Monday, July 31, 2006
Japan 2006, Pt. 1
"14 Hrs. on a Plane"
It's torturous, but to go to Japan makes it worth the lengthy journey. Luckily for me on this same flight I would have a friend from work along w/ her boyfriend. That kind of gave me an excuse to get up and walk around to the other side of the plane and say hello from time to time, and i think that made the flight go a little quicker.
The key to surviving such a flight is to immediately adjust your watch to destination time, and follow that schedule. If you miss meals, etc., because you have to sleep, so be it.
Thankfully there is a Brooklyn Beer Garden next to the gate, so you can have a good beer or two before boarding. The flight departed at 2:30am Tokyo time, so I promptly set my watch upon boarding the plane and fell asleep as the alcohol took its effect. The airplane shuts off the lights at certain points during the flight but they usually do this on New York time, which will only screw you up if you follow their lead. When they did this it was actually time to wake up in Tokyo, so I stayed awake, turned on the light above me and brushed up on my Japanese.
"Arrival in Narita"
Narita Airport is located in Chiba Prefecture, and is not actually in Tokyo. It would be the equivalent of landing someplace in the middle of Connecticut to travel to New York City. In other words, it is out there in the middle of nowhere. Arriving here as a foreigner is apparently the same as arriving in the US as a citizen. When I return to JFK from abroad, you see a long line of foreigners while the US citizens get moved through the queue with hardly any wait. Here in Japan the foreigners went through quickly while Japanese citizens seemed to be held up in a huge line.
After retrieving my baggage I exchanged my money (do it here to get the best rate) and took some more out from the ATM (Citibank). Then I went down the escalators to the JR Line NEX (Narita Express).
The train ride to Tokyo is comfortable and takes a little more than an hour. By the time the train pulled into Ikebukuro, I was the only one left in my car. I got out and checked into the hotel, then cleaned myself up and took a stroll around this part of town, where I hadn't been in almost 16 years.
"The Kill Bill Place"
One of the first nights, I went to dinner at Gonpachi in Roppongi. It is said that the interior design of this restaurant served as the inspiration for the location of the final scenes of Kill Bill Vol. 1 (where the massive swordfight takes place). Check my Flickr gallery for the photo.
The atmosphere is really cool here, though every other patron is a foreigner. The food is really good as well. I stuck mostly with the yakitori menu and everything was very tasty.
"Sapporo Beer Museum"
Hmm... that looks interesting...
Those were my thoughts as I looked at my pocked map of Tokyo and saw a little dot on the map of Ebisu marked "Sapporo Beer Museum."
After researching it a little on the Internet, I decided that would be my first stop of the day. I headed down into the subway and took the Yamanote Line down to Ebisu.
To get to the Yebisu Garden Place (where the museum is) one has to take the skywalk. Its a huge enclosed people mover that has at least 4 parts to it. This dumps you out at the entrance of the Garden Place, a new complex of public space, shops, restaurants, and new office towers.
When I saw the huge beer cans guarding the entrance to the museum I was in the right place. You walk through the doors and are greeted by the enthusiastic shop staff. "Irashaimase!"
Admission to the museum is free but everything is in Japanese. I was really only here for the tasting, so I kind of breezed through the displays, mostly of old equipment and memoribilia. There were also basic displays of the beer making process, but I don't see how anyone could really learn anything here.
By far, and I mean BY FAR the most fascinating part of the tour was right at the very end. There is this long glass display case with a house on one end, and a creepy looking mansion and forest on the right. There was also a single shiny red button on the panel in front of it. So what else is a foreigner to do but PRESS THE RED BUTTON!
The display lit up and these holographic actors came into the picture. I couldn't understand what they were saying but all of a sudden a fairy appeared at the top and poured these two guys a beer! But suddenly, an evil wizard appeared in the dark forest and he drained the beer and KIDNAPPED THE BEER FAIRY!! This had to be seen to be believed. And if they didn't have a "no photography" sign in English you bet I would have taped this.
At that point I backed away from the display and went around the corner to the Tasting Lounge.
Instead of going up to the counter, you need to first purchase your ticket from the vending machine. There is a display case so you can see what is available, then you put your money in the machine and you get a plastic ticket which you then bring to the counter.
I ordered the sampler, and a glass of the Edel Pils. Everything else I had tried already.
You give your tickets to the bartenders and with robot-like efficiency they pour two beers each at the exact same rate of speed and place them on the little tray. You get a bag of Sapporo Beer Crackers for the purpose of refreshing your palate.
Clockwise from top left: Sapporo Weiss, Sapporo Edel Pils, Yebisu Beer, Yebisu Black Beer, and Sapporo Ale.
The first beer I had off the tray was the Yebisu beer on the top right. It is made with 100% barley malt and aroma hops. As such you only get the hoppy character when smelling the beer and the taste is very malty. I actually really like it so I took a can home with me.
