Beer Naked

THAT'S FUNNY

2011-02-11T22:35:00.002-06:00

The last time I took a long pause inbetween posts, I wrote the same thing: It's been a long time...

Real original.

Yeah.

It's been a long time...

2011-02-11T22:34:00.001-06:00

I really wish I could find the time and energy to regularly update this blog. I enjoy sharing great beer with the few that take the time to read these posts.

Tonight I am enjoying Avery The Czar, an absolutely delicious imperial stout. Toffee notes do a nice job balancing out a fairly boozy beer. Those that follow my beer choices on Untappd (Steve Larson) and Twitter (@beernaked) are aware that I have been a champion of diversity lately. Finding a beer this good makes me want to stock my fridge. And the price makes is even more appealing. Actually, I think the price is a major factor in my accolades. Had this been a $15 monster, my expectations would have been set a lot higher.

Needless to say, I am impressed with this high quality, very tasty RIS.

Goodnight.

2011-01-05T22:14:00.001-06:00

Take that back. Pretty interesting. I like the sour funky. And I agree with Blake- cool label.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:24:00.000-06:00

A day filled with delicious food and family would not be complete without Craft Beer. What are you drinking? I will likely go with Poppa Skull from Dogfish/FFF and Lucky Bastard from Stone as those are new and cold in my fridge. I also have the new Sam Adams Winter Pack chilling. Maybe a Chocolate Bock before bed?

Either way, today is a good day to show any beer-haters in your family just how well beer can pair with food. Try a good triple with your turkey or a brown ale with your stuffing. Open a stout or porter with dessert.

Either way, have a great holiday, enjoy wonderful food and beer, and travel safely.

Cheers,

Steve

Goose Island, Three Floyd's & Dogfish Head

2010-11-23T19:30:00.000-06:00

Just received an email from one of my beer guys. He has Alpha Klaus and Poppa Skull on hold for me tomorrow. While both will be easy to pick up over the next week or two, it is nice to know there is someone looking out for me. My schedule doesn't always allow for frequent beer store trips and I have been known to miss out on rare offerings from time to time.

I can also look out for myself. I will be in line before work on Friday to grab a bottle of Goose Island BCS Rare. Looking forward to giving that a try if I can grab more than one. If only one, I will likely age.

Going to give Dogfish Head Namaste a whirl this evening. Looking forward to the 5% ABV. While the release timing is a bit confusing given the chilly months ahead, a more session-able ale is a welcome respite from the boozier seasonal options currently available.

On to more important things - bedtime for my son!

Namaste... (I almost pulled that off with a straight face).

It's been a long time...

2010-11-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

But I am back home. Actually, just the opposite. Heading to San Antonio tomorrow for work. Will enjoy some of the finer Ice Houses and such in the great state. But in the emotional sense, I am right where I belong because ... stouts are here! I love gathering up the great, viscous whatever that comes with this time of the year. I just picked up a 2009 Goose Island BCS yesterday. I passed on the 2010. I figure I will read a few reviews. Either way, the real treat will be the 2010 BCS Vanilla. Can't wait to try.

Another of my favorites arrived on the scene last week. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. I did something I have never done; I bought a case of the stuff. To be honest, it is a bit boozy, but boy does it age well!

Just previewing my cellar and it is no longer in its death throes:

2009-10 Brooklyn Black Ops
2010 FFF Dark Lord
2010 Green Flash Barleywine
Stone Vertical Epic 10.10.10
Bell's Batch 9000
Bell's Expedition Stout
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
2009 Goose Island BCS

Nothing too impressive, but I am actually managing it at this point to ensure optimal coolness for Dark Lord Day. As fucking geeky as that sounds, I was a little embarrassed with the cooler I brought last year and would like to make amends. I also want to make sure I don't blow my wad on April 24th. So active management it is - Active Management, when translated to my wife, means spending more on already expensive beer. Joy.

And then another work trip next week. This time to San Diego. Escondido to be exact. And my client loves dinner at Stone. So... I intend to do an early dinner and then enjoy a few beverages I cannot procure in the Midwest before heading back to my hotel. I love that place - the food and the beer list are second to none.

And that is that ... good evening friends.

okay

2010-06-17T08:13:00.001-05:00

I might be done sweating now

Claritin-D and drinking

2010-06-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

I posted on my evening but I must have worked my liver overtime. Every time I move my body, I start sweating. I am that gross guy on the subway you don't want to sit next to. Sorry dude, now you know why I wanted the aisle seat.

Off to work. Tonight is supposed to be a Dark Lord tasting, but if this cold is still in full swing I may have to pass.

tragic

So. I love Sheffield's.

2010-06-16T22:29:00.001-05:00

Seriously. Walked in after great Cubs game and they had six taps of Southern Tier! Had a taste of Jah-vah and a snifter of Gemini (my phone kept wanting to default feminism for Gemini). A hoppy and boozy affair with enough backbone to be respected in the morning. Nice nose and a sweet disposition lend to drinkability. I like it!

Sheffield's before the Cubs game

2010-06-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

Looking forward to real beer prior to knocking back a few Old Styles at the Cubs game. Going with a friend/co-worker who has professed a love for "Blue Moon with oranges." I smiled nicely and told him we would introduce him to a few real beers.

Should be a good time.

I love their beer list and their food is incredible.

Check it out:

http://www.sheffieldschicago.com/

Go Cubs!

in car

2010-05-31T08:40:00.001-05:00

with Nick.

