Hanging out in Houston

So last night I was able to get the Green Light to hit the mean streets of Houston. It was so great b/c it's American Craft Beer week and the Sauce was having an Allagash night. Turns out I had never had Allagash at the Saucer, though I've had plenty of their stuff in the past. I just can't get over how great Allagash Odyssey was. Finally I'm getting back into Belgian Strong dark ales. I've been doing the Tripel thing for a while. Anyway, it had a very nice combination of big poofy tan head, near black color, with a choco, raisin, and banana thing going on. Very very sweet. Kinda makes me want to see if we have it somewhere in the house for a breakfast beer. I didn't notice the 10%+ ABV as I just inhaled that beer after the terrible traffic getting to the Saucer.

Afterward I went completely backwards and copped the Allagash White (hey it was only 3 bucks). It barely held its own after the Odyssey, with that banana bread thing going on. A pinch of sour and a nice soft body to it. Fast forward and I'm thinking I'm going to be passing out at the Astros game, but we go ahead and get the Allagash Black. Tastebuds were blown at that point, only was a little chocolatey and roasty.

Afterward a quick trip to Minute Maid park to watch the Astros ACTUALLY WIN A GAME! And it was against Tampa Bay Rays. Their pitcher hit a couple of our guys including Brett Myers our pitcher, and I just kept yelling about how this is the National League, and the Rays pitcher has to get on that plate at some time. I was hoping Myers would at least give that chump a close shave with a 90 miler, but alas he let him off the hook. Which is why we are sitting pretty with only 16 wins going toward Memorial day and Roy Oswalt wants to be traded. Then again, we were 15-35 the year we went to the World Series, so who knows.

I was pretty tapped out, so we went for cigars and at Downing Street to cap off the night. Turns out the condos at Kirby and Westheimer have come up very nicely (if not bankrupt), and there is a great LAish feel while sitting at Taco Milagro and/or Downing Street. A little Grand Marnier with my Romeo y Julieta worked out well, while all the hot women seemed to be wearing red dresses. For a while there I thought Milagro had had it's time in the sun, but around midnight they had their little dance floor packed and plenty of folks posted up outside enjoying more drinks. I need to drag-ass back over there at some point like we used to do.

Got home at a decent hour and wanted to get the cigar and Marnier taste out of my mouth, so a Red Hook Mudslinger Spring seasonal worked out well enough. To cap off Craft beer week, we'll be hitting up Two Rows for lunch and Gingerman for their anniversary party. Word on the street is that Two Rows has a new head brewer. Curious if they have any special beers on tap.
Holla

Excellent Weekend of Beering

I'm sitting here on a Sunday night enjoying a nice Fat Tire straight out of the bottle while watching Alton Brown cook with beer and wine on Good Eats. I would say it doesn't get much better than this if it weren't for having to go to work tomorrow and bust ass. But we gotta GET THAT OIL!

This was a pretty nice weekend with a Friday night of hanging out with the boys at the ol' Flying Saucer. A few friends of mine took their PE Licensing exam that day, so they're good to go. I know we did some serious bar hopping after I took the exam, and actually took it pretty easy when I passed the exam (seeing as how we're all Professional now). I didn't really feel like writing, but had an EXCELLENT Flying Dog Double Dog. Imperial style ale, with a fantastic strong hop and syrup-caramel malt. The carbo cut it just right for a 4 star beer. Before that, I managed to take down a very nice Bear Republic Late Harvest. Fantastic maltiness with a hint of roast and hop. Kinda like a nice sweet muffin or something. Probably the best Late Harvest beer I've had before, assuming we want to call LH it's own style. High 3 Stars.

Afterward, we took the classiness up a notch and made our way to Downing Street Pub, the absolute best cigar bar in Houston with a great selection of beer. On a Friday evening there were still some tables available (always a seat somewhere), so I grabbed my Romeo y Julieta and ordered up a Chimay Blue. I've had Chimay White with a cigar at this spot and it wasn't quite right. But this time the Blue managed some great staying power against the cigar flavor. Gave me that great fruitiness, alcs, and a hint of sour the entire time. I got a Chimay Red as well and it just didn't stand up at all. Oh well.

We finished things off at the Gingerman where I just drank water and talked smack, though I saw PLENTY of beer on the chalkboard I'd never heard of before. Awesome.

