Beer Aficionado

Update

2007-01-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

Good News! I have taken a position at a major Craft Brewery!
Bad News... I am not sure reviewing beers would be appropriate now... So for now the blog stays as it is until I decide what to do.

Stone Levitation Ale

2006-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

Poured my Levitation Ale 12oz into my AB pint glass. Pours a slightly hazy amber with a half finger tall frothy off white head.

Smells of hops, citrus (grapefruit), and evergreen.

Taste is great well balanced hoppiness matched with sweet and tart notes. The sip is sweet then hoppy followed by citrus and leaves an aftertaste of citrusy evergreen and hops.

Mouthfeel is thin and carbonation is good, both fit the beer very nicely.

Overall it is a great beer and it rounds out stones product line very nicely. It’s still defiantly a Stone product and you can taste the hops but it is also a beer that non craft drinker can enjoy. Very drinkable, I wish I had another one.

Availability – Not in Texas yet sadly
Style – American Amber Ale
Alcohol – 4.4% ABV
Price – $7 for 6 pack

Samuel Adams Winter Classics Part 1

2006-11-14T22:07:00.000-08:00

So Yesterday I bough the Samuel Adams Winter Classics 24 pack which has has 4 of bottles of each 6 styles. Boston Lager, Black Lager, Winter Lager, Old Fezziwig Ale, Holiday Porter and Cranberry Lambic.

Today's three reviews are the most exciting out of the pack Old Fezziwig Ale, Holiday Porter and Cranberry Lambic.

Old Fezziwig Ale

Pours a dark but still translucent brown that when held up to the light is somewhat ruby with a small light tan head.

Smell is pleasant hints of berry, caramel, slight spice and earthy.

Taste is good but could stand to be a bit bolder. Tastes of coffee and berries toasted malt. Sip is of coffee with a small explosion of berry followed by chocolate. Aftertaste is mild but is and tastes of coffee.

Mouthfeel is good and carbonation is slightly about medium but it’s nice.

Overall it’s a very good beer, not the best winter warmer I have tried but a lot better then other I have had. I think that they should start alternating this every other year with their Winter lager.

Holiday Porter

Pours a very dark brown black that when held up to the light barely lets any purple color through. Nice ginger tall dark tan head that sticks around.

Smell is good hints of chocolate and coffee.

Taste is good, coffee, berry, chocolate and slightly nutty. Smooth taste that becomes somewhat tart with maybe a bit of berry then it becomes more bold with the coffee and bitter taste. Nice aftertaste of coffee.

Mouthfeel is good but it was a little thin. Carbonation was good.

Overall a good porter, very drinkable.

Cranberry “Lambic”

Cranberry “Lambic” is nothing more then a fruit wheat beer, which it even says in the fine print. Pours a translucent dark gold with a slightly yellow white head.

Smells like wheat and cranberries.

Taste is surprisingly strong and tart taste of cranberries.

Mouthfeel and carbonation fit this beer nicely.

Overall better then some cranberry beers I have had

Worst Burglar Ever

2006-11-14T17:08:00.000-08:00

This video is priceless.

Anheuser-Busch plans 60 new products for next year

2006-11-13T23:03:00.000-08:00

Snippet from Brew Blog (click to read whole story)

Anheuser-Busch plans to have 128 different products on the market by the end of this year, including 60 new ones, the brewer told distributors at a recent meeting.

I understand what they are trying to accomplish. But I really don’t think they need to infiltrate the craft beer market more then they already have in the past and with their new Stone Mill and Wild Hop. It’s obvious that these names are designed to confuse buyers with products and brands currently in the craft market.

I also feel bad for my local small beer stores that where somewhat tricked into buying these beers at a high cost that they have to pass on to the buyer just to break even. And with 60 new products it’s going to hard for the market to not get flooded. Luckily some of these will be specialty items that sound nasty like “a mix of Clamato and Budweiser called Chelada”.

Shopping Penguin

2006-11-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

Now if they could only teach it to go buy beer... "doobie doobie doo"

Samuel Smith's Winter Welcome Ale

2006-11-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Poured my Winter Welcome (in the new brown glass bottle) into a pint glass. Pours a nice transparent dark copper with a 2 finger tall fluffy tan head that sticks around and clings to the glass.

Scent is light but is of toasted malt and hints of caramel.

Taste is nice smooth but very full bodied. Taste is of toasted malt, caramel, raisins, and a slight amount of bitterness with a nice sweet aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is good, I wish it was thicker though and carbonation is light.

Very drinkable, something nice to look forward to at the end of the year.

Availability – Everywhere
Style – Winter Warmer
Alcohol – 6% ABV
Price – apx $4 for a 550ml

Breckenridge Christmas Ale

2006-11-04T21:08:00.000-08:00

Poured my Breckenridge Christmas Ale into a pint glass. Pours a nice blackish brown that is red when held up to the light. It had a small head that was a gray white color.

There is a strange smell that I can’t put a finger on which is somewhat unpleasant actually.

Taste is smooth at first then gets a bit more bitter. It’s not good but not bad either. Almost no aftertaste but it some leftover bitterness.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are both light

Drinkablity is good but I was a little disappointed by this offering from Breckenridge normally their products are top notch.

