The Beer Geek

Nogne Brown Ale

2009-09-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

I know I have not posted in ages, but there wasn't a whole lot of new stuff to try lately... SIGH Florida sucks!

Wow! This stuff is Yummy!!!!! Chocolate and coffee :) Just when I thought it might be overly bitter for me it faded and left just a yummy goodness behind!
If you're into brown ales and find this stuff, definitely give it a shot!

Planning the day in The City.

2009-07-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

I'm going up to Jersey in August, and a friend of mine and myself are planning on going into the city. I spent a while researching my beer plans for NYC. During my research I found what seems to be a kick ass place, Rattle 'n' Hum. They have 40 craft beers on tap. A number of which I've never had before, which rules! Most importantly though they have 2 Dogfish beers Ive been waiting to try on tap for ages, the Indian Brown and their Raison D'Etra!! It shall be a day of walking, eating and drinking beer! It will be four days away from Florida that have been greatly needed, for a WHILE! I can't wait! :)

http://www.rattlenhumbarnyc.com/

Snapped out of my funk...

2009-06-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

It seems I needed someone to snap me out of my funky way of allowing people to hold me back from a bit of freedom, in a way by making me feel so needed because of their multiple fears they have. I was reminded I really didn't have anything holding me where I am located, in Saint Augustine, Florida. And then asked why are you here? Maybe its become a comfort zone in itself. I feel needed, I have some good friends here. Which I would definitely miss. But just adjusting my way of thinking of things has freed me up a bit emotionally.

Thanks to Tink n Hoop, for this weekend, and Tink for insightful way of looking at things!
Not to forget Hoop for making me LOL frequently! Thanks, I definitely needed it.

HeBrew Jewbelation Twelve

2009-05-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

12th anniversary ale made with 12 malts and 12 hops, also 12%!

WOW! Dark and very yummy!
I am not one to usually like something this dark. It has some characteristics of a stout. To me its like a black coffee with a bit of dark chocolate in it. The bitterness is "contained" and by that I mean its not over powering. It also seems to fade during the finish. I think its wonderful! Its hard to believe its 12%!

Wells Banana Bread Beer

2009-05-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

No, you're not seeing things.

And its made with real bananas! I think its actually a pretty good fruit beer! The banana isn't very sweet. Which is a good thing, certain fruit beers I like sweet, like a nice refreshing cherry beer. But, if this was sweeter I think it would be more like a soda, than a beer. The taste begins with banana then goes a bit bitter then back to banana. It actually has an even stronger banana flavor as it warms up! Then towards the end it, had a bit of a dry finish. Overall, it was a fine beer. But, as with most fruit beers, I couldn't handle more than a couple.

More to tastings to come shortly. I spent TOO MUCH at Total Wine today...

On the beer front

2009-05-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

News on the beer front has been very slow lately... to my total dismay!
One thing that has happened is that I have found a small supply of the golden one, Midas Touch! 16 bottles of it will be mine sometime this week! Yeah!! I may go on a search for something unknown this weekend. Its really too bad the bottled stuff at places like JP Henley's and Rendezvous, in St Augustine are so bloody expensive! Ive paid A LOT for a few beers in Rendezvous, because I REALLY wanted them! Maybe I will drive up to Jacksonville to Total Wine, but if I do I better bring limited funds so I don't go too crazy! Another option is a friend of mine in New Jersey that I reconnected with recently. The store he goes to ships to Florida! Nice huh!? That put a smile on my face when he told me that!

So Tink, should I put a 4 pack or two on the side for you and Hoop?

Changes in the air

2009-04-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is. But, I smell some changes in the air.
For one, I've been getting back in touch with some old friends of mine, back in Jersey on facebook. Ive been looking at some pictures of some people and some of the old places I used to hang out at up north. Kinda makes me homesick for a visit! Talking to my brother couple of times lately, is also making it tough. I haven't seen him in over 3 years... My roommate and myself have been talking about moving. Which is good because we have been dealing with rats in the apartment, off and on since January?
One coworker of mine just had her first girl too! Congrats!

Of course I could be looking into this too much. Just call it a gut feeling.

