I scored!

How cool is that feeling when you get a deal? And how cool is that deal when you get it on Beer? All the better I say! And that is exactly what happened to me. I scored. I got a deal. However you want to say it, I was able to pick up some Dogfish Head Punkin Ale for $1 a bottle. Yes, I know, I am cool.

How was I able to score such a deal? Well, I told you that I am on a first name basis with the people over at the BevMo. It is like the mall to me. I can spend hours in there, and buy nothing. Who am I kidding. I have yet to walk out of there without buying at least 1 bottle of something. But I do spend at least 30 minutes trying to make up my mind.

So, last week I went in to pick a out a few brews for my friend on the east coast. After an hour of walking up and down, up and down, up and down the rows of beer, I made my decisions. As I stood in the check out line to pay, I couldn't help but second guess my choices.
"Was there anything that I missed"?
"Did I choose the right beers for him"?
"I hope he likes these".
"Should I check one more time, just to be safe"?

That is when I was them. Under the checkout table, two rows over, I noticed 2 four packs with a familiar logo on the side. It was Dogfish Head! And I could tell that from the color, that it was the Punkin Ale, which I really enjoy.

Me: "What's up with that beer over there"?
Manager: "Which beer"?
Me: "Those 2 four packs under the checkout table over there".
Manager: "I don't know, let me see".

He walked over and grabbed the two packs and brought them over.
Manager: "It looks like they might have been old".
Me: "What are you going to do withe them"?
Manager: "I don't know. Why, you want them"?
Me: "I might".
Manager: "I will make you a good deal".
Me: "How much of a deal"?
Manager: "Uhmm, how about $1 a bottle"?
Me: "SOLD"!

To be honest, I was going to buy them at retail. You can't get these anymore. And I really like this beer. I even thought to myself, that is has been aged for 6 months. All the better.

So, here is my review:

Dogfish Head - Punkin Ale

I did review this beer some months back. And I liked it. But it was kind of a vague review. So here is my full write review. It is good. When it comes to pumpkin beers, this is the best. I am not a big fan of additives in beer, but Sam and the guys at Dogfish Head know how to do it. And I love them for it. It has a great mouth feel, and a nice clean finish. I really enjoy the way that the pumpkin flavor mixes with the cinnamon and brown sugar. Who would have thunk it? And to have it fall on the Malt side of the scale just solidifies my opinion that I like this beer.

Grade: 3 1/2 burps

-Cheers!

What was on tap this week? Not much. I have been busy going through all the multiple bottles I have in my beer fridge. I did have a few new ones, but the majority are those 2-6 bottles that seem to add up every time I bring home a new bottle or multi pack of bottles of the newest brew.

The first ones I went through were the Dogfish Head 60 IPA. Who doesn't love this beer? People who don't like beer. That is about it. 60 Minute is possibly one of the best beers ever created. So why would I stop there? I didn't.

Next, I moved on to the remaining bottles of Punkin Ale from Dogfish Head. I was able to score 2 four packs on "clearance" some time ago. But having 7 bottles in a little fridge isn't something a beer loving man can do. So I have been drinking them. I am going to leave a single bottle in there for the day I am "Jonesing" for it. That should be some time in July.

The next brewery on the list was Samuel Adams. Admit it, you have bought that variety case at one time or another. I gave away those horrid Cranberry Lambics a long time ago. But I still had a couple of the Old Fezziwig Ale and Black Lagers bottles. So I drank them. Not bad, but neither one makes my top 10 (or 20) list. However, I would rather drink these than a Miller any day.

After a bad day, when I needed to go to my "Happy Place", I cracked open a few of my Hofbrau Originals, from Munich. It is like a magic potion. No matter how bad my day was, Hofbrau makes it better. But when it was a really bad day, I opened the Hofbrau Dunkel from the bottom of the kegerator.

Hofbrau Munchen - Hofbrau Dunkel
I love German beer. It runs through my veins. So my opinion is completely biased, and I admit it up front. Therefore, I loved this beer. It reminded me of a Marzen. I think that is why I enjoyed it so much. On the malty side, with the expected caramel and light hint of hops. And a great, clean finish.

Review: 4 1/4 Burps

I do have a list of a few new one beers. I will write my reviews tomorrow.

-Cheers!

