June 30, 2013

ODELL BREWING COMPANY- POND HOPPER DOUBLE EXTRA PALE ALE  This is a limited release from Odell.  Nice 9.5 ABV.  Cork about took me out when i opened it. Had a nice pleasant fruit aroma upon opening; peaches, mango, and orange stand out.  Pretty inviting. Taste follows the nose, but you get a little added pine in the taste that i didnt detect in the aroma. A really refrehing and interesting beer. I would definately reccomend rhis one, the only downside is i dont think there is a huge difference from their standard IPA (which is great). At 13.99 for a 25 oz. bottle its hard to justify over the regular IPA, but i would definately try it at least once.  Without a doubt, i think Odell is my favorie Colorado brewery, all their products seem solid.

GRETCHEN WILSON - UNDER THE COVERS  This is another project where the artist performs some of their favorite songs. I generally enjoy these type of releases, you get to see what influenced them and what they enjoy.Interesting in that Gretchen is considered a country artist, but there is not one country song in this CD, she might be a rocker at heart. She did not try to "countryfy" these at all. They are all pretty true to the originals. The band is tight on all of them. I actually enjoy this whole album, some are hit or miss, but overall its just a fun listen, and i guess thats all that really matters.
Stay With Me, Rod Stewart.
Doctor My Eyes, Jackson Browne.
Everbody Wants You, Billy Squier.
Bell Bottom Blues, Eric Clapton.
Funk No. 49, The James Gang.
Hot Blooded, Foreigner.
Over The Hills And Far Away, Led Zeppelin.
I Want You To Want Me, Cheap Trick.
Lights, Journey.
Her Strut, Bob Seger.
Bad Company, Bad Company.
Into The Mystic, Van Morrison.
I think its a fun listen, turn it up, grab a beer and have fun.

20 mile bike ride on the Grand Rounds Parkway ( i counted 34 of the Blue Cross Blue Shield bikes today. Awesome, as i have to assume, right or wrong, that that was 34 people out biking that would not have been without this program)

Tom Petty at Target Center

June 29, 2013

GRUPO MODELO SA DE CV - NEGRA MODELO  Quick review as i am off to see Petty. Sub par smell, some light caramel notes, not much else. Flavor has a little caramel and some grassy hops. A little creamy, but pretty light and fairly easy to drink. A nice "brown" Mexican beer.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - HE LIVE ANTHOLOGY ULTIMATE COLLECTORS EDITION  In anticiption of seeing Tom this Saturday, i am going to listen to 1of the 5 CDs in this collection until hen. First off, this collection has 1 Bluray, 2 DVDs, 1 LP, and 5 CDs of classic live Petty and a bunch of other fun stuff. Today is the 5th and final CD. I really dont have much to say about these CDs, i love Petty and this collection covers his geeatest hits and some more obscure stuff. Great collection. The highlights of disc 5 for me are:  Down South, Billy The Kid, The Last DJ, Ballad of Easy Rider, and Dont Come Around Here No More. This collection is highly reccomended, now its off to see Petty!

2.25 miles on treadmill

June 28, 2013

LEFT COAST BREWERY - HOP JUICE DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE  This one has a ABV of 9.7. Looks like i saved all the high ABVs for this week, just lucky i guess. Smell has plenty of juicy citrus hops and bready malts. For the taste, the malts seem to overpower the hops, i think there could be a better balance. For using Hop in the name of this beer,  i would expect the hop flavor to be more prevalent. Pretty easy to drink though considering the high ABV. Oh well, not real impressed.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - THE LIVE ANTHOLOGY ULTIMATE COLLECTORS ADDITION  In anticipation of seeing Tom this Saturday, i am going to listen to 1 of the 5 CDs in this collection until then. First off, this collection has 1 Bluray, 2 DVDs, 1 LP, and 5 CDs of classic live Petty and a bunch of other fun stuff. Today is the fourth CD. I really dont have much to say about these CDs, i love Petty and this collection coveds his greatest hits and sime more obscure stuff. Great collection. He highlights of Disc 4 for me are: Runnin' Down A Dream, Southern Accents, I Wont Back Down, Free Fallin', and Good Good Lovin'.

