Max's

Clay Pipe Hopocalipse was the pint tonight. Nice beer. It is a basic IPA with a great name. It was a bit "coppery" or metalic, but the hop/malt was able to make it good enough. I would give it another go/

Next, I had the Southern Tier Mokah. The Mokah is a 50/50 mixture of ST's Javah and Choklat beers. The beer was very chocolaty. The Belgian Chocolate that was placed in the Choklat beer is a bit overpowering the Javah, but you can pick that out. Very light beer to drink compared to other chocolate beers.

I spanned the globe on beer styles as I finished with a Victory 8 (their belgian double). Very nice, drinkable beer. I got a lot of bready taste as well as raisons. Still I think it is very drinkable and delicious.

What did you have lately?

Wedding update....

It was Yuengling and Coors Light. Classic. Good thing I like Yuengling. The wedding was nice and teh food was good, so the beer selection wasn't bad.

I was there for the wedding and was driving home, so I guess I can be happy that really good beer wasn't served. I will take what I can get.

How was every one else's memorial weekend?

Wednesday at Max's

I should have sat outside, but the chair was too comfy inside. They had some great beer on tap (as always), and it took all my strength to not order the Oak Aged UnEarthly, Double Simcoe on cask or the 120 minute. I did "settle" on the Great Divide Belgina. It is their Belgian IPA. Very nice beer. Nothing special, but it was exactly what I thought it was. Sometimes that is nice. I kind of wanted it to surprise me a bit.

My second beer was the Lagunitas Correction Ale 2009 (on cask). Very nice American Ale. I thought it was very simple, not sweet with a good hops/malt balance. I was actually thinking it would be hoppier. Very nice, drinkable beer.

The last beer I tried was the Pint Night beer. Stoudt's Abbey Double. I wasn't quite in the mood for a abbey style, so I left it for last. I thought it was what I wanted. I found out that I was wrong. It just didn't hit the spot for me. Overall, I typically like this brewery's offerings. I think maybe the first two beers threw my tastes off. I will try this in the future to give it a fair chance.

Cheers. Have a good weekend.

Weddings and beer

I don't dislike going to weddings. Most of the time, the wedding isn't bad (open bar, right?). But then the question of what beer/liquor is at the open bar comes up. This is how my conversation usually goes- first note that I am from NE-Central Pennsylvania, bartenders need to learn more about beer:

Me: What beer do you have? (Because it usually isn't visible.)

Bartender: Ummm, Bud, Bud Light, Heineken, Sam Adams, and some other stuff.

Me: Oh, what other stuff? Any IPAs, Pale Ales, or that sort?

Bartender: Well, we have some Yuengling. (note, I like Yuengling, I drink a lot of it. It is definitely not an ale.)

Me: (Looking dumbfounded at the bartender) Ok, well that is a lager, anything else back there that you never heard of?

Bartender: Well there is this Tro-eggs and Victory stuff, but I don't know what it is.

Me: I will take it all (figuring I can't go wrong with Troeg's or Victory).

Sometimes they don't have a good beer in the back. Worst I ran into was when I was at a wedding on Michigan's western shore. (This is pre-beer lover stage, but I after drink anything stage.) The groom, one of my good friends, ordered Bud Light for his wedding. One keg. Now if you brought together a bunch of guys, I think there were 200 guests total, and provided one keg, that isn't good planning. But besides that. The wedding was 45 minutes from Kalamazoo. That would be Bell's town. Why didn't we have something better. Sadly enough, we didn't know. If I knew then, what I know now. Anywho, the night was awesome (even with the Bud Light- Thank You 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch), and we made it thought.

Another time, I was at a wedding that was all top shelf. The beer- Miller Lite. Seriously. I was blown away. Speechless. Not to mention this wedding took place across the river from Philly in NJ. Within an hours drive of countless breweries (Victory, Riverhorse, Lancaster, Sly Fox to name a few). Savior= Grand Marnier. I don't ask for much. Just a good beer.

With that note, I must admit that I am going to a wedding this weekend. The girl doesn't drink beer (she is in the wedding), so she will have her fruitty foo-foo drink, as I will hopefully be swilling something half decent (I am contemplating taking a cooler for in the car). The groom is a west coast guy, so I am hoping this plays in my favor.

Anyone else hate the bad beer at weddings thing?

Playing Catch Up.

