Wow, what a week. Dominated the GMAT, repaired an oil leak on my car, worked out a lot after being out of the gym with too much GMAT studying, went out a few times for birthdays and what not, and read "Changes," the newest Dresden Files novel by Jim Butcher. AWESOME book yet again, a fact in which I had no doubt though it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger that will make this year's wait a lot worse than most until the next book comes out (for any Dresden fans, I hear the working name of the next novel is "Ghost Stories").

Anyway, Not sure if I've mentioned it on here before but this coming Thursday, I get to sample a bottle of Utopias, an extremely rare 27 percent ABV Sam Adams brew. You know that tingly feeling you got in your stomach just before you had your first kiss or something else like that... yea, well that is what I am getting when I think about drinking this brew. Very excited needless to say. Some buddies of mine will all be bringing a bottle of something nice and one is bring it! I think I'll bring a quad (maybe Sixth Glass or The Reverend).

Today, I am happy to be having Maximus IPA from Lagunitas. Maximus is an American double or Imperial IPA which Beer Advocate tells us about here: "Take an India Pale Ale and feed it steroids, ergo the term Double IPA. Although open to the same interpretation as its sister styles, you should expect something robust, malty, alcoholic and with a hop profile that might rip your tongue out. The Imperial usage comes from Russian Imperial stout, a style of strong stout originally brewed in England for the Russian Imperial Court of the late 1700s; though Double IPA is often the preferred name. You can thank west coast American brewers for this somewhat reactionary style. 'Thanks!'"

I've had this beer on several occasions (just like most of the beers I am starting out with in this blog) and it is one that you should not be drinking very cold. I would recommend 45-55 degrees or so, as the aroma and hop flavors really come out when it isn't so cod, but that is just a guess at around where I like to drink it as I do not keep a thermometer around. It pours copper with a low head that nonetheless coats the glass. The aroma has grapefruit, pine and those awesome citrus hops, all of which are present in the taste. The pleasant citrus-y hops stick with you well after the beer is gone. Though I do love the flavor, I think its fault is being a little too drinkable(That doesn't sound too bad you say? I'll explain, don't worry). As beer advocate explains above, these double IPAs should be ripping out your tongue and as bad as it sounds to some people, others look for the most bitter IPAs they can find in this style (myself included) and Maximus, like a ton of the brews in this style, could use a little more tongue ripping.

That said, I do love this beer and it probably sells to a larger audience due to the fact that everyone still has their tongue intact. It is funny though because though it may not mess up your tongue it is advertised to mess you up, "At the height of the heat in the heart of the summer, we felt the only cure was a raging mouthful of fresh Hops and Malt. Caution: May remove enamel from teeth." This is just an example of the hilarity that is on each bottle of Lagunitas various brews. They brew like brewers should, listing all their ingredients on each bottle, "Ounces and ounces of Malt, Hops, Yeast, and water." They keep it simple and I have yet to find a Lagunitas brew I do not like as in all of their beers, they are not stingy with the hops and are serious about brewing (their taproom is called The Beer Sanctuary). Also, check out their caps and most of their labels at that if you like dogs.

If you like Lagunitas, their pint glasses are only 2 dollars a pop if you use the number on their website (much cheaper than I have found with other brewers). Anyway, it's been fun but alas, it is time we say goodbye. Until next time, same beer time (not a guarantee) same beer place! Anyone hate winter or another season as much as I do?

Cheers!

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer. -Abraham Lincoln

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Hey everyone, I'm glad to see you again! Let me start today with a question to break the ice, what kind of drunk are you? You know the situation. You're at someone's place, a bar, a wedding, whatever..It doesn't matter who you are, after a certain amount of drinking everyone's personality changes in one way or another. I'm the guy that you can't tell is drunk unless you know me pretty well. I still make my rounds and talk to everyone and stay in a normal state of mind overall. My one give away is that if this is not my first time meeting you, you are probably going to get a hug, maybe two or more if you are lucky.

Well anyway, moving on... Today I am having Boulevard's Sixth Glass, a quad from their smokestack series with a great story behind it.

But first, Let us take a look at what Beer Advocate tells us about a quad (Quadrupel): "Inspired by the Trappist brewers of Belgium, a Quadrupel is a Belgian style ale of great strength with bolder flavor compared to its Dubbel and Tripel sister styles. Typically a dark creation that ranges within the deep red, brown and garnet hues. Full bodied with a rich malty palate. Phenols are usually at a moderate level. Sweet with a low bitterness yet a well perceived alcohol."

Thank you Beer Advocate, you are a delight. Compared with other high alcohol by value(ABV) styles such as Imperial Stouts or Barley Wines, well made quads are much more approachable to the casual beer drinker. Sixth Glass weighs in at 10.5 percent ABV. Truthfully this isn't like most of the quads out there, but who wants that? I like this one much better. it pours a deep copper with a nice tan head that laces the glass. The aroma hits me with plums, clove, some banana, and spice, more spice than other quads I frequent such as Avery's The Reverend. The flavor hits with a hearty dose of toffee with dark fruits like raisins and plum and then the whole experience ends with a nice clove and spice finish with the alcohol note (my favorite thing about it). The alcohol note lingers along with some of the spices a bit longer than other Quads, something that would probably change some after cellaring for a while.

