I am running out of new brews to try in my local liquor stores. This distresses me. And since I have yet to get a straight answer to "how long can I store beer in the fridge?" I can't take a long drive and stock up.
Sooooo...I got another Sam Adams. This time, the Cherry Wheat. It definitely has a good, cherry flavor but the aftertaste is quite bitter and truthfully, it does not make me want another one. It's too bad, as Sam Adams Seasonal was excellent.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
it's okay to laugh at me. i forgive you.
Well. First of all, I am still having trouble signing into Blogger. It's as if someone out there in BlogLand knows I'm a fraud and is trying to keep me out. Pfffft.
Secondly, people read this garbage. Who knew! I received a kind invitation via email by a brewpub in my city to come sample their beers. I have been asked not to reveal the pub until the visit is over....so stay tuned! Nice. Who knew imbibing would get me invitations? Life is good.
And thirdly, I have a review of another ale. I only have a few more ales to go and then I breaking out the Pilsners. WOO-HOOO!
So. After being forced to leave a restaurant thanks to an unruly toddler who shall remain nameless (but it rhymes with "Shady"), I stopped at a new likker store to calm my frazzled nerves. (yes, I spelled it wrong on purpose. But good job noticing!) I wandered about like a lost kitten for a few minutes until a kindly-yet-rednecky soul offered me some help.
Me: "Is this all the beer you carry?"
Him: "Well, what are you looking for?"
Me: "Something wacky and new. An ale."
Him: ........(that's the sound of his 4 second stare while deciding if I am unstable and whether or not he should call Jethro out from the back room).
clears throat
Him: "Well, we have some different ones over here, but they are warm."
Me: "I have a refrigerator".
Him: ........
Yeah. So, anyway, he gave me his opinion of the few "wacky" beers he carried. I settled on Flying Dog Ales' In-Heat Wheat. Yes, you may laugh at that. It has a great scratch of a black, maniacal dog on the front with her tongue all waggy, being oogled by a half dozen mangy looking scoundrels. OF COURSE I am taking this beer home! The art on the bottle is really, by itself, something to see. Even the label is "torn" at the edges and just...well...edgy.
The scent reminds me right off of my favorite food: beer bread. It's warm and sweet but slightly spiced in aroma. Very nice. I had my In-Heat Wheat Ale very cold but I'm going to say that even as it began to warm up it was still really good. It's very smooth in a way no other beer has been, thus far. It has an alcohol content of 4.7% APV which is not much, but it is so easy going down it's easy to drink it faster than you might intend. Turns out the horny doggie beer has won various awards which prompted me to think ahead: perhaps I will hold my own awards for all this beer I am guzzling between now and May 2008. My one year journal to alcoholism should not go without due props, right?
Back to the beer.
Flying Dog Ale's In-Heat Wheat Ale has just bumped Leinenkugel's for 1st place. This is good stuff and I am going to tell the manager at all my fave restaurants to carry it.
Amen.
Secondly, people read this garbage. Who knew! I received a kind invitation via email by a brewpub in my city to come sample their beers. I have been asked not to reveal the pub until the visit is over....so stay tuned! Nice. Who knew imbibing would get me invitations? Life is good.
And thirdly, I have a review of another ale. I only have a few more ales to go and then I breaking out the Pilsners. WOO-HOOO!
So. After being forced to leave a restaurant thanks to an unruly toddler who shall remain nameless (but it rhymes with "Shady"), I stopped at a new likker store to calm my frazzled nerves. (yes, I spelled it wrong on purpose. But good job noticing!) I wandered about like a lost kitten for a few minutes until a kindly-yet-rednecky soul offered me some help.
Me: "Is this all the beer you carry?"
Him: "Well, what are you looking for?"
Me: "Something wacky and new. An ale."
Him: ........(that's the sound of his 4 second stare while deciding if I am unstable and whether or not he should call Jethro out from the back room).
clears throat
Him: "Well, we have some different ones over here, but they are warm."
Me: "I have a refrigerator".
Him: ........
Yeah. So, anyway, he gave me his opinion of the few "wacky" beers he carried. I settled on Flying Dog Ales' In-Heat Wheat. Yes, you may laugh at that. It has a great scratch of a black, maniacal dog on the front with her tongue all waggy, being oogled by a half dozen mangy looking scoundrels. OF COURSE I am taking this beer home! The art on the bottle is really, by itself, something to see. Even the label is "torn" at the edges and just...well...edgy.
The scent reminds me right off of my favorite food: beer bread. It's warm and sweet but slightly spiced in aroma. Very nice. I had my In-Heat Wheat Ale very cold but I'm going to say that even as it began to warm up it was still really good. It's very smooth in a way no other beer has been, thus far. It has an alcohol content of 4.7% APV which is not much, but it is so easy going down it's easy to drink it faster than you might intend. Turns out the horny doggie beer has won various awards which prompted me to think ahead: perhaps I will hold my own awards for all this beer I am guzzling between now and May 2008. My one year journal to alcoholism should not go without due props, right?
