tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67376807816377158502024-03-12T17:13:59.885-07:00Beer Rant:A Beer DiaryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-52007897613792144592023-11-30T18:34:00.000-08:002023-11-30T18:34:08.503-08:00Please don't kill my beer blog!<p>I am not a robot.</p><p>I am not a robot.</p><p>I am not a robot.</p><p><br /></p><p>Can it really be true that my last post here at BeerRant was in 2015? I've lately heard rumblings that old Google accounts that have been inactive are at risk of being deleted. I sure don't want that to happen to BeerRant. Consequently, this is a check-in of sorts, in the hope that getting back into my blogs a bit will spark, or re-spark my drive to be productive in that regard. </p><p>While I've certainly not been blogging about beer lately, I have definitely continued to drink beer - to excess some who know me will say. But in looking back, I think the timing of my 2015 blog break coincides with my discovery of bicycling so, for all the bad that beer may be doing in my life, I've got bicycles to help offset the bad to some degree.</p><p>Since my last post:</p><p>I have two microbreweries within 3 miles of my house.</p><p>A dynamite craft beer shop within about a mile of my house.</p><p>On the negative side, I've stopped keeping a beer notebook so I don't have those kind of notes to use for future blog posts....unless I start keeping the notebook again.</p><p>For now, here's a shot of some Old Speckled Hen in an El Paso hotel room, circa Winter 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16uiao-V8Z02B_RsrpOvNFV1Jb44BF4vCtF5vnitCamxaBFwYdSxo-6XamlxZ33NfQayNLw6qUsgH9DL7cCCT3uFwjteJOE-VKnX0U_PDdAwH7GdLazO_n770vRmZMcKzuUXgZrf3two1rPLaa8VqYI_wn_66A3ydxcWpXW1l5JxsS_hMz5Hd3iULdLk/s4032/IMG_6763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16uiao-V8Z02B_RsrpOvNFV1Jb44BF4vCtF5vnitCamxaBFwYdSxo-6XamlxZ33NfQayNLw6qUsgH9DL7cCCT3uFwjteJOE-VKnX0U_PDdAwH7GdLazO_n770vRmZMcKzuUXgZrf3two1rPLaa8VqYI_wn_66A3ydxcWpXW1l5JxsS_hMz5Hd3iULdLk/s320/IMG_6763.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-35500122781421062892015-07-26T11:39:00.001-07:002015-07-26T11:39:54.362-07:00Airport KiltlifterThis space is sadly neglected. Perhaps it's a measure of where my life priorities are these days. I got to a point where I was drinking more and blogging less and enjoying neither. <div><br></div><div>Lately though, I seem to be doing less of both, but the blogging has been a good thing and (personal note) my weight is down somewhat since I cut my beer intake roughly in half. So here's to more blogging with less beer, perhaps. <div><br></div><div>I may be drinking less beer but I'm still trying to focus on drinking good beer while I'm at it. To that end, if price is a barometer of a beer's quality (of course it isn't), then this $7 glass of Four Peaks Kiltlifter was spectacular!</div><div><br></div><div>#airportbeer</div><div>#roadpost</div></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcaZ42x8Gabh5aqSu151EwhfpQMasUjO-mYk3hnPSAWoTIYoaCgLqar-0bsCUL_aM94cYo2Gb_Ad7J09MoeyX0sGB5zxr2OsNc_tuMdcK3v9pj1naYSs23EBvzza-9WcXLN3EFG_6kQA/s640/blogger-image-197871159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcaZ42x8Gabh5aqSu151EwhfpQMasUjO-mYk3hnPSAWoTIYoaCgLqar-0bsCUL_aM94cYo2Gb_Ad7J09MoeyX0sGB5zxr2OsNc_tuMdcK3v9pj1naYSs23EBvzza-9WcXLN3EFG_6kQA/s640/blogger-image-197871159.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-87651883325586670032015-03-08T13:13:00.001-07:002015-03-08T13:13:05.954-07:00Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA: Awesome But Pricey<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOrRhyaN0c9F5AdiL-W9x7EsLAL0QfhyMSYV0nHZ2ujGA6TxhPSc86WopEc_uQoR6yNx63kOmFh2_NLk4Y_6HlnZfP7ku___HlanmhzBEo5UQZFaObPif7dqKelHkU1WsVoZZg4WM4GQ/s640/blogger-image--642555466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOOrRhyaN0c9F5AdiL-W9x7EsLAL0QfhyMSYV0nHZ2ujGA6TxhPSc86WopEc_uQoR6yNx63kOmFh2_NLk4Y_6HlnZfP7ku___HlanmhzBEo5UQZFaObPif7dqKelHkU1WsVoZZg4WM4GQ/s640/blogger-image--642555466.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm a big fan of the Deschutes line and this one is a worthy addition. Fresh Squeezed has the musty smell of an old library. It pours a lovely clear bronze color with a thick head the color of a manila folder. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The taste is faintly sweet with a hint of almond bitterness. There is no taste of grapefruit, citrus or fresh cut pine as you might expect but the flavor is unique enough and is even better on draft (based on a growler of this that I tried recently). Too bad this one runs in the $11/six pack range. At that rate this will have to be an occasional splurge here at Beer Rant HQ. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">(Shout out to Kate and Dane, btw.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrz1Yasjxj-dudj1RfXFd5x1saKjniCQjP_NZFvRX8HJpqbzhubKVCS3nxR3g0yt-THdqqnNuslCMjZwtLduyAeOFaMbGvnr_2Epzgckg6yd2BYcx4chWV3SOUmIexmGcqTacLkjnsgU/s640/blogger-image--1239931289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrz1Yasjxj-dudj1RfXFd5x1saKjniCQjP_NZFvRX8HJpqbzhubKVCS3nxR3g0yt-THdqqnNuslCMjZwtLduyAeOFaMbGvnr_2Epzgckg6yd2BYcx4chWV3SOUmIexmGcqTacLkjnsgU/s640/blogger-image--1239931289.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-23474601393885493012015-03-01T13:08:00.001-08:002015-03-01T13:08:59.615-08:00The label says it all.<div>There's a burro on the label of this "Mexican ale" to remind me of one very important point: I'd be a jackass to but it a second time. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi91YcgyrqpaqKvF02MxCpGdZqTc-T-DPL0LYRTWbddvu_sXLtTzQZHjV52C23MQFu3yKPc0NYeurKDRpXOISqJFy8Shn5KYN02UNQlawdAJsw6OKzja37c4ALHWIBu7N5Z1MK46YFVk/s640/blogger-image-720604396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifi91YcgyrqpaqKvF02MxCpGdZqTc-T-DPL0LYRTWbddvu_sXLtTzQZHjV52C23MQFu3yKPc0NYeurKDRpXOISqJFy8Shn5KYN02UNQlawdAJsw6OKzja37c4ALHWIBu7N5Z1MK46YFVk/s640/blogger-image-720604396.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-4081962550610022012015-01-22T18:07:00.001-08:002015-01-22T18:07:05.316-08:00Farewell Old World BreweryAccording to a post on their Facebook page today, Old World Brewery is no more. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37v4MD5cg1k9nde0jKyxFLxJKIjBi1l1Ezq_zpculssWoOy-UuvWkNv_ep-37c8sUIRPcqjENiode-NREIvBtZzmudSyxFruhNtEJXwCXpUmmrUCL4VIBfNVoRvanXlvFVlEAnwEKYnM/s640/blogger-image-20788190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37v4MD5cg1k9nde0jKyxFLxJKIjBi1l1Ezq_zpculssWoOy-UuvWkNv_ep-37c8sUIRPcqjENiode-NREIvBtZzmudSyxFruhNtEJXwCXpUmmrUCL4VIBfNVoRvanXlvFVlEAnwEKYnM/s640/blogger-image-20788190.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I've posted a number of positive pieces about OWB here at Beer Rant and I'll get around to a more detailed remembrance later but it's enough to admit at this point that I was probably one of the "Homers" who were ridiculed in a negative review of OWB in a local publication a good while back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTqJni2ahY5wF9yO1f2We_KppEsUun6hbfeFURDvBDM2D0ElQh8dyah6T_1FLzkIZWOaqgkd5KERUPtrmPfAC0UHZ0-6i88Wquk3uAi-V__z-1EAsUN1k68BcAMsGfi9af8tYt1mdptc/s640/blogger-image-1470554876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTqJni2ahY5wF9yO1f2We_KppEsUun6hbfeFURDvBDM2D0ElQh8dyah6T_1FLzkIZWOaqgkd5KERUPtrmPfAC0UHZ0-6i88Wquk3uAi-V__z-1EAsUN1k68BcAMsGfi9af8tYt1mdptc/s640/blogger-image-1470554876.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I took a swing through the neighborhood to have a look at OWB on the way home from work today. Somewhat sad even when the pints were flowing, the place was positively depressing. A beer would gave been nice. Oh well. </div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4U0h53vH8RBbPLMgavt3Zvwpd33L6tgpbBW9noaRS0VFoFskizLfCOPoH-QjvwNOsttL23u52qnrCpHTpTBFyNZ79OU3D9Y76PofbjS1NRMgFVF4nNsH2Kp-AHEe8CZV_nN4SmE_X2E/s640/blogger-image-1179815395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv4U0h53vH8RBbPLMgavt3Zvwpd33L6tgpbBW9noaRS0VFoFskizLfCOPoH-QjvwNOsttL23u52qnrCpHTpTBFyNZ79OU3D9Y76PofbjS1NRMgFVF4nNsH2Kp-AHEe8CZV_nN4SmE_X2E/s640/blogger-image-1179815395.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-75765782118424595902014-12-31T12:39:00.001-08:002014-12-31T12:47:25.640-08:00Three more to round out 2014<div>Squatter's Snowbird Dunkelweizen is true to the style with a distinct taste of banana. Even though it was well chilled, it poured with a nice head. Because of the prominent flavor component, not an ideal session beer. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWTTKzXf0G3GIxd286GEn9gmMcxhKDcjChVKIR6hR6EuYQHiDaClYSLrMrY2qcTk6G5z8OhhDXXx5oZD5kw0_ZOn8q5Cm-cBG59CqSnyWPicT70ryerin53BHucg1SCcBZGjvk0hHW6g/s640/blogger-image-244259466.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWTTKzXf0G3GIxd286GEn9gmMcxhKDcjChVKIR6hR6EuYQHiDaClYSLrMrY2qcTk6G5z8OhhDXXx5oZD5kw0_ZOn8q5Cm-cBG59CqSnyWPicT70ryerin53BHucg1SCcBZGjvk0hHW6g/s640/blogger-image-244259466.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Shades of Pale Publican Pale Ale. Probably my favorite of the evening. Attractive in the glass. Malty smell and taste. Reminds me somewhat of Deschutes Mirror Pond but with a slightly odd finish but still good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Eager to learn more about Shades of Pale brewing, I hopped over to their Facebook page and, as with a lot of what I see on FB, I came away with a lower opinion of the human race. Evidently, they are changing the label on Publican Pale Ale. Seems some folks thought it was a reference to "republicans." If this is the case, I hope those idiots who didn't know the difference will keep drinking and stop voting. (You can take the beer snob out of remedial reading but you'll never take the remedial reading out of some beer snobs, I guess.