219) Sapporo Edel Pils - I went with the big one next. The flavor profile of this was bitter all around. The finish was dry and lingering.
220) Sapporo Weiss - Like the pils, I have never seen this before anywhere else, so I assume it is only available at the museum and maybe at their restaurants. This is on the top left of the picture above. This is top-fermented using 100% wheat malt. The tasting notes indicated a little bitterness but I didn't really get much of that. Maybe that was because I just tasted the very bitter Edel Pils and those characteristics got drowned out. Very easy drinking but I thought it was rather bland.
221) Sapporo Ale - Bottom left of the picture. Again, this is a rarity. Tasting notes indicate this is in the British style. Color was a reddish orange. Medium body with a crisp finish.
Ended this session with the Yebisu Black Beer, which I had on my last trip to Japan. Coffee bean aroma. It's quite flavorful with coffee and chocolate hints. They should sell this here in the states.
"Late Night Run"
Later that night I stopped at the Am/Pm and picked up a few cans I hadn't had.
222) Asahi Gubinama - This is basically a beer flavored soda. That's what its like. There is no malt in this, instead I believe it is made with soybeans and sugar. It's nasty.
Fake beer.
That's the end of Part 1. In the next part, I will review more beers, talk about some places around Tokyo, and some of the things I ate. If you're keeping count we are at 222 beers down and 143 to go. I have 6 more to review from Japan plus 2 more since my return, if you want the latest stats.
It's torturous, but to go to Japan makes it worth the lengthy journey. Luckily for me on this same flight I would have a friend from work along w/ her boyfriend. That kind of gave me an excuse to get up and walk around to the other side of the plane and say hello from time to time, and i think that made the flight go a little quicker.
The key to surviving such a flight is to immediately adjust your watch to destination time, and follow that schedule. If you miss meals, etc., because you have to sleep, so be it.
Thankfully there is a Brooklyn Beer Garden next to the gate, so you can have a good beer or two before boarding. The flight departed at 2:30am Tokyo time, so I promptly set my watch upon boarding the plane and fell asleep as the alcohol took its effect. The airplane shuts off the lights at certain points during the flight but they usually do this on New York time, which will only screw you up if you follow their lead. When they did this it was actually time to wake up in Tokyo, so I stayed awake, turned on the light above me and brushed up on my Japanese.
"Arrival in Narita"
Narita Airport is located in Chiba Prefecture, and is not actually in Tokyo. It would be the equivalent of landing someplace in the middle of Connecticut to travel to New York City. In other words, it is out there in the middle of nowhere. Arriving here as a foreigner is apparently the same as arriving in the US as a citizen. When I return to JFK from abroad, you see a long line of foreigners while the US citizens get moved through the queue with hardly any wait. Here in Japan the foreigners went through quickly while Japanese citizens seemed to be held up in a huge line.
After retrieving my baggage I exchanged my money (do it here to get the best rate) and took some more out from the ATM (Citibank). Then I went down the escalators to the JR Line NEX (Narita Express).
The train ride to Tokyo is comfortable and takes a little more than an hour. By the time the train pulled into Ikebukuro, I was the only one left in my car. I got out and checked into the hotel, then cleaned myself up and took a stroll around this part of town, where I hadn't been in almost 16 years.
"The Kill Bill Place"
One of the first nights, I went to dinner at Gonpachi in Roppongi. It is said that the interior design of this restaurant served as the inspiration for the location of the final scenes of Kill Bill Vol. 1 (where the massive swordfight takes place). Check my Flickr gallery for the photo.
The atmosphere is really cool here, though every other patron is a foreigner. The food is really good as well. I stuck mostly with the yakitori menu and everything was very tasty.
"Sapporo Beer Museum"
Hmm... that looks interesting...
Those were my thoughts as I looked at my pocked map of Tokyo and saw a little dot on the map of Ebisu marked "Sapporo Beer Museum."
After researching it a little on the Internet, I decided that would be my first stop of the day. I headed down into the subway and took the Yamanote Line down to Ebisu.
To get to the Yebisu Garden Place (where the museum is) one has to take the skywalk. Its a huge enclosed people mover that has at least 4 parts to it. This dumps you out at the entrance of the Garden Place, a new complex of public space, shops, restaurants, and new office towers.
When I saw the huge beer cans guarding the entrance to the museum I was in the right place. You walk through the doors and are greeted by the enthusiastic shop staff. "Irashaimase!"
Admission to the museum is free but everything is in Japanese. I was really only here for the tasting, so I kind of breezed through the displays, mostly of old equipment and memoribilia. There were also basic displays of the beer making process, but I don't see how anyone could really learn anything here.
By far, and I mean BY FAR the most fascinating part of the tour was right at the very end. There is this long glass display case with a house on one end, and a creepy looking mansion and forest on the right. There was also a single shiny red button on the panel in front of it. So what else is a foreigner to do but PRESS THE RED BUTTON!
