La Trappe Dubbel is the delicious bookend to a Deer Valley weekend

I recently purchased a mountain bike but have never actually gone mountain biking, so I sign up for a group Sunday morning, lead by Mike from South Africa. No one else shows up so it turns into a private lesson and Mike takes me out to the parking lot to learn the basics but I pick it up pretty quickly and soon we're up in the mountains, bombing down trails. 

Beautiful right? Mountain biking was a blast and I only took a spill once. It was minor, but I now understand how dangerous this sport is. These trails and the mountain are completely unforgiving. You can't take your mind off what is coming up for a second. There is no scenery gazing in mountain biking. Except of course when you're completely stopped and on your own after the tour like below:

I definitely want to find some trials in LA, but I also feel the need to get some additional padding. Afterward, I meet up with the rents to devour a BBQ Bison Bacon Burger with parmesian fries. I'm including this detail and picture not only because it's a beautiful day and I couldn't resist, but look at that presentation! Kudos Deer Valley cooks.

After demolishing 2/3 lb of a bison, we rested up and watched Travis Pastrano drive his rally car into the finals despite having broken his ankle and foot Friday doing motorcycle stunts. After doing something really stupid, he pulled it together and almost did something really awesome, but unfortunately crashed on the last lap of the finals.

We went to dinner in Park City at this amazing Mexican fusion restaurant called Chimayo, which I didn't take pictures of (Duck Enchiladas, hmmmm) and won't bore you with, but I was surprised to find something else in the alley next to the restaurant:

A Banksy in Park City? This is way out of his normal territory. Park City is certainly not metropolitan, but it does host the Sundance Film Festival every winter. Banksy is subversive as hell and I love the idea here. His art can be both subtle like the above and overt like this:

 Or:

The above is actually the Prime Minister's house. Banksy essentially created a giant penis on a house that is guarded around the clock by CCTV, police and has a 24 hours armed response team. Wow. At the bottom of the page I'll post a Simpsons Intro Banksy did and one of his Star Wars street art - because why shouldn't I?


Back home in LA, I'm exhausted and looking forward to something smooth and easy. Good thing today is the first day of the trappist brewery La Trappe. La Trappe is the only one of seven trappist breweries not in Belgium and is found in the Netherlands. This will be the second trappist dubbel drunk on a recent Sunday evening and I hope it's as delicious as the first.

The trappist dubbels are so easy to drink. The hops are subdued and there's a smooth caramel and chocolate flavor with a hint of tartness and yeasty spice. The 7% alcohol is negligible and overall, very well balanced. TRANSFORMERS rating.



Here is the Banksy Simpsons intro. It's especially subversive.

Love this:

Stone Collaboration Japanese Green Tea IPA warms the heart

I have about 45 minutes before I run to the airport and fly to Utah to meet the 'rents for a weekend getaway in Park City. David is at the X-Games and so I'm on my own for the beer, giving me the opportunity to pull something I've EAGERLY anticipated having, a very unique collaboration between Stone and two Japanese breweries, Ishii and Baird. Check out the video here

I love the craft brewing community for many reasons, but I especially love collaborations. This collaboration is particularly special, as Stone wanted to reach out to Japanese breweries to make a beer that relays the Japanese people are not alone and that people are thinking about them. This beer's proceeds will go to the Tsunami and Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund. It's dry hopped with Green Tea and the alcohol is the same magnitude as the earthquake, 9.2%, to correlate with the tremor. The whole situation is heartwarming is creating an uncomfortable amount of empathy within me. I already heard some really amazing news about my future today, which I will reveal a week from today on our one year beer-versary, and all this 'helping people' crap is really getting to me. Come on Walker! I need to find a telephone booth stat!

Besides the humanity, I'm just excited to try interesting beers and this is right for my wheelhouse.

There is a complex earthiness from tea, much more than I would think from dry hopping. As mentioned in the video above, the IPA-ness is a departure from your typical American IPA and it's more herbal than citrusy. While the herbal hop flavor is different than what I expect from a Stone beer, the body has the trademark of a Stone IPA. Overall, the bitterness is complex but also a quite astringent. This is a hop lovers brew for sure. I'm eating leftover spicy chicken mole and the bitterness is pairing well with the spice. I really appreciate this beer, even if I don't rank it as an All-Star. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Lagunitas Lucky 13 Altbier really hops to it

At Steingarten LA for a work drinks and my coworker Tiffany is here as well. She's starting her new foodie blog, http://eatyourheartoutla.com/. Check it out!

