Long time no review.

 Long time no review.

It’s not as if I haven’t been drinking craft beer. The day I stop drinking craft beer is either the day I die or the day I take a pregnancy test and it turns out positive.  And seeing as how I’m not out there whoring the street corners, have a ring on my finger, and I’m as healthy as a horse, neither is going to happen ANYTIME soon. So have no fear, I shall always drink craft beer. J

Review away, you say? Well, alright you impatient SOB. Here goes review overload.

Odell St. Lupulin -  Extra Pale Ale, 6.5 ABV

It reads on the bottle that this brew is dedicated to the mystical legend of St. Lupulin, the archetypal hophead. Devoting endless summers to endless rows of hops and its flowers, which contain the resin – lupulin. Paints a pretty little picture, doesn’t it?

Well this mystical little thing pours a like something you’d find at the end of the rainbow, beautiful and golden. No extreme carbonation, just smooth and slightly effervescent. Clean. Nice malty weight to the smell.  Pretty aromatic hops for an EPA, and not very bitter or aggressive. A well done dry hopped brew, and I’m assuming they just used a less aggressive hop in the boil. It has this sweet, clean malt taste. Not thick. Pretty hoppy for an EPA. Also, higher alcohol content that you would generally encounter with this style. In comparison to something local, and a general go to beer (as it’s always on tap),  I would prefer this over Summit’s EPA. It’s slightly more aromatic, and carries with it a more crisp and clean finish. Their EPA (and actually most others I’ve tried) are a bit sweeter and perhaps more viscous. But I’m thinking this might have something to do with how bars treat their kegs (too little or too much pressure, or dirty lines, etc) as I haven’t had a “fresh” summit EPA in a while. As for St. Lupulin, I’d hunker down with a 6 pack of this for sure. Though maybe I wouldn’t drink them like water, because of the higher ABV and not as crisp and drinkable as say a pilsner or kolsch. And by maybe, I mean I shouldn’t, but probably would anyways.

*New grading system: I’m now including a scale for my beers.  1. Carbonation/mouthfeel 2. Hop factor: a: aromatic; b: bitterness 3. Malt factor 4. Overall grade of beer. On a system of 1-5. 5 being extreme (or in overall category, a highly favorable beer).

SCALE: 1. 2; 2.  3 a: 3.5; b: 2; 3.  3; 4. 3.5

Deschutes Hop in the Dark  C.D.A.  (Cascadian dark ale)

Black pour. Little head.  Roasted, bitter, hoppy. Clean. Crisp. Great black IPA. Bitter and bold finish slightly lingers. Simply put: I could drink this all night. Why are all black IPA’s only seasonal or limited edition. Will some brewery please, on a regular basis make this brew?

SCALE: 1. 3; 2.  4 a: 3.5 b: 3.5; 3. 2.5; 4. 4

Widmer Brothers Brewing – Pitch Black IPA

This brew is from their 924 series. Clever little bit on the bottle: “always bet on black”. I couldn’t agree more. I’m so in love with black IPA’s, I think I’m going to adapt this as yet another beer slogan of mine. And I’d say that this one, would always be a safe bet. A well done BIPA. This brew is at 6.5% ABV and was born on March 30 11 – so not extremely fresh, but it still has a distinct and pleasant bold hop flavor to it. It’s slightly smoky. Smooth. Refreshing.  And it has a nice roasted finish that lingers a bit. This would taste great with steak or smoked pork. In fact, I’m pissed I’m not eating one right now. And now I’m hungry. Super. Well this brew isn’t as big or in your face as Deschutes hop in the dark, but still noteworthy and I’d definitely grab this one again.

SCALE: 1. 2; 2. 3 a: 3 b:2; 3. 2.5; 4: 3

Weyerbacher – Insanity

This oak aged ale is set at an impressive 11.1% ABV.

