Yeah, that’s me. The first guy.

Brewery: Bières de Chimay (Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmont), Belgium

Brewery Description: Named Cinq Cents in 75 cl (25.4 fl.oz.) bottles, this beer with its typical golden colour, its slightly hazy appearance and its fine head is especially characterised by its aroma which results from an agreeable combination of fresh hops and yeast.  The beer’s flavour, as sensed in the mouth, comes from the smell of hops: above all it is the fruity notes of muscat and raisins that give this beer a particularly attractive aroma.  The aroma complements the touch of bitterness. There is no acidity, but an after-bitterness which melts in the mouth.  This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurised.

Brew Style: Tripel, 8.0% ABV

Recommended Glassware: Snifter, Chalice.

The Ugly Truth: Chimay is great.  The basically make three beers: the Red, White and Blue.  And all are great beers.  Chimay White is probably the middle one for me taste wise since I prefer the Blue over the other two, but it is still good.  Poured a hazy golden/orange color, perhaps a bit more than it should have since I think I got some sediment off the bottom.  Chimay White displayed a strong, long lasting lacy head on it indicative of the style.  I found the aroma to somewhat spicy, with pungent citrus tones and little to no trace of floral hops.  There was a hint of malt, but overall it was very light compared to the other aromas present.  The body was light to medium light, with some moderate carbonation to it.  I found the flavor to have what I felt to be a slight peppery taste to it, but that also could have been sharp citrus.  A slight hops bitterness in the dry finish and aftertaste, which was fairly long lasting and melded well with the original flavors.  The moderately high alcohol taste was present, though very light in character in the overall experience.  Chimay White is a very good beer, one I highly recommend trying out for yourself if you’ve never had it.

Verdict: Chimay White grabs an 8 out 10 bottlecaps.

One would think we’d be better at posting these regularly. Obviously the answer to the question “How many brains does it take to keep a podcast going?” is greater than “three.”

Well, two-and-a-half, really. My brain is mostly non-functioning due to the alternating scenes of cute furry animals dancing and hot women… dancing… in my head.

 

 BostonGeek #107 [35:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (68)

Any comments or suggestions?
Email: Colin, Carl, Captain Damage
Skype: bostongeek
Voice: 1.617.418.4113

Production Engineer: Carl “Crazylegs” Reyes
Post-production/Editing: Colin “Rock N’ Roll” Rego
All music composed and recorded by Karl “King Kong” Kornfeld.

Brewery: Anchor Brewing Company, San Fransisco, CA

Brewery Description: “San Francisco’s famous Anchor Steam^®, the classic of American brewing tradition since 1896, is virtually handmade, with an exceptional respect for the ancient art of brewing. The deep amber color, thick creamy head, and rich flavor all testify to our traditional brewing methods. Anchor Steam is unique, for our brewing process has evolved over many decades and is like no other in the world.

Anchor Steam derives its unusual name from the 19th century when “steam” seems to have been a nickname for beer brewed on the West Coast of America under primitive conditions and without ice. The brewing methods of those days are a mystery and, although there are many theories, no one can say with certainty why the word “steam” came to be associated with beer. For many decades Anchor alone has used this quaint name for its unique beer. In modern times, “Steam” has become a trademark of Anchor Brewing.” (via http://www.anchorbrewing.com/)

Brew Style: California Common/Steam Beer, 4.9% ABV

Recommended Glassware: English pint, Stein, Dimpled mug, Pilsener

The Ugly Truth: Back again with another review, late as usual. But since that’s nothing new around this place, I figure its not a big deal. Alright, Anchor Steam Beer. I had it for the first time at Sunset Bar and Grill in Allston, MA. I liked it then, still like it now. Its just a really good beer for sitting around and drinking. Anchor Steam Beer presents with a nice hop aroma, leaning towards the earthy/woodsy end of things with some hint of minty qualities when breathed in deeply. The appearance is a nice amber color that is near crystal clear, with a beautiful off white head on it with long retention. Moderate carbonation rising from the bottom of the glass.

The overall taste is a malty flavor in the beginning that is faintly toasty. The taste is nothing strong, so it makes drinking it smooth. The body is medium light to medium with a mouthfeel that to me is larger than the aroma and taste would imply. The finish is pretty crisp and dry. Its around that point that a fairly strong hops profile begins to emerge, leaving a resinous sensation in the mouth with some lingering malt flavors. Its not overly bitter and it rounds out the beer nicely.

