Friday, August 29, 2008

Beer Review: Russian River Pliny the Elder






















Ok, so here we are. Pliny the Elder. I was going to save this one in order to drink it with a couple of buddies(Sorry Riki and Kenny)but with this Hurricane Gustave and me about to evacuate I figured what the hell. A friend of mine through work, Devon, brought me back this delicious elixer from his trip to Napa which he took with his wine class at University of New Orleans. Awesome choice Devon! Thanks!

So, why the name Pliny the Elder? Who the hell would name their kid Pliny? Who the hell is Pliny the Elder? Well, I looked him up and it gets real wordy and historical and boring so I went to the brewery website and they were kind enough to give us the Cliff Notes version. It reads as follows:

Pliny the Elder was a Roman naturalist, scholar, historian, traveler, officer, and writer. Although not considered his most important work, Pliny and his contemporaries created the botanical name for hops, "Lupus salictarius", meaning wolf among scrubs." Hops at that time grew wild among willows, much like a wolf in the forest. Later the current botanical name, Humulus lupulus, was adopted. Pliny died in 79 AD while observing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He was immortalized by his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who continued his uncle's legacy by documenting much of what he observed during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.


Thanks professor that was awesome. Now, on to the beer!



Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company

Beer: Pliny the Elder

Style: American Double/Imperial IPA

ABV: 8.00%

Recommended Glassware: Snifter, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass

Serving Type: Chalice

Appearance- Nice golden copper color with a descent size white, fluffy head. Lacing was present and stayed throughout the life of the beer.

Smell- Pine. Straight up pine trees. Also has notes of citrus(oranges and grapefruit) and a pleasing maltiness.

Taste- Imagine running through a forest, let's say your being chased by a monster or something(I know, just follow me here ok), and all of a sudden BAM you run right into a bushel of pine tree branches and it all gets into your mouth. Got it? Ok it tastes like that. A pine tree Mike Tyson punch to your mouth. Once you get past the pine tree extravaganza you get a nice hint of citrus and herbs.

Mouthfeel- A little lacking here. It was a bit thin and watery. The carbonation is medium which is nice.

Overall- OK I'm not a big IPA fan but I did my best to judge this beer properly. I had hoped for more balance between hops and malts but as far as DIPAs go I would say this is one of the best I've ever had. At 8% it makes for a very drinkable(sessionable) beer and I'm extremely excited to have been able to try it. Big thanks go out to my boy Devon who brought this back from his trip to Napa.

Score: Photobucket 4.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Let's Not Forget: Third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
























Come on, did you expect anything different from The Beerbuddha?

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Beer Review: Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza























On a nice, cool rainy day such as today I felt like having something big and different. After perusing the beer fridge for a minute I decided on my Jolly Pumpkin Oro De Calabaza. Jolly Pumpkin makes some damn fine beers. Hailing from Dexter, Michigan, Jolly Pumpkin, is notorious for their use of Brettanomyces, which is a yeast that produces a complex flavor profile.

Since I don't live in San Francisco thus missing out on Rob DeNunzio's Brett-tastic food and beer pairing aptly titled The New American Mavericks, I decided to have a little Brett party of my own. Yeah, I know, not much of a party with one beer and one person but hey, I'm a fun dude to hang out with so I enjoy hanging out with myself. That and I didn't think my non drinking wife would enjoy the party after the face of disgust she gave me after trying the beer. Plus, I have to be sober for my fantasy draft I'll be doing tonite with the boys!

Well, I can say I loved the beer and can't wait to get my hands on some more. What I'd really like to see is more similar beers enter the Louisiana market and perhaps do a beer and food tasting on the same scale as Rob's tasting. From the pictures it seemed laid back and enjoyable. Oh well, we shall see! In the meantime, on to the review!

Brewery: Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales

Beer: Oro De Calabaza

Style: Biere de Garde

ABV: 8.00%

Recommended Glassware: Tulip or Over sized Wine Glass

Serving Type: Tulip Glass

Appearance- This beer poured a hazy orange with a nice egg shell colored head which dissipated to a small ring which stuck around for the ride. Lacing was present throughout.

Smell- Wonderful barnyard funkiness with sour green apples, grapes and spicy pepper.

Taste- A nice bready maltiness with sour apples and grapes similar to the smell. It also has a nice spicy pepper note in the front as well. The sour and tartness show up in the finish which is nice.

