August 31, 2013

EEL RIVER BREWING COMPANY - ACAI BERRY WHEAT

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS - HONKY TONK UNION  Cant wait to hear this album live tonight at the House Of Blues in Vegas!

2 mile run (knee is killing me from running outside!)

August 30, 2013

It's a beautiful afternoon in Vegas, lets do 2 new beers today.

CERVECERIA CUAUHTEMOC MOCTEZUMA, SA DE C.V. MONTERREY, NL - DOS EQUIS XX LAGER

NEW BELGIUM BREWING - PUMPKICK

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS - REAL TO REEL

1 mile run (in the rain)

August 29, 2013

JOSEPH JAMES BREWING CO. INC. - RED FOX RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT DARK ALE

ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS - AMERICANO

4.5 mile walk (to find a store that had a nice craft beer selection. Turned ou to be a Whole Foods, who would have thought? They had a great selection actually, wish i could have bought more, but bag is already going to be full of Mexican Moonshine tequila, so no room)

August 28, 2013

FORT COLLINS BREWERY - KIDD LAGER  Has a nice aroma of chocolate, coffee, nuts and some earthy hops. Nice. Tastes very good. Chocolate, coffee and some roasted malts. Very nice, almost seems like a porter. Well done and worth checking out.

ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS - AMERICANO!  Might be my favorite album of theirs, but they are all 10s in my book, so i guess its really moot.  Great record. Favorites: Americano, Counterclockwise, I Dont Need Another Thrill, Switchblade, Leaky Little Boat, Your Name On A Grain Of Rice, and Mexican Moonshine.

1 mile on treadmill

August 27, 2013

21ST AMENDMENT BREWERY - BREW FREE OR DIE IPA  A nice 7% ABV IPA from 21st.  Smell is pretty ordinary though, a little hops and some pine and grapefruit. Not as strong as i would normally expect from an IPA. First sip has some nice cirtus bitterness then you get the malt background of pine and grapefruit. Tastes better than it smells. Overall, a nice IPA, but nothing real special. With so many on the market right now, there are plenty to try and this one seems to be middle of the road, maybe slightly better than average.

ROGER CLYNE AND THE PEACEMAKERS - LIVE AT BILLY BOB'S TEXAS  My favorite band with a live record, what could be better? All the favorites from the RCPM early records and the hits from The Refreshments, perfect. While live records  usually have a hard time of giving you the true concert experience, this one does a pretty good job. I personally dont think these guys have an equal live, so i like listening to this one as it reminds me of the many times i have seen them. Perfect.

1 mile on treadmill, 1 hour tennis

August 26, 2013

MERCURY BREWING CO. (CLOWN SHOES) - TRAMP STAMP  This is a Belgian style IPA, and the first beer i have tried from them, i think they go by Clown Shoes versus the actual brewer name. Not much in the aroma, especially for an IPA, slight pine hops with some notes of citrus, mostly orange. Taste is a little better than the smell. A little sweet up front and finishes with the pine, not bad though. AN OK beer, nice example of the style, but nothing really stands out that would make me pick it over another IPA, not something i would probably seek out (although i like the name and label), but wouldnt turn it down if offered.

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS - NO MORE BEAUTIFUL WORLD  This is their release from 2007. I remember when this one came out, seemed like alot of people were not big fans of this album compared to earlier releases. Not sure why, great songs on it and some are still live standards today. Just great fun in their signature style, not much more needs to be said. Haters gonna hate, I love it. Favorites: Hello New Day, Maybe We Should Fall In Love, Contrband, Goon Squad, Wake Up Call, Worls Aint Gine Crazy, Noisy Head, Andale, and Winter In Your Heart.

2 miles on treadmill, 15 mile bike ride

August 25, 2013

ABITA BREWING COMPANY - LEMON WHEAT  This was a limited offering from Abita this summer. Aroma is pretty much all lemons with a hint of wheat, nice smell. Taste is the exact same, lots of lemons, but not much else, not real complex. While there is absolutly nothing remarkable about this beer, i actually really liked it. Refreshing and easy to drink, it wasnt real hard to polish off the 6 pack on this hot day. Perfect summertime beer.

