MYOB #33 Lost - in my beers

02/25/07

The marathon is 4 days away and I am hitting my stride in my beer tasting training. Tonight while watching lost we tried the following amazing beers.

#72 Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale (California) A Dark brown color with a nice head. Strong bitter hops at the start followed up by a nice malty flavor. An overall great beer. If you get a chance read the label on the back. It will give you a chuckle. They are some arrogant bastards at Stone. (did you write that Jimmy) 7.2%abv

#73 Unibroue Maudite (Canada) The name means "Damned" which I thought was funny because the beer is anything but. This is a strong belgian ale with a nice dark color and a great taste. It tastes very similar to the brew created by Unibroue for Trader Joes. 8%abv

#74 Allegash Dubbel Reserve Batch 77 - (Maine) Another dark Belgian style beer with hints of fruit flavors and a strong malt body.

Excellent beer. 7%abv

As you can see from the alcohol content of these beers they are not the type for heavy drinking nights. I definately felt the alcohol after the 3 I had tonight and was glad I did not have to drive anywhere. It did help me sleep well though!

Totals

Beers 74

Countries 19

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #32 I was supposed to be running

02/24/09

Run, don't run, run, don't run. It took a while but I decided I needed to train so I drove to my buddies house to go for one last long run before the Napa Marathon but when I got there we decided it was way too cold. Oh how the mind can play tricks on you. The wind had picked up and with the chill factor it was 25 degrees. It would not have been smart to run in that weather. So we had a beer and watched Battlestar Gallactica.

#71 Green Flash IPA - (California) - A strong flavored IPA that has a citric first taste and a bitter finish. A nice beer if you like IPA's.

Totals
Beers 71
Countries 19
Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #31 Cafe St. Ex

Cafe St. Ex in DC has a great selection of beers on tap and by the bottle. Last Saturday night we spent the evening there sample a few of their beers.

#66 Peaks Organic Amber Ale - (Maine) An excellent amber beer with a great flavor of roasted malt

#67 Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat (PA) - A true Wheat beer which is not my favorite kind.

#68 Kasteel Belgium Brown Ale (Belgium) - This is a really strong dark beer that needs to be sipped and enjoyed. Excellent dark ale flavor and dark brown color.

#69 Bells Double Cream Stout - (Michigan) - An excellent stout that I could drink over and over. As the name states it is very creamy, has a black color with little head and smells malty with a hint of caramel. Awesome beer.

#70 Acadia Porter -(Maine) - Another very good dark beer. A nice flavor but I am not too sure of the color as I drank it from the bottle. It was also late in the night and I probably was past my beer tasting limit and could not differentiate flavors too well.

I am surprised to find that many of these beers have not been rated by the beer advocate yet.

Totals

Beers 70

Countries 19

Continets 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #30 V-Day our way

02/14/09

We don't really succomb to the hype of valentines day and give each other a beer instead. We were able to get a bunch of like minded friends out to a few bars in the city and had a really good time.

We started off at Marvins on 14th and U in DC. These are the beers we sampled (or drank the whole glass)

#66 Troubador Obscura Mild Stout -(Belgium) This is a potent stout that tastes more like a russian imperial than a creamy irish stout. I hate to say more watery but that is what comes to mind. This beer was incredibly dark and had a rich malt flavor

#67 De Koninck Amber - (Belgium) Another excellent beer with a nice red color and strong flavor. It is a nice follow up to the the stronger stout with this lighter beer that was a little fruity tasting.

#68 Affligem Dubbel - (Belgium) Another dark rich beer from Belgium. I do not think this country can make a bad beer and I definately need to visit there soon. Ignore the Stella Glass and look at the great color of this malty flavored beer.

Totals

Beers 68

Countries 19

Continents 5

Cheers and More Beers!

MYOB #29 Oysters and beer

02/13/09

We went to the restaurant BlackSalt last night because we were in the mood for some fresh oysters. The oysters were incredibly good along with the grilled sardines and the artichoke hearts. This is a great restaurant for sitting at the bar and trying the food. The bartenders were really nice and let my fiance sample some wines before she ordered a glass. It was a very good experience.

#65 Victory Prima Pils (Pennsylvannia) This beer is light in color with a nice level of carbinatation and a great first flavor of hops and malt. It then follows up with a nice bitter taste and went very well with the oysters. This is a one of the better pilsners that I have had as it does not drift into the overly bitter. I would drink it again.

Totals

Beers 65

Countries 19

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

#28 Oh the Dark Beers

01/22/09

Out in DC at a birthday party and I was able to skip the crazy bar concotions and try a
nice stout.

#64 Bells Kalamazoo Espresso Stout (Michigan) - This is an excellent coffee flavored stout that is really dark and has a smooth taste. The taste is not a thick as a normal stout so it also is a bit refreshing. (if a stout can be called that) It is also quite strong so this is best with food. As I was have a flight of chocolate it mixed very well with the espresso stout. A very nice beer you can't go wrong with a Bells beer. Unfortunatly the picture did not come out.

