Lots of Love from Down Undah!

Hey Hay Beer Lovers!

Wanted to give you a quick lead on a great beer. It's a limited time offering so I wanted to make sure that you got your hands on it!

Sierra Nevada's Southern Western Hemisphere Harvest is self defined as a "Fresh Hop Ale" which I'm to assume by the nature and flavor of the beer that it's not quite hoppy enough to be an IPA but hoppier than a regular beer. The "Fresh" comes from the fact that the hops were picked, dried, packed and shipped to the brewery in a matter of days FROM NEW ZEALAND! I'm certain that the terroir, as it usually pertains to grape varietal growing regions, has an affect on the taste of the hops. This is particularly the case here as the taste is like nothing I've ever tasted.

As usual, Sierra gives us a product that is of the highest quality and packs extraordinary flavor. The SWHH has very little in the way of malt flavor, not to say that none exists, but that it is not the predominant note. Light mouth feel and sharp notes of floral and citrus are however at the forefront. This beer differs in the fact that unlike some IPAs that try to pack in (and sometimes I feel over pack) hops into the beer, this harvest beer has a healthy hop flavor with a sweetness that other beers made in a similar fashion are missing. While I would hesitate to call this a balanced beer, it certainly is flavorful and quite tasty. This bottle rings in around $5 so definitely pick it up!

Cheers!

Rob

Grilling with beer

Hi everybody!! (HIIII DR. NICK!)

Just a quick post here courtesy of my friends over at Beer & wine.com over in Woburn, MA. With all of us in the thick of summer, I'm sure that everyone's grills are fired up on an almost nightly basis. I know that I'm always in the market for new ways to spice things up around the BBQ and particularly ways to use beer in the recipes! Below, please find a great, quick & dirty article on some grilling w/ beer basics!

http://www.beer-wine.com/features/grilling-beer


As a side note, for anyone who watched Master Chef last night, I was most disappointed that the only beer related recipe last night was generally despised by the judging panel. The only notable exception of Chef Graham Elliot who frankly, I find brilliant for his ability to take ordinary, blase comfort food and bring it to the level of a Michelin Star restaurant quality without sacrificing its accessibility. He shrugged off his decision in regards to the cheese & beer soup with chives as a "guilty pleasure". Bravo Chef Elliot... I appreciate your honesty. Regardless, I'll be researching recipes for Cheese & Beer Soup for my next post. Preferably ones that don't suck!

Say Thirsty (AND HUNGRY!!) My friends!

Rob

Hi Neighbor!! Have a "Gan"der at this!

Tisk Tisk Tisk... Again, it seems that I've neglected my blog and as a result, I've got a bunch of updates both in the field of music and on the brewery scene. I'll try to take it in small bites and keep it short:

MMMMMMMMM BEEEER:

So finally, I got around to putting my money where my mouth is and I brewed a few batches of my own beer. I decided on a Copper Ale and a Summer Ale.

Robbie A's Penny Pincher Ale:
I needed beers that were uncomplicated as I don't have a whole ton of time on my hands at the moment. A Copper Ale in theory was a good idea... the execution on the other hand, lacked somewhat. Dark amber hue as you'd expect with any copper, the head was a bit lacking, but I expect some of that due to the cold temperature it was stored at and my rather aggressive angle of the pour. Malty taste with a decent hop balance, but there was an odd aftertaste and I couldn't pin point it until someone else had a swig... pennies... I can't explain it, I have no idea how it happened, but... pennies... weird. Soooo that one was somewhat of a flop.

Robbie A's Citrus Summer Ale:
The Summer Ale turned out quite a bit better. It was far more drinkable albeit a bit less complex in flavor. Lemony citrus notes permeate the nose as well as a faint hint of hops. The beer is... well, beer... But it's a fine summer brew sufficient enough to have with burgers & dogs but I'm not about to write home about it. Better luck next time!