2 miles on treadmill

June 27, 2013

CARLSBERG DANMARK A/S- ELEPHANT  A euro style lager with a 7.2 ABV. Smell almost reminds me of a "skunked" beer. Not much there, strong hops aroma and a little sweetness. Taste is about the same, just not much there for me, almost reminds me of a malt liquor. Just average, typical euro lager, i'm just not a fan of the style. Pass.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - HE LIVE ANTHOLOGY ULTIMATE COLLECTORS EDITION  In anticipation of seeing Tom this Saturday, i am going to listen to 1 of the 5 CDs in this collection until then. First off, this collection has 1 Bluray, 2 DVDs, 1 LP, and 5 CDs of classic  live Petty and a bunch of other fun stuff. Today is the 3rd CD. I really dont have much to say about these CDs, i love Petty and this collection covers his greatest hits and some of the more obscure stuff. Great collection. The highlights of Disc 3 for me are: Jammin' Me,  Green Onions, Melinda, Spike, Any Way You Want It, and American Girl.

1 mile on treadmill

June 26, 2013

BELL'S BREWERY INC - SMITTEN GOLDEN RYE ALE  Great smell, big hop aroma and a distinct grapefruit scent with some grassy notes. The grassy hops are a little more prevalent in the taste than the citrus, but as it warms up the citrus is more noticeable. A little on the thin side, but very easy drinking. Great warm weather beer, wish i had a few more.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - THE LIVE ANTHOLOGY ULTIMATE COLLECTORS ADDITION  In anticipation of seeing Tom this Saurday, i am going to listen to 1 of the 5 CDs in this collection until then. First off, this collection has 1 Bluray, 2 DVDs, 1 LP, and 5 CDs of classic live Petty and a bunch of other fun stuff.  Today is the second CD. I really dont have much to say about these CDs, i love Petty and this collection covers his greatest hits and some of the more obscure stuff. Great collection. The highlights on the Disc 2 for me are:  Wildflowers, Friend Of The Devil (Grateful Dead), Mary Janes Last Dance and Mystic Eyes.

2 miles on treadmill

June 25, 2013

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO - BIGFOOT BARLEYWINE STYLE ALE 2013  As the label states, "Bigfoot is a beast of a beer."  It has an ABV of 9.6%, definately one of the strongest i have tried. Big hop aroma with a little citrus, pine, and caramel. Flavor is even stronger than the aroma suggests, there is alot going on. Its very sweet and enjoyable. The citrus and caramel really balance out the alcohol and it goes down a lot smoother than expected. This is a great beer that is very intense in the nose and palette. Best Sierra Nevada beer i have tried. If you can find it, try it.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS - THE LIVE ANTHOLOGY ULTIMATE COLLECTORS EDITION  In anticipation of seeing Tom this Saturday, i am going to listen to 1 of the 5 CDs in this collection up until then. First off, this collection has 1 BluRay, 2 DVDs, 1 LP and 5 CDs of classic live Petty and a bunch of other fun stuff. Today is the first CD. I really dont have much to say about these CDs, i love Petty and this collection covers his greatest hits and some of the more obscure stuff. Great collection. The highlights on Disc 1 for me are:  Nightwatchman, Here Comes My Girl, Breakdown, Drivin' Down To Georgia, and Refugee.

1 mile in treadmill and 1 hour of tennis

June 24, 2013

NEW BELGIUM BREWING - TRIPPEL  The label says "ale brewed with coriander", i will be honest, i had to look that up. The aroma is mainly bready malts mixed with some fruity notes (the coriander) but is very florally dominated. Taste is similar to the smell with some spices up front but the floral taste tends to dominate. Very pleasant to drink, a pretty good beer overall.

VAN HALEN - FAIR WARNING  You cant go wrong with a little classic Van Halen with Diamond Dave. This album tends to get overlooked alot as it didnt have any big radio hits, but among Van Halen purists its is considered one of their better albums. This one seems to be a little more intense and harder than the previous albums and is probably one of the hardest rocking of all their albums. While there were no big hits, the album was still solid and some songs are still quite memorable to me: Unchained, Mean Streets, and So This Is Love? Still any of the first 6 albums are classics and you cant go wrong with any of them. Highly reccomended.

