Day 487: Full Sail Session

"Hi, hon, I'm running late. I'm rescuing ducks." And that's how my day concluded. I wish it were a more exciting story, but it's mostly me sounding like an insane person calling 911 and declaring that I don't have an emergency, I just need help.

Yes, indeed. I need help.

After a day like today, I really appreciate a good, easy-going beer. And Full Sail Brewing's Session lager delivers just that.

The Session lager poured a crisp golden color with a white head with average retention. It smells like sweet corn. The flavor has a vegetable sweetness to it. Neither the hops nor the malt were overly-apparent until the finish. Then you got a nice hop profile that made it interesting. It honestly reminded me of buttery, slightly hoppy corn cakes. That's strange, isn't it?

Beer stats
Style: American pale lager
ABV: 5.1%
IBUs: 18
Rating: Great

Previously reviewed from Full Sail
Dropping knowledge about Baader-Meinhof and the Black lager
Even more references to yacht rock and Gary's review of Premium lager

Day 462: Victory Swing Session

Evidently session beers are my thing this week because I find myself enjoying another one in so many days.

Today's beer is from Victory Brewing Company. It's the Swing--a session saison. Now that's a style that's new to me!

It poured a hazy golden color with a thick white head. I could smell it from several paces away from the glass. Up close it was lemony and spicy. The taste is like a hopped up saison. It starts smooth with some grain notes, then some citrus, mostly lemon, with pepper. It finishes with a citrus-pith bitterness. Overall a very interesting beer and quite quaffable.

Beer stats
Style: Saison
ABV: 4.5%
IBUs: Unknown
Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Victory
Gary's review of Swing
His and her takes on Hundred Horse Ale
Gary's review of NATO IPA
My attempt to drink all the Victory beer
Gary's second post ever (V12)

Beer 460: Full Sail Session

I'm fascinated by the phenomenon in which you hear or read about something that at the time sounds so obscure but which insinuates itself throughout your waking life.

For example, on Sunday Gary was changing the lightbulb in our porch light and heard our neighbor blasting Yah Mo B by James Ingram and Michael McDonald. He tells me about it when I arrive home, but it was odd enough for him that he wrote a post about yacht rock. Not having the savant-like repertoire of music knowledge like Mr. Blog Named Brew, I had to ask for a definition. Instance one and two of yacht rock references. Fast forward to Tuesday when I'm driving home and one of my preset radio stations plays a couple of yacht rock songs. Number three. Fast forward to tonight when there's an entire show dedicated to yacht rock on another station that I just happen to be listening to. Instance four.

Strange, but true.

This is known as Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon. Trust me, my writing about it is going to cause it to pop up several times in your life during the next few days or weeks. The definition is simple: It's when one happens upon some obscure piece of information--often an unfamiliar word or name--and soon afterwards encounters the same subject again, often repeatedly. Anytime the phrase “That’s so weird, I just heard about that the other day” would be appropriate, the utterer is hip-deep in Baader-Meinhof.

Is the phenomenon all in our minds? Could be. Our brains have an amazing ability to recognize patterns--a key to learning. But what causes a particular pattern to stand out amongst all the other patterns we encounter on a daily basis? Why don't we log all the beginnings of sequences and note more patterns. It seems to be the relative obscureness of the pattern that signals to your brain, "Hey! Pay attention to me!" Interesting, huh?

I thought I was onto another instance of Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon this past week when I was inundated by information about a new set of session beers from Full Sail Brewing in Oregon and then ended up at a BYOB dinner where one of the beers of choice was Full Sail Session Black lager. I think that was just a coincidence.

It comes in a fantastic chubby little 11 oz. bottle and pours a cola color with a light tan head. It has a strong chocolate malt smell with lots of roastiness. The flavor is best described as a chocolate lager. It has a full roasted malt flavor with a thin mouthfeel. More sips revealed a definite lager-ness to it. There was a strong grain flavor and it reminded me of a stout but not quite a stout. It's a wildly different beer that I really enjoyed.

Beer stats
Style: Black lager
ABV: 5.4%
IBUs:  18
Rating: Good

Previously reviewed from Full Sail
Gary's yacht rock / Session lager review

Beer 342: Stoudt's Scarlet Lady and a Growing Problem

I may be addicted to striped sweaters. Another one came home with me today.


This photo doesn't do it justice. It is fantastically neon pink with black and white stripes. Because if there's one thing I love almost as much as a striped sweater lately, it's neon. Another color I love? Scarlet. As in Stoudt's Scarlet Lady ale.

Stoudt's is located in Adamstown, Pennsylvania, which I just learned is Antiques Capital USA. It's trademarked so you know it's true. I highly recommend a visit. Stoudt's makes some awesome beers and it's an incredibly easy place to get to. While the Scarlet Lady ranks fairly high on my favorite beers list, I'm also a fan of their Fat Dog stout, Heifer-in-Wheat and Karnival Kolsch. The Karnival Kolsch has become a beer of choice at Franklin Institute events. Sadly my distributor couldn't get any for me at the most recent event, but rest assured I'll have something from Stoudt's at upcoming events. I'm slowly converting the macro-beer drinkers in Philadelphia. Watch out!

I was lucky to find the Scarlet Lady on the hand pump at Teresa's Next Door last night. I love beer on the hand pump. I think it brings out a lot more of the subtle flavors in a beer. Scarlet Lady is an extra special bitter -- one of my favorite styles. It smells of nutty malt and pours a lovely reddish amber color with a thick, off white head.


The flavor is robust malt with a nice bitter finish. There are notes of caramel, nuts and just a little grassiness. It's nice crisp beer with a full body. Cheers!