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
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Take two Pils and call me in the mornin'
Sam Adams Seasonal: Noble Pils
When you think “Pilsner”… what do you think? Cheap draft beer at dollar night? A beverage that tastes like bitter swill? A frothy, pale glass of nastiness? Me too! In general I’ve steered clear of Pilsners simply for the fact that outside of the usual family barbeque or college keg party, I usually don’t enjoy the taste. I find the Pilsner as a style to be bland, bitter and somewhat fouled in taste and finish. Some of these beers are old favorites here in the States and by and large, so long as I’ve dulled my palate enough, I can sometimes choke one down… or switch to H2O… or battery acid…
Sam Adams, on the other hand has taken the style and given it a little class. As usual, Jim Koch and his team at the Boston Beer Company have injected a little love into a style that over the years has been pasteurized, over-processed and made simply for profit. Quality ingredients, and a proven brewing process yield a brightly golden bubbly beer that has an initial Pilsner scent, but not the usual Pilsner mouth-feel or taste. Slightly but not unpleasantly bitter, Sam’s Seasonal beer has a heavier feel than your traditional Pilsner, but still is light enough that I would not consider this to be in Sam’s usual wheelhouse of heavier ales and lagers. The finish is what is most pleasant. Years ago, Keystone beer put out a clever advertising campaign against “Bitter beer face”. I think that Sam Adams might want to borrow that from Keystone! The finish is pleasant, has a bit of a kick but a well balanced malt and wheat taste, a distinct piney note and a sweetness of honey that makes this an ideal summer beer.
Pairings:
As you may know, the Pilsner style comes from the Czech Republic (formerly Bohemia – yes, that Bohemia) and was transported over to the United States thanks to a few brave and rather thirsty immigrants. As a result, truly All-American brands like Budweiser (now ironically owned by international beer giant In-Bev) were born. It is for that reason that I’ve chosen a traditionally summer Czech meal to pair with this… it only seems right! I think that the peppery nature of paprika and the spice inherent in the Sam’s Noble Pils will balance nicely. Paprika is a big spice in most cooking from that area, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic & the like. Unsure as to the historical reason, but I can find out! Most people use breast meat when making chicken dishes due to the preponderance of it in the grocery store as it’s considered one of the healthiest alternative in the poultry world. I would advise against it in this case as traditional Czech food (to completely over generalize) is a bit bland. The Chicken thighs will give you a bit more flavor and I tend to prefer them in general for recipes like this. The recipe for this says dumplings or egg noodles. However sides for this meat dish might be rice pilaf, asparagus, marinated mushrooms and if you’re feeling frisky; Borscht – a beet stew common to the former Eastern Block countries.
(Picture Missing, but I assure you it looks delicious...)
Czech Chicken Paprika
Czech Chicken Paprika Recipe
6 – 7 Chicken Thighs
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Onion – Chopped
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Lard or Vegetable Oil - Yay Lard! Fat is flavor!
2 Tbs Flour
1 Tsp Garlic, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp Ground Pepper
1. Heat up lard or oil in skillet on medium low heat.
2. Spinkle paprika on both sides of chicken and place in skillet. Place any remaining paprika into skillet.
3. Increase heat to medium and brown both sides of chicken.
4. Add onion and garlic and lightly brown stirring occasionally.
5. Lower heat to simmer, then add flour.
6. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes stirring constantly.
7. Increase heat to medium and add chicken broth and water, stirring constantly.
8. Once a low boil is achieved add salt and pepper.
9. Reduce to simmer partially covered for 40 minutes. Stir on occasion.
10. Remove chicken from sauté pan and add sour cream to sauce.
11. Place chicken back into pan and mix.
12. Add additional salt and pepper to taste (if necessary).
13. Serve on dumplings or egg noodles.
Sam (And Jim), again, your experiments have paid off. Keep stretching yourselves. The chances you’re taking are paying off!!