Mouthfeel- Crisp and clean medium body with high carbonation.

Overall- An absolutely fantastic beer. The two beers I have had from Jolly Pumpkin(this one and the La Roja)have all been excellent beers. This one in my opinion is the perfect substitution for those white wine lovers. This beer is a must try!

Score: Photobucket 4.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Great American Beer Diet Challenge- Week 2












Well, there you have it folks, I weighed in at a whopping 276(with an nice dried toothpaste splotch from my daughter I didn't notice until after the picture was taken). That's a 14 lb loss in one week!!


What is your secret you ask? Honestly. All I have really done this past week is change my eating habits. I've cut out sweets and sodas and my caloric intake has dropped drastically. I'm not sure how much but I'd be willing to bet it is significant. I have also made sure to drink at least one beer a day, every day. Usually I have one after work. I've stretched a bit but other than that I haven't started any exercise regiment as of yet. I did cheat once however. My wife was taking me too lunch and there wasn't anything healthy in the vicinity of where I work. So BK it was. Oh well, it was damn good though. Plus, you have to remember, I'm fat. Losing weight for fat people is pretty easy. A buddy of mine who is overweight cut out sweets all together and he lost over 100 lbs so far. It'll get harder but I'm already starting to feel a little better so that is incentive. My wife bought me some yoga DVD so I'll be starting that soon. Man, that's gonna be funny. I'll need pictures of that. Until next week!!


Cheers!

The Beerbuddha

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Beer Review: Thomas Creek Brewery Orange Blossom Pilsner Squared




When I travel I always trying to find the best local beer store in the area. If I can stay away from chains I try. The same goes for when I buy beer. I not only buy beers I can't get in Louisiana but I always do my best to find local brews as well so I can do my part by Supporting Your Local Brewery.

Well, because there isn't much in terms of beer stores in Orlando I found myself at Total Wine, which is like a Sam's Club for alcoholics. It's pretty awesome. Anyways, I had previously tried the OBP (not squared)which I found to be "not all the bad" according to my Beeradvocate review so I decided to try this one.

According to the label they claim they made this beer with "half the water, twice the flavor" and said it was similar to making a pot of coffee with less water. I'll be honest this statement really didn't mean a whole lot to me seeing I hate coffee and haven't yet started brewing. I guess it makes sense. For some reason, "half the water" too me means less to drink. For those who don't know what Orange Blossom Honey is, it is honey that is produced by bees that get the nectar from Orange tree blossoms. Pretty cool. Anyways, on to the review! Oh yeah by the way, OBP2 is contract brewed by Thomas Creek Brewery for Orlando Brewing Partners.

Brewery: Thomas Creek Brewery for Orlando Brewing Partners

Beer: OBP2 aka Orange Blossom Pilsner Squared

Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer

ABV: 11.00%

Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass or mug

Serving Type: I used my Sam Adams glass.

Appearance- The beer poured a nice dark amber orange with a descent size off white head. Lacing was present but minimal.

Smell- Huge orange blossom honey smell. WOW the smell is very nice. It has some nice biscuity and yeast aromas going on as well.

Taste- The honey and orange flavors really punch you in the mouth right off the bat. Not necessarily a bad thing but too me it gives off an Orange Crush soda kind of taste. The 11% ABV is slightly detectable yet mostly hidden which is good.

Mouthfeel- It's got a heavy yet smooth mouthfeel. The beer has medium carbonation.

Overall- This isn't a bad tasting beer. I had their other OBP and this one is a better beer by far. The overpowering honey taste is just too much for me though.

Score: Photobucket 3.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Abita New Orleans Pub Crawl







NEW ORLEANS PUB CRAWL
Friday September, 12th

$1 Abita Fall Fest
First 500 to register receive a FREE commemorative Pub Crawl Tshirt.


Party starts at...
The Boot - 6PM-8PM (Registration)
1039 Broadway St.

From there head to...
The Palms - 8PM-9PM
7130 Freret St.

Crawl on over to...
Phillips - 9PM-10PM
738 Cherokee St.

Then make your way to...
Roccos - 10PM-11PM
7601 Maple St.

