Well, its Friday! TGIF! That said, one’s thoughts begin to wander from the work-a-day world to what you are going to do for recreation over the too short end of the week. Pictured above is what I will be drinking this weekend. What is it you say? Well it is a bit of a mystery. It was given to me by way of a local distributor. Back at the end of January They had a brewers open house which I was scheduled to go to. It sounded amazing with 5 different breweries represented and all pouring unique and interestin g beers, one offs and potential mainstays of their individual lines. I was invited to go, and looking forward to it quite a bit.
Unfortunately on January 25th I was involved in a serious car accident. I totally messed up my knee, and by the 31st when the tasting was to take place I was in pain, on crutches, and swacked out of my mind on Norco. I decided that a controlled narcotic and beer really didn’t go together, not to mention being in pain with my knee the size of a cantaloupe I really wasn’t in the mood to go to any social gathering.
At the end of February, my neighbor, who also happens to be my rep with this distributor was given a bottle of beer from one of the brewers that really wanted me to try it. I have mentioned before I am friends with the brewers and owners of Selkirk Abbey, Idaho’s only all Belgian brewery. This bottle is from my Buddy Jeff Owner and head brewer at Selkirk Abbey. All I’ve been told about this is that it is a Belgian quad and it has a 10 written on the cap in sharpie. I’m wondering if that is the ABV for this particular brew. I will drink it and report back to you next week.
I have said here in the past that I don’t care for many Belgian beers, but to this point I haven’t found anything I don’t like from this brewery. I’ve had several of their beers and they have a very light touch with the yeast that ads a dimension of flavor without overpowering the rest of the ingredients. I’m hoping this one is similar.
How about you? What will you be drinking this weekend? Will you be watching the tournament or trying to get a jump on the spring clean in the yard or garage? Either way you will need some quality adult beverages to reward you for efforts. Let us know your plans. Do you have a unique beer or whiskey you are just dying to try? Let us know.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
I’m drinking beers and pairing them with Girl Scout cookies for a thing I’m writing for that other place I write things for. You can’t miss with beer and cookies!
Mmmmm. I’m thinking a good coconut porter and Samoas. Me likey. 🙂
How ’bout Swedish Ginger Snaps dunked in milk stout?
Metaxa 5 Star brandy as well as Dominion’s Big Thaw Bock (a Maibock), Goose Island’s Summertime (another really good buy that folks didn’t snatch up this past summer), and Lancaster Milk Stout.
You’ll note, in ref to a common theme on this Blog, that the first 2 are made by craft breweries that are now partially or fully owned by AB-InBev. (I cross my fingers every time I buy a sixer of one of these products–so far so good.)
I forgot to mention Magic Hat’s Ticket to Rye–I expect that you’d like this one and Jim would hate it.
Well Wayne, it has been a while, but you still remember my penchant for Rye Beers and whiskey. I suspect you are right about Jim’s tastes too.
Yeah, well while we’re enjoying the Duchesse on New Year’s Eve, he can have that sissy cherry cool aid of his (LOL.)
Am I less a lady for having Lazy Magnolia at a crawfish boil, then Lagavulin at a local bar later? Oh wait, that’s right… I’ve never been much of a lady. What a relief.
Not much of a lady, I beg to differ, you the of dreams! 🙂
Flattery always makes me a little suspicious ;0}
Tonight it’ll either be Erdinger Dunkle Weisse or Glen Livet (or both). Neither are bad, at all, but the choices are pretty limited on Okinawa, what with the distance back to the US and the alcohol restrictions on service-members.
Hell, when I was there (1965-66) it was pretty much limited to Jim Beam or shirasaki on the hard side and Orion for beer. (Alright, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. LOL)
As long you weren’t walking uphill both ways in the snow in Okinawa, I’m good.
And I really can’t complain too loudly. A few months ago, the Class Six store had a big shipment of craft beer (Green Flash, Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Anchor, and Rogue amongst others). It didn’t last long in the shop and I had to ration mine out. After being in Northern Virginia the assignment before, it’s been an adjustment.
“As long you weren’t walking uphill both ways in the snow in Okinawa.” Actually as I recall, it did snow there once for a few minutes. And that slope* going into Torii Station sure made you feel like you were walking uphill both ways.
*Note that this is the same slope that a certain subscriber to this Blog seeded w/ “Pearls” one 4th of July. The only cars that were heavy enough to set them off were those used by the MP ‘s. It was a stitch!
Well it is now Saturday morning and to quote Michael Stipe, “…and I feel fine!”.
Started the evening with two pints of Southern Tier IPA in one of only two pubs that actually have it in this region (see my comment on Jim’s previous post… btw I hope I didn’t give the impression that ST IPA was my “oh well, they don’t have anything else” because actually it’s still one of my all time favorites). When I got home I had a Saranac White IPA with a bucket of KFC (now that’s fine dining!) and rounded out the evening with a nitecap of Wild Dog Raging Bitch Beglian IPA… WOW, that is one big (8.3%) and flavorful beer… I like the Belgians – the folks and the good beers they make… 🙂 The Belgian yeast has a unique spicy quality.
whoops… that’s “Flying Dog…” but I’m sure you guys already knew that. This is a new brand for me I found it a few weeks ago in a beverage center. The beverage and grocery stores in New York are way ahead of the bars so fortunately you can find a few good beers…
You oughta try it on tap Sean. The brewery is about a half-hour’s drive for me.
What found too Sean is like Belgians to, as long they don’t overboard the yeast. A little good, but this case there definitely can too much ofagood thing.
I think I’ll be staying with a 16 yr old Tomintoul and a bit of Highland park 12
Nice!
Highland Park 18 rang my New Year in for me… I’m a sucker for its high notes
Squatters Hop Head Red on Nitro yesterday. Thinking perhaps an Epic Smoked & Oaked tonight with a bit of Redbreast 12 Yr. ~m
Good plan! I love when a plan together. 😉
You know it. Altered my plan slightly by opting for Epic’s Hopulent IPA instead of the S&O. Maybe tonight. All good! ~m
I am embarrassed by the bourgeois nature of my libations, but this weekend has been Sam Adams Latitude 48 — the new blend with the ‘mosaic’ hops makes for very nice drinking and is on the darker side for an IPA which matches “The Hobbit” on blu ray due to get going soon! I am drinking out of a beautiful vintage lead crystal beer mug my husband got me for Christmas — this is my first serious foray into drinking out of a glass (except when in restaurants) and it has been a lovely experience: the beer slips down the side, curls around the glass, and produces a perfect 3/4″ foam head with just the right amount of bubbles coming up from the bottom. I didn’t realize what a treat it was to drink from a well-crafted vessel!
Ohhh…! I LOVE the new Sam Adams Hopology beers… I think I’m on my 3rd 12 pack. Interestingly it wasn’t all that long ago I saw Jim Koch on a video going on about how beers need to be balanced and he doesn’t care for the hop bombs and that’s why even his Latitude 48 IPA wasn’t very hoppy for an IPA – an excellent beer nonetheless, just not as hoppy as one would expect an IPA to be – but these are hop bombs and they are all wonderful! Alpine Spring is a hop explosion!
Enjoy…!
I did:-)! I was surprised by the “new” Lat 48 b/c the last iteration reminded me of all Sam Adams beers — there’s a sort of malty sweetness that characterizes the lot, and while I like them, when I finally got into IPAs, I really wanted that hoppy, citrusy, bite. I really like the Whitewater IPA, too — though my current big-brewery fave is Sweetwater’s IPA.
This week (end) I have been ensconced in a huge outstanding IPA from Alesmith. By far, the best reasonably priced big ale on the market.