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiog2Gs26GD8vT2WEdvqb9-Ov5RifRQhyphenhyphen5gNDotHSsKYCMNw1-8MidJ_d8yJgtR_2BVxra6dycvCxXHNQ17WAR5cgyUOq9Kp48j3ingVjAmdc2Ff1s4GypHM0o1IUd1_ttawh7qfuY3kqI/s640/blogger-image--187674023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiog2Gs26GD8vT2WEdvqb9-Ov5RifRQhyphenhyphen5gNDotHSsKYCMNw1-8MidJ_d8yJgtR_2BVxra6dycvCxXHNQ17WAR5cgyUOq9Kp48j3ingVjAmdc2Ff1s4GypHM0o1IUd1_ttawh7qfuY3kqI/s640/blogger-image--187674023.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Last up was Squeaky Bike Brown Ale from Moab Brewery. This one was okay; looked nice and all, but it just seemed to lack something. I'd be willing to try it again some time, even if the bike reference strikes me as a bit over done. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8kAYa3g5R9u_jW9Gz1VUpmSsR0uZLVmrRcTGv2rIze3Vx0z25HEEzvacKGWWD6m5WHY8_-tRE36KH5SEcpiSRnxc9ysR3ptbgTO1MZnKnKG4ddRWsY2z_sxcc_0y-bdltTK-RysiMBo/s640/blogger-image-717140783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8kAYa3g5R9u_jW9Gz1VUpmSsR0uZLVmrRcTGv2rIze3Vx0z25HEEzvacKGWWD6m5WHY8_-tRE36KH5SEcpiSRnxc9ysR3ptbgTO1MZnKnKG4ddRWsY2z_sxcc_0y-bdltTK-RysiMBo/s640/blogger-image-717140783.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I expect there will be more beers this evening-it's New Year's Eve for hell's sake! I will resolve to do more posting in 2015</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-20849357615211513082014-12-30T10:11:00.001-08:002014-12-30T10:11:22.711-08:00A post from the road: Utah<div>How long has it been since I posted here? God knows. 2014 had been a shit year, frankly, but I'm grateful for an opportunity to ring in 2015. I'm hoping for better. Meanwhile, here are a couple of beers from the past week. </div><div><br></div>A Wasatch Bobsled Brown Ale that has been sitting in my daughter's fridge since Christmas 2013! I have to say, it held up pretty well. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A8sAHJCbAu-pKRFraBq86EKNgDKEmVjbUVWeJVGImZVd4OsQC1GYzy3L_NlfGTazSQT25-2khbF_r9Ab2PwhZhcs4jGCI1f0Yy_0XufRy4iAaDjlpSNRvXaiSCUn5nZGOuoOfl0P11Y/s640/blogger-image--1888477340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8A8sAHJCbAu-pKRFraBq86EKNgDKEmVjbUVWeJVGImZVd4OsQC1GYzy3L_NlfGTazSQT25-2khbF_r9Ab2PwhZhcs4jGCI1f0Yy_0XufRy4iAaDjlpSNRvXaiSCUn5nZGOuoOfl0P11Y/s640/blogger-image--1888477340.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A mug of Trader IPA. The beer was great! The prime rib sucked. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5X6F9xhtxs2TA2GK8N3HPV6X_zLPKOlQidNBuo5ybfV0kXH9d_qqOrt4HPfB4Xxca6KYT8Da0xu31NPBPjWmPabklYS6P1guvB6mpyYoTFyrGbZUhW6E9FUEoGRvvbUvkHXBeYXsKSU/s640/blogger-image-582814767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia5X6F9xhtxs2TA2GK8N3HPV6X_zLPKOlQidNBuo5ybfV0kXH9d_qqOrt4HPfB4Xxca6KYT8Da0xu31NPBPjWmPabklYS6P1guvB6mpyYoTFyrGbZUhW6E9FUEoGRvvbUvkHXBeYXsKSU/s640/blogger-image-582814767.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-66090802456166141012014-01-05T14:10:00.001-08:002014-01-05T14:10:57.024-08:00First Post from AltitudeFirst Miller-Coors product of 2014, sampled and blogged at over 30,000 feet somewhere between Salt Lake City and Phoenix. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkQNDp084wt-HLlhLjcMB5c59pfJPfmRXSZueFp9H2nDTRcKN7pashinkeBLX8krFyoLLvFJdHfog_PJsNggKC0vy_2gRz4eJu9n78tWM6BsuPVULNk35yDDA0mVI0Uzak_0L3VEFkY8/s640/blogger-image--521836142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbkQNDp084wt-HLlhLjcMB5c59pfJPfmRXSZueFp9H2nDTRcKN7pashinkeBLX8krFyoLLvFJdHfog_PJsNggKC0vy_2gRz4eJu9n78tWM6BsuPVULNk35yDDA0mVI0Uzak_0L3VEFkY8/s640/blogger-image--521836142.jpg"></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-66350727705990901812014-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:002014-01-01T12:33:08.827-08:00First Post of 2014 - Photo Dump<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIdoWe-NJLBwTohCYeeIl-Rq9DoP_cs7tYzzBw96CI8n8xDsvI_0VDQk1Wr2XA_VFAi9z-H40N81mXSVe0tpXHmoa9zRRjijp2NrU9H8o1k9RBXGCmjOldTvtJsqBJLtqwWsPLO_-s1A/s1600/italian+Oct+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIdoWe-NJLBwTohCYeeIl-Rq9DoP_cs7tYzzBw96CI8n8xDsvI_0VDQk1Wr2XA_VFAi9z-H40N81mXSVe0tpXHmoa9zRRjijp2NrU9H8o1k9RBXGCmjOldTvtJsqBJLtqwWsPLO_-s1A/s320/italian+Oct+2012.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>October 12, 2012, Nero’s <em>Apeccchio Red Ale<o:p></o:p></em></strong></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Picked this one up at Trader Joe’s and haven’t seen it there
since, which is regrettable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
notebook entry for this one reads:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sweet malty smelling
with a medium weak head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orange red with
a beige head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprising alcohol bite
with a sweet almond finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The alcohol content on this one was 6.5% but my notes show
that there was more of a bite to this than was reflected in the posted abv.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFXH0PRjNoabSNM3_T7EytVXkNCj6evXTAH16SV4_FXXK6pJ9B3QDuKESWXfovu-K2w4LoogdGWXTPI4Qh72FeKFgSt9Nu2XiJKudX5pSSbEaQF3TtRMvAXtBIl-JNJEak-5z3CJ1At8/s1600/Black+Star+Lager+june+24+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFXH0PRjNoabSNM3_T7EytVXkNCj6evXTAH16SV4_FXXK6pJ9B3QDuKESWXfovu-K2w4LoogdGWXTPI4Qh72FeKFgSt9Nu2XiJKudX5pSSbEaQF3TtRMvAXtBIl-JNJEak-5z3CJ1At8/s320/Black+Star+Lager+june+24+2012.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>June 24, 2012, Black Star Brewing, <em>Black Star Lager</em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I recall, I picked this one up when the new Winco store
opened up down the road from BeerRant HQ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It didn’t make enough of an impression on me that I have bothered to buy
more after that first six-pack, but here’s my initial impression:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Weak Head, no noticeable
smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Active beading, apple juice
color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No significant taste
profile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A bit corny or grainy – that’s
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good hot weather lager.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
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In hindsight, perhaps if the price is right, this is one to
pick up in the middle of summer for use as a post lawn mower beer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigc0QrB6OuPkB1Tcnd8ItFdo10n4IP-Cz7z97K_WAikgyedObYFklelQzDQG_YicTeJx3UQ6zd4BTPOhAwpkdp2Ur1-M-MsvneKBIq0WR5QDuuBoXFE2ZUA5czb5Lu71ObbG07xbArYY/s1600/Murphys+Red+Ale+june+25+2012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgigc0QrB6OuPkB1Tcnd8ItFdo10n4IP-Cz7z97K_WAikgyedObYFklelQzDQG_YicTeJx3UQ6zd4BTPOhAwpkdp2Ur1-M-MsvneKBIq0WR5QDuuBoXFE2ZUA5czb5Lu71ObbG07xbArYY/s320/Murphys+Red+Ale+june+25+2012.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>June 25, 2012, <em>Murphy’s Premium Red Ale<o:p></o:p></em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s another one that evidently didn’t make my price point
as a bargain based on the notes, which read:</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pours reddish bronze
with a decent head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Smells malt sweet
like a lot of reds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No significant taste
profile – somewhat bitter and a bit dry at the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay beer but only if it’s cheap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bought as a single at BevMo.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC9FeyrfJfR9WvnBFBTnb8YJJfrT6x_GcPiN2i8iVsUMpZfG6aIU1uGcq3nNrfNJTBOmaOndNPUbbARxjGZ0Q61U92Yy0Ydudo1gjmKUk0ybvaJHDz4Q4g3zNzfBEAL0cV2EEysd3Q2E/s1600/January+2012+Misc+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC9FeyrfJfR9WvnBFBTnb8YJJfrT6x_GcPiN2i8iVsUMpZfG6aIU1uGcq3nNrfNJTBOmaOndNPUbbARxjGZ0Q61U92Yy0Ydudo1gjmKUk0ybvaJHDz4Q4g3zNzfBEAL0cV2EEysd3Q2E/s320/January+2012+Misc+030.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since I’m in the Beehive State at the moment, perhaps it’s
best if I close this first entry of 2014 with a past review of a Utah beer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>December 27, 2011, Uinta Brewing, <em>King’s Peak Porter</em></strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Dark coffee brown, not opaque.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decent tan head with a distinct coffee
smell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Medium mouth feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Faint coffee taste at the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Best Utah beer so far this visit (2011).</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have some King’s Peak Porter squirrelled away in a secret