Last Thursday, I did the normal McGovern's, and I drank some Duvels. Still a good choice.

Saturday night is where the fun was though. In the afternoon, I placed my bottle of Brooklyn Local 1 in the fridge. We were watching a movie, so I thought it would be the best time to pop the cork. I still am reeling over this beer. I really liked it, but am trying to place it. It is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale. For me, the best Belgian Strong is Pauwel Kwak. I like sweetness, malt and a good hop balance.

Here is what I will go with: The beer poured a earthy color, not orange or brown, but maybe a mix of both. The smell was some sweet citrus, but a lot of yeasty aromas. The taste was a good mixture of malt, hops, and spices, but I felt the yeasty taste was a bit too much. Overall, the beer was very good. I would drink it again, and would enjoy it. If I had my choice, I would go with Kwak or Brewer's Art Ozzy, but would never turn Local 1 down.

Up next for this week, Brooklyn Local 2. Anyone have either of these two beer? How far off was I on the Local 1?

Celebration (2007)

Max's Pint Night/American Craft Brewers Week

Pint of the Night- Sierra Nevada

I sat down, and was pleased to see the beer list. Too many that I wanted, what should I go for. I chose to begin with a Troeg's Scratch #18- Rye IPA. I tried to have Eric pick up a case for me a bit back, but they were out. I am glad I was able to try it yesterday. Initially it had that sweet spiced smell that I was kind of expecting. Knowing Troegs, I kind of thought that it would be a bomb, but it wasn't. The ryeness and an earthy sweetness balance everything out. I could have had it a little more bitter, but overall it was a solid beer. Now I am really mad I was unable to get a case.

My second beer came courtesy of the Sierra Nevada rep. (To be fair, I had already ordered it, and would have grabbed it first if it wasn't for the Scratch.) Sierra Nevada Celebration. "In May?" one would ask. Apparently, Casey (the beer genius) kept a couple of kegs around (since 2007!). Pleasant surprise from one of my top beers. The "aged" keg poured a little darker, with less head and less carbonation. Where this beer stood out, was how the hops really blended within the spices. You could still get the spice out of it, and you could get the hops (it is Sierra Nevada), but they meshed together so well. Brilliant idea Casey. I was glad I was there.

I tried two other beer that I cannot exclude. First of which was a Hop Stoopid from Lagunitas. Many people have had and loved this beer. What made this special. Cask. The taste and smell were extremely hoppy. But about a foot from my nose, the pine hit me. The pine was so prevalent I was searching for the hops in it. The pine was still overpowering (for me) in the taste. It took me a sip or two to appreciate this beer. I am glad I took my time. Even though the pine was upfront and foremost, there was a myriad of grapefruit, hops and other citrusy nodes in the beer. Great stuff.

The final beer that I had was from a new brewery named Evolution, out of Delmar, DE. I had their pale ale, and it was just a simple beer. I can't compare it to the others that I had. Hopefully, this brewery catches on and I can try it on a more even ground.

What else is out there?

Pint Night

Last night, Max's beer du jour was from Starr Hill out of Charlottesville, VA. I had their Northern Lights IPA. Nice beer. Poured orangy amber, with a bit of head. Smell of citrusy hops. Tasted mild bitterness with a little malt. Finished dry, hops hung around. It was nothing special, but definately a beer I would grab again.

After the Northern Lights, I grabbed a Hop Hog from Lancaster. (I tried to compare the Starr Hill to something.) The Hop Hog is a bit sweeter for an IPA (I haven't had one in a while, kind of forgot). The hop bitterness eventually pushed through, but not enough in my opinion.

Next, I had a Witkap Pater Dubbel. The bartender argued with me when I said this, but it smelled and had a slight taste of grape koolaid. It took me a little until I figured that out, but that is what I tasted. This could be due to having a Starr Hill and Hop Hog beforehand, but I wouldn't those would make that result. Anywho, it is a great tasting brew.

Anyone else have any of these beer? Can you back me up on the grape koolaid?

Max's

I haven't been over for a Wednesday Pint Night in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see what is pouring today. Cheers

The Start of Last Weekend

Thursday, we ate at Jack's Bistro. Great food. (steak frites and fries, she had the crabcake. You can't go wrong with either.) But to top it off, I still am in love with their beer list. I stayed calm and local this time and order the Clipper City Red Sky at Night. It is a Saison/Farmhouse style ale.