1.5 miles on treadmill

June 23, 2013

BOSTON BEER COMPANY - SAMUEL ADAMS WHITE LANTERN  This is a spring release from Sam Adams. Has a really nice orange citrus smell with a little hint of lemon. Tastes of orange and a little wheat. A very refreshing  summertime beer. Well balanced and very easy to drink, kind of like a Blue Moon. One of the better Sam Adams beers i have tried.

NEW RADICALS - MAYBE YOU'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED TOO  This album was released in 1998 and was their debut and only album. I really liked this one when it came out and still like it today, wish they would not have broke up. Had a minor hit with You Get What You Give but i really enjoy the whole thing from start to end although my favorites are Hope I Just Didnt Give Away The Ending, Jehovah Made This Whole Joint For You,  Someday We'll Know and Crying Like A Church On Monday. Great album.

3.5 miles on treadmill

June 22, 2013

SURLY BREWING COMPANY - BENDER  This is one of the best beers i have tried. The smell is full of caramel malt with hints of cocoa, vanilla, and coffee. Taste follows the nose and is very good. A little hoppiness up front then finishes with the coffee, cocoa, caramel and vanilla. Very complex taste with a great balance. Really smooth, thick and creamy. Very drinkable, i could drink this anytime. One of my favorites for sure.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - THE LION, THE BEAST, THE BEAT  This is the newest album from GPN, released in 2012.  While i really enjoy this CD, it is probably my least favorite of theirs.  By no means should you take that as this isnt any good., it just shows how good the first ones actually were. This is still an incredible album.  They still continue to evolve and the band is tighter than ever. The title trck song is great as well as Never Go Back, Stars,  and Timekeeper. This was the deluxe version of the CD which had 4 bonus songs. Two of those are interesting duets: Stars with Kenny Chesney and Ragged Company with Wiillie Nelson.  Also has a live DVD of their 2011 Lollapalooza performance. Still a great album, and i think they are one of the most overlooked and missed band around today, which is OK with me.

1 mile on treadmill, 16 mile bike ride

June 21, 2013

LAKEFRONT BREWERY INC - FUEL CAFE (COFFEE FLAVORED STOUT)  Holy coffee smell, it is overpowering and hard to tell if there is much else there.  The flavor is heavy with black coffee and there is some light chocolate trying to provide some balance, but its not enough for my taste. Kind of thin for a stout. Not bad for a coffee stout considering i dont drink or like coffee at all, but it could use a little more sweetness to balance the coffee out for my taste. If you like coffee alot you will probably like this one, but for me there are better options out there.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - LIVE FROM THE LEGENDARY SUN STUDIO  This is a nice little 'live' record they released for 2012 Record Store Day. A little hard to find, goes for around $25 for only 7 songs, but worth it to own if you are a fan. Its got a nice mix of slow rockers, and most of these are played pretty rarely at live shows, so its nice to have them here. Four of these songs were not released anywhere else: Night Rolls On, Outta My Tree, Cant See Through, and Fooling Myself.  This is a great little release, srripped down production really shows off the talents of the band and showcases Graces voice. Good stuff.

1 mile on treadmill

June 20. 2013

MURPHY BREWERY IRELAND LIMITED - MURPHYS STOUT  Sampled in a 14.9 oz draught can poured into a pint glass. Pours almost black and has a great sweet roasted malt smell and strong chocolate and coffee. Very creamy taste with hints of chocolate and coffee of course, but the aroma seems stronger than the taste. A nice example of an Irish Stout, would be a nice alternative to Guinness. I have had this in tap before and was thinking that out of the draught can it wouldnt be as good, but it held up just fine.

GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS  This is the album that really put them on the map with the big hit Paris (Ooh La La). They continue to evolve and blend blues, soul and rock for their distintive sound. Grace's voice never sounded better, powerful on the rockers and soft and tender on the slower songs. Many fans jumped on the bandwagon with this record and many jumped off not liking the over production and  thinking they were going for mass appeal. Isnt that the goal of any band? Do what you love and the more people that like it the better. I personally like the new direction, but the bigger crowds at the live shows aernt as fun for me, but great for the band!  Put this one in and crank it up, you will enjoy it. I cant pick a favorite, the whole album rocks.

