Brewery Ride

This past Sunday I led a group of 12 motorcycles, riders and passengers on a brewery themed ride. I researched various craft breweries in the state and found that the only one with tours on Sunday was River Horse in Lambertville, NJ. This was now our destination.  We left Liberty HD and the first stop was:

Climax Brewing Company

Climax Brewing Company was founded in 1996 and considers itself the oldest micro-brewery in NJ.  Located in Roselle Park, we found that the building didn’t have a sign. One of our riders is a brewer who knows the owner and has been in the garage brewery was able to point it out to us when we motored past it. I have had the opportunity to sample a few of their products. Most are really good. It was nice when a local bar would routinely carry cask conditioned ales from here. Too bad the bar was sold.

Next stop:

Trap Rock Brewery

The Trap Rock Restaurant and Brewery, Berkeley Heights. The food is good and tends to be on the higher end of the cost scale. The beer is also good, but always gave my wife a headache (after 1 not a 12 pack). I do believe you can get kegs direct from them, but don’t take my word for it.  After the photo op we were on our way to:

Disabled on the side of the road

Pit Crew

We turned onto the road and one rider lost throttle control. We pulled over where the bike coasted to a stop on a curve in the road. Not the best place to be stranded but…  Now the tools came out, the minds got together. This was manly stuff, something to fix. Removing the throttle grip proved that the cable itself was intact but the grip broke where the cable connected.

The thinking caps went on, out came more tools, along with my camera. The roadside repair crew managed to punch a hole through the grip and used piano wire to attach the throttle cable to the grip. Some adjustment of the cable got the bike running well enough to be able to ride it.

We then made our way to our next stop:

Long Valley Brew Pub

A club for a certain kind of nurse

Long Valley Brew Pub, Long Valley. It was only about 2 miles from the roadside pit repairs to this stop. We stopped anyway for the photo op. This place is a magnet for motorcyclists on weekends. The food is decent and not overly expensive. The beer isn’t bad either.

While we were there a group made up mostly of members of the Firefighters Law Enforcement Brotherhood MC rode in.  Within that group was a lone rider flying the colors of the Bad Ass Nurse MC. There is a club for every rider these days.

We got back on our way and eventually made it to our final destination:

River Horse Brewery

River Horse Brewery, Lambertville.  We were early for the tour so we went in and bellied up to the small bar. $1 gets you 4 samples of beer (20 oz.) which is all, according to the tour guide, that a brewer can give out in the great state of NJ. It was good timing to get there early and sample the product before the tour.

Up to the bar for samples

Vats of beer

Our tour guide did a good job of taking us through the making of beer. It’s always interesting to hear how one of our favorite beverages is made. The crew at River Horse pay a lot of attention to detail and it shows in the taste of their beer. Even those that normally drink the beer of a lighter variety appreciated the tastes of the samples of River Horse beer.

Parting shot of the brewery

After the tour we made our way to Lambertville Station for some liquid refreshments and food.

A River Horse tap is on the far left behind the bartender

Happy now that food is on its way

 

summer beer tasting

The Beers of Summer (missing the La Chouffe)

The summer beer tasting was held this past Saturday. In all there were 13 beverages sampled with 14 tasters. Many of the beers brought by the attendees were of the lighter summer fare. Perfect for a summer evening. Our main rule is that each guest must bring at least one non-mass produced beer to sample. One person ignored this rule and brought O’Douls. He was promptly regaled with insults, questioned upon his beer integrity and escorted to the liquor store, where he was coached in the purchase of a much more robust selection. We are serious, very serious, seriously serious about our beer tasting.

Below is a list (and pix of the bottles too) of the beers sampled along with the general consensus of the group. We tried to sample them from lightest to heaviest. But quite often the beer has been untasted by anyone and we can only assume from the bottle where it should be placed in the line-up.

