...learning about beer

Sudwerk Lager

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 02:40:00 +0000

Just found a favorite lager! A first, for me, since I usually can't stand the stuff. But this is delicious! Malty and sweet, with a honeyed apricot aftertaste. With about a 5% ABV, this is a fantastic session beer.

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 21:05:00 +0000

Sadly, this bullshit is not a joke.

"This lovely beer is a light lager, with low carbs and just 97 calories. The taste leans toward the smoothness of malt over the dry bitterness of hops It’s the taste that women prefer. You’re going to love it."

what. the. fuck.

No, I am NOT going to "love it." I'm going to ridicule and hate everything about it, from its sexist and demeaning packaging (a more extreme lady hourglass figure than I've seen on most macrobrewery labels), to its bullshit recipe, to its totally offensive declaration on what "women prefer" (newsflash - some of us LIKE hops, dumbass).

I can't tell if the fact that this is made by a woman makes it better or worse. I just hope the Pink Boots Society gives her a lesson or two on what Women in the Beer Industry are actually up to. Jesus.

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Did you know Drake's Brewing has a Barrel Aged Tap House? Tasters, half-pints, 6-packs, growlers...this place is awesome. Particularly today, with such amazing weather & a $5 rib/pizza/salad lunch thanks to Bay Area Beer Socials! Drake's is already one of my favorite local breweries, and today I found a new reason why: Alpha Session, a Nor-Cal bitter that's only 3.8%! And SO delicious. Light and sweet with some pleasant hops, with a slightly butterscotch aftertaste. Absolutely amazing - we're getting a growler for tomorrow's croquet party!

Spitfire says Flying Dog Imperial Porter is "the vegemite of beers."

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Lanesplitter

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Wed, 11 May 2011 05:05:00 +0000

Post-softball with Spitfire (why yes, of course we won). Ordered pitchers of Racer 5 and Death & Taxes...then blended. SO GOOD. The Racer adds a nice mild hoppiness to the dark, solid D&T. Spitfire would like to say "I think the Racer 5 adds a fruity flavor, and cuts the bitter aftertaste." I trained her well.

Holy Shit, Triple Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:54:00 +0000

Since my old faithful ipod met a timely demise (it was about 5 years old, which is almost 90 in human years) when I attempted to smuggle two large, full coffees into the movies via my purse (spoiler alert: it was not a success), I was forced to purchase a new (old) one off craigslist. A kind UC Berkeley teenager sold me one cheap, so we went to eat at Triple Rock.

Hot damn.

I had two of their seasonal brews, and they are outstanding.

Hopfensuppe - an imperial IPA at 8.5%. So delicious. Fruity, light, similar to Avery's Maharaja. Perfect for a summery day. Just the right amount of hops to have a little kick, but they're the sweet citrusy hops that I love. LOVE this beer.

Black N Blue - a stout, but light at only 5.1%. It's a nice roasty beer that's a little more porter-like, but very sweet and warming. Also: blueberries! It's not an obvious fruit flavour, it's just a slight full sweetness that is surprisingly perfect.

Oh, Triple Rock. You are awesome.

Triple Rock Firkin Fest

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Summer weather = beer festivals! Today we're in Berkeley drinking hand pumped beer. So far my favourite is Tcho Mama from Marin Brewing. Chocolate and cherries! So tasty. And surprisingly sweet - usually cherry makes beer sour, so this is a nice change.

Summer?!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:35:00 +0000

When it gets surprisingly warm for a March evening in the Bay Area, boyfriends & Racer 5 are your best companions.

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 02:48:00 +0000

Sometimes it's hard to find the ladies room in the brewery.

omG

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 01:21:00 +0000

Midnight Sun XXX Black Double IPA. Holy shit. So smooth, crisp, slightly sweet & malty with an amazingly calm but present hoppy goodness. Hint of coffee at the outset, fresh citrusy hops finish it off. The Black IPA is officially my favourite style, and this might just be the best. DAMN. Thanks, Alaska!

Mill Valley Beerworks

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 18:55:00 +0000

The Bay Area Beer Bloggers headed north last night for our January meeting, and I was introduced to Mill Valley Beerworks (surprisingly enough, it's in Mill Valley).

It's a long and narrow room that feels cozy with lots of wood and dark tile. It feels a little small, but a lot of people were able to fit without it being too crowded.