Availability – Seasonal at Specialty beer stores
Style – Winter Warmer
Alcohol – 7.4% ABV
Price – apx $8 for 6 pack

Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale

2006-11-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

Finally getting around to reviewing one of my favorite beers and I don’t know what took me so long! Poured my 22oz bomber into my AB pint glass. It pours a nice dark blood red brown with a half inch tall amber tan head.

The smell is a pleasant scent that is slightly sweet but full of hops with hints of citrus.

Taste is great, quite smooth with an explosion of bitterness from the hops, slight hints of citrus. The taste complements the smell very well. Aftertaste is bold and full of hoppy goodness.

Mouthfeel is slightly thick and carbonation is good.

This is a very drinkable beer. Arrogant Bastard Ale is a classic and every beer lover has to try it. In fact this was one of my very first craft beers I ever had and remember drinking it quite fondly. Now this is one of my regulars that I always get.

Availability – Everywhere, but only in 22oz in Texas
Style – American Strong Ale
Alcohol – 7.2% ABV
Price – apx $4 for a 220z

Rhar's Bucking Bock

2006-11-03T19:22:00.000-08:00

Ok so I tried this last night and enjoyed it a lot so know I’m going to sit down and review it. Pour into a pint glass a very nice gold with a bit of amber with a nice one finger tall white head.

Smell is good sweet wort like smell

Taste is very interesting, smooth then hoppy and then very sweet, almost tastes like wort.

Mouthfeel is medium and carbonation is good.

Overall I was really surprised by this one. I couldn’t get over that it was a golden bock, I’m glad that I read that off the label before I poured it or I would have been very confused.
It’s good that it isn’t just another bock because Texas has enough of those.

Availability – Most stores here in Texas
Style – Golden Bock
Alcohol – 8.1% ABV
Price – apx $7 for 6 pack

Beer Calculator

2006-10-31T00:28:00.000-08:00

Very cool beer cost calculator and also 10 tips to cut cost.

Oaked and Double Bastard Released

2006-10-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Today Stone Brewery released Oaked Arrogant Bastard and Double Bastard. This is the first time that Oaked will be available in 6 packs of 12oz bottles and not 3L. Double Bastard is available in 22oz bombers and 3L. Unfortunately (but understandably) this isn't distributed in too many areas. Luckily I have family in SoCal.

Family Guy - The Beer Room

2006-10-29T20:06:00.000-08:00

Another classic beer video:

Beer Bottle Goblets

2006-10-29T01:49:00.000-08:00

Very cool product, I would get the Grolsch ones. After a minute of searching I was able to find out they are made by a UK company called Greenglass. Their U.S. partner makes some interesting things too.

Twist off competition commercial

2006-10-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

Asahi Beer Dispensing Machine

2006-10-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Asahi Beer Dispensing machine:

Cool but not as cool as the Asahi Beer Dispensing Robot:

Saint Arnold Fancy Lawn Mower

2006-10-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

Poured my Saint Arnold Fancy Lawn mower into a pint glass. I poured a nice slightly opaque but still translucent yellow gold with a small 3mm tall white head.

Smells light and refreshing, wheat lemon and grass scents.

Taste is good light at first but has a lot of character that develops. Wheat, grass and the slightest of bitterness and then it has a slight bit of sourness. Clean refreshing aftertaste of lemon.

Medium mouthfeel with nice medium to high carbonation.

Overall a good beer like the name means, a lawnmower beer that you don’t have to be ashamed of having in your fridge or being caught drinking.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Kölsch
Alcohol – 4.9% ABV
Price – $8 for a 6 pack

Paint bomb commercial

2006-10-24T18:08:00.000-07:00

Very cool
Sony BRAVIA Paint bomb commercial:

And heres the making of:

(Redneck) Candidate: Use Textbooks As Shields From School Shooters

2006-10-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

First off I have tried to not post news story links but this I had to share.

The article its self is bad enough but you have to see the video to believe it. (on the news story page click the picture to view the video)

The video is bad period. This is what I would call a redneck home video. This doesn’t even belong on youtube, let alone national news coverage. As if the filming of the video and lack of editing wasn’t bad enough, the gun handling is extremely unsafe. Also there was nothing scientific about this test, just a bunch of rednecks shooting at stuff (sounds like a typical Oklahoma weekend to me. There was even a joke about hunting Mexicans.

I honestly can not believe with all the carelessness they showed while doing this no one got shot!

If you want to learn about accurate but non scientific gun tests check out The Box-O-Truth

Anchor Steam Beer

2006-10-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the site is up to date now, so here's a new review:

So first off I love Anchor, I have had everything I could find of theirs but strangely not Anchor Steam. Well tonight I stumbled across a 22oz of it and I knew I had to get it.

Poured it in to one of my large mugs, I was pleasantly surprised by the nice translucent dark brown amber color. I expected it to be yellow (should have read the bottle). With a nice two finger tall creamy light tan head.

The smell is very rich and slightly hoppy and slightly sweet at the same time.

