Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Angelos...CHALLENGE!


I've mentioned the Flying Saucer a lot on this blog, to the point I may want to get a little change from them, or at least 1 free pint a visit. Anyway, we were doing our normal walk up to the Sauce when we saw a beer bar that has opened up next door with 75 beers on tap, as opposed to the 80 at the Saucer. (in a French accent) CHALLENGE!!!

Angelos opened up just a few months ago and feature Italian food and lots of beer choices. A quick peak at the bar at Angelos and you'll see a lot of craft beer on tap, but more of the popular ones. The Saucer seems to forgo having all the Konas and will whip out a keg of IPA Tripel from Belgium. Anyway, hold up...

Beer Log: Right now, just cracked it open
State: Hoping the baby stays asleep

Sam Adams Cream Stout
Smells of rich velvety chocolate with a hint of brown sugar sweetness. Color is a deep brown that if you can see through it, you're a bad MF. Head has some sustainability, but mostly fizzles down. Ooh that's a different kind of chocolate than normal. Almost a smoke flavor it. Sadly the hops kinda screw this one up with an icky bite that doesn't go well with the citrus sourness. It's like someone squeezed in a touch of grapefruit. About 2/3 of the way back on the tongue, I get a touch of wateriness as well. Don't know why the wife was chilling this one, maybe just figured she'd drink it later. Oh well there's more. Low 3 Star.

...so I am driving back from offshore one day and I'm feeling kind of down, b/c I went back early though I could have volunteered to stay the whole time. The rain and fog were horrible, and by the time I made it to Houston it was rush hour. I figured I would just detour into downtown for a couple of pints and leave a couple hours later. I go to Angelos b/c if nothing else they have all kinds of Houston Dynamo 'nalia abound.

The place is relatively quiet with some folks enjoying some pizza and whatnot. I order a basic cheese pizza and about the only beer on the list I hadn't had before and eventually strike up conversation with a British gent next to me. Turns out he owns a beer bar in Leeds. Cool sh*t. He's regaling me with beer tails and stories of fish guts to clear up a beer (awesome, I love sushi), and then the music starts. Turns out the Houston Dynamo Cheerleaders are having a party at Angelos that night and they are doing a little dance rehearsal before it gets fired up. Oh BEHAVE! Their twirling around and bopping in sport bras and booty shorts and whatnot, and suddenly I forgot about my review...

Beer Log: March 12, 2009
State: May need to go to the bathroom

Franzis Kaner Weissbier
Gold-orange color and cloud. Nice white head. Good pure ester, yeast and banana nose. Hells yeah. I first notice it has a great smoothness for all that high carbonation. Makes me want to keep slugging it down. Not much of an orange peel taste like it's Belgian cousin, but a good banana flavor with a light funky hop, good medium body. It's very fresh unlike a lot of the store-bought German beers I've had in the past. High 3 Stars.

...so the Brit and I discuss the differences in American Soccer and British Football (he's a Sheffield United guy), and order a few more wheat beers. The bartender seems to know what he's talking about. And might I say it is refreshing to be able to hold a good beer conversation with the bartender. The Sauce (for all its glory) is always packed to the rafters. The only way I can have a pleasant conversation with the bartender at the Sauce is to either pull a gun on him or just come on a Sunday afternoon. I did end up leaving before the party got started. One more brew (or dance number) and I probably would have had to stay the night downtown, not cool.

We've made it Angelos once more since then and tried more of the food. Their cheese breadsticks are KILLER, and the waitstaff is very nice. Angelos seems to keep up with some later releases, though not as diverse or off the wall like the Saucer. But with the food, I can see myself going here first, and then hitting the Sauce for my IPA on Cask. How many times can you have the Big Dipper.

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