Let us Blog: Mortality Stout

Here at the house and I have some downtime before I got to get some more work done. Otherwise, things are going very well.

Beer Log: Right now

State: Watching Dragon Ball Z Kai with the baby

Reaper Ale Mortality Stout

Picked this up years ago, I think at the Specs downtown or maybe Marcello's in Lafayette, LA. And here we go. Nose has a cherry lemony thing, with a chocolate powder thing going on. The taste is kinda bland and sour right off the gate. Probably held on to it too long. The mouthfeel is pretty gritty kind of like a saison. I'm curious to see how this warms up. After the warmup, it doesn't seem to recover the stoutness. No rating as I'm going to call this one aged too long. #fail

True Blood Beering: Brooklyn Black Ops

Beer Log: Right now

State: Watching the new True Blood. Finally got the baby to sleep.

Very fired up for another round of True Blood. Here's to hoping they don't jump the shark with this one.

Brooklyn Black Ops

The wife picked this up some time ago and we had it in our cellar for quite some time. Looking forward to this. Pours velvety smooth with a rich dark look and texture. The nose is excellent with dried cherries, plum, and bourbon. Huge tan head that eventually calms down. The taste is a huge sweet sherry, bourbon, and some light dark cherries. The second sip and I can pick out the big oak flavor as well, as that is what dominates the aftertaste. Just an excellent drink that is aged enough to the point where get some moderate noticeable hot alcohol to it. The hops are probably rather strong just to cut the velvet sweetness of it all. It gets pretty strong as it warms with the alcohol. Apparently not aged enough. Damn those ferries are throwing psych bombs at each other. There's suspending belief, and there's suspending belief. High 3 stars.

Breakfast Beering: Buffalo Sweat

State: Feeling good, eating spicy dear sausage and scrambled eggs. Watching MMA Live and the UFC 129 weigh-ins.

Beer Log: right now

Got this one in cans from my St. Louis trip.

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat
Deep brown color with quickly vaporizing deep tan head. Has a great chocolate nose to it. First thing I notice is the mouthfeel, very silky smooth. Has a moderate chocolate and a pinch of coffee. This is like Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout Lite. And that's not a bad thing baby! High 3 stars.

I'll take another round of extra creamy

Beer Log: Right now

State: Sitting outside at the Saucer, just ran 9 miles at Memorial Park. Lovely December day in Houston. 73 deg F, mostly cloudy. Awesome.

Breckenridge Thunder Stout

Not to be confused with Thunderhead or Thunderbird beer. This nitro stout has a very long last head on top of a deep brown colored beer. Nose has a nice subtle roast/choco thing going on, maybe a touch of butter. Oh yeah man, I've got beer-stache. Mad creamy head is followed by a very smooth velvety beer. Nice and neat chocolate due to the malts and very thick body due to the oatmeal. I always have a very great impression of the first beer of the day and especially after a long run. It's funny, for the first time at Memo Park I used their fitness center locker room and shower facilities rather than dragging ass back home still sweaty. The place looks pretty old compared to something like an LA Fitness, but damned if this is not the ballz. You would think that when the Allen brothers discovered Houston, the first thing they built was the Memorial Park Fitness Center. I can do my long run, shower up, change clothes, and in a few minutes I'm in the Heights or downtown. Hell yeah baby. Back to the beer as it warms up, I just get even more of that great roast and chocolate. At 5% abv, this is a nice beer to have. High 3 stars.

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Don't remember if I ever formally reviewed this one. Ruby/brown color with a nice thin white head. Not much of a scent. Beer tastes like a vanilla/chocolate candy. One of those cheaper ones you get on halloween that your parents claim is the good shyt. As my palate gets used to the vanilla, I get something kinda thin and a little bit watery in the middle of the palate. I would say that I should have gotten this one first, as the fuller Oatmeal Stout just ran roughshod over the tongue here. Oh well. May as well just enjoy this puppy.