Back to the beer.
Flying Dog Ale's In-Heat Wheat Ale has just bumped Leinenkugel's for 1st place. This is good stuff and I am going to tell the manager at all my fave restaurants to carry it.
Amen.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Ho Beer!!
Yeah, I am going to need to take language lessons to continue my Journey Of Beer. Tonight I am drinking Hoegaarden's Withier-Biere Blanche. Which translates loosely to Belgian White Beer You Can't Pronounce.
I bought it on a whim because the pretty silver label with white and blue lettering caught my eye (Yes, I am that easy). My Ho-Beer is pretty conservative on the alcohol; a mere 4.9%. Which means I had to have TWO. This is a lot of work, people.
Anyway. It foamed up fast and thick upon opening and had a lovely, citrusy scent like my beloved Leinenkugel. The brew is cloudy and very pale, which is really pretty to look at, too. It's taste is light and sparkly, with a slight hint of something that reminds me of Christmas...nutmeg? Cinnamon? Coriander? All Spice? I can't quite catch it but I'll let you know after my third. hic! There is a mild orangey spice to it's aftertaste which I really like. It almost kind of bites your tongue a tiny bit.
I told the chick at the liquor store that I was discovering the world of brewski and she didn't even look at me. Which is fine because I think I am breaking up with that particular store, anyway. They just don't have much of a selection for me to choose from. Which brings me to my new question:
How long can I keep beer in my fridge and still preserve it's flavor? Can I go to a bigger store with a good selection and stock up on 4 or 5 new beers to try if they are going to sit untouched for 4-5 weeks?
I bought it on a whim because the pretty silver label with white and blue lettering caught my eye (Yes, I am that easy). My Ho-Beer is pretty conservative on the alcohol; a mere 4.9%. Which means I had to have TWO. This is a lot of work, people.
Anyway. It foamed up fast and thick upon opening and had a lovely, citrusy scent like my beloved Leinenkugel. The brew is cloudy and very pale, which is really pretty to look at, too. It's taste is light and sparkly, with a slight hint of something that reminds me of Christmas...nutmeg? Cinnamon? Coriander? All Spice? I can't quite catch it but I'll let you know after my third. hic! There is a mild orangey spice to it's aftertaste which I really like. It almost kind of bites your tongue a tiny bit.
I told the chick at the liquor store that I was discovering the world of brewski and she didn't even look at me. Which is fine because I think I am breaking up with that particular store, anyway. They just don't have much of a selection for me to choose from. Which brings me to my new question:
How long can I keep beer in my fridge and still preserve it's flavor? Can I go to a bigger store with a good selection and stock up on 4 or 5 new beers to try if they are going to sit untouched for 4-5 weeks?
Friday, July 6, 2007
Well. It aint the beer!
I have had a hell of a time logging into Blogger. I wondered if I had somehow been discovered as a fraud (because I think a beer blog is kinda cool but if you know me at all you'll know I am the opposite of cool) and was somehow booted off Planet Blog.
But now I'm here! It's okay, folks!
My friend Jackie is usually quite spot-on with her advice and I admit the similarities between us border on eerie sometimes. So when she advised me (repeatedly) to try Boulder Beer's Mojo IPA, of course I felt obligated to bump that right to the front of the list.
*
*
*
Jackie is getting a fruitcake for Christmas. >:(
Mojo has a very unique scent...very heavy on the hops with a sharp, citrusy peak. I was excited to take that first sip. But that was quickly replaced with a strong gag reflex. It's very, very bitter in that "cranberry-juice-after-brushing-your-teeth" way. After the first few sips I realized I was holding my tongue against the roof of my mouth, like an involuntary protest. I dropped a bit of lemon in it, hoping to cut the bitterness with some acidity. Yeah, that was a waste of perfectly good lemon juice.
So, consider this an open invitation to come over and drink, Jackie. I have 5 Mojos for you!
But now I'm here! It's okay, folks!
My friend Jackie is usually quite spot-on with her advice and I admit the similarities between us border on eerie sometimes. So when she advised me (repeatedly) to try Boulder Beer's Mojo IPA, of course I felt obligated to bump that right to the front of the list.
*
*
*
Jackie is getting a fruitcake for Christmas. >:(
Mojo has a very unique scent...very heavy on the hops with a sharp, citrusy peak. I was excited to take that first sip. But that was quickly replaced with a strong gag reflex. It's very, very bitter in that "cranberry-juice-after-brushing-your-teeth" way. After the first few sips I realized I was holding my tongue against the roof of my mouth, like an involuntary protest. I dropped a bit of lemon in it, hoping to cut the bitterness with some acidity. Yeah, that was a waste of perfectly good lemon juice.
So, consider this an open invitation to come over and drink, Jackie. I have 5 Mojos for you!
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