Though admittedly a great beer, the story behind the name of this beer is even better. "Do you know what dwells in the glass?" asked Ole, an eccentric character in the short story "The Watchman of the Tower" by Hans Christian Anderson (linked is the section I am talking about but you can google the title to find the full short story). Each glass is spoken of in terms of what it does to a man when he drinks it. It is a very delightful and comical representation of the levels of drunkenness one goes through. The sixth glass is the last one that is mentioned:

"The sixth glass! Yes, in that glass sits a demon, in the form of a little, well dressed, attractive and very fascinating man, who thoroughly understands you, agrees with you in everything, and becomes quite a second self to you. He has a lantern with him, to give you light as he accompanies you home. There is an old legend about a saint who was allowed to choose one of the seven deadly sins, and who accordingly chose drunkenness, which appeared to him the least, but which led him to commit all the other six. The man's  blood is mingled with that of the demon. It is the sixth glass, and with that the germ of all evil shoots up within us; and each one grows up with a strength like that of the grains of mustard-seed, and shoots up into a tree, and spreads over the whole world: and most people have no choice but to go into the oven, to be re-cast in a new form."

If you check the photo, you'll see that there is a demon face on the front of the Sixth Glass bottle. It is a heavy beer so you will be pretty far gone if you have six glasses of this one. If you have time, read the whole section involving the glasses. HC Anderson is more famous for his less adult stories such as The Little Mermaid. Also, if you haven't yet, start trying the smokestack series beers. I promise you'll jump on the bandwagon, they are the real deal.

Cheers!

Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut. -Ernest Hemingway

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What's with mother nature and ensuring that I hate her?... I mean it has been on and off cold, teasing us with warm days here and there for a month now and right when the weather is getting to where you are like, "Hey! I'll break out my shorts and sandals, maybe run outside a bit (if I did that sort of thing) or observe nature as I drive around in my car with my sunroof back,"  the freaking spring showers start coming down on you, laughing the whole time cause we never expect it.

Well, been studying up for the GMAT... A little worried about taking the test but I'm sure it'll be fine. With this economy and after spending a lot of time applying for jobs with not too much luck, I figure I will get a part time job at a non-profit or something else that will look better than being a bartender or something and get my MBA. When I am done, hopefully the economy will be all better, the job market will be flourishing and (hell, while I am wishing for things that probably won't happen) I'll have won the lottery!

Baseball season is starting up! I always act excited as it is expected. And while I do catch Cardinals games when they are on, the season is so damn long that it doesn't get excited until the time Football is coming around and by then I am completely enthralled to my fantasy football league. It does however, get much better when you are drinking beer. You don't have to be a beer drinker to like baseball, but it helps.

I am having Boulevard's Tank number 7 tonight, a wonderful Farmhouse Ale from their smokestack series (full of good beers) for the first time! I hadn't been able to find it in St Louis until recently. Strangely, it is listed as a wheat wine on Beeradvocate.com so I am sure it holds those qualities. Either way, great stuff. If you are reading this and you are thinking about grabbing some, know that it is an ale that has much more taste and complexity when it isn't freezing cold.

I'm helping a good friend of mine move here from KC this weekend and I am pumped to have him. I don't know why, because there are a lot of guys from school that have moved here and are planning to move here but I feel as though I have sort of personally appointed myself to trying to get more of them here sort of like I am building a crew. Anyway, back to the beer of the post before I sample the Tank 7.

"Younger's Special Bitter" from a solid brewing companies, Rouge.

Younger's is an ESB (Extra Special Bitter) with 35 IBUs (International bitterness Units...they tell you how bitter a beer is going to be, to put it simply).

Beer advocate tells us that: "ESBs are essentially more aggressive and more balanced Bitters, both in alcohol and hop character, but nothing overpowering. Color range will be similar, though leaning towards the darker end of the scale; dark golds to copper. Low carbonation. Malts tend to be more pronounced, often toasty and fruity, with maybe some notes diacetyl. And despite "bitter" being in its name, ESBs are not really all that bitter. The key to an ESB is balance."

Well said my beer advocate friends. Younger's is a wonderful example of an ESB, very balanced. It pours a dark copper, slightly hazy with a small creamy head that leaves a bit of lacing on the side of the tumbler. It smells of sweet malts, caramel and a bit of fruitiness. It has a medium body with balanced carbonation, sweet maltiness, caramel notes on the side of the tongue that play off of the fruit notes and sweetness. Then a pleasantly hoppy finish with a light bitterness that makes you want to take another drink every time you put the glass back down. Outstanding brew overall and one that frequents my fridge.

Rouge is a brewing company that reaches most of the US with their brews and is helping lead the trend towards better beers that stay accountable for themselves. Their bottles not only house their great beers but they give you everything you need to know about the brew you are drinking on the bottle (the ingredients, a message describing them and the beer, tasting notes, food pairings and brewing specs). Another good thing to know about their beers as stated on their website is, "Preservative, additives, chemicals: Never! Rogue does not pasteurize its products." Rouge's motto is that they brew their beers "for the rouge in all of us" which I personally think is awesome.

Thanks for having a beer with me and I hope you had a good time or possibly learned something. Check out Rouge's website if you get the chance because it is by far the coolest/funniest brewer's website I've seen...with a close second being Schlafly because of their funny news feeds that have to do with their founder. But I'll get to them another day.

Cheers!

Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water. - W. C. Fields

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