February 6, 2014

NEW GLARUS BREWING COMPANY - STONE SOUP  Aroma reminds me a lot of a Hefewissen style beer even though the label states its a Belgian Pale Ale. I get some spices, bananas, bready malts and some floral hops. Flavor is a little spicy  and much more Belgian like than the smell.  Big banana taste. I liked it, it was very drinkable and goes down easy, but seems more like a Hefe/Belgian mix yo me. I like the change up, but it seems that i like everything i have tried from New Glarus, so i'm not too surprised.

STEVE VAI - FLEXABLE  I have been a big Vai fan since he was playing with Frank Zappa. What he can do with a guitar is just insane. This is technically his first solo effort from 1984 and I'll be honest, its not the easiest record to listen to. Not so much songs as a lot of guitar improvisation and experimentation. I swear every time i listen to it i pick up something different, just amazing if you are a guitar fan. I was lucky enough to see him live a few years ago, and the show was unbelievable. The sounds that he can get out of a guitar will astound you. If you are knew to him, i would start with one of his later records though, but i think you will be surprised by all of them.

1 mile on treadmill

February 5, 2014

STONE BREWING CO. - SMOKED PORTER WITH VANILLA BEAN  Aroma is straight up vanilla with some roasted malts and a little chocolate as well, but the vanilla really dominates. Very nice. Taste is strong vanilla up front with a little roasted coffee and chocolate malts. Just a slight hint of smoke, but the vanilla hides that pretty well. I tried the straight version of this a few months ago (Smoked Porter) and really liked it other than the excessive smoke flavor. This version sure took care of that! Very good. Drinks easily and has a great mouthfeel, i could drink  few of these in one sitting no problem, although if you dont like vanilla you will probably be turned off.

AC/DC - HIGHWAY TO HELL  One word: Classic.

1 mile on treadmill

January

Month 11 is in the books, and there is now just one month to go!

There will be no $50 donation this month though. Instead i will be doing one final big donation combining January and February (as at this point, there is no doubt i will be able to finish this off) to one of my favorite local organizations. So, those of you also doing some donations, stay tuned. (and thanks for your support!)

Again, thanks for following along on this stupid little journey, i know its winding down, but its sure been fun! (most days anyways)

Fun day yesterday, visited the home ship for work, saw the Wild win last night and even found some time to find some new beers to stock the fridge with. I have way more than enough beers to finish out February, but i am guessing i wont ever stop trying new stuff.

PS - despite Bob Dylan telling us to “let Germany brew your beer" (and they do make some damn good beers) in a car commecial during the Super Bowl, there are many really good beers brewed domestically and locally, get out there are try some!

February 4, 2014

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO. - NUT BROWN ALE  Nice malty aroma; toasted malts, nuts and a little sweetness. Taste is malty right away and then nutty with a light sweetness. Also has a small hint of chocolate. This is a very nice and easily drinkable brown ale. This would be a great dessert beer or even a go to if you want something easy to drink, full of flavor, but not too heavy.

KISS - CRAZY NIGHTS  Not one of their best albums, but very listenable. Has a lot of catchy pop rock songs. One of their least heavy albums, but i really enjoy it. Highlights: Crazy Crazy Nights, I'll Fight Hell To Hold You, and Reason To Live.

1 mile on treadmill

February ,3, 2014

STONE BREWING CO. - ENJOY BY 02-14-14 IPA   I love the Enjoy By series from Stone, i beleive this is the 3rd i have been able to find in the last year. Great fresh smell, pine and grapefruit stick out the most. Taste is very nice, sweet, hoppy, and nice malt notes too, alot of tropical fruit and a little bitterness. Great balance, no idea it is a 9.4% ABV. From memory, it seems like this one was a little better than the previous Enjoy By i had. For all i know, its the exact same formula, but for some reason this one just seemed better. Enjoy By is a must if you like IPAs and see these on the shelf anywhere.

ANTHRAX - AMONG THE LIVING  Perhaps the best Anthrax album. I saw a list this weekend of the top 5 Anthrax songs of all time and 3 of the 5 songs were from this album. I probably wouldnt have the same, but its still a damn fine record. Of course i love every album they have done, so i'm probably not the one to ask. Turn it up!

3 miles on treadmill

February 2, 2014

LAGUNITAS BREWING CO. - IMPERIAL STOUT  Nice stout from Lagunitas with a 9.9% ABV. Aroma of caramel, coffee, and chocolate with some hints of dark fruits. Smooth taste, a little sweet, nice balance, no notice of the alcohol. Sweet roasted malts with hints of coffee and bitter chocolate. I like the hints of dark fruit, kind of unique. A pleasant easy drinking imperial stout, with such a high ABV, that is nicely done. I liked this one alot.

BOSTON BEER CO. - SAMUEL ADAMS DARK DEPTHS BALTIC IPA  Interesting beer, labeled a baltic porter, but has a lot of hops like a IPA. Smells of floral and citrus hops, with some maltiness. Taste has some roasted malts, chocolate and fruits, cherry stands out the most. Full flavored, but a little odd. More hops in the aroma than in the taste. Overall, a good beer, i like that Sam Adams puts out some of these experimental small batch beers, some are hit or miss, but i really enjoy trying what they come up with.

STEVIE WONDER - FUNKAFIED RAINBOW  I dont own any of his official releases (which is an unexplainable on my part), but i listen to this bootleg quite often. This was a live show recorded in London in January of 1974. Sound is unbelievable considering it is 40 years old. Great jams and great versions of Higher Ground, Signed Sealed And Delivered, You Are The Sunshine Of My Life and Superstition. Might fnally be time to pick up an official release.

2 miles on treadmill, 1 hour on bike

February 1, 2014

ROGUE ALES - ROGUE FARMS HONEY KOLSCH  The Rogue Farms line of beers are ones where they grow all the ingredients themselves.  Nice smell, malty, light fruits, a touch of honey and a little sweetness. Taste has some light grainy malts, some fruitiness, grassy hops, and a touch of floral honey. Very subtle, but interesting. This is very easy to drink and pretty true to the style. I was expecting more honey, but i think they got it right in what they did. Nice, i could see myself drinking a few of these on the patio in the summer. Might be my favorite i have tried from Rogue.

GRAND TETON BREWING CO. - DOUBLE VISION DOPPELBOCK  This is the 2013 version. Rich malt aroma, some roasted nuts, toffee, and a hint of chocolate. Flavor is nice and toasty, rich, malty with some dark fruit hints, and a little chocolate/cocoa on the finish. Nice balance, no indication of the 8% ABV. A very well done doppelbock, i could drink this anytime. First beer i have tried from Grand Teton and i am very impressed, i have a few others in the beer fridge that i am now excited to try.

GREEN DAY - DOOKIE As i woke up today, i heard on the radio that this was released 20 years ago today, so it made sense to listen to it i guess. This was their 3rd overall release, but their first on a major label and the record that made them huge. Still sounds as fresh today as when it was released. Classic album, everyone needs this one in their collection.

3 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes on bike