Nashoba Winery - Bolton, MA:
One of the tenets of creating superlative food, wine and beer is fresh ingredients. You're not going to get any fresher than right off the farm! I have to give this place a major thumbs up as it is a hidden gem in the heart of the Nashoba Valley. The Nashoba Valley winery is not just a winery creating vintages from locally grown products such as peaches, blueberries, apples & the like, but it is also the first officially licensed Farm/Distillery in the Commonwealth of MA. They've created an exciting line of Whiskeys, Liqueurs and Cordials, which, unfortunately were a bit out of my price range! The beer at this point is my focus and they had a great range to choose from. Most of them hit the ball out of the park including their Summer Stout which I found to be most unique in the fact that it had notes of espresso, cocoa and vanilla. In addition, one surprise was their IPA, the use of milder locally grown hops I think made the difference here. Their version didn't have quite the acridly bitter taste that some IPA's can take on. The line up changes frequently so I'd suggest checking it out yourself!
http://www.nashobawinery.com/beer.aspx
Side note: If you're looking for a GREAT date place, check out the adjacent J's Restaurant. Farm fresh food, locally caught fish & smoked trout, local cheeses. The place is a home run. Weekend brunch is also highly recommended!

THE COME BACK KID!!!!:
There is nothing I love more than a comeback story. Like my beloved Red Sox, we have another local underdog story that is taking shape, one that I hope will still be here come October! The 120 year old Narragansett brewing company, (once a long time sponsor of the BoSox) is under relatively new management, the brand name being bought back from the Falstaff Brewing Co. and is making major strides at regaining its formerly famous name here in New England. I for one am standing proud with the 'Gansett crew and have bought several sixers at my local packey over the last year. I think the thing that I like the most is the grass roots effort that Narragansett is working with to get the word out. The most effective tactic I've seen so far is the use of Non traditional media, Facebook, Live events and particularly the You Tube movies of new owner Mark Hellendrung searching recycling bins for old Narragansett cans, giving new 12 packs to those drinking the beer and leaving flaming bags of poo for those on the "Naughty" list. Classic junior high antics that definitely caught my attention. Also back are the 'Gansett Girls, a throwback to the 40's era pinup girls and ladies, you're just lovely! Still, the taste of Narragansett is what brings people back time and again. It's an easy to drink lager that goes great with almost everything. So far, they've hit 1150 establishments where 'Gansett is on tap. Do you part for a local institution, nay, for your local economy and help Mark Hellendrung rebuild the once famous Narragansett Brewery in Rhode Island!! Buy a case, check out the website, ask your local establishment to carry Narragansett Beer!! Go get em boys & Gansett Girls! I'm pullin' for ya!!



THE MUSIC:
I've had a few momentous occasions in my Bagpiping career over the last month.

1. I've finally popped my funeral gig cherry. While I by no means think that I did well, I have learned a few valuable lessons
-Turn off your Cell phone!! While this should be common sense... I totally forgot and my phone went off in the middle of the ceremony... thankfully I was in the balcony and got into my sporran in the nick of time.
-Bring Water: 80 degree days in a woolen Kilt, Glengarry and black jacket tend to cause a boy to sweat... phew... not only that, but I had a bit of a coughing fit and one woman was kind enough to grab me a bottle.
-RELAX!!: I found myself getting stressed out towards the end of a few of my sets and I had a few times where my reed dropped out for a note or so. In addition, my biggest failure of the day resulted from over-squeezing my bag resulting in not one but TWO of my drones dropping out during Amazing Grace... embarrassing to say the least.

2. Parade Season was a major success! On the 4th of July, I played the Bourne and Edgartown, MA parades resulting in over 5 miles of marching AND I played the ENTIRE parade AND a quick show on the Ferry back AND played a flyby of a bar that gave us a hard time back on the mainland. To that bar, I give you the two fingered salute and say, may you and your snotty, cranberry pants wearing, trust fund spending clientele choke on your assumed sense of superiority. Narragansett, don't bother trying to get into that bar, they're jerks, and frankly you could do better!! But I digress... I consider the parades a major milestone in my playing.

My take aways from this episode:
1. Relax when you play your pipes, practice like you have a gig every day.
2. Take your significant other to J's Restaurant and class it up a little, huh?
3. Avoid at all costs the Landfall Restaurant in Wood's Hole, MA. They're total tools.
4. Get a yourself some Cans of 'Gansett! Support your local breweries!!

That is all... I HAVE SPOKEN!!

