US Loses to Italy 3-1

The USA took the field today to play Italy in the FIFA Confederation Cup and came up short 3-1. While this is certainly a disappointment, there were a few bright spots throughout the game: The US lead at half-time and generally playing toe-to-toe with the Azzurri while at even strength. The red card changed the composure of the game, as fatigue finally overwhelmed the Americans. Overall, here is my reaction to the game:

1. Giusseppe Rossi has turned out to be a tremendous talent and a tremendous loss for the United States. His goals were stunning, especially the last one, as it was struck on the up-bounce. That is a very difficult ball to strike, and Rossi expertly finished.
2. Why is Ricardo Clark still getting a National Team call up? I have never been a fan of Clark, and I do not foresee ever being a fan. Even as a player on the Houston Dynamo, Clark is reckless and always seems to be out of place, usually fouling to regain the advantage after being outclassed by a player. This played out today with his (arguably soft) red card.
3. Landon Donovan continued to be clinical in his finishes from the penalty spot. When Donovan takes a PK, it is a guaranteed goal.
4. I imagine that practice over the next two days is going to require the midfielders to mark players when they are about 30 yards from goal. Two goals were given up from that distance and there was nothing Tim Howard could do to stop them, as he was screened from the shooter. Pressure needs to be applied to the ball carrier in the final two-thirds of the field.

So what do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Think the US will get ANY points in this tournament, with Brazil and Egypt left on the schedule?

Ithaca Pale Ale

I picked up an Ithaca sampler pack, so this is the first post of several related to that sampler pack. My first beer in the pack is the Pale Ale. The aroma is very floral, hinting at the hops to come in the beer. It has a nice dark amber color with a soft head. The taste is sweet due to the malt, but a clean and crisp after taste with a slight bite due to the hops. The Pale Ale reminds me of its counterpart brewed by Troegs. The alcohol content is 5.8% ABV. It is a refreshing summer beer and I highly recommend it for those warmer months.

Kostritzer Schwarzbier

My boy Matt basically put a bottle of Kostritzer Schwarzbier [Note: no website found] in my shopping basket at the beer store in New Jersey, so I decided to buy it. This beer is a black lager, and while not totally fitting for summertime, I decided to try it anyways. The pour is very dark, almost black, and very opaque. There is a strong malt aroma with it, almost chocolate-like. The taste is sweet with a nutty after taste. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. This beer is highly recommended for any day, but would be very comforting in the cooler months.

Dogfish Head Black & Blue

I realize that I have been on a bit of a Dogfish Head kick lately, but they do make some quality beers. I picked up a bottle of the Black & Blue. The Black & Blue is fermented with black raspberries and blueberries. I poured the beer into the glass, and noticed the reddish tint of the beer. It has a fruity smell, almost like a wine. As for the taste, it is a bit tart. I would have expected a little bit sweeter, but it leaves a dry after taste in your mouth, similar to a dry wine. The hints of black raspberries and blueberries are subtle. The alcohol content is 10% ABV, and is very noticable in the taste. Overall, the Black & Blue is not a bad beer, but it does not rank among my favorite Dogfish Head brews.

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

I saw an article on my Google Reader referencing Dogfish Head Immort Ale, so when I was in New Jersey, I decided to pick up a bottle to give it a try. It has a dark brown color when poured and the aroma includes some vanilla with a hint of the alcohol content. You can tell this is a strong beer from the aroma. When drinking it, you can tell that that the barley was smoked, but it has a sweet after taste due to the vanilla content. The alcohol content is 11.0% ABV, so it has the ability to knock you off your feet if you drink too much. I enjoyed this beer, as it has several layers of taste, making it very dynamic.

Penguins = Stanley Cup Champions!

Remember my post how Pittsburgh could be the ONLY city to ever hold the Lombardi Trophy and the Stanley Cup at the same time? Well, tonight it came true and remember where you read that fact first. I love the City of Pittsburgh!

By the way, as they won the cup, the song "We Made It" by Busta Rhymes with Linkin Park came on the stereo and I felt the lyrics were appropriate:

Together we made it

We made it even though we had our backs against the wall

Perfect for a victory for the underdog!

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

I picked up a bottle of Unibroue Tois Pistoles when I was in Jersey. I decided this would be my beer for the start of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The pour reveals a very thick head with a slightly fruity aroma with some chocolate hints. The beer taste sweet at first, with a slightly tart after taste. This beer reminds me somewhat of Troegs Mad Elf, so if you like that, you will enjoy this beer. The alcohol content is 9% ABV.

Rock Art Brewery Golden Tripple

When I poured the Rock Art Brewery's Golden Tripple, I noticed the excellent dark amber color with a decent amount of carbonation. You can smell the aromatic hops after the pour, which is very enticing. The taste has a bit of a bite, but it is not all from the hops. Some of the bite comes from the ginger that is added during the brewing process. I found this beer to stand out from a lot of beer, and I would definitely try again. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV.

Dogfish Head Midas Touch

I picked up a four-pack of the Dogfish Head Midas Touch. The beer pours a light amber color and the aroma of grapes is immediately present. It almost reminds me of a white white. The Midas Touch tastes very sweet with a slightly dry after taste. I am a big fan of this beer, as the honey accents the overall flavor. The alcohol contents is 9.0% ABV, so it also has a bit of a kick.

Futurama Returns

According to Entertainment Weekly, Futurama has been resurrected by Comedy Central. 26 new episodes have been ordered due to the strong performance of the DVD sales and reruns on Comedy Central. This parallels how Family Guy came back. I am thoroughly excited about new episodes of Futurama. Thank you Comedy Central.

Summit Maibock

I recently picked up a six-pack of Summit Brewing Company's Maibock. This came at the recommendation of the employee behind the counter at the distributor in New Jersey. With the pour, the beautiful amber color is present, with a light creamy head. The aroma is sweet and malty. The taste follows suit, a little sweet but refreshing. There is a complimentary hop after taste that balances the beer perfectly. The alcohol content is 6.7% ABV. I believe this beer is excellent for sitting outside on the warmer days of spring and summer.

J.J. Bitting Brewery Company

While in Jersey, I stopped by J.J. Bitting Brewing Company in Woodbridge. According to BeerAdvocate.com, this is the #2 rated beer pub in the United States, and #1 in New Jersey.

The first beer I had was the Raspberry Wheat Ale. The aroma of the beer is filled with raspberry, but the raspberry flavor is subtle and complimentary, not overpowering. The Raspberry Wheat Ale is very clean and refreshing. Overall, it was an enjoyable beer, especially during the summer time. The alcohol runs at 4.2%.

I also tried the Avenel Amber. When the beer was delivered, the caramel aroma was very noticable. The caramel malt was also very noticable in the flavor of the beer. A soft hop after taste rounded out the flavor the beer. All in all, this beer had a beautiful color and was very smooth to drink. I think this beer could go over very well with the general public. The alcohol content is 4.7% ABV.

I highly recommend checking out J.J. Bitting Brewing Company when you are in New Jersey. There were so many other beers on their brewing list that I would like to try. I expect to make a return trip soon.

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.

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.