Live post: The Maharaja Himself

Beer Log: March 2, 2008
State: Full and slight dehydrated

Once upon a time called right now, I've got a 22 ounce Imperial India Pale Ale. Yeah. It's from Avery in Colorado. Very cool design, with some foil on the top. A big A. Enough of this ish talking, this is what the guy at Central Market called the most bitter beer on the shelf.

The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale
I poured it managed to get 3 fingers of head. I've got a big flower scent coming off of it. Slightly cloudy, with a good dark straw color. Head is nearly white and pops in decent sized bubbles. I can smell that bitterness on there. This is serious stuff. Not much lace on the head surprisingly. Oh that's bitter. Good and some balance of malts in there. That's why I effing love IPAs, they aren't bitter for sake of being bitter. Some bitter aftertaste as well, that's cool though. It's not too cold, as we let it sit in the bottle for a minute. Nearly full bodied, with a nice head on it. Sadly I only have a 12 ounce mug, and this one comes in 22. I can feel a touch of the alcohol in the taste is it continues to warm. Nice stuff. Good show. That's why I married the woman I married. I lament the lack of bitter beer, and she delivers.

Turboooooooooooo!!!!

Beer Log: March 1, 2008

State: Hungry and Chillin

We're at a FAMU Houston alumni meeting and it's at this cajun restaurant. These guys try to keep it real, so with the crawfish bucket you can order some Abita. Unfortunately, I had to drink it out of a plastic cup, or out of the bottle, so plastic we will go.

Abita Turbodog

You gotta love the name. I'm getting fired up over the dark color. And for authenticity's sake, I ordered some crawfish etouffe. Oh it's real. It's pours smooth and dark brown, with a tan head. I'm not getting much scent but the sista serving the beer had it in an ice chest. I'm getting some very light chocolate notes and light bitterness. High fine carbonation. I'm getting the word "burnt" in my mind, and I'm just not feeling it. The only thing I'm feeling is a horrible aftertaste. It's kind of silky on the mouthfeel. It gets better as it warms, and we've gone from very light choco to light choco. It's not a bad drink with the spicy etouffee, but not that great either.

Hops: Stream of Consciousness

Beer Log: February 26, 2008
State: Dehydrated a bit and eating pork chops and rice

I just came off a 3 mile run, and after a soak in the tub, I've ready for some beer (gotta keep a balance). Looks like the wife has picked up what's supposed to be a very hoppy beer. It's called Victory Hop Wallop. The wife is getting on my eating habits. Anyway, this Hops Wallop is from the Victory boys in Pennsylvania. Gotta love picture of some cartoonish looking redneck dude on the cover. I can only imagine what yah playas in Philly would think if this character was Black. Looking like a straight Sambo. Anyway, I'm so excited about this beer, I decided to do this puppy in Stream of Consciousness on the blog. You'll have to pardon the mess, as I won't be editing.

Victory Hops Wallop
Opening now...I can smell the malt straight out the bottle. That baby looks so cute...pours good but I gotta get a little vigorous to get some head. Now it's pretty heady. I can smell the sweet malts and flowery hops on this baby. Straw colored with a poofy Mother of Pearl colored head. I'll let my two fingers of head settle and have more swine. It pops in big bubbles and is taking it's sweet time. And the head has a bit of lace on it as well. Some more rice and swine, and now for the booze itself...better be bomb...I've tasted much hoppier, but it's very good. Strong hops with strong malt for balance. Medium carbonation and my tongue is still feeling the bitterness a full 60 seconds afterward. The wife tells me it's 8.5% ABV, cool beans. My tongue is ubertingly. Another draught...goes down smooth and pretty durn drinkable, medium-to-full body. Yes. I may like Broken Halo IPA a little better...I need to review them officially some day. Those chumps at Central Market are doing well. This pork chop is so good, and slightly spicy. I'll try Wallop again with some very spicey food this weekend. Can't believe I got f8cking Jury Duty, I say lock 'em all up. The judge keeps nodding off during the trial. It feels good as it warms a bit more in my 2005 North Carolina championship mug. I remember I couldn't stop screaming when the Heels got one. I even called a friend I hadn't talked to in 2 years. Hops mfing Wallop. Sounds like something out of an Amos & Andy show. Brothas would be so fired up if this cat was black. About halfway down and it's tasting a little better. I let it warm up, so it's about 60 F now. I don't care what the wife says, I'm getting another helping of rice. He's hot, he's spicy, he taste great, he's Curry MAN!!! Damn this stream of consciousness crap. I'm getting more of the caramelly malt in there now, I guess at some point I should make an attempt to see what else they put in the Wallop. Another draught bartender...that girl was fine, but she knows my wife and I can't cheat on her, waaaaaaay too much paperwork, I'm talking about the girl at Two Rows that is. There's the ALCOHOL. You can't get a beer that's probably twice the alcohol of a Miller Lite, and be able to hide it through the whole 12 ounce experience, that's what I'll have to call my review style, the "12 ounce experience". Damn this devil's swine...Barack Obama better win. I get to caucus and vote in texas. I already voted for his black ass, and I dare someone to stand up to 6-2 230 lbs of black man in the Cy-Fair caucus. Maybe I'll get a few hard piping hitting n*ggas to roll with me like the brotha in Pulp Fiction. I'm so glad the baby likes me now. She's smilin. Yeay. I guess I should stop the stream writing before someone finds out I'm only voting for Obama b/c he's black, and that under normal circumstances (read everyone's a white man) I would be voting for John McCain...sh*t. last draught and I'm getting more of the common malt tastes most beer use. The hops aftertaste is not killer. Some cats would call this a Hop Bomb, but I'm not biting. I measure my hop bombs by the face I make. If I don't cringe, it ain't a bomb, bottom line. But I may call this one a Wow beer like those chumps from Craft Beer podcast. Probably more for the great balance. Maybe Victory raided the Dogfish Head recipe, or vice versa. I think 60 minute is a little better, but Go 'Head Victory. Done.