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS - TURBO OCHO   The concept behind this album was amazing. It was done as a vivacast, kind of a reality show recording/experiment. They set up studio in a house in Mexico with the goal to create and share, from inspiration to final product, 8 songs in 8 days and broadcasted it over the internet. (how many bands are willing to take on a project like that?)  I remember following along online. This CD/DVD chronicles that event. Considering the time constraints, and the final product, simply amazing. This contains those 8 songs and 3 others available for the first time on CD. Probably not my favorite of their albums (so many good ones), but considering the time this was done in, good stuff. Favorites: State Of The Art, Summer Number 39, Mercy, I Do, Persephone, and Mercy.

20 mile bike ride

August 24, 2013

ROGUE ALES - HAZELNUT BROWN NECTAR For me, the Rogue line up has been really hit or miss, this one is a hit.They really like to experiment and have some real interesting offerings so i guess its no surprise a few are not going to be up my alley. Very inviting aroma. Hints of sweet malt, a bit of coffee and definately some nuts in the smell. The hazelnut really hits you on the first sip and is fairly sweet. As it progresses you pick up the malt flavor. Great tasting beer, full flavored and very well balanced. One to keep in the rotation if you can.

ROGER CLYNE & THE PEACEMAKERS - UNIDA CANTINA  OK, if you know me at all, you know these guys are my favorite band. Based out of Arizona, they formed after the break up of The Refreshments in the late 90s and this is their 8th album and most recent. Just great straight up independent American rock and roll.Roger is one of the best front men i have ever seen perform. I see these guys live multiple times every year, and every show is great whether there are 50 people in the crowd or 3000.  I have seen them 8 times this year already and will add numbers 9 and 10 over Labor Day weekend. They will be playing their debut album in entirety next Saturday and i will count their catalog down until that day.They might not have the biggest following out there, but the fan base is extremely loyal. I have got to know the boys pretty well over the years and there is not a nicer group of guys around. For the last few years after the 4th of July they do their Backyard BBQ Tour. They actually perform at the homes of some of their lucky fans. How many bands you know that have done that? Not the most famous, but check them out, i guarantee you will like them. Favorites: All Over The Radio, Dinero, Love Is The Road, Marie, and Just Got High. 
Also, i wull throw out a plug for Rogers tequila, Mexican Moonshine. Pick some up if you are a tequila fan, you wont be dissapointed. Or stop over and give it a try some day.

2 miles on treadmill

August 23, 2013

SUMMIT BREWING COMPANY - HORIZON RED ALE  Another solid beer from local brewer Summit. Smell is roasted malts with a hint of citrus and pine.The taste starts with the malts but they are soon dominated by the hop citrus. The grapefruit and pine tend to outshine the roasted malts to me. It has a crisp refreshing taste and is easy to drink. Summit does a really good job on most of their beers, while they never seem to have anything that makes them extraordinary, their consistantly better than average, which cant be said about a lot of brewers.

LA GUNS - LA GUNS  These guys were actually one of my favorite 80s rockers. I think they were very underrated and under appreciated. They are still going strong today, but the line up has had crazy changes over the years and at one point there were actually 2 LA Guns groups recording and touring. What a mess. I dont think you can wrong with this, their debut, or any of the first few albums though. Just great sraight up raw and sleazy rock. You cant go wrong with this one, i think it is just a little more raw than some of their better selling ones and i like it foe that. Good stuff. Favorites: No Mercy, Sex Action, Electric Gypsy, Bitch Is Back, Nothing To Lose, and Hollywood Tease.

3 miles on treadmill

August 22, 2013

THIRD STREET BEERHOUSE - THREE WAY PALE ALE  The label states "this sessionable pale is unlike many others not only because of its 3 distinct hops and 3 distinct malts but this brew is a conversation starter, a proposition and punch line rolled into one. And hey if it works, your welcome".  My first thoughts are they should have worked on the beer before the punch line. Smells medicinal, kind of blah. I get some piney hops with some faint hints of citrus, but not much else, very light as a whole. Taste is a little thin, but it is drinkable, just dont expect anything spectacular. Just seems a little off to me, i cant really put my finger on it.  Maybe worth trying a different batch, maybe not....