The beer scene in Houston is ratcheting up, as they are now having beer events at wine spots, hotels, and steakhouses. Fantastic. We're getting there, just need to get some brewpubs going and we're in there.

Saturday night we tapped the birthday beer for the wife. It was not carbonated yet so I forced it and served around. Things were going great. A few friends came over for the UFC fight, an event which I called "Dontoberfest". Too bad that I missed that the U of Houston homecoming was that same day, or I would have had my party sometime later and gone to the game. Or at least tailgated.

Today the Texans won despite their best efforts to lose the game. Had a nice IPA at the stadium while talking smack to the Niners fans. Actually, I didn't have to talk smack, they were losing the entire time. Just a fun time, but we cut it short. Just in time to get the phone calls that Monday is going to be a very busy day at the office. Maybe should crack open a bomber tonight.

Tinged Orange beer at the Saucer

Beer Log: Last Night

State: Thirsty, awaiting my first Astros game

We finally made it back to the damn Flying Saucer in Houston. I think it's been about a month since I last made it there. Why you ask: one, I've been studying for the PE Exam, two, I live about 25 miles from downtown Houston. I need a good mega beer bar somewhere in Katy, Texas and I would be good. Maybe a Taco Mac or something.

Anyway, we wanted to down about 3 beers to make before the 'Stros game. I drove the whole way leaving the top down on the convertible. Normally not a big deal, but I still had the baby seat in the back. Is that ghetto, rolling around town with a drop top and an empty baby seat. I guess I should put it in the trunk next time. But the temperature on I-10 got over 95 degrees on my car thermometer, so I'm actually sweating. Why not some German wheat beers...

Ayinger Brau Weisse

We had to order just the right beers as it was happy hour and we wanted to get the 22 oz beers for 12 oz prices. Looks lightly tinged orange and rather cloudy. On the nose we have oranges and just barely some bubble gum, and I detect a touch of the mustiness from the hops you get in those German beers. First I notice the medium body and carbonation with a very nice orange flavor and a pinch of sweetness. High 3 Star. Great way to start the night. You can always count on Ayinger.

Schneider Edel Weisse

Ah yes, another weisse beer. Banana ester nose. (I'm trying to remember to do the smell before the appearance. The smell can change pretty rapidly, the appearance ain't goin anywhere). Strong white head with a deep orange tinge. It tastes like a great 4 star wheat beer at first with all that ester, a touch of sourness, and banana, and then BAM! it's followed up by the taste of copper coins and icky hops at the back of the tongue. What in the blue hell? That is a damn shame. It could have been in the transportation or something up with the keg, but come on, it's on TAP. It's not like they shipped it in a green bottle. And usually that comes with skunkiness. And how long could it have possibly been sitting in the keg as it was on the new beer list on the chalkboard? Low 3 Stars.

After choking down the banana flavored pennies, I did what I always do when hit with a bad taste, IPA ALL THE WAY! But somebody got cute and made an IPA Tripel. A superstrong light colored Belgian strong ale with American hops.

Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel by Brasserie d' Achouffe

That's a name that I can't pronounce any of the names to, except for IPA and Tripel. Cloudy tinged orange with a strong white head. It was actually on tap, so I'm glad I was able to try it without the green bottle affect. Smells like strong citrus hops (maybe cascade) with a ester and sourness. Oh yes. The taste reveals an overpowering hops with low malt and great creaminess. Great mashup for a Belgian beer. The aftertaste is a little bitter, but it works. You keep drinking it and you'll find the tripel fighting for taste buds with all those hops. That smoothness, that banana/ester, that great mouthfeel. Fantastic 4 Star beer.

While downing the IPA Trip, we decided that for our guys trip we should try to go to Amsterdam and to Munich for Oktoberfest. Hopefully we can pull it off. Of course, the trip seems easier when your on your third weisse beer. After leaving the Sauce we made it to the Stros game and they beat the Dodgers. Actually grabbed me a Drop Top amber with my BBQ sandwich. That was a good hour after we had our last beer at the Saucer, and the amber may as well had been a budweiser. Couldn't taste a thing but some bread. I should have just ordered the Saint Arnold Amber anyway. Oh it's real.