Taste is nice and not too overpowering but hoppy. But it isn’t just that it tastes very different then other beers that I have had. The aftertaste is quite clean and dry.

Mouthfeel is medium to thin, carbonation is good.

Overall very different and very good beer. I can defiantly see myself craving this beer in the future. I would suggest it to anyone even non craft drinkers.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Steam Beer
Alcohol – 4.9% ABV
Price – $3.5 for 22oz

Unibroue Éphémère (Cranberry)

2006-10-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Poured my 750ml of cranberry Éphémère into my fluted glass. Nice finger tall bright titanium white head. Pours a very light yellow gold that when held up to the light is very pale and clear.

Smells nicely of cranberry, wheat and yeast. It also somewhat smells of apples.

Taste is very good it is quite smooth and has a nice strong taste of cranberry and is nicely matched with the light wheat taste. It also tastes of apples to me.

Mouthfeel is thin, carbonation is very good and the taste gets quite tart when chewed.

Overall this is a good beer when you are seeking something different. I haven’t had the other flavors of Éphémère but I would give them a try.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Fruit Beer
Alcohol – 5.5% ABV
Price – $6 for 750ml (on sale, usually more like $8)

Samuel Smith's The Famous Taddy Porter

2006-10-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Poured my 550ml into one of my large mugs. Poured a nice black that the tiniest of red light can been seen through. Large 3 finger tall dark tan head that died down but stuck around till the end.

Smell is nice and rich mostly of raisins but hints of chocolate and coffee.

Taste is good, it is first sweet that then becomes a tiny bit bitter and then tastes like coffee. Aftertaste is of coffee and somewhat smokey.

Mouthfeel is kind of thin for a porter imho. Carbonation is good

Overall, a good porter quite drinkable but, not the best that I have had though not the worst. I would drink it but I would rather have a Mocha porter by Rogue or a Smoked Porter by Stone unfortunately these can’t be found in Texas.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – English Porter
Alcohol – 5% ABV
Price – $3.50 for 550ml

Stone Smoked Porter

2006-10-22T22:45:00.002-07:00

Poured my 22oz Stone Smoked Porter into my large mug. Pours a beautiful dark brown almost black. Held to the light very little light can be seen threw it but what can be seen looks like a dark purple. Very nice large two and a half finger tall head that sticks around, creamy tan sort of looks like chocolate milk. I love porters and I love Stone so naturally I love this beer, I wish I could get it here in Texas.

Rich chocolate, coffee, slightly smokey scent.

Taste is very good sweet but rich and dark, tastes of chocolate and coffee. Starts of sweet then becomes more bold, tastes of coffee and bitterness, it then mellows down but still leaves a nice smokey coffee taste.

Mouthfeel is medium heavy and carbonation is good.

Drinkability is very good, I love porters and this is one of my favorites. In Texas we can only get A.B. and IPA, it’s a shame because I would drink this all the time.

Availability – Not in Texas yet sadly
Style – American Porter
Alcohol – 5.9% ABV
Price – $3.5 for a 22oz (Cali price if it where available in Tx it would be more like $5)

Saint Arnold Elissa IPA

2006-10-22T22:45:00.001-07:00

Poured my Elissa IPA into my Saint Arnold pint glass. Nice one and a half finger tall slightly tan head that stays around for a while. Color is amber copper.

Smell is nice and hoppy with hints of grapefruit but not nearly as much as DR#3 has.

Taste is pretty hoppy for a Texas beer, maybe not at the level of Stone or Victory but still something Texas can be proud of. Smooth then a blast of hops, slight bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is medium with good carbonation.

Overall a very solid beer, not a total hop bomb but pretty good for a Texas beer. Very drinkable if you are a hophead.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – IPA
Alcohol – 6.6% ABV
Price – $8 for a 6 pack

Samuel Adams Double Bock

2006-10-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Different bottle then the last one of these I had a year or two ago. This one looks more like their other bottles and marks this as seasonal, I guess it could have always been but the last one didn’t mention that. Also it is 8.8% ABV where the other was 8.4.

Pours a nice translucent brown and when held up to the light it is red, small half finger tall light tan head that dissipates fast. There easily could have been no head if I didn’t pour half of it right down the middle.

Smells very strongly of alcohol and maybe black cherries.

Taste is strong and you can taste the alcohol but it is still sweet at the same time. The aftertaste is a spicy black pepper taste.

Mouthfeel is thin very and carbonation is light.

Overall it is a very good beer even if they didn’t mask the high alcohol taste or smell very well.

Availability – Lots of places, including some supermarkets
Style – Double Bock
Alcohol – 8.8% ABV
Price – $5 for a 6 pack (on sale usually more like 8)

Saint Arnold Texas Wheat

2006-10-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

Poured my Texas Wheat into my Saint Arnold Texas Wheat pint glass. It pours a nice light yellow gold with a one finger tall white head.

Smell is light wheat and very very slightly yeasty.

Taste is good it is light and refreshing. Slightly sweet at first and then finishes ever so slightly bitter. Little to no aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is light, with good carbonation.

