Weihenstephaner Vitus in honor of Jay

At the Library Alehouse for Jay's penultimate night in LA. Jay - you are cool, we will miss you. Excellent beer list here, but I quickly suggested an old standby - Weihenstephaner Vitus. Booyah. Good value being that it's 7.5% alc, so Base, Walker and I made moves. It's light but strong, sweet but light on your stomach. The not quite fruity, Belgian-style sugar character is my favorite part.

This beer is L'Anderson, minus the fact that it's brewed by the oldest brewery in Germany, which doesn't bear any similiarity to the Lander.

Weihenstephaner Vitus, Where Have You Been?

We went to Library Ale House to celebrate Jay's soon-to-be-departing presence and encountered a beast of a beer (and glass, which I hope to collect many of someday). Introducing, the Weihenstephaner Vitus.

This beer goes up to 11

I say introducing because I've haven't seen it in bars before (maybe I'm blind), though it should be because this beer is fantastic. It's a strong wheat beer, which basically translates to a hefeweizen that has a higher than normal alcohol content, hence the 'strong.' It is full bodied and has an excellent flavor profile. There are hints of banana and actually tastes sweeter than most hefes. This beer I wanted more and more of. Thankfully, my inhibitions were on sabbatical and I made the most of a delicious night.

Though I didn't know ye before, I'm glad I do now because this is one of the BAD BOYS.

Anchor Summer Beer

I arrived at Cha Cha Chicken and scrounged for leftover ropa vieja and deliciously unhealthy plantains, when Aaron B offered David and I an Anchor Summer Beer.

Interesting malt / hops action. It is an all-malt beer, and over 50% of its malt comes from malted wheat. Anchor Summer is not as refined as some summer ales, but that's not a bad thing. It's like a good whiskey old fashioned. Sugars and bitters take most of the edge off, but there's still some bite. This fella filled me up though, and if I was out in the hammock on a hot summer day I would need to split the sixer.


Love the bottle shape too. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Anchor Summer Beer, Gumbo, Kristen Bell

Hey Anchor Summer, meet ChaCha Chicken's Gumbo, in my belly.

Aaron B was delightful enough to toss me an Anchor as I sat down to enjoy a delicious meal. Then Walker showed up and we had a tasting situation in full effect.

Anchor Steam is some interesting stuff, and the Summer keeps up the tradition. A good balance of Amber flavors and light wheat ale attitude. The carbonation is pretty moderate, big bubbles but not too crisp. Not bitter at all, almost no hops to be found. I like this, and would grab it in place of Steam.

This beer is Kristen Bell after her appearance in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Part of a good franchise, cute and good at being the fresh, female starlet. Effervescent without being crisp. But ultimately she's destined to be a supporting cast member forever.

Wells Banana Bread Beer

Against David's hesitation, I convinced him in the spirit of Sunday Funday to taste the Wells Banana Bread beer. Yes, you read that correctly. This definitely falls into the category of "that's an odd idea for a beer." As for what compelled this creation, I'm assuming the English brew master was very inebriated in his grandmother's kitchen one night, smelled the above mentioned scrumpet and between heavenly mouthfuls EUREKA! A beer flavor was born. Anyone else have an origin story?

In all it's glory

So why buy this beer? Because my year long experiment/adventure is the perfect time to try beers I would normally never drink. I have no desire to only drink the top rated Belgian beers (or whatever). The whole point is to explore the beer spectrum. So here we are. Banana Bread. In a glass. Random note, this reminds me a little of the end in ENVY when Ben Stiller and Jack Black create Flan in a tube, aka, 'Pocket Flan.' Yum.

The subject is an English Ale that is brewed with bananas, as well as having banana flavor added. Hm. After pouring, we caught wind of a distinct banana bread aroma. Smelled surprisingly good. I became a jest a bit excited, as I was secretly hoping to find a sleeper and prove David's doubts wrong. We took our first sip and....eeeeeeeeeeeck, not so good. An overwhelming malt taste with no goodness behind it. I drank this quickly and was quite thankful that my old friend Wild Turkey was present. We watched Mad Men together and it was glorious. Wells brewery, sorry but not sorry, you have earned a PEARL HARBOR rating.

Sierra Nevada Autumn Brown Ale Tumbler, Yum

Saturday afternoon I suggested red meat to go along with our Autumn Brown Ale Tumbler. I helped David create a terrifically ridiculous meal: andouille sausage and beef burger with blue cheese and caramelized onions, topped off a spicy mayo sauce. Savory and sweet and spicy.