1.5 miles on treadmill

June 19, 2013

PEACE TREE BREWING CO. - BLONDE FATALE  This is a belgian style blonde ale with a ABV of 8.5%, pretty strong. Limited aroma, nothing really stands out, seems like there is alot there though with the floral hops. Flavor is pretty sweet with a little spices and finishes with a little banana character. A pretty easy drinking beer with is pretty complex. Very well put together, well worth the try.

GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS - THIS IS SOMEWHERE  I'm keeping the GPN train going. This is their 2007 release and they just keep getting better. While i like the previous album a little better, this one is not to be forgotten.  They seem to continue to evolve into more of a hard rocking band (Ah Mary, Aint No Time, Stop The Bus, and Mastermind) but this also has some great ballads (Apologies and Big White Gate) too. Its great to see them continue to evolve. Again, if you have not checked them out before, i highly reccomend any of their albums.

1mile on treadmill, 16 mile bike ride

June 18, 2013

AMSTEL BROUWERIJ B.V. - AMSTEL WHEAT  This is a pretty decent Hefeweizen, but could be better. The aroma highlights the citrus character a little more than the wheat. The wheat actually is more forward in the taste though, the citrus is a little more faint here with lemon standing out the most. The body is a bit light for a hefeweizen though and it almost tastes like a light wheat beer. Nothing exceptional, but not too bad, it goes down easily and isnt too filling.

GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS - NOTHING BUT THE WATER  This is the first album with the full band and really started to lay the foundation for the GPN sound. This is an excellent bluesy gritty rock and roll record.  Toothbrush And My Table is a great start and alot of songs on this one are still staples in their live shows today - Ragged Company, Treat Me Right, Sweet Hands, Joey, 2:22, and the epic Nothing But The Water I and II. Quite simply, this album rocks, i have nothing more to say.

1 mile on treadmill, 1 hour of tennis

June 17, 2013

LEFT HAND BREWING COMPANY - MILK STOUT NITRO  The label says best if poured hard. Pours very dark and the smell is strong with roasted malts with a hint of coffee. Taste follows the smell with a nice balanced blend of roasted malts, sweet chocolate and black coffee. It has a very soft and creamy feel. A little on the light side, but that actually helps it to be very easy drinking. Great mouthfeel, the beer is sweet, but not overly. Overall a very nice beer, worthy of having again

GRACE POTTER - ORIGINAL SOUL  This is where it all started for me and my fandom of Grace. I cant remember what song i heard  that made me seek out this album, but i am sure glad i did. Her voice is amazing and i have loved Grace and her band ever since. This album is not quite as rock n roll as her more recent ones, but still, great songs and that voice amazes me. She showcases that voice by displaying many different styles; blues, jazz, soul and rock of course. No real hits on this one, but it was early for her and the whole album is actually really good considering it was her debut. Crazy Parade, Deliverance Road, Gumbo Moon, and Hidden Superstition are probably my favorites. I have seen Grace live 4 times so far this year already (with a 5th on the calender in July) and sure wish she would pull out some of these early songs live again. If you dont have this one already, good luck finding it. A very limited print run, i see it currently is going for $150 on Amazon. Itunes? Dont care, didnt check. That is the last resort for me for music. I would almost rather not own something than own it on crappy MP3.

2 miles on treadmill, 13 mile bike ride

June 16, 2013

ALASKAN BREWING CO. - ALASKAN AMBER  The smell is sweet and malty, what a amber beer should smell like. Hops are barely noticeable. Taste is slightly sweet, a little caramel malts and a faint fruity taste with a decent hop bite to balance it out. Goes down quick and easy. This is a very solid above average amber, nothing really overly outstanding stands out,  but i cant really find anything to dislike either. Definitely worth the try.

ALISON SCOTT - ALISON SCOTT SINGS  Alison is from Minneapolis and has put out 3-4 full length albums. This was a little 9 song sampler CD passed out at the Minnesota Zoo last summer that i dont think i had ever listened to. She has a very sweet soulful voice and has got a lot of critical aclaim locally. A lot of the songs have a jazzy feel to me. Definitely a great voice. I really liked Little Bit and You're A Big Boy Now. Its amazing what talent is out there that just needs the big break.

