Thirsty Thursday - Dale's Pale Ale

I remember the first time I tasted Dale's Pale Ale. I had just returned to Nebraska from a house-hunting trip in Denver and I had brought a sixer back with me to see what all the commotion was about. So I cracked one open the first chance I got and I'm here to tell you, I couldn't believe what my taste buds were telling me. This beer was good. Really good! And from a can. Its fairly balanced as we've come to expect from a Pale Ale, but I think it leans a bit more toward the bitter side, with a bitterness that sticks around for quite a while. Its hoppy! As the ring around the top of the can says, "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha of a Pale Ale". It ain't no lie! I'm still in disbelief that such a tasty beer fits into those cans. The best thing is, its very convenient to take these little buddies into the woods on mountain bicycle adventures. And there isn't another beer I'd rather have along for a mid-ride break than Dale's Pale Ale.

Brewery: Oskar Blues Longmont, CO
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%

Thirsty Thursday - Ommegang Abbey Ale

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Its our first journey into the world of Belgian style beers. In this case, we're talking about Abbey Ale from the jedi masters at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, NY. I'm relatively new to Belgian beers, and the Dubbel has not emerged as my favorite Belgian style, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy Abbey Ale a lot! While this beer doesn't quite have the level of spices, fruitiness, and bitterness that I enjoy in, say, a Tripel, I enjoy the more subtle presence of these characteristics in Abbey Ale. Its definitely more of a malty, dry experience when compared to some of the other Belgian styles, particularly Tripel (my favorite style so far!). If you're looking to explore Belgian beers and you want to try every style, I'd say Ommegang Abbey Ale should be one of your top choices when looking for a Dubbel.

Brewery: Brewery Ommegang - Cooperstown, NY
Style: Dubbel
ABV: 8.5%

Thirsty Thursday - Old Rasputin

Old Rasputin just feels right at this time of year, especially when I'm staring out at 6" of fresh snow and the snow is still falling. Smooth, creamy, and just a little bitter, this top-notch Russian Imperial Stout is a must-try when the mood strikes. And at 9% ABV, you'll be nice and buzzed after one bottle, yessiree!

Style: Russian Imperial Stout
ABV: 9%
Brewery: North Coast Brewing Fort Bragg, CA

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!