The true Abita drinkers will finish up at...
Bruno’s Tavern - 11PM-Till
7538 Maple St.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Should The US Change The Legal Drinking Age to 18

Should the US lower the drinking age back to 18 years old? That's a question people have been arguing over for years. Well today I read an article on USAToday.com that discussed college presidents wanting to get the age changed to 18 because they say current laws "actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus". Universities such as Duke University, Dartmouth and Ohio State are all asking lawmakers to take a look at the current law (National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984) and reconsider.

This is a law I never fully understood. Let's take a look at things 18 year olds are allowed to do:

1) They can enter into legal agreements.
2) They can join the military and fight in wars.
3) They can vote.
4) They can get married without their parents consent.
5) They can serve on a jury.

Now does it make sense to allow an 18 year old to do all these things yet not allow them to drink a beer? No, it doesn't and no one can convince me differently. Groups like MADD want to make us think that if the age gets lowered to 18 then drinking and driving accidents will increase which just isn't 100% true. Yes, it is true that drinking and driving accidents have decreased and have been decreasing since 1980 but their is no direct link between the minimum drinking age and that decrease. There are many key factors that play a part in this decrease such as: educating people against drinking and driving, safer cars, lower speed limits, designated driver programs and the increased usage of seatbelts and airbags.

We are the only country in the nation with a 21 year old age limit. Our country also punishes states that do not change the legal age to 21. How is that you ask? Well, the federal government penalizes states that do not restrict alcohol to people under 21 by withholding 10% of their federal highway funding. So now ask yourself, do you think any state representative is going to worry about this age issue now? Hell no. They need those highway funding dollars.

Let's face it folks, the law doesn't work and needs to be changed. How can we send these kids to war or let them vote yet not drink a beer? It doesn't make sense. What does make sense is early education and getting parents involved. What do you think? Check out the poll at the top and let me know.


Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Great American Beer Diet Challenge- Week 1

OK, so I said I was doing this and I'm a man of my word. Pictures and all. Lucky for you I kept my shirt on and spared you my man boobs. So here are the pictures and current stats.

PS Notice the beer cap in the belly button. NICE!



















Current Weight: As you can see by the pic I'm still at a solid 290 with clothes. But as my wife says I'm not fat, I'm husky.















My plans for losing the weight: I don't believe in diets so I will just be watching my food intake and increase(start?)exercise. My wife who is in great shape and now my trainer is starting me on yoga and walking up on the levee. I'm also only allowed to eat cereal after 8:00pm on nights that I close at work. I'll also be doing push ups and crunches every night before bed. I don't want to do a lot of weight lifting since I have the tendency of bulking up quickly.

Beer I had tonite: Boulevard ZON

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Beer Review: Charles Wells Banana Bread Beer



Banana bread beer. Hmmmm. Sounds...weird. Now I love me some banana bread but banana bread beer? This will be interesting. This particular banana bread beer comes straight from England via the Well's and Young's Brewing Company. The company website describes this beer as a "unique brew (Alc 5.2% vol) that combines all the traditional qualities and style of a Charles Wells bitter with the subtle flavour of banana." Doesn't sound horrible. Hell, it even won "Beer of the Festival" at the March 2002 CAMRA London Drinker Festival. Does this mean I should be drinking the cask version of this beer instead of the bottled version? Well, as much as I'd like to enjoy this via cask I have no choice but to drink the bottled version. On to the review.

Brewery: Wells and Youngs Brewing Company

Beer: Charles Wells Banana Bread Beer

Style: Fruit/Vegetable beer

ABV: 5.2%

Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug

Serving Type: Nonic Pint Glass

Appearance: This beer poured a nice golden copper color with a thick egg shell colored head. Lacing was minimal but present.

Smell: The smell was..surprise! Banana bread. Man that's wild. It really smells just like banana bread. Also had a nice yeastiness in the smell.

Taste: The taste was again bananas but not too much. Much less banana in the taste than in the nose which was good. Very crisp and clean beer.

Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel was medium bodied with mild carbonation.

Overall: Overall a nice beer but not overly impressive. I do however highly recommended trying this beer.

Score: Photobucket 3 out of 5 Buddhas

Beer Review: Brassiere Dupont Foret



Foret, brewed by Brassiere Dupont, is a belgian saison which is Belgium's only 100% certified organic ale. I really love saisons and this beer was no exception. It was an absolutely incredible beer. Not the best Saison I've had but damn close. On to the review.