Beering in San Antonio: Flying Saucer

Ah, the Sauce, but this time in San Antonio. My favorite bar, even if the chain is based in Dallas. To the beer we go.

Beer Log: January 1, 2009

State: Enjoying the New Year

The first beer I had of the New Year was Shiner Bock. Fitting as I am neck deep in Texas Beer.

But the Sauce was having Mystery Beer night, so I figured I would let whatever beer they gave me start me off on the style of beer.

Spaten Premium

I am surprised I never had this one. Straw color, with a strong white head. It has a soda/veggie/malt smell going on. Medium body mouthfeel with a light malty bread thing going on. It's a little gritty on my tongue and light on the hops in the aftertaste. There is a little icky hop flavor the more I drink it. 2-3 Stars. As we sit around and chat it up, I grab it again as it warmed. Lo and behold I'm getting pestachio nut smell and flavor, which put it firmly in 2 star for me. That was about the LAST thing I expected, and it only got more pestachio-like the warmer it go. I started thinking about a thriller book I read where they tried to kill the hero by getting him to eat rotted almonds, which are poisoness. The girl who put that in his food ended up eating it and dying on the spot. The fact that I was still alive at least meant there was not a price on my head.

I looked through the pale lager section of the menu, and decided to dump the whole pale lager style tonight. I'll keep to my word on the next mystery beer night.

Kostrietzer Schwarzbier

You ever type those German words and you feel like you are going to break your fingers, this is one of those times. Deep opaque brown with a low tan head. Not much of a nose. Lots of smoke on the flavor and a bready aftertaste. Medium carbonation and medium-full body. I get a slight chocolate as it warms. Low 3 Star for me. I must be going to hard on thesee choco beers, as they are not tasting as good to me.

I'm a little tipsy at this point, so why not bring it on home with the 10.5 ABV Oskar Blues Ten Fidy.

Opaque and black with a mahogany thin head. There is a strong to medium malt and chocolate nose. The taste is lowbitternesss with a strong malt. Second draught: The body is somewhat full with a strong malt (coffee/toffee) aftertaste. Although the body is not all that thick, it is very mouth fillingg, if that makes sense. It is very balance with the hops but not over the top. The more I drink it and the more I think about it, I'm getting something akin to red wine going on in my mouth after I drink it. Low 4 Stars baby.

Pale Ale-ing in Houston

Back at the Sauce to meet up with an old college buddy. He is not a beer drinker but the waitress eventually got him to drink a Pear Cider (sad). In the meantime, I am a beer drinker and decided to finally get something off cask for the first time.

Beer Log: 11/21/2008
State: Chillin, not very hungry

Avery IPA on Cask
If I was ever diligent enough to add it up, Avery probably has what I figure are the most 4-5 star beers in their portfolio. I don't brag on them too much b/c I'm a homer and would love for a Texas brewer to pick up that mantle. Although we just aren't a "Big Beer" state.
Straw color with a very thick and strong lacy head. It smells like a lovely bouquet of flowers and rather sweet. The taste is an excellent strong caramel malt with a strong hop presence right after it. There is a hint of both alcohol and some cascade (or other hop) bite in the aftertaste. 1-2-3-4 stars man. It's incredibly smooth and very drinkable. Methinks this is a double IPA, a style which I love.

I must have been feeling the alcohol b/c instead of going to more IPAs, I went down to Pale Ales.

Oskar Blues Dale Pale Ale
You got to love that Gordons that they make. Solid 4 stars. The Dales was also in a can poured into a glass. Orange and cloudy with a white lacy head. It tastes bready and hoppy, kinda like an amber. Actually, kinda like an the Budweiser American Ale. It leaves a gritty feeling in my mouth. The hop smell is coming in more as it warms and it seems a little musty. It is smooth with medium carbonation. No ranking this time. The IPA just ran roughshod over this one. I'll switch it up next time.

The handwriting in my beer notebook is getting really crappy now as I read it a week later. But we weren't going anywhere for a while, so what the hell.

Bear Republic XP
I'm feeling tipsy now. All I managed to write was flowery smell coming off a low head. It's also orange and cloudy. And like the last one, musty and bready. It's pretty hoppy but with no bite. I wrote 3 stars but I'm not counting that one either.

