Back in the Easy

Beer Log: January 30, 2008


State: slight hunder and a headache.





Ahh New Orleans. Come on baby. I'm traveling the city streets and finally made it back to the airport. Sitting around waiting for plane, and I notice something peculiar on the bottle list. Abita. http://www.abita.com/ Lord knows everyone is all up on the Abita water, so the beer has to be good right. Word is, NO cats love this stuff, so I gave this my fullest review yet.



Abita Beer (Amber):
I poured it from a bottle into the plastic cup they gave me. Oh well, it is an airport. Slight malt scent, amber color with a light cream colored full head. Head actually has some Lace. First thing I notice is the aftertaste, which as a a little bitter. High carbonation, light malt & hops, uberlight citrus. I'm actually thinking of water and earth. Medium to full bodied beer that is very wet. As my adventure with a damn plastic cup continues, the head sustains and pops in fine bubbes. But its nothing to write home about with drinkability due to high carbo. Damned if this isn't a Metallic feel in my mouth a few minutes after drinking it. As it warms up it's light caramel as it warms up. Not bad, butI can see why it could be popular in NO. Though they surprisingly don't have it on tap. And I do wonder how long you could stay in business in Houston without having some Shiner on tap. Oh my, there is something like biscuits in that last draught. Oh well. I did session this puppy in an attempt to knock myself out on the flight, which didn't work of course. I look forward to trying more Abita stuff as I continue travelling to NO.

Beer o' the Month again

Beer Log: January 27, 2008
State: Hungry and dehydrated

Back to Howard Dean Land. We all thought his dumb ass was going to sink the Democratic party, but it looks good for a brotha to get in the white house now. Hellz yeah. And I don't even agree with many of his Politics.

Back to Otter Creek. Gotta love the Pale Ales eaten with spicey food. Gotta love the tastebud assault.

Otter Creek Pale Ale
Has a flowery aroma, dark brown color with white head. It pops in big bubbles and whatnot, a little lacy. Beer has a good strong hops (kinda medium for a American Pale Ale), 30 second finish. Low carbonation, and even more bitter finish on the back of the tongue. Slight citrus thang with a dry finish. Pretty good but I like my Pale Ales to bring the pain. Oh it's real.

The Malt of the Earth Club

Beer Log: January 24, 25, 2008
State: Eating Dinner both times

So my wife has me in this club that sends you some random beer every other month. Gotta love that. When in the blue hell would I ever go to Vermont. Do they even have brothas up there? Probably a couple.

Otter Creek Copper Ale
We were eating some ribs with brocolli and corn, good woman.
Never had "Copper" Ale, so I'm curious. Well it pours smooth, with a copper color (wow!). Malt and cinnamon flavor smell. It's got a damn near white head (cream color perhaps). It's got noticeable but light-medium hops, some malt. Has some medium carbo, and a (damn) metallic taste. I took several drinks before I could figure out what that was, damned if it ain't metallic. It has a bitter aftertaste with some spiceyness.

New night, we broke out the stuff. Left Hand
Gotta love the bright red hand on the bottle cap.
While munching on some chicken and fries, we hit the...

Left Hand Sawtooth Ale
It's got a dark straw color, with a poofy white head and spicy caramel scent. Suprisingly full bodied, with spice and medium hops. Just when you think you got away from it, there's a slight hops aftertaste on the back of the tongue. Wet (not dry) with maltiness and some light hops tasts after it warms up. Well done Left Hand.

First Post at the Sauce

Beer Log: January 17, 2008
State: Thirsty and waiting

I am known to frequent the Sauce every time I go downtown for a meeting or event. I've got about 30 beers on the UFO club card, and only need another 170 beers to get a plate on the wall. So I usually grab a seat, break out the cell phone or Houston Press and do my best not to look like a drunk. I was waiting on a convention meeting a few blocks further down the street, so what better way to prep than get a couple of the highest gravity beers on the menu...