This-Was-Amazing. It will also be known as the burger that almost destroyed me.

A supreme heart attack and a half

Onto the beer. I'm only familiar with Sierra Nevada's seasonal Summerfest and Pale Ales (shame one me) but both are superb. This beer is no exception. This Autumn Brown Ale Tumbler pours a beautiful dark brown color. I could not only taste the light hops of a traditional Sierra Nevada but also well-balanced rich caramel and brown sugar flavors typical in an American ale. Delicious. it was perfect for red meat. The beer is a solid ale and while I'm rating it as TRANSFORMERS, I will certainly purchase this again soon. 

Hoptopia Double IPA

Kamari, my adopted dog child for the weekend, and I waited for Walker
right up until 1150, almost had to go it alone. I was excited to try
this double IPA because it's one of my favorite styles. Hoptopia is a good
variation, there's a mellow sweetness that settles in after the
typical bitter taste of a strong IPA. Walker has decided he doesn't
like this beer, but he's probably just jealous that Kamari likes me
more than him.

This beer is Jack Nickolson in as Good As It Gets. A (double) bitter
curmudgeon that is actually kinda nice once you get to know the guy.

Hoptopia Double IPA

So this fella was a reasonably cheap purchase at BevMo. The name raises tasting expectations and I imagined a super nova explosion of hops in my mouth, like an amazing science experiment gone wrong.

It's a lot to live up to and Hoptopia failed to meet expectations. It's not a bad beer, but the hop was less explosion and more Black Cat Firecracker. If the label said, 'a mild mannered IPA' then I wouldn't be left so unsatisfied. They could make the name an homage to Clark Kent, Superman's mild mannered alter-ego. Hermitage Brewery, I'm available. And cheap. Did I mention terrifyingly handsome? Meanwhile, Hoptopia Double IPA can be found on THE ISLAND.

Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout

Well thanks to advertisers who pimp out the word for feminine beauty, clothing or nutritional ad campaigns, 'indulgence' exudes an determinedly feminine quality. I never hear it used during a Chevrolet truck ad. Even those shirtless douchenozzles at Abercrombie & Fitch won't utter it (but please, make my day).

But in the beer world? Apples and Oranges my friend. Horse of a different color. Priest of a different frock. Now, I didn't race home after purchasing and instead kept it for over a week, waiting for a night when I felt like drinking my dessert. This is the way I see it: 80-90% of the beer market is dominated by your big companies, Budweiser/Coors/Miller, leaving a tiny fraction for brews with originality and specialty. There are still A LOT of micro-brews within that small group but of that percentage, how many dessert beers do you think there are? Not that many. I figure this beer is an indulgence even before tasting.

Snapshot: essentially the Indulgence is a Belgian Dark Ale, however, at 7% alcohol it's technically labeled a Stout. It's also made with Belgian Dark Chocolate. Point being, it's a sipping beverage.

Speaking of indulgence, Lindsey A. makes her MIFB debut via Skype. Thanks for being the vanilla between our chocolate stout

Poured with a beautiful head. The taste is heavy on chocolate but not as rich as I'd imagined, more like a Ghirardelli quality light mousse. It's well crafted, indulging but not overwhelming. Props to Ommegnang because I think they accomplished what they set out to do. However, my glass emptied, and I was left slightly unsatisfied. I would've liked a dessert beer to have a fuller body (it finished too quickly) as well as a more complex character - hints of coffee, nuts, etc. This is a specialty beer meant for special occasions and within its specific mission it delivers. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Eye Of The Hawk, KYAAAAH! From Mendocino Brewing Co

Eye of the Hawk sounds like an excerpt from those misleading motivational speeches made by my basketball coach during middle school, home of the Spring Branch Eagles.

David brought this in after a coworker threw a party and the hawk's were the sole survivors, a dubious distinction. Straight from Ukiah, Californa, the hawk pours a reddish/amber color and has a caramel malt taste. However...

Survivor's new single: "It's the eye of the hawk and the thrill of the pitcher's balk, rising up to the mistakes of our rivals."

However, it has a strange aftertaste. And it's not good strange, like going to the gym drunk. But it's also not weird strange, as in grandpa obsessively watches the WNBA. No...it's peculiar, like Goth kids who also play varsity football.