Sweaty Betty

Sweaty Betty – Boulder Beer Company, Boulder, Colorado, USA

Part of the Looking Glass Series from this brewery, the label is full of many adjectives to describe this beer: Irresistible, Flirtatious, Succulent, Curvaceous (I like that one). From the label itself: “Betty’s golden appearance reflects her smooth, light and friendly character.” This is a blonde wheat beer and the first of our tastings. Our tasters were split on this one. Those that liked it found it to be very drinkable, minimal after taste, light, fruity but not very heavy. Others found it to be flat, not much flavor, and no bite. Certainly the name would be cause for people to at least try the beer. I found it to be on the light side, certainly a summer beer. It was refreshing. Perhaps a slice of orange ala Blue Moon would have helped out the nay sayers tastes.
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La Chouffe

La Chouffe – Brasserie D’Achouffe, Belgium

Brewed by artisans at a micro-brewery located in the very picturesque Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge, WWII) region of Belgium. According to the label the beer is crafted with all local ingredients including coriander for the spice. It is a bottle conditioned, double fermented ale that produces natural carbonation and a yeast deposit on the bottom (don’t pour to the last drop.)  The name chouffe is explained from the label: “The legend of gnomes (chouffes) who once brewed in this mysterious region provides the inspiration for this eccentric bottle conditioned, double fermented ale.” Our tasters were again split on this one. The positives were that it had more flavor than the Sweaty Betty, was refreshing, had more bite, and had a traditional beer taste. The cons: not enough flavor and taste. As I write this I am finishing what was left of the La Chouffe. From my notes I said it had a metallic aftertaste that I am not experiencing now and that it did not have a stong initial taste. Consider that this beer could probably be a nice one on it’s own without following another. Right now I am enjoying it.

Kriek

Kreik – Brewery Lindemans, Vlezenbeek, Belgium

A cherry lambic from Belgium. The label on the bottle is in French and Flemish. From what I can decipher without typing into Google Translate, it is brewed in the area of Brussels and should be served between 2-3 degrees Celsius (pretty cold.)  This was one of the weaker beers at 3.5% alcohol. There were only a few that liked this fruity beer. Comments ran from “tastes like a jolly rancher”, “like Luigi’s Italian Ice”, “if you’re a chick you might like it”, to “tasted better than it smelled”. Some found it to be on the sweeter side of the lambics, many liked it for what it was, but stated that if you were looking for a beer, this would not be the one of choice. Overall not bad, but one has to be looking for a lambic style beer.
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Sunshine Pils

Sunshine Pils – Troegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

A sunshine pils it is. There is nothing on the label describing this beer only that they are an independent craft brewery and you are welcome to visit at 2PM on Saturdays. Overall this was well received. Most everyone liked the bite of a pilsner, the hoppiness, and the crisp taste. Cons and there were few, was that it was nothing special and not Troegs best work. I like a pilsner and found this to be good. Would I buy it again? Certainly! Why not get a fresh local brew instead of a pilsner imported and a few months old from Europe. I found the taste good, nothing to steer me away, and if looking for a pilsner will remember this one. I wonder if I can get it in a sixtel?
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Hofbrau Dunkel

Hofbrau Dunkel – Staatliches Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany

Again, the label is very sparse. This beer is “Brewed according to the German Purity Law.” It is a darker beer, but not what you would consider a “dark beer.” Not as dark as a stout but darker than a lager. It was a surprise to not have the typical German dark beer taste and finish. It did have a finish of roasted caramel but it was not overbearing. This one was overwhelmingly liked by our tasters. Comments: “Nice flavor and aftertaste”, “good malty beer”, “roasted caramel”, “caramel aftertaste, pretty cool.”
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Innes & Gunn

Innes & Gunn – Innes & Gunn, Edinburg, Scotland

An oak aged, smooth Scottish beer with natural hints of toffee, vanilla and oak. Mostly a thunbs up from the tasters. Those liking it didn’t mind the sweetness of the beer, some found an underlying scotch taste. The beer was very smooth if not on the sweet side. One said it was awesome, another was “hmmmmmmmmmm…. Oh My God! This is so good.” Well there you have it. For the non-likers it was too sweet, or tasted like honey. I had a bottle of this a day after the tasting and the sweetness lingered on your palate like an extremely sweet desert. I liked the beer but found it on the sweet side. There have been other scotch ales in the past that I remember as being better.
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400 Pound Monkey

400 Pound Monkey – Left Hand Brewing Company, Longmount, Colorado, USA

Billed as an English Style India Pale Ale and brewed on the banks of the mighty St. Vrain, this beer had mixed reviews from the tasters. The pros found the hoppiness to be very pleasant while the cons found it to be overwhelming. One found the flavor confusing, not knowing where the beer was trying to go. The nose did not coincide with the aftertaste. From the notes I would have to deduce that this brew did not win many over. Most thought it was ok, but were not raving about it. I am a fan of IPAs and do like this beer. It is not as overbearing as other, stronger IPAs but has a nice flavor and finish. I picked it up originally as a microbrew replacement for Bass Ale. Although not well received, be certain to try this if you see it.
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Rogue Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Dead Guy Ale – Rogue Ales, Newport, Oregon, USAB