I saw on Steingarten's website that they hosted the Lagunitas brewery last night and so I'm pretty stoked to take advantage of their leftovers, which should be plentiful.

I really want the malty W.T.F., but that was a beer of the day earlier this summer. Nerds! So I pick out a style I've only tasted a few times, an Altbier, Lucky 13 ALT. I'm expecting nothing but hoppiness with a Lagunitas.

This 8.9% alcohol doesn't fit the altbier style conditions in the slightest, but I'm not complaining, especially since the alcohol is well hidden. Damn Lagunitas, I expected it to be hoppy but why you gots to make it SO HOPPY? I feel like a T-Shirt Cannon launched a wad of hops at my face while I was looking the other way - SMACK. Hidden past the overwhelming bitterness is a malt, sweet with caramel and light brown sugar. As the carbonation flattens, the piney bitterness becomes less pronounced and the brew becomes rather crisp and refreshing. Like those PSA's, "It Gets Better." This has more in common with a hoppy American Strong Ale than an Altbier, but it turned out pretty nice. ARMAGEDDON rating.

Orval Trappist forces me to investigate its complexity like a sleuth

The monks at Brasserie d'Orval only make two lines of beer; Orval and a 3.5% Petite Orval. The latter is brewed only for the monks consumption and the former is sold to support the monastery. The monks only need to sell one style of beer to survive (other trappist breweries sell at least 3), so how great must this be? I'm excited to find out about the beer and the weird fish tabs it comes with.

We sent out our end of the year beer party, and our friend Kenny let us know that it's actually International Beer Day http://www.internationalbeerday.com/

The Orval is a 6.9% Belgian Pale Ale that pours a bit darker, more of an orange amber with a gnarly white head. There is a very intense caramel and yeasty aroma. The first sip punches my tongue with spice and surprises the hell out of me. I didn't expect this from a Belgian Pale and especially a trappist. I make a comment to David and he shakes his head. "It's not spicy," he says, "it took me a while to get it. Keep going Watson." Thanks Sherlock. David has a much better palate than I, so I always default to him but I can't imagine what he's referring too.

There's no doubt about it, this is a complex beer. Caramel, dark fruit, and a great hop bite. As the carbonation dies down, I'm an idiot and still don't get it. David says, "think wild ale." Light bulb! Apparently, you can't just lead me to water, you have to dunk my head in it and hold me under to make me drink. What I mistook for spiciness initially, was a complex tartness. This is a pale ale that has dark, tart fruit tastes and a smooth finish? This is a very unique beer, and it's something I must try again soon to appreciate. The complexity is mind-bottling. They can age for 4 or 5 years, so maybe I'll buy two and save one for my 32 birthday. BAD BOYS rating.


The section below explains the odd fish with a piercing tag awkwardly attached to the bottle --

The legend of Orval

This stain-glass is evocative of the legend of Orval foundation. The monastery was born of an act of gratitude: Mathilda was a widow and her weddin-gring had accidentally fallen into the fountain. She prayed to the Lord and at once a trout rose to the surface with the precious ring in its mouth. Mathilda exclaimed : 'Truly this place is a Val d'Or'! " In gratitude, she decided to establish a monastery on the site.

See? Magical rainbow spewing fishes save the day. Ta-dahhhh

Chimay Grande Reserve helps me research pairing beer with food

Our final Chimay brew, the granddaddy 9% Belgian Dark Strong Grande Reserve. Tonight is a Walker night, and I'm staying in for some gentlemanly reading regarding the exquisite pairing of beer with food (thumbs nose at everyone). Excuse me David, where's the Grey Poupon?

 

The research, like drinking Chimay, is something I should have looked into a long time ago. Holding this chalice of Grande Reserve and smelling the sweetness and alcohol, I can't help help but think of Harrison Ford holding the wooden cup at the end of Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade. This beer seems so powerful, and it is the Grande Reserve after all (thumbs nose at everyone).