As you can tell I'm having trouble placing the taste. However, regardless of my questionable tasting faculty, the fact is I didn't quite enjoy this ale. Yet if this was the last beer in a party cooler, I would never not drink it (double negative, count it!). TRANSFORMERS 2.

Rubicon ESB

Little background on the beer type: ESB's are in the family of Pale Ales ('Bitters' in England). ESB is the big brother of the IPA and ESB stands for Extra Strong Bitter. The 'Strong' does not refer to the degree of hops, but rather the alcohol strength, which is anything greater than 4.8%.

Complimented by a foam mustache, the first taste of the Sacramento based Rubicon ESB made an impression. It was crisp and distinctive, and the hops were subtle, sleuthing. The Rubicon's sharpness derives from its carbonation. Check out the foamy head in the picture, I find the next part interesting:

Foam Mustache Ride Anyone?

So I tasted just after opening but stepped away to play a video...read a book, and some time later I reached for my beer. The taste changed, becoming flat and bitter. It was bad but was simply different. See, opening the bottle allowed oxygenation to occur and as time passed, the carbonation dissipated and the hops were replaced by the real backbone of an ESB, a bitter. Like Kesier Soze, the greatest trick the hops ever pulled was convincing the tongue it did exist. And like that (poof), it was gone.

It's an interesting beer and I wouldn't mind drinking at least once before ARMAGEDDON.

p.s. I'm not a total geek, so I can only hope the science above is correct and if it's not, correct me in the comments, I'd love to learn.

Haywire Hefeweizen, It's Not Entirely Your Fault

This post is less of a review and more of a jeremiad (today's Word of the Day anyone?). Here is the picture and afterwords a story.

Culprit of my Aluminum Jeremiad

Based on actual events: So one evening a young man desired a beer but at the local liquor store found mostly beers with unsavory price tags, until in the corner he spied micro-brew for cheap. 'What he bargain!' The naive child giddily thought as he purchased the item with laundry money. At his apartment, he poured a frothy glass and as he tasted it's sweet....metallic-ness? At once, his mind became awash with memories long suppressed, images and tastes from other beverages such as Coca-Cola and Modelo Especial ruined by the element known...as...Alum (street name 'Aluminum'). He struggled on, heroically utilizing his years of suppression to continue bravely onward. Sip, after sip, after sip brought forth the beer's watered-down banana and uninspiring spice, however, the finish could not hide the disgusting afterbirth of aluminum in the Pyramid Brewery's beer and so he threw the can over the porch railing and fell to his knees screaming "STELLA!" for no readily apparent reason. What was left in the tallboy, soon emptied onto the ground before an awaiting terrier, scraggly and unkempt, who sniffed and licked at the light but cloudy golden color. Its lips curled up as it turned to make haste, but not before muddying the classless, aluminum-tainted liquid with its excellence. It kicked the can down the marina dock where the notorious Sea Lion 'Sanctuary Sam' seized the moment and clenching the tallboy between his jowls, escaped into the starless night.

Everyone was a loser here: the young man, the pissant terrier, Sancutary Sam, PETA and especially Greenpeace.

Moral of the story, spend the extra dollar and go with glass; only cheap beer and soft drinks whose end purpose is to provide quantity consumption (over quality) deserve a metallic poisoned coffin. Oh and Haywire Hefeweizen deserves to be on THE ISLAND, where he will be visited by Sanctuary Sam.

The Bruery Saison de Lente

A Summer seasonal that's true to its word, I drank this beer while watching Entourage (actually good for once) but is better suited for a picnic outdoors.

The pour on this creates a MASSIVE head and I definitely over-poured the first time (sploosh). The taste is an interesting mix of an upfront floral/hoppy-ness indicative of this Belgian style but was soon followed by a grassy/bitter taste. It's a perfectly fine beer but not suited for all occasions. Autobots rule, TRANSFORMERS rating.

When Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 'makes a funny' you may say he's being a...

PRANQSTER. Ha. Ha. Ha. Ahhm. From North Coast Brewing comes a Belgian Style Golden Ale that compels you suavely say, 'Hello beautiful. Shhh, no words. I'm just gonna drink you."

Hello GoldBeer, seems we meet again

Saturday night I took a detour from a pub crawl on Main St. to drink this on tap (!) at the Library Alehouse. I was joined by Melissa R, Jessica W, Blake L and Nick G (who all loved sipping on Allagash White). Back to Pranqster, it's an unfiltered smooth golden ale. Look at that body! The taste is rich and substantial but also subtle. It's a nearly perfect beer. Nearly. It lacks a little spice, a distinctive kick that makes you say, 'that's the one.'