The very simple label says “Oregon Brewed”. “Creatively Dedicated to the Rogue in Each of Us.” Despite the lack of entertaining verbage on the label this beer was well received. Some found it on the sweet side, some liked the fact that the aftertaste was not lingering. Overall most liked this ale. I have seen this product many times in the stores and have never put it in my cart. This is one I would consider for a sixtel or to even purchase for drinking. The non-likers complained of it being too sweet.
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Flying Mouflan

Flying Mouflan – Troegs Brewing Company, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA

Another by Troegs. From the label: “…. this alluring ale is like “pushing our Nugget Nectar off the side of a cliff” – tastes like hops dipped in candied sugar and rolled in dark chocolate nibs.” And “Patient beer lovers who cellar the Mouflan will be rewarded with mellowed hops and luscious malt.” So much for reading the label before we opened it. Now I need to get another bottle and age it for a year in my beer cellar. Overall liked by most. The taste was more towards that of  a barley wine style ale. Most found it to be heavy and thick, and flavorful. Interesting flavors, a coffee finish. A beer to have after dinner but not more than 1 or 2. I guess we will have to pull this one out again after a year of aging.
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Two Hearted Ale

Two Hearted Ale – Bell’s Brewery, Comstock, Michigan, USA

“An India Pale Ale style well suited for adventurous trips to the Upper Penninsula.” Really enjoyed by the tasters. Delicious, “not too complex, but interesting enough to catch attention”, “doesn’t punch you in the face”. I found the beer to be hoppy with a floral finish. Very different from what I am used to in an IPA. It was very nice and one of the favorites of the evening. This beer was  brought to us through Pennsylvania. It is not yet available in New Jersey. If you like IPAs this is a must try. Very nice start and a pleasant finish. Doesn’t annihilate the palate like other hopped up beers.
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Purple Haze

Purple Haze – Abita Brewing Company, Abita Springs, Louisiana, USA

“…a lager brewed with fresh raspberry puree …brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Mt. Hood hops.” We probably did this beer an injustice by trying it after some very hoppy ones. It was an after thought to try this with the tasting. Since all agreed, we sampled it. Overwhelmingly it was found to be lacking in flavor and body. Those that have had it on tap said something was missing from the bottled version. It was much better on tap. I noted that it smelled great, promising, but the taste wasn’t there to back up the “nose”. This is another beer that might do better on it’s own or on tap somewhere. I think we would have put it somewhere near the beginning of the list where it might have faired better.
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Raspberry Lambic

Framboise Lambic - Brewery Lindemans, Vlezenbeek, Belgium

“Malt beverage with Raspberries added.” “After spontaneous fermentation raspberries are added, creating a secondary fermentation and yielding a beer of exceptional flavor and complexity.” Even with sampling after the heavier beers, this Lambic held its own. It wasn’t an overall  favorite, but most appreciated the tartness and sourness. Compared to the sweeter cherry kriek, this is what most thought a lambic should taste like. Again one mentioned that it was a “chick” beer, a beer for girls who don’t like beer. Another thought of it as a desert beer, one glass but no more. Overall this was liked but was not put in the category of I’d like to drink it every day.
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Blithering Idiot

Blithering Idiot – Weyerbacher Brewing Company, Easton, Pennsylvania, USA

Simply put this is a barley wine style ale. At 11.1% alcohol people took notice. All liked it, some admitted it was strong. The last beer of the tasting had people finding it to be delicious even though there was a noticeable taste of alcohol. This was a delicious beer, something you will want to share with friends, but definitely not one to have after cutting the lawn. This is one for lounging, sipping, maybe a nice cigar (if you’re so inclined). Although not indicated on the bottle I am sure this beer can be aged and enjoyed a year or so from now. Maybe a future tasting will  be of beers that have been aged versus their present day counterparts just to see the difference a year makes. Not all beer can be aged but those that can deserve a special tasting.
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After Tasting Mentions