location that I hope to sample while I’m in Utah this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wish me luck and Happy New Year to you all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-57635685918588145562013-12-29T13:33:00.000-08:002013-12-29T13:33:14.673-08:00Photo DumpLately it seems I spend more time taking pictures of beer than I do actually writing about beer, though I've just about filled up another notebook with notes. None of the writing part ever seems to get transferred here to the blog. So, to close out the year, I suppose I'll dump a batch of beer pictures taken over the last few years and have done with it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYShrb85itZW8xKbNkFHnJhXM2V_TTrAJlg5Yu_VYBtOqDUA6hcTWF3b3ctVNbhNv3hSDDPtJJIuNYWb2SfydjDpeinIL6V-Os2CJn6jjojErDdRn9_5RxnH1IzfYeXL37jBlr79vQuc/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMLGJ0xukzl1ALLt8elhm8oa7399ZIKcjfESyshO75CSm40nbMx8xQN_-cNXb3kFkQGCC5zMDDZ1P_f3LUmLHGIZFBs1tJP6IIqvj1_q1uSSYMpxBr8o7eGPt9ACx_LUINgyHd8EMwIs/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMLGJ0xukzl1ALLt8elhm8oa7399ZIKcjfESyshO75CSm40nbMx8xQN_-cNXb3kFkQGCC5zMDDZ1P_f3LUmLHGIZFBs1tJP6IIqvj1_q1uSSYMpxBr8o7eGPt9ACx_LUINgyHd8EMwIs/s320/006.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<strong>August 11, 2012, Coors Archive Brewing, <em>Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager</em></strong><br />
My first sample of this came directly from a friend who carried it back to Arizona from Colorado. My notes for this one read:<br />
Vaguely grainy smell. Golden color with a nice white head. slightly acid. Tastes like any good lager. Hint of corn or something in the finish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrTG7p2AHeWZiR5VgxCojzYgFLZNoNjX596a1W3Pasvu8NBNs-RYHzgJFGO9qJNppw0LK8D83HZotB4qKOZY1v_bSjy351btfH4wSvydtyKW5gaVtWgK3fd5ANuEJ59LjNEZzb5TFM7o/s1600/006b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrTG7p2AHeWZiR5VgxCojzYgFLZNoNjX596a1W3Pasvu8NBNs-RYHzgJFGO9qJNppw0LK8D83HZotB4qKOZY1v_bSjy351btfH4wSvydtyKW5gaVtWgK3fd5ANuEJ59LjNEZzb5TFM7o/s320/006b.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<strong>August 24, 2012, Rogue Brewing, <em>Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale</em></strong></div>
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This one struck me as a gimmick beer right up front, but the tasting results were a different story and it turned out that this one reminded me of one of my all time favorites:<br />
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Red bronze color, light tan head. Malty sweet smelling. Really good. Reminds me of Deschutes Cindercone Red. Too bad it's so expensive. Excellent. Thick mouth feel.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-ydUOE9G4pkXa_5eq_fJ5ZmUST9ZUfCkIQlE39ks3v2nFDp-AuzoVhRfu4VrMBZG_e5XagkLnZ_MmcWSwP_h3m4GjdVHK7t6jYok54VenZg8fS2jIMTaqnvifQWeYtm0hyphenhyphenSEtj79dG0/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-ydUOE9G4pkXa_5eq_fJ5ZmUST9ZUfCkIQlE39ks3v2nFDp-AuzoVhRfu4VrMBZG_e5XagkLnZ_MmcWSwP_h3m4GjdVHK7t6jYok54VenZg8fS2jIMTaqnvifQWeYtm0hyphenhyphenSEtj79dG0/s320/007.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<strong>October 8, 2012, <em>Trader Jose, Dark Premium Lager</em></strong></div>
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I'm amazed by the weird things I find at Trader Joe's and I'm always impressed at the low prices there. This one turned out to be worth the price. The notes in the book read:</div>
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<em>Dark tea color. Surprisingly thick head. sweet smelling. Grainy, slightly acidic taste. Really pretty good especially for the price Brewed in Mexico by Cerveceria Alta, Tecate, Mexico.</em></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI9xYflmEry48M0JQ2Bmk9FYpwn8Z7IOCvR2ObZi2hHID0eDzH2T4L78jBUVet5gJltMqq9x9jcYwglaDyeh3UzwKO6qM1Mm07kF7rmlL1710AFbXCiIBU-XZOQwC0mC5qEpK_gOQs-sI/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOCGd3kSNEE2e-LrgMIeguTe89IArlBSrilbM7tmLPrBJuryU9gz8OI17CoSq8QajtM_6_oPMmGCF0r2VKQmfDHHtFkwt4S9WqgFa5Q9QX0neVkC_O7-4C_H1yRC9rGc4lMZFGY2g6ac/s1600/Big+Two+Hearted+Ale+stein+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpOCGd3kSNEE2e-LrgMIeguTe89IArlBSrilbM7tmLPrBJuryU9gz8OI17CoSq8QajtM_6_oPMmGCF0r2VKQmfDHHtFkwt4S9WqgFa5Q9QX0neVkC_O7-4C_H1yRC9rGc4lMZFGY2g6ac/s320/Big+Two+Hearted+Ale+stein+1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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<strong>February 24, 2010 Bell's <em>Two Hearted Ale</em>.</strong></div>
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This one has become one of my most favorite beers and I laugh now when I read the closing sentence of the entry that recorded my first sample of Two Hearted Ale:</div>
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<em>I'm wondering if I could bring myself to plunk down $11 for a six pack of this. I definitely like it.</em></div>
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This one has become my go-to beer when I'm wanting something I know is good and when I see it on sale for $8 or $10, I almost always buy it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p60aW9hvkn9ez6eZrVOSKY1LFlLtXerxhSS3sUO2gSo2kmAl8ABs2CrQXvdxzwRsKQesxv8wA2_6Ogy0JUkltb6OuhUjGOjOtLhaPxfykuNDlSzV1kS9hwwQ6Srs9VfJecXQ5TsoLqw/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1p60aW9hvkn9ez6eZrVOSKY1LFlLtXerxhSS3sUO2gSo2kmAl8ABs2CrQXvdxzwRsKQesxv8wA2_6Ogy0JUkltb6OuhUjGOjOtLhaPxfykuNDlSzV1kS9hwwQ6Srs9VfJecXQ5TsoLqw/s320/012.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-6929189982377036412013-12-27T10:42:00.001-08:002013-12-27T11:04:27.395-08:00Before Another Year Slips By...<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjknX_0jcI3mOFBcRDY7WYDp7b7D1yiWlpi3mm_ekU08n_nfijal0WwyY3OuZwoEC-3U8yqOlMQSVM8D6BMl6MqpqKjXsDTsT8Wx10twUcqsp2U3C89Z4RrVxWdlqBuBJAE5LgKkRGH0/s640/blogger-image--1048174208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjknX_0jcI3mOFBcRDY7WYDp7b7D1yiWlpi3mm_ekU08n_nfijal0WwyY3OuZwoEC-3U8yqOlMQSVM8D6BMl6MqpqKjXsDTsT8Wx10twUcqsp2U3C89Z4RrVxWdlqBuBJAE5LgKkRGH0/s640/blogger-image--1048174208.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Lately I find that my beer notebook fills up with new entries that never make it here to the blog. Here's a quick post for a new one I had just last night. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's the low down as noted in the yellow engineer's notebook:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Alta 75 Anniversary Ale, Utah Brewers Cooperative. 4.0 abv. Nice bronze color with a medium beige head. Smells slightly of pine. Malty sweet and a bit dry at the finish. GOOD. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This one was a single given to me as a Christmas gift. I recall trying to track this down last year and I'm glad to have gotten a chance to try it this time 'round. I'll try to snag more in the next day or so.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I looked back through the book and found the entry I made for this day in 2011. Seems I was in Utah then as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaY-xCjxudEUmTBu1E7QnvSEB8dgRcwWBZcCw9056UUxpPlWVo0YVPPQzzF8FMOZFjkCaQe0rK_H3n9kS9BMbOZ6dqz7sG5BYK4Db1kdMwv7SgKiReOZ2aSbBeU2ZnaicdJQFt6DjOVQ/s640/blogger-image-1298629134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaY-xCjxudEUmTBu1E7QnvSEB8dgRcwWBZcCw9056UUxpPlWVo0YVPPQzzF8FMOZFjkCaQe0rK_H3n9kS9BMbOZ6dqz7sG5BYK4Db1kdMwv7SgKiReOZ2aSbBeU2ZnaicdJQFt6DjOVQ/s640/blogger-image-1298629134.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">(Posted from the phone.)</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-87327904574160067522013-07-04T14:51:00.001-07:002013-07-04T14:51:11.002-07:00Widmer Brothers Citra BlondeIt's been too long since I posted here and it pains me to have to post a negative review but here you go. <div><br></div><div>I have enjoyed every Widmer Brothers product I have had until now. I'm afraid Citra Blonde is, um, a bit dreadful. I bought a mixed 12-pack that included a few bottles of this. I'm afraid I have to say that I hope the brothers don't bother to being this out next summer. Here's a photo of the product at hand. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfssjEN9SXqowUT_0hna6LRFW7apNkB0pdDwMR9NKTJmX6UgDOMJfYqMihRtWDoIuq7SJa8bYBhtVVFa498DBrEwzQa7nP7ldf41HBL3ob095SDthRFi1q6ayAJ3pYEHF3jHESzbwhv4/s640/blogger-image-663982542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfssjEN9SXqowUT_0hna6LRFW7apNkB0pdDwMR9NKTJmX6UgDOMJfYqMihRtWDoIuq7SJa8bYBhtVVFa498DBrEwzQa7nP7ldf41HBL3ob095SDthRFi1q6ayAJ3pYEHF3jHESzbwhv4/s640/blogger-image-663982542.jpg"></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-23273757497144735122013-02-25T17:38:00.001-08:002013-02-25T17:48:20.079-08:00Eisbock ErrorShiner's Farmhouse Ale was a bit lackluster; however I stumbled on a nifty way to extract something with a more distinct flavor profile and a whale of a lot more kick. <br />
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I won't go into the boring details but there is a brewing process whereby the beer is frozen and the unfrozen remnant retained for drinking. Since alcohol has a lower freezing point, the unfrozen liquid is a jazzed up, high alcohol version of the parent brew. <br />
<br />
I accidentally left a bottle of Shiner Farmhouse in the freezer overnight and found it this afternoon with the cap slightly askew and a ring of foam around the neck. I gingerly popped the cap off and watched a dark brown liquid run down the sides of the bottle. I sipped it and felt the kick immediately. <br />