Some people may disagree with me on this, but here's my take. A home cooked meal usually lacks the polish of a professional chef, however, it can still be terrifically delicious. I will always order Pranqster at the Library Alehouse, as it makes me a happy camper. That being said, in my hearts of hearts and liver of livers, I don't feel this beer deserves the penultimate honor. But please, enjoy your stay at THE ROCK.

Christmas Time in August: Something Special from Unibroue, the Quelque Chose

Arriving at Whole Foods in Venice Friday night, I walked right into an ambush/beer tasting with Unibroue sales rep Michael Smith, who interestingly enough owns a CrossFrit gym in Huntington Beach (i.e.he's huge). We tried six beers, including Blanche de Chambly, Ephemere Apple, Maudite, La Fin du Monde, Trois Pistoles, Terrible and the night's special Quelque Chose - more on that later. Apparently Whole Foods invites brewers every Friday night to the store at 7pm. For $15, a thirsty individual can receive a bunch of beer and a free meal (always different) and sometimes a free glass. Duly noted Whole Foods, you're in my calendar. I also won a free shirt for being excellent and/or correctly guessing an irregularity in the Trois Pistoles bottle (more when we profile that beer).




What I'm choosing to speak about this evening was the night's special, Quelque Chose, which is pronounced 'Quell K Shows' and means 'something'. Now, why is it special?

A). This is a limited edition Unibroue, only 750 cases worldwide.

B). It falls into the category of a mulled beer, which is basically a beer served hot (like gluvine - hot wine). Mulled beer is usually produced during the winter season. I'll tell you what, this beer is delicious any time of year. I wish it was on every street corner liquor shop.

C). Why only 750 cases? Because it takes three years to make. Ah, that's why it isn't everywhere.

Mulled beer is served at 122-155 F degrees, which is accomplished by bringing a pot of water to boil and then simply dipping the beer in-and-out of the water. It's that simple. (Hot Saki uses the same basic technique, only you have wait for the bubbles to rise).

The Unibroue website describes the Quelque Chose as a blend of Belgian Kriek Ale and a Brown Ale brewed in Chambly. Now as Michael Smith poured it, he describes it as a Sour Brown Ale, which I find closer to the truth and instantly easier to comprehend. I usually don't like sour ales but this beer changed my mind. First off, it's not super sour. The cherries come up front but quickly wash away as the heated ale rises up and then finishes with the sweetness of vanilla and honey.

This beer is arresting. The unique blend, the spices, the heat. Everyone in the bar gasped and involuntarily exclaimed 'oh my god! This is amazing.' High off winning my novelty Unibroue t-shirt, I join in with the dweeb chorus around me....but inside my mind was going YUM YUM YUM YUM like a kid who'd waited a long hot summer's day for delivery of a ice cream fudge sunday.


 
Michael promised that they would have cases in Whole Foods for the seasonal and while I'm holding out crossing my fingers he isn't one to make empty promises, I'm not holding my breath. It's just so rare. Still, if you see one BUY IT - it's one of the BAD BOYS.

Alesmith IPA, I've Never Doubted You

You know those moments when you look over at someone and say yep, that's happening? Happens to David and I when we agree to purchase this beer. Not one you buy all the time but when we do purchase, it always pleases our palates (and bellies). It's just a great beer. Full of hops, a rich malty base, it's just great. I was excited to see it on tap recently at O'Brien's pub on Main St.

It's a beer that's highly rated and thoroughly enjoyed. This is easily one of the knights of the round IPA table. One of the top cheeses, like Sir Lancelot or Sir Galahad. In addition, AleSmith cleverly creates an IPA acronym on the bottle back (top right). How can you turn down delicious and clever? Not I said the wolf. BAD BOYS rating

Group Review! Hennepin by Ommegang

This is Duvel's American little brother. It's clean, balanced and delicious. A little less crispness, less alcohol and a little less sweetness. Some of the complex spice notes are missing as well, but if you like Duvel you'll like this, and if you like light, crisp, Belgians, makes moves. Pick up a Hennepin.

