Saturday, June 6, 2009

A Night at the Office


I'm in New Jersey for the Nine Inch Nails- Jane's Addiction concert (NIN|JA tour 2009) and we decided to hit Morristown Friday night for some drinks and social situations. We chose to go to The Office, as it has a decent selection of beers on tap and an extensive bottle selection.

The first beer I had was Rammstein Maibock. It has a nice dark amber color. The Maibock taste sweet, with a malty after taste. There is a minor hop bite, but it is very subtle and complimentary. The alcohol content runs between 6-6.5% ABV. I thoroughly enjoy the smoothness of this beer and considered getting a second glass, but there were so many more beers to try.

The second beer I ordered was Southern Tier Mokah. My only complaint is that the bar did not fill the entire glass. This beer was fantastic. It had a wonderful coffee and chocolate aroma. The head was frothy. The beer was very sweet and full of flavor. It almost reminded me of an Arby's Jamocha milkshake. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor experience of the Mokah and would highly recommend this beer. The alcohol content is 11.0% ABV.

Thirdly, I ordered a pint of Leffe Blond. This beer was very round in its flavor and smooth to drink. The taste had a hint of bananas in it. I thought that it was a little sweet, but all in all it was easy to drink. The alcohol content is 6.6% ABV.

The final beer ordered for the evening was a Samuel Smith's Taddy Porter. [Note: No Samuel Smith's website exists] The chocolate accent in the porter was very noticeable and very appreciated. The beer has the taste of dark chocolate, making this an excellent porter. The beer was a little thick and was somewhat dry, but not to the detriment of the beer. I was very impressed with the Taddy Porter, as I usually am with Samuel Smith's brews. The alcohol content of the beer is 5.0% ABV.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Saranac Rye Pilsener

The sixth and final installment from Saranac in the 12 Beers of Summer sampler pack is the Rye Pilsner. The beer pours very light and is almost clear. It has a very interesting floral aroma that doesn't hint at rye. It is not as dry as some of the other rye beers that I have had and actually drinks pretty smoothly. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. There is only a slight bitterness to this beer and was much better than I expected. I saved this beer until last expecting the worst, but came out pleasantly surprised.

Saranac Pale Pale Ale

The fifth installment from Saranac in the 12 Beers of Summer sampler is the Pale Pale Ale. The name of the beer does not lie, as it is a very light amber color. It has a fresh floral aroma that smells very fresh. The flavor is very light and crisp with a noticeable amount of hop bitter after taste. However, the after taste is not overwhelming and very complimentary. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV. This was a very enjoyable summer beer that would pair very well with summertime foods.

Saranac Amber Wheat Ale

The fourth beer from Saranac in the 12 Beers of Summer sampler is the Amber Wheat Ale. As far as aroma, I really didn't pick up anything. I am a big fan of the color, a nice dark amber that definitely screams that it hasn't been filtered. The Amber Wheat Ale is sweet on the tongue and has a little hop bite to round out the experience. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. So far out of the pack,this is my second favorite beer to the Summer Ale.

Saranac Summer Ale

The third beer selected for tasting from Saranac our of the 12 Beers of Summer sampler pack is the Summer Ale. The floral aroma of the hops in this beers is excellent and it pours a nice caramel-colored amber. The taste is fantastic, sweet with a nice lemon accent. There are many levels of flavor with this beer. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV and the Summer Ale is highly recommended. I will look to purchase a full case of this beer in the near future.

Saranac Helles Lager

The second post for Saranac in the 12 Beers of Summer sampler is for the Helles Lager. This beer has a sweet aroma and pours a nice golden amber color. The taste is slightly dry, but very crisp and refreshing. There is a slight hops after taste that really enhances the experience. The alcohol content is 4.8% and this is a perfect summer time beer. 

Saranac Pomegranate Wheat

This post will be the first in a series of six related to Saranac, as I picked up the 12 Beers of Summer sampler pack. The first beer I tried is the Pomegranate Wheat.  The pour of the beer is excellent, as it has a very cloudy, unfiltered wheat beer look to it. It was difficult to pick up anything extraordinary in the aroma. I could only pick up the faint smell of hops. As far as taste, I wasn't overly impressed with the flavor, as the pomegranate is very faint. However, I wouldn't say this is a bad beer either. It drinks very smooth and tastes fresh. The alcohol content 4.7% ABV. I think with the addition of more pomegranate, Saranac could have added some more flavor and upped the alcohol content a bit.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Troegs Troegenator


As I mentioned in my previous post, I was unable to get a growler of Troegs Scratch 19, so I filled my growler with Troegenator instead. I've had this beer many times, but it occurred to me that I have not formally reviewed the beer on my blog. So here is goes, officially. 

