Port Brewing Old Viscosity is the finest motor oil I have ever drunk

The Older Viscosity was one of the better beers I've had this year. Rich and complex, it was aged in bourbon barrels for an extended time and the result was mind blowing. The younger brother of the Older Viscosity, simply goes by Old Viscosity and it's a 10% beer aged in oak barrels rather than bourbon. What will the difference be?

This smells like a dark, dank stout with lots of roasted barley. This isn't as syrupy and ridiculous as older viscosity, which is like drinking motor oil - motor oil made by Hershey's and Aunt Jemima's love child-- and I mean LOVE child. The roasted malts are pretty smooth and there's a hint of sweetness as you finish, which rounds out a very rich and dare I say...noble...flavor profile. It is pretty damn bold, I'm amazed they were able to make the Older Viscosity even more badass. This is delicious. BAD BOYS rating

Afterward, David and I met coworker Tiff out at Library Alehouse for a few more rounds....watch out for the BEER!!

Coronado Mermaid's Red Ale doesn't lure me in with her siren song

I have a drinks at Surly Goat, which I haven't been too in a while and I'm stoked! Looking at the menu, the irony hits me...I've had most of these beers. At almost 330 beers, it was bound to happen somewhere. There are so many beers on the menu I want to drink for pleasure and not for the blog, such as the Stone IRS, Bruery Bierbauch, Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine and especially the 12% Speedway Stout they have on freaking cask. Ain't something so hard to turn down when you know exactly what you're missing?! Just like turning away free chocolate chip cookies...

I'm gonna roll the dice with a San Diego brewery who's location and beer names I like, but who also has disappointed me fairly often with their output, although I do like myself a red ale. Tonight's choice is Coronado Brewing's 5.7% Mermaid's Red Ale.

This beer reminds me of...you know that old Dobie Gray song, "Drift Away?" What's that now? Walker, please play some of that soft and soulful rock...well if you insist:

I'm specificaly referring to the Dobie's chorus, drift away. The red ale is looking good, good as hell, but the flavor profile is off. The hops are in the forefront of the taste along with faint roasted flavors, but then everything fades to a bitter finish without giving me a beat to work with. It's an odd mix that overall, doesn't sit well with me. Yet, the Mermaid is drinkable because it's lacking robustness, so points for that I suppose. THE ISLAND rating

Iron Fist Gauntlet Imperial IPA throws down on my ailments

The back label propaganda says that they are 'throwing down the gauntlet" on this 9.5% brew. It's apparently not for the weak hearted and since I've been feeling awfully under the weather all day.
I've traveled two out of the last three weekends and that other weekend I was up till dawn both nights. My traveling has caught up to me and now it's time to ketchup on my sleep and I'm hoping this Imperial IPA will throw down on my the sleeping pill I just took as well as my sic.....zzzzz

Soup, Triscuits, Beer and Kangaroo Ball bottle opener, everything Walker needs to feel better. Fact

As you can see, it pours with a huge head and the carbonation actually plays a distinctive role in this brew. It's a big bodied beer with a subtle, yet sharp grassy bite that's very distinct. It reminds me of the line of Stone IPA's, landing in between their regular IPA and Stone Ruination. The carbonation adds a creaminess to the beer that you don't usually get with an IPA, adding to its uniqueness. They certainly threw down, Donkey Kong style -

I was just looking for a simple video of someone throwing barrels at Donkey Kong, but that was wayyy better. I love the Gauntlet's distinctive hop bite, big body and creaminess. For a company less than a year old with a brewer who's only 21 years old, they keep making rock stars. THE ROCK rating.

Anderson Valley Imperial IPA welcomes me back from Chicago

After being delayed for 4 hours in O'Hare last night, I arrived at LAX by 2:30am Monday morning and was in bed around 3:45, which was awesome. Party

Good thing Monday night we decided bring out this 20th Anniversary Imperial IPA from well known Anderson Valley based in Boonville, CA. Daddy needs his medicine.

