Man, I don’t know about you, but this week has taken FOREVER to come to a close! I think it has to do with the time change and my body adjusting to the new light schedule, but I have been staying up late and getting up at an ungodly hour (my normal time) every day and I am about to collapse. Hopefully this weekend will be full of fun and relaxation to get me rejuvenated and ready for more of the same old, same old next week!
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a little political and poke a little fun at the White House too. Seems like with all the crazy shit going on in the world today the most important thing coming out of the white house is Obama’s bracket. “hey, things are pretty good, I got my BRACKET on! oye yeah! Kind of reminds me of that famous Marie Antoinette line “if they have no bread, let them eat cake!” Little outta touch.
So this has nothing to do with Beer or Whiskey! Shame on me. So what will I be drinking this weekend? Not much. My son has a basketball tournament in Twin Falls this weekend which is about 150 miles away. He leaves today at 2:45 for a 5:15 game, and another later in the evening. I will travel down tomorrow to catch his last two games and bring his tired butt home. So too much driving tomorrow for drinking. However, Sunday is a different story. Sunday I will finally crack into that bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel. I’m ready to break out the Bourbon again! Finally! I also have several really good beers that I am saving for next week. Sunday night my son and his wife come home from college for Spring Break. I have several really nice selections for them. Should make for a good week of reviews.
How about you? You watching the March Madness? What will you be drinking? Let us know in the comments, and have a great weekend!
JIM’S UPDATE: It’s FRIDAY, so I’m going to “party and party and YEAH!” 🙂
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Ahh yes, weekends. I remember when they used to exist but now I work silly hours and my ‘weekend’ was the last two days. It’s up at 3am in the morning for me to go to work so not much in the way of alcohol for me tonight, just a refreshing Augustiner.
But at least the last two days gave me chance to catch up on trying some of my whisky samples and publishing the notes for them. In fact the highlights were two sherry cask whiskies; a 19y Bowmore and a Glenlivet. Yes, unbelievably a sherry cask Glenlivet. It still had loads of fruit, but overlaid with typical wood, leather and dark fruit (raisins, plums, figs ..) that often comes with good sherry casks.
Two fine drams indeed.
Now to find time for the other 27 whiskies currently sitting patiently on my desk 🙂
Have a good weekend,
Keith
Thanks Keith. Those 27 whiskies will get consumed in due time, I’m sure. I would love to be in Germany where they make some of the greatest beers in the world! What a great thing to just pop on down to the local pub and have a liter or two. Hope you had a good “weekend” and perhaps your next one will be a touch more normal.
My previous one last weekend was the ‘normal’ one for March. I am guaranteed one ‘normal’ weekend per month, but I still get an equivalent number of days off, just not Saturdays and Sundays.
Yes, the beer in Munich is pretty good and I’ve grown to like these pale but refreshing ones. Much different from the ‘ales’ in England.
I may even stretch to a second as there’s a bottle of Tegernseer in the fridge with my name on it!
As for March Madness, when I ran my pub / sport / whisky bar in Munich I had an AFN receiver and it was surprising the number of people who came in for it.
Cool! Why no pub now? Sounds like a noble and fun profession.
A long and sad story involving some ******* , how can I put this politely …? I can’t, so I won’t ….. a stupid landlord who couldn’t see past the end of his nose and bankruptcy.
It was a noble profession and great fun too for just over two years.
Sounds like you need to find another situation and get back into it. It has to be better than waking at 3 am to do…well, anything!
I’m not sure what the weekend holds for me. We’re picking up my wife’s new car tonight – the first one we’ve had in 8 years or so. Too bad it’s a brown minivan. What kind of woman gets so excited about a brown minivan, anyway?
I might nip into a Dragon’s Milk, as the supply at my favorite beer store has been mercifully replenished. Other than that, I’ve had a hankering for session beers ever since I had some altbiers in Dusseldorf a couple of weeks back. Perhaps some Victory Headwaters or maybe Troegs Pale Ale.
All sound like good choices. So did you spring for the bluetooth version of the Honda Odyssey, or the much cheaper no bluetooth edition?
Isn’t it around Dusseldorf where they serve beer in thimbles?
Or is that (just) Köln?
It is in Dusseldorf. I was completely surprised when Jim told me about the 8 oz beers he was getting there. I thought they all came in huge beer steins. I suppose the Dusseldorfians consider themselves much more refined and civilized because of it.