I personally really like Anchor Steam. It’s a bit different than the average pale or amber ale out there on the market. Not sure exactly what makes a steam ale a steam ale other than it supposed to feature northern brewer hops, but I’m a fan of the style. Good, solid drinking beer to have with friends, as is most of Anchor’s offerings. A definite one to try to see how you like it.

Verdict: Giving Anchor an 9 out of 10 bottlecaps.

Brewery: Appalachian Brewing Company, Camp Hill, PA

Brewery Description: “The Dortmunder-Export style of beer was developed in Westfalen, Germany, and is a classic light lager with great character. This style boasts a light golden blonde color and exhibits a moderate hop palate. The finish of our Mountain Lager is rich yet mellow.
Our brewers have developed this beer as a tribute to the Appalachian Mountains where we live and play.”

Brew Style: Dortmunder/Export Lager, 4.5% ABV

Recommended Glassware: Flute, Pilsner, Lager

The Ugly Truth: So I’m finally getting around to reviewing this beer. I’ve been dragging my feet on it since I didn’t like the first two bottles of it I had, so I wasn’t in a rush to drink the third and do the review. This is the second Dortmunder I’ve reviewed, the first being Baltika #7, so I’m not sure if this was really a bad beer or that I just don’t like the style. We’ll assume its a bad beer.

ABC Mountain Lager was just plain forgettable in every aspect for me. The aroma was rather undistinctive, with a low hops aroma, a bit of malty sweetness and overall a bit grainy to me. Good color though, displaying a clear burnished gold with a long lasting white head on it. I found the flavor to be bland. Neither the hops or the malt flavors dominate, which is according to the style, but even those flavors present were anything enjoyable. The mouthfeel was light-medium to medium with a moderate level of carbonation. To me the flavor seemed weak and slick overall. It was smooth, only because no strong flavors presented themselves throughout the taste. There was a touch of sweetness to the finish, that lingered a bit into the aftertaste. Overall, I think this beer lack pronounced flavor and crispness. I’m not a fan of this beer, though other sites have it rated fairly well (a B- on BeerAdvocate). Its possible that it may be the style isn’t to my liking, so again people should go give it a shot if they want to know for themselves.

Verdict: I’m going with a 5 out of 10 bottlecaps, with a 2 bottlecap error either way.

Actor Charlton Heston died Saturday night. Though often thought of as strongly conservative, he starred in a number of science fiction classics that were at the time considered rather edgy and were critical of conservative ideologies, most notably Planet of the Apes (1968), Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), The Omega Man (1971) and Soylent Green (1973).

He was 84. More here.

Brewery: Brouwerij Bosteels, Buggenhout, Belgium

Brewery Description: “Subtlety in a bottle. Refreshing as an aperitif And just as fuli of flavour and rich in aroma as a beer from heaven. That’s DeuS. A magnificent symbiosis of brewing a beer and creating a sparkling wine. Ideal for delighting your guests sometime as an unusual choice with the before-dinner nibbles and amuse-geules. And perfect if you have got something to celebrate. DeuS - truly the sparkling divine drink based on barley.”

Brew Style: Biere de Champagne/Biere Brut, 11.5% ABV

Recommended Glassware: Flute, Chalice

The Ugly Truth: I said it in an earlier post, but I’ll reiterate it here: I paid $28 for a pint 9oz bottle of this libation and it was worth every bloody penny. First off the bottle is more akin to a champagne bottle than a beer bottle. It is insanely thick and heavy for a pint 9oz bottle, foil top with wire cap over the cork and the dimple in the bottom. The little book you see in the picture is both a miniature brewing description and history of DeuS, as well as having instructions for proper serving. I’ve never has a beer that has had such detailed instructions, and in three languages. Here’s some close ups of the book (Side One, Side Two, Close Up). Instructions for proper drinking went as follows.

Step 1: Refrigerate 12 hours or more at 4 degrees Celsius.

Step 2: Chill in either an ice water bath for 15 minutes, or place in a freezer for 10 minutes. I went with the ice water bath.

Step 3: Pour into a chilled flute glass and enjoy.

