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: