Virtual Tasting Beering

So these guys say we should all drink up and review a Colorado Beer for this new beer blogger conference. I don't have any beers from "the sponsors", but I do have some beer from Boulder Colorado in the kegerator. We heard tell of this conference way back and honestly I'm glad Ronnie Crocker put it back in our minds. We are supposed to crack open the beer at 8PM Central time. So I've got just over 2 minutes according to Microsoft.

Beer Log: Right now
State: Watching Hard Knocks on DVR, should be catching up on some work.

Twisted Pine Honey Brown Ale
I've got 90 seconds to kill, so today I totally clam up all day at this company recruiting thing we had all day today. The night before at the Meet and Greet I was Mister Orator, but today I just didn't find anything all that inspiring. Can actually make you look bad, but at times I'll do that. I'm more of a backroom guy when it comes to my business transactions. Actually I'm a natural at working out deals and decisions "off-line". Preferably over a beer. Oh it's time.

Crack it open at 8PM sharp, and this thing pours with a big foamy head in my dimpled pint glass. I'm liking the sugar sweet malt nose coming off of this beer. I've been on this lager kick lately, slamming a lot of Pilsner Urquell of all things, but an ale could work. I even get a good bit of cinnamon and caramel. Nice soft beer, has a decent caramel malt and all that rot. I'm liking the cinnamon flavor as well, but it has a nice lighter more subtle flavor of a true session beer. The aftertaste has a gentle chocolate and roast notes. Moderate carbonation that leaves the tongue tingly, though the Pine was able to keep the beer very drinkable. At first sip this beer is kinda plain, but as it warms a touch I'm getting a lot more flavor. Certainly not a braggot level amount of honey, but a light amount to keep it interesting. The head remains throughout the drinking experience, which helps a lot as the nose is carrying a lot of flavor. The roast and choco notes make a stronger statement as the beer warms to probably 52 deg F. Like the man in the stall said to the man waiting: "Give me time baby". I get a little more choco and some sourness as it warms up. Not bad at all for a session beer. 3 Stars.

One time for Twisted Pine and of course a song from my baby momma.

New Kids in Houston, Twisted Pine

Beer Log: Right now
State: Chilling out watching the new True Blood

Twisted Pine Honey Brown Ale
Picked this up in a variety pack after we had their Blonde at the BRC. Great caramel and roast nose. Cloudy brown with tan head. Not bad. Kinda caramel and roasted notes. I get a moderate hops as well, pretty piney. I think that I will be drinking like a fish while watching Boardwalk Empire. The beer here is a pretty basic American Brown. I don't get much in the way of honey, maybe a light lingering sugar going on. Maybe a hint of sour. Low 3 star. Well, these guys on the website are claiming they won on the Gold at the GABF for an ENGLISH Brown Ale in 2000. I would have expected it to be a bit smoother and maltier. But whatever works. 10 years is a long time and they may have evolved, or I'm just wrong.

A little later on...

Twisted Pine Raspberry Wheat Ale
Clear with sediment floating and nice raspberry scented head. High carbonation and light raspberry. A pinch poofy and soft, but not much else to it. Just a basic wheat beer with some raspberry. I get a slight pinch of hops in the aftertaste, but not much. 2 Stars.

Gastropub Review: THE BRC

Checked out this spot over the weekend with the Misses. We've heard tell of a great new gastropub, and sure enough this place delivered. We get in the BRC around 1PM and it kinda packed. Lots of shirts and ties for the late lunch crowd. There were even a couple middle-aged businessmen there with their 19 year old daughters, how sweet. They sat us at the wall couch kinda close up with the other patrons. Lots of red and white colors, smallish bar with a flatscreen off in the cut. You can't see the TV from most of the seats in the restaurant, but we can live.

I did the old three beer thing. First a beer for appetizer and I notice a new one, Twisted Pine.

Beer Log: Last Friday
State: kinda hungry, chilling at the BRC
//Damn you've gotta drink this Sunburn quick, or it goes bad fast.

Twisted Pine Blonde Ale
Since it's hot as balls out there, I felt the need to drink some lighter stuff. Kinda breay and sweet, served muy frio in a frosted glass. I'll allow it since it's a blonde ale and I'm still sweating, even in the AC. Nice hint of fruit, like apricot and noble hops. It's shyte load better than this week-old Widmer Sunburn I'm drinking right now, and with the variety pack of Twisted Pine we just picked up, I have a half a mind to grab another Blonde Ale right now. Low 3 Stars.

The White Wine mussels were on special and I decided to break my rule of never getting "the special" at a restaurant, especially on my first time there. The mussels were very well done with the cream sauce and some andouillie sausage for flavor. But the fries, oh WOW! Just slightly crispy on the outside, and soft in the middle. If these guys did not use the twice-cook method Alton Brown espouses, I would be shocked. I'm thinking they baked these fries first, then QUICKLY seared them in grease. Or just spritzed some olive oil on the baked fries and turned up the flame to broil. But whatever. Everything went great with the North Coast Pranqster. They served it with some sort of a hot sauce syrup for dipping sauce, which was just that, some mixture of hot sauce and maple syrup, which sounds like something we would take shots of at the IHOP in Buckhead at 3AM while in Grad School, but this little sauce was STELLAR with the mussels and fries.

Lastly I got the skillet griddle with the Real Ale Devil's Backbone. Very well done as well. The sandwich was something resembling a patty melt (patty melts are awesome), but the meat was pulled beef bbq, and the cheese was some Oregon cheddar and Pola Moonster. And MORE fries. Hell-f8ck-yeah!

It's creative places like this that will make you want to live in Heights/Midtown/Upper Kirby if you are a foodie and/or beerman. Not to mention it reminds me of one of the old school wrestlers.