January 31, 2014

STONE BREWING CO. - DOUBLE BASTARD ALE  Ok, at 11.2%% ABV, this is definately a sipper. Smell is of sweet caramel and roasted malts, some dark fruits, and piney hops. Taste follows the nose. Flavor is full of sweet burnt caramel malts and plenty of hops and dark fruit also. Almost seems like a barleywine. You can definately notice the alcohol warmth. Upon the inital sip, you mosly get the malts and alcohol, but as it warms, the other flavors really come out. Maybe a little on the sweet side for some. Great offering from Stone, very complex, i have the feeling every bottle you would notice something different.

PRODUIT ET EMBOUTEILLE PAR BRAUEREI AYING FRANZ INSELKAMMER KG - AYINGER OKTOBER FEST MARZEN  Typical Marzen aroma. Sweet caramel malts with a faint fruity hop prescence. Taste replicates the nose, big caramel malt notes, some dark fruits, and a little nuttiness. Very well balanced.  Love this style beer, and while nothing really stands out in this one, this is exactly what i want and expect in a Marzen style beer. I could drink these any day, any time.

FRANK ZAPPA - YOU CANT DO THAT ON STAGE ANYMORE VOL. 2  The Frank Zappa YCDTOSA series was 6 part series of various live recordings. Volume 2 was the only one that featured a concert in its entirety. This is a complete live show from September 22, 1974 from Helsinki, Finland. Sounds amazing for a recording that is pretty old.. FZ has some amazing guitar work on this one. Its Zappa, its amazing. This guy never got the critical aclaim he deserved, pretty much a musical genius. I could listen to him any day and never get sick of him(thankfully he has a very extensive catalog, so there is lots to choose from).

3 miles on treaddmill

January 30, 2014

BLUE MOON BREWING COMPANY - IMPULSE  This is a limited brewed once only beer from the Blue Moon vintage collection and the label states it is a wheat ale brewed with the juice of cabernet sauvigon grapes. Aroma is fruity with grape smell and pretty much smells like a wine, if you didnt know what it actually was, you would think you just opened a wine bottle. Taste is grapes, wheat, alcohol and very wine like. It is definately unique, and hard to desribe.  I cant really explain it very well, but i actually enjoyed it. It resembles a sparkling wine more than a beer, but strangely enough it works. Not something i would drink often, but worth the try.

STEEL TOE BREWING - DISSENT DARK ALE  Not sure i remember pouring a beer this dark. It is black in the glass. Aroma is fairly sweet. Roasted malts with hints of chocolate, coffee and a little caramel. Taste is similar to the smell, sweet roasted malts wih chocolate, coffee,  caramel, and some toffee. Very nice, a rich and good taste. Overall, a very nice stout considering the price point, well worth trying. This might rub some people the wrong way, but certain breweries in Minnesota seem to get all the publicity, but in my opinion, there are other local breweries putting out just as good beers without the fanfare and you dont have to pay an arm and a leg to get. Well done Steel Toe.

MOTLEY CRUE - SAINTS OF LOS ANGELES  I got the email notice last night for tickets to the "last Motley Crue tour ever", so i pulled out their latest studio release today. From what i remember, this one didnt do that well sales wise, but its a damn fine record. Released in 2008, it was the first record to include all 4 original members in over a decade. Reminds me alot of their early records.  I was a huge fan of them in high school, but drifted away over the years, but this record reminds me of why i was a big fan. Incidentally, tickets are on sale now, for a show in November. I barely know what i am doing this weekend, yet alone 10 months from now, but wouldnt mind checking them out if there are still tickets available in 9 months. Crazy.

3 miles on treadmill

January 29, 2014

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY -  OAT  Nice imperial stout with a 10.8% ABV. Aroma has some chocolate and roasted malts with hints of coffee. Taste has a sweet and creamy malt character. Chocolate is up front, then a kind of burnt coffee taste and finishes with the oats. Sweet throughout. Not bad, nice balance, the alcohol is pretty well hidden for the high ABV. Well done Southern Tier, not as flavorful as i was hoping, but still a really good beer.