Still going. Although a little slower

I am sorry. I had no idea it has been over a week since I last blogged. Please accept my apologies. I hope my latest beer choices will make up for lost time. I was finally able to track down a few I had been looking for, and one that I have been saving for a while. So, without further wait, here is my latest reviews.

Flying Dog - Horn Dog Barley Wine style ale.
I am drinking it right now. This is my third beer of the evening. And I will tell you a secret. I am feeling it. It rings it at a powerful 12.0 Alc/Vol. I know that because they print it on the side of the bottle. They also printed the IBU: 45 as well. Good thing. As much as I wish I could tell what the levels were from just a taste, I can't. I'm not that good. But what I can tell you is that this beer is good. I expected that slap of alcohol taste, but it didn't happen. It was surprisingly subdued. I wouldn't exactly say, absent. However, it is far from distracting. In fact, I am really enjoying it. I would say it leans more to the malt side than hops. But it is a even spread across the palate.

I really love this brewery. If I was to cheat on Dogfish Head, it would be with Flying Dog. And the more I try their brews, the more I think they might be take over the top spot on my top 5 list. More and more, I find myself recommending Flying Dog to anyone willing to try a new beer. Their beers are just so different, yet so good.

Grade: 4 Burps

New Belgium - 1554 Enlightened Black Ale
New Belgium is a brewery that keeps climbing up my top 5 list. They aren't in the "extreme" beer category of the Dogs. What they do is make good beer. Beer so good, that I have friends request it on the east coast where they can't get it. So in my attempt to review every beer they make, I started with a bottle of the 1554 Black Ale. I don't know what it is, but most of the beers I have been drinking come from the dark side. That explains so much.

I liked this one, just as I thought I would. It was very flavorful, and didn't linger on the palate. It was a heavy malt with a clean finish. Honestly, I expected the usual fruity taste of a Belgium ale, but the coffee and toffee flavors covered it up. I was surprised how mellow and smooth it was. I think this is why so many of my friends turn to New Belgium when the decide to break into the world of Micro Brews. They are a safe choice. And that is Ok. They make good beer. Strike that, they make really good beer. In fact, I think that missing keg I have yet to replace in my kegerator, might be filled with New Belgium Fat Tire. But don't tell the Dogs I said that.

Review: 3 1/2 Burps (very close to 4 burps though)

Samuel Adams - Imperial Series, Imperial Stout
I have been dying to try the newest creations from the Boston Beer Company. Samuel Adams has created 3 new brews for us under the "Imperial Series" label. The first one I was able to try was the Imperial Stout.

I really liked this one. Yes, I am a fan of Jim, but all biased aside, this really is a good brew. In fact, of the three (reviews to follow), this was my favorite. It is just a good, big, beer. That is what I like. It rings in at a quality 9.2% Alc/Vol. in a 12 oz. bottle. And it is just about perfect. I actually had another one before I decided to try one of the other 2.

It pours a beautiful dark color which I loved. An ever so slight hint of alcohol as you might expect from a brew of this caliber. The slight aftertaste and drinkablility (I hate that word, but it fits) is the only thing I could find to describe as faults. It wasn't as "thick" as I expected. Aside from that, it is a damn good beer. If you can find it, buy it.

Review: 4 Burps

Samuel Adams - Imperial Series, Double Bock
The next in the Samuel Adams Imperial Series, Double Bock. This might get a little old, but yes, it was good. Nearly as good as the Imperial Stout. However, I think it is just a notch below. Coming in at a 9.2 Alc/Vol, it is a quality beer. If it wasn't for that, this could be a good session beer. It has a great flavor, and an enjoyable aroma. This is a brew I would share with friends. It has the usual flavors of malt and coffee. But the alcohol was just a little stronger than the Stout. I think I am going to age a bottle or two and to see what happens.

Review: 3 1/2 Burps

Samuel Adams - Imperial Series, Imperial White
This is the third offering from the Imperial Series. And it is the third on my list. Normally, I am not a big fan of this style of beer. I did like it, but not as much as I wanted. This one rings in at a powerful 10.3% Alc/Vol. And you can tell. There was that alcohol aftertaste. But it wasn't as distracting as some other beers at this level. I might be biased, but I don't enjoy the citrus aftertaste. I am a malt and hops kind of guy, Thus, the unfair bias towards Witbiers. So if you are a fan, then try it. But if you are a hophead, or a true Ale kind of guy, go for the other two.