Na Zdravi! (to your heath! – Czech)
When you think “Pilsner”… what do you think? Cheap draft beer at dollar night? A beverage that tastes like bitter swill? A frothy, pale glass of nastiness? Me too! In general I’ve steered clear of Pilsners simply for the fact that outside of the usual family barbeque or college keg party, I usually don’t enjoy the taste. I find the Pilsner as a style to be bland, bitter and somewhat fouled in taste and finish. Some of these beers are old favorites here in the States and by and large, so long as I’ve dulled my palate enough, I can sometimes choke one down… or switch to H2O… or battery acid…
Sam Adams, on the other hand has taken the style and given it a little class. As usual, Jim Koch and his team at the Boston Beer Company have injected a little love into a style that over the years has been pasteurized, over-processed and made simply for profit. Quality ingredients, and a proven brewing process yield a brightly golden bubbly beer that has an initial Pilsner scent, but not the usual Pilsner mouth-feel or taste. Slightly but not unpleasantly bitter, Sam’s Seasonal beer has a heavier feel than your traditional Pilsner, but still is light enough that I would not consider this to be in Sam’s usual wheelhouse of heavier ales and lagers. The finish is what is most pleasant. Years ago, Keystone beer put out a clever advertising campaign against “Bitter beer face”. I think that Sam Adams might want to borrow that from Keystone! The finish is pleasant, has a bit of a kick but a well balanced malt and wheat taste, a distinct piney note and a sweetness of honey that makes this an ideal summer beer.
Pairings:
As you may know, the Pilsner style comes from the Czech Republic (formerly Bohemia – yes, that Bohemia) and was transported over to the United States thanks to a few brave and rather thirsty immigrants. As a result, truly All-American brands like Budweiser (now ironically owned by international beer giant In-Bev) were born. It is for that reason that I’ve chosen a traditionally summer Czech meal to pair with this… it only seems right! I think that the peppery nature of paprika and the spice inherent in the Sam’s Noble Pils will balance nicely. Paprika is a big spice in most cooking from that area, Poland, Russia, the Czech Republic & the like. Unsure as to the historical reason, but I can find out! Most people use breast meat when making chicken dishes due to the preponderance of it in the grocery store as it’s considered one of the healthiest alternative in the poultry world. I would advise against it in this case as traditional Czech food (to completely over generalize) is a bit bland. The Chicken thighs will give you a bit more flavor and I tend to prefer them in general for recipes like this. The recipe for this says dumplings or egg noodles. However sides for this meat dish might be rice pilaf, asparagus, marinated mushrooms and if you’re feeling frisky; Borscht – a beet stew common to the former Eastern Block countries.
(Picture Missing, but I assure you it looks delicious...)
Czech Chicken Paprika
Czech Chicken Paprika Recipe
6 – 7 Chicken Thighs
2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Onion – Chopped
1 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tbs Paprika
2 Tbs Lard or Vegetable Oil - Yay Lard! Fat is flavor!
2 Tbs Flour
1 Tsp Garlic, minced
½ Tsp Salt
¼ Tsp Ground Pepper
1. Heat up lard or oil in skillet on medium low heat.
2. Spinkle paprika on both sides of chicken and place in skillet. Place any remaining paprika into skillet.
3. Increase heat to medium and brown both sides of chicken.
4. Add onion and garlic and lightly brown stirring occasionally.
5. Lower heat to simmer, then add flour.
6. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes stirring constantly.
7. Increase heat to medium and add chicken broth and water, stirring constantly.
8. Once a low boil is achieved add salt and pepper.
9. Reduce to simmer partially covered for 40 minutes. Stir on occasion.
10. Remove chicken from sauté pan and add sour cream to sauce.
11. Place chicken back into pan and mix.
12. Add additional salt and pepper to taste (if necessary).
13. Serve on dumplings or egg noodles.
Sam (And Jim), again, your experiments have paid off. Keep stretching yourselves. The chances you’re taking are paying off!!