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I set the sputtering bottle inside a cup to capture the unfrozen remnant, which I then added to a regular glass of Farmhouse. I need to remember this and figure out a way to better take advantage of this phenomenon. <br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAh_OhiYlgy1BHcmSCE02PP4pPGu7gykXAFTBL4OkDlu1I2ld-2wf2cGvEe7Q4Q94pPo9qnuwCXvvzuOfFmi2D7a4U_0vq85t2UPI_cN1Crk2IebBOFLDAwdjcHaBEwPBw8_QK9mFqf4/s640/blogger-image-1826610415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheAh_OhiYlgy1BHcmSCE02PP4pPGu7gykXAFTBL4OkDlu1I2ld-2wf2cGvEe7Q4Q94pPo9qnuwCXvvzuOfFmi2D7a4U_0vq85t2UPI_cN1Crk2IebBOFLDAwdjcHaBEwPBw8_QK9mFqf4/s640/blogger-image-1826610415.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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You'll see the ice in the bottle and the darker than normal remnant in the mug. It had a higher alcohol content. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-54533694177357866782013-02-23T15:25:00.001-08:002013-02-23T18:51:50.748-08:00Cinder Cone Is Where You Find ItFrequent flyers here will know about my love affair with Cinder Cone Red; that bygone tasty treat from Deschutes Brewing. I really miss Cinder Cone but now and then I sample a beer that reminds me somewhat of Cinder Cone. <br />
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I picked up this single bottle of Squatter's Big Cottonwood amber ale a bit reluctantly I'll admit but having tried it, I'm glad I bought it and I'll buy it again. <br />
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Who cares if I like it because it reminds me of some other beer? Good is good!<br />
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(Third post from the iPhone.) <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6-5EWJnwYHe9UeVq9F3Yzl6Be4utR-okFE4gs5wekFDKyyfTw-pxngeO_ug2Ypzv6-GDOkbBw73T001-Gfi0DFrvq3FNmmQzbzHcNkTA_wkZCvcLYstJNpjHJH1KQujKtjc7byp8LmQ/s640/blogger-image-1028758341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6-5EWJnwYHe9UeVq9F3Yzl6Be4utR-okFE4gs5wekFDKyyfTw-pxngeO_ug2Ypzv6-GDOkbBw73T001-Gfi0DFrvq3FNmmQzbzHcNkTA_wkZCvcLYstJNpjHJH1KQujKtjc7byp8LmQ/s640/blogger-image-1028758341.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-52444410984237696572013-02-22T16:57:00.001-08:002013-02-22T18:20:29.496-08:00Bought the Farm(house)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W4uy6vFnwUh1I8hyPdWO4MmxYdzp1WfxtclK7pUi73xrfnlJf_E7s12aTP4FscBvsqif4ejW3llusCOGas1IGyuel9Il3dgjrjhI48VX13Vzk7rIoG8btJB3RI0KextuS4Cc3zKF-vk/s640/blogger-image--305540424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0W4uy6vFnwUh1I8hyPdWO4MmxYdzp1WfxtclK7pUi73xrfnlJf_E7s12aTP4FscBvsqif4ejW3llusCOGas1IGyuel9Il3dgjrjhI48VX13Vzk7rIoG8btJB3RI0KextuS4Cc3zKF-vk/s200/blogger-image--305540424.jpg" width="150" /></a>I don't shop at the old Sunflower Market as often as I used to since they changed to Sprouts. They don't have the same sort of bargains there now. However, today I stopped in on a whim to pick up something to grill and some beer to wash it down. <br />
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I was not particularly impressed with the sale items (I guess I've become something of a cheapskate in my old age) until I spied some Shiner seasonal ale labeled as a "manager's special," priced at $4.99 a six pack.<br />
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Shiner FM 966 Farmhouse Ale is packaged in an eye-catching container with the sort of rustic label that I fall for every time. I bought one six pack along with a six pack of Gordon Biersch Winterbock; a bit of an insurance policy. <br />
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Meh. Sometimes it doesn't matter what beer you've got, just as long as you've got beer. This FM 966 will do for a Friday session ale and I'll look forward to some Winterbock later this weekend. Here's a toast to insurance!<br />
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Incidentally, I got home to find I'm out of gas for the grill. So much for my grand Friday plan. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucYDCI2FKnZzTe07o2GQapRbmG9-IxhtqpCQt9zcM3E5p_HHOWun9jEFX0UBtZA_dhhuwHq_20C2j3nIaHHcySDqKAC7JXwwR1SwYrXSZNDdYnpd_9G-UJj7ZbjCc86dvGxI7_g5JpIg/s640/blogger-image--1321599826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucYDCI2FKnZzTe07o2GQapRbmG9-IxhtqpCQt9zcM3E5p_HHOWun9jEFX0UBtZA_dhhuwHq_20C2j3nIaHHcySDqKAC7JXwwR1SwYrXSZNDdYnpd_9G-UJj7ZbjCc86dvGxI7_g5JpIg/s200/blogger-image--1321599826.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-88389979462801240302013-02-18T15:50:00.000-08:002013-02-18T16:05:06.187-08:00Stone Vertical Epic 12-12-12This will represent my first attempt to make a post via iPhone. I received a bottle of Stone Vertical Epic 12.12.12 as a graduation gift from a generous coworker (I completed my master's degree in November.). I cracked it open this weekend; here are the notes straight from the notebook:<br />
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Dark brown and opaque with a thick light brown head. Tastes like gingerbread with a hint of licorice. Alcohol bite late in the finish but not too strong. Very good. <br />
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In hindsight the licorice taste reminds me a little bit of the taste of a pontifract cake. In any event, I went to Total Wine and found 3 more to save for later! Grand. <br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUg4mUQ8VuoH-EhQPn6MM1YTZ5M3fR6ukS1bOkjDC4h_qT456b5MJW2agRRjDNi3Of0QvrvOX6eYmjIZ4C4zc7mClYrCBTQQi7DlQ7BSdlRVokJwtjLb3kJ2gT0IjwVlvxT3o-u6zkCo/s640/blogger-image--384559177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUg4mUQ8VuoH-EhQPn6MM1YTZ5M3fR6ukS1bOkjDC4h_qT456b5MJW2agRRjDNi3Of0QvrvOX6eYmjIZ4C4zc7mClYrCBTQQi7DlQ7BSdlRVokJwtjLb3kJ2gT0IjwVlvxT3o-u6zkCo/s640/blogger-image--384559177.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-27856812047232002482012-05-21T20:17:00.000-07:002012-05-21T20:17:25.941-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDRhtMd0QoddXan0BFq8qlAor7zOTciaB3UWVj_QG4LXon1NAeAvIB5ZWR1F3suhrd9Xhi6rabUTocDQrGnD8gTKk7evYJiEDCECgZtq6jluee3j2Zzzo32LL4ZbPQ95TH_ikGHo5mI0/s1600/January+2012+Misc+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDRhtMd0QoddXan0BFq8qlAor7zOTciaB3UWVj_QG4LXon1NAeAvIB5ZWR1F3suhrd9Xhi6rabUTocDQrGnD8gTKk7evYJiEDCECgZtq6jluee3j2Zzzo32LL4ZbPQ95TH_ikGHo5mI0/s200/January+2012+Misc+009.JPG" width="133" /></a>I can't recall the last time I went this long between posts. My blogger stats page indicates that some kind folks foolishly continue to drop in here at Beer Rant for a look around and I even had a recent comment on my last post about Black IPA's. I'm thankful for the occasional vist from old friends and strangers alike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZqnzqIfnkDw1InexDhEX1QSOHKQPlGowHpQ8n0gOMalrUeIkrl2c1kf8gJxdYn0pRMDodOosHg9hs6WW6HgSzk4QWLIa9eOjV4wMIDAYzbkJGv-n_2UzhWmohRAZzYxB8OeP7PU_0ao/s1600/Kona+Koko+Brown.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZqnzqIfnkDw1InexDhEX1QSOHKQPlGowHpQ8n0gOMalrUeIkrl2c1kf8gJxdYn0pRMDodOosHg9hs6WW6HgSzk4QWLIa9eOjV4wMIDAYzbkJGv-n_2UzhWmohRAZzYxB8OeP7PU_0ao/s200/Kona+Koko+Brown.JPG" width="133" /></a>The fact of the matter is, that for a little more than a year I've been enrolled in a master's degree program and if this wasn't enough, we picked up a new 2012 Mustang just about a year ago so there have been plenty of distractions here at Beer Rant HQ, both good and bad, but that's not to say I've given up my quest for tasty beers.<br />
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I'm still here, taking it on the chin for all us sinners but I just don't have the time I once had for posting beer stuff. Rest assured, I still keep beer notes in that yellow engineer's notebook and rest assured, I'll be back as soon as I can to continue more ramblings.<br />
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In the meantime, how 'bout that Koko Brown Ale from Kona Brewing?<br />
Love the King's Peak Porter, too, and their new label. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrOZTZmFxf8mKs1oRGfI42yWAdoH-x1lvbL7skv9iT7ULPfIGjk6uovHjROrT7yf1dTy4QJ7AWDJXqCWH6DbYKpcd3jIQ6Gi2bk7qPnlQdQz7c_gMRDUzuuD4wLTiI5H0lCIAPzMDqsA/s1600/January+2012+Misc+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPrOZTZmFxf8mKs1oRGfI42yWAdoH-x1lvbL7skv9iT7ULPfIGjk6uovHjROrT7yf1dTy4QJ7AWDJXqCWH6DbYKpcd3jIQ6Gi2bk7qPnlQdQz7c_gMRDUzuuD4wLTiI5H0lCIAPzMDqsA/s200/January+2012+Misc+031.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-30981837443596624192011-12-05T16:13:00.001-08:002011-12-05T16:26:01.800-08:00Neither fish, nor fowl. But still great.<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGBxE6eQbTsDi9PJAexvgsBDCttH8UqF8i9UeMffgqf4YVwdtNhFLCioDvq3DQbM71Ryr35lgm6U5KpPKKrebDsXO18upTWRTENHwxy2pMbTqiv3eIuA7rvXL54jfrdsJBMw7pPhCO8A/s1600/100_1256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 209px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 168px;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGBxE6eQbTsDi9PJAexvgsBDCttH8UqF8i9UeMffgqf4YVwdtNhFLCioDvq3DQbM71Ryr35lgm6U5KpPKKrebDsXO18upTWRTENHwxy2pMbTqiv3eIuA7rvXL54jfrdsJBMw7pPhCO8A/s200/100_1256.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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I’ve probably sampled a half dozen black IPA’s and one thing I’ve found consistent throughout the lot: none of them has the typical characteristics of an IPA. No piney or grapefruit smell and no citrus or grapefruit taste that I recall. So I’m at a loss as to why the new raft of dark beers is being called “IPA” but never mind. I’ve liked them all. They may not smell and taste like IPAs, but they’re definitely black, or at least dark.</div>