After we drank up we just strolled through downtown telling war stories about FAMU and our current experiences in trying to become Oil Men. A couple cigars and a lot of water and we're sobered up enough to not get tasered by Houston PD. Great experience overall.

Beering in Charlotte: The Sauce

Back at the Flying Saucer but now in Charlotte CAROLINA! I hit up ol' girl again, but brought along the baby. I decided I'll go with two flights as opposed to just sampling three beers. So I did the Carolina flight, then did another flight of beers of Carolina beers, and a couple others, including something from Brooklyn. The flights came in 5 ounce glasses, which I think is enough to make it work for my evaluation.

Beer Log, October 25, 2008
State: Chillin, eating a Chicken Ceaser Wrap

Red Oak
Tried this one again. No butter this time. Amber color with a low white head. It is sour at first, then bready. The mouthfeel is very filling, yet with low hops. 2 Star once again.

Cottonwood Pumpkin http://www.carolinabeer.com/
Once again something from Lake Norman area of Charlotte. I'm about to wrap up my drinking of oktoberfests and pumpkin beers, but I figured it's good to get a local one in there. Light haze to accent the amber color (they must love amber up here). I get a light rush of pumpkin flavor and nutmeg, very nice. Good mouthfeel with a low hops in the finish. This is one of the better pumpkin ales I've had in this season. Or it could be that Red Oak is messing me up. Either way, 3 Stars.

Rainbow Trout ESB
Back in the Foothills http://www.foothillsbrewing.com/brews.html with this one, and we're going bitter. THICK white head that managed to stick around in the sampler glass, yet it's amber again. This one has medium hoppage for an ESB, as I understand Extra Special Bitters are not all that bitter. Low carbonation and just a very good beer. Light malt I test in the beer. Goes down very well. Got to love it 3-4 stars out of 5 Stars.

Cottonwood Endo IPA
Another amber colored beer with a low head, but it tastes like a very good IPA. Excellent quality with the lingering Cascade hops on the aftertaste for 60 seconds. Well done on the strong malt as well. This one reminds me of the Broken Halo but with more citrusy hops. A good workhorse IPA I could see myself picking up all the time, 4 Stars.

Highland Oatmeal Porter
Totally turning tables, I get my hands on their Oatmeal porter out of Asheville. Dark brown color that is light brown in the light, go fig. Low offwhite head with a light malt smell. Decent malt backbone for this one that is kind of smokey and roasty. Got to love the full body. As it warms a touch, I'm getting a low-medium hops. It's ok. 3 Stars.

Now that we have gone through one sampler, some convo about real estate, and I feel like another 5 beers. Maybe not something so local. BROOKLYN STAND THE F8CK UP!!!

Brooklyn Grand Cru http://www.brooklynbrewery.com/
They say that Grand Cru is another style of Belgium beer. I am looking around and it looks like it could be, but the BJCP isn't helping me out. This one is light gold with that ol' bretamycin smell. I love that type of sourness. I could drink this stuff all night. Good fruitiness on this one, as in banana and that estery stuff. It has a smooth light carbonation and is also sugary sweet. A few days later, I figured they just took a regular belgian ale and fermented it at a warmer temperature, which would make MY belgian white beer closer to a Grand Cru as I have no temperature control in my homebrewing. 3 Star for my first Brooklyn. As I write this, I just found our local liquor store has two Brooklyn Beers a Pale Ale and a Lager. Certainly looking for more of it.

Highland Clawhammer http://www.highlandbrewing.com/
Amber color again for a Carolina beer. Light malt and medium hops. Some citrus in there and a nice bready aftertaste. Medium mouthfeel. This a good basic stable beer for everyday drinking... 3 Star.

Foothills Seeing Double
A Double IPA, one my first in a while. I smell those citrusy hops with that strong creamy whitehead. Very smooth and thick on the first taste. High malt and high hops, yet very balanced. Better than the Endo, but barely a 4 Star for me. Wish I could get more of this one in Texas.

Battlefield Bock
Switching gears to something different, this one is black-dark brown in color. Decent mouthfeel here. Not as much malt as I'd like. Not much going on with this one. Probably a bad idea to have this one after the Double IPA. 2 Star. These guys from Red Oak cannot catch a break.