There is a richness, I have not sensed since......Old Ben Kenobi was here drinking Rochefort with us. It is almost too carbonated. Yet, all is forgotten once the dark caramel flavors border on chocolate hit my tongue. The complexity is there and its smoothness is unstoppable. The Grande Reserve could play with Rochefort 8 on the same doubles tennis team. Or star with Will Smith in a Michael Bay film. BAD BOYS rating.

Chimay, you've completely changed my opinion. I'm trying to be 'really honest' with myself lately, and the truth is I didn't give Chimay the credit it's due because everyone else fawns over it. I'm totally that guy (awkwardly wrinkles face at everyone). Also, that shirt doesn't look good on you and I just farted. See how being honest leads to embarrassment? Truthiness is overrated.

Another one of many serendipitous turns, the food pairing book I'm reading charts several types of beer styles, in the below table, but the only beer brand it specifically pairs with food is Chimay. Fancy that. Here are the Chimay pairings:
 

*Rule of thumb - Chimay Blue is dark like a Merlot wine and Chimay Tripel is close to Champagne.

PAIRINGS

Fish- Chimay Blue or Tripel

Game - Chimay Blue or Red

Poultry - Chimay Red or Tripel

Red Meat - Chimay Blue

White meat - Chimay Red

Shellfish - Chimay Blue or Tripel

Here is the overall beer pairings from the above pictured book, which is incredibly succinct in explaining its process and the organization is superb. I'm a big fan. The CAPITALIZED words in the primary pairing column denote an extremely COMPLIMENTARY pairing. My greatest surprise tonight was discovering the success of pairing of stouts, specifically Guinness with oysters. Who knew?

You'll see that beers typical for a region (Doppel Bocks/German) go very well with food typical of their region (game, sausage). It shows that going back hundreds of years to the beginning of brewing, people weren't just making beer for the alcohol, but for a higher and more specific purpose. Food!
 

BEER STYLE	PRIMARY PAIRING	SECONDARY PAIRING	NOTES
Amber Ale	barbecue, indian food, pasta, pork, sandwiches, spicy	asian, salad, chicken, fish, mexican, pizza, tomato	Avoid sweet dishes
Barleywine	cheese, blue, goat or strong; chocolate and dark chocolate	cheese, grueyre, chedder.	Think of barley wine as akin to port or sherry
Blanche	goat cheese, white fish, orange, pork, shellfish	apples, brunch, eggs benedict, omelets, pineapple, rabbit, salad
Bock	duck, HAM, pork, sausage	chicken, lamb, mole sauce, short ribs, venison
Brown Ale	hamburgers, sausage, steak	almonds, burritos, cajun, fried chicken, lamb, smoked fish
Doppel Bock	DUCK, GAME, PORK, VENISON, sausage	cheese, chiles rellenos, desserts, proscuitto, nuts, peppers, pumpkin, squash
Hefe Weizen		cheese, fruit, lemon, sweet and sour pork, shellfish
IPA	CHEESE, barbecue, chicken, cold red meat, pork, SALMON, seafood	crab cakes, mild curry, empanadas, enchiladas, fish, guacamole, hamburgers, indian food, mexican, shrimp, vietnamese, tapas, thai
Lager	PIZZA, SPICY FOOD, asian, chicken, fish, french fries, fried food, white meat	barbecue, Caribbean, indian, poached dishes, pork, poultry, salad, turkey, veal	Avoid: seafood, delicate dishes
Nut Brown		grilled beef, chicken, chinese, sausage, spicy
Oatmeal Stouts	chocolate desserts, stouts	barbecue, dark bread, crab cakes, ham, hearty food, ice cream, mole sauce, steak, stew
Oktoberfest		dry rubbed barbecue, chicken, fish, hamburgers, grilled meat, pork, pretzels, sausage	Avoid: seafood, tomatoes
Pale	SPICY DISHES, beef, cheese (cheddar, cheshire, guryere), duck, fish, fried food, lamb, salmon, sausage, seafood	barbecue, burritos, chicken tandoori, chili, gumbo, lobster, mexican, salsa, vinegar-based dishes
Pilsner	FISH, PIZZA, SPICY, SAUSAGE, MUSSELS, chicken, light cheese, pork, shellfish	caviar, spicy asian, chiles, clams, duck ham & grilled cheese sandwich pastrami, prosciutto, salads, smoke salmon, trout, veal	Avoid: delicate fish dishes, very hearty dishes
Saison	spicy dishes	aspertif, cheese, chicken, crab cakes, curry, tuna, salmon, jambalaya, salad, boiled seafood, steaks, thai and vietnamese
Scottish		roasted beef, ham, roasted lamb, sandwiches, sausage
Smoked Beer	BARBECUE, bacon, PORK, indian, mexican	smoked cheese, smoked fish, ham, hamburgers, roasted food, steak, spicy food
Spiced		carrot cake, spiced desserts, pumpkin pie
Stout	OYSTERS (Guinness), shellfish, fruit desserts, chocolate and cheese	ribs, braised dishes, Cajun, ham, roasted poultry, grilled salmon, swordfish, grilled tuna	American stouts are much more dessert friendly, Guinness is light.
Wheat/Wit	CHICKEN LIGHT AND SPICY, CRAB CAKES, FISH, SALAD, SEAFOOD, Indian, oysters, pasta, spicy, sushi, asian	egg dishes, calamari, jerk chicken, pad thai with shrimp, shellfish, scallops, sauerkraut, vegetable dishes