1 mile on treadmill, 18 miles on bike

June 15, 2013

MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY - #9  This one is a little hard to describe, kind of a standard ale aroma with fruit tones, mostly apricot. Almost has the feeling of a pale ale versus a fruit beer. The apricot is faint in the taste at first, but as the beer warms, it becomes more noticeable. A little sweet up front with a hoppy bite at the end. Seems a little on the light side, it could be a little stronger or add some more hops/malt. Its not a bad beer, its drinkable, but just seems a little "off" and i am not exactly sure why.

THE WHITE STRIPES - WALKING WITH A GHOST  This was a weird little EP, it was released just a few months after their full length album, Get Behind Me Satan. It has one studio song, Walking With A Ghost by Tegan And Sara, and 4 live songs, all which could be found elsewhere if you are a big White Stripes fan. Its like they fell in love with Walking With A Ghost and just wanted to release it no matter what. I'm glad they did, the title track is great and all the live songs are classics. A fun little release.

1.5 miles on treadmill and 16 mile bike ride

June 14, 2013

ODELL BREWING CO. - ODELL 90 SCHILLING ALE  This is Odells flagship  beer, and it is a mighty good one. It has a nice sweet malt and hop aroma wirh a touch of caramel. Taste has a great balance beween the hops and malt. The two play off each other well and it is very refreshing. This is a nice smooth, creamy and full bodied beer and is a good example of the Scottuah Ale style. I think Odell is becoming one of my favorite breweries, everything i have tried has been very good.

HA HA TONKA - BUCKLE IN THE BIBLE BELT  This is the debut album from this band from Missouri. I cant remember who i saw them open for a couple of years ago, but they blew me away live. Kind of a rock country style, but very hard to categorize as they have a lot if different sounds. The vocals and harmonies are what really sets them apart, just smooth. No real stand out tracks, but just a solid album all the way through. Check out Hangman or This Is Not A Cure For The Common Cold th hear what they are about.

1 hour on bike

June 13, 2013

NEW BELGIUM BREWING - RAMPANT IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE  This one has a ABV of 8.5%  The smell is sweet and fruity (mostly peach) and piney hops. Beings this is a double IPA, i was expecting it to be hoppier than it was. The taste begins with a slightly sweet flavor up front with some light tropical fruits and finishes with the grassy hops and a little bitterness. A rather tasty brew that i would definatly try again, it is smooth, clean and pretty easy to drink.

GUNS N ROSES - G N'R LIES  This EP was released after their massive debut album. It has 8 songs, the first four tracks are from their live EP, Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide and 4 acoustic tracks.  The 4 live tracks are nothing special, but the 4 acoustic tracks more than make up for the first 4 songs and make this record great. Patience, Used To Love Her, You're Crazy and One In A Million are all great. Patience was released as a single, but that was the only one and it was huge, but the other 3 are even better. Check this one out.

1 mile in treadmill

June 12, 2013

BELL'S BREWERY INC - OARSMAN ALE  This has very sour smelling citrus aroma as well as some wheat character. At first taste, you really notice the sour elements of the lemon more than any of the other fruity notes, but it finishes crisp and clean. The aftertaste leaves a little of the sourness but overall it is pretty good balance. The low ABV helps make it refreshing. The lemon taste almost reminds me of a shandy and this would be nice to try if shandies are not your thing. A nice summer beer.

GUSTER - SATELLITE : EP  I'm a big fan of these guys. Somr nice hooky guitar pop. This was a short little recod they put out to promote the song Satellite of their latest full length CD at the time.Only 8 aongs with 2 versions of Satellite, a few unreleased tracks and a couple of live covers as a bonus. The covers are Two Of Us by The Beatles and Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler. For me, these 2 songs are worth it alone, but the outtakes actually make this an enjoyable listen and Timothy Leary might be the best song of them all. If you are not familier with Guster, this is a good spot to start.