It's a good thing I can type...

2009-04-27T00:21:00.000-07:00

Well, Friday, I took the first sick day I've taken in over 6 years... That's right, 6 YEARS!
And now, I'm thinking I will have to get up in the morning and go to the stupid doctor! Which I haven't done in ages. All because I can't talk... Yup, Laryngitis, of all things. I have tried water with Apple Cider Vinegar, vitamins, juices, sinus medications, throat lozenges, etc. Nothing seems to be helping me! I really don't want to take off Monday but I may have to. **SIGH**

sigh...

2009-04-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I'M SICK! My head hurts (sinus pressure), body hurts, on and off fever...
During the night I went from fever right to I AM FREEZING!

SIGH!

Breaking my Linux virginity

2009-04-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

I've stayed away from the dreaded Linux OS for years now.
Someone at work has a pc that had a 30 day copy of XP on it, which expired long ago, and doesn't work. I decided to help him out and attempt to venture out into totally unknown territory! Scary, yeah I know! So far I've been able to install it. The first problem came up, when I could see anything up but the desktop's wallpaper. No icons, no menus! ACK! After some time messing with it I went to bed, and started searching online in the morning for an answer. Then, I thought how I had to adjust the screens width when it started up so I thought about the vertical height of the desktop, and moved the cursor to the top of the screen. And the cursor disappeared! After adjusting the vertical height! The drop menus appeared! I felt like such a dumbass! LOL

God, help me! :)

Next, step going online with Linux! rut roh...

News Flash Florida:

2009-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Winter is NOT over yet!
Global warming or ice age?

Tuesday 61 high/38 low
Wednesday 65 high/45 low

Welcome to Florida???

I finally did it!

2009-04-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

I know its been a while, since my last post but I really didn't have much to say...
Wake up, eat, work, eat, come home, eat... lol

I finally did it! I got my Xbox360 Pro! I love it!

What have I been doing since then? Well, silly, playing Halo 3! Of course!
Is there anything else to do? haha

Not much in the way of new beers lately... I have one to try though, Samuel Adams Imperial Series, Double Bock. I'll post the review soon.

Nothing really new to speak of...

2009-03-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get completely bored... like I am now.
Work is boring, when I get home its tv and the internet. What else is there to do at 11:30 or so in the oldest city? NOT MUCH! lol Anyway, enough griping...
I'm highly considering going to the seafood festival Saturday! Good food and probably looking good on the weather front! I also need to find myself a good PC game to start playing... Maybe a nice FPS game. This evil facebook game Mafia Wars has sucked my life away!! I'm not sure but I think I have Tink to thank for that one! But I need to get outside and go for a walk on the beach tomorrow too... I dunno, but I am tired and its time for me to jump into bed. Maybe I'll find some new beer to try tomorrow too! :)

Some of my favorite beers

2009-03-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

I figured it was about time to put together a little list of some of my favorite beers, in no particular order.

Chimay Grande Reserve
Is principally distinguished by its character of a strong beer. This is a beer whose fragrance of fresh yeast with a light, flowery rosy touch is especially pleasant. Its flavour, noticed when tasting it, only accentuates the pleasant sensations perceived in the aroma , while revealing a light but pleasant touch of roasted malt. This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurised.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Etre
A deep mahogany ale brewed with beet sugar, green raisins, and Belgian yeast. As complex as a fine red wine. 36 IBU - available year round, 12 ounce bottles & draft - Descriptors: Notes of pit fruit, decadent, winey, raisiney, malty

Dogfish Head Midas Touch Golden Elixir
A beverage based on the residue found on the drinking vessels in King Midas' tomb. Our recipe highlights the known ingredients of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. Somewhere between a beer, wine and mead, this smooth, dry ale will please with Chardonnay or I.P.A. drinker alike.

Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
Big Brown Ale aged on palo santo wood from Paraguay. This beer is a 12% abv, highly roasty, and malty brown ale aged on the wood of the Palo Santo tree from Paraguay. Palo Santo means "holy tree" and it's wood has been used in South American wine-making communities. We were lucky enough to get our hands on 20 blocks of the super-dense wood and the wood was added to the ageing tank after fermentation.

