Go Rattlers!

Could be I've had a bit much of the Austin Beerworks tonight.  But just want to show support for my school...

Back from Austin: Rogness

Beer Log: Right now
State: Just finished my MMA and Jiu Jitsu courses at Precision MMA

Just got back from Austin on Sunday and at Whip In we got a growler of this new Austin brewery Rogness.

RognessYogi
Deep brown color with a tan head (1 finger no homo).  I got a great mint tea nose. The beer has a nice strong grapefruity hops that lasts throughout as well as a great chocolate and mint flavor.  It's leave a mint flavor on my nose.  Kind of like those Tazo teas you get at the Starbucks.  Maybe a hint of Earl Grey with a nice dosing of fresh mint leaves.  This thing is chock full of cinnamon and say star anise and clove, maybe some oak. High 3 Stars for the Rogness.

More Austin posts coming soon.

Sam Adams Longshot Memorial Day Beering

Well I just changed out the smoke detector in the most un-ergonomical place in the house.  And now I just changed out the toilet internals in the bedroom.  The wife is out getting some Saint Arnold Homefront IPA and some bison meat for the grill, so I'm going to take a break before going to the other toilet and the other smoke detector.

And what do you know, we have all this Sam Adams Longshot beer that we have not sampled or blogged about yet.  Somebody hit the music.

Sam Adams Fred Hessler. Derf's Secret Alt
For a while there a few years back I was really on the alt/dunkel kick.  I was slamming as much Boston Ale and Heineken Dark as I could handle.  Anyway, I've been big on pilsners and saisons (gotta love how one's tastes change), so let's see if this dude can bring me back to Alts.

Pours with a huge head in my Saint Arnold 16oz glass.  Nice deep brown color that allows a ruby light through it. The nose has a fantastic caramel and brown sugar thing.  Kind of reminds me like making sugar cookies but with brown sugar, which rocks btw.  Thicker than I thought it would be is the first sensation, but that quickly gives way to the FANTASTIC caramel, maple syrup and brown sugar flavor.  My mouth is left with sour dark cherry that I am just thrilled about as well.  Low hops and just utterly fantastic.  I have that great alt yeast affect in there, kind of like a bit of copper that just works perfectly.  I get ZERO alcohol in this thing, which is scary as I may just slam this thing in about 15 minutes.  5 stars all the way.

And later on...

I just got the other toilet finished and smoke alarm.  That checks off two big items on Remember the Milk and I'm ready for a Longshot

Sam Adams Five Crown Imperial Stout
Splitting this one with the wife.  Enjoying this in my Old New Orleans minigoblet.  Deep dark brown with a nice thin tan head.  The nose gives me a great dark malt, chocolate, and plum.  The taste has a nice chocolate and coffee, maybe some dried fruit.  I get a nice sourness as well in the middle of this beer.  Has a decent bitterness and a nice dryness in the finish.  Low 4 Stars.

UFC 146 Beering

Going to be doing some serious beering here at the house while watching UFC 146: Heavyweights.

Rahr and Sons Winter Warmer
This bottle is maybe 3 years old.  Poured into a pint glass with a light carbo.  I first thought that it lost its carbonation and I needed to pour it out.  But rather it's pretty pleasant.  No nose but a nice light chocolate and cinnamon with a nice pinch of coffee.  Is extremely smooth and goes does very nicely.  I get a light sourness and whatnot, not sure if that's supposed to be there, but I'll take it.  Low 3 Stars.

I'm stuck with the baby tonight so I have to watch this on PPV at the house.  The wife came in early tonight, so hopefully she can sleep through it, because I'm going to be fired up.

I called it on twitter.  If Struve got this puppy to the ground, he would win this fight.  He damn near broke Big Lavar's arm.  I'm telling you, this entire pay per view will last 90 minutes.  I still didn't finish my Rahr and Sons.  Damn.  The blackfolk are down one already.  Just 1:05 into the first fight.

