June 20, 2008
So we finally had a happy hour for our investment club. They messed around and let me and the wife choose the location. Pretty easy choice, the Sauce.
I had been feeling a little down about Shiner Bock not being a real bock according to the Sauce. The Sauce does not even put Shiner Bock on it's Bock menu, but in the Vienna style. I even felt weird considering that Weizenbock I didn't like in Austin that some folk are calling World Class. So I decided to try a few different bocks this time to get back into bocks.
Sam Adams White Ale
Hey, they had it on sale for like $2.75. Nobody had shown up to the Happy Hour yet, so I had some time. It came in a bottle and I poured it in a pilsner glass. Kinda cloudy and orange. White strong head. Nice tasty beer that had a medium creamy body. I taste the spice and orange early on, and then the malt and bread near the end. Low hops on aftertaste. Very good beer and probably one of my favorites from Sam Adams. 3 Stars
Rogue's Dead Guy (Maibock)
Finally I'm getting my hands on the Dead Guy. It was on draft and poured into a pilsner glass. The guy I'm shooting the shyt with is finding it funny that I'm writing in a journal. I just finished eating the Big Dipper, and hearty roast beef sandwich. It's a dark orange color with a quickly retreating head, light cloudiness. It smells of caramel and chocolate, maybe some alcohol smell as well. It kind of reminds me of a barley wine (ie the brown ale of lagers). I put WOW in my notebook after tasting it. Medium fine carbonation, light-medium body. Some breadiness on the aftertaste. It has some high alcohol like the dunkelweissen's I've had before. The sweetness is akin to maple syrup for me. And the breadiness is coming out after I've gotten used to the sweetness. Maybe it was because I had a white ale first, but I'm going to give this one 4 stars.
Spaten Optimator
Glass to chalice. Dark brown, with a tan head that disappears quickly. It smells malty but a little off, kinda like trash. Bready and malty-sweet taste, more bread than Dead Guy. Goes down quick, with high carbonation. Oh Yeah. Slight alcohol taste with a light-medium body. Welcome back to bocks baby. 3 Stars.
Paulaner Salvatore
The waitress poured this one in a snifter, neat. Sweet and malty smell with a dark red color. Pretty syrupy with high alcohol flavor. I'm not going to count it as I'm getting kind of tipsy, but it's very good.
I think I had a few more Dead Guys to wrap up the night, and we got some more people interested in our club. It looks like a good bet that every time I frequent the sauce, I will have several of one style. This kind of gives me an opportunity to see what's different about a particular style. One would think Bocks should be dark, but in one night I saw ones that were brown to ones that were dark red. They even poured them in different types of glasses. One thing for sure, they damn sure pack a punch. I was chugging some Gatorade to stave off the hangover that night.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
You Guys can go to Hell, I'm going to Texas!
June 21, 2008
State: Hungry, watching a movie.
Ah the Alamo Drafthouse http://www.drafthouse.com/. Is there anything better than drinking craft beer while watching a movie? I don't know if I'll EVER go to a different theater in the city. For one, NO ONE under the age of 21 is even allowed anywhere near the theater, so you don't have to worry about teenyboppers talking all through the movie. What's better is that this is only slightly stadium seating, which means all the guys who take movies too seriously will not show up either, as they can get better seat styles at other regular theaters. The wife and I checked out the New Incredible Hulk movie and I down three new beers.
First off, what in the hell are they doing with another Incredible Hulk movie. The first one just came out like 5 minutes ago. Granted this new one was a shyteload better, but still. Keep in mind, this is not a sequel, just a new introduction to the Hulk. I do love how they spun this Hulk to have something to do with the Captain America super soldier formula. So many plotlines can come from that Super Soldier formula. But on to the beer.
Drafthouse Amber
This one is brewed in Austin, TX at the original Alamo Drafthouse. Nice. Don't worry, I got this one before the movie started, so I could see the beer. A little dark brown. Smell has a little bread and butter, with a slight malt, true to amber form is such a thing exists. Low malt with a quick finish, balanced hops. Medium carbonation and moderate drinkability. This is what I expect from an amber. Nice stuff. Head has some lace with a medium body. Oh yeah.