Decent beer not to special but nothing wrong with it.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Kristal Weizen
Alcohol – 3.9% ABV
Price – $8 for a 6 pack

Pyramid Hefeweizen & Apricot Weizen

2006-10-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Pyramid Hefeweizen:
Pours a cloudy golden yellow, with a small white head about 3mm tall.

Smells of wheat and yeast and possibly lemon.

Light wheat taste with a slight aftertaste of yeast.

Slightly above medium mouthfeel, ok carbonation.

It’s nothing special and not the best Hefeweizen I have had.

Availability – Good beer stores
Style – Hefeweizen
Alcohol – 5.2% ABV
Price – $7 for a 6 pack

Pyramid Apricot Weizen:
To start this is a lot better then their regular Hefeweizen that I just drank but that isn’t saying much. What this has going for it is that the blandness of the regular is replaced with the scent and taste of apricots or at least dehydrated ones.

Color is more gold, with a half finger of white head.

Taste and scent like I said is of dehydrated apricots, and not much more then that, very simple.

Mouthfeel is medium, carbonation is ok. Interesting thing that when chewing it the apricot taste gets a lot more sour.

Better then the regular but still nothing to seek out.

Availability – Good beer stores
Style – Fruit Hefeweizen
Alcohol – 5.1% ABV
Price – $7 for a 6 pack

Update Time

2006-10-22T22:42:00.001-07:00

So I have been really busy and stuff and fell behind on updates so here is 8 new beer reviews!

Opening beer with a Helicopter

2006-10-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

Warning: it's 10 minutes long

Beers under a Microscope

2006-10-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

Very cool, looks more like art

Possibly how Stonehenge was built

2006-10-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Very Cool

Birthday info generator

2006-10-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Very cool Birthday info generator, I have seen some of this info here and there but never gathered all together in one spot. Info ranging from how many second you have lived, the estimated day of your conception, celebrities who share your birthday, top songs, the moons phase, and more. Check it out.

You are 23 years old.
You are 279 months old.
You are 1,212 weeks old.
You are 8,485 days old.
You are 203,659 hours old.
You are 12,219,587 minutes old.
You are 733,175,268 seconds old.

Psychostick - The Beer Song

2006-10-12T13:52:00.000-07:00

So yea heres a flash video done to another beer song, this one is getting a lot of radio play in my area.

Blue Moon Pumpkin Ale

2006-10-12T13:46:00.000-07:00

One finger tall light tan head, pours an interesting dark brown amber/orange pour.

The scent is spicy, cinnamon, nutmeg etc.

Taste is spicy like the smell, very little pumpkin taste except in the aftertaste. Smooth then a burst of spice that then mellows out to a lingering aftertaste of pumpkin.

Light mouthfeel but high carbonation.

Overall a decent beer very different then regular Blue Moon and I think that could cause some regular drinkers not to appreciate this beer if they are expecting similarities. But for a craft beer drinker it is a good beer especially for being put out by Coors.

Thanks again Bogan for the beer!

New Chad Vader

2006-10-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

You can find the rest of them here

Old Ruffian Barley Wine

2006-10-12T01:55:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to sample this last week at the Flying Saucer Beer Fest, I wasn’t going to but assurbanipaul suggested it. I’m not a big fan of Barley Wine, my first encounter was with Hog Heaven… ugh, second with Old Fog Horn… a little better. Well the samples where quite small but I enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would.

So when I saw a 22oz of it tonight I had to get it to give it a better review. When pouring it looks to be a nice brow, when it’s in the glass it is still brown but has a much more red appearance. The head was an interesting bronze color that was a finger tall.

The smell is rich and inviting. It has hints of brown sugar and it is almost a woodsy smell.

Taste is very complex, easily noted is the hops but hints of fruit, brown sugar, toffee and maybe even caramel.

Either my taste for barley wine has improved or this is a whole lot better then Hog Heaven, probably both are true. It starts out smooth then hits you with bitter then the more subtle tastes emerge and finishes with a quite clean aftertaste.

Mouthfeel if heavy and carbonation is good.

Very enjoyable, not a daily drinker but I could defiantly see this as a special occasion drink.

Beer Activated Girl

2006-10-11T00:20:00.000-07:00

Parody of the The Dresden Dolls song "Coin Operated Boy"

Alcohol Trivia

2006-10-11T00:13:00.000-07:00

A list of 113 cool alcohol facts...

32. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, rather than continue sailing because they were running out of supplies, especially alcohol beverage.

58. In ancient Babylon, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the "honey month," or what we now call the "honeymoon."

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #3

2006-10-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

So I finally found my Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #3 6 pack the other day and found time to give it a proper review tonight. Poured it into my goblet, pours a nice amber orange mostly opaque color, with very very little head that was a gray off white that vanished to the smallest of rings.

Smell is of grapefruit and because of it has hints of sweetness and bitter twang. Slight hint of alcohol and hops.

Taste is very good, bold but yet smooth slightly fruity. Reminded me of the Stone 10th Anniversary after the first sip but following sips it was easy to find differences. The sip is sweet then very fast turns into an explosion of hoppy goodness. The aftertaste is surprisingly clean and crisp only a smooth and slight taste of bitterness lingers.

Mouthfeel is medium, low carbonation, slight hop oil.

