Thirsty Thursday - Pliney the Elder

That's right, I'm all worked up into a froth about another Imperial IPA from California. This time around, its Pliney the Elder from those crafty folks at Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa, California. I enjoyed a couple of pints at Toronado in San Francisco last weekend as well as this bottled version here at home. If you've had this beer, I don't need to tell you how good it is. It doesn't get much better, with all of the usual suspects - hoppy, nutty, spicy, bitter, fruity, flowery - flavors present in this benchmark Imperial IPA/American Double.

Style: Imperial IPA/American Double
ABV: 8%
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: Santa Rosa, California

Thirsty Thursday - Stout and Tripel

Lets keep this week's Thirsty Thursday short and sweet, shall we. I couldn't decide on one, so I drank both...and liked it!


Deschutes Brewery Obsidian Stout. When the leaves (and snow today!) start falling, I start drinking stouts again, and this one from Bend, Oregon is at the top of the heap when it comes to American Stouts.


Bringing it closer to home, I couldn't resist finishing off my last New Belgium Trippel this evening while watching the Huskers get a big win Missouri. The Triple, with its complex array of flavors, is my favorite of the Belgian beer styles, and New Belgium's Trippel is a great example of this style. If you're ready to explore the world of Belgian beers, this would be a good beer to start with.

Thirsty Thursday - Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale

Get your refresh button ready kids as I'll be posting something about tasty drinks every Thursday in my new Thirsty Thursday series here on the thirtyfourtwenty. I've selected this little beauty from Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma, CA for the inaugural Thirsty Thursday post. I have a limited selection of Lagunitas beers at my disposal, so I take advantage of any opportunity to taste their beers. They're also a Soulcraft sponsor, but I digress. Lets dig into the details...

Beer: Little Sumpin' Extra! Ale
Brewer: Lagunitas Brewing Co - Petaluma, CA
Style: Double IPA / Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.74
Serving Type: Bottle poured into pint glass

I love double IPA's, and this one reminds me why. A fruity hop character, with hints of orange and pineapple flavor, not too much alcohol taste, and just the right amount of body make this beer so easy to drink. I'll be heading to my local shop to clean them out before someone else beats me to the punch.

PS - This is my first attempt at writing a beer review, so stay tuned as hopefully my reviews become more useful...

Beers!

Great Divide - Belgica

Great Divide has a brand new Belgian-style IPA out. I like it a lot.

In My Beer Fridge

Sierra Nevada - BigFoot
Flying Dog - Horn Dog
Flying Dog - Kerberos Tripel
New Belgium - Abbey
Great Divide - Denver Pale Ale
Great Divide - Claymore Scotch Ale
Ft Collins Brewery - Chocolate Stout
Lagunitas - Gnarlywine

Oh, whatever shall I drink tonight?

I Enjoy Drinking Beer - June 2008 Week One

Kegerators give me a headache! The neighbor's kegerator, filled with Sweaty Betty ended up in my garage last Saturday. I had a headache Sunday morning. Turns out, pulling a tap to fill a pint glass is even easier than popping a cap off of a bottle. Damnit!


While we're on the subject of popping caps off of bottles... I've been popping tops off of the fine beers included in the Left Hand Brewing Mountain Mixer lately and I have to say, its about as good a mix of tasty brewtowski's I've had in a while. Of course, Milk Stout is one of my favorite Colorado beers, but the pack also includes Jackman's Pale Ale, Sawtooth Ale, and Black Jack Porter. Get some.

And finally, Mark over at Paragon Machine Works surprised me with two badass PMW pint glasses that arrived in the mail just in time for a Friday evening beer (or three).

Keep on, keepin' on...

Ft Collins Brewery Chololate Stout = GOOD!

Picked up a sixer of Chocolate Stout from Fort Collins Brewery on my way home from my ride. I'm a sucker for any Chocolate Stout and this one is a keeper! You don't hear much about these guys, but they make some damn fine beers.