This clocks in at 8.7% and could be the west coast stand in for Dogfish Head's 90 IPA. Like this Imperial, their beer was 9% alcohol and had a big, sweet malt. Anderson Valley also boast 20 separate editions of hops, which is very similar to the 'continuous hopping done by Dogfish. What differs, is Dogfish's distinctly British malt and their ability to blend their hops for a slightly more refined feel. David for some reason thinks this is too malty, but I and the beer advocate posters like the big malt. TRANSFORMERS rating

Goose Island Honkers kills time in Chicago O'Hare after a big Chicago parade

Final day in Chicago! It's been a hell of a weekend and we're wrapping up the weekend with a big event.  Gay Parade in Boystown is Andrea, Sarah and Whitney's favorite event of the year and they're promising, besides the appearance of Rham Emanuel and the first governor of Illinois to not be indictated, a 2 hours slew of wild and crazy people and floats. Sounds like a party and have the fater-aids and Goose Island 312 to prove it.

Yep

This one reminds me of David for some reason.

Afterward, the crush of people exiting the parade makes it impossible to find transportation home and we end up running drunk over most of Chicago hustling to find a taxi to a blue line. Only to discover upon reaching the airport, that my flight was delayed for 4 hours. Yup, very anti-climatic. So I made use of the airport Goose Island pub and treated myself to a 3 course meal with three different beers, including Goose Island's Honkers English Bitter.

It's crisp and dry with a citrus hop bite and the body has a toasted flavor that subdues any sweetness. The sip finishes with a bready, biscuit finish. It's an interesting pub beer but relatively unbalanced. ARMAGEDDON rating.


Even after a 2 hour meal and making friends with two couples around me, I'm still two hours away from my flight so I grab my bag and head to the boarding area. I ask a teenager to kick me when it's time to board and I pass out on my bag, full and content. A man to his word, he wakes me up two hours later and feeling like a champion. Thanks Chicago for a sweet time and see you soon!

Goose Island Green Line Pale Ale ends a lakeshore Chicago Saturday

It's perfect weather today and we head to a pool party at the top of a 44 story apartment building, which I can't believe they have here. LA has nothing that size and it has amazing panoramas. I kill a Green Flash Le Freak Belgian IPA and help Sarah get rid of some Honey Wild Turkey, which is dangerously delicious.

Drinking out of cups, being a bitch

After a couple hours we go down to the beachy lakeshore (the peninsula pictured below) and layout beside the famous Castaways bar to meet up with friends, including Andrea who is bringing Floridians who are arriving fresh off the train.

After a late lunch in Old Town relax for a little bit and then head to the Crocodile Bar, which was an entertaining experience. The five of us owned the back bar and danced away the night while soft core porn bizarrely played on a TV behind us. Andrea's Florida friends were so prim and proper at lunch today, looking like they just left a country club, but apparently any knowledge of charm school goes out the window after a couple vodka sodas because those ladies are dancing like maniacs. Very entertaining. It was just one of those nights. To accompany my bourbon and ginger ale, I found another Chicago based Goose Island to try, the Green Line Pale Ale.

Like Eddie Murphay sings, "party all the time, party all the tiiiime"

Apparently I'm learning all the train lines that run through Chicago from Goose Island, because the only train I know in Chicago is the Blue Line that runs from O'Hare. I wonder if they have a Blue Line style yet. The Pale Ale pours with heavy carbonation and has a malty golden body with a hint of hops that provide for a pleasant bite. The beer's body is a little on the light side, and reminds me of a really great Budweiser, if that's possible. It's a fun, easy going drinkable beer that I'm happy to down. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Goose Island 312 Wheat Ale in Chicago's Lincoln Park

Ever since I was introduced to this beer during my October Chicago trip, I've loved it. Sarah knows how to treat visitors and she greats me with a bottle as I arrive at 7am.

