End of an Era

As my Junior year comes to a close and my first brew is half is fermenting I feel some relief and some sadness. Almost like saying goodbye to an old friend moving away. Not that I am being sentimental but I think it is a good feeling.

1) I can relax. I don't have to worry about term papers of group projects or exams for a few weeks.
2) I can pay more attention to my extracurricular activities. i.e. Brewing and Drinking oh and writing....
3) I can be more scientific and proactive in my brewing. Such as Yeast harvesting, equipment modification, more reading about different and foreign aspects of brewing that I am still unaware of. I plan to read more about brewing chemistry. I am very interested in water composition, and enzyme breakdown.
3) I get a promotion, and raise at work so I can actually afford to get more brew things. Mostly odds and ends and ingredients. I don't want to expand yet, I just want to be more efficient at what I am already doing. Maybe if I can get my hand on a hops seedling I will plant that. I do want to do a dry-hopped beer sometime and from what I understand I should have a full size plant by August ready for harvest and drying.

That's all I have for tonight. Just thought I would keep you updated.

This weekend: RIFT meeting thoughts and overview, and Brooklyn Brewing Tasting... maybe some homebrew reviews too but I don't want to push it.

Sam Adams Tasting and Brewing....

At school in the Culinary Museum we had a Sam Adams and Wisconsin Cheese tasting. I don't have much to say about any of this except that I thoroughly enjoy cheese much more then I use to.

And Two bottles of Sam Adams Wee Heavy and Artisan Bleu Cheese don't sit right with me. I thought I was going to puke... not that it wasn't delicious which it was but within a half hour of that I was in pain.

Sam Adams:

So with the Sam Adams tasting we had a selection of 6 beers.
I will review 4 of them because if your reading this blog I can assume you have had Sam Lager and Sam Light... If not, stop reading HAVE SOME NOW! I only say that because these were the two beers that got me to fully enjoy the bounty of all that is malt, hops, and yeast (I already appreciated water).

I digress. The other four beers are slightly more obscure then the first two but mainstream for the most part.

Summer Ale:

Color: Yellowish Gold... Lighter then most

Clarity: Mostly Clear

Nose: Citric, Spicy, some Floral notes

Taste: Crisp Citrus, Smooth Spicy

Recommendations: Bacon Cheddar Kobe Burger... A nice bowl of almonds... Fruit Salad. Basically anything you might want at a 4th of July BBQ

If Sam Summer was an amplifier and the volume knob was a drink-ability knob it would go to 11... because it's 1 higher and have dwarfs dancing around stone henge.

Sorry about that. I was watching Spinal Tap earlier but I am also serious too.

Black Lager:

Color: Black, Espresso

Clarity: What does that matter? It's Black

Nose: Roasted, Nutty, Coffee

Taste: Dark Chocolate, Espresso


I wasn't very interested in Black Lager. It just wasn't my cup of tea or beer, but worth a try. I have nothing negative to say but I personally wasn't a fan.

Latitude 48:

Color:Dark Amber

Clarity:Mostly Clear

Nose: Floral, Piny, Some nut notes

Taste: BITTER, piny, floral, some caramel

Many of you probably know I am an IPA nut and this was right up my alley. Great beer for tastings sharp strong cheeses with some astringent qualities.

Wee Heavy:
Color: Brown

Clarity: Translucent

Nose: Vegetative, Oaky, Nutty

Taste: Have some odd carrot tones, oaky, butter


Wee Heavy and I said before with the bleu cheese did a number on my digestion but was very good. It was actually a great pairing. If I were to use is practically with it's pair cheese I would do Crab and Macadamia Nut stuffed Crimini  with blue cheese crumbles finished in a broiler or salamander to toast the cheese, but that's just me.

Now onward and upward.

Brewing:

This past Saturday I made my first brew batch. All and all I was impressed with myself. It didn't go perfect but better then I anticipated. This Thursday I plan to attend a meeting of a local brewers club and hope to pick up a tip or two for my next batch which I will hopefully start in 2 weeks. I hope to have a new batched finished and bottled every three weeks starting next week.

And Here is a standing list of equipment and ingredients I am looking into. Many are money savers and expansionary.

