Instead of my normal list of five, I've just got one note that I hope our wide audience may be able to assist on. Since moving to Indy back in 2000 or so, I've been looking for an 11-on-11, full field adult soccer team to play on. Even a 6-a-side team would be great, really. Or even indoor.
Though I'm currently playing pickup on Tuesdays (and if you're interested, leave a comment), I've never been able to find a team - I didn't play college or high school soccer here, so I don't have the right connections. Anyway, if you've got a lead, let me know. The Federation of German Societies phone number doesn't work.
Sorry, I talk about soccer a lot.
The Beer
Current Favorite: BBC Jefferson's Reserve Barrel Stout
17 October 07 Location: Home
Stone Ruination IPA - During and after last night's soccer game, my taste buds alerted me that I was in desperate need of an IPA. I called Gina to check our current supplies, but the cupboard was bare. Fortunately I live near the Southport and 37 Crown Liquors location, and they stock a few one-bottle selections.
When I brought the bottle to the counter, the clerk said "that's an expensive one beer", which I thought was funny - the beer was $6, which I thought that was fair price for 22 ounces. That's probably a sign that I'm spending too much on beer lately.
The description on the bottle would lead you to believe that this beer is a total hop monster - warnings about destroying the pallet, the whole bit. But I suspect that Ruination has been around a lot longer than some of the hop bombs on the market now, because the beer is pretty tame - a skunky, hoppy nose leads to a citrusy taste with a surprising alcohol bang. This is a pretty nice beer - nothing particularly phenomenal, but a good cure for my hoppy IPA craving. I'd also prefer this to a Bell's Two Hearted, for example.
12 October 07 Location: Home
Rogue Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale - The only thing I knew about this beer when I bought this beer was that it had the word "soba" on the bottle.
Back in 2001, I visited a friend who was teaching in a tiny town named Kochi, outside of Hiroshima, Japan. One of the places I visited while in Japan was up a little mountain road outside Kochi: a little 60's era schoolhouse turned restaurant, where I was randomly interviewed by a local newspaper reporter, and fed freshmade soba (buckwheat) noodles.
In buying this beer (and regular variety Soba Ale), I was hoping to somehow remember and recapture a bit of that trip. But there's more to this beer than my old memories. According to Rogue's website, there's a story behind the beer:
The Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale is part of the Rogue Ales Signature Series with internationally acclaimed Chef Masaharu Morimoto--a James Beard awarded chef and one of the stars of the Food Network series, Iron Chef.
Black Obi Soba Ale is dedicated to Phred Kaufmann, Rogue’s Distributor in Japan for the past decade--an International Rogue who runs Beer Inn Mugishutei in Sapporo. Black Obi Soba is brewed with roasted buckwheat and malts (2-row pale, Munich, C-15, c-60 and Weyermann - note, this beer contains Gluten) providing a rich nut-laced flavor, while the 3 hop varieties (Horizon. Sterling and Cascade) blend to provide a refreshing zest. Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale is packaged in a 22oz screened bottle and is available in select markets.
The result of Morimoto's work is a cloudy and complex black/brown beer, with a thin head, slight lacing, and a promising sweet nose of black licorice. The beer had a lively mouthfeel, and reminded me of Sam Adams Black Lager. It was fizzy on the lips, with a peppery bite throughout. Well balanced, but not exactly smooth, with notes of a stout-like chocolate as the beer warmed. Apparently this was a limited release beer, and a recommended one, at that. If it's true that it's a limited release, I'll have to pick up more.
5 October 07 Location: Deano's Vino
Brooklyn IPA - The newest thing on tap at Deano's - transparent copper color, with thin lacing. This beer looks quite lively. A sweet hoppy nose, with caramel notes that seems surprising once I've taken a sip - the nose goes away and is replaced by citrus and water - something about this beer reminds me of household cleaning products - pledge, for example. It sits well in my stomach, at least. After drinking this after a BBC Jefferson's Reserve, I belched up a taste very close to fried chicken livers. Odd.
Three Floyd's Pride and Joy - I'm still trying to come around on Three Floyds - Deep copper color, with a silky, spiderweb head and no lacing. A sweet tootsie pop nose lead to a full, yet somehow watery taste, with hoppy notes and slight pine bites. This is a pretty smooth beer, the mildest FFF effort I've had, and definitely the most agreeable. In my notes I've written "PUT DOWN THE HOPS - WHAT ARE YOU HIDING?"
1 October 07 Location: Home
Sam Adams Honey Porter - Bought as part of the recommended Sam Adams sampler that can be found at your local Kroger. The honey porter has a dark chocolate color, a light sawdusty head, with a sweet nose of chocolate and hint of alcohol. A sharp smoky front and a full taste that reminds of smoked meats, with a barely-there honey note. Nice, smooth, with a full mouthfeel - but not heavy. I expected the beer from this sampler to be a bit more "gateway", but they stand up on their own - there's enough going on to keep a beer geek satisfied.
Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale - a sample gift given to me by a non-beer geek friend who's just making his way into craft beer. Cloudy pineapple color, with a bubbly head and thin lacing. A buttered garlic bread nose leads to a bready taste - but also bitter and rough. Chewy mouthfeel - this one might have gone bad on the car ride home. At least I hope so. Poured in the sink.
28 September 07 Location: Home
Sam Adams Scotch Ale - Deep amber/chocolate color, slightly translucent with virtually no head. A sweet malty nose reminds of a porter, with a hint of cinnamon. Chewy full mouthfeel and taste reminds of smoked meet, but not like a porter - the taste is more thin and artificial. That's not necessarily a bad thing - this is a really interesting beer that leads an almond-like aftertaste. Hmm....
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