London Porter

Fuller’s London Porter – Griffin Brewery, Chiswick, London, England

“…an award winning example of this historic English style; smooth and creamy with delicious chocolate and coffee flavours derived from the roasted malts.” Almost everyone had left, the couple that had brought this opened it and offered to those still in attendance. I tried it and found it to be quite smooth and delicious. Certainly a beer to have after dinner. Something to relax with. To sit with and enjoy. Full bodied, tasty, not overbearing. Most likely what you would expect of a porter. I would highly recommend trying this.
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Summer Shandy

Summer Shandy – J. Leinenkugel Brewery, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, USA

“Weiss Beer With Lemonade”. Can’t say I liked it. Too sweet, not beer tasting at all. But you might say it could be refreshing, as long as you were looking for this taste. If you are expecting a lager taste you will be disappointed. This is the first beer I have tasted from this brewery. If I were to rate this for what it was I would have to say that it didn’t leave a sticky aftertaste, was refreshing and did have a pleasant lemon taste. However, after all the beer of the evening, drinking this at the end was not it’s proper place.
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The favorites from our evening of tasting: Two Hearted Ale, Sweaty Betty (may have been the name), Innes & Gunn and Blithering Idiot. Beer can be very complex and tastes vary as much as the beer does. One of our tasters had just discovered beer while on holiday in Belgium (coincidence that we had some Belgian beers?) while 2 others were not what you would call “beer drinkers”. An interesting evening of sampling beer with great people.

lacrosse in the rain

Two Saturday’s ago my son’s lacrosse team had their first game. Mid 40′s, heavy rain and high winds. The game was not called since it was played on a turf field. We parents spent the game huddled under the minimal protection of the concession stand overhang. The wind swept rain and the splash from the tarmac got us all soaked anyway. I was wearing a windbreaker which did little to keep me dry. The camera was with me and stayed in the bag. The rain cover for the camera was never deployed. There was no way I was going photograph in that deluge.

Standing there I wondered aloud why was I in a windbreaker when I had perfectly dry rain gear for the motorcycle back in the garage along with waterproof boots.  I just wasn’t thinking ahead.

One week later and he has another game. It’s raining and it’s not canceled. Another turf field. This time about 10 degrees warmer and little wind but still rain. I gather my rain gear and snatch my 20 year old imitation Wellingtons. This time I am prepared.

The kids get soaked and I take pictures. The only drawback is that motorcycle rain gear doesn’t usually come with a hood so protecting my pate was my Barma kangaroo skin hat. It lasted about half of the game before becoming waterlogged itself.

Despite the conditions they played well and won the game.

Some pictures:

Parents braving the rain

Sam

Half time

3 on 1

fort lauderdale exodus

Driving back from Key West to Fort Lauderdale we noticed a front of clouds as we approached the Coopertown Airboats for our tour. Although the clouds looked menacing we made it through without rain. Leaving there we headed for Fort Lauderdale Airport where the skies darkened, the wind kicked up, and the rain fell. It really fell.  This is the type of storm that wreaks havoc on take offs and landings, and we were headed to board our flight back home.

Without incident we made it through check-in and security only to find the terminal packed to the gills with travelers.

Travelers en masse at the terminal

Many flights were delayed or diverted. Those that were diverted refueled at a distant airport then returned at some time to FLL. Whichever flight they were to be outbound was delayed. Gates were changed numerous times. Figuring that it would be awhile, I stood in line to get a beer or two. The bar was out of most of the premium beer, and out of the 5 or 6 tap beers only had Miller Lite and Bud Lite.

Not able to take it anymore Tara threatened to strangle herself with the cord from her flight pillow. No one paid attention. The attempt failed, Nick put his head in his hand and our flight was only an hour delayed (in boarding that is, we sat on the runway for about another 40 minutes).

Tara threatens to strangle herself

Nick can’t look

It was interesting to see the gamut of emotions as the flights were delayed. Some were visibly pissed. Others took it in stride, like the group of spring breakers who set up their portable iPod speakers and tried to entice others standing around into getting into the music. All in all most of the travelers most likely made it home, a little late, and only owe it to Mother Nature showing that she still has control.

westfield girls swim team get state championship

Team bus with much exuberation

The Westfield Blue Devils girls swim team won the NJ state championship Sunday.  Part of the celebration includes the Fire and Police departments and many parents meeting the team bus at the town border. From there they are escorted through town with lights flashing, sirens blaring and the girls screaming out of the windows.