1 mile on treadmill

June 11, 2013

SUMMIT BREWING COMPANY -  100% ORGANIC ALE BATCH 12  This is labeled as an American IPA. Aroma is nice and hoppy with a little pine and citrus. There is even more hop prescence in the taste than the smell. Has a nice balance of bitterness and  a little bit of sweetness too. This is a pretty good take on a session IPA, well worth the try I think.

GREAT WHITE - HOOKED   To me, the albums of Great White were either hit or miss. This one was definatly a hit, it had good diverse songs from start to end. This is a real rocker in my opinion, just straight up rock and roll with a blues touch. They were kind of overlooked and seem to have got lumped into the hair band category, but were so much more than that and this album really shows that off.  Solid all the way through, but the stand outs for me are: Lovin' Kind, Desert Moon, and Afterglow. If you haven't listened yo Great White or overlooked them, this is a good album to start with.

1 mile on treadmill

June 10, 2013

SONORAN BREWING COMPANY - WHITE CHOCOLATE ALE

LUDACRIS - #IDGAF MIXTAPE

2.5 mile run on beach

June 9, 2013

SANTAN BREWING COMPANY - MR. PINEAPPLE - PINEAPPLE WHEAT BEER

HICKMAN DALTON GANG - VOLUME 1

2 mile run on beach

June 8, 2013

FOUR PEAKS BREWING CO. - SUNBRU

XENIA - SING YOU HOME EP

2 mile run on beach

June 7, 2013

CERVECERIA CUAUHTEMOC MOCTEZUMA - SOL

RAILBENDERS - SHOWDOWN

1 mile run on beach

June 6, 2013

TWO BROTHERS BREWING CO. - DOG DAYS DORTMUNDER STYLE LAGER  Has a malty smell with citrus notes, mostly lemon, with some piney hops. Taste is crisp, smooth and refreshing. A little lemon and the piney hops rounds it out nicely. Nothing real spectacular, but for a lager, a nice one for a summer day. Very drinkable.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS - BUTTHOLE SURFERS + PCPPEP This is actually re-release of their first 2 albums with a few bonus tracks thrown in. I cant remember if these were ever released on anything other than vinyl when they were new. I'm glad they did this as i never had these 2 in my collection, and didnt want to pay for what the vinyl goes for today. I loved these guys, still do. There is not much i can say to describe their music, there are no words. Punk rock at its finest, but their music has no boundaries, it really needs to just be listened too. The Shaw Sleeps In Lee Harveys Grave, Bar-B-Q Pope,  Cowboy Bob, The Revenge Of Anus Presley, Hey, Something and all the others, just classic stuff

1 mile on treadmill

June 5, 2013

STEVENS POINT BREWERY - POINT AMBER CLASSIC  This has a very faint floral hop aroma, mostly apple with some spices and roasted malts. Taste is the same as the nose, with a little sweetness. This has a nice balance, its not real heavy and not so light either. Its easy drinking, could probably down a few no problem, but could use a little more flavor for my tastes, its just a little above average.

KACEY MUSGRAVES - SAME TRAILER DIFFERENT PARK  I just picked this CD yesterday.  It is her debut major label album and was actually released a couple of months ago. I'm a little late to the party, but there has been a lot of buzz for this album on my Twitter feed, so why not?  I'm sure glad i did, this album is a lot of fun. She is labeled a country artist, but she has a lot of different styles.  She is a great songwriter and lyricist and has  a unique wit in her songs. I really like Merry Go 'Round and Blowin' Smoke the most, but the whole album is actually really good. Check her out for something new if you like country, i dont think you'll be dissapointed.

3 miles on treadmill

June 4, 2013

SUMMIT BREWING COMPANY - GREAT NORTHERN PORTER  This is a really nice porter. Strong coffee smell with roasted malts. The taste matches the smell with a hint of chocolate/cocoa with a faint hoppiness. It is well balanced and easy drinking. The only downside is it is a little on the thin side for a porter, but that is a small complaint, as this is a very nice beer and i could drink it anytime.

BOB SEGER - GREATEST HITS 2  Well, this compliments yesterdays pick, Bob Seger Greatest Hits. Released almost 10 years after the first collection, this one still falls short of covering his career. I thought they should have released a double CD to begin with, and now with 2 volumes, i still think overall they could of done better. This fills in some good missing songs that were not on the first collection  but seems to have a lot of filler when there are so many good songs that are still missing from both these CDs. Here's hoping for a 3rd volume or better yet, start from scratch and release a proper collection that really defines Bobs career.