1 Gallon Glass Carboy New in Box		1 Gallon Glass Carboy New in Box	--
BETTER BOTTLE 6 GALLON FERMENTER CARBOY HOMEBREW WINE		BETTER BOTTLE 6 GALLON FERMENTER CARBOY HOMEBREW WINE
6 - 64 OZ AMBER GROWLER BOTTLE BEER HOMEBREW JUG BREW		6 - 64 OZ AMBER GROWLER BOTTLE BEER HOMEBREW JUG BREW
POLY GROWLER SCREW CAP 38MM BEER BOTTLE JUG REUSABLE		POLY GROWLER SCREW CAP 38MM BEER BOTTLE JUG REUSABLE

Another Sunny Day

So it has officially been 4 weeks since beerfest... I am a lazy POS aren't I?

I guess I should talk about it for a bit.

At Fest they had what you might expect from a New England beer expo.

Sam Adams (nothing special I took a few notes from a tasting I had of only them a few weeks ago and will talk about that later)

Harpoon... Long Trail... Otter Creek
none of which had anything innovative or very interesting to taste or show me. I think it was Harpoon that had the TRIFECTA  which was a blend of three of their brews in one tasting and that was interesting. Kind of classy fratboy status but interesting none the less... after the first 2.5 hours one of the people I was with just went around to each stand asking them to mix all their beers. I hope that tells you how uninteresting Beerfest actually was. Don't get me wrong I had a great time and tasted VERY MANY good beers but I was expecting more. More as in the innovative, creative concoctions that these craft breweries have thought up. I basically wanted to be a guinea pig, but alas I was merely a patron.

I was impressed but 3 stands. 2 of which were not even beer.

Firstly Original Sin Cider

The reason I was attracted to this was the pictures and logos. They have all these cool illustrated pinups and their logo is really neat.. yeah I just said neat.

So I went to taste. Their apple is ok at best but their Pear Cider was awesome. I was not expecting it to be that good after having their apple.






Secondly

Woodchuck Cider

Good Cider... only apple I thoroughly enjoyed their Summer Cider. Still too sweet for me I couldn't have more then one.












Lastly the best thing I had at beerfest

Period. end of story. If you see any of the three beers they offer at you liquor store pick them up. They are expensive but if you are a beer enthusiast it is worth it. I just checked out the price at my local liquor store earlier  and it is 9.99 for a four pack of the Oaked which is my favorite and 10.99 for a four pack of the Rum Casked. Pick these up and give them a taste then tell your friends and have them tell their friends and maybe we can get an Innis & Gunn here in the US and not pay $30 for 12 beers.

Thats my beerfest review. If it isn't any better in the fall then I won't be going to the spring unless someone pays me.

You drink too much and write too little

So currently I can't sleep and I have felt terrible about my neglect to this raving piece of garbage that is my journalism. I currently have a novel's worth of notes from all the delicious malt beverages I have been drinking and will catch up on that in the near future, but until then I guess I will release some rage into this preposterous rantings. 

My time in this school year is coming to a close. This has been an eventful one at that. Socially and intellectually more enjoyable then many of the last 14, but contrary to popular belief intellectual expansion is not found in classrooms and lecture halls it can only be found in yourself. I have never realized it before but it is utterly true. The more of yourself you put into your endeavors the more you will learn and gain from them. Maybe not words of wisdom, I am only 21. I can merely relay my experiences to you and this is all this blog is about. I don't care if I have 600 followers or still merely me I just like to share my experiences to anyone that will listen.

If you don't know the title of this post is from Californication. A few of my friends from work watch the show and I thought I would check it out since it is on instant play on Netflix. Pardon the swearing I know there might be younger readers I hope not but there probably are. Fuck cable online television is cheaper and in many cases higher quality not to mention you can watch premium shows without paying for the big fancy HBO, Stars, or Showtime.

Now I probably just ruined my blog and the lively hood of all television pirates throughout the world but oh well. Sue me. No seriously don't I am broke and will lose everything I don't have. I can just see Ted Turner and Mike Eisner surfing the web reading that I advocate television piracy. I would be black bagged. Wouldn't that be hilarious.

