Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Democrats oppose African American

appointment to Senate. Figures.

Ultimate Black & Tan





For my last post of 2008. The ingredients are a DogFish Head 120 Minute IPA and a Brooklyn Brewery Chocolate Stout. Both are about 10% ABV. Didn't get the total separation I wanted but that's ok. Here are some pictures documenting the process.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The first Hank 3 Tour Dates

Here. Nothing close yet to CT, but here is hoping.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Got drunk with MC

Which is always a pleasure. Liberated a bottle of 12 year Old Johnny Walker Black, which had been in my mother's cupboard for about a decade which means that I am drinking 22 year old scotch (I am a CPA, I can validate that number). Here is a new twist, instead of commenting about liquor and food pairings here is a liquor v. liquor pairing, Rogue Smoke Ale with a Johnny Walker Black chaser, nice!

Municipal Pension Funds in CT

Are being administered by those with little to no training reports the Connecticut Post.. Maybe Senator Chris Dodd (D-Countrywide) or Barney Frank (D-Fannie Mae) can investigate this....oh wait.....

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Last 2008 Christmas Post



and a little Christmas news

Christmas Beer Review

Spent some pleasant time with the family, the presents have all been opened and enjoyed. Time to get off the street and do a little drinking.

1) V.Z.W Sint Benedictus Abdij - Bruin Biere Trappist Achel - 8% ABV - This really reminds me of a Rochefort 10. Very good. Had not seen this around before, got it from Mountainview. I am assuming Bruin means brown, not the hockey team.

2)Berkshire Brewing Company - Imperial Stout - 8.5% ABV Another very good stout. Stout is one of two good things to come from winter (the other being a barleywine!)

3) Ithaca Beer Company - CascaZilla - Monstrously Hoppy Red Ale - Truth in advertising this is very hoppy indeed. 7% ABV, nice change of pace from the heavier Winter Beers.

4) River Horse Dry Hopped Pale Ale And to all a good night!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Kinks - Father Christmas

From Ida

Track Santa

Via Norad

Christmas Poll

What will you be must grateful for to end this Christmas Season?
The end of Bruce Springsteeen butchering "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on the radio?
Obama beach photos?
  
pollcode.com free polls

Christmas in a Beer Joint

Adam points the way (figures)

Holiday Beer Review!

I am packed with a bunch of beers, so here goes to bridge Christmas to New Years. My liver may fall out.

1) Unibroue - Don De Dieu - 9% ABV A lot of citrus flavor here. This would be a great summer beer with a hefty kick.

2) Fort Collins Brewery - Chocolate Stout only about 5% ABV. Where's the alcohol!

3) Now a trip to Belgium - Westmalle Tripel 9.5% ABV - This is very good and way too smooth. This has a pear taste to it ..... not sure if that is what I am supposed to taste, but it is good....am following up with Westmalle Dubbel was surprised that this was darker, wasn't sure if that was to be the case. The Dubbel is maltier than the Tripel 7.0 abv. I like the contrast in styles it was good to have them back to back.

4) Eel River Brewing Company - Ravens Eye Imperial Stout - Certified Organic - Who cares at 9.5% abv. Seriously though, a very espresso like flavor. Very good.

I think Plaxico Burress

would really enjoy meeeting MC. Obviously they are both supporters of the Second Amendment!

What the f**k is wrong with the UK?

Check this abomination out. Via Mark Steyn @ National Review.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Christmas Tree Photos





In lighting variations

Friday, December 19, 2008

Congress Gives Itself A Raise

Via LGF Well Chris Dodd has to pay his mortgage somehow! Thanks to Ida for pointing out the misspelling

Snowstorm Beer Review

I was able to do two important things before the snow storm started today, went to Ancona's and got a 4 mile walk in. I am descending into the beer cave for the rest of the day.

1)Clipper City Brewing 10% ABV This is my first beer from these folks. I went to the Wine Thief in New Haven as the place had gotten some good reviews on Beer Advocate. The selection is small but most importantly they had something that I hadn't had before. I really like this beer, very malty and very smooth. I'm going to have to look for more from this brewery.

2) North Coast Brewing - Old Stock Ale 2007 11.7% ABV. As for the link I know it goes to the 2008 offering but this beer has aged VERY well. Wish I could say the same about me!

3)North Coast Brewing - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout A fitting tribute to the Mad Monk ABV 9%.

4) Flying Dog - Gonzo Imperial Stout - 9.2% ABV had this on tap with the Gator at the Ginger Man last week. Starts malty and finishes hoppy! Who knew!

5) Harpoon Leviathan
9.5% ABV - Smokey and good, really enjoyed this one.

6) Great Divide Titan IPA 6.8% ABV VERY Hoppy and Aromatic. Very Good.

7) Blue Point Brewing Company - Light mild spicy winter offering. More taste please!

8) Avery White Rascal Or as Al might say White Devil! Another one that I was not impressed with.

9) St. Bernardus Tripel 8.0% ABV, Ahhhh Belgium, just a little too carbonated though.

10) Great Divide - Old Ruffian Barley Wine - 10.2% ABV Malty & Hoppy. Very different than the Clipper City Offering. I may have to do more research on what I like better!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Joe the Plumber

Has a site. Via Instapundit.

Bloody Beer!

