BEEEEER and some stuff

New beer seems to be around every corner these days. I've already crushed April's record for new beers tried in a month with 65 and counting this May. I should point out that my birthday at Fitger's (pictured) was a big help for the count as with a sampler platter and a few 10 oz. drafts I tried everything they offered. Yum.

Now that I'm back in Minneapolis for the time being, I'll have another run of new beers as I try to review and enjoy as much as I can in good health. Friday I met up with friends at Town Hall and helped finish a couple pitchers of Black H20 and the legendary Masala Mama (ranked #9 overal at BeerAdvocate.com). Last night was more low-key with African-inspired music and a beer at the Blue Nile.

It's also been nice to get back on my favorite local mtn bike trails. I hit up Theo Wirth yesterday and broke my lap time record on the big loop by 2:30. That puts me at about 17:30 and means I suck a lot less now at biking. Today I did a hard 3-mile around Cedar Island Lake and finish in 20:00, averaging 6:40. That's an ok pace, but only 17 seconds faster per mile than I ran at the Mountain Goat 10 miler. I guess I know what to work on.


O'Fallon Unfiltered Wheat - A Blue Moon alternative, but really no better.

Bell's Java Stout - Like coffee and beer? Here's something special for you.

Black H2O Oatmeal Stout - Still my favorite oatmeal stout. Oh-so smooth and delicious with light roasted and chocolate flavors.

Masala Mama India Pale Ale - A great IPA, maybe not the 9th best beer in the world, but one of the best IPA's for sure. Very rich grapefruit and citrus flavors with a lopng-lingering bitterness for hop heads.

Bell's Expedition Stout - At nearly 12% abv, this one was a nice dessert beer, but would benefit from some aging. The dark flavors were too rough and underdeveloped.

Avery India Pale Ale - Big juicy hops flavors without overwhelming bitterness. A good first-IPA for curious folks.

Jolly Pumpkin Bam Bière - A great wild/sour ale from Michigan. A little spendy, but worth trying for the complex tart, pale barley and hops flavors.

Dry-Hopped St. Rogue Red - A great combination of pine and citrus hops with caramel malt.