I guess that's all I have for the night. I will probably watch one more episode of Californication and go to sleep. Sweet dream and Handsome nightmares to all.

Am I loud and clear, Or am I breaking up?

We live on front porches and swing life away. We get by just fine here on minimum wage... in a Rise Against mood

So in recent days I have tastes three beers that have tasted mostly the same two of which are imports Bass and New Castle and one is from what I understand "supposed" to be an import it is Monty Python's Holy Grail Ale (tempered over burning witches) but this English themed beer is brewed and bottled in Rochester NY.

These three brews are pretty good depictions in my mind of what a English Pale Ale is they were all dark amber and malty almost like eating steel cut oatmeal and what I recommend for these is a bunch of friends sitting around eating greasy bar food. Definitely a social bunch of beers not that EVERY beer isn't but these beers just tasted like hooliganism. (I thought I made that word up but spell check says it's real)

Now for the IPAs

Green Flash Brewing: West Coast IPA

Ok this thing was a beast of an IPA. The most intensely hopped beer I yet tasted. When I say this was bitter I mean this stuff will rip the fillings right out of your mouth and I say that in the most endearing way possible because it was quite delicious but definitely not for everyone.

Ithaca: Flower Power IPA

This has been my absolute favorite IPA so far. Extremely complex but I can't figure out if it's solely because of the hops of something else. It tastes like lemonade, potpourri, and beer, again, in all the best ways. This one was actually recommended to me by Cat's coworker, and I recommend it to all of you. If you don't know if you like IPAs this might change your mind.





Now for the Bocks.

So this is some info on Bocks because I was unclear myself. I thought a bock can only be brewed in December and served by April and this is true for Australia but I can not find a definitive answer for the rest of the world.

Traditional bock is a sweet, relatively strong (6.3%–7.2% by volume), lightly hopped lager. The beer should be clear, and color can range from light copper to brown, with a bountiful and persistent off-white head. The aroma should be malty and toasty, possibly with hints of alcohol, but no detectable hops or fruitiness. The mouthfeel is smooth, with low to moderate carbonation and no astringency. The taste is rich and toasty, sometimes with a bit of caramel. Again, hop presence is low to undetectable, providing just enough bitterness so that the sweetness is not cloying and the aftertaste is muted.

this information was true for both bocks I have recently had they were both very malty and almost creamy in the smoothness category. I will probably pick another one up next weekend to find any major differences.

Oh, one of the bocks I tasted was Narragansett's and it was quite good. I know I have bad mouthed Gansett in the past and I will still bad mouth there lager because that shit's gross but if a Gansett Girl gives me a bock or stout I will take a swig.















Now to end this one I will give you my FAVORITE so far.

Samuel Adams: Scotch Ale

This is a malty sweet smooth creation that I wish I thought of first with the pallet of a triple malt scotch and the sociability of a Sam Adams this is a true social lubricant. I was enjoying myself with Cat's friends when I had this one so it is hard to make recommendations for this but the beer itself is worth having and having more then one. I almost wanted to pick up a full case as soon as we left Cat's friends. If I ever throw a kegger this is what will be in it.

I am sorry these are not in my usual format but most of these beers were impromptu tastings and I didn't have my notepad and some of them I didn't have a glass for color and clarity, but I kind of like this social format more of a review then informative. I may stick with this style at least until I get a new camera.

We're OK until the day we're not. The surface shines while the inside rots. we raced the sunset and we almost won. we slammed the breaks but the wheels weren't on... I said I was in a Rise Against mood

An Experiment in Social Lubrication: Part One

Friends, Romans, and other sorts of belligerent drunkards

My sincere apologizes for my negligent posting in recent weeks. I have been overwhelmingly busy with school, work, traveling and other miscellaneous events.

I have SO many delicious malted beverages to tell you about and I am going to start what is in my flagon right now. I apologize my camera is still busted so I will just be posting images from the internet.

   
Harpoon: Leviathan Imperial IPA

Color: Amber

Clarity: Slightly Cloudy

Nose: Citrus and Floral, Very Hoppy

Taste: Much hops but not the most bitter I have had recently I will get back to that soon enough.

