MYOB #15 Happy Chinese New Year!

01/26/09


In honor of the Chinese New Year we headed to Marks Duck House for some traditional Chinese food. Not deterred by my first foray into Chinese beer last night I ordered a TSINGTAO. To my surprise this beer had a lot of flavor and great taste. So much so that I had two more while enjoying an incredible Peking Duck. It is a light colored beer with a nice flavor that went well with spicy food.

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB Totals:

Beers 23
Countries 7
Continents 3

MYOB #14 Schultz gets the blues and so do I

01/25/09

We saw a preview for this movie and thought this looked good so in the que it went. It's called Schultze get the Blues and is a bit fo a fish out of water story. Well it moves very slowly and ends abruptly. I do not recommend it.

While watch the movie I decided I wanted a beer but only had Pipeline Porter in the house and wanted to try something different so I could update the blog. After a little debate with myself I walked to Harris Teeter and bought a few individual beers. So I wouldn't look like a drunk buying 3 individual beers I also bought some other food and then headed home. I am not sure why I even thought about it and probably should not of even cared. I am sure in a few months I will just go in and buy one beer just to see their reaction.

The first beer was Harbin Lager from China. Yup China! It was a very light colored beer and I could honestly not even taste it, there was no flavor at all. I will not drink this again.

Disappointed with the Chinese beer I moved on to Red Strip from Jamaica. This had some more flavor but was not that good. These beers are just too light and lacking of flavor for me.

All in all a not so good movie and two not so good beers. Crap.

MYOB Totals:

Beers 22

Countries 7

Continents 3

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #13 Beer from France?

01/23/09

Apparently the French have a long history of making good beer but this gets overshadowed by some other alcohol making industry. I am not sure what that is but I will have to look into it and get back to you. :)

The beer I am sampling is Fischers Amber Ale. It is a great tasting beer with a sweet aroma, slightly bitter after taste and the color of carmel corn. I really enjoyed this beer and intend to try some other from France. When I checked them out online (see the link to the side) I was surprised to read that this beer has been brewed in France since 1821. This makes the brewery 8 years older than Americas oldest brewery Yeungling. I really need to get out more.

After the french beer I enjoyed a couple more Kona Brewing Pipeline Porters as I got caught up on Battlestar Galacticas Season 4 DVD, or as my fiance calls it the soap opera in space.

On a side note while I am writing this I am listening to NPR's All Songs Considered Pod Cast with Host Bob Boylan and Highly recommend it. He explores lots of interesting music every weak.

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB Totals

Beers 20

Countries 5

Continents 2

MYOB #12: After a long drive

01/19/09

After driving back from the beach I enjoyed 2 Kona Brewing Pipeline Porters while relaxing on the couch.

Looking forward to the Inaguration tomorrow!

MYOB Totals:

Beers 19

Countries 4

Continents 2

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #11: Spirits Crushed Again

01/18/09

This day started off full of hope and excitement and ended again in dashed hopes. Yes, I am talking about the Eagles. We never thought they would get this far this year but then to be on the brink and let it slip away hurts. Again. In the words of Forest Gump "and that is all I have to say about that"

We all got out of town and headed to Bethany Beach to avoid the Inaguration crowds. This day was spent enjoying 4 pints of Kona Brewing Company Pipeline Porter. This is just a great tasting beer that gives you a lot of flavor. It has all the flavor of a stout but the crispness of a porter and just a little kick of Kona coffee to make it unique.

Later in the night we had the chance to sample Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock. This beer is only brewed once a year and is issued in limited release. We were able to get it at whole foods for $15.99 for a 750ml bottle. It is not cheap but is worth it. It has an incredible smooth taste with just a hint of chocolate that makes it very unique.

The night ended nicely as we sipped the bock while dreaming of next years football season.

MYOB Totals

Beers 19

Countries 4

Continents 2

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #10: Happy Hour with the Smithereen's

01/15/09


I write this blog under duress...from myself. When I started this I realized that it would be documenting for all to see, including myself, how much and how often I have a drink. After last night I honestly thought about throwing in the towel and not admitting to having 8 beers over the course of 7 hours. It started at happy hour and ended at 3am with Rockband. Then I realized if I was going to do this right I have to take the good with the drunk and throw it all out there. Now when I categorize pints they are not always full 16 ounce pints, some are 12 ounce beers (3) and some were plastic cups that were probably less than 12 ounces at the concert, either way I call them pints as it is just easier to total. That said it is not as bad as I make out...but it was still 8 different drinks during one evening.

The first 2 pints were Clipper City Winter Storm - Category. This was a nice brown ale with a full bodied flavor and a malty aftertaste. Surprisingly this brew does not show up on the companies website, they are a local Baltimore brewery, and must be a limited run seasonal ale.