Review: 3 Burps

There you have it. I do have a few more, but I this is a long post, and I have to save something for the next review.

-Cheers!

New Beer a Day, still going.

I had so much fun last week going through all the different beers I had in my beer fridge. So much fun, that I decided to keep it going. Instead of adding another keg to my kegerator as I originally planned to do, I am on a binge. I am finishing off all the beers I have been saving in my beer fridge. So hold on, this is going to be a fun ride.

I have had my mini fridge full of quality beer from some of the the most amazing breweries. There must be a beer from 20 different breweries in there, from all around the world. I don't know why, I but I have been saving them. Why? I don't know. I guess they are kind of like baseball cards to me. When I go to the beer store, I look for those rare cards, I mean beers, that I think are going to be special. When I find one, I buy it, and put it in my beer fridge. Every so often, I will open it up to look at my collection. It is rare that I will actually take a bottle and drink it.

But a couple weeks ago, I did it. I took a bottle out of my collection, and I drank it. O man, was it good! Then I thought to myself, what am I doing? There is always a new beer to try. I can always buy a another one. What have I been depriving myself of? Great Beer, that's what.

So, here is the list.

Dogfish Head - Chicory Stout
What can I say about Sam Calagione and Dogfish Head Brewery? Nothing but good! I love this brewery. Not to be confused with the equally amazing brewery, Flying Dog, Dogfish Head just gets it. When it comes to extreme beers, they are the leaders. This week, I tried a bottle of their new seasonal, Chicory Stout. I don't think this one qualifies as an extreme" beer, but it sure qualifies as "good". Yes, I liked it. Are you surprised? I'm not. It really was a good beer. With a rating of 5.2 abv, I think this could become a session beer for me. I liked the dark color and coffee aroma. It has a dark color and smooth finish. It does have a hint of woodsy tastes, giving it that right hint of robust taste. Overall, the smooth, chocolaty flavors make me a fan.

Grade: 4 Burps (yes, the grades are new. I think I needed to come up with something)

Witchwood Brewery - Hobgoblin Ale
I have had this before at Beerfests. But this was the first time I bought a bottle for home enjoyment. What was a dumb decision. I loved this beer. As I sipped it from my imperial pint glass I stole from a pub in London, I kept thinking, "This is so good". I should have bought this before". To be honest with you, the bottle is small. Only 11.2 Fl.Oz. (330ml). For a little more, I can buy a full pint of Fuller's. So that is what I usually do. My bad. I am huge fan of the English Ales. And Hobgoblin has deepened this love. It has that creamy, caramel, and malty taste I love so much. It is such a smooth example of an English Ale. It goes down so fast. It left me wanting another one.

Grade: 4 1/2 Burps

Bear Republic - Red Rocket Ale
Hmmm.....I like it? Yes, I like it. I do. But I don't know why I don't love it. But I do really like it. I think my bias towards the European style beers alters my opinions when it comes to the West Coast breweries. And the battle for West Coast supremacy is a vicious battle. Bear Republic is a good brewery, but not my favorite. But they do make some good beers, like Red Rocket. Great color, good head, and a nice taste. An equal share of malt and hops gives the beer a good balance. Well, the hops might linger a little. That is the only think that stops me from giving it a higher score. Overall, it is a good beer. It is a staple in my beer fridge.

Grade: 4 Burps

Grolsch - Premium Lager
I like the bottles. And I like the fact that I drink a few of them at a time. I would call this a typical European Lager. That isn't a bad thing. But it isn't one of the quality Lagers I come to expect. It is clean beer, but has a light flavor. It is still better than an American mega-brew. However, your money would be better spent on a German beer. But I like the bottle.

Grade: 3 Burps

Fullers - 1845 Ale
Are you ready for me to blatantly tout another one of Fuller's Ales. Well, I am going to do it anyway. I Love Fuller's. And I love their ESB. It says it right there on the label, it ale is "Extra Special". I have to agree. Yes, I am biased, but I think you would be too. It is just such a great ale. It has such a great taste and aroma. I know you will like it. So I strongly recommend that you find it, and try it.

Grade: 4 1/5 Burps

I have more to write about, but I gotta go. Tomorrow night maybe.

-Cheers!