This is a great beer, especially for something in Texas, we need more inventive beers like this!

Availability - Limited single batch, limited availability in Denton.
Style - American Double IPA
Alcohol - 9.50% ABV
Price – $14 for a six pack

I'll have a Samuel Jackson

2006-10-10T17:01:00.000-07:00

Classic...

Kells Irish Style Lager by Rogue

2006-10-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

Screen printed 22oz bottle with a different design then the image above, this is more of a typical Rogue label. Pours a beautiful gold slightly hazy color. Nice white head that is 2 fingers tall falls to just a ring.

Smells sweet and slightly of alcohol and apples.

The flavor is great, I knew this wasn’t going to be a typical Rogue but I was very impressed with it. Light and refreshing very good and very different then any other Rouge I have ever had. Light but complex and flavorful. Starts out smooth and creamy, sweet light hops with hints of apple, then bite from the carbonation followed by a crisp clean non bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is thin and lots of carbonation.

I think that this is a great lager and would be wonderful on a summer day. Defiantly not your typical Rogue but defiantly doesn’t disappoint.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – European Pale Lager
Alcohol – ??? ABV
Price – $6 for 22oz

Grolsch Premium Lager

2006-10-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

Poured my 16 oz green flip top into my pilsner glass. Good amount of white head maybe 2 fingers tall that stays around about 3mm tall. Clear light gold in color.

Smell is almost sweet, with light hoppyness.

Taste is typical European, but a bit spicier then most. Mellow with slight bitterness and a finish of spice. Slight bitter aftertaste but otherwise clean.

Very light mouthfeel. But very good carbonation, lots of small bubbles constantly rising.

Good beer, I enjoyed their blond a little bit more though. I enjoyed it more then the numbers will show.

Availability – Everywhere
Style – European Pale Lager
Alcohol – 5% ABV
Price – $3 for 16oz Flip top

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest and Christmas Ale

2006-10-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

So the rumors are true Saint Arnold Oktoberfest is done being distributed and Christmas Ale is hitting the shelves. This means two things if you want Oktoberfest grab what you can find. Also if they didn’t produce more Christmas then they did Oktoberfest you might want to grab that too.

"1000 ways to open a beer"

2006-10-10T01:05:00.000-07:00

Its more like 17 by my count but still cool...

The Museum of Anti-Alcohol Posters

2006-10-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

"Alcohol — enemy of mind"

Gallery of anti-alcohol posters from soviet propaganda era.

Flying Saucer Beer Fest Update

2006-10-08T15:30:00.000-07:00

I had a good time while there. The sample glass was kind of small (2.5 oz filled to the very top, leaving no room for head) but the beer selection was good. Some highlights where the “randalized” Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA which was very good and the cask conditioned Saint Arnold Elissa IPA though I didn’t get to sample it because the Beer engine was broken.

While there I joined the UFO club I don’t think I will ever finish it but its worth joining.

Heading to the Beer Fest

2006-10-07T10:45:00.000-07:00

Flying Saucer Fall Beer Festival

Saturday - October 7th
Sundance Square - 2 PM - 10:30 PM
5 beer tents with 20 draught beers
No Cover Charge
Beer, Brats & Bavarian Pretzels

Buy a 10 punch tasting card for 12 bucks

I'll report when I get home!

Storm King Stout

2006-10-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Nice tan head that was about one finger tall, died down to a tall ring around the glass. Very dark black opaque, no light showing threw.

Smells of coffee, and roasted malts

Taste is of coffee and hops and hints of chocolate. The hops are a bit much for a stout but not at all surprising in a Victory rendition of one.

Mouthfeel is a little thin for a stout. And I actually have a bit of a burning aftertaste on my tongue, strange but not that detracting. Half way threw this has past and I have a very strong but pleasant bitter aftertaste.

Very good beer, not a daily drinker but certainly a good special occasion beer.

Availability – Seasonal, Not available in Texas
Style – Russian Imperial Stout
Alcohol – 9.1% ABV
Price – $9 for a 6 pack

Anchor Spring Bock

2006-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Very generous head (especially for a spring beer opened in winter) at least 3 fingers tall. Very beautiful mocha cappuccino tan colored head. The head died down but stayed at 3mm tall. The beer is a very dark black/brown opaque color.

The scent is very pleasant, sweet and chocolaty.

Taste is very good, very nice thickness. Not thin and watery like other bocks I have had. The taste is smooth with nice bitterness at the end from the toasted malt.

Very smooth but full bodied, very drinkable a lot better then my states so called famous Shiner bock.

Seasonal Spring release, Not in Texas yet sadly
Style – Bock
Alcohol – 5.5% ABV
Price – apx $7 for a 6 pack

Saint Arnold Brown Ale

2006-10-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

Poured my bottle of Brown Ale into my Saint Arnold pint glass. Pours a nice red brown color with a light tan head about half an inch tall that died down to just a ring.

Smells of hops and nuts.

Taste is smooth full bodied that stays consistent threw the sip, with a touch of bitterness at the end but clean aftertaste.

Light mouthfeel, low carbonation.

Another good beer from Saint Arnold, I could drink this often.