It's the perfect drinking beer, sweet and floral and crisp. THE perfect summertime brew and now I have the privileged to taste it during Chicago's best time of the year. It's not the greatest wheat ale, but it's my favorite one to drink. I could literally drink a sixer of this one morning never leaving my couch and consider what I'd just accomplished a great success. THE ROCK rating.

Geese! I dunno how close Goose Island is from here, but this geese are running rampant

We head out to meet Andrea and then relocate to Lincoln Park and play Bocce Ball while tossing down a couple of 312's. It's Friday afternoon and we're simply, 'drinking out of cups, being a bitch.' It's a favorite line from a very bizarre and hilarious video of a guy who's trapped in a closet on drugs (mushrooms?) talking to himself. They animated his ramblings and I've never become tired listening to his cracked out mind.

"Look at Mr. Balloon Hands....Who's chair is that? Not my chair, not my problem.....Why didn't I get invited to the Seahorse Seahell. What is this? Get real. I'm in love with sea horses. I'm in love with them, they're so beautiful and cute, I'm in love with seahorses." 

Oh the hilarity:

Afterward, we head to a friend's rooftop to BBQ and soak in the sights.

And Sarah leads everyone in several rounds of shotgunning beers, which I haven't done in forever and obviously lead to a great night. Cheers Chicago!

The girls are owning it

Brouwerij West Belgian Blond 5 bids LA farewell for the weekend

After packing for my red eye flight to Chi-town to visit Sarah and Andrea, David invites me to join his coworkers for a beer at Library Ale House. He's preselected a belgian sounding brewery that actually hails from Paso Robles. They have a cool tap handle that's easy to remember:

The aroma is light and floral and it goes down easily. A very smooth blond that's full bodied and slightly sweet. This would go really well with food, especially fish or pasta. THE ROCK rating.

Tiffany soon arrives and she orders the Straffe Hendrik Quadruple, which we had last Saturday. Couldn't believe that a Belgian Quad is actually on tap! Now I'm off to catch a red-eye to Chicago, so excited!

Drake's Brewing Expedition Red Ale compliments a feast fit for a Rachel

Aaron B is throwing a festivus for the rest of us to say goodbye to Sarah P's, sister, Rachel, who has spent the last week here. To honor her send off, I pulled an 'expedition' ale out of the fridge. I'm incredibly excited to try this, as Drake's is one of my favorite breweries. I'm hoping this red ale, like Rachel, will be the younger sister of the hoppier and stronger Denoggonizer, which is one of my favorite 'pleasure beers.' David and I have to always ask the other when buying beers, if it's a day beer - for the blog - or a pleasure beer, which is something we've already drunk and won't count for that day. At 315+ beers, we rarely drink pleasure beers because we're already swimming in ale.

Between Aaron and David, I'm surrounded by excellent cooks and I'm eagerly looking forward to dinner. What awaits us is shrimp seviche in sliced cucumbers, scallop salad and flank stank with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction. Everything is delicious, and I had thirds of the flank steak. Yes please thank you much fat kids rule.

The Expedition Red Ale clocks in at 60 IBU's and 7% alcohol, compared to the Denoggonizer's 90 IBU and 9.75% but the Red holds it's own. It's not as intense as the Denog, but this is a good thing. The caramel flavor is medium rich and the sweetness doesn't last long, quickly replaced by a roasted flavor that isn't too bitter. The problem with red ales is they tend to be overtly sweet because in order to create that caramel flavoring, you have to use a high percentage of caramel malt. Drake's fixed this by adding a small amount of roasted malt to their grain bill. Some people just do what they do well, and Drake's has another winner. I plan on adding this to my small list of 'pleasure' beers. THE ROCK rating.

David finishes off the main meal with broiled sea bass. For dessert, Jessica grilled peaches and chopped walnuts while David delivered homemade whipped cream, whipped with awkward enthusiasm by David himself...That boy certainly loves a brisk churning. 