Fire department escort

Once back at the hallowed halls of Westfield High School the team and parents gather in the cafeteria for pictures, a speech by the coach and some words from the mayor extolling the girls accomplishments.

Going into the meet the girls knew how many times Westfield was beaten by Vineland. I asked a parent if the meet was close and was told no, Vineland was trounced. The score was around 118 to 52. Not only did the girls win but also broke 3 records for times and broke 5000 in power points. I don’t fully understand power points as this is my daughters second year on the team but apparently no team has ever broken 5000 in New Jersey.

The coach was proud to say that the Westfield Blue Devils Girls Swim Team has now gone down in New Jersey history as the fastest high school team ever.

There was joy in Muddville.

president’s weekend beer tasting 2011

 

Sampled beer of the President's weekend beer tasting

In honor of President’s Day weekend we held a beer tasting. Eight tasters gathered bringing along interesting beer to sample. In all we had ten beers to taste and discuss. There would have been eleven, but most of the tasters had already acquainted themselves with Arrogant Bastard Ale. The following are our opinions based on the fact that we opened, we poured and we tasted. Oh, and we like to drink beer, good beer, interesting beer.

 

The toast

Nugget Nectar – Troegs Brewing Company – Imperial Amber — Overall the consensus was a thumbs up. Comments were “fruity”, “what a Magic Hat #9 should be”, “love it.”  

Voodoo Love Child Ale – Voodoo Brewing Company — Aged on Cherries, Raspberries and Passion Fruit – This was a selection at our Christmas Eve tasting so some of the tasters had sampled it before. Still the overall rating was a thumbs down. Two positive comments were “good, intesnsely fruity, like a lambic without the sour” and “would be ok in front of a fire on a cold night.”  

Local 1 – Brooklyn Brewery – 100% Bottle Refermented Ale — The website says this is an Unfiltered Golden Ale, the bottle said 100% Refermented Ale. Overall well received but nothing to write home about.  Comments were “Blue Moonish”, “Belgian White Ale, less sour than Hoegarten”. It didn’t say Belgian style, but most compared it that style beer.

Heresy – Weyerbacher – Imperial Stout aged in Oak barrels — This one had many thumbs up. Perhaps one of the favorites of the tasting. Commets ran like “full body with strong aroma of bourbon”, “like chocolate Jack Daniels, very smooth”. None of the tasters panned this one.

Cup O Kyndnes – From Brewery Ommegang -  A Belgian Style Scotch Ale –  Another with a rousing consensus of excellent. All liked it. Comments: “took Local 1 and improved upon it”, “very smooth with a hint of sweetness”, “smokey”.  All tasters liked this one. Note: the brewery website did not list this in their beer selection, the bottle is labeled as Special Edition.

Cuvee Of The Emperor Blue Gouden Carolus V2009 Grand Cru – Brewery Het Anker — Not panned but not a rousing rave either. Comments: “close to a barley wine style”, “too sweet”, “sweet with noticeable alcohol”, “dessert beer”.

Doppel Bock – Climax Brewing Company — Climax is local to us and many of their offerings are really good. This failed to get any to a climactic state. Comments: “not remarkable”, “no personality, doesn’t offend, doesn’t excite”, “flat, average”, “just ok, nothing special”.

Flower Power IPA – Ithaca Beer Company — For the IPA lovers in the group a great IPA.  Perhaps the highlight of the evening. Nice balance between hoppy and fruity, beautiful initial taste as well as finish and a pleasant aftertaste. Comments: “better IPA”, “fresh”, “not overbearing”. The tasters not prone to IPAs did not like this one.

Unearthly IPA – Southern Tier Brewing Company – Imperial India Pale Ale — Panned by all the panelists! Comments: “sweet”, “more of a hard cider than an IPA”, “tastes like candy”.

Smuttynose IPA – Smuttynose Brewing Company — Overall well received by the IPA lovers and panned by others. Perhaps IPAs are an acquired taste? Certainly the sometimes overpowering hop taste takes some getting used to. Comments: “delicious”, “very tasty”, “flavorful and well balanced”, “Flower Power is better”.