-Rob

Summer Ales and Barleywines

DA BEER:
FIRST & FOREMOST:
Ladies and gents... I have a quick Kudos to give out in the name of progress. My buddy Dave... really a guy who I met for 5 minutes... at Trader Joe's in Framingham has proven himself to be a noble beer advocate. In the past I've written that Trader Joe's is a place to avoid when it comes to beer. They're still not putting out what I would consider to be true quality beers, however they're getting there and I applaud their efforts, particularly my boy Dave, an employee of Trader Joes who, on behalf of all the other beer geeks out there made a phone call to the senior purchasers at TJ's and demanded (not asked) that the grocery store carry more in the way of quality beer. THANK YOU, Dave THANK YOU!! Trader Joe's has always carried Chimay (trappist style ale), Magic Hat out of VT, as well as the Smuttynose brewing company. All are excellent ales, however the selection in general at Trader Joe's, frankly has been poor. My most recent trip to TJ's this past weekend, yielded a most impressive result. The store in Framingham, MA had more beer! Not only that, they had more QUALITY beer! I'm pleased to see that they made some progress and I look forward to what they come out with next. In short, THANKS DAVE!!

In conjunction with my first story, I grabbed two beers that piqued my interest. The Smuttynose Barleywine and the Sierra Nevada Summer.

The Sierra Nevada Summer was, in short, a delight. I've always enjoyed their products as they generally brew a drinkable beer for the masses, with a flavor that is interesting enough for beer dorks to love. Pick up the summer... that's all I have to say. I drank it a bit warm, and while I wish that I had let it sit for a while longer, the almost room temperature beer was not bad. It's a dry crisp lager with a snappy hop finish and in general is a delight to drink. Well done Sierra Nevada! I'll probably be sharing this one with friends as the season progresses.

Smuttynose has almost always pleased me with the product they put out. A Portsmouth, NH outfit, I've threatened among friends to visit the brewery out of sheer curiosity. This was a special recommendation by DAVE and frankly even as I drink it now... a great call. Barleywines in general are an interesting breed... they're technically considered beer, however they are called Barleywine for their unusually high alcohol contents ranging from 8 to 12%. Judging by the Tuesday night buzz I'm sporting, my guess is that we're in and around the 12% range... The thing I like about Barleywines is the complexity. There's a graininess to the Smuttynose but there are other elements to it that I positively love. There's a fruity nose to it, a citric, hoppy kick and an alcohol bite to the finish. In all, it's a great beer to have... with friends. This thing is kicking my butt even as we speak!

What to pair it with... initial thoughts are Carne Asada tacos... but there's already a heavy acidic tone to this... I'll swing completely opposite and suggest either a.) fish & chips as a nod to it's English heritage or b.) Death by Chocolate 8 layer fudge cake. It's a heavy ale with a need to balance it's bold taste with a bold sweetness. Either way, this one could stand on its own as a social beer among friends. Given that it's sold in the big bottle, I'd grab a pal to enjoy this one with.

Good luck out there, I'd appreciate any beers you'd like me to review and of course any feedback on these posts.

Skol!

Rob

Strong Ale & Sweet Surprises

THE BREW:

In the most recent edition of "The Improper Bostonian" I had a unique epiphany thanks to an article written by Erin Byers Murray and Max Toste. They defined what it meant to be a Beer Snob vs. a Beer Geek. As in the wine world, there are those out there who would seek to define what is and what isn't good beer. I may, on occasion have straddled the line and for that, I apologize! While there are some beers that I personally find repugnant and repulsive, it is my intent only to provide you with a forum where opinions can be read, digested and whenever possible, disputed. These are only opinions after all. I've sampled some of the best beers on the planet and I have a wide library of knowledge on the subject. My main goal is to show you what's out there, good, bad or indifferent and perhaps provide a little education. While reviewing Lord Hobo's (a new Allston, MA beer mecca) Mr. Toste has a great description:

""Snobbery Sucks," he said "Geeks are enthusiastic. They like knowledge, like to learn about things. Beer should be accessible.""

Truer words were never spoken. I of course prefer to think of myself as a Geek. Beer, like it's younger cousin, wine was found largely by accident thousands of years ago and has been drunk by Pharaohs and peasants alike. I've always postulated that there is a beer for every occasion and for every taste. My tastes, for example differ greatly from my wife's and from a number of my friends. Where I might like a dark Stout, my Dad on the other hand might prefer light lager. My opinions are merely a guidepost for beer geeks and beer neophytes alike.

