Maryland, Here I Come Again!

This Saturday the 21st I will be departing to Maryland to visit my friend The Baltimore Beer Guy, as we will be doing some heavy beering for a full week until I leave on Sunday the 29th. Last year's trip was a bit shorter but absolutely awesome, as we hit Baltimore city, all the surrounding suburbs and their awesome beer scene, and D.C. This year we have a trip to Philly planned, a roadie into Delaware to visit Evolution Brewing Company (who makes arguably the best IPA in the region, even this West Coaster was impressed last time) and Dogfish Head.

Aside from those short roadies, I'm most looking forward to re-experiencing the local Maryland beer scene in the suburbs outside Baltimore. If you're not from Maryland or don't know anyone from Maryland you would have no idea the quantity and quality of pubs and bars that focus on good beer. Outside some of the big hitters like Max's Taphouse, there are many smaller places that carry nice assortments of beers I can't get in CA, especially local fare like Flying Dog and Heavy Seas.

The beers I'm going to look most forward to hunting down are those from the small outfit known as Stillwater Artisan Ales. Each of the offerings I've had from them has been very good to stellar.

I will try to post some random updates here and there on this blog, and definitely on my twitter (@ssage) as usual.

HOtD Blue Dot DIPA on tap in SD

Been waiting for this for a looong time! (BLAH)
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This is amazing!

PtY on tap and this is what the ToroandoSD looks like. Classic! I'm drinking an Alpine Hoppy BDay after 2 glasses of younger.
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Santa Rosa Recovery, Photo Dump

Some selected crappy blackberry shots from the Pliny the Younger trip.


Sanctification


A nice sunny day at the Pub the morning of the PtY release.


Obviously busy but perfectly controlled


The waiters....


The line outside RR on the first day. This was around 2-3pm.


Moonlight at the Flavor Bistro post-Younger


Hopmonk Tavern. Had a hard time finishing my Kellerbier. Hit the wall that day.


Finnegan's Irish Pub in Novato. Really cool bar where we caught the shitty Manchester United game at Saturday morning.


Moylans. This visit was much better than last considering I didn't have a wine hangover this time. Fresh Hopsickle here was one of the best beers of the trip.


Firestone taproom in Buelton on the way home to watch the Super Bowl.


Union Jack


Santa Barbara, the last leg home.

Day 3 Santa Rosa Road Trip

We drove down south and hopped (literally) our way back up from Novato up to Healdsburg. Watching the Man United game at a really cool Irish pub in Novato was both nice and disappointing (the result), but Moylan's tasted much better to me this time than it did when I went there last a couple years ago (I had a bad wine hangover that day). Hopsickle was so fresh and delicious. Next stop was the Lagunitas taproom which was pretty big. There were at least 100 people there, mostly on the outer "beer garden" area. Good beers, and the Hop Stoopid tasted more like weed than even Alpine Nelson IPA does. Next stop up the 101 was Bear Republic where we had a pint and hit a minor wall. I had their Nor Cal bitter which was meh. We mellowed out for a couple hours after that before heading back to the RR brewpub for the final time. The last night is always the best and this was no exception. When we got to the pub at 9:30 or so there was a still a line of about 15 people waiting for entrance... amazingly PtY was still pouring. After a short wait we went in and enjoyed a few beers, Kev going with Younger and Elder and myself going with Compunctions and Elder. Met some interesting people in that pub this weekend, good times. Time to hit the road and head back down South. Will be posting pictures soon.

Lagunitas Taproom

The taproom at Lagunitas is new to us... Last time we were up here we tried to get a tour but were too early... The whole taproom and patio is really cool. Excellent chili and a wide arrangement of brews. Liked the gift shop too!
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Moylans

Hopsickle straight from the source. Also hit Finnegan's pub in downtown Novato... Really cool irish pub.
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Day 2 Santa Rosa Road Trip

We hit downtown Santa Rosa at 9:15 this morning to find a small crowd of about 10 people waiting outside the brewpub (they open at 11). It was a bit chilly but with clear skies... kinda like the Rose Bowl on Jan 1. The sun was out and eventually in the pub we didn't need jackets. Perfect weather for PtY release. We got in line around 9:30 and they strapped everyone in line with wristbands so no cutting was allowed. They actually started letting people in the pub around 10:30 which was awesome. It wasn't a mad rush, they seated groups one by one. We got a bar table and started ordering our Youngers and beer buddies. After about 3 hours of drinking in the pub we headed out and went to Flavor Bistro for a quick moonlight brew and a cheese plate. After that it was off to Hopmonk Tavern in Sebastapol where we finally hit the wall. It was tough to take down a 20 oz of the Hopmonk Kellerbier and a plate of fish and chips so after that it was back to the hotel for a bit of relaxation. In a little bit we will head back over to Russian River for some more pints.. Younger will be long gone for today, so maybe some Compunction? So many choices......... :)

