Beer ‘N Golf

So the french finally got something right! Damn… Ok.. need to backup a little bit. Apparently, Blonde Ale is a french term for carbonated Scotch. I have never tasted an ale, much less a blonde ale that has a sugar or alcohol content this high. This “ale” has a surprising small afterbite. That is assuming you are still conscious after the 13% hits your tongue. It tastes like it needs to be cellared for a few years, and it may say so on the bottle, but the only french I know is “Donde’ esta el bano?” 

Apparently imperial IPAs are now known as “San Diego Style IPAs” I guess the rest of the world finally realized that we make some damn good beer here in San Diego. Or perhaps it’s because we’re bitter as hell. Green Flash decided to blend the two concepts. The result is a 9% “San Diego style IPA” that will kick you in the ass so hard that you will be crapping out kittens for a week. I don’t really know what that means, but let’s just pretend it makes sense so I can move on. Well….. never mind. I really don’t have anything else. Strong, bitter, kitten crapping pretty much sums it up. Cheers! (more…)

Newcastle is what I consider, a “primer”. For those morning coffee breaks, when you just can’t quite handle an Imperial IPA, Newcastle is a good brown ale to start your day off on the right track. Throw a couple of ice cubes in and tell your boss it’s an iced coffee. Newcastle never disappoints, and always goes down smooth. It’s slightly more carbonated than I prefer, but I can deal with it. The bottom line…. go grab a 6-pack, and leave it in the bottom drawer of your desk at work. Drink one a day as needed. That will leave you with one left at the end of the week. Now it’s your beer, and you can do what you please with it. But I would suggest using it to bribe that nosy coworker looking over your shoulder while you’re reading this.  (more…)

There are two kinds of beer drinkers. Those of us that love Stone; and Those who have not tried Stone. Depending on the crowd, you will get 2 very different reactions to Stone’s Pale Ale. From the nascar/dudebro/tailgating/frathouse crowd you might hear, “wow that’s strong, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a beer that dark before.” From the cool crowd, “I’m not on a diet, give me back my Arrogant Bastard.” I think it’s fairly obvious which group I belong to. Have you seen my gut lately? Seriously, I am a fat ass. And now that I am on a diet, I am growing rather fond of the Pale Ale. It has a stronger bite than most Pales, but leaves a crisp hoppy aftertaste that has the typical mellow feel of a Pale. While I wish it had AB’s 7.2% Alc. the 5.4% will have to do for now. Only 96 lb more until the doctor says I’m healthy enough to resume my suicidal drinking binge.
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The name pretty much explains it all. AB kicks some serious ass and doesn’t bother taking names. Stone lets you know right on the bottle that “It is quite doubtful that you have the taste or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality or depth.” Well the one thing that Stone didn’t count on is that I was raised on hops and barley. When your father is an abusive drunk, you grow up with the taste and sophistication that allows you to appreciate and ale with the quality and depth that Arrogant Bastard possesses. That’s one thing MADD won’t teach you. Now let me break it down for you. I’ve heard people call it a brown ale; most commonly AB is considered an american strong ale; but to my bruised and battered lips, AB is a smoked pale ale. The traditional hoppy feel is replaced by a darker smoked hop flavor that lingers longer than expected. Stone has finally made a beer that simulates the effect of smoking and drinking, so you can save your lungs for more important things like…. maybe…. oxygen. I try to only destroy one major organ at a time. Arrogant Bastard is not for everyone. So remember, maybe you should “stick to a safer and more familiar territory — maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery” in the Rockies. Arrogant Bastard is a beer best enjoyed by it’s own kind. (more…)

As a fan of Brown Ales, I am always excited to try something new. RB’s Long Board Brown has potential to a great brown. Unfortunately RB has made the typical mistakes with their brown ale. Too cold and over-carbonated. It still tasted great, however it could be so much better. The hinted tastes of campfire roasted hazlenuts, and dark chocolate covered costa rican coffee beans were overpowered by the carbonation and temperature. I’ve noticed that the colder you serve a beer, the more the taste is hidden. RBLBB had a slightly darker color than most browns with more of a 20 oz 7-11 Vanilla nut coffee with 2 splenda and no cream type of  color. Nice start, but I would love to a try a casked version of this brown.

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I am a fan of casking. when I drink a beer on cask, I know that I am getting to see what she looks like in the morning without makeup as I am trying to figure out where my clothes ended up. Casking lets you know whether you should take her out to breakfast, or try to sneak out the door to get a quick vaccine. When I tasted this casked pale ale, the first thought that popped in my mind was “Where’s the nearest AIDS clinic?” However, to the defense of RB, it was the last glass in the barrel, so I can’t give the most accurate review. But as I tasted it, I was unimpressed. It seemed to be a poor selection for casking, as a pale ale gets its crisp bite from higher carbonation and noticeable hoppiness. Both were nearly absent and left a lukecold beer with visible sediment. The casking however, brought out the alcohol, giving the ale a whiskey like kick. I would like to try it again when it’s a little fresher, but as it stands I can’t judge it one way or another.

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The original IPA. OK, not really, but for me it is. This was the first IPA to touch my lips and I hope its the last taste in my mouth as I die. With the shape my liver’s in I might get that wish sooner than I think. Stone’s IPA is a classic west coast style IPA. Bold and crisp, with enough bite to remind you that this is no fizzy yellow piss tasting beer. No… this aint no banquet beer. You won’t find this beer in the hands of your favorite NASCAR Pit Crew Chief.when Stone makes an IPA, you taste the fact that there is more hops in that one bottle than the entire domestic section of your local costco. When Stone makes their IPA, werewolves run and hide; for they know this beer is the only ’silver bullet’ that can knock them on their ass.

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Fortunately for my taste buds, (unfortunately for my liver) I live within walking distance of a grocery store that stocks a diverse selection of 22’s. Yesterday, in my quest for artistic inspiration, I stumbled upon a “limited” release by New Belgium Brewing Co. dubbed “A Brussels Style Black Ale.” Intrigued, I decided that I’d try something new, and was rather pleased with my decision. 1554 had the taste of a stout combined with a porter with a slight hoppy after taste. The flavor of the hops was overpowered by a stronger chocolate, coffee aftertaste. The beer was slightly reminiscent of an India Dark Ale. As with most stouts and darker beers, I wouldn’t drink 1554 on a regular basis, But it definitely belongs to the “Try it while you can” group. 1554 would probably go great with a rack of double D’s. Wait, I meant to say a rack of ribs. Although….. That is my kind of threesome.  Ok, yeah, I guess it’s technically a foursome if you count the beer, but I don’t worry about the details. Besides, this is about the beer. So with that being said, go get yourself a bottle, pour it in a glass, and enjoy it while it lasts.
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