Joining Walker and I were some distinguished and excited beer friends. Their thoughts:

Sarah: "Oooo I like this! I think that it's crisp, sour, citrus, but like a day old citrus, not fresh citrus, (takes big sip) definitely something you should eat with. It needs to go with a white fish. But my favorite part of the beer is how the bottle looks."
Baseman: "Kinda reminds me of Duvel! (Continues playing PS3...)"
Blake: "Mmmm, pleasantly... ok hold on I need another sip, it's pleasantly citrusy, I guess that's kinda redundant. Pleasantly citrus; I would say serve with a slice of orange (!) and you have a perfect Sunday afternoon.
Jay: "I'm just gonna say nutty, but it's not nutty, it's not nutty at all."

Hey Ommegang, thanks for the great evening. Also, we all agreed that this beer could be well represented by Cate Blanchett.

Oh my gosh, Ommegang , Hennepin delivers

The last beer from Ommegang we drank last Friday, Three Philosophers, and was no good. However, the New York brewery rebounded with a beer chosen celebrate our first official group tasting with Blake L, Jay S, Sara P and Aaron B.

Hennepin is a 'Farmhouse Saison' and has a beautiful golden body with a sweet and floral and slightly spicy taste. It's crisp and delicious. I could say more, but in researching this beer, I found a comment on the Ommegang website that makes a very powerful statement which I'd like to share with you. Thank you everyone at the tasting, that night was a blast! BAD BOYS rating.

(posted 12/11/2007) "How sad that we learn some very important things at the late stages of our lives. I have spent a lifetime, well at least from about 16 to 85 looking for the perfect beer. Eureka, today I found it. I have no stock in the company, no vested interest, no axe to grind, but today I had a bottle of Hennepin Beer from the Ommegang Brewery. It has an alcohol content of 7.7% and a superb body and taste. Since I love you all, I am passing on my discovery." Robert (85 years old)

We appreciate your sentiment Robert.

Red Hook 8-4-1 Expedition

Wow, I will get this again.

Don't usually like brown ales, but this is an imperial brown, a ruler of other browns, apparently. There's a ton going on here, some hoppy, rich sweetness, probably the candi sugar, then a bit of honey and smokiness. This is easily one of the most original beers I've had in a long time. The finish and aftertaste is similar to any other brown, with the addition of some hops and a little bitterness from the 9.5% alcohol. If there was some additional crispness, and a stronger sweet note on the finish, this beer could get pretty close to perfect. This is my favorite beer of the one-a-day-tour so far. Plainly and confidently, this beer is Freddie Mercury (on a vacation in the US).

I should add that Walker had recorded "Wipe Out" on ABC and is howling like a monkey at the TV as I write this.

I'd Set Sail with the Red Hook 8-4-1 Expedition

I really only know Red Hook from their excellent ESB but this specialty beer 'Expedition' made a very indelible mark. 

Watermelon not included

It's a brown ale with a honey, like a pub beer turbocharged with sweetness. This is a great sipping beer and something to enjoy on THE ROCK.


And WIPEOUT is the most hilarious TV show ever. Nothing is funnier than people constantly falling on their face. It's science.

Green Flash Brewing Le Freak is Freaky Delicious

When I say 'freaky,' let me place it in context; not freaky like a Barnum & Bailey sideshow or like the creepy clowns that run around at Knott's Berry Farm in October or HIPSTERS, but freaky like Victor Frankenstein's Monster - a freak of science. Green Flash Brewery out of San Diego made Le Freak a Belgian Style Imperial IPA.  That's a mouthful (of decliciousness).

It's a crossbreed, like a Labradoodle or Sharktopus. Hoppy and zesty like an IPA, sweet and full bodied like a Belgian. First sip really surprised me and each sip thereafter I enjoyed even more. I would love this at a dive bar with college buddies or relaxing next to a fire after a day of bombing down ski slopes. This beer is ambidextrous and one to experiment with different food and unusual settings. I'm looking forward to my next Le Freak. This is one of the BAD BOYS.

Mischief, Salty's and ribs

Today we drank Mischief by The Bruery. It was very delicious. Lighter and smoother than other similiar Belgian strong ales, medium hops notes, and barely any fruit/sweetness. Character comes mostly from the generous carbonation, crispness, and subtle alcohol (but at 8.5% it was hard to miss). Thank you Bruery for continuing to make good stuff. I will get this again and recommend it to Duvel fans.