Brewery: Brassiere Dupont

Beer: Foret

Style: Saison/Farmhouse Ale

ABV: 7.50%

Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass, Tulip, Oversized Wine Glass

Serving Type: Tulip

Appearance- This beer poured a nice hazy, straw color with a huge, fluffy white head. Head retention and lacing were great!

Smell- Wonderful fruit aroma- peaches, bananas, apricot, lemon and maybe a hint of tart pineapple. Nice spices as well such as coriander and white pepper. Also a nice earthy yeast smell with hints of alcohol.

Taste- Very similar to the nose but with an added peppery spice and grassy hoppiness. A very nicely balanced beer.

Mouthfeel- A nice crisp, smooth body with high carbonation.

Overall- A fantastic beer that is very true to style. This beer is awesome for those hot summers as it is light and refreshing.

Score: Photobucket 4.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Beer Review: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel


Peche Mortel, which translates to "Mortal Sin", is brewed by the Brasserie Dieu du Ciel in Montreal, Quebec. This beer is brewed using fair trade coffee which is "infused during the brewing process". For those that don't know what "fair trade" is, Wikipedia describes it as:
"an organized social movement and market-based approach to empowering developing country producers and promoting sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production of a wide variety of goods"


So, once again, drinking a beer means doing something good for the world. You gotta love it. We can tell those Southern Baptist preachers ,who are saying we are sinning when we drink our devils brew, that at least we are doing something to support those in need!! Anyways, on with the review!!

Brewery: Brasserie Dieu du Ciel

Beer: Peche Mortel

Style: American Double/Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.50%

Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass, Snifter, Oversized Wine Glass

Serving Type: Chalice

Appearance- This beer poured a oily black with a cafe au lait colored head which was present for the life of the beer. Nice lacing rings present after each sip.

Smell- COFFEE. The coffee aroma dominated but there were slight hints of chocolate.

Taste- Again with the coffee. More pronounced as an espresso style coffee with subtle hints of chocolate and perhaps raisins and toffee. Had a nice smokey flavor as well.

Mouthfeel- Thick and creamy. Little to no carbonation.

Overall- A great brew that is well suited as an after dinner beer. I don't like coffee but I couldn't let that cloud my judgement of this beer. Overall this beer was fantastic but something I wouldn't drink again because of my personal dislike of coffee.

Score: Photobucket 4.5 out of 5 Buddhas

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Great American Beer Diet Challenge

Ok, so for those that know me personally, you may know I wasn't always a fat ass. Over the 10 years that I've been married I've gained about 40-50 lbs. When I played football and rugby at Tulane I weighed in at 220 and was in really good shape. Since those days I have truly let myself go and I am always saying that "today is the day" when I'm gonna start getting in shape. I'm famous(infamous?)for it.

Well, today while reading my fellow beer bloggers blogs I came across an interesting piece on Chipper Dave's blog Fermentedly Challenged called The Great American Beer Diet Challenge. In the piece he admits to be 20 lbs overweight, I wish, and issued a challenge in which he states:

Here's the challenge, I want anyone who wants to join the challenge to post on their own blog a starting picture of your belly, plus keep a posted weekly journal of how much you weighed, what exercise (if any) you did that day, a brief summary of what you ate and what beer you drank that day (up to 7 per week). I challenge you to lose a higher percentage of body weight than me by October 11th. Why October 11th? That's the day I head to the Great American Beer Festival in Denver to celebrate


So, of course the former jock in me says yes I'm in. I'm always up for a challenge especially when free beer is involved. Plus, maybe I can lose some weight at the same time. So here are my current stats and the belly picture will come later when I buy my new camera on Friday.

Current Weight: 285 (geez I have a long way to go)
Goal for Oct 11th: 250 (35lbs)
Overall Goal: 220 (65lbs) I don't want to give up after Oct. 11th.

Stay Buddhalicious!(I may have to change that huh?)

The Beerbuddha

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Free Rogue Gear with AHA Sign Up








Just received an email from Rogue regarding signing up with the American Homebrewers Association.
It reads as follows:








http://www. beertown. org/email/aha/special_offer/Rogue. htm

For a limited time, you can sign up for membership to the American Homebrewers Association® (AHA) and receive a free
Rogue Dead Guy Ale Pint Glass filled with Rogue goodies!