Green’s Amber Ale, Gluten Free (Belgium) — Not really in the line up but was on hand for one partaker with a gluten allergy.  It really didn’t get opened after the IPAs but was opened somewhere in the beginning. Samples were poured and for the taster with the aversion to gluten was the first beer to be tasted who found it good. Others who tried it all found it to be missing something (barley?). This could be because other beer had been quaffed prior.  We’ll leave this as a not panned and not raved.

The hits of the evening: Nugget Nectar, Flower Power IPA, Heresy, Smuttynose IPA and Cup O Kyndnes.

curb is here

On the corner of Marlboro St. and Pinegrove Ave. in Westfield

Just in case the snow plow operator wasn’t sure where the curb began on this street an enterprising citizen posted some reflectors and a sign to let him know. There was a time when the trucks plowed “curb to curb” or pretty close to it depending on parked cars but no more. Even with the first snow fall back in December, we were lucky to have the middle of the road plowed. Now with the weekly accumulations it might not be possible without pissing off the homeowners whose responsibility it is to clear the sidewalks. Getting to the curb would mean for that snow to end up on the sidewalk, which would mean more snow for people to clear to their front lawns.

directions

Walk down any well stocked liquor store and the array of beer available today is mind boggling. To steal a line from a Belgian T-shirt “So many beers, so little time.” Not only do they come with catchy names, some have the stories of the beer itself, or tales as to why you are not worthy to drink the contents of the bottle. Almost like eating breakfast and reading the back of the cereal box, you can now pour yourself a pint and be entertained or educated by reading the back of the bottle.

One comes with directions:

Olde School label with directions

 

Olde School directions

the beers of christmas eve and christmas day

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” — Benjamin Franklin

Last year the Christmas Eve gala at our house went beyond the traditional gathering of family, a few drinks, eat and have a good time. We introduced a beer tasting with a few micro brews that I had bought for the evening.

This year it continued and will become tradition not just for Christmas Eve and Day, but also for Thanksgiving and any other gathering where we have enough beer drinkers interested in interesting beer.

Some may think that after the 1st few that they all begin tasting the same. Not so, especially if you try to arrange from lightest to heaviest.

 

The Beers of Christmas Eve

Voodoo Love Child Ale: Voodoo Brewing Company — The label on this beer says it is aged on cherries, raspberries and passion fruit. It definitely had a strong Belgian Lambic influence. It was sweet and perhaps if we had read the label we would have expected the sweetness. One other character we noticed was the carbonation did not dissipate. It was a fine carbonation similar to what you would find in Champagne. It also held its carbonation for a long time. At the end of the tasting one member of the group said this was his favorite. I like the Lambic style beers but I need to be in the mood for one.

Alpine Black IPA: Otter Creek Brewing — I was introduced to this delicious black IPA on Thanksgiving when my son, Max, brought it as his contribution to the day. It immediately became a favorite and I set out to get a sixtel for the kegerator. It arrived on the week of Christmas and Max was good enough to deliver it from Jersey City on Christmas Eve, early enough for it to settle and get nice and cold. Too bad it’s a seasonal, we all agreed it was something we could drink all year. The normal bitterness of an IPA is masked by the roasted hops making this very smooth and an easy beer to drink. Loved by both groups (Xmas Eve and Xmas Day) of beer lovers.

Lilith: Birrificio Bruton — I was looking for something interesting for the holidays and the help at the liquor store shared a story about some goth looking guy that came in to sell them beer from this brewery and the two Italian beers in this tasting were part of it. The staff at the store all liked the Diece product from the same company. If you click on the website you will see it is in Italian, this is Italian beer,  more specifically an Italian Amber Beer. While the beer was good it didn’t send us. And since I chose this, I can say there are better out there for half the price.

Harpoon Chocolate Stout: Harpoon Brewery — We drank this after dinner and before the Exit 13. Initially it could have been a contender, up until you actually sipped it. Bringing the glass to your lips you were presented with a strong chocolate aroma (nose if we were drinking wine) but after that it fell short. All agreed that there was something missing when you actually tasted it. That strong chocolate aroma disappeared as well as any supporting stout taste. There was no body to the beer; it seemed like water. Very disappointing after the initial smells.

Red’s Rye P.A.: Founders Brewing — Also a favorite of the group, this one was very smooth and flavorful. The hoppiness of the pale ale came through on the finish, but was not noticeable on the initial taste. Usually a hopped up ale will hit the palate initially and remain there, which may be why many do not like IPAs. Liked by both groups of beer aficionados.