The real highlight of the day was successfully recreating the clam chowder from Salty's and sharing it with Walker, Lockness and Blake. Salty's is a seafood spot in Seattle/Redondo Beach and they make the best chowder I've ever had AND NOW I HAVE IT. Also made a couple racks of ribs. Party. Not quite sure that my human-pairing fits the beer exactly, but I've got to go with Kevin Spacey. He can be strong, crisp, and subtle. Maybe it's fit better if this beer had a darker character, but I need to give him credit for the sentiment that carried the day - "[Salty's Restaurant Clow Chowder recipe]. The [recipe] I've always wanted and now I have it. I rule!"

Bruery Mischief, I Enjoyed You

Like a kid in a candy store, I become super excited whenever I see beer from The Bruery. David, Nick G and I discovered this Orange County brewery last year at the LA Beer Fest and particularly loved their seasonal Saison de Lente, which sells out quickly. Mischief, I've never seen before but has a very handsome label. Dark and brooding. Nothing like the beer but it does compliment the name. 

Mischief is a Belgian-Style Golden Strong Ale with a dash of hops. After two busts in a row, we needed a win and The Bruery delivered. If this is at a bar, I will drink it. Welcome to THE ROCK.

As David mentioned, Sunday was a great evening spent with delicious food and wonderful company, Blake and Lock, whom we both haven't seen in a while. Here's a picture commemorating the excellent chowder and bbq ribs which we will be eating for the next week. 

Ribby Ribby Ribby CHOWDER CHOWDER CHOWDER

Ommegang Three Philosophers May Be Wise But You Taste Barf

David and I bought a three pack of Belgian style beers Saturday at the Toys R' Us of alcohol, Beverage Warehouse in Marina del Rey. Beers came with a free glass (always a sucker for novelty glassware).

David warned me that Three Philosophers was not his favorite of beers. I always liked the label and for whatever reason, doubted him. He warned me...

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

Online, everyone loves this beer. A, A-, B+. It's like a nerd's report card (nerds always get B+ in gym class, duh). We brought it over to a nearby party with all sorts of fun people and were 'generous' enough to let the group taste. 1 out of 6 girls liked the beer. Wow. I bequeathed the rest to the sole fan, Taylor. Biggest issue? It has a pervasive Cherry flavor. Three Philosophers is a "blend of Belgian dark strong ale and Lindeman's Kriek (a classic cherry lambic directly from Belgium."  I just really didn't enjoy this and I wrote some inappropriate notes which I won't share but I will say this - your nice label and free smallish beer glass fooled me like a true sucker. You are my first but not last PEARL HARBOR rating

Firestone DBA

A Double Barreled (DBA) English Pale Ale. But the beer was flat. Shame. Disregarding the flatness, I still didn't like you.

You reminded me of that student in middle school who was really nice but despite her best intentions, asked really stupid questions during all-school assemblies. While being earnest, you still prolonged the torture and for that we disliked you strongly. Firestone DBA, all I can say is, blerg. TRANSFORMERS 2.

Firestone Walker Union Jack

Continuing our series of beer from the brewery that bears my middle name, Thursday we drank this guy, Union Jack.

It's an American Style India Pale Ale (IPA) that celebrates the British flag. Their website doesn't acknowledge why they chose the name, and I can only assume they are referencing the conquest and resulting colonization of India by the British as well as the formation of the East India Trading Company in the 1600's, whose ships flew the Union Jack. Or maybe they just enjoy really obtuse references for beer names.

Anywho, I'm not Sherlock Holmes, but what I am is a fan of IPA's and I enjoyed this. It's no Beer Republic Racer 5, but it 'satisfies expectations.' A heavier body than a many IPA's, it has a light citrus taste and would make a worthy compliment with dinner. Run this up the flagpole: TRANSFORMERS.

Unibroue Noire de Chambly - the first 11:59PM beer

11:58 pm. Walk in the door. 11:59 pm, I pour and drink my first sip, a minute before midnight. The first time I've had to rush to drink as the day's hourglass empties but probably not the last. Phew.

"This is the part where Cameron goes berserk"

I'm not a huge dark beer fan, but I dig this. Unibroue Noire de Chambly is a belgian style black ale and it reminds me of Shiner Black, except that Noire is delicious and Shiner Black is ehh...The Noire retains the spice and boldness of a Belgium but has a thinner body, which I find refreshing. The result is a tasty beer that doesn't fill you up. I dig this fella. Welcome to THE ROCK.