If you’re not yet a homebrewer- this is a great way to start.
Or if you know someone who might enjoy learning more about beer and homebrewing, this is a great gift!

Members enjoy these benefits:
· Six annual issues of Zymurgy. The ultimate magazine for the homebrewer and beer enthusiast. From brewing better beer to building better homebrewing equipment, Zymurgy has articles that appeal to every brewer and beer lover.

· AHA TechTalk Email Forum - More than 10,000 AHA members subscribe to TechTalk—an email forum for homebrewers. Here’s where you'll go to get advice on topics that range from where to get homebrew supplies, what types of yeasts to brew with or where the best beer bars are at your next vacation destination.

· Pub Discount Program- Enjoy discounts at over 350 pubs nationwide.

· Exclusive access to the Great American Beer Festival(sm) Members Only Session.

· Discounts on the AHA National Homebrewers Conference , National Homebrew Competition and beer and brewing books.

** Great deal. Hell, I was about to sign up anyway so this is a nice perk!**

UPDATE: Signed up on Thursday!

Beerbuddha Blog Feedback



Ok, so I've been blogging for a little over a month now. When originally asked to do this I thought it would suck and just be more work than I needed but I actually really like doing this and have met some cool ass people. Apparently people are actually visiting the site and reading my stuff as well. The point of this particular post was to first, thank everyone who visits the site and reads my stuff and second, to get feedback from the people. How am I doing? What could I do to improve? What do you like about the site? Dislike? Please comment back because I'd really like to hear from you!

Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Monday, August 11, 2008

Support Your Local Brewery

Just wanted to let you know that I supported my local brewery today by buying a t-shirt from NOLA Brewing Company. For those of you who would like to get some tees from this new New Orleans brewery you can visit there website.

Peter Caddoo, their brewmaster, also showed me their tap handles they just got in and they look great. They look similar to the wrought iron fences we have here in town with the fleur de lis on top of them. I can't wait until these guys get rolling!! Right now they are just waiting on getting their brewing equipment which they purchased from Left Hand Brewing out of Colorado. I was told hopefully October they will start kegging for bars. Hopefully we'll see some party pigs or growlers available as well.



If you aren't from New Orleans and aren't sure about local breweries in your area but want to get involved you can always visit Beer Advocate which has a great database of breweries from around the world. If you love beer and haven't been to this site I warn you now that it is addictive! You can also head over to the Support Your Local Brewery website. These guys are "dedicated to supporting and protecting the legislative and regulatory interests of small, traditional and independent craft breweries". If you like your craft beer than you better make sure you get over there and sign up!!!

Beer Review: New Belgium Trippel Belgian Style Ale


OK, so sorry for the lame ass picture of the label here to my left. My digital camera broke and I had to "borrow" a label from the brewery website and this is what it ended up looking like. As soon as I get another camera I'll take a proper picture and replace this one.
Anyways! My wife was able to pick this beer up for me on her trip to Arkansas as well. This one has an interesting story behind it though, well at least it's interesting too me. I knew my wife was going on this trip to Arkansas so I asked around on beeradvocate.com about good beer stores in the area she would be visiting. I got a reply that suggested I send her to Timberlane Wine and Spirits. Great, so that's cool, I now know where to send her, but, the beer nerd in me needed more info! Of course, I had to call and find out what beers they may carry that I can't get here in Louisiana. I couldn't possibly send my wife, who doesn't drink at all, into a beer store without a list. Now to be fair to my wife, she has a good memory and would have remembered some of the over 300 beers I have tried and currently keep the bottles to but most likely she would have picked my beer by how cool the labels look. This could be a good thing or a really bad thing. So, as I'm talking to the owner, Chris, I happen to mention I too, work in a wine store here in Louisiana. The first thing he says when he finds this out is, "If you can you get me some Abita Strawberry I'll trade you!". Now, Abita Strawberry is a hot selling beer here in South Louisiana and you're lucky to see it in stores for more than one month but this was about 2-3 months after it's release. But, I'm not one to turn down an offer like this so I told him I'd do the best that I could. Ironically, I had just taken my last 6 pack(of which my beautiful, loving wife dropped 2)to a little shin dig thrown by some friends, so I was out. I called around to all the stores in the area and everyone was out. Did I give up? Hell no! I'm The Beerbuddha and Beerbuddha's never say die! Or is that Goonies never say die? Anyways, I made some calls to my peoples and my boy Riki came through for me finding a buddy of his who bought something like 3 cases of it and gave him a six pack. Sweet! So, my New Belgium Trippel comes to me via trade for some Abita Strawberry! I think I'm the winner in this trade and I hope I didn't bore you! On to the review!
Beer: Trippel Belgian Style Ale
Style: Tripel
ABV: 7.8%
Recommended Glassware: Snifter or Goblet
Serving Type: Chalice
Appearance- This beer poured a nice golden color with a huge 2 inch frothy head. The amount of bubbles was crazy. Like a champagne. Lacing was amazing and made nice little rings on my glass as I drank the beer.
Smell- Incredibly aromatic with wonderful smells of bananas and other fruits such as grapefruit and apple.
Taste- WOW. Nice malty sweetness up front with a nice hoppy bitterness in the finish. HUGE apple tastes were coming out of this beer. Also was able to detect hints of bananas(as in the nose). The 7.8% alcohol made this beer warming as well but was nicely hidden.
Mouthfeel- Has a nice medium body with a medium high carbonation. Very crisp and refreshing beer.
Overall- 4 out of 5 Buddhas. An incredible beer. Maybe not the best trippel I have ever had but ranks at the top. Once again here is the part where I say- Wish we could get this Louisiana. Hey New Belgium, if you're reading this please start distributing in our state!!


