Oskar Blues: Casket full of beer. Yum.

I get a lot of press releases from breweries and most of it's just updates about brewery expansions and seasonal ale releases. This stuff's exciting to a beer nerd like me, but generally I keep it to myself. Considering Halloween is upon us, and that I actually think this news is worth mentioning. Here's something cool from Oskar Blues (brewers of Dale's Pale Ale).

Hello US Beer Press,

This Halloween, Friday, October 31, Oskar Blues is serving up a unique "casket-conditioned" beer for our annual Halloween party in Lyons, Colorado.

The unique beer will be served from a coffin dispenser we found buried in the hills above town.

Okay, actually the casket was built for us by Jack, our resident carpenter/folk artist whose homespun roots musician portraits decorate our Lyons dining room.

From this custom-made casket we'll be serving Rest in Peace Ale (aka RIPA). It's a special version of Dale's Pale Ale that we wet hopped with fresh Warrior hops flown in from the northwest.

The ghoulishly good and hoppy beer gets tapped on Friday at 11 AM. We have just two kegs of it, so beer fiends should stop by Friday and get it before the kegs get laid to rest.

The attached photo shows one of our savvy brewers, Eric Huber, pouring a round from this spooky keg box.

Friday night we're also hosting a haunted house for the kids and a costume contest for young and old.

Maybe this is something for you to cover? Holler if you'd like more information, and thank you for any coverage you can do on this.

Speaking of scary treasures, here is the late, incredibly great madman himself, Screamin' Jay Hawkins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kGPhpvqtOc .

Cheers,

Marty Jones
Oskar Blues Brewery

I'd insert a review of Dale's Pale Ale here, if I could, but something funny always happens. Whenever one can of Dale's gets opened, it's followed shortly by another, and suddenly it's all gone and I don't have the time to write a review. Just trust me is damn tasty stuff.

Stupid ideas and beer.

This last weekend I ran/walked the Marine Corps Marathon. It was a bad idea. It was a stupid idea. I'd been off any type of marathon training plan for months and my IT band was acting up.

But I have no regrets. In fact, I have a soft spot for stupid ideas when then involve athleticism. My only complaint from the weekend was that the marathon was on Sunday and I had to get my celebrating in early, on Saturday.

Being in D.C., there was only one place to celebrate a stupid achievement before it even happened - The Brickskeller. In addition to having a lovely basement pub ambiance, the Brickskeller also claims to have the largest beer selection in the U.S. (second in the world to the Kulminator in Belgium). I did happen to ask for nine beers that they didn't have in stock, but I still had a few good - or at least interesting - brews.


Firestone Pale Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
American Pale Ale

B+ / 4
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Ordered a bottle with my Brick's Ale Burger at the Brickskeller. The body is a clear straw yellow with a white head and lacing. I know many hold this up as one of the great pale ales, and I'm inclined to agree when you consider the whole package. It holds nearly the same depth of hop flavor as Sierra Nevada, but with a lighter body it's much more drinkable. The malts have a light bready malt taste, that's matched first by piney, citrus hops, and then later a spicy, long-lasting aftertaste. How this beer drinks actually reminds me of a good English bitter, for the ability to hold complex flavors in a light and highly sessionable beer.


Stary Melnik Krepkoye
Pivovariya Moskva-Efes ZAO
Euro Pale Lager

C+ / 3.1
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

AKA Stary Melnik Strong. Ordered a bottle at the Brickskeller... after they were out of the first nine beers I asked for. Anyways.

The flavor reminds me of peppermint and sweet bread. The appearance is a clear gold with a white head and there are no brewing flaws in the aroma or flavors. It was an interesting beer to try but I wouldn't order it again. The odd yeast character and malts are "ok" but not entirely pleasant. It's certainly worth a try for something different and not a bad beer.

Beer Reviews: Fall = Dark Beer = Yum

It's fall. It's getting cold. I have to wear pants. And it's time for some dark beer. Here are a few of the better ones I've had recently.

Happy drinking.


The Famous Taddy Porter
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery
English Porter

A / 4.3
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Has a bottle with my bison at Craft in Victory Park, Dallas. Served in a wide pilsner glass. Appears, in the lower light, pitch black with a tan head.

Man, what a beer. Rich chocolate with toffee and a bit of mocha java around the edges. The aroma is full of the same candy and cocoa flavors and the aftertaste has a hint of herbal hops to it. This is easily the best English porter, maybe just porter, I've had. Damn.

Black Mamba
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Belgian Dark Ale

B+ / 3.95
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 4

On-tap at the Farmhouse. Served in a pint glass, this appears dark brown with a tan head.

The aroma reminds me immediately of Chimay Blue, which is certainly a good thing. It's just a touch sweeter than traditional Belgians, but it's by no means in line with the sticky messes that many American brewers are putting out. It finishes dry with clove and dried fruit on top of a mellow, roasty base. Overall, this is a mighty fine Belgian and worth trying.