BOSTON BEER COMPANY - SAMUEL ADAMS TASMAN RED IPA  Smell has some pine, citrus, and earthy notes with a subtle caramel sweetness.  Taste has some pine and grapefruit up front, balanced with the sweetness from the caramel malt. Finish is a little bitter and citrusy. Pretty smooth. It took me awhile to decide,  but i think i really liked this beer, it was easy to drink and had a decent mouthfeel, just took me a few sips to decide.

THE POGUES - RUM, SODOMY, AND THE LASH  Perhaps the most popular album from this Irish band and i think is just plain brilliant. Great songs with raw emotional lyrics. You need to have a drink in hand while listening (and i did). Musically perfect and interesting lyrics and stories, just a great celebration of quality music.

3 miles on treadmill

January 28, 2014

BELLS BREWERY INC. - JAVA STOUT  While not a huge fan of the coffee style beers, i had heard good things about this one, and Bells usually does everything pretty well, so i grabbed a bottle the other day. Nice aroma, roasted malts, coffee and a hint of chocolate. Decent taste, fresh coffee up front, some sweetness from the roasted malts, a little chocolate, even some citrusy hops, and then finishes with more coffee. Considering i am not a huge coffee fan, this one was not bad. Very smooth and easy to drink. Overall, a very decent coffee flavored beer, leaned a little too much on the coffee in the flavor, but one i would try again.

PHISH - VENTURA  Nice little 6 CD box set featuring 2 shows from Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, California. One from 7-30-97 and the other from 7-20-98. I only listened to the 97 show today, but that one was around 3 hours in length, and i listened to it twice.  Love the 97-98 era shows, they tend to be more on the funky rock sound, and less jamming-what they are famous for. Fun show, sounds great, a really nice mix.  l liked the cover of Fire from Jimi Hendrix the best.

1 mile on treadmill

January 27, 2014

DOGFISH HEAD BREWERY - MIDAS TOUCH

NINE INCH NAILS - HESITATION MARKS

1 mile on treadmill

January 26, 2014

CORONADO BREWING CO. - BLUE BRIDGE COFFEE STOUT

GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS - LIVE AT SIRIUS STUDIO

2 mile run on beach

January 25, 2014

MAUI BREWING CO. and CORONADO BREWING CO. - HIBISCUS IPA

THE CIVIL WARS - LIVE AT SUNDANCE

3 mile run on beach

January 24, 2014

BUFFALO BILLS BREWERY - BLUEBERRY OATMEAL STOUT

WALE - FOLARIN

2 mile run

January 23, 2014

PAULANER - ORIGINAL MUNICH PREMIUM LAGER  Nice German style lager. Slammed this one down before heading to the airport today. Paulaner does a great job on every beer of theirs i have tried.

THE PISTOLEROS - HANG ON TO NOTHING A great album by a band that never got the break they needed to make it big time. A fine example of how much good music is out there that never makes it on the national level. These guys stull perform every now and then and are just a good as they were when this was released in 1997. Highlights: Somehow Someway, Hang On To Nothing, My Guardian Angel,  Wasting My Times, and Lie To Me. They have a few other records out there i sure wish i could find.

1 mile on treadmill

January 22, 2014

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING COMPANY - NORTHERN HEMISPHERE HARVEST WET HOP ALE 2013  One of the best IPAs i have tried. Had the 2012 version on May 15th. Pretty much the same as the last one from what i can remember. Smell is a great balance of citrus and pine hops with a little caramel sweetness. Tastes the same, definately hop forward. Just a great seasonal IPA, i look forward to these every time they are released.

JIMI HENDRIX - VALLEYS OF NEPTUNE Any Jimi music is good to listen to. This release from 2010 contains 12 unreleased studio recordings. Amazing how good they sound beings they were all recorded around 1969. Must have for any Jimi fan.

1 mile on treadmill

January 21, 2014

FLAT EARTH BREWING CO. - BLACK HELICOPTER COFFEE STOUT  Aroma has lots of coffee, some roastiness, but not much else. Not bad really, label shows it uses Dunn Bros Coffee. Taste follows the nose, the coffee flavor dominates everything else. There is a little hint of chocolate and some smokiness but you really need to search for it. Seems kind of one dimensional, it actually seems as if you are drinking a cup of coffee and not a beer. Nice aroma, but after that, it went a little downhill for me. Not a bad beer, but absolutely nothing noteworthy that would have me try it again.

