Beer Diary - Mike

These diary things can get away from you if you let them. Looking back through my notebook, I realize this might be a long post.

Although in my last Beer Diary I noted "This is the first entry for beer diary on google. I'm proud of myself", that's no longer the case. In checking Google I did find a blog called "Biking for Beer", which looks to be pretty interesting, and combines perhaps my two favorite things.

27 October 07 Location: Home

Back Road Brewery's Aviator Dopple Bock - Beer Advocate says that "Double Bocks or Doppelbocks are huge beers with enough malt packed in them to consider them a meal in its self. Generally having a very full-bodied flavor and darker than other bocks with a higher level of alcohol also."

This one pours out of the bottle with a soda-like hiss, a thin white head that settles to nothing - opaque and medicine-like appearance, and a deep amber color. The nose had hints of bourbon and sweet spoiled milk. A punchy, tart taste echoes the nose. As the beer warmed, a sour apple cider taste also appeared. An interesting beer, but I struggled to finish it. Alcohol was the overriding characteristic.

Friendly Gentlemen's Blackout Stout - From a gifted bottle from a Friendly Gentleman - pours and looks like motor oil, with a filmy, thin head. Nose of chocolate and a smooth watery mouthfeel. The last thing I have written is "too cold yet". Then I stopped taking notes.

1 November 07 Location: Badaboomz

Stone 11th Anniversary Ale - Tight hoppy pine nose, deep black color with a chocolate-milk-like head. A hop bite that crawls down the sides of the tongue. Pine and alcohol - tastes like a Christmas tree combined with an orange. Definitely different.

New Albanian Hoptimus - After drinking the Stone, my taste buds may be off - Nose is malted milk sweet. Alcohol heavy taste that crawls right up the nose, clear and golden with lacing. If I remember correctly this was off the hand pull, and seemed to be almost too warm.

11 November 07 Location: Dogfish Head Brewpub, Virginia

Johnny Rawton Pils - Dogfish Head gives you a lot of info on their beer menu; 50 IBU and 5.0% ABV. Transparent golden color, thin white lacing, and bubbly. A sweet tight nose of fruit. The front had a sweet-tart like bite - a little lemony. A citrusy beer, but not particularly hoppy. Woodsy and smooth. Instead of the Sex Pistols inspired name, maybe they should have gone with "Come On Feel the Lemondheads". Then again, I can understand if they'd prefer not to pay tribute to Evan Dando. This would be about a 3.2 mug beer.

Dogfish Black and Tan (90 Minute and Chicory Stout) - 90 Minute nose with a hint of raisin, deep dark red color, light lacing. The waitress noted "The spoon is broken" - instead of separating into different black and tan levels, the beer mixed together completely. Full, smooth raisiny taste, slightly chewy, and a hint of alcohol. 8% Abv.

75 Minute IPA - This is what you get when you combine a 60 and 90 Minute - transparent copper/golden color, tiny bubbly head with notes of citrus, hops, and surprisingly enough, spoilt milk. A tight hoppy bite fades to pine notes. I'm surprised that I don't like this as much as either their 60 or 90 minute IPAs.

10 November 07 Location: Home

Acme California Pale Ale - Transparent golden color, lively + thin white head, thin lacing. A malty nose leads to an earthy taste and watery mouthfeel. Not hoppy - reminds me of fresh cut green beans. A very "fresh" tasting beer, but not particularly good.

16 November 07 Location: Home

Three Floyd's Alpha Klaus Porter - New Year's Beer Homework - Dark oil color, no light getting through this one. Bubbly and alive when poured, with a thick creamy head. The nose has hints of coffee - but something in there also reminds me of those cheap plastic halloween costumes that they sold at Wal-Mart when I was a kid. There's also a little bit of a floral hop thing going on in the nose.

Unlike other Floyd's that I'm familiar with, this beer doesn't have one thing that jumps out - though the further I got into the beer, the more the hops came out. Hoppy, snappy aftertaste - pine... there's something in there that puts a vision of beaches in my head (I know that's crazy). Maybe it's that beach ball/halloween costume thing again?

Hitachino White Nest Japanese Classic Ale - Whatever happened to Jamey and Libbie? - A golden, apple cider look - almost like dirty water, with a ghostly sort of lacing (best way I can describe it). You don't have to put your nose in the glass to pick up the intense nose - apple and pepper really jump out of the glass, with a little echo of grapefruit. The front is all pepper and grapefruit and that's pretty much how the whole beer goes. The bottle says "the original IPA recipe brought to Japan in the 19th century" - but this isn't like any IPA I've ever had before. The bottle also says the beer was aged in Japanese cedar sake barrels - having been to a Japanese sake festival, I can tell you that I don't like it. I don't like this beer all that much either, but it was definitely interesting, and an expansion of the palet. Worthwhile for the experience.