A new Beer a day, keeps the bordom away

I have a hard time making a decision. I still need to replace the empty Flying Dog keg in my kegerator. But I just can't bring myself to make up my mind. I feel guilty for not replacing it with another keg from Flying Dog. So I am just going to take my time and try as many different beers as I can before I make the final decision. It will give me the chance to try some of the beers I keep finding.

Here is what I have gone through the past week.

1. Port Brewing - Old Viscosity Ale.
This is a hearty ale "aged in oak barrels". Man, is it good. It has a great malt and coffee taste. The oak barrel aging gives it a very smooth flavor. It as a hint of caramel, and a smooth aftertaste. I think I am going to be a big fan of barrel aging. I am drinking it right now as type. However, as much as I like it, I don't think I would enjoy it on a daily basis. My favorite beer depends on the day. And I don't think it would be a good idea to get an entire keg of this. Besides, I don't think it is even available.

2. Breckenridge Brewery -471 ESB (Extra Special Bitter)
I have a soft spot in my heart for ESB (Fuller's). Hard to believe, but this was my first beer from Breckenridge Brewery. And I really did enjoy it. There was a stronger taste of hops than I would have expected from a traditional ESB. But it balanced out well with the malt, to form a truly even taste. I did sense a bit of an alcohol, but nothing distracting. I did enjoy it enough to buy another two bottles. One to drink, and one to age. And I think I am going to buy a bottle of Breckenridge's other 471 series batches. The 471 IPA. How can it not be good?

3. Flying Dog - Snake Dog IPA
Is it possible for me to say anything but good about Flying Dog? No, it isn't. This is a great beer from a cool brewery. I LOVED it! And I will buy more. Hops is the new Black, and I am on board. A good IPA is something everyone tries to create. But to do it well, that takes a special brewery. And Flying Dog is the brewery who can do it. They just get it. I don't know how, but I think they should bottle it, and sell it. I know I would buy it!

4. New Belgium Brewery - Mighty Arrow Pale Ale
I first tried this at Beerfest. And I did like it. But I found it on tap at a sports bar last week, and I think I enjoyed it more the second time around. In fact, I veered from my traditional "around the world" routine, and had nothing but Mighty Arrow for the evening. I enjoyed it so much, that I went out and bought a six-pack of it for home. One of them is going to be traded to a friend of mine on the east coast. So that leaves me 5, I mean 3, for the next week.
New Belgium is a cool brewery. I mean, who wouldn't want a custom bicycle to ride to work? If I could, I would work for them. Aside from making great beer, they are a brewery on the cutting edge of Green. I love this brewery. I love their beer, and everything they stand for. And if there is anyone out there who knows how I can get one of those bicycles, please, let me know.

This about covers last week. I made a trip to the beer stores this weekend. I have a great sampling of beers to review this week. Don't get me wrong. A kegerator is a great thing. But nothing compares to a new beer every day.

-Prost!

BEERFEST. Part 1 - The Beer

That is another Beerfest in the books. What can I say, i loved it? I can't wait until the next one? I do that every time. So what was the best part of Beerfest?

The Beer.

There were hundreds of different beers to taste. The amount of quality beers available is almost overwhelming. I felt a little stressed when I first arrived. I thought quietly to myself,


- "How am I going to try all these beers in just six hours"?


- "How am I going to try them all with only 24 tickets in my pocket"?

The answer to that daunting question. "One at a time"



So lets get started.



My strategy was to get in and out as fast as possible. Just like a "whore in Church". (That seems to be a popular quote lately). I needed to hit the breweries that I knew would be the "E Ticket" lines. So I started with the ever popular breweries like Stone, Dogfish Head, Deschutes, Rogue, and New Belgium. Time, and beer, well spent. I might have actually hit a couple of them two or three times. But who is counting (Stone 3 times).

For the rest of the afternoon, I made my way in and out of most of the other breweries lines. I looked for beers that were the newest creations, or the ones which I have never tried. That was a hard task. But I did manage to try a few that I really enjoyed. And I did happen to try some that I think I will never try again.

So that is my story. Now, here is the beer list.