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The latest local offering from Old World Brewery, Eclipse Black IPA, is no exception to this trend. It isn’t hoppy in the traditional IPA sense but it’s plenty good and low enough in abv to serve as a decent session beer. I got wind of this release through Old World’s Facebook page and made a commitment to drop by as soon as possible in order not to miss it, along with another short run offering called, suggestively, “The Prick.” I had my opportunity a couple weeks before Thanksgiving.<br />
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The maniacs at OWB are just as friendly and welcoming as ever and I felt as though I’d not been away any time at all, though it's been several months since my last visit. Knowing that I’d have to get on the road after a single pint, I ordered a serving of The Prick, with its lower abv, and asked for a bomber of Eclipse to travel. The Prick is a prickly pear wheat beer that has a faint hint of sweet breakfast cereal to it – not unlike one of Leinenkugel’s beer’s, the name of which escapes me at the moment. I’m not typically a fan of wheat’s but this one is a keeper.</div>
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I chatted with the fellows at OWB, enjoyed the prickly pear wheat, tossed a bomber of Eclipse in the trunk of the car and headed home. Once at Beer Rant HQ, I sprang the top off that bomber and poured the contents into a glass. The tasting notes read so:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsSnJew-rSc80WxDdzOuYEac_494Vu713h14uqV09GEBtuTN0vKKNFNyeGt6CRjrdod2qi9bEPqXC7bWH2maBlOc03OuVKHe-lsni94lV_mQdRFNpwGrG-7WLZUL_3cwyR4TRiXoI4ME/s1600/100_1251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsSnJew-rSc80WxDdzOuYEac_494Vu713h14uqV09GEBtuTN0vKKNFNyeGt6CRjrdod2qi9bEPqXC7bWH2maBlOc03OuVKHe-lsni94lV_mQdRFNpwGrG-7WLZUL_3cwyR4TRiXoI4ME/s200/100_1251.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
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<strong>Eclipse, Black IPA</strong><br />
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Smells slightly chocolaty. Nearly opaque coffee brown, persistent tan head. Surprisingly thick mouthfeel. No hints of pine or grapefruit as you’d expect from an IPA which is pretty standard with the other black IPAs I’ve tried. I don’t like the notion of an IPA that doesn’t taste like an IPA but this is a good beer.</div>
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There you have it. Judging by their Facebook page, the guys at OWB aren’t letting the grass grow between their toes. Word comes that they’ve got a honey wheat out now and they’re anticipating the release of a Scotch ale, similar to the one they put out for their first anniversary. Here’s to the future.<br />
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By the way, if you’re an advocate of Facebook, why don’t you go over to the Old World Brewery Facebook page and “like” them? I hear it’s all the rage.<br />
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As a bit of a postscript, when Thanksgiving rolled around, my son-in-law came over from Camp Pendleton where he's preparing for another all-expense paid trip overseas do defend the rest of us. I stopped by OWB and grabbed another bomber of Eclipse for him to enjoy during his short stay. He's now back at Pendleton and I didn't get any definitive feedback on the Eclipse - Marines are men of few words - but I suppose it was okay, since it disappeared pretty fast.<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-83149028899938993942011-08-05T11:25:00.000-07:002011-08-05T11:25:25.856-07:00First (Ever) Post from the RoadSpending 9 days or so in Utah. Today is International Beer Day or some such and I happen to have picked up a bottle of British beer: Oxfordshire Ales' Triple B.<br />
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Tasting notes read thus: Sweet malty smell. Bronze color, weak head. (I may have chilled it a bit too much.) Malty nutty taste, sweet tea-like finish. Tastes a bit like Bass but better.<br />
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May have to find more of this for the drive back to Beer Rant HQ. (Already found 12 packs of Olympia, which I thought was long gone from the face of the earth. Will buy one for old time sake.)<br />
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Here's a web cam shot of today's taster.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot-Emdl1znqs4duonsUu2XsrQ-lyhhAbU8MGzc5V5tZDlqyQleUv4yl6RzutIbyRagXVfzEMKd_TlU37t-RFmpXD5z1rzgDrtmAg8UVETQfhvhYq-pfjPijCnpe-I93GqtEpxxxWfykI/s1600/Triple+B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiot-Emdl1znqs4duonsUu2XsrQ-lyhhAbU8MGzc5V5tZDlqyQleUv4yl6RzutIbyRagXVfzEMKd_TlU37t-RFmpXD5z1rzgDrtmAg8UVETQfhvhYq-pfjPijCnpe-I93GqtEpxxxWfykI/s320/Triple+B.JPG" t$="true" width="320" /></a></div>That rocking horse in the background belongs to my granddaughter. Spent the morning tightening it up. Seems it's been rode hard out on the range and needed a little maintenance. Good as new now!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-57833072521834101852011-07-11T18:43:00.000-07:002011-07-11T18:43:18.147-07:00Out of the loop (again)<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHP-AEbTStM_W-Udr4odPLZZRyp38Lfgs1uuaydEdZY4CxDDbkKHhsgVmqqxbx2jlpgrb-oqoLVvhHoLQ6y-skabn34R2z5BTTwZoZ159IFel50voVkSh_Iv_OPwF6uW7mh0rkqAW8Gk/s1600/100_9993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyHP-AEbTStM_W-Udr4odPLZZRyp38Lfgs1uuaydEdZY4CxDDbkKHhsgVmqqxbx2jlpgrb-oqoLVvhHoLQ6y-skabn34R2z5BTTwZoZ159IFel50voVkSh_Iv_OPwF6uW7mh0rkqAW8Gk/s320/100_9993.JPG" width="214" /></a>I've been out of the loop for several months. I need to say that the NASCAR event was terrific and to let you all know that Turn One Racing provided me with some wonderful access to the pit lane at Phoenix International Raceway. Kudos also to Old World Brewing - without them I'd have been stuck in the stands.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Since my last post, I've entered a Master's degree program that is keeping me very busy. So, what with playing with the grandkids every weekend and working a 40 hour week as well, it's been a grind. Add to that the fact that Google blogger has dinked up the posting process so I'll have to relearn a bunch of that stuff as well. Little wonder I've shied away from posting all these months, huh?</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>I have been keeping the beer log though and there are some terrific vintage beers stored in the fridge that I'm dying to try. One from 2009, and a couple from 2010. Perhaps I'll keep them a bit longer. I may be seldom seen but I'm not gone completely.<br />
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By the by, this is my first post using a fancy new laptop computer we picked up a few months back. (Did I mention the 2012 Mustang that's now parked at Beer Rang HQ? Yeah, we've lost our minds here. I find I'm drinking less and driving more these days, but it's grand.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-91831016522452867022011-02-11T18:52:00.000-08:002011-02-11T19:16:12.008-08:00Old World Brewery: Off To The Races!<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7eLxVIvMYkF4jd3Z3dv7472PJSvJq6fTR7EMeURv9QbSepNCr5X9n-kk5pAbGwp2SEubLEQRwGmURWPc4I6ZGWIVzgOn_EntrRgqo4GV8YH53xgIOfRoh-6exomChYJqfMAqvQ3FI7k/s1600/OWB+Bottle+Cartoon+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572633720351712930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 52px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7eLxVIvMYkF4jd3Z3dv7472PJSvJq6fTR7EMeURv9QbSepNCr5X9n-kk5pAbGwp2SEubLEQRwGmURWPc4I6ZGWIVzgOn_EntrRgqo4GV8YH53xgIOfRoh-6exomChYJqfMAqvQ3FI7k/s200/OWB+Bottle+Cartoon+2.jpg" border="0" /></a>At the risk of appearing to fall into a predictable pattern, I’m going to follow up one Old World Brewing post with another, simply because last Friday my camera refused to cooperate during a visit to OWB’s new location on 25th Avenue. I dropped by again today after work, met my nephew for a pint and snapped a few admittedly mediocre photos of the new place. (I’m not a photographer. My nephew’s a photographer, check out his <a href="http://www.coldshotphotography.net/coldshot/coldshotphotography.html">WEBSITE.</a>)<br /><br />Today we ambled into the taproom to find three fellow blue-collar working stiffs quaffing the foamy suds and that’s a good sign. Seems folks are finding OWB despite the move. I was happy to see brewer Matt working away at something in the back along with Patrick. In short order we had pints of Red in front of us and the conversation drifted easily between topics.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgj2_9xdsQej5hKIP5Xq6INe8PvJ9aJzU-c0jaT4mTBA6WAeACK9MN3nYSh86dfYoRMKijRnpXMlawluSy10YvrgkjK0wgpcXxHo3kww1bS_ZuGSj228PE0_PW9943vWh4Ix6iS6ob9o/s1600/100_2113.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572632373179219954" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOgj2_9xdsQej5hKIP5Xq6INe8PvJ9aJzU-c0jaT4mTBA6WAeACK9MN3nYSh86dfYoRMKijRnpXMlawluSy10YvrgkjK0wgpcXxHo3kww1bS_ZuGSj228PE0_PW9943vWh4Ix6iS6ob9o/s200/100_2113.JPG" border="0" /></a>Despite what one would hope are the typical difficulties associated with such an endeavor, the crew at OWB continues to forge ahead, putting out dependable, tasty product (brewed in Flagstaff for the moment) while they fit and fashion and fine-tune all the aspects of the new brewery setup. Just writing about it is exhausting.