Mikkeller Chipotle Stout

I'm one of those guys that thinks hot pepper beers are pretty much bad ideas, but here goes. Dark brown color and tan lasting head. Nose has choco and something like a hot pepper going on in there. Beer has a smokiness and harsh roastiness to it that basically overpowers the chipotle. Give this beer about 20 seconds after you down in and you'll get some of that pepper heat in the back. In all reality I think the Mikkeller boys tried to do too much here. Super hardcore smoke which has that light band-aid thing going on, and the roast, and the pepper burn. As you drink it, that chocolate and coffee are rather pleasent, it's just everything else is throwing it off for me. And now I'm getting that pepper heat in like the middle of my throat. Dude. And I'm one of those guys that puts cayenne on the hot taco McCormicks mix for even more kick. For this cacophony of foolishness that Mikeller has stricken us with, I'm going to have to skip the star rating and give this the Cowboy Curtis face. And to think Mikeller is typically the bomb. Oh well. If they just itznayed the pepper and black patent, we would be in there. And for 9 bucks too. Come on son.

Live blogging from the iPad: Allagash

Screw that damn ipad. I'm on my Dell now. It wouldn't let me type in the screen. Just got back from San Fran on Sunday and I absolutely loved it. Speaking of today, I just finished an Abita Fall Fest and did not care for it. Too metallic for me. Anyway, let's finally crack open some of that Allagash I've got in the house

Beer Log: Right now
State: Hanging out with the wife and kid, a little HDNet Fights on the tube.

Allagash BLACK: Huge head on a sour smelling beer Nice and dark amber with big tan head (no homo). The nose has notes of plum, brown sugar, and caramel malt, and some roasted notes. We had this in our regular fridge and took it out of the fridge for about 20 minutes to give it a good sweating. The taste is a strong bitterness not necessarily from the hops, but kind of like a bitter root flavor going on. Like if you mess around and added too much cinnamon to your oatmeal. Second sip hits us with a nice brown sugar and malt, much better. I like the soft yet crisp nature of the beer. It's very drinkable and leaves a nice roasty/coffee flavor on the tongue. High 3 Stars for the combo belgian style stout.

As soon as I can get those damn beer reviews off the ipad, I'll go ahead and post my adventures in beer in San Francisco.

Beering in Freeport, Bahamas

So we went on this 7 day cruise with the family last month. It was one of those Carnival cruises that takes you to Gran Turks and Caicos and a couple of spots in the Bahamas. At first I didn't even plan on drinking beer at all on the cruise thinking that it would just be a BMC thing with maybe some Heineken. But damned if they didn't have plenty of Pilsner Urquell, Bodingtons, Grolsch, and Stella. Not exactly a Banana Nectarine Double Mocha CDA, but it'll due. I drank more Pilsner Urquell than I have probably PILSNER in general all my life (if you don't Miller Lite).

So after meandering around the caribbean, we finally make our way to Freeport. Basically this a great island which has plenty of nices homes and a lot of "the industry". I'm talking refineries , chemical plants, the works. Looked beautiful to me. Anyway they have this smallish outdoor mall like area selling all kinds of trinkets and whatnot, but I was mostly hoping to land on some of those lagers and stouts you here so much about.

The outdoor bars were selling Sands and Kalik at two bottles for 5 dollars. Both of which were pretty basic lagers, maybe a touch sweeter then the Pilsner Urquell, but not as much body. Great for the hot arse weather. And then we stumble on a little convenience store selling the stouts by the bottle. We grab a couple and head over to a Greek Restaurant of all places.

Beer Log: June 25, 2010
State: In Freeport, hot as all get-out

Royal Extra Stout (Carib brewery)
I was a little hesitant about bringing my own beer into the restaurant, so I drank this out of the bottle in the paper bag. No scent or color. Super strong sugar syrup sweetness, some moderate chocolate as well. The Trinis made this one smooth that's a pinch astringent. The body is velvety and somehow dry at the same time. No real hop presence to speak of. I think this is sweetest beer I've ever had. Low 3 Stars.