Chimay Cinq Cents tripels my love for Chimay

As I previously conveyed, my opinion of Chimay was relatively low before starting their beers but things were looking up after the dubbel yesterday. And then David poured this charming tripel and my affection knows no bounds now. 

This is an outstanding and unique tripel. It is yeasty, spicy and has a bit of fruit, making it more like a robust blonde than your standard tripel. I'm totally swallowing my past words regarding Chimay. This is a big bodied beer that's perfect for sipping and I would absolutely love to pair this with food. There's nothing else to say other than it's an amazing beer and I can't wait to introduce my friends to Cinq Cents. BAD BOYS rating.

Chimay Premiere greets me in LA with a TIE Fighter

We left Tahoe at 10am this morning after giving bachelor Matt a trick omelet filled with sardines (Spike being the evil genius behind that). However, Matt was so destroyed from the night before, he didn't even notice the smell or the taste emanating from the eggs. Mission accomplished.

9 hours later and reading many chapters of An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, I'm back in LA and exhausted. David had to work all weekend and so you know what that means!

That TIE Fighter is huge. If you follow the blog, you know that David builds these things from time to time to help de-stress. They're basically like giant puzzles for kids that nerdy grownups can take advantage of and they're pretty awesome.

Anywho, the Trappist Saga continues with the first of three Chimay beers. Chimay is by far the most well known Trappist brewery and it is many people's 'Gateway' beer (drinking a certain beer for the first time that makes one realize there's amazing beer out there - mine is Affligem Tripel and it happened senior year of college). I personally am not a fan of Chimay, probably because it's so hyped but also because it's not very complex. They're very well made, don't get me wrong, but they're not my favorite. We shall see though, because I quite frankly don't remember which ones I've had and which ones I didn't enjoy. But maybe this week will change my mind!What is the jury's verdict on this one?

The Premiere is a Belgian Dubbel that clocks in at 7%. It's very crisp thanks to the carbonation and there's a slight sweet caramel flavor. While there is not a whole lot of complexity, it is very drinkable and thus a welcome beer for the end of an exciting weekend. My opinion just changed about Chimay. THE ROCK rating.

Westmalle Tripel provides the electrolytes I need after a day on the lake

Spent the morning recovering and then the remaining daylight hours riding around gorgeous Lake Tahoe drinking beers and wake boarding. Not me, but the other guys did. I'm as dexterous on a wake/skate board as as one-footed tightrope walker. Here's a view of the Lake, which was astounding. Pardon my cursing halfway through, I was turning in circles and nearly fell on my face.

They never called me graceful...

