October 31, 2013

STONE BREWING CO. - ENJOY BY 11-12-13 IPA  This double IPA limited release came in a 22oz bottle and is 9.4% ABV. This series they brew fresh and get it to market fast, its not designed to last, but to enjoy while fresh. Great aroma. Big smell of pine, floral hops and sweet citrus, smells just like a IPA should. Taste doesnt dissapoint either, follows the nose for the most part. Highly reccomended, one of the best IPAs i have tried. Same beer as i tried on 9-10-13,  but that one was labeled "Enjoy By 09-13-13". They make thse quite often and just change the name based on when it was brewed. If you like IPAs and see any of this series, grab them, you wont be sorry.

KID ROCK - DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE  This is the album that brought Kid Rock to the big time. Great mix of rock and rap. His band is tight and this album is all about having fun. I'm sure most of you have heard it, so i dont have much else. Favorites: Bawitdaba, Cowboy, I Am The Bullgod, Welcome To The Party, Somebodys Gotta Feel This, Fist Of Rage, Only God Knows Why, F-ck Off, and Black Chick White Guy.

1 mile on treadmill

October 30, 2013

FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY - DIRTY BASTARD  Malt smells dominate, mostly caramel and toffee. Great taste, sweet caramel malts, toffee, dark fruits, and a little chocolate. A little bitter finish keeps this nicely balanced. It has a 8.5 ABV, that i didnt notice at all. Excellent beer. Rich and complex, this is a great Scottish Ale.

FOUNDERS BREWING COMPANY - BREAKFAST STOUT Whoa! This is probably one of the top 5 beers i have tried in the last 8 months. Great smell, roasted malts with chocolate and coffee. Nice complex taste. Coffee up front, followed by some oatmeal and finishes with a chocolate aftertaste. The alcohol is only slightly detectable which is nice considering it is a 8.3 ABV. Perfectly balanced. Nice smooth creamy thick mouthfeel, i could drink this anytime.
Both these Founders were great, and i really enjoyed their Rubaeus this summer, i need to find their other offerings as the 3 i have tried have really impressed me

311 - LIVE  If you like the band, you know they put on a great live show. This is a pretty good representation of what seeing them live is all about. Tuen it up and have fun.

2.5 miles on treadmill and 30 minutes on bike

October 29, 2013

ALASKAN BREWING CO. - IPA  The smell consists of grapefruit, hints of pine and some other citrus. Slightly bitter , smooth, slight malt taste, not as hoppy as i was expecting. Nicely balanced. This is a very well done IPA, very drinkable.

ALASKAN BREWING CO. - WHITE Not much to the aroma, nothing really stands out to me; sweet malt and a little citrus. Flavor is better than the aroma. Nicely spiced, nice wheat malt backbone complimented by some orange and coriander. A nice easy to drink beer with character, worth trying.

ALASKAN BREWING CO. - WINTER  Label states its brewed with spruce tips.  Smell has some spices and some pine.  Taste almost has a berry flavor to it. Taste is unique, its kind of hard to pin anything down in it. Kind of a sweet berry taste with some spices. Nicely balanced, all i know is i really liked it. Best of the 3 Alaskans i tried tonight.

RANDY ROGERS BAND - TROUBLE  Great country band. Most probably have not heard of these guys, but you should. Tight band, great fun lyrics and lots of energy. Favorites: Fuzzy, Flash Flood, Trouble Knows My Name feat Willie Nelson,  and Shotgun.

3 miles on treadmill

October 28, 2013

GOOSE ISLAND BEER CO.  OKTOBERFEST  Another Marzen style Oktoberfest beer, love this time of year. Aroma is caramel malts and some  grassy hops with a littlefruit hint. Nice flavor, standard for style: caramel, toffee, but has some sweetness from the fruits. Nice. This is a little unique Oktoberfest with the fruit, but i really enjoyed it. Well done, could pound a few of these no problem.

SAM KINISON - HAVE YOU SEEN ME LATELY?  Great comedy album, still has me smiling thinking about it. Sure wish i could find his debut, but it is out of print. I know i have it stored away somewhere on cassette though. This album really went big due to his remake of  the song Wild Thing. The video was great too. RIP Sam.