So Del Rosario got the elbow of death in the fight.  Ok, now it's time for the Overhand Right of my main man Big Country.  I need more beer.

Widmer Dark Saison
Nice brown color yet kind of clear.  Big light tan head.  I'm rooting for Big Country hard here.  Nice ginger snap cookie smell on this beer.  Light metal in this one, but otherwise a nice faint lemony zip and bready banana thing going on.  Feels good otherwise on the tongue.  Not quite at the level of the Independence Brewing Saisons, but I can give Widmer a pass as they don't have the same distance to travel as a brewery in Austin. Low 3 Stars.

Man I'm fired up all over the place.  KO from Big Country, KO from Dan Hardy, KO from Jamie Varner.  Call this one UFC 146: The Concussions.  This is absolutely fabulous.  I need another beer.

Lazy Magnolia Deep South
Hell yeah some quality Reb Ale.  Love the toasty amber ale.  love it more as a lager, but Lazy Mag bring the heat with this one.  Nice toasty malt with a moderate hops.  If I still lived in Mississippi, I would drink this beer everyday and twice on Sunday.  4 Stars.

And speaking of bringing the heat, Cain Velasquez just sent a message to tho the UFC heavyweight division.  He cut up and jacked up Big Foot like a simple gatekeeper.  This UFC is just awesome.  They are beating ass all night long.  And now on to the Main Event.

Game fight for Frank Mir, but Dos Santos was just a BAAAAAAAAAAAD matchup for Mir.  Great Second Round TKO.

Allagash, Ommegang, New Belgium, who you kicking out of the hot tub?

Had a great weekend beering it up for Cinco De Mayo.  Actually had some Victoria, Bud Light Lime, and Bud Light Platinum.  It was also a killer weekend for sports.  A horse called "I'll Have Another" won the Kentucky Derby.  At that time I was beering it up at Petrol Station while Drinking Made Easy was taping.  That was just awesome.  We had a great time watching UFC on Fox, with the big win for Big Lavar Johnson and Nate Diaz, not to mention Floyd Mayweather won his fight, while coming out to the ring with 50 Cent, Justin Bieber, Triple HHH, and a guy that looked like the Chinese Ambassador to the UN.  Ok enough jaw jacking...

Beer Log: April 12, 2012
State: A little Borgias, two sheets to the wind, a rough day at the office.

Allagash Victor 2009
Nothing like a aged Allagash.  Translucent amber with white lasting head.  The nose has a light appley sourness along with something like sweet grapes.  Taste is exactly the same as the scent at first, and it gives way to great light sour green grapes.  Low carbonation caps off a 4 star beer.

Beer Log: April 15, 2012
State: Starving at Petrol Station.
Dig Pale Ale by New Belgium
Had a heck of a time finding this one on Untappd.  Amber color and clear with a decent head.  Went straight to drinking this one an I got great hops and malt.  Clean flavor.  The beer has a lemony hops but very balanced.  I get a lemon hop aftertaste as well.  Love teh light nuttiness and caramel along with the hops.  4 Stars.

Beer Log: Right now
State: Mouth is dry, watching the Borgias with the Misses
Ommegang Adoration
Enjoying this one in a snifter.  Blood amber color with a frothy yet disappearing light rusty head. The nose has healthy notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, orange peel, and coriander.  A little Christmas in the summer time never hurt anybody.  The taste has a nice full caramel, brown sugar and cinnamon flavor up front.  This gives way to soft notes of orange and coriander.  Not overdone at all and a true testament to the professionalism of Ommegang.  This beer is just a great foil after all the summer madness we've been drinking.  It's tempting to break out the cigars, but screw that, this beer needs to be by itself.  Low to moderate carbonation with a light bitterness.  Very well done Ommegang.  Give me all 5 stars.

Alaska has come to Texas

Beer Log: Right now
State: Sitting on an awesome patio at Cedar Creek.  Perfect weather.