Year round, Lots of places, including some supermarkets
Style – Brown Ale
Alcohol – 5.3% ABV
Price – $7 for a 6 pack

Elevator Floor Illusion

2006-10-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Very Cool

Going into this elevator would certainly makes one nervous. A sign at the entrance cautions the people that goes in about work in progress. A more detailed look shows that the floor has been painted with an illusion that there is no floor.

(via cynical-c)

4 percent of U.S. hops crop burns

2006-10-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sounds like a small number but...

Based on an industry official's estimate of the quantity of hops in the warehouse, the loss could amount to $3.5 million to $4 million.

Full Sail Amber

2006-10-04T18:32:00.000-07:00

Poured my Full Sail Amber into a pint glass. Nice cranberry red color when held up to the light but a mahogany color when not. Very little head.

Smell, is actually somewhat unpleasant and I can place my finger on what this scent is. At first it was almost skunkish, as I let the beer sit a minute it seems to have dissipated a bit. It is now more reminiscent of cranberries.

The taste is very smooth it is very easy on the palate almost no bitterness was evident. But at the same time it has good taste, hints of smoke or tobacco even.

Mouthfeel is medium/heavy with very little carbonation.

Good beer, I feel that it would have been much better paired with a meal then drank by itself though. Probably would make a good marinade too.

Availability – Year round, Lots of places, including some supermarkets
Style – Amber Ale
Alcohol – 5.5% ABV
Price – $7 for a 6 pack

Saint Arnold Amber

2006-10-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Poured my Saint Arnold Amber into my Saint Arnold pint glass it poured a nice slightly amber golden orange with a nice 1 inch head that died down to 3mm rather quickly.

Smells of hops, malt and a hint of sweetness.

Taste is refreshing, it starts out smooth and becomes bolder with a nice aftertaste of bitterness which quickly dies down.

Mouthfeel is thin, slight hop oil residue and carbonation was good

Reminds me more of a pale ale then an amber. Good but not the best, but drinkable.

Availability – Year round, Lots of places, including some supermarkets
Style – Amber Ale
Alcohol – 5.5% ABV
Price – $8 for a 6 pack

Airtoons

2006-10-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is a old but funny website, but I figured I'd post it for people that haven't seen it.

"Kinky Oktoberfest"

2006-10-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

Kinky Freidman will be at Rahr Brewery in Ft Worth on Oct 14th

Rahr Brewery
701 Galveston Avenue
Fort Worth, TX
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets $20 in advance, $25 at the door – includes food, beer & music

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #2

2006-10-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

Went looking for Divine Reserve #3 but found #2 instead and couldn’t pass it up. Especially because it’s now aged an extra 3 months, I can only hope it was cared for somewhat properly.

Pours a stunning ruby red, and is very opaque. There was maybe 4mm of yellow/peach head which very quickly died down to just a ring around my goblet.

Aroma is very rich and full. Reminiscent of raisins, brown sugar and spices.

Taste, wow in a blind taste test I don’t think that anyone would guess this beer is from Texas. It is extremely smooth and full of flavor as it enters your mouth and as you swallow a surge of fruit flavor and balanced bitterness hits, phenomenal.

Mouthfeel is thick, nice full chew, but carbonation is slightly low.

I applaud Saint Arnold for taking a chance and trying something daring. Very good beer if you can find it, but you probably can’t. So if you stumble across one don’t hesitate in getting it.

Availability - Limited single batch, limited availability in Denton.
Style - Abbey American Quadruppel
Alcohol - 9.30% ABV
Price – $14 for a six pack

Updates

2006-10-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

So yea I didn't drink all of those tonight, just didn't have time to post them.

In other news I looked for Saint Arnold Devinne Reserve #3 that was released today, no luck. Safari Wine and beer was the only store in town that supposedly got a case, cut the tape to discover that it was #2. Well I bought a 6 pack anyways since it is pretty rare stuff. They even through in a St. Arnold pint glass.
Nice thats 2 free pint glasses in 1 week.

Rogue Brutal Bitter Ale

2006-10-03T17:59:00.000-07:00

Poured my 22oz bomber into a large mug it has a nice cloudy orange color, with a generous orange tinted white head.

Pleasant aroma maybe slightly citrus scent but not very noticeable. Hoppy but not overpowering at all.

Taste was enjoyable and I had no problem taking big sips. It is smooth and almost creamy. The only thing bitter about this beer is the aftertaste for a second. I don’t really see how it lives up to its name Brutal Bitter. But that may be because I have been drinking so much Stone recently. But this has always been the difference I have thought between Stone and Rogue, Rogue brews are always very drinkable and enjoyable. So while I am a little disappointed about it not living up to its name it is still an enjoyable Rogue brew.

Mouthfeel is good, it’s creamy at first but when chewed its kind of thin. But it defiantly leaves a hop oil leftover. Good carbonation.

Drinkability was good surprisingly because it definitely doesn’t live up to its name which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is actually surprisingly smooth and tasty. Given the chance, I would drink another one.