Texas Board Of Education Tried To Keep Word 'Slave' Out Of 'Slave Trade'

2010-05-21T09:27:00.001-05:00

This board of intolerant hacks is re-writing the text books for millions of our children. The job of a socially conscious parent becomes more difficult as we now have to unteach our children what they learn in school. From a civics perspective, this is disasterous. From an ethnocentric perspective, this is alarming! We ARE part of a global community and we ARE a powerful nation. Why can't these two viewpoints be reconciled.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Chicago Craft Beer Week

2010-05-21T08:41:00.001-05:00

Haven't been to one event. So very sad. This seems to be a pattern every time there is a week long beer event.

Pere Jacque

2010-05-21T06:56:00.001-05:00

Enjoyed a couple of
Goose Island's version of a Belgian dubbel last night. Not nearly as fruity as advertised, which is a good thing. Malt was very big with a nice dryness about it that may have been the reason the fruit was a bit less forward as expected. I am very happy with my purchase.

testing...

2010-05-21T06:47:00.003-05:00

the Android Blogger app for my Droid. Cool.

testing...

2010-05-21T06:47:00.001-05:00

the Android Blogger app for my Droid. Cool.

Tom Corbett Subpoenas Twitter To Identify His Anonymous Critics

2010-05-20T10:20:00.001-05:00

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/23608537/detail.html

I like what Vic Walczak, of the ACLU's Pittsburgh office, says about the Federalist Papers and Thomas Payne at the end of this article!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Senators Don't Take Position On Limiting ATM Charges Because They DON'T USE ATMS

2010-05-20T10:02:00.001-05:00

"Old man take a look at my life, I pay a lot in fees..."

That shiny box has money in it?!?!?
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Mark Williams, Tea Party Leader, Says Muslims Worship "Monkey God"

2010-05-20T08:42:00.001-05:00

Stay classy New York! Scary that he is a national leader with such tall and hateful talk.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Recently...

2010-05-10T13:12:00.003-05:00

Recently reviewed 5 beers on Beeradvocate.com. Will post the reviews here and give you a sample of what I have been drinking. Lots of Stone, Half Acre, Goose, Surly, Brooklyn, South Hampton, New Holland, and ... FFF's Dark Lord.

Recently reviewed 5 beers on Beeradvocate.com. Will post the reviews here and give you a sample of what I have been drinking. Lots of Stone, Half Acre, Goose, Surly and ... FFF's Dark Lord.

I have a novel's worth of reviews in writing that I need to transfer and a boat load more in my head. I have my work cut out for me. You would think not watching TV would provide free time. You would be wrong.

Steve

Sheepish

2010-03-06T19:22:00.000-06:00

My wife and I have a blog - notvfor365days.blogspot.com.

It is our family endeavor for the next year and we are fiercely proud of it.

However, I have been sampling a shit load of beer lately and have been supremely neglecting these hallowed pages. I will be posting my reviews from Stone Brewery, a few of my own brews, Half Acres growler offerings and a myriad of bother (Pliny the f'ing Elder!!!) very soon.

I can't wait (and sorry)!

Shalom

Half Acre

2010-02-21T20:34:00.001-06:00

Drinking a growler of their new Ginger Twins IPA. Very nice, balanced brew with the right amount of hop bitterness to make it an everyday beer. I was a little disappointed after I was told that it would be a seasonal. It drinks well enough to be a six-pack regular.

Overall, well worth the stop and the $12 growler refill.

And I picked up a Half Acre pint glass!

Help! We screwed up!

2010-02-14T08:35:00.000-06:00

This is sort of embarassing. We made a Founder's Breakfast Stout clone last weekend and thought we had put together a masterpiece. That is, until I tasted the ridiculously sweet concoction, glanced at the recipe, and realized we had made the all-grain and extract recipes into one 5 gallon batch. You see, we intended to do partial-mash and failed to see that the recipe mentioned full-grain and extract, not partial-mash. We now have a 5 gallon batch which, according to Hopville recipe calculator, should produce a stout with abv at 16.5% with an astounding 535 calories per 12 oz. serving.

We screwed up.

So here is where your help comes in - can we salvage this or is it a tosser?

Two ideas:

1) Blend it with another 3-4 gallons and dilute the powerful blend we inadvertently created.

2) Run a tertiary and quaternary fermentation with different yeasts and hope that we can eat up the tremendous amount of sugar.

Any other ideas?

And another thing ...

2010-02-07T08:04:00.003-06:00

We bottled the IPA we made a few weeks ago. I am anxious to try it with carbonation and a bit more time to bring the flavors together. We tried it out of the bottling bucket yesterday and it tasted very good - very citrusy with a nice strong hop aroma. Very nice sugar as well which is what I wanted to create.

Breakfast Stout

2010-02-07T08:03:00.000-06:00

I will post pictures soon, but yesterday the kpsl(nr) brewing team put together a Founder's Breakfast Stout clone. We may have made a mistake in using too much grain AND extract. No matter the outcome, I loved every minute of it. Different aromas, cold press coffee, chocolate, different grains.

It was a sticky mess but something I would very much like to do again. We will let it sit for 4-5 days in primary fermentation. After that we will check the gravity and move it to secondary fermentation where we will add more coffee. We are using two Metropolis roasts, so we will have a nice local product of which to boast.

After a few weeks in the secondary, we will check the gravity again. If our liquid still had too much sugar, we made need to make some tough decisions on the fly.

All issues aside, making beer is nothing short of great fun. And to make beer with good people is even better.