The next two beers were Smutty Nose Old Brown Dog Ale. I have had this beer in the past and really enjoy the flavor of this beer. This is a fully stronger bodied brown ale than your normal ales.


The next two beers were one of my favorite beers of all time. A go to beer of mine for more than a decade has been Yuengling Lager, Americas oldest brewery, and a great everyday lager. It has cool crisp flavor that is excellent at a summer barbecue. They were founded in 1829 in Pottsville PA and are still family owned and operated. These were had while rocking out front stage at the Smithereen's concert, a great NJ band.


It is now getting late and we are headed to play some rockband...and drink some more beer!


While playing through the first few licks of the first song I am enjoying a Samuel Adams Octoberfest. I am sure this has been sitting in the back of the fridge for a few months but it still tastes great. This beer has a great caramel and toffee flavor that makes you think of fall after the first sip.


I finished off the night with two New Castle Brown Ale's. This is another good beer that you cannot go wrong with. It is a good beer with refreshing taste. I am basing that on memories past because I am sure at this point I am not really tasting the beer.


After these beers a a bunch more songs I crashed pretty hard and slept solid. I am not advocating over indulgence but on this night we were rockstars and acted like it. I awoke a little hungover but doing ok.


MYOB Totals


Beers 18
Countries 4
Continents 2

MYOB #9: Harris Teeter Grand Opening

01/13/09

So the Teeter around the corner is having a grand opening party and to our surprise they have 4 wine tasting and 2 beer tasting stations setup along with a bunch of food stations. If this were a wine blog I would talk about the 10 or so that we sampled but instead I will stick to the beers.

We skipped the Leinenkugles station, too many people, and went to the other one. They had michelob beers and then a few microbrews. The first beer I sampled was the Kona Brewing Company Long Board Lager. This is a refreshing beer, that I am sure would taste great on a hot day, smooth beer with a subtle hop flavor. The second beer was the Kona Brewing Company Pipeline Porter. This has instantly become one of my favorite beers (I am drinking one right now). This is an exceptionally smooth and dark porter, you will think it is a stout, that has been brewed with some 100% kona coffee. Two of my favorite things mixed together. A lovely dark beer and coffee. They probably serve this in heavens pub!

The last beer we tried was a Long Hammer IPA. This is a hoppy ale from the Redhook brewery. Long Hammer IPA is formerly known as Redhook IPA. It is a good tasting beer but nothing about it jumped out at made me want to buy some.

After wandering around Harris Teeter for 2 hours drinking and eating, we didn't need dinner after this, we picked up a six pack of Pipeline Porter and a bottle of wine so we could keep the party going once we got home.

While we waited for the Porter to get cold we split a bottle of Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2008. I bought a case of the 750ml bottles and go to them often.

Once cold we had a couple more Pipeline Porter while watching The Daily Show! It was a good night. Thanks for the free samples Teeter.

MYOB Totals

Beers 13

Countries 3

Continents 2

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #8: Monday Night Relaxation

01/12/09

It has been 3 days since my last beer and it was a long day at work so I wrote some blogs and had a pint and half of Trader Joe's Vintage Ale 2008. You have to drink all you can while it is available because it won't be restocked at the stores and won't be available again until the fall. Also make sure you save a few bottles as they age well.

MYOB Totals

Beers 10

Countries 3

Continents 2

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #7: Happy Hour with the Swamp Crew

01/09/09


Met up with a bunch of my fiances old college friends and went with the old standby. Guinness never disappoints and I can drink it all night long. I love the velvety smooth taste and am always mesmerized by the foam as it rises to the top to create the perfect head. The glass touches your lips and it is like taking a drink from a milkshake. Oh the creamy goodness.

MYOB Totals

Beers 10
Countries 3
Continents 2


Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #6: Poker Night Beer Buffet

01/08/09


Poker night with the boys is always a pleasure because everyone likes good beer except for the minor PBR infraction. Nothing too crazy beer wise but a excellent selection of 5 different beers.

The first beer of the night was Pilsner Urquel - a smooth hopy beer with a golden color that goes down smoothly with a slight bitter aftertaste.


Next came Magic Hat Roxy Rolles - a nice amber ale with a spicy malty taste and a hint of caramel


Then Magic Hat Braggot Winter 08 - A darker more flavorful beer. It has a honey flavor with sweet malts and bitter hops.


After a sweeter beer came Sam Adams Winter Lager - This is another great beer from Sam Adams, one of the biggest craft brewing success stories, that doesn't disappoint. It is a dark brown beer with a hint of cinnamon flavor and some citrus afternotes. (man I sound snooty)


Finally, I finished the night off with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Another great full bodied beer with a flavorful taste. I really need to learn how to describe these better...or you could just go out and taste them for yourselves.


