Colorado: Day 3, Part 2

Lost a little steam last night and couldn't finish day 3, which, incidentally, is sort of how day 3 itself felt.

After the Avery excursion, I still had enough juice to cram in a stop at Boulder Beer, but was apprehensive, knowing that the product probably wouldn't match. Maybe I set myself up from the start, but despite its grander exterior, larger tap room and more global following, Boulder Beer is no Avery.

Nine samples for $11. Not bad. Of the nine, I'd had only two (the Singletrack Copper Ale and the Buffalo Gold Ale, both average), so this was a quick way for me to add seven new beers to my index. And of those seven, only two again were above average. A very disappointing collection. So disappointing that it was all I could do to muster some bullet-pointed, four-word reviews of each. In the order that I drank them and with the words used and ratings given at the time:



Pass Time Pale Ale: "Graham cracker? Sweet, but not good. Whatever. 2.5"


Sundance Amber: "Nothing to say. 2.5"


Sweaty Betty: "Frozen pea aftertaste. Banana is there. 2"


Hazed and Infused: "38 IBUs for dry hopped? So subtle. 3.5"


Planet Porter: "Yes coffee. Nothing else. No depth. 2.5"


Mojo IPA: "Tangy orange tangerine. 4"


Cask Planet Porter: "Bigger head. Flatter. Warmer. Less flavor. 2"




So there you have it. Boulder Beer may as well rename itself Boulder Below Average Beer. I'd like to get a bottle of each of these and systematically refute the brewery-given descriptions of each. Ugh.


Maybe I'm giving Boulder Beer a hard time. They were one of the first microbreweries and obviously have had tons of success. The Mojo was delish. They've probably had other specialty beers throughout the years that are worthwhile. I just haven't had any of them. Have and of you?


One final stop for the night at the Mountain Sun Pub and Brewery for dinner and what turned out to be just one half pint of suds. I was stuffed with beer, a bit worn out from the heat and ready for a nap. There were plenty of options to choose from, and I took a stab and went with the nitro tap Illusion Dweller IPA. The results were not what I had in mind. This was not an American IPA, and there was not literature telling me so. Had the sweetness of a British IPA and was flat as could be. There was a certain amount of dry bitterness, but it couldn't offset the sweet flatness. A disappointment and not how I wanted to remember a well-reviewed brewpub.


With that said, the staff was incredible and accommodating, we were greeted with a free appetizer, and though the service and speed were fine, the manager knocked a third of our bill off because of some minor, everyday mishaps. I would go there again if I found myself back in Boulder. And do a little research beforehand.


After three days:
28 new beers (16 samples, 6 bottles, 3 pints, 2 cans, 1 half pint)
Best beer: Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine
Worst beer: Left Hand Polestar Pilsner

Colorado: Day 3, Part 1

Brewery day, with both Avery and Boulder getting a visit. For those who want to glamorize breweries, Avery is a reality check. Located well off the beaten path in an industrial park on the outskirts of Boulder, the brewery would be difficult to distinguish from any other mid-size factory. The tap room was basically a garage.

Luckily, the beers aren't as generic. At $1 a sample, it's also realistic to imagine trying each of the dozen or so beers they happen to have on tap that afternoon. I tried six, plus a pint.

My mini reviews:

White Rascal: A Belgian White or witbier. Hazy lemonade, a very light color for a craft beer. One word to describe: EASY. This baby flows smoothly. Not over-spiced or packed with intense flavor, which was refreshing for this style. One of my favorite wheats I've had this summer.

14'er ESB: Hooked on the first sip. Dirty malt smell, with that English bitter hook. Tremendous lingering metallic hop flavor. A pungent punch after the light Rascal.

Hog Heaven Barleywine: 104 IBUs? Quite hoppy for a barleywine, and it's evident from the start, because it is also dry-hopped. Earthy vegetable tasted, and much more bitter, as you may have guessed, than a traditional sweet barleywine. The hops snuff out the sweetness and you get a quite potent, almost imperial IPA aftertaste. Without the syrup. Here's an interesting side note: I didn't recall that I'd had this beer before, and was giving it the keen attention as if I hadn't. I ended up giving it 4.5 stars at the brewery, making it the highest-rated beer of the first three days. I loved it. When I got home, though, I checked my records (I also wasn't sure if I'd had the IPA) and found that I gave the Hog Heaven a lukewarm review when I first had it in March.