They have about 8 taps? I think? Maybe 10. Two of them were for the Beerworks own brews (although they were sadly out of both when we were there), and the others were a wide range of styles and brewery locations. I went with Bacchus, a Flemish red ale. It was a little crisp, but didn't have the mouth-puckering qualities of most sours. I really liked it - it had a nice sweetness, but was calm. Not like drinking a glass of sweet tarts. I later shared a few beers with Brian, and I've already forgotten what they were. But one was English! And I then decided promptly that I do not like English beer.

The bartenders were all some of the nicest guys I've ever had serve me beer. Everything was in the right glass, too, which is always a plus. The only downside was the price. All draft beers were $7-10, and some of the bottles were pretty pricey (Speedway Stout, which is usually around $11-13, was $24!). But, it's Marin County. I expected as much.

They have a small food menu, which is also pricey - my grilled cheese sandwich was $9. BUT! Holy shit, that was an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. Great bread, a number of different cheeses (I think there was goat in there?), grilled bell peppers and greens. $9 is a lot, yes, but damn that was delicious.

I don't think I'll go back unless I happen to be in the neighbourhood, but that's only because it took so long to get there from Oakland. If I lived over there, I would definitely be hanging out there on a regular basis. If you're in Mill Valley, or anywhere close by, you should definitely check it out.

CommonWealth Cafe and Pub in Oakland

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:38:00 +0000

Last night we went to the CommonWealth Cafe/Pub in Oakland. Its walking distance from our house was a big draw.

It's a very sweet, small pub. Lots of tables - more than I thought would fit - but everyone seemed to be comfortable. It had an pretty diverse crowd - not by Oakland's standards, but quite different than the usual craft beer crowd.

It had a warm, homey feel to it. The bartender was nice and helpful, giving samples of unknown beers and offering suggestions. They had a small tap list (about 8, I think?) and a good bottle list from other countries - they emphasized Scottish beers, so the list was predominantly Brew Dog.

I had Drake's Red Eye, a red ale. It was slightly sweet, nicely malty with a hoppy finish. A typical red ale - nothing too special, but a good, stable option. The Lumberjack had Young's Double Chocolate Stout, since you rarely find it on tap. It was delicious! I don't think I've had it since I first started drinking craft beer, so it was nice to go back to. Really creamy, nice chocolate flavour. The CommonWealth also offers ice cream floats with Young's, which I think would be AMAZING.

They had a good food menu as well. The Lumberjack got Scottish Eggs which sound gross to me, but he gave them a thumbs up while still chewing. I had a roast beef toasted sandwich that was absolutely delicious. The prices were pretty reasonable.

Overall - a fun option to have nearby. Not amazing or extensive enough to necessarily warrant a long trek to get there, but if you're in the neighbourhood you should definitely check it out.

Black IPA: SO GOOD

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 03:31:00 +0000

Grand Teton Trout Hop Black IPA! I first had it on tap at Cato's, and loved it, so tonight the Lumberjack found me a bottle for an early xmas present. YUM.

Smells super hoppy - piney & a little citrusy. I especially like the strong bouquet while sipping. Tastes like piney hopes, with a nice malty base. A little sweet, a little spicy. It's everything I love about Black IPA. Perfect balance of a dark smooth stout and a lively hoppy IPA. Strongly suggested! Merry Christmas.

Difference of Opinion

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 03:58:00 +0000

Tastes like bandaids wrapped in bacon. Translation? I find it revolting, the Lumberjack loves it.

Abita!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 04:51:00 +0000

Abita Christmas Ale. It's good. I would write more, except I already did and then the draft disappeared while I was checking on whether Drake's spells it "Jolly Roger" or "Jolly Rodger" (it's the former). So now I'm annoyed. But basically this beer is good. A brown ale that tastes more like a red (that's where "Jolly Roger" came in). Spicy, warm. And only 5.5% ABV, so nicely drinkable. The end. Thanks, Louisiana.

Making Beer out of Lemons

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 20:53:00 +0000

While I'd rather not be in Florida, seeing as how a family emergency brought us here, the silver lining is...Cigar City Brewing!

Upon our arrival into Tampa, we went to The Independent which I found on BeerFly. It was hilarious to walk in and see Lagunitas on tap!

The bartender was awesome - very friendly and welcoming. When I asked for something local, she suggested Cigar City, and I tried Jai Alai, an IPA. So delicious! Pretty honey colour, smells sweet and hoppy. Slightly syrupy, nice mouthfeel. The hops are fruity and nicely balanced. I didn't check the ABV, but it seemed like the deceptively strong kind of beer!