ABITA BREWING COMPANY - SOS-SAVE OUR SHORE  The best part of this German style pilsener with a 7% ABV is that Abita donates 75 cents from every bottle to the rescue and restoration of the Gulf Coast environment to help survive the oil spill. Nice effort from Abita. Aroma has some grainy malts (wheat), floral hops, and a hint of citrus. Tastes much the same. Clean and crisp just like a pils should be. Nothing remarkable, but nothing bad either, a smooth and easy drinking pils. A good example of the style and worth the try.

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC - UHF SOUNDTRACK This is the soundtrack to Weird Als cult classic movie UHF. As with any of his albums, just plain fun to listen to. A couple highlights are the Hot Rocks Polka which is all Rolling Stones songs and The Biggest Ball of Twine In Minnesota, which might be one of the best songs he has ever done. Check it out and watch the movie if its ever on, good stuff.

1 mile on treadmill

January 20, 2014

LAGUNITAS BREWING CO. - LUCKY 13 MONDO LARGE RED ALE  Nice, this is a American red ale with a 8.65% ABV.  Great smell. Lots of hops, grapefruit, pine, citrus and some floral hints. Also a little sweet caramel malt. Tastes great, the caramel malt really hits at first sip and has a nice hop balance. Very good. Reminds me more of a nice IPA than a red ale. No matter though as it is really a well done beer. I had heard good things about this offering from Lagunitas, so i have 5 more of these 22oz bottles stashed away.

SHMALTZ BREWING COMPANY & TERRAPIN BEER CO. - REUNION ALE '13 - A BEER FOR HOPE  This is a brewed one time only collaboration between these 2 breweries. Very nice aroma; interesting and complex. Mainly roasted malts, coffee, cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla. Upon first sip, flavor doesnt quite live up to the aroma, seems a little weak at first. The coffee is up front and the chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon are more hidden. It actually got a little better as it warmed, but the coffee was just too dominating for my taste. As you probably know by now, i am not a huge coffee guy, but this one just seemed a little off to me. If the coffee taste was better i could have really liked this one.

BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS 7 - WHITE LIES FOR DARK TIMES  Ben has released alot of records over the years with varying styles. This might be my favorite though as the Relentless 7 are so good. This one just seems to rock more than any of his other efforts (other than the live release with the same band). The rhythm section lays down a great base for every song. Just a no frills, straight up rock record. I love Bens voice, but i find some of his albums real hit or miss, but this is definately one of his better efforts, probably due to how much i enjoy the backing band. I think they only did one more release togethor (a live record), but sure wish they would do more.

3 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes in bike

January 19, 2014

BOSTON BEER CO. - SAMUEL ADAMS THIRTEENTH HOUR STOUT  This comes from the Sam Adams Barrel Room Collection and has a nice 9% ABV. Label states aroma is “coffee and chocolate with dark fruit, oaky vanilla, peppery spice." I didnt get much of that all. I get some dark fruit and almost a wine type aroma. Same in the taste, more wine and port like flavors than what i was expecting, but has some dark fruits in there. I dont see much in the way of chocolate or spices. Seems more like a quad than a stout. I enjoyed trying it and thought it was very well balanced and easy to drink, it just didnt seem like it was anything like the label described. Still, a very good beer, and beings it is one Samuel Adams reccomends letting age, i might have to grab another bottle throw it in the cellar and see what happens.

STONE BREWING CO. - ARROGANT BASTARD ALE  Big hop profile in the nose, mostly citrus and pine. Taste is the same, has a moderate bitterness. Very solid brew, another great offering from Stone, very complex set of flavors. Probably a lot better beer than i can describe, but i struggle to really differentiate between alot of the Stone offerings. Too many taste the same to me, but they are all really good and deserve a try.