YUM

St. Frueillien Brune Abbey Ale is a watered down dubbel

Our second offering from the St. Frueillien in a row and it's a Belgian abbey ale that clocks in at 7.3%.

Different beer, same picture

The dubbel tastes fruity and has a mild sweetness. It's very easy to drink, which I don't usually consider a compliment with dubbels. It's really another way to say they're pretty watered down. This one isn't complex but it goes down easier than milk. This is nothing to write home about. ARMAGEDDON rating.

St. Feuillien Tripel is perfect for summer

St. Feuillien has been brewing this 8.5% Tripel since 1873 and it's undergone two fermentations. I'm sure they carry a certain level of respect around the globe but I tried saying their name three times fast and it simply came out "Saint Fraulein"...think I just called those belgian monks "little women" in the language of their WWII conquerors.

Lesson here is, even if you've been around for 150 years it only takes one stupid American to make a mockery of your heritage. On behalf of the Fox News audience, you're welcome.

The Tripel has a great carbonation, making for a crisp profile with a delicious lightness to he body. It's sweet with a bit of that clove-like Belgian Blonde bite as it finishes. This is a really tasty treat and would be perfect on a summer day or paired with food. THE ROCK rating.

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot makes us say, WTF haven't we heard of you before?

Before I focus on barley, water, hops and yeast concoction commonly referred to as "beer" or "suds" if you still live in 1950's middle america slang, I want to share with you the most amazing jumpsuit your (insert color here) eyes will ever feast upon:

 

She was pilfering through cigar boxes, CIGAR BOXES people. Right off of 3rd street on our way to brunch. What a gem, what a diamond in the rough.

To unwind from a phenomenal brunch, filled with limitless small plates and sake sangria (Zengo), we're decompressing with some suds at Jamie and Aaron's house. We also invited Zach Galifinakas and Robert Downey Jr into our living room for a performance of DUE DATE.

David and I both agree it's a cool label. It's the military call-sign for WTF. Pretty clever. This is very interesting, very unique. It pour a dark brown color and has a very sweet and malty flavor. It finishes a bit nutty, like a brown ale and the 7.8% alcohol rips through as you finish. This is a mix between a Scottish Ale and an American Brown. At first I believe that I couldn't drink a lot of this, and then I realize how big of an idiot I tend to be. I could drink a ton of this! THE ROCK rating

Straffe Hendrik Quadruple pre-parties Daman's 21st birthday

Because we're gearing up for a big night, David brings out one of the big dogs, albeit in a small bottle. Straffe Hendrick makes a fantastic Tripel, and the Quadruple below is his stronger and darker brother.

Balcony beeeer

I wasn't initially impressed with this fellow probably until I realized my expectations were exceptionally high, ruined by one of the worlds greatest and another quadruple, Rochefort 10 (Rochefort 10 is Transcendent). I came in expecting a certain complexity and richness, and it simply wasn't there. It is however, a sublimely subtle and sweet quadruple that despite its 10% alcohol, isn't full bodied or tastes alcoholic. It's smooth and surprisingly easy to drink. It's a very well crafted beer and deserves THE ROCK rating.

So tonight, David's intern Daman is turning 21, and their company decided to reward their hardest working unpaid intern with a party bus and a night on the town for 24 friends. Today we picked up enough handles of liquor to satiate 24 twenty-one year olds, which was enough to require us each three trips to unload from the car. I was expecting a pretty ridiculous night and the evening didn't let me down.

I'm 28 and I haven't partied with 21 year olds since I was in college. Anyone want to guess how much liquor them kids drank? We picked the birthday boy up at 10pm and he already had 11 notches on his forearm, one for every shot he'd taken. By 11:30 it was up to 17. Daman is apparently a cross between Frank the Tank and The Little Engine That Could because in a feat of superhuman strength, he didn't get sick and lasted the entire night.