Na Zdravi! (to your heath! – Czech)
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Harpoon's Island Creek Oyster Stout/ Piping 101
THE BREW:
One word... WOW
Allow me to elaborate: I took the opportunity to cheat on my south beach diet to try a beer that I've heard a LOT of buzz about. The beer in question is Harpoon's Island Creek Oyster Stout. While I thought that the naming convention was just a name... I realized after drinking this dark hued velvety goodness that this beverage was in fact brewed with Island Creek oysters. The brew has an initial nose not entirely disparate from that of a Guinness or a Murphy's. It has a very standard Stout Smell. The taste on the other hand was remarkable. Dry and minerally upon first sip, this stout has a bit of a coffee finish and a faint hint of blackberry. I'm not sure if blackberry was part of the process, but there's a slight taste of it in there. This is a beer possibly best had on its own, but I would pair is either with wild game or with a Tarimisu if you're going to go the dessert route.
THE MUSIC:
The Pipes have been going better than in recent history. I've been taking the time to really run through my drills and I've gotten a number of tunes under my belt... on the chanter... Being on the bag, on the other hand, is another story. I've been making some progress there, but again, it's been slow. I can get some noise out of the chanter and I can get a whole scale out, but I'm a long way off from playing regularly. I'm a bit disappointed as I have a St. Patrick's Day Parade in a few short weeks. The biggest difficulty I'm having is getting the drones and the changer to roll all at once. I think my problem has been one of conditioning. I'm trying to get the bag to remain full. Again, I'm making progress, but it's slower than I'd hoped.
Banjo: I made the move today to try to play with a thumb pick and finger pics. I think now that I have these plastic picks, I should be able to progress towards more proficient play. I've essentially had to start from scratch with my technique as playing with the picks is far different from simply finger picking. One of the things I'm looking forward to is double picking with the thumb, it allows you to make the banjo rolls sound a lot faster by playing in two directions rather than one. My hope is to be able to master the basic technique and then hopefully take on a few Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck tunes.
Coming soon: I hope to try to get a few ideas I have down on tape. At the moment, I have access to a MacBook with Garage Band on it. If I can get these ideas down, I have a friend with a Protools studio and I hope to be able to perfect some of these songs.
As random as these thoughts are, I hope that all of you are doing well.
Best of luck out there,
Rob
One word... WOW
Allow me to elaborate: I took the opportunity to cheat on my south beach diet to try a beer that I've heard a LOT of buzz about. The beer in question is Harpoon's Island Creek Oyster Stout. While I thought that the naming convention was just a name... I realized after drinking this dark hued velvety goodness that this beverage was in fact brewed with Island Creek oysters. The brew has an initial nose not entirely disparate from that of a Guinness or a Murphy's. It has a very standard Stout Smell. The taste on the other hand was remarkable. Dry and minerally upon first sip, this stout has a bit of a coffee finish and a faint hint of blackberry. I'm not sure if blackberry was part of the process, but there's a slight taste of it in there. This is a beer possibly best had on its own, but I would pair is either with wild game or with a Tarimisu if you're going to go the dessert route.
THE MUSIC:
The Pipes have been going better than in recent history. I've been taking the time to really run through my drills and I've gotten a number of tunes under my belt... on the chanter... Being on the bag, on the other hand, is another story. I've been making some progress there, but again, it's been slow. I can get some noise out of the chanter and I can get a whole scale out, but I'm a long way off from playing regularly. I'm a bit disappointed as I have a St. Patrick's Day Parade in a few short weeks. The biggest difficulty I'm having is getting the drones and the changer to roll all at once. I think my problem has been one of conditioning. I'm trying to get the bag to remain full. Again, I'm making progress, but it's slower than I'd hoped.
Banjo: I made the move today to try to play with a thumb pick and finger pics. I think now that I have these plastic picks, I should be able to progress towards more proficient play. I've essentially had to start from scratch with my technique as playing with the picks is far different from simply finger picking. One of the things I'm looking forward to is double picking with the thumb, it allows you to make the banjo rolls sound a lot faster by playing in two directions rather than one. My hope is to be able to master the basic technique and then hopefully take on a few Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck tunes.