BLOWFLY - BLOWFLY FOR PRESIDENT  Blowfly is the persona of Clarence Henry Reid. As Clarence he wrote many songs for R&B acts in the 60s and 70s. As Blowfly he performed hit songs and changed the lyrics to a XXX theme (think Weird Al Yankovic).  Nothing groundbreaking, but sure fun to listen to. Think of it as almost a comedy/rap album. You will probably laugh alot and even cringe some. With songs like: Blowflys ABCs, Blowfy For President, F*ck Wars,  X-Rated P*ssy, etc, i think you know what its all about.

3 miles on treadmill, 45 minutes on bike

January 18, 2014

NEW BELGIUM BREWING - HOP KITCHEN FRESH HOP INDIA PALE ALE  The smell is actually pretty faint, more floral than the usual citrus and pine in most IPAs, but overall its nice and on the hoppy side. Taste is not quite as hoppy as the aroma. A little citrus and pine still, but i seemed to notice the malt a little more. Overall, not a bad IPA, maybe a great introduction to someone new to the craft beer scene. Its easy to drink, but just kind of ho-hum, not one of New Belgiums best, but still drinkable.

DESCHUTES BREWERY - CHASIN' FRESHIES FRESH HOP IPA   Strong fresh hop profile; pine, citus and grapefruit. Had a great aroma and smells fresh. Taste is like the aroma, a little light but still flavorful. For the amount of hops in the smell, there is not as much bitterness as i expected, but has a nice crisp taste. Nicely balanced, a nice quality brew from Deschutes. These "fresh" beers are sure fun to drink.

SAM KINISON - LEADER OF THE BANNED  Not his best, but still fun to listen to. The comedy segments are decent, but too short. There are four rock songs at the end, i assume to try to match the success of Wild Thing on the previous record, but he should stick to comedy and quit trying to be a rock star. The songs are decent, but i would much prefer more comedy.

3.5 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes on bike

January 17, 2014

BOULDER BEER COMPANY - SHAKE CHOCOLATE PORTER  Great huge chocolate aroma. There are notes of dark malts and hints of coffee, but its really all about the chocolate. Taste is like the smell mostly. Huge chocolate flavor, some coffee, caramel and toffee, but again its all about the chocolate. Its a bit sweet, but not overpowering. I really liked this, very smooth and really drinkable, like drinking a chocolate milkshake. Great price point too, good stuff and definately worth a try.

CAPITAL BREWING CO. INC. - APPLEANCHE  Huge aroma of fresh apples. Same in the taste, the apple just overwhelms anything else. Very flavorful but a little on the sweet side for me. Tasted more like i was drinking a cider than a beer. I actually really enjoyed the first few sips, but after that, it was tough, i actually struggled to finish it.

DAYGLO ABORTIONS - FEED US FETUS  A little punk rock from Canada on this fine Friday. I had a cassette copy of this record in high school and loved it. It took many years for me to track down an  actual original CD. A must have for any hardcore/punk collection.  A fast hard punk record with fun political/funny lyrics. How can you not smile with songs like: Stupid Songs, Argh Fuck Kill, Dogfarts, Stupid World, Kill The Hosers, Religious Bumfucks, I Killed Mommy, and others. Fun stuff.

2 miles on treadmill, 1 hour on bike

January 16, 2014

LEFT HAND BREWING CO.  - WAKE UP DEAD IMPERIAL STOUT  Nice Russian imperial stout with a 10.2% ABV.  Aroma has some burnt coffee, roasted malts, a little chocolate and a hint of booze. Taste is pretty much the same, coffee, chocolate, and toasted malt. Finish is a little bitter and you can definately notice the alcohol in the finish. Seems a little on the thin side. I'm kind of on the middle on this one, its not bad, but really has nothing that sets it apart. Biggest selling point is it is two to three times cheaper than a lot of beers in the same style. Decent and affordable.