The display lit up and these holographic actors came into the picture. I couldn't understand what they were saying but all of a sudden a fairy appeared at the top and poured these two guys a beer! But suddenly, an evil wizard appeared in the dark forest and he drained the beer and KIDNAPPED THE BEER FAIRY!! This had to be seen to be believed. And if they didn't have a "no photography" sign in English you bet I would have taped this.
At that point I backed away from the display and went around the corner to the Tasting Lounge.
Instead of going up to the counter, you need to first purchase your ticket from the vending machine. There is a display case so you can see what is available, then you put your money in the machine and you get a plastic ticket which you then bring to the counter.
I ordered the sampler, and a glass of the Edel Pils. Everything else I had tried already.
You give your tickets to the bartenders and with robot-like efficiency they pour two beers each at the exact same rate of speed and place them on the little tray. You get a bag of Sapporo Beer Crackers for the purpose of refreshing your palate.
Clockwise from top left: Sapporo Weiss, Sapporo Edel Pils, Yebisu Beer, Yebisu Black Beer, and Sapporo Ale.
The first beer I had off the tray was the Yebisu beer on the top right. It is made with 100% barley malt and aroma hops. As such you only get the hoppy character when smelling the beer and the taste is very malty. I actually really like it so I took a can home with me.
219) Sapporo Edel Pils - I went with the big one next. The flavor profile of this was bitter all around. The finish was dry and lingering.
220) Sapporo Weiss - Like the pils, I have never seen this before anywhere else, so I assume it is only available at the museum and maybe at their restaurants. This is on the top left of the picture above. This is top-fermented using 100% wheat malt. The tasting notes indicated a little bitterness but I didn't really get much of that. Maybe that was because I just tasted the very bitter Edel Pils and those characteristics got drowned out. Very easy drinking but I thought it was rather bland.
221) Sapporo Ale - Bottom left of the picture. Again, this is a rarity. Tasting notes indicate this is in the British style. Color was a reddish orange. Medium body with a crisp finish.
Ended this session with the Yebisu Black Beer, which I had on my last trip to Japan. Coffee bean aroma. It's quite flavorful with coffee and chocolate hints. They should sell this here in the states.
"Late Night Run"
Later that night I stopped at the Am/Pm and picked up a few cans I hadn't had.
222) Asahi Gubinama - This is basically a beer flavored soda. That's what its like. There is no malt in this, instead I believe it is made with soybeans and sugar. It's nasty.
Fake beer.
That's the end of Part 1. In the next part, I will review more beers, talk about some places around Tokyo, and some of the things I ate. If you're keeping count we are at 222 beers down and 143 to go. I have 6 more to review from Japan plus 2 more since my return, if you want the latest stats.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Playing Catch Up
Y'all thought I had disappeared and given up the game, didn't ya?
NO WAY!
I am in this for the long haul my brothers!
I apologize for the lack of updates the past 2 weeks. I was away in Japan, and didn't really have the time to update the site. I have a lot of new updates to put up, including several new beers I had in Japan. In addition, I will use this blog space to put up a review of my trip, so expect a little non-beer content to slip in over the next several posts.
But let me begin by entering 2 beers I had before I departed.
There are no photos here because stupid Blogger's photo uploader isn't working. So I put these 2 on my Flickr page.
217) Géants Goliath - Also known as the Gouyasse Tripel. This is a Belgian ale at 9% alc. by vol. Pours a thick gold color with a foamy head. Yeasty and bready aromas with a hint of spice. Unlike other tripels, this has no sugar. It is all malt and is apparently the only one in Belgium to do it this way. So it gives it a unique character that might be a little drier than others. Luckily for me, the beer club screwed up and sent me 6 bottles of this instead of just 3, so i still have several to save.
The weekend before leaving for Japan I had a BBQ on Long Island. My brother was in town from California as well. As usual, I pulled out the trusty garbage can, filled it with ice and beer and we went to town.
Jeff brought a six pack of a beer I haven't had before. As he put it, he picked up the most obscure looking beer he could find.
218) Gearys Hampshire Special Ale - This stuff was a bit strong for such a hot day but I liked the hop bitterness on the finish. It's an English strong ale. I drank it right from the bottle, BBQ style, so I don't know what i looks like and I couldn't give you an accurate description of the aroma except that it had a citrusy character most likely indebted to the use of Cascade hops.
So that's 218 down and 147 to go. I still have 12 beers to review if you want the up to the minute count.
Up next... JAPAN!
NO WAY!
I am in this for the long haul my brothers!
I apologize for the lack of updates the past 2 weeks. I was away in Japan, and didn't really have the time to update the site. I have a lot of new updates to put up, including several new beers I had in Japan. In addition, I will use this blog space to put up a review of my trip, so expect a little non-beer content to slip in over the next several posts.