Finally, Pliny the Younger

PtY at a packed pub in Santa Rosa. Huge line outside. They let us in at 10:30 instead of 11. Can't ask for a better day.
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Day 1 of Santa Rosa Pliny the Younger Road Trip

We made it to SF (~400) miles in about 6 hours and 1/2 tank of gas (hybrids are pretty cool I guess). Saw a license plate that said "JD Bode" on it... perhaps the spirit of the Booze Reviews crew is with us. We scored a parking spot right across the street from Toronado and had a couple pints there. Reality Czeck tasted great, and my 2nd beer was even better. It was actually the Moonlight Twist of Fate bitter that I had on hand pump, not Bombay by Boat (which is the IPA... Kev had that one). Twist of Fate on hand pump was really juicy and very easy to drink. Only being fueled by my little sister's brownies up to this point we headed over to 21st Amendment brewpub (should have gotten a sausage from Rosamund's or whatever it's called). Had the 21A Brew Free or Die IPA which I didn't like that much before and still don't prefer much. After that stop it was to our usual Friday night pre-USC NorCal weekender game spot, the Buena Vista irish pub for their awesome Irish Coffees. We ended the night at Russian River brewpub... the calm before the storm you could say. It is going to be a madhouse today and they were starting to brace for it. They said 200 people would be let in initially so if you're not in that batch it'll probably be a while before you get in. The question is, will the PtY allotment for today last beyond those first 200 people?? Since they open at 11, Kev and I are going to see what the crowd is like around 9... I'm guessing it'll be down the street even though PtY is going to be on tap for 2 weeks. Dammit, I told myself I would never wait in lines like this for beer again.

Russian River Sanctification

Its super sour again! Thank you!
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Buena Vista irish coffee

Its been 4 years since I've had one of these!! Way to long
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Buena Vista

Irish Coffee time
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Toronado 2

Moonlight Bombay By Boat on hand pump
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Toronado SF- first stop

Moonlight Reality Czeck.
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Farewell to the Summer of Beer

Summer of Beer started primarily as a way to document some of the adventures I was having in a way that my friend Brian, who lived in Pensacola at the time and now in Baltimore, could track and discuss what was happening and what I was doing on this side of the beer world. It began to evolve into something more- a combination of a release from the daily school/study grind, and a way to wrap myself up in the adventure of craft beer hunting. It was fun but as time has gone on this whole thing has become more of a lifestyle than an adventure. I don't walk into places really looking forward to trying something new, although that's always a plus if I think or know it's going to be good. No, hitting my local pub and having a pint of Racer 5 or Blind Pig brings as much, if not more satisfaction than trying that "new" beer everyone is talking about.

I asked myself back in 2005, as I was drinking and reviewing as many different beers as I could, if I really liked beer, or if I just liked beer and really liked the concept of being in the small minority of people in our country who participate in such a quest. At the time I didn't know. I've evolved to know I really like beer, and don't give too much thought to the quest anymore.

I feel very fortunate to have been able to discuss craft beer over the span of a few years where I think it really took off. Sure the late 90's and early 2000's saw great advances, not just in numbers but in brewing concepts. Just look at what Stone was doing then (with a much smaller following than now of course). But I was able to see and attend the emerging wave of special release events (thank you Lost Abbey), the opening of one of the country's greatest brewery/restaurant destinations (thank you Stone World Bistro & Gardens), drink Pliny the Younger before you had to wait in lines that wrap around the bars serving it, and much much more. Maybe in a small way I've become one of those people I despised in high school who use to say "Yeah I loved Green Day before they got big and everyone started liking them." You know secretly they were still listening to Green Day in their cars and at home, maybe they just weren't lining up for concert tickets the minute they went on sale.

Perhaps one day I'll have enough time to travel around the country and experience more of our country's craft beer culture. I'm sure I'll be writing about it when it happens. Until then, there's not much to be said.

A Few Quick Beer Notes - Kern River Citra DIPA, Malheur, and Sly Fox

2 kegs of Kern River Citra DIPA made their way down south recently and this was my first chance to try it while I was at O'Brien's. The keg had just tapped, so although it is unfiltered, it was probably a bit more cloudy than when normally settled. I was surprised how much this tasted like a "imperial" Blind Pig, if you will. That's a good thing, but what was even better was how much more of a mango flavor this beer had. The mango frutiness of the Pig is my favorite aspect about it.

O'Brien's just also recently had their U.S. Malheur launch party, featuring the 10 and 12 (a tripel and quad I presume you can call them). I tried the 10 and it turned out to be a fairly nice tasting tripel. I've strayed so far away from Belgian-brewed Belgian ales lately that I don't have a lot to say about them. This one was big and phenolic, definitely strong in terms of alcohol, noticeably so, but not a fire breather.