GREAT RIVER BREWERY - REDBAND STOUT Smell is pretty straightforward, heavy roasted coffee, a little chocolate, and some creamy sweetness. Not a beer for me, the coffee dominates the taste, and anything else is really hard to pick up, but there is some chocolate  and molasses notes. Just too much coffee for my tastes, but if you like coffee i could see this being rated a lot higher.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - HIGH HOPES  Newest album from The Boss, just released on Tuesday. While i am a big Springsteen fan, not a big fan of this album. A couple new songs, but mostly just new recordings of some songs he has performed for years. The average fan might not have some of these, but the hard core fan has has most of these already. Tom Morello, of Rage Against The Machine, plays guitar on a bunch of the songs and adds a new dimension. Decent, but pretty uninspiring overall as i have copies of most of these songs already, of course, its nice to have them on an "official" release.

3 miles on treadmill

January 15, 2014

BLUE MOON BREWING COMPANY - "PINE IN THE NECK  For those that dont know, Blue Moon products are made by Coors. This is classified as a double IPA with a 7.5% ABV. Aroma has a lot of pine and juniper berries. Not bad actually. The juniper is more hidden in the flavor, but lots of pine, spruce and a little grapefruit. Goes down smooth and is easy drinking, pretty nice overall. Not sure why it is classified as a double IPA though, does not seem to be that at all. Still, a nice drinkable beer from Blue Moon. Although they get mocked for being a craft beer beings its made by Coors, i really dont care. A good beer is a good beer, no matter who brews it. For those that are critical just because Coors brews it, i bet a lot wouldnt have a clue in a blind taste test. Nothing exceptional, but a solid beer, only downside is its a little on the expensive side.

LAGUNITAS BREWING COMPANY - BROWN SHUGGA' ALE  Had a couple of these in the fridge. Tried the Blue Moon first and during the 2nd one of these, i was feeling it a little and then realized these are a nice 9.9% ABV.  Aroma is actually pretty faint. Floral, citrus and pine hops. Smells sweet and i get a little caramel and some brown sugar. Taste starts with the sugary sweet caramel malts and has a little hop bitterness. More malt in the flavor than hops to me. Sweet, but well balanced. Not bad, be prepared, it will hit you quick.

MEG & DIA - SOMETHING REAL  The Dia is Dia Frampton from season one of the Voice and Meg is her sister. At the time Dia was on the Voice, guessing not many people knew she had already put out a handful of albums aleady. This release was from 2006. Great vocals, great harmonies and surprisingly they rock more than i expected when i originally bought it. Monster and Nineteen Stars are amazing. Good stuff.

3 miles on treadmill

January 14, 2014

ODELL BREWING COMPANY - LEVITY AMBER ALE  Nice toasted malt aroma with some spice and citrus hops. Taste has some sweet caramel malt up front with a nice bit of citrus and some herbal notes. Just a touch of bitterness and a nice clean finish. Great balance, simple, but so good. Its very easy drinking and a great take on an Amber beer. Sure glad Odell is distributed in Minnesota as they consistantly put out really good beers.

FISHBONE - CHIM CHIMS BADASS REVENGE  I love me some Fishbone, but i must admit, this is not one of my favorite albums from them. Its no bad at all, in fact i enjoy listening to it, but just compared to some of their other albums its a little bit of a letdown. Still, a great and underappreciated band still kicking it today. Favorites: In The Cube, Beergut, Alcoholic, and Rock Star.

1 mile on treadmill

January 13, 2014

NEW GLARUS BREWING CO. - SERENDIPITY HAPPY ACCIDENT FRUIT ALE  Aroma is sweet tart and fruity. I get mostly cherries and apples. Great smell, if you didnt know, you would probably not even guess its a beer. Taste follows the nose and is quite sweet. Lots of fruit character. Notes of cherries, apples, honey and cranberries. Finishes with some tartness, but could actually use a little bit more to help balance out the sweetness. Still, one of the better fruit style beers i have tried. Another winner from New Glarus.

RYAN ADAMS - ROCK N ROLL Ryan Adams has so many good albums. He can pretty much cover any style he wants. This one is a little rock/punk style kind of like early Replacements. I love anything he does.