So besides the overeager 21 year olds, a coworker's wife brought members of her rotary club to the bar (a business club). One guy was described to me over the phone as a Diamond Dealer with a Napolean complex and he was hell bent on buying the entire group group shots. There was a silver haired man who introduced himself to me with a 5 step handshake that I thought only a 16 year old stoner could design. They were stoked to be there and it was glorious. The whole experience was wild and surreal. There's this really weird mix of people my parents age doing shots with people my age who were mixing it up with kids who were born in the 90's and didn't grow up watching Saved By The Bell reruns. Such a trip. David and I ended up going to bed at dawn, which as I type this Monday, was probably several hours later than I should have. David's hilarious facebook status at 5:30am Sunday morning was, "Computer Blue." Shutdown

Well, go big or go home. Or go big and then go home, and keep going big. I think that's what the kids are saying these days... 

Uinta Brewing 17th Anniversary Barleywine is surprisingly subtle

At 10pm on a Friday night, we're being real cool cats and playing Battlefield 2, probably against a bunch of pimple faced kids taking a break from World of Warcraft. But before I head to Bar Pico, we're celebrating our supreme awesomeness with a celebratory 17 Anniversary Barley Wine from Salt Lake based Uinta. I was 11 when their brewery opened.

When I say 'playing,' that's not what I meant. We're raging on them, spanking them like a bad child. Just dominating them...That makes us cooler, right?

There is a very light, but sweet caramel aroma from this 10.4% beast. The taste is the same but also with a nutty flavor. For a barleywine, the alcohol is hidden well. The flavor profile isn't raw and needing to be aged or rich and complex, but is rather very subtle and drinkable. It's very becoming of a barleywine, I must say. For the beginning of my Friday night, this is a pleasant start. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Lips of Faith Super Cru headlines a Glenross scotch tasting

At the Daily Pint for a free Scotch tasting from Glenross and it's packed! But there's no better place to wait than a pub with Foosball and shuffleboard.

Tasting was interesting and we learned about the process of Scotch, which is similar to beer brewing in several respects. Afterward I ask for a new beer on tap from New Belgium Lips of Faith series, a Super Cru.

The Super Cru is a 10% Belgian Strong Pale Ale but the color is amber and more akin to a Belgian Abbey beer. This beer is unbalanced with an odd mix of sweetness and fruitiness that sweep through a boozy body. All this is probably a product of a Belgian and Saison yeast mix, and while I appreciate the effort, it didn't quite come together. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Port Brewing 5th Anniversary celebrates hops and our new beer closet

We bought Port Brewing's 5th Anniversary Ale during our San Diego trip (a month later we're still drinking off what we bought there). I love anniversary beers because brewers pull out all the stops for them. It's their guilty pleasure beer. The Bruery has a 14.5% Old Ale aged in oak barrels that's mixed in with previous anniversary batches. Port Brewing has a 10% Double IPA for their anniversary beer, and judging from the comments on beeradvocate, they're only getting better with age. Anniversary beers are absolutely gratuitous, usually ridiculous and always delicious, so on behalf of everyone, YUM and THANK YOU.

Bought this gem in NYC at the Union Square Park

The label calls it a Hop Monster. But the first sip tells me it's not a Bigfoot-type monster, but more a Godzilla-type beast. The 5th Anniversary is a full bodied golden ale that is hopped to the extreme. The hops are raw, grassy, even minty and stick to your tongue. You can taste the 10% alcohol as it finishes but up until then, it's a hop show. I love it, but it's definitely overwhelming. It's like a supercharged Stone Ruination - and do you know why they call it a ruination? - because it's so hoppy that it ruins your palate. If your a hop-lover, buy this at Whole Foods before they run out. BAD BOYS rating.