That being said, onto the review!

More good news from John Harvard's! The misses and I recently hit up the local John Harvard's here on Route 9 and beyond our usual board of fare (Nachos for the table, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich for the misses and Chicken fingers for the kiddo), we were pleasantly surprised by a few choice beers on the menu. So much so, that we did something that we rarely do... took home a growler! I can count on two fingers, including this time, that I've ever liked a beer enough to bring home a solid Gallon of it... The last was a stout from the Kennebunk Brewing Company. The chosen beer today, however, was the Strawberry Ale draught that that my wife and I decided would be a good summer beer. Given that it was a BEAUTIFUL and pleasantly unseasonable 80 degree day here in the Commonwealth, I plunked down my cash and brought it back to the old homestead. One of the best parts of JH is that will let you have a small sampler for precisely $0 so we were able to give it a go without breaking the bank. One complaint was a bleachy taste that showed up in one of the other samples. I might have liked that one better, but for a relatively unrinsed cup.

Onto the beer!

The Strawberry ale: Light color, Hazy body and with a crisp zip, I liked this beer as did the misses, a intersection ne'er to be seen! The initial taste had a somewhat raspberry hint to it, which I've now come to realize is simply the result of fermenting strawberries. Either way, a tart, citrus albeit not unpleasant note. The body is thick enough to make you realize that you're drinking a hearty beer, but not heavy enough that I wouldn't break it out at the summer BBQ. The finish as a slight hoppy zing to it but not enough to cause puckering. All in all, a good suggestion by our waiter. Pairings: Any BBQ food will do, but I think that a cherry glazed rib & grilled Pepper & Tomato would do nicely with this beer. The cherry in particular should take the edge off of the fermented strawberry taste and mellow the tang of the hops a little.

The Celtic Strong Ale: This one tops the meter for complex tastes and for punch packed! I think I was buzzed about 1/2 way through my glass. Advertised as a Scottish style, this is a DAAARK ale. I held this one up to the light and I'm pretty sure I saw the suns rays start to collapse into the head. Suffice it to say, Black with a slight hint of brown. The menu (which is designed for beer geeks BTW) stated that three types of malt were used, although the varietal that shone through was the Chocolate Malt. There was a heavy chocolate/stouty flair to it. The body has a heavy texture as I thought it might have. I have to note that there are certain Scotch Ales that I don't like due to a heavy reliance on truly bitter hops and funky honeys as the fermenting sugar both of which are usually used in great abundance and often create a lack of balance in the beer. This was not the case with the CSA, While it did have a bitter finish, the heft of the beer and the sweetness of the other two malts (Pale and another which I don't remember) created a unique balance that danced all over the senses of the tongue, perhaps with the exception of salty. Pairings: I can tell you for a fact that this beer goes poorly with nachos... Don't do it! The Salsa and spicy food in general tends to over state the bitterness of the hops. The meal I had was an understated, typically American, but delicious Bacon Cheeseburger. The meat, veg, fries, cheese and bacon were more than enough to stand up to the complexity of this beer while still allowing it to maintain its balance.

That's all for now, I'll have another post for you tomorrow!

Here's mud in yer eye!

Rob

Holy Hilarious!

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of clever marketing for any product, most notably beer. The following review is, in part an homage to one such visionary brewer, marketer and dare I say... prophet?

As a former patron of the parochial school system, I have a certain appreciation for humor that some might find well... sacrilegious. It's not that I'm not appreciative of everything that the church has taught me, but I do find humor in places that others might not and things that perhaps I SHOULD not. Besides... who really needs a soul anyway? Bradley Ross-Patrick (which sounds like an evangelical name in and of itself) and I appear to be cut from the same cloth when it comes to parody laden humor. Check out this website and see what I mean:

http://sixpackofprayer.com/index.php

But is this more than just a clever marketing campaign? Could it be that salvation can come in a cleverly packaged bottle? I've heard more people pray to whatever god will listen after imbibing too much. The phrase "Oh God if you make this stop, I'll never drink again" has been uttered after dispelling many a demon on the porcelain altar so... could Rev Ross be on to something? It says in his personal notes that this Pastor of the Pilsner goes against the grain... Nay, my fellow sinners, (cue up the choir)I say he goes WITH the grain... combines it with malt and hops and turns ordinary water.... into revelation.