Stone IPA
Finally I'm getting a Stone, which the west coast guys all rant about. Straw color and clear. A good finger of head. We got it on draft, so the head had some time to die down before the waiter brought it to me. Oh yes, they have waiters in the theatre, so you can order beer without having to miss any of the movie. Scrong hops smell, but not all Cascade. Tastes of very high hops with high malts to balance, very smooth. Low carbonation and low bitterness on the aftertaste. Light to medium body with maybe a little citrus coming through as it warmed up. I can see I'm going to have to clone this one.
My Brotha
June 15, 2008
State: Chillin
The wife picked up a pretty cool Belgian Dark Ale, Brother Thelonious for Northcoast. The label ALONE is reason enough to buy a case of this stuff. That has got to be the best beer label I've EVER seen, our boy Thelonious Monk. We poured the beer into two wine goblets and went for it...
Brother Thelonious
It pours very smooth. Nice brown color that is crimson in the light, with a tan head. It's got a fruity smell of the Abbeys. Strong head though not as frothy as the label. It's kinda malty smell as well. It goes down easy and flavors I get are malt, then brown sugar sweetness, then mabye some cinnamon spice. Medium carbonation and light hops. It's so damn good. I write down that it may be a dubbel, and later learn it's a dark ale. Medium to quick finish. It's almost as sweet as a barleywine, but with a thinner body. I cannot taste the alcohol but we know it's there.
Austin: Part 4: Give us, us Independence!!!
And later on...
We zip around town a bit burning some $3.95/gallon gasoline, and eventually find our way to the Flying Saucer in Austin. Turns out this Sauce is in one of those new style apartment complexes, where there are trendy yuppy shops and stores on the bottom floor, and apartments above. But I know I could not survive living above a Sauce. I'd easily gain for 40 pounds and be the next D. Rather than going all through the menu, we just decided to do a sweep of Independence Brewery.
Independence Freestyle Wheat
We got full pints rather than little samplers. Pretty clear beer that was the color of tinged straw. Light head, but of slight spice, citrus, sourness/lager smell. A fadeaway white head. Not much of a mouthfeel. A medium body, and not so good sourness/hop aftertaste. Medium carbonation yet not much of fruitiness. Not much of a wheat beer to be honest. Just some hops in a fuller light ligher. It does taste of a little bread as it warms up.
Independence Amber
Now that we've gotten past that one, I copped the amber. Crayon brown with a white head. Can't get a smell though. Buttery taste with a medium malt, low hops and a very quick finish. Some citrus halfway through the draught, nice surprise. A little hollow like a light beer on the mouthfeel. Hmm.
Indy Bootlegger Brown
Now the sobriety points are starting to run low. We already know the wife will be driving us back to Houston, as we are going straight back home after this beer. Dark brown to black, with an offwhite head. Roasted malt and pipe tobacco smell, awesome. Biscuity but NOT malty. Full body and smokey. It has a smokey aftertaste like a cigar. A little light chocolate as well.
Since I have four Indy beers, I decided to rank them.
4. Freestyle Wheat
3. Amber
2. Bootlegger Brown
1. Pale Ale
I appreciate what Indy is doing as a microbrewery, but I think I'll take Uncle Billy's over them.
This wraps up our Austin trip. We stayed for one night and managed to hit 4 different establishments, 3 brewpubs and 1 beer bar. It's good stuff going on, much more variety than Houston. We did not get the Lovejoys as that was downtown and we were steering clear of the biker convention going on. We also did not get to a few other beer bars, so I can't say absolutely who was best, but of the places we visited I think you absolutely most go to Uncle Billy's. The food was awesome and so was the beer.
We zip around town a bit burning some $3.95/gallon gasoline, and eventually find our way to the Flying Saucer in Austin. Turns out this Sauce is in one of those new style apartment complexes, where there are trendy yuppy shops and stores on the bottom floor, and apartments above. But I know I could not survive living above a Sauce. I'd easily gain for 40 pounds and be the next D. Rather than going all through the menu, we just decided to do a sweep of Independence Brewery.
Independence Freestyle Wheat
We got full pints rather than little samplers. Pretty clear beer that was the color of tinged straw. Light head, but of slight spice, citrus, sourness/lager smell. A fadeaway white head. Not much of a mouthfeel. A medium body, and not so good sourness/hop aftertaste. Medium carbonation yet not much of fruitiness. Not much of a wheat beer to be honest. Just some hops in a fuller light ligher. It does taste of a little bread as it warms up.