<br /><br />We got another quick tour, this time with my camera functioning properly, and I shot a nifty <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNjmN_ILxlZ3wSSQRvcwyF8clBzerrPvC_cBCnzZyNfM4FuQCDmrJCjmy6qqkRhv4j5Nl4FlU-FhBwjy2PdOCUbcxo8TuDWSRlMSMh0lhF7qvXRcF3z3O5YCMgPrLZp8OQDEQk79426Y/s1600/100_2115.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572632095554066898" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgNjmN_ILxlZ3wSSQRvcwyF8clBzerrPvC_cBCnzZyNfM4FuQCDmrJCjmy6qqkRhv4j5Nl4FlU-FhBwjy2PdOCUbcxo8TuDWSRlMSMh0lhF7qvXRcF3z3O5YCMgPrLZp8OQDEQk79426Y/s200/100_2115.JPG" border="0" /></a>couple of images of the old walk-in safe that once served admirably back when this building was a United States Post Office. Now, Patrick operates an office in the safe and today he took a moment to check out the line up for the upcoming Strong Beer Festival. As always we were made to feel welcome and only the prospect of getting pulled over by an officer of the law prevented us from staying for more than one pint, but as we exchanged farewells in the parking lot my nephew and I discussed the plan to one day have a taxi cab on standby so that we could stay for some real fun!</div><div><br /><strong>Old World Breaking into the NASCAR Scene? Yup!<br /></strong></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7YfjoobGoGM8eZLxtSsH7Nm5rcNnvHqeek0XqT5QHM3TtQv-b9Bkt_Nf5wXvAslg2ODZtc195r2ZyRUsrtnrz7_Nb349Qz6YgWdVR-UJlDpNKBBSi9pvLSiuS0vaIm6tS_eZEDfl3oo/s1600/Turn+One+Racing+Truck%252360.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572631139711186066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb7YfjoobGoGM8eZLxtSsH7Nm5rcNnvHqeek0XqT5QHM3TtQv-b9Bkt_Nf5wXvAslg2ODZtc195r2ZyRUsrtnrz7_Nb349Qz6YgWdVR-UJlDpNKBBSi9pvLSiuS0vaIm6tS_eZEDfl3oo/s200/Turn+One+Racing+Truck%252360.jpg" border="0" /></a>My two or three repeat customers here at Beer Rant will remember that I blogged about a craft beer sponsorship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series a good while back. (See that post <a href="http://beerrant.blogspot.com/2009/11/craftbrewing-breaks-into-nascar.html">here.</a>) At that time I was tickled witless at the prospect of the craft brewing community stepping into the NASCAR arena even if the brewer was an out of state concern. Well, I’m happy to report that Old World Brewery will be running its logo on a NASCAR truck in the upcoming race at Phoenix International Raceway this year! Here’s a link to the website for <a href="http://www.turn1racing.com/index.html">Turn One Racing.</a> Details of the arrangement seem to be up in the air just yet, but if you’re the sort that likes to follow NASCAR, and especially the truck series, keep an eye out for truck #60 and it’s new driver Cole Whitt because reportedly, somewhere on that truck will be an Old World Brewery logo! (I plan to attend a couple of NASCAR events at Phoenix <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMoFs2bFltYj5Hi9EE0SvgOmBAbZNfe1tRm8cxjuVSCe_988RZr7E2Xkna8ww-shQ7nGczOoCXCEKX82P-c6lehTC4EU2_61FGbsew1wycCWOjj7wGz3vzcmMUbZPOnc638nHjhSW4Vk/s1600/OWB+Kegs1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572633989280315074" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 168px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMoFs2bFltYj5Hi9EE0SvgOmBAbZNfe1tRm8cxjuVSCe_988RZr7E2Xkna8ww-shQ7nGczOoCXCEKX82P-c6lehTC4EU2_61FGbsew1wycCWOjj7wGz3vzcmMUbZPOnc638nHjhSW4Vk/s320/OWB+Kegs1.jpg" border="0" /></a>International Raceway that week, including the truck race, so perhaps I can carry some OWB product down to the track and enjoy it like I did when Lagunita’s sponsored a truck in 2009.)<br /><br />Finally, if you’re in the vicinity of 25th Avenue, just north of Van Buren (behind the Pep Boys building there, just across the street from Werner’s Welding), you owe it to yourself to stop in to Old World Brewery. You won’t see a sign on the front of the building so you’ll just have to trust your instincts, friends.<br /><br />See you at the race!<br /><br /><br /></div><div><div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Be Safe!</em></strong></span></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572632694714000754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieixooiGIaSu6L8EvVLvU9FeQJJ4QY0QSHr3PJHJzMbUW4WZgpE3t-Lqn6kG6uQfZJ08qN6UyVYeiehhPXh-h66jN8t8-yKI0p0Bj5_JD86PPLULwZK3miP8pXTAZI6X_LntCO1tE-EJg/s320/100_2112.JPG" border="0" /></em></strong></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-22776714404937489242011-02-05T19:44:00.000-08:002011-02-05T19:57:37.461-08:00Old World, New Digs<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc-XcU4z-sZz53F5VzcKHchn2IGz5ylTjFUwgnTluXquNGBVBX_0CM6G6tA5OEIymN-_ZkxFvZSS1D8V-PIm7ioD-U_U70Vk_VEYpmO1FVTJ3Ysfg3mWfNw_H1Vr6WInSN7GRPDvR-k4/s1600/100_1930.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570419838243263474" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDc-XcU4z-sZz53F5VzcKHchn2IGz5ylTjFUwgnTluXquNGBVBX_0CM6G6tA5OEIymN-_ZkxFvZSS1D8V-PIm7ioD-U_U70Vk_VEYpmO1FVTJ3Ysfg3mWfNw_H1Vr6WInSN7GRPDvR-k4/s200/100_1930.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>First post of 2011; it’s been too long, I know. Enough said.<br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Cool Shit You See When Your Camera Battery is Dead!</strong></span><br /><div><div><br /><div>Old World Brewery has resumed operations in a new facility near 25th Avenue and Van Buren here in Phoenix and I’ve been meaning to drop by for a visit for several weeks. I drove by a couple times to check for activity late last year but didn’t find anyone around, but yesterday was a different story. After work I met a co-worker there – we’ll call him Vernon Bannister - and we ambled in to find Patrick Fields jamming at the drum set with his son.<br /><br />Patrick graciously showed us around Old World’s new place, which was once a United States Post office back in the day. I asked about any special characteristics of the building, like safes and so forth and Patrick said, “speaking of safes…” and showed us to the brewery’s new office, located in an honest to God walk in safe. Cool. The brewery equipment isn’t quite up and running yet – the current Old World product is reportedly coming from Mogollon Brewing in Flagstaff for the moment (you’ve got to love the cooperative spirit of local brewing, right?).<br /><br />My camera’s battery was dead, so I’ve got a built in excuse for a follow up visit this coming week. The new brewery building also includes an exhibit space for local artists to show and sell their work. Auctions of artwork are planned, as is a beer festival of some sort in the near future, perhaps in conjunction with a larger statewide beer celebration.</div><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570419458076324690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 273px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodxk0cxG8mNjFvUCR7-xV_sseelYvfQd-MVFnqCnYW4IeNanA6ZCssZuUiZm_QvEUDD8ZoBU8bN30yKqX6zYwouMJjWitPiyyPgqKv_lANygU9X6Levo0Zc6e7vIF4L2eTA3iCGK0ZjE/s320/Old+World+Growler+tiltshift%255B2%255D.JPG" border="0" /><br />Patrick Fields was as gracious as ever, as focused as ever and seems more determined than ever to push Old World Brewery to the forefront of local brewing prowess. God knows they’ve got a brewing space worthy of the challenge. It should be fun to see where things go from here.<br /><br />Vernon Bannister and I each departed with a growler of Irish Red and a pint glass sporting the new Old World logo. Perhaps Vernon is a convert as well, now; I think he is. (The picture here was taken later, when I got my growler home and my camera battery charged.)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lsPwjwj3JC3BMPjwwQlMMaXUuux2RSr_MS4gSzwGUc83utCkCQGHcxcodV2C8QGgjAJmWowq4tqwP04Uu5Yw9-EDZRpjwT1y0wSPLYPFWYA3HHKVNsS7ea6FR_n1y2lrTRlFZTjpkyg/s1600/Old+World+Red+for+Adam.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570419028820410290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lsPwjwj3JC3BMPjwwQlMMaXUuux2RSr_MS4gSzwGUc83utCkCQGHcxcodV2C8QGgjAJmWowq4tqwP04Uu5Yw9-EDZRpjwT1y0wSPLYPFWYA3HHKVNsS7ea6FR_n1y2lrTRlFZTjpkyg/s200/Old+World+Red+for+Adam.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />As for the Irish Red – you know their porter would have been my choice had it been an option – the Red may be better than I remembered from the Lone Cactus facility and even a day later was holding up nicely in the growler. Thanks Patrick! Thanks Old World. (Patrick tells me that the porter will be one of their first batches when the 25th Avenue facility starts production. Awesome.) I tipped a glass of the Red in honor of my nephew's birthday as well. All in all, a great evening.<br /><br />Look for Old World on Facebook, too. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-38145936230013223712010-11-27T10:22:00.000-08:002010-11-27T10:30:17.215-08:00In Praise of...Brew Masters on Discovery Channel<strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Watch it!</em></span></strong><br /><br />This is just a quick post to get out ahead of Sunday night’s television lineup.<br /><br />Mrs. BeerRant and I watched the first episode of <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/brew-masters/">Discovery Channel's Brew Masters</a> this morning – TiVoed from a week ago or earlier.<br /><br />I like it, A LOT. Mrs. BeerRant liked it too (and she’s way pickier than me when it comes to television watching. Picking husbands? Eh, not so much, I guess. Lucky for me.