The other fellas also did a bit of rock jumping / diving / or hopping, whatever you'd like to call it. I'm taking full advantage of my new blackberry phone and its video camera, but unfortunately I'm no Michael Bay, and the recording is a bit choppy. If I only had a director of photography:

Back home, we catered BBQ for dinner and it ain't from Texas, but it's still darn good. Love me some cornbread anytime. I'm cracking open the second Westmalle, the Tripel. The Tahoe sun must have fried my brain because this is the world's 2nd highest rated Tripel, and I don't think it's that good. I wonder if the trip up here tossing and turning in my boot screwed the pooch on this.

It has a good body but no complexity. The result is a bland flavor and a very surprised Walker. I have Patrick, a true connoisseur, try it too and he remarks the same. This was never his favorite beer. I don't taste any of the fruit or spice that other reviews tout, and maybe this is worth another tasting. The Alstrom Brothers, who run beer advocate, call this the essential tripel. Huh. Well it is well crafted and you won't be disappointed in purchasing it, but my expectations were not met. TRANSFORMERS rating. 

Westmalle Dubbel initiates Matt's bachelor party

At 6:45am, six people pile into my car to drive up to Lake Tahoe for my fraternity brother and friend Matt's bachelor party. We're stopping along the way for breakfast and an inaugral bachelor party beer in Bakersfield, where Matt is a member of a brand new members-only bar run by his friend Patrick

Patrick runs a successful pharmaceutical company but has always wanted to own a bar. He and three other people decided to fund a bar and to get around the business zoning in downtown Bakersfield, made it a members-only bar (that and now he can keep out the riff-raff). It's a cool little bar with a Speakeasy vibe. I wasn't initially excited about stopping our road trip an hour into it, but that all changed once I stepped inside. 

Patrick in the middle and Matt the bachelor on the right

The bar has been open a week and has an amazing selection of beer. Patrick knows his stuff. I order a Deschutes Inversion IPA, a little something hoppy to go along with my spicy chorizo breakfast burrito. And it makes a great pairing.

Firestone Walker heard about the bar when it opened and the head brewer came down to congratulate the owners, I assume on being an awesome beer bar, and bring them bar signs, coasters, and a few special gifts, including Firestone Parabola, a very limited run barrel aged Imperial Stout that clocks in at 12%. Patrick generously opens a bottle and it's wild to have something so dank in the morning. What's interesting about the Parabola is how the alcohol hits at the same time as the other flavors. Usually with stouts, the flavors hit your first and the alcohol follows as the sip finishes, but here it's one big punch in the tongue. Pretty cool.

Back in the car, we spend the next 6 hours reminiscing about college, studying abroad, catching up and busting each others chops and my face hurts from laughing so hard.

We arrive in Tahoe to a 5 bedroom house that will hold 15 guys over the course of the weekend, and the view was relatively mediocre.

 

 Couple of the fellas doing what any bunch of hardcore fratties would do during a Friday sunset - drink and play Uno. We obviously learned a thing or two about partying at Pepperdine.

 
Our 1 of 11 beers we're having to close out our beer every day year - which I'm calling The Trappist Saga - is the Westmalle Dubbel.

This Belgian Dubbel can be bought most places and it's very drinkable and perfect out on the porch. It's smooth with a hint of dark fruit and terrific carbonation, as you can tell see by the huge head of foam.

Like the speakeasy, this is a Gentleman's dubbel. It is a Hall & Oates type of beer, smooth and easy. THE ROCK rating.


Here's to making some stories and helping Matt return to Los Angeles exhausted, hungover, and ready for to be married Labor Day weekend:

15 BEERS LEFT IN THE YEAR!

July 21st, 2011 at 9pm PST, David and Walker reached another milestone - 350 different beers in 350 days.

For the first time this year, this month we had to actually map out which beers we were having each day. We recently finished a series of Rogue beers and a triplet of Great Divide. While I'm traveling the following two weekends, I hope to drink several more unique Bruery beers with David before launching into, what I hope to be, an epic conclusion.

9 of the 11 Trappist beers we will conclude the year with

While we have already drunk several trappist beers, noticably the three Rocheforts and an Achel, we've aquired almost all the remaining Belgian Trappist beers from Chimay, Orval, Le Trappe, Westmalle and thanks to Karl, the two highest rated beers in the world from Westvleteren (the other Achel is difficult to track down).