But let me begin by entering 2 beers I had before I departed.
There are no photos here because stupid Blogger's photo uploader isn't working. So I put these 2 on my Flickr page.
217) Géants Goliath - Also known as the Gouyasse Tripel. This is a Belgian ale at 9% alc. by vol. Pours a thick gold color with a foamy head. Yeasty and bready aromas with a hint of spice. Unlike other tripels, this has no sugar. It is all malt and is apparently the only one in Belgium to do it this way. So it gives it a unique character that might be a little drier than others. Luckily for me, the beer club screwed up and sent me 6 bottles of this instead of just 3, so i still have several to save.
The weekend before leaving for Japan I had a BBQ on Long Island. My brother was in town from California as well. As usual, I pulled out the trusty garbage can, filled it with ice and beer and we went to town.
Jeff brought a six pack of a beer I haven't had before. As he put it, he picked up the most obscure looking beer he could find.
218) Gearys Hampshire Special Ale - This stuff was a bit strong for such a hot day but I liked the hop bitterness on the finish. It's an English strong ale. I drank it right from the bottle, BBQ style, so I don't know what i looks like and I couldn't give you an accurate description of the aroma except that it had a citrusy character most likely indebted to the use of Cascade hops.
So that's 218 down and 147 to go. I still have 12 beers to review if you want the up to the minute count.
Up next... JAPAN!
Thursday, July 13, 2006
A Few Additions...
Here is the latest!
The other night I opened a bottle from the Beer of the Month club.
214) Géants Ducassis - A fruit beer fermented with black currant. Pours a purplish-red. I'll be honest and say this wasn't my thing. I thought the mouthfeel was too carbonated. The taste was very similar to a flavored seltzer.
Ducassis
215) Millstream Johns Generations White Ale - Also from the club shipment, this is a Belgian style witbier but its brewed out of Iowa. I don't know if its an easy style to make or what, but this was just another fabulous interpretation of the style. Nice hazy gold color to it, and a sweet aroma dominated by orange peel notes. You get that in the flavor as well, along with some spice. Smooth finish with a pleasant malty aftertaste.
John's Generation White Ale
216) Dock Street Amber - Just as the name implies, its an amber ale. It is actually contract brewed by the Matt Brewing Company, same people who make Saranac. Nice amber hue with a quickly diminishing head. Subtle, sweet aromas with a hint of caramel. Nothing memorable in the taste, but it is easy drinking with a clean finish.
Dock St. Amber
216 down and 149 to go. I know its not the right weather, but I may have a barleywine tonight depending on how I feel. I went to the gym this morning, so I will have nothing to do tonight, so maybe I'll have it as a nice nightcap.
The other night I opened a bottle from the Beer of the Month club.
214) Géants Ducassis - A fruit beer fermented with black currant. Pours a purplish-red. I'll be honest and say this wasn't my thing. I thought the mouthfeel was too carbonated. The taste was very similar to a flavored seltzer.
Ducassis
215) Millstream Johns Generations White Ale - Also from the club shipment, this is a Belgian style witbier but its brewed out of Iowa. I don't know if its an easy style to make or what, but this was just another fabulous interpretation of the style. Nice hazy gold color to it, and a sweet aroma dominated by orange peel notes. You get that in the flavor as well, along with some spice. Smooth finish with a pleasant malty aftertaste.
John's Generation White Ale
216) Dock Street Amber - Just as the name implies, its an amber ale. It is actually contract brewed by the Matt Brewing Company, same people who make Saranac. Nice amber hue with a quickly diminishing head. Subtle, sweet aromas with a hint of caramel. Nothing memorable in the taste, but it is easy drinking with a clean finish.
Dock St. Amber
216 down and 149 to go. I know its not the right weather, but I may have a barleywine tonight depending on how I feel. I went to the gym this morning, so I will have nothing to do tonight, so maybe I'll have it as a nice nightcap.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Saranac Update
The latest beers I added to my list are both from Saranac, actually the Matt Brewing Company.
212) Saranac Traditional Lager - There wasn't much of a head on this premium lager. The color, as you can see, is a see-through gold. Light aroma of malt and grains. It's bitter right from the get-go, then the finish is kind of smooth. Strange and not well balanced in my opinion.
Traditional Lager
213) Saranac Black Forest - The Black Forest is a Schwarzbier. This is only the 3rd that I've had so I really don't know much about the style. Poured a dark brown with a thin tan head that dissipated quickly. Aromas were of roasted malt and chocolate. Flavor was the same, and there was not much bitterness.
Black Forest
213 down and 152 to go. Tonight I've queued up a bottle I got from Belgium!
212) Saranac Traditional Lager - There wasn't much of a head on this premium lager. The color, as you can see, is a see-through gold. Light aroma of malt and grains. It's bitter right from the get-go, then the finish is kind of smooth. Strange and not well balanced in my opinion.