Sunday, August 10, 2008

Beer Review: Kona Brewing Co. Longboard Lager

Picked this beer up when I was in Florida on my trip in June. This is another beer we cannot get in Louisiana. I just don't understand why distribution companies aren't willing to bring beer in. This beer has a distribution deal with AB so I assume our local AB dealer, Southern Eagle, would be the ones to talk with. I was already told by a sales rep from this company that there isn't a craft beer crowd here in New Orleans so they didn't feel it was important to bring a whole lot of craft beer in. SO, because they say there is no market(which there is that's why the store I work at does a nice beer business)we can't get Kona or Goose Island. Nice. Ok, rant over on to the review.





Brewery: Kona Brewing Company

Beer: Longboard Lager

Style: American All-Malt Lager

ABV: 5.50%

Recommended Glassware: Pilsner Glass

Serving Type: My Sam Adams glass

Appearance- This beer poured a pale yellow with a descent size white head. Lacing was present throughout.

Smell- It had a nice, clean malty smell too it.

Taste- Very good for a lager. Wonderful, refreshing malty flavors with a nice hoppy bitterness which created a nice balance.

Mouthfeel- A nice medium body with medium carbonation.

Overall- A fantastic lager. I went into this expecting a typical macro style lager but was pleasantly surprised by this beer. Nice light beer with plenty of flavor. I would love to be sitting on the beaches of Hawaii drinking this one!!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Beer Review: Goose Island Honker's Ale


So, the wife really truly loves me. On a recent trip to the middle of nowhere Arkansas to visit her grandmother she made the trek over to a local wine shop which also just so happened to carry a descent beer supply. With my detailed list in hand she went about searching for the beers I had asked her to inquire about but in the end felt a phone call would be more efficient. After learning that cell phone reception in this little Arkansas town is a bit spotty she called me on the wine shops phone and all was well. Anyway, she was able to pick up some nice brews and this one from Goose Island Beer Company was one of them. I was really wanting the Bourbon County Stout but alas that was not to be so I settled for this one and was happy I did. Here is my review!
Beer: Honker's Ale
Style: English Bitter
ABV: 4.3%
Recommended Glassware: Pint Glass or Mug
Food Pairings: Cheese: Brick, Edam or Feta
Serving Type: My Sam Adams glass
Appearance- This beer poured a nice copper color with a huge white head. Lacing was present throughout.
Smell- Wonderful malt aroma with nice hints of hops and sweet caramel.
Taste- Nice toasted malty flavors with a caramel sweetness similar to the nose. There is also a nice hoppiness which provides a nice citrus taste to it.
Mouthfeel- A medium body with a medium carbonation.
Overall- This beer is great!! It could function as a prefect session beer with the great taste and the fairly low ABV. I could drink a lot of these!! Only problem. We can't get this down here in Louisiana. Guess it's time to start bugging the local distributor!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Uh, How Do I Pronounce Gueze or How I Learned To Pronounce Westvleteren and Other Belgian Beers