Recommendations: grilled shrimp or salmon or any other fish grilled on an open flame.

So on to my next order of business. Uncorking the Past beer tasting.
I have to start this segment out by saying Man was I feeling social anxiety at Brown U. I seriously don't belong there.... I can't wait to go back.

 I have pages upon pages of notes and literature and information given at the event but I seriously doubt you want to know ALL of it. I will say Patrick McGovern and Sam Calagione make one hell of a team and I look forward to seeing them again in the future because they are some crazy smart guys with crazy smart ideas.

Some interesting facts before I get into the brews themselves.

In ancient times alcohol consuming cultures lived up to twice as long as non-alcohol drinking culutres
All mammals are instinctively drawn to enjoy and partake in fermented food and drink
The consumption of alcohol can be dated back to Paleolithic Man

Drum roll please....

Dogfish Head: SAH'TEA

Nose: Spicy, Herbal

Taste: Like Chai Tea and Grass... but in a good way

this one wasn't talked about very much but it was at the tasting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Dogfish Head: Chateau Jaihu

The oldest of the four tasted with a recipe dating back to 7000bc
Containing rice, muscat grapes, hawthorn fruit, and malt barley

Nose: Banana and Citrus

Taste: Very light due to the rice, citrusy and fruity, light floral

Recommendations: Orange Cake (appearantly that's what the paper says)

Dogfish Head: Theobroma
Honduran drink of the GODS
Made with chocolate and ancho chilis

Nose: Chocolatey and some sweet spice

Taste: Chocolate and complex

Recommendations: Toasted Nuts and Roast Chicken




and I guess I will call it quits for right now but comment and let me know what you think... facebook and twitter accounts can follow.

That's My Angry Face

It would appear that the first thing I set forth before all else for this upcoming trimester has already fallen to the way side. My camera seems to be in ill repair. I got so upset last night while I was taking pictures of my tasting pours because after the first one my camera just went dead... I can't even get it to focus on manual focus and clean the lenses and keep the camera in it's case... I don't know the problem nor the solution. That is my moping just wanted to explain why my second and third beer in this post have lower quality photos.

In other news this is the start of my 9th trimester at JWU and I am pretty pumped especially for my Food in Film and Literature class, but besides that I can't wait to start brewing. I am trying to get back on the Deans List again this tri.

Future Look:
So I am doing a brief look into the future Tonight I am posting My second Flight of this weekend's tasting and this coming weekend I will be posting similar to these past two posts but the weekend after that (18th to 20th) I will be heading to Pennsylvania for my Brother's musical, but I will still have a tasting post earlier that week from Uncorking the Past so that should make up for the lost weekend and Hey when I get home my friends might be up to going to a bar. That's as far as my crystal ball can see.

Let's Get to the Tasting.

                                                   That's My angry face

Boulder Beer Company: Hazed & Infused

Color: Amber

Clarity: Dull

Nose: Vegetative, Earthy

Taste: Very Hoppy like and IPA, Long Dry

Recommendations: Dark Chocolate, French Onion Soup

Flying Dog: Tire Bite Golden Ale

Color: Golden

Clarity: CLEAR

Nose: Very Bland... a little hops and starchy but that is all

Taste: Also VERY Bland I might as well been drinking a Budweiser.

Recommendations: Honestly this is my least favorite I have tasted so far. If I found myself having an entire 6pack of this I would probably only be able to drink two then use the others to beer batter EVERYTHING Fish... Chicken... Onion Rings... Doughnuts... My Dog's Toys... OH and probably make a German Stew and maybe Beer Bread because that's what I do with beer I don't like I cook with it.

Left Hand Brewery: Fade To Black Ale

Color: BLACK

Clarity: Completely Opaque

Nose: Smokey, Woodsy

Taste: Espresso and Bacon

Recommendations: Eggs Benedict or anything 

with Fatty Sauces

Hopefully I will have something interesting to talk about during the week so I will post again this week.