3 miles on treadmill

January 12, 2014

LAGUNITAS BREWING CO. - THE HAIRY EYEBALL ALE  A nice winter seasonal from Lagunitas with a 9.4% ABV. Smell has sweet caramel malts, some dark fruit, nuts and toffee. Nice aroma. Taste is very sweet from the malts. Hints of caramal and dark fruits like the smell and finishes with more sweet malts. Very drinakable for the high ABV.  Best as a sipper. A good beer, but not great, just a little too sweet for me. Nice name anf nice story on the bottle, just wondering if the could use a smaller type? Very hard to read.

LUCID BREWING - ORA AMBER ALE  Red ale from Lucid. Kind of unique smell and taste for a red ale.  Smell is sweet with toasted malts, a little fruit, and some smokiness. Taste follows the nose, the smoke seems a little weird to me for the style and unfortunately it dominates everything else for me. Not really sure what to think of this, i usually dont mind red ales, but the smoke just throws this one off for me.

GEORGE CARLIN - A PLACE FOR MY STUFF  Another fun album from George, although cetainly not his best, but still had me laughing. He is definitly missed, RIP George.

3 miles on treadmill

January 11, 2014

INDEED BREWING COMPANY - OLD FRIEND 2013 HOLIDAY ALE  A nice winter warmer from an up and coming Minnesota brewery. Aroma has a lot of ginger at first pour, but it settles a bit as it warms and then you get a little cinnamon and some dark malts. Pretty mild overall. I thought the ginger might be overpowering in the flavor, but its not, its balanced nicely. Taste is similar to the smell.  Decent, but i was expecting something a little bolder. I enjoyed it, but its not one of Indeeds top beers.

SURLY BREWING COMPANY - SURLYFEST LAGER  Surlys take on a Oktoberest/Marzen style beer. I drank quite a few of these when they were released, but realized i never rated it, so i pulled one out of the "cellar" tonight. Aroma has some sweet roasted malt, caramel, and some rye spices - not often seen in this style beer. Nice sweet taste with a bit of rye and hop spice in the finish. Wish i had more of this one, its a nice twist on the Oktobefest style with the rye, great effort from Surly as usual.

ZZ TOP - LIVE FROM TEXAS  A fun live release from ZZ from 2008. Has all the hits. Unfortunately they still have the same set list today. They have too many good songs and need to change the set list up some and do better than their typical 70 minute performances the last few years. What we get is great, but it could be so much better. Still, no complants, turn it up, grab a beer and have some fun.

2 miles on treadmill

January 10, 2014

BOSTON BEER COMPANY - SAMUEL ADAMS VERLOREN  Sam Adams shot at a Gose style beer. Basically a German wheat beer with some spice. Smell is pretty basic, light maltiness with a hint of sourness and some lemon. Interesting taste; sweet malts, some spices, slight fruitiness and finishes with a faint saltiness. I am not too familier with the Gose style, but i really enjoyed this one. Very pleasing and drinkable, in fact i enjoyed it even more as it warmed. Very interesting and different beer, well woth trying.

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY - KRAMPUS HELLES LAGER  Nice winter seasonal with a 9.0% ABV.  Aroma starts with some malty sweetness, light caramel and some floral hops and pine. Taste has roasted malt with plenty of hops; lemon, grapefruit, pine and honey. Very well balanced, hard to believe the ABV is 9.0%. Tasty, good take on a Christmas beer. Love the name and artwork, and for those that dont know, Krampus is St. Nicks evil side kick who hands out punishments to the bad kids. Another nice beer from Southern Tier.

LIZ PHAIR - EXILE IN GUYVILLE  Great classic debut album from Liz.  This is the special edition re-release with bonus songs and a dvd. Had to buy this as i originally had it on cassette and almost wore it out. Dont really care about the bonus tracks, nothing too exciting, but the original songs are great. Great album when it was released in 1993 and still great today. She is still putting out records but has never been able to match the brilliance of this one.

1 mile on treadmill

January 9, 2014

STONE BREWING CO. - 17TH ANNIVERSARY GOTTERDAMMWRUNG IPA  Nice brewed once only IPA from Stone with a 9.5% ABV. Stone makes some really good IPAs, and this one is no exception. Smell consists of hops, pine, and has a nice floral component too. Tastes like it smells, hoppy with a little sweetness and some hidden spiciness. A little different take on the IPA with all the German hops used, there is a lot going on. Interesting and well worth the try. Would certainly have again if i could find another bottle.

