socialy retarded

A woman drove me to drink

Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by Derrick.

Some time ago I had decided to start writing about my favorite beers, or better, the beers that I’d had and made me go “hmmm”. Then I took a sabbatical from drinking while I trained for my triathlon. Now that I don’t have to lose weight and I can wear sweaters to cover my buda, I’m back on the Beer Wagon. It all started with GABF back in September.

So I’ve decided to write once a week about the beers I had the previous week.  I’m not a craft beer connoisseur, but I’m not your average Joe Sixpack. I’d say I’m somewhat more of a beer geek with low aspirations. I’ll make a special trip for a special beer, but if you look in my fridge right now, you will find a corporate beer of one make or another.

This post is going to include the last two weeks of Beers.

Monday the 16th.

My little sister Annika and I rolled up to Twisted Pine’s tap house for a tapping party of their Northstar Imperial Porter.  Their tap house rules, we counted 5 dogs from the pubs patrons just roaming around. I’ve got to bring Guinness there, but only after we go on a major hike. Guinness loves beer and I have a feeling he would be an annoyance unless I take him out to open space.

• Northstar Imperial Porter:  I found this beer to have mellow roasted flavors, with hints of coffee with just enough acidity to please my pallet. I wouldn’t call it my favorite Porter, but it’s a good one. One worth buying again.
• Pumpkin Brown: This was Annika’s favorite beer of the night. Pronounced spice and pumpkin flavor. This beer was a bit to foo-foo for me but it would be heaven with some oatmeal raisin cookies and a nice roaring fire.
• Reilly’s Oak Whiskey Red: My favorite beer of the night. This is the beer that I think my father would have loved. Burbon, vanilla, and some oak flavor come to the mind. I’d keep a few of these around to enjoy on a cold wintery night when I want to feel nostalgic over my old man.

Thursday the 25^th

Turkey day. I spent the day with Kit,  Annika, and  Kits family. It was great company, great food, and as tradition says, we got a digital slide show of Cairo.

• Dogfish Head Punkin Ale: Unlike the Twisted Pine pumpkin,  Dogfish managed to tone down the spice, left subtle hints of spice and pumpkin. Much more enjoyable beer that twisted pines. I was a little bummed that I had only brought 4 of these to dinner.
• Life and Limb: A collaboration between two craft brewers, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Dogfish Head. Smooth and creamy, with lots of maple flavor, it was one of my favorite beers I’ve had in a long while. The dark American ale is what I think brewers need to strive for. Eccentric beer is only cool when it is drinkable. I think when brewers extend the boundaries they forget about drinkability.

Friday the 26th

Annika and I started the day with a little bit of golf in the morning (Coors in hand) then headed over to Oskar Blues in Longmont for some craft beer and food. The food was okay, I’d expected more but the beer was excellent. Even though we were in a brewpub owned and run but the Dales Pale Ale folks, I decided to go with some of the specialty beers.

• Lost Abbeys 10 Commandments:  A Belgian strong, typically a beer I would love but the beer was complex with rootie herb filled flavor. I was confused with what I tasted, sometimes I would pick up some fruits, raisins, apple maybe. It was a good beer but I think with being out all day I needed something more hoppy.
• Avery Brewing Co, Hog Heaven: An American barley wine. This beer is exactly what I was expecting. Piney hops explode off the tongue and I was happy once again.

Those were just the specialty beers I consumed. Here is the full list, Heineken, Dogfish Head 120 minute IPA, Boulder Beer  Hazed and Infused, Crabtree brewing Ginger Beer, Great Divide Hercules, Great Divide Yeti, Twisted pine Blond, Fat Tire, and of course Coors light.

Some random beer pics from the week.

Drinking up on Breckenridge mountain.

Drinking Rocky Mountain Pisswater out of my favorite mug.

Craft Beer next to Corporate Beer, blasphemy? I don’t think so.

Guinness’ new bottle opener. This is by far the coolest Idea ever. Anytime I’ve forgot to grab my key-chain, I simply just call the dog.

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In-Heat Wheat

Posted on 20. Jun, 2009 by Derrick.

I had heard a lot about Flying dog Brewery, and was recently told to try their “in-heat wheat”.

I like hefeweizen. The wheatie beer reminds me of summer days and playing in the sand.

This beer however was not what I was expecting. It had all the characteristics of a hef, but not the taste. The smell was fine but the taste is what killed it for me. It tasted like I was drinking a bratwurst. I don’t know how to discribe it. I love bratwurst, I love beer, I don’t love beer that tastes like bratwurst. But I drank it because it was beer. Any beer is better than no beer at all.

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The beers.

Posted on 21. Apr, 2009 by Derrick.

I love beer, and thought I would share with you folks what I’m drinking.

Tonight I started with a double IPA from Boulder Beer company called Mojo Rising. As far as IPA’s are concerned, it was freaking awsome. Normaly IPA’s are hoppy, wich I love in a Uma Therman kinda way, good enough to fuck, but not something that you want every night.9 out of 10

Second beer was a red ale form the 2nd largest beer brewery in Golden Colorado next to Coors. Golden Brewing Company was started by two geologist, who in my opinion need to stick to geology. I love Irish reds, or reds in general, but this beer was not what I expected. It was O.K. but not nearly as good as my fave Smithwicks. I would give it a 5 out of 10.

- Derrick

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