Flying to the Hive and Quick Riffs

Gosh, where have the days gone? It’s still blazing hot here at Beer Rant HQ and the monsoons have brought us nothing save a bit more humidity that throws the whole “dry heat” chestnut on its head. Anyway.

I’m doing more beer drinking and not so much blogging. Beers sampled since the last post include Shiner’s Smokhaus, Breckenridge Summer Bright Ale, and Lagunita’s Lucky 13. I liked them all well enough and I suppose I’ll get ‘round to some notes at some point.

Big news right now is next week’s impending jaunt up to Utah and the area north of Salt Lake City proper. Now of course the purpose is to visit in-laws and kinfolk and to especially get a chance to see my oldest daughter and her daughter (who is grandchild number 3 out of a total of 4). However, there’s always the chance that I’ll break away from the crowd and have an opportunity to sample local beers. I never make hard and fast plans in this regard, because I’ve usually been disappointed with the outcome. Nevertheless, I’ve allowed myself the luxury of looking up the names and addresses of the various microbrew and craft brew outlets in the greater SLC area. One indispensable resource has been Mike Riedel’s terrific blog Utah Beer. Mike’s up on the latest local haps for sure, so I’ve used his list of promising beer purveyors to create a short list of places to visit if “setting and circumstance” permit. (Yeah, I worked in my catch phrase again. I’m done!)

What do I anticipate doing if the beer tour doesn’t pan out? My in-laws have a lovely finished basement with a large TV. I’ve got a stack of great books to read and I’ll take a few of them just in case. (I’m currently reading American Gunfight, which is about an attempt to assassinate President Truman in the 1950s. It’s good. I’ll probably wind up the trip reading Eisenhower’s Lieutenants. Life’s good, if the books are good, even if you can’t find great local beer.)

Okay. A quick riff or two, for old time’s sake, okay?

Shiner Smokehaus Helles Style Lager
Sampled on August 16, 2009
I’d been looking for this thing since it was released back in June. Mrs. Beer Rant tracked it down for me and heaven bless her for it. Pours slightly darker than a Bud/Miller/Coors lager. Smells like liquid smoke – somewhat chemical smelling and tasting. Initially does not taste like beer. Tastes a bit like flavored fruit beers that I’ve had – the added taste just seems a bit strange. I can see how beer drinkers might easily love or hate this. I like it just fine and was glad the missus picked up two six packs. (But just last weekend, I grabbed a six-pack of this, then reluctantly placed it back on the shelf of the local Total Wine outlet. I like it, but not enough to buy it in favor of some other new beer!)


Lagunita’s Lucky 13
Sampled on August 9, 2009
I like this company’s style, though I’m probably not hip enough to run with their kind. This beer labels itself as “a mondo large red ale.” It does pour a dark red color with a robust beige-orange head. This one’s sweet tasting without the alcohol bite I expected, though it has a medium to heavy mouth feel. The sweetness and a high abv percentage preclude this as a good session beer but it’s definitely a flavorful beer. The label includes a phone number (707-769-4495) to call the company. Go ahead, I dare you.

Next post will likely come after we get back from the Beehive State.