Unibroue Raftman - Whiskey Malt Beer, It's...Different

This is what the Unibroue website says regarding the 'legend' of Raftman:

"Unibroue commemorates the legendary courage of the lumberjacks and log drivers of yesteryear. During their long months away from home, these hardworking men would get together and settle their differences over beer and whiskey, which are both made with malted barley. Unibroue had a great idea when it decided to bring the two together!"

Warning Lumberjacks: Do not drink and log-roll

I know Unibroue is Canadian, but that's still a cheesy idea, eh? I'm looking forward to their next beer celebrating the lives of entrepreneurial Fur Trappers and brave soldiers who battled the redman during the Beaver Wars in the 1600's. Hmm. Still, my expectations were high because I love whiskey. Whiskey, whiskey whiskey. What the lumberjacks 'settled their differences over' is what we kids now call a 'boilermaker,' named after Purdue University (*citation needed). It's a shot of whiskey dropped into or tossed back with a pint of beer. It's perfect for celebrations, becoming newly single, funerals or Thursday Nights.

Poured, the Raftman appears as an amber ale and tastes like one initially. But I couldn't get around this aftertaste. Eck is all I could muster. I don't know how to even describe the taste. I looked online and surprisingly, there are only a few who agree with me. To my aghast, it's rated fairly well. Still, every sip produced a cringe and pairing it with food wouldn't change my negative attitude.

Out of the three Uni beers tasted thus far, two of them have been busts. I will leave final judgment out until tasting the final beer, but as David suggested in the Ephemere post, I'm pretty certain that Unibroue packaged the four beer Variety Pack - sold in Trader Joe's - because they couldn't successfully sell them individually. Maybe Raftman sells really well with Axemen, but consider yourself warned: TRANSFORMERS 2 rating.

Exploring Hemp Beer: Humboldt Brown Ale

The first entry into the hemp beer division and personally my first, I was pretty curious about Humboldt Brown Ale. It's made by Nectar Ales and is apparently only available in CA due to hemp restrictions. Go figure.

So it's an all natural beer that incorporates hemp into the brewing process.  I couldn't detect any bitterness that's typical of brown ales, but there isn't a lot of flavor either. As far as the hemp goes, initially I couldn't taste anything but with further consumption I became aware of a tiny bit of sweetness. Overall, hemp's role in the brew appears relatively unsubstantial. Kinda disappointing, I was hoping for something inspired. All in all, a pretty generic brown ale. I'd drink it again if someone else was paying. Rating: ARMAGEDDON. 

Unibroue Chambly. Yes please

Part of our Unibroue variety pack, Chambly is the white ale that serves as the base for the apple infused Ephemere we disliked so much Friday evening. Righteousness prevails!

Chambly is a delight

Chambly is delicious. Clean and crisp and pours with minimal head.  Not too heavy, not too light, it's medium bodied and just right. White ales are interesting because across the board, it's one of the few beers even picky beer drinkers will order at a bar (looking at you ladies). This is an excellent choice and a great alternative to Hoegaarden. Welcome to THE ROCK.

Firestone Walker Brewery! Discovering Solace

David and I headed up to Saint Ynez Wine Country to taste some Ampelos Wine at their yearly bbq and afterwards headed to the Firestone Walker Brewery in Buelton, CA.

I love their Honey Blonde Ale they make, but refrained from the known this time. Here we tried a four beer sampler: Pale Ale, DBA (double), Union Jack (IPA) and Walker's Reserve (Robust Porter).

Good stuff, the Pale Ale is definitely worth it, and I'm not normally a fan of dark beers but the Walker's Reserve - thick and rich, with hints of coffee been and chocolate - is pretty good.

For our daily tasting though, we had a pint of something seasonal - Solace. Firestone markets it as a 'Summertime Fusion Wheat Beer.'

Firestone Walker Solace

A full bodied hefe. Nice. Citrus flavors didn't finish well. It's a fairly innocuous beer until the couple next to me suggested adding a lemon, which definitely upped the tastiness. Not too shabby but also not the summer dream it aspires to be, just like the lackluster summer blockbuster THE ISLAND.

Unibroue Éphémère aka Granny Smith Apple Beer

It's simple. I like apples. I like beer. Combine the two and it becomes Ephemere. Maybe it's not such s a good idea.