Uncorking the Past! with Friday's Beer Tasting

Monday March 14th 167 Providence RI

5:30 to 6:30

McMillan Hall, Brown University

Guest Speaker: Patrick E. McGovern

Tasting with Ancient Brews and Dog Fish Head after lecture

FULL Info at this link

UnCorking the Past

I am expecting that at this event they will have a Tasting of Dog Fish Head: Midas Touch known as a "Handcrafted Ancient Ale"

This Is why in my review of Midas this week I didn't offer a recommendation. I am hopingPatrick McGovern gives us one.

Dog Fish Head: Midas Touch

"Handcrafted Ancient Ale"


Color: Pale Gold

Clarity: Dull Clear

Nose: Floral, Fruity, Spicy

Taste: Mostly Grape, and Very Acidic

Other Info: Expecting to gain more info from Uncorking the Past Lecture.

Sea Dog: Hazelnut Porter

Color: Dark Chocolate

Clarity: Near Opaque but can still see light

Nose: Nutty, and Vanilla

Taste: Nutty, Creamy, Very Sweet

Recommendations: Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Strawberries

Pete's Wicked Ruby Ale

Color: Ruby Orange

Clarity: Clear

Nose: Floral and Hoppy

Taste: Nut Tones  but very sweet

Recommendations: Sour Goat Cheese or Yogurt, Sweet & Sour Chinese Food





I am so excited for "Uncorking the Past" I hope any of my readers come. and I have the second half of my weekly tasting tonight.

This Week's Beer Selection and "I Am Number Four"

I have made my selection for this week's tasting and "Drum Roll Please"

I will be having

Dog Fish Head: Midas Touch
Left Hand: Fade to Black Ale
Flying Dog: Tire Bite Golden Ale
Pete's Wicked Ale
Boulder Beer: Hazed & Infused
Sea Dog: Hazelnut Porter


Besides that I have had some great recommendations VIA facebook and will most definitely pick up a few for next week

Well, tonight Cat and I went to see "I Am Number Four" and I went in thinking it was going to be some cheesy teen action flick which, don't get me wrong, it was but it was above and beyond my expectations. You can definitely tell it was affiliated with Micheal Bay. Not much of a review I know but I haven't done much research on it. I will say good film worth going to the movies on discount night or with some sort of student discount. Major drawback.... SPOILER ALERT... It sets up for a sequel which from the film itself you can tell will be a major let down.
What will this sequel be called because if you see the film it obviously won't be I Am Number Five.

Running Errands

Today Cat and I are running errands with the puppy... Pet Store, Vet, maybe Walmart. While we are out I am going to pick up my Tasting Beers for this weekend. Comment if you have any recommendations.

Probably won't post anything else today because We are going to see"I Am Number Four" then I am going to bed as soon as we get home because I have to be at work for 5:30 in the morning.

Peace

One More Beer and Brew Pricing

Stone: Double Bastard Ale

"Ye Shall Know the Bastard and the Bastard Shall Set You Free."

Color: Brown

Clarity: Near Opaque

Nose: Melon Herbal Light Hop

Taste: Melon, Bitter, and Dry

Recommendations: Heavy Cream Sauces... Lobster Thermador






So I have started pricing my home brew kit and it is actually very reasonable.

Deluxe Starter Bottling Kit: $159.99
Outdoor Burner: $77.99
30lb Propane Tank: $59.99
Barley Mill: $125.99
Misc(pot or keg, beverage cooler, plumbing and fixtures): aprox. $175

Grand Total: aprox $600

This is definitely doable with my school refund check in April. I am budgeting $750. 

NOTHING!! to do...

Bored out of my mind on this week off.

Saturday's Tasting

VICTORY: HOP DEVIL IPA

Color: Orangy Brown

Clearity: Near Transparent

Nose: Green Apple, Floral

Taste: Intense hop flavor and sweet but very little acidity

Recommendations: I have no real recommendation except crack one open and enjoy.