Strong Back Stout by Bahamiam Brewery
More balanced and beery (vegetal). Good hop presence buy not very stouty, at least compared to the Royal Extra Stout. Good refreshiness. With a pinch of chocolate and coffee, and even a slight citrus sourness, I'll give it a 3 Star.

Oh and while I'm on it

Beer Log: Right now July 8, 2010

State: Eating Bison and Fries

Old Growler

Execellent caramel, cherry, sherry, chocolate nose. Slight visibility of the brown beer in the light, with strong creamy tan head. The beer taste is a light moderate body, nice chocolate/malt backbone, but a touch watery for me. But much better with the bison. Goes down smooth with a very quick finish, very low hop presence. It is at like 42 deg F, and knowing the British, this needs be around 60 deg F. So I'll chill out, finish my food, turn on the LeBron James show on ESPN, and try it again.

Fast forward an hour and this beer is much better and fuller at about 65 deg. I like smooth richness of the beer and how it all melds together with the chocolate and smokiness. Give it a high 3 Star.

New Go-To Local Beer

Well what is a good beer drinker with a go-to beer. As I sit here in my Egypt National Team soccer jersey while watching Bellator, I can't help but ponder the beer every beerman needs a beer that they just drink, all the time. Everybody's different, but even the connoisseurs need a beer they can crack open while watching a fight or something.

The beer that is pretty good, moderatly priced, preferrably something you can get in a can, moderate alcohol, and preferrably local.

My Go-To beer Lineage is as follows:
Undergrad: Smirnoff Ice (I know, but I got more girls back then)
Grad School: Miller Lite (MGD if I wanted to treat myself)
First moved to Texas 2005 to 2007: Shiner Bock
A break in the action and then...
2008-2009: New Belgium Fat Tire
January to April 2010: Saint Arnold Amber

And now we have a new winner. Since I can't get SA Amber in a can, and my taste buds forcing me off hops, I cannot stop drinking and am currently drinking:

Southern Star Buried Hatchet Stout
I just love the medium body, low hops, chocolate with moderate coffee and burnt notes. I drink this stuff straight out of the can, no need to dirty glasses on the go-to beer. And although it's a bit more pricey, something around $8.00 for a 4 pack of 12 oz cans, I find I'm picking a 4 packer everytime I hit Specs. These guys just NAILED it with this beer. Firmly in the 4 Star territory, especially considering I bought more than one of them. To make things better, we may be moving up near Southern Star territory some time soon. Great stuff.

If only Oskar Blues would make a lower alcohol beer, I think they would be my go-to next. Oh well.

Back on the Block

Finally I'm back in the game. Had to lay off the booze for a while to get some surgery. Now I'm almost healed up though I look like Kano from Mortal Kombat. "Hey baby, did you miss me? Do you remember this knife, it's when I cut your partner, ear to ear". Man that movie ruled. Anyway, the wife and I are sitting here about to put the child to sleep. All while I was laid up looking like the Phantom of the Opera, the wife was busy buying new beer at specs. We've got an extremely grassy, acidic, and apple like Imperial IPA from Widmer. Also there are plenty of bombers and whatnot. But let's give Brewdog another shot.

Beer Log: Right now
State: Down to one eye, relaxing, eating some angel food cake

Brewdog Isle of Arran
No I'm not stupid enough to eat a palate busting food like angel food cake before trying the beer. I'm pouring this beer in my Old New Orleans Rum goblet. It pours thinner and faster than I thought, but no head at all. I've seen water bubble up more than this. Nose is complex with raisin, apple, cherry, and something like a bitter cigar smoke lingering. Not much choco or coffee like so many stouts. The taste is surprising uncomplex, just a thin woody beer, a pinch of coffee, and moderate amounts of piney hops. The second sip gets me a touch of that wood and the beer is a little puckering, sour like in feel. The body is thin, but just kinda basic. Let's see if anything changes with some warmth and a foiling AFC. It's just kinda hoppy and smokey now, black patent is what the wife thinks, and I'm inclined to agree. Maybe I was just in the mood for something stouter. Low 2 Stars.