Then we had Marshall Zhukov, an imperial stout. This beer is THICK, pours like motor oil. Very strong. Smells sweet and a little smoky. Tastes intense, like getting smacked in the face. Typical malty flavour, with a hint of prunes and raisins. This beer is definitely meant for sipping!

It's unclear how much longer we'll be here - but definitely long enough to try a few more locals.

WHAT IS THIS BEER?!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:18:00 +0000

City Beer Store, Friday evening. Tried a black rye IPA from somewhere local, but didn't have my notebook so I didn't write anything down. I thought I would remember - I WAS WRONG. Dammit. This beer was DELICIOUS. The black IPA is quickly becoming my favourite style, and this one was exceptional. Dark, sweet, nice hoppy crispness. Delicious coffee and tobacco flavours around the edges. Every sip had a hint of something new - it was one of the most complex beers I've had in awhile. Unfortunately City Beer is closed today so I can't figure out what this masterpiece was. Insert frowny emoticon here.

UPDATE: thanks to my friend via Facebook, I now remember that this is Iron Springs Black Magic Rye Black IPA. It's not listed on Beer Advocate, which is why I couldn't figure it out. Iron Springs is an awesome local brewery (up in Fairfax). You should go, and drink their beer. You won't be disappointed.

Cato's Ale House

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 03:00:00 +0000

Grand Teton Black Cauldron Stout, and Bombay by Boat IPA on cask.

Holy shit. Friends, I live in Beer Nirvana. aka this beer is AWESOME.

At Falling Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:21:00 +0000

It's cool & dark in here, and we have huge comfy chairs to eat our
burgers in. Unfortunately I let the bartender pick my beer for me
(usually this yields exciting surprises), and he poured me a Stone
IPA. Oops. I guess I should have specified that I wanted something
that doesn't come from the same place as me!

We're in Denver!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 20:45:00 +0000

A quick flight from Oakland and the Lumberjack & I are in Denver. SO EXCITED.

Last June, I bought the LJ a ticket to GABF for his birthday, since he had been talking for as long as I'd known him about how badly he'd always wanted to go. I was excited about taking a trip, and thought the festival itself would probably be okay. If only I had known!

GABF is awesome. Unlike a lot of other festivals I've been to, it's not dominated by douchebags. There was water everywhere, and a lot of the brewers were present and happy to chat (briefly). I think GABF played a big part in my craft beer passion, so I'm thrilled to be going back - and this time, I have a year of knowledge/experience more.

Being the Virgo that I am, I printed out the festival map and list of brewers, so on the plane we mapped out our plan of attack. Like last year, we're leaving out the Pacific region, since we can get all that at home. Last year we hit everything we wanted with about 5 minutes to spare, so it was good that we skipped the Pacific!
I also printed out tons of maps of our area, and walking directions to all the stores, breweries, and museums we want to visit.

Today we'll be lunching at the Falling Rock. Yay Denver!

IPA Extravaganza at a Dinner Party

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:43:00 +0000

I love beer. More than drinking it, I love tasting it - trying different samples, even ones that I hate, comparing & contrasting different styles, making up phrases with dramatic adjectives to describe it (even if I usually end up with "NO" or "WOAH"). This activity is always way more fun with companions. The Lumberjack is an excellent beer tasting companion. This is why I date him.

It's also fun to taste beer with large groups of people. I like hearing multiple perspectives on each beer - often, someone else's description helps me clarify my own opinion, or someone else will taste something (recently Spitfire yelled "basil!" after I yelled "eucalyptus" and her description made the basil flavour become suddenly apparent to me - and after that, I kinda felt like I was drinking a salad. but that is for another entry.) and it helps me get a broader view of the beer. So when my friend Axe invited the Lumberjack & I over for dinner and put us in charge of the beer selection, I was thrilled.

[Spoiler Alert: it's really not a good idea to drink a bunch of IPAs back-to-back, as they ruin your palate and then you sit there thinking "uh, I think this is good?" and feeling foolish. Or maybe that's just me.]

First up was Hops of Wrath from Dust Bowl Brewing (American IPA, 6.6% ABV). I immediately liked this beer for the simple reason that the brewery is in Turlock, CA, which is where my family is from. Unfortunately, that was the high point of the beer for me. It was bubbly, but felt a little too pinchy on my tongue. The flavour was too light, and there was no aftertaste. It just didn't have enough attitude for me. Nike agreed with me and thought the name was misleading, as the hops were far too mild. Axe also found it mild, but thought it was more bitter - she liked it but wouldn't drink a lot of it. Ms. Mars and the Lumberjack were much more descriptive, finding it fruity and interesting - Mars even tasted lychee? I think she might have been lying.