Independence Amber
Now that we've gotten past that one, I copped the amber. Crayon brown with a white head. Can't get a smell though. Buttery taste with a medium malt, low hops and a very quick finish. Some citrus halfway through the draught, nice surprise. A little hollow like a light beer on the mouthfeel. Hmm.
Indy Bootlegger Brown
Now the sobriety points are starting to run low. We already know the wife will be driving us back to Houston, as we are going straight back home after this beer. Dark brown to black, with an offwhite head. Roasted malt and pipe tobacco smell, awesome. Biscuity but NOT malty. Full body and smokey. It has a smokey aftertaste like a cigar. A little light chocolate as well.
Since I have four Indy beers, I decided to rank them.
4. Freestyle Wheat
3. Amber
2. Bootlegger Brown
1. Pale Ale
I appreciate what Indy is doing as a microbrewery, but I think I'll take Uncle Billy's over them.
This wraps up our Austin trip. We stayed for one night and managed to hit 4 different establishments, 3 brewpubs and 1 beer bar. It's good stuff going on, much more variety than Houston. We did not get the Lovejoys as that was downtown and we were steering clear of the biker convention going on. We also did not get to a few other beer bars, so I can't say absolutely who was best, but of the places we visited I think you absolutely most go to Uncle Billy's. The food was awesome and so was the beer.
Austin Part 3: NXNW
June 14, 2008
Time to go to one of the premier brewpubs in Austin, North By Northwest. Which incidently is in the north by northwest part of town. Neato. They even have some food/beer pairing recommendations on the menu. The place had a fantastic slightly upscale feel to it. The waiter seemed like he knew what he was talking about. We got a sampler and went for it.
Northern Light
Straw colored and clear, with alow white head. It tastes very bready and light. A quick finish with low hops and carbo, but pretty good Pilsner.
Wit Beer (Seasonal)
Old gold cloudy (go Jackets). White head with a lot of fizz to it. Tastes like orange and hard spice. Another sip gets me low hops but overwhelming spice. High fine carbonation, and leaves a sour orangish taste in my mouth. Not feeling this one.
Bavarian Hefeweizen
Light fruitiness on the nose. Orange and cloudy, with a white head. A little bit of lace there as well. Medium body with high fine carbonation that tends to be in most wheat beers. Bready flavor in my mouth after it goes down. It's kind of sour and fruity, and lightly hopped.
Duckabish Amber
Not quite sure what a duckabish is, but there is a beaver on the label. It has an amber color (fitting), with white head and low lace. It has a decent malt taste but not sweet. It's kind of light. It has low hops but has a little creaminess to it. There is a light hop bite in the aftertaste.
Okanogan Black Ale
Something with some nuts on it (shouts out to Jesse Jackson). Smells malt and a little roasty. Brown color. Head is not there as the sampler had been sitting there for a while. Good mix of caramel and roasted malts in the taste. It has the same carbonation but light fizz. The beer finishes quickly for a nice beer.
Py Jingo Pale Ale
Orange color, very lacy white head. Strong hops smell that is beyond flowery. Medium-strong hops on the flavor, low malt but nice medium body. Some lingering aftertaste in the bitterness. Oh yeah.
And there you have it. I actually ordered another Py Jingo as I thought it would be better with my bbq chicken pizza.
I think NXNW has Uncle Billy's beat in the ambience, but they seem to be appealing to different crowds. While Uncle Billy's will get your younger college crowd, NXNW is perfect for families looking for something more than Outback or Chili's. My beer rankings for NXNW.
6. Wit Beer, can't handle that spice
5. Duckabish Amber, just not much too it
4. Bavarian Hefeweizen, not bad
3. Northern Light, good stuff, I'm starting to enjoy true Pilsners and pilsner styles
2. Py Jingo PA
1. Okanogan Black Ale, just love the chances they took with this one.
Time to go to one of the premier brewpubs in Austin, North By Northwest. Which incidently is in the north by northwest part of town. Neato. They even have some food/beer pairing recommendations on the menu. The place had a fantastic slightly upscale feel to it. The waiter seemed like he knew what he was talking about. We got a sampler and went for it.
Northern Light
Straw colored and clear, with alow white head. It tastes very bready and light. A quick finish with low hops and carbo, but pretty good Pilsner.