Chestnut pour. Little head. Aroma is very malty, sweet, and strong alcohol. I was hesitant to drink the entire 12 oz. and with reason.  And you know what, you’d be insane as shit to drink more than one of these. I mean, if you want something big, and in your face that tastes like there’s a couple ounces of bourbon in it. Something with extremely high alcohol content, this is your brew. Want to get messed up? Drink this. Do it on a full stomach though, or you’ll pay the next day.

SCALE: 1. 2; 2: 1 a:0 b:1 or 0; 3: 4; 4: 2

And the best for last:

Deschutes Brewery – Black Butte XXIII (23^rd Birthday Reserve)

Bottle reads: “Welcome to Crazy”. You’re damn right.

This incredible masterpiece is brewed with cocoa nibs from Theos, orange peels from Seville, and Pasilla Negra chilles, and added with 25% aged in bourbon barrels.  This beauty poured like dark liquid chocolate. Very smooth. Very little initial carbonation. Smells sweet, and the cocoa is evident in the initial aroma. Has a slightly caramel taste, possibly from the crystal malts. I’m still working on detecting specialty malt varieties in brews. Let’s be honest, I’m still working on detecting pretty much everything. But I need to carry on. It’s so smooth it’s like you can barely feel it. Like drinking dark chocolate milk, with a bit of a citrus zest and slightly bitter caramel roasted finish. Only the slightest bit of tingle as you drink this bad boy to remind you that you are in fact, drinking a beer.  This is a great imperial porter. Smoked, but not over the top. It has enough of a bitter factor, that I would drink this again and again. You find roasted and caramel notes. Then a bittersweet chocolate bite from the cocoa nibs. And to top it all off, perfectly I might add, is the slight orange zest. And I believe I taste the slight zing of the chilies in the finish. Absolutely wonderful. This is art. This is why I drink craft beer. Well done.

SCALE: 1. 2; 2. 3 a:2 b: 3; 3. 3; 4: 5!

Also note: Not using this scale again. As simple as it is, it’s just a bit confusing unless you remember which number is what and what the scale is.

Avery's Maharaja IPA

Avery Brewing Co. Their dictator series. The Maharaja IPA. Batch #13. March 2011. 102 IBU'S. 10.54% abv. This IPA is all sorts of interesting. Vanilla or Caramel hint? Citrus, which is to be expected from an IPA. Grapefruit. But something almost smells sweeter, like a sweet melon. Or even a grape or pear. I'm having a hard time pin pointing the specific fruit. But it's not the normal citrus I encounter with IPA's. It is, but there is also so much more to this. Very floral, but not extremely aromatic. Less pine and less bitter, but only to the aromatic component to the brew for the later, not in it's taste. It's very malty, which seems unusual for an IPA. It also carries with it a strong alcoholic bite to it, but not as strong as a Belgian (thought it carries with it the alcohol content of a higher Belgian). It's clean. Crisp, but not very light. Amber pour, slight head. Still drinkable. I never thought I’d say this, but this is an IPA I would like to try pairing with an interesting dessert, like a creme brulee. Or perhaps a fruity, nutty, or poppy salad. A lighter marinated chicken, or a lemon zested fish, but not peppered or heavily spiced. This is a very majestic brew. I imagine royalty would enjoy it. I wouldn't choose to drink this on its own again, but pair it with food. But it must be noted that if this was brewed in March, its effect might be completely different as I consumed it a little into May. It's very common for aromatic compounds to be lost during this time frame. [Question to others and what I'm unaware of is if the strong taste of alcohol would increase with time, and if there are IPA"s that can be slightly cellared? Also, is the degradation of aromatic compounds the melon or malty flavors I now detect? Or is this the actual purpose of the brew?]

Image from http://www.averybrewing.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86&Itemid=75 (my own camera seems to be unwilling this week)

3 Bier System.

3 Beer review. Get it. Not the 3 Tier system...... Like how many brew pubs/breweries and even fantastic, out this world, because this beer store is your family sort of place are fighting against... in case you don't know me, the later was referring to the four firkins! ( http://fourfirkins.cloudprofile.com/ ). I'm cool. Don't worry about it.


Anyhow....


Southern Tier – Imperial iniquity black ale.