Availability – Not in Texas yet sadly
Style - Extra Strong Bitter (ESB)
Alcohol – 6.5% ABV
Price – $5 for a 22oz Bomber bottle

Stone Pale Ale

2006-10-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Poured my 12 oz Stone Pale Ale into my Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale pint glass. It pours out dark amber or light brown. The head was about 1 inch but quickly died down to just a ring but it was a light tan color.

Smell is of hops obviously with maybe some hints of nuts and caramel.

Taste is bold and full bodied, full of hops like a Stone brew should be. Starts off bitter and ends smooth and clean, leaving little aftertaste but a perfect bit of bitterness.

Mouthfeel and carbonation are both good.

Very good beer, I could drink this every night!

Availability – Not in Texas yet sadly
Style – Pale Ale
Alcohol – 5.4% ABV
Price – $6 for a 6 pack

Full Sail Pale Ale

2006-10-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Poured my 12oz of Full Sail Pale Ale into a mug. It was a nice golden copper color with a generous very frothy while 2 inch head. The head settled down to maybe 2 mm but was still quite thick.

The scent if of citrus and bread like hops.

The taste is smooth then slightly bitter. It is much lighter then other pale ales that I have tasted.

It has a medium mouth feel and good carbonation, and leaves a slight hop oil residue.

This is a good beer, light but still full of flavor. I would drink it again and would probably suggest it to others.

Availability – Lots of places, including some supermarkets
Style – Pale Ale
Alcohol – 5.4% ABV
Price – apx $7 for a 6 pack

St. Arnold Summer Pilsener

2006-10-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

I have drank this before but I found a single of it today and thought I would do a review of it.

It poured a very very pale yellow into my St. Arnold pint glass with a nice white head. The head settled down but was still at least 3mm tall.

Very pleasant sweet aroma it reminds me of grass almost.

The taste is sweet and smooth, with a hint of hops but the most prevalent taste is of lemon. Finishes with a very refreshing aftertaste.

This is a great beer and perfectly suited for drinking during warm weather. I would defiantly suggest this beer to even non craft beer drinkers.

Availability – Seasonal Summer release, Good beer stores
Style – German Pilsener
Alcohol – 4.9% ABV
Price – apx $8 for a 6 pack

Stone Ruination IPA

2006-10-01T22:21:00.000-07:00

Poured my 22oz bomber bottle of Stone Ruination IPA that I bought after my tour at Stone into my snifter glass. As it pours from the bottle it is a beautiful pale gold when it is in the glass it appears to be more of a golden peach. Very little head but before it died down to just a ring it was a nice shade of yellow.

Great aroma of hops, slightly citrus and hints of the 7.7 % ABV.

Taste, as the bottle reads “A liquid poem to the glory of the hop”. It starts with a very bold full body taste of hops which lasts through the middle and finishes slightly sweet and then crisp. Nice subtle lingering aftertaste of bitterness.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beer because I am already as the back of the bottle states a "hop head" that has had my ability to enjoy lesser beers ruined!

A very good beer, very nice bottle. Another great beer from Stone. If you liked this try to get your hands of a 10^th Anniversary before they are all gone!

Availability – Not in Texas yet sadly
Style – Double IPA
Alcohol – 7.7% ABV
Price – apx $5 for a 22oz Bomber Bottle

Sushi Etiquette

2006-10-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

I have always wondered about this...

It is OK to eat nigiri-zushi (sushi) with your hands. Sashimi is only to be eaten with your chopsticks.

Neato 3D Drawing Program

2006-10-01T06:49:00.000-07:00

Give it a try

Requires Shockwave 10.1

GABF 06!

2006-10-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

The Great American Beer Festival 2006 Winners have been listed!

2006 Brewery and Brewer of the Year Awards

Large Brewery Company and Large Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Beer Institute
Pabst Brewing Co., Woodridge, IL
Bob Newman

Mid-Size Brewery Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by HopUnion CBS, LLC
New Glarus Brewing Co., New Glarus, WI
Daniel J. Carey

Small Brewery Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Microstar Keg Management
Bear Republic Brewing Co., Healdsburg, CA
Richard G. Norgrove

Large Brewpub and Large Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Brewery Supply Group
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Darron R. S. Welch

Small Brewpub Company and Small Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year
Sponsored by Briess Malt & Ingredients Co.
Flossmoor Station Brewing Co., Flossmoor, IL
Matt Van Wyk

"i don't believe in giraffes"

2006-09-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite internet videos ever:

"Uggbeah!"

Saint Arnold Oktoberfest

2006-09-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

So Sunny and I went to Dallas today and stopped at whole foods because I heard they where having a Oktoberfest food and beer sample day. Pulling into the parking lot Sunny noticed a tie die flame job PT Curser that said St. Arnold on it, so I had a feeling this was going to be good. Went in sampled 5 different Oktoberfests and stopped by the St. Arnold table. I had a lot of fun talking to their north Texas representative Kendra. It was good to talk to another beer nut. Well she said they where running a promotion that if I bought a six pack of their Oktoberfest that she would throw in a pint glass, which was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

Ok onto the review:

Poured my 12oz Saint Arnold Oktoberfest into my new Saint Arnold Oktoberfest pint glass (Thanks Kendra!).