So, as a beer consultant I get a lot of customers asking me for beers from all around the world. The other day I had a customer who had picked up a bottle of Lindemans Framboise and she asked me how to pronounce the name. I told her I wasn't sure of the exact pronunciation but told her that I pronounce it "Fram Bwah" with the "s" being silent. She left the store very thankful but left me wondering if I had given her the proper information.
Yes folks, little stuff like this bothers me. I like to make sure I give people the proper information. Her visit got me wondering about a lot of the other beers we carry, their proper pronunciation and well, how do we learn how to pronounce them properly, short of flying to their respective countries.
Enter the Internet. I love the Internet and just knew I'd find something that could help me. After a little digging around I found what I was looking for and it came in the form of http://www.belgianstyle.com/. This website is devoted to everything Belgian and beer. It has style information, tasting notes, a Belgian glass section, a travel guide section and a how it sounds section. That's right, a section which helps you learn how to pronounce the different Belgian styles and beers. It's really cool because it gives you an English pronunciation and Flemish pronunciation as well. When you click on one of the flags representing either the English(American flag) or Flemish(Belgian flag) version of the word you want it pulls up your media player and plays it for you so you can hear how it is pronounced. Very cool, just what I needed!! I also learned that I apparently told that lady the wrong pronunciation and now feel like a tool. Oh well, next time I'll get it right thanks to this site. Oh yeah, and I now know how to pronounce Westvleteren!! Now if I could only pronounce Unibrou properly and stop saying "Unibrow" I'd be good.
Stay Buddhalicious!!
The Beerbuddha

Do You Remember....Spuds MacKenzie?


Do you remember Spuds MacKenzie? Come on, if you grew up in the 80s like I did, there is no forgetting the famous pooch with the black patch eye that was the party animal of the decadent decade. I certainly remember him, hell, I had a Spuds MacKenzie t-shirt!
Spuds, originally a female Bull Terrier named Honey Tree Evil Eye, was a huge marketing success for the Bud Light brand during the 1980s. Appearing for the first time in 1987 during Superbowl XXI the dog became a marketing sensation with his own line of plush dolls, T-shirts and tons of other merchandise.
His fame came to an abrupt halt in 1992 when groups such as The Center for Science in the Public Interest and Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who felt the ads were targeted at children and who also feel parents aren't responsible enough to parent their own children, began to attack and call for censorship of the ads. Although the FCC found no evidence to support the groups claims, AB still made the decision to pull the ads thus ending Spuds reign as top party dog.
Here is a link to the original 1987 commercial that aired during Superbowl XXI:
Stay Buddhalicious!!
The Beerbuddha

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Black Albert Coming to Louisiana!



BLACK ALBERT IS COMING!!

All my hard work finally paid off and we are getting Black Albert in Louisiana. I was told by my distributor that we are getting it in and looking at "sometime in September" for a release into the state. I'll keep everyone up to date on this one.

This beer is brewed for Ebenezers Pub in in Lovell, Maine by De Struise Brouwers. Here is a commercial description of the beer from the Ebenezers Pub website.

Commercial Description:
This Belgian Royal Stout was brewed as a tribute to one of America's best pubs. Jennifer and Chris Lively who run the place may be proud on Ebenezer’s Pub. Not only do they have 35 beers on draught, most of these are hard to find Best Belgian Ales. Above that, they have one of the most extensive bottle-conditioned beer lists through different bottling dates we have ever seen. Not only can you drink almost any Belgian beer, the worlds best brewery’s are represented. A lot of the guests talk about the American Kulminator, yet with that difference that the Belgian inspired food, is simply great. Black Albert was brewed and crafted with a 100% Belgian ingredients. Pours a blacker than black beer with an inch of dark tan head that lingers as it cascades into itself. Huge aroma of bitter-sweet chocolate, fresh torrified coffee beans, barley, candy sugar, complex fruits, and floral hops. At the front, there is spiced baker's chocolate, fresh mocha, caramel like barley touches, and underlying hints of dried fruits which marries the back of your palate and features a huge, and well integrated but not overbearing hop flavour. The after-taste is well balanced and shows a panorama of extreme sensations like chocolate and coffee bitters, a plum cake richness that covers the palate, and a crisp impression of hop bitters that brings elegance and freshness into this massive brew.