So do I scribe another review in the journal? Treat it as new? Disregard my clearly off first opinion? I'd rather not go down that road. Once a beer is reviewed, it's official. However, it's obviously fine to change your opinions of a beer without changing the initial review. It's quite common to see revised reviews on both beer rating websites. I'd simply rather not have two entries for one beer on opposite pages in the same journal. A potential solution: an entirely separate journal with new reviews of previously sampled beer. It would be interesting, I think, to see how my taste buds and preferences change over time. I could do this by comparing beers of similar styles from year to year, as well, but I think i may give this idea a try. A sort of second chance journal. Back to the beers.

Fourteen: Avery's 14th anniversary American Strong Ale. Replacing the recently-cashed sixteen on tap. Chocolate malt sweetness, and am I picking up a tiny mint smell? Tastes of figs and cocoa. A pint of this would knock me out. Quite good.

IPA: Fairly subtle and straightforward. I took note of the particularly strong lacing this one left on the glass. Centennial hops come through, but not as favorably as say, Founders IPA. Not the best IPA I've had, but still a nice beer.

Dry-hopped IPA: A special tap room only offering. Much cloudier than the regular IPA, and much more pungent. Smells exactly like clover. Like a weedy garden. One of the most unique smells I've found. The weeds provide for a pretty strong aftertaste as well. Really bitter finish. Not really much better than the regular, which surprised me a bit.

The Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest: Tapped for the first time this year while we were there, which is fun. Not a lot of liveliness here--very low carbonation. Sweet, malty smell, with a really creamy mouthfeel. Strong aftertaste of Euro hops. Has a very strange sweetness as well, almost grape. Unusual beer. I think a pint of it may be too much for me.

No duds at Avery, that's for sure, and several interesting options worthy of conversation. I passed on the Maharajah, a beer that I've had several times and love, and wasn't really interested in the brown or the porter. All in all, I was happy with the samples I tried, and would have stayed for more had I not felt it necessary to leave room for the imminent stop at Boulder Beer.

Colorado: Day 2

The longer I let this trip get away from me, the more fuzzy the beers become and the less likely I am to care about documenting them, so I'll do my best to sketch out another day. Luckily, I have my notes, but I've found that I'm pretty bad about consciously taking them when I should be. It took me until day 5 before I really started gathering observations about ambiance and setting; people and conversations. I get so caught up in the beers I'm tasting I almost forget I'm on vacation and should be soaking in every aspect of the moment.

With that said, I wouldn't give Estes Park Brewery high marks for ambiance in the first place. Most breweries, no matter how great their beers are, are not picturesque or elegant. They are warehouses, in strip malls, or in this case, a giant white barn complete with red football jersey lettering across the top. Classy.

Actually, the building pretty much sums up what we'd taste inside: blandness. I don't fault the brewers for assembling a lineup of cookie-cutter craft beers. In fact, that's probably their intention. Estes Park is a resort town, one that attracts thousands of people from all corners, and I imagine the brewmasters at EP Brewery would rather create boring beers with mass appeal than attempt amped-up craft mastery.

They did have a free tasting bar. With stale pretzels.

I decided to sample all ends of the spectrum (passing on the raspberry wheat), and started with the Stinger Honey Wheat. The wheat was simply overpowered by the honey, and while I enjoyed the departure from the classic wheat ale trap, I wasn't exactly looking for a sticky swallow of honey. This is all the analysis I can give nine days removed from a 4 ounce sample.

In fact, let's dispense with the analysis altogether. From there, I tried the Trail Ridge Red, Staggering Elk Lager and Samson Stout. Each one was more average than the previous. I could see these as being gateway beers for people interested in trying different styles, but why go to Estes Park to do it? Go to New Ulm.