Old Peculiar
This Old Ale is my first of its kind. It came in bottle form and was poured in a regular ass pilsner glass. It was deep amber with a crimson color in direct light. Tan head with a cinnamon spicy scent. Amazing b/c it was sweet when it was cold, but soured up as it warmed up. Nice light carbonation and hops. It had a slippery wet body like Trina in a Trickdaddy video. Great beer and probably more complex than I could figure at the time.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Oh yes. The Delaware boys have made it to Texas. I've had the 60 Minute IPA in Maryland and loved it. So it's time for the 90 minutes. The 120 Minute is not on the menu sadly. She brought it out in something akin to a wine goblet. Very European. It had a strong lacy, and light tan head. Smells like a bouquet of flowers and was straw in color. Flavor a strong malt first, then cames the high hops. Full bodied and full. I actually wrote down "f*cking good". This is what beer tasting is all about right here, and I think this supplanted the 60 minute IPA as my third favorite beer.

I think I hit on the girl running the convention a few times, as well as one of the female volunteers. This high gravity stuff is great, but please don't session it whatever you do. Oh it's real.

Best in Texas

Beer Log: January 13, 2008
State: Kinda Hungry

My boys at Shiner have broken back out their Shiner 97. It's Bohemian Black Lager. Awesome new black label and whatnot. We also have some Shiner Dunkelweizen (formely Shiner 96) down in the fridge. And we got this stuff at our local grocery store in Houston, not at some hardcore beer bar. Gotta love it. So my wife fired up the Rotiserrie Chicken and we cracked open the black lager in a standard beer mug.

Shiner Bohemian Black Lager

Served pretty cold. Poured smooth with a light tan head. Very black color with some amber on the edges in the light. We've got a caramel/honey scent. Much more different than the ever popular Shiner Bock. Drinks with a light body and smooth. First taste are some roasted malts and smoke. It finishes quickly. The head is fleating, and as it warms up, I'm getting more of a low/medium maltiness.

The end. Perhaps all novels end feebly, but I just don't see myself liking a beer with a smoke flavor. Not to mention it was a little cold in the house as well. Not my favorite coming out of Shiner. The Bock is still my favorite beer, but this one is a little disappointing for me.

Bitter Me Baby!

Beer Log: December 29, 2007
State: Hungry

Back in the Baltimore area trying to try a few more beers before we make it back to Houston, and there you have the guys right next to Camden Yards, jolly good Wharf Rat. You'd think a guy like me who works for the British would be able to handle an onslaught of English Bitter. It was after this experience that I wanted to get myself acclimated to bitter beers, and eventually find some of the hoppiest stuff out there. I may have already found it with that Thunderbird (shouts out to LSU), but we'll keep trying dammit.

We understand that the Rats may be moving location or going to pure distribution, so we had to get 'er done all in that day. Totally broke my rules of tasting no more than 3 beers in one sitting. But here we go with that 11 beers, all bitter as successful black woman forced to marry an illegal immigrant. This stuff is BITTER man. The beer was bitter, the Ravens fans were bitter, my nephew was bitter. The waiter looks like he knows what's going on, which is a must. Of course they are in the business of making money, but I wouldn't recommend trying more than 4 of these at times.

Blonde Ale
Very Clear, medium bitter for a Blonde Ale. Light carbonation, with a light body. Kinda a vegetal (is that a word?), which reminds me of a lager.

Cream Ale
Light malty scent. Medium body & bitter, smooth beer with a strong ale drinkability.

The fish and chips have shown up. They actually ain't bitter.

SW1 Amber
Not Shawn Wayans from In Living Color. it had some mal scent with astrong lacy head. Medium bitterness but a nice quick finish.

Best Bitter
weak head with a sweet smell. Very smooth and full bodied (yes), with med/high bitter. Low carbo. Another smell made me think of aroma hops

3 Lions
Long live the Crown. Dark amber color, witha strong head. Caramel notes in the scent, full bodied, medium maltiness, medium bitter, with a loooooooooong lasting aftertaste.

I'm a little nervous about something called Extra Special Bitter. I hadn't made it to the "Britain" section of my beer book, so I'm thinking it's supposed be eating away at the glass.

ESB
Slight mal, medium body. High bitter, and I count a 60 second finsih. Had a nice malt balance.

Iron Man Pale Ale
Oh my God, we are just NOW getting to the Pale ales? Slight malty cent, wiht a quick finish. Smooth and frothy. Some bitterness but I'll concede, at this point my tongue is probably imploding.

Mad Monk
Buttery tast, light slippery body, strong head. Deep brown color, and dry aftertaste

Porter (Pagan)
Kinda like Smoke, that Mortal Kombat 3 character. Very bitter and dry, with a quick finish

Black Friar
Black color, with a brown head. malty scent. Taste is smooth with a dry finish. Buttery and light carbo. Coffee-like.