DEF LEPPARD - PYROMANIA  This is the 3rd album from these guys, and probably my favorite (High And Dry is a close 2nd).  Still hard rocking on his one before they turned more to the pop/glam side, in my opinion. Great guitar based hooks and power rock on this one still with some great catchy lyrics. This album was a break out for them here in America, thanks to heavy MTV airplay. I much prefer this to the pop rock that came after. This album is another 80s rock must have. While it had its share of big hits, some of the better songs might be considered filler by some. I can listen to this all the way through and enjoy each track every time. Favorites: Rock Rock (Till You Drop), Photograph, Too Late For Love, Die Hard The Hunter, Foolin', Rock Of Ages, and Billys Got A Gun.

1 mile on treadmill

August 21, 2013

REX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS - HORNY GOAT HOPPED UP 'N HORNY  Smell is some weak grassy and piney hops, not very inviting at all, it just seems  little "off". Taste is very thin, there is some piney flavor, but it is really hard to notice any citrus notes at all. No real bitterness either. Hops dont dominate at all like most IPAs these days. Its OK to drink, but i would prefer a little more hops represented. If you are looking for a top of the line IPA, this isnt it, for someone just getting into craft beers, it wouldnt be too bad.

SKID ROW - SKID ROW   Keeping the 80s rock theme rolling again today with their debut. They got lumped into the hair/glam group early on, but that didnt last long, they were much closer to the harder rick band like Guns N Roses, etc.  This album wa a little more geared to the pop/radio fan, but they got a little heavier over time. Unlike many of the hair rock glam band albums that had one rocker and one ballad and a bunch of filler, this album is solid all the wat through. Eleven qualuty tracks. Theig hits were 18 And Life, Youth Gone Wild, and I Remember You, but there were other good songs as well. I like those three and: Big Guns, Piece Of Me, and Rattlesnake Shake.  Another must have if you are a fan of 80s rock.

2 miles on treadmill and 14 mile bike ride

August 20, 2013

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO. - 25TH ANNIVERSARY ALE  This is a beewed one time only anniversary beer. Nice aroma, citrusy hops with a little spice. Taste has a little bitterness, but in a good way. Citrus hops are up front with a nice malt background and has some caramel notes. Drinks pretty effortlessly. Its nicely balanced and drinkable. Nice beer, wish i had a few more around and would for sure reccomend giving it a try.

POISON - LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN  I think this might br the ultimate glam/hair metal album. My god. Just look at the cover photo, what the hell where they thinking? At least the album rocks, thats what ultimately makes it a must have for any 80s rock fan. Not much depth, but who cares, this album is all about having fun. Great poppy metal with fun sexually charged and catchy lyrics. This is a great party record, just turn it up. Favorites: Cry Tough, I Want Action, Play Dirty, Look What The Cat Dragged In, and Talk Dirty To Me.

2 miles on treadmil, 1 hour of tennis (boy was it hot out there)

August 19, 2013

GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY - THE WRIGHT PILS  Great smell; bready malts and floral hops. Taste follows the nose, starts out with the bready malts and gives way to the fruity and floral hops. A little in the light side for a pilsner, but thats a minor complaint as it is very easy to drink and has a nice mouthfeel and a great balance. Great flavor, very crisp and refreshing, i could drink these all night long.

RATT - OUT OF THE CELLAR  Another classic 80s rock album. Like Cinderella, Ratt was also lumped into the glam/hair metal category and ahould not have been. They were a great hard rock band and this debut is a must have for any hard rock or heavy metal fan. Tight musicianship with great catchy songs this still sounds great to me today and a must have. Favorites: Wanted Man, Round And Round, Lack Of Communication, Back For More, and Scene Of The Crime.

2 miles on treadmill, 16 mile bike ride

August 18, 2013

ODELL BEEWING COMPANY - ST. LUPULIN  This is a american pale ale that is a summer seasonal release from Odell. The aroma is great, full of citrus and piney hops, it could easily pass for an IPA. The taste is well balanced and a little hop forward with some sweet malts. Nice citrusy fruits up front and a little floral bitterness. Very enjoyable with a nice clean finish. This is a great example of a summer pale ale. Odell has done it again, quickly becoming one of my favorite overall brewers.