The second night was similar to the first: slug as many new beers as possible while maintaining beer-rating integrity. This evening I started with the second can of the week, Upslope Pale Ale. I knew this brewery was young, but wow--they first started brewing just last October. This beer bragged of its "Patagonian hops," which I hadn't come across before in my tastings. Someone help me out--Patagonian hops? Either way, the flavor was light, like a subtle Centennial. A pretty easy drinker, one you could convince your macro friends to try, if not only because it comes in cans. Not going to overpower any experienced craft drinker, and not as pungent as a European Pale Ale, but drinkable. It is a nice looking can, too.

Next was the Uinta XVI Anniversary Barleywine, my first ever beer from Utah. What a surprise! A 10.4% beer from Utah?!?! How'd they get the permit? Who cares, because this was a delicious beer. Dark fruits and roasted coffee everywhere; reminded me of a mincemeat pie on a cold December night in London. Though it has been a while. Regardless, this one is in the mix for the best of the first two days with the SKA Modus Hoperandi.

From there, I had solid style representations in Deschutes Black Butte Porter and Odell 90 Shilling Ale (a Scottish Ale). I've run out of steam, though, and can't find the keys to describe them in any more length than that.

After two days: 13 new beers (6 bottles, 2 cans, 2 pints, 3 samples).
Best beer: tie--SKA Modus Hoperandi and Uinta XVI Anniversary Barleywine (both 4 stars)
Worst beer: Left Hand Polestar Pilsner

Colorado: Day 1

I'd love to tell you I didn't spend 20 minutes trying to think up a more creative title than that, but I don't want to lie. When did title-writing become so difficult? Maybe the better question is when did I start caring? Nobody needs fake chuckles at lame play-on-words headlines. Besides, it's not like any of my readers have a post with a similar title...

The goals of this trip (beyond the obvious family bonding, outdoor adventures, yada yada yada):

1. Visit any number of the numerous--and there are tons--breweries, brewpubs, saloons, gastro pubs, beer bars and watering holes in the central Colorado area.
2. Purchase, consume, ponder and review a wide selection of beers unavailable in Minnesota.
3. Leave with taste buds intact and functioning.
4. Don't alienate and/or piss off family.
5. Don't be 'that guy.'

That's sort of a prerequisite goal of any trip, outing, situation. Has being 'that guy' ever been a good thing? Unfortunately, I believe I became 'that guy,' drunkenly chucking bean bags across the cabin deck by myself well into the morning hours.

Day One.

Missed the 7:15 am flight to Denver. Several reasons. Incredible congestion at airport. One security person funneling all passengers to one bag-checking metal-detecting line. Random bag-check selection. Most remote departure gate. Whatever the reason, the four of us somehow made it onto the next flight when twelve connecting passengers missed their connection. Arrive in Denver around 11 am. Bags, shuttle, rental car, and we're on our way to Boulder, and stop number one: Liquor Mart.

This is what I love about liquor stores, and exactly what I was getting at at the top of this post. Rarely does a liquor store have a creative name, and more often than not, the facade simply says "LIQUOR." They know it, we know it, everyone knows it--you need not say anything more. How many "Liquor Marts" or "Liquor Depots" or "Wine and Spirits" are there in the country? Sure, you could throw your name in front of 'Liquor,' but people are stopping all the same. Why bother?

Liquor Mart was the stop because I read they had the best selection of singles in the area. I was surprised in general at the lack of favorable liquor store reviews in Colorado, specifically Denver. Luckily, Boulder was directly on the way to our destination, and I had a car full of booze-hungry fiends ready to splurge. I picked up a dozen or so single bottles and cans--yes! cans! (20% off mixed six packs!), mostly from mountain/west coast breweries I'd heard of but never tried. I just made my monthly exclamation point quota. Had to grab a Chupacabras Pale Ale from Mexico because I simply love the chupacabra. A label-saver if I've ever seen one.

Before leaving Boulder, we stopped for lunch at the Lazy Dog Sports Grill and Bar. Maybe wouldn't have been our top choice but we were famished and already feeling the one hour time difference. I tried the Lazy Dog Amber, which I later learned was an in-house brew contracted by Firestone Walker Brewing Company in Paso Robles, California. Oh well. It was decent, but really fell off toward the last third of the pint. Ambers are difficult for me. This one was pretty nutty, biscuity (don't like using that word. feels awkward) and had an aftertaste akin to a handful of dirt. My last two comments: "Gets worser and worser. Skunky." Decent may have been overstating it I guess.