And we're done. Well, that was interesting. They know how to do bitter, but I've tasted some IPAs that I like a bit better. They were getting it done on bitters, and have no qualms about taking chances with all those bitter beers. Good for them and good for us looking for bitter beers. Hopefully next time I make it up to Baltimore, I hope I can jump the end of this list and get a full glass going.

How do you know your Mother In-Law Knows You

Beer Log: December 26, 2007
State: Full

So it's the day after Christmas, and as most fathers out there, I got Jack Shit for Christmas. Actually, my wife hit me with a homebrewing kit and a monthly beer membership. Pretty Cool.

Well, my Mother-In-Law loves me a lot. I think she's glad that her daughter happened to get a black man to marry her rather than another of the thousands of strong black women who never find a brotha with credentials to match theirs. So I grab a couple Yuengling Black & Tan, and when I get back upstairs, there's twelve craft beers sitting there for us to try. How sweet. We all sat around and tried a few Belgians and stuff from the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. We also had a couple local beers from our boys at Clipper City



Yuengling Black & Tan
How did I not try this beer before now. It's worse considering that Yuengling sponsored our Rugby jersies when I played for the Gulf Coast Club. Damn shame. It was served in the mid 40F. It had a rather fleeting head for a porter. I found a med/light roasted malt flavor. Med carbonation with a quick finish. As it warms up I'm getting a hint of Caramel. No bitterness to speak of. Very nice stuff. I drank plenty-o-this for the rest of the vacation.

Now on to the tasting. We ate fine cheeses and crackers in between most beers. We drank it in flight form with 5 ounce glasses. Although near the end I was feeling pretty buzzed.

Point Special Lager
Gotta start of with the light stuff. Has a vegetablish scent. Very weak head. As I drink it, it's got a light body, light carbo, light hops.. No maltyness to speak of. One word: BUDWEISER.

Point Special Beer
very pilsnerish. Light hops, weak head, light-med carbo.

Stella Artois
Had this several times over the years, though the last time I was on a cruise ship and with... um nevermind. Not much of a scent. A little bitter, I'll go on and say medium hops. Light to medium malt

McHenry Old Baltimore
Ah the local local stuff. Caramal baby. Light carbo, med malt. sticky/lacy head. It had some body, kinda like that one girl in the club. It has a light bitterness at the back of the tongue. Nice.

Hoegaarden Withier-Bierre Blanch
For those of you that are keeping score at home, I've already had this one at Ram's Head. Again we had strong head, with apple and grapefruit flavor. Low carbo with mother of pearl color on the head. I kinda take a look at the head first, then jump into the beer, than evaluate the head. Sorry, I'm a bit anxious and can pop off at any time (sorry baby, I swear that only happened to me once.)

Point Belgian White
And we're back to the Points. After getting on that Belgian white from Belgian, this one was a disappointing Belgian White from Wisconsin. Medium boy, light hops, somewhat malty. Not as smooth as we first thought, with a quick finish.

Point Honey Light
Good head, can I say "slippery" mouthfeel (heh). Medium carbo, light body, light hops. We looked in the beer, under the couch, in the bedroom, but none of us could find the Honey in this beer. I even grabbed this one a couple more times in the following days and STILL couldn't find the honey. It reminded me of Miller High Life.

Leffe Blonde Abby Ale
We didn't have the kickass glass, but it was cool. Strong head. Medium body, caramel, low carbonation, sweet residuey after tast. with some light hops. I found this one to be very complex. I'll need more training to nail this sucker down.

Point Amber Classic
Good red-amber color, excellent slight sweet smell. med maltiness, light carbo. THERE's the Honey! Had a medium body as well.

Balto Marzhon
Another local one. Weak head, medium malt in the taste. Spicey cinammon. Pretty complex with medium carbonation. Good stuff.

Point Cascade Pale Ale
I can smell that bitterness coming. Medium head, high hops. Kind of a regular Pale Ale level of hops. I'm getting butter, and some citrus flavor as well.

Review of Point
I think Point has some good beers in there. But of what we had, their lighter beers are uberlight and dare-I-say-it, uninspiring. Seems like they are going for the Mass Production factor.

Review of Belgians
Good stuff overall but I will back out and wait until I get to Europe in April for training and evaluation.