Hopefully, I will drink in the first of what will turn out to be six straight Buckeye victories this afternoon. As far as beer, a friend is coming over to try my Big Black Bitter (which you can read about at my blog). After that, there will be an assortment of beers, possibly Firestone Walker’s Double Jack IPA and New Belgium’s Le Terroir.
On a side note…I really expected you two to work up a bracket of craft beer. Slackers.
That describes us to a tee!
I’m not sure I can come up with enough Imperial Stouts to fill the board! 🙂
I’m assuming Ohio State will make it into the Sweet 16, but beyond that it will be much tougher sledding for the Buckeyes. I am predicting a Duke victory overall.
My money is on the tall guys in shorts – whatever that team is, they’re totally going to win.
Don, you do realize that they are the #1 overall seed and the top team in nearly every measurement (humans, computers, math nerds)? I feel sorry for all the teams that have to face Ohio State this year.
Yes I do, and do YOOOUUUUU realize that this is the weirdest field ever in the history of bracketology? I thin The Buckeyes will choke…chokey choke chokemeister!
Man, the Buckeyes really struggled yesterday. You might be right.
Its coming Man. Wait for it. 😉
I will be trying two new beers from Odell: Myrcenary (yes, that’s the correct spelling) Double IPA and Friek, a sour ale made with cherries and raspberries. I also have a bottle of Signature Ale, a collaborative beer from Port Brewing and DeProef that’s burning a hole in my cellar.
I’ve heard great things about the Friek. I am getting a bit excited hearling all the good stuff about Odells because Brewforia here in Boise is working with the brewery now to get their beers in Idaho., Shouldn’t be too long before that happens! More good beer for me!
That’s great news, Don! I think Odell’s lineup is consistently excellent across the board and their regular IPA is among the best I’ve ever had.
Yes, I’m really looking forward to having it available.
I have multiple whiskey tasting activities this weekend. First, tonight I’m heading to a friends house for dinner where we will taste through a line-up of Irish Whiskey along with a new Rye release from Bowman that was done by Party Source. I’m also tasting through 25 5 yr barrel strength bourbons in preparation for a barrel selection in KY next month. Then this weekend I have to get through some samples for a Ryeapalooza consisting of 18 rye different whiskies. To say it’s too much whiskey this weekend is like saying Pope Benedict doesn’t look like Uncle Fester.
I’m not sure you will be able to get through all of that and still be able to claim you’ve never gotten tipsy from whiskey! It would be hard to do. BTW Greg, all the bourbon samples you sent through made it with flying colors. I will probably have a couple questions about them for posting purposes, but they arrived a couple weeks back and I never got around to letting you know. Thanks so much, I’ll be in contact with you later about them.
I’ll be enjoying a Firestone Walker “Double Jack” IPA tonight. They just recently began distributing in Chicago and I was impressed with my first one.
And I’ll be looking lovingly at my lone bottle of 2011 Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, which I just managed to snag at my nearby liquor superstore. They only had one case, and limited buyers to one bottle. I’ll have to save it for a special occasion, like a Tuesday or something.
That is exactly the occasion I was thinking of. Only My occasion was more like 5:30 pm Friday March 18th. 😉
I will be foregoing any basketball this weekend or any other day, just not into it. Instead I’ll be rooting for my beloved Pioneers in the WCHA Final Five hockey tournament this weekend. Go DU!
As for beer, if I can talk the wifey into it, I may stop in and have a pint or two at Strange Brewing this afternoon.
Sounds great William. I too used to care nothing about Basketball, then I had a son who loved it and in order to share something with him I got into it too. It really is a fun game once you understand a lot of the nuances to it. I suppose it is like any sport that way. Once you know more about it you can better appreciate it. Except Soccer.
You knew I had to chime in when you put down my beloved game of soccer! Anyhow, have to start cleaning up all of the stouts and porters in my stash to make way for the spring/summer beers that are starting to come out – I know, its a tough job but someone has to do it. On the list for the weekend: Flying Fish Exit 9 and Exit 13, Avery duganA, Southern Tier Porter; Boaks Monster Mash; Schlafly Irish Extra Stout and a host of others but I’m sure I will run out of time.
The good news is Rob, you could always call Jim over. He is always ready to lend a helping hand (or liver) when it comes to clearing out stash!
Go Pioneers!
They’re playing Bemidji State at 1pm Mountain time.
Is Benmidji State home of the Raging Hindi’s?