Stomachs and trunk filled, we meandered toward the Estes Park area and location of Luther Lodge. Where, it turns out, bloody marys were being served, with Left Hand's Polestar Pilsner as chaser. I believe that was the role this beer was meant to play. I'm not one for pilsners to begin with, but this one was "like gnawing on a sock." Not even worthy of my traditional complaint about lackluster pilsners tasting like grass. No matter, the bloody was putting me in the right place.

Next up was Great Divide's Denver Pale Ale, a malty English pale ale with a bit of a metallic hop finish. I like these beers, but this one wasn't my favorite. Next. A can! I like cans, and I enjoyed canned beers from three different Colorado breweries on the trip. This one, SKA Modus Hoperandi, was my favorite beer of the night. Nice grapefruit hop smell as soon as you crack it. One of the reasons I love cans. You can't crack a bottle like you can a can. That sizzle snap followed by bursting scents is pure and untouchable. This was one of those beers I could tell I was going to love just by its color and how it rolled in the glass. Nice creamy texture; not too thin, and definitely not syrupy, but with enough flavor to satisfy. Terrific pine bitter finish as well.

My final beer of day one was the Alaskan Summer Ale, a kolsch. Again with the styles I don't terribly enjoy. On the night's spectrum, this one fell somewhere in between the Lazy Dog and the DPA. Not skunky, for sure, but not a lot to keep me coming back to the glass. Had a ciderish quality to it, like a sweet, flat British tap cider. I'm not sure the words sweet and flat could be used to describe anything in a pleasant way. Maybe a frosting-slathered graham cracker. Day one in the books.

July, July!

How fast we go. Fifteen new beers into the hopper this month. A below average number, I suppose, but I spent a good amount of time pounding Summits and Surlys on patios and mixing bloody marys and gin and tonics lakeside. And there were some monuments: my first Three Floyds (the stellar Alpha King and slightly puzzling Fantabulous Resplendence XI Anniversary). Still waiting for the right moment to pop the Dreadnaught IPA. I added my first gluten-free beer to the list, Gordon Biersch's Bard's Tale Beer, a sparkling sorghum mess also known as Bard's Tale Dragon's Gold. Just starting to see this one pop up in the Twin Cities.

So, let's drag this out a bit. Mid-summer awards.

Best hibiscus-infused Belgian: Goose Island Fleur. I guess my taste buds don't have much experience with hibiscus, because I basically tasted a Belgian ale. It was good, though I suspect had I stuck with my original order of Founders Cerise I would have left the Happy Gnome a bit happier. Too hard to pass up a draught-only limited edition hibiscus beer, though. And it blew away my companion's beer, Widmer Hefeweizen. I'm done with hefes I think. Most are drinkable, pleasant, but none blast your palate. Congrats, Fleur.

Best month-cap nightcap: Last night's Tsingtao Pure Draft. Also the worst. Possibly, in fact, the worst beer I had this month, however predictable that may have been. Purchased only for the Chinese characters on the label. I have another character-laden brew in the basement that's identity may never be discovered. Tsingtao just felt right at 2 am I guess.

Best surprise: Rouge Brutal Bitter. Picked up on a whim while passing through Hudson, WI. Took me straight back to my local London pub. A fabulous English bitter, punishing Crystal hops. I remember calling it stifling, but I love a tastebud-challenger. A classic style of beer, one that would never take hold in this country, but a terrific homage to the best of our friends across the pond.

Upon reading month's reviews, the real worst beer of the month: Spanish Peaks Honey Raspberry Ale. Given to me for free at Heritage Liquor in Maplewood, and for good reason. Side note: if you've never been to Heritage, go after reading this. Friendliest and most helpful service of any store in the area. Great guys who know their beer and give outstanding recommendations. Anyway. This beer was intended to go to any one of the non-serious beer drinking females present at a work gathering. Ended up coming home with me, where it sat for weeks until I bit the bullet. Tasted like flat sparkling water that had been forgotten in a car trunk for a summer. I shudder even thinking about it.