This isn’t going to be a good one; both in writing and in final judgment. Beware.

As bottle states: 9% ABV/ 21◦ Plato/ 2R pale malt, debittered black malt, kettled hops: Chinook, cascade. Hop back: Willamette. Dry hops: cascade, centennial. [Interesting that they went as detailed as to when they added which hops. Might as well tell us what the ratio was and which kind of cascades they used.]

Poured dark, but not black. Little carbonation. Clean. Easy to drink. However, it’s very carmely (yup, it’s a word now) and something else sweet. Some spice or something I can’t describe. No, not that it’s spiced. Let’s rephrase. It’s something sweet I don’t like and cannot adequately describe to you. It reminds me slightly of black licorice, which I hate, by the way. Roasted. But not the nice normal caramel roast you encounter with most stouts… it’s that black malt… It tastes exactly how it smells. And no, I'm not being racist. Or maltist. Or whatever. It's just black malt....it's just interesting. Like when you’re in a candle shop, smelling all those different scents, and you come across something like, oh I don’t know, musk…. and you’re like, “Oooh, that’s interesting!”, and you make your friend smell it. And you’re friend is like, “Are you going to buy it?!”, and to which you reply, “Fuck no. What am I going to do with "musk"?” which is exactly my point. I just don’t like black malt. I don’t know why. Probably because it reminds me of black licorice, which I have some unexplainable strong aversion too. I mean, it’s fine in small quantities. But it just seems to me like they used too much of it.

However, this beer, which I would never just drink on its own, ever again, would pair beautifully. With the right food, this beer might actually be heaven. I imagine it would taste well with smoked BBQ pork. And it might go good with something like tiramisu. Or a dark chocolate cheesecake. Or so I am imagining. As I am not a chef, nor do I have well stocked fridge, I cannot experiment. Nor am I skilled at food and craft beer pairing….yet.

Best thing about it: The bottle. Cool design. In addition, a little bit of history is on the bottle. TIL (things I learned) – hexagram – or six point star was the customary symbol of brewing representing the essential pure ingredients of the craft: water, hops, grain, malt, yeast and of course the brewer. [Side thought: Aaah….um, grain and malt… isn’t that redundant? Unless I guess you used roasted barley, which hasn’t gone through the malting process, but still, that’s not customary to all brews. Unless they are considering the actual malting of your grain a part of brewing, so then, yes, perhaps. Though, if that’s the case it wouldn’t be 6 points because you’re forgetting the maltster? Or do they think that this brewing asshole does it all? Grow their own hops too? No. You did it wrong. Or maybe it's talking about when brewers used to malt their own barley in ancient days, but back then, they didn't use hops, they used spices... so.... WTF? (Sorry, thinking out loud, in a manner of speaking)] The bottle then goes on to talk about why they chose to call it iniquity, meaning opposing goodness, which is fitting, because it’s literally how I took it. Anyways, it says that it’s contrary to what one might expect from an IPA—well, no shit, Sherlock, it’s a black ale—because it’s an ale as black as night and is the antithesis of Unearthly. Um, and no, it’s not as black as night, but close. Maybe as black as good potting soil, but not the night, or some emo kids heart. Blah blah blah.

Grade: C*

Curious about the Brewer’s Star: http://www.brewingmuseum.org/article10.htm
And also, there’s a brewery called Sixpoint in NY based off of this ancient symbol. And here’s a little ditty on them from great brewers: http://greatbrewers.com/brand/sixpoint  …WHICH BY THE WAY, notice in the picture when pouring malt into the mill, whose malt they are pouring. Rahr. That’s right. Pwned.