Rogue: Dry Hopped St. Rogue Red Ale

Color: Light Brown

Clarity: Murky

Nose: Very Hoppy from dry hopping, Floral, and Starchy

Taste: Starchy and not very bitter

Recommendations: PROTEINS!!  Seared Steak or Chicken 

Flying Dog: Double Dog Double Pale Ale

Good People Drink Good Beer: Hunter S. Thompson

Color: Dark Amber

Clarity: Dull

Nose: Apple and Spices

Taste: Very Sweet, Light Hops, Long Dry

Recommendations:Spicy Hot Foods; Curried Beef, Hot-wings
(Cat says she thinks it should go with Chocolate Cake)




Tonight  I will be cleaning the house and watching Being Human UK on BBC America.... What is everyone else up to tonight or did anyone do anything interesting this weekend?

Moments of self discovery

So I have me tastings done for tonight but I will post the reviews tomorrow.
I have realized I enjoy Ales more then Lager and Rogue St Rogue Red Ale has been the most enjoyable beverage I've had so far.

This is a short post but I will have full reviews in the AM.

Friday Beer Tasting

So I just finished my tasting. I have full reviews on the three that I have tasted tonight.

and Tonight's Selection is...

Reviews:

Newport Storm Hurricane Pale Ale

Color: Amber/Golden

Clearity: Near Transparent

Nose: mostly bread, some nut, vegetive(asparagus)

Taste: the front is very clean but the middle you get a nice bite of hops and finishes with a very dry hop and tannin sensations almost begging for another sip.

Recommendations: Pizza or Fried Chicken or something breaded and starchy definitely a good beer with friends on game day.

Long Trail: Double Bag

Color: Burnt Orange

Clearity: Clear and clean

Nose: Citrus (grapefruit), Earthy almost like Cilantro

Taste: Crispy sour sensation first, some hops but not much more creamy then bitter and almost irresistibly smooth… If you drink mass produced cardboard water for some reason this MAY help you see the light.

Recommendations: Grilled Steaks or Seafood even some Grilled Portabellos anything seared and flame broiled would fit this amazingly.

Dog Fish Head: Olde School Barley Wine

Color: Red like seriously Fire Red

Clearity: Almost Clear

Nose: Sweet makes me think of Juice Fruit gum. also more Starchy but very sweet.

Taste: First it's like a sweet white wine then you get a small hint of hops. After that you get a big burn from the 15% alcohol

Recommendations: (this is straight off the bottle and I have to share it) Open Bottle, Pour into two snifters, Enjoy, OR Walk hand in neck into the middle of the woods. Use a shovel and dig a 2x2 hole three feet deep. Seal in a plastic bag. Place in hole & Pack with dirt. Memorize location & leave. Return exactly one year later . Dig up bottle, open & enjoy

Friends Cost Money

Studying for Finals but just taking a break to post this.

My coworker and I will hopefully begin brewing this spring and I will join JBREW the brewing club at school the only problem with this is it all costs money... Money I don't have but this is all to get experience for the future.

but I have created a list of goals for the rest of this school year to aid in this process.

Step 1:

Buy two books on home brewing

This was recommended to me by my coworker I want to start brewing with and from the info provided on Amazon it looks great. I want this one because Sam just seems like an awesome guy and I want to read his full story.

Step 2:

Join JBREW pretty self explanatory but it is more complicated then that. It is just so difficult to make the meetings with work, class, and not having a car but this must be done to get the rudimentary knowledge I need to progress at the speed I want.

Finally Step 3:

Brew with Vinny. Having a partner in crime would be awesome and one that is as passionate as I am. Again the biggest problem is a fiscal one. The initial cost of a brew kit isn't too pricey but for a broke college student it is enough to have his girlfriend say no, and then their is the cost of the materials for each brew. I don't know how much Yeast, Malt, Bottles, and flavoring supplies will set someone back but if it's not free it is still to much for me. Maybe I will scam the FREE section of craigslist for a while to see what I can come across but I will be getting my refund check in the spring and after I maybe buy a moped... which seems more and more like an unnecessary luxury everyday. I feel like the hole of debt and decisions I must make to wade my way out will never come to fruition. This is why I love beer let me crack one open and I will stop worrying.

I need a funny drunk pic to end this one

Beer Survey

Doing some research and found this survey on drinkcraftbeers.com and wanted to share it.

Oh I have also decided to taste a Magic Hat this weekend still looking for one more but I may just look for that when I am in the store.

It will probably be a Long Trail but I really want to go up to their pub for a tasting...