Coming soon: I hope to try to get a few ideas I have down on tape. At the moment, I have access to a MacBook with Garage Band on it. If I can get these ideas down, I have a friend with a Protools studio and I hope to be able to perfect some of these songs.
As random as these thoughts are, I hope that all of you are doing well.
Best of luck out there,
Rob
Saturday, February 6, 2010
GREAT day!!
Today has been a GREAT day so far!
-Found a nickel on the ground at Walmart - YAY, my retirement is saved!
-Got through Walmart with my 2 year old and left early enough to avoid the usual redneck hoard that ends up rolling through about mid day.
-Grocery Shopping uneventful
-Visited the new Music store in Natick, Music Go Round and was DUELY impressed! More on that later.
-Had an open bluegrass jam with the makers of Becker Guitars
It's been awesome today. So, here we go!
Music Go Round is a breath of fresh air in what is otherwise a callus soulless business of purveying musical equipment to unsuspecting saps like me. I've been eyeballing the place for months as it's been under construction and right next to the Stop & Shop here on Route 9 in Natick, MA. On my way into the grocery story, I noticed they were open and stopped in more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. While the entry is a bit crammed with Drums etc, the place is well lit, well organized and stocked to the gills with all sorts of instruments, the most notable of course being the Acoustic Upright bass standing dead center of the showroom floor. Phil, the owner came up, introduced himself, shook my hand and gave me the lowdown on the place. The staff was pleasant enough and the selection of instruments varied WIDELY. The catch with this place is that everything in there is USED. In general, the gear is in pretty good shape and I found several selections that I liked. By and large the selection is good, they have a few oddball instruments and in true consignment store fashion, I'm sure that I'll have to pop in regularly to find what I like.
So the highlight of my day was a rather impromptu bluegrass session with the makers of Becker Guitars Ryan and a gentlemen who I think was named Mike. I started playing the Banjo just for laughs and it turned into an all out three chord jam session! Standup bass, mandolin, Banjo and "Mike" and I trading off to guitar later on. I'm sure I overstayed my welcome, but I think more stores need to have that open jam feel. There's a couch for example in the middle of the acoustics section and it just BEGS for people to come, sit and play. I then took the opportunity to chat them up on their product. They make a line of Basses and Guitars and recently have signed up artists to use their products from such notable bands as MOE. and Umphee's McGee. Not wanting to insult, I sat down with their 5 string Bass at the request of the Bass's Maker, Ryan. At first glance, it has somewhat of an odd beauty to it. The guitar itself is shaped somewhat naturally, if it's possible to describe it that way, it looks a bit like silly putty when you smash it with your hand and drag it across the table. The finish of the body was a dark sort of walnutty color and I'm not sure how he did it, but the neck was a deep woody purple. In short, gorgeous. Two REALLY clever items about this piece:
1. Wood volume and tone knobs. It fit perfectly with the theme of the Bass.
2. The battery case: The bass has active electronics so there is a 9 volt battery plugged into the back. To access it, there's a really clever design feature, you press a button (also made of wood) down and swing the casing out. This entire guitar is essentially wood and the design just flawless.
Playability: I've played a lot of basses, some cheap and easy to play, others expensive and totally not worth it. The Becker is an absolute treat from head to tail. Good tone, harmonics spot on and the action was flawless. I tapped out a few tunes, played some straight lines and funked up some slap bass. It handled beautifully on all fronts. If I had $1100.00 to blow on this thing, I would! It beat out many of the other models I tried today hands down. Had I not just spent over a grand on my bagpipes this year, this Bass would have been high on my list. Well done gents and best of luck with getting the word out!
I think the bottom line for me today is that I met a lot of really great people doing some exciting things in a time where economically, some people wouldn't have the balls to do what these people are doing. Phil, Ryan and "Mike", Keep going, I love the vibe you're all giving off and I'm very excited to A.) save up for a Becker Bass and B.) visit Music Go Round again!
