Beer Luvvas,
Just a quick holiday wish to all my....periodic readers.
Merry Christmas!
If you are looking for a holiday ale to celebrate this Christmas Day, check out the Advent Beer Calendar at the Brew Site.
Prost!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Google Adsense/Analytics Confusion...
Merry Christmas Beer Luvvas!
Anyone an expert in Google Adsense and Analytics?
My adsense data says I had 137 views yesterday, but analytics says 37 pageviews.
I'm so confused.
Not sure I'll be back on to discuss things more hops and barley related today.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Anyone an expert in Google Adsense and Analytics?
My adsense data says I had 137 views yesterday, but analytics says 37 pageviews.
I'm so confused.
Not sure I'll be back on to discuss things more hops and barley related today.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Twas the Night Before, the Night Before, the Night Before Chirstmas...
Beer Luvvas,
First, Welcome to those of you who have found time during the Holiday Season to either return, or begin, reading this blog. This is the second year in a row that I've had a serious (almost double) uptick of readers during the "holiday vacation season."
Now, every time I head back to Michigan for some quality time with Freebird's family, I always try at least one local brew to broaden my pallet. I actually sampled some brews that are excellent during our summer trip to Traverse City. This time around, I picked up a six-pack of Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter.
Atwater Block Brewery is the first brewer I've sampled from Detroit (not including Stroh's as Freebird's Dad so reminded me). And although I was not bowled over by excellence, it's not a bad brew. The color is appropriately dark, and the vanilla notes were appealing. However, I was overpowered by the smoke, rather than java, flavor of this beer.
I think if it were called a Vanilla Smoked Porter, it would be much more accurate to the tastes this quaff provides.
Well, I think that's it for today. My only other news is that I popped my snow blower cherry today while assisting my Father-In-Law to clear his 800-linear-foot driveway from the 6" of snow we received last night. And I'm soooo excited to build upon that experience tomorrow since it hasn't stopped snowing all day. Luckily it's an activity that makes one worthy of drinking a beer or two after it's complete!
Prost to drinking beer during a snowstorm!
I hope my fellow Beervana-ites stocked up before this crazy weather. I just wish I had some Abyss to enjoy by the fire out here in Michigan!
First, Welcome to those of you who have found time during the Holiday Season to either return, or begin, reading this blog. This is the second year in a row that I've had a serious (almost double) uptick of readers during the "holiday vacation season."
Now, every time I head back to Michigan for some quality time with Freebird's family, I always try at least one local brew to broaden my pallet. I actually sampled some brews that are excellent during our summer trip to Traverse City. This time around, I picked up a six-pack of Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter.
Atwater Block Brewery is the first brewer I've sampled from Detroit (not including Stroh's as Freebird's Dad so reminded me). And although I was not bowled over by excellence, it's not a bad brew. The color is appropriately dark, and the vanilla notes were appealing. However, I was overpowered by the smoke, rather than java, flavor of this beer.
I think if it were called a Vanilla Smoked Porter, it would be much more accurate to the tastes this quaff provides.
Well, I think that's it for today. My only other news is that I popped my snow blower cherry today while assisting my Father-In-Law to clear his 800-linear-foot driveway from the 6" of snow we received last night. And I'm soooo excited to build upon that experience tomorrow since it hasn't stopped snowing all day. Luckily it's an activity that makes one worthy of drinking a beer or two after it's complete!
Prost to drinking beer during a snowstorm!
I hope my fellow Beervana-ites stocked up before this crazy weather. I just wish I had some Abyss to enjoy by the fire out here in Michigan!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Not all light beers are created equal....
Beer luvvas,
The other night, Freebird and I went out to Damon's for dinner where I had previously sampled all the beers on the regular menu.....except for one: Sam Adams Light. I thought to myself, "Self. It's the holidays and there's no way that you are going to forgo your Mother-In-Law's Christmas Cookies, and/or your wife's amazing cooking. So don't even think about trying to cash in on your New Year's Resolution - same thing I try every year Pinky, loose the Phoenix weight." But then I had another thought, "You could use the excuse to add blog-fodder!"
So I gave it a go.
Which is why I am now posting that not all light beers are created equal.
In addition to Sam Adams Light, I recently sampled a Bud Light on my last Southwest Airline trip (free drink ticket with every Business Class Purchase!) because I decided that Heiniken out of a can is no better than any light beer out of a can so if I'm gonna drink some free in-flight beverage, it should be the lighter option: in this case Bud Light.
Some things to note:
Sam Adams Light - 9.6 g carbs/12oz
Bud Light - 6.6 g
Coors Light - 5.3g
Micholob Ultra - 2.6g
Micholob Ultra Amber - 3.7g
Miller Lite - 3.2g
Guinness - 10g
In summary, I'm not changing my opinion that if I had to drink a light beer for the rest of my life, it would not be Sam Adams Light - because of the taste, not the carbs. But Sam Adams does take a close second IMO. Although for an extra 0.4g carb/12oz, I'd take the Guinness.