And enjoy I did. Actually, by the end I had enjoyed it a bit too much. I’ve had beers around the same ABV before, but I have never had one sneak up on my and hit me in the head like this stuff did. I think it may have been the fact that you couldn’t pour the whole bottle at once, so you had to re-cork it and place back on ice. By doing that, you ended up drinking 6 glasses of it to go through the whole bottle and it really comes up on you towards the end.

The beer itself poured an intensely gorgeous gold in color with a champagne like head on it that dissipated rapidly. The head was pure white in color and very airy, reminiscent of champagne. There was a literal geyser of carbonation bubbles rising from the bottom of the flute glass, that left ripples on the surface as they rose. This made DeuS a fantastic aromatic experience since it the character of it was constantly being exposed through the bubbles. DeuS has a very light floral aroma to it with a touch of fruit, especially apples, mixed with honey. It was probably one of the most aromatic beers I’ve ever had in its intensity. I found the taste to be absolutely astounding. It was sharp on the tongue at first, and then quickly smooths out into this light bodied taste with a evanescent mouthfeel. The flavor is a bit sweet and somewhat dry in character, with a fruit and honey undertone coming through. The finish was lingering and dynamic, almost like the beer never found its way out of your mouth and just evaporated on the palate.

I found it nearly impossible to detect that this was 11.5% ABV when I tasted it. The alcohol is incredibly subtle and masked perfectly by the character of the beer. The only time I could notice it was in the aftertaste, which just reverberated the tastes. The flavors stay on the palette enough that when you breathe in and then out the nose, you get a retro-olfaction of the flavors involved. It reminds me a little of a saison in character but that’s only an approximation as its really quite different than anything I’ve ever had. The best frame of reference example I could provide is that DeuS is the polar opposite of Arrogant Bastard Ale in both appearance and character, while still tasting as incredible and unique as AB. If you can find this, I highly highly recommend that you go pick up a bottle. Try and enjoy it with a few friends, since its really not a good idea to try and down this by yourself. In reality, doing so would be a disservice to the beer and sharing the experience with others will only make this wonderful beer experience better. My wife had some with me, and while not a big beer drinker, she thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth the money for this beer.

Verdict: No question about it, 10 out of 10 bottlecaps.

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DeuS

Worth…every…bloody…freakin’…penny.

Review will be up Thursday or Friday

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Brewery: Latrobe Brewing Company (now Anheuser-Busch), PA

Brewery Description: “Ingredients: Water, malt, rice, hops, corn, brewers yeast.
From the glass lined tanks of Old Latrobe we tender this premium beer for your enjoyment, as a tribute to your good taste. It comes from the mountain springs to you.”

Brew Style: American Macro Lager, 4.6% ABV

Recommended Glassware: English pint, Lager, Shaker, Stein, Dimpled mug

The Ugly Truth: Yet again, another beer that is being reviewed solely because it was left in my fridge by a relative, this time my brother.  That being said, I probably drank several hundred cases of this stuff throughout college since even then I hated Bud/Miller/Busch/Natural Light/Keystone/etc etc.  So I was very interested to see what I thought of it now since my tastes in beer has changed so much.

It doesn’t horribly suck, but I don’t like it nearly as much as I used to.

Color is a straw yellow, with a white head on it that is substantial and on the airy side.  Looks to have lots of carbonation from the number of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass to the top.  It had the typical macro lager smell to it: a bit of hops, some biscuit malt and a hint of sweetness.  This also marks one of the few beers that I’ve had (that I know of) that actually has corn in it.  Bad enough its got rice as an adjunct, but corn?  The taste is a little on the sweet side for your typical lager, I’m guessing from the corn and rice.  It wins a point there because that helps make it moderately drinkable.  The body is light, but had a very flat mouthfeel which was surprising given the amount of carbonation coming off the bottom of the glass.  Finish is your typical clean lager one, helped along by the rice.  Aftertaste is pretty nonexistent.  The taste turned a bit acidic for me the further along I got and dulled any minor amount of enjoyment.  Overall, a bit different than the typical macrolager but not something I’d go for anymore personally.  Not a bad beer, but just not one I’m interested in anymore.

Verdict: Ol’ 33 falls short and only gets 5 out of 10 bottlecaps.