Traditional Lager
213) Saranac Black Forest - The Black Forest is a Schwarzbier. This is only the 3rd that I've had so I really don't know much about the style. Poured a dark brown with a thin tan head that dissipated quickly. Aromas were of roasted malt and chocolate. Flavor was the same, and there was not much bitterness.
Black Forest
213 down and 152 to go. Tonight I've queued up a bottle I got from Belgium!
Friday, July 07, 2006
Southampton Publick House event at the Hop Devil Grill
Although Big Daddy Cal couldn't make it out to the Hop Devil Grill for last night's Southampton Publick House event, I decided to go it alone anyways.
And I'm glad I went too, because the beers were awesome, there was a good crowd on hand, and for the 2nd event in a row I won the raffle.
I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and get a little exercise too, so I walked from my office all the way down to the East Village. I know it sounds like it would take forever, but its really not that bad. One time I calculated that it takes me roughly a minute to a 70 seconds to walk one block north or south. Going crosstown can vary because not all of the blocks are the same length. So for me this was about a 25-30 minute walk, which wasn't bad at all.
It also got me thirsty for beer.
I passed many a bar along the way but I guarantee you that none of them had anything of the same quality as that which awaited on the far end of St. Mark's Place.
Arriving at the Hop Devil Grill, I found a seat at the counter and ordered a flight of the Southampton beers. The brewers also brought along some bottles and another beer on draft, which were available next door at the Belgian room.
206) Southampton Bavarian Wheat - I took a few sips and immediately called Big Daddy Cal to let him know he was missing out. Of all the German hefeweizens not produced in Germany, this is the best one I've had. It's not in the same class as the heavy hitters from Germany, but that would be asking a bit much. But its the closest so far. I really liked the banana and citrus flavors that were coming from this, and there was just enough of a hint of spice in there as well.
Bavarian Wheat
Yes, I screwed up and instead of being efficient and taking one group shot of the flight, I did them individually.
207) Southampton Steam Beer - This is only the 3rd steam beer I have had. Basically it is a Californian style where they take lager yeasts and ferment them at higher temperatures to give some ale characteristics. The color is a clear gold. It's not as dark as it looks in the pic below, which is the result of the beer picking up the colors from the counter. This one is hoppy and slightly bitter. Very crisp and easy drinking.
Steam Beer
208) Southampton Secret Ale - This is probably their most commonly found beer. Like the steam beer above, this is only the third altbier I have tasted. This is brewed with 5 varieties of German malts along with imported German hops. Caramel flavors are very well balanced with the hops. Pretty excellent stuff.
Secret Ale
209) Southampton IPA - Rather typical IPA. Citrusy aroma. Not overpoweringly bitter. It's balanced but rather disappointing after the 3 beers I just had.
IPA
210) Southampton Espresso Stout - This was apparently a mystery selection. There was a nice beige head on top but by the time I got around to taking this photo it had disappeared. The color is an opaque black. Aromas are, not surprisingly, full of espresso beans. Kind of a light body, dominated again by the espresso flavors. Finish is bitter. I'm not a big coffee drinker, so this wasn't exactly my favorite. But if I owned a coffee house I would get a liquor license and pour pints of this stuff.
Espresso Stout
It was then RAFFLE TIME! For the 2nd event in a row, I won!
And the prize was great. T-shirt and a Southampton wheat beer glass!
I won these!
I predict victory in the next raffle as well.
I wasn't done yet, so I headed next door to continue the event at the Belgian Room.
211) Southampton Double White Ale - This, to me, was the highlight of the night. I was blown away by how good this was. Flavors and aromas of orange peel, lemon zest, and coriander were just bursting forth. The alcohol content (at 6.8%) is a little higher than most witbiers. But I dare anyone to blind taste this side-by-side with the best Belgian witbiers. Do it. I would not be surprised to find this at or near the top.
Double White Ale
When the summer Hampton season dies down, I will definitely make a trip out east to visit the Publick House and try more of their stuff.
I'm at 211 for the year. Only 154 to go. Again I'm almost a month ahead so things will slow down for the next few weeks, as I have a trip to Japan coming up, and I don't anticipate going to any major beer events for a while. I may have a bottle or three in the next week or so, but I'm going to take it easy.
And I'm glad I went too, because the beers were awesome, there was a good crowd on hand, and for the 2nd event in a row I won the raffle.
I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and get a little exercise too, so I walked from my office all the way down to the East Village. I know it sounds like it would take forever, but its really not that bad. One time I calculated that it takes me roughly a minute to a 70 seconds to walk one block north or south. Going crosstown can vary because not all of the blocks are the same length. So for me this was about a 25-30 minute walk, which wasn't bad at all.
It also got me thirsty for beer.