Our final two beers, the Westvleteren 8 and 12

On August 5th, 2011, we're celebrating the end of an amazing year with an epic party, possibly a goat sacrifice and then probably waking up in the desert wearing cowboy boots and no pants.

David and I are leaning towards a big blow out party at our apartment, drinking weird beers, having blind taste competitions and most likely beer pong - because with our friends, you can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them. We will begin the night drinking the world's highest rated beer, Westvleteran 12 and let the crazy come out afterward. I'll be videoing the entire evening, so everyone will see our shenanigans.

My friends didn't think we could drink everyday, let alone write everyday. I had my doubts too. But we're almost there, and I hope you especially tune in for the final two weeks. It's been a one of the best years of my life. Thank you for reading and I'm looking forward to ending in righteous style.

Walker

Lost Abbey Lost & Found is beer 350 but isn't the only big event of the night

Today is a milestone for our blog, but three particular noteworthy events happened tonight:

1. David and I enjoyed our 350th beer of the year
2. We hung out with our friend Cassie, who we haven't seen in at least 6 months
3. Someone was shot in our apartment complex

Whoa, whoa, what? Yeah...Let's start with the beer of the day.

The marked up calendar to the left will be our road map for the remaining 15 days. We've plotted out a few random brews, but for the most part we will be drinking 11 different trappist beers from 5 different breweries and some of the highest regarded beers in the world.

The Lost Abby Lost & Found was one of our favorite beers from our May San Diego trip. It is a Belgian Dubbel brewed with raisins and the label on the back serendipitously sums up why I, personally, started the blog - to give myself a renewed purpose and creative outlet - and in the process discovered a new community and passion for beer. On top of that, our friend Cassie is over sampling home brew and catching up on the last half year. It's getting all sorts of sentimental up in here, so let's drink to the Lost & Found.

Here is the label, which I'll type out below:

"A Life worth living is full of discovery and we are reminded everywhere there is opportunity. All it takes is desire to seek out and find those things, these moments and everything in between. We brewed Lost and Found Abbey Ale to pay homage to the great monastic breweries of Belgium. Like us, we hope you'll take the time to discover a beer that breathes aromas of figs, raisins and candied fruits. Please join us by raising your glass as we offer a toast to patience, perseverance, and all the things we have lost along the way and we somehow lucky enough to find once again."

The perfect beer to pour while reminiscing upon an incredible year with friends, right? This is an 8% dubbel. The raisins add a complexity to the dark fruit flavor not possible through using just grains and the result is a sublimely balanced beer between the dark fruit, sweetness and raisins. The carbonation creates a really crisp beer, nice Lost Abbey! This is a very unique beer and is something you should try. THE ROCK rating.

I could tell you I saved this beer for the 350th milestone months ago when it was purchased, or maybe that I planned this out on my chicken-scratch calendar pictured above a couple weeks ago, but then I'd be a big fat liar instead of a nerd and a gentleman

Truth is, this was all chance. I picked our beer tonight by looking into the refrigerator for a good 30 seconds and randomly selecting Lost Abbey. And fortuitously so, it was the perfect beer for the occasion. Like so many events this year, in particular the night before our halfway point, an experience that reminded me of our beereveryday mission in a unique way: Lips of Faith Erics Ale reunites me with old friends (the point I'm referring to is just under the beer picture).

My point is, you really don't know what's around the corner. We live in Marin del Rey, right on the water (as you can tell from many of our pictures). It's an extremely quiet community dominated by large complexes that are fairly disconnected from the energy of Venice. We also don't have any crime. Up until tonight I thought the Marina was Pleasantville. Right after we'd popped the bottle on the Lost Abbey, the three of us heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots (4-5 of them). The problem was, we couldn't tell you where they were coming from because everything echoes off the water. We go back to drinking, a little disturbed but unable to really do anything. Then we heard sirens.

