Please don't kill my beer blog!

I am not a robot.

I am not a robot.

I am not a robot.

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. 

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.

Since my last post:

I have two microbreweries within 3 miles of my house.

A dynamite craft beer shop within about a mile of my house.

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.

For now, here's a shot of some Old Speckled Hen in an El Paso hotel room, circa Winter 2020.

 

Airport Kiltlifter

This 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. 

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. 

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!

#airportbeer

#roadpost

     

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA: Awesome But Pricey

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. 

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. 

(Shout out to Kate and Dane, btw.)

The label says it all.

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. 

Farewell Old World Brewery

According to a post on their Facebook page today, Old World Brewery is no more. 

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. 

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. 

Three more to round out 2014

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. 

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. 

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.)

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. 

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

A post from the road: Utah

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. 

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.  

A mug of Trader IPA. The beer was great!  The prime rib sucked. 

First Post from Altitude

First Miller-Coors product of 2014, sampled and blogged at over 30,000 feet somewhere between Salt Lake City and Phoenix. 

First Post of 2014 - Photo Dump

 

October 12, 2012, Nero’s Apeccchio Red Ale

Picked this one up at Trader Joe’s and haven’t seen it there since, which is regrettable.  The notebook entry for this one reads:

Sweet malty smelling with a medium weak head.  Orange red with a beige head.  Surprising alcohol bite with a sweet almond finish.  Good. 

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.



 

June 24, 2012, Black Star Brewing, Black Star Lager

As I recall, I picked this one up when the new Winco store opened up down the road from BeerRant HQ.  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:

Weak Head, no noticeable smell.  Active beading, apple juice color.  No significant taste profile.  A bit corny or grainy – that’s it.  Good hot weather lager.

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.

 

June 25, 2012, Murphy’s Premium Red Ale

Here’s another one that evidently didn’t make my price point as a bargain based on the notes, which read:

Pours reddish bronze with a decent head.  Smells malt sweet like a lot of reds.  No significant taste profile – somewhat bitter and a bit dry at the finish.  Okay beer but only if it’s cheap.  Bought as a single at BevMo.

 

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.

December 27, 2011, Uinta Brewing, King’s Peak Porter

Dark coffee brown, not opaque.  Decent tan head with a distinct coffee smell.  Medium mouth feel.  Faint coffee taste at the finish.   Best Utah beer so far this visit (2011).

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.  Wish me luck and Happy New Year to you all.

Photo Dump

Lately 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.

 

August 11, 2012, Coors Archive Brewing, Batch 19 Pre-Prohibition Style Lager
My first sample of this came directly from a friend who carried it back to Arizona from Colorado.  My notes for this one read:
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.

 

August 24, 2012, Rogue Brewing, Captain Sig's Northwestern Ale



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:

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.

October 8, 2012, Trader Jose, Dark Premium Lager

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:

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.

February 24, 2010 Bell's Two Hearted Ale.

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:

I'm wondering if I could bring myself to plunk down $11 for a six pack of this.  I definitely like it.



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.

 

 

Before Another Year Slips By...

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. 

Here's the low down as noted in the yellow engineer's notebook:

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. 

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.

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. 

 

(Posted from the phone.)

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde

It's been too long since I posted here and it pains me to have to post a negative review but here you go. 

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. 

Eisbock Error

Shiner'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.

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.

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.

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.

You'll see the ice in the bottle and the darker than normal remnant in the mug. It had a higher alcohol content.

Cinder Cone Is Where You Find It

Frequent 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.

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.

Who cares if I like it because it reminds me of some other beer? Good is good!

(Third post from the iPhone.)

Bought the Farm(house)

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.

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.

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.

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!

Incidentally, I got home to find I'm out of gas for the grill. So much for my grand Friday plan.

Stone Vertical Epic 12-12-12

This 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:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the meantime, how 'bout that Koko Brown Ale from Kona Brewing?
Love the King's Peak Porter, too, and their new label. 

Neither fish, nor fowl. But still great.

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.

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.

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.

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:

Eclipse, Black IPA

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.

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.

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.

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.

First (Ever) Post from the Road

Spending 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.

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.

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.)

Here's a web cam shot of today's taster.

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!

Out of the loop (again)

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.

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?

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.

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.)