I passed many a bar along the way but I guarantee you that none of them had anything of the same quality as that which awaited on the far end of St. Mark's Place.
Arriving at the Hop Devil Grill, I found a seat at the counter and ordered a flight of the Southampton beers. The brewers also brought along some bottles and another beer on draft, which were available next door at the Belgian room.
206) Southampton Bavarian Wheat - I took a few sips and immediately called Big Daddy Cal to let him know he was missing out. Of all the German hefeweizens not produced in Germany, this is the best one I've had. It's not in the same class as the heavy hitters from Germany, but that would be asking a bit much. But its the closest so far. I really liked the banana and citrus flavors that were coming from this, and there was just enough of a hint of spice in there as well.
Bavarian Wheat
Yes, I screwed up and instead of being efficient and taking one group shot of the flight, I did them individually.
207) Southampton Steam Beer - This is only the 3rd steam beer I have had. Basically it is a Californian style where they take lager yeasts and ferment them at higher temperatures to give some ale characteristics. The color is a clear gold. It's not as dark as it looks in the pic below, which is the result of the beer picking up the colors from the counter. This one is hoppy and slightly bitter. Very crisp and easy drinking.
Steam Beer
208) Southampton Secret Ale - This is probably their most commonly found beer. Like the steam beer above, this is only the third altbier I have tasted. This is brewed with 5 varieties of German malts along with imported German hops. Caramel flavors are very well balanced with the hops. Pretty excellent stuff.
Secret Ale
209) Southampton IPA - Rather typical IPA. Citrusy aroma. Not overpoweringly bitter. It's balanced but rather disappointing after the 3 beers I just had.
IPA
210) Southampton Espresso Stout - This was apparently a mystery selection. There was a nice beige head on top but by the time I got around to taking this photo it had disappeared. The color is an opaque black. Aromas are, not surprisingly, full of espresso beans. Kind of a light body, dominated again by the espresso flavors. Finish is bitter. I'm not a big coffee drinker, so this wasn't exactly my favorite. But if I owned a coffee house I would get a liquor license and pour pints of this stuff.
Espresso Stout
It was then RAFFLE TIME! For the 2nd event in a row, I won!
And the prize was great. T-shirt and a Southampton wheat beer glass!
I won these!
I predict victory in the next raffle as well.
I wasn't done yet, so I headed next door to continue the event at the Belgian Room.
211) Southampton Double White Ale - This, to me, was the highlight of the night. I was blown away by how good this was. Flavors and aromas of orange peel, lemon zest, and coriander were just bursting forth. The alcohol content (at 6.8%) is a little higher than most witbiers. But I dare anyone to blind taste this side-by-side with the best Belgian witbiers. Do it. I would not be surprised to find this at or near the top.
Double White Ale
When the summer Hampton season dies down, I will definitely make a trip out east to visit the Publick House and try more of their stuff.
I'm at 211 for the year. Only 154 to go. Again I'm almost a month ahead so things will slow down for the next few weeks, as I have a trip to Japan coming up, and I don't anticipate going to any major beer events for a while. I may have a bottle or three in the next week or so, but I'm going to take it easy.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
MEGA UPDATE!
It's been a while. I have a lot of updates to go through, and I'm going to tackle them all in one fell swoop. There has been much progress on the beer front over the July 4th weekend, and even before then.
Lets go back to June 25th.
That day I made a trek out east with Tina to visit some wineries and bakeries. Mostly bakeries though. And we got some ice cream. See my earlier post for a list of the places we went to, they were all the same.
But here's a new pic!
YUMMMM!
That's a peanut butter sundae from Snowflake. Notice the goopy peanut butter sauce drooping over the side of the cup. Mmm... I must do this again soon. Also notice that the picture is a lot clearer than my past pics. I got a new camera but I think I mentioned that... maybe.
Lets skip ahead to June 29th and the Captain Lawrence event at David Copperfield's.
Went in on a rainy Thursday evening with Big Daddy Cal and Tina. Yes, we got soaked but there's no more hospitable place to pop in than David Copperfield's. We felt like weary travellers happening upon a nice unknown neighborhood spot but we felt right at home.
I said hello to Joe the bartender, and then we sat down at our table to taste the beers of Captain Lawrence, from right upstate in Pleasantville. Big Daddy Cal and I each ordered the sampler. Scott from Captain Lawrence brought their entire line in for the event.
Check it out:
Sampler!
Now, they were going to have another version of the Captain's Reserve on cask but they had some trouble finding the pin, so that didn't go up until after we left. The St. Vincent's Dubbel was available in the bottle.
In the picture above, from left to right, are the Pale Ale, the Liquid Gold, the Porter, and the Captain's Reserve.
196) Captain Lawrence Pale Ale - This is a pale ale containing American hops (Cascade, Crystal, and Columbus to be exact). The aroma is piney and distinctly American. The bitterness of this beer is nicely balanced out with a malty sweetness on the finish.
197) Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold - The gold color of this beer may make you think there is not much behind it but wow is this a complex brew. The aroma is spicy and earthy with orange and banana flavors to follow. Big Daddy Cal really loved this one.
198) Captain Lawrence Porter - This porter is actually smoked, and the aroma lets you know it right up front. The smoked wood aroma is something else. The flavor is smoky as well, and you also get the classic roasted malt and coffee flavors you expect from a good porter. This is excellent stuff and I hope they bring it back to David Copperfield's in the colder months.
199) Captain Lawrence Captains Reserve - This is their double IPA. Very hoppy and bitter. This is all intense hops on the nose. Like any good beer of this style, the malt is strong enough to balance out those hops.
Since we got the sampler but the cask version of the Reserve wasn't available yet, I got another beer to replace that one.
200) Sierra Nevada Torpedo Ale - I read that this is the same recipe as the Celebration Ale, but that the dry hopping method is different. This is a new release as well. Hoppy and aromatic like the Captain Lawrence I had earlier but this was a little more intense. Didn't get a picture because I pretty much downed it before I realized.
Jump ahead to the July 4th weekend. I began by watching Germany's World Cup match and figured what better way to celebrate than with a German Hef.
201) Schneider Weisse Original - Darker color than what I'm usually used to. Nice fluffy head that lasts long. Flavors of banana, clove, and even a little apple. One of the top 5 German hefeweizens I have ever had.
Schneider Weisse
On Saturday the 1st, we had a little BBQ at Jeff's place. Check out my Flickr page for those pics, but here is the beer I brought along to add to my list.
202) Rogue Seahorse Pale Ale - This was a 22 oz. bomber. Hazy orange color with hop aromas with a hint of malt. Caramel flavors mostly, with a bitter finish.
Seahorse Pale Ale
On Monday, I went to do a little shopping in the Soho area. I made plans to meet up with Big Daddy Cal for a quick drink, but before that I went to Vol de Nuit in the Village. The frites were the best part. The guy working the bar was a moron. The first thing I asked for was the Strubbe Pilsner ($4), which he gave me. Then later I asked for a Delirium Tremens ($8), and a La Chouffe ($8). He charged me for 2 Deliriums.
Number one, how does one confuse "Delirium" with "Strubbe Pils". It's not even close verbally.
Second, WHO THE FUCK DOES THIS GUY THINK HE'S TALKING TO?!?!?!
I HAVE A GODDAMN BEER WEBSITE!
I have tasted a shitload of beer.
I could taste the fucking differences in those drinks like its nothing. I know what I ordered and I know what I drank.
I'm through with Vol de Nuit. It's all vibe. Sure the frites are good, the atmosphere is very "European" and the courtyard is rustic and relaxing but this place is off my list because of the bartender. I had heard the owners were pricks but never experienced that until now.
Maybe I'll do a chargeback on my credit card.
Afterwards, I walked with Big Daddy Cal to the East Village and we went to the Hop Devil Grill.
203) Berliner Kindl Weiss Mit Schuß Him-Beere - Don't ask me to translate that. This was the first time I tried something like this and I didn't like it. It was way too sweet and syrupy. It was kind of like drinking a Shirley Temple that has been going flat.
Syrupy beer
Had a couple others to finish out the weekend.
204) Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen - Ayinger just makes great stuff and this was hands down the best Oktoberfest I have ever had. I can't wait for the fall months when I will get another bottle of this.
The greatest Oktoberfest in the world.
The latest beer I had was #205 for the year and my #400 beer overall.
205) Fullers ESB - Malty with a sweet grape flavor. Slightly bitter finish. Very drinkable - I could have this all day.
#400 all time.
If you're still reading, I currently stand at 205 for the year and 160 to go. That's a 2 1/2 week lead.
Tonight there is supposed to be a Southhampton event at the Hop Devil Grill, which I will certainly attend. Maybe I'll do the event beers then pop next door to the Belgian room for another beer and perhaps some frites.
Lets go back to June 25th.
That day I made a trek out east with Tina to visit some wineries and bakeries. Mostly bakeries though. And we got some ice cream. See my earlier post for a list of the places we went to, they were all the same.
But here's a new pic!
YUMMMM!
That's a peanut butter sundae from Snowflake. Notice the goopy peanut butter sauce drooping over the side of the cup. Mmm... I must do this again soon. Also notice that the picture is a lot clearer than my past pics. I got a new camera but I think I mentioned that... maybe.
Lets skip ahead to June 29th and the Captain Lawrence event at David Copperfield's.
Went in on a rainy Thursday evening with Big Daddy Cal and Tina. Yes, we got soaked but there's no more hospitable place to pop in than David Copperfield's. We felt like weary travellers happening upon a nice unknown neighborhood spot but we felt right at home.