Beernews.org Craft Beer Release Calendar


Are you wondering when a certain beer is releasing? Tired of having to visit tons of different sites just to see release dates? Well now there is a site you can visit and see all the release dates of craft beer all on one site!
Check out beernews.org and on the left side click on craft beer release dates and voila you have the most up to date calendar of release dates for craft beer!! Thanks to The Beersage over at beernews for putting this together!!

Decatur, GA's Brick Store Pub's Cellaring Program


Got this off of YouTube. I can't wait to visit the Brick Store!! This place has to be one of the best beer bars in the US! You gotta check this video out. Man, this is a beer nerds dream!!


Monday, August 4, 2008

The Beer Buddha in The Gambit

Hey, for those who live in the New Orleans area and receive The Gambit Weekly get this weeks issue. On page 38 check out Six Picks by yours truly! They wouldn't let me use The Beerbuddha but maybe next time!! It is online as well at http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2008-08-05/feat6.php

You may have to cut and past the link because they've updated their online issue. There also seems to be a computer issue so some of the piece is jacked up.
Anyways, look for more pieces soon!

Stay Buddhalicious!!


The Beerbuddha

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Mustache for Ulcers Update

Update on The Beerbuddha’s attempt at growing a Fu Manchu for Mustaches for Ulcers!!

OK, so it’s been a couple of days but I can definitely see some progress. I’ve got some significant peach fuzz which creates a dirt on my lip like appearance. I’m hoping to have something to show ya in about 2 weeks time. I was going to create a day to day picture thingy which would show the awesome transformation but my digital camera broke. Oh well. See ya soon!


Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

***Don't know what Mustaches for Ulcers is all about? Check it out here: http://mondaynightbrewery.com/***

Do You Remember......Your First Beer?


Do you remember your first beer? I'm not talking about the first craft beer or the first beer your Dad let you sip. No, I'm talking about the first beer you ever consumed.
I remember mine. I was a sophomore in high school and I was hanging out with my buddies(Randy, Clint and Matt). Not sure how we got around to wanting to get beer other than we were kids and well, wanted beer. We ended up going to the 7 day store on the base and getting a Marine to buy us our beers. He brought us back three 40 oz of Schlitz. Randy, who was the leader of our little gang(and a great leader currently as an officer in the Marine Corps), insisted that we chug our beers. So, of course, we did it. Not sure if I remember too much after that other than the fact the beer didn't taste all that great. And no, it isn't because we got drunk, it's just that the memory itself is hazy and has been lost in the jumble that makes up my thoughts and memories. What I do remember though is that it was a good time while hanging out with great friends and the quality of the beer wasn't important.
Well, that's it, my first Do You Remember post. More Do You Remembers to come later. Anyways, I gave you my story on my first beer. What about you? Do you remember yours? If so, leave a comment telling us what yours was. I'd love to hear it!
Stay Buddhalicious!!
The Beerbuddha

Saturday, August 2, 2008

The Kid Sip



Kids sipping beer. Most of us at one time or another had a sip of our dads beer. I know I did and I remember not liking it a whole lot. Growing up in my house my brother and I were never told that alcohol was bad and both my parents drank on a regular basis. When I was in high school about it which meant don't drink and drive and tell us where you are. They knew I was going to experiment and never once got mad at me for drinking while underage.

Fast forward 15 years later and I have a two year old whom I allow to have sips of the beers that I drink. Well, at least I used to until she stopped liking beer. Is this a bad thing? Am I "endangering" my child or committing "child abuse" as was said in one article(http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/hotstories/5917284.html) I read today? To me I was just allowing my kid to have a sip of beer. Who cares? It won't hurt her any and I never allow her to have more than one sip. And when I say "sip" I mean the smallest sip possible. To me I would like my child to grow up understanding that alcohol is not a bad thing if consumed responsibly. If I hide the liquor and tell her that she can never drink alcohol until she turns what the government thinks is a responsible age is she going to listen? Did I? Did you? Most likely you didn't. I know I didn't.

Well, anyway, I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about this subject. I'm going to post a poll on the site asking readers opinions. Let me know what you think.

Stay Buddhalicious!

The Beerbuddha

Edit: Poll Results

Yes: 11

No: 1

Not Sure: 2