St Bernardus 12 Apt
The absolute top quality in the hierarchy of the St. Bernardus beers. It is also the beer with the highest alcohol content (10.50 %). A dark ivory coloured beer with a high fermentation. The show piece of the brewery. Thanks to its soft and unconditionally genuine aroma, the beer can be smoothly tasted. The Abt has a very fruity flavour.

Spaten Oktoberfest
Amber in color. This medium bodied beer has achieved its impeccable taste by balancing the roasted malt flavor with the perfect amount of hops. Having a rich textured palate with an underlying sweetness true to tradition.

Smithwick's Ale
Smithwick’s is Ireland’s number one ale. Its exceptional taste, distinctive colour and purity of ingredients make it unique. Its rich, satisfying taste has earned it five gold medals in the famous Monde Selection Beer Tasting Competition. Smithwick’s is produced using the finest hops and special roasted, malted barley.

North Coast Old Stock Ale
It’s brewed with classic floor-malted Maris Otter Pale Malt and Fuggles Hops imported from England, so it’s a beer to be served proudly. Like a fine wine, North Coast’s Old Stock Ale is intended to be laid down. With an original gravity of over 1100 and a generous hopping rate, Old Stock Ale is well-designed to round-out and mellow with age. North Coast Brewing Co. Old Stock Ale is a vintage dated ale.

Ommegang Three Philosophers Ale
The essence of wonder is a unique and masterful blend of strong malty ale and authentic Belgian Kriek. Our philosophers deduce that this powerful marriage of cherries, roasted malts, and dark chocolate will only achieve more wisdom and coherence as it broods in the dark recesses of your cellar

Yuengling Traditional Ale
A lager famous for its amber color and medium-bodied flavor. This true original promises a well balanced taste with a distinct character.

My main session beers (beers you drink when you drink more than just a few):
Yuengling
Spaten Oktoberfest
Dos Equis Special Lager

The Beast Feast

2009-03-02T07:14:00.001-08:00

Well, I'd have to say that overall the Beast Feast at UF was an overall success and a joy to go to! They had more meat than I had ever hoped would be there! Elk, venison, buffalo, water buffalo (which is not the same thing as a buffalo, I've found out!), python, gator, etc. They had a good band that played classic rock, 80s rock, and possibly some country. The problems came into play when they were replacing some of the meat, they didn't have enough labeling going on. So after a while you were wondering what meat was in there... Also, they had the students cooking the meat and much of it was definitely over cooked. Some of the meat that should have been medium was well done. Other than that, it was a great success I'd say! Hopefully next year they can get some good cooks involved because, we will definitely be going back to Gainesville for next years event!

Oh, one last piece of info... While eating some of the venison, I found what I thought was a bone. But it wasn't... It was a pellet from the buckshot! Leave it to me to find the only piece of buckshot in the meat! LOL

The Beast Feast

2009-02-24T11:03:00.001-08:00

Ive been invited Saturday to something I think I can really sink my teeth into...

UF Wildlife Society to host 25th annual 'Beast Feast'

About 400-500 pounds of alligator, venison, wild hog, green iguana, ostrich, snakes and other animals will be smoked and sautéed into stew, chili and spaghetti. Water buffalo tongue and Watusi, an African cow, will also be served. All of the meat was donated by hunters, ranches and farms throughout Florida and was harvested under state regulations, Tanner said. Vegetarian dishes and desserts will also be served.

I like the idea of eating exotic meats. I have had some of the not so exotics, like bison and venison. But, I always enjoy the opportunity to eat some, when it arises! Many of them, like venison and bison, are a lot better for us then beef too. Especially after what the companies do to our beef these days, hormones, chemicals, not to mention cloning issue. I'm not so sure about the tongue part though!

The friend that got us the tickets said that some of the animals they got for this are actually invasive species like some of the snakes they were picking up from the keys last weekend.

I am definitely looking forward to this!
Being in Gainesville though, I know what to expect if there is any beer on site... SIGH
But it at least keeps wonderful people working like Tink, so I will just have to do my part and suck it up... LOL

Vista doesnt completely suck... after all...

