up singers.  Huh?  If you're keeping score, Cheech & Chong got members of the Beatles, the Mamas and Papas, the Ronettes, and the horn section of the Rolling Stones in on this jam.  In fact, this unusual number peaked at #15 on the Billboard Top 100 back in the day.  Everyone seems to have a Basketball Jones, I suppose.  Get out there and shoot the J, people!!!

Well, at least I tried.

Beer #7: Jandrain-Jandrenouille IV Saison/ Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille, Jandrain-Jandrenouille, Belgium
I know what you're thinking: "this blog is totally the most awesome thing to ever happen to the internet!  But I wish the beer list was a bit more adventurous.  I mean, Victory?  Yards?  Brooklyn?  What's next, Yuengling?  Call me when they drink something not sold at the Wegman's in Malvern."

Consider it done.  You have any Jandrain-Jandrenouille in your fridge at home?  No?  Didn't think so.

Spent the afternoon at TJ's Everyday in Paoli, where they have 36 beers on draft and a wealth of other great options by the bottle.  Figured a farmhouse ale would be a nice, light & flavorful way to get the day started.   Eh... not entirely.  Tried a new beer that I've never sampled before from a brewery that I've never heard of before (as it turns out, the brewery is only 3 years old).  For a saison, it was fairly underwhelming.  It lacked any great flavor, really, and came off as slightly bitter but rather nondescript.  I was expecting a bit more, and it made me sad that I could have had something else for my hard earned dollar.  Such is the fate of the beer adventurer, I suppose.  Next time I want a saison, I'll grab a Saison Dupont instead.

Thing To Think About Today:
While sitting at the bar, we managed to catch a some college basketball on tv.  This is the first hoops I've seen from the young season (Temple vs. Texas).  I've been playing basketball since I was 8 or 9, and I still love the sport.  So, we'll leave you with maybe the best call from one of the best announcers ever, Bill Raftery.  Send it in, Jerome!  I love Gus Johnson, but Bill is old school at it's finest.