Prost to Sam Adams for attempting to reinvent the lite beer!
The other night, Freebird and I went out to Damon's for dinner where I had previously sampled all the beers on the regular menu.....except for one: Sam Adams Light. I thought to myself, "Self. It's the holidays and there's no way that you are going to forgo your Mother-In-Law's Christmas Cookies, and/or your wife's amazing cooking. So don't even think about trying to cash in on your New Year's Resolution - same thing I try every year Pinky, loose the Phoenix weight." But then I had another thought, "You could use the excuse to add blog-fodder!"
So I gave it a go.
Which is why I am now posting that not all light beers are created equal.
In addition to Sam Adams Light, I recently sampled a Bud Light on my last Southwest Airline trip (free drink ticket with every Business Class Purchase!) because I decided that Heiniken out of a can is no better than any light beer out of a can so if I'm gonna drink some free in-flight beverage, it should be the lighter option: in this case Bud Light.
Some things to note:
Sam Adams Light - 9.6 g carbs/12oz
Bud Light - 6.6 g
Coors Light - 5.3g
Micholob Ultra - 2.6g
Micholob Ultra Amber - 3.7g
Miller Lite - 3.2g
Guinness - 10g
In summary, I'm not changing my opinion that if I had to drink a light beer for the rest of my life, it would not be Sam Adams Light - because of the taste, not the carbs. But Sam Adams does take a close second IMO. Although for an extra 0.4g carb/12oz, I'd take the Guinness.
Prost to Sam Adams for attempting to reinvent the lite beer!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Pale Ale Blind Bracket: The Final Four
Beer Luvvas,
The Holidays are upon us, and I'm happy to report that Freebird and I successfully completed our travels to Midland, MI - and three feet of snow! We will most assuredly be having a White Christmas.
But today it's time to close out the results of the Pale Ale Bracket. When we left off last time, we had just completed the Elite 8 - with vote tallies this time, per request from the previous post:
Elite 8 Round
#9 Mirror Pond over #16 Full Sale Pale - 8-4
#4 Hop Trip over # 21 Hammerhead Ale - 10-1
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #18 Pike Pale - 6-5
#3 Stone Pale over #11 Tipperary Pale - 9-3
That left us with the following Final Four:
Black Region #3 Stone Pale Ale v. Brown Region #23 Fire Rock Pale Ale
Yellow Region #9 Mirror Pond v. White Region #4 Hop Trip - A Deschutes v. Deschutes battle!
After the Elite Eight round, the tasters paused for a meal while Gooney went to the store to buy more of the remaining four beers (part of the plan, believe it or not).
For the Final Four and Championship rounds, all tasters samples all beers. So the vote count will be much higher than the previous rounds.
And the winner of the first match: Fire Rock upsets Stone 17-6! The slipper still fits!
In the Deschutes v. Deschutes battle: Hop Trip pounds Mirror Pond 22-1!
Setting up the Championship Match up: #4 Hop Trip v. #23 Fire Rock Pale Ale
Drum roll please....
Hop Trip wins the Blind Beer Bracket Challenge 20-3 over Fire Rock Pale Ale!
Kudos to Bill for predicting this result in his comment on the previous post.
Some interesting items to note...
Caldera Pale Ale was the only beer in a can. I was expecting it to be Dick's Pale Ale, or an Oskar Blues Pale. I had no idea that Caldera was canning their beer.
One of the quotes on my taste sheet from the first round:
"If this beer moves on, it's evidence as to why beer bloggers think we're stupid." - in reference to some feedback on Beervana's site after he posted the results to the inaugural IPA Blind Beer Bracket. The beer in reference: Mirror Pond.
Some other great quotes while the beers were still unknown....
Fire Rock Pale Ale:
"Too hoppy....blah, blah...my friends have no taste!"
"Boring. I almost fell asleep drinking it."
Hop Trip:
"Mmmmm...Roses are red, violets are blue, I love hops, how bout you?"
Mt. Tam Pale Ale:
"Decent, just smashed by (Hop Trip)."
"If not up against (Hop Trip), probably a contender."
* Hop Trip filled in for 'Beer U' as it was known during the competition.
Stone Pale Ale:
"Tastes better this time (later round), but I'm really drunk now."
"This beer is tasty goodness."
"The aftertaste is like Freebird farted in your mouth" - another later round quote.
"(Stone) just saved my taste buds!"
Mirror Pond:
"If this beer moves on, it's evidence as to why beer bloggers think we're stupid."
"Not great, but better than a baby bottle nipple."
"The other room must be high." - in reference to the Elite 8 round where the Brown/Black Region tasters, tasted the remaining beers from the Yellow/White Region tasters and vice-versa.
"Smooth. Like diarrhea."
"Voted against (Klickitat), not for (Mirror Pond)." - Round 1 quote.
Denver Pale Ale:
"100% Kicked Ass!"
"Oh, an angel just high-fived my tongue!"
Full Sail Pale Ale:
First Taster: "I call this the McCain of beers."
Second Taster: "What does that mean?"
First Taster: "It means it tastes old."
Moe's Backroom Pale Ale (upset Sierra Nevada in Round 1):
"Now this is a pale ale! Hello Mommy!"
"Jolly tasting. Am I at the Holiday Ale Fest?"
"Darker. Hopalicious!"
Hales Pale Ale:
"(Hales) and me in the hot tub after a day of skiing would be the bomb." - Freebird
Liberty Ale:
"Only because (Slingshot) tastes like ass does this get a vote."
Slingshot:
"Ass." - same taster as above
He'brew Genesis Ale:
"Ho-hum. I smell the piss of an Englishman."
Bass Ale:
"This tastes cheap."
"These hops were picked with unwashed hands."
Firestone Pale 31:
"Try rinsing the bottle after you add soap."
"Makes my mouth feel slimy, but it's better than (Fire Rock)." - minority taster
"Only got my vote because (Fire Rock) sucks a big one." - other minority taster
Sierra Nevada:
"My nose is pissed off right now. No scent. A real snoozer."
Poleeko Gold Pale Ale (Beer O):
"I looked away and somebody peed in my cup."
"Yuck, or rather Yuck-O."
"Something went terribly wrong at the 'O' factory."
What do I take away from this? First, everyone has their own opinion. And when regarding taste, who's to say what's right and wrong? Second, marketing works. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale last night and thought it was just fine. But, I wasn't comparing it to Hop Trip at the time....
Prost to Gooney and all my beer tasting friends! Prost to Hop Trip Best Pale Ale in the land!
The Holidays are upon us, and I'm happy to report that Freebird and I successfully completed our travels to Midland, MI - and three feet of snow! We will most assuredly be having a White Christmas.
But today it's time to close out the results of the Pale Ale Bracket. When we left off last time, we had just completed the Elite 8 - with vote tallies this time, per request from the previous post:
Elite 8 Round
#9 Mirror Pond over #16 Full Sale Pale - 8-4
#4 Hop Trip over # 21 Hammerhead Ale - 10-1
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #18 Pike Pale - 6-5
#3 Stone Pale over #11 Tipperary Pale - 9-3
That left us with the following Final Four:
Black Region #3 Stone Pale Ale v. Brown Region #23 Fire Rock Pale Ale
Yellow Region #9 Mirror Pond v. White Region #4 Hop Trip - A Deschutes v. Deschutes battle!
After the Elite Eight round, the tasters paused for a meal while Gooney went to the store to buy more of the remaining four beers (part of the plan, believe it or not).
For the Final Four and Championship rounds, all tasters samples all beers. So the vote count will be much higher than the previous rounds.
And the winner of the first match: Fire Rock upsets Stone 17-6! The slipper still fits!
In the Deschutes v. Deschutes battle: Hop Trip pounds Mirror Pond 22-1!
Setting up the Championship Match up: #4 Hop Trip v. #23 Fire Rock Pale Ale
Drum roll please....
Hop Trip wins the Blind Beer Bracket Challenge 20-3 over Fire Rock Pale Ale!
Kudos to Bill for predicting this result in his comment on the previous post.
Some interesting items to note...
Caldera Pale Ale was the only beer in a can. I was expecting it to be Dick's Pale Ale, or an Oskar Blues Pale. I had no idea that Caldera was canning their beer.
One of the quotes on my taste sheet from the first round:
"If this beer moves on, it's evidence as to why beer bloggers think we're stupid." - in reference to some feedback on Beervana's site after he posted the results to the inaugural IPA Blind Beer Bracket. The beer in reference: Mirror Pond.
Some other great quotes while the beers were still unknown....
Fire Rock Pale Ale:
"Too hoppy....blah, blah...my friends have no taste!"
"Boring. I almost fell asleep drinking it."
Hop Trip:
"Mmmmm...Roses are red, violets are blue, I love hops, how bout you?"
Mt. Tam Pale Ale:
"Decent, just smashed by (Hop Trip)."
"If not up against (Hop Trip), probably a contender."
* Hop Trip filled in for 'Beer U' as it was known during the competition.
Stone Pale Ale:
"Tastes better this time (later round), but I'm really drunk now."
"This beer is tasty goodness."
"The aftertaste is like Freebird farted in your mouth" - another later round quote.
"(Stone) just saved my taste buds!"
Mirror Pond:
"If this beer moves on, it's evidence as to why beer bloggers think we're stupid."
"Not great, but better than a baby bottle nipple."
"The other room must be high." - in reference to the Elite 8 round where the Brown/Black Region tasters, tasted the remaining beers from the Yellow/White Region tasters and vice-versa.
"Smooth. Like diarrhea."
"Voted against (Klickitat), not for (Mirror Pond)." - Round 1 quote.
Denver Pale Ale:
"100% Kicked Ass!"
"Oh, an angel just high-fived my tongue!"
Full Sail Pale Ale:
First Taster: "I call this the McCain of beers."
Second Taster: "What does that mean?"
First Taster: "It means it tastes old."
Moe's Backroom Pale Ale (upset Sierra Nevada in Round 1):
"Now this is a pale ale! Hello Mommy!"
"Jolly tasting. Am I at the Holiday Ale Fest?"
"Darker. Hopalicious!"
Hales Pale Ale:
"(Hales) and me in the hot tub after a day of skiing would be the bomb." - Freebird
Liberty Ale:
"Only because (Slingshot) tastes like ass does this get a vote."
Slingshot:
"Ass." - same taster as above
He'brew Genesis Ale:
"Ho-hum. I smell the piss of an Englishman."
Bass Ale:
"This tastes cheap."
"These hops were picked with unwashed hands."
Firestone Pale 31:
"Try rinsing the bottle after you add soap."
"Makes my mouth feel slimy, but it's better than (Fire Rock)." - minority taster
"Only got my vote because (Fire Rock) sucks a big one." - other minority taster
Sierra Nevada:
"My nose is pissed off right now. No scent. A real snoozer."
Poleeko Gold Pale Ale (Beer O):
"I looked away and somebody peed in my cup."
"Yuck, or rather Yuck-O."
"Something went terribly wrong at the 'O' factory."
What do I take away from this? First, everyone has their own opinion. And when regarding taste, who's to say what's right and wrong? Second, marketing works. I had a Sierra Nevada Pale last night and thought it was just fine. But, I wasn't comparing it to Hop Trip at the time....
Prost to Gooney and all my beer tasting friends! Prost to Hop Trip Best Pale Ale in the land!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pale Ale Bracket: Round 2
Beer Luvvas,
Well, I'm sitting in the OAK airport, enjoying a $9 22oz Sam Adams.....yeah, I'm still enjoying it. It's a bummer that there was no seating at the Pyramid Pub. I would have preferred a $9 12oz Snow Cap.
But I digress.....I have a little time before my flight. Time enough to discuss The Second Round of last month's Pale Ale Blind Beer Bracket! Link if you haven't read Round 1 yet.
Yellow Region -
#9 Mirror Pond over #8 Pigskin Pale -5-1
#16 Full Sale Pale over #1 Tracktown Triple Jump Pale - 4-3
As I discussed in the previous post, all tie-breakers were determined by "The Hop Hater," therefore the beer with less hops made it past one of the best beers in test (see comment from MCO on last post re: Hazed & Infused)
White Region -
#21 Hammerhead Ale over #28 New Dog Town Pale - 4-1
#4 Hop Trip over #13 Mt. Tam Pale Ale - 5-0
Brown Region -
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #7 XP Pale - 3-2
#18 Pike Pale over #31 Moe's Backroom Pale - 3-2
Black Region -
#11 Tipperary Pale over #6 Anchor Liberty Ale - vote not captured
#3 Stone Pale over #19 Denver Pale - vote not captured
Also as noted in previous post, I was not involved in any of the early tastings coming out of Brown and Black regions.
Elite 8 Round
#9 Mirror Pond over #16 Full Sale Pale
#4 Hop Trip over # 21 Hammerhead Ale
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #18 Pike Pale
#3 Stone Pale over #11 Tipperary Pale
As in the NCAA bracket, there's a Cinderella every time, and the slipper fit for Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. Note to readers, Fire Rock is one of Freebird's fav's, Fire Rock was in her tasting bracket, and she's been known to exert her influence over others. What isn't known is whether or not she thought that she liked the beer when she didn't know it was Fire Rock (until after the competition is over).
Stay Tune next time for the Final Four and Championship Results!
Prost to picking beer based only on personal taste!
Well, I'm sitting in the OAK airport, enjoying a $9 22oz Sam Adams.....yeah, I'm still enjoying it. It's a bummer that there was no seating at the Pyramid Pub. I would have preferred a $9 12oz Snow Cap.
But I digress.....I have a little time before my flight. Time enough to discuss The Second Round of last month's Pale Ale Blind Beer Bracket! Link if you haven't read Round 1 yet.
Yellow Region -
#9 Mirror Pond over #8 Pigskin Pale -5-1
#16 Full Sale Pale over #1 Tracktown Triple Jump Pale - 4-3
As I discussed in the previous post, all tie-breakers were determined by "The Hop Hater," therefore the beer with less hops made it past one of the best beers in test (see comment from MCO on last post re: Hazed & Infused)
White Region -
#21 Hammerhead Ale over #28 New Dog Town Pale - 4-1
#4 Hop Trip over #13 Mt. Tam Pale Ale - 5-0
Brown Region -
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #7 XP Pale - 3-2
#18 Pike Pale over #31 Moe's Backroom Pale - 3-2
Black Region -
#11 Tipperary Pale over #6 Anchor Liberty Ale - vote not captured
#3 Stone Pale over #19 Denver Pale - vote not captured
Also as noted in previous post, I was not involved in any of the early tastings coming out of Brown and Black regions.
Elite 8 Round
#9 Mirror Pond over #16 Full Sale Pale
#4 Hop Trip over # 21 Hammerhead Ale
#23 Fire Rock Pale over #18 Pike Pale
#3 Stone Pale over #11 Tipperary Pale
As in the NCAA bracket, there's a Cinderella every time, and the slipper fit for Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale. Note to readers, Fire Rock is one of Freebird's fav's, Fire Rock was in her tasting bracket, and she's been known to exert her influence over others. What isn't known is whether or not she thought that she liked the beer when she didn't know it was Fire Rock (until after the competition is over).
Stay Tune next time for the Final Four and Championship Results!
Prost to picking beer based only on personal taste!
Another Trip to the #1 East Bay Beer Location
Beer Luvvas,
I'm finishing up my last trip to the East Bay for 2008, and had yet another wonderful experience at The Englander - my #1 Oakland Beer Location.
There aren't many things better than enjoying a few pints of beer with your mutually overworked coworkers in an English style pub with more flat screens than a sports bar should really have, and a beer list that makes deciding between Old Rasputin on Nitro and Pliny the Elder and a myriad of other greats the most challenging part of the day.
Luckily, I wasn't driving so I was able to choose both of the beers above! And a new brew to review: Drake's IPA from Drake's Brewing Co. in San Leonardo, CA. This was yet another great, over-hopped IPA. Even after completing quaffs of Rasputin and Pliny, Drake's IPA held it's own.
Prost to the Englander! My best Bay Area Beer Experience in 2008!
I'm finishing up my last trip to the East Bay for 2008, and had yet another wonderful experience at The Englander - my #1 Oakland Beer Location.
There aren't many things better than enjoying a few pints of beer with your mutually overworked coworkers in an English style pub with more flat screens than a sports bar should really have, and a beer list that makes deciding between Old Rasputin on Nitro and Pliny the Elder and a myriad of other greats the most challenging part of the day.
Luckily, I wasn't driving so I was able to choose both of the beers above! And a new brew to review: Drake's IPA from Drake's Brewing Co. in San Leonardo, CA. This was yet another great, over-hopped IPA. Even after completing quaffs of Rasputin and Pliny, Drake's IPA held it's own.
Prost to the Englander! My best Bay Area Beer Experience in 2008!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Pale Ale Blind Bracket
Beer Luvvas,
I apologize for my recent absence from the blog sphere, but blah, blah, blah....no excuses.
I am ready to publish some of the results from Gooney's Pale Ale Blind Taste Test! The actual event occurred the weekend after Thanksgiving, but with the Holiday Ale Fest, and, blah, blah, blah....yeah, I'm a slacker.
So without further ado...
As in previous incarnations, there were 32 beers tasted. 4 Regions of 4 separate Head-2-Head match-ups were tasted by groups of 5-6 folk. The matches were determined by the rankings on BeerAdvocate (RateBeer was down for technical issues). Winner of each H2H match moved on to the next round. After the first round, the remaining beers were swapped to a different group of tasters for the 2nd round. The 3rd round was again swapped for a different set of tasters, and the Final Four and Championship round was tasted by all.
Winners/Losers were not revealed until all rounds had been completed, and a Champion named.
The Regions:
Yellow Region -
#25 Bridgeport Blue Heron v. #8 Beer Valley Brewing Pigskin Pale Ale (Ontario, OR)
#9 Deschutes Mirror Pond v. #24 Alameda Brewing Kilickitat Pale Ale
#16 Full Sail Pale Ale v. #17 Rogue Juniper Pale Ale
#1 Rogue Tracktown Triple Jump Pale Ale (Eugene, OR) v. #32 Henry Wienhardt's Blue Boar Pale Ale
White Region -
#12 Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused v. #21 McMenamin's Hammerhead Pale Ale
#28 Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale v. #5 Lagunitas New DogTown Pale Ale
#4 Deschutes Hop Trip v. #29 Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale
#13 Marin Brewing Mt. Tam Pale Ale (Larkspur, CA) v. #20 Hair of The Dog Ruth
Brown Region -
#7 Bear Republic XP Pale Ale v. #26 Bass Pale Ale (Preston, England)
#23 Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale (Kona, HI) v. #10 Firestone Walker Brewing Firestone Pale 31 (Paso Robles, CA)
#2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale v. #31 City Brewing Co. Moe's Backroom Pale Ale (La Crosse, WI)
#15 Anderson Valley Breweing Poleeko Gold Pale Ale v. #18 Pike's Brewing Pike Pale Ale
Black Region -
#22 Hale's Pale Ale v. #11 Moylan's Brewery Tipperary Pale Ale (Novato, CA)
#6 Anchor Liberty Ale v. #27 Pyramid/Portland Brewing Sling Shot Pale Ale
#14 Caldera Pale Ale (Ashland, OR) v. #19 Great Divide Brewing Denver Pale Ale
#30 He'Brew Genesis Ale (Saratoga Springs, NY) v. #3 Stone Pale Ale
The Yellow and White winners faced each other and the Black faced off against the Brown in the Final Four.
My first round tastings were the White Region where 2/4 matches were 6-0 winners and the other 2 were 4-3 winners. The tiebreaker was performed by Gooney's wife, aka - "The Hop Hater." My selection was voted down by The Hop Hater during every tiebreaker for the region.
Frist round results:
White Region
#12 Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused v. #21 McMenamin's Hammerhead Pale Ale - 4-3
#28 Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale v. #5 Lagunitas New DogTown Pale Ale - 6-0
#4 Deschutes Hop Trip v. #29 Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale - 6-0
#13 Marin Brewing Mt. Tam Pale Ale v. #20 Hair of The Dog Ruth - 4-3
Yellow Region
#25 Bridgeport Blue Heron v. #8 Beer Valley Brewing Pigskin Pale Ale - 4-1
#9 Deschutes Mirror Pond v. #24 Alameda Brewing Kilickitat Pale Ale - 5-0
#16 Full Sail Pale Ale v. #17 Rogue Juniper Pale Ale - 3-2
#1 Rogue Tracktown Triple Jump Pale Ale v. #32 Henry Wienhardt's Blue Boar Pale Ale - 5-0
Brown Region
#7 Bear Republic XP Pale Ale v. #26 Bass Pale Ale - 3-2
#23 Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale v. #10 Firestone Walker Brewing Firestone Pale 31 - 3-2
#2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale v. #31 City Brewing Co. Moe's Backroom Pale Ale - 3-2
#15 Anderson Valley Breweing Poleeko Gold Pale Ale v. #18 Pike's Brewing Pike Pale Ale - 5-0
Black Region
#22 Hale's Pale Ale v. #11 Moylan's Brewery Tipperary Pale Ale - 4-1
#6 Anchor Liberty Ale v. #27 Pyramid/Portland Brewing Sling Shot Pale Ale - 3-1-1
#14 Caldera Pale Ale v. #19 Great Divide Brewing Denver Pale Ale - 5-0
#30 He'Brew Genesis Ale v. #3 Stone Pale Ale - 3-1-1
Things I can't explain:
Votes 3-1-1 - wasn't part of that table. I don't understand how there can be a "tie."
Moe's Backroom over Sierra Nevada - Didn't taste Moe's until after the competition, and by that time it was too late to be rational.
Stay tune for later posts on the later rounds, and key learnings, funny comments, yadda, yadda.
Prost to Gooney and his Blind Beer Tasting Brackets!
I apologize for my recent absence from the blog sphere, but blah, blah, blah....no excuses.
I am ready to publish some of the results from Gooney's Pale Ale Blind Taste Test! The actual event occurred the weekend after Thanksgiving, but with the Holiday Ale Fest, and, blah, blah, blah....yeah, I'm a slacker.
So without further ado...
As in previous incarnations, there were 32 beers tasted. 4 Regions of 4 separate Head-2-Head match-ups were tasted by groups of 5-6 folk. The matches were determined by the rankings on BeerAdvocate (RateBeer was down for technical issues). Winner of each H2H match moved on to the next round. After the first round, the remaining beers were swapped to a different group of tasters for the 2nd round. The 3rd round was again swapped for a different set of tasters, and the Final Four and Championship round was tasted by all.
Winners/Losers were not revealed until all rounds had been completed, and a Champion named.
The Regions:
Yellow Region -
#25 Bridgeport Blue Heron v. #8 Beer Valley Brewing Pigskin Pale Ale (Ontario, OR)
#9 Deschutes Mirror Pond v. #24 Alameda Brewing Kilickitat Pale Ale
#16 Full Sail Pale Ale v. #17 Rogue Juniper Pale Ale
#1 Rogue Tracktown Triple Jump Pale Ale (Eugene, OR) v. #32 Henry Wienhardt's Blue Boar Pale Ale
White Region -
#12 Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused v. #21 McMenamin's Hammerhead Pale Ale
#28 Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale v. #5 Lagunitas New DogTown Pale Ale
#4 Deschutes Hop Trip v. #29 Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale
#13 Marin Brewing Mt. Tam Pale Ale (Larkspur, CA) v. #20 Hair of The Dog Ruth
Brown Region -
#7 Bear Republic XP Pale Ale v. #26 Bass Pale Ale (Preston, England)
#23 Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale (Kona, HI) v. #10 Firestone Walker Brewing Firestone Pale 31 (Paso Robles, CA)
#2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale v. #31 City Brewing Co. Moe's Backroom Pale Ale (La Crosse, WI)
#15 Anderson Valley Breweing Poleeko Gold Pale Ale v. #18 Pike's Brewing Pike Pale Ale
Black Region -
#22 Hale's Pale Ale v. #11 Moylan's Brewery Tipperary Pale Ale (Novato, CA)
#6 Anchor Liberty Ale v. #27 Pyramid/Portland Brewing Sling Shot Pale Ale
#14 Caldera Pale Ale (Ashland, OR) v. #19 Great Divide Brewing Denver Pale Ale
#30 He'Brew Genesis Ale (Saratoga Springs, NY) v. #3 Stone Pale Ale
The Yellow and White winners faced each other and the Black faced off against the Brown in the Final Four.
My first round tastings were the White Region where 2/4 matches were 6-0 winners and the other 2 were 4-3 winners. The tiebreaker was performed by Gooney's wife, aka - "The Hop Hater." My selection was voted down by The Hop Hater during every tiebreaker for the region.
Frist round results:
White Region
#12 Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused v. #21 McMenamin's Hammerhead Pale Ale - 4-3
#28 Spanish Peaks Black Dog Ale v. #5 Lagunitas New DogTown Pale Ale - 6-0
#4 Deschutes Hop Trip v. #29 Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale - 6-0
#13 Marin Brewing Mt. Tam Pale Ale v. #20 Hair of The Dog Ruth - 4-3
Yellow Region
#25 Bridgeport Blue Heron v. #8 Beer Valley Brewing Pigskin Pale Ale - 4-1
#9 Deschutes Mirror Pond v. #24 Alameda Brewing Kilickitat Pale Ale - 5-0
#16 Full Sail Pale Ale v. #17 Rogue Juniper Pale Ale - 3-2
#1 Rogue Tracktown Triple Jump Pale Ale v. #32 Henry Wienhardt's Blue Boar Pale Ale - 5-0
Brown Region
#7 Bear Republic XP Pale Ale v. #26 Bass Pale Ale - 3-2
#23 Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale v. #10 Firestone Walker Brewing Firestone Pale 31 - 3-2
#2 Sierra Nevada Pale Ale v. #31 City Brewing Co. Moe's Backroom Pale Ale - 3-2
#15 Anderson Valley Breweing Poleeko Gold Pale Ale v. #18 Pike's Brewing Pike Pale Ale - 5-0
Black Region
#22 Hale's Pale Ale v. #11 Moylan's Brewery Tipperary Pale Ale - 4-1
#6 Anchor Liberty Ale v. #27 Pyramid/Portland Brewing Sling Shot Pale Ale - 3-1-1
#14 Caldera Pale Ale v. #19 Great Divide Brewing Denver Pale Ale - 5-0
#30 He'Brew Genesis Ale v. #3 Stone Pale Ale - 3-1-1
Things I can't explain:
Votes 3-1-1 - wasn't part of that table. I don't understand how there can be a "tie."
Moe's Backroom over Sierra Nevada - Didn't taste Moe's until after the competition, and by that time it was too late to be rational.
Stay tune for later posts on the later rounds, and key learnings, funny comments, yadda, yadda.
Prost to Gooney and his Blind Beer Tasting Brackets!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Downtown Portland Pint & A Slice: Try Hot Lips
Beer Luvvas,
Just a quick post about Hot Lips Pizza in downtown PDX. I went there for lunch yesterday and discovered a great location for a Pint and a Slice!
They currently have Deschutes Jubelale, Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, and Double Mountain IRA on tap....
If you are there for lunch and cannot enjoy a good quaff. Try whatever fresh, locally grown, fruit soda is on tap. I had the Oregon Blackberry Soda. Ver-Nice!
Prost to Hot Lips!
Just a quick post about Hot Lips Pizza in downtown PDX. I went there for lunch yesterday and discovered a great location for a Pint and a Slice!
They currently have Deschutes Jubelale, Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, and Double Mountain IRA on tap....
If you are there for lunch and cannot enjoy a good quaff. Try whatever fresh, locally grown, fruit soda is on tap. I had the Oregon Blackberry Soda. Ver-Nice!
Prost to Hot Lips!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
2008 Holiday Ale Fest: Part I
Beer Luvvas,
It's the morning after, and I'll try to quickly surmise my experiences from my first day at the 2008 Holiday Ale Festival before Freebird and I head out for another day at the fest!
First, the festival has expanded this year to encompass almost 100% of Pioneer Courthouse Square. There are positives, and negatives, for this new setup.
The positives: More beer, more beer, more beer and more room! They've added a second tent on the upper level of the square. This adds ~30% more capacity for both beer and Beer Luvvas. Those are both good things.
The negatives: Stairs, lots of stairs. I don't understand why they chose to erect a scaffolding to get from one tent to the other; forcing people to walk up, and down a series of slick wooden stairs to get between tents. I'll admit that with a taster mug in one hand and a cellphone in the other, I failed to successfully navigate this treacherous path once. And although I felt little pain at the time, it has come back to haunt me this morning. Why didn't they use the built in wheelchair path?? If SQHub was here, it would be physically impossible for him to get to the new tent. Maybe I should sue on his behalf!
Second, Tis the Season to be Stingy - with pours that is. Even with the increase in cost for Ale Fest mugs ($10) it only takes a couple double tasters to break even rather than dropping the full $4 on a full mug. And if your goal is to taste every beer at the fest in one sitting. The stingy pours have made it much easier to give that a go...
Third, there are a bunch of great beers at this year's festival. I'll delve into more detail in a later post, but here are a few to look for today/tomorrow:
It's the morning after, and I'll try to quickly surmise my experiences from my first day at the 2008 Holiday Ale Festival before Freebird and I head out for another day at the fest!
First, the festival has expanded this year to encompass almost 100% of Pioneer Courthouse Square. There are positives, and negatives, for this new setup.
The positives: More beer, more beer, more beer and more room! They've added a second tent on the upper level of the square. This adds ~30% more capacity for both beer and Beer Luvvas. Those are both good things.
The negatives: Stairs, lots of stairs. I don't understand why they chose to erect a scaffolding to get from one tent to the other; forcing people to walk up, and down a series of slick wooden stairs to get between tents. I'll admit that with a taster mug in one hand and a cellphone in the other, I failed to successfully navigate this treacherous path once. And although I felt little pain at the time, it has come back to haunt me this morning. Why didn't they use the built in wheelchair path?? If SQHub was here, it would be physically impossible for him to get to the new tent. Maybe I should sue on his behalf!
Second, Tis the Season to be Stingy - with pours that is. Even with the increase in cost for Ale Fest mugs ($10) it only takes a couple double tasters to break even rather than dropping the full $4 on a full mug. And if your goal is to taste every beer at the fest in one sitting. The stingy pours have made it much easier to give that a go...
Third, there are a bunch of great beers at this year's festival. I'll delve into more detail in a later post, but here are a few to look for today/tomorrow:
- Freebird's Best in Fest: Rudolph's Imperial Red - Three Creeks Brewing Co., Sisters, OR - ran out yesterday, so get some early!
- Track Town Shotput Stout; Oak Rum Stout - Rogue Ales, Eugene, OR
- Babuska's Secret; Black Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout - Widmer Brewing, PDX, OR
- Double Brewed Double Black Stout; Imperial Stout - Redhook Ale Brewery, Seattle, WA
- Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans - Stone Brewing, Escondido, CA
- Oaked Bomb; Winter Warmer - Golden Valley Brewery, McMinnvillle, OR
- Dry Hopped Wassail; Strong Ale - Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, OR
There are plenty more to taste, and much more to describe. But those were some of the favorites from day 1. Hope to see you there this afternoon/evening!
Prost to 2008 Holiday Ale Fest!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
What makes a Pale Ale?
Beer Luvvas,
Unfortunately, I'm not ready to report the results of last weekend's Blind Pale Ale Bracket. Gooney Bird has not yet sent out the bracket for inclusion in my post.
However, I am ready to start a discussion that came up after the beers were revealed when a "winner" had been selected. What makes a Pale Ale? And what makes a Good Pale Ale?
I ask because there were questions about a couple of the beers in the competition: Deschutes Hop Trip Fresh Hopped Pale Ale and Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. Hopefully without revealing any possible results, I'm going to reveal that I enjoy both of these beers. The hop notes bring (IMO) flavor to an otherwise bland category.
But should these types of beers be considered Pale Ales for comparison against, say, Bridgeport's Blue Heron Pale - another entry that was questioned as to whether or not it qualified as a Pale - or Bass??
All of the beers listed, and the 32 tasted, were classified as Pale Ales on BeerAdvocate. But what do you think beer luvvas??
What makes a good pale ale?
I'll reveal the results of the blind tasting - and some of the shocking revelations I experienced in my first blind tasting, once I receive the bracket/results from Gooney.
Prost to basing beer choices on flavor and not marketing!
Unfortunately, I'm not ready to report the results of last weekend's Blind Pale Ale Bracket. Gooney Bird has not yet sent out the bracket for inclusion in my post.
However, I am ready to start a discussion that came up after the beers were revealed when a "winner" had been selected. What makes a Pale Ale? And what makes a Good Pale Ale?
I ask because there were questions about a couple of the beers in the competition: Deschutes Hop Trip Fresh Hopped Pale Ale and Boulder Brewing Hazed & Infused Dry-Hopped Pale Ale. Hopefully without revealing any possible results, I'm going to reveal that I enjoy both of these beers. The hop notes bring (IMO) flavor to an otherwise bland category.
But should these types of beers be considered Pale Ales for comparison against, say, Bridgeport's Blue Heron Pale - another entry that was questioned as to whether or not it qualified as a Pale - or Bass??
All of the beers listed, and the 32 tasted, were classified as Pale Ales on BeerAdvocate. But what do you think beer luvvas??
What makes a good pale ale?
I'll reveal the results of the blind tasting - and some of the shocking revelations I experienced in my first blind tasting, once I receive the bracket/results from Gooney.
Prost to basing beer choices on flavor and not marketing!
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