Review of Radeberger Pilsner:

How the hell do you review a pilsner? To me, a pilsner needs to be your thirst quenching beer. Something you can pound. It’s not water, but it doesn’t have a body. This isn’t going to be the love of your life. Nor is it going to be the best lay you’ve ever had. This is going to be your filler. What you drink when you don’t want the thrill of adventure you might get with a wild beer like some DIPA, or any sort of sophistication you’ll get with a Belgian, nor any dramatic novel you might find in a stout. This is the sports illustrated of craft beer. All you need to know is if the lens is out of focus. Well, I’ll use that analogy because most craft beer drinkers are men. If it’s too malty, or too hoppy, then it’s out. And in no way should it be hazy. Or even really golden, it must be less than that. This beer is: a hot summer day. Grilling out. Working up a sweat. Taking clothes off. That’s what a pilsner is. And this beer, well it didn’t fail. As to say what notes I tasted, yadha blah blah blah… no. Only note to be noted, good pilsner or not. This passed. If I can imagine coming home from some grueling physical activity, dripping with sweat, wanting to tear my clothes off sort off because I'm so hot.... And I imagine myself in front of my fridge… would I grab this? Yes, I would. And that is my pass fail of a pilsner. Way to go Germany. My shirts off to you.

Grade: B

Victory’s Storm King Imperial Stout

Oofdah. Speaking of taking your clothes off.

Maybe it’s just because one of my beer weaknesses is a well done, not sweet, imperial stout. Yes, folks. I’d bring shame to my family for an incredible imperial stout or an DIPA. Now you know. One of my many flaws.
This might not be a contender for my top 3 spots in the imperial stout category. But this is well done. And is actually more drinkable than my top spots. Ok… they go back and forth, but just for clarification at this moment, the order follows: Surly – Darkness, Weyerbacher – Tiny, Goose Island – Nighstalker, Great Divide – Espresso Oak Aged Yeti. So, for practicality it gets more points for being highly drinkable. But let’s face it, when you reach for a stout, you’re not reaching for something you’re about to slam. It’s roasted. And bitter. But not strictly bitter, I can actually taste the slight pine and citrus. Which is interesting in combination with this roasted flavor. Usually, in a well hopped stout, I don’t detect this note as strongly. But this is a lighter, cleaner stout. Also, no vanilla or caramel notes, that I notice. And the roasted flavor does not linger. In addition, the taste is stronger than the aroma. Usually, when tasting beers, I inhale while I drink to enhance the effect. But inhale alone doesn’t provide much with this brew. Not very aromatic. Though it smells sweeter than it tastes.
This would be good with something smoked, and spicy. Because it has the elements to bring out flavor components in a smoked meat, but it’s also clean, crisp and very, very slightly citrus(y) and can cut away from some of the more extreme peppers in certain rubs. And you can have more than one. So this beer is how it is brewed…a victory. Charlie Sheen would approve.

Grade: B++.

* = So I’ve decided to give beers letter grades for overall satisfaction. Starting now.

VCBW

I found this Vancouver Craft Beer Week video on Reddit.... it's simply amazing and needs to be spread.

TAP INTO IT from Vancouver Craft Beer Week on Vimeo.

2 in 1.

Beer Part

The Great Divide’s Espresso Oak Aged Yeti.

This beautiful beast poured like black water. Hardly any head whatsoever. But not that it didn’t lack any carbonation. It was beautiful. Smooth. The constant tingle helps to bring forth the bitterness of both the espresso and the hop profile. This was what I was looking for when I tried Mikkeler’s Koppi – supposed coffee IPA—strong coffee and hop notes. The rich roasted, caramel and vanilla notes leave just the slightest sweet after taste that lingers under bold forefront of the espresso and hops. Fantastic. Move over Goose Island’s Nightstalker, you have a competitor at my number one Stout spot. Well...  a three way. You know Surly's Darkness has a claim too.

Also, what I love about this. On the bottle they put food pairing suggestions. Which, I think is brilliant. But more amazing than the idea, most of what they say to pair with, is breakfast food. Now I like where their heads at. Never too early for craft beer.