The Most Reverend Ross-Patrick creates a strong case for purchasing 6 to twelve bottles of "holy water" to wash away your sins and the sins of your neighbor. Although, if the beer is as good as the marketing, I might try to convert the whole neighborhood. Inspired by his proselytizing, my clicker zipped right over to the "order now" button. Sadly enough, religion aka the blue laws and popular legislation favoring liquor distributors here in the Commonwealth of MA do not allow delivery directly to my house... which means that I either need to drive/fly/pray myself to Nebraska to visit the abbey directly OR I need to find an alternate method of delivery...

I see that he has a "tour date" at the Berklee College of music in April and frankly I'd like to make sure that I try to hit that date. OR... if Rev. Bradley would like to swing by the greater Metro West area, I'm sure we could set up a revival tent to help save a few of my fellow sinners!!! TESTIFY!!

Your Holiness, I wish you the best of luck, the campaign for salvation is brilliant and I can't wait to try the actual product!!

"MMmmmm Sacrilicious... Gwaaaaaaggghhh" - Homer Simpson as it pertains to the Holy Waffle stuck to the ceiling.

AAAAMEN!

Rob

Burns supper and a bag of mystery beer!

Well... it's been a bit since I've posted. Work's been busy, I've been running like a madman and frankly until tonight, I've not had a moment to myself... However, lots going on and lots to go over!!

The MUSIC:

Random thought - GN'R's appetite for destruction - Great album that gets the week off to a good start!! Definitely worth a revisit.

Piping:
SLOW going on the pipes... I'm able to get the drones going and I can get a scale out on the pipes themselves... with all the drones going however, I'm finding that I'm rushing things on my chanter fingering. This of course will only result in some horrific playing once I really get going on the bag... I'm crushing my C throws for some odd reason and my version of Scotland the Brave would make William Wallace himself rise from the grave and slap me silly. The bottom line is that I HAVE to take my time and work on my problem areas. I've started playing with the metronome which is helpful and the constant nagging voice in my head saying "hit the breaks!!!" has been helpful.


Saturday 1/23/10: The Robert Burns Supper in Leominster, MA.
What a FANTASTIC time! We were lucky enough to be invited by the Scots Highland Pipe and Drums to play the Burns supper in central MA. The Scots Highland band runs a tight ship and they're definitely a class act group. I was most impressed by each member of the group. Not only were they exceptional musicians... they were, to a person, great guys! I had to Hollywood as my drones wouldn't stop when I told them to but we played the usual tunes, Rowan Tree, Scotland the Brave and a tune written by Mr. Burns himself (words as I understand it, not music), Scots what hae ye. I've never been to a Burns supper before and frankly it was right up my alley. Good beer, scotch (not a fan...), great food, Roast beef, Neeps and Tatties (Mashed potato, Mashed Turnips & Carrots) and of course the guest of the evening... the Haggis! For those of you not familiar with Haggis, it's a sausage-like food traditionally a stuffed sheep's intestine stuffed with oatmeal, onions and offal, aka What's left of the animal... heart, lungs, kidney etc... turn your nose up if you will but you've all had a hotdog and it's no different! Go ahead, read Upton Sinclair's "the Jungle"... you'll think Haggis is pretty straightforward! To take the mystery out of it... it has a similar consistancy to meatloaf and the horseradish they serve it with makes it more than pallatable. Frankly, I liked it!

AYE! The Haggis!


We had a GREAT time playing as a band ourselves AND playing alongside the Scots Highlanders, that was a trip, playing with some total 30-40 musicians at once. My wife has posted some video to Youtube and I may post that later, but it was an experience to say the least.

Late night! Of course we ended the night by marching en masse into the hotel bar. To the bar flys hanging out there: my apologies, but your reaction was priceless... How SHOULD one react when 40 bagpipers enter the room in full swing and regalia? suffice it to say, we, members of the Sutherland AND Scots Highlander bands closed down a bar in fitchburg. Great band playing by the way, whoever you are... your version of AC/DC's TNT was AWESOME. I'm sure that seeing 15 guys in skirts screaming "OI!" helped the performance. Of course, I have to salute our best fans... a little love to the cougars who kept hitting on all of us as the bar closed down... god love ya... You may not have heard us play, but you recognize a bunch of sexy beasts when you see them.