August will most certainly bring more new beers to my collection: I leave Monday for Colorado, where I've planned Oskar Blues, Avery, Boulder and Left Hand trips, as well as the side stops at brewpubs and west-friendly beer stores. My buds are ready.

Hitachino Nest Japanese Classic Ale

Brewery: Kiuchi Brewery, Ibaraki, Japan

Style: English IPA

ABV: 7.5%

Rating: 4 stars

80 degrees. Sun. Work done. Aromatic dinner cooking. Wife addressing neglected cleaning.

It'd be hard to get a bum rating tonight. And this one's even been aged in cedar casks...OOH!! D0 they decide to put statements like that on the label thinking the average (or above average) beer drinker will pick up on the cedar aging? I find it hard to detect, but let's find out if I can.

Nice cloudiness to the appearance--like an orange kickball that's been dirtied up for a summer. Strong, persistent head and lacing. Has the looks of a serious, sturdy brew.

Ok. The cedar is apparent in the smell. I would never have pegged it had they not blatantly labeled it so, but they win this battle I guess. There's a richness to the aroma as well; a roundness of yeast, malt and hops that says 'I ain't no Asahi, baby!'

Man, this beer is spicy. First thoughts upon tasting. Not clove or coriander, closer almost to pepper actually. Guess what else is there. Wood. My guess: cedar. Let's offshoot. If wood makes food taste better (planked salmon, etc.) and adds flavor to beer, what else could it improve? Honestly, how often have you been doing something and thought, "you know, a little wood would really set this off." Are we sure this beer's only 7%? I feel like it's taking me farther.

I'm often too cheap to buy more than one of a beer, especially in this case, where at four bucks a pop I wanted to sample as many as I could, but I wish I'd have gotten two of these. Twelve ounces goes by so fast. I wrote that having finished eleven of the twelve, but the twelfth ounce was by far the most intense. Seemingly half of the cedar spice settled at the bottom, and if all of the beer tasted like the last swig, I'd have a lesser opinion. A bitter bludgeon of sting.

With that said, I still enjoyed this immensely, and give it above average marks on both mouthfeel and drinkability on top of the points for uniqueness and its ability to send me into a state where I might use the phrase "planked salmon."

The Lake Effect

Beer pilgrimages are hot right now, but since I have neither the money to pull one off or a willing tagalong wife, I will be making none anytime soon. The best I could do was turn a week at the in laws lake cabin (with a wedding pit stop in Chicago) into my own beer quest. The best I could do.

The Chicago hurdles:

1. Money. Man, beer is not cheap, and when you've got one shot to stock up in Chicago, things can get ugly quickly. I tried to let myself splurge, but there were other factors against me as well.

2. Disappointing liquor stores. There are some good ones in Chicago, no doubt, but the northwest suburbs are shockingly bad. Trust me, I mapped this one out. Though I guess if you got stuck in the wrong part of the Twin Cities, you could be stymied too. I was relegated to a mega-chain, Binny's, which I'd equate to an MGM.

3. No singles. This was the biggest blow. Six pack or bust at Binny's, with an ok selection of big bottles. I've grown so accustomed to making my own six packs--it was like being in a liquor store for the first time again. I had no choice but to get a six pack of Three Floyds Alpha King, picked up a couple other big bottles of TF and Lost Abbey and I was at my budget. There were dozens of beers I would have liked to sample, but it's hard to commit to a bunch of unknown sixers. I even asked the manager if he would split up some six packs for me (something I've done numerous times here without issue) since I was from out of town. Denied.

The successes:

1. Wisconsin gas stations. Can you imagine? Beer-stocked gas stations? A traveler's dream. I loaded up on New Glarus (how many wheat beers do they make?) on the way to Chicago and picked up an assortment of goodies (including NG Wisconsin Belgian Red) on the way back to the cabin.