2009-02-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Well, other than a broken cpu cooler, the pc build went without a hitch! And when it came to connecting to the internet, surprise surprise! Vista found the satellite connection all on its own!
The the next night I got the bright idea of running my friends software for his keyboard and the keyboard and mouse no longer worked! After 15 minutes and a system restore it was working again! No more bright ideas for me thank you!

Vista round 1

2009-02-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

I am going to build my second PC today. Which doesn't scare me, its pretty straight forward stuff.
Building it isn't the issue. But, installing Vista Ultimate is! Its the first time I am messing with it, and I just hope everything goes well! I'm mainly concerned about getting it to the net over their satellite connection. I think messing with vista is kinda like, taking a leap of faith! haha Like when God says to do something that isn't the usual way of doing things LOL

Well, I'm about to jump off this cliff... ;)

Dogfish's Red and White, Unibroue's Terrible

2009-02-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

I was a little disappointed by the Dogfish Red and White. It is a amber colored Belgian wit which is unique, since most wits are lighter colored. It has much of the usual flavors for this style. But, since it is fermented with grape juice, I expected more fruity flavor from this brew. Don't get me wrong it is a fine beer, but, I personally just expected a little more uniqueness. Especially since it comes from Dogfish. I have read other ratings on this brew that note a lot more fruit flavor in the it, so its possible that it is the batch.

The Unibroue Terrible on the other hand, was anything but what its name may lead you to believe. Its a bit darker than I expected. As usual with Belgian style brews it has a good amount of carbonation to it. For me it was like they took a fine Belgian ale and mixed it with a very nice brown ale. Since, I wasted two days before writing this, I am going to drink it again. That way I can give a better description of this wonderful concoction.
I would advise anyone into good beer to give this one a try!

Commercial description
La Terrible is a dark brown beer on lees and is part of a collection of exotic and refined Unibroue beers brewed using 100% natural raw materials. It may be drunk as an aperitif or as an after dinner digestive. It is equally a perfect accompaniment to the above-mentioned dishes or a pleasant alternative to coffee.

A little deeper info

2009-02-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

I am a bit of a beer connoisseur although some would rather call me a beer snob. Ive drank probably 200-300 different beers from around the world (but I have nothing on my, 850 + different beers, roommate). Belgian beers, at the moment, are my favorites. Some beers I've aged for over a year in my fridge. The beer fridge as we like to call it. Yes, you can actually age some high percentage alcohol beers (7-13%+).

Some of my favorite breweries are:
Chimay (Belgium)
Dogfish Head (Delaware)
Spaten (Germany)
North Coast (California)
St Bernardus (Belgium)
Unibroue (Canada)

In fact, I even turned the infamous Tink and Hoop unto some Dogfish Midas Touch, which is made with grapes, honey and saffron.

Also, unless there is nothing else around I DO NOT drink Anheuser Busch, Miller, Coors, etc.
But I will say that the American Ale from AB/Inbev is tasty.

From time to time I will also put some tech toys on here, like Tink's Etsy listings, but for the geeky crew. I may also talk give some basic "cellering" trip for aging beers that I pick up along the way.

And I also plan on getting in on WWC at times too.

My first new beer tasting should be Dogfish Head's Red and White which is described as:
A big, Belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in Oregon Pinot Noir barrels, and another fraction is aged on oak staves. The beer is blended together before packaging. This has been one of our most popular Limited Edition beers at both our Rehoboth Beach, DE brewpub and at festivals. It successfully marries the refreshing citrusy qualities of a Belgian-style white beer with the robust complexity of a bold red wine.

Opening Soon...

2009-02-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

As I have been bugged for a while now by someone who will be nameless, (Tink) I am finally beginning to work on a blog or maybe even two! Thank you, Tink for those many kicks in my backside!
The main points of this blog will be two of my loves: Great Beer (probably food too), and Tech toys. And after I get this down pat I will be throwing in another of my loves that Tink has reawakened, Photography.

So, Tink, now that I am here, when do the classes begin? LOL