[Suggested Pairing: breakfast burrito, eggs benedict, hash browns, cheesecake, creme brulee]

Running Part

10 Miles.

First ten mile run of the season.  It was extremely windy out. To get to where I was going, I needed to travel along Calhoun, and of course the part where the wind is the strongest. Winds were reportedly gusting 29 miles an hour. I couldn’t look straight. And if someone looked at my face, it probably looked like I was crying. But once I got on the greenway, it was really sheltered and calm. And because the weather wasn’t perfect, there were hardly any people on the greenway. It was amazing. It was like the morning, the path, and the run where all mine, and mine alone. I love running with friends, but sometimes, when you’re that alone, it’s so incredibly liberating. It’s as if you could run forever, in your own little world. It’s almost hypnotic. And it can also be incredibly restorative.  And that kind of run was just what I needed in my life right now. Nothing hurt, for the most part. And other than the initial struggle with the wind, I was set in my long distance running zone; I could have been reading a book. It was so automatic and it felt so right. I did feel my shin in the last 3 miles, on the return. It was also windy going back. But even the added struggles couldn’t take away from my runners high. I really felt I could’ve run a half marathon that day. Maybe not at a good pace, but I definitely believe I could’ve knocked out the distance.  And not to mention I had a killer playlist. Which, I’ll add to this post at the bottom. But there is this one song, which came on during the last mile. It was perfect.  It’s not exactly a “pump you up” sort of song, but it was still amazing. Cloud Cult’s “There’s so much energy in us”. This song sort of makes me emotional whenever I hear it. It’s so inspiring yet I can’t find the words to convey how I really feel and why. I can try. To me, it just means that when all seems lost, there is always hope. And even when you didn’t believe you had it in you, you did, and you always did. I think back to the really difficult times in my life where I thought I was at rock bottom, or that I couldn't overcome what was in front of me, and yet I perservered and I did. When I had no faith in myself, or really in anything, and then something sort of takes over you, and you achieve what you thought was the unthinkable. So when I heard that, I felt like I was flying. And the COOLEST part was that I looked up, and there was this HUGE hawk, just floating above me, because he was just coasting on the wind. It was all surreal. It made for a truly remarkable run.  

Long Run Playlist:

Note: just part of the list that I got to. And I rarely listen to a whole song. I have song ADD. And not in order. I have an ipod shuffle so I can't really control what's coming.

Thrice – Deadbolt

Nelly – Heart of a Champion

Requiem for a Dream Melody

A run song (some techno song I’ve had on my computer since like, 1998... no clue who it is, sorry, but it’s wicked awesome to run to...so really no need to publish that, whatev)

Lil Wayne – 6 ft 7 (ft Cory Gunz)

Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On

The Black Keys – Howlin’ For you

The Postal Service – Brand New Colony

Lykke Li – Until We Bleed

Drake – I want this forever

Atmpshere – Shotgun

Fair to Midland – Dance of the Manatee

Fat Boy Slim – Weapon of Choice

Flogging Molly  - Salty Dog

Jesse James – Wanted (ha sorry!)

Joan Jett – Bad Reputation

Kanye West – Work Out Song

Moby – Go

The White Stripes – Blue Orchid

Jay Z – On To The Next One

Madonna – Die Another Day

Cloud Cult – Exploding People

-          There’s so much energy in us  --- incase you've never heard it:

Outta work early = Beer Review?

So I get out of work early. Windy and chilly outside, and I don't feel like running. Apartment is a wreck. Blah blah blah. Right? Ok. But let's do something fun first. Something to celebrate getting out of work early....What shall I do? I'm going to review some unknowns waiting in my fridge. But only two. I mean, come on, it's not even 5 o'clock yet.

Lagunita's Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale.

This is an interesting, bitter ale. As the bottle states it was brewed in response to the 2005 (pot) investigation at the brewery that shut it down temporarily. Something about pot being sold on premises, but that wasn't the case. It's bitter because they're bitter about the 20 day suspension, etc etc. The story intrigued me. So I purchased it. It was bitter, which I enjoy. I'm not into the extremely malty sweet beers, which is why I enjoy Belgians, but I do not love them. However, the initial aroma, like the head in this beer, died as quickly as you can say...[insert something appropriately clever, I'm too lazy].  It poured a beautiful amber, very clean and crisp. But all in all, my taste buds were just left with how I felt, bitter. There isn't very much to it. Not much character. It felt thin. Perhaps if I would've drank this last week, or even directly after bottling, I'd have a completely different experience, as aromatic compounds tend to degrade quickly. But, the beer does have a 9. 87 % ABV, so it's not a total downer. And it's drinkable, not filling. Sooo let's say I was this bitter woman, and I had a bad day or a bad break up. I would recommend this beer because it's not going to kiss your ass, or sugar coat things. It's bitter. Easy. And to the point. And you'll only need a few so if you're counting calories, you can still go for that ice-cream later, girlfriend! Just don't drink and dial (or txt) afterwards.