CINDERELLA - NIGHT SONGS  How about  little 80s rock this week. Great debut album frim Cinderella. Straight forward rock and roll with a little bit of blues. Great raspy vocals and fun basic lyrics. Often lumped in with the glam hair bands (probably because of the picture on this debut album cover) they were much more than that and i dont feel they should be in that category. These guys rocked a lot harder, and still due. The lead singer, Tom Keifer, actually had a great solo album released just this year. Straight up a great rock records, not a bad song on it. Highlights: Night Songs, Shake Me, Nobodys Fool, Simebody Save Me, and Back Home Again.

3 miles on treadmill

August 17, 2013

LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY - CENSORED   Most Lagunitas offerings i have had are very hop forward, so this one surprised me a little. Smell is straight up malts, not much else, maybe a hint of caramel. The taste is all malts too with just a hint of grassy hop bitterness added. Seems very well balanced and well made. A tasty ale, smooth and very drinkable. Not my favorite from them, but a nice change of pace from their usual hop bomb offerings. Very enjoyable.

THE TIME - THE TIME  The debut album from Minnesotas own R&B funk group. Actually, everything on this album was done by Prince, except the vocals, which Morris Day did. The actual Time didnt form until after this album was even recorded. Relatively short with only 6 songs, it still clocks in around 40 minutes. While all songs are decent, some drag on a little too long. While probably perfect at the dance club some could be cut a little for our listening pleasure. They only recorded a few albums after this, but were one of the best R&B bands of the 80s. Another band where the egos just got in the way of some great music.  Favorites: Get It Up, Girl, and Cool.

20 mile bike ride

August 16, 2013

FLYING DOG BREWERY - IN-HEAT WHEAT HEFEWEIZEN  First off, love the label on this one: "a sword swallower taunts the crowd as they chant deeper, deeper! The ringing in your ears fades as you notice the mousetraps on his nipples. The air smells like cloves and your mouth is wet with banana. Either you are in the best goddamn bar in the states, or you just took your first sip of In-Heat Wheat." If that doesnt get you ready to try it, nothing will. The aroma is strong banana with a little spice and wheat breadiness. Flavor is the same, but the banana and spices are more subdued here. Seems a little light for a hefe, but it is very drinkable. Nothing too complex, but pretty decent for an American Hefe and well worth trying.

JACK JOHNSON - SING A LONGS AND LULLABIES FOR THE FILM CURIOUS GEORGE  Yes, i chose this Jack Johnson album today. I really like his voice, and while this album didnt have the commercial success of his other solo stuff, i still find it quite enjoyable to listen to. His carefree style is perfect for the voice of Curious George. I have never seen the movie, but i understand all the songs are prominent and important to the story. A bunch of fun crafty songs with great messages that people of all ages will find entertaining.  Favorites: Upside Down, Jungle Gym, We're Going To Be Friends (White Stripes cover), The Sharing Song, The 3 R's (adapted from Threes A Magic Number, which we all remember), Lullaby, and With My Own Two Hands. Fun listen.

1 mile on treadmill

August 15, 2013

MAGIC HAT BREWING COMPANY - SAINT SALTAN  Bottle states it is brewed with coriander and sea salt. All i really get out of the aroma is wheat and a little spices. Taste is much the same, wheat with a little lemon. The coriander is there, but it is really faint and you get a little taste of the salt in the aftertaste, seems to leave the mouth dry and wanting more.Pretty good overall though, but not something i would actively seek out, but would i would drink it for sure if someone set in down in front of me.

FOREIGNER - 4  While never a huge Foreigner fan, i loved this album. So much in fact i had it on vinyl, lp, and cd at one point in time.  Great record, had some great rock songs and great ballads. Its just solid all the way through and i think it is probably their best album and one of the best from that era. Cant go wrong with: Night Life, Juke Box Hero, Break It Up, Waiting On A Girl Like You, Urgent, and Girl On The Moon although every song is good. If you are a fan of music you should own this album.

1 mile on treadmill

August 14, 2013

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY - 2X STOUT  The aroma consists of roasted malts and coffee. The taste is about the exact same, but there is a little bit of chocolate in there too. For some reason this one tasted a little flat to me, even though the bottled date was just a few months ago. Other than that it seemed pretty smooth and easy drinking. The hops offer a nice balance to the sweetness and give it a really nice mouthfeel. Nice stout, would like to try it again.