Totals
Beers 64
Countries 19
Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

# 27 From Russian to England in one night

02/10/09

#62 Baltika #4 Dark Lager -(Russia) This is a nice ruby red lager with a decent caramel and malty taste. It had a nice full head and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

#63 St.Peters Organic Ale - (England) - The first thing that hits you is the smell. It has a very strong hoppy aroma that hits you from a foot away. Slightly orange color with a good deal of carbonation. It has an excellent taste that is slightly fruity and definately bitter.

Totals

Beers 63

Countries 19

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

#26 Spicy Indian food

02/09/09

While enjoying some excellent Indian food we share a 22oz. beer.

#61 Taj Mahal Premium Lager - (India) It is your typical lager that I probably would not drink by itself but it was a good counterbalance to the spicy Indian food we were eating.

Totals

Beers 61

Countries 18

Continets 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #25 Beer after a 14 mile run

02/08/09

After a very painful 14 mile run, I am training for my 6th marathon, I enjoyed some beers while relaxing on my running buddies couch. Oh the taste of a good cold beer after a long run. You really enjoy it.

#57 Stoudts Double IPA (Pennsylvannia) - A hoppy beer that tasted amazing while letting my aching body rest. I will probably have to try this one again when my system is not so taxed. Very good flavor and it hit the spot.

#58 Bells Porter (Michigan) - Porters are a thing of beauty! This dark beer with a chocolate malty flavor is incredible. It feels light on the tongue and has a light bitter aftertaste. This is one very drinkable beer and I highly recommend it.

#59 Cerveza Aguila (Colombia) - This is another beer from South America that is not good. It had a bitter taste and a chemical smell. I hate to admit this but I poured most of it out. Not good at all.

#60 Starr Hill Dark Starr Stout (Virginia) - A very dark beer with a dark brown head. It had a hint of coffee and chocolate taste. The flavor was overall good and did not have too much of a bitter aftertaste. I enjoyed this beer.

Totals

Beer 60

Countries 17

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #24 Lazy Saturday Night with Netflix and a beer

02/07/09

While watching "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" I enjoyed a couple of pints. The movie was very funny and the beers were good.

From this blog on I am going to change my number system to keep a running count.

#55 Tilburgs Dutch Brown Ale (Holland) - This was a nice beer with a good aroma a nice redish color and good flavor which is a little sweet.

#56 Old Rasputing Russian Imperial Stout (California) This beer is incredible. Super dark with nice brown head and a good amount of carbination. It is very strong, 9%abv, with a light feel and a good malty flavor. It is a great beer for sipping while watching a movie. You would not want to drink too many of these.

The label on this bottle is awesome so I had to add a closeup.

Totals

Beers 56

Countries 16

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #23 Beers from the back of the fridge

02/06/09


A small group a friends gets together every month for a rotating dinner party where everyone brings a dish. We usually have wine and beer and I thought I would take this opportunity to sample some new beers. At my friends house he had some of my favorites but they had already been on my list so I asked if he had anything else. A quick run to the gargage produced the following beverages. Not my first choice, or tenth, but to get to 365 beers I am going to have to try things I might not normally drink.


This blog could also have been called, "the tailgate party"



#1 Blue Moon Winter Ale - A brownish colored beer with a slight chemical tast and I just learned it is owned by Coors. Didn't know that.



#2 Miller Genuine Draft- This beer actually tasted ok. It is a light color with good flavor. If I am at a place that is full of mass market beers I will choose this one over the others.






#3 Corona - very light summer beer, needs lime to give it flavor and not so good when it is cold out. Not a fan of this beer or any beer this light.

While I drinking bland beer the others were drinking Black Box wine and apparently it was quite good.





#4 Miller Lite - Lite is not a word I light to associate with anything. If it needs to be a light beer you might as well have water. There is no real taste and I would never buy this. It is good for college kids looking to drink all night long. Oh and it was in a can too!







So I must admit that I am surprised that beer advocate had reviews of these beers and I was able to add them as links. Good for them for trying everything.



Totals


Beers 54
Countries 15
Continents 5


Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #22 Poker Night Again, and my 50th beer!

02/05/09

A month has already gone by and I am looking forward to seeing what is in the fridge for poker night this time.

Here we go:

#1 Flying Dog Road Dog Porter - An excellent porter that pours dark brown with a nice head with a great malty flavor. 6% Alcohol so be careful. The label actually says "Good Beer, No Shit" on it and they apparently fought for 4 years to be able to print the word "Shit" on the label. There is a little story on the side of the bottle about this.

#2 Hop Hound Amber Wheat - Not great not horrible, wheat beers are not my thing so that is about all you are going to get out of me. Michelobs attempt at microbrew...or a way to fool consumers. I like the small beer companies because I like to root for the little guys.

#3 Flying Dog Doggie Style Classic Pale Ale - A good beer with nice hoppy flavor and good aroma. This beer has the honor of being my 50th different beer of the year. A major milestone for me and this blog.