Brooklyn's Local 1

This is a Belgian beer. Bottle conditioned. [side note/question: aren't most Belgians bottle conditioned? I know they aren't filtered.] But I'm not sure how best to review this beer. I'm not very good at distinguishing all the different yeast components that come with all Belgian strains. Actually for any strains. For instance, I cannot seem to detect pear for some reason. I can discern a sweet citrus, but I can't say pear, apricot or fig unless it's rather obvious in the initial aroma. But I'm still learning. It's very interesting and not usual in comparison to any previous Belgians I've had before, or at least certain notes I seem to be catching at this point, which might have something to do with previous review. It pours a hazy golden, with a perfect head. Not too big, or little. Effervescent. Slightly sweet, but it carries with it a slightly sour (and perhaps dry?) finish. And it's light. Not really sticky, as some Belgians seem to me. So very drinkable. And also at 9% ABV, dangerous. So if you're a big fan of Belgian beers, I'm not sure if I would or wouldn't recommend this to you, because that's not my area (if I had one). But if you're a fan of good beer, this is a good grab and I'd definitely recommend it.

Caroline Smith Duo - Eagle's Nest / Callio - NORTH SHORE SESSIONS

I don't know what it is about this video, or this girls voice, but I've listened to this about 100 times in the last month. On repeat as I'm cleaning up around the apartment. So amazing. Everything on North Shore Sessions is, but Caroline Smith is by far my favorite.

New PR, Bitch.

Run post.

I did it!!!!! New PR for course: 4.7 mi in 38 minutes: 8:09min/mi pace. Same thing happened as last time running this (feeling sick), but I didn't slow down. I figured I'd rather get sick in front of all those people around the lake than miss this PR again. Passed 10 people today, including 4 guys, though one of the guys came back to pass me again. And granted a majority of people are probably just starting to run outside again. Still. Wicked. One year ago today, I never would've thought I could do anything at the pace I did today, for the distance I did it in. Progress is slow, but worth it. Hell. Yes. Next year 7:30min/mi? Ooooh gurl.

Oh, and UMD Bulldogs beat Notredame 4-3 to go on the the finals and the frozen four. Yes. A MN team that's kickin ass and taking names.

Aaaannnd Mauer is starting home opener tomorrow even though Pavano is pitching.

One step forward, two...

Running post.

So it's absolutely fantastic outside. Just a little windy, but otherwise wonderful. So I'm gonna run. And I was pumped. I don't know why, maybe because the sun is out. Sometimes, that's all it takes. Somedays. Anyhow, I started off pretty fast. Which, I usually do because I get really excited to be running. Like I forget that I have 5 miles more to go. Playing soccer and being a sprinter in HS doesn't teach you how to pace yourself very well. Although I don't have a device that tracks pace or miles or location, I know my pace well enough, and I'd say the first two miles I was kicking out an 8 min/mi pace or less. I average around 9 (give or take 20 sec) usually. So naturally I'm pretty happy about that. Maybe I felt like a rockstar. Felt pretty damn good passing Barbie in bright pink. Definitely a rockstar. But then out of no where I feel extremely sick, like where maybe I should spot a good place for something bad to happen kind of sick. KILLED my pace.Though I didn't stop, because I absolutely refuse to stop in front of people, I did have to slow way down for around 10 minutes. I was able to finish out my run like normal, which I'm thankful for, but I'm still extremely disappointed I didn't run the whole run like I did in the beginning. It would've been a really great new PR for that route, and just another goal passed for running this spring/summer. I think I'm going to have to get some advice on how to best increase my pace and endurance by the end of May and beginning of June so I can do a half in the time I want (under 2 hours). At the least, beat my time last year.