From the Redhook Section

Beer Log: February 24, 2008

State; Hungry, dehydrated, eating chicken and rice.

One time for the Westcoast. Every time I hear of this brewery, I keep thinking of Tazz, the wrestler from ECW. Tazz was pretty bad ass in his day, and I still get chills when I see his first entrance www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rdx7g88Bm3g into WWF back in the day. The boys from Red Hook actually sell their stuff in Reliant Stadium for the Houston Texans games, along with Widmer.

It kind of irks me that the Texans can't manage to sell St. Arnolds and Shiner beers in the stadium. Maybe not Lone Star, but if we are going to have a little variety at the game, let's promote some of our own stuff. What does Houston owe to the durn Pacific Northwest. Let them sell their stuff at the booty Seahawks games. But I digress.

I have a bit of a fetish for hoppy beers right now, I had some Broken Halo IPA at a bar, nice stuff. I sent the wife on a mission to find me some bitter stuff at the grocery store, and she comes back with Red Hook ESB. You'd think ESB would be really bitter, as we got in Baltimore at Wharf Rat. Well let's see...

Red Hook ESB:

The beer has the word CHILL on the bottle, so I don't feel bad about drinking it cold. I've had the beer at Texan's games, but I forgot what it tasted like, as by the time I get into the stadium, I've already had at least 7 beers. So the ESB makes me think it should be hoppy, but I'm still learning. The color is a good FAMU Orange, with a white fleeting head, and slight caramel scent. I wonder, "How is the head fleeting if it's a bitter beer?", and "where's the flowery hops aroma?" The beer is even a little cloudy. It has a sweetness and caramel taste to it, damn! It's got low carbonation and hops, and an only slightly bitter finish. It's very drinkable. This is pretty surprising.

The wife recommended I look it up on Beer advocate, and it looks I have much to learn. Both my beer book and Advocate both says that "despite the name, Extra Special Bitters are not bitter at all, more malty". Well hush my mouth. Red Hook has done a great job with this beer and it seems great for mass marketing. It has enough noticeable flavors, but it doesn't eff you up on the hops, and it's actually much more drinkable than the pale lagers they pour down your throat in the States. I'm still thirsty as all get out after my 9 mile run a couple hours ago, so I'm grabbing another one. Oh it's real.

Combo Beer???

Beer Log: February 22, 2008
State: slightly tipsy, smoking a cigar

Brothas are coming up these days. I'm hanging out with another cat, who also has a young daughter at the house. We got out to hit the golf course, got some sushi and sake, and hit Downing Street Pub for cigars and drinks later on. I think I even converted a couple other brothas to beer tasting. Oh yeah, this is a Barack Obama thang. Not that we don't like fried chicken, soul food, and hip hop or jazz clubs, but it's good to see what else is going on out there. While smoking a Monte Cristo and sipping on scotch, we noticed a combo beer of Guinness Stout and Maudit, called "The Damned".

I've had various combo beers before, no big deal, but I haven't had it since I've started connoisseuring. This one had Guiness on top, with Maudite on the bottom. I've never heard of this combo or of Mauudite, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to try and figure out what kind of beer it was. The waitress with the killer legs, tells us the beer is made by monks in Canada, and is a stouty beer. I've never heard of monks being in Canada, though I figure if it's anywhere, it's in Quebec.

The Damned
Black Guiness on top with white head, and a dark amber on the bottom. There's no Line of Demarcation like the Guiness-Blue Moon drinks, so it a very blurred line betwixt the two beers. I figured I'd try and evaluate it at certain points in the pilsner glass. First taste is straight up bitter Guiness, with a little citrusy flavor to it. I'm not a hardcore Guiness man, but I don't recall the citrus in there. We did a straw test: basically putting a straw to the bottom of the beer, holding the top, and pulling it out to try the beer on the bottom. It seemed like an aged Old Ale, with high alcohol type flavor. I'm thinking it's aged in Bourbon barrels. Regular drinking stays with basic Guiness (low carbo and some bitterness) about 1/4 of the way down, with a touch of the Maudite coming through. After this point, holding the beer up to the light shows it's a dark red color from top to bottom, so the beers are mixing as I keep drinking them. The Guiness is TOO COLD, but whatever. When we got to the bottom quarter of the beer, we're getting a citrusy and spicy old ale flavor.