A pic of me and one of my boys from the Scots band


Me and the ever classy Mr. White - Yes, I'm wearing a Rowdy Roddy Piper shirt!


No, it's not just the picture that's fuzzy...


THE BEER:

This may be my last post regarding beer for a few weeks, so enjoy!! I'm attempting to lose a few pounds and fight generations of Celtic, starch packing genetics... see my progress at my new blog, Project: Antichunk.

I've decided to give Trader Joe's another shot regarding their beer selection... so far, I've not had the greatest of luck and frankly the TJ's own brand of beer is god awful by any standard and in any style. I grabbed a beer from Rogue Ales (to be reviewed later, and then saw a "mystery bag" on the top shelf. $7.00US for a 6 pack, not a bad deal. Considering that I'll not be able to have carbs anytime in the next two weeks, this, a whole baked potato and a pack of Ramen Noodles makes my 8 course meal for the weekend. I should have learned from the Family Guy episode... I could have had a boat... I can' totally complain, my wife, Laurie and I had a lot of fun tasting the beers and the brown bag presentation and anticipation that gave it a christmas morning feel. Sadly, out of the 6 beers, I found one to be completely undrinkable and a few others to be merely pallatable and two to be actually enjoyable. I've never gotten a can mixed in with a six pack of bottles, much less two... kind of disappointing at least from a presentation standpoint. Strike one...
I did get a few beers in the batch that piqued my interest, The Magic Hat Vinyl Lager seemed interesting and the Fat Weasel Ale from Steinhaus Brewing were two that caught my eye. Magic Hat was a MOST pleasant surprise. It was an odd flavor combination, but after ruminating on it for a bit, I recognized that it actually worked! It's got a dark brown hue, I could see clearly through to the other side of the glass and a good head. I did note that the bubble pattern on the glass was a bit weird... don't ask me why I noted that... What might turn most ordinary beer drinkers off is what gravitates me to this beer. It not only had a mid malt, light hop flavor, but the expresso taste added an interesting twist to this beer. They call it a spring beer... but really I would deem this to be an experimental anytime beer. Good buy, if you can get your hands on one, grab some Tiarimisu and have at it.

The Fat Weasel was what I consider to be a standard ale. Full bodied, well balanced and would go well with burgers and fries. It didn't knock my socks off, but compared to the rest of the pack, this one was still pretty good.

I did have one surprise in the sixer... The wife let me have a sip of her choice for the evening, the Newton's Folley Granny Smith Draft Cider. Normally I don't drink cider, due in part to a rather interesting day at the Scranton, PA St. Patrick's day. Another story for another time... However I was pleasantly surprised by this beverage. Clear apparance, some head and an eerie greenish hue. Interesting to say the least. I was most impressed by the lightness of the flavor. It tasted exactly like ordinary cider. The Granny Smith Apple has a bit of a bite to it and this held off the acidity and the achohol taste. Not a bad drink although given previous experience, I'd keep it to one.

On to the real folley... The Simpler Times Lager from the Minhas Craft Brewery was, in a word, UNDRINKABLE. I've powered through my share of crappy beers but I couldn't get beyond the almost skunked, acrid quality of this one. I've never been so vehemnently opposed to a beer so much in my life. I can't quite describe why it hit me funny, but it's taste from the front of my palate to the back of my throat puckered my face and set me into fits. It was simply awful. I had a thought to use the rest of this beer, sans my two sips, for beer bread, but I can't imagine that the flavor would bake well into my usually tasty bread. In short avoid this beer at all costs!!

So far, it's been a sort of 50/50 deal with Trader Joe's... I saw a few beers that I actually enjoy, the Duvel Abbey Ales, The Smuttynose brewery line and a few other notables. However, the bag of mystery beer is a gamble that I will not take again. Although I had some pleasant surprises, I would suggest going to your local package store and blindly picking a 6 of singles as opposed to letting TJ's do it for you.

I hope within the next few weeks to come back to you with more beer reviews, but in the mean time, please check out my newest blog, Project: Antichunk.

Check in with you soon! Nastrovia!

Rob

Tasters Choice... a week full of beer!

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

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

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/

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

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

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

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:

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

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

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!

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

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

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?