2 miles in treadmill

June 3, 2013

BRAUEREI BECK & CO. - BECK'S SAPPHIRE  Smells like beer, theres just not much to it. Its pretty non descript - maybe some light hops and a very light grain/wheat smell. The taste is even lighter than the aroma if thats possible. Just some grain and a little sweetness. Overall, an ok beer to try once, but there is nothing special about it to make me try it again.

BOB SEGER - GREATEST HITS  Bob has been rocking for along time, 40 plus years. This greatest hits collection was released in 1994 and has some of his biggest hits. Theres not a bad song on the collection, but it seems to be missing some of his best songs. How can Katmandu not be on here? Seems like a double CD collection would have been ideal. Oh well, what is here is still great. Just classic old fashioned rock and roll. My two favorites of his are both here: Turn The Page and You'll Accomp'ny Me. Good collection that could have been better.

2 miles on treadmill

June 2, 2013

COORS BREWING COMPANY - BLUE MOON VINTAGE BLONDE ALE 2012   From the label, "from our reserve collection comes our limited exition vintage blonde ale...its crafted with Chardonnay grape juice and all wheat grain for a crisp, dry taste." Interesting in that a mass brewer ia trying to do limited edition craft beer, while many will roll their eyes, i dont really care who makes it as long as its good. I am a big fan of the regular Blue Moon, so why not this? Smell reminds me of a wine, which i guess isnt too surprising. A little bit of grape, but i get more apple actually. Taste is the same, very light malt with the sweet grape/apple standing out. It really has a "winey" sweet taste. Very easy to drink though, just seems a little odd in what they are trying to accomplish. I was expecting mofe along the lines of their regular Blue Moon. I would try it again, definately a good job considering its from one of the big brewers.

ERIK B & RAKIM - PAID IN FULL  Another hip hop classic today. This is a must have for any hip hop fan. Their debut album and many consider it one of the best hip hop albums ever released. Rakim is one of the best lyricists of all time and and every track he is on, he just kills it. He just has a smooth delivery and creative rhymes that just drag you into every song. Every track on this one is a beast. Amazing listen all the way through. Classic.

3 miles on treadmill

June 1, 2013

LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY - A LITTLE SUMPIN' SUMPIN' ALE  This is labeled a american pale wheat ale. This has a nice smell, a great combination of pine and citrus hops, overall very floral. Taste has a nice complexity. Starts with the pine hops then the citrus and has a little bitterness. Overall it has a nice balance of flavors and bitterness. Nice, light and very drinkable, this is a great refreshing beer. Has an ABV of 7.5% but the alcohol is well hidden in the flavor. This is a very nice beer from Lagunitas, the first of theirs i think i have ever had, looking forward to trying more.

SLICK RICK - THE GREAT ADVENTURES OF SLICK RICK  This is a hip hop classic from the 90s and also his debut album. Slick Rick gained fame from his appearances with Doug E Fresh on The Show and La Di Da Di. He is a great storyteller and all his songs are essentially short stories. Great rhymes and fun scenarios in almost all the songs on this one. The best are: Treat Her Like A Prostitute, Childrens Story, Indian Girl (An Adult Story), Teenage Love, Mona Lisa, Hey Young World, and Lick The Balls. This is an essential must have if you are into hip hop at all. His albums after this never were as good as this one, but its hard to beat a classic.

3.5 miles on treadmill

May success

Well, three months in and still going strong. With confidence i would complete my goal again in May, I made my donation a few weeks ago to Hopekids Inc. Since this was a charity supported by my employer, Tradition Mortgage, i doubled this months donation.

For those interested in learning more about HopeKids or donating, please check out http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/TraditionCompanies/suburbanadventure2013

June will be interesting as i am heading off to Mexico for a long weekend, but i have no plans of not keeping the streak going, so plan on another month being completed.

Again, thanks for all the comments and support, while this little project is kind of dumb, its been a lot of fun and that is really all that matters.