Something weird I learned while writing this blog and checking beer sites is that you have to enter your age to verify you are 21 in order to enter the beer sites. This is only for US sites, which figures, we wouldn't want our kids looking at beer. Oh the horror!


MYOB Totals:


Beers 10
Countries 3
Continents 2


Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #5: Just a Sunday Night

01/04/09

Sitting back relaxing at home I enjoyed a pint and a half of Trader Joes Vintage Ale 2008. They only create and sell this beer around the holidays. It is an amazing beer made by Unibroue in Canada. If you can't tell this is one of my favorite breweries.

The Trader Joes beer is a traditional Belgian style brown ale with an alcohol content of 9%. So be careful when drinking this beer. It takes great, goes down easy and packs a punch. All for $4.99 for a 750ml bottle.

To quote the bottle "This deep brown color vintage ale, with a tine of red hue displays effervescent generous beige foam. It has notes of coffee and spices, mild aroma of tropical fruits. Trader Joes 2008 Vintage Ale has a smooth round mouth feel and notes of roasted malt, carrying toffee like flavor, finishing with well balanced noble hops." I really wish I could write that well!

The Wine and Beer guy, Paul, at our local TJ's (trader joes) told me last year that the beer ages well and can be saved for up to three years. Now it took a lot of self control but I was able to save 3 bottles from last year and look forward to popping them open and sampling them.

Year of Beer Totals

Beers 5

Countries 2

Continents 2

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #4: Engagement Party

01/03/09


When I arrived at my brothers engagement party I did not know what to expect when it came to beer. I actually thought it would be a wine only night and was not intending on having any beers. But to my surprise and delight the future father in law is Irish and the fridge was full of Guinness and Smithwicks. If I have to describe either of these beers you would probably not be reading this blog. Lets just say that Guinness is velvety darkness that puts a smile on your face as soon as it hits your tongue. It is my go to beer and what has made me a stout lover.

I can remember my first taste of Guinness at a small hole in the wall bar called Hennessys in Morristown NJ. It was 1993 and I was waiting for a train with two friends to head over to Arthur's for a steak. As the pub is under the train tracks they wanted to stop in for a pint. At the time I was not a big beer drinker and mostly stuck with domestic light beers (please don't hate me I was young and stupid). They both ordered a Guinness so I did too. My first taste did not leave a good impression but I stuck with it. After the second beer I realized this is amazing beer. By the third beer I was a devotee.


At the party, we were there a while, I consumed 3 Smithwicks and 2 Guinness. Thank you again to my brothers future father in law.


Year of Beer Total

Types 4
Countries 2
Continents 2


Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #3: Old City Quebec

01/02/09

On our way to the airport we stopped in old town Quebec City for lunch. It was bitter cold so after checking out two restaurants we took a seat in a small cafe and promptly order two pints (actually pints and a quarter as they were 20 ouncers) of another local beer called Belle Gueule Rousse. This is a lovely red colored beer with slight flavor of maple and the bitterness of a lager. It tasted great and went down smooth.

We had enough time to split a second beer before we went to the airport. At the airport our flight was delayed and sure enough we were able to convince the airport pub to stay open long enough so we could down two more pints during our 4 hour delay. What would we do without pubs in airports.

Year of Beer Totals

Types 2

Countries 1

Continents 1

Cheers and more beers!

MYOB #2: First Beers of the New Year

January 1, 2009 - Baie St.Paul Canada

At the top of Le Massif after a full day of snowboarding I enjoyed two pints of Unibroue Chamblay Blanche with my lovely fiance. This is the very beer that inspired this blog and what kicked off the new year. Usually I do not go for a light fruity beer but this one is smooth and flavorful. Drop a slice of orange in the drink and you have quite the refreshing beverage in your hand.

Unfortunately these beers are not in wide distribution in the USA so if you get to Canada I highly recommend sampling this breweries offerings.

Year of Beer Totals

Types 1

Countries 1

Continents 1

Cheers and more beers!

MYOB #1 : Goals for the Year of Beer

While sipping a lovely pint of Unibroue Chamblay Blanche outside of Quebec, the best wheat beer I have ever had, it dawned on me that I drink a lot of beer. Shocking I know. This epiphany gave rise to the idea of documenting all of the beers I drink in 2009. This sounds great but is also a bit scary given that I will now have concrete numbers as to how much I drink in a given year. Thank god I did not decide to keep track of wine and spirits too!

So a few quick goals for the year are to drink a beer from every continent, if possible, and if my liver can handle it I will try and have 365 different beers. 

The journals will keep track of my drinking problem in vivid and often slurred detail.

Cheers and more beers!