ASHER ROTH - ASLEEP IN THE BREAD AISLE  Huge hit that spurred this release was I Love College. This album definately grows on you. I remember when i bought it i wasnt a huge fan, but the more i listened to it, the more i enjoyed it. Same thing today, first play, i was kind if dissapointed, but by the 3rd play i was really into it. Has a little bit of a Eminem sound. Nothing groundbreaking, but a fun listen.

1 mile on treadmill

January 8, 2014

STEEL TOE BREWING - PROVIDER ALE  This is a American blonde ale that is brewed year round, although it was good tonight, i think i would like it even more on a warm summer day. Seems like a pefect beer for that. Soft floral aroma, pretty basic, but nice. Flavor is light and refreshing, but good. Slight floral hops up frint with a sweet malt backbone. Leaves you wanting more, could pound a few of these no problem. This 22oz bottle went down quick. This could be a candidate for a go to summer beer of choice, definately planning to get some growlers and stock up on this one for the summer.

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - MOTHERS MILK  Perhaps my favorie RHCP record, i remember a few dance parties cranking this one in college. This is at their funky best.

1 mile on treadmill

January 7, 2014

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. - 2013 CELEBRATION  I look forward to this seasonal release every winter from Sierra Nevada. A well balanced easy drinking American IPA, i wish it was available year round. Aroma has piny hops with citrus notes. Nice pine flavor, a little bitter, with some grapefruit and citrus flavors too. Really good, just the right amount of malts offering sweetness and balance, this is one of my favorite winter releases, too bad its not brewed year round.

NEW BELGIUM  BREWING - ACCUMULATION  New release from New Belgium for the winter, a white IPA. Aroma is pretty straightforward, pine and grapefruit, smells like an IPA should. Nice flavor. Slightly sweet up front with notes of pine and citrus from the hops. Smooth drinking, with a little bitterness. Maybe a little on the thin side though. Decent beer, was expecting a little more out of New Belgium though, just nothing real special about it, but wouldnt hesitate to have it again.

JIMMY BUFFETT - LIVE IN LAS VEGAS NV  A nice little live show from Jimmy. Fun show, not sure if it is the full concert though. Some songs transition smoothly into the next track, but some have an annoying silent gap between them. Just kind of throws things off a little bit when listening. All the hits arr included of course.

1 mile on treadmill

January 6, 2014

SAMUEL SMITH OLD BREWERY  (TADCASTER) - SAMUEL SMITH'S WINTER WELCOME ALE  This is the 2013/2014 version. Sweet and bready malt smell with some caramel and light floral hops. Malty taste with some caramel sweetness. Taste is pretty mild though. I was expecting more. I dont really get the winter warmer aspect of it, but it was still enjoyable. Not many spices like most winter style beers. Decent effort but not very bold, nothing makes it stand out.

PEARL JAM - LIVE AT THE GORGE 05/06  This is a little box set that contains 3 live Pearl Jam shows from the famous Gorge in George, Washington. I listened to the September 5, 2005 show today. Not much to say, the band is great as always, some good banter too. Pearl Jam are definately on my bucket list as well is The Gorge.

1 mile on treadmill

December

Well, another month, is in the books, only 2 to go! Beings i was on little work/vacation after Christmas, December was a little bit of a challenge (not really, there are plenty of masd beers u can do if needed).

Hey Daytona Beach, your liquor stores are in serious need of upgrading their craft beer selection. I searched online and didnt find much, but hit up the top three rated stores i found on a couple of different websites (not a good sign when two different sites list the same top three stores). The first one i stopped at was out of business. The second one only had about 20 to pick from in their singles selection. The first one i picked up had a best buy date in 2012, i didnt look at any others. The third stop was a little better, but not much. It was a store called World Market and it had a little bit of everything. Not sure what it was really, but i was able to find 5 singles to get through the week at least. Beer was right past the furniture section, makes sense i guess.