Jim…have you been Facebook stalking me, I posted the Friday video this a.m. It’s went viral.
Partying partying fun fun front seat back seat which seat should I choose.
Yes, you are the Tastemaker, John!
And the answer is obvious – she chooses the backseat on two discreet occasions. Why even ask the question, Rebecca?!
Jim, quit cyber stalking John. I’ve told you he is engaged and not interested in a relationship with you. You’re too late to his party.
I will be driving back to Central Illinois this weekend, where Old Milwaukee and Busch Light flow from the creeks and valleys. Supposed to go to an old favorite watering hole for a wedding shower, so my craft beer choice might be a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or I’ll just go with a staple of Makers neat.
I snagged two four packs of Founders KBS 2011 last night, but I am going to sit on them until the cows come home.
I just picked up a KBS. However, I might crack one open next to last year’s. It’s really amazing how much better this beer is after a years of sitting in the cellar.
my buddy said 2011 has a lot more coffee taste to it than the 2010. He could have been drunk when he told me that though.
I wonder if that’s because it hasn’t aged. A lot of the harshness mellows after a year in the cellar.
Aging is for the patient. We, however are forgetful so we accidentally age stuff.
Don’t sit on those beers, John. I can tell you from personal experience it isn’t good for the bottles or your butt!
Badumbump!
Thanks you ladies and gentlemen, try the veal…
That’s terrible. Or as Charles Barkley would say “trrrible.”
“Now let’s go get a hooker!”
Um. Is that supposed to be a Charles Barkley reference?
Yes. He believes that “you get what you pay for”.
I’ve listened to the artist Samwell enough that I should go no where near the danger zone.
Never mind. I just Googled “Charles Barkley hooker.”
SN Pale Ale FTW!
Damn, Jim, what is that noise you posted?!?!
Gig ’em, Aggies!
Aggies coach is history, even if they make a deep run. Crazy stuff with a crazy AD down there!
What the hell did you do to my very respectable post Jim? Rebecca Black? What is this some crap your 5 year old daughter listens to? Oh, and I will have you notice not one CHILD was buckled into that convertible car!! Are you condoning illicit behavior again! I thought we talked about this!
I think he is.
Oh loosen up, Don. I know quality when I see it – that’s all.
Hey Jim and Don, I don’t know your policy is on posting You Tube links, but this St. Patrick’s Day song is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time from a beer geek’s perspective, anyway. Maybe you can share it, or remove it and save it for next year. Keep up the good work. –Dave
Awesome!!
I concur. Awesomeness!
I got some Stranahans left. My brother picked up 3 bottles of Avery’s Maharaja and we have some Lion Stout and 1 North Coast Red Seal ale left. That Lion Stout is amazing, drinking a good beer that is from half way across the world is very cool.
Me and my brother are like ” The beer and beer brothers that live with their parents!'”
Save on rent, spend on beer! Brilliant!!
Says the man that lived at home until the age of 30!
28 But who’s counting.
There’s something to be said for moving from you parent’s home into your own home. Never paid rent and I’m quite pleased about that!
Busting out the IPA’s this weekend. Last night had the Heavy Seas Loose Cannon, and Troegs Nugget Nectar. Both very, very good. Tonight is the Founders Centennial IPA, and finishing with a Sam Adams Imperial Stout.
We went to Lambertville last night. A liquor store had the neat feature of build your own six-pack. Unfortunately, most of the interesting beers available had a thick coating of dust on them. A sure warning sign if there ever was one! They did have the Four Roses and Four Roses Single Barrel, plus many other brands I recognized from Don’s writing (i.e. Knob Creek, Elijah somebody-or-other, etc.).
The scary part is, I was actually pondering dropping ~$40 on a bottle of the stuff! And I don’t like whiskey when I’ve tried it in the past! You’re an evil man, Don…
I LOVE Four Roses, and I’m the beer guy. The Single Barrel is very goo, but so is the regular stuff and it’s much cheaper. All told, it’s the only whiskey I crave for the flavor – a good reason not to keep it stocked in the house!
Eggsellent! My plan is working. MwaHAHAHA!
Awesome find by @Dave Gallagher! Well, its officially Sunday as I type this, and so far, no beer this weekend. Time to work on that. Chimay Red, White, or Blue? Why choose, right?
Have a good weekend guys!
Red, White and Blue – binge drinking the American way. You sir are a true patriot!