Pours a nice copper amber color very small head about a centimeter tall that quickly dies down to just a ring around the glass.

Good aroma of sweet malt and slightly of hops.

Very drinkable starts off sweet then becomes a bit more bold and then ends with a nice hint of sweet and very little aftertaste. Hints of spice and honey.

Mouth feel was thin but this is not a detractor.

Overall a very good Oktoberfest variation and another quality brew from Saint Arnold. I would drink it again and suggest it to others. Final thought, beer tastes better when it is in its official glass lol.

Availability – Seasonal Fall release, Good beer stores
Style – Oktoberfest
Alcohol – 6% ABV
Price – apx $8 for a 6 pack

Airplane Safety Instructional Video

2006-09-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Pretty funny video:

Flensburger

2006-09-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

Two reviews for Flensburger, first their Dunkel:

Poured my little swing top of Flensburger Dunkel into my pilsner glass. The bottle had a tremendous pop when it opened, very cool. Much larger pop then my Flensburger Weizen had.

Poured a nice dark shade of brown. Good white slightly tan head.

Smelled of something slightly smoked or toasted, possible hints of chocolate and nuts.

The taste was bold like a Dunkel should be but it left me wanting a little more.

I found it to be a little watery compared to other Dunkel’s I have had. But after drinking Flensburger Weizen I think I have come to the conclusion that that may be how Flensburger beers are to me.

Overall it was a good beer and I would drink it again.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Munich Dunkel Lager
Alcohol – 4.8% ABV
Price – apx $3 for 12oz flip top

Next Flensburger Weizen:

Poured my little swing top of Flensburger Weizen into my weizen glass. Poured nice and had a generous slightly golden white head, but it receded to just a small ring. It had a good pop when opened but it should be noted that this one did not have near as much pressure that my Flensburger Dunkel had.

The color is a slightly cloudy golden color.

The scent is almost like banana bread.

Taste is very balanced from beginning to end with little change in bitterness, hints of clove and banana.

Mouthfeel was normal

Overall I think this was an ok beer. After drinking this and their Dunkel I am under the impression that their beers are a little to watery for my taste. This fact doesn’t make them bad by any means but they just wouldn’t be my first chouse for either style.

Availability – Specialty beer stores
Style – Hefe Weizen
Alcohol – 4.8% ABV
Price – apx $3 for 12oz flip top

Brahma Commercial

2006-09-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite beer commercials its for a Brazilian beer called Brahma.

Stone 10th Anniversary IPA

2006-09-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately only A.B. and Stone IPA are sold here in Texas. But I got lucky and during my trip to California and went on a tour at Stone and while I was there I was fortunate enough to buy one of the 3 liter pop top bottles of the Stone 10th Anniversary IPA.

It had a beautiful amber color the head was a creamy white but since my bottle was a pop top it wasn’t as carbonated as I would imagine a 22oz would be. I was pleasantly surprised however about how well it kept its carbonation after being opened and resealed over a few days. This is a very good system and I can see why they offer the Growlers at the brewery. (too bad I don’t live in southern California)

The sent was a nice complex aroma of hops and hints of citrus. You can smell the alcohol in it but it isn’t overpowering and won’t discourage you from drinking this truly awesome beer.

This beer like its Stone brethren is very hoppy but this beer while strong was very pleasant and drinkable. I quite enjoyed drinking it and since I had 3L to drink each glass I had an opportunity to find a new flavor in it. Its taste was much more pleasant then other IPA’s including Stones Ruination even though it ranks in much higher at 10% ABV.

I would actually argue that this beer isn’t just a super revision of any of their IPA’s but a more unique recipe.

The mouth feel is good lots of hops and other tastes to enjoy even in the aftertaste. The chew was good medium thickness. And like I said before the carbonation was a little low but still good because of the growler type bottle.

Stone 10th Anniversary is a very drinkable beer, even my family members were able to enjoy it. In fact I wish I got a 22oz and brought it home to enjoy.

Availability – Only Brewed Once, Not available in Texas
Style – Double IPA
Alcohol – 10% ABV
Price – $60 for a 3L Flip Top

ATL WaterPark Tour 2

2006-09-29T00:07:00.000-07:00

This video is amazing and the song is pretty bad ass as well. So yea this is one of thous non beer posts.

Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale

2006-09-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

Drank one of my beers I got in California last week with Sunny it's named Hitachino Nest Red Rice Ale.

Heres my review:

Poured my funky little 11.2oz bottle into my funky Abita pilsner/imperial pint glass. It poured a surprisingly beautiful cloudy red, I would describe it like a strawberry color. Good carbonation and a nice pink tinted white 1/2 inch head.

Smell was light and very hard to describe it was almost a floral scent. It mostly reminded me of rice vinegar but not anywhere as overpowering.

Taste was very pleasant and hard to describe as well. Maybe fruity, maybe nutty, not hard to drink at all with a very slight bitter aftertaste. Not a hint of the 7% ABV.

Given the chance I would share it again with someone because of how different it is. I would also like to get my hands on some of the other brews from Hitachino Nest.

First post

2006-09-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

So this blog will not only be about the beers I drink but a chronicle of the interesting things I find online.

-Justin