Good ol' Central Market

At the risk of losing my "Man Card" and "Black Card" simultaneously, I walk into the Central Market in San Antonio. The wife says they have a huge selection, and indeed they do. Nice surprise. I may even get some spices for my next home brew. We went there to see if the local San Antonio brewpub Blue Star, but apparently they only sell out of the brewpub, the nerve. But they have a variety pack of Real Ale, and I have to support the beers from the Republic of Texas. I think we also grabbed some Dogfish stuff as well.

May 9th, 2008
State: Full, Chillin
Is there ever a time I'm not chillin. Well we start with none other than what I gather is a Blond Pale Ale.

Real Ale Rio Blanco Pale Ale
Very nice label. Artistic. The beer is transparent with quality brozne and a good white head. What more could you expect from something with word "Blanco". It smells of caramel, cloves, and light flowers. (Note, I now know what cloves smell like after the wife had me sniff some cloves in a bag, or was that...) It's slightly sweet, with a medium hops that dies fast. The 3rd and 4th gulps give of hints of citrus. It's got a light-medium body, with a sudden aftertaste. It's bitter on the back of the tongue for a good 60 seconds after drinking and then vanishes again, I counted. It's alright, but maybe a touch too hoppy for a Blond, but a nice one. Ooh, a little lace on the head, probably not blond.

May 10th, 2008

State: I'm full and chillin, but could use some hair of the dog after getting a little slizzard last night.

Aprihop (Dogfish Head)
I've got a tan head, with clear copper, and peaches and hops smell. I have no CLUE what apricots are, but the wife tells me they smell and taste like peaches. It's got a medium body, tastes of peaches with medium hops, though not really bitter (go fig). It's very drinkable with little aftertaste. Later on in the gulp they sneak in a slight maltiness. Nice touch. It's a little sour and tangy as well. As I keep drinking it, it feels like peach juice near the back of the tongue. It's not a harsh beer, but different than anything I've ever had before. It's getting even more peachy as it warms up. I'm gonna have to either move somewhere near Delaware (maybe DuPont is hiring). Nah, I'll keep making the oil money.

Penn Dark
More beer of the month club stuff. It's smells of caramel sweet lager, brown color, white head, and red in the light. It's got medium carbo yet kind of reminds me of Shiner Bock. It has a late bitter aftertaste. It's very light but not dry, a little residuey. I'm getting some sweet chocolate and vanilla notes near the end. Come on.

Do you HAVE to review that one???

Yup. I'm hanging out with the crew that we went to Paris with, and they already know about my penchant for writing down reviews for the various beers I taste. And lo and behold, I've never had a Corona Light. I used to drink Corona all the time back in the club in college b/c I was too cheap and unsophisticated to buy hard liquor. I would stuff the lime in the bottle, put my thumb on the top of the bottle and turn it upside down for a few seconds, then turn it right side up, put my mouth over the top of the bottle and release my thumb to keep from spilling the inevitable burst of beer. I was soooooooo cool. I always noticed that the women would actually look at me as I nonchalantly did this little ritual. I think back on it and they probably thought, "look at that skinny chump there, I'll never sleep with him". And they didn't... much.

Corona Light
I grab a pilsner glass and pour out the CL in a clear glass. Of course it comes in a clear bottle. It smells of bitter corn y soda. It's clear, with a straw color y fleeting head. Lots of fizzzzzzz. I do find it drinkable (or drankable if you're so inclined), must be the lightness. It has medium bitterness. Head has zero lace and a slight bread and corn flavor after I get over the chilling cold. Actually it's only medium carbo, must be the lightness.

Penn Weizen
Later on that night, the Misses and I crack open more Beer of the Month stuff. This one has a fruity/citrusy smell. It's kinda cloudy in my weizen glass. Orange color with low head. I first notice the medium body, then medium carbo, and then a very subtle citrus. It's kinda drinkable but has no real aftertaste. It's just not much one way or the other, but there is some subtle Banananess at the end.

Lake Placid India Pale Ale (without the ubu)
Oh yes, let's go back to Colonial India. Lots of head with a dark bronze color. It's kind of buttery flower on the nose. Tan head. I'm eating some vodka sauce spaghetti with cayenne pepper. I'm sorry, but I love spicy hot food with India Pale Ale. I'm a glutton for punishment. It's head is lacy and very sustaining. This one is smooth and full bodied, with high hops, though not a killer. It has balanced maltiness with low carbonation (yes) and very drinkable. Maybe some caramel malts and very little aftertaste. EXCELLENT.

Note to self: Do not Google "Corona" on your work laptop, the pictures could get you fired.

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.

Shiner 99!

Date: April 17, 2008
State: Slightly Hungry

The boys at Spoetzl have put out their 99th anniversary beer, and loh and behold it's a Lager. But at least it's a Helles Lager. I really can't wait to see what the 100th Year beer is.

Shiner Helles Lager
It's kind of bronze and bubbly. I drank it very cold, and it's a light mouthfeel. It's kind of like a sweet lager. Not bad, but nothing I'd go crazy about.

Paris In Review

Well, I've wrapped the trip, but there's one more beer to sample, at the airport baby

Affligem Blonde
State: Chillin, pondering if I can smuggle in Cuban Cigars
Your gonna wanna check out the website, as it has some cool music to blog to.
Served on draft at the airport, it smells of a sweet malt lager. It's straw clear with a white head yet some lace. First draught gives me medium body, slightly bitter with slight bitter aftertaste. Another draught after getting used to it, I can find the slight citrus and low malt. It's not as good as the other abbaye ales. It tasted better and the flavors more pronounced as it warmed up and I started eating a chicken club sandwich. I will say that this one is complex, and I need more work to truly evaluate these complex beers. You can't exactly go back to Old E.