I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but basically our complex sits above an open carport style garage and there's about 20 yards of asphalt in between the building and the sailboats for parking, specifically for boat owners. The woman was shot right by the car port on the other side of the complex, maybe 80 yards away. After the police and paramedics arrived, I went out on my balcony and if I peered through palm branches, could see her from the edge of my deck.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Woman-Shot-in-Robbery-Attempt-in-Marina-Del-Rey-126007118.html

Thankfully and luckily, she survived. What's really shocking about the experience, is how it happened. She gave the robber her purse and then was shot in the back while walking away. She did everything right and still got f**ked. Yikes. They still haven't caught the guy. Looking back I wish that I would've run out to the balcony and tried to glimpse the attempted murderer, but we had no idea where it was. There were people above us on the third floor who were asking us what was happening, and they had a better view of the street.

It's scary stuff and she was very fortunate the robber had horrendous aim and was only shot once. As you can see in the news photo, there were multiple bullet casings near the body. We the ambulance leave for the hospital and peering through its window, she didn't look good. Pretty soon we bid Cassie adieu, locked our doors sliding glass doors to the balcony and turned in.

Milestone 350: You never know what's around the corner, and if you lose something, maybe what you'll find will be something even greater.


That reminds me of...

“But that’s life. One minute you’re on top of the world, the next minute some secretary’s running you over with a lawn mower.”

                                                Season 3, Episode 3: “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency” 

Great Divide Yeti Chocolate Oak Aged Imperial Stout with Cayenne kicks me in the pants

Our third Yeti of the week is considerably different than the first two. Despite having cocoa nibs added to this oak aged imperial stout, the other two we tried were considerably more chocolaty. The major difference, is what isn't on the front of the label, but rather the fine print in the back. Cayenne Pepper was added. Chocolate and spice? I dunno Scooby Doo, looks like a bad idea...

The Cayenne pepper really kicks me in the pants at the end of every sip. The cocoa nibs add a more finished chocolate flavor, but the chocolate flavor overall is more muted, which makes me frown. The cayenne is too much really, I think if they would've used chipotle instead, the flavor wouldn't stick and I wouldn't have an issue. Overall, I don't find this beer in the same league as the original Yeti and the oak aged, they strayed too far from the original here. It's an interesting beer, but not my favorite. ARMAGEDDON rating. 

Lagunitas Fusion 2 Black IPA celebrates Karl's berfday

Frequent collaborator Karl celebrates his birthday today and in case you forgot who this classy gentleman is and whether he likes cheese, below is a subtle reminder:

At The Daily Pint, I order a pint of a black IPA, a very different style that I'm considering home brewing. I've tasted a few along the way, Deschutes Hop in the Dark was the first and by far the best, but the rest have been a mixed bag. Will my 348th beer of the year be delicious and help me destroy Karl at Foosball on his berday?

Me thinks so. Poured a two finger head out of the tap and has a rich roasted aroma that's enticing. It has a medium bodied consistency, less than a Guinness. The taste is a great combination of roasted malts with a hoppy kick at the end. It's pretty malty up until the hops kick in, which I enjoy but it doesn't make the beer much of an IPA and is more along the lines of a hoppy Black Mild. Potatoe, Potatoo I suppose. The main problem in creating a black IPA, is mixing the hop bite with the bitter roasted malts, and Lagunitas solved the problem by creating a malty IPA, and I'm enjoying it.

I also enjoyed beating Karl for second time by 1 point! CLUTCH CITY. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout Oak Aged edition is the Empire Strikes Back of Yeti's

There have been a few moments this year when David and I poured a beer and exclaimed at the same time, either "holy sh*t" or "what the hell?" This reaction is never a bad thing and is simply our way to say, "this looks ridiculous in the best of ways, what is going on? Wow!"

When we poured the Oak-aged Yeti, both phrases tumbled out of our mouths. There's an intense amount of caramel colored foam on top of a darker than night body.

Elvis/Sarah has left the building and returned to Chicago, so it's time to ketchup on TV, specifically Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David makes being insanely neurotic look cool.

The best way for me to describe the difference between the Oak Aged Yeti and original Yeti, is in their food pairings.

Original Yeti: grilled steaks, strong/salty blue cheese, chocolate.

Oak Aged Yeti: grilled NY strip, fudge brownies, strong/salty blue cheese.