With brewing equipment strewn around the apartment - under the living room table, in David's room - and five cases of beer stacked in my room with an additional four cases currently fermenting (we'll have over 108 22oz bottles by July 4th for those at home counting), I decided Tuesday night it was high time we had a beer closet. There was just one problem with the closet available -

There was a little game I liked to play with the hall closet called, "Don't hit me in the face." See, I had something I needed to store in the hall closet, so I'd open the door real slow, and if nothing fell then I'd toss the object to the top of the stack and shut the door real quick. Problem was sometimes, whatever I threw up there (see above kickball) wouldn't like his new accommodations and felt the need to escape; usually landing on my face. Ha-haa I'd say to the hall closet, real funny asshole. Boy it loved those games...

When I told my dad about my predicament, he told me about a radio and tv show he grew up listening to with a running gag.

When we move out of our apartment, I'll wag my finger at the hall closet and say, "gee whiz, we sure had some good times. And by we I mean you."

Tuesday night I threw everything out on the ground, covering the living room floor. Through a little black magic of my own, I reorganized David's walk in closet to fit most of the material (David's due for a surprise when he returns from San Francisco tomorrow), stuff a couple things behind the washing machine and give a few items away. Tonight I ran to Home Depot for a shelf and then after a paint job, the closet has a miraculous makeover -

Think the space needs a beer poster, don't you?

I might just start calling it the Miracle in the Marina. Thanks to our brewing passion, the apartment is considerably more organized - except behind the washer.

"To alcohol, the cause of and solution to, all of life's problems"  Homer Simpson

Dogfish head 60 min ipa makes way for my beer closet

Can't believe I've put off both of these for so late in the year! It's time to clean out our hall closet to make way for our carboy, two buckets, two 5 gallon partial-mash coolers, and 5 cases of home brew plus another 4 cases of home brew that are currently fermenting and will bottle in the coming weeks. I will have before and after pictures tomorrow for now/below, feast your eyes on part of the after and the beer of the day.

Dogfish Head's 90min IPA is a phenomenal beer, rich, big bodied and perfectly hopped. How big a difference will 30 mins less of being continuously hopped make for Dogfish Head's 60 min IPA?

So the fewer 30 mins and lower alcohol/body found in the 60 min IPA does make a huge difference in quantity compared to the 90min. That being said, this still beats many, many IPA's out there. It's a great IPA and its drinkability is high. We originally bought a six pack and I could easily have drunk it all laying on the hammock that afternoon. Good thing I saved one for later! TRANSFORMERS rating

Beer Valley Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale gives Green Flash IPA a run for its money

Meeting Karl for a $5 burger and a beer at Whole Foods after work. Wine is 1/2 off on Mondays so his glass is only $2 bucks, and it ain't now two buck chuck. I chose a Beer Valley Leafer Madness, a brewery named after a magical Shangri-La where the beer flows like wine.

It's a 9% Imperial IPA, which puts the beer in the same league as Sierra Nevada's Hoptimum. It's super bitter, filled with grassy hops like the Green Coast IPA. They didn't pull any punches here, this is like a wacked out of his mind Mike Tyson. 

Karl and I disagree here, because I'm not a huge fan but he believe it's excellent, far better than the Hoptimum and I disagree. The Hoptimum hid the alcohol well and the hops hit you but didn't knock your teeth out. It was subtle but powerful. This is simply a difference in style, whether you enjoy a very raw IPA or something a little bit smoother. For me, it's the later but if you enjoy the former, check this feller out. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Brooklyn Brewery Monster Barleywine needs to be rediscovered in a year

Gotta love any NYC street art that promotes Stephen Colbert and the Colbert Nation.

After another monster of a night, which included making Chile Con Queso at 5am (obviously I'm surrounded by Texans), I'm ready to spend my last hour in NYC with a beast of an ale, Brooklyn Brewery's Monster Ale Barleywine. I've been saving this fella all weekend under Warren's desk so it won't be drunk by some hooligan (i.e. Walker at 5am) and now it's mine, all of it! To be fair, I bought Warren and his roommates one of the best beers in the world to try at the same time, a Rochefort 10.