December charity was a benefit i went to for one of my classmates wifes who is battling cancer. Not sure there is anywhere to donate online, but there is a caring bridge site, just search for Kim Clayton. Donate if you can, or find a charity of your choice this month if you would like to donate.

As always, thanks for your interest and support, its almost over!

January 5, 2014

VICTORY BREWING CO. - WINTER CHEERS  A little different take on a winter seasonal. Basically a wheat style beer or hefeweizen. Standard hefeweizen aroma and taste for me: clove, wheat and banana. A very solid hefeweizen, nothing fancy, just solid. I really dont think of this style when i hear winter beer, but it is a nice change of pace from the standard darker winter spiced style, just not sure why its a winter style beer, but if you looking for a decent hefe, this will do just fine.

FLYING DOG BREWERY - K9 WINTER ALE Aroma has some earthy malts with caramel and toffee. There is also a slight hint of spices and fruit, but very hard to make out. Straight up malt flavor, caramel and toffee with some roasted malt. Spices are so faint, they are almost not even there. Smooth and easy to drink, but the flavor is pretty underwhelming, could have used a bit more spice to seperate it from any other winter offering, glad i tried it, but no need to have it again.

SUMMIT BREWING CO. - WINTER ALE  Smell is of toasted malts with a little bit of nuttiness and a touch of spice. Pretty mild though. Taste is of roasted malts with a little note of chocolate and caramel and a little nutty. No sign of the spices in the nose. Nice winter treat, the alcohol is well hidden and it is easy to drink. Not the best winter warmer i have tried, but a good representation of the style, nicely done Summit.

ALICIA KEYS - VH1 STORYTELLER  This is a cd/dvd combo of her vh1 storytellers special. I did not watch the dvd today. I usually am a big fan of this series featuring artists telling stories behind the songs. This one is decent, the music is great, but the stories are pretty muted compared to some of the others i have heard/seen. Still, her voice is amazing as always and this is still very enjoyable, especially is you are a fan.

3 miles on treadmill, 1 hour on bike

January 4, 2014

TALLGRASS BREWING COMPANY - ZOMBIE MONKIE ROBUST PORTER  Very cool can, says its a "tactical grip can" to "prevent slippage while fleeing". Its not smooth, but has rough bumpy spots all over it. Aroma has roasted malts with hints of chocolate and coffee roast, nice. Very tasty, just like it smells. Rich, creamy and smooth, this is a very easy drinking beer. I think it even got better as it warmed. This is one of the better porters i have tried in the last year and might be my favorite from Tallgrass, highly reccomended.

GREAT LAKES BREWING CO. - NOSFERATU  A nice American red from Great Lakes. Nosferatu is a German vampire from the 1920s according to the label. Smell is mostly caramel malts with some dark fruit hints. Pretty basic, but solid. Taste is malty sweet with lots of fruit and some caramel. Nothing special,  but it is really good for what it is, but honestly i was a little dissapointed as Great Lakes usually has nothing but great beers. Saying that, i would still grab one anytime though.

GRAIN BELT BREWING CO. - BRAIN BELT  ZOMBIE PUB CRAWL 2013 Special can made for the annual Zombie Pub Crawl in Minnesota. I bought this just for the can, it sure wasnt for the beer, yikes. Although Grain Belt has its loyal followers here in MN, i am not one of them, just a little too bland for my tastes. Grains in the smell, grains in the flavor, pretty basic.

BUTTHOLE SURFERS -HURDY GURDY MAN  A nice little ep from the kings of psychedelic rock. Only 3 songs, but BS are always entertaining.

3 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes on bike

January 3, 2014

BELLS BREWERY INC - WINTER WHITE ALE

STEVENS POINT BREWERY - ST. BENEDICTS WINTER ALE

MOE. - CONCH

2 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes on bike

January 2, 2014

REDHOOK ALE BREWERY - WINTER HOOK #29

JOHN FOGERTY - REVIVAL

1mile on treadmill

January 1, 2014

ANHEUSER-BUSCH INC. - MICHELOB GOLDEN LIGHT

ORIGINAL CONCEPT - STRAIGHT FROM THE BASEMENT OF KOOLEY HIGH

5 miles walking