TESLA - REAL TO REEL VOL. 2   ...and here is the second volume. Originally it was supposed to be given away with the purchase of a 2007 concert ticket, but after the popularity of the first volume, they decided to release thsi one as well. Again filled with classic songs that the inspired them. This one is just a good as volume 1 and just as fun to listen to. Included in volume 2 were:
All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople
Make It Last - Montrose
Shooting Star - Bad Company
Not Fragile - Bachman Turner Overdrive
Street Fighting Man - Rolling Stones
It Is My Body - Alice Cooper
I Want To Take You Higher - Sly & The Family Stone
Do You Feel Like We Do - Peter Frampton
Beer Drinkers And Hellraisers - ZZ Top
Seasons Of Wither - Aerosmith
Saturday Night Special - Lynyrd Skynyrd
War Pigs - Black Sabbath

2 miles on treadmill and 16 mile bike ride

August 13, 2013

BROOKLYN BREWERY - BROOKLYN BROWN ALE   The smell has hints of roasted malts and barley with a bit of coffee and chocolate. Very nice. The taste isnt quite as good as the smell though; sweet roasted malts with some hints of nuts, nothing real noteworthy. Since the aroma was so nice, i was a little dissapointed in the taste. Seemed a little on the light side as well. Maybe just slightly above average. Easily drinkable, not bad, but just nothin special. 

TESLA - REAL TO REEL VOL. 1  One of my favorite 80s bands. They are still active today and still putting out good music. The Real To Reel records contain songs that inspired the band. This is a great collection of songs and they all sound great with just a little Tesla touch to them. A little bit of a surprise when it was released as Tesla is one of the bands that actually write really good songs, but its fun to hear their take on some classic rock songs. Space Truckin' - Deep Purple,  Walk Away - James Gang,  Hand Me Down World - The Guess Who,  Bad Reputatuon - Thin Lizzy,  Thank You - Led Zeppelin,  I've Got A Feeling -Beatles,  Day Of The Eagle - Robin Trower,  Ball Of Confusion - Temptations,  Rock Bottom - UFO,  Stealin' - Uriah Heep,  Bell Bottom Blues - Derek And The Dominoes,  Honky Tonk Woman - Rolling Stones,  Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic.   Just a fun album. Originally volume 2 was supposed to only be available if you bought a ticket to one of their concerts in 2007, but volume 1 was so popular, they eventually released it also...

2 miles on treadmill, 14 mile bike ride

A little Twins baseball....

August 12, 2013

LUCID BREWING - AIR  The aroma is fairly hard to detect, very faint wheat and thats about it. The taste is about the same, a little wheat malt with just a little bot of floral hops for balance. A little thin or perhaps "airy" on flavor, almost like drinking a light beer which seems a little odd. Maybe a good entry beer for someone to get into craft beer, but personally i like a little more flavor. Although quite basic, i think it works for what Lucid was aiming for, its a light easy drinking beer, just dont expect it to stand out.

KISS - LICK IT UP  This is one of my favorite Kiss albums from the 80s, they released quite a few and some more pretty bad. A couple things that made this album special was it was the first album without their trademark make up and the first official album with Vinnie Vincent replacing Ace Frehley at guitar. Actually, Ace is not repalceable, but Vinnie was my favorite of the many who have tried. Major talent and hard style. Alas, there were some ego clashes and this was his last album with Kiss too. Kind of a rebirth album with then getting back to basics of hard rock which was a good sign. Pretty solid album all the way through with my highlights being: Exciter, Lick It Up, All Hells Breakin' Loose, A Million To One, and Dance All Over Your Face.

2 miles on treadmill

August 11, 2013

JACOB LEINENKUGEL BREWING COMPANY - LEINENKUGELS ORANGE SHANDY  Like their Summer Shandy, i actually dont mind this at all, but the Summer Shandy is still better. Smells really sweet with loads of orange, but it is kind of an artificial orange smell, like Tang, nothing else is noticeable to me.Taste is same as the smell, all orange, but still artificial. Taste is ok, if the orange tasted more authentic, it would be a lot better. I'm sure the beer snobs hate this one, but if you take it for what it is, its just fine. Nice beer on a hot summer day, any other time, probably not.

TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - SOUTHERN ACCENTS  This album from Tom and the boys is from 1985. They experimented with their sound a little on this one, with seemingly mixed results. It seems to be a love it or hate it album for a lot of people, and i stand on the love it side of the fence. Being a huge Petty fan, i would probably love anything they put out though. I see nothing wrong with a band trying to evolve and change things up.  Favorites: Rebels, Dont Come Around Here No More, Southern Accents, Spike, and Dogs On The Run.

19 mile bike ride

Bike Ride

The view of Pelican Lake up by Ashby on the Central Lakes Trail.

August 10, 2013

BOSTON BEER COMPANY - SAMUEL ADAMS PORCH ROCKER  Smell is all lemon with a slight malt prescence also.  Tastes like a sweet lemonade with a little wheat in the background, but its a little too sweet for my taste, at times its hard to remember i am even drinking a beer. Overall though, its a refreshing summer beer that would be perfect on a super hot day. With how sweet it is though, i would think it would be pretty hard to drink too many of them. Just one or two though, it would be just fine.

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS - TELL 'EM WHAT YOUR NAME IS!  I needed a little motivation to get moving this morning and this was a perfect start to the day. I was dancing in the living room soon after cranking it up, you just cant sit still and listen to this. Kind of in the soul style of James Brown or Otis Redding. Great guitar driven music with an amazing horns section with a ton of energy. Barely over 30 minutes but packed with up tempo fiery funky bluesy soul music. I saw these guys open for Dave Matthews Band a few years back and have been hooked since, amazing energy in their live shows. Ten killer songs, check these guys out. Best songs: Gunpowder, Sugarfoot, I'm Broke, Big Booty Woman, Master Sold My Baby, Get Yo Shit, Humpin' and Bobby Booshay.  Wait, thats 8 of the 10? Yep, good stuff.

22 mile bike ride

August 9, 2013

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY - AVALANCHE ALE  Hardly any smell to this one. After it warmed up a bit could notice a little caramel and some floral hops. Taste is a little sweet, mostly the caramel malt. The floral hops are very mild. Decent beer, almost reminds me of a Miller Lite, very light and easy to drink. Nothing really stands out, but then again there is nothing to complain about either. Just not anything to really remember about it that would say buy me again if i saw it in the store. Next.

EAGLES - THE VERY BEST OF  A 2003 release that features 33 of their biggest hits and favorites. There had been a few greatest hits records released from them before this was released, but this 2 CD collection really puts everything together in one nice collection. All the greats are here of course, no need to list them, we all know them. The booklet that comes with is well done with liner notes from Don Henley and Glenn Frey and an interesting read. One of the best bands around, so many good songs, just a great listen. Hotel California always reminds me of a time we drove into Mexico for the weekend and we met a group out at the bar one night (dont remember her last name, but Kris if your by chance reading this - lol - get in touch) and had a great time. The infamous whale vertebrae story (great story out at the bar, so ask me some night) also happened that weekend. Good times.

4 miles on treadmill

August 8, 2013

STEVENS POINT BREWERY - POINT THREE KINGS ALE  Aroma is pretty nominal, not much there, a little grainy breadiness with some slight floral and grassy hops. Taste is much like the aroma, not much there either. Grainy with a hint of sweet fruitiness. Its very light and easy to drink, seems decent but there is just nothing that stands out enough for me to choose it again.

BLACK STONE CHERRY - FOLKLORE AND SUPERSTITION  The sophmore album from this southern rock group picks up right where their debut left off. Great hard rock album with a little southern flair, seems a little more bluesy than the debut, which is great to me. Great sound with mostly hard rocking songs with a few ballads thrown in (typical rock record formula). The big balled is Things My Father Said, which is a great emotional song. Really good album in my opinion, these guys should be bigger than they are, too underrated. Favorites: Blind Man, Reverend Wrinkle, Soulcrack, Long Sleeves, Peace Is Free, Devils Queen,  The Key, Sunrise, and Ghost Of Floyd Collins.