Not sure what to think about the Brewdogs. I think they overdo it on the smoke for the beers I've had so far, and every beer I've had of there's so far is best described as what I dreaded craft beer would taste like when I was a Miller Lite guy. Not a good feeling. Kickass names though. Anyway, we've got some 5 AM and I very well may order some bottles of their super high gravity beers to put in our cellar and to sample for myself. Regardless, it's good to be back on the block.

Let's try another beer: Otter Creek Jamaican Stout

You know, we need another beer. We had these Otter Creek World Tour beers in our cellar/house for over a year.

So time for the Otter Mon Jamaican Stout.

Ths beer is a deep brown and opaque, with a huge tan head. The beer has a roasty choco nose, yet tastes rather bitter coffee like. It didn't sour or oxidize sitting in our cabinet, but it's not the style of stout I'm for. I like mine a little sweeter, no homo. The beer is extremely smooth, full bodied, and low carbonation. Great stuff. High 3 Star. I could use this on those long lonely nights in the heat afterhours.

One time for Jam Rock...

Beering in Maryland: Butternuts Anyone?

So we made it into Maryland last night and after sloshing around the roads to drop off the baby. We hit up Fridays for various forms of fried chicken and Blue Moon, then over to Latellas. Latellas is this liquor store in that Glen Burnie area has a HUGE walk-in fridge with all kinds of craft beer and some assorted champagnes. You know the place is on top of things as you walk in and they got some random Bollywood movie on the screen. The wife is still out of commission drinking wise, so instead of picking up single bottles, I just get a variety pack of something we've never heard of, figuring I can sample of that now.

Enter Butternuts Beer and Ale.

This variety pack has 4 different beers, all in cans. Fantastic. And this one had an IPA, Pale Ale, Stout, and a wheat beer. The labels look like something out of a Nick Jr Cartoon on acid, pretty much what Yo Gabba Gabba is now.

Beer Log: Last Night
State: Relaxing, watching the Las Vegas bowl on the massive HD screen at the mother-in-law's house.


Snapperhead IPA
This ipa has a very nice head and a deep amber color. No need to run away from this one, it hits the nail on the head with balanced caramel malt and citrus hop flavors. Not quite west coast strength either, but it represent Upstate New York well. I would say this one beats out Broken Halo as a good basic American IPA. High 3 Stars.

Moo Thunder Stout
At this point, I notice that every can has "Farmhouse Ale" written on it. I at first think there's no way these are brewed in the farmhouse ale tradition, or I'd expect a lot more sourness and high carbo. Turns out this stout had a touch more of both. Great roastiness and smooth choco all the way around. The nose matched the flavor. Fantastic. High 3 Stars.

Sometime much later on that night I try the Pale Ale. I was a little alcoholed out at that point, so I'll try to review that one later. Overall, a great start to Christmas vacation.

It looks like the wife is out with my mother in law to find a dress, and they say they won't be back until 1PM. Which means they won't be back until 3 PM. Which means I can take the baby, my soon to be stepfather-in-law, and hit the means streets looking for some brewpubbing in Baltimore. OR I can leave the baby with my great grandmother and great aunt (all in law), and we can hit the seedy beer bars of Fell's Point, and still be back before the Misses. Either way. Holla.

One time for Upstate New York and shouts out to Western New York as well. Loving it.

Lushing in Vegas: Part 1

Beer Log: March 25, 2009

State: Just landed in Vegas, weather is not hot at all

A good 4 days after leaving New Orleans, I had a company recruiting trip to Las Vegas. Seeing as how we were and are knee deep in a recession, you can imagine how timid I was asking the boss if I could go.

We stayed at the Monte Carlo and WHAT LUCK they have a brewpub on the bottom floor. This is going to be SWEET.