My friend Adam just got back from PA and brought back some Sly Fox. I've had the Pikeland Pils before and I'd say it's my second favorite pilsner behind the unbeatable awesome Moonlight Reality Czeck (yes they spell it czecK). I like this beer so much its on my regular Summer trade list. I plan to obtain some more as these hot months roll around.

The Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale was a new one to me. Not sure how old it was, but I'm guessing fairly fresh because it had a date on the bottom of the can of 6/2010, so I'm guessing that was a "drink-by" date. This was more grainy pale ale. Not really assertively hoppy, a bit of the usual crystal/caramel malt and graininess. Tasty, easy drinking brew. Don't be expecting Sierra Nevada Pale Ale hoppiness or anything.

Oh and a new batch of Sculpin is out.... that's always news. Ballast Point's Old Grove location is expanding, meaning they're gonna be making a whole lot more Sculpin, and per the people at Ballast Point, they're going to focus on meeting the demand in San Diego first. Bravo. Highly demanded product that the brewers have decided to take care of their local people with before meeting outside demand.... 2 thumbs up.

Last Wednesday's Drinkabout

When you hear "it got a bit out of hand" or "it jumped up a notch real fast" it could have easily referred to last Wednesday's marathon of beering. The day started out innocently, as my Wednesdays off usually do, with a couple pints at O'Brien's while taking in the Champions League matches for lunch. I always tell myself I want to try something new when I go here but invariably end up ordering whatever ends in "IPA". This day involved a Green Flash West Coast IPA and a Pliny the Elder, the latter of which I don't partake in much anymore, but this one was pretty fresh and nice. I usually stick with the awesome 3 Grilled Cheese but I revisited the Spicy Pepper Jack burger which is a delicious burger (it has chili paste or something in it).

I usually retire back to my place for an afternoon nap to recover for whatever may present itself at night, but instead headed south towards SDSU for a visit to KnB Wine Cellar which the Booze Reviews crew always raves about. It's a cool little wine/beer/liquor store with a nice indoor/outdoor lounge area. They have about 10-12 beers on tap, mostly very high quality, although there was PBR also (on special to boot). I was shocked to see Flying Dog's Raging Bitch on tap so I immediately ordered one. The girl began to pour it and said the keg had kicked so I got a little taster glass. At that point I had to text my friend Brian in Maryland who happens to be the unofficial (or is it official yet?) spokesman for Raging Bitch. I also received a message that part of the Booze Reviews crew would be joining me at KnB in 45 minutes, so I had to order up another round- another Green Flash West Coast IPA.

When the rest of the crew arrived at KnB they inquired about Raging Bitch having had kicked, and guess what, it hadn't. Must've been a pressure issue before or something, I dunno, but we ordered another round of Raging Bitch. This beer is a delicious hoppy Belgian brew. I was amazed at how different the bottled and tap versions smelled, though both really hoppy and good, they had a different character each time. This time on the tap I got much more of a Belgian yeast thingy as well. After some appetizers and a couple rounds it was somehow decided that we should hit Blind Lady Alehouse for some pizza to wait for the DrinkAbout shuttle.


Blind Lady was offering a Twitter drinkabout special of $5 Margherita Pizzas if you mention the secret word. That was a great deal and the pizzas were much needed before what ensued. We also quickly downed half liters of Apline Nelson as the drinkabout bus was waiting outside. My beer drinking manhood took a bit of a hit as I think Ashley had to help me finish off the last of my Nelson to catch the bus in time. Thankfully they are sympathetic to someone who had a head start.



The first stop we decided to take off the drinkabout bus was Small Bar, a bar in north North Park owned by the Hamilton's people. This is where I had my worst beer of the night, Napa IPA. It was pretty bad and I didn't finish it (everyone else thought the same). The horrible Napa IPA does not change my view of the Small Bar though, I really like that place. Their food is really good too. After the quick round we hopped on the next bus to catch a ride to our next destination.

The next place we decided to visit was Live Wire, new to all of us I believe. It's a very dark/divey sorta place but they had a good set of taps there, even including Raging Bitch. More Raging Bitch was ordered here, along with Allagash Curieux. I don't even remember what I had here, that was the state I had entered after about 7 hours of beering at this point.


We took the next bus all the way down to Hamilton's, even though the word "Sea Rocket" had escaped our mouths at least 10 times earlier that night. I had never heard of Sea Rocket before and I'm still wondering what the hell the Sea Rocket is like. Anyway, the usual Hamilton's craziness ensued but I didn't even remember hitting Hamilton's until the early morning rehash as I was being driven to my car which was parked at KnB.



Back on the Bus.....

The night ended back at KnB for a round of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. For as much beer as we'd drank by this point Sculpin still tasted really good. Oh yeah, the night actually ended with Sun Tacos. Can't forget that.