1 mile on treadmill

October 27, 2013

JACOB LEINENKUGEL BREWING COMPANY - HOPPIN' HELLES  Starts with some citrusy hops and some piney and floral aspects. The taste is floral with some citrus and pine. Not sure i have ever had a Helles style beer before, but from what i can tell this seems more like a pale ale. Not really sure it hits the style it is supposed to be, but as it is, its refreshing and drinkable.

JACOB LEINENKUGEL BREWING COMPANY - CANOE PADDLER  Kolsch style beer, but with the addition of rye. Very minimal smell, nothing stands out, maybe a little citrus. Light grainy taste with a touch of citrus, but not much there. Not enough flavor for me, goes down ok, but not something i would look for again.

JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS - UNVARNISHED  Newest offering from Joan Jett, came out about a month ago and is the first new studio record in 7 years. Band really sounds good and Joan still rocks as usual, even at the age of 55.  Nothing new here, just great songs in her rocking style. One of the better albums she has put out lately. Pretty solid top to bottom, while her last few albums seemed to have too many throw away songs on them. Glad i picked this one up.

3 miles on treadmill

October 26, 2013

BALLAST POINT BREWING COMPANY - PALE ALE  Smell has some hops, bread, corn and lemon. Good citrus in the taste, moderate hops, and a little grass.  Kind of sweet. Not bad, just doesnt really seem like a pale ale to me, more of a kolsch style beer.

BALLAST POINT BREWING COMPANY - LONGFIN LAGER  Not much to the aroma, some malts and a hint of lemon. Taste is light and mild with some malts, but overall not much there, pretty bland. Decent lager, but just average. Would i drink it again? Yes. Would i buy it again? Probably not.

BALLAST POINT BREWING COMPANY - CALICO AMBER ALE  The aroma is full of sweet caramel malts and just a hint of some piney hops. Taste is caramel and toffee with a little pine. Delicious and nicely balanced and real easy to drink. Really nice example of the style, one of the better ones i have tried. My favorite of the 3 Ballast Point beers i tried ronight.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND - PERFECTION AT LAST!-PHILADELPHIA 5TH NIGHT  This is a bootleg from a concert on September 17, 1984. It was night 5 of 6 at the Spectrum in Philadelphia during the Born In The USA tour. Great recording, the sound quality is amazing, could almost be a commercial release. Great setlist and a fun listen, as always Bruce puts on a great show.

4 miles on treadmill, 30 minutes on bike

October 25, 2013

LIFT BRIDGE BREWING CO. - CHESTNUT HILL BROWN ALE  The aroma has a faint nutty smell with some spicy notes, most noticeable is cinnamon. Taste is a little sweet and malty with a little caramel and a little bit of cinnamon and spices. The flavors could be a little more pronounced. Just an average brown ale, certainly not bad, but just doesnt stand out.

LIFT BRIDGE BREWING CO. - CROSSCUT PALE ALE  At first you get some citrus and floral hops, but then some grapefruit takes over. Nice. The taste has grapefruit and citrus hops with caramel malts: nicely balanced. A pretty good pale ale, the hops dont dominate like so many of them, very drinkable.

LIFT BRIDGE BREWING CO. - MINNESOTA TAN  The label says "Belgian style Tripel fermented with raspberries. A complex and tart beer thats wonderfully pink, reminiscent of a Minnesota Tan." I like that. Has a fruity nose and some wheat too. Taste has a fruity berry flavor, a little on the tart side though. Overall, nicely balanced, the alcohol is hidden well, and i think its around 8% ABV. Not too sweet and not too sour. I really liked this one best of the 3 Lift Bridge beers i tried tonight.

AC DC - LET THERE BE ROCK  Not much better than AC DC with Bon Scott. Great stuff. Classics: Dog Eat Dog, Let There Be Rock, Problem Child, Hell Aint A Bad Place To Be, and Whole Lotta Rosie. And the other 3 aernt bad either.

1 mile on treadmill