2. The Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL. I assumed this blip on my beer map would be a hole-in-the-wall type strip mall joint. Quite wrong was I. Truly a marketplace, Mitsuwa was the size of a Wal-Mart, complete with a bookstore, salon, food court, grocery store and yes, a liquor store. The Asian beer selection was the best I've seen, and the sake options were out of control. I'm not a big sake guy, but I had to try one. Now I'm an even smaller sake guy unfortunately. I did manage to pick up a nice assortment of beers, including a few with no English on them. Still trying to figure out how to rate those.

3. The Lake Effect. The title track. It's tradition to spend the entire week of July 4 at the lake, and I was triple-digit stocked in good beer for the week. Maybe it's the relaxation; no work stresses, no home maintenance. Maybe it's the perfect lake-breezed weather we had all week. Maybe it's something I can't put my finger on. Clearly I can't. But whatever it is, everything seems to taste a bit better at the lake. I cracked my first Alpha King at the lake. It was perfect. I've since had a couple more, and they were just stellar. The scary Belgian Red was a huge hit among even the macro drinkers. I even enjoyed my first ever Stroh's on a dusk fishing outing.

In all, I added 16 new beers to my tally over those ten days, and I can't help but wonder: how would these beers rate in my kitchen or living room? I'd wager they'd lose a half star on average.

Point Counterpoint: Count Beer Festival Samples?

I've argued this in my head dozens of times. Is a 2 oz sample of a beer at a beer festival enough to consider that beer tried? Had? Consumed? Rate-able? What if you have two 2 oz samples? One right after the other. Or hours apart. Where is the cutoff? What if you're hammered? What if your writing's illegible? Why does it matter, it's only a personal quest anyway. Or is it? Are there unwritten rules or guidelines? Will I be outcast for improperly counting a beer as consumed and reviewed?

Like I said, I've had this conversation many times. Shall we take the questions one at a time?

In general, I say no. A 2 oz sample of a beer is not sufficient enough to officially (or unofficially) count. As far as the double sample goes, I'm less sure. Which is why I abide by the rule in my official journal that samples at a festival go in a separate category that goes uncounted in the year-end or lifetime tally.

Case in point: the 2009 City Pages Beer Fest, otherwise known as the biggest sanctioned college binge drinking session of the year. I shudder at calling this a real beer festival, but let's not be snobby now. It's somewhat of a gateway festival.

So why do beer samples at an event like this not make the cut? Shall we bullet point this?

1. Size matters. It's hard to get much depth out of a 2 oz sample, which is the only reason you need to not count them. You can usually tell if you'd like the beer or not, but it barely gets you two swigs worth. And forget about sticking your nose to the bottom of the plastic cup to garner worthwhile smell notes.
2. Samples are inconsistent. Some come from warm bottles. Bad pours. Cashed kegs. At an event like this, it's about speed for the pourer, not consistency.
3. Escalating intoxication. Three hours in, maybe that Michelob Honey Wheat (which I sampled) doesn't taste as bad as it did the first time. And maybe your buds are too shot to appreciate the step up from a Cold Spring Red River Trail Ale to a Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest.
4. Volunteers know nothing. Pour. Repeat. It's your job to figure out exactly what you're getting. I've had several occasions where the beer I'm told I'm drinking doesn't exist. See: Davis Hempinstein Ale.
5. Note-taking logistics. Drunken scribble on a damp napkin oftentimes doesn't look quite as clear the next day.

There probably are more reasons, but I don't think I need any. Maybe you've got additional ones, and I'd like to hear them. And if you'd argue that you can count these samples, I'd like to hear that argument as well.

Some fests, however, are plenty sufficient. Take Al's Blue Nile events, for instance. Even with a three-beer sampler, you get enough volume of each to have a clear idea of the beer's characteristics. Now, attending this event after you've spent all afternoon at the City Pages binger might not give you the clearest beer-rating head, but it does guarantee some interesting descriptions.

Of the 17 new beers I tried at the City Pages fest, I gave only five an above-average rating:

Sierra Nevada Southern Hemisphere Harvest (4 stars)
Big Sky IPA (4)
Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale (3.5)
Lagunitas A Little Sumpin' Sumpin' Ale (3.5)
Rock Bottom Minneapolis Hopfen Konig IPL (3.5)

The Rock Bottom garner that rating simply because of the unique concept: they used an IPA recipe but substituted lager yeast. This is the kind of thing I'd like to see more of now that the jack-up-the-hops fetish has peaked. Let me see some innovation.