Love these two cities...And a monster sized picture for a monster ale.

*I love me some barleywine and this fits the bill so far. It's well carbonated and a sweet mix of caramel and chocolate that has a bite to it. However, the sweetness is pretty raw and the alcohol is noticeable. It's a solid barleywine but needs to age. However, I bought this in a 4-pack and there are not many brews of this style that are produced large quantity. TRANSFORMERS rating. 

Brass Monkey Red Ale is one funky monkey day drinking session beer

Well staying up to dawn last night scrubbed any brunch plans, but it's okay, because we're gonna go straight into day drinking at the Brass Monkey in the Meatpacking district. Warren's friends were had already been partying for hours, so our group settled into a back booth and Warren regaled us with college stories as the Belmont Stakes unspooled in the background. In both instances, you gotta love Southern kids. Coming from Pepperdine, Dan and I had a muted fraternity pledging and experience, which made Warren's stories about pledges kidnapping active members and tying them to a light post at their rivalry's school along sorority row, that much more enthralling.

Brass Monkey to my great surprise has their own house beer, a red ale. I'd guess from it's smoothness and subtle caramel notes, it's an Irish-style red ale opposed to an American, but I could be wrong. Regardless, it's easy to drink but a rather simple, tasty beer. Perfect day session beer. TRANSFORMERS rating

After bidding goodbye to our friend Nichole who had to go work at Pop Burger, we set our sites on one of my favorite restaurants in NYC, Fatty Crab (menu).

Last last trip we had it to-go and the food was cold but excellent. Tonight the food was hot, spicy and fantastic. It's Malaysian food, a style of food my naive pebble of a brain didn't think could exist. Lots of spices and spicy sauces. Like a bastard child, I'm the only one in my family who can't handle spicy food and I was this close to spontaneously combusting, but I was still loving it.

Thankfully, we had at our disposal Recession Specials; a tall boy of PBR, a shot of Mr. Daniels, and a shot of spicy pickle juice, which killed the bourbon bite. Of course, the pickle juice further inflamed my scorched tongue, which I had to dunk with PBR. A viscous cycle.

Hopefully you can tell, but the bread/buns the sliders arrive in are amazing. That sauce pictures is sweet like eel sauce but with a different consistency and not as strong. Pretty sublime stuff.

Afterward, a nap and then hitting the Big Apple with my taller, blonder and bluer-eyed little bro, Warren D. Love'n life.

Dogfish Head Robert Johnson's Hellhound On My Ale isn't just for the musically inclined

Good Beer NYC is a beer store and tasting room and is where I'm headed to meet Warren and Lorin, who both got out of work early. If I lived here and wanted to do a beer every day, Good Beer would be my Candyland. It's small space wise but filled to the brim with phenomenal brew from all corners of the globe. 

It would be a contest between this and Beverage Warehouse in LA for beer supply supremacy. And you know who the real winner is? Heyyy, this guyyy.

The Bro's Dubya enjoying Dale's Pale Ale

Flights are ordered and from their roughly 10 taps, I choose 3 lighter beers I couldn't find on the West Coast, a Sly Fox Helles, Troegs Sunshine Pils, and a Left Hand Polestar Pils, and rounded out my foursome with a strong dark ale I can find anywhere but have never tried, Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine. We add a golden goose to wrap up the tasting, a pint of Dale's Pale Ale.

I wasn't really impressed with any of my choices, but that was expected. Pilsners and Hells are simple and clean - perfect day drinking beers but not a style that will woo me. Lorin's future roomie who currently lives nearby, Stephanie joined us to hair of the dog her hangover.

After catching up with my friend and new friend, Lorin and Steph depart and Warren and I hobble back to the apartment. Warren is on crutches from an ankle surgery and I couldn't imagine canvassing NYC on four legs. Fortunately, we stop on the way back and pickup cookies and one of the more amazing dessert-edly delights I've tasted, a Cake Truffle. It's the most amazing funfetti birthday cake you've ever had, but in the palm of your hand. My inner fat kid is screaming!