Side Note: I promise from here on out to get back to the typical micro/craft beers.  Up next is hopefully DeuS, which rang up at $28 for the 1 pint 9 oz bottle.  Supposed to be damn good stuff, and for that price I hope it is.

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Here’s a tip: Anime Boston is freaking HUGE! Register online ahead of time or you’ll be waiting five - yeah, five, maybe six - hours to register at the door. I was kinda on the fence about waiting that long to get in myself - I was expecting to spend all day and much of the night there anyway, but there was no way I was going to listen to [names deleted] complain for that long about how it was too long to wait and their feet hurt and they have sooo many things to do at home… And unfortunately, I’m way to shy to attend an event like that alone. So we had lunch across the street, where the Guiness was served too cold, and went back to the Hynes to hang in the common areas and take pictures of some truly impressive costumes.

You can see the pictures here: Anime Boston 2008 Album

I definitely recommend checking out Anime Boston next year. There’s no way I’m going to miss it! But again, register online ahead of time. There’s more to it than just the costumes.

More info at: AnimeBoston.com

Brewery: Schlitz Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI

Brewery Description:  “Our flavorful non-alcoholic beer for those moments when you want the taste of America’ best tasting beer without the alcohol content.”

Brew Style: Low Alcohol Beer, 0.5% ABV

Recommended Glassware: English pint, Shaker, Pilsner

The Ugly Truth: This one will be short and sweet again.   This beer was left in my fridge by my father, who for medical reasons isn’t allowed to drink beer again.  There’s a fantastic story behind it that some people know, but I’m not about to broadcast it.  Let’s just say its a feat of drinking prowess that I have no desire to try and top and leave it there.  Alright, Old Milwaukee NA.  First, its non-alcoholic beer so it has that against it.  Second its a macro-lager, which I’ve never been overly friendly to.  It poured a pale gold in color, actually had a nice color to it reminiscent of a pale lager or pilsner.  Large white head on it from the pour that dissipated slowly.  The aroma was typical of your mass produced lager: a little bit of hops and some cheap malt and not much else.  The taste wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either.  I’ve had better non-alcoholics before.  The taste was just average, with a light body and the faintest touch of hops.  When it was ice cold it tasted kind of refreshing, but got sour as it warmed.  The finish was clean, with minimal aftertaste.  Overall, its not horrible and the taste is pretty darn close to a macro-brewed American lager so I’ll give it points for that.  Overall, its not something I would buy on a regular basis, even if I was looking for a non-alcoholic beer.  There are better ones out there on the market such as Kingsbury Non-Alcoholic.

Verdict: I’ll give it an extra point for the replication of a beer flavor, which takes it up to a 5 out of 10

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Author Arthur C Clarke died today at his home in Sri Lanka. He was 90 years old. More here. Best known as the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he wrote on a number of subjects and is credited as the inventor of the geosynchronous satelite.

Dear Buddha,

It isn’t all that often that I write to you. I hope you aren’t offended. But, you see, when things are going pretty well for me… well, you know.

The thing is, I need to ask you for a favor. Please Mr. Buddha, do not let Troy Brown sign with Manginai and the Jets. Troy is a Patriot. Not just any Patriot, but possibly more Patriot than anyone that has come before him. In this age of free-agency, salary caps, and prima-donnas mugging for the camera, Troy Brown has been unique. He has signified everything that is right with pro sports, and none that is wrong. He is selfless, hard working, and humble.

He is a Patriot.

For him to end his career as a New York Jet would be … well, would be just plain wrong.

Please, Buddha, don’t let this happen. Talk some sense into Troy.

Oh, and I am still waiting for my pony and plastic rocket ship.

Thanks,
Colin

No go forth, use your God given and timely coincidence of the fact it is also Evacuation Day in Massachusetts to go get cop sluggin’ drunk. This sadly marks the 3rd year I’ve missed St. Patty’s in Boston and the annual Dropkick Murphys show. So here’s a DKM video to help kick it off.

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Now playing: Dropkick Murphys - Finnegan’s Wake
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Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Pi Day.

So, go home and eat Pi(e).

Brewery: The Fort Collins Brewery, Fort Collins, CO

Brewery Description: “Chocolate malt and roasted barley provide the dark color and fully body of chocolate stout. A phenomenal taste with unmistakable toasty accents, a luxurious mouthfeel and a seductive finish. A classic you should never be without.”