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtNxflelFWoq6AAZsmqECt0-CB-xhkFHVLDOuxVHKS5rv-vHHAstykAz_dip2QtciD9zAblIcR00rb5IQdZFxarh-l28O_7o6RP7NzXhBDomVyzwRTMNFDH5V9dYRRw8RZrpEW5K9MX0/s1600/DFH+Collage.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544297328401634354" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 264px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtNxflelFWoq6AAZsmqECt0-CB-xhkFHVLDOuxVHKS5rv-vHHAstykAz_dip2QtciD9zAblIcR00rb5IQdZFxarh-l28O_7o6RP7NzXhBDomVyzwRTMNFDH5V9dYRRw8RZrpEW5K9MX0/s320/DFH+Collage.JPG" border="0" /></a>I’ve gone on at length here about my feelings regarding Dogfish Head’s brews. For my previous posts about DFH Brewing go <a href="http://beerrant.blogspot.com/search/label/Dogfish%20Head">HERE.</a> I’ve tried one of their raisin concoctions, a peach disaster, an IPA, a chicory stout, an Indian brown ale and their pumpkin beer. I like the chicory, the brown ale and the pumpkin beer, which puts them at a 50% success rate in my book. (No reason to give up on someone at 50%, hell if that was the case Mrs. BeerRant would have left me years ago!) Bottom line: I like enough of their beers to continue trying them simply on their record alone, but factor in the personality behind the brewery and I’m always willing to give them a shot. So far, the series Brew Masters is at 100 percent.<br /><br />I think you’ll find that the first episode of Brew Masters shows Sam Calagione to be a personable, fun-loving but hard-working guy; an image you probably picked up on in the documentary film Beer Wars, as well.<br /><br />Now, the question that pops into my head is whether there’s just a bit of the Emperor’s New Clothes at work during the tasting session, in which all the folks gush over the release of Bitches Brew brewed in honor of the anniversary of the Mile’s Davis album of the same name from the 1970s. I’ve often tasted beer in front of the brewer and, though I didn’t think it was top notch, I’ve said it was good – that’s a weakness of mine and I rarely put myself in that position these days, preferring to spout off here where I can go all “beer jerk” if I don’t like a particular beer. Anyhow, I wonder if Sam got the same sort of feedback when he developed that travesty that is known as Festina Peche. Ugh.<br /><br /><strong>Okay, back on track…<br /></strong><br />I really, really liked Brew Masters and we’ll set up the old TiVo to catch the next episode. Rather than read any more of my blather, here’s what the cool kids say about the show:<br /><br /><a href="http://brewpublic.com/beer-personalities/discovery-channels-brew-masters/">Brew Public</a><br />I especially like this write up because it mentions something I noticed when watching the first episode of Brew Masters: The Blue Moon commercials. As I’d suspected, the craft beer literati and the microbrew snobs have come out retching and kvetching about this. Never mind that in the first episode of Brew Masters, we were shown what a small percentage of the beer market is actually occupied by the likes of Dogfish Head Brewing. So you don’t like Coors. So you don’t like Blue Moon. Fine. Shut the fuck up, drink your $9/four pack beer and let the unwashed masses underwrite your beer-related television viewing entertainments through their purchases of the vastly cheaper beers made by the likes of Coors. (Cheaper and less inspiring, for sure.) Or, show some testicles and boycott the damned show, boycott Dogfish Head, boycott Coors and boycott the Discovery Channel. If not, at least shut the fuck up.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.brewlounge.com/2010/11/dogfish-head-discovery-channels-brew.html">The Brew Lounge</a><br />One of the comments posted at this blog takes a swipe at the inaugural episodes rap-music fixation, perhaps having forgotten that the beer being brewed is to honor the re-release of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew by Sony Records. (Or something…)<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/11/21/brew-masters-the-discovery-channel-wants-you-to-get-your-beer-on/">Wall Street Journal</a><br />I don’t actually read the Wall Street Journal much.<br /><br />Here’s what <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/news/3085463">Beer Advocate</a> posted about Brew Masters.<br /><br />I’m bushed. Must be all the turkey I’ve eaten the last day or so….or the beer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-61692374168500510582010-11-09T19:26:00.000-08:002010-11-09T19:44:30.521-08:00Beaver Creek and Colorado Native<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAD6fLu8g4om3MIEDpoBihplnyHvK3VxKg7_a-RUIo41rVxd3jA6zm4WbATBDUw0btX5qFdacdqCIJECwNKQR3-SmCn0SOFLu6Snps9vBy18UiFznhgZytq3IATGdTelqknA5qFhufug/s1600/Do+not+enter+sign.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537759718972174850" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 91px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 114px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCAD6fLu8g4om3MIEDpoBihplnyHvK3VxKg7_a-RUIo41rVxd3jA6zm4WbATBDUw0btX5qFdacdqCIJECwNKQR3-SmCn0SOFLu6Snps9vBy18UiFznhgZytq3IATGdTelqknA5qFhufug/s200/Do+not+enter+sign.JPG" border="0" /></a>Been in a bit of a funk of late – thankfully not for lack of good people around me. There’s just this sort of self-starting internal glumness that settles in now and then, accompanied by a bit of writer’s block (if I may be so bold as to call myself a “writer” for hell’s sake) and no matter whom you’re around or where you go, the pervasive gloominess hangs on for some reason.<br /><br />Well, in spite of all that there are a couple of neat things to relate here at BeerRant, so I’ll be about it before this shadiness, this crankiness gets worse.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537759401077831170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMYAtKDhNjfRwPOdmdnXWZciaWl6vHCc024wkm1c0cxhGIaRSEZIqBnp-tB3kORgknY0up28lLkrbuT2YErshU6kWn8NObisz5wcSghEUfdsaayxGzxtcTtZPKHL1Psi0eqS27jSYTLM/s400/San+Fran+Peak+Panorama.jpg" border="0" /><br /><strong>FLAGSTAFF IN THE FALL (It's nice.)<br /></strong><br />I rarely venture far outside the greater Phoenix area and when I do it’s almost always work related. A jaunt up I-17 to Flagstaff the last month of October was no exception. I spoke at a conference near the NAU campus on a Thursday afternoon and made a trip out of it, attending the conference all day Thursday and half of Friday. But what to do with my spare time on Thursday night? I did a bit of research on local brewpubs and by the time I’d arrived Thursday morning I’d pretty well determined that I would walk over to <a href="http://www.beaverstreetbrewery.com/index.html">Beaver Street Brewery</a>, just up the street from the conference center and the NAU campus.<br /><br />It was dark by the time I set out from the conference center to make my way the two or three blocks to find Beaver Street Brewery’s operation. (I’d stopped to chat with other conference attendees and share an overpriced bottle of Fat Tire before heading off on my own.) I negotiated some road construction in the dark and managed to find Beaver Street with little difficulty. I was seated promptly and had menus in hand immediately. I kept one eye on the world series game while I scanned the menu to make my selections. Bowl of chili and a pint of their R&R Oatmeal Stout. I didn’t have my Beer Engineer’s Field Book during this trip, but a 3x5 index card made a nice substitute. Here’s what I jotted on that card:<br /><em>R&R Stout. Dark/opaque with a sturdy head. Faint hint of chocolate in the smell and noticeable in the taste. Every bit as good as [Deschutes’] Obsidian Stout. Heavy lacing.<br /></em><br /><em>Every bit as good as Obsidian Stout</em>. What higher endorsement do you need, people? The chili was darned good as well and the cornbread muffin – oh yes. I apologize there isn't a picture of this sturdy stout.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIhHpdrCTaEs7liUcRExmpdhjsYvTkp_J456yYYcf5qSgSeJ3HqAh9nVh0kpN-G6oLRqbaC8XBA0r51p-mOhwbbpML7zLB1D4aBYaTsOCaU5NTXqfDXvPMy27_9vp1p-VBeRXHFY7wSw/s1600/Beaver+Creek+Lumberyard+Hotel+Ensemble1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537759111366470402" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 146px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIhHpdrCTaEs7liUcRExmpdhjsYvTkp_J456yYYcf5qSgSeJ3HqAh9nVh0kpN-G6oLRqbaC8XBA0r51p-mOhwbbpML7zLB1D4aBYaTsOCaU5NTXqfDXvPMy27_9vp1p-VBeRXHFY7wSw/s200/Beaver+Creek+Lumberyard+Hotel+Ensemble1.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />During my meal I spied a sign on the back bar advertising something called Lumberyard Red in cans. Thinking I’d likely need a beer or two back at the hotel, I asked the waitress if they had any package beers cold, when she replied in the affirmative, I had her add a 12-pack of the Lumberyard to my tab, then I settled up and made my way back to the hotel where I watched a couple more innings of the world series before changing over to a Charlie Brown classic. I sampled the Lumberyard there in the hotel and am happy to report that I can recommend it as well. I’ll give a better set of tasting notes soon. </p><p>I'll go back to Flagstaff as soon as I can, and when I do, I hope to be able to visit Beaver Street Brewery again.<br /><br /><strong>HOPS TO THE PEOPLE, MAN!