I said hello to Joe the bartender, and then we sat down at our table to taste the beers of Captain Lawrence, from right upstate in Pleasantville. Big Daddy Cal and I each ordered the sampler. Scott from Captain Lawrence brought their entire line in for the event.
Check it out:
Sampler!
Now, they were going to have another version of the Captain's Reserve on cask but they had some trouble finding the pin, so that didn't go up until after we left. The St. Vincent's Dubbel was available in the bottle.
In the picture above, from left to right, are the Pale Ale, the Liquid Gold, the Porter, and the Captain's Reserve.
196) Captain Lawrence Pale Ale - This is a pale ale containing American hops (Cascade, Crystal, and Columbus to be exact). The aroma is piney and distinctly American. The bitterness of this beer is nicely balanced out with a malty sweetness on the finish.
197) Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold - The gold color of this beer may make you think there is not much behind it but wow is this a complex brew. The aroma is spicy and earthy with orange and banana flavors to follow. Big Daddy Cal really loved this one.
198) Captain Lawrence Porter - This porter is actually smoked, and the aroma lets you know it right up front. The smoked wood aroma is something else. The flavor is smoky as well, and you also get the classic roasted malt and coffee flavors you expect from a good porter. This is excellent stuff and I hope they bring it back to David Copperfield's in the colder months.
199) Captain Lawrence Captains Reserve - This is their double IPA. Very hoppy and bitter. This is all intense hops on the nose. Like any good beer of this style, the malt is strong enough to balance out those hops.
Since we got the sampler but the cask version of the Reserve wasn't available yet, I got another beer to replace that one.
200) Sierra Nevada Torpedo Ale - I read that this is the same recipe as the Celebration Ale, but that the dry hopping method is different. This is a new release as well. Hoppy and aromatic like the Captain Lawrence I had earlier but this was a little more intense. Didn't get a picture because I pretty much downed it before I realized.
Jump ahead to the July 4th weekend. I began by watching Germany's World Cup match and figured what better way to celebrate than with a German Hef.
201) Schneider Weisse Original - Darker color than what I'm usually used to. Nice fluffy head that lasts long. Flavors of banana, clove, and even a little apple. One of the top 5 German hefeweizens I have ever had.
Schneider Weisse
On Saturday the 1st, we had a little BBQ at Jeff's place. Check out my Flickr page for those pics, but here is the beer I brought along to add to my list.
202) Rogue Seahorse Pale Ale - This was a 22 oz. bomber. Hazy orange color with hop aromas with a hint of malt. Caramel flavors mostly, with a bitter finish.
Seahorse Pale Ale
On Monday, I went to do a little shopping in the Soho area. I made plans to meet up with Big Daddy Cal for a quick drink, but before that I went to Vol de Nuit in the Village. The frites were the best part. The guy working the bar was a moron. The first thing I asked for was the Strubbe Pilsner ($4), which he gave me. Then later I asked for a Delirium Tremens ($8), and a La Chouffe ($8). He charged me for 2 Deliriums.
Number one, how does one confuse "Delirium" with "Strubbe Pils". It's not even close verbally.
Second, WHO THE FUCK DOES THIS GUY THINK HE'S TALKING TO?!?!?!
I HAVE A GODDAMN BEER WEBSITE!
I have tasted a shitload of beer.
I could taste the fucking differences in those drinks like its nothing. I know what I ordered and I know what I drank.
I'm through with Vol de Nuit. It's all vibe. Sure the frites are good, the atmosphere is very "European" and the courtyard is rustic and relaxing but this place is off my list because of the bartender. I had heard the owners were pricks but never experienced that until now.
Maybe I'll do a chargeback on my credit card.
Afterwards, I walked with Big Daddy Cal to the East Village and we went to the Hop Devil Grill.
203) Berliner Kindl Weiss Mit Schuß Him-Beere - Don't ask me to translate that. This was the first time I tried something like this and I didn't like it. It was way too sweet and syrupy. It was kind of like drinking a Shirley Temple that has been going flat.
Syrupy beer
Had a couple others to finish out the weekend.
204) Ayinger Oktober Fest-Marzen - Ayinger just makes great stuff and this was hands down the best Oktoberfest I have ever had. I can't wait for the fall months when I will get another bottle of this.
The greatest Oktoberfest in the world.
The latest beer I had was #205 for the year and my #400 beer overall.
205) Fullers ESB - Malty with a sweet grape flavor. Slightly bitter finish. Very drinkable - I could have this all day.
#400 all time.
If you're still reading, I currently stand at 205 for the year and 160 to go. That's a 2 1/2 week lead.
Tonight there is supposed to be a Southhampton event at the Hop Devil Grill, which I will certainly attend. Maybe I'll do the event beers then pop next door to the Belgian room for another beer and perhaps some frites.