Nike and Mars pulled out their Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen (Belgian IPA, 9% ABV) next. It had a huge, fluffy head that looked like a soft cloud on top, and smelled like hay. Nike and Mars both liked the floral, jasmine scent. The Lumberjack pointed out that the yeast was much more interesting here than in the Hops of Wrath. I pointed out that anything is more interesting than the Hops of Wrath. Axe thought it tasted like summer days at the pool. She also liked that it didn't have a bitter finish, unlike her other experiences with IPAs.

During dinner (delicious homemade pizzas), we had the 4th Anniversary Double IPA from Port Brewing which is one of my favourite IPAs; it has a really nice malty base to it. Nike liked it too - it was his favourite so far - and Axe thought "the end is like fireworks."

YuleSmith Summer Holiday Ale (DIPA, 8.5% ABV) was a hit among all of us. It smells like fruity hops (my favourite kind!), and has a huge head that calms down to a nice density, at which point it has a sweet honey scent. It's bubbly, a little less solid than the Anniversary DIPA above, with a nice spicey kick. The Lumberjack also thought it was fruitier. Axe might have been getting a little intoxicated at this point, as she thought it "smells like bananas and tastes like abandonment."

Our last IPA was the Elysian Immortal (IPA, 6.2% ABV) which was smooth and subtle, and slightly spicey on the tongue. Axe described it as the opposite of Coyote Ugly (instead, this beer is "Rabbit Beautiful") because, when waking up next to this beer, you would be thrilled at how much cuter it was than you thought. Yes, this description made a lot of sense at the time.

After dinner, we pulled out the "dessert beers" - basically, an excuse to bring more things to taste. I first pulled out Beer Geek Breakfast (Imperial Stout, 7.5% ABV), which remains one of my all-time favourite beers. It's just SO GOOD. Smells gently of hops, tastes thick and sweet with a nice coffee flavour, and the oatmeal adds a lovely viscosity. Axe thought it tasted ashy, Flippant liked the charcoal flavour. Mars liked the coffee/oatmeal combo, and thought it would make a great breakfast. I couldn't agree more.

Then, we had Older Viscosity (Imperial Stout, 12.1% ABV). I'm not a huge fan - it's just a little too dense and rich for me. The Lumberjack loves it. Axe, however, had a different option. As her verbal description was a little too foul for my blog, I'll let her before and after pictures tell the story.

before!

after.

After that, she acknowledged "it gets better as you keep drinking." Interesting.

The last beer of the night was Sierra Nevada's 30th Anniversary Helles Bock (8.3% ABV). You may remember how much I love the 30th Anniversary Imperial Stout? So much! Because it's delicious. Well, that's what I thought this one was. I grabbed it off the shelf, planning to share one of my favourites...then the Lumberjack pointed out my mistake. Oops. However, this beer was pretty good too. It was nicely balanced, with a very mellow feel to it. It was tasty and calm - a good end-of-the-week beer. Very relaxing. It was a little wheaty around the edges, but I didn't mind too much. Had a little spiciness, too.

The next morning Axe claimed to be affected by "beer allergies." I see.

Rye Beer is Good Beer

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:41:00 +0000

I generally thought I didn't like rye beer because I can't stand rye bread. Yes: to me, that made sense. But lately I've been enjoying every rye beer I taste, so I think it's time I admit that I'm a fan.

We brought He'Brew (the chosen beer) Bittersweet Lenny's RIPA to the bbq today, and it's delicious. Malty and slightly sweet, with a spicy kick. The hop flavour is tasty, and the malt balances it nicely, giving it a more solid feel than IPAs usually have for me. I think that's due to the rye malt? Maybe. It's 10% ABV, so I can't drink too much of it, but I'm really enjoying my one bottle.

Also, I cooked my own burgers for the first time. Success!

Beer Advocate bottle share/tasting at Beer Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Last night a bunch of Beer Advocate members met up at Beer Revolution in Oakland to share beers from our cellars. Each person was supposed to bring two 22oz bottles, or the equivalent, in rare or out-of-region beer, and then we opened everything and tasted away.

The Lumberjack & I brought Cigar City Big Sound Scotch Ale (Scotch Ale, 8.5% ABV) and Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan (Brown Ale, 4.5% ABV), as well as two other bottles that we received as extras in past trades, and whose names have escaped me. It was a little nerve-wracking to pull out the beers, since I wanted desperately to impress people, and of course everyone else didn't even really notice what I brought. Anyway.