<br /></strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjrIP3xfh4JMG4t5zvdK4jHnCynP3CfoDkb7mzVmsxvOIdoDsdBlmLrbu4Noo8IQMCgKYPBpV-aW2qlwyVnkdL3uFwqx2eSxOtIMRE5H1VL7PUMRiuCo5KmQ-PPjMyljADQmg4eaX1is/s1600/Colorado+Native+Round+Logo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537758577883203634" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjrIP3xfh4JMG4t5zvdK4jHnCynP3CfoDkb7mzVmsxvOIdoDsdBlmLrbu4Noo8IQMCgKYPBpV-aW2qlwyVnkdL3uFwqx2eSxOtIMRE5H1VL7PUMRiuCo5KmQ-PPjMyljADQmg4eaX1is/s320/Colorado+Native+Round+Logo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />When I first sampled <a href="http://coloradonativelager.com/">Colorado Native Lager</a> during my visit “back home” this summer, I wasn’t aware that it was a Coors product. I liked it then and I like it now, and perhaps I like it even more (you’ll see why in a second). You’ll see in the blog posts I made regarding the Colorado trip, I didn’t make reference to Colorado Native. Well I sampled it at a Baker Street Pub and snapped a photo with my phone camera, which I can’t download. I do have notes in this here Beer Engineer Field Book and the notes indicate I sampled CNL on two consecutive days. On July 21st I noted that it was “a bit dark for a lager” with a “faintly roasted taste…” and on July 22nd I played pool with my nephew and drank Colorado Native Lager along with some Black Butte Porter and some Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Good company.<br /><br />More recently, I was chatting with my brother who was in Colorado the same time I was and he raved about a local beer he discovered in Vail or Winter Park or some such place. (I never venture any farther than Clear Creek County when I get to Colorado.) Turns out he was talking about Colorado Native Lager!<br /><br />I like Colorado Native Lager just fine, I liked it before I knew it was basically a Coors product and I might actually like it more now that I do know it’s a Coors product. It kind of tickles me to get in another gulp of local product at the exclusion of those folks at <a href="http://beerrant.blogspot.com/2010/07/golden-city-brew-ha-ha-gimme-coors.html">Golden City Brewing.</a><br /><br />Here’s the grading for Colorado Native at <a href="http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17948/57348">Beer Advocate</a>. I wonder if all these folks know it’s a macro brew concoction.<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.lightninglabels.com/2010/future-technology/new-colorado-native-lager-from-coors-breaks-new-ground/">Here's</a> a cool blog post about Colorado Native’s label. Mentioned here is the fact that the ingredients for Colorado Native are 99.8% Colorado grown and that their back label includes something called a SnapTag. (Hmmm. I wonder what ingredients aren’t from Colorado and whether they might be able to do without them for the sake of a perfect 100% score.)<br /><br />But that’s not the last word. Here's why I REALLY like Colorado Native Lager: I stumbled on a blog post at <a href="http://www.milehighbeer.com/content/help-grow-hops-colorado-native">Mile High Beer.</a> Seems the folks at CNL are going to distribute hop rhizomes to anyone who makes a request. I sent in my request and got a nice email reply. That’s cool. I hope to have that hop rhizome early next year. In the meantime, I’ll post a picture of a hop bud that I retrieved from a local hop plant up stream from the Coors plant, in Clear Creek County. (I’ll give you a hint; it’s not from a hop plant in Idaho Springs or Georgetown.) </p><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537758311356498162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyeTM_YAvc5cYliUJx_mTbWtbB18PqN5qbWZlKmtANW5pYwsr7xGbBBRy6TBOYQULEOrkQyCUvxz8o5unjNrla54YBP4T1MckHsewZgNVP-i2laY5vo3wkhwzbOFs__s5YuFA5bJD19w/s320/Mystery+Colorado+Hop+Buds.JPG" border="0" /><br />Let’s hear if for all the Colorado Natives. (Now excuse me, I'm off to buy a Colorado Native Lager t-shirt.)</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6737680781637715850.post-75245714157710172672010-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:002010-10-19T19:52:21.207-07:00Stinker Alert! Buffalo Bill's Bad Batch! (Sorry)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbjkTmLJXLUIau8snqHHM1_CKCwZzkXBLNEIWpixLBlutCjBWPYCeAdg-3JZtpYBNDwbBlkJDO-ry-g8NAA2r8wLRwNgo3H87uczPDnkS_JObc3_c2_nL3o0KdRNBvLSRxY3YcYsG-7Q/s1600/100_0410.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529954259288975090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbjkTmLJXLUIau8snqHHM1_CKCwZzkXBLNEIWpixLBlutCjBWPYCeAdg-3JZtpYBNDwbBlkJDO-ry-g8NAA2r8wLRwNgo3H87uczPDnkS_JObc3_c2_nL3o0KdRNBvLSRxY3YcYsG-7Q/s200/100_0410.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Jury’s In.<br /></span></strong><br />This year’s batch of Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale is a stinker. At least the Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale that was shipped to the Phoenix, Arizona market is a stinker.<br /><br />I picked up a single of BBPA at the local Total Wine store on Saturday (not wanting to blow the dough for a full six pack in case my suspicions were confirmed) and on Sunday, I popped the top, and poured the contents to find a sour smelling, floater infested glass of tangy pumpkin ale, not at all in a league with their previous year’s efforts.<br /><br />So for the 2010 historical record: A six pack of Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale purchased at Cost Plus was found to be sour smelling and tasting with intermittent flaky, paper-like floaters. A random single of Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale purchased at Total Wine was found to be sour smelling and tasting with small speck-like floaters.<br /><br />Sorry Buffalo Bill. See you next year.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">On a Positive Note.<br /></span></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TlTXGa7G_-FfWtMctOKdPhqBibYPmIHfN7OHnuFuwq3-RgD6pzPItyjelf1bs19PxB6VcoXhLZZ7tdj_uqIXcHM-BXqz1pXfKmHCJyk1BwT98ZkiQGjYI62jQ9R4NO7KOcaCBw3vDHA/s1600/100_0396.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529953902736966530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4TlTXGa7G_-FfWtMctOKdPhqBibYPmIHfN7OHnuFuwq3-RgD6pzPItyjelf1bs19PxB6VcoXhLZZ7tdj_uqIXcHM-BXqz1pXfKmHCJyk1BwT98ZkiQGjYI62jQ9R4NO7KOcaCBw3vDHA/s320/100_0396.JPG" border="0" /></a>In my quest for a single bottle of BBPA, I snagged a single of Lakefront Brewing’s Pumpkin Lager, remembering how enjoyed their pumpkin offering last year in Denver and a single of Abita Brewing’s Pecan Harvest (and some others) remembering with fondness a bunch of Shiner Holiday Cheer’s that I’ve enjoyed. (You remember that one from Texas that’s brewed with pecans and peaches…ah, delicious.)<br /><br />I first enjoyed Lake Front’s Pumpkin Lager at a little Mexican restaurant on the west side of Denver almost a year ago exactly. The upside then was that they were having a special on this one and I originally recalled that it was on draft, but the more I think about it, the more I begin to recall that it was served in bottles. My brother-in-law was even coaxed into trying one and enjoyed it, I believe. I enjoyed it so much that when I returned from the Denver trip (last year’s Denver trip, not to be confused with this year’s Denver trip), I eagerly hunted the shelves of the local booze outlets hoping to find more, but to no avail.<br /><br />Imagine my thrill at finding Lake Front Pumpkin Lager at Total Wine this past weekend. I don’t know if it was simply setting and circumstance, but my notes this time don’t measure up to that initial sampling. Here are the two separate entries.<br /><strong>October 7, 2009<br /></strong><em>More spice than pumpkin. Very good spiced pumpkin taste. Enjoyed as a prelude to getting my ass kicked at pool<br /></em>(Did I mention that my brother-in-law is an accomplished pool player?)<br /><strong>October 17, 2010</strong><br /><em>Cloudy bronze. Weak head. Slightly sour smelling but with noticeable pumpkin smell. Vaguely sour, not especially spicy. Not as good as I recall it from Denver a year ago.<br /></em><br />Indeed. I believe the October 2009 sample was all the more tasty because of the pleasant company of my brother-in-law. Setting and circumstance, people.<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxMQUH__ou2VnsoXrTbTOZRUOUKGqHRURyrChMudRDYMQQ8SBmPzbiD2qPs6WPsq8Pm-GEjHCDarmLLUegg2B1szzGzUPE58JMvu0Z6FgB2BgA6xo5TR0U6yrUrC6WXIXAtKaehjDxDI/s1600/100_0412.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529953593451775986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxMQUH__ou2VnsoXrTbTOZRUOUKGqHRURyrChMudRDYMQQ8SBmPzbiD2qPs6WPsq8Pm-GEjHCDarmLLUegg2B1szzGzUPE58JMvu0Z6FgB2BgA6xo5TR0U6yrUrC6WXIXAtKaehjDxDI/s320/100_0412.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />The notes for Pecan Harvest are certainly more hopeful than for BBPA this year and even as compared to the Lakefront Pumpkin Lager:<br /><em>Copper colored with a thin head. Good – not like anything I can think of. Nutty roasted tasting – a bit rich and probably not something you’d want to drink a bunch of.<br /></em><br />No, not a bunch, but just right if two or three is your goal for an afternoon under a tree in the back yard.<br /><br />That’s it. I’ve got a busy rest of the week and a busy weekend coming up, then, this time next week I’ll be preparing for a two-day jaunt up to Flagstaff on work-related business and I’m hoping to visit Mogollon Brewing during my free time on Friday. (See them at <a href="http://www.mogbrew.com/">http://www.mogbrew.com/</a>)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0