Trogenator is one of my top beers. The quality that goes into this beer can be appreciated with each sip. This dark lager, which is a heavenly dark amber color, has an alcohol content of 8.2% ABV. There is a nice subtle spice associated with the beer, with an excellent after taste. The caramel aroma warms the nose and alarms you that this beer will have a little bit of bite. For anyone who has not had a Troegenator, I highly recommend gong out and getting one as soon as possible. It is a very smooth drinking beer, so many beer fans can enjoy. This beer does not disappoint, and it uses the highest quality of ingredients.

Troegs Scratch 19- Espresso Stout


I slipped down to the Troegs Brewery today. I went to the growler filling station with my growler and was disappointed to find out that they were out of the Scratch 19- Espresso Stout. Since I made the 5-minute journey to the brewery, I decided to fill my growler with Troegenator. When I received my growler back, I asked the guy working how long ago they kicked the keg. He said that I missed it by about 20 minutes, but there should be some left available for samples only at the bar.

I immediately went to the bar to at least have a try of this anticipated Scratch Series beer. Fortunately for me, there was some beer left for sampling. The Espresso Stout has an excellent coffee aroma with a nice dark color. The flavor has a very strong coffee taste with a nutty accent and a slight bitter after taste. It has a full, robust taste that keeps the taste buds piqued. The alcohol content is 9.5%. I enjoyed the beer, but not quite as much as Appalachian Brewing Company's Espresso Stout. However, I am very disappointed that I could not get a full growler of Troegs Espresso Stout and hope that this recipe makes it's way around again on the scratch list again.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Pittsburgh- A Champions First?


With the Penguins returning to the Stanley Cup finals, I reminisced to earlier this year when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. My mind then began to wander as to if any other cities ever have held the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup during the same season. Surprisingly, the answer is NO. There are two instances of close but no cigars:
  • The Steelers won Super Bowl IX in 1975, followed by the Flyers winning the Stanley Cup in 1975. This is the only time both trophies have been held in the same state in the same season.
  • The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup winning the Stanley Cup in 2004. This is the only time the trophies were awarded in back-to-back seasons in the same city.
With the above facts, no city has ever held the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup in the same season. The Penguins have a chance to put Pittsburgh in a category of its own. They face a difficult battle in facing the Detroit Red Wings, but the way that the Penguins are playing right now, I believe they have a great chance. Notice to the Pirates: If the Penguins win the Cup, you are on the clock...

Monday, May 25, 2009

Eel River California Blonde Ale

I stopped by a local distributor, Brass Rail, that is known for its great variety. After about 20 minutes of perusing the selection, I settled on California Blonde Ale from Eel River Brewing Company. This award-winning organic ale is very crisp and refreshing, excellent for the 83-degree Memorial Day holiday. The hops provide a nice bite without being too overpowering. The alcohol runs at 5.8% ABV (Note: this is the ABV printed on the label, but the website says 5.62%). The beer really tastes fresh due to the lack of preservatives, as it is certified organic. I recommend giving it a try. I also look forward to trying additional beers from Eel River Brewing Company.

Special 1 TV- Season 1 Episode 14


I might be going out later.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pete's Brewing Company Sampler Pack

Today I hit up the beer distributor and picked up the three-beer variety pack from Pete's Brewing Company. The three beers in the pack are Wicked Strawberry Blonde, Wicked Ale, and Wicked Rally Cap Ale.

I started with the Wicked Strawberry Blonde. This beer had a nice little hop bite with a great strawberry aroma. The strawberry flavor is not overpowering, but all-in-all it is a pretty good asset. I feel that this beer may be lacking one thing, but I cannot place it. However, do not let it hold you back from trying this beer. It is a quality, tasty beer and the alcohol content is 5.0%.

Secondly, I tried the Wicked Rally Cap Ale.  This beer is billed as a golden ale with natural lemon flavor. I feel the this beer has an excellent lemon accent. It does not taste like a lemon beer, but has the perfect undertone of lemon. The hops offer a perfect hop compliment and the beer finishes very smooth. The alcohol content is 5.3% and I thoroughly enjoyed this beer.

Finally I tried the Wicked Ale. When I poured the beer, I immediately noticed the beautiful brown color. The beer has a creamy aroma with a smooth creamy taste. Overall, the beer has an excellent flavor with an alcohol content of 5.5%. This is one quality beer.

Out of the variety pack, my favorite beer was the Wicked Rally Cap Ale. However, this is a quality sampler pack and I highly recommend it.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Linkin Park- New Divide


Check out the new Linkin Park song which will be a part of the Transformers 2 Soundtrack. On my first listen, I didn't like it too much. However, the second time I listened, I began to like it. I can see this song growing on me quickly. What do you think?

Sunday, May 17, 2009