First off, why didn't someone tell me about how great Cedar Creek was.

Alaska Amber
Clear amber colored beer (who'da thunk it), with a thin white head.  Beer has a caramel oatmeal cookie smell to it.  Taste is much the same.  I get a nice caramel malt and a moderately thin body.  The beer makes you think you'll taste some off flavors but they never come out.  Low hops and very short malt after taste.  A very sessionable beer that I imagine is meant for all of us to enjoy after hunting down moose or playing hockey.  Just incredibly simple and effective.  3 stars.

Now all I need is some pulled pork breakfast tacos and I'm good to go.

Mississippi makes it to Houston

It was late August 2005. I was driving my still new convertible on highways with down trees, leaves everywhere, and down power lines. My wife of 2 months was in her car following me. Our lovely condo on a golf course on the water could not possibly have stood a chance right? Hurricane Katrina was as huge as the Gulf itself, and all we had was some little sandbags. I listened to classical music on my XM radio as the local stations were all down. The wife was unemployed and I had just started out of college, and the only big valuable I could think of was my 10" piece of the goal post from the game where Georgia Tech beat Auburn the year before.

Much to our surprise, we had no damage at all at our condo. Down trees everywhere but nothing was wrong, just spoiled food in the fridge. Fortunately our place which was completely submerged was saved by the double paned windows due to the extra protection they had for golf courses. We lived on the first tee. We packed up about two weeks worth of stuff and high tailed it to Houston. I was transferring to Houston anyway in a couple weeks and the job let me leave early.

First off we didn't know we were the first set in a HUGE number of evacuees to come to Houston, and second, who the hell puts a damn microbrewery in coastal Mississippi just after we leave? I know I was just getting into craft beer in those days, as I had just discovered Shiner Bock on a training trip to Houston, but whatever.

Anyway, Lazy Mag has finally made it Houston and I cannot wait to start slamming some of that Indian Wheat during the oppressive heat of the Gulf Coast summers.

Beer Log: Right now

State: Just got back from Petrol Station, chilling out with the baby awaiting a crazy week at the job

Lazy Magnolia Deep South Pale Ale

First off, you cannot imagine how tempting it is for me to mix in dixieland and slavery references all throughout this beer review, but that was would just be wrong and mean spirited. Huge white poofy head on a light very clear amber beer. The nose is a little malt, a little veggie, and some slight funky hops (seems like noble hops here). Taste has a light hops and malt, followed up by some noticeable metallic flavor. That melds away to sourdough bread and lastly some very bitter hop finish. Hmmmm. Just a wash of different flavors as it goes across my tongue (no homo). The metal flavor mixed with the lemony/grassy hops may not be the best for a Pale Ale, but I fricken LOVE IT in my Czech Pilsners. If they backed off the malt and used some bottom fermenting yeast, you could have just injected it in my veins. The more I drink it, the more I enjoy the flavor but that metal is throwing things off. Low 3 Stars.

May be a little off on the trip to Houston, but I know the next time we hit the Beau Rivage, I'm going to ordering a lot of this one at the craps table.

Lazy Mag Southern Pecan

Much appreciation for the deep south ingredients in the beer. Coastal Mississippi was a great place on the map. Everybody was very nice, we got involved with the local high school football team, and New Orleans was a quick trip away. Anyway, here we go... Clear beer again but ruby amber. Big offwhite head this time yielding a slight nutty malt (no homo). Everyone that knows me knows that me and nut brown ales do not mix. And sadly this is still the same here. I get a nuttiness and some light malt and chocolate. Still getting some of that metal as well. Anyway, no rating as this is one of my least favorite styles.

Great first start overall, still waiting for boys from coastal Mississippi. And to commemorate, a little tune from Coastal Mississippi's finest joining up with Houston Rap Legends. If you are at work, you may want to put on the headphones for this one.