Total Eclipse
Another Stout from the Foothills
Black and opaque with a tan head. They say this one is over 7% alcohol. Medium to high chocolate and malt. Full Mouthfeel. Nicely done. There is no smoke yet a light-medium hops in this porter on the back of the pallet. I'm starting to feel it now, and I need to change clothes before the reunion party. 3 Stars.

Austin: Part 4: Give us, us Independence!!!

And later on...

We zip around town a bit burning some $3.95/gallon gasoline, and eventually find our way to the Flying Saucer in Austin. Turns out this Sauce is in one of those new style apartment complexes, where there are trendy yuppy shops and stores on the bottom floor, and apartments above. But I know I could not survive living above a Sauce. I'd easily gain for 40 pounds and be the next D. Rather than going all through the menu, we just decided to do a sweep of Independence Brewery.

Independence Freestyle Wheat
We got full pints rather than little samplers. Pretty clear beer that was the color of tinged straw. Light head, but of slight spice, citrus, sourness/lager smell. A fadeaway white head. Not much of a mouthfeel. A medium body, and not so good sourness/hop aftertaste. Medium carbonation yet not much of fruitiness. Not much of a wheat beer to be honest. Just some hops in a fuller light ligher. It does taste of a little bread as it warms up.

Independence Amber
Now that we've gotten past that one, I copped the amber. Crayon brown with a white head. Can't get a smell though. Buttery taste with a medium malt, low hops and a very quick finish. Some citrus halfway through the draught, nice surprise. A little hollow like a light beer on the mouthfeel. Hmm.

Indy Bootlegger Brown
Now the sobriety points are starting to run low. We already know the wife will be driving us back to Houston, as we are going straight back home after this beer. Dark brown to black, with an offwhite head. Roasted malt and pipe tobacco smell, awesome. Biscuity but NOT malty. Full body and smokey. It has a smokey aftertaste like a cigar. A little light chocolate as well.

Since I have four Indy beers, I decided to rank them.

4. Freestyle Wheat
3. Amber
2. Bootlegger Brown
1. Pale Ale

I appreciate what Indy is doing as a microbrewery, but I think I'll take Uncle Billy's over them.

This wraps up our Austin trip. We stayed for one night and managed to hit 4 different establishments, 3 brewpubs and 1 beer bar. It's good stuff going on, much more variety than Houston. We did not get the Lovejoys as that was downtown and we were steering clear of the biker convention going on. We also did not get to a few other beer bars, so I can't say absolutely who was best, but of the places we visited I think you absolutely most go to Uncle Billy's. The food was awesome and so was the beer.

Dude, Sweet, Dude... Sweet

Date: April 17, 2008

I'm out here at the Sauce hangin downtown like Cameo. I was at a loss as what I should try, and I figured I should go ahead and go for something sweet and malty. I'm sitting outside in the just about hot Houston heat, so I forego the stouts and porters and settle on the Brown.

State: Chillin and Full
Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale
The color is a dark dark brown. The new waitress brought it out in a bottle, so I could tell that it pours easy. It has a sweet caramel malt smell that is making my mouth water as I type this damn near 6 weeks later, though there was NO HEAD. Amazing. Holding it up to the light reveals a red color. It has surprisingly high carbonation, yet medium body. First taste is sweet maltiness though not roasted. It's very low in hops and leaves a lingering caramel and tingle on the pallet. It's very nice and almost a WOW beer for me. It's probably a touch too cold. The aftertaste comes in kind of filmy wetness, though that was a good thing this time. As it warms, it gets pretty durn heavy and bold with the caramel and some very very light bitter AT. Near the end, I'm tasting the alcohol a bit, but the beer is still strong. I was very surprised that those dudes at Dogfish messed around and put RAISINETTES in the beer. Awesome surprise there. Seeing as how I hate raisins and don't eat chocolate, I wouldn't know what that taste was. Neato. Raisinettes still suck though.

Spaten Oktoberfest
I ask the hot young waitress if there was something ye maltier than what I already had, but that was not a porter or stout. She was a bit worried and eventually brought me the last Spaten Oktoberfest. I feel really bad because after the Indian Brown Ale, this thing tasted like water. I wrote down that it was clear, orangish with a white head. Kind of spicy yet vegetal... and then my pen ran out of ink. It's just as well, as I couldn't really taste it anyway. Note to self, get the Oktoberfest, then the Brown Ale. I won't count this one against Spaten.