So let's review Paris Beer
Beer Bars
If you are looking for Beer Bars, Paris has you covered. I only went to the ones with many taps, but there are plenty of good places to drink. And if you're an American, there's plenty you probably had not tried even at the bars in the Latin Quarter.

My ranking of the Beer bars goes:
1. Le Gueuze
2. Au Trappist
3. Les Soux-Bock tied with Halls 1900

I give the top nod to Le Gueuze as they had the most International Beer Selection, as well as plenty of French beer. Au Trappist is great if you are into Belgians only. If so, you could stay holed up in there for weeks.

As far as my top three French Beers:
1. La Goudale
2. Ch'Ti
3. Kronenburg 1664

Yup, I'll put a Biere de Garde over a pale lager. My beer experience tells me that Paris and probably France is definetly WINE country. The wine was everywhere for pretty cheap (as long as Dubya wasn't upping the exchange rate). I just find it hard to believe that a country with Belgium and Germany one side, and England on the other, just does not have decent widely distributed beer of their own. One would think some level of Nationalism would kick in, forcing someone to make some really good stuff. The biggest problem I had was the lack of hops in the beer. I can handle the sourness, but I need some hops in there somewhere. As soon as I got back to the States, we grabbed up some Pale Ale just to get that old feeling back. Great vacation, just not the beer.

Paris Trip update: April 9, 2008

We're starting to wrap up the Paris trip, so the wife and I leave everyone else at a Techno bar to find a couple more beer bars. Before we leave the house, we try a beer called Northmaen from the boys at Normandie.

Northmaen
Getting fired up for the spirit of the vikings, we drink this one at the house in preparation for another night of frolicking and acting very American. Well, everything about this beer reminded me of a Heineken. I will just quote my beer log directly: "Heineken, nothing going on, no hops, no aftertaste, basic beer smell, nothing to write home about, medium body"

It does have a kick ass label. Well I got frustrated with the French beer and decided to go to a Belgian Beer Bar called Au Trappist . It's got a great selection of Belgians and some stuff from around the world. Nice nice. I am still feeling the wine we drank at an Indian restaurant earlier, so my sobriety points allow me to only try two beers. I'm feeling like Dark Belgians, as it's pretty cold outside.






Leffe Brune (in a goblet)
Dark Brown with a strong cream head. Smells of cinnamon cookies and malt. Nice. The first taste is slightly roasted malt, a medium to high body and low carbonation (oh yeah). The malt remains low as it warms up but I'm now getting slight chocolate flavor like a bock, yet very low hops. It has the classic Leffe long citrusy aftertaste I've come to enjoy.





Westmalle Trappist Dubbel (in the Westmalle Goblet)
Sugar sweet smell, dark brown, cream head, active pepping head with no lace. There was some alcohol smell as well. I first notice the medium fine carbonation, the low hops and the breadiness. It's actually kinda dry. Another slug and now I'm getting a nice full body with slight malt. We notice the brown yeast on top o the head, and it looks like brown sugar streaks. There is some smokiness as it warms, almost like a porter. Low low bitter aftertaste.

It's about a month and a half later, but I'm getting thirsty thinking about these dark Belgians. I will definitely have to get a couple more in New Orleans this weekend at d.b.a. We leave the Belgian joint a guy takes a couple pics of us with our camera outside the bar.

Later on we walk back home but stop off at Le Sous-Bock Tavern, which has great reviews. Well we just didn't see it. There was some stuff on bottle I guess somewhere, but not much on tap we hadn't tried before.

Beamish Stout
They served up this one on draft with the Nitrogen. It was black and opaque, with a cream colored lasting head Slight chocolate and roasted malt smell. It was bitter and smooth and maybe a bit too cold. There was no weight to the beer, a very thin body. The second draught was a little better on the flavor, but I'm not getting much out of it.

Paris, Later on April 8th, How much for the Kronen?

Well the Paris crew are into food as much as I'm into beer. So we holla at American Express's concierge service and they hit us with a very trendy, yet fancy restaurant on Rue St. Honore. After getting turned around after some bad directions, we find the restaurant and proceed to the bar for drinks waiting for our table to open up.

Kronenburg 1664

State:
Eating Homemade Chips (salty)

Well they say that this is the French Budweiser, so I have to check it out at some point for journalistic integrity. And it had better be good, as this place is charging me 14 Euros per bottle. The bottle is very interesting, as it's a rectangular prism with rounded edges. Better be nice for 14 Euros. With the presentation and glass, I figure that this is the best Kronen I'll ever taste. The color is straw. I'm not getting much of a scent. I'll go with medium body, medium-high carbonation, low hops, and no real aftertaste. It's being served pretty cold, which I'm sure is par for the course with this one. Compared to the "Great American Lager", I would say it's more bready, but just as much rice. Certainly not worth 14 Euros, especially with the exchange rate of about $1.57 at the time.

The restaurant screwed us over on the reservation, as we waited for at least an hour and a half in the bar. So we give them a piece of our mind without getting ghetto, and hike over to an awesome seafood joint.

Later on at the apartment I try the infamous...

Desparados I think from Brasserie Fisher

Status: Full off oysters, chilling, lingering apple pie flavor

Served in a 250 ml wine glass (all we had)

Smells like Sprite and slight tequila, a bad dark straw color with white fleeting head. It's very clear. On tasting it, it reminds me of Miller Chill with the lime, no malt/hops, quick finish. Basically, it's like Sprite with alcohol.