Santa’s Little Helper
March 4, 2010 by justin · Leave a Comment
Codeine and beer, what a combo! Well, its official, I have bronchitis. There are two good things about this:
- The antibiotic should kick it and I will be back to my self in no time
- I got to (actually my doctor kinda insisted) cancel all of my meetings and stay home. (note to all of you I was supposed to meet with, sorry)
So what beer do I choose when I’m high on codeine to begin with? Port Brewings Santa’s Little Helper. Mother, you will remember that this is the last one I tried when we visited Port Brewing over Christmas. Funny enough, I was about as buzzed then as I am now (last time it was all the beer samples, a lot more fun than cherry cough syrup).
Anyway, this is one of my favorite stouts. It is thick and of an oil like consistency and colour, beautiful. Some viscus beers just kinda roll down your throat like cough syrup, not this one, it isn’t bad thick, it is good thick. It dances with flavour in your mouth and though it is chocolaty and has oat undertones it is beer first and foremost, remember the raspberry fiasco last night? Though I am not big on hangovers, or over-imbibing for that matter, I can see how this beer has earned the nickname, “Satan’s Little Hangover“. 9.5% ABV I’m just going to slowly sip this one.
Oh, and don’t worry, I planned ahead and had the cough syrup MUCH earlier in the day.
Greenflash IPA
March 1, 2010 by justin · Leave a Comment
So yesterday morning I get a call from a friend, “justin, do you want to have dinner?” I hem and haw thinking “yes, but I don’t want to drive anywhere” He says, “I made an amazing pot-roast” I think, “great, I like pot-roast but is it really worth the drive to Amherst?” He says, “Let’s meet at The Moan and Dove, I’ll bring the pot-roast”
2 hours later we met at The Moan and Dove.
Many consider The Moan and Dove to be one of the best beer bars in the United States, some people have gone so far as to say that it is the best! Most people in the Hadley/Amherst area just know that it is the neighbourhood bar which only serves beer and peanuts. The Moan and Dove is just that, a tiny little comfy place. No TV, no food (unless you bring your own or their is an impromptu chili cook-off like there was yesterday), no wine or liquor. Just beer! It is rather glorious isn’t it?
My friend did bring his amazing pot-roast and a yummy salad. He asked me, to choose the beer. I looked up at the draught list and my first question was, “do you like hops?” He said he liked Belgians. So I ignored him and ordered us 2 pints of Green Flash West Coast IPA, one of the hoppiest beers in true San Diego style.
Green Flash is brewed in my home town, North San Diego County, just a stones throw from Stone Brewery. My parents think I like to visit them. I really go home for the beer and Mexican food. Why all of these hoppy IPA’s in San Diego? That’s just it, beer and Mexican food are great together (well beer is good with almost anything). IPA’s and all of their wonderful hops are an amazing pairing for Mexican food.
Last night, my firend told me that the pot-roast had a little kick. The Green Flash IPA is very hoppy but also very smooth with little to no aftertaste. It was PERFECT for the pot-roast! Lew Bryson over at “Seen through a glass” has one of the best descriptions on this ale, “clean as fresh snow”. Lew you are right on brother.
This beer is clean. It is also grassy and sweet. Hints of pine and flowers. Weed and honey. Not too sweet, just enough sweetness to make it smooth. AMAZING!! If you can get your paws on this brew, do so.
Of course, after driving almost 4 hours round trip, I was too exhausted to blog about it last night. Thanks everyone for sticking with me. Thanks to my mother for checking in to make sure I was ok today, after no blogging last night she was a bit worried. Mother, if you ever want to send me something, swing by Green Flash on your way home!
Stone Imperial Russian Stout
So I stayed home all day in an attempt to get better. This afternoon I thought, “what would Tim Ferris do?” and guess what? He has a post on his blog about 4 anti-common cold cocktails. Tim Ferris is a “life hacker” who I greatly respect. His suggestion… an ancient ginger and orange mixture. So as I sat here and watched Michael Jackson’s This is It, I drank my ginger orange mixture. I actually feel better. Placebo? maybe, but who cares right?
Now that my sinuses are clear, at least temporarily, my sweet tooth kicked in something fierce. I picked up some yummy looking cinnamon rolls at the store so I warm one up to go with my Imperial Russian Stout, from Stone Brewery in my hometown, the hop head capital of the worlds, San Diego. Go North County!!
The slightly bitter yet malty sweet and dry stout is perfect with the over the top sweetness of the cinnamon bun. The cinnamon bun is buttery and the stout is dry. WOW, what a combo. The stout is soft and chocolaty, in a slightly bitter way, good bitter. There is a reason that this is one of the top beers of the decade, cause it rocks! After last nights shit-storm of a beer, this is a blissful happy beer night for me.
The nutty aroma meets the chocolate roasted malt and yeast all together. The key in this beer is “all together”. That is what sets this beer apart from the rest, all of the amazingness is done “together”, in balance and harmony. This is a great beer, and an awesome stout, I am not alone in this opinion. The Hedonist thinks so, and so does the Beer Critic (though he is no longer reviewing beer).
God bless the ales!
Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA
January 30, 2010 by justin · Leave a Comment
So, on this first night of my blog I went and had 2 different beers. After my “Buff Orpington Wings” named after the chicken that does so well in our area and is yellow in colour, like the yellow from the turmeric in the curry sauce on the chicken wings, I decided to hop up and go with the Bear Republic IPA. I am a HUGE hop fan, just so happens I was raised in the hop beer capital of the world, San Diego. This is what I would call a San Diego style beer. smooth, hoppy and little aftertaste. The BR website says that this IPA is “The best in the USA” I’m not sure if that is the same “best” as in Pabst winning a “blue ribbon”? I sure hope not.
Overall this was a fine beer to have with wings. Not a session beer, a bit to strong for that. Not mind-blowing, as the website might imply, but a good solid hoppy IPA. I’d have this one again for sure.
Kept chatting with my friends for a few hours and then came home to chill with the M-dog and maybe watch a movie before I hit the sac. 364 days to go!