Well, more to come I'm sure... the beer is again on the back burner until my Diet tells me I can... or I get sick of eating southbeach food!
Cheers!
Rob Anderson
-Found a nickel on the ground at Walmart - YAY, my retirement is saved!
-Got through Walmart with my 2 year old and left early enough to avoid the usual redneck hoard that ends up rolling through about mid day.
-Grocery Shopping uneventful
-Visited the new Music store in Natick, Music Go Round and was DUELY impressed! More on that later.
-Had an open bluegrass jam with the makers of Becker Guitars
It's been awesome today. So, here we go!
Music Go Round is a breath of fresh air in what is otherwise a callus soulless business of purveying musical equipment to unsuspecting saps like me. I've been eyeballing the place for months as it's been under construction and right next to the Stop & Shop here on Route 9 in Natick, MA. On my way into the grocery story, I noticed they were open and stopped in more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. While the entry is a bit crammed with Drums etc, the place is well lit, well organized and stocked to the gills with all sorts of instruments, the most notable of course being the Acoustic Upright bass standing dead center of the showroom floor. Phil, the owner came up, introduced himself, shook my hand and gave me the lowdown on the place. The staff was pleasant enough and the selection of instruments varied WIDELY. The catch with this place is that everything in there is USED. In general, the gear is in pretty good shape and I found several selections that I liked. By and large the selection is good, they have a few oddball instruments and in true consignment store fashion, I'm sure that I'll have to pop in regularly to find what I like.
So the highlight of my day was a rather impromptu bluegrass session with the makers of Becker Guitars Ryan and a gentlemen who I think was named Mike. I started playing the Banjo just for laughs and it turned into an all out three chord jam session! Standup bass, mandolin, Banjo and "Mike" and I trading off to guitar later on. I'm sure I overstayed my welcome, but I think more stores need to have that open jam feel. There's a couch for example in the middle of the acoustics section and it just BEGS for people to come, sit and play. I then took the opportunity to chat them up on their product. They make a line of Basses and Guitars and recently have signed up artists to use their products from such notable bands as MOE. and Umphee's McGee. Not wanting to insult, I sat down with their 5 string Bass at the request of the Bass's Maker, Ryan. At first glance, it has somewhat of an odd beauty to it. The guitar itself is shaped somewhat naturally, if it's possible to describe it that way, it looks a bit like silly putty when you smash it with your hand and drag it across the table. The finish of the body was a dark sort of walnutty color and I'm not sure how he did it, but the neck was a deep woody purple. In short, gorgeous. Two REALLY clever items about this piece:
1. Wood volume and tone knobs. It fit perfectly with the theme of the Bass.
2. The battery case: The bass has active electronics so there is a 9 volt battery plugged into the back. To access it, there's a really clever design feature, you press a button (also made of wood) down and swing the casing out. This entire guitar is essentially wood and the design just flawless.
Playability: I've played a lot of basses, some cheap and easy to play, others expensive and totally not worth it. The Becker is an absolute treat from head to tail. Good tone, harmonics spot on and the action was flawless. I tapped out a few tunes, played some straight lines and funked up some slap bass. It handled beautifully on all fronts. If I had $1100.00 to blow on this thing, I would! It beat out many of the other models I tried today hands down. Had I not just spent over a grand on my bagpipes this year, this Bass would have been high on my list. Well done gents and best of luck with getting the word out!
I think the bottom line for me today is that I met a lot of really great people doing some exciting things in a time where economically, some people wouldn't have the balls to do what these people are doing. Phil, Ryan and "Mike", Keep going, I love the vibe you're all giving off and I'm very excited to A.) save up for a Becker Bass and B.) visit Music Go Round again!
Well, more to come I'm sure... the beer is again on the back burner until my Diet tells me I can... or I get sick of eating southbeach food!
Cheers!
Rob Anderson
Saturday, January 30, 2010
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
Friday, November 13, 2009
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
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 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
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