I've since had full pours of both the Sierra Nevada (on tap at Buster's on 28th) and Lagunitas (bottle from Heritage Liquor in Maplewood) and stuck by my initial ratings on both. Which brings the question back to the forefront: if my hazy, buzzed analysis is confirmed upon a full tasting, should more respect be given to the validity of festival samples?

Well, in certain cases, maybe. I speak mainly of the worst of the worst. The beers I'll never willingly try again, but deserve to be mentioned. Mentioned, that is, for their crimes. There were also five of those that Saturday afternoon (no links. If you want to research them, do so on your own):

Bohemia Clasica
Big Hold Headstrong Pale Ale
Cold Spring Red River Trail Ale
Michelob Honey Wheat
Moosehead Beer

There were perhaps a dozen more at least that I didn't have the chance to sample, including the certain abomination, Moosehead Light. Perhaps my head may have exploded upon that tasting. Also worth mentioning is Cold Spring's Honey Almond Weiss, which my counterpart could not finish. Keep in mind, these are 2 oz samples.

So can I count these? Please? I wouldn't mind the additional tallies, and it's likely I'll never have the chance to try them again. Still, the fairness-in-beer-tasting side of my brain says no. If you can't count the good, uncounted too go the bad.

Guess I know which crappy 12 packs I'll be buying for the next softball games.

Town Hall Duo

Though I live in Minneapolis, I don't make it to the best local brewpub, Minneapolis Town Hall Brewery, nearly enough. This is something I've been saying I need to change for four years now. Nice atmosphere, new beers virtually every week, good food if you're interested. Luckily, I was able to find my way there twice in the past four days, and though I enjoyed only one beverage each time, both stops were well worth the barely ten minutes it takes me to get there. Plus, I FINALLY got to try the much ballyhooed Mango Mama, which has eluded me for all these years.

I stopped in Saturday afternoon with a California uncle (who has more Town Hall paraphernalia than I do), and both of us decided to try the seasonal cherry ale. Good reviews from the bartender. Won't get bad reviews from me, but I'd put them a half-star short of good. On the spectrum of cherry beers I've had, this one fits right about in the middle when it comes to both tartness and enjoyment. If a Belgian kriek is a ten on the tart scale, this one would be about a four I'd say, but it's not nearly as sweet as the sweetest of girly fruit beers I've had. And when you can compare every cherry beer you ever have to Sam Adams Cherry Wheat, nothing looks that bad.

Fairly easy to drink, especially on a sunny afternoon. Bonus points for drinkability perhaps, but I don't think I'd say I'd order another if I was presented with other options. Cherries were about the only detectable flavor, though, and while I can appreciate a delicate summer ale, I usually am looking for more of a kick. This was simply the appetizer for a huge day of beer. Did its job.

Tuesday evening, however, on a whim, I found myself back on the 7 Corner patio with a friend I wanted to introduce to the Minneapolis brewpub scene. Since we both work in St. Paul, and there are a handful of great beer options within a stone's throw of the 9-5, we rarely cross the river. Plus, there's this weird deal where people from St. Paul DO NOT venture into Minneapolis. Only out of necessity. I'm not a lifelong Minneapolitan, so I have no problems splitting my time, but seriously, weren't they ever curious? Didn't they ever see a restaurant review that intrigued them? No trips to the record stores? The coffee shops? The garage sales? Anything? This is a chapter in a book I'm not writing.

Anyway, I was expecting to enjoy a Cascale Ale, their first in a series of single hopped beers intended to help drinkers identify their favorite hop varieties. A nice idea. To my surprise, Mango Mama appeared on the whiteboard draught list! I was shocked enough that I yelled to the loitering waitresses as we walked in, embarassing my already hesitant St. Paulite companion.

I love the original Masala Mama, but had heard from various sources that the Mango tops it. The trouble is, it's rarely around for more than a day (Monday) and I haven't been able to find my way there in time to get one before. This was my night.