I think I'm going to have a beer. Today can't be a total waste.

Drinking...then running?

Run post. Both Saturday and Sunday I got some decent runs it. Both Saturday and Sunday I got some decent drinks in as well. Not sure I like this trend.

Saturday, the day after my tasting partying (and excessive beer consumption and pizza!), I was made to play dress up and try on bridesmaid dresses. Then the bride, knowing the agony she just put us through, decided to buy us all big margaritas. I came home after and decided to still go on with my 8 mile run. Kicked it out in around 1hr and 15 minutes. Not bad considering what my body had gone through in the last 12-24 hours. Though I could tell I was running on reserves the last mile or so.

Then, went to play free darts and get some beers with some girlfriends today. I had a 20 oz New Belgium Ranger. Which, by the way is a great go to IPA. that seems to be on tap everywhere.  Then a short Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Which brings me back, because I remember back in the day I thought I was so original for both knowing what that beer was and being the only one of my friends that would buy it. How silly I was back then. Anyhow, nachos were also consumed. After losing horribly at cricket, I left. So I get home, still feeling a slight buzz. And I go for another run. Only this time, I really feel like I have alcohol in my system. So you feel like you're a rockstar, because that's what beer can do to you, and then on the other hand your body is like, what the fuck is this? So it turned out to be a very difficult run, but I managed to kick it toward the end an pull with a pretty good time of around 41 minutes for a 4.7 mile run.

Lesson learned? Yes. My social life and running life need to be better organized. Save the beers for after the run. What you fuel for your run matters. Whether you can physically do it or not, isn't the question. All I know is that my body deserves a little better energy than some pale ale or IPA. Save the reward for afterwards.

First tasting tonight.

I held my very first official tasting tonight. The kind where you bring in a group of people, beer lovers or not, all in one group, to taste and discuss. Totally unlike what me and my cousin conducted last fall. We were beer nerds trying to self educate. Now, I am the instructor trying to guide my bud/miller lite lovers onto greener pastures. After repeating myself many a times, and trying to depict what "trappist" or "imperial" means to the brewing community, I almost gave up. But at the end of it all, it seemed to click, if only for a bit. And that in itself was worth it.

Beer tasting in order: Ommegang's Hennipen Saison, Westmalle's Trappist Dubbel, Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, Boulevards Smokestack series Dark Truth, and a little bonus: Stone Breweries Self-Righteous Black IPA. I tossed the last one in last minute, because lets face it. Go back to your brew education days. Remember your face and the feeling you got when you found out there was such a thing as a black IPA, and then remember drinking it. I couldn't without such a gift. Maybe I added a little too much kick for a first tasting for my friends, but better to impress than to leave them disappointed.

My review will consist of only the new brews for my palate: Lagunitas Hop Stoopid and Westmalle's Dubbel.

I was very unimpressed with the Lagunita's IPA Hop Stoopid. It was very sweet and malty for an IPA, not very aromatic, but still had a nice dry, bitter finish. Poured nice and amber for an IPA, though slightly hazy. Typical IPA slightly frothy head. Nothing impressive about initial smell. Would I purchase again? Probably not. And I wouldn't recommend it either. But it seemed to be a hit with the others. Therefore, a win in my book.

The Trappist Westmalle, Dubbel was fantastic. Very smooth but slightly sticky. Dark roasted, caramel appearance. Hint of apricot and clove. Not too sweet, which is what normally makes me shy away from Belgians. All in all, my favorite new brew of this session.

I did decide to mix brews after the tasting. I mixed one of my absolute favorite stouts, Dark Truth, with the Westmalle. It reminded me a bit of Weyerbacher's Tiny (Imperial Belgian Stout). It's borderline amazing. Roasted, smooth, yet effervescent. Sweet and a hint of fruit with a slighty hopped and roasted finish. Fantastic. I would mix this again and again and again.