Unibroue uses chambly fundamentally in several beers, much like George Lucas used Star Wars IV-VI as a platform to launch episodes I-III. Now, some good things happen. Noire de Chambly. Yoda flying around kicking tail. Natalie Portman is beautiful (my intern just asked me if that was necessarily relevant and I stabbed his arm with my letter opener). Some aspects that are extensions of the original are the opposite of, let's say, good. For example Jar-Jar Binks, I wish you never existed.

Here the perfectly Canadian folks at Unibroue decided to mix their delicious white ale with a green apple flavor, and it's just too much. Every sip was followed by a frown. The only thing I can say after drinking this is, congratulations on your beer being as good as TRANSFORMERS 2.

Unibroue Éphémère is not delicious.

Sucks to go from the Allagash Tripel delight to this, but I guess that's the deal.

Walker got a 4-pack of Unibroue and we picked the Éphémère first. I think they put this in a 4-pack because they couldn't sell it individually. They put apple juice in this thing and it really shows up, not like a cider, more like a gross beer. If this beer were a lady, it'd be Drew Barrymore, and I think Drew sucks.

A tribute to Allagash

Kicked this thing off right with a tasting session at the Lincoln Rose Whole Foods, hosted by a Allagash helmsman Rob Tod. I went with Sir Karl, who is a gentleman.

Allagash doesn't make my favorite beers, but they make really, really good ones. Plus 5 pours, a tray of meats, cheeses and bread, $15, awesome deal. Since none of these were full beers, I'm not counting them, but my actual review of beer #1 follows.

1. Allagash White - not my favorite, but obviously a hit with many others. After trying this, a guy at the tasting asked, "Are there hops in this beer? I have a friend that makes beer and he puts hops in it. Does that make it a pale ale?" Rob then explained hops. Rob was very nice.
2. Allagash Fluxus 2009 - Rob explained that this beer changes every year, and that the 2009 is loosely based on the saison-style. They also brewed it with sweet potatoes and black pepper. Couldn't find the sweet potatoes, but the pepper was there, created an interesting dryness that I liked. Rob also noted that they donate some of the profits from this beer to support pediatric nurses, I liked that too.
3. Allagash Black - a maltier dark beer, much more subdued chocolate and coffee notes that usually hit really hard in this style. Rob said it sat somewhere between a dry Irish and a Russian Imperial. It was just OK.
4. "Four" - After my first sip, I didn't like this. I don't like fruit-infused beers and this tasted like cherries. But Rob explained that the 3rd fermentation of the "Fuckin Four" (as their brewers call it because of the difficulty posed by 4 fermentations) adds this fruit flavor - it's not from actual cherries. That made it more interesting, but I still couldn't imagine drinking a full glass of it.
5. Curieux - this had a big smokey, wood taste that I liked very much. They use their Tripel as the base, then age it in Jim Beam barrels for 2 months to create the Curieux. It kicks butt, I wanted more.

I wasn't going to drop $18 on a bottle of the Curieux, so I got the Tripel instead. It was a good choice. Karl elected to continue the evening (with a 4-pack of Pranqster) back at Club PlattiBrooks. So we put on Black Dynamite, popped bottles, and infused our evening of cinematic blacksploitation with a Belgian-inspired, bubbly American delight. I really like the relative simplicity of Allagash's Tripel. It's strong, crisp and pitch-perfect Belgian, with a balanced bitter/sweet/full flavor. Party. It is strange that I'll associate this beer with Black Dynamite the next time I pick it up, and I'll be a jive turkey if that isn't soon.

The Beginning: Allagash Tripel Reserve

Well, well, well, and so it begins. Not with a whimper, but with a slam dunk. Couldn't have picked a better beer to set sail with (credit to David). A Belgium style brewed in Maine, Allagash Tripel is a golden nectar, smooth and rich. It is a full bodied delight that delivers a head two fingers thick and tastes of banana, butter(scotch) and a dash of spice. And at 9.0% alcohol, taste is not the only benefit received. Allagash Tripel is a gentleman's beverage that one may enjoy at home or paired with an fine meal. It's an all-star. I bestow my highest rating, reserved for the most celestial of beers: BAD BOYS.

"Drink Allagash Tripel you jive-ass motha!" - Black Dynamite

 

I'm incredibly excited to begin this commitment and am certain the next 365 days will be an eye-opening experience. Every day is a different adventure into the world of beer, exploring what began in some monks bathtub (*citation needed) and quickly became the fuel that continues to nourish humanity's soul, making life just that much better (*citation unnecessary).

“Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger