Great week overall!
Decent pipe lesson this week, not too much laughter and my teacher, Brian assigned me a few new songs including one of the band's favorites, the Rowan Tree. Very excited! Plus, I almost didn't pass out! I do have some minor maintenance to do this weekend on the pipes but beyond that, I see light on the horizon!
Enter the Haggis will be at The Center for the Arts in Natick next Saturday and I'll be doing some promotional work this weekend for the band. As previously posted, GREAT band and if you have the opportunity, check them out!
I had a LOT of beer since my last post! Let me clarify... In the past, I've expounded on the sampler platter of beers at brew pubs and I've hit three in the last week. Two for business, one distinctly for pleasure. The volume of beers might not be huge, but the sheer number of tiny beers is. I may not hit all the beers but, I'll hit the high and low points.
John Harvard's Brewpub, Framingham, MA:
I've reviewed this place more often than any other establishment. I've always been pleased by it and this time was no exception. Meatloaf was great, sampler was pretty decent overall. The one that sort of hit me funny was the "hop-chronic". It's another example of "how much hop can I pack in here?". Not a terrible beer when paired with something heavy, but on its own, it's like a slap in the face. The nut brown was well balanced and makes for a good pair with most anything. The Stout appeared to have some espresso in it and would have paired well with Tiarimisu. The Celtic red had a little zip to it. Interesting flavors... check it out and let me know what you think.
Boston Beer Works:
-Buckeye Oatmeal Stout: Not sure as to the naming convention but... Go blue! HA! This is by far one of the creamiest Stouts I've had to date. Sweet, malty and with a slight zip, check this one out. Pretty good!
-Pumpkin Spice: Not a terrible beer, but definitely mislabeled. Most pumpkin spice beers taste like pumpkin pie. Who could argue with that? DEEELICIOUS... This on the other hand tasted like one of those Cinnamon Red Hot candies. Had they labeled it as THAT, it would have been spot on! So again, not a bad beer, good body etc, but not very well balanced.
Granite City Food & Brewery, St. Cloud, MN:
Rarely is it that you can find a Brewpub that has both exceptional food AND top notch beer. John Harvard's is one... Granite city is its Midwest equivalent. Great beer and excellent food. I had the London broil with a red pepper & bourbon chutney. GREAT pair to most of their beers. If you're in the St. Cloud area, check it out. I was impressed not only by the physical plant, but by the growlers... I know, it sounds weird, but their growlers have a sweet handle and a grolsch style clasp top. If I had the opportunity to get it on the plane with me, I would have. Classy looking piece... By and large, the beers ran the gambit from a Miller light tasting lager (eh... fairly flat) to some pretty decent beers. The Broad Axe Stout and the Brother Benedict's Bock are two of the best of the house. Tasty beer, tasty food, great atmosphere: all in all a great place to congregate.
Attack of the Brit Beers!
This week, almost by accident, I picked up 2 different beers, both in pint bottles, both from the U.K. Coincidence? I think not.
-Wells Brewery: Banana Bread Beer: By far, one of my favorite beers out there. I had it first at the British beer company in Walpole MA and I've been a fan ever since. Spicy, complex and with a crisp and bitter finish, it's easily in my top 10. The best part is... it TASTES like Banana bread! I would pair this with... banana bread... To easy?
-St. Peter's Brewery: Cream Stout: Interesting bottle, interesting beer! I'm not sure if they could print the story on the label any smaller, but with my magnifying glass and an electron microscope, I found that the brewery has an interesting back story. I won't ruin it... Read for yourself. The beer itself had a chocolatey nose and again, an interesting finish thanks to the Fuggles and Challenger Hops. Their blend of grains made this again, a complex beer with a thick rich body, daaark color and a caramel colored head. If you're looking for something different in a Stout, check this one out.
Next post: Wachussett Brewery's Comeback beer!!
Check out Enter the Haggis!! November 21st, 8:00 at TCAN in Natick, MA!!
Prost!
Rob
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Is it bad if your teacher laughs at you?
Sorry gang, no beer reviews this week... only a heathy glass full O'shame...
Wow... of all the instruments I've learned (Up to 12 if my count is right...) Bagpipes are by far the most difficult!! The fingering alone has been a process but WELL worth it. My goal is to get these perfected over time to Gordon Duncan like consistancy. I've gotten as far as the Lemluath and the Touralouath (sp), however this week, I recieved my first lesson in humility. The practice chanter vs. the actual pipes is a completely different animal. While I've done fairly well at the Chanter, the phrase "playing the pipes is more taming a beast than playing an instrument" has never been more true. My teacher Brian has been remarkably patient, however his sadistic side has now come to light. Ahhh sweet revenge for all my poor playing over the last 10 months. I received my new pipes, a set of Duncan Soutars, the news of which the Band responds with either quizzical looks or gazes of admiration. They are, in short an exemplary example of the Great Highland Bagpipes. So... that brings me to my lesson on Thursday. This by the way is my Second time inflating the bag beyond the day that I bought the pipes (being last Sunday...)
The most important thing that I've learned so far is that you don't blow the bagpipes, you squeeze them. This for me is like when I learned jazz music... it's about the notes you DON'T play. Equal parts enigmatic and rediculous. However, there is an ounce of truth to both sayings. Please don't ask me to elaborate. It's much like figuring out what the sound of one hand clapping sounds like... I can get the drones going and fairly steady for the most part thanks to my training as a singer (thank you Carol Ann, my chamber singer director). Diaphram breathing is MOST important as it allows for the most air to enter the bag. So long and short of it, the drones are going OK and somewhat steady.
Now comes the hard part. Fire up the drones AND the chanter... I only have so much air. I have to say, I've got a LOT of hot air to spare but this is was a challenge for me. This task was only made more difficult by the fact that my instructor gave me a hard reed to work with. Whoooooo! It's tough! On a medium reed, like the one that I tried at Dick Chane's shop, I could get out a full scale, with some difficulty. BUT... On the hard reed, it takes a TON of air and quite a bit of coordination to get this thing going. If I get one note at a time, I'm lucky at best. Suffice it to say... it will be quite some time before I get a full song on the books. I WILL tame this beast!!!
Cheers!
Rob Anderson
Wow... of all the instruments I've learned (Up to 12 if my count is right...) Bagpipes are by far the most difficult!! The fingering alone has been a process but WELL worth it. My goal is to get these perfected over time to Gordon Duncan like consistancy. I've gotten as far as the Lemluath and the Touralouath (sp), however this week, I recieved my first lesson in humility. The practice chanter vs. the actual pipes is a completely different animal. While I've done fairly well at the Chanter, the phrase "playing the pipes is more taming a beast than playing an instrument" has never been more true. My teacher Brian has been remarkably patient, however his sadistic side has now come to light. Ahhh sweet revenge for all my poor playing over the last 10 months. I received my new pipes, a set of Duncan Soutars, the news of which the Band responds with either quizzical looks or gazes of admiration. They are, in short an exemplary example of the Great Highland Bagpipes. So... that brings me to my lesson on Thursday. This by the way is my Second time inflating the bag beyond the day that I bought the pipes (being last Sunday...)
The most important thing that I've learned so far is that you don't blow the bagpipes, you squeeze them. This for me is like when I learned jazz music... it's about the notes you DON'T play. Equal parts enigmatic and rediculous. However, there is an ounce of truth to both sayings. Please don't ask me to elaborate. It's much like figuring out what the sound of one hand clapping sounds like... I can get the drones going and fairly steady for the most part thanks to my training as a singer (thank you Carol Ann, my chamber singer director). Diaphram breathing is MOST important as it allows for the most air to enter the bag. So long and short of it, the drones are going OK and somewhat steady.
Now comes the hard part. Fire up the drones AND the chanter... I only have so much air. I have to say, I've got a LOT of hot air to spare but this is was a challenge for me. This task was only made more difficult by the fact that my instructor gave me a hard reed to work with. Whoooooo! It's tough! On a medium reed, like the one that I tried at Dick Chane's shop, I could get out a full scale, with some difficulty. BUT... On the hard reed, it takes a TON of air and quite a bit of coordination to get this thing going. If I get one note at a time, I'm lucky at best. Suffice it to say... it will be quite some time before I get a full song on the books. I WILL tame this beast!!!
Cheers!
Rob Anderson
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sierra Nevada Porter
Last night was Halloween, one of my favorite Pagan Celtic holidays! Trick or treaters, please... give me something to work with next year. The effort level on our street was mediocre at best. However, iPhone guy was my personal favorite. Also, I had the opportunity to hang out with some of my neighbors and sip a few beers on the porch whilst we distributed candy to the greedy beggars at our door. Jason introduced me to what could possibly be my new favorite beer, the Sierra Nevada Porter. It's a solid beer! Dark, beefy and slightly malty, it's got a good body and a hoppy snap at the finish that makes it a more than interesting beer to drink! This will be a short post in the fact that I'll say, pick up a sixer of this one, you'll not be sorry!
Also, the pipes are in house and ready for assembly. A guy in my band has to help me tie in the chanter this week, but other than that, they're BEAUTIFUL and they sound great! I had the opportunity to play them on another bag (I'm switching the bag out for the traditional leather instead of the gortex that came with the set) and I could keep the drones going and if I really pushed myself, I can get the chanter going. It's going to be a process, however, as the technique is fairly complicated. I should get the basics down, I've got a good teacher and a ton of hot air to expel!
Make it a GREAT week!
Rob
Also, the pipes are in house and ready for assembly. A guy in my band has to help me tie in the chanter this week, but other than that, they're BEAUTIFUL and they sound great! I had the opportunity to play them on another bag (I'm switching the bag out for the traditional leather instead of the gortex that came with the set) and I could keep the drones going and if I really pushed myself, I can get the chanter going. It's going to be a process, however, as the technique is fairly complicated. I should get the basics down, I've got a good teacher and a ton of hot air to expel!
Make it a GREAT week!
Rob
Friday, October 30, 2009
Octoberfest, Enter the Haggis and Pipe Humor
Hidely ho neighborinos! (shut up Flanders...)
This has been a MOST Interesting week! I've got all sorts of news to post.
First, the beer: I'm currently enjoying a Sam Adams Octoberfest. Dark amber almost honey colored hue, great head (giggidy) and even though I gave it a sloppy pour, it looked like a beer commercial sitting in my Family guy "Hooray for beer" pint glass. To answer your question, yes, this is my finest piece of glassware second only to my Sam Adams bulb glasses. Truly Malty nose and a very light hop to it. I can't place the type of hop, but it's more sweet than bitter. The beer itself has a midrange mouthfeel, not overwhelmingly thick but not all that watery either. In all, this is a great beer! I'd pair this with something particularly German, Sauerkraut and a big salty pretzel to match the sweetness of the beer, this would go great with sausage and pork knuckle. No doubt, this was brewed specifically for Harvest festival season. Bottom line, DELICIOUS. I would suggest grabbing this as part of the Sam's Fall Brewers pack. The rest of the beers were fairly decent and in particular, the Irish Red might have been a bit better had I paired it with something, the Kent Golding hops gave it a bitterness that seemed a bit unbalanced on its own. Either way, a good purchase!
Second: THE PIPES ARE HERE!! Thanks you U.S.Customs for your expedient processing of my bagpipes. I pick them up on Sunday and by Tuesday afternoon, I'll have passed out from trying to play them! I'm buying it without the chanter (the musically dynamic part of the bagpipe) or the bag cover as both are provided by the band, we'll see how those go. I'm pretty gassed!! Although I may not be gassed or full of any air at all over the next week!
Third: Piping Humor... During the last few weeks, I've been chuckling at a few things I've heard during piping practice and of course during the purchase of my bagpipes. Like a teenager, I can't help but be amused by double entente, for example in Guitar, I always get a chortle when someone breaks their "G" String... so here we go... my top 3 sayings that have tossed me a yuck over the last few weeks.
3. "You need to get up under the bag and hold it tight" - Easily the most disturbing statement of the day!
2. "We'll fit you for a 10 inch blowstick" - Said during the fitting of my pipes.
1. "You need to blow out your "A" hole." - Said by my piping instructor during practice... by the time he said it, it was too damned late.
Fourth, Final and most important: ENTER THE HAGGIS!! I'm REALLY excited for this one. Over the last few days, I've been in touch with one of Canada's greatest bands since RUSH (too much? Sure, I went there...). Enter the Haggis is a phenomenal Celtic rock band and I am proud to call myself a "Haggis-head"! Their publicist contacted the pipe band to offer us a spot on the guest list for the show in Norfolk, Connecticut. Not living anywhere near there but living MUCH closer to the Center for the Arts in Natick (aka TCAN), I requested a few spots on the guest list for the more local show. Surprisingly, they acquiesced! As a show of my appreciation, I offered to help them out with their promotional material. Today, they sent me cards, posters and other assorted materials which I'll be distributing throughout the area tomorrow. A nice surprise with my packet was a copy of their new album, "Gutter Anthems"! Thanks boys! Like their previous albums, "Casualties of Retail" (a personal fave of mine) and "Soapbox Heroes", this is a tribute to traditional Celtic music and brings with it ETH's energetic modern twist to what is a noble musical history. No, not every Irish tune is about drinking... just the ones that are the most fun to "Dance" to! I'd attach a link to my wedding videos as an example of TRUE traditional Irish dance. That is of course, if my horrific pasty full body heave and those of my family weren't so god awful... Frankly, 'tis why I play music, just so I don't have to dance! But I digress.
Track 2, the "Little and the Leaves" is one of the best songs of the album. A little punk, a little rock and with a great hook, it's got a ton of punch to it. "Did you call me albatross?" is their most traditional sounding track and I think I like it for the fact that unlike some of their counterparts in the Celt-Rock community, they've not abandoned their roots. Good to show the trad chops now and again.
I have to say, there are two things I noticed on my third and forth listen through the album. (I only received this thing like 4 hours ago, it's THAT good). The keyboard work is for the most part phenomenal throughout the album but particularly on the Intro track with it's beautiful pairing of church organ and the Great Highland Pipes and on "Noseworthy and Piercy". Second, as a vocalist and a former Chamber Singer, the harmonies are remarkable! Rare is it that you actually have 4 distinct male vocal parts outside of the boy band or the old guy barber shop quartet circuits. To have a true Bass part like the one thrown down by Craig Downey is even more impressive. It sounds like they have both the Bass, Baritone as well as Tenor 1 & 2 laced throughout their vocal tracks. It adds a richness to an already full sounding arrangement.
Now, I may be a bit biased, but Celt rock is some of the most bad-ass sounding stuff on earth. You take traditional Celtic music filled with raw emotion; anger, pain & sadness and couple it drum work; pounding pulsating war-like beats, throw in wild pipe and fiddle accompaniments and then toss it in the blender with all that is rock and you can't help but want to just break something! The tracks "The death of Johnny Mooring" and "Murphy's Ashes" are perfect examples of what I've described. "Murphy's ashes" is reminiscent of one of my favorite Haggis tunes, "Congress". Traditional feel, modern twist.
ETH's slower songs could be the usual balladey crapola, but lyrically, they're beautiful, matched with Brian Buchanan's keyboard work, they become masterpieces. "Broken Line" in particular is awfully moving. I've come to realize as I reread this that perhaps I'm gushing a bit, but this really is an extraordinary band and an album to match. While I've only listened to them really on YouTube and on my "Chieftains" Pandora Station, I'm looking forward to picking up their other albums as what I've heard so far I've liked VERY much.
Gents, I'm looking forward to seeing you in Natick, MA on the 21st! Thanks in advance for what should be a GREAT time!!
-Rob Anderson
ENTER THE HAGGIS:
LIVE at THE NATICK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
NOVEMBER 21st, 8:00 PM
Buy your tickets TODAY!!
http://www.natickarts.org/tcan_artistdetail.php?artist_id=1367&event_id=1367
Or Visit them on the web:
http://www.enterthehaggis.com/
This has been a MOST Interesting week! I've got all sorts of news to post.
First, the beer: I'm currently enjoying a Sam Adams Octoberfest. Dark amber almost honey colored hue, great head (giggidy) and even though I gave it a sloppy pour, it looked like a beer commercial sitting in my Family guy "Hooray for beer" pint glass. To answer your question, yes, this is my finest piece of glassware second only to my Sam Adams bulb glasses. Truly Malty nose and a very light hop to it. I can't place the type of hop, but it's more sweet than bitter. The beer itself has a midrange mouthfeel, not overwhelmingly thick but not all that watery either. In all, this is a great beer! I'd pair this with something particularly German, Sauerkraut and a big salty pretzel to match the sweetness of the beer, this would go great with sausage and pork knuckle. No doubt, this was brewed specifically for Harvest festival season. Bottom line, DELICIOUS. I would suggest grabbing this as part of the Sam's Fall Brewers pack. The rest of the beers were fairly decent and in particular, the Irish Red might have been a bit better had I paired it with something, the Kent Golding hops gave it a bitterness that seemed a bit unbalanced on its own. Either way, a good purchase!
Second: THE PIPES ARE HERE!! Thanks you U.S.Customs for your expedient processing of my bagpipes. I pick them up on Sunday and by Tuesday afternoon, I'll have passed out from trying to play them! I'm buying it without the chanter (the musically dynamic part of the bagpipe) or the bag cover as both are provided by the band, we'll see how those go. I'm pretty gassed!! Although I may not be gassed or full of any air at all over the next week!
Third: Piping Humor... During the last few weeks, I've been chuckling at a few things I've heard during piping practice and of course during the purchase of my bagpipes. Like a teenager, I can't help but be amused by double entente, for example in Guitar, I always get a chortle when someone breaks their "G" String... so here we go... my top 3 sayings that have tossed me a yuck over the last few weeks.
3. "You need to get up under the bag and hold it tight" - Easily the most disturbing statement of the day!
2. "We'll fit you for a 10 inch blowstick" - Said during the fitting of my pipes.
1. "You need to blow out your "A" hole." - Said by my piping instructor during practice... by the time he said it, it was too damned late.
Fourth, Final and most important: ENTER THE HAGGIS!! I'm REALLY excited for this one. Over the last few days, I've been in touch with one of Canada's greatest bands since RUSH (too much? Sure, I went there...). Enter the Haggis is a phenomenal Celtic rock band and I am proud to call myself a "Haggis-head"! Their publicist contacted the pipe band to offer us a spot on the guest list for the show in Norfolk, Connecticut. Not living anywhere near there but living MUCH closer to the Center for the Arts in Natick (aka TCAN), I requested a few spots on the guest list for the more local show. Surprisingly, they acquiesced! As a show of my appreciation, I offered to help them out with their promotional material. Today, they sent me cards, posters and other assorted materials which I'll be distributing throughout the area tomorrow. A nice surprise with my packet was a copy of their new album, "Gutter Anthems"! Thanks boys! Like their previous albums, "Casualties of Retail" (a personal fave of mine) and "Soapbox Heroes", this is a tribute to traditional Celtic music and brings with it ETH's energetic modern twist to what is a noble musical history. No, not every Irish tune is about drinking... just the ones that are the most fun to "Dance" to! I'd attach a link to my wedding videos as an example of TRUE traditional Irish dance. That is of course, if my horrific pasty full body heave and those of my family weren't so god awful... Frankly, 'tis why I play music, just so I don't have to dance! But I digress.
Track 2, the "Little and the Leaves" is one of the best songs of the album. A little punk, a little rock and with a great hook, it's got a ton of punch to it. "Did you call me albatross?" is their most traditional sounding track and I think I like it for the fact that unlike some of their counterparts in the Celt-Rock community, they've not abandoned their roots. Good to show the trad chops now and again.
I have to say, there are two things I noticed on my third and forth listen through the album. (I only received this thing like 4 hours ago, it's THAT good). The keyboard work is for the most part phenomenal throughout the album but particularly on the Intro track with it's beautiful pairing of church organ and the Great Highland Pipes and on "Noseworthy and Piercy". Second, as a vocalist and a former Chamber Singer, the harmonies are remarkable! Rare is it that you actually have 4 distinct male vocal parts outside of the boy band or the old guy barber shop quartet circuits. To have a true Bass part like the one thrown down by Craig Downey is even more impressive. It sounds like they have both the Bass, Baritone as well as Tenor 1 & 2 laced throughout their vocal tracks. It adds a richness to an already full sounding arrangement.
Now, I may be a bit biased, but Celt rock is some of the most bad-ass sounding stuff on earth. You take traditional Celtic music filled with raw emotion; anger, pain & sadness and couple it drum work; pounding pulsating war-like beats, throw in wild pipe and fiddle accompaniments and then toss it in the blender with all that is rock and you can't help but want to just break something! The tracks "The death of Johnny Mooring" and "Murphy's Ashes" are perfect examples of what I've described. "Murphy's ashes" is reminiscent of one of my favorite Haggis tunes, "Congress". Traditional feel, modern twist.
ETH's slower songs could be the usual balladey crapola, but lyrically, they're beautiful, matched with Brian Buchanan's keyboard work, they become masterpieces. "Broken Line" in particular is awfully moving. I've come to realize as I reread this that perhaps I'm gushing a bit, but this really is an extraordinary band and an album to match. While I've only listened to them really on YouTube and on my "Chieftains" Pandora Station, I'm looking forward to picking up their other albums as what I've heard so far I've liked VERY much.
Gents, I'm looking forward to seeing you in Natick, MA on the 21st! Thanks in advance for what should be a GREAT time!!
-Rob Anderson
ENTER THE HAGGIS:
LIVE at THE NATICK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
NOVEMBER 21st, 8:00 PM
Buy your tickets TODAY!!
http://www.natickarts.org/tcan_artistdetail.php?artist_id=1367&event_id=1367
Or Visit them on the web:
http://www.enterthehaggis.com/
Friday, October 23, 2009
On the pipe
So I finally did it... This Thursday, I plunked down a deposit on a set of bagpipes. They're winging their way from Scotland as we speak!
The process for buying these pipes is as much as journey as my last 10 months have been. In January of '09 I've been working with the Sutherland Pipe Band in Newton, MA and they've been kind enough to provide me with free lessons, which some bands often do. Their only requirement is that I play with them in parades & special events, which, I already have and will continue to do so as I've enjoyed it greatly!
Events Thus far:
1 St. Patrick's day parade: Dummied on the bagpipes*
1 Memorial day Parade: Nahant, MA Dummied on the bagpipes*
2 Parades on the 4th of July in Bourne, MA and Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA: Played the tenor Drum and finally got a basic twirl down by the end of the day.
*Dummied means that your drones and your chanter have been corked. You basically wear the outfit but don't make any noise. It's also known as Hollywooding
My teacher Brian has been most patient with me through several tribulations in my first few months of lessons. One sticky chanter, (the reed wouldn't play when I'd hit my grace notes) thanks to me cheaping out on my first run through. A word of advice, pay the money! I bought a John Walsh practice chanter with a water trap. (approx $100) Well worth the money if you're a drooler! Another embarrassing issue was that I broke Brian's chanter reed on a loaner practice chanter while I was waiting for my new chanter to come in. He's also been most patient with me as I've fouled up line after line of pipe music. Most days it doesn't sound like music, but we're getting there!
Now, I've hemmed and hawed about this purchase for several months and finally decided to sell some stock (GREAT time to sell, pardon the sarcasm) in order to make the purchase. It's a REALLY expensive purchase so I needed to be sure that I really wanted to do this. The band has a loaner set, but they're being used by another new guy. The funny thing about my decision making is that I decided to get some advice from the guys in the band first. I couldn't help but draw the parallels between my conversation about buying the pipes, and the conversations I had just before I got married.
"You can buy used, but I wouldn't recommend it, sometimes they end up being more expensive..." - So did she date a lot before she met you?
"You need to buy from a reputable dealer, make sure they know their stuff." - So tell me about her parents...
"Choose carefully, these pipes will be with you for life" - No translation needed!
There are only a few reputable dealers in the area and frankly, I think that the band pointed me to one of the best. Dick Chane up in Gloucester, MA is a master at his craft and was really helpful in the purchase process. His website, listed below is a good starting point for the process and I'd highly suggest that you read it if you're in the market. There's a lot of stuff on there that really you wouldn't think about. One thing you should know first and foremost is that you don't just walk in and BUY a set of pipes. The pipes are made FOR you. Dick took the time to measure me for bag size, drone placement, blowtube length etc. I've bought a LOT of instruments in my day and I've never seen a fuss like this This is a truly customized instrument. Every inch of this thing had questions from Dick. Imitation Ivory mounts, Nickel or Silver? Blackwood or plastic drones, stocks and blow tube? Leather bag or goretex?
My set up is going to be as follows:
Duncan-Soutar Blackwood drones - Very high quality competition level pipes according to Dick.
Poly blowstick (10") and stocks*
Most damage occurs due to moisture, these are the areas that end up attracting the most water due to the fact that these are the parts closest to the bag and to your mouth. Polypenco is a high grade plastic used to make the stocks & the blow tube as well as my chanter and practice chanter.
Nickel ferrules
Imitation Ivory Caps
Leather L and M Scotia bag
I've got to tell you, the bag is really cool, it's got a zipper on the side for easy maintenance and is already set up to accept the drones so that you don't have to cut into the bag when setting it up.
Soutar drone and chanter reeds
White silky cords - Matches the band for the most part.
Dick is also setting me up with a beginner's package that includes Corks, Hemp, seasoning etc. All the stuff that a soon to be asthmatic skirt wearing noise maker needs to get rolling!
Things I'm not ordering are the Chanter and the bag cover as the band will be providing those for me. It saves me a bit of money for now and I have no plans on leaving the band at any time in the foreseeable future. Most bands will provide you with a matched band chanter as they want to get the sound as close as possible to the rest of the band.
Either way, I'm really excited about this purchase and can't WAIT for my pipes to clear customs! Thanks to Dick Chane for all his help and thanks to the boys in the Sutherland Band for pointing me in his direction.
Rob
Here's Dick's Website. Read first THEN call him.
http://www.rchanebagpipes.com/
The process for buying these pipes is as much as journey as my last 10 months have been. In January of '09 I've been working with the Sutherland Pipe Band in Newton, MA and they've been kind enough to provide me with free lessons, which some bands often do. Their only requirement is that I play with them in parades & special events, which, I already have and will continue to do so as I've enjoyed it greatly!
Events Thus far:
1 St. Patrick's day parade: Dummied on the bagpipes*
1 Memorial day Parade: Nahant, MA Dummied on the bagpipes*
2 Parades on the 4th of July in Bourne, MA and Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard, MA: Played the tenor Drum and finally got a basic twirl down by the end of the day.
*Dummied means that your drones and your chanter have been corked. You basically wear the outfit but don't make any noise. It's also known as Hollywooding
My teacher Brian has been most patient with me through several tribulations in my first few months of lessons. One sticky chanter, (the reed wouldn't play when I'd hit my grace notes) thanks to me cheaping out on my first run through. A word of advice, pay the money! I bought a John Walsh practice chanter with a water trap. (approx $100) Well worth the money if you're a drooler! Another embarrassing issue was that I broke Brian's chanter reed on a loaner practice chanter while I was waiting for my new chanter to come in. He's also been most patient with me as I've fouled up line after line of pipe music. Most days it doesn't sound like music, but we're getting there!
Now, I've hemmed and hawed about this purchase for several months and finally decided to sell some stock (GREAT time to sell, pardon the sarcasm) in order to make the purchase. It's a REALLY expensive purchase so I needed to be sure that I really wanted to do this. The band has a loaner set, but they're being used by another new guy. The funny thing about my decision making is that I decided to get some advice from the guys in the band first. I couldn't help but draw the parallels between my conversation about buying the pipes, and the conversations I had just before I got married.
"You can buy used, but I wouldn't recommend it, sometimes they end up being more expensive..." - So did she date a lot before she met you?
"You need to buy from a reputable dealer, make sure they know their stuff." - So tell me about her parents...
"Choose carefully, these pipes will be with you for life" - No translation needed!
There are only a few reputable dealers in the area and frankly, I think that the band pointed me to one of the best. Dick Chane up in Gloucester, MA is a master at his craft and was really helpful in the purchase process. His website, listed below is a good starting point for the process and I'd highly suggest that you read it if you're in the market. There's a lot of stuff on there that really you wouldn't think about. One thing you should know first and foremost is that you don't just walk in and BUY a set of pipes. The pipes are made FOR you. Dick took the time to measure me for bag size, drone placement, blowtube length etc. I've bought a LOT of instruments in my day and I've never seen a fuss like this This is a truly customized instrument. Every inch of this thing had questions from Dick. Imitation Ivory mounts, Nickel or Silver? Blackwood or plastic drones, stocks and blow tube? Leather bag or goretex?
My set up is going to be as follows:
Duncan-Soutar Blackwood drones - Very high quality competition level pipes according to Dick.
Poly blowstick (10") and stocks*
Most damage occurs due to moisture, these are the areas that end up attracting the most water due to the fact that these are the parts closest to the bag and to your mouth. Polypenco is a high grade plastic used to make the stocks & the blow tube as well as my chanter and practice chanter.
Nickel ferrules
Imitation Ivory Caps
Leather L and M Scotia bag
I've got to tell you, the bag is really cool, it's got a zipper on the side for easy maintenance and is already set up to accept the drones so that you don't have to cut into the bag when setting it up.
Soutar drone and chanter reeds
White silky cords - Matches the band for the most part.
Dick is also setting me up with a beginner's package that includes Corks, Hemp, seasoning etc. All the stuff that a soon to be asthmatic skirt wearing noise maker needs to get rolling!
Things I'm not ordering are the Chanter and the bag cover as the band will be providing those for me. It saves me a bit of money for now and I have no plans on leaving the band at any time in the foreseeable future. Most bands will provide you with a matched band chanter as they want to get the sound as close as possible to the rest of the band.
Either way, I'm really excited about this purchase and can't WAIT for my pipes to clear customs! Thanks to Dick Chane for all his help and thanks to the boys in the Sutherland Band for pointing me in his direction.
Rob
Here's Dick's Website. Read first THEN call him.
http://www.rchanebagpipes.com/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A tale of two Shipyards and a whole host of updates
SO much to update on!! If this post seems a bit frenetic, that's only because it is. It's been a busy couple of weeks!
First and foremost, I'm finally bucking up and buying my first (and hopefully last) set of Highland Bagpipes. The guys in the Sutherland Band have pointed me to a most reputable vendor in Gloucester, MA, Dick Chane at Richard Chane's Bagpipe Supply. I'm expecting to shell out a pretty penny, but it's worth it for a good quality set of pipes. My teacher is somewhat confident in my abilities to at least press out a tune so I'll take his word for it... Either way, I'm REALLY excited! It is my goal to be ready to play for St Patrick's Day.
My other purchase this weekend is one of my favorite movies about beer... Beerfest!! It was in the $5 bin at Walmart and I could not resist... I personally find it funny and even funnier after I've had a few. If you've not seen it, check it out. It's by the same guys who did SuperTroopers, an equally funny movie. Beerfest is a movie that takes me back to my college days. In fact, I'm watching it now for inspiration!
In other exciting news, the Pike Brewing Company's marketing manager, Linda Stratton wrote to thank me for my post last week. This is the second time that I've gotten a message back from a brewery and I have to tell you, it's both exciting and frightening to think that anyone is reading this at all!! I'm a bit jealous of Ms. Stratton's position at Pike's. I was a marketing major in college and I'd LOVE to work in a position such as the one Ms. Stratton is in at such a prominent brewery. She was most complimentary of my post and put me on their mailing list. I have to say, phenomenal newsletter! It's equal parts beer geek, foodie and advertisement for their beers and brewpub. In addition, she stated that the owners of the brewery, the Finkels are going to be doing an east coast tour to try and promote their beers. I suggested to her that she check out the Guest Brewer's night at Barleycorn's in Natick. It's an excellent opportunity for them to get to know true fans of beer. Either way, looking forward to them coming out and hope to meet them when they do!
I've got a few beers to review, I'll start with the Harpoon Octoberfest and then move onto the main event: Shipyard vs. Shipyard. A pumpkin beer battle royale!
Harpoon Octoberfest: ABV 5.5%, IBU 30 Marzen Style
The Harpoon Octoberfest is a beer which you might expect from Harpoon. In general, I love their beers and having had a chance to chat with the owners on one occasion, I can tell you that they take great care in the product they put out. The Octoberfest is a well balanced beer perfect for a long day of celebrating saaaaaay, the wedding of the crown prince of Bavaria for example. On the bottom of the box, they've paired it with pork or sausage and I agree, however this is the kind of beer you could mix with pretty much anything, Sauerkraut, Jaederschnitzel etc. Last night, for example, I had it with Kielbasa, meatballs, pepperoni bread, baguette and pub cheese. We did some eclectic (aka redneck) tapas with our friends Mark & Heather last night. Good times! Mark, thanks for leaving behind the Guiness by the way. Good man! Long and short, Harpoon Octoberfest is an excellent fall beer.
Shipyard Showdown!!
Before I get going, I have to comment on the Shipyard website. It's probably one of the most elaborate that I've ever seen. The sounds are a bit much but entertaining at least on the first run through. The beer bottle opening and the pour of the beer in particular was more that suggestive. One of the more interesting parts of the site is the video under the "What's hot" section. It gives a brief history of the company and I think most importantly, an introduction to the brewer, Alan Pugsley. This guy knows his stuff and I think the brewery has greatly benefited from having him on board. The only disappointing part about the website is the "news" Section. I would think with such a fine suite of beers and the attached brewpubs (Federal Jack's in particular) that Shipyard would have more press. However, at this point, the only thing they have is a link to their public relations person. Regardless, a great website. Pressing onward, Kommst du mit!
Never before have I seen one brewery put out two pumpkin beers, but less two beers that are so drastically different. The most famous of the two is the Pumpkinhead beer. It's Shipyard's fall seasonal beer and frankly it's not bad. It is not, however what I expected. There's very little in the way of pumpkin flavor and a hint of what I would consider to be traditional pumpkin spice flavor. Overall a light flavor and a somewhat uninspired finish. However for those that are looking for a light beer that fits with fall, this is it. I might suggest this for those that are looking to expand their horizons but aren't willing to really jump into the frey of truly experimental beers.
Beer number two is from the Pugsley's Signature Series. The "Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin" sold in a single 22oz bottle and perhaps is a bit more expensive than your average six pack at about $9 a bottle. Made with Pale Ale, Wheat and Munich malts as well as Hallertau and Willamette hops, it has a thick and rich body, dark malty hue. It also comes with a HEFTY 9% ABV. The high alcohol volume and the heavy use of malt helps it to have a full bodied character and frankly was a pleasure to consume. The interesting thing is, however that the alcohol is almost non present in the taste. This is due in part to the fact that they have flavors that really come through, Pumpkin, Nutmeg, Allspice. It TASTES like fall. The brewer states that this beer is best served at 55 degrees and pairs well with sharp cheeses, nuts, Lamb, Stews and deserts. They pretty much covered the bases for me as far as pairings, so I'll say no more. They did suggest that this beer be mixed with their Blue Fin Stout (another favorite of mine) to make a fall warmer. Interesting theory and I think I'm up to performing the experiment on my next go around. In short, I was REALLY impressed with this beer.
It think it's clear by my commentary that there is a clear winner between these pumpkin pugelists in this battle of the bier. The Pugsley's hands down is champion. Tasty, lovely velvety texture; this beer epitomizes fall harvest beer. Mr. Pugsely, both beers function well, but the Pumpkin Smasher is by far a better beer.
Gang, thanks for reading! Prosit!
Your Friend,
Rob
Shipyard Brewing Co: http://www.shipyard.com/
The Harpoon Brewery: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/
Richard Chane Bagpipe Supply: http://www.rchanebagpipes.com/
First and foremost, I'm finally bucking up and buying my first (and hopefully last) set of Highland Bagpipes. The guys in the Sutherland Band have pointed me to a most reputable vendor in Gloucester, MA, Dick Chane at Richard Chane's Bagpipe Supply. I'm expecting to shell out a pretty penny, but it's worth it for a good quality set of pipes. My teacher is somewhat confident in my abilities to at least press out a tune so I'll take his word for it... Either way, I'm REALLY excited! It is my goal to be ready to play for St Patrick's Day.
My other purchase this weekend is one of my favorite movies about beer... Beerfest!! It was in the $5 bin at Walmart and I could not resist... I personally find it funny and even funnier after I've had a few. If you've not seen it, check it out. It's by the same guys who did SuperTroopers, an equally funny movie. Beerfest is a movie that takes me back to my college days. In fact, I'm watching it now for inspiration!
In other exciting news, the Pike Brewing Company's marketing manager, Linda Stratton wrote to thank me for my post last week. This is the second time that I've gotten a message back from a brewery and I have to tell you, it's both exciting and frightening to think that anyone is reading this at all!! I'm a bit jealous of Ms. Stratton's position at Pike's. I was a marketing major in college and I'd LOVE to work in a position such as the one Ms. Stratton is in at such a prominent brewery. She was most complimentary of my post and put me on their mailing list. I have to say, phenomenal newsletter! It's equal parts beer geek, foodie and advertisement for their beers and brewpub. In addition, she stated that the owners of the brewery, the Finkels are going to be doing an east coast tour to try and promote their beers. I suggested to her that she check out the Guest Brewer's night at Barleycorn's in Natick. It's an excellent opportunity for them to get to know true fans of beer. Either way, looking forward to them coming out and hope to meet them when they do!
I've got a few beers to review, I'll start with the Harpoon Octoberfest and then move onto the main event: Shipyard vs. Shipyard. A pumpkin beer battle royale!
Harpoon Octoberfest: ABV 5.5%, IBU 30 Marzen Style
The Harpoon Octoberfest is a beer which you might expect from Harpoon. In general, I love their beers and having had a chance to chat with the owners on one occasion, I can tell you that they take great care in the product they put out. The Octoberfest is a well balanced beer perfect for a long day of celebrating saaaaaay, the wedding of the crown prince of Bavaria for example. On the bottom of the box, they've paired it with pork or sausage and I agree, however this is the kind of beer you could mix with pretty much anything, Sauerkraut, Jaederschnitzel etc. Last night, for example, I had it with Kielbasa, meatballs, pepperoni bread, baguette and pub cheese. We did some eclectic (aka redneck) tapas with our friends Mark & Heather last night. Good times! Mark, thanks for leaving behind the Guiness by the way. Good man! Long and short, Harpoon Octoberfest is an excellent fall beer.
Shipyard Showdown!!
Before I get going, I have to comment on the Shipyard website. It's probably one of the most elaborate that I've ever seen. The sounds are a bit much but entertaining at least on the first run through. The beer bottle opening and the pour of the beer in particular was more that suggestive. One of the more interesting parts of the site is the video under the "What's hot" section. It gives a brief history of the company and I think most importantly, an introduction to the brewer, Alan Pugsley. This guy knows his stuff and I think the brewery has greatly benefited from having him on board. The only disappointing part about the website is the "news" Section. I would think with such a fine suite of beers and the attached brewpubs (Federal Jack's in particular) that Shipyard would have more press. However, at this point, the only thing they have is a link to their public relations person. Regardless, a great website. Pressing onward, Kommst du mit!
Never before have I seen one brewery put out two pumpkin beers, but less two beers that are so drastically different. The most famous of the two is the Pumpkinhead beer. It's Shipyard's fall seasonal beer and frankly it's not bad. It is not, however what I expected. There's very little in the way of pumpkin flavor and a hint of what I would consider to be traditional pumpkin spice flavor. Overall a light flavor and a somewhat uninspired finish. However for those that are looking for a light beer that fits with fall, this is it. I might suggest this for those that are looking to expand their horizons but aren't willing to really jump into the frey of truly experimental beers.
Beer number two is from the Pugsley's Signature Series. The "Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin" sold in a single 22oz bottle and perhaps is a bit more expensive than your average six pack at about $9 a bottle. Made with Pale Ale, Wheat and Munich malts as well as Hallertau and Willamette hops, it has a thick and rich body, dark malty hue. It also comes with a HEFTY 9% ABV. The high alcohol volume and the heavy use of malt helps it to have a full bodied character and frankly was a pleasure to consume. The interesting thing is, however that the alcohol is almost non present in the taste. This is due in part to the fact that they have flavors that really come through, Pumpkin, Nutmeg, Allspice. It TASTES like fall. The brewer states that this beer is best served at 55 degrees and pairs well with sharp cheeses, nuts, Lamb, Stews and deserts. They pretty much covered the bases for me as far as pairings, so I'll say no more. They did suggest that this beer be mixed with their Blue Fin Stout (another favorite of mine) to make a fall warmer. Interesting theory and I think I'm up to performing the experiment on my next go around. In short, I was REALLY impressed with this beer.
It think it's clear by my commentary that there is a clear winner between these pumpkin pugelists in this battle of the bier. The Pugsley's hands down is champion. Tasty, lovely velvety texture; this beer epitomizes fall harvest beer. Mr. Pugsely, both beers function well, but the Pumpkin Smasher is by far a better beer.
Gang, thanks for reading! Prosit!
Your Friend,
Rob
Shipyard Brewing Co: http://www.shipyard.com/
The Harpoon Brewery: http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/
Richard Chane Bagpipe Supply: http://www.rchanebagpipes.com/
Friday, October 2, 2009
The Pike "Kilt Lifter"
Soooooo, I did it again... I bought a beer because of a cute and funny label and totally underestimated the beer within. Amusing label AND great beer? Impossible said the me of an hour and a half ago... Today I sit again humbled by both extraordinary brewing and clever marketing. However did they know, that I, an aspiring bagpiper and proud Gael would find immediate connection with the "Kilt Lifter"? Yes, I have lifted my kilt now and again... and more often than not, yes I am wearing something beneath... I'm more modestly Irish than anything else I guess...
Despite my shortcomings and clear lack of good judgement, I have to tell you, this is a remarkably well balanced brew. They've named this a Scotch red or as they're calling it, a "Ruby ale", which is something I've not run across before. Generally, the scotch ales I've had previously have been a bit heavy on the honey (there's more types of bee barf than clover honey people..) and intensely bitter hops. However, this hidden gem greets you with a dark red/amber hue, hits your nose with a hint of hop and a sweet maltiness and has a thick, meaty character. In short, in a world of overhopped IPAs and mediocre, watery half hearted attempts at English Ales, THIS is the beer I've been looking for.
The Pike Brewing company has, in addition, piqued my inner (and outer) beer geek in two distinct ways.
1. The label: Ordinarily, a label is a label. It tells you the name of the beer, type, alcohol content etc. In this case, they've given those of us with enough knowledge to be dangerous something to chew on. In the lower left hand corner of the bottle, you can see, IBUs and specific gravity. Not that it means much, but the thought behind the label means quite a bit to me as it assumes that the consumer... you and me... know enough about the process to understand just how bitter tangy and thick this bad boy is going to be.
2. The website: different... in a good way!!! Check this site out. Beer geeks unite!! Pikebrewing.com gives not only the beer science specifics but also gives history of the style, flavor profiles etc. With names like the "Naughty Nellie" and "Old Bawdy" and "Monk's Uncle", I'm thinking that a field trip to the Seattle Brewery is in order... the draw at this point is inescapable. If the Brewery and staff are as good as their electronic representation, then I HAVE to meet the crew behind the brew!!
Pike Brewing and members of the Finkel Family, thanks a ton for a GREAT beer, I'm actively going to search out your other beers and will hopefully like them JUST as much as the one I'm drinking right now.
Pike Brewing Co. Website: www.pikebrewing.com
Slainte Here's tae ye, Pike...
Most appreciatively yours,
Rob Anderson
Despite my shortcomings and clear lack of good judgement, I have to tell you, this is a remarkably well balanced brew. They've named this a Scotch red or as they're calling it, a "Ruby ale", which is something I've not run across before. Generally, the scotch ales I've had previously have been a bit heavy on the honey (there's more types of bee barf than clover honey people..) and intensely bitter hops. However, this hidden gem greets you with a dark red/amber hue, hits your nose with a hint of hop and a sweet maltiness and has a thick, meaty character. In short, in a world of overhopped IPAs and mediocre, watery half hearted attempts at English Ales, THIS is the beer I've been looking for.
The Pike Brewing company has, in addition, piqued my inner (and outer) beer geek in two distinct ways.
1. The label: Ordinarily, a label is a label. It tells you the name of the beer, type, alcohol content etc. In this case, they've given those of us with enough knowledge to be dangerous something to chew on. In the lower left hand corner of the bottle, you can see, IBUs and specific gravity. Not that it means much, but the thought behind the label means quite a bit to me as it assumes that the consumer... you and me... know enough about the process to understand just how bitter tangy and thick this bad boy is going to be.
2. The website: different... in a good way!!! Check this site out. Beer geeks unite!! Pikebrewing.com gives not only the beer science specifics but also gives history of the style, flavor profiles etc. With names like the "Naughty Nellie" and "Old Bawdy" and "Monk's Uncle", I'm thinking that a field trip to the Seattle Brewery is in order... the draw at this point is inescapable. If the Brewery and staff are as good as their electronic representation, then I HAVE to meet the crew behind the brew!!
Pike Brewing and members of the Finkel Family, thanks a ton for a GREAT beer, I'm actively going to search out your other beers and will hopefully like them JUST as much as the one I'm drinking right now.
Pike Brewing Co. Website: www.pikebrewing.com
Slainte Here's tae ye, Pike...
Most appreciatively yours,
Rob Anderson
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Hey Hey Federal Jack
I'm back! Refreshed and ready for a week of legitimate work! Now, onto my illegitimate work! I'm ready to talk about Beer and Music my people!
So... I'm watching Zane Lamprey on more editions of Three Sheets and realizing that its a special kind of stupid to take on a task in such away as he has. Again, highly recommended show per my blog last night and GREAT inspiration... To never touch beer again... HA!
Either way, I spent this weekend in one of my favorite places, Kennebunkport, Maine! Home of the Ex-president's questionable driving record, over-fished crustatians and water that freezes in November and thaws by August; this place is special and somewhat sacred to me as I spent essentially every summer here as a kid and I wanted my daughter, Emma to have the same beach and summer experiences that I did. Wait... are these the same events that made me what I am today? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea! Well, she's got my genes, so it's too late already! DOOMED! DOOOOOOOMED!!
PRESSING ON...
My wife, the kiddo and I had the opportunity to go to one of my favorite brew-pubs in the North East, Federal Jack's Restauraunt & Brewpub, home of the Kennebunkport Brewing company. Ah, the family that something together, something something together.. (DSS, please disregard. Em won't be drinking till she's forty much less dating...) It's a clean and funky establishment, family friendly etc. I told my wife "this is the kind of pub you could hold an AA meeting in". The food is more or less pub grub but the beer, for the most part is superb. As I've said before, they can't all be zingers! Federal Jack's beer menu is quite remarkable and in fact, they appear to have something for almost everyone. IPA's, Brown Ales, Fruity numbers, Weiss Ales, Stouts, they've got pretty much everything and they do most of them well! I'll start off with the food and service first and work my way up to the high points.
Service: Pleasant enough, our waiter seemed a bit tired... considering it was like 5:00 PM, I'm to assume it was a late night or a rough morning of...of... ummm... uhhh... This is the second time we've been and the waitstaff again are nice enough, but not exactly what I would call attentive. I don't want to have someone jumping all over me (hold that thought... it depends on the person...) but I do expect a check in now and again.
Food: Again, it's pub grub. I didn't have a huge expectations walking in the door and my personal doors were not blow off during the service. Chicken Nachos for the app was decent enough, hard to foul up nachos. The chicken was well seasoned and the guacamole was top notch. Baked & Breaded Halibut for the entree was OK, but honestly a bit dry and somewhat underseasoned. Didn't ask the wife about her meal, but she seemed to be enjoying it and my beloved offspring (I say with noted sarcasm, she's been an unholy beast all day), honestly fired hers down so quickly that I'm not sure she tasted it.
Das Bier!: Normally at a brewpub, they've got a lot of beers that you've never heard of and I've seen a number of situations where the beers advertised do not live up to expectations. If you're in a situation like this and not familiar with the local brews, order the sampler. It's a good was to get a lay of the land and frankly, I just like feeling like a GIANT among my wee beers. Although in this case, be sure that you've got a friend to taste with. Fed Jack's has one of the largest samplers I've ever seen and from experience, I can tell you that it is a formidable foe. They're such tiny beers... what could possibly go wrong?! The Federal Jack's website does not list all of the beers we tasted, but I'll do my best to at the very least get the flavors right.
Goat Island Light: This is a beer that my wife and I disagree on. I didn't think much of it as it was kind of flat from a taste perspective and I thought had a funny after taste. Laurie (the misses) liked it quite a bit. She tends to be a lighter beer fan and in general, assume that if I like the beer, that she doesn't and vice versa. Not totally true but it makes my blog a little shorter...
Export Ale: Again, good beer, solid mouth feel. I would pair this possibly with chicken or a fish & Chips combo. They describe it as a Canadian Ale and I guess I can see it. Again, good enough beer but I'm not on the rooftops about it.
The 'Taint(Girlish giggle)Town Pale Ale is one of my favorites merely by it's naming convention. I've always known the "'taint" as something else "'Taint your balls and it 'taint your... anyway I digress. However it's a fairly new England phrase. "It A'int" becomes "'Taint." The name comes from the fact that the brewery/ restauraunt itself is on the line between Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. What's the difference you might ask? Check the town tax rates and get back to me... The beer itself 'taint bad. A little bitter, mid range thickness and a good malt to hop ratio. A well balanced beer overall. I would get this one again... if for nothing else but to order it by name...
The Shipyard Brown Ale: Good 'nuff. I liked this one. It's a standard brown ale and on the whole... huh huh huh (Damn you 'taint Ale!... it's warm and familiar here in the gutter) is very good.
Old THumper: (hiccup) Are we done yet? I liked this one a lot. They described it as the 1985 British Grand Champion beer. It's an traditional english bitter. I liked this one a LOT. The Old Thumper a bit heavier than most beers but stays true to the old English style ales. Even though they call it a bitter, it's got a good balance but has strong enough flavors to hold up to some really spicy foods... that is to say... any food that is not English.
Fuggles IPA: EH... Good taste, true to the style... I'm just sick of IPAs in general.
Blue Fin Stout: I LIKE this one. Smooth, creamy, a little coffee flavor to it. I've had this one before and it was a good reminder. Love it.
Peach beer: Did NOT get the name of this one... it's not on the website and it wasn't on the sheet they gave us. You are a mystery, peach beer... what... is... your name?! I know that this is going to make me sound a little... festive... but I LOVE this beer! It's a lighter beer, amber hue etc. etc. The issue that I usually have with fruit beers is the fact that they're syrupy and stick to my teeth. By and large, there are very few I like. This one was pleasant, not overpowering and you can tell that they brewed it with real fruit. If I'm wrong, I'm impressed by their use of extract. Great balance. I would serve this peach beer with dessert. Pecan Pie, vanilla ice cream or a light sorbet would be appropriate with this one. Again, if you can track it down PICK THIS ONE UP. Great chick beer but 'taint bad for the boys neither... (sorry... sorry! This post is almost done... I promise.)
Summer ale: As far as summer ales go, this was pretty good. Crisp, refreshing and overall a good beer. I liked it enough to get a growler to share with my friends this coming weekend. I would suggest serving this with lemon as they do in the pub.
Either way, Federal Jack's, great time had by all, a winning Bo Sox score, great beer and an old style pub atmosphere made for an excellent evening. Thanks a ton!
Good night gang!
Slainte!
Rob
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Three Sheets - Not me, the show!!
Wow... it's been over a month since my last post. Forgive me reader for I have sinned... although it would appear not enough to have something to write about!
I'm hanging out in Kennebunkport Maine for the weekend sharing the Cottage where I spent every summer as a kid with my own offspring and the misses. What a blast. I'll blog perhaps tomorrow about my experience at Federal Jack's (home of the Shipyard Brewing Co.). But right now, I'm experiencing a show that, if you're a beer fan or a fan of people who think they can handle their liquor, then this is the show for you. For those of you who are not familiar with "Three Sheets", it's an event, that I've been told, no legitimate station, cable, satellite or otherwise, will carry. The premise of the show is simple, guy goes around the world sampling the local brew (Beer, liquor or otherwise), learns general customs and to be more specific, learns the drinking games and drinking traditions of each culture he visits. Think of it as a truly international "Dave Attel: Insomniac". In short, guy flys in, guy gets plowed, guy learns drinking games, guy forgets drinking games rules, gets MORE inebriated and then learns local hangover cure. Recipe for hilarity, Done. Educational in more ways than I could possibly describe.
Zane Lamprey (GREAT name) by the way, I only wish I knew what it was short for. Regardless, Zane has a job that on the surface seems like a good time, but after watching 2 shows on Hulu.com, is already starting to look like work. If I were a betting man, I bet I can fill out his death certificate already! If only I could spell cirrhosis, (scirrrooskis, shirroseees, rock solid liver, stop of kidney function) Either way, I'm thoroughly entertained. Zane's delivery is nothing short of comedic genius and his deadpan humor is lost on those too drunk to understand him. Often times he's making fun of people right to their face and they have NO idea. All of this adding to my total amusement. So far he's made fun of an obnoxious American beer "officionado" almost fell into an Alligator pit, lit himself on fire and has tried some of the most potent beers & Liquors on the planet. Guys, if you get the opportunity to watch this show, check it out! You WILL be entertained. More on Federal Jack's tomorrow!
Good Luck, good brewing and good times to all!
Your Friend,
Rob
I'm hanging out in Kennebunkport Maine for the weekend sharing the Cottage where I spent every summer as a kid with my own offspring and the misses. What a blast. I'll blog perhaps tomorrow about my experience at Federal Jack's (home of the Shipyard Brewing Co.). But right now, I'm experiencing a show that, if you're a beer fan or a fan of people who think they can handle their liquor, then this is the show for you. For those of you who are not familiar with "Three Sheets", it's an event, that I've been told, no legitimate station, cable, satellite or otherwise, will carry. The premise of the show is simple, guy goes around the world sampling the local brew (Beer, liquor or otherwise), learns general customs and to be more specific, learns the drinking games and drinking traditions of each culture he visits. Think of it as a truly international "Dave Attel: Insomniac". In short, guy flys in, guy gets plowed, guy learns drinking games, guy forgets drinking games rules, gets MORE inebriated and then learns local hangover cure. Recipe for hilarity, Done. Educational in more ways than I could possibly describe.
Zane Lamprey (GREAT name) by the way, I only wish I knew what it was short for. Regardless, Zane has a job that on the surface seems like a good time, but after watching 2 shows on Hulu.com, is already starting to look like work. If I were a betting man, I bet I can fill out his death certificate already! If only I could spell cirrhosis, (scirrrooskis, shirroseees, rock solid liver, stop of kidney function) Either way, I'm thoroughly entertained. Zane's delivery is nothing short of comedic genius and his deadpan humor is lost on those too drunk to understand him. Often times he's making fun of people right to their face and they have NO idea. All of this adding to my total amusement. So far he's made fun of an obnoxious American beer "officionado" almost fell into an Alligator pit, lit himself on fire and has tried some of the most potent beers & Liquors on the planet. Guys, if you get the opportunity to watch this show, check it out! You WILL be entertained. More on Federal Jack's tomorrow!
Good Luck, good brewing and good times to all!
Your Friend,
Rob
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Harpoon: Catamount Maple Wheat
Boring myself with useless Michael Jackson coverage... I decided to finally write up my thoughts on the Harpoon Catamount Maple Wheat. Heeere we go!
I've been a longtime fan of Harpoon as many people in the greater New England area are. I worked not a block from the Brewery in South Boston and we had regular events there over the past few years. In fact, I've met the owners at a few beer release events and they could not be nicer. Their beers by and large are excellent, the Raspberry UFO, the UFO Hefeweizen, the Harpoon IPA, the Munich Dark are consistantly some of my favorites. They also have something called the "100 barrel series" which is kind of neat project that the owners of Harpoon started. Essentially, it's an opportunity for their brewers to take a chance. They make a "small" batch of beer any way they feel fit. If it's any good, they sell it! If it's not... well, I can only imagine that they "dispose" of it any way possible. (CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!!)
By it's nature, the "100 barrel series" is somewhat touch and go. I've had some bad versions, I've had some excellent ones and I've had some that are... well, beer. The Catamount maple wheat falls into the latter of these categories. It's not a terrible beer, but I will say, it's not quite what I expected. When you first open it up, pour it out, it looks to be a good beer. DARK amber color, crisp wheat notes and a good solid head. However, there's one thing missing... the MAPLE! I can understand that they probably used Maple sugar as a priming agent or as fuel for the yeast, however, there is a notable absence of that distinct flavor. I'll admit, I was disappointed. The beer itself is OK, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. Still love the Brewery and everything they stand for and I will definitely try their next experiment, but the Catamount Maple Wheat fell flat.
It's summer, I'm sure that I'll have more posts to give you!
Rob Anderson
I've been a longtime fan of Harpoon as many people in the greater New England area are. I worked not a block from the Brewery in South Boston and we had regular events there over the past few years. In fact, I've met the owners at a few beer release events and they could not be nicer. Their beers by and large are excellent, the Raspberry UFO, the UFO Hefeweizen, the Harpoon IPA, the Munich Dark are consistantly some of my favorites. They also have something called the "100 barrel series" which is kind of neat project that the owners of Harpoon started. Essentially, it's an opportunity for their brewers to take a chance. They make a "small" batch of beer any way they feel fit. If it's any good, they sell it! If it's not... well, I can only imagine that they "dispose" of it any way possible. (CHUG, CHUG, CHUG!!)
By it's nature, the "100 barrel series" is somewhat touch and go. I've had some bad versions, I've had some excellent ones and I've had some that are... well, beer. The Catamount maple wheat falls into the latter of these categories. It's not a terrible beer, but I will say, it's not quite what I expected. When you first open it up, pour it out, it looks to be a good beer. DARK amber color, crisp wheat notes and a good solid head. However, there's one thing missing... the MAPLE! I can understand that they probably used Maple sugar as a priming agent or as fuel for the yeast, however, there is a notable absence of that distinct flavor. I'll admit, I was disappointed. The beer itself is OK, but I probably wouldn't buy it again. Still love the Brewery and everything they stand for and I will definitely try their next experiment, but the Catamount Maple Wheat fell flat.
It's summer, I'm sure that I'll have more posts to give you!
Rob Anderson
Sunday, July 12, 2009
ACBF Beer Reviews
The Brew:Bless me father... it's been almost a month since my last blog. Again, as Spaceballs 2 was supposed to be "the quest for more money" has kept me from dropping the post I wanted to SEVERAL weeks ago. My previous post had a quick review of the American Craft Beer Festival, but I didn't review any beers! A thousand apologies! I'm going to do an abbreviated version of the review as there was a LOT of good beer there. I tended to avoid some of the local breweries as I plan on visiting them soon enough and I didn't get an opportunity to cover every Brewery I was looking for, however the ones I did hit ranged from remarkable to "did you really think this was presentation-worthy beer??? Thankfully at these events they give you a program which helps to keep track of all the samples you've had. Looking at my check marks, I sampled quite a few. Note for next year: Bring a voice recorder, take notes as I go...
That being said, I'll give a quick review of some of the most memorable beers I had at the ACBF!
In No particular order:
Dogfishhead: What a friggin mob scene around these guys. They were the clear rockstars of the day and thanks to some healthy marketing and a GREAT selection of beers, well deserved. I'd heard a lot of buzz around the beer made from a 3000 year old recipe and I just had to try it. The Midas Touch did not disappoint, sweet, slightly "Mead-y" with a hint of grape, this was an excellent brew. I would imagine, with the addition of Saffron (a VERY expensive herb) that it would be a rather expensive beer. However Well worth it.
The Great Divide Brewing Co.: The Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Those of you that know me well know that I LOVE a good stout. This one was extraordinary as far as the style goes. Thick, meaty and thanks to its barrel aged process, the taste had a bit of a smoky flavor to it. VERY interesting and very good. Thumbs up all the way.
Kennebec River Brewery: Kennebec River IPA: Not much to say about this one. Decent beer. I'd have it again! Not too bitter, fits with the style. Well balanced.
Ithica Beer Co: CascaZilla: Yet another example of overpowering hoppiness. It was a little too much for me, frankly. Not a fan.
Schmaltz brewing Co: He'Brew Rejewvenator: Schmaltz is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. The Rejewvenator is a Half Doppelbock brewed with Date juice. (If my German serves me correctly... wouldn't this be a full Bock? - Kidding... relax beer geeks and Scholars of Deutch) This is yet another extraordinary beer. Not too sweet and fruity, but just a hint enough to be interesting. As usual, its a well balanced example of what beer should be. My only regret about the beer is that 2oz was clearly not enough. In addition, I didn't realize until FAR too late the founder and owner Jeremy Cowan was the guy serving my beer. At the time, the name looked familiar and like a Putz, I just kept on moving. Sorry Jeremy! I sincerely wanted to shake your hand!
Allagash Brewing Co.: Victoria: By far the most interesting beer of the day. It's an experimental Belgian-Style Strong ale with Chardonnay Grapes. In addition, they used wine yeast instead of brewers yeast. If you have friends who are not fans of beer, but instead are Enophiles (lovers of wine... thank you word of the day calendar) The wine has a distinctive wine-ey flavor and a peculiar sweetness usually only found with a demi-sec wine. Either way, this one's a keeper. You may see it as an experiment, but I'd say your hypothesis was spot on!
Terrapin Beer Co.: India Style Brown Ale: This one was TOO much. They call it a hybrid ale, but it was one of the only beers that I actually poured out. NOT a fan. Poorly balanced, too much hop and possibly of the wrong variety. Ick.
Southern Tier Brewing Co.: Jah-vh Stout & Mokah Stout. Two GREAT coffee flavored beers from this company. Coffee beers tend to go one of two ways with me. Either they're not enough coffee flavor or there's so much to the point of being totally acrid. Both of these were stupendous beers. Well balanced, great flavor. I'm not usually a Chocolate fan, nor am I an expresso fan, but I found the Mokah to be one of the best beers of the day. Good stuff and if I were looking for a beer to go with my pancakes, this would be it! (no I don't drink before noon, for the record...)
Beyond the fact that small brewing companies often pump out a higher quality product, I LOVE them for the names they come up with. Here are my top 5 faves of the day and most are probably funny, only to me because I'm an idiot:
5. The Cambridge House (CT): Breakfast Summer Ale: It drew me in... there's no particular reason as to WHY one would have it with breakfast, but I thought the name amusing enough to try some.
4. Watch City Brewing Company: Hell Hammer Oatmeal Stout: The name is just awesome. (Even though he misprounounced Jeux D'esprit...too picky?) I felt totally bad ass with my miniature beer and extended pinky finger... Good beer, bad ass name.
3. Smutty Nose Brewing Company: The Schmutzig Hopfen Weisse: Funny because I'm a dork and I know that Schmutzig means dirty and I just love the word. Kennen-sie diesen Schmutzig-Damen? (Do you know the dirty ladies?)
2. High & Mighty Brewing Co.: St. Hubbins Abbey: St. Hubbins of course according to Spinal Tap being the Patron Saint of Quality Footware...
1. Foothills Brewing CO: Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout: This was a beer that was outstanding in addition to its truly awesome monniker!
I've had a few great beers in the last few weeks since the ACBF and I'm going to try and review them as soon as I can.
The Music
I have a few artists that I'm going to be looking into, but this week, I'm feeling selfish as I had an AWESOME 4th of July!! The Sutherland Pipe Band was more than gracious enough to have me march with them during their 4th of July extravaganza. It's been a long time since I played the drum and I think I kept up pretty well in practice with the Snare drum, but apparently 80% of the notes is not enough for game day! Instead, I played the tenor drum. Quarter note, Quarter note... Swing the sticks around my head. I have to admit that I was more Flourish than anything but I Kept the beat and marched in step and most important I looked goooood. Although Flourishing is harder than it looks. You have to catch the sticks ON the beat! We played 2 Parades Bourne, MA and Edgartown, MA (Martha's Vineyard). A free show on the boat ride back during the fireworks and late night at the bar. Thanks boys!! All in all a GREAT day! I've added a few pics from the boat show below:
That being said, I'll give a quick review of some of the most memorable beers I had at the ACBF!
In No particular order:
Dogfishhead: What a friggin mob scene around these guys. They were the clear rockstars of the day and thanks to some healthy marketing and a GREAT selection of beers, well deserved. I'd heard a lot of buzz around the beer made from a 3000 year old recipe and I just had to try it. The Midas Touch did not disappoint, sweet, slightly "Mead-y" with a hint of grape, this was an excellent brew. I would imagine, with the addition of Saffron (a VERY expensive herb) that it would be a rather expensive beer. However Well worth it.
The Great Divide Brewing Co.: The Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. Those of you that know me well know that I LOVE a good stout. This one was extraordinary as far as the style goes. Thick, meaty and thanks to its barrel aged process, the taste had a bit of a smoky flavor to it. VERY interesting and very good. Thumbs up all the way.
Kennebec River Brewery: Kennebec River IPA: Not much to say about this one. Decent beer. I'd have it again! Not too bitter, fits with the style. Well balanced.
Ithica Beer Co: CascaZilla: Yet another example of overpowering hoppiness. It was a little too much for me, frankly. Not a fan.
Schmaltz brewing Co: He'Brew Rejewvenator: Schmaltz is quickly becoming one of my favorite breweries. The Rejewvenator is a Half Doppelbock brewed with Date juice. (If my German serves me correctly... wouldn't this be a full Bock? - Kidding... relax beer geeks and Scholars of Deutch) This is yet another extraordinary beer. Not too sweet and fruity, but just a hint enough to be interesting. As usual, its a well balanced example of what beer should be. My only regret about the beer is that 2oz was clearly not enough. In addition, I didn't realize until FAR too late the founder and owner Jeremy Cowan was the guy serving my beer. At the time, the name looked familiar and like a Putz, I just kept on moving. Sorry Jeremy! I sincerely wanted to shake your hand!
Allagash Brewing Co.: Victoria: By far the most interesting beer of the day. It's an experimental Belgian-Style Strong ale with Chardonnay Grapes. In addition, they used wine yeast instead of brewers yeast. If you have friends who are not fans of beer, but instead are Enophiles (lovers of wine... thank you word of the day calendar) The wine has a distinctive wine-ey flavor and a peculiar sweetness usually only found with a demi-sec wine. Either way, this one's a keeper. You may see it as an experiment, but I'd say your hypothesis was spot on!
Terrapin Beer Co.: India Style Brown Ale: This one was TOO much. They call it a hybrid ale, but it was one of the only beers that I actually poured out. NOT a fan. Poorly balanced, too much hop and possibly of the wrong variety. Ick.
Southern Tier Brewing Co.: Jah-vh Stout & Mokah Stout. Two GREAT coffee flavored beers from this company. Coffee beers tend to go one of two ways with me. Either they're not enough coffee flavor or there's so much to the point of being totally acrid. Both of these were stupendous beers. Well balanced, great flavor. I'm not usually a Chocolate fan, nor am I an expresso fan, but I found the Mokah to be one of the best beers of the day. Good stuff and if I were looking for a beer to go with my pancakes, this would be it! (no I don't drink before noon, for the record...)
Beyond the fact that small brewing companies often pump out a higher quality product, I LOVE them for the names they come up with. Here are my top 5 faves of the day and most are probably funny, only to me because I'm an idiot:
5. The Cambridge House (CT): Breakfast Summer Ale: It drew me in... there's no particular reason as to WHY one would have it with breakfast, but I thought the name amusing enough to try some.
4. Watch City Brewing Company: Hell Hammer Oatmeal Stout: The name is just awesome. (Even though he misprounounced Jeux D'esprit...too picky?) I felt totally bad ass with my miniature beer and extended pinky finger... Good beer, bad ass name.
3. Smutty Nose Brewing Company: The Schmutzig Hopfen Weisse: Funny because I'm a dork and I know that Schmutzig means dirty and I just love the word. Kennen-sie diesen Schmutzig-Damen? (Do you know the dirty ladies?)
2. High & Mighty Brewing Co.: St. Hubbins Abbey: St. Hubbins of course according to Spinal Tap being the Patron Saint of Quality Footware...
1. Foothills Brewing CO: Sexual Chocolate Imperial Stout: This was a beer that was outstanding in addition to its truly awesome monniker!
I've had a few great beers in the last few weeks since the ACBF and I'm going to try and review them as soon as I can.
The Music
I have a few artists that I'm going to be looking into, but this week, I'm feeling selfish as I had an AWESOME 4th of July!! The Sutherland Pipe Band was more than gracious enough to have me march with them during their 4th of July extravaganza. It's been a long time since I played the drum and I think I kept up pretty well in practice with the Snare drum, but apparently 80% of the notes is not enough for game day! Instead, I played the tenor drum. Quarter note, Quarter note... Swing the sticks around my head. I have to admit that I was more Flourish than anything but I Kept the beat and marched in step and most important I looked goooood. Although Flourishing is harder than it looks. You have to catch the sticks ON the beat! We played 2 Parades Bourne, MA and Edgartown, MA (Martha's Vineyard). A free show on the boat ride back during the fireworks and late night at the bar. Thanks boys!! All in all a GREAT day! I've added a few pics from the boat show below:
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The American Craft Beer Festival
(L to R: Capt. Bryon, Rob (me), Liam straight from the Dirty Jerz, "Distinctive Shirt" Ken, Dave "check out my Shark Bite" Nicholson)
Ziggy Saki Ziggy Saki Hoy Hoy Hoy!!!
Three cheers for the American Craft Beer Festival in Boston!!! (aka the ACBF also how my alphabet came out later in the the eve...) What a great time! This is the kind of event I've been talking about. Good food, Great Beer and even better friends. Liam, Dave, Capt. Bryon and Ken were my beer bretheren and they did not disappoint. Nor did our female companions, Jen, April and Ashley, you guys were an absolute hoot. It was nice to hang out with a group that TRULY knows their beer and that knows how to have a good time. Capt. Bryon runs a beer blog called www.homebrewer.net and I would HIGHLY recommend checking his site out. He really knows his stuff. Ken, Liam and Dave all have highly refined palates though years of downing suds. Ken's got a real gift for describing the beers and had some great ideas for pairings. Although Dave's best comment of the night was "I just drink the stuff!".
And imbibe we did! The Festival boasted over 300 beers which, if you used the tiny 2oz. glass they give you as part of your $40 entrance fee, it would equate to over 50 beers during the course of the night or 4.68 GALLONS of beer and a quick trip to the emergency room. Thankfully for my sanity, my liver and most importantly my marriage, I had barely a fraction of that and enjoyed myself thoroughly!
As previously stated, there were over 300 beers and just as many flavor variations. There were some great beers, some beers I would file under "M" for "Meh" and others than can be categorized as DEAR LORD did you throw that up already?!? I wish I were kidding, there was one where we blamed Dave for "Verping" (Vomit+Burp=VERP) when in fact it was actually his pre-ingested beer. Holy Horrible... I still get shivers.
A kind of odd observation: the beer community in general seems to have an obsession with how much hop flavor you can pack into a beer. To be totally frank, the beers I found to be the best of the day were well balanced, had something different to them and in general were just interesting. I won't go into much as far as specific beers right now, but I will review a few of my favorites in the coming weeks. I've got more than enough reviews to go over about 2 a week for a while...
I have a few tips for you if you plan on attending either this event in Boston next year or if you plan to attend one of these events elsewhere:
1. EAT FIRST! Food in the festival is often EXPENSIVE. They've got you for three plus hours and its quite pricey. The Seaport district in Boston has a few cheap eat places. The Seaport Bar & Grill, The No Name and Salvatore's are three of my faves, plus historic South Boston (Southie) is really near by and I've got a few hangouts there as well.
2. AGUA! Every few beers or so, grab a quick slug of water. Most of these festivals have cup cleaning areas; Basically bug juice containers full of water... but it's water... drink up. It will not only keep you hydrated, but it helps to cleanse your palate for the next set of beers! Better to taste your beers without tasting all of them at once!
3. Meeting spots: Imperative, especially if you've got some thirsty cohorts with a wanderlust and the attention spans of hummingbirds... We did pretty well with doing our own thing and regrouping to hang out with "The Team". For the most part, we used "Distinctive shirt Ken" as our marker, but I would try this one - Meet by the door leading to the port-a-potties. You're all going to end up there anyway!
4. This one is of vital importance, not only to your well being but to your overall awesomeness. Two words... Pretzel... Necklace. Check out the picture above. Those things were lifesavers, conversation pieces and lady magnets. Dave and Ken, thanks for taking a little arts and crafts time to keep us well fed and dapperly attired! I'm sure that I'll be in more than one blog and a few family photo albums.
Gang, if you've not been to one of these events, you need to check it out. It's a great experience to talk to some brewers and hang out with other beer snobs and of course, try some of the best (and worst) beers in the country. If you are to consider yourself a true beer aficionado, you need to first approach these events respectfully... with all the dignity that a neckware made of bavarian bread products can provide you... But seriously, most of the brewers are actually AT this event and they take great pride in their work. Take your time, taste the beer, ENJOY it. Heaving is kind of a no no, but it happens at these events. If you're drinking for volume, there are happy hours everywhere serving Piels and Pabst and Schaefer. Barf elsewhere friend, you're among beer royalty. Respect.
To all my friends, old and new that made this day a true success; THANK YOU. I really had a great time. To all the Brewers, THANK YOU for all the excellent beer. Even the bad ones have a story. To my wife, who wanted to attend this event but let me go because of some baby sitting issues. It was her fathers' day gift to me: THANKS A TON, LADY! You'll be here next year... I guarantee it!
All told, successful day. I'm ALREADY looking forward to next year!!
To Great buds and Great Suds!
Prost!!
Rob
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Dirty Ho
So many great things in life happen by asking the question "what if". What if I rub these two sticks together... FIRE!! What if I combine a Tiger and a Lion together? LIGER... Awesome. Such is the question often times when wine makers taste the fruits of their labor and decide... you know what would make this taste better? A different wine! This has happened more and more often with brewers as they've found that a beer that might be average, combined with another beer that is slightly average can actually make a pretty decent beer. The most recent example I can think of the is Rasberry UFO from Harpoon. At an event of theirs about two years ago, (prior to the official release) one of the marketing guys we were hanging out with during the day came up to me and said... "Dude, if you don't like the raspberry beer, try THIS". Offically, about a year and a half ago they took the two beers, the UFO (Unfiltered offering)and the Raspberry Hefeweisen and combined them together to make a beer that I think pairs well with food around the holidays, the Raspberry UFO.
Unofficially this is the case with a lovely little drink affectionately called "the dirty ho". It's an invention thanks to the Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston, MA. I've never been, but they boast the largest beer menus in Boston and one of the hottest pepper sauces on record... what could be bad about that?! My friends Mark & Shaina introduced me to the concept last night and at first, I thought they were going to bastardize one of my favorite beers by mixing it one of my LEAST favorites. Hoegaarden on it's own is a great beer particularly for summer. It's got a lemony zip, it's light, refreshing and just a fine example of a Belgian Witbier. The beer they mixed it with is Lindeman's Framboise Lambic. On it's own it is overpowering with it's cavity creating sweetness and it is a beer I know from experience not one to be had on its own. At first I was honestly not thrilled at the prospect. In general, I hate truly fruity beers as they tend to be syrupy, weird tasting and generally nasty principally due to the use of extract instead of real fruit. A hint of fruit is one thing... a slap in the face is quite another! The way this drink was prepared made the difference. Pour the entire 12 oz Hoegaarden into a true pint glass. (12 oz into a 16 oz glass... do the math!). Pour Carefully as you don't want too much head. (no joke necessary... too easy). Add about 2-3 oz of Lambic, stir sip & voila, a easy, cheap & LEGAL way to get a dirty ho into your house! The taste is hard to describe, but suffice it to say, it tastes better than cheap perfume and shame. There's a hint of Raspberry, but with the acidity and light herb flavor of the Hoegaarten. This is a recipe also reminicint of a drink I had at a Pub in London in the late 90s. 1 oz of Black Currant Liqueur, 1 whole Guinness. It's a pretty good concoction, plus a blood red head on your beer is kind of a cool touch!
Well, I've made up for some lost time on my posts! Next blog, Dogfishhead's Raison D'etre!
REMINDER: Get your tickets for the American Craft Brewers fest in Boston! I'll be there with several of my brew loving friends!
Slainte!
Rob
Unofficially this is the case with a lovely little drink affectionately called "the dirty ho". It's an invention thanks to the Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston, MA. I've never been, but they boast the largest beer menus in Boston and one of the hottest pepper sauces on record... what could be bad about that?! My friends Mark & Shaina introduced me to the concept last night and at first, I thought they were going to bastardize one of my favorite beers by mixing it one of my LEAST favorites. Hoegaarden on it's own is a great beer particularly for summer. It's got a lemony zip, it's light, refreshing and just a fine example of a Belgian Witbier. The beer they mixed it with is Lindeman's Framboise Lambic. On it's own it is overpowering with it's cavity creating sweetness and it is a beer I know from experience not one to be had on its own. At first I was honestly not thrilled at the prospect. In general, I hate truly fruity beers as they tend to be syrupy, weird tasting and generally nasty principally due to the use of extract instead of real fruit. A hint of fruit is one thing... a slap in the face is quite another! The way this drink was prepared made the difference. Pour the entire 12 oz Hoegaarden into a true pint glass. (12 oz into a 16 oz glass... do the math!). Pour Carefully as you don't want too much head. (no joke necessary... too easy). Add about 2-3 oz of Lambic, stir sip & voila, a easy, cheap & LEGAL way to get a dirty ho into your house! The taste is hard to describe, but suffice it to say, it tastes better than cheap perfume and shame. There's a hint of Raspberry, but with the acidity and light herb flavor of the Hoegaarten. This is a recipe also reminicint of a drink I had at a Pub in London in the late 90s. 1 oz of Black Currant Liqueur, 1 whole Guinness. It's a pretty good concoction, plus a blood red head on your beer is kind of a cool touch!
Well, I've made up for some lost time on my posts! Next blog, Dogfishhead's Raison D'etre!
REMINDER: Get your tickets for the American Craft Brewers fest in Boston! I'll be there with several of my brew loving friends!
Slainte!
Rob
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A Goy and his beer...
How do brewkateers!?!
It's been a few weeks since I posted a blog as sadly legitimate employment has kept me rather busy! I have, however run into a number of beers and some music in the mean time that I think you need to hear.
I'm dedicating this post to my good friend Matt, who, not only adopted a puppy this week (Ms. Roxxee Ketchup), but ALSO found out that his wife is pregnant!! Way to go boyo!! Congratulations!
First and foremost in my mind is a beer that upon initial inspection seemed to be a kind of gimmickey brew, but I decided to give it a go anyway. Cutsie packaging and a bold statement of being the "Chosen Beer" made me an instant skeptic. Oy Vey!! I'm schvitzing here! He'Brew's Genesis Ale by the Shmaltz Brewing Company was more than a surprise. It is a remarkably well balanced beer in the fact that it's not too heavy, not too light, the right balance between sweet, nutty malt and a light hop finish. The deep amber hue was pleasing to the eye, however the head left a bit to be desired as its small overly uniform bubbles fizzled out a bit quickly. I'll chalk it up to environmental differences between NY and MA! In all, this was a most refreshing beer and frankly, I was a bit disappointed that I didn't trust the beer enough to buy a full sixer of it. Lesson learned!
In pairing this with food, I tried to think of a traditional Jewish meal. It's only fitting given the back story of Owner/Proprietor/Brewer, Jeremy Cowan and of course the theme of the beer. Now, as a "Goyam"(someone who is not of the Jewish faith), I can't say that I'm familiar with anything outside of the Traditional Sader or Matzoa ball soup. Not to say that the Genesis Ale won't go well with Hebrew Nationals (no ifs ands or butts har t har har)... It was an excellent pairing and a personal favorite, by the way, as that was the meal I had with this beer! However, fear not those of you who are not among the chosen people! The internet has come to our rescue! The recipe listed below is going to go extraordinarily well with this beer.
Lamb Shanks with Portobello Mushrooms and Dried Cranberries.
http://homecooking.about.com/od/lambrecipes/r/bllamb13.htm
This meal is going to match well in the fact that A. it's down home food for a down home beer. B. It's Kosher (I think...) And C. The pairing is such that it matches the sweetness of a well carmelized crust and rarely cooked lamb shank, the meatiness of not only the Lamb, but the portobellos. In addition, this beer trends towards the sweet side and I think the dried cranberries will balance that off well with a bit of tartness.
I think a sign of care in a brewery is oddly enough the care that they take in their website and by extension, their client relationships (aka you and me!). This is a site built for Beer Geeks and is, as an added bonus, a thoroughly entertaining site. The funniest part for me is that they're in their 13th year of brewing and to celebrate, they're having a Bar Mitzvah. Hilarous. The description of the beer on the website, might as well be a recipe. They give you the type of grain they use, the hops, (which I'll have to try the Warrior hops... I've never used those in my own personal brews). I was really impressed with the site and the beer and frankly I'm excited to see what their newest offer, the "Rejewvenator" has to offer. It's a belgian style ale with pomegranite... interesting! All in all Mr. Cowan, you've exceeded the hype. A hearty McGoy cheer to your brew. L'Chaim!
http://www.shmaltz.com/
ON TO THE MUSIC:
Dave Matthews Band: Whiskey River and the Groo Grux King
I'm going to start out with a disclaimer. My wife exceeds my fandom 10fold, however, I am a DMB fan... have been since highschool. Saw them at Fenway, saw them both times in Hartford when the riot police showed up firing rubber bullets (Riot at a Dave Concert? Really?!) I've put in my time and I'd see them again in a second... great show and definitely worth the ticket price. I still enjoy their music and it always reminds me of summer. But I digress! I can say honestly that there are 3 to 4 decent songs on Whiskey River. Those songs that are good are REALLY good. The others, frankly are filler in my opinion, perhaps they'll grow on me in time but for now... Eh... As always, well executed from a technical standpoint. Interesting musically, but not overly moving. The album all told is over produced and is at times a bit too much. The better tunes are stripped down, change tempo and theme as any good "Jam Band" does. They SING to you, they make you feel and dance. What would a hippie dance to, besides... well everything? For me, those songs on the album are "Funny the way it is", "Why I am" and "Alligator Pie (Cockadile)"
There's a banjo in several of the songs, however I don't think it's Bela Fleck... he might have added more to it... but he might also have overcomplicated some already decent songs. Favorite on the album is a song that reminds me of the second song on the first Rusted Root album. "Alligator Pie" is a chugging Louisiana style Cajun butt kicker. It's a great driving song, but I do have to watch the gas pedal!
As always, DMB has put together an okay album, I'll listen to selected tracks, but it will never be Remember Two Things or Under the Table and Dreaming. As Primus says, "they can't all be Zingers".
Good luck, good Pickin' good brewin'
Rob Anderson
It's been a few weeks since I posted a blog as sadly legitimate employment has kept me rather busy! I have, however run into a number of beers and some music in the mean time that I think you need to hear.
I'm dedicating this post to my good friend Matt, who, not only adopted a puppy this week (Ms. Roxxee Ketchup), but ALSO found out that his wife is pregnant!! Way to go boyo!! Congratulations!
First and foremost in my mind is a beer that upon initial inspection seemed to be a kind of gimmickey brew, but I decided to give it a go anyway. Cutsie packaging and a bold statement of being the "Chosen Beer" made me an instant skeptic. Oy Vey!! I'm schvitzing here! He'Brew's Genesis Ale by the Shmaltz Brewing Company was more than a surprise. It is a remarkably well balanced beer in the fact that it's not too heavy, not too light, the right balance between sweet, nutty malt and a light hop finish. The deep amber hue was pleasing to the eye, however the head left a bit to be desired as its small overly uniform bubbles fizzled out a bit quickly. I'll chalk it up to environmental differences between NY and MA! In all, this was a most refreshing beer and frankly, I was a bit disappointed that I didn't trust the beer enough to buy a full sixer of it. Lesson learned!
In pairing this with food, I tried to think of a traditional Jewish meal. It's only fitting given the back story of Owner/Proprietor/Brewer, Jeremy Cowan and of course the theme of the beer. Now, as a "Goyam"(someone who is not of the Jewish faith), I can't say that I'm familiar with anything outside of the Traditional Sader or Matzoa ball soup. Not to say that the Genesis Ale won't go well with Hebrew Nationals (no ifs ands or butts har t har har)... It was an excellent pairing and a personal favorite, by the way, as that was the meal I had with this beer! However, fear not those of you who are not among the chosen people! The internet has come to our rescue! The recipe listed below is going to go extraordinarily well with this beer.
Lamb Shanks with Portobello Mushrooms and Dried Cranberries.
http://homecooking.about.com/od/lambrecipes/r/bllamb13.htm
This meal is going to match well in the fact that A. it's down home food for a down home beer. B. It's Kosher (I think...) And C. The pairing is such that it matches the sweetness of a well carmelized crust and rarely cooked lamb shank, the meatiness of not only the Lamb, but the portobellos. In addition, this beer trends towards the sweet side and I think the dried cranberries will balance that off well with a bit of tartness.
I think a sign of care in a brewery is oddly enough the care that they take in their website and by extension, their client relationships (aka you and me!). This is a site built for Beer Geeks and is, as an added bonus, a thoroughly entertaining site. The funniest part for me is that they're in their 13th year of brewing and to celebrate, they're having a Bar Mitzvah. Hilarous. The description of the beer on the website, might as well be a recipe. They give you the type of grain they use, the hops, (which I'll have to try the Warrior hops... I've never used those in my own personal brews). I was really impressed with the site and the beer and frankly I'm excited to see what their newest offer, the "Rejewvenator" has to offer. It's a belgian style ale with pomegranite... interesting! All in all Mr. Cowan, you've exceeded the hype. A hearty McGoy cheer to your brew. L'Chaim!
http://www.shmaltz.com/
ON TO THE MUSIC:
Dave Matthews Band: Whiskey River and the Groo Grux King
I'm going to start out with a disclaimer. My wife exceeds my fandom 10fold, however, I am a DMB fan... have been since highschool. Saw them at Fenway, saw them both times in Hartford when the riot police showed up firing rubber bullets (Riot at a Dave Concert? Really?!) I've put in my time and I'd see them again in a second... great show and definitely worth the ticket price. I still enjoy their music and it always reminds me of summer. But I digress! I can say honestly that there are 3 to 4 decent songs on Whiskey River. Those songs that are good are REALLY good. The others, frankly are filler in my opinion, perhaps they'll grow on me in time but for now... Eh... As always, well executed from a technical standpoint. Interesting musically, but not overly moving. The album all told is over produced and is at times a bit too much. The better tunes are stripped down, change tempo and theme as any good "Jam Band" does. They SING to you, they make you feel and dance. What would a hippie dance to, besides... well everything? For me, those songs on the album are "Funny the way it is", "Why I am" and "Alligator Pie (Cockadile)"
There's a banjo in several of the songs, however I don't think it's Bela Fleck... he might have added more to it... but he might also have overcomplicated some already decent songs. Favorite on the album is a song that reminds me of the second song on the first Rusted Root album. "Alligator Pie" is a chugging Louisiana style Cajun butt kicker. It's a great driving song, but I do have to watch the gas pedal!
As always, DMB has put together an okay album, I'll listen to selected tracks, but it will never be Remember Two Things or Under the Table and Dreaming. As Primus says, "they can't all be Zingers".
Good luck, good Pickin' good brewin'
Rob Anderson
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Arcadia Ales Hopmouth DOUBLE IPA
After a long day of spending way too much to keep my poor 10 year old car running and and mowing the dirt-patch I call my lawn, It's now time (at 8:30 PM mind you...)to sit down and relax.
My local Packey has a fairly wide selection of seasonal beers and in addition, they sell a lot of the micro-brews by the bottle. For someone like myself who likes to experiment with a variety of beverages, this place is spectacular. Tonight, I've picked out two beers, and for once, I grabbed them partly because their packaging made them stand out from their competition. I didn't buy these beers particularly for the taste or because I had heard anything about them in any of the beer press. Having been a marketing major in college, I do have a natural tendancy to take into account packaging so today, I'm running a little experiment. Does the beer live up to the extensive work that was put into making the beer even MORE appealing? In addition, I'll be doing a first for Brew n'Music, I'm going to give you an "As it happens" review: from Pop of the cap to the last schwag at the bottom of the glass, you'll get a play by play of my impressions as they happen.
The first beer, I'll actually not be reviewing this week... althought I've heard a LOT about it. "He-brew" is a beer that has gotten a lot of press and next weekend, I'll see if it lives up to the hype. Stay Tuned!
The beer I WILL be reviewing this week is the Arcadia Brewing Company's Hopmouth Double IPA. This is, based on the label made by the "Brew Crew" and is part of their Big Beer Series. We'll see... I'm to assume that the "Double IPA" is simply a result of a LOT of additional hops being added during the brewing process and perhaps dry hopped at a later date. Either way, this should prove to be an interesting challenge.
Packaging: Green label, Celtic Designs and a "hop monster" face adorn the label. Ooooooo! Spooooky! I can only assume this to be the "Hopmouth" monster that the villagers have been grumbling about. I will do my best to vanquish this beast... and perhaps it's brothers and sisters!
Initial Pour: The beer is well carbonated, small bubbles percolate to the surface, making a pleasant, white, however not overly thick head. The head opens in a way I found to be somewhat perculiar... It seemed to spread almost from the center out both up and down instead of growing from the water line up... weird. Color is a dark deep tan/amber and considering that it's an IPA, it seems fairly dark for this type of beer.
Smell: Hop notes are clearly evident, however not overpowering. There's a hint of caramel as well. Interested to see what the first sip brings.
First Taste: Oddly sweet at the first note and then bitterness hits the tongue with a crisp and hoppy freshness. The Hopmouth has a thick mouth-feel without being syrup-like in consistancy.
Second Sip: (no I won't be doing EVERY sip...) Whooo! Put some STANK on it, Ike! My tongue just took a quick whoopin' of hops. If you're a hop head, this is a beer for you. In general, despite its hoppiness, it does have a balance which again, the sweetness makes this a pleasure to drink.
I don't think I can tell you much more about this beer from here. It's a slightly heavy beer. Hoppy bitterness counterbalanced with a sweet grain flavor. Bottom line, it's a good beer. I would say that you should be EXTREMELY ready for the kick this thing's got.
Food Pairings: Hmmmm... Still trying to figure this one out... You could go one of two ways with this. Pair it with something sweet and subtle OR fight BACK with equally strong flavors. Lemon Rosemary Chicken for some reason keeps hitting me as appropriate. There's also a recipe for baked chicken with a brown sugar breading that could hold up well enough to a powerful beer like this. My wife experimented with this recipe the other day and it was top notch. This beer would also be well served against appetizers such as a strong sausage, salami or pepperoni, and a sharp maple cheddar. Long story short; a STRONG beer like this needs strong flavors to match up to it.
Overall impressions of this beer are good. The beer stands up to its packaging and certainly makes good on it's claims of A. Being a "Hop Monster", B. Being a BIG beer and C. CERTAINLY "Goes Big".
If you have a chance, check this one out, you'll not be sorry!
The Arcadia Brewing Company
Battle Creek, MI
www.arcadiabrewingcompany.com
Brew Well, Be well,
-Rob Anderson
Next week: He-brew!
My local Packey has a fairly wide selection of seasonal beers and in addition, they sell a lot of the micro-brews by the bottle. For someone like myself who likes to experiment with a variety of beverages, this place is spectacular. Tonight, I've picked out two beers, and for once, I grabbed them partly because their packaging made them stand out from their competition. I didn't buy these beers particularly for the taste or because I had heard anything about them in any of the beer press. Having been a marketing major in college, I do have a natural tendancy to take into account packaging so today, I'm running a little experiment. Does the beer live up to the extensive work that was put into making the beer even MORE appealing? In addition, I'll be doing a first for Brew n'Music, I'm going to give you an "As it happens" review: from Pop of the cap to the last schwag at the bottom of the glass, you'll get a play by play of my impressions as they happen.
The first beer, I'll actually not be reviewing this week... althought I've heard a LOT about it. "He-brew" is a beer that has gotten a lot of press and next weekend, I'll see if it lives up to the hype. Stay Tuned!
The beer I WILL be reviewing this week is the Arcadia Brewing Company's Hopmouth Double IPA. This is, based on the label made by the "Brew Crew" and is part of their Big Beer Series. We'll see... I'm to assume that the "Double IPA" is simply a result of a LOT of additional hops being added during the brewing process and perhaps dry hopped at a later date. Either way, this should prove to be an interesting challenge.
Packaging: Green label, Celtic Designs and a "hop monster" face adorn the label. Ooooooo! Spooooky! I can only assume this to be the "Hopmouth" monster that the villagers have been grumbling about. I will do my best to vanquish this beast... and perhaps it's brothers and sisters!
Initial Pour: The beer is well carbonated, small bubbles percolate to the surface, making a pleasant, white, however not overly thick head. The head opens in a way I found to be somewhat perculiar... It seemed to spread almost from the center out both up and down instead of growing from the water line up... weird. Color is a dark deep tan/amber and considering that it's an IPA, it seems fairly dark for this type of beer.
Smell: Hop notes are clearly evident, however not overpowering. There's a hint of caramel as well. Interested to see what the first sip brings.
First Taste: Oddly sweet at the first note and then bitterness hits the tongue with a crisp and hoppy freshness. The Hopmouth has a thick mouth-feel without being syrup-like in consistancy.
Second Sip: (no I won't be doing EVERY sip...) Whooo! Put some STANK on it, Ike! My tongue just took a quick whoopin' of hops. If you're a hop head, this is a beer for you. In general, despite its hoppiness, it does have a balance which again, the sweetness makes this a pleasure to drink.
I don't think I can tell you much more about this beer from here. It's a slightly heavy beer. Hoppy bitterness counterbalanced with a sweet grain flavor. Bottom line, it's a good beer. I would say that you should be EXTREMELY ready for the kick this thing's got.
Food Pairings: Hmmmm... Still trying to figure this one out... You could go one of two ways with this. Pair it with something sweet and subtle OR fight BACK with equally strong flavors. Lemon Rosemary Chicken for some reason keeps hitting me as appropriate. There's also a recipe for baked chicken with a brown sugar breading that could hold up well enough to a powerful beer like this. My wife experimented with this recipe the other day and it was top notch. This beer would also be well served against appetizers such as a strong sausage, salami or pepperoni, and a sharp maple cheddar. Long story short; a STRONG beer like this needs strong flavors to match up to it.
Overall impressions of this beer are good. The beer stands up to its packaging and certainly makes good on it's claims of A. Being a "Hop Monster", B. Being a BIG beer and C. CERTAINLY "Goes Big".
If you have a chance, check this one out, you'll not be sorry!
The Arcadia Brewing Company
Battle Creek, MI
www.arcadiabrewingcompany.com
Brew Well, Be well,
-Rob Anderson
Next week: He-brew!
Friday, May 1, 2009
A Selfish Irish Evening
Holy crap, gang... Behold my rant and ramble!
What a WEEK! I'm fairly certain that my legitimate job is sucking my will to live... And yet, here's the weekend!!! It's been here waiting for me all along like a faithful puppy! Down boy, DOWN!!
Tonight I've dedicated myself to all things Celtic! The ethnic people, not the team... depressing loss to Chicago last night! I'd rather not think about it until they're back in Boston. I've got Guinness in hand (see comments at the bottom of this post), I'm searching out Bagpipe music both Uilleann (Irish Elbow Pipes) and the Highland Pipes and I'm thinking about how I'm going to make money brewing beer and playing music. Ah, the Irish American Dream! Over the past few years, I've made it my mission to learn everything I can about my Gaelic Roots. To BORE you with my family history, My mother, my Dad's Cousin, also named Robert and I have all done our part to try and trace our roots back to their places of origin. We've gotten about 17 generations back on a few sides, but recordkeeping in Ireland and the UK tends to get a little dicey the further back you go thanks to the climate, church fires and an apparently genetic issue of poor penmanship. All I'm going to say is be glad that I'm typing this blog.
My mom's parents are both the children of Irish immigrants from I belive Killarney and Kilkenny. This makes the trace back fairly easy should I someday need to prove my overall Paddy-ness. In fact we still have some somewhat distant relatives still over there. My dad is roughly 3/4 Irish with names like Mahoney and Sheehan to his credit and the rest is Scots/English and possibly French Canadian my ancestors having allegedly been "Two Steppers" or those coming from Ireland to Nova Scotia and parts of Southern Canada on their way to Boston. It at least explains my love of Hockey... My Grandfather's Father was the son of a rubber factory worker from Woolich U.K. a small industrial town outside of London and his son, my Great grandfather was a prominant Accountant here in Boston. His wife was a the young daughter of Irish Immigrants and their wedding was somewhat of a scandal for the time as my Great Grandfather was Protestant (he "converted") and his bride Irish Catholic. That story is another one for another time, frankly it's full of intrigue and I've been facinated by it! Their son, my grandfather, partly as a result of the strained relationship with his father, always sided with his Gaelic roots and to that point, I think that my family and I have always sided with the Irish. Let's face it, the reputation for merry making is just CLEARLY on the side of the Irish. However, my last name is predominatly Scottish. Anderson is the 4th most popular name in the US and it's only fair to give the scots their due.
"SCOTS ARE A PEOPLE, SCOTCH IS A DRRRRRINK! IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH, IT'S CRAP!" - Mike Meyers
Getting all that out of the way, I've been interested in Gaelic Culture really since grade school, but having a daughter made me really want to get into keeping the traditions alive. The Gaels are a beautiful people with an extraordinarly skill for telling stories, have BEAUTIFUL art work (i.e. the book of Kells) emoting through music and dance and celebrating in the face of adversity, vis a vis 800 years of English oppression.
I've been told I'm a naturally musical person and frankly it comes easy to me, mostly because I enjoy playing and I spend a LOT of time attempting to practice. In the last few years, I've learned to play the Bodhran (Irish Frame drum), a few Irish tunes on the guitar & piano and most recently, the tin whistle, the Kerry Low Whistle and starting in January '09, I joined the Sutherland Bagpipe Corps in Newton, MA. (AYE!!) My sister, Kathy has joined me on all but the Bagpipes and she's been a remarkable partner in crime!
Kathy and I so far have gotten serious on several Irish Tunes and despite a few squeaks, we've come a LONG way in a very short period of time. The two of us come from a long line of musicians, My great grandfather, Jack Sheehan was a well known local pianist in the East Boston/Medford/Sommerville area, My mother is a champion Accordion Player and my Grandfather was a clarinet player for the Boston College Marching Band. So pedigrees in place, Kathy, my sister Marie and I have all taken Piano lessons in the past and Kathy and I play fairly well by ear (its a blessing and a curse, I've gotten quite rusty at reading music). Kathy and I have found Irish music to be great fun, but the techniques involved to make it sound typically Irish are quite difficult. The cut and hit for example on the tin whistle sound REALLY cool, but are somewhat difficult to master... we're getting there!
The following songs we've gotten quite good at and plan on including Mom ASAP. My hope is that we take these tunes and post them on you tube at some point in the somewhat distant future.
-Star of the County Down
-Mairie's Wedding
-Saddle the Pony
-The Silver Spear
-The Red Haired Boy
-Ah Ha's "Take on me" - Seriously... too funny.
My bagpipe lessons have been going slowly but well. I play about 12 instruments in total and the Pipes from a technique standpoint is the most difficult I have learned yet. I've made some decent progress in the past few weeks, however I will probably not be off the practice chanter and "on the bag" for several months. This is a competition piping group and they take playing VERY seriously. Mistakes are tolerated... but only during practice! The two tunes I know by heart at the moment are:
-Scots what Ha'e
-The Brown Haired Maiden.
My ultimate goal, and I know this is going to sound silly, is to play Gordon Duncan's version of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck". It's a REALLY good version and I'm all about it. However I'm working to learn this right. Check out the link below... awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EwDlUHoDFo
I have so many bad habits on so many other instruments and it does affect your play. Better to learn it RIGHT the first time!
Back to the beer!
So, this isn't JUST a music blog, let's talk for a second about Guinness! Some say it tastes like burnt toast, others, like my father-in-law, have more colorful language for it... I think my love of dark beers and the naissance of my beer geek-dom started with Guinness. Thick, frothy, opaquely BLACK and with the absolute perfect mix of flavor makes it one of my favorite of the commerical beers. There's not too much hop, not too much malt and it's got a dry almost charcoal taste that makes is a joy to drink AND to cook with. Guinness Pie, Steak & Guinness and oddly enough it goes well in chili balancing out well with the 100% bitter Cocoa that I usually put in mine. I've heard it makes a decent dessert as well. I honestly can't think of a thing this classic beverage wouldn't go well with, perhaps other than breakfast cereal.(although....). There are other Stouts, Murphy's for example is a fine beer. However none inspire a love of Hibernia (The Roman name for the Erin Isle)quite so much as "The black stuff". Call it motor oil, call it tar, call it what you will. I call it plain old delicious!
I know this one was an "All about me" blog, and I thank you for reading up on the things I'm passionate about. I want to thank Arthur Guinness for the beer, my ancestors (thanks Mom & Dad!) for their inspiration, my sisters and most importantly my wife for putting up with my Bagpipe lessons!
Slainte!!
Rob
What a WEEK! I'm fairly certain that my legitimate job is sucking my will to live... And yet, here's the weekend!!! It's been here waiting for me all along like a faithful puppy! Down boy, DOWN!!
Tonight I've dedicated myself to all things Celtic! The ethnic people, not the team... depressing loss to Chicago last night! I'd rather not think about it until they're back in Boston. I've got Guinness in hand (see comments at the bottom of this post), I'm searching out Bagpipe music both Uilleann (Irish Elbow Pipes) and the Highland Pipes and I'm thinking about how I'm going to make money brewing beer and playing music. Ah, the Irish American Dream! Over the past few years, I've made it my mission to learn everything I can about my Gaelic Roots. To BORE you with my family history, My mother, my Dad's Cousin, also named Robert and I have all done our part to try and trace our roots back to their places of origin. We've gotten about 17 generations back on a few sides, but recordkeeping in Ireland and the UK tends to get a little dicey the further back you go thanks to the climate, church fires and an apparently genetic issue of poor penmanship. All I'm going to say is be glad that I'm typing this blog.
My mom's parents are both the children of Irish immigrants from I belive Killarney and Kilkenny. This makes the trace back fairly easy should I someday need to prove my overall Paddy-ness. In fact we still have some somewhat distant relatives still over there. My dad is roughly 3/4 Irish with names like Mahoney and Sheehan to his credit and the rest is Scots/English and possibly French Canadian my ancestors having allegedly been "Two Steppers" or those coming from Ireland to Nova Scotia and parts of Southern Canada on their way to Boston. It at least explains my love of Hockey... My Grandfather's Father was the son of a rubber factory worker from Woolich U.K. a small industrial town outside of London and his son, my Great grandfather was a prominant Accountant here in Boston. His wife was a the young daughter of Irish Immigrants and their wedding was somewhat of a scandal for the time as my Great Grandfather was Protestant (he "converted") and his bride Irish Catholic. That story is another one for another time, frankly it's full of intrigue and I've been facinated by it! Their son, my grandfather, partly as a result of the strained relationship with his father, always sided with his Gaelic roots and to that point, I think that my family and I have always sided with the Irish. Let's face it, the reputation for merry making is just CLEARLY on the side of the Irish. However, my last name is predominatly Scottish. Anderson is the 4th most popular name in the US and it's only fair to give the scots their due.
"SCOTS ARE A PEOPLE, SCOTCH IS A DRRRRRINK! IF IT'S NOT SCOTTISH, IT'S CRAP!" - Mike Meyers
Getting all that out of the way, I've been interested in Gaelic Culture really since grade school, but having a daughter made me really want to get into keeping the traditions alive. The Gaels are a beautiful people with an extraordinarly skill for telling stories, have BEAUTIFUL art work (i.e. the book of Kells) emoting through music and dance and celebrating in the face of adversity, vis a vis 800 years of English oppression.
I've been told I'm a naturally musical person and frankly it comes easy to me, mostly because I enjoy playing and I spend a LOT of time attempting to practice. In the last few years, I've learned to play the Bodhran (Irish Frame drum), a few Irish tunes on the guitar & piano and most recently, the tin whistle, the Kerry Low Whistle and starting in January '09, I joined the Sutherland Bagpipe Corps in Newton, MA. (AYE!!) My sister, Kathy has joined me on all but the Bagpipes and she's been a remarkable partner in crime!
Kathy and I so far have gotten serious on several Irish Tunes and despite a few squeaks, we've come a LONG way in a very short period of time. The two of us come from a long line of musicians, My great grandfather, Jack Sheehan was a well known local pianist in the East Boston/Medford/Sommerville area, My mother is a champion Accordion Player and my Grandfather was a clarinet player for the Boston College Marching Band. So pedigrees in place, Kathy, my sister Marie and I have all taken Piano lessons in the past and Kathy and I play fairly well by ear (its a blessing and a curse, I've gotten quite rusty at reading music). Kathy and I have found Irish music to be great fun, but the techniques involved to make it sound typically Irish are quite difficult. The cut and hit for example on the tin whistle sound REALLY cool, but are somewhat difficult to master... we're getting there!
The following songs we've gotten quite good at and plan on including Mom ASAP. My hope is that we take these tunes and post them on you tube at some point in the somewhat distant future.
-Star of the County Down
-Mairie's Wedding
-Saddle the Pony
-The Silver Spear
-The Red Haired Boy
-Ah Ha's "Take on me" - Seriously... too funny.
My bagpipe lessons have been going slowly but well. I play about 12 instruments in total and the Pipes from a technique standpoint is the most difficult I have learned yet. I've made some decent progress in the past few weeks, however I will probably not be off the practice chanter and "on the bag" for several months. This is a competition piping group and they take playing VERY seriously. Mistakes are tolerated... but only during practice! The two tunes I know by heart at the moment are:
-Scots what Ha'e
-The Brown Haired Maiden.
My ultimate goal, and I know this is going to sound silly, is to play Gordon Duncan's version of AC/DC's "Thunderstruck". It's a REALLY good version and I'm all about it. However I'm working to learn this right. Check out the link below... awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EwDlUHoDFo
I have so many bad habits on so many other instruments and it does affect your play. Better to learn it RIGHT the first time!
Back to the beer!
So, this isn't JUST a music blog, let's talk for a second about Guinness! Some say it tastes like burnt toast, others, like my father-in-law, have more colorful language for it... I think my love of dark beers and the naissance of my beer geek-dom started with Guinness. Thick, frothy, opaquely BLACK and with the absolute perfect mix of flavor makes it one of my favorite of the commerical beers. There's not too much hop, not too much malt and it's got a dry almost charcoal taste that makes is a joy to drink AND to cook with. Guinness Pie, Steak & Guinness and oddly enough it goes well in chili balancing out well with the 100% bitter Cocoa that I usually put in mine. I've heard it makes a decent dessert as well. I honestly can't think of a thing this classic beverage wouldn't go well with, perhaps other than breakfast cereal.(although....). There are other Stouts, Murphy's for example is a fine beer. However none inspire a love of Hibernia (The Roman name for the Erin Isle)quite so much as "The black stuff". Call it motor oil, call it tar, call it what you will. I call it plain old delicious!
I know this one was an "All about me" blog, and I thank you for reading up on the things I'm passionate about. I want to thank Arthur Guinness for the beer, my ancestors (thanks Mom & Dad!) for their inspiration, my sisters and most importantly my wife for putting up with my Bagpipe lessons!
Slainte!!
Rob
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Saturday night's all right for... Brewin?
Saturday has rolled around again, reflecting on a week of highs and lows, a rough week at work, a great bagpipe lesson, breakthroughs with the wife and kid and a service project that frankly cleared my soul... all in all, a good week. So good news! I will not be going to hell in the express lane that I previously thought that I was in. What better way to end a roller coaster week than to hang with a buddy and "help" him brew beer... Meaning of course, that I drank a whole mess of beer, watched the Sox TROUNCE the Yanks in an amazing 11 to 16 comeback all while watching Jason work his brewer's magic. He's making several batches of the "Wedding beer" which I've reviewed in previous blogs. Good beer, it should prove to be the hit of the reception... or the ceremony itself!! Either way, Jason's BierKeller is well stocked and while I brought over a sixer of a curiosity brew, Jason allowed me to drink some beers that were, honestly, pretty good.
We'll start off with the curiosity beer... For the record, I bought this based on Jason's blog "Brewing the Perfect Beer" (linked to this blog). It wasn't a direct recommendation, however I just had to try it considering how much effort was brought to the documentary, "Beer Wars". Anat Baron's (brewer and documentary maker/co founder of the Boston Beer Co.) Edison Beer works well enough for an American beer and in fact holds up well to the style. It's pretty clearly an attempt to match the larger Light (or Lite thank you marketing for destroying the English Language) American Lagers (Coors, Budwiser etc.) and bring a craft brew feel to it. Frankly, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It was a hot day in the Commonwealth today, it was a hot, toilsome emotionally rewarding day at Rebuilding Together, Boston and a GREAT day for a light beer. While there were other options on the shelf, I chose this one, thinking that there was perhaps a little bit of care brought to its creation. I wasn't wrong, it's clear that a lot of care went into this beer, however I did find it to be relatively uninspired. It had a good body, somewhat initially ricey (is that an adjective outside of Pee Wee's Playhouse?) taste and an even weirder aftertaste. I really wasn't sure what to make of it and had a difficult time placing some of the flavors. It's not a bad beer and perhaps would go well with BBQ or I might use it to use it in fondue or beer bread. However I wasn't totally wowed by it. As a side note, I've had some kind of off luck with buying beer at Trader Joe's... the TJ's beers in general are kind of bland (and frankly terrible, avoid them at all costs) I'd suggest going to a liquor store that takes their time in choosing quality beers. They've made SOME good choices... but by in large, the selection is poor.
The second beer was equally odd... well, we'll call it eccentric as it was a pretty good beer overall. In my family, when something is "interesting" it could go either way. Either it's interesting meaning truly neat OR it could be interesting meaning please stop this conversation... cooooouuld it get any weirder? The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery's Amber Ale, dependent on what you're into, malty beers or hoppy, dry or sweet, is a beer you'll either love or hate. In general, I like a beer with good balance, but this one trends well into the dry, malty side and it was hardly unpleasant. It's got a light hop flavor but the malt is what really comes through. It's clearly got a carmelized malt which gives it a bit of zing and a good body that made it a pleasure to drink. I had a hard time pairing it with anything in my head, but thinking further on it, I would imagine it good with a Vietnamese short rib recipe I made about a year ago. The salt of the fish sauce combined the sweetness of the brown sugar would compliment this beer. I'll see if I can find that recipe and will post it as soon as I can. I'm not sure that this one can be bought in the local area, however if you find it, give it a shot. I, personally found it to be pretty decent.
Still working on getting a brew recipe together, I have hops frozen in the freezer that need to be used and I'm thinking that a good light summer 4th of July brew is in order. Considering they're centennial hops, I think that the wife and I can throw something together on the fly.
Well friends, I'll be signing off now.
Be Well, Brew Well,
(a currently somewhat impaired) Rob Anderson
We'll start off with the curiosity beer... For the record, I bought this based on Jason's blog "Brewing the Perfect Beer" (linked to this blog). It wasn't a direct recommendation, however I just had to try it considering how much effort was brought to the documentary, "Beer Wars". Anat Baron's (brewer and documentary maker/co founder of the Boston Beer Co.) Edison Beer works well enough for an American beer and in fact holds up well to the style. It's pretty clearly an attempt to match the larger Light (or Lite thank you marketing for destroying the English Language) American Lagers (Coors, Budwiser etc.) and bring a craft brew feel to it. Frankly, I'm not quite sure what to make of it. It was a hot day in the Commonwealth today, it was a hot, toilsome emotionally rewarding day at Rebuilding Together, Boston and a GREAT day for a light beer. While there were other options on the shelf, I chose this one, thinking that there was perhaps a little bit of care brought to its creation. I wasn't wrong, it's clear that a lot of care went into this beer, however I did find it to be relatively uninspired. It had a good body, somewhat initially ricey (is that an adjective outside of Pee Wee's Playhouse?) taste and an even weirder aftertaste. I really wasn't sure what to make of it and had a difficult time placing some of the flavors. It's not a bad beer and perhaps would go well with BBQ or I might use it to use it in fondue or beer bread. However I wasn't totally wowed by it. As a side note, I've had some kind of off luck with buying beer at Trader Joe's... the TJ's beers in general are kind of bland (and frankly terrible, avoid them at all costs) I'd suggest going to a liquor store that takes their time in choosing quality beers. They've made SOME good choices... but by in large, the selection is poor.
The second beer was equally odd... well, we'll call it eccentric as it was a pretty good beer overall. In my family, when something is "interesting" it could go either way. Either it's interesting meaning truly neat OR it could be interesting meaning please stop this conversation... cooooouuld it get any weirder? The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery's Amber Ale, dependent on what you're into, malty beers or hoppy, dry or sweet, is a beer you'll either love or hate. In general, I like a beer with good balance, but this one trends well into the dry, malty side and it was hardly unpleasant. It's got a light hop flavor but the malt is what really comes through. It's clearly got a carmelized malt which gives it a bit of zing and a good body that made it a pleasure to drink. I had a hard time pairing it with anything in my head, but thinking further on it, I would imagine it good with a Vietnamese short rib recipe I made about a year ago. The salt of the fish sauce combined the sweetness of the brown sugar would compliment this beer. I'll see if I can find that recipe and will post it as soon as I can. I'm not sure that this one can be bought in the local area, however if you find it, give it a shot. I, personally found it to be pretty decent.
Still working on getting a brew recipe together, I have hops frozen in the freezer that need to be used and I'm thinking that a good light summer 4th of July brew is in order. Considering they're centennial hops, I think that the wife and I can throw something together on the fly.
Well friends, I'll be signing off now.
Be Well, Brew Well,
(a currently somewhat impaired) Rob Anderson
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Wachussadisappointment
Well Ale-merica... I'm filled with a nagging sense of "Meh...". I want to start out by saying that it honestly pains me to write this post. However, I've been underwhelmed by my first beer (or in this case beers) since starting this blog. I think I'm even more dissappointed since the brewery is generally a hometown favorite of mine. It's not that they're bad beers, I think I just expected more from them. Dear God, I really AM turning into my parents!!
The Wachusett(pronounced like it is spelled Wah-Chu-Set)Brewing Company like I said generally puts out some tasty beers. The Blueberry Ale and the Black Shack Porter are two of my personal faves and I'd definitely put the Blueberry in particular in my top 25. However, over the past two weeks, I've had some of their other inventions which frankly, in my opinion fell a bit flat.
I bought Wachusett Nut Brown Ale when visiting a friend, selfishly of course wanting to try one myself! I was excited I hadn't seen a new Wachusett beer in my local liquor store also known as a "packey" here in MA, in a VERY long time. The Nut Brown Ale was not a bad beer, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I have high expectations based on my previous encounters with the WBC. Drinking this was sort of like picking up a glass of water only to find out all to late that it's really filled with rum. Not unwelcome, just not what you were looking for and certainly not what you were looking for to slake your thirst. The almost $10 I THOUGHT was worth it considering the quality I had come to rely on. Sadly, I feel that it was grossly overpriced. The body was somewhat watery, the taste was somewhat flat and lacking in both Maltiness and Hoppiness. Again, not a truly terrible beer, but certainly not worth the $10 a six-pack price tag. Perhaps the theft of their extremely expensive brass overflow a few years ago or the recent hop crisis has hit them harder than I thought, but let's all be frank... dropping a Hamilton for 6 beers is a bit steep even for the Commonwealth...
Now undeterred, I thought to myself, "this is a fluke, This is Wachusett we're talking about! Hometown heros, farm freshness, pride of the Nashoba Valley area! Surely this HAS to be a one time event." So this Friday, while hanging out and watching the Sox with my Dad in "The Pub" aka "Jack Sheehan's Pub" aka my parent's basement (it's a lot cooler than it sounds... Pool table, several flat screens and one in the bathroom... saaweeet.), I decided to grab a beer. My parents, living in close proximity to the brewery seem to always have a 6er of one of the Wachusett beers on hand. The Green Monsta Ale is what is currently on deck at at Jack Sheehan's. This beer gets its namesake clearly from a colorful play on our lack of ability to pronounce the letter "R" here in MA. It's an efficiency of language thing and closest to the King's English I'll have you know...At least that's what the History Channel said... TV's never lied to me before! So as far as cleverness in marketing, kudos. The beer is not terrible. However, the Monsta was not exactly 40 ft tall certainly not crushing the denizens of downtown Tokyo, much less greater Boston... The Monsta failed to wow me and I felt did not perform as I felt it should. I expected a hoppy IPA-ish beer and I was met with a beer that had an initial flavor of light malt, a bit of a grainy mouth and then a finish that tasted, honestly, like grass. While I was reminded of Fenway... I don't think I've ever had a yen to EAT the outfield! The flavors beyond freshly mowed sod were a bit flat and I surprised even myself by not finishing the beer.
Look... I know that they're not all going to be winners and that perhaps my palate differs from everyone elses. I'm still going to enjoy my faves from the WBC... and like the Red Sox, it's exciting when you win and it's disappointing to watch a loss, but I'll stick by ya regardless. Best of luck Wachusett. Despite these experiences I've loved other beers you put out and am honestly looking forward to trying whatever you've got coming down the pike.
Visit the Wachusett Brewery at:
http://www.wachusettbrew.com
The Wachusett(pronounced like it is spelled Wah-Chu-Set)Brewing Company like I said generally puts out some tasty beers. The Blueberry Ale and the Black Shack Porter are two of my personal faves and I'd definitely put the Blueberry in particular in my top 25. However, over the past two weeks, I've had some of their other inventions which frankly, in my opinion fell a bit flat.
I bought Wachusett Nut Brown Ale when visiting a friend, selfishly of course wanting to try one myself! I was excited I hadn't seen a new Wachusett beer in my local liquor store also known as a "packey" here in MA, in a VERY long time. The Nut Brown Ale was not a bad beer, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I have high expectations based on my previous encounters with the WBC. Drinking this was sort of like picking up a glass of water only to find out all to late that it's really filled with rum. Not unwelcome, just not what you were looking for and certainly not what you were looking for to slake your thirst. The almost $10 I THOUGHT was worth it considering the quality I had come to rely on. Sadly, I feel that it was grossly overpriced. The body was somewhat watery, the taste was somewhat flat and lacking in both Maltiness and Hoppiness. Again, not a truly terrible beer, but certainly not worth the $10 a six-pack price tag. Perhaps the theft of their extremely expensive brass overflow a few years ago or the recent hop crisis has hit them harder than I thought, but let's all be frank... dropping a Hamilton for 6 beers is a bit steep even for the Commonwealth...
Now undeterred, I thought to myself, "this is a fluke, This is Wachusett we're talking about! Hometown heros, farm freshness, pride of the Nashoba Valley area! Surely this HAS to be a one time event." So this Friday, while hanging out and watching the Sox with my Dad in "The Pub" aka "Jack Sheehan's Pub" aka my parent's basement (it's a lot cooler than it sounds... Pool table, several flat screens and one in the bathroom... saaweeet.), I decided to grab a beer. My parents, living in close proximity to the brewery seem to always have a 6er of one of the Wachusett beers on hand. The Green Monsta Ale is what is currently on deck at at Jack Sheehan's. This beer gets its namesake clearly from a colorful play on our lack of ability to pronounce the letter "R" here in MA. It's an efficiency of language thing and closest to the King's English I'll have you know...At least that's what the History Channel said... TV's never lied to me before! So as far as cleverness in marketing, kudos. The beer is not terrible. However, the Monsta was not exactly 40 ft tall certainly not crushing the denizens of downtown Tokyo, much less greater Boston... The Monsta failed to wow me and I felt did not perform as I felt it should. I expected a hoppy IPA-ish beer and I was met with a beer that had an initial flavor of light malt, a bit of a grainy mouth and then a finish that tasted, honestly, like grass. While I was reminded of Fenway... I don't think I've ever had a yen to EAT the outfield! The flavors beyond freshly mowed sod were a bit flat and I surprised even myself by not finishing the beer.
Look... I know that they're not all going to be winners and that perhaps my palate differs from everyone elses. I'm still going to enjoy my faves from the WBC... and like the Red Sox, it's exciting when you win and it's disappointing to watch a loss, but I'll stick by ya regardless. Best of luck Wachusett. Despite these experiences I've loved other beers you put out and am honestly looking forward to trying whatever you've got coming down the pike.
Visit the Wachusett Brewery at:
http://www.wachusettbrew.com
Thursday, April 16, 2009
He Brewin'
Gang,
There's nothing quite so satisfying in life as passing on knowlege. It truly is the path to immortality. Not like in "Highlander" where decapitated souls pass on knowledge through lightening shows and pyrotechnics... I know that when my head leaves my shoulders, the conversation takes on an ackward silence that just seems to pervade the room... Did no one else find Christopher Lambert an odd choice as a scotsman? I mean, I could understand every word he was saying... that's not Scottish at all!!! But I digress...
Good Friday should have been called GREAT Friday thanks to our friend Matt. Matt is our friend who we've built into a full blown He'brewer. "Today I am a man!!" Happy "Bar"-Mitzvah Mattie! Can (I make any more jokes during passover? I schvitzing here... but seriously Matties a Mensch...) Friday was Bottling day!! We were joined by our friends Dan "the dog walker" and my neighbor and good friend and quasi-professional brewer Jason, currently training for the Iron Man Triathalon. This night might have gotten him a bit off track on his diet... sorry buddy, but my permission slip as well as Dan's were signed and I think we were all down for a party!
The night was just what I needed. Guy food, Guy beer, Guy talk. Matt's poor wife came down for a quick 15 minutes or so before she realized where the conversations were headed... but it's so warm and familiar here in the gutter!!! While I, like any good Irish Catholic, ignored Good Friday, Matt and his family celebrated Passover. This resulted in probably the funniest and frankly quickest version of the passover story ever replete with finger puppet plagues!! Oooh Lice!! You know it's going to be a good one when the story starts out "so this dude Pharoah..." Thankfully, after a few beers, my Parochial school training kicked in and I could fill in the blanks to compete the tale that frankly made the sweeping Charlton Heston epic look like community theater. Well played Matt. The academy should be calling ANY day now.
On to the beer!! Let my bottle caps gooooo!
Matt is brewing a SUPER hoppy IPA. We hopped it with fuggles hops and then dry hopped it with Kent Goldings (BITTER). I think that the IBU's are topping out at around 85 to 90. Based on the initial tastings, it's actually going to turn out to be a tasty beer. The malt is going to balance off the hops quite nicely, but there's definitely going to be a bitter back taste. It's got a light and somewhat hazy amber hue which should clear up after bottling and aging. My friends who are true brew-nuts are going to kill me for my next statement, but I need to be true to my tastes: Now, I like a good hoppy IPA but I've had a few that just go way too far. We're not shipping this stuff to the troops in India, people... Matt's on the other hand appears to be quite pleasant and although it's going to have some sharp nasal notes and a somewhat bitter aftertaste, I think it's going to be a good brew which should mellow with age.
No good brewing experience would be complete without MORE BEER! We had a few decent beers including an IPA that Jason brewed which I will affectionately term "the Wedding Beer". Jason is brewing a big batch of this for a friend's wedding. (See Jason's Blog, it's an excellent source of info and adds a level of science which I so clearly lack) While not a taste I usually equate to IPAs, Jason's brew had a slight and light mouth and a grapefruity aftertaste. Overall a great beer. Jason takes his time with his beers and is meticulous about his process. I wish I put as much care into my homebrew attempts!
In addition to the wedding beer, we were treated to a growler of the Opa IPA from the Opa Opa steakhouse and Brewery in Southhampton, MA. Opa generally puts out a good product and here they've made no exception. This is truly what a hoppy IPA needs to be. This one had some kick to it and the brew frankly is tasty and was appropriately paired with a Chicken Curry and Steamed rice which was prepared by yours truly... Simple recipe, Chicken, onions, two Italian HOT peppers and a bottle of Patak's brand Butter Chicken Curry Sauce. Top notch taste, easy and frankly HOT HOT HOT. I think to a person we built up a bead of sweat each. I've never been disappointed by it. Our spicy holy S*&T burn your face off journey continued with a local favorite: Wings from Buff's Pub in Newton. These are wings I'd wait in line for. Spicy, tangy, and slathered in a Honey Hot Sauce. It's a remarkable concoction and I ALWAYS enjoy having them. If you're in town, make the trip to Buff's. I think that the Opa IPA stood up well to strong food, however, I think it might be a bit too much on its own.
The night, all in all was a great success and Guys and gals, beer is no good unless it's shared with good friends. I'm glad I have friends like this to clink glasses with. Thanks a ton guys. I can't WAIT to do it again!!!
Brew well, be well.
Yours Truly
Rob Anderson
Mmmmmm. Pre Beer Ghaaawwaaaaaaa...
Who ordered Chinese? For the record... not a Buff's Wing.
The "Masters" at work... (insert sarcastic snarky comment of your choice here.)
Hey Man... that's not even mine... I'm holding it for a friend!
Yes Mattie, 80% of brewing is Janitorial work... Keep cleaning!
That's SCIENCE FOO! Recognize!
Professor Jason holding the class captivated
The Proud Papa and his beer...
Which label is better? White border or no border? Weigh in with your opinion
"Looks Like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue": Jason on labeling duty
New Uses for the Thigh master! Matt capping his new brew
Wait... you want us to put this where?
There's nothing quite so satisfying in life as passing on knowlege. It truly is the path to immortality. Not like in "Highlander" where decapitated souls pass on knowledge through lightening shows and pyrotechnics... I know that when my head leaves my shoulders, the conversation takes on an ackward silence that just seems to pervade the room... Did no one else find Christopher Lambert an odd choice as a scotsman? I mean, I could understand every word he was saying... that's not Scottish at all!!! But I digress...
Good Friday should have been called GREAT Friday thanks to our friend Matt. Matt is our friend who we've built into a full blown He'brewer. "Today I am a man!!" Happy "Bar"-Mitzvah Mattie! Can (I make any more jokes during passover? I schvitzing here... but seriously Matties a Mensch...) Friday was Bottling day!! We were joined by our friends Dan "the dog walker" and my neighbor and good friend and quasi-professional brewer Jason, currently training for the Iron Man Triathalon. This night might have gotten him a bit off track on his diet... sorry buddy, but my permission slip as well as Dan's were signed and I think we were all down for a party!
The night was just what I needed. Guy food, Guy beer, Guy talk. Matt's poor wife came down for a quick 15 minutes or so before she realized where the conversations were headed... but it's so warm and familiar here in the gutter!!! While I, like any good Irish Catholic, ignored Good Friday, Matt and his family celebrated Passover. This resulted in probably the funniest and frankly quickest version of the passover story ever replete with finger puppet plagues!! Oooh Lice!! You know it's going to be a good one when the story starts out "so this dude Pharoah..." Thankfully, after a few beers, my Parochial school training kicked in and I could fill in the blanks to compete the tale that frankly made the sweeping Charlton Heston epic look like community theater. Well played Matt. The academy should be calling ANY day now.
On to the beer!! Let my bottle caps gooooo!
Matt is brewing a SUPER hoppy IPA. We hopped it with fuggles hops and then dry hopped it with Kent Goldings (BITTER). I think that the IBU's are topping out at around 85 to 90. Based on the initial tastings, it's actually going to turn out to be a tasty beer. The malt is going to balance off the hops quite nicely, but there's definitely going to be a bitter back taste. It's got a light and somewhat hazy amber hue which should clear up after bottling and aging. My friends who are true brew-nuts are going to kill me for my next statement, but I need to be true to my tastes: Now, I like a good hoppy IPA but I've had a few that just go way too far. We're not shipping this stuff to the troops in India, people... Matt's on the other hand appears to be quite pleasant and although it's going to have some sharp nasal notes and a somewhat bitter aftertaste, I think it's going to be a good brew which should mellow with age.
No good brewing experience would be complete without MORE BEER! We had a few decent beers including an IPA that Jason brewed which I will affectionately term "the Wedding Beer". Jason is brewing a big batch of this for a friend's wedding. (See Jason's Blog, it's an excellent source of info and adds a level of science which I so clearly lack) While not a taste I usually equate to IPAs, Jason's brew had a slight and light mouth and a grapefruity aftertaste. Overall a great beer. Jason takes his time with his beers and is meticulous about his process. I wish I put as much care into my homebrew attempts!
In addition to the wedding beer, we were treated to a growler of the Opa IPA from the Opa Opa steakhouse and Brewery in Southhampton, MA. Opa generally puts out a good product and here they've made no exception. This is truly what a hoppy IPA needs to be. This one had some kick to it and the brew frankly is tasty and was appropriately paired with a Chicken Curry and Steamed rice which was prepared by yours truly... Simple recipe, Chicken, onions, two Italian HOT peppers and a bottle of Patak's brand Butter Chicken Curry Sauce. Top notch taste, easy and frankly HOT HOT HOT. I think to a person we built up a bead of sweat each. I've never been disappointed by it. Our spicy holy S*&T burn your face off journey continued with a local favorite: Wings from Buff's Pub in Newton. These are wings I'd wait in line for. Spicy, tangy, and slathered in a Honey Hot Sauce. It's a remarkable concoction and I ALWAYS enjoy having them. If you're in town, make the trip to Buff's. I think that the Opa IPA stood up well to strong food, however, I think it might be a bit too much on its own.
The night, all in all was a great success and Guys and gals, beer is no good unless it's shared with good friends. I'm glad I have friends like this to clink glasses with. Thanks a ton guys. I can't WAIT to do it again!!!
Brew well, be well.
Yours Truly
Rob Anderson
Mmmmmm. Pre Beer Ghaaawwaaaaaaa...
Who ordered Chinese? For the record... not a Buff's Wing.
The "Masters" at work... (insert sarcastic snarky comment of your choice here.)
Hey Man... that's not even mine... I'm holding it for a friend!
Yes Mattie, 80% of brewing is Janitorial work... Keep cleaning!
That's SCIENCE FOO! Recognize!
Professor Jason holding the class captivated
The Proud Papa and his beer...
Which label is better? White border or no border? Weigh in with your opinion
"Looks Like I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue": Jason on labeling duty
New Uses for the Thigh master! Matt capping his new brew
Wait... you want us to put this where?
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