2 miles on treadmill

August 7, 2013

SUMMIT BREWING COMPANY - SUMMIT MERIDIAN SESSION ALE 2013  This is a limited , once brewed, belgian style pale ale. I didnt get too much out of the smell, light grassy notes with some fruits and spices, pretty subdued. The taste has the fruits, spices and malts up front, typical of the Belgian style, and finishes with a little hop bitterness that balances out the sweetness nicely. This is a nice easy drinking Belgian, it had a little more hoppiness than i was expecting, but overall its another nice beer from Summit.

TOADIES - RUBBERNECK  Debut album for this Texas basef alternative rock band. This might be one of the best albums you have probably ever heard. From start to finish this album is amazing. Possum Kingdom was a pretty big song back in day, but this is one of those albums where every song is just as good as the big hit. This album rocks and is a ton of fun to listen to, its pretty short and i actually listened to it 3 times today. Great guitar based rock with some really interesting story telling in the lyrics.I really like these guys, unfortunatly none of their other albums were able to live up to this one. Favorites: Mister Love, Backslider, Possum Kingdom, Quitter, I Come From The Water, and Tyler.

1 mile in treadmill, 16 mile bike ride

August 6, 2013

ALASKAN BREWING CO. - SUMMER ALE This is an ok summer beer, nothing extraordinary though. Malty aroma with some fruity notes, mostly apple to me. Flavor has sweet malts and slight citrus flavor with a little hop bitterness, but nothing really distinguishes itself. Nice beer, but not overwhelming. Its real easy to drink, but just not real memorable.

THE BLACK MOODS - THE BLACK MOODS  This is the debut release from the trio from Tempe, AZ. I saw their lead singer do a few songs down in Mexico in June and really liked his voice, so i picked up their album upon my return. Sure glad i did. Nice new rock group that kind of reminds me of the Foo Fighters. Nice guitar driven sound. They have some real good songs with some lyrics just begging you to sing along. Decent debut, has a few quality issues, but its sure fun to listen to. Its been in my rotation in the car since i bought it. My favorites: Cant Sleep At Night, Give It To Me, Hey You, Dont Let Them Get You Down, The Only One, and Torn Up Dress.

3 miles on treadmill

August 5, 2013

KONA BREWING CO. - BIG WAVE GOLDEN ALE  I've always been a fan of Kona Brewing. I have been lucky enough to visit the Big Island in Hawaii 5-6 times where they started (but not for 5 years) and have visited the brewery multiple times. They just started distribution in Minnesota last year, which made me happy. I usually have some type of Kona beer in the fridge at all times. Smell is floral and fruity with a little bit of honey. Taste is mainly fruity and piney hops with a little lingering bitterness, but the taste is not quite as good as the smell. Not bad, but not great either.  Overall its nicely balanced, light, refreshing and easy drinking. Could use a little more flavor to make it stand out though, but as it is, its a fine choice as a summer beer.

JOHN FOGERTY - WROTE A SONG FOR EVERYONE  This release from just a couple of months ago is amazing. It has 2 new songs and 14 of Fogertys biggest hits collaborating with some of the biggest artists out there today. Fogerty has been writing some of best songs out there for some time and each guest adds their own touch on these remakes. One mark of a great song is that it can be reworked and still sound fresh as the original. Goal accomplished. These collaborations bring some new life to these classics and may introduce some younger people to Fogertys great catalog. The whole album is really good, but my favorites are:
Fortunate Son w/ Foo Fighters
Wrote A Song For Everyone w/ Miranda Lambert and Tom Morello
Bad Moon Rising w/ Zac Brown Band
Born On The Bayou w/ Kid Rock
Who'll Stop The Rain w/ Bob Seger
Fun album, check it out.

2 miles on treadmill and 16 mile bike ride

August 4, 2013

GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY - EDMUND FITZGERALD PORTER   According to the bottle, this is a Gold Medal winner at the World Beer Championships. To me, the smell is coffee with some roasted malts and a hint of chocolate. Like the nose, alot of roasted malts in the flavor along with coffee, chocolate and a hint of vanilla even. Very tasty. Although it seemed a little on the thin side, still a excellent porter worth seeking out. I only bought a single, so next time i see it i think i will pick up some more.