Delirium Nocturnum
Brouwerij Huyghe
Belgian Strong Dark Ale

A- / 4.05
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4.5

Picked up a 24.9 oz bottle at Key Foods in Astoria. Pours a murky brown into my glass with a tall tan head.

Ah, it's weird like any good Belgian. More so than your average Belgian too, I get a slight peppermint note in the finish. Otherwise there's a very earthy yeast character up front with molasses and dates to follow. The body is very drinkable and this is a beer to try if you like dark Belgians. It almost reminds me of strange weizenbock. Anyways, good beer here.

Tour de France Dopers: Fuck Those Guys, I'm Having a Beer

For all it's flaws, divas (see Cadel Evans, and again), and rampant cheating, I still love professional cycling. And even with this year's hullabaloo about cleaner and reformed racing, we're still getting positive test results from the tour and I'm still getting pissed off. Yeah it's great the a-holes are getting caught, but damn them for trying in the first place. This week word came out that Bernard Kohl, winner of the mountain classification, teammate to TdF time trial winner/recently caught doper Stefan Schumacher, and ugliest mug in the peloton, doped his way onto the Tour de France podium. The piece of crap.

For anyone wondering. That's Schumacher in the yellow leaders jersey. The man on his left resembling Bat Boy is Kohl. Whatever. It's time for a good beer. Here's what I'd recommend:

Maredsous 10
Brouwerij Duvel Moortgat
Belgian Tripel

A / 4.45
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 5

Beyond all else, this beer has incredible balance. American Belgians often have too much sweetness or fruit, while lesser Belgian imports lack complexity. This beer is right on for the style with it's citrus flavors, glassy hops, and touch of corriander. It's a rich, balanced flavor with no hint of 10% abv. There are a lot of beers where I say I could drink it all night long, this is a beer I would DEMAND all night long if available. Go buy this beer now.

Good Beer Review: Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter

I love it when a beer lives up to the hype and expectations. I also love Baltic Porters, so this beer was a real win-win situation. Check it out.

Oh, these guys also win the award for most awkward looking label.

Baltic Porter
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Baltic Porter

A- / 4.2
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | drink: 4.5

Whoa man, this is a heck of an aroma - rich with milk and dark chocolate, smokey wood, raspberries, sweet cherries, java, and bubblegum. The flavor has a little trouble standing up to such a high standard, but it hangs in there with a predominantly smooth Swiss chocolate taste that reminds me of Southern Tier Choklat. Yum. There's also slight black pepper note, roasted barley, along with sour cherry (though not a big tart feel), and licorice. The body is a bit thick, but oh so smooth and tasty. This beer is a must-try for fans of big, dark beers.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: FSX and PBR

After nine long months of planning, training, and drinking, Fifth Street Cross is finally here. Thank God.

Thank. God.

Fifth Street Cross, for outsiders, is arguably the greatest, season-long, backyard, night-time, cyclo-cross series. And it's been said the crux of Fifth St.'s course is the children's sandbox. I beg to differ. I believe, and I'm sure I'm not alone, that it's the PBR shortcut.

In honor of the peeber-chugging shortcut, here's a review I wrote last year from my neighborhood watering hole.

Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR)
SABMiller
American Macro Lager

C+ / 3.2
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 4

What is it about this beer? I'm not a dirty hipster and I can afford to drink better. But $1 PBR drafts come along and I can't help myself. It isn't much to look at and the smell is a simple mix of sweet barley and grainy husk. But the taste is smooth with a touch of bready malt. As it warms the adjunct sweetness is a bit much for me, but for what it is, it ain't bad. Hell, I'll admit it. It's kind of good.

(Photo from oldshutterhand.net)

My Brush With Fame: BikeSnobNYC

Last week I was asked to cover whatever Lance Armstrong said at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting (hint: it was about cancer and biking). Sure I got to see the likes of Bill Clinton, Bush1, Al Gore, and Bono, but what was more exciting was that I got to share a press room with BikeSnobNYC.

No, I didn't know he was there at the time, what with him being anonymous and all. Luckily, he was kind enough to blog about his experience there.

I got to walk through the same rented metal detectors, hover over the same free sushi, and sit among nonplussed journalists while looking up Lance Armstrong's nose. What can I say, had I known I shared the room with the author of one my greatest daily distractions I may not have been finish my article.

But that wouldn't be my only quasi-encounter with BikeSnobNYC. Just a couple days later, he recognized my recent Bicycling.com article on a peculiar study that found finger length ratios are related to workout ethic in his Friday Fun Quiz (see #7). If only I could find more uncanny research to please the Snob...

These are the weeks I work and dream for - sharing a room with a cycling icon (and Lance too) and then being mentioned for the bizarre nature of my work. Sometimes after a great ride I feel like the Cycling Gods are smiling down upon me. Well now I feel like the Snob is smirking and possibly rolling his eyes. It feels good to be alive.

(Feel free to write your own caption for the picture. I can't say I remember him talking about the size of anything.)