I actually met the purveyor of this concoction last Sunday. That is indeed her in the picture.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

I survived Sunday as well

As I mentioned in the previous post, I headed back to the city on Sunday to see the Uconn Women play against Penn State. This included a trip to the Blind Tiger Ale House in Greenwich Village where I had my first halfway decent Cask Ale (Gravity) Chelsea Hoppy Holidays and had a real good Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale (Stone Brew).

The Blind Tiger is much more of a neighborhood bar than the Ginger Man, Gator you might not like this place. I met a few of the locals and b.s'd for a while. Classic menu item there was grilled cheese with tomato soup made with buttermilk. How can you not like that!

On the way back from Grand Central I did stop at the Ginger Man, which was much less crowded than Friday. I saw the Jets really pull one out against the Bills and had a great beer from Goose Island (Bourbon City Stout) which would get your attention.

Anyway this weekend was an alcoholics delight! Yay Beer!

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Weekend Beer Review Part 2

Survived last night's drunkfest with the Gator and am starting early today. Thanks to Gator though for the beer education it was very informative!

I have descended into the beer cave (patent pending) only to emerge tomorrow to head back to the city to see the number one womens basketball team in the country play. There may be a detour to here. By may that means definitely and detour does not mean going about 35 blocks out of my way! So for everyone I am going after my liver with a vengeance!

1) Already reviewed but ahhhhh Trappistes Rochefort 10!

2) Lump of Coal Dark Holiday Stout - ABV 8% I think this is a straight up Stout, no chocolate or other nonsense. Very good!

3) Gouden Carolus Tripel - ABV 9% - Can you imagine, me , Adam, Cooney & Gator in Belgium? I would suggest a law against that be passed immediately!

4) Rogue - Festive Ale (Belgian Style) - Don't really remember this from last night but I like the Rogue brews. That's my story I'm sticking with it!

Ray Davies Set list

First though the Ginger Man was great, we had the Butternuts (no joke) Snapperhead IPA (Gravity cask) - Not that hot, Flying Dog Gonzo Porter - which was very good, A really good Belgian which I forgot the name of and an Avery Hog Heaven Barley wine which was great.

Thanks to Adam for the list below, as you can see there were quite a few Kinks songs.

Ray Davies
Friday, 12th December, 2008
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY:

(Ray Davies and Bill Shanley)
I Need You
Where Have All The Good Times Gone
Father Christmas
Apeman
Starstruck
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
See My Friends
Dedicated Follower Of Fashion
Morphine Song
Sunny Afternoon

(Joined onstage by Milton and Karin)
The Getaway
Dead End Street

(Joined onstage by the rest of the band)
Vietnam Cowboys
Celluloid Heroes
Working Man's Cafe
Come Dancing
The Tourist
Johnny Thunder
The Village Green Preservation Society
All Day & All Of The Night

Encore 1-
Low Budget

Encore 2-
Shangri-La
Victoria
You Really Got Me (with slow version intro)

Friday, December 12, 2008

Weekend Beer Review Part 1!

Heading to see Ray Davies in the city tonight with the Gator. Going to stop by The Ginger Man beforehand. That said off to a couple of samples that I have had this week.

1) Weyerbacher Winter Ale 5.6% ABV - Very good, rich & malty. As I think I have previously said I do like these winter ales and may be on pace to try them all.

2) Tommyknocker - Oaked Butthead Bock. I couldn't even find this on their site only there regular Butthead Bock was there. I liked this as well (have a given a bad review lately?) At 8.1% it had a bit more of a kick than the one above.

3) Avery - Out of Bounds Stout Very good, hints of chocolate and a bit more hoppy than you would expect from a stout.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The unseen Yankee Stadium

Here Great job by the New York Times!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

28 years

Adam as usual does a good job commemorating the 28th anniversary of John Lennon's murder. Alfred in the comments section is his usual abrasive self.

The guy from Boston

My friend Ed sends me this from The Guy From Boston.com I know we've all seen the various e-mails on this subject but this take is a clessic! Caution lots of profanity.

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Weekend Beer Review!

I think I have mentioned that I was going to take a sabbatical from this as it really isn't a healthy hobby. That said I have approximately a dozen beers to review. I guess I forgot to look up sabbatical in the dictionary.

1) Great Divide - Hibernation Ale. This is an English Style Old Ale....I like this style. It is very malty and robust, very drinkable (what the hell does that mean?)

2) Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine 15% ABV - Not sure if this was what to buy if I wanted to take a sabbatical. I probably should have used a shot glass rather than a pint glass for this monster. This beer is deceivingly smooth.

3) Augustijn Ale - ABV 8% I really like these Belgian Ales. I am certainly enjoying this one! What sabbatical!

4) Southern Tier Brewing - Imperial Choklat Stout - 11% ABV. I am a real fan of this brewery and I really like this one. I would never have thought that chocolate and beer would work, but it really does. This is the first one I have had that rivals Brooklyn Brewery's Chocolate Stout.

5) Konigshoeven - Quadrupel Trappist Ale - Why the hell did I ever waste my time drinking Bud? This is outrageous just for the taste! Not sure what Quadrupel means (other than 4) Really want to hear Adam's thoughts on this as he is a regular beer cave contributor!

6) Hopack Brewery - Very hoppy offering - Import.....USA beers are better!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Where's Al?

Inquiring minds want to know! Al's Palace

UPDATE: He's back with a vengeance, although a bit abrasive!

Potent Quotables

Via AOL. Ryan Adams disses the Killers which begs the bigger question, who are the Killers? Wasn't Ryan Adams some guy from the 80's who sang in a movie featuring Whitney Houston?