THIRD EYE BLIND - THIRD EYE BLIND  This is their debut album from 1997. To this day, they are still active, but have only released a total of 4 albums in over 16 years, so their not the most active band out there. Released in the alternative era, they were much more radio friendly, the songs had some good hooks and memorable lyrics. Semi Charmed Life was the big hit, but there were a lot of other solid songs on this album: Losing A Whole Year, Narcolepsy, Jumper, Graduate, Hows It Going To Be, Thanks A Lot, and Motorcycle Drive By. A really good debut, still sounds good to my ears and is still is my active rotation.

1mile in treadmill

August 3, 2013

REX BEVERAGE HOLDINGS - HORNY GOAT WATERMELON WHEAT  The smell is a basic wheat beer, not much in the fruit or watermelon department. The taste has a little more watermelon than the aroma, but not much. I actually think that works out well for this beer. The wheat beer is solid and the slight watermelon taste compliments it pretty well and makes for a nice easy drinking beer. The drinkability is solid and i would for sure grab a few of these on a nice summer day. Nice beer.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN   Maybe my favorite album from Bruce. Released in 1978,  this is a powerful album, the songs speak for themselves,  expressing pure emotion. Just classic rock and roll. Not much to comment on, everyone should own this album. Ten classic songs and most you can still hear on any given night if you see him live: Badlands, Candys Room, Racing In The Street, Factory, Prove It All Night and Darkness On The Edge Of Town are my favorites.

40 mile bike ride

Bike ride

Saturday was  beautiful day for a bike ride. Covered roughly 40 miles on the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway.

August 2, 2013

Front row at the Twins game with friends son Jordan

August 2, 2013

FORT COLLINS BREWING - ROCKY MOUNTAIN IPA  Well, i didnt think this was quite as good as yesterdays IPA, but it was still pretty darn good. Very sweet citrusy aroma with earthy hops, just what i would expect. Taste is very hop forward. Smooth, with a little bitterness, but nicely balanced. Very good IPA, worth trying if you can.

BRET MICHAELS - JAMMIN' WITH FRIENDS  I saw this in the store the other day and it was only $5.99 so i thought why not? Not really sure what the concept was on this one. Lots of old classic songs, some covers and a few new ones. Most songs feature some special guests (Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Buffet, Edwin McCain, Miley Cyrus, Michael Anthony and many others). The new stuff and the covers are pretty entertaining for the most part, but the re-mastering and re-making of some of the classics just needs to stop. Every Rose Has Its Thorn - country version? Nothin' But A Good Time - classic rock version? C'mon please stop. Those were great songs, just leave them alone. While there are a lot of good songs on this record there are just too many clunkers for my taste. Too inconsistent. Throw out 6-7 songs on this 20 song CD and it would be a really good fun album, but as is, i fins myself reaching for the remote to skip some songs too much.

1 mile on treadmill

August 1, 2013

SURLY BREWING COMPANY - OVERRATED WEST COAST IPA  Perfect beer for National IPA Day. Great smell, grapefruit and orange from the citrus hops and lots of it, with a little pine. The flavor hits you with the grapefruit right away. There is a little malt sweetness, but its not too malty or too sweet. The end has a little of the pine bitterness but not bad. This is a great example of a west coast IPA, Surly sure seems to know what they are doing. Its not crazy or super dynamic, but it is what it is, and that is a great IPA.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - LIVE AT WRIGLEY FIELD  DMB release quite a few live records, but this one is kind of special. The number of bands that have performed at Wrigley Field makes for a pretty short list. This was recorded September 18, 2010. Cranking it up, it almost feels like i am there with an Old Style in hand.(I was lucky enough to be there last fall for two Bruce Springsteen shows). This recording sounds fantastic and i think is one of the better live records they have released. If you like DMB you need to have this one. Great performance and #41 and Jimi Thing are epic.

2 miles on treadmill and 18 mile bike ride

July success

Well, July is officially in the books. If you have been following along, you know i was able to succeed another month. Thats 5 in a row. Thats a lot of beers, music, and miles on the treadmill and bike.

This months donation is going to The V Foundation for cancer research. This is one of my favorite organizations and i upped my donation to $100 this month. If you would like to donate, please visit jimmyv.org.

So today begins month 6, and since today is also National IPA Day, I of will celebrate with an IPA of course.