Within 1 hour of checking in at the hotel I get down to the Monte Carlo pub and brewery, I can see the fermentors and whatnot (see pic above). Hell yeah! I figure I'll sneak in a few reviews before meeting up with the team. Well, the bartenders tells me that they are no longer brewing beer and only have one local beer available. The F7ck?

Well we take what we can get...

Sin City Stout
Nice chocolate nose, though not too strong. Deep brown color. Excellent tan haead. The taste has great chocolate and subtle coffee notes. The beer just fills up your mouth (nullus). Fourth draught and I 'm getting that citrus lurking in the backround, and a moderate hop on the aftertaste. And that was just the taster.

I order the full glass and I can now see that this beer is on nitro with that super smooth creamy head (nullus). And here it comes, the metal. It's like I'm licking a penny. WTF. It was 4 stars on the taster, and 3 stars now. Of course they did serve it bone chilling cold. As it warms up the metal goes away. I wonder how much they want for that equipment?

I did make it to our meeting. We hosted a great party for the conference goers and managed to sneak in a few shots of tequila at the bar later on. Maybe I shouldn't have been wearing company nalia while challenging the folks at the bar for another round. No more beers to speak of for the rest of the night. Just partying.

Beering with The Tudors

I’m sitting here watching the Tudors on DVR drinking on a Heineken Dark Lager. Man I was truly rooting for Mr. Aske and the boys, fully knowing through history that the rebellion against King Henry the VIII was not going to succeed. Anyway, I’m re-introducing myself into civilian life after taking the PE exam. If I pass the test, you’ll know. If I don’t pass, this blog will turn from a beer appreciation and beer hunter blog to more of “a confessions of a crying grown man”.

Anyway, let’s clear out the old notebook of beer travels.

First off this beer I had 3 months ago, I forgot to write the name down. It could have been the beer we traded for with the guys in Virginia, or just something we picked up at Specs. Maybe yah can figure it out.

Beer Log: January 26, 2009
Dark copper color and very clear with a very strong light tan head. Nose is bready, fruity, with plum/alcohol accent. It’s kinda bitter and bready with a nice balance of light syrup malt. Has a nice medium yet filling body. Very drinkable. I’ll call it a rounded beer. High 3 Stars

I’m thinking this is something like a strong bock.

January 30, 2009
Dominion Baltic Porter
Got this one with a trade with a guy from Virginia. I let the Misses set it up. Brown and ruby in the light. Tan head. Smells of malt and coholate with maybe touch of alcohol. Excellent strong malt, lightly roasty and medium-full bodied. Very low hops. Quick finish . 4 Star body baby, and a high 4 Star beer. If I ever get my hands on it again, I may give it the 5. Dominion did it just right with this winter seasonal. Malt bill is just off the imperial level with a caramel, chocolate, toffee, and licorice flavor as it warms.

Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout
The dawgs came on strong with a drak brown beer with a strong tan head. The nose is HIGH alcohol and serious caramel and toffee. WOW BEER. It’s a monster malt beer that is not imperial either. It’s kind of like they forgot to put the hops in there. Take some wort and add vodka. Force carbonate it up and call it good. 4 Stars.

Live Blogging: St. Arnold's Winter Stout

Beer Log: Right now

State: Getting ready to read up for the PE Exam, a little thirsty.

St. Arnold's Winter Stout

Deep brown color with a strong 2 finger tan head. Nose is chocolate and maybe some sugar sweetness just barely in there. Nice full body malt hitting the tongue, very smooth with low carbonation. Almost imperial-like with it's malty sweetness, but not quite. An excellent stout with a chocolate and toffee flavor hiding amongst the hard maltiness. The hops are pretty much non-existent, but that's fine. 4 Stars. Probably the highest I've given a non-Divine Reserve St. Arnold's beer. As it warms I can get more of the chocolate, and the aftertaste is more chocolatey as well. Well Done by SA.