Diece: Birrificio Bruton — Another from the Italians, home of the Romans and civilization. Beer has often been associated with the barbarians that overran Rome and the Italians more famous for their food and wine than beer. This beer bills itself as an Italian Abbey Ale, but the sign in the store had it listed as a barley wine style ale. Even the help proclaimed that they liked this barley wine style beer, with some adding that they usually don’t. It tasted more like an abbey ale than a barley wine style beer. Nothing wrong with it, but again we didn’t think it was worth the price. Someone did mention that the Italians weren’t known for beer.

Railbender Ale: Erie Brewing — A Scottish style ale worth your taste. Another favorite of both tasting parties, this one surpasses my old favorite — Belhaven Scottish Ale. Another candidate for the kegerator.

Exit 13 Chocolate Stout: Flying Fish Brewing Company — This is the sixth in a series of beer created by Flying Fish named after the exits on the New Jersey Turnpike (no link to this much maligned road, but it is easy enough to google). This was the last beer drunk in our tasting on both nights and by far the favorite in the stout class. A great aroma of chocolate as you drank as well as a full bodied chocolaty taste. I have sampled all of the exit series and this one ranks up high. The beers of the exits are based on the area, so exit 13 is Elizabeth, a port, so the stout is made with imported chocolate. See the website or get a bottle and read the label for the full story behind the beer.  The series is limited production. My local liquor store only had 1 case and sold out immediately. I had to travel to Jersey City to find it.

 

The Beers of Christmas Day

Different from Christmas Eve:

Bear Mountain Ale: Defiant Brewing Co. — The name of the brewery is catchy as well as the beer, but unfortunately we found the Bear Mountain Ale to be nothing to write a blog about. There was nothing wrong with this selection, it just didn’t have anything that knocked our palates for a loop. The label also proclaimed it to be an ale that “honors summer and Bear Mountain in New York.” This led us to believe it was a summer style ale, but I found it among beers set out for the holidays.

Burton Baton: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery — Wow! That’s the consensus. Wow! The label proclaims this “An oak aged Imperial India Pale Ale.” Definitely a winner with the Xmas Day crew, unfortunately we did not get to this one on Xmas Eve. According to the website this is an “Occasional Rarity” released 3 times per year. I will certainly keep it on my radar and hopefully get a sixtel for the kegerator.

Olde School: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery — This barley wine style ale boasts a 15% alcohol content. Most of the ales I have had with that level of alcohol have been hard to drink, usually leading me to say I’d rather have scotch on the rocks. For some reason Dogfish Head has been able to produce this high proof beverage without the side effects of increased alcohol (taste wise at least). While a barley wine taste might take some getting used to this one is easy on the palate, enjoyable and a break from the usual. The directions on the label are pretty interesting. Will post in a future installment.

Terrapin Coffee Oatmeal Stout: Terrapin Beer Co. — Very nice, brewed with Jittery Joe’s coffee, this oatmeal stout was well received. We drank this before the chocolate stout and although it held its own, did not surpass it. Certainly one to try again.

“Our Special Ale”: Anchor Brewing Company — This is a holiday seasonal brew put out each year for the past 36 years. The ale’s recipe changes every year. This is the first year I have tried it so I can’t relate it to past recipes. The beer was good, no one panned it, but there were others that were more impressive.

So there you have it boys and girls. Eight brews sampled on Christmas Eve and seven on Christmas Day. Only my son and I were present for both tastings. There were 6.5 members for Xmas Eve (one stopped after a few) and 4 of us on Xmas Day. It also seems like you drink less than normal since there is only so much to go around from 2 12 ounce bottles or one 22 ounce (remember this is a tasting not a binge). Then there are the reactions, the ratings and the talk about the beer itself. Makes for an interesting few hours.

 

mr. hitchcock must be smiling

The past few mornings I was witness to a rather large flock of starlings that “backyard hopped” down the street. This wasn’t the first time they have come by the neighborhood, but unlike the past where they landed and stayed for a few, this visit had them alight for only an instant before flying to the next yard. The birds are not native to the US but were introduced to Central Park in the 1800′s (see the link above). They are such a nuisance that the state has taken to killing them off. In Franklin Township they dropped dead from the sky alarming residents who knew nothing of the purge.

I finally had my camera handy when the flock returned to the street.