Back at the homestead, I pop open one of the beers I bought at Good Beer, Dogfish Head Hellhound on My Ale. This beer was on my list of beers to drink in New York, and I'm relieved it was so easy to find.

There's such a rich mythology and purpose behind this beer that my words wouldn't do it justice, so here's what the brewer Sam Calagione has to say about it:

"2011 marks the 100th birthday of Mississippi Delta bluesman Robert Johnson who, according to legend, sold his soul down at the crossroads in a midnight bargain and changed music forever. Working again with our friends at Sony Legacy (yup, the same folks we did our Miles Davis-inspired Bitches Brew with), Dogfish Head pays tribute to this blues legend by gettin the hellhounds off his trail and into this finely-crafted ale.

Hellhound is a super-hoppy ale that hits 100 IBUs in the brewhouse, 10.0 ABV, 10.0 SRM in color, and dry-hopped with 100% centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilos per 100 barrel brew-length. Can you tell we at Dogfish are stoked for this mighty musical centennial? To accentuate and magnify the citrusy notes of the centennial hops (and as a shout out to Robert Johnsons mentor Blind Lemon Jefferson) we add dried lemon peel and flesh to the whirlpool."

My fraternity brother, good friend and Warren's current roommate, Dan, enjoying the Hellhound. Only Dan and his roommates would put a golf net in their NYC apt. instead of a table.

These Dogfish fellers are pretty wild. Their enthusiasm and passion for beer is inspiring. And fortunately, so is their beer. The alcohol is well hidden behind a sweet golden colored body and a very citrus flavor profile. As expected, it's intensely hoppy both in flavor and aroma. This is a wonderfully wild and zesty beer to drink, if only once. THE ROCK rating.

Goose Island IPA welcomes me to New York City, four hours late

This was one hell of a day. I wake up early and successfully fly standby for an earlier flight, hoping to arrive in NYC at 7pm rather than 12am in order to spend time with the broham, the brosef, the hambone himself, my brother Warren. However, as we're about to land the plane starts dropping and jumping around, causing the woman next to me to start yelling and grabbing my arm. This is what happened next -

True story. So our approach is canceled and we're diverted out to sea, and about an hour later diverted into Atlantic City. At this point we're 2 hours late. To compound my woes, my phone's screen is broken and I have no way to contact my friends in NYC except my brother, whose number is the only one I have memorized. Long story short, we land in NYC after being on that damn plane for 9 hours, and I f*cking needed a drink. Fortunately I have the best brother in the world and he had a double shot of Maker's Mark and a Goose Island IPA waiting for me when I arrive five minutes to midnight - just in the nick of time!

Goose Island IPA upholds the Chicago brewery's golden standard. It has a light caramel malt that's sweet but makes room for the robust hops, which don't overwhelm the palate. This is a very drinkable IPA, a hoppy midwest session beer, and it's deserving of THE ROCK rating.

Afterward Warren and his two coworkers, Mike and Scuba Steve (pictured) head over to Pop Burger for some 1am brews and burgers. Warren's excited for me to try his favorite Barleywine, the Anchor Steam Foghorn, which is excellent. I'm excited to try the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout (amazing) and our lovely manager/waitress Nichole pushes the Brooklyn Local 1 & 2 on us. I'm an easy sell them all. The #2 is Belgian Strong Dark Ale and isn't quite as delicious as the #1, but you still can't go wrong with it. Warren has to be up early to trade commodities so we call it a night at 2am.

A burger so big I actually had to unhinge my jaws like a snake to eat it. Charming Walker, such a class act

A long, shitty day of zero drink'n ends with a burst of delicious brews from all over the U.S. Thank you brother and NYC for delivering, can't wait to see what the weekend entails!