All and all, it's a decent combo beer. I've alway thought these things were there to impress women in a bar, but this one has some mixing to it. Pretty good stuff, but I notice that they look to have a nice selection of beer overall, so I look forward to going back. Turns out, Maudite is a Strong Red Ale, pretty close.

I do pretty well until Sundown

Beer Log: February 15, 2008
State: Hungry, eating Cheese Ravioli

I'm typing this while trying to balance my 5 month old daughter on my chest. She's finally going to sleep but is slipping off. So cute.

Something about this beer's box and design made me want to check it out. It has an orange in the beer on the cover and fantastic art. And my love for Blue Moon (at 50 degrees F) is what makes me want to try many of the Hefe's and Witbiers out there. Oh it's real.

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat
Of course I'm mature enough to NOT put an orange in the beer. We got the six pack, so I may get an orange in there and re-evaluate. I'm having visions of their Berry Wheat which was terrible in my opinion, no disrespect to the Kugel boys out there. Enough of this shit talking, on to the beer.

Had to pour it in a regular beer mug, gotta get some beer glasses. The smell is acidic and orangey. It's cloudy with a orange-yellow look to it (no surprise). Can't really get some head on it. I did vigourosly try again later to get some head, but it was fleeting; and then I poured the beer (hee hee). Got a bit of an orange peel thing going on, with an orange soda-ish taste. Kinda makes me think of the Undercover Brotha with his orange soda. It's got a wheat taste, with low hops and a tingly finish. It has a low to medium body, with medium carbonation. Smooth man, yet only moderately drinkable. It's got a sudden yet light citrus and acidity a little later on in the taste. The wheat comes on skrong with the warmth. Nice, but not something I will go ga ga over.

Now she's good and asleep, but now I can't get up and grab a beer. I'm stuck watching the State of the Black Union with all their fancy speeches, yet no solutions. The sista from TransAfrica is pretty good though.

Give me Two on That

Beer Log: February 13, 2007
State: Chillin Hard, eating Ribs

It's me and my coworker and fellow Yellow Jacket out here in the Bar scene of Rice Village, and I'm finally making it to Two Rows. They make much of their own beer in Dallas and I think Houston as well. I think I can count on one hand how many microbreweries and brewpubs are in Houston. Sad, very sad.

But since I live here, this a chance to evaluate a brewpub in a nice and easy way. No need to try 15 beers in two hours. The food was great, which is essential for a good brewpub. Not so much for the beermen like myself, but so that they can keep the bills paid to supply craft beer, HD TV, and cute co-eds. The waiter seemed like he knew what he was talking about, and could even explain a bit about some of the other beers not on the menu. We nailed it, as we got to the restaurant on $1 Beer night. Hellz yeah. Only problem is, they give it to us in a regular size plastic cup. So I'll have to tell the true story of these beers and their others later. Oh it's real. Let's get it started.

Old Town Hefe weizen

And we're off. In this plastic cup, I see a cloudy orangish beer with a white head as is typical of a hefe. It's a bit on the cold side, but I get the taste of bananas and oragne peel. It's kind of like a Hoegaarden. It's smooth with medium carbonation. As it warms up, I'm getting a litte more banana and now some apple. The head is kind of lacy on the ribbed plastic cup. Not a Wow Beer, but pretty nice for starters.

We are being stereotypical tonight, so we're eating bar-b-que ribs, so Old Town may not be the best pairing. Onto an Amber Ale...

Route 66 Amber Ale

Dark Brown color with a light tan head. It has a light malt smell that comes about after I swirl it up a bit. Tastes of biscuits and fruitiness in the first draughts. It's low carbonation and light bodied. It's just too damn cold to get the flavor. Pretty low dryness. As my hand's 98.6 degrees manages to penetrate the Great Wall of China-like barrier wall of my plastic cup, I'm getting some bread flavoring and some light chocolate notes. Going back to the originals, it's not malty or hoppy, just kind of there. It goes alright with the ribs.

Dark Star Lager

Ooh scary. At this time, the waiter filled us in to all the extra beer not on tap. This seasonal is HARD to find on the net, but it seems to be considered a Fall/Halloween type beer. I think I'm smelling butterscotch scent, but there's no head any way. Dark brown color of the beer. Finally a little roasted malt, not hoppy and medium carbonation. It's very drinkable, with a slight sourness. I didn't know it a the time, but it seems lagerish to me. When it warms up, you get a smokey flavor.

Not a bad experience overall, and I look forward to going back to try the rest. I reaaly appreciate places like Two Rows for keeping craft beer alive in the Houston and Dallas, TX. Good show.