Beer Culture

When I got a taste of craft, there was no turning back.

Beer culture feels the same way. I was in Whole Foods Bowery Beer Store yesterday and ran into some awesome folks from the Boston area that had just moved down. The conversation happened about the bottle of Brute I was holding (see: masthead). It extended to trades, Kate the Great, and 14% beers brewed on only one day a year.

Then we unintentionally exchanged BeerAdvocate handles before exchanging names. Looks like I’m not the only nerd in these parts.

Fantastic.

Get By With a Little Help…

Just acquired 3 bottles of #76 on my BeerQuest100: Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial Porter. They’re on their way from San Diego as I type.

Helped that a limited release date coincided with a day off of a buddy of mine. He and I make fantasy football trades, like CJ Spiller and a 1st round pick for Greg Jennings in a dynasty league. But the best part… we both like beer.

Today, Matt, you are the man. When I get the brews I will write it up and think of you while getting twisted on the sweet bottle with a skeleton on it.

That is all.

Review: Eastern Shore Lighthause, a Flat D, Ouch.

Had this on a lovely weekend at the end of August. My girlfriend and I had just left a show where one of her favorite performers sang for a crowd of no more than 40 at the NightCat down the street from the bar. Here I was, in the heart of the Eastern Shore, and there on the shelf is an Eastern Shore brew. Well, I went for it. Too bad. The summation of my notes is “ugly ale, nothing to it”… and that’s about what it was.

For what it is, it tries its best to follow the style. It has the malts, but they taste a gross type of burnt. It tries citrus for its fruit, but winds up watery. Smell and mouthfeel were indistinguishable from the BMC’s of the world. Low drinkability because of it. It just doesn’t really work.

But I still loved the Eastern Shore. So it may get another chance.

BA Link: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18089/53419/?ba=afksports

Recap Sunday 10/17: Epic Beer and Football Day

A couple weeks ago, while lurking for too long around New Beer Distributors, I ran into a guy that shared my passion for discovering beer. We also talked fantasy sports, and we finished a keg of Founders Breakfast Stout with the folks that run the place.

That seemed to be enough to plan a beer and football day. My girl wanted to know what he did. I couldn’t answer.

But he was on BA!

BeerQuest Adventure: Doing Nothing

Too many reviews. Not enough fun. Enjoy some Brute. Make a face. That’s what beer is for.

Tired of Time Off From #Beer

> Sniffle. Cough. Haven’t had a beer since Brooklyn Bowl Pale Ale > (@Kelso) at around midnight Saturday. That’s what, almost 5 days? >
> Don’t tell my cold that. Between NFL Sunday, work and then homework > Monday, followed by an epic Saints Niners game, and then a work and > class Tuesday, there’s been no rest for the beerless.

That means a lingering cold, for which beer is not the cure.

> I’ve got @GetRealNY on Saturday, a tasting and happy hour before > then. In other words, I need health, stat. Beer me a good night’s > sleep.

Review: Kelso Pilsner gets a B-

Served on-tap at Amity Hall in the West Village. I didn’t want to have this beer; I was supposed to be drying out for a day, but my friend @bearhuman was in town and I waited to see her off. It wasn’t so exceptional that I regretted the decision to leave half of it on the counter. But the initial bite was pretty good. Maybe that was just my decision to drink again talking though.

Appearance: Looks like a pilsner, but it still has a body. Decent head, not much lacing to speak of. Golden color tells you what it is, if you didn’t already know.

Smell: No real aroma to write home about, but I have a hard time knocking light beers for that. There’s some malt, a little hops.

Taste: Not gonna be my session beer, but the ingredients seem good enough. Maybe a hint of citrus in it in addition to the malt and hops. Bites a bit. I will up my beercabulary to do better justice in the future.

Mouthfeel: Crisp. Goes down easy. But only very little substance. It’s like a typical action movie with no compelling suspense.

Drinkability: it’s funny because out of all the categories I gave this the best rating, and I didn’t even finish my pint.

Only tastes from now on in the BeerQuest. Only tastes.

BeerAdvocate link: Kelso Pilsner http://ow.ly/1qSALC

Good Morning, Brooklyn

Not every day can be great. Not every day can be football day. Not every day can be a win. Still, tonight is Jets Ravens, and that’s pretty awesome. Oh, Chargers Chiefs too, but there’s no McCluster – so who cares?