1. Stone Brewery - Oak Aged Ale: "This is a great beer. Very flavorful, and great mouth feel"

2. Deschutes - Green Lakes Organic Ale: "Hoppy and Nutty. Clean finish"

3. Reaper Ale - Morality Stout: "Malty flavor. Clean Finish. No aftertaste"

4. Sam Adams - Imperial Reserve: "Gooooood! I Like It"! "Buy some.

5. Bitch Creek - 20th Anniversary Double ESB Ale: "Very Good"

6. Sun Up Brewery - Armadillo Red Ale: "Hoppy aftertaste"

7. Oak Creek - King Crimson Red Ale: "11% alcohol. Kinda taste it. Enjoyable"

8. Dogfish Head - Raison D'Entre: "Yummy". (I remember asking where Sam was. The guy said "Who"?)

9. New Belgium - Seasonal: "?"

10. Oggies - Asylum something Triple something Ale: "O.K."

11. Speak Easy IPA - Big Daddy: "Dude is a dork" (I remember this. I asked for something else. The stupid "volunteer" didn't know what it was. He started asking the other volunteers. So I told him, give me that. Speak Easy was right behind him.)

12. Port Brewing - Hop 15: "I like this one"

13. Old World Brewery - Wit: "I don't like Wits. Bit this is good".

14. Deschutes Brewery - Inversion IPA: "Un legible" (Is this correct grammar? It must have been the beer talking)

15. Dogfish Head - 90 Minute IPA: "Thank you GOD for creating Sam. I love this Beer". (Something like this. That is what I meant to write)

16. Odell Brewing - IPA: "O.K."

17. Boulder Beer - Hazed & Confused: "?"

18. Sonoran Brewing - Inebriator: "No"

19. New Belgium - Mothership Wit: "+" (Whatever this means)

20. Coronado Brewing - Red Devil: "+" (Again? I don't know what I meant)

21. Old World Brewery - Stout: "Gooooood".

22. Lost Abbey - I don't know: But "I LOVE it"!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to try all the beers. My list ended somewhere around 28. But I can't figure out exactly what they were. I guess I was feeling pretty good by that time. And my handwriting is proof of it. And a side effect of this, is that my reviews became very archaic. You can see some had nothing more than a +, or No, or ?. I don't know what I was saying.

What is amazing is that when I got home, I had 38 sample tickets in my pocket. That's weird, because I started with 24. O well, at least I got to try twenty something great beers. I think next time, I might take a recorder. That should make for some great audio.

-Prost!

Empty

I'm sure everyone has been anticipating my first post about BEERFEST. In fact, I had planned on writing part one tonight. I even downloaded all my photos. But something big just happened. I finished off one of my kegs. The Flying Dog Amber Lager is all gone.

So let me think. I tapped the kegs when I finished my kegerator back in December. So in my special math, I guess it took exactly 3 months. Honestly, I'm not sure if that is a good or a bad thing.

The Bad:
I finished off an entire keg all by myself. And it only took me 3 months to drink that much beer. I am willing to bet, it would have been like 2 months if I didn't have the two other beers on tap to drink as well. In addition to the kegs, I went through several cases of bottled beer. I can't even tell you how many. Is this a problem? Should I be worried?

Now I have to go out and spend money on a new keg. And beer isn't getting any cheaper. How much is this one going to cost me? $50, $60, $80? Who knows? This economy is killing my beer habit.

The Good:
It only took me 3 months to finish off an entire keg all by myself. I would have done it in less time (like 6-8 weeks) if I didn't have the other two kegs to siphon from as well. Not to mention the cases of other beer I went through in the same time frame.

The best part of finishing off the keg is, I get to add a new one! I have an empty spot open and it is begging to get filled. I can hear it calling me from the other room right now. I can hardly stand it. I think the BevMo is still open. But then I am stuck choosing one of the old kegs someone never picked up. Or Miller Lite. I think I'm better off waiting. I want to order something real special.

Decision:
What to do? If course I am going to fill that spot, soon. I need to make a decision on which beer to add. I have some in mind. But I really want a special beer this time. Something that will make all my friends jealous. I think I will take a few days to decide. I am going to read through my list of beers from the past Beerfests. See which ones I liked, and which ones I loved. Then I can make my decision. I might even add a "Vote which Beer" app. over on the side there. Then you can all help me make my important decision.

I really loved this beer. And I love Flying Dog Brewery. I have yet to drink a beer they make, that I didn't like. They are an amazing brewery. In the crowded microbrew scene, they stand out like a whore in church. And that whore sure can brew some great beer!

-Prost!