Brew Style: American Stout, 5.3% ABV

Recommended Glassware: English pint, Stein, Dimpled mug

The Ugly Truth: Alright, in all honesty this review is probably going to be somewhat lighter than normal since I just really didn’t find anything distinctive about this beer. It poured heavy and slick, with a thin brown head on it. Solid midnight black in color, with heavy chocolate notes in the aroma. The taste was pretty smooth, with a definite flavor of roasted grains and chocolate malt. The taste doesn’t really do a lot for me really. I found the chocolate to be on the bitter side, so it didn’t sit quite well. The beer had a medium body, and had a bit too much carbonation in it for my tastes as a stout. The finish had this indescribable…offness to it that I really just didn’t like. Same thing for the aftertaste, as I found it somewhat on the acidic side. It’s not the best chocolate stout I’ve ever had, but it wasn’t horrible. I just didn’t like it for some reason, though I think a lot of people will. So, definitely go try it yourself.

Verdict: An ambivalent 6 out of 10 bottlecaps

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Now playing: The Dropkick Murphys - Gonna Be A Blackout Tonight
via FoxyTunes

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown, NY

Brewery Description:  “As you pour this rich golden ale into your glass, consider your surroundings. Are you in a restaurant? Outside on the deck? Is it hot and humid? Cold and brisk? Take a drink. Feel the way Hennepin is bright and lively in your mouth with a warming mix of spicy gingersnap and citrusy hops. Refreshing. Relaxing. It’s true: no matter where you are, Hennepin is the perfect ale for all seasons.”

Brew Style: Saison, 7.7% ABV

Recommended Glassware: Pint glass, Tulip, Oversized wine glass

The Ugly Truth: First off, serious thanks to whatever person at Boston.com threw the Jolly Scot up on the front page.  That was pretty damn cool.  Alright, on to this installment of the beer roster: Hennepin Saison sytle ale.  For those not familiar with the style, myself being one up until a year ago here’s the description via BeerAdvocate:

“Saisons are sturdy farmhouse ale that was traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed throughout the summer months. Not so long ago it was close to being an endangered style, but over recent years there’s been a massive revival; especially in the US.  This is a very complex style, many are very fruit in the aroma and flavor. Look for earthy yeast tones, mild to moderate tartness. Lot of spice and with a medium bitterness. They tend to be semi-dry with many only having touch of sweetness.”

Quite different than your typical stouts, golden ales and lagers.  A really excellent brew style in my opinion, and no one has really done it better than Brewery Ommegang on this one.  Pours a straw gold in color with a frothy, almost meringue -like, head on it that leaves a good amount of lace on the glass at it goes down.  Presentation is clear with some mild carbonation bubbles rising to the top.  The aroma is light, with strong floral and spice notes in it.  The taste is really quite interesting, especially if you’ve never had a saison or strong floral beer before.  The body and mouthfeel are light, which makes this not only a great year round brew but also a fantastic summer drink.  The taste is light on the bitterness, with a mild hop overtones to it.  There’s a heavy floral and spice taste on the palette with notes of honey, fruity tones and cloves readily apparent.  The finish is clean with a lingering aftertaste to it that I found to be tart and quite enjoyable.  This beer reminds me a little of Froach Heather Ale in that it shares similiar floral tones.  However, Hennepin differs in its incorporation of malt and hops flavors into the overall experience.  Overall, Hennepin is a very unique beer and a fantastic taste experience if you’ve never had it before.  I highly recommend it.

Verdict: Hennepin grabs a rare 10 out of 10 bottlecaps.

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Semper ubi sub ubi.

 

 BostonGeek #106 [42:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (408)

Any comments or suggestions?
Email: Colin, Carl, Captain Damage
Skype: bostongeek
Voice: 1.617.418.4113

Production Engineer: Carl “Crazylegs” Reyes
Post-production/Editing: Colin “Rock N’ Roll” Rego
All music composed and recorded by Karl Kornfeld.

Some frontpage goodness on Boston.com. Not only are they giving props to local blogs but they featured a link to your favorite Boston blog (I hope you are thinking BostonGeek!). Thanks Boston.com!