Wit Beer (Seasonal)
Old gold cloudy (go Jackets). White head with a lot of fizz to it. Tastes like orange and hard spice. Another sip gets me low hops but overwhelming spice. High fine carbonation, and leaves a sour orangish taste in my mouth. Not feeling this one.
Bavarian Hefeweizen
Light fruitiness on the nose. Orange and cloudy, with a white head. A little bit of lace there as well. Medium body with high fine carbonation that tends to be in most wheat beers. Bready flavor in my mouth after it goes down. It's kind of sour and fruity, and lightly hopped.
Duckabish Amber
Not quite sure what a duckabish is, but there is a beaver on the label. It has an amber color (fitting), with white head and low lace. It has a decent malt taste but not sweet. It's kind of light. It has low hops but has a little creaminess to it. There is a light hop bite in the aftertaste.
Okanogan Black Ale
Something with some nuts on it (shouts out to Jesse Jackson). Smells malt and a little roasty. Brown color. Head is not there as the sampler had been sitting there for a while. Good mix of caramel and roasted malts in the taste. It has the same carbonation but light fizz. The beer finishes quickly for a nice beer.
Py Jingo Pale Ale
Orange color, very lacy white head. Strong hops smell that is beyond flowery. Medium-strong hops on the flavor, low malt but nice medium body. Some lingering aftertaste in the bitterness. Oh yeah.
And there you have it. I actually ordered another Py Jingo as I thought it would be better with my bbq chicken pizza.
I think NXNW has Uncle Billy's beat in the ambience, but they seem to be appealing to different crowds. While Uncle Billy's will get your younger college crowd, NXNW is perfect for families looking for something more than Outback or Chili's. My beer rankings for NXNW.
6. Wit Beer, can't handle that spice
5. Duckabish Amber, just not much too it
4. Bavarian Hefeweizen, not bad
3. Northern Light, good stuff, I'm starting to enjoy true Pilsners and pilsner styles
2. Py Jingo PA
1. Okanogan Black Ale, just love the chances they took with this one.
Austin Part 2: Who's House???
We now return you to your regularky scheduled beering updates. I would have been posting earlier but someone has to get out to the platform to get that Oil so that the people in Florida can drive their Mercedes on South Beach.
We left Uncle Billy's and zipped up the westside to Draught House Pub and Brewery. The brewpub was much more of a pub than a restaurant. What's cool is that folks were hanging out in Draught's parking lot with music going and beer drinking. Kinda like Fast and the Furious without the cute Asian women or the fancy cars. Just a bunch of folks kind of tailgating listening to Pink Floyd.
Based on my sobriety points remaining, I felt that only 2 beers would work for me. They had 3 beers brewed onsite on the chalkboard: a hefeweizen, a weizenbock, and a Black wheat. We got in line and I ordered myself their Weizenbock.
First thing I notice is that these chumps have the St. Arnold's Divine Reserve #6 on the durn board. We could have had it out here rather than to downtown Houston before rolling back out to Austin. Oh well. I have since found #6 two more times in Houston.
Weizenbock
Don't think I've ever had a weizenbock, but I like bock and I like wheat beers, so what could go wrong? Crayon brown and opaque in appearance with offwhite head. It was on tap and poured into a dimpled glass. It has a caramel and sugary sweet smell. The taste makes me think of a hefe made with roasted malts. It has a full mouthfeel, low carbonation and hops, with a quick finish. The more I drink it, the more of the roasty/choco malts. It seems like it is a combo wheat/bock beer.
Black Wheat
Dark brown and opaque, but with a tan head. This one has a strong roasted/chocolate smell. It tastes smokey, roasted malt, and like a wheat full mouthfeel. Low hops on the aftertaste this time with low carbonation.
These beers were okay, but I was running a bit low on SB points. I nearly didn't finish the Black Wheat. The pub itself looks like a cool college town hangout spot. On their website they claim both beers have some banana flavor, but I didn't get it. Nice place though. I would like to see them try some more hoppy beers, but with the hop shortage, who knows.
Independence is not only the name of my high school, but is a microbrewery in Austin. I did not find a brewpub, so we just grabbed Indy whenever we could find it.
Clear gold, no head, biting but mild hops on the nose. Sudden strong hops that disappears just as fast. Some cistrus as well. Nice change of pace. It goes down easy with medium carbonation. I would not say that this in an American or India Pale Ale, probably more English
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