The food pairing increased from rich, to even richer foods. It's the sequel to Richie Rich; bolder, richer and smoother. The oak, which neither David nor I can taste, has softened the flavors and the complexity is gone. But the oak has also created new flavors, such as vanilla and a increased chocolate presence. This one is so chewy and viscous, it is hard to drink.

And when I say it is hard to drink, it's a high class problem. This is intense and I'm loving it. The Oak Aged Yeti benefits from the utilization of oak, without any of the negative effects of oak (i.e., oak taste). It took the original and elevated it, hence the Star Wars reference. THE ROCK rating.

Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout is the first of three Abominable Snowmen

I spent the final Carmageddon day playing with seals while kayaking and beaching it up before joining Nic, AJ and Tiffany to watch the long awaited premiere of the best show on television, Breaking Bad.

I am not kidding. That is not a hyperbole. It is the finest show on television right now. See how I did not use any contractions to further emphasize my point? Sh*t is getting real. Go watch it now.

Love me some Venice sunsets

We're into the home stretch here in our beer every day year and coming off the heels of a 7 day Rogue feast, I'm back home and amp'd for a three day flight of Imperial Stouts from Great Divide.

When I began the blog last year, I was really into IPA's. Midway through the year, I really got into Belgian style beers. As the year closes, I'm dialed in on darker beers such as Stouts, Barleywines and Old Ales. Great Divide has made three editions of their Yeti Imperial Stout - their regular series, one that is oak aged, and a chocolate oak aged series. Can you say, Dank Danker Dankest?! The next three days my tongue will be in the equivalent of Beer Hawaii, sipping on some crazy stouts.

Tonight we're having the original Yeti Imperial Stout. Yeti is the name given by Tibetans for a legendary Abominable Snowman, by the way. The North American counterpart is Bigfoot, which is why you don't see any Snowman in those beef jerky ads.

I am still in awe of big alcoholic stouts that are dark as night and smooth as ice. I plan on trying my hand at an Imperial Stout soon and if it's half as smooth as the Yeti, I'm partying like it's 1999. This beer is so righteous and rich. There is no sign of roasted bitterness. It is thick and viscous with chocolate, coffee and molasses flavors. Even at 75 IBU, the hops are barely noticeable with the embarrassment of riches that is going on in my glass. If the other Yeti's get better than this, I am in for a treat. THE ROCK rating.




Margaritaville happened earlier in the day. I'm pretty sure there's no better way to honor the dedication of the USA women during the World Cup than by imbibing Mexican food and drink, right?

Well, at least it wasn't sake and sushi --

ZING

Bruery Run B.M.C. at the Eat Real craft beer festival

With LA supposedly in Carmageddon deadlock, I'm biking down to Culver City for the Eat Real festival. They have two beer gardens pouring all you can drink beers from Stone, Ballast Point, Hanger 24, Firestone, Eagle Rock and Bruery. They will also have a ton of food trucks, live music, and cooking demos. Ain't having no car gonna stop me from having a good time.

Sarah and I bike down and no one is there when we arrive at noon, but by 2pm the place is packed and getting rowdy. David is fortuitously going down to The Bruery with Karl today and I grab my beer of the day early, The Bruery's brand new Imperial Pilsner, Run B.M.C.

Beer in a mason jar! I'm good to go

The tenth one-time release from their Provisions line of beers, the Run B.M.C. is a 7% Imperial Pilsner and one of the few lagers the Bruery has made. It has also been quadruple hopped and cold fermented, which is really unusual for the style. This is the 3rd Imperial Pilsner tasted this year and my 9th Provisions beer ( 9 out of 10). The first two Imperial Pils resulted in very mixed feelings about this unconventional style, and I believe that if someone can make a deliciously unconventional beer, it would be the Bruery.

Run B.M.C. is an incredibly summery beer, with lots of citrus and pineapple flavors thanks to the hops and it's very sweet - probably too sweet. There is a hop bite towards the end but overall the hops are there to add to the flavor profile. I think it's great drinking it under the sun at a festival, but I'm not sure I'll purchase a bottle during my next Bruery run. Imperial Pilsners are odd creatures; lagering creates clean and crisp beers, and it's hard to create a beer with body enough to handle high alcohol and flavor. This was a noble effort though. 

Sarah gets her art walk on