There ended up being around 20 people there in our group, which means I tried probably 35-40 beers last night. You wanted notes on all of them? Ha. No. I do remember rambling at the Lumberjack as we wandered home (but stopping for a hotdog first outside the Uptown) about a few, though, so that's what you'll get.

Kern River Citra DIPA (Double IPA, 8% ABV). This was the first beer I tried, which might explain why I remember it so well. But also, it was delicious. It was pretty foggy, sort of honey-coloured. It was poured from a growler, but the carbonation held up quite well. Smells delicious, fruity and citrusy. It was very smooth, not bitter at all. It had a little bit of piney hops flavour, but not too much - there was enough of the citrus hops to balance things and make me like it. I might have gone back for a few more tastings, once I realized everyone had tried it and there was still extra. This DIPA is delicious and very drinkable, even for IPA-hating newbies.

chuck's on the left, and the right is troy?
trevor? either way, he's very nice.

Lost Abbey Veritas (Sour Ale, 8% ABV). That is one damn sour beer. Don't drink it unless you want your mouth to pucker up uncontrollably. One of my new friends (I can't remember anyone's name, of course, especially since they were almost all one-syllable dude names like Chris and Chad and Dan) just laughed and said "there's no way to NOT pucker while drinking this." Very true. I can't remember much of the flavour or specifics, just that I found it very enjoyable, even as it felt like I was losing all moisture from my tongue. Definitely worth trying out, although if you don't like sours you'll probably not enjoy it. And since it's from Lost Abbey, be prepared to shell out a bunch of $$$ for the pleasure.

blending the stout with the red

...something that was too smokey, a nice but forgettable IPA, a blackberry lambic that was super tasty, BELGIAN RED! BELGIAN RED!, something-something-Duchess which I loved, and was then told by the Lumberjack that I tasted and hated it last year, a couple of porters and stouts that were pretty tasty...

Oh! A few people tried out beer mixing, which was fun. I poured half a taster of BELGIAN RED! and added Smuttynose Stout on top, and it was a tasty blend - kind of like chocolate-covered cherries.

thanks, dude.

I had a dorky beer moment when I realized that someone had brought Black Tuesday (Imperial Stout, 19% ABV - yes - NINETEEN PERCENT HOLY CRAP), which is somewhat of a celebrity in the beer world, I am learning. I remember this guy was one of the Chrises (Chriss? Chris? Chris's? names that end in S confuse me), and he was very nice. Getting a Black Tuesday is apparently near-impossible, so having a chance to taste it and see what it's all about was pretty exciting.

And? Wow. That beer really is worth all the hubbub. It was super boozy, as one might expect from being NINETEEN PERCENT ALCOHOL, and that definitely smacked me in the nose when I took a sip, but the flavour was awesome. Very smooth, very delicious. It was quite oily and thick, which would make it hard to drink a lot, but nice to have a small sample. I can't imagine anyone drinks much of this anyway, seeing as how it's NINETEEN PERCENT. This seemed like a perfect beer to share. As you can see, we were pretty psyched.

In the end, I stumbled home a little bit drunk but very happy. Of course I had to be up bright & early to give a work presentation this morning, which was a little rough. But the other presenter and I talked beer for a bit, I gave my speech and got the whole room laughing about health insurance, and was approached afterward by a woman who says I was the best presenter she's seen, so I guess everything turned out okay. But my head still hurts a bit.

GABF special event!

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 20:15:00 +0000

Just bought tickets for a "Ladies in Craft Beer" Brunch on Friday during the Great American Beer Festival weekend!

http://basicallyread.wordpress.com/2010/08/11/beer-for-boobs-brunch/

I've been meeting a lot of beer strangers lately - last week I met up with other Bay Area beer bloggers, and last night we had a Beer Advocate bottle share/tasting at Beer Revolution - and overall everyone's been nice and fun to talk to. However, except for two women last night, it's been all dudes, all the time. I certainly don't mind the guys, and I enjoy talking to them and have noticed that they all seem happy to talk to me without any weird undertones (people online, however, are a totally different story). But it would be really nice to meet more of the ladies. I know they're out there. I don't need any "girls only" spaces, but having a few more women present would make me happy. I wish this brunch was local, so that I could meet potential drinking friends, but I'm excited anyway to have an event that is specifically attempting to bring out the ladies.

Great American Beer Festival

noreply@blogger.com (dk) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:51:00 +0000

A little over a month away. So so excited. The end.