There was a tiny problem in this plot: I don't like mangoes. Don't hate them, but would never buy one. Is it perhaps because my wife is allergic to them? Doesn't help. But no, mangoes just don't do it for me. I'd rather have a pineapple, but there is no Pina Mama.

I'm living proof that you need not like mangoes to love the hell out of a Mango Mama. The sweetness was definitely present in the smell, but danced nicely with the bitter hops I associate with the Masala. And the sweet mango bounces off your lips instantly. Lingers for a bit, and then gives way to a majestic mouth-sweep of bitterness. It's interesting to read the reviews of this one, because half of them say the mango dominates, and half say the hops balance it out at the end. Place me squarely in the second camp. I did not think the mango was overbearing. At all.

This was a beer I wanted to make last two days. How good was it, you ask? With one solid swig left in my goblet, a moth found its way into my remaining suds and was unable to hoist itself out. I thought about it for a while, at first resigning myself to giving away that final sip, but then deciding I would be doing the beer an injustice by not finishing it. I have no fear of moths, but it's no fun fishing one out of a beer. But it had to be done. My companion agreed. After all, there haven't been any diagnosed cases of Moth Flu yet, have there?

About This Beer Drinking Thing

Only 15 months into my serious beer drinking/logging/writing phase of life, and man, it's grueling.

I just want to drink beer.

Obviously, I've fallen dangerously far off the beer bloggin wagon, but I think I can get myself back on. But recently, I've had much more trouble finding complete satisfaction at the bottom of a once filled glass of suds. And I've had little luck finding exquisite, affordable, available beers, and thus have found myself resorting more and more to old favorites. Your Summit, your Surly. Hence, the stalled blog. With the drought, apparently, also come those words you almost need to follow with a sigh. Hence (sigh), thus (sigh).

Man, life is tough when you just drink beer and can't get yourself to write about it. I need a beer.

I have had my share of beer in the past few weeks, though much of it now comes in the softball field parking lot. Those beers, as you might imagine, don't inspire much reflection. Would I love to introduce the guys to the finer brews? Absolutely. I think, however, some of the experience gets lost when you're standing on a sunflower seed-filled tar slab in your sweaty mesh splendor.

As for the non-softball imbibing, here's a list. Finally had a Pauwel Kwak (it's the one that gets served in the goofy glass). Liked it. Part of the fun of drinking a Kwak is the glass, and I'd bet its overall ratings would fall a tiny bit if it came in a pint glass. Just my opinion. Well hidden 8% ABV. Strong spicy Belgian flavors.

Boulevard. Bought the sampler pack (6 varieties, of which I've now tried 4). From best to worst: Single Wide IPA, Pale Ale, Lunar Ale, Zon. I've expounded on this before, but I've backed off the hyper IPAs to the more modest ones, and the Single Wide fits the bill. Nice grapefruit aroma, really delicate piney hops, without the syrupy butterness that comes with the next category.

The Double IPAs. Had Founders Double Trouble (finished its sentence in my basement) and Dark Horse Double Crooked Tree IPA (a limited release, you know...) Talk to me again in November, maybe I'll be ready for these bad boys again. I mean, these are two excellent beers, that on the right day, I could see myself recommending to the highest degree. Just not on these days. I will say, I opened the Founders at the wrong time (well after midnight). I still appreciate these beers; love the smell, love the first touch of the lips, but a whole bottle can be a little much. The same could be said for the Double Crooked Tree, but man, how can you pass up a 13.6% IPA? Even if it sucked I'd have to try one. I actually liked it better than the Founders, thought it was balanced better, especially considering the extra jolt of alcohol. Neither tasted too boozy, either, which was surprising. Again, check back with me around November.

Two Southern Tiers: Uber Sun and Big Red. I'd just like to see Southern Tier do a subtle beer. Just once. I don't understand an imperial summer wheat ale. Not refreshing enough to be a summer guzzler, not tasty enough to be a strong ale sipper. As for Big Red, it was tasty, but was hopped out of its mind. This was a red ale like Samuel Adams Imperial Pilsner is a pilsner. Show me something a little more delicate.

Yes I'm a tad bitter. I need some good summer beers to bring me back. Suggestions?