Totals:

beers 50

countries 15

Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #21 Getting fitted for a Kilt

02/05/09

Every year Glasgow University holds a Burns Supper in honor of the famous poet and Scottish National Hero Robert Burns. In order to get the full effect of the event one must wear a kilt! So a group of us visited the Scottish Merchant Shop and were fitted for out kilts. This is an event in and of itself with lots of laughter and snide remarks.

After we went out for a couple of beers. This is a given when we get toghether. Around the corner at one of the local pubs I sampled a Virginia and a Delaware beer. Photos will be up as soon as they get emailed to me. I forgot my camera again.

The first beer was Starr Hill Amber Ale -(Virginia) This beer had a dark amber color and the taste of roasted malt. A nice tasting beer that I would drink again.

The next was Fordham Helles Lager - (Delaware) A lighter lager with a sweet first taste followed by a slighly bitter after taste. It has a nice wheat color with a good head.

TOTALS:

Beers 47
Countries 15
Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #20 Superbowl?

02/02/09

The Eagles are not in the superbowl so I am not really in the mood to watch the game. However, I want to see the commercials and Bruce at halftime. While updating my blog I consumed two really good beers.

The first Birra Morretti La Rossa - this beer had a nice red color and a strong flavor. I have had Morretti before but never this style and found it very nice.

The next beer was Brookly Brown Ale - This beer has an amazign dark brown color with a cocoa colored head a great ale taste. Dark beers get me everytime. It might be psychological but I just see that dark color and think I am getting quality.

Totals

Beers 45
Countries 15
Continents 5

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #19 A World Tour

01/30/09


So my buddy and I sat down to consume some beers from around the world while watching the last 4 episodes of battlestar Gallactica. I know it sounds like the perfect afternoon doesn't it. Well here is the lineup of what we consumed. Most of the time we split a beer just so we could taste a large variety of brews. My descriptions are going to be brief.



1. Ommegang Abbey Ale (NY) - This is a very malty very strong beer that would be better enjoyed with a meal than alone. It needs something to balance out it's strong taste.



2. Sam Smith Organic Ale (England)- A nice flavorful english ale.












3. Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Black Ale (Scotland) - As dark as it's name implies with a stout taste and slight lighter body.











4. Efes Pilsner (Turkey) - Not very good, it had a very chemical taste and a metallic flavor.








5. Sam Smith Organic Lager (England) - A lighter beer but with a good deal of flavor.










6. Saranac Black Forest (USA) - Bavarian style beer with a caramel flavor and red/black color. A very enjoyable beer.









7. Clipper City Peg Leg Imperial Stout (USA) - This packs a punch! A great tasting Russian style stout that will leave you wanting more from the first sip. A dark black color with a creamy brown head and a velvety feel. I like this beer but you can only have a few due to it's 8% alcohol kick.









8. Sarance Pale Ale (USA) - Anther good beer from Saranc. A nice flavored ale that is easy to drink.










9. Pacena (Bolivia) - A lighter beer with not much after taste. Not bad but I prefer more flavor.








10. Toohey New (Australia) - A nice lager, nto bad flavor. Not to bold or overwhelming.











11. Saranac Black and Tan (USA) - Saranac does it well when it comes to dark beers. This one had some great flavor. This is a combination of their stout and amber lager.






12. Tiger Lager (Thailand) - This is a favorite as it reminds me of my travels. A light beer that has good flavor and goes down easy in hot humid weather.












13. Lion Lager (Sri Lanka) - Not a bad lager. Light refreshing with a smooth finish.






Wow. I am tired and need some water. We shared these beers over about an 8 hour period and had two meals in between so it was not too bad. I really enoyed these beers and the mix of flavors and taste. In the future I would probably put more thought into the order in which I drank the beers to make it more of a true beer tasting .



Totals:

Beers 43
Countries 14
Continents 5



Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #18 South of the border

01/29/09

We headed over to a friends house to have a beer and then head out to a mexican restaurant for dinner. At my buddies house we had a Indica India Pale Ale which had great color and great flavor. If you like pale ales you will like the orange color and bitter taste of the this beer.

Note: When I highlight a beer with a link it will take you to the beer advocate site where you can get its rating and a much more descriptive summary of the beer.

At the restaurant we had a Negra Modelo and Dos Equis at the restaurant while enjoying chips an tacos. Modello Negro is an excellent beer that is light and smooth and refreshing. It goes well with a spicy mexican meal. Dos equis is a darker beer but just as refreshing and flavorful. If you are going to drink a mexican beer you cannot go wrong with these two.

Totals

Beer 30

Countries 8

Continents 3

Cheers and more Beers!

MYOB #17 Strange brews for LOST

01/28/09

While watching lost tonight I sampled a couple of interesting beers. The first was Laguitas The Hairy Eyeball Ale. It is a very strong tasting ale that is dark and has a bitter aftertaste. Not too bad but not really one I would drink again.

The other was Hebrew Messiah Bold "the chosen beer" I bought this one just because of the label. It made me laugh so I had to buy it. Then I tried it and it made me smile again. It is a very dark brown ale that tastes more like a porter. It is a little thicker and smoother than ususal with a very nice taste. I would definately drink this one again.

Totals:

Beers 27

Countries 7

Continents3

Cheers and more beers!