La Trappe Tripel fails to curb my enthusiasm for blondes

So maybe you're unfortunately not a subscriber HBO, or maybe you receive HBO and are simply not an avid viewer of the 7th season of the acclaimed CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, which in case you're just plain silly. If you are the latter, do yourself a favor and watch this season through On Demand. It's probably the best season yet and I've laughed hard enough during the last two episodes to make my sides split like a tauntaun in Empire Strikes Back. Here's a clip from the funniest show I've seen in a long time, that garnered the highest ratings in the show's history. It may seem graphic, but settle down and curb that incredible feeling of awkwardness that rises up inside you and allow that laugh you don't feel coming to happen. And it will:

While catching up on the latest and greatest Larry, David and I pour out the 2nd La Trappe, an 8% tripel.

The beer pours a patchy Belgian lace, which is a bit surprising. The tripel still has a smooth taste and a medium body with mild bread and phenolic notes (pepper and herbal). There's a bit of grapefruit the flavor as well. The tripel is smooth as sailing. Nothing that stands out, but it's delicious to set back and relax with. THE ROCK rating. This tripel isn't the best, but provides a solid performance. It' one blonde that I wouldn't mind asking out on a date again.

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. 

Straffe Hendrik Tripel is easy drinking with friends and ARCHER

Rolled over to the always awesome and delightful AJ and Nic's apt and coworker Tiff joined us for some appetizers, booze, impolite conversations, gregarious laughs and some ARCHER, which I'll get to later.

AJ makes the best spreads

Apparently Straffe Hendrik is the last of the once numerous "authentic Bruges' Tripel Beer" and I understand it's longevity. For a tripel that clocks in at 9%, the beer is light and super smooth. It tastes sweet with doughy and fruit notes and a strong malt presence. BIG thank you to David who tasted this over Christmas and was gentlemanly enough to bring a big bottle back. THE ROCK rating.

ARCHER's 2nd season started last week on FX Thursdays at 10pm and if you like laughter than you best DVR this show. I recently discovered this myself and after watching one episode, I bought the first season. For the number of jokes per minute in each of the 10 episodes, it's a steal at $13 on Amazon. What first piqued my interest was seeing the clip below online and then learning the show's creator wanted to combine a workplace comedy with the spy genre he loved, and also that he wanted to see how big an asshole the hero could be and still get away with it. It sounded really cool and in all regards it's a great success. If you like Arrested Development, know that the mother from AD voices the mother of the lead ARCHER and she's just as hilarious. Judy Greer who played Kitty in AD also lends her vocal talents as does SNL alum and Dr. Spaceman on 30 ROCK, Chris Parnell. If you don't watch this show, I'm will put you in the 'Danger zone!'

"Seriously Lana, your obsession with me is dangerous. Call Kenny Loggins because you're in the danger zone."

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.