I also, on my own, tried Stone's Arrongant Bastard Ale, which is what they are known for. It proved to be nothing more than your traditional ale. Basically, Stone is great, but it doesn't contend with some of my favorite local breweries. It dosn't take my breath away, unless you consider it's black IPA. I'm still glad they have opened the distribution lines to MN, but my life isn't forever altered.

All in all, I have left my friends wanting more. My original goal. New date set for next tasting, in which I will pair food.

Next step: finish a 8-10 mile run with my new established pace. Might be tricky considering lack of sleep and miles logged this week (only 2 runs!).

Then next week: New running shoes and.........(drum roll)............ home brew kit!!! After trying to save for weddings upon weddings that I'll be partaking in, and after my sister insisting she'll buy me one for a christmas present, and then not, I am finally going to purchase my very own brew kit. Very pumped for next few weeks.

Beer week one

Well. Week one (of documentation).

3 beers. Top notch each. In order of approval: Stone Brewery's Self Righteous black IPA, Summit's unchained series #6 Golden Sovereign Ale from brewer Damian, and Mikkeller's (world's first) Coffee IPA.

Self Righteous - Black IPA.

Pour black and dreamy. Like how you want a black IPA to pour. Not sticky or thick, but refreshingly effervescent. All those pine and citrus notes you love about IPA's and the character and hint of something greater you can only get from a black IPA. You know what they say, “once you go black you never go back”. Well, it holds true for this brew. It's definitely my top black IPA. And a true contender for my top brew of it all. Absolutely amazing. I'm going into Four Firkins tomorrow to show it to some friends, and I'll probably buy another bottle. Soooooo good.

Unchained #6: Golden Sovereign Ale.

It's like everything you wanted from a beer. It's hopped, but not extremely bitter. It's golden, and crisp, and clean. It's like your favorite pilsner, pale ale and IPA got together for an orgy. And this is it's classy baby. Damian used floor malt for this. For those who don’t know, floor malt is rarely used these days. It's very labor intensive, and expensive and usually imported. I work for a malting company, I should know. This is a brew that not only satisfies, it leaves you wanting more in a good way. An incredible brew that you could completely destroy a six pack of feeling like you've accomplished all the incredible flavor compounds within a turkey dinner, without feeling like it's 6pm on actual Turkey day. My favorite unchained yet. And I'm not going to lie, the Golden Belgian and Pumpkin Porter before it were outstanding. Also, "interning" for Summit, Damian happened to be my favorite brewer. Who doesn't love an Irish bloke who loves "football" and running, and knows everything there is to know about beer? So... um, I'm not biased either.

Mikkeller's Coffee IPA:

Golden amber appearance. Hazy, though wondering if the degree is due to the fact that this was a hopped beer brewed a few months ago, and it was imported. Frothy head. Effervescent. Smell and taste: pine, and sweet citrus. Very faint caramel? Bitter, dry finish. It's a great IPA, and I would definitely drink it again. A little disappointed I didn't pick out any roasted or coffee notes. Perhaps I'm not in the right mood or my palate wasn't clean enough. But I've been waiting for this beer to hit the shelves since January expecting to taste something totally unique and mind blowing. Great beer, but I think my fantasies of what this beer was going to taste like hindered my actual experience of it.

                                                                                                 

Well, I'll post on Saturday. I'm hosting my very first beer tasting party on Friday. This will extend past my tasting sessions with my cousin from this fall (which I'll blog about later, if I have the energy), and from sharing craft beer with some of my best friends. All beers and advice provided by Four Firkins (greatest craft beer store, end of story: http://fourfirkins.cloudprofile.com/ ).

Also, Friday will be my official one year employment anniversary for my malting company. I do love my job. Who doesn't love being involved in this industry?

Bri

Lissie - Kid Cudi live cover - Pursuit Of Happiness

To start things off, this is Lissie